Rick Wesley’s gaze remained on Song Ji-hu.
A young man in his mid-twenties. C-rank.
He had an unremarkable build, and his clothes were not flashy either. To the point that Rick wondered whether this young man really was the person who had turned the whole world upside down.
But the moment he looked into Song Ji-hu’s eyes, Rick Wesley’s instincts sent him a warning.
What lay inside those ash-gray eyes was neither tension nor fear.
A terrible stillness that did not so much as waver even when facing him.
‘He is not ordinary.’
The experience Rick Wesley had built over more than ten years dealing with power holders from various countries and S-rank Hunters whispered to him. This man was dangerous.
“I… do not need money.”
At that short and clear sentence, Rick Wesley’s expression hardened.
There was no negotiation more frightening than one where the other party said they did not need money. With an opponent who wanted money, one only had to keep working the calculator until both sides found a point of agreement.
But with an opponent who had no interest in money, one could not even guess what card had to be drawn.
Even so, he had to try. If possible, ending it with money would be cleanest.
“$10 billion.”
The conference room froze. Yoon Yeong-su’s fingers, which had been moving over his tablet to quickly grasp the situation, stopped on top of the screen.
$10 billion. Converted into Korean won, an enormous sum exceeding 13 trillion had been offered as the treatment fee for a single person.
‘Is this why he said money would come in?’
But Song Ji-hu did not even blink.
There was no change in expression, and his breathing did not waver. He was indifferent, as if he had merely heard a comment about the weather.
At that sight, Rick Wesley’s brow twitched faintly.
‘Is he serious? He really doesn’t change expression at $10 billion?’
For a mere C-rank Hunter in his twenties to be this calm before such a number.
Even Rick Wesley had never seen a human being who showed no reaction to a number of this scale.
“Write the amount you want yourself.”
Rick Wesley took out a blank check bearing USAA’s official seal from the inner pocket of his suit and pushed it across the table.
“I understand. USAA’s movements are not simply the matter of one guild. International affairs and interests between nations are entangled in them. Perhaps this may even become the standard for future treatment fees.”
The check slid across the table and stopped before Song Ji-hu.
Song Ji-hu looked down at the check for a moment. Then he stared at Rick Wesley again.
His expression was still impossible to read, but it was certain that he did not want money.
When he showed no reaction even to a blank check, the temperature in the conference room rapidly cooled.
Conversation disappeared, and the smiles vanished from their faces. Everyone looked at Song Ji-hu.
“If it is not money.”
Rick Wesley leaned forward and drew a new card.
“How about technology transfer? Dungeon raid data above S-rank that only USAA possesses, magic power research sources, and even monster analysis data.”
“I do not need them.”
Song Ji-hu’s refusal did not even take one second. When it came to future technology and knowledge, he, who had experienced regression six times, was far further ahead.
“What about equipment? We will provide the strongest existing S-rank artifacts, whatever you want….”
“They are already being made.”
Ryu Jin. He had already commissioned the man who would one day become the world’s greatest blacksmith.
Rick Wesley’s finger tapped the table once. A tiny motion suppressing emotion.
“We can also dispatch USAA’s S-rank personnel for a set period. Whether for escort or combat support.”
“Eun Seo-jin here is enough. I intend to personally select and increase my team members.”
Song Ji-hu’s goal was to build his own team.
Outside personnel did not matter whether they existed or not.
“In that case….”
Rick Wesley drew out his final card. A proposal that staked the weight of the heaviest name of all: USAA itself.
“USAA will become Zero Point’s official backing. Including the diplomatic protection of the American government.”
The air in the conference room froze once more.
The world’s No. 1 guild, together with the government, would stand as their backing.
For any guild, for any Hunter, this was an offer that could not be refused.
“I do not need it.”
But Song Ji-hu rejected it mercilessly again.
Technology, equipment, personnel, backing.
Every card USAA possessed had been laid out on the table, and every one of them had been rejected.
Rick Wesley pulled himself away from the back of his chair, and for the first time, erased the relaxed smile from his lips.
‘What on earth does this guy want?’
He had conducted countless negotiations over more than ten years.
Those blinded by greed, those terrified by fear, those lost in idealism.
He had dealt with thousands of people, but Song Ji-hu fit into none of those categories.
Park Jeong-ho, who was sitting in, could not even wipe away the cold sweat flowing down his face as he watched Rick Wesley’s expression.
Looking at Song Ji-hu, who refused every single one of USAA’s offers without exception, two thoughts occurred to him at the same time.
‘Is he insane, or a genius?’
Or maybe….
‘Is he both?’
Rick Wesley neatly placed both hands on the table. Pure curiosity hidden beneath the mask of a negotiator revealed itself.
“Then, Hunter Song Ji-hu. What exactly do you want?”
***
Even with every gaze fixed on him, Song Ji-hu remained sunk deep in his chair and looked straight into Rick Wesley’s eyes.
USAA had drawn all its cards, so now it was his turn.
“Owe me a debt.”
It was an utterly vague statement.
“In exchange for saving Ollie Barclay’s life, USAA will owe me a debt.”
Song Ji-hu’s eyes looked straight at Rick Wesley.
“And when I call, you will come once.”
Rick Wesley’s eyelids trembled faintly.
“That is… all?”
To think that after refusing $10 billion, pushing away a blank check, and kicking aside the world’s best backing, what he demanded was a debt to help him just once when necessary.
It was a negotiation where the weights on the scale did not match at all. How could $10 billion and one act of help possibly hold the same weight on the scales?
While everyone was thinking that, Rick Wesley calculated the weight of that condition.
USAA would incur a debt. That meant the power of the world’s No. 1 guild could be summoned according to the will of one individual named Song Ji-hu.
Once.
Only once, yes, but when, where, and under what circumstances that once would be used would be decided only by Song Ji-hu.
What if it was an interstate conflict? What if USAA ended up standing on the side of a particular country?
Its independence would suffer fatal damage, and its position in the international community could be shaken.
If so, the value of that single time far surpassed 13 trillion won.
‘This guy… truly does not want money.’
He wanted a relationship, not money. He wanted binding obligation, not a transaction.
Because the situation had been urgent, Rick had come without a prior report.
With information about a person named Song Ji-hu far too insufficient, he had to judge only by what Song Ji-hu was showing at this table right now.
At the same time, Ollie Barclay was dying. Rick Wesley fought the dilemma as deep wrinkles appeared on his forehead.
Everyone in the conference room was gauging the weight of the proposal Song Ji-hu had thrown out.
‘A debt, not $10 billion.’
Yoon Yeong-su stared blankly at Song Ji-hu with the tablet in hand. If he were asked whether he had the nerve to push away $10 billion, the answer would absolutely be no.
Just what was Song Ji-hu looking at? Yoon Yeong-su could not even begin to estimate it.
Eun Seo-jin sat beside Song Ji-hu without saying anything.
At the same time, he recalled the terrible vengeance of Song Ji-hu he had felt inside his own mental imagery world.
Eun Seo-jin instinctively realized where that debt would be used.
“I know what you are worried about.”
Watching Rick Wesley’s hesitation stretch long, Song Ji-hu opened his mouth again.
“As you fear, I will not use it to make you take someone’s side in an interstate conflict, nor will I drag you into a political quagmire.”
Song Ji-hu’s voice was calm.
“That single debt will be limited to two situations. Gates. And the common enemy of humanity.”
Rick Wesley’s eyes flashed open.
“Are you sincere?”
Gate handling. That was work they did every day. A common enemy. From America’s standpoint, subjugating a force of evil would instead give them justification.
Public opinion, Congress, and the media would have no reason to take issue with it.
With this condition, there was no burden at all.
No, it was not merely that there was no burden. It was practically a condition under which they were receiving treatment for free.
“You may include that clause in the contract.”
At Song Ji-hu’s answer, Rick Wesley leaned against the back of his chair and looked at Song Ji-hu again.
He had reached a judgment to some extent. This man was not someone who would ruin the board for personal gain.
A man who could throw away $10 billion would not be blinded by petty money, and the limited conditions he presented would instead help USAA’s image.
“You mean it.”
And on top of that, he had ability.
If he could heal mental contamination, then it was not bad for USAA to leave him indebted to them as well.
On top of that, if contamination levels decreased simply by being with him, then even rotating Hunter personnel around him would benefit USAA.
‘Did he lose someone precious in a Gate?’
It seemed that after returning to America, Rick would have to dig deeper into this man.
“Very well.”
Rick Wesley made his decision.
“In addition, we will provide $5 billion in support and regularly rotate USAA’s B-rank or higher Hunters to Zero Point Guild.”
He lifted the corner of his mouth and added. With conditions like this, Song Ji-hu would have no choice but to react.
“And the one promise you just mentioned. I will increase it to three.”
He had increased one time to three.
At first glance, it looked as though USAA was taking a loss, but Rick Wesley’s calculation was different.
Three points of contact meant three joint operations.
That would give him opportunities to understand the person named Song Ji-hu, and it would create a bond between the two guilds that would not easily be severed.
And if his judgment turned positive, that bond would benefit USAA in the long term.
“Good.”
For the first time, a faint smile spread across Song Ji-hu’s lips as well.
“Then shall we draft the contract right away?”
With that, the deal between the world’s No. 1 guild and the smallest guild was concluded.
In other people’s eyes, Song Ji-hu might look like a fool who had refused $10 billion and accepted $5 billion.
But Song Ji-hu’s calculation was entirely different.
‘In a few months, once the mana concentration phenomenon occurs, the situation will change again.’
Every Hunter in the world would want to be dispatched there.
At that time, USAA’s rotational deployment would naturally expand.
‘And the most important thing is the three promises.’
Three cards that could mobilize USAA’s power against the Abyssal Monarch.
‘There are few people as consistent as Rick Wesley.’
In his previous lives, Song Ji-hu had entrusted his back to Rick Wesley many times, and Rick Wesley was someone to whom he could entrust his back.
That was why he knew.
What kind of personality this man had, what deals he would nod to, and what deals would make him stand on his pride.
Back then, Rick Wesley had been a good man until the end.
This time would be the same.