Chapter 306: I’ll Attend As Often As I Can

“Who is this? Isn’t that Kim Mu-hyeok, the man harder to ind than the President?”

I had finally decided to meet up with my friends after a long time. The moment I arrived at the venue, Oh Hyeon-woo started teasing me.

His words seemed to echo the reactions of everyone around, and laughter erupted from the group.

“Sorry, I’ve been a bit distant lately.”

“Glad to hear it. Good to see you!”

Starting with Oh Hyeon-woo, Yoon Jae-ha and Han Min-kyung greeted me as well.

“Welcome! Let’s catch up a bit.”

“It’s been a while. You’ve been doing well, right?”

Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Myeong-su lifted his glass.

“What are we doing with all these greetings? Let’s drink!”

Myeong-su broke the awkwardness in the air, as he always did, lifting the spirits of the gathering.

Naturally, Oh Hyeon-woo followed suit, and soon everyone had their glasses raised.

Hyeon-seong offered me his drink, pouring while he smiled.

“You should raise your glass too.”

Ever since he got married, Hyeon-seong had become more expressive.

I nodded, taking in the sight before me, and raised my glass.

Myeong-su, noticing I had lifted mine, shouted loudly.

“To Mu-hyeok, who’s joined us after so long!”

“Cheers!”

Everyone toasted and downed their shots of strong liquor in one go.

Though the toast poked fun at me, it didn’t dampen my mood.

“Ah, that’s good!”

“I heard you drink every day. You really want to drink more here?”

Oh Hyeon-woo teased, and Myeong-su shot back with a look of disgust.

“Hyeon-woo, you’ve never drunk with politicians, have you? If you haven’t, keep your mouth shut. You wouldn’t know if the drink goes in your mouth or your nose. I’d rather drink what the Deputy Prosecutor serves!”

“Oh, come on. The liquor the Deputy Prosecutor gives isn’t drinkable, it’s poison!”

While Oh Hyeon-woo and Myeong-su were bantering, I walked over to Han Min-kyung.

“Min-kyung.”

“Yeah. How have you been, Mu-hyeok?”

“Of course. I heard you’re meeting up with Oh Hyeon-woo?”

“You heard about that, huh?”

I had heard from a recent gathering that Han Min-kyung and Oh Hyeon-woo were dating.

By that time, friends had an inkling, but they pretended not to know until the couple revealed the truth.

Officially announcing their relationship meant they were considering marriage.

“Doesn’t that worry you?”

I pointed over to where Myeong-su was arguing with Oh Hyeon-woo and laughed.

“Sigh… Men are all the same. Who knows when Hyeon-woo will grow up?”

Seeing that scene, Han Min-kyung let out a deep sigh, though she was smiling.

“So you’re not thinking of marriage just yet?”

Han Min-kyung shyly nodded her head.

“Yeah, you and Hyeon-woo look great together.”

Her life changed completely after meeting me; I felt secretly proud that it was for the better.

Reflecting on our first meeting, I raised my glass.

“Congratulations. Let’s drink to that.”

“Yeah, thanks to you I made it this far. I really appreciate it, Mu-hyeok.”

“We’re friends, no need for thanks between us.”

“Still, I’m grateful. The best luck in my life was meeting you.”

“I appreciate that sentiment.”

As I toasted with Han Min-kyung, Oh Hyeon-woo abruptly approached, putting a hand on her shoulder and teasing me.

“What’s this? You’re attending the meeting after such a long time to flirt with my girlfriend? That’s not cool, buddy. Friends shouldn’t cross that line.”

“…Your tone is starting to sound like Myeong-su’s.”

“Sigh…”

Han Min-kyung exhaled deeply.

I couldn’t hold back a laugh and finally let it out, which made Oh Hyeon-woo smile too.

“Just kidding! Mu-hyeok, you should come out more often for these meet-ups. If you want to host it, but don’t attend, what’s the point? Right, guys?”

Yoon Jae-ha, Han Min-kyung, Myeong-su, and Hyeon-seong all nodded in agreement.

Myeong-su came up to me, slung an arm around me, and shook his drink.

“Just the other day I said the same thing! But look, you’ve finally dragged your heavy butt here today.”

“…Fine, fine. I promise I’ll attend as often as I can.”

With a mischievous grin, Myeong-su let go of me and raised his glass again.

As the alcohol kicked in, Myeong-su’s dialect started to slip out.

“Did you all hear? Mu-hyeok said he’ll attend more often! Did I hear that right?”

“I heard it too.”

I rolled my eyes at his teasing and thrust my glass toward him.

“Enough already. Let’s have another drink.”

“Got it, got it.”

With casual conversations, the gathering’s mood began to rise.

“Mu-hyeok, can we talk for a moment?”

Oh Hyeon-woo pulled me aside. Following him to the terrace, I noticed his expression was unusually serious.

“The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s Special Investigation Unit is investigating corruption involving President Kim Hak-gwon’s close aides.”

“What?”

“About a month ago, we received an anonymous tip. The information was laid out in such detail that it seems like an insider was involved. We conducted a confidential inquiry, and all leads pointed in the same direction.”

“What kind of tip?”

President Kim Hak-gwon had already been in hot water due to his son’s bribery case.

If corruption involving his aides surfaced, it would definitely raise doubts about his integrity.

He could easily lose public trust, making this a potentially serious blow to Kim Hak-gwon.

“Big corporations promised to secure loans from the industrial banks in exchange for cash.”

“…Really?”

“I thought the head of the Special Investigation Unit would order the investigation shut down when reporting it to the Prosecutor General. But the General ordered a secret investigation instead. What’s Kim Hak-gwon’s loyal dog up to?”

I couldn’t help but ask, surprised at the Prosecutor General’s approval of the investigation.

“So, Lee Dong-woo approved it?”

“Yeah, the General gave the green light. The Special Investigation Unit’s Team 2 is handling it now. It’s still confidential at this point, but the credibility of the tip is high, so the truth will likely come to light soon.”

Lee Dong-woo was the person Kim Hak-gwon nominated as the Prosecutor General.

Until now, the Prosecutors had worked to appease Kim Hak-gwon’s interests.

Now, however, he was reportedly directing a secret investigation into Kim Hak-gwon’s aides.

What was he thinking?

“So who’s involved?”

“Ryu Hong-ki, the Secretary General.”

“Ryu Hong-ki?”

“That’s a big deal, isn’t it?”

I nodded slightly. This was something even the Prosecutor General would be interested in.

“If Ryu Hong-ki is involved, we have to see this as a direct order from the President.”

If this was true, it was likely an attempt to secure a billion-dollar loan for the Daehyeon Group.

However, due to the foreign exchange crisis, the chaebols had their pockets firmly shut, making the billion they needed impossible to gather.

Given the circumstances, any money collected during that time must have lined Kim Hak-gwon’s pockets.

“Were you part of the investigation team?”

“Nah, I’m with Team 1.”

“Can you get me updates on the investigation progress?”

“I have a close junior in Team 2. I can get information through him.”

“So, when you have a rough outline of the situation, can you let me know? Who’s in charge of the Special Investigation Unit now?”

“It’s Team Leader Kim Woong-rae.”

“How’s his relationship with the General?”

Oh Hyeon-woo shrugged.

“Not great. Kim Woong-rae was on Yoon Chang-ho’s side, so it’s not like he can endear himself to Lee Dong-woo. I don’t know what kind of deal President Yoon and Kim Hak-gwon struck, but suddenly Kim Woong-rae was appointed as the head of the Special Investigation Unit, and he’s fully in charge now.”

“So Kim Woong-rae is Yoon’s guy. Set up a meeting so you can contact me directly with him.”

Our friends called us back just then.

“You’re not planning to meet him alone, are you?”

I nodded.

“If I meet him and he seems trustworthy, I’ll make him one of my own.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to the Unit Head.”

I patted Oh Hyeon-woo on the shoulder and smiled.

“Thanks for sharing this with me.”

“Stop with the nonsense. It’s nothing.”

Turning back, I walked towards where the others were.

“How’s grandfather doing? I haven’t called in a while. He’s still healthy, right?”

“He’s so energetic it’s like he’s overflowing with strength.”

“Make sure to take care of him. Don’t regret it later.”

When I returned to the group, Myeong-su frowned.

“What serious talk were you having? Work can wait until tomorrow; let’s enjoy ourselves today!”

Oh Hyeon-woo laughed mischievously in response to Myeong-su’s comment.

“Sure, sure. Let’s drink! Let’s eat and drink like there’s no tomorrow!”

Surprisingly, Oh Hyeon-woo and Myeong-su hit it off well, and it made me smile naturally.

Glasses passed around and conversations flowed freely. Amongst everyone, Hyeon-seong, who was quietly passing drinks, spoke to me.

“Leeds, you really bought it?”

“It just happened, I guess.”

“Who are you trying to recruit? I heard the transfer fee will be massive. Want me to suggest a good player?”

“Why? Aren’t you a Liverpool fan?”

“I have to switch. Why would I cheer for another team when my friend is the club owner? Just tell me in private who you’re signing!”

Friends were intrigued, noticing the two of us huddled together—a rare scene for them.

“What’s going on? Are you two sharing secrets?”

Myeong-su waved his hand dismissively at the question.

“It’s important. You should leave.”

“Shut it. Mu-hyeok, teach this guy a lesson.”

Feeling a nostalgic high school vibe, I laughed out loud.

“You guys are still fighting like that?”

“Forget that. So what’s the info?”

“Nothing much. I bought a football team in England. Hyeon-seong likes football, so we were discussing.”

“I don’t care about football, so I wouldn’t know.”

Myeong-su quickly lost interest and continued his conversation with Oh Hyeon-woo and Han Min-kyung.

But Yoon Jae-ha was different.

“A football team? Are you talking about the Premier League?”

“Do you like football too?”

“Of course! Where did you invest?”

“In Leeds United. Most Koreans might not know it yet.”

“Oh, wasn’t that the team that placed fourth last season?”

I nodded, lifting my glass. He really knew his stuff, even keeping up with overseas football.

“You’re pretty knowledgeable!”

“Jae-ha, you like football too?”

Hyeon-seong asked Yoon Jae-ha.

I’d never seen them talk to each other before, but they effortlessly struck up a conversation about football.

“Yeah! I’m a Liverpool fan.”

“Really? I’m a Liverpool fan too!”

“No way! It’s rare to meet a fellow fan of European football in our country. Why didn’t I know?”

While Yoon Jae-ha and Hyeon-seong excitedly discussed the Premier League, I simply listened.

All sorts of jargon flew around, leaving me nodding along with confusion.

“I should take my leave now.”

After listening for a while, I checked the time and stood up.

“Huh? You’re leaving already?”

All eyes turned to me, and I waved cheerfully despite their disappointed looks.

“If I can make it next month, I will. No pressure; you all have fun!”

Waving goodbye, I walked out.

When Manager Ma saw me, he opened the back seat door as I approached.

As soon as I got into the car, I wiped the smile that had formed while with my friends.

“Is everyone here?”

“Yes, I received confirmation that everyone has arrived at the Myeong-dong office.”

“Then let’s head out.”

As Manager Ma closed the door and took the front seat, the car sped off toward the Myeong-dong office.

“Who’s involved?”

“Everyone is connected, so it seems burdensome to handle it alone, hence the meeting with all of us.”

“This is ridiculous.”

I couldn’t help but sound annoyed.

“Surely, there must be a mastermind behind it?”

“It’s CEO Noh Ik-seon.””

“Sigh… This is really frustrating.”

I vented my irritation before closing my eyes.

I tried to suppress my anger by shutting my eyes, but inside I was boiling.

Eventually, I opened my eyes slightly and spoke in a cool tone.

“Manager, I’m very disappointed in you as well. You should always keep an eye on the actions of the Myeong-dong bosses. This is all about money.”

“I’m sorry. It was my mistake.”

“I hope there won’t be a repeat of this incident.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Of course, I couldn’t blame Manager Ma entirely. Yet, if I didn’t show my displeasure now, there would eventually be a time to regret it.

“Huff…”

I let out a deep sigh. After letting him off lightly, he turned around and stabbed me in the back.

“People can’t be changed. I guess it’s true I only get repaid with misfortune for the last chance I gave.”

The scenery outside the car window rapidly changed. In the reflection on the glass, a deep-seated hostility was clearly visible in my eyes.