Chapter 642. Dealt With (2)

Kang Jin-Ho stared at Choi Yeon-Ha with an expression that said he couldn't understand her decision.

Choi Yeon-Ha was a tough woman. Kang Jin-Ho had ample opportunity to learn that while trapped under all that rubble in the tunnel incident.

However, he didn't expect her to say such things in this situation. If Kang Jin-Ho had been late by only a few minutes, Choi Yeon-Ha would've suffered a terrible fate. Maybe even lose her life, too.

But she... didn't want Kang Jin-Ho to kill this thug?

“But why not?” Kang Jin-Ho quietly asked. He had to, even though he had a pretty good idea what she might say here.

“Mm...” Choi Yeon-Ha sneaked a quick glance at Guo Liqin with her quaking eyes before hurriedly turning her head away. “I... I don't think I can explain myself logically. At least not right now.”

“...”

“That's why... Just... Please. Okay?”

“...Understood.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded slightly. He was confident about refuting whatever Choi Yeon-Ha might say now, but with her in that state... Even he couldn't say anything. Now was the time to do what she asked of him.

“Please, hurry and... Get him away from me. I... I'm... Right now, I...”

“Of course,” Kang Jin-Ho got up, then slowly but imposingly approached the still-frozen Guo Liqin.

“Mister Jin-Ho?”

“Yes?” Kang Jin-Ho quickly turned around when Choi Yeon-Ha called out to him again.

“I... I'm sorry. I really am, but... I know I'm being unreasonable right now... Can you quickly deal with him and come back inside? I'm scared of being alone, you see...”

Kang Jin-Ho tightly clenched his fists. It wasn't just Choi Yeon-Ha's trembling voice, but even her face was pale with genuine fear. She seemed to have regained her composure while Kang Jin-Ho was right next to her, but signs of anxiety quickly returned when he was merely three steps away. Who would dare to plunge that tough woman into this state!

“Of course. I will do that,” Kang Jin-Ho gently smiled back at her, then turned around to face the Chinese martial artist again. N0vel_Biin hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

Guo Liqin's irises quaked powerfully after seeing the look on Kang Jin-Ho's face. The eyes of the frozen-stiff man urgently rolled around to scan the surroundings, which was as good an indicator of his mental state as any.

Step, step...

Kang Jin-Ho approached Guo Liqin in what looked like unhurried steps, then leaned close to whisper quietly into the latter's ear. For his part, Guo Liqin desperately tried to avoid locking eyes with Kang Jin-Ho.

“So, you heard everything, right?”

“...!”

“No need to fret. I must humor that lady's request, after all. So, I won't kill you.”

An indescribable relief washed over Guo Liqin when he heard that. Of course, he wasn't a fool, so he knew. Kang Jin-Ho didn't mean he'd let Guo Liqin go unhurt. Either he'd suffer hellish torture or become a cripple. However, that was still better than dying.

Some people might argue that death was preferable to a life filled with untold hardship, but not Guo Liqin. He didn't subscribe to that mentality. Anyone with such a mindset would never survive for long in this corrupt and terrible world.

If he could keep his life, Guo Liqin was prepared to do anything. So, what Kang Jin-Ho said just now was like a ray of radiant hope shining down from the heavens. As long as he could live... As long as he could survive!

That was when a sliver of whisper suddenly entered Guo Liqin's ear. So quiet was this whisper that no one else could've heard it.

“...For today, that is.”

The ray of hope in Guo Liqin's heart was snuffed out instantly. But Kang Jin-Ho didn't seem interested in granting the frozen man the luxury of time to despair. He simply grabbed Guo Liqin's throat and began dragging the latter outside. Still frozen-stiff like a mannequin, Guo Liqin couldn't resist or even lift a finger other than let himself get obediently dragged along.

However, as Kang Jin-Ho neared the exit, he heard urgent footsteps rushing toward the suite instead. Someone was approaching Choi Yeon-Ha's room?

“What the f*ck?! Didn't I tell that sh*thead to keep it quiet?! How could he stupidly break the damn door!”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly while staring at a man rushing inside the suite.

“Where's that b*tch? I'm... Eh?” Liu Wei urgently stepped inside the doorway only to stand still after spotting Kang Jin-Ho holding Guo Liqin by the throat.

Obviously, Liu Wei had functioning eyes and a brain. He could instantly deduct what happened here simply by looking at Guo Liqin's terror-stricken face.

“Ah? Huh...? Euh?” Liu Wei made some garbled, shocked gasps. How was this even possible?!

He was fully aware of how scary that Guo Liqin was. Most wannabe tough guys would, ten times out of ten, a hundred times out of a hundred... get beaten to a near-dead state by Guo Liqin. Liu Wei had seen this happen way too many times to count, after all!

So, he knew. He knew Guo Liqin was not human. The terrifying Triads had assigned this scary man to act as Liu Wei's handler so that much was obvious! But that scary Guo Liqin was being manhandled like a disposable toy by Kang Jin-Ho.

Liu Wei forced his shivering head to rise up, so he could get another look at Kang Jin-Ho's face. And then... Their gazes met mid-air. In that briefest of all brief moments, Liu Wei's legs lost all semblance of strength. He collapsed on his butt with a loud thud, unable to stand anymore. He also tried to say something. “I am... I...”

Without saying anything, Kang Jin-Ho shifted his attention away from Liu Wei and glanced at Choi Yeon-Ha. He was asking her if this coward was someone she knew. His hunch said this new intruder was the Chinese martial artist's companion, but such a piece of trash didn't require Kang Jin-Ho to do something. So, he'd rather...

Choi Yeon-Ha coldly muttered, “He's the mastermind.”

...And that changed everything.

Kang Jin-Ho's brows rose up ever so slightly. He usually didn't show how angry he was through his expression, yet this time he did. In other words, he was incredibly furious right now.

But then, Choi Yeon-Ha said something else. “However, you mustn't touch a hair on that bastard, at least for now.”

“...Is there a reason for that, Miss Yeon-Ha?”

“We need to film scenes tomorrow.”

A hint of annoyance crept into Kang Jin-Ho's expression next. In this kind of situation, how could she prioritize filming first? “Miss Yeon-Ha, that is not...”

“No. I can't crawl back to Korea like this. I won't let that happen!”

Kang Jin-Ho was about to say something in anger, only to clamp his mouth shut after noticing the sheer determination on Choi Yeon-Ha's face. That determination contained all of her resentment, anger, and unyielding tenacity.

“What would I have gained if I went home like this? That is why... That is why! For now, let that bastard go. Because I... I will rip him apart myself after the filming is done!”

Kang Jin-Ho turned his head and glared at Liu Wei, currently plopped on the floor and shivering pitifully away. “Fuu-woo...”

Although releasing a prey already trapped in the palm of his hand wasn't Kang Jin-Ho's style, he knew his current rage must be utilized solely for Choi Yeon-Ha's sake. He reached down and grabbed Liu Wei by his collar.

“Kkuehhhk?!”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly picked Liu Wei off the ground while holding the collars tightly enough to cut off the oxygen supply. He then glared straight at Liu Wei's face rapidly turning blue... As if he wanted to brand this idiot's face into his memories!

“Being able to live a while longer is a nice thing, indeed,” said Kang Jin-Ho as a strange smirk formed on his face. “However, you'll soon learn that that isn't strictly true. Very soon.”

Without waiting for Liu Wei's response, Kang Jin-Ho dragged both men out of Choi Yeon-Ha's suite. The sounds of stiff feet dragging on the floor echoed eerily in the corridor, but no one bothered to step outside their rooms. Most couldn't hear anything, to begin with, after Guo Liqin had blocked the sound out ahead of time. A few could still hear the commotion, of course, but they dared not to step outside for fear of becoming collateral damage.

Kang Jin-Ho dragged both men toward the elevator, then pressed the button for the lobby. The elevator's doors soon slid open, so Kang Jin-Ho was about to toss Liu Wei inside... only to stop himself. His initial plan was to throw this trash away, but his arm didn't want to move.

If he was to let this trash go like this, what was he supposed to do about his boiling rage?

“Fuu-woo-woo...!” Kang Jin-Ho sucked in a deep breath, then yanked Liu Wei very close until their faces were almost touching. “Now, listen very closely.”

“...!” Liu Wei urgently nodded despite Kang Jin-Ho's grip tightening even further around his throat. How could he not when Kang Jin-Ho's eyes were actually glowing in an eerie crimson hue?! “Heuh... Euuuuh...?!”

This man must be a terrifying specter. No, the devil! Liu Wei couldn't think of anything else to refer to this man before his eyes. However, he still knew he had angered a creature that must never be provoked!

“This is your warning,” Kang Jin-Ho quietly muttered in a cold voice. “You better not think about running away. The moment you throw away the only thing keeping you alive and flee, we no longer have any uses for you. Which means I can deal with you without worrying about the fallout. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?”

Liu Wei urgently nodded again.

“I'll be honest. I would love for you to flee. That would make my life a bit easier, you see?”

“Wuu-eeuh...!”

“Remember this,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered, his voice now sounding as creepy and goosebumps-inducing as nails scraping against metal. “You should thank the heavens for letting you breathe for a little while longer. Learn how lucky you actually are. That's because you will gradually die with every passing day. So, enjoy the remainder of your life as much as you can. However, know this. This is not a blessing. Because I'll be thinking about you. I'll be thinking about how to make your death as horrifying and gruesome as possible. And I'll agonize over it right up until the last moment. Even I can't tell you what I'll come up with at the end of all that pondering. That is why I'm telling you to remember this.”

A devil-like smirk creepily formed on Kang Jin-Ho's face.

“Remember that when your time is up, I'll come for you. And we'll have this chat again. Aren't you curious what will happen when we meet again?”

Liu Wei began spasming and convulsing. He was shaking so much that it looked like he was having a seizure!

“Hmm. Maybe it's not a bad idea to let you experience some of it ahead of time...?” Kang Jin-Ho muttered as his eyes became completely crimson. Liu Wei stared into that pair of red eyes, then his own irises grew hazy and distant. But then...

“...! Kkueeeeehk?!”

Liu Wei's body began twisting and writhing violently. Tears and snot gushed out of his eyes and nostrils while drool flooded out of his mouth to soak the front of his clothes.

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly stared at Liu Wei's complexion going deathly pale before flushing red, then alternating back. This bastard should be experiencing hell by now. Or the most scary type of death that his brain could conjure up.

However, it was all an illusion... at least for now. And it'd no longer be a mere fantasy soon enough!

Kang Jin-Ho pressed the elevator button again to open its doors, then tossed Liu Wei inside. He watched the convulsing figure of Liu Wei between the silently closing elevator doors.

To humor Choi Yeon-Ha's request as much as possible, Kang Jin-Ho had to let that bastard go in one piece. However, this was the limit of his patience.

After the elevator door smoothly slid shut completely, Kang Jin-Ho let out a soft groan. Releasing a man he dearly wanted to tear apart limb from limb was an uncharted territory for him. And it was just as difficult as he had imagined! So much so that he was half-tempted to pat himself on the back for actually doing it!

However, this had an unexpected upside. Kang Jin-Ho's anger didn't have a chance to cool down yet, after all!

“That is why people must have their uses,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered to no one in particular. That man, Liu Wei, managed to eke out a few more days on this planet thanks to his 'abilities'.

“However, what about you?” Kang Jin-Ho slowly raised Guo Liqin, who was still gripped in his right hand. After tightening his grip on the Chinese martial artist's throat until it was at a breaking point, Kang Jin-Ho chuckled eerily as if he was pleased about something. “You don't have any uses, after all!”

“Kuh... Kuuuhuhk...!” Guo Liqin's face was beet red as he struggled for air.

“As promised, I'll keep you alive for today. However, you need to worry about something else. Worry about what you need to do if you wish to live past tomorrow.”

Kang Jin-Ho finished chuckling, then opened the door to the tea room next to the elevator. He threw Guo Liqin inside, then took out his phone to dial a number. When the call went through, he issued a new order in a hushed whisper. “I've left an amusing little thing on the twentieth floor's tea room. Retrieve him and confine him somewhere.”

-Understood!

Kang Jin-Ho ended the call while tightening his fists. His anger didn't want to calm down at all.

He already knew. Killing these two men wouldn't be enough to calm his rage. That was how furious Kang Jin-Ho was right now. No one... Absolutely no one was allowed to harm what was his! His people, his things! No one!

Kang Jin-Ho glared sharply outside the window, his expression extremely cold. He simply had to become stronger. Even stronger than now, to protect what was his, and...!

“Are you not finished yet!” Choi Yeon-Ha yelled from inside her suite.

“I-I'm coming!” Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly rushed back to the suite, all the iciness and venomous determination instantly erased from his expression.

For some reason, his running figure looked a bit... uncool and pitiful.