Chapter 307: Regret Is the End, Right?

I arrived at the office in Myeong-dong, opened the door, and stepped inside.

“Welcome!”

The heads of the loan companies all bowed and greeted me respectfully.

“Looks like everyone is here.”

I naturally made my way to the head seat and sat down, crossing my legs and gesturing with my chin.

“Everyone, take a seat. What are you waiting for?”

Only after I gave my permission did the rest of the executives settle into their chairs.

I began to scan their faces one by one, taking my time.

My gaze stopped at Kim Ho-sik and Noh Ik-seon..

“How long have you two been in Myeong-dong?”

“I’ve been here for thirty years.”

“I’ve been here for twenty-five years.”

Noh Ik-seon and Kim Ho-sik answwered in turn.

“You’ve been through a lot since your grandfather’s time.”

“Not at all. Thanks to you, I can confidently tell my daughter about my job now. Thank you.”

I showed a soft smile in response to Kim Ho-sik’s answer.

“That’s true. You were the first to shake my hand, Kim. Is your daughter doing well?”

“Yes, she just started high school. Thankfully, she doesn’t take after me and studies well.”

“That’s a relief.”

Although Kim Ho-sik claimed his daughter didn’t take after him, he himself graduated from a prestigious university.

Nowadays, many college graduates worked for loan companies, but during the time of unregulated private loans, having a degree wasn’t common.

Perhaps because of that, Kim Ho-sik had a keen eye for trends.

Finishing small talk with him, I turned to Noh Ik-seon..

“I heard you’ve set up well in Gangnam, President No.”

“It’s all thanks to you. Just like you said, venture companies are coming in droves to borrow money, even offering exorbitant interest rates.”

There was a sharp increase in venture companies. In line with Kim Hak-gwon’s government’s industry promotion policies, everyone seemed to be starting a venture.

However, not all venture companies could secure investment funds.

In the end, companies that fell out of funding had no choice but to knock on the door of the private loan market.

No matter how much loan companies integrated into the legal system, the private lending business would not disappear.

It only dug deeper into the shadows, operating clandestinely.

Under the tacit approval of the gangsters who dominated Gangnam, Noh Ik-seon was able to establiish himself as a major player in the local loan market.

But he was still not satisfied with the interest.

“I know you’re making a decent profit besides the money you lend in Myeong-dong. It’s a good gig, right? Not just from the venture companies but from construction contractors too?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Is that why you seem to have a good grasp on business? Maybe it’s because you’ve worked the longest under my grandfather.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing Noh Ik-seon grinning as if he tthought I was complimenting him, I felt my anger rise.

I wiped the smile off my face and spoke in a chilly voice.

“Are you laughing?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, so you think this is funny?”

Noh Ik-seon’s face suddenly wennt stiff.

“I didn’t call you here to compliment you. And neither did anyone else present here.”

“…”

“President No, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

In response to my question, Noh Ik-seon feigned ignorance..

“Hey, Viper. What’s up with you?”

“… I don’t understand what you’re talking about at all.”

“Do you think you became the master of the private loan market after my grandfather passed away? Or did I trust you too much?”

Noh Ik-seon continued to deny uunderstanding until the end.

However, the perceptive Kim Ho-sik seemed to figure out the reason for my sudden outburst.

He stood up, knelt beside me, and bowed deeply.

The other executives simply rolled their eyes at Kim Ho-sik’s unexpected action but did nothing.

“I’m sorry.”

Ignoring Kim Ho-sik, who was still kneeling and bowing, I fixed my gaze on Noh Ik-seon..

“Seems like you have nothing to say?”

Noh Ik-seon just darted his eyees around, reading my expression.

In the meantime, other executives seemed to have realized what I meant and moved to kneel beside Kim Ho-sik.

“I told you to be moderately greedy, didn’t I? How dare you play with money without my permission? Do you think you have two lives?”

“…”

“I trusted everyone here with the private loan business. And this is how you repay me. If you’re looking to die, there’s not much I can do to stop you.”

When I said that coldly, the kneeling executives turned pale.

I shook my head and turned my gaze to Manager Ma.

When my eyes shifted to Manager Ma, Noh Ik-seon turned ghostly palee.

“I-I’m sorry, Boss! I’ve committed a grave sin.”

Noh Ik-seon hastily bowed his hhead low. I could tell he was more afraid of Manager Ma than me.

I raised my hand to stop Manager Ma from moving.

“President No, what I want to hear isn’t some lame apology.”

“W-Well… I ran a separate private loan scheme. It was outside what you instructed, and I’d been lending money to regular people, not businesses. But… it was just that those people had poor credit, even enough to be rejected by loan companies. I thought they deserved a chance to survive. This is the truth.”

What kind of idiot would do that? I was so speechless, I couldn’t help but exhale a hollow laugh.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Why are you adding unnecessary details when you could just tell the truth? Did you think being the bad guy would let you survive?”

“… I’m sorry.”

“When my grandfather was alive, this never happened. But after he passed not long ago, this got serious, almost as if you wished for my grandfather’s death to bring this about.”

“No, that’s absolutely not it!”

Noh Ik-seon answered, flailing his hands in confusion.

“Enough. I don’t want to hear more. Just step back and rest. You’d better return every last cent you pocketed.”

“… B-Boss.”

“What, you don’t like it?”

“This can’t be happening. You know how hard I worked to establish my foothold in Gangnam, right? I did everything you asked!”

“Go on.”

When I spoke coldly, Noh Ik-seon fell silent. I narrrowed my eyes at him, twisting my lip upward in a sarcastic smirk.

“Just because you’re sitting there doesn’t mean everyone can. You son of a bitch, anyone could have done your job. I gave you another chance because of your lengthy service to my grandfather, and now I’m slapped in the face for it? Do you really think this is okay?”

“…”

Everyone in the office was looking at me in shock.

I had never spoken this harshly in front of them before.

So it was understandable for them to be startled to hear such foul language leave my mouth.

“You think those gangster bastards are staying quiet because they’re afraid of you? Every time they see you, they just look down on you! Want to test out if those guys who helped you until yesterday would kill you?”

“That’s not it…”

“President No. This is your second chance. I let it slide when you used Chairman Cheon’s connections before. But hoping for forgiveness again, that’s just shameless, don’t you think? And why are you still sitting?”

Treating someone like a person is only possible when the other party is actually human.

You can’t treat something unfit for human company like a person.

“What are you doing?”

Noh Ik-seon’s face was completeely drained of color.

When I pointed my chin toward the kneeling executives, trembling, Noh Ik-seon stood up and knelt next to Kim Ho-sik.

“Kim, sir.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Have I done anything to upset you, Kim?”

“No, not at all.”

Kim Ho-sik replied calmly. His demeanor made my anger flare even more.

“No matter how you try to sweet talk me, you shouldn’t have crossed the line. How hard did you struggle to come into the light? To drop the title of Twin Blades? Yet you went back to sucking the life’s blood from the commoners. Did you sleep well? Didn’t hear any complaints, did you?”

“I’m sorry. I have nothing to say.”

“Huh…”

Of all the loan sharks who used to run Myeong-dong alongside my grandfather, Kim Ho-sik was the least problematic.

So I had entrusted him with leading the charge against the Japanese loan companies trying to penetrate Korea’s market.

He had proven his worth and fulfilled his role flawlessly, matching my expectations perfectly.

“Didn’t you shake my hand first and say you would step into the light? Are you regretting it? Or are you unhappy with the current situation?”

No one could monopolize every market with a single company. So I recommended Kim Ho-sik, a rather large player in the private lending scene, to establish multiple loan companies, leading to his rise as a boss.

“Seong, Jeon, Moon. You’re in the same boat. Everybody’s gotten too fat, haven’t they?”

“I’m sorry, Boss.”

“Regret is the end, right?”

“No, that’s not it.”

I gently closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The office was eerily silent.

I opened my eyes again and called out to Manager Ma, who was next to me.

“Manager Ma.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Have Attorney Hong come in, please.”

“Understood.”

Manager Ma made a phone call to somewhere, and I spoke to the executives again.

“All of you, pack your things and leave the office today.”

The pale faces of the executives shook violently at my words.

“This is your last chance. If you’ve done something wrong, speak now. If I find out later, it won’t end well for you.”

“Please forgive us, Boss.”

“There won’t be a second chance. If you have any pockets full of money, return every last bit. When Attorney Hong gets here, you’ll all spit it out voluntarily. Don’t wait until you regret it later.”

Having said that, I didn’t look at the other executives again.

Instead, I shifted my gaze back to Noh Ik-seon and Kim Ho-sik..

“You two, come in with me.”

As I stood up, I called out to the two of them.

“When Attorney Hong arrives, make sure to transfer all the corporate shares you hold to me. Then contact Samsun Accounting firm right away and tell them to conduct audits on each company.”

I turned my body and entered the boss’s office, with Noh Ik-seon and Kim Ho-sik folllowing closely behind.

“Take a seat.”

I said as I sat down. I questioned them coldly, regardless of whether they were seated or not.

“Anything to say?”

“…”

“Those guys outside plan to just leave with their things, but you two cannot end it like that.”

Kim Ho-sik might be safe, but I was not able to give Noh Ik-seon another chance..

After all, he had already betrayed me once.

“You’re the one who squandered the last chance I gave you. Don’t blame me now.”

“Boss, please give me one more chance.”

Noh Ik-seon desperately pleadedd, but I had no intention of listening.

As I stared at him coldly, Noh Ik-seon bit his lip..

“There will be no third chance. I gave you this second chance out of respect for your service to my grandfather. Do I need to keep you around, an ungrateful beast?”

“…”

“Transfer all your assets and head to the countryside. I’ll spare your life if you do that.”

“… But what if I refuse?”

“If you want to know how the Hammer died, go ahead and do as you please.”

This would be a moment for him to ponder whether money really was more important than his life.

With his head bowed and trembling, Noh Ik-seon spoke through grittted teeth, “If we hadn’t done this, others would have. It would be irrational to let profitable business go to someone else!”

I nodded. I recognized that there was a hole, and the Japanese loan companies had sought to exploit it, so Noh Ik-seon was not entirely wrrong.

“Yeah, someone else would have done it.”

“But why are you doing this? Chairman Cheon never acted this way. He would do whatever it takes to make money!”

“Times have changed. I respect my grandfather, but my way is the correct one now.”

During my grandfather’s era, making money was a must, no matter what it took.

But I had no intention of profiting off the tears of the common people.

There were plenty of legitimate ways to make money without doing so.

“And my grandfather never dabbled in loan sharks targeting common people. Why do you think that was? If you’d understood that, you wouldn’t be in this position now.”

Noh Ik-seon, who had spent so mmuch time with my grandfather, was a complete dimwit when it came to grasping his intentions.

I glared at Noh Ik-seon, showing my contemppt openly.