Wolbok-dang, the Mysterious Information Organization.
The underground space that could be called the headquarters of the Wolbok-dang was quite cold. Well, being underground in winter, it was bound to be chilly.
I vaguely remembered hearing from the Black Cat that there were no Experts among the members of the Wolbok-dang.
Perhaps because of that, the Wolbok-dang members, sorting through documents presumably filled with information, wore heavy clothing. The Black Cat was also maintaining its round and plump figure.
The only difference today was that it had taken off its scarf and was wearing plain fabric.
“Wolbok-dang is somewhat like a union of information organizations,” it explained.
“Is that so?”
“The individual members of the Wolbok-dang are all renowned information dealers in their respective regions. Collecting these information dealers one by one, Wolbok-dang gradually came into being. So, the name Wolbok-dang couldn’t help but spread as they borrow the names of the information organizations they run.”
“The information received from Wolbok-dang looks to the information groups as if it’s discovered by individual members of the Wolbok-dang.”
“I see.”
“Information itself doesn’t make much money. The real profit comes from predicting the consequences of selling that information or the repercussions of not selling it.”
That was quite an intriguing story.
“A good example would be the downfall of the Hwang Gold Clan and the impact on the Sacheon Merchant Association.”
“Indeed, that makes sense.”
“If the Hwang Gold Clan falls, who would gain the most benefit? Analyzing that… and selling it.”
“Huh?”
That was an unexpected response.
“Information dealers should stick to just buying and selling information. If they move actively, they can’t remain hidden beneath the surface.”
That seemed plausible. No matter how much the Wolbok-dang was a powerful organization that controlled information, if connections formed everywhere, its very existence would inevitably be revealed.
“Most of the Wolbok-dang members gathered in the headquarters focus on processing information. Nowadays… they’re busy dealing with the enemies of Miss Yeo Il-ye. Processing info on the hidden assets stacked up by the enemies of Miss Yeo Il-ye that have already been dealt with is turning quite a profit.”
“Hmm.”
As I listened to the Black Cat, I pondered for a moment.
Information regarding the slush funds of Hwang Geum-seon, the Family Head of the Hwang Gold Clan, who held the wealth of Sacheon City in his hands. That was information that could excite people’s greed.
Could this be called the Sacheon Wall Street?
There might indeed be those who would lose their minds and invest massive sums.
After that, the Black Cat’s tour continued. The information room where data was processed, the storage room where documents were kept, etc., all reflecting a well-organized setup.
“You’ve built quite an impressive organization.”
“Well, I can’t say I did it alone; it was with the active cooperation of the Wolbok-dang members.”
The Black Cat seemed to turn nostalgic for a moment while recalling those times.
“To be honest, I never thought it would grow to this scale. I never had any plans to create such an organization. I just wanted to find some information and started gathering like-minded individuals, and here we are.”
What does the Wolbok-dang mean to the Black Cat?
It was apparent that the Black Cat held the Wolbok-dang and its members in special regard. But whether that significance had a positive effect on the Black Cat was uncertain.
Could this lonely creature, the Black Cat, have not felt loneliness in the past? Was there no one among the Wolbok-dang members who tried to approach the Black Cat?
Watching the Black Cat and the Wolbok-dang members hesitating, unable to cross the lines they’d set, one could gather that something had happened in the past.
And that incident or those incidents had tied the Black Cat and the Wolbok-dang members into a knot, completely freezing them in place.
When the Black Cat passed by, the Wolbok-dang members acting as if they were focused on their work, only to glance at its retreating figure afterwards.
Even though the Black Cat couldn’t have missed their reactions, it silently slipped away.
I sensed that past incidents had frozen their feet.
So, it seemed that a rough estimate had been made.
In the end, incidents are always covered with more incidents.
Let’s see if we can heat this awkward, chilly Wolbok-dang up with some excitement.
*
‘There’s a pile of work to be done.’
The Black Cat turned its shoulder while looking at the stack of papers piled up on its desk. Although the Wolbok-dang could operate without the Black Cat, it didn’t mean that there wasn’t work for the Black Cat to do. Just the workload accumulated during its absence was considerable.
The Black Cat decided to hide in the office for a while.
‘As the Family Head, there’s a lot to handle.’
The hopeful gazes of the Wolbok-dang members were poking at the back of its head. The idea of approaching the members who had always kept their distance made its head spin. It was utterly clueless about how to start a conversation.
This decision wasn’t just about escaping those anxieties but fulfilling its duties as the Family Head.
If it stayed cooped up in the room without facing anyone, it might focus on its duties, escaping those stares.
As the Black Cat thought that and worked hard, suddenly…
“Are you working hard?”
“Senior? What brings you here?”
The Black Cat showed a puzzled expression at the sudden appearance of Ho Cheon-an. Wasn’t today supposed to be about gathering information about the connections among the Wolbok-dang members?
“Have you discovered something already?”
“Not that… I heard there’s a forest owned by the Wolbok-dang?”
“That’s right.”
“How about grilling some meat there tonight?”
“Hmm.”
The Black Cat hesitated for a moment. The suggestion itself wasn’t odd. It had grilled meat with Ho Cheon-an quite often while traveling or when they stayed at Paldun-hyeon.
‘Seems like I didn’t catch Senior’s interest.’
It wasn’t easy to find a connection based on mere rumors. If twinkling fate were so easy to find, destiny wouldn’t be whispered about. It was hard to discover such connections.
But the Black Cat understood Ho Cheon-an’s anticipation.
‘Of course, Senior would have that impression.’
Having heard rumors of the Realization bestowed upon Miss Yeo Il-ye, the Black Cat sought out Ho Cheon-an. Having tasted the information prowess of the Wolbok-dang through various adventures with the Black Cat, it made sense for Ho Cheon-an to expect a treasure trove of information regarding all kinds of fateful encounters within the Wolbok-dang.
But after searching through the information with much hope, Ho Cheon-an must have realized that the information the Wolbok-dang provided was not significantly different from the rumors one could catch in the marketplace.
“Alright, then.”
“There’s a hut that serves as a caretaker’s shelter there, right? Let’s meet there at singal level. I’ll bring the meat.”
“Got it, Senior.”
It was a pleasant plan for the Black Cat too. Grilling meat while comforting the Senior, and escaping the heavily regulated headquarters decorated with many books to bask in the warmth of a cozy campfire.
Going out felt more natural than hiding in the office all day avoiding the Wolbok-dang members…
‘Wait, what am I thinking?’
Shaking its head, the Black Cat tossed the thoughts aside and focused back on work.
There was still much to do.
In the midst of deep concentration, the Black Cat’s eyes suddenly caught the transitioning shades of twilight. From gauging the melting hues, it was nearing the time for the meeting with Ho Cheon-an.
Sigh.
Feeling the chill of the outside air curling around it, the Black Cat sighed and quickened its pace. Upon entering the hut, it seemed no one had arrived yet since Ho Cheon-an wasn’t there.
The Black Cat ignited a fire. As it was a space frequently used by the Wolbok-dang members, logs and flammable materials were readily available, making it easy to start the flames.
Crackling. Crackling.
As the flames flickered and the Black Cat curled up to enjoy the warmth, it squinted and exhaled a sigh.
“I didn’t return to the headquarters for this.”
The Black Cat thought while gazing into the fire. What on earth did it want to do?
It thought it had grown.
It opened its heart to Ho Cheon-an and made a close friend in Hyeok Gi-rin.
Afterward, it reached the Peak Stage and succeeded in controlling its Eye Qi.
‘The moment Hyeok Gi-rin said he liked Senior Ho, I seriously felt the world go dark.’
It thought it had overcome various hurdles.
Having grown like that, it figured everything would unfold perfectly once it arrived at Wolbok-dang.
However, the moment it faced the gazes of the Wolbok-dang members, the Black Cat realized all of that was just an illusion.
‘How… should I deal with them?’
The instant the gazes of the Wolbok-dang members met its own, the Black Cat instinctively looked away, busy evading the glances following it.
Having spent a long time with the Wolbok-dang members, it didn’t know how to shake off the accumulated resentment built over the years.
Re-establishing relationships.
For the Black Cat, who had just started to open its heart and was slowly beginning to accept people, it was an overwhelmingly difficult task.
While wallowing in self-pity, the Black Cat heard the sounds of approaching footsteps.
“Is that Senior Ho coming…”
But strangely, it didn’t seem like a single person.
“Hey, over there!”
“Whew. Hurry up, you’re a bit late.”
The Black Cat froze in place. The thundering footsteps approaching the hut and the familiar voices echoing among them.
No way… could it be?
As the Black Cat gaped at the increasingly chaotic entrance, someone finally spoke up.
“Hey, Ho Cheon-an! We’re here!”
Screech.
“Wow, you’ve already started the fire…”
As the door swung open, the sight of the plump Black Cat hugging its knees in front of the campfire clashed with the gazes of the Wolbok-dang members flooding into the hut.
