Chapter 71: What You Need For Power

“Sometimes, it is better to have a 50-cent drink of your liking rather than a million dollar Longjing tea that you dislike.”

“Some wise words you got there,” Limon laughed.

Taking a seat, he picked up a slab of meat with his chopsticks. He quickly downed a bowl of rice wine and placed it back down onto the table.

“All right, then. Talk.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you putting so much effort into serving me? You must have something you want from me.”

“Ehehe, why, it should be obvious! I just want to build a good relationship with the future pillar of our clan, Master of Swords.”

“I’m gonna leave if all you do is run your mouth with flattery.”

“Oh, goodness. Please take my word as the truth!”

“Do you want me to truthfully tear this place down?”

Limon beamed with dead serious eyes.

Wang Ki-neung flinched and his eyes darted around the room. His quick wits told him that Limon wasn’t joking.

“Ahem. I do hate to bring this up, but not everyone in the Black Dragon Clan opposes your marriage to the Black Dragon Princess,” he finally coughed out.

“Why?”

“Change is an opportunity, and the Master of Swords is one who creates great impact, no matter his actions,” Wang Ki-neung explained, his mouth smiling.

The Black Dragon Clan had already hit rock bottom. No matter what they did, it would be an insurmountable challenge to get back on their feet. In that sense, Li Chingwei choosing Limon to be her groom was basically a gift from god himself.

“There’s no guarantee that my presence will result in the revival of the Black Dragon Clan, you know.”

“Ehehe, but there is no doubt that the Master of Swords will become even greater than he is now in the future, at least.”

“Hm… So you don’t care for the rise or fall of your clan—you’re just standing behind me because it’s clear that I’ll be the clan’s center one day?”

“Think of it as an investment.”

Wang Ki-neung had the confidence and determination of the most loyal subject. But unlike his words, the cunning, blinding glow within his eyes were the very definition of a traitor’s.

Limon could only stare for a while. And then, he chuckled.

“It’s not a bad idea to stand behind me, but a couple measly slabs of meat and a single bottle of rice wine is a bit cheap, don’t you think?”

“Oh, goodness. Please do not think of me as that irrational. We have prepared a separate gift for you, of course.”

Like he’d been waiting for Limon to bring it up, Wang Ki-neung took out a single file in a flash.

Limon skimmed through the documents inside, his eyes narrowing.

They say you learn what you are exposed to. Limon may have been inept with documents and business, but he had a rough idea of the content after reading the reports Wei-Ling had given him like homework to do.

“What kind of contract is this?”

“The kind the Master of Swords is looking for. Don’t you need money, work, and results with that fledgling company of yours?”

“Ah. So you’re telling me that I can be in charge of the security and inspection of Black Dragon Architecture if I just sign here?”

“Yes sir! Feel free to write down whatever amount you require for down payment, necessary expenses and whatever else. It can be double, triple, even ten times as high and it will not be an issue for us at all.”

Wei-Ling, standing behind Limon, furrowed her brows ever so slightly.

This was no different than a bribe.

‘Was that why…?’

And at that moment, she’d realized what Limon’s intentions were pillaging the Black Dragon Clan subsidiaries. It was so someone like Wang Ki-neung would show up and kneel before him with a bribe.

‘What an insidious man.’

Wei-Ling’s cold gaze bored into Limon.

In the eyes of the Black Dragon Clan, whose basic curriculum was scheming, bribery was a great negotiation tactic, yes. In that sense, Limon was doing great.

Limon had just killed three birds with one stone with just a simple show of force. He’d gotten Guardian’s work, funding, and supporters handed onto him on a silver platter.

As such, Wei-Ling maintained her silence. She was Limon’s attendant—aside from her personal feelings, she had only been beneficial to him. It was her job to not get in his way.

“Are you really allowed to hand me work like this? It’ll be annoying if there’s back-talk between the people who have been working since before.”

“Oh, no worries! Most of the work I’m giving you is just between our contract workers or subcontracts.”

Unbeknownst to what Wei-Ling was thinking, Limon and Wang Ki-neung continued to talk about the backhander.

“Plus, I feel much better leaving it to the Master of Swords than any random riff raff.”

“Then why not leave the inspection to me as well? I’m pretty confident I’ll knock that out of the park.”

“Oh, goodness. How could I give the Master of Swords such a tedious job? The internal inspections will be taken care of on our end. Please don't worry about it.”

“Oh, really?”

‘There’s nothing more foolish than using a sword to catch flies,’ Wang Ki-neung insinuated as he rubbed his hands together.

Limon’s eyes bore deep into Wang Ki-neung, and let out a laugh. The next moment—

Crash—!

“Kugh?!?!”

The brazier cooking the pork belly flipped over as Wang Ki-neung’s face slammed onto the table. He— and even Wei-Ling, for a brief moment —looked taken aback at the abrupt turn of events.

Limon wasn’t fazed, however. He was the one who had grabbed Wang Ki-neung by the collar and slammed him down, after all.

“M-Master of Swords! What’s wrong?!”

“What’s wrong?” Limon’s eyes flashed wide. He pulled a struggling Wang Ki-neung up by the hair, forcing their eyes to meet. “Listen, you fuck. Do I look easy to you, huh? Do I look like I butcher people for a few pennies?” he growled.

“Of course not, sir!”

“Then what’s up with giving me a few leftover contracts and refusing to let me do the inspections, huh? Are you telling me that I’m a dog who doesn’t know his place?”

“N-Not at all…”

“Not at all what, bitch?!”

Pow—!

“Kegh!”

That was the beginning of Limon’s ‘gallant’ battery.

Ka powpowpowpowpowpow—!

“You FUCKING dick! If you’re going to start out! Acting Cute! Then end it! By acting cute! How fucking dare! You fuck around!!”

“Ack— Awk— Kugh— Kurghh— S-Save… kegh!”

Limon kicked, twisted, stepped, rolled, and beat him around.

Wei-Ling froze as she watched Limon batter Wang Ki-neung in dozens— hundreds —of ways. It spoke of his many years of experience doing such a thing.

But Limon paid no heed to her. Like a master carving the statue of Buddha, Limon went to work on the man in a flurry of passion. Only after there wasn’t a part of Wang Ki-neung’s body, did he step back.

“Whew. Fucking tell, I would have just killed him back in the day. I sure did tone down my temper a lot.”

“…I think killing him would be showing mercy.”

“Oi, ya sneaky little cunt. I don’t give two shits if you try to get revenge on me for this or hold resentment, but just remember one thing.”

It was a miracle he was even alive.

Limon spoke sluggishly, as if he was certain Wang Ki-neung was still conscious. Bending down slightly, he leaned into the man. Lips close against his eyes, he whispered with a cold, sharp voice.

“Underestimate me again and you’re dead meat.”

There was no answer—only a trembling body. But it was enough for Limon to turn back around with a look of contentment.

“Oh, one more thing.”

He turned around once again right before he was out of the room. Picking up the files sprawled on the table, he waved them with a smile.

“Thanks for the gift.”

***

***

Limon’s day did not end there.

From big companies— though not as big as Black Dragon Architecture —to smaller ones with nothing but just an office, he wrecked every single subsidiary of the Black Dragon Clan he could possibly go to that day.

Between them, the responses varied. From places that didn’t see it coming, to ones who tried to bribe Limon like Wang Ki-neung. Some were even determined to stand their ground and protest.

But the outcome was all the same nonetheless. Wherever it was, Limon raised hell and burnt it to the ground.

“Huh, not bad.”

Halfway through the day, Limon had a cheeky smile on his face as he held a thick pile of documents in his hand. He’d crashed a total of 22 subsidiaries.

“That oughta be enough work for about a year. How’s that?”

“I think you’re insane.”

“…Why are you so bent on treating me like a mental patient, o’ dummy brain?”

“Do you think anyone will see you as sane after all this?” Wei-Ling shuddered. She could not see Limon as a sane man after witnessing exactly how each blood stain had gotten onto the thick pile of documents in his hand. “Just what are you thinking? You wreaked havoc in every way possible and made sure to take all of the bribes.”

“What? Like I can’t?”

He would have gained a lot more benefit if he’d just taken the bribes.

“Just what company would be nuts enough to assign any tasks to Guardian now? Even if you extort the contract deals by force right now, everyone will begin to avoid us in the future.”

“Oh, yeah. For sure.”

Unexpectedly, Limon nodded in agreement to Wei-Ling’s sharp critique. He put down the documents he was reading.

“That’s why I did it.”

“…What kind of nonsense is that?”

Limon let out a laugh. Resting his chin on one hand, his deeply settled golden eyes stared into Wei-Ling’s soul.

“Dummy brain. Don’t misunderstand. Guardian may sound legit and all, but safety and trust is not what your dear princess wants from our company.”

“Then what did she want?”

“Terror and anxiety.”

A company that simply managed security would have gotten work over time. But the reason Li Chingwei slapped on ‘inspection’ was because she wanted to get something out of the facade called ‘Guardian’.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would the princess want to instill fear and anxiety within the clan on purpose?”

“I dunno. Are you sure about that assumption?”

A cold grin lingered on Limon’s face as he watched Wei-Ling’s blatant suspicion. Unlike a certain someone who had no doubt in her mind that the lovely princess she so respected and adored would ever do harm to her own clan, Limon knew Li Chingwei’s intentions from the beginning.

There is always a reason people with great power create supralegal inspection organizations on purpose.

“Let’s just say there’s a mad dog running loose for reasons unknown.”

“…”

“What are you going to do to stop that mad dog? Are you going to confront its owner? Or are you going to try to look good to them?”

“…!”

Wei-ling’s cold gaze faltered. She’d finally realized why Limon was intentionally running around mad, and why Li Chingwei wanted fear and anxiety.

“It would be best for you to not forget that.”

Limon gave her a cold smile.

“The Princess you love and esteem so much isn’t a sheltered flower. She is a conniver and ruler I’ve fully accepted.”

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