Chapter 2 Part 1

UNHRDO Asia Branch

UNHRDO.

It is a cooperative organization that aims to cultivate and develop talent to assist in the maintenance and operation of various agencies and private organizations, and to supply skilled human resources.

Succeeding the International Human Resource Development Organization established in 1946, it is also known as UNHRDO (United Nations Human Resource Development Organization).

UNHRDO is dedicated to dispatching, transferring, and supplying diverse talent on a non-profit basis, with its main headquarters, the Americas Headquarters, located in New York City, USA, and auxiliary branches: the Europe Branch in Berlin, Germany; the Asia Branch in Hong Kong, China; the Australia Branch in Canberra, Australia; the Africa Branch in Johannesburg, South Africa; and the South America Branch in São Paulo, Brazil.

(Omitted)

Upon arrival at Chek Lap Kok Airport, a car was already waiting.

While a large man who didn’t look like a driver silently greeted Jeong Chang-in and loaded the luggage, Jeong Tae-ui, whose entire belongings consisted of one modest Boston Bag, placed his bag next to Jeong Chang-in’s and then got into the car, sitting beside Jeong Chang-in who was already inside.

The thin pamphlet Jeong Chang-in handed him, from who knows where, contained a brief description of their destination, accompanied by photos. It was well-known that there would be no information suitable for external publicity materials, but still, it was a thin, uninformative pamphlet that took less than a few minutes to read carefully. Moreover, he had already done a quick search before leaving.

As Jeong Tae-ui quickly finished reading and fanned himself with the closed pamphlet, the car was exiting the airport.

Beside him, Jeong Chang-in quietly took the pamphlet from Jeong Tae-ui’s hand, flipped through a few pages, and smiled. Jeong Chang-in clearly thought it was a wasteful use of pulp.

“It’s easier to understand if you think of it as an organization that trains officials and key personnel for public agencies in various countries.”

“No matter how nicely you put it, it essentially means training people and selling them off to various organizations in each country, doesn’t it?”

“Well, people who wish to be ‘sold off’ like that gather and apply, so it’s a mutual benefit.”

Despite his words turning into a criticism, though not intentionally so, Jeong Chang-in replied without seeming particularly displeased.

Jeong Tae-ui carelessly flipped through the pamphlet Jeong Chang-in handed back to him. He didn’t look at the vague, empty words, but rather focused on the photos used as the background for those words. There were impressive buildings, conference rooms seemingly equipped with cutting-edge technology, and images of reliable men standing in strict formation with stern expressions.

“Among those guys featured there, is there anyone who suits your taste?”

Jeong Chang-in leaned over from beside him, peered into the pamphlet, and smiled. Jeong Tae-ui scrunched his mouth and tilted his head sideways.

“My taste isn’t exactly mainstream… I don’t really feel like embracing someone who exudes that much ‘manly scent.’ I prefer someone soft and lovely, who smells like soap or milk, but I doubt I’ll find anyone like that in this line of work.”

“Soap or milk scent… Sexual misconduct with a minor is a crime even in China. Well, once you cross the branch’s fence, it’s effectively extraterritoriality, but there are no minors inside. Feel free to ‘touch’ them all you want.”

“…Uncle. To instantly turn me into an unprincipled molester of minors… I’ve never looked at anyone, whether they’re single-digit aged or have a ‘1’ in front of their age, in that way.”

Jeong Chang-in chuckled softly. Jeong Tae-ui stared at him intently and said indifferently.

“If you were twenty years younger, Uncle, you might actually be my type.”

Only then did the smile briefly vanish from Jeong Chang-in’s face. He blinked, looking curiously at Jeong Tae-ui, then suddenly let out a small laugh. Shrugging as if to say ‘I get it,’ he changed the subject.

“You’ll find out eventually once you’re there, but do you have any questions?”

“Well… I’d need to know something to even have questions, but since I know nothing at all, I don’t even know what I don’t know. As you said, I’ll gradually find out once I’m there.”

Jeong Tae-ui placed the pamphlet on his lap and looked out the window. The road from the airport into the city center looks similar in any city. An adequately open highway with no particular sights to see.

“My brother briefly worked at the Americas Headquarters before, right?”

“Jae-ui? That’s right. That guy was thoroughly a ‘brainiac.’ I hear the headquarters is still keen on him.”

Jeong Tae-ui glanced back at Jeong Chang-in.

“‘Brainiacs,’ you say? Are the headquarters and branches divided like that?”

“Not strictly, but generally, yes. The headquarters is the ‘Brain House.’ Even if you have a physical disability, if you’re brilliant, you can get in. For the branches, basic physical fitness is a prerequisite. …That’s not to say that if you’re just good at fighting, you can get in even if your brain is all muscle. Simply put, you can think of the branches as aiming to train MacGyvers.”

“MacGyver… …I’m not so confident about that.”

“Nonsense, nonsense. After a few months of tough training, you’ll be able to do it all.”

Jeong Tae-ui, looking at Jeong Chang-in with weary eyes as he spoke cheerfully, finally began to voice the questions slowly coming to mind.

“So, the three branches aren’t particularly different then?”

“Hmm, that’s right. The training process is the same. So sometimes, depending on circumstances, a few people are exchanged quarterly. However, the atmosphere differs slightly for each branch. The South America Branch guys are a bit strange, the Africa Branch guys are unpredictable, the Australia Branch guys are a bit annoying, and the Europe Branch guys are absolutely damn annoying.”

There was quite a gap between his cheerful tone and the content of his words.

“Are you on bad terms with the Europe Branch?”

“The headquarters and branches are on bad terms, and the branches are on bad terms with each other too. That’s how groups in competition usually are, isn’t it? Among them, the Asia Branch and the Europe Branch are especially at daggers drawn. Once a year, there’s a two-week Joint Training, and it’s absolutely bloody… quite a sight to behold.”

“…”