HLSEBT - 21

21. The Spark Grew Like That 2

“Was the illegal activity covered up by Cheon Hwa?”

“To be precise, it was my eldest uncle and youngest uncle. Respectively.”

“You’re separating Chairman Han and those two?”

Cheon Geon-young spoke gently.

“It’s been a while since the chairman has been unable to move around. Didn’t you know?”

“I wanted to confirm with the family before asking.”

“He’s conscious but finds it difficult to leave his room.”

“By choice or by force?”

This time, there was no answer.

But from his expression, it seemed external pressure was at play. Just as rumors suggested—the group’s leadership was on the verge of changing hands. The power struggle beneath the surface appeared fierce.

“The information I sent you is all factual. You’ve probably cross-checked it already.”

Cheon Geon-young summarized the charges against the two individuals.

“Park Ji-Sang protected a chain murderer of Espers for money, and Ha Su-Jin was caught illegally harvesting and distributing plants in the Dungeon.”

“...”

“Aren’t these exactly the kinds of crimes Arc would despise? One man who’ll guard an Esper murderer if paid enough, and a woman caught trying to make drugs out of unverified alien plants.”

Yoon Tae-Ha spoke skeptically.

“I can’t figure out why Gaia didn’t catch this…”

“As much as your organization evolves, we also invest time and money.”

A lot of it. Cheon Geon-young added. If he said “a lot,” how much could it possibly be?

A ranking program that humorously listed the private assets of emerging conglomerates came to mind.

The name of the Cheon family, confidently occupying the top block.

What can’t they do with money? Do such limits even exist for them?

The sharp laughter of the program host echoed in her ears.

“Considering how they completely changed identities, it’s obvious. They probably ran laundering operations in lawless zones.”

Yoon Tae-Ha leaned back on the sofa, muttering discontentedly.

“Just like the chairman’s sons, aren’t they?”

“They’d take that as a compliment.”

Cheon Geon-young stated matter-of-factly.

He then briefly explained the intense war raging between the chairman’s two sons.

He also revealed that the vice chairman had planted a mole within Arc. Yoon Tae-Ha didn’t seem particularly surprised.

“You’re going to say you don’t know who it is, right?”

“If I find out, I’m willing to share. But rather than immediately expelling them from the organization…”

“It’s better to keep tabs on them and leave them in place. If the mole changes, we’d have to start over from scratch.”

“We think alike, don’t we?”

He smiled as if he’d achieved some great consensus.

“So, whose side are you on, Mr. Cheon? The eldest uncle? Or the youngest?”

“It’s too late to pick sides. And they wouldn’t let me interfere anyway.”

“What about someone who graduated from the Agent Academy? A talented individual like yourself?”

“They think reducing the number of nephews means a bigger share for themselves.”

She knew their relationship wasn’t good, but she had assumed it was just a fight over their father’s wealth—not something where they’d kill their own nephew.

In fact, the internal reports from Arc hadn’t mentioned anything to that extent.

Cheon Geon-young concluded his explanation dryly, without a hint of self-pity.

One plus one equals two. When one family member dies, the inheritance share increases. He explained these two concepts as if they were on the same plane.

“This is the first time I’ve openly disrupted both of their plans. From here on, their relationship will only worsen. It doesn’t look like they’ll ever go back to exchanging New Year’s money.”

The explanation was sufficient. This was a group that viewed each other not as family, but as competitors.

His calm face came back into focus.

“I have a question.”

Yoon Tae-Ha had several questions for Cheon Geon-young.

The first was about purpose. That had been resolved—it was a family feud aimed at survival.

The second was about method. He didn’t seem like the type to reveal his cards so soon. True to form, he skillfully evaded direct answers.

And that wasn’t disappointing. In fact, it would have been less trustworthy if he had spilled everything after just meeting her.

How much does he really know about me?

Yoon Tae-Ha wanted the other party to be as wary of her as she was of them. This was a contract, after all. Numbers alone were enough to balance the scales.

“Why go through all this trouble just to become my guide?” 

“It seems you’re more curious about that than what I’m selling.” 

“The confidential information you’re holding probably isn’t anything surprising… Just one of the chairman or vice chairman’s scandals. Something big, I assume.” 

As the two exchanged veiled words, trying to deduce each other’s hands, dusk began to fall. 

The lone fluorescent light overhead, barely maintaining its facade, flickered as if frightened by the fiery hues of the setting sun. 

Half of Yoon Tae-Ha’s face was bathed in red light, while the other half sank into shadow. Her eyes, hidden in darkness, gleamed with intensity. 

“What I mean is, if your goal is to bring them down by exposing their dirty secrets, wouldn’t it be more efficient to go to the police or the Protective Bureau instead of Ark?” 

“I don’t buy the excuse about liking overseas travel. People with private family jets don’t need to bother with such things.” 

After her stern warning, Cheon Geon-young replied: 

“I needed someone no one would trust.” 

It was an unexpected answer from someone who had offered to work together. 

“You too?” 

“It’s easier to work with someone who’s naturally suspicious.” 

For the first time, Yoon Tae-Ha felt a sense of kinship with Cheon Geon-young. Empathy born out of mutual distrust—ironic, yet undeniable. 

Judging from how he spoke about his family, she could guess where his distrust stemmed from. It wasn’t unfamiliar territory for her either; in fact, it was close to her main area of expertise. 

“I looked into what Ark does before joining.” 

“A model job seeker, aren’t you?” 

“Suppressing rifts across nations, restoring civilian damages caused by rifts, Esper training and new drug development, rescuing and protecting exploited Espers, mediating disputes between Espers…” 

“…” 

“And eradicating ideological extremist groups.” 

“…Has our company really done that much?” 

“They’ve also been known to handle anti-government forces.” 

“The most important part always comes last, doesn’t it?” 

Ordinary people understood Ark’s work based on the tasks mentioned first. They saw Ark as neutral-flag bearers handling issues too difficult for any single nation to manage alone. 

The blue flag symbolizing peace and protection was seen as the emblem of the ark leading humanity to the promised land. 

Thus, many viewed Ark as something akin to an international coalition responding to rifts. 

It wasn’t entirely wrong. But there was another task just as crucial as responding to rifts. 

Eradicating anti-government forces. 

There were groups worldwide causing chaos, claiming the current system was unfair to Espers. 

They preached that superior Espers should rule over inferior humans. 

Real-life villains were far more insidious and complicated than those in movies. 

Ark had taken on the role of eradicating these groups. It was a facade, but nations preferred Ark-affiliated Espers entering their borders over foreign Espers. 

Yoon Tae-Ha herself had been deployed on numerous anti-government missions, almost as many as rift response missions. 

“Cheon Hwa is involved.” 

Which made Cheon Geon-young’s revelation even more shocking. 

“You realize you just made an incredibly dangerous statement, right?” 

“It’s a confession implicating my family as terrorists. Yes, I know.” 

Yoon Tae-Ha rose from her seat and approached the window. 

In an instant, the conversation had shifted to dangerously sensitive territory. The people she had been chasing at the risk of her life were now connected to Cheon Geon-young. Could this truly be a coincidence? 

Staring at the barren horizon, she abruptly spun around. Despite dropping such a bombshell, he remained unfazed. 

“Are they funding them?” 

“It seems they’re smuggling Espers and sending them over. No evidence, just suspicion.” 

His words implied strong circumstantial evidence, though no definitive proof existed. 

“I want to root out those connected to them within Cheon Hwa.” 

His gaze was sharp and clear. She knew people with eyes like his were the most dangerous kind—those who pulled others into the eye of the storm they carried within. 

“It’s impossible to do alone. I needed an Esper capable of wielding significant firepower without relying on group support.” 

“And that’s me?” 

“I believe an Esper recognized as a specialist within Ark has the ability to pull it off.” 

He subtly employed language meant to lure her in, but she didn’t fall for it—she could teleport on her own. 

“I’ll do my best as your guide. I hope you’ll lend me your strength, Miss Yoon Tae-Ha.” 

“You’re hiring high-end labor for a family cleanup.” 

“There’s so much at stake. Compensation will be provided separately from the guiding fee. This is a personal request.” 

The weight behind the phrase “personal request” resonated deeply.

It was a clear indication that he wanted her to handle the matter independently, without consulting the company. The more people involved in the operation, the higher the risk of information leaks—naturally. Cheon Hwa’s public image would also be a concern. 

She herself wasn’t one to report every trivial detail to the company either. 

Cheon Geon-young fell silent for a moment, watching Yoon Tae-Ha with a gentle smile as she contemplated. 

“The compensation can wait.” 

Yoon Tae-Ha’s firm reply caught him off guard. She calmly added: 

“Let me first see who they’re working with. I’ll decide slowly, on my own.” 

“Fair enough.” 

Even among anti-government forces, there were tiers. Certain groups were prioritized for elimination based on their extremism, rate of expansion, and execution capabilities. 

“I hope it’s not the three most dangerous groups they’ve allied with…” 

She voiced her wish and glanced at Cheon Geon-young. For the first time since entering the room, he looked slightly weary. His delayed response confirmed her suspicions. 

Instead of answering, Cheon Geon-young reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small storage device. 

“Take it.” 

She stood up and took it. As she looked down at it, he spoke. 

“You asked earlier why I didn’t go to the Protective Bureau.” 

“Yes, I did.” 

“The Protective Bureau cannot be trusted. You never know how far the orca’s territorial waters extend.” 

Her eyes widened in shock, unable to hide her surprise. At the mention of “orca,” a sharp headache struck her like ice freezing a corner of her mind. She blinked slowly, trying her best not to show the pain. 

Yoon Tae-Ha pressed for a definitive answer. 

“Orca?” 

The man who had accused his own family of colluding with the world’s most notorious anti-government group nodded. 

His target was the beast of the sea.