Chapter 8

Kim Taejin finally had the conversation with his daughter, Kim Seoa, that he hadn’t been able to have until now.

Had she experienced anything scary?

Had she been eating properly?

Was she hurt anywhere?

And…

“Dad, I really thought I was going to die.”

Kim Seoa said in a small voice.

It was a candid, childlike expression, but to Kim Taejin’s ears, it was so chilling it made him stop breathing for a moment.

Still, Kim Seoa managed a small smile.

“But Oppa said everything’s okay now.”

“…Oppa?”

“Yeah! Kang Geon oppa!”

At the mention of that name, Kim Taejin’s expression flickered with complexity.

Unlike Kim Taejin, Kim Seoa continued speaking as if she were bragging.

“He bought me banana milk when I was crying, and he said I could hold his hand if I was scared!”

“……”

“And he said you’d definitely come back home! And you really did, right?”

Kim Seoa beamed just like she had in the photo taken with Kang Geon.

The brighter her smile, the heavier Kim Taejin’s guilt grew.

He knew.

He knew he wasn’t the one who put that smile on his daughter’s face.

Kang Geon.

He had tried to kill him.

Yet that very man had saved his daughter, reassured her, and even made it possible for them to face each other safely like this.

‘Why on earth…’

Honestly, he couldn’t understand it.

Hate wouldn’t even be enough.

Resentment wouldn’t be enough either.

Why would that man treat him this way?

And then.

Beep-beep-

The sound of someone entering a passcode on the door lock came through, and the door slowly opened as Kang Geon and Choi Yuna stepped inside together.

Just as he’d said before leaving, he returned exactly one hour later.

“Seoa, I’d like to have a private conversation with your dad for a bit. Is that okay?”

“…Am I in trouble?”

“No, we just need to have a quick adult talk.”

Kang Geon chuckled and lightly ruffled Seoa’s hair.

“Instead, I’ll buy you something tasty today too. What do you want?”

“A burger!”

“Great. Then once we’re done talking, I’ll go get it.”

Seoa’s face immediately brightened.

Kim Taejin’s face, on the other hand, gradually hardened.

He could sense it intuitively.

That the real conversation was about to begin now.

Choi Yuna led Kim Seoa into the small room, and a brief awkward tension settled over the living room.

It was Kim Taejin who spoke first.

He addressed the boy he had once served as the current chairman of Seonghwa Group.

“…Why did you deliberately say in your text that my daughter had been kidnapped? Anyone could see that wasn’t the real reason.”

“That’s the only way Department Head Kim would come running right away. You weren’t thinking of taking all the blame and dying to save your daughter, were you?”

Kim Taejin flinched.

When he looked up, Kang Geon’s piercing gaze was fixed on him.

When Kim Taejin couldn’t offer any rebuttal, Kang Geon let out a faint sigh and continued.

“So, did you have a good talk with Seoa?”

“Thanks to you, Chairman… I mean, thanks to you, we were able to talk properly.”

“Hah, hearing you call me Chairman too is quite sobering. Anyway, it’s a good thing you had a good conversation.”

Kim Taejin clenched his fist tightly.

He forced himself to speak again.

“…I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?”

“Why are you going this far for me?”

Kim Taejin’s voice trembled lowly.

“I tried to kill you, Chairman. If even a small thing had gone wrong, something terrible could have happened.”

“……”

“From your position, Chairman, it’s only natural for you to resent me. Given the years we’ve spent facing each other, I must look even more detestable to you.”

He gave a bitter smile.

“But you saved my daughter, Chairman, and you even arranged for us to meet this easily. Why on earth…!”

“Because I didn’t die, that’s why.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Department Head Kim and Seoa were victims from the start, and I’m a victim who got caught up in it too. When the culprit is this clear, why should the victims fight among themselves?”

Kang Geon’s gaze slowly settled.

There was no anger toward Kim Taejin in his eyes.

No, to be more precise.

“I just don’t like the bastards who put us in this situation.”

For Kang Geon, the target of his anger was clear.

And it had to be the same for Kim Taejin.

“Because of those people, Department Head Kim almost lost his daughter, and conversely, Seoa almost became a girl without a father. These are people who would casually destroy a family for their own benefit. Aren’t you angry, Department Head Kim?”

“That’s—”

Of course he was angry.

Touching someone’s family was crossing a line that could never be forgiven.

But once they’d tracked his daughter’s movements and kidnapped her, Kim Taejin had no way to fight back.

More precisely, he couldn’t even muster the courage to try.

But now, thanks to one person, the situation had completely changed.

“I plan to pay those bastards back properly… What about you, Department Head Kim? Are you going to just let the ones who touched Seoa get away?”

Kang Geon asked, looking straight at Kim Taejin.

Under the boy’s gaze, Kim Taejin kept his fist clenched, and somehow…

“I absolutely cannot let them get away.”

He seemed a little pleased.

Kang Geon smirked as if he’d been waiting for that answer.

Now it was time, little by little…

Time to send the bill back to those who had caused this whole mess.

***

A strange rumor began circulating inside Seonghwa Group.

It was said that Chairman Kang Geon was looking for someone within the company to help him steer the current situation.

It wasn’t particularly unusual.

The entire owner family was dead.

And a nineteen-year-old boy had suddenly taken the chairman’s seat.

No matter how brilliant his abilities and wit, it was too much for one person to handle the entire group.

In the end, it meant he needed more trustworthy allies, including his personal secretary, Choi Yuna.

Naturally, the qualifications required were a deep understanding of the company’s internal affairs and the ability to clean up the current chaos.

Above all, loyalty to the young chairman would be essential.

Because of this, a subtle tension began to flow among the executives.

Who would stand by the chairman’s side?

Who would gain his trust first?

And there was one person who picked up on that atmosphere more keenly than anyone else.

The Director of the Future Strategy Planning Office.

Jeong Mincheol.

‘So it’s come to this after all.’

He let out a small sigh.

Honestly, he hadn’t expected Yun Changseop’s side to collapse this quickly.

But what’s done is done.

‘Rather than regretting it, it’s more important to desperately find a way to survive.’

More importantly, what mattered to Jeong Mincheol was getting closer to the top.

That was the same reason he had cooperated with Yun Changseop, but…

Currently, his state was a bit odd.

How should he put it? He seemed to be wandering. Or maybe hesitating.

‘Tch. To think he’s that shaken just because one illegitimate child became chairman.’

He should be thinking about actively exploiting the situation instead. That way, he’d be even further removed from suspicion as the culprit.

Jeong Mincheol was confident it would be very simple.

Performance, political skill, and an understanding of Seonghwa Group’s structure.

He lacked none of them.

Above all.

‘In times like these, you have to actively assert yourself to earn more trust.’

So Jeong Mincheol requested a private meeting with Kang Geon, and through his secretary, Choi Yuna, received this answer.

That around 3:00 PM would work.

But there was one rather unusual condition attached.

[The Chairman would like Director Jeong to accompany him on an external schedule.]

[A visit to the Seonghwa Electronics business site is scheduled for today.]

[He said he would like to hear your advice on future response strategies during the ride.]

“…Seonghwa Electronics?”

Jeong Mincheol’s eyes narrowed slightly.

But he understood right away.

No, it was actually a fairly shrewd choice.

Seonghwa Electronics was the core affiliate of Seonghwa Group.

With institutions and foreign investors feeling uneasy, there was only one thing needed at a time like this.

‘Show his face.’

By visiting in person and appearing publicly, he would send a message to the market that Seonghwa would never waver.

It was at least enough of a move to buy time.

On top of that, the inside of Seonghwa Group was practically a warzone right now.

Meaning no one knew whose side anyone was on.

After the poisoning of the owner family, from the young chairman’s perspective, trusting people at all would be difficult.

And in that situation, he specifically wanted someone to accompany him on an external schedule?

‘He’s looking for someone to rely on while staying cautious.’

And that target was none other than himself, which was also very good news.

And so, at exactly 3:00 PM.

Jeong Mincheol joined the chairman’s dedicated vehicle in the underground private parking lot of Seonghwa Center.

It was Kang Geon who spoke first.

The boy smiled sheepishly and said.

“Yesterday, at the emergency meeting I called, I was most impressed by Director Jeong’s words. How should I put it… I could feel your respect for the owner family. There’s no way someone like that could be the culprit.”

“…You flatter me.”

Jeong Mincheol answered with his mouth, but inside, he was starting to feel a subtle certainty.

Good thing he’d spoken with such passion yesterday.

No matter how much backbone and spirit he showed, in the end, he was still a high school student.

With the thought that things would go very smoothly, he opened his mouth.

“I believe the visit to Seonghwa Electronics is a good choice.”

“Is that so?”

“What the market fears most right now is ultimately a ‘vacuum.’ Simply by showing your face, Chairman, you can provide enough stability.”

Jeong Mincheol continued in a calm voice.

“I’ll inform you of anything you’re curious about, Chairman. Please feel free to ask.”

Kang Geon smirked and nodded.

The atmosphere in the car was quite good.

At least, that’s how it seemed to Jeong Mincheol.

Kang Geon was more naive than expected, and he listened earnestly to his advice.

Each time, Jeong Mincheol became more certain.

‘It’s working.’

This was enough.

Gaining the new chairman’s trust was only a matter of time.

With Yun Changseop’s side collapsing, all he had to do was rise as the new core figure himself.

How long had they been driving?

Suddenly, Jeong Mincheol looked out the window and frowned slightly.

“…?”

Something was strange.

No matter how he thought about it, this wasn’t the direction of Seonghwa Electronics headquarters.

Forget tall buildings, the traces of the city center had long since disappeared.

And then.

As the vehicle passed a fork in the road, a sign on the roadside caught his eye.

[→ Cheongunsan]

Upon seeing it, Jeong Mincheol frowned slightly.

Cheongunsan…?

Anyone who’d been with Seonghwa Group would have heard of that legendary place at least once.

The terrifying tale of Chairman Kang Seongcheol, the first chairman, personally taking care of the thugs who had beaten his son there.

No way…

It couldn’t be.

Jeong Mincheol struggled to maintain his composure and carefully spoke up.

“…Chairman.”

“Yes?”

“Has the schedule changed, by any chance?”

Kang Geon glanced out the window and gave a short nod.

“Ah, right.”

Then he said with a genial smile.

“The visit to Seonghwa Electronics was just canceled. Something more important came up.”

“What do you mean, all of a sudden…?”

Jeong Mincheol’s words never reached their end.

More precisely, they couldn’t.

Click-

A short, dull sound rang out from the passenger seat.

Seeing the bodyguard aiming his gun squarely at him, anyone could tell, Jeong Mincheol broke into a cold sweat.

He urgently looked toward Kang Geon, but.

“Director Jeong Mincheol?”

Kang Geon kept that genial smile and continued.

Today, you’re going to take a beating.

…Was what he said.