Ch.629Chapter 24. Real Estate Never Die (7)

There is a hotel in Mount Geumgang.

After North Korea’s collapse, Haeguneul immediately purchased land with a panoramic view of Mount Geumgang and built the Haeguneul Hotel.

So what star rating would this Haeguneul Hotel have?

Would it be like other Haeguneul Hotels on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province or Incheon, which claim to be 4-star on the outside but provide service worse than 3-star?

Not at all.

“Mount Geumgang is profitable!”

Haeguneul was a slave to capitalism and would generate profit from any potentially lucrative venture.

“Build a hotel on Mount Geumgang! Take the execution squad and those prisoners there, tear down the buildings and rebuild them!”

“What? The government? I’ll negotiate that myself!”

Choi Ho-jung showed great interest in the Mount Geumgang development project.

“Make the hotel as luxurious as possible, then charge about ten million won per night!”

Kimchi premium.

North Korea premium.

Mount Geumgang premium.

Combining all these factors, they created a “hotel only accessible to the wealthy.”

They even gave it a different name from the regular Haeguneul Hotels.

Just as premium cars have different emblems from regular cars, Haeguneul made the Mount Geumgang hotel so expensive that ordinary people would need to “break their savings” for just one night’s stay.

In other words.

The facilities were incomparably superior to regular Haeguneul Hotels.

Starting with the name “Gwangikjeong,” the hotel was designed with Korean aesthetics incorporating the colors of the Lord of Radiant Wings.

While the exterior was a skyscraper, the interior design was distinctly Korean.

This ultra-luxury hotel with premium Mount Geumgang views was so prestigious that posting a “My stay at Gwangikjeong” review video on UCC sites would easily get at least a million views.

“Wow… is this a suite? I thought it was a palace.”

“It is a palace. Just below the top floor of the hotel.”

“How much does it cost to book this…?”

“Heh.”

The price of the Haeguneul suite that Seong Ji-eun booked was surprisingly—

“Zero won.”

“…What?”

“When a director from headquarters, the hotel’s major shareholder, comes to visit, of course they provide a suite.”

“……”

“What? Why? They built a bridge from Busan to Sejong Island for us. It would be too unfair if I couldn’t enjoy this luxury even after death.”

“W-well, that’s true, but….”

Baek Seol-hee made an indescribable expression as she watched Seong Ji-eun unwrapping and eating a yanggang candy on the sofa.

“You people pretend not to, but you take all the best things for yourselves…?”

“Of course. The money we give to the Tavern Owner and others doesn’t just come from digging in the ground.”

To give, you need money, and that money doesn’t just appear out of nowhere.

“We make money by selling things like this. Hundun, how many nights did you say?”

“Three nights, four days. Three nights, so naturally four days.”

Three nights.

Officially, Do Ji-hwan will be squeezed dry by the Black Rider for three nights.

“To awaken, you need at least this much, right? Even if it’s a secret operation, I should take care of it for at least three days.”

“Is that your real intention?”

“Oh my, Seol-hee. If I were being honest, you wouldn’t even be in this room.”

“Ugh….”

Baek Seol-hee fidgeted with her hair.

Certainly, as Seong Ji-eun said, she didn’t need to list the number of guests as “3” for Baek Seol-hee’s sake.

“If I wanted to, I could have convinced him, and you would have been left alone in Busan, lying in bed as a loser, staring at the ceiling in solitude.”

“Ugh….”

“You should be grateful to me, Baek Seol-hee. I really didn’t want to, but I’m being considerate of you. Understand?”

“…Hmph.”

“Not even a thank you.”

“You called me here because you want to use me too.”

Baek Seol-hee sat across from Seong Ji-eun and reached for a yanggang.

“You. You can’t handle Ji-hwan by yourself, can you?”

“……”

“It’s awkward to face him alone, and too embarrassing to call your juniors. So you called me because I’m the closest ‘friend’ you have, right?”

“W-what are you talking about?”

Seong Ji-eun snorted and sneered.

“You think I called you because I couldn’t handle three nights alone? You, the person I dislike the most?”

“You probably want to see me being ravaged by Do Ji-hwan with your own eyes. Or maybe you want to leave him to me for one night so you can rest.”

“……”

“Do you think I don’t know you?”

Perhaps because they were the same age and had worked together as active “evil friends,” they were exceptionally good at exposing each other’s true intentions.

“You’re worse than me, aren’t you?”

“……”

“I heard from Ju-yeon.”

“That little…”

Ah.

“That Cheon Ju-yeon… blabbing like an idiot….”

Exposed.

“Do you have proof? That I’m worse than you. If I’m worse than Baek Seol-hee, the weakest of Do Ji-hwan’s patriots, wouldn’t that make me not just incompetent but utterly pathetic?”

“Seems that way.”

“What did you say?”

“You’re not the type to give up when you want something. But the fact that you’re holding back… it means there’s something you’re embarrassed about! Something you’re reluctant to show as the eldest sister!”

Baek Seol-hee shouted with conviction.

“Seong Ji-eun, you completely fall apart, don’t you? You don’t want others to see that, right?”

“H-hmph… that makes even less sense. If that were true, why would I have invited you to this room?”

“Because I’m incompetent.”

“…!”

“Because I’m incompetent, you planned to send me in first and then go after. Baek Seol-hee faints easily, so you wanted to see me fall apart first and then enjoy yourself.”

“……”

Seong Ji-eun just continued eating her yanggang without offering any rebuttal.

“Am I wrong? Answer me. If I’m wrong, I won’t do anything with Ji-hwan today and will just watch from the side.”

“What?”

That wasn’t Seong Ji-eun speaking.

It was me.

“You’re betting on whether you get to be with me…?”

“That’s how confident I am, Ji-hwan. Have you ever seen me casually use my time with you as a betting chip?”

“Absolutely never.”

Even if it meant declaring defeat or somehow managing against Ymir on Ymir’s day, Baek Seol-hee never gives up.

And now she’s betting that if she’s wrong, she’ll have to spend the night just watching from the side, sucking her thumb?

“Seol-hee. How confident are you about Hundun?”

“We’ve fought for over 10 years, so of course I know. The country created a rivalry between us, but we’ve known each other since we were 7, so that’s 10 years.”

“……”

“After 17, I was busy dealing with villains who were causing trouble… anyway, I know her better than you do. At least about the woman hidden inside Seong Ji-eun.”

The woman inside Seong Ji-eun.

A meaningful statement.

“This woman normally spreads a hard shell like a turtle’s as a barrier, but inside isn’t a leisurely turtle but a cunning snake.”

“……”

“Black Rider? What’s black about you? It’s your pitch-black inner self that’s black. Am I wrong, Seong Ji-eun?”

“Ngh, ugh….”

Seong Ji-eun started clutching her head, then—

“…Heh.”

She stopped and twisted her lips toward Baek Seol-hee.

“Baek Seol-hee… your instincts are still sharp.”

“……”

“You’re right. That’s my plan. Send you in first, then enjoy myself with him afterward. In ways you couldn’t imagine, ways you’ve never experienced. Right?”

“I can’t really answer that question.”

I sat quietly between the two of them.

“It’s Hundun who decides the method anyway.”

“It’s okay. You can call me Noona.”

“What? You call her ‘noona’?”

“It’s her preference, and I’m just accommodating. But….”

It’s somewhat unexpected.

“I didn’t expect you to be so open about it.”

“Well, it’s Baek Seol-hee. I figured I could reveal my true colors and still beat someone as incompetent as her.”

“N-no matter how incompetent I am… you think I’ll win?”

“Really? Sorry, but you can’t beat me. Because…”

Seong Ji-eun crossed her legs with a meaningful expression.

“As I said before, I’ve prepared methods you couldn’t even imagine.”

“…I don’t like that way of speaking at all. Go ahead and tell me. What are you plotting? What method? Let’s hear it.”

“So you can go back to your Busan home later and secretly ask, ‘Ji-hwan, can I try it too?’ while wagging your tail?”

“If Seong Ji-eun can do it, there’s no reason I can’t. What’s wrong with that?”

Baek Seol-hee started turning the tables.

“If you can do it, I can do it too. Sure, I’m usually smaller than you, but I’ve grown thanks to the patriot buff, not by pumping mana like you.”

“Ji-hwan. She’s insulting my dead sister. Can I fight her?”

“Since she’s alive now, making fun of her being dead doesn’t count.”

“Wow… are you protecting her because she’s pregnant with your child? Ji-hwan, is Noona a director at the Company? Did I book this room?”

“Hundun.”

I firmly shook my head at Seong Ji-eun.

“If you pull rank like that, I’ll just take Baek Seol-hee and go into the mountains.”

“What?”

“I could ask permission from the Jirisan moon bear family and spend the night with her in a cave.”

“We’re at Mount Geumgang, why are you mentioning Jirisan?”

“……”

Oops.

I accidentally let slip an original story spoiler.

“It’s just a figure of speech. Anyway, let’s hear it. Seong Ji-eun, what have you prepared?”

“A very special gift that only Noona can give, something Baek Seol-hee can’t do?”

Seong Ji-eun stood up.

“A very special gift that straightforward, single-minded Baek Seol-hee could never offer.”

“W-what is it?”

“Treason.”

“……”

Baek Seol-hee’s already pale face turned even whiter at Seong Ji-eun’s words.

“Can you really do it? The treason I’ve prepared… ‘American style.'”

“Y-you, what on earth…?”

“Heroes like you who only look forward are patriots loyal to the country, but…”

Hiss.

“Traitors like me don’t just look forward.”

Something snake-like emerged from behind Seong Ji-eun’s waist and began to writhe.

“I look backward too.”