Chapter 989: She Has Appeared (3)
The file displayed on my phone contained information on Lee Tae-Poong's current advertising contracts. At the same time, it was also a list of the companies that would protect him.
[Lee Tae-Poong's 2021 Advertising Revenue: 10.3 Billion Won]
[Current Signed Contracts (17)]
-Clothing Company A: 700 million won (Late 2020. Two-year contract. Automatic one-year extension option increases compensation by 30%.)
-Food Company B: 1 billion won (Early 2021. One-year contract. Renewal currently under negotiation.)
[Contracts Pending (25)]
...
"This is... an advertising list?" asked President Hong Ill-Sung.
I nodded. "That's right. It's also a list of companies that will immediately sue if you keep spreading fake news."
Lee Tae-Poong was a top star who had even won the Grand Prize at the Hwangryong film association. He was the blue-chip star of the film industry, having achieved back-to-back ten-million-viewer hits with Beyond the Boundary and Jiri Mountain. If someone like that suffered damage to his image because of false accusations, the major corporations profiting handsomely from using him as their advertising model would never stay quiet.
"Advertising penalties are usually double the contract amount... so around twenty billion won. Add the penalties from his film and drama appearances, and that's another five billion or so. Altogether, you'd be looking at roughly twenty-five billion won. Can you handle that?"
For the first time, Hong Ill-Sung looked troubled. "Well..."
"Oh, and one more thing. I'm suing Kim Eun-Yung too. If I hit her with a lawsuit worth about a billion won, she'll probably confess that she was just doing everything you told her to do."
Only then did Hong Ill-Sung realize that the entire scheme he had built had collapsed. "You still don't seem to get it. Tae-Poong is one of Korea's biggest stars now. Someone like you can't even dream of touching him. So if you don't want your life ruined, take down Kim Eun-Yung's video immediately. No, forget that. Delete the entire channel!"
Hong Ill-Sung's eyes darted around as he weighed his options. In the end, he nodded. "Fine."
I continued, "And send Kim Eun-Yung back overseas. Why did you fill the head of a girl living comfortably in America with nonsense and drag her back here?"
Today was May 18. According to Everyday, Kim Eun-Yung was supposed to die on May 21. If I could send her abroad before then, I could prevent that future and save Lee Tae-Poong from retirement as well.
"Alright already!"
A thoroughly deflated Hong Ill-Sung picked up his phone and called someone.
"It's me. Delete the entire channel. Just do as I say!"
Five minutes after Hong Ill-Sung barked the order, when the video's view count had only reached around three thousand, Kim Eun-Yung's MeTube channel disappeared completely.
"There. It's gone."
I immediately checked the channel myself.
[This channel does not exist.]
After confirming it had been deleted, I opened Everyday again.
[Everyday V13]
[Date: May 21, 2021]
-10:00 p.m.: [NEW. Lee Tae-Poong]
Shocking Report. Lee Tae-Poong Suspends Activities!
(Emergency Meeting: After hearing news of Kim Eun-Yung's death earlier today, Lee Tae-Poong is in shock and is even considering retirement. Countermeasures required.)
Kim Eun-Yung's exposé videos were gone now, yet the information about her death remained unchanged.
'Could it be that it won't disappear until after she actually leaves the country?'
The thought crossed my mind, but something still bothered me. This schedule entry had first appeared when I got into Team Lead Sa In-Gyu's car. Everyday only generated new entries when someone directly connected to an event appeared, or when I heard information related to it.
So I asked what Sa In-Gyu was currently doing. "What about Team Lead Sa In-Gyu?"
"In-Gyu? I sent him to a nearby supermarket to buy snacks for the girls. That bitch Eun-Yung can't do a damn thing herself, but she's always got a long list of things she wants to eat."
Since Sa In-Gyu wasn't doing anything unusual, I considered reporting Hong Ill-Sung for embezzlement and tying Sa In-Gyu into the case as well. However, Kim Eun-Yung's death and Lee Tae-Poong's retirement due to the shock were scheduled to happen in only three days. There simply wasn't enough time to gather evidence of embezzlement and file charges before then.
So I decided to let both of them go for now. From this point forward, I would keep them under observation and figure out why the Everyday schedule entry had appeared in the first place.
'President Hong Ill-Sung. Team Lead Sa In-Gyu. Let's see you two work your asses off.'
***
After telling Hong Ill-Sung that he wouldn't make any moves as long as they didn't make any against him, Jung Yoon-Ho left Unit 201. Believing everything was over, Hong Ill-Sung sat there in a daze for quite some time before finally heading back to Unit 202.
Beep.
When the door opened, Kim Eun-Yung and Song Yi-Jin were waiting by the entrance.
"Mr. Hong! What happened?"
Unable to even step inside, Hong Ill-Sung answered Kim Eun-Yung's question. "Hey. It's over. Completely over."
"What? What's over?"
"There's no way out of Jung Yoon-Ho's grasp, that ghost of a bastard! It's all over!!"
Kim Eun-Yung and Song Yi-Jin stared at him in disbelief. Then, a plastic shopping bag hit the floor.
Thud.
At the same time, Sa In-Gyu's voice came from behind them. "Mr. Hong! What did you just say?"
When Hong Ill-Sung turned around, he saw Sa In-Gyu, who had just returned from running errands. His face had gone deathly pale.
"In-Gyu, damn it, make some noise when you walk around. When did you get here?"
"What do you mean it's over?"
"That bastard Jung Yoon-Ho came all the way here and tore everything apart. He even recorded Eun-Yung's voice at the set, so we're completely trapped."
Hong Ill-Sung proceeded to tell Sa In-Gyu, Kim Eun-Yung, and Song Yi-Jin everything that had happened.
Unable to contain himself, Sa In-Gyu raised his voice. "Fuck! So we're really just giving up? Do you know how much money we're supposed to get out of this? And Mr. Hong! You never used to flinch at things like this! Now you're getting older and turning into a coward—"
Smack!
Hong Ill-Sung suddenly slapped Sa In-Gyu across the face.
"You little bastard. I'm already pissed off enough. What the hell are you mouthing off about?"
Clutching his cheek, Sa In-Gyu trembled as he glared at Hong Ill-Sung. "What's with that look? You want to hit me too? Huh?"
Sa In-Gyu wanted to punch him right then and there, but he forcibly swallowed his anger. Hong Ill-Sung had promised him a director position once he established a new entertainment company.
"N-No, sir."
Only then did Hong Ill-Sung calm down and belatedly apologize. "Damn it. Hey, sorry. I got worked up and my hand moved before I thought. Just let it go."
Pretending he had no choice, Sa In-Gyu nodded. A heavy silence settled over the living room.
Then Kim Eun-Yung cautiously broke it. "So... what happens to me now? My singer debut isn't in danger, right?"
"Now isn't the time for that discussion. For the moment, go back to America. I'll call you when everything's ready again."
Kim Eun-Yung exploded. "What do you mean? You promised you'd make me a singer!"
Hong Ill-Sung turned sharply around. "It's impossible right now. And I need to go out, so we'll talk about it again tonight."
"Mr. Hong!"
Ignoring Kim Eun-Yung completely, Hong Ill-Sung turned to Sa In-Gyu. "In-Gyu. You're coming with me."
"Are we going... there...?"
"Yeah."
With that, Hong Ill-Sung left HNH Villa with Sa In-Gyu to meet the true mastermind behind today's scheme.
***
After leaving HNH Villa, I sat in my Ventley with Chief Choi Go-Yoon and waited for them to come out. A little earlier, I had deliberately chosen not to hand Hong Ill-Sung over to the prosecution immediately. After all, I needed a clue about Kim Eun-Yung's death first.
About ten minutes later, a Masterati carrying Hong Ill-Sung and Sa In-Gyu exited the villa. Since I had parked the Ventley in a different alley from before, neither of them noticed us. Unaware that I had intentionally let them go, they lowered their guard and headed straight toward UN Village in Hannam-dong.
UN Village was home to numerous foreign embassies and heavily guarded from the entrance, making access difficult for outsiders. Fortunately, I already had entry authorization because of Writer Lee Ji-Yeon's residence there.
Following them carefully, I watched as the car driven by Sa In-Gyu entered a massive residence surrounded by dark gray walls.
"That's... former Chairman Sung Hak-Soo's house."
At Choi Go-Yoon's exclamation, I nodded. "Yes. It looks like former Chairman Sung Hak-Soo was the real mastermind behind today's incident."
If Sung Hak-Soo was involved, then I needed to rethink everything from the ground up. This wasn't simply Hong Ill-Sung trying to get revenge by forcing Lee Tae-Poong into retirement. It was meant to be the opening move in an attack against both Daechon Inc. and Hoop Entertainment.
As one of Hoop Entertainment's key actors, Lee Tae-Poong's retirement would cause the company's stock price to plummet. And if that happened, the planned one-for-one share swap between the soon-to-be-established Daechon Media and Hoop Entertainment would become nearly impossible.
No matter what the chairman wanted, if the gap in valuation between the two companies became too large, shareholders would have legitimate grounds to oppose it. Living up to his reputation as a master schemer, Sung Hak-Soo was targeting exactly that weakness.
'Not bad, huh?'
Sung Hak-Soo had thought this through. But as long as I was here, his plans would never succeed.
I immediately took out my phone and called Kim Ae-Ryeon of Daechon Inc. After explaining the situation, I asked her to grant me full authority to handle everything. Kim Eun-Yung's death and Lee Tae-Poong's retirement were connected, and I needed decision-making power.
I had wondered whether she would be reluctant now that she was the chairman of Daechon Inc. Fortunately, Kim Ae-Ryeon's answer came without a trace of hesitation.
-You'll have my full support!
***
In the living room of former Daechon Inc. Chairman Sung Hak-Soo's mansion in Hannam-dong's UN Village, Hong Ill-Sung and Sa In-Gyu were kneeling before Sung Hak-Soo.
"We're sorry, Mr. Chairman."
"Sorry? You think what you've ruined can be brushed aside with a single apology?"
Sung Hak-Soo had given Hong Ill-Sung only one instruction, which was to force Lee Tae-Poong to retire from the entertainment industry.
Once Lee Tae-Poong retired, Hoop Entertainment's stock would collapse. At that precise moment, Sung Hak-Soo intended to rally Daechon Inc.'s directors and shareholders and stir opposition to the planned share exchange between Daechon Media and Hoop Entertainment.
No matter how exceptional Honorary Chairman Kim Bu-Ho's judgment was, there were plenty of directors and shareholders who resented treating an entertainment company as an equal business partner. In other words, this was his final chance to strike back.
On June 6, when his wife Kim Ae-Ja would be released from prison through a special pardon, he planned to join forces with dissatisfied board members, challenge Kim Bu-Ho's authority, and create the perfect opportunity to split Daechon Inc. apart.
However, all of those plans had fallen apart before they could even begin.
Unaware of that fact, Hong Ill-Sung cautiously replied, "That bastard Jung Yoon-Ho was prepared for everything. I've spent my whole life dealing in backroom schemes, but I've never seen anyone like him."
Sung Hak-Soo scowled. "Are you kidding me? You're praising that Chief Jung bastard in front of me? The man who sent my wife and son to prison?"
"N-No, that's not what I meant. But threatening Lee Tae-Poong with photos from his past simply didn't work."
"Then you should've used a stronger move! Do you think I promised you a subsidiary company if you succeeded for nothing?"
Hong Ill-Sung immediately lowered his head.
Thump.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman. In any case, I'll step away from this here."
"Who said you could?"
Clicking his tongue, Sung Hak-Soo pressed the bell and summoned Chief of Security Yoon Tae-Seok. A moment later, Yoon Tae-Seok appeared. Standing over six feet tall with a heavily muscular build, he immediately made the atmosphere feel oppressive.
"Yes, Mr. Chairman."
Though Sung Hak-Soo was no longer chairman, Yoon Tae-Seok still addressed him that way.
"Take care of these two. Make sure there are no loose ends."
The order to "make sure there are no loose ends" meant dragging them out, beating them until they lost consciousness, and ensuring their silence afterward. It was a deliberately vague order. Yet after serving Sung Hak-Soo for ten years, Yoon Tae-Seok was used to such ambiguous instructions. He was also used to taking responsibility if anything went wrong.
"Understood. I'll handle it." Yoon Tae-Seok looked down at Hong Ill-Sung and Sa In-Gyu, who were kneeling on the floor, and spoke coldly. "Get up."
That was when Sa In-Gyu clenched his teeth and shouted. He had realized that if he was dragged out now, he would end up half-crippled.
"Mr. Chairman! I'll solve this somehow! But in return, that subsidiary you promised President Hong—I want it instead!"
Startled, Hong Ill-Sung grabbed Sa In-Gyu's arm. "In-Gyu! If you fail, you're really dead this time!"
Nevertheless, Sa In-Gyu shook him off. "Let go! You're telling me to throw away an opportunity like this because you're scared of that young kid Jung Yoon-Ho? I can't do that!"
Sung Hak-Soo looked at Sa In-Gyu with newfound interest. "Team Lead Sa, you have a plan?"
"Yes. I have something in mind."
Sung Hak-Soo turned toward Yoon Tae-Seok. "Take care of President Hong only."
"Understood, sir."
Crunch.
Yoon Tae-Seok's hand clamped down on Hong Ill-Sung's shoulder.
"Aaaagh!"
"Come with me."
Still screaming in pain, Hong Ill-Sung was dragged out of the room.
Clunk.
As the front door closed behind them, Sung Hak-Soo smiled at Sa In-Gyu. "What do you need from me?"
"First, I'd like an advance payment. If I do this my way, I'll have to get my hands dirty. I'll probably end up in prison, so I'd like to at least set aside retirement money for my parents first."
The determination in Sa In-Gyu's eyes—even his willingness to commit a crime if necessary—seemed to please Sung Hak-Soo. A smile spread across his face.
"At last, someone I can actually talk to. Hahaha."
Sung Hak-Soo immediately called his secretary's office and ordered them to bring over a black briefcase containing one billion won in cash.
Thunk.
Setting the briefcase on the table, he spoke. "Here's five hundred million won as a down payment. Whatever you do, I'll make sure you serve less than three years. When you get out, you'll receive another five hundred million. And I'll give you one of Daechon's subsidiaries as well. If you succeed, Daechon will return to my hands. So show me what you can do."
Sa In-Gyu rested his hand on the briefcase and nodded. "Thank you. Then here's what I'm planning to do—"
Sung Hak-Soo frowned. "Hey. Why are you telling me the plan? Figure it out yourself. Yourself. I only care about the results."
Like the crafty snake he was, Sung Hak-Soo refused to leave behind any evidence that he had directly ordered anything.
Sa In-Gyu answered with a sinister smile. "I'll make sure I succeed."
***
Vroooom.
A van parked beside the Ventley hidden in the alley slowly drove past. Through the rear window, I could see Hong Ill-Sung blindfolded and surrounded by several large men.
-Let me go! Somebody help! Ghk!
Still shouting, Hong Ill-Sung took a punch from the man beside him and collapsed. Sa In-Gyu was still back at the house, but I made my decision immediately.
"We're following them. Mr. Choi, please call another employee over here and have them keep an eye on Sa In-Gyu."
"What? But why? Hong Ill-Sung's finished, isn't he?"
"Exactly. Which makes him more useful to me."
Sung Hak-Soo was a cautious schemer. He never shared his plans with anyone. If I could rescue Hong Ill-Sung and turn him into an ally, I would gain a witness capable of testifying about everything Sung Hak-Soo had done.
I immediately pressed down on the accelerator.
Vroooom.
The twelve-cylinder Ventley responded with a growl and moved according to my will.
***
After being punched in the face inside the van, Hong Ill-Sung had briefly lost consciousness. He woke to throbbing pain, but everywhere around him was dark. He had no idea where he was.
"Where... am I..."
At that moment, he saw Yoon Tae-Seok standing directly in front of him with a baseball bat in hand. "Good timing. I was just about to throw some water on you."
Hong Ill-Sung immediately dropped to his knees and began begging. "P-please... spare me... alright? I swear I'll keep my mouth shut."
"Everyone says that. Then when trouble starts, they change their minds. I'm not planning to kill you, but assume you'll be spending the next six months in a wheelchair. Your body needs to learn that making mistakes can get you beaten to death."
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The sound of the baseball bat cutting through the air sent Hong Ill-Sung's eyes darting around in terror. He couldn't help regretting everything. When Jung Yoon-Ho had threatened him with the embezzlement case, he should have just surrendered and confessed.
"Alright then. Here we go."
"Aaaagh!"
Hong Ill-Sung frantically waved his hands, trying to resist. Then, a noise echoed from outside.
Bang. Bang.
Holding the bat, Yoon Tae-Seok turned to the four men standing nearby. "What are you idiots doing? Go check it out."
"Yes, sir."
But before they could move, the door suddenly opened.
Clack.
At the same time, light flooded into the room.
"Alright, everybody stop."
A man in a suit stepped through the light. And the man was none other than Jung Yoon-Ho.
Yoon Tae-Seok frowned. "How did you get here?"
"That's not the important part, is it?" Jung Yoon-Ho then looked at Hong Ill-Sung. "Mr. Hong, you're having a rough day. Want me to help you out?"
Hong Ill-Sung nodded so hard it looked like his neck might snap. "Save me! Chief Jung! If you save me, I'll do whatever you tell me!"
"Okay. Deal!"
At that moment, Yoon Tae-Seok casually spun the baseball bat in his hand. "Hey, Chief Jung. Doesn't matter if you've done boxing. Nobody beats a weapon. For the record, I used to be a baseball player. So what do you think? Want to try me?"
Jung Yoon-Ho snorted and gave him a thumbs-down. "Do I look stupid?"
Grinding his teeth, Yoon Tae-Seok stepped forward. "You little bastard..."
Then Jung Yoon-Ho turned his head and shouted, "Come on in!"
At once, ten well-built men in black suits descended the stairs and lined up behind him. Then, the sound of high heels echoed throughout the room.
Click. Click.
Chairman Kim Ae-Ryeon of Daechon Inc. appeared behind them.
"Yoon Tae-Seok. How dare you? You're still being paid with Daechon's money, yet your loyalty belongs to Sung Hak-Soo? Do you have a death wish?" scoffed Kim Ae-Ryeon.
This basement belonged to the security team building used by Sung Hak-Soo inside UN Village. It was located barely fifty meters from Kim Ae-Ryeon's residence. Until now, it had never been discovered because it was only used for special situations. However, Jung Yoon-Ho had found it.
Yoon Tae-Seok had never imagined they were being followed inside UN Village itself. It was a fatal mistake.
'Mr. Sung Hak-Soo. If you truly wanted to take Daechon back...You should have dealt with Jung Yoon-Ho before Lee Tae-Poong.'
Thud.
Yoon Tae-Seok dropped to his knees. He had finally realized there was no escape.
Everything had been moving within Jung Yoon-Ho's grasp from the very beginning.