Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 235

Han Chae-rin’s temptation was enticing.
A special friend.
She thought it would be nice to have at least one friend like that.
Han Chae-rin, with her dimples, looked at her as though she might store her in her eyes, her gaze soft and inviting.
As Ha Eung Eung met her gaze, her fingers fidgeting, she heard the hurried footsteps of employees rushing to the representative's office.

Knock knock

“Representative, we need you to step out for a moment.”
“……”
“Representative, it's urgent. The entertainment industry people are causing trouble.”

The atmosphere, which had felt as though the world had stopped, as if only the two of them remained, was broken by Han Chae-rin's sigh.

“Perfect timing.”

The sound of the clock's hand, which had been still, resumed ticking, and the commotion outside the representative's office and raised voices could be faintly heard.
Ha Eung Eung was somewhat surprised to realize that she had been swept up in Han Chae-rin's mood.

“I’ll wait. Call me whenever you’re lonely. We’re friends, right?”

With a mature smile, Han Chae-rin confidently left the representative’s office.
Ha Eung Eung followed behind her.

“Oh my. Already? It’s difficult right now...”
[Our guild members got caught up in the commotion too.]

They were headed in the same direction.
Ha Eung Eung’s response made Han Chae-rin feel slightly awkward, and she absentmindedly played with her hair.

In the waiting room, following Han Chae-rin.
The entertainment industry people, looking fierce with their angry faces, were shouting and pointing fingers.

“So, give them the spot! If not, we’ll all pull out, you hear?”
“If you want to see all the trainees from the entertainment industry pull out from day one, feel free to hold on.”
“Do you think we’ll tolerate being compared to those amateurs who failed at awakening and ran to the entertainment world?”

The PD in charge of the program, Seong Che-yuk, was sweating profusely, unable to figure out what to do.

Thud

At the light tap on his shoulder from Han Chae-rin, Seong Che-yuk shouted.

“Representative Han! The Teen Guild agencies are demanding that Haenampa’s TO be reduced and assigned to them, or they’ll pull out all the trainees.”

Han Chae-rin scoffed.

“So they beg us to let their kids have a spoonful at the feast set up by the Royal Club and Haenampa, and now they pull this outrageous stunt?”

The high-level managers, reluctant to be directly targeted by the agency representatives, took a step back.
Instead, a man with tinted sunglasses and bronzed skin, who was presumed to be the instigator of the situation, approached with a mocking expression.

“Beg? If anyone heard that, they’d misunderstand, Representative Han.”
“Kwak Do-jeong, head of the department. Should I consider this as your personal overreach or the will of Taebaek Entertainment?”
“You can think of it that way. But... do you have any trainees for today’s shoot? Because all I see are these pathetic ones?”

Kwak Do-jeong, head of the department.
As he spoke with contempt, he pointed to the Haenampa trainees, who were clenching their fists in shame, their faces red.

“Wow, looks like those guild members are just like their guild leader, huh? Ready to throw a punch? You think a non-awakened can hit me? Hahaha. Aren’t your fists going to tear first?”
“You’ve got guts, huh. You thought we'd just step aside just because you're acting all arrogant?”

Han Chae-rin pulled out a walkie-talkie.

“Security team. Empty out the waiting room for the Teen Guild trainees immediately.”

The Teen Guild.
Their influence had been formidable.
Up until the first half of last year, at least.
The Silent Swordsman appeared, defeating the Asan Guild and Taebaek Guild in the gate bidding competition.
Compared to Baek So-cheon, one of the three grandmasters of the association, who safely brought back Awakener members from the S-class gate, the Teen Guild’s Awakener members saw bloodshed.
The series of incidents made the Teen Guild’s dominance less solid than before.
Moreover, there were now rivals to face.

Haenampa Guild Leader Ha Eung Eung.
Her very presence served as a powerful deterrent against the Teen Guild’s strength.
Her strength, as followed by Baek So-cheon from the Association’s three grandmasters, acted as another deterrent against surprise attacks on Haenampa’s headquarters.
The Haenampa guild was untouchable, both inside and out.
Even the villain organization, Black’s Soldiers, joined forces.

‘They must have no confidence in their strength, so they resort to these petty tricks.’

Looking at it from another angle, all the Teen Guild could do was disrupt this program.
The Royal Club was just a punching bag for them.
But even such a release of frustration still had a considerable impact on the competition program.
The Teen Guild trainees' absence from the competition.
The ensuing controversy over the unfairness of the competition.
The media play and the inevitable ordeal that Ha Eung Eung would have to fight through was already visible.

[Why are you letting them go so easily?]

Ha Eung Eung didn’t understand.
If she used force here, their media wouldn’t leave her alone.
They were actually provoking her, hoping she’d use force.

“Just hold back. Do you see the person with the camera over there? They’re probably recording as well.”
[So, all we need to fix is the camera and recorder?]

Han Chae-rin’s eyes widened.
What is this person saying now?

[Servant. If you're freeloading, you should at least pay your dues.]
“Are you telling me to dirty my hands instead?”
[I remember that your ability could interfere with the video.]

Behind Ha Eung Eung.
A man no one had noticed.
A young man in a bowler hat and coat, looking strangely distinct—how had they missed noticing him?
Under his deeply pulled-down hat, he grinned wildly, revealing his white teeth.

“I’ve been wanting to clash with the Teen Guild even in public.”

Crack!

“Ouch!”
“What, what’s happening! The camera is off!”
“Ugh, the recorder’s broken.”

The large screens surrounding Haenampa’s martial arts competition venue, manipulated by the broadcasting stations, caused nothing but a minor issue with the camera and recorder.
That wasn’t even a problem.

“You, you bastards. Are you going to use violence in a civilized society now?”
“Try touching even a finger. The media will never leave you alone!”
“Don’t come any closer!”

The managers from the Teen Guild Entertainment, trembling in fear, raised their voices, but Han Chae-rin calmly spoke into the walkie-talkie.

“Lock the door.”

Clank! Thud thud thud!

“Open the door!”
“Are you trying to go too far?!”
“Do you think you’ll get away with this?!”

Ha Eung Eung and the boss looked at each other.

“I feel like giving a quick slap. Can I hit them?”
[If I can hit them without showing, I’ll give you half.]
“That much is nothing.”

At the boss’s gesture, one of the managers let out a sound and was pulled into the boss’s grip as though magnetized, unable to resist.
The fear of having their body movements controlled against their will made the man terrified.

“Wha, what are you doing, sir? Let’s talk without this hand. Okay?”
“You enjoy making others cry when you’re strong, but when you’re losing power, you fear shedding tears? Pathetic.”
“I don’t know who you are, but we only have business with Haenampa and the Royal Club.”
“Business? I like that. I have some business too.”
“Then, why don’t we go take care of our business?”
“My business is raising the pride of our kids who’ve become the laughingstock because of the Haenampa trainees. Why the hell should they lower their heads to you scum?”

The man, trembling with convulsions, continued to writhe in fear as his head was held firmly.
Once released, his body collapsed like a machine with the switch turned off.

“Eek!”
“Don’t come! Don’t come close!”
“Why leave? You’ll come to me on your own.”

The manager’s struggle intensified as Ha Eung Eung used her energy ability to pull in the rude subordinates from the Teen Guild.
Once caught, they were electrocuted, but Ha Eung Eung healed their bodies with her power, leaving no lasting harm.

“Ugh! Ugh! I... wasn’t I dead?”
“Dead? How could you say such a thing? You were all sleeping comfortably after you fell. About two hours, I guess.”
“What? It’s only been 15 minutes...”
“One hour and 45 minutes left.”

She could rotate them at least seven more times.
At the boss’s words, they realized too late.

“The Boss of the villain organization, Black’s Soldiers!”
“The man who fought evenly with the Silent Swordsman!”
“Ahh, please, stop! I’ll forgive you, I won’t do anything to the media! Please, just stop!”

Though it was unclear how, the boss had tortured them without leaving any lasting marks on their bodies, showing just how much he could torment whoever he wanted.

With all the cameras and recorders broken.
In an isolated environment from the outside world.

[Don’t worry. I’m not from the villain organization.]

Ha Eung Eung’s words gave relief to the other half who hadn’t been tortured yet.

[Let’s go all the way without any hassle.]

Before the notebook turned the next page.

“Argh!”
“My bones, my bones!”
“Ugh, it hurts so much!”

Those who thought they had no wish other than to grab her delicate hand now screamed in agony as her hand brushed past them.
Bloodletting followed by bone-breaking.
The barbaric reeducation of those who didn’t know the dangers of violence.
Ha Eung Eung’s style of justice saw the responsible parties collapsing one after another.

As the pain from the tortures made the entire group of Teen Guild organizers collapse in agony, the head of the Teen Guild, Kwak Do-jeong, turned pale.
Ha Eung Eung sneered at him.
If he wanted to avoid responsibility so badly, she’d let him leave unscathed.
But the others in the Teen Guild would surely ask why he alone was unharmed, questioning if something had happened behind the scenes.
Now, Ha Eung Eung’s priority was not the entertainment representatives who had finished their bloodletting or the terrified Kwak Do-jeong, but Han Chae-rin.

[Don’t look at others. I won’t just watch my friend suffer.]

Han Chae-rin stared blankly at her notebook, thinking.
It was the first time in her life to experience being protected by someone else, especially someone who was the representative of the Royal Club.
Such an experience was truly new to her.