I confirmed the information capabilities of Hao-mun when I made Jeon Gil-san suffer in Yichang.
In short, it felt like a relay bulletin board where messages pop up every second. That said, it wasn’t impossible to get refined information like diamonds among stones.
Think of it like a search engine. You set various restrictions and input precise information.
If I were to ask to find a suspicious guy from last night, it might be tough to pin down the information. But if I input specifics like hair color, clothing, and context, more detailed information comes flying out.
“Wow, for this much investigation, you’ve done well. Did black-haired folks have such talents?”
Si-mun Hyang-ju asked me after handing over the prepared materials to his subordinate.
“I learned it by peeking over Department Chief Gwack’s shoulders.”
Rather than showing off, I chose to flatter my superior. I spoke humbly to Hyang-ju.
“And this is what you learned just from peeking? The features of the vanished ones, the timing of the transports, assorted information needed for the search, and even some deductions about the incident! How about you just quit all that and work under me?”
“Haha. I guess I have a lot on my shoulders, so…”
I politely declined.
“Well, you wouldn’t want to work under someone who can’t even protect their own woman, right?”
Even if said politely, the rejection seemed upsetting. Si-mun Hyang-ju asked me with a probing tone.
“I know you’re waiting for the right moment.”
I bowed my head and replied.
The rivalry between the leaders of Hao-mun could escalate into a civil war. By proving my abilities once more through this incident, I would’ve moved a step closer to Hyang-ju’s standards.
“Hehe. Your words flow as smoothly as water.”
“Hyang-ju, I’ve brought it.”
Not long after, one of the Hao-mun members brought in organized information.
Si-mun Hyang-ju laid the paper down on the desk and grinned while gesturing to me.
“Heavy-shouldered guy! Let’s take a look… Oh, this is good.”
Good?
The information he brought was beyond my expectations.
“Fifteen suspicious places? Isn’t that a bit too many?”
Isn’t the performance of the Hao-mun search engine falling short?
All sorts of sensational discoveries were scribbled down.
As I looked at Hyang-ju with a bewildered expression, he stroked his beard and smirked.
“Still a rookie, huh? Does it seem strange to you what I said? Just because there are fifteen places doesn’t mean they aren’t promising.”
Did I miss something?
What could be the reason behind the differing perspectives between Si-mun Hyang-ju and me?
“I’d like to hear your opinion on the Hao-mun’s martial arts, Si-mun Hyang-ju.”
In such situations, it’s best to ask politely.
“It’s like setting a trap.”
Hyang-ju spoke with the expression of a teacher trying to enlighten a young student.
“You’re saying ‘setting a trap’?”
“The most critical part of laying a trap is knowing the path the fish take. If we focus manpower and intelligence on just these fifteen spots, what do you think will happen?”
“The information will get filtered quickly.”
“With the information you brought, we’ve narrowed the search to these fifteen spots across Wuhan in an instant. What do you think will happen in half a day, a day, or two days?”
“The culprit will show their face.”
If there are fish where the traps are laid, they will be easily caught.
“People need food and drink, and stolen goods need to be converted to cash. Conveniently, information easily obtained when both are on high alert.”
Information that comes from people’s carelessness is precisely the intelligence of Hao-mun.
The culprit might have been thorough, but that doesn’t mean they would be afterwards.
“Thank you for the valuable teaching.”
“Go on. I’ll let you know when good news arrives.”
———————
“Did you have a good time at Hao-mun?”
When I returned to my office, Im Ha-yeon, who decided to stay and wait for news from the alumni association, was there.
“It wasn’t a bad harvest.”
I briefly mentioned the filtering of places at Hao-mun to Im Ha-yeon.
“The alumni association says Master Kang is in trouble. Everyone is jumping in to help, but there’s so much information it’s confusing.”
Im Ha-yeon gazed in awe at the stacks of papers piled up in one corner of the office.
“Is this all? Definitely too much.”
If this is the amount of information gathered by the alumni association, how detailed is the information for all of Wuhan?
It truly makes sense why they initially found it difficult to fulfill my request.
“You mentioned fifteen places, right? Should we infiltrate alone?”
“Given the time it would take and the danger of facing powerful enemies among the postmen and collectors, it’s too risky.”
There’s no reason to danger myself unnecessarily. What I seek is the best method, not the worst outcome.
“…Although.”
“Let’s set a trap instead.”
I proposed a better method to the disappointed Im Ha-yeon.
“A trap?”
“Let’s narrow down our suspicions with the information we have. After that, we’ll place people accordingly. Even if they’ve fled meticulously, someone careless will surely spill some information.”
If we refine it with the alumni association’s information, we might be able to further narrow down from fifteen places. This would potentially allow us to set a trap more efficiently than Hao-mun.
“Wow… How do you come up with these ideas?”
“I’m inherently quite amazing.”
Honestly, I learned it.
“…Sigh.”
Im Ha-yeon seemed exasperated and facepalmed, shaking her head at my cocky tone.
Oh, it’s rough! It is! At times like this, our leader and store manager should be praised. I expected a round of applause for this.
“Let’s start working together from now on.”
“To narrow down the trap locations, we need to gather the information from the alumni association and search for decisive clues.”
“It’s likely that aside from you and Im Ha-yeon, no one else is particularly good at this, so let’s give it our best shot.”
There’s no one else to help anyway.
————————
“I want to help Master Kang ohhhh.”
At the mansion of Man Geum-jeon, the silver-haired beauty, Je-gal Hyang, buried her head into the paper on her desk and mumbled sadly.
“Ugh… Master Kang recognized my effort, didn’t he?”
Je-gal Hyang remembered what had recently happened in a frustrated tone.
She had ultimately failed at performing the very basic spell that anyone could do.
Anyone who saw that would either laugh or be utterly bewildered.
‘But Master Kang was different.’
He appreciated her efforts, empathized with her situation, and praised her. Not a family member, but an outsider—her romantic interest, no less.
This was something Je-gal Hyang had never experienced before.
Kang Yoon-ho’s praise struck profoundly somewhere deep inside her heart.
Days of strange feelings plagued her, and she ultimately wielded the brush in a torrent of emotions.
“I painted because of that… Ahhh! My Master Kang!”
Looking up, Je-gal Hyang was startled to find the ink smeared all over the paper and tried to tidy it up, but it was already too late.
Anyone from the Je-gal family would be shocked at her drawing.
She primarily painted images from fictional worlds. Yet the figure on her paper unmistakably showed a black-haired man.
How scandalous that a sheltered lady would draw someone else! It would become a sensational gossip across the entire Je-gal clan!
Of course, the meticulously drawn piece was rendered useless in an instant.
“Am I really being helpful?”
The picture failed too! Je-gal Hyang, ignoring her inky forehead, made a sorrowful expression.
“I want to be praised by Master Kang.”
Having lived a life distanced from others, being recognized by someone was a foreign notion for her. Yet, to be acknowledged by her romantic interest was something else entirely.
The praise from Kang Yoon-ho came to her as the sweetest experience.
She wanted to be acknowledged more. She wanted to be praised more. In this mix of emotions, she began to focus on one woman before her.
“There’s an incredibly pretty sister nearby!”
Je-gal Hyang, fiddling with her ink-stained forehead, envisioned Im Ha-yeon beside Kang Yoon-ho.
She seemed to shine so brightly! A practical woman who was exceptionally mature in every way!
The ideal woman Je-gal Hyang imagined. She wanted to become that woman but found herself unable to do so, right beside Kang Yoon-ho.
“I’m so jealous of Sister Ha-yeon!”
Je-gal Hyang wondered if there was any way she could be of help and timidly hovered around Kang Yoon-ho, but ended up disturbing him.
Instead, she merely exchanged cold glances with Im Ha-yeon, who seemed preoccupied.
“I want to help Master Kang like Sister Ha-yeon does!”
She knew nothing of running a bookstore. Perhaps, as Sister Ha-yeon suggested, it would be better to just stay still.
If it were the typical Je-gal Hyang, she might have quickly accepted that and buried herself at home.
But there was one exception to that.
“However, it’s all about me and Master Kang at Daso-kyog!”
Je-gal Hyang mumbled, her face flushed, making gestures as though someone else might overhear.
She didn’t want to be seen as a cumbersome burden with no real help to offer.
“Why has the number of days meeting increased, yet the conversations have dwindled?”
Although she saw Master Kang’s face often, why did it feel like drinking salty water?
She was so jealous of Sister Ha-yeon. Je-gal Hyang buried her head back into her desk in frustration.
“Why don’t you just spill your feelings?”
As she acted that way, Si-bi, who had been listening, replied.
“Ah?!”
Je-gal Hyang jumped in surprise and lifted her head to find the source of the voice.
“Ah? Sorry for startling you! I thought you were just mumbling while I was cleaning.”
“Ah, um, th-that…”
“Come on, look at your face! Hang on,”
It’s just a habit of mumbling aloud. As Je-gal Hyang blushed and lost her words, Si-bi approached and carefully wiped her forehead with a wet cloth.
It was only then that Je-gal Hyang recognized who Si-bi was. A peer who occasionally gave her unsolicited love advice from outside the door.
As Si-bi looked like she anticipated Je-gal Hyang wanted advice, she began to share some.
“Master Kang doesn’t want to bother you while working, but you want to chat more, right?”
“Yeees, that’s right!”
“I know a perfect method for shy girls.”
“Uh, what method?”
She had unknowingly sought and received help from Si-bi often. She was even spot on every time.
Je-gal Hyang eagerly awaited Si-bi’s answer with sparkling eyes.
“Do you know the method of an Exchange Diary?”
