Chapter 245: Listen and Speak

The emotion had vanished from Seo Jae-hoon’s stiff face.

“Do you think I brought you here for a joke?”

“Boss Kim, what on earth are you talking about…?”

When I heard from Koizumi that Seo Jae-hoon was behind all of this, my anger surged.

“I have no idea what promises you made to the Yakuza or what you offered them. What were you thinking?”

Like a lie, Seo Jae-hoon’s lips curled into a small smile again despite his earlier grim expression.

Ignoring my informal language, he replied.

“Caught me, huh?”

Crossing his legs, Seo Jae-hoon flashed an even broader grin, continuing shamelessly.

“So what? Did someone die?”

Even Manager Ma, standing guard at the door, frowned at Seo Jae-hoon’s nonchalant demeanor.

“No one died, and Representative Eva has safely returned to Korea. Besides, Il-seong’s assets were taken by you guys, right? What’s the issue here?”

I already knew he could not empathize with others’ feelings.

But this was beyond that. Calling Seo Jae-hoon a madman didn’t even come close.

“What’s your problem? How can I help you?”

Seo Jae-hoon’s cold, serpent-like eyes locked onto me as he glared.

“Shall I just die? I wouldn’t mind. Would that ease your anger, Boss Kim?”

He raised his hands, pretending to choke himself.

His audacity was so natural, it felt unsettling to think he believed I wouldn’t harm him.

“What’s the reason behind all this?”

Seo Jae-hoon’s perplexed expression suggested he didn’t understand my question.

“Reason? It’s simple. You annoyed me. Not only did you rudely intrude upon my feast, but you took my table away too. So what’s wrong with that?”

Seo Jae-hoon spoke casually while continuing to show respect, but it only fueled my anger further.

“Did I disturb your peace of mind, Boss Kim? If that’s the case, I’m sorry. I must have committed a grave sin.”

After finishing his words, Seo Jae-hoon bowed his head. Yet, when he raised it again, his tone was far from apologetic; it reeked of audacity.

“But it’s a bit annoying, you know? Just for killing a bug, you go this far. Aren’t you, Boss Kim, of the same kind as me?”

I was taken aback by his attempt to draw a parallel between us; it was absurd.

“Me?”

“You wouldn’t care about human lives if they’re obstructing your goals. I know many have shed blood for you to be where you are now. But why are you reacting like this? I just can’t comprehend it at all.”

He was a completely incomprehensible fool.

Seeing his selfish nature, being oblivious to others’ feelings, I unconsciously shook my head.

How could such a person hide their true self and lead a massive company like Il-seong?

Looking back, it might have been possible only because Il-seong was such a colossal empire that no one could find a flaw in it.

But that’s not the case anymore. Seo Jae-hoon’s actions only solidified my resolve to bring down Il-seong.

“You’re right. I’m not a clean person either. But Eva is someone I care about. You’ve touched my person.”

Seo Jae-hoon, who had been lost in thought for a moment, murmured softly.

“Like a pet, huh?”

“What?”

At first, I thought I had misheard him. But his next words confirmed I hadn’t.

“But a dog can be discarded anytime and replaced. Boss Kim, you seem to care a lot, eh?”

I couldn’t follow his line of reasoning at all. I didn’t even want to continue the conversation, so I fell silent.

My phone on the table rang, and upon checking, it was Chairman Seo Yong-geon.

“Chairman Seo Yong-geon.”

— Boss Kim, what the hell is going on here?!

As soon as I picked up, Chairman Seo Yong-geon’s angry voice echoed.

“I’m just returning what I received in kind.”

— What do you mean by that?! No, forget everything else! Send my son back right now, and I’ll let this matter slide.

Chairman Seo Yong-geon’s threats were merely laughable.

“What if I don’t?”

I casually replied and waved over Manager Ma with my hand.

— You better be prepared. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring you to ruin.

“Chairman, I think you’re misunderstanding something…”

Manager Ma walked toward me from the door. I nodded slightly, and he immediately understood my intention, delivering a slap to Seo Jae-hoon’s face.

Chairman Seo Yong-geon must have heard the sound clearly through the receiver.

A loud smack echoed. Seo Jae-hoon merely touched his cheek, showing no reaction, as if Manager Ma had held back his strength.

— What the hell? What was that sound?!

“Do you really think you can threaten me when you’ve got my only son?”

— You can’t even kill him, so don’t act rashly. If a single hair gets harmed, there will be hell to pay.

“Do you really think I can’t kill Seo Jae-hoon?”

I spoke coolly, and I could hear Chairman Seo Yong-geon swallowing hard on the other end.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t intend to kill him. However, now that Seo Jae-hoon is right here in front of me, my thoughts have slightly changed. Chairman, were you aware that your son is a madman? He’s ripe for sensational media coverage—were you really totally clueless?”

— …

Chairman Seo Yong-geon didn’t answer, merely falling silent.

“You mentioned that you didn’t need to provide a reason, but I’m happy to tell you why I’ve captured Seo Jae-hoon. He was behind the attack on Eva in Japan.”

— What do you mean by that…?

Chairman Seo Yong-geon attempted to speak, but I interrupted him.

“Listen and respond. This information came directly from the Japanese government. By tomorrow, it will likely be reported in the Japanese media. Don’t worry—there won’t be anything about Seo Jae-hoon, so you can relax.”

If Seo Jae-hoon’s name got mentioned in the Japanese media, my chance for revenge would be lost.

I wanted to take revenge on anyone who dared to touch my people.

“Didn’t I warn you? I told you to act within legal bounds. If you touch violence or break the law, be prepared for the consequences. Do you remember?”

I’d clearly warned him at my grandfather’s funeral not to think about using other means.

“But look where we are now.”

— If what you’re saying is true, I’ll apologize. I had no idea this happened. It was just…

“I didn’t know, I didn’t know… That can’t be an excuse for forgiveness.”

Chairman Seo Yong-geon’s voice quivered from the other end of the line.

— … Boss Kim, please let this slide just this once. This won’t benefit you either. If anything happens to Jae-hoon, it’ll be bad for you too, don’t you think?”

Chairman Seo Yong-geon knew the truth.

He was aware that the Cheongpung Group I’d dealt with was considered missing, as well as what had happened to Cheon Su-man after he laid hands on my people.

Perhaps that was why there was such a noticeable change in Chairman Seo Yong-geon’s voice compared to when he first called.

— Just let this one go, please. I’ll make sure this never happens again.

“Chairman, Seo Jae-hoon is an adult. He must take responsibility for his actions. Besides, this isn’t a trivial matter that can be overlooked. If you want to save your son, you have to give up something. Consider it a price for his life.”

As I said this, I glanced at Seo Jae-hoon. He was rubbing the cheek that had been slapped, wearing an odd grin.

— Boss Kim, nothing is worth comparing to my son’s life. Just let him go for now, and we can talk later.

Chairman Seo Yong-geon was speaking, but all I could hear was the smile on Seo Jae-hoon’s face.

The confidence with which he thought I couldn’t harm him irritated me.

“…Manager Ma. Let’s start with a finger.”

“Understood, Boss.”

Without hesitating, Manager Ma moved swiftly.

— Boss Kim!

Chairman Seo Yong-geon shouted loudly, but I ignored him.

“Ahhh!”

Even without emotions, pain could still be felt. A desperate scream escaped Seo Jae-hoon’s lips.

His right index finger was completely bent backward and hung loosely.

— Do you really want to die?!

“Chairman, do you still think I couldn’t kill Seo Jae-hoon?”

— Boss Kim, you…

Suddenly, laughter erupted in the room.

“Hahaha!”

The culprit was Seo Jae-hoon himself. He was laughing madly with wide-open eyes, looking like a lunatic.

“Just go ahead and kill me! Why can’t you? Maybe I should die instead?”

Seo Jae-hoon began to strangle himself. It didn’t look like a mere show; the veins in his hands were standing out.

As I stood there, speechless, watching his sudden, reckless actions…

“Boss!”

A voice calling for me brought me back to reality.

“Stop! Quickly! Don’t let that bastard die!”

No matter how much money I had or how many connections I had in politics and the prosecution, if he died here, I’d have no way out.

Manager Ma forcibly tore Seo Jae-hoon’s hands away from his throat.

“Cough! Cough!”

Seo Jae-hoon was truly a madman. No, he was more than just insane.

After a prolonged fit of coughing, his reddened face began to calm down.

When Seo Jae-hoon raised his head again, he was grinning with shiny eyes.

“Why? You said you’d kill me? You threw around threats to my father. Aren’t you scared I might actually die?”

Seeing him laugh like a maniac sent chills down my spine.

Manager Ma’s expression also twisted as he held onto Seo Jae-hoon tightly.

— Boss Kim! Kim Mu-hyeok! What the hell is ging on?!

“Chairman… Seo Jae-hoon just tried to take his own life by choking himself. Did you not know he was a madman? Letting someone like him go is surely…”

— What?! Is Jae-hoon still alive?

“For now, yes. Chairman, can you control Seo Jae-hoon? This mess happened because you couldn’t manage him, right?”

Even back in my previous life, there were numerous vicious rumors surrounding the Il-seong Group.

While most were dismissed as mere tabloid fodder, their contents were so outrageous that I could remember them vividly.

In those rumors, Seo Jae-hoon was described as inhuman. But seeing him in person, he was even worse.

I realized today that a person could actually strangle themselves to death. I should have gauged Seo Jae-hoon more accurately.

— Just send him back for now. I’ll agree to whatever you offer.

Chairman Seo Yong-geon seemed to know as well. He understood that his son wasn’t sane.

Yet, Seo Jae-hoon was still his only son. That was probably the reason he couldn’t abandon him.

“Chairman, you’re speaking as if you know what I would ask…”

— I’ll give you anything except for Il-seong Group. Just let Jae-hoon go for now.

Hearing that brought back memories from my past life.

It was the news about Chairman Seo Yong-geon, who had collapsed from a heart attack and spent nearly ten years trapped in a coma—neither dead nor alive.

What if it wasn’t a simple heart attack but rather some twisted scheme by this madman?

What if Chairman Seo Yong-geon was being kept alive as a puppet?

While laying down a solid foundation for transferring the group’s ownership, he had to browbeat Seo Yong-geon into submission…

I could finally discern the intent behind his gaze now.

Seo Jae-hoon, with eyes like a lunatic, would kill anyone in his way without hesitation, even if that person were family.

“… Chairman, do you truly believe you can handle this person?”

— …I’ll take care of it. I truly had no idea about what happened in Japan. I’m sincerely sorry. How should I compensate you?

Staring at the resigned expression on Chairman Seo Yong-geon’s face contrasted with Seo Jae-hoon’s twisted grin left me puzzled.

Of course, I couldn’t kill Seo Jae-hoon today. That made me wonder what I could gain instead, but nothing concrete came to mind.

After contemplating for a while, I finally spoke up.

“Transfer Ilseong Electronics’ semiconductor technology to me.”

— …

“Then I’ll return him. If you comply, I’ll ignore this matter so long as Seo Jae-hoon behaves himself.”

— …I will do that.

Despite the severe terms, the compliance from Chairman Seo Yong-geon made me shake my head.

I wasn’t sure if it was for the sake of the company or his son, but I could see the parental connection shining through.

“If you break the promise, then it’s war. Not a monetary war, but a real conflict involving violence.”

At this point, I no longer felt inclined to touch Seo Jae-hoon.

If I let things be, Chairman Seo Yong-geon would undoubtedly experience the pain my grandfather felt before he passed.

Watching Seo Jae-hoon rub his inflicted neck, I couldn’t help but smirk.

“Do you promise?”

— I understand. Please let him go now.

“One finger is hanging loose. This is a fair price. If you take him to the hospital straight away, there shouldn’t be any significant issues.”

— …I got it.

“Send someone to Pyeongchang-dong.”

I ended the call without listening to Chairman Seo Yong-geon’s answer. As I put my phone away, I mocked Seo Jae-hoon.

“You have a good father.”