Chapter 988: She Has Appeared (2)
Thunk.
The car driven by Choi Go-Yoon lightly clipped the side of a black Merciless Binz sedan coming out of the front gate of the HNH villa before coming to a stop. My body lurched slightly forward.
After bringing the car to a complete stop, Choi Go-Yoon spoke in a low voice. "Let's go."
"No. Please get out and just take off his mask. I'll stay in the car and confirm who he is."
I was curious about his face too, but I said I'd remain in the car to find out who was behind him.
"Understood."
Choi Go-Yoon nodded, opened the driver's door, and stepped out, bowing his head.
-Oh dear! I'm terribly sorry. Are you alright?
While he distracted him, I covered my face with the fan beside the passenger seat and looked outside through my phone camera. The man stepped out of the car holding the back of his neck. He was wearing a mask and sunglasses. Around the mid-170s in height and fairly heavyset, he immediately began hurling curses at Choi Go-Yoon the moment he got out.
-You son of a bitch. How the hell do you drive? Are you crazy?
His accent was that of a native Seoul-Gyeonggi resident, but his voice sounded strangely familiar.
-Ohhh~ I'm sorry. I meant to hit the brake, but I stepped on the accelerator.
Choi Go-Yoon rubbed his hands together and bowed repeatedly.
The masked man immediately grabbed Choi Go-Yoon by the collar.
-Hey! You think saying sorry is enough to make this go away? Huh?
Choi Go-Yoon was a former police officer and a martial arts expert with over ten dan ranks combined. Yet with his collar seized, he continued apologizing like an ordinary, timid man.
-Kghk! I'm sorry...
-Ah, damn it. Don't just say you're sorry. You should be paying money, money!
-E-excuse me, please put me down and talk first. I can't breathe...
As Choi Go-Yoon waved his arms around while trying to free his collar, he suddenly stripped off the man's mask and sunglasses in one motion.
The instant he did, a familiar face appeared beneath the mask. It was none other than Lee Tae-Poong's former talent agent, Team Lead Sa In-Gyu. And back at HONG Planning, he had been the talent agent who helped President Hong Ill-Sung threaten Lee Tae-Poong—the same bastard who had picked up Kim Eun-Yung.
***
After wiring a hefty two million won as compensation for damages, Choi Go-Yoon returned to the car.
"Did you confirm it?" Choi Go-Yoon asked.
Even though Sa In-Gyu had grabbed him by the collar and left his hair and clothes disheveled, the first thing he asked was whether I had identified the man. A professional was a professional for a reason.
I nodded. "Yes. It was someone I know. Team Lead Sa In-Gyu, Tae-Poong's former talent agent. He's one of the men who used to threaten Tae-Poong."
"Then shall I have them continue the surveillance?"
"Yes, please."
Choi Go-Yoon called one of his employees and instructed them to keep following Sa In-Gyu, who had left the alley a short while ago.
After ending the call, he asked, "So what are you planning to do now?"
"I'm going to meet the man behind him."
"The man behind him?"
"Yes. President Hong Ill-Sung is probably the one who orchestrated all of this."
Sa In-Gyu was an enforcer, not the type who used his head. That meant the person who had most likely planned today's operation was former HONG Planning President Hong Ill-Sung, the one who usually handled the thinking.
After saying that, I called Lee Dae-Ho, Lee Tae-Poong's talent agent, to get Hong Ill-Sung's contact information.
-Yes, Mr. Jung?
"Mr. Lee. The man in the mask and sunglasses who picked up Kim Eun-Yung from the scene a little while ago was Team Lead Sa In-Gyu."
-Are you absolutely sure it was that bastard Sa In-Gyu?
"Yes. I personally confirmed him dropping Kim Eun-Yung off at a villa in Nonhyeon-dong and then leaving again."
-I... understand.
"And don't worry. I'll handle this myself, so don't tell Tae-Poong anything until it's over."
Lee Dae-Ho answered in a somewhat calmer voice.
-Yes. Let's do that.
"Then please send me President Hong Ill-Sung's contact information through Kk Talk."
-I'll send it right away.
Lee Dae-Ho sent me Hong Ill-Sung's phone number right away.
Buzz.
After checking the message, I immediately called the number.
-Who is this?
A rough voice belonging to a man in his fifties came through the phone.
"Mr. Hong Ill-Sung. This is Jung Yoon-Ho from Hoop Entertainment. I'd like a moment of your time."
Hong Ill-Sung hesitated briefly before speaking slowly.
-My time? Why would I give you my time? I don't have time to see someone like you.
"I know that you were the one who set up Kim Eun-Yung's visit to the filming set today."
Hong Ill-Sung's voice rose sharply.
-W-where do you get off accusing an innocent man? I set it up? What proof do you have?
"I have photos of Team Lead Sa In-Gyu, the man working under you like a slave, leaving the HNH villa a short while ago. I also have photos of him taking Kim Eun-Yung out of Jinseong Resort in Yeongjongdo. If you'd like, I can send over the vehicle license numbers too."
The shouting stopped instantly. A moment later, Hong Ill-Sung slowly spoke.
-Fuck. You're annoyingly fast. Fine. Where do you want to meet?
"How about the HNH villa? I'm right outside."
-Where the hell is that again?
"Are you really going to do this? We both know you're inside."
Hong Ill-Sung replied in a voice dripping with irritation.
-You're like a fucking ghost. Fine. I'll tell security. Come in alone. Unit 201.
"Understood."
As soon as I hung up, Choi Go-Yoon looked at me with concern. "Mr. Jung. Will you be alright?"
I nodded. "Don't worry. I have something I can rely on as well."
"That's good, then. Still, if anything happens, press the speed-dial number that contacts me. I'll force my way in somehow."
"Thank you. Even just hearing that means a lot."
After giving Choi Go-Yoon a respectful nod, I got out of the car and headed off to meet Hong Ill-Sung.
***
In Unit 202 of HNH Villa, Hong Ill-Sung found himself overwhelmed with confusion after the phone call ended. He hadn't expected Jung Yoon-Ho to figure out so quickly that he was behind today's incident.
"What the hell is that guy Jung Yoon-Ho anyway? It's not like he's some National Intelligence Service agent."
At that moment, Kim Eun-Yung, who had been lounging on the living room sofa looking at her phone, grumbled. "See? I told you that guy wasn't ordinary. You kept blaming me even though you didn't know anything."
Having just returned after failing to make any progress with Lee Tae-Poong, Kim Eun-Yung was still upset and couldn't stop complaining.
"Enough. I'm going next door now, so don't make a sound and keep your mouth shut. Got it?"
HNH Villa was an upscale villa complex with only two units per floor. Hong Ill-Sung occupied the entire second floor and had lent one of the units to Kim Eun-Yung, who had recently returned from the United States, as a studio workspace.
"Fine. But Mr. Hong, are you really going to drag Tae-Poong oppa into this? If Chief Jung is moving this fast, we could all end up completely ruined."
Kim Eun-Yung voiced her concerns, but Hong Ill-Sung didn't even blink. "Even so, that bastard Jung Yoon-Ho is no match for me. So get into the master bedroom right now and make another exposé video. The nastier and dirtier it is, the better."
"Alright. I'll get it ready."
Hong Ill-Sung then shouted toward a room beside the front door. "Hey! Song Yi-Jin! Come out here for a second!"
Creak.
The door opened, and a woman with shaggy hair and oversized horn-rimmed glasses came out, scratching her head. Her name was Song Yi-Jin, and she had once worked as an assistant manager on the publicity team at HONG Planning. Because of her exceptional video editing skills, Hong Ill-Sung had brought her back to handle editing work for videos uploaded to the MeTube channel, Cutie Eun-Yung's Secret Files.
"How's the preparation for uploading Eun-Yung's next videos coming along?" asked Hong Ill-Sung.
Song Yi-Jin answered, "It's almost done."
"Then upload them as soon as I give the signal."
Rubbing her eyes, Song Yi-Jin asked, "Mr. Hong, aren't you causing way too much trouble without any real plan?"
"What do you mean?"
"The person you're up against isn't the Lee Tae-Poong we used to call Bad David anymore. He's the center of attention in the Korean film industry now. He won the Grand Prize at the Hwangryong film association and became Korea's leading male actor after back-to-back ten-million-viewer hits with Beyond the Boundary and Jiri Mountain. How are you planning to deal with the fallout after making accusations without any evidence? You said yourself you don't even have any photos."
Hong Ill-Sung exploded.
"I'll get whatever I need! You just focus on getting those videos ready to upload!"
At his outburst, Song Yi-Jin let out a huge yawn.
"Eh, do whatever you want. If anyone gets pelted with stones, it'll be Eun-Yung, not me. As long as I'm getting paid, I don't care. Just make sure the money keeps coming."
Turning around, Song Yi-Jin headed back into her room to continue editing.
Thud.
As soon as the door closed, Kim Eun-Yung flared up.
"President, I don't like her. Can't you just get rid of her?"
"Then who's going to edit and upload the videos? You? Stop talking nonsense and get in there and make your videos."
Kim Eun-Yung grumbled as she headed into the master bedroom.
Thunk.
The moment the door shut, Hong Ill-Sung took a long breath and muttered to himself as he headed toward Unit 201 next door.
"Jung Yoon-Ho. Do you really think someone like you can do anything to me?"
Perhaps because the videos were ready for release, an unfounded confidence began swelling inside him.
***
As expected of a luxury villa, security thoroughly questioned my reason for visiting before finally allowing me through.
When I reached Unit 201 on the second floor, Hong Ill-Sung, the former president of HONG Planning, was standing at the entrance.
The man, who resembled a toad both in face and build, immediately ground his teeth in hostility the moment he saw me.
"Why do you look so wronged? You're making it seem like the victim and perpetrator have switched places."
"Stop talking nonsense and get inside."
Hong Ill-Sung opened the door.
I gave him a pleasant smile and stepped in.
Sa In-Gyu had definitely driven Kim Eun-Yung here, yet there wasn't a trace of her.
More importantly, I couldn't smell the perfume she'd been wearing at the futsal field of Jinseong Resort in Yeongjongdo.
'She's not here.'
In luxury villas like HNH, it wasn't unusual for an entire floor to be divided into private residential spaces because of privacy concerns, so I asked Hong Ill-Sung directly.
"Is Eun-Yung next door?"
As Hong Ill-Sung closed the front door behind me, his eyes visibly showed shock.
"Why would you be looking for Eun-Yung here? Team Lead Sa dropped her off at her accommodations before coming here!"
'So she's next door.'
"Well, let's say that's true."
"It's not 'let's say'! That's exactly what happened! I don't even know who's living next door!"
"Alright, alright."
After I sat down on the living room sofa, Hong Ill-Sung finally took a seat across from me and asked,
"So why did you come here?"
"To give you a warning."
"A warning?"
"Yes. Whether you redebut Eun-Yung or not is your business. But if there's even a single thing in those MeTube videos that damages Tae-Poong's reputation, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."
Hong Ill-Sung snorted. "That's rich. Hey, you're the one who should be scared. If you want us to keep Eun-Yung quiet, then you're the one who should be paying."
I had expected him to react like this. So I played a card that would immediately take the wind out of his sails.
"Do you want me to report to the prosecutors how you've accepted investments, embezzled funds, and shut down your company three separate times since founding your agencies? And that you're preparing to start a fourth one?"
As the former president of HONG Planning, Hong Ill-Sung had made a fortune by repeatedly founding and closing agencies. First, he had established an agency and attracted investment. Once he produced an actor with some name recognition, he started siphoning money out of the company. Then he would either sell the company to a larger entertainment agency or shut it down if that failed. By doing that, he had pocketed billions of won. None of that had become public knowledge yet.
However, I was different. Before the regression, Kim Dong-Soo had purchased KING_HONG Planning, the new company Hong Ill-Sung founded. The moment Kim Dong-Soo realized there were serious problems after the acquisition, he had asked me to handle it.
At the time, thinking of Lee Tae-Poong, I had thoroughly audited KING_HONG's books and turned everything over to the prosecution. I had done it once before the regression. Doing it a second time would be easy.
Yet at that moment, Hong Ill-Sung unexpectedly doubled down. "You crazy bastard. You think you can threaten me?"
Still fuming, he suddenly made a phone call. "Hey! Upload it!"
I wondered what he was planning. Then Hong Ill-Sung shoved his phone toward me.
"Take a look at this!"
On the screen was a freshly uploaded video from Kim Eun-Yung's MeTube channel, Cutie Eun-Yung's Secret Files.
[Entertainment Secret File No. 4: Lee Tae-Poong's Hidden Past #1. LTP Betrays His First Girlfriend.]
[Subscribers: 5,239 | Views: 125]
The video had only just gone live. In it, Kim Eun-Yung was crying as she spoke.
-LTP... was afraid of losing his popularity. He said he wanted a woman who matched his 'class' and broke up with his girlfriend from the past. And that girlfriend was left devastated...
Referring to Lee Tae-Poong only by the initials LTP, Kim Eun-Yung continued her fabricated story while shedding large tears. The comments began pouring in almost immediately.
(Comments)
-Wait, why is she crying while talking about this?
-Isn't Kim Eun-Yung Lee Tae-Poong's ex? She used to be with HONG Planning.
-Can't you see the tears streaming down her face? It's obviously true.
-Eun-Yung went all the way to America to forget everything and only came back because she was struggling financially. Lee Tae-Poong is complete trash.
-But Lee Tae-Poong always looked so nice. Was that all fake?
...
Without bothering to verify any facts, people were already hurling insults, and the comment section was becoming increasingly vicious.
Watching the reactions, Hong Ill-Sung's shoulders began shaking with laughter. "The response is pretty explosive. Once parts two and three go up, don't you think it'll be all over the 9 o'clock news tonight? Ah, poor Tae-Poong. Whatever will he do now, huh?"
Normally, this was the point where someone would demand money or try to negotiate for publicity. However, Hong Ill-Sung showed no sign of that whatsoever. That was when I finally realized his true objective.
"You planned to destroy Lee Tae-Poong from the very beginning."
Until now, I had assumed he was using fabricated stories about Tae-Poong to build attention before redebuting Kim Eun-Yung. However, now it was obvious. The videos were never about Kim Eun-Yung's comeback. They were meant to ruin Lee Tae-Poong.
Hong Ill-Sung flashed a grin. "You're annoyingly sharp. That's right."
"You insane bastard. Then was Kim Eun-Yung a disposable pawn from the start?"
Hong Ill-Sung crooked a finger dismissively. "Why would I throw her away? Once she gains attention from all this, I'll send her around to sponsors and make a fortune."
I wanted to punch him right then and there. But solving the crisis threatening to drag Lee Tae-Poong into ruin came first.
"Okay. I've seen your dirty move. Now it's my turn."
Hong Ill-Sung snorted and dug at his ear. "Quit bluffing. You're only making things harder on yourself. Just give up."
I looked him straight in the eye. "No. I don't bluff."
At the same time, I pulled out my phone and placed it on the table.
Tap.
The instant I touched the screen, the confidence vanished from Hong Ill-Sung's face.
[20210518_Recording_File_01.m4a (Playing)]
-You sold Tae-Poong's photos to his former agency for twenty million won. How do you even have the nerve to show up here?
-...Then what am I supposed to do now?
-Never show your face in front of Tae-Poong again!
-...Want to see the bomb I'm holding? The photos saved on my phone. I'll leak them to reporters!
The conversation I had earlier that day with Kim Eun-Yung began playing from my phone. Just like that, the tearful confession video she had uploaded to MeTube moments ago became completely worthless.
"That idiot Kim Eun-Yung... I told her to be careful..." Hong Ill-Sung cursed furiously under his breath.
Ignoring him, I opened another file. A PDF document filled my phone's screen.
"And one more thing. Take a look at this."
"What the hell is that?"
Hong Ill-Sung glared at the phone I held out. Then, his eyes began trembling uncontrollably.
Because the file displayed on my screen was another powerful weapon capable of protecting Lee Tae-Poong.
"This is..."