Chapter 389: It Depends on the Evidence

Those greedy by nature often found their vision clouded.

The more one possesses, the more pronounced this tendency.

Right in front of me stood Han Hyun-soo, a perfect example that met this condition.

He was filled with greed, yet the power in his hands wasn’t entirely his own.

He had no reason to refuse my offer.

“Alright. I’ll accept that proposal.”

Han Hyun-soo accepted my offer with a relieved expression.

“But how do you plan to bring the Heaven Church and Hwasung Group to me? I’m guessing you have a method, which is why you came to see me?”

I wasn’t here to merely shake things up with words without a proper plan. That would be too malicious.

“Let’s start with Hwasung Group first.”

“Are you saying you want to separate from the Heaven Church?”

“If that were possible, would the Vice President have stayed silent until now? It’s not as easy as it sounds.”

“…”

While a few subsidiaries could be separated, that would only be the tip of the iceberg.

The core businesses that generated revenue were inseparable from the Heaven Church.

And that was deeply entangled with the Han Seong-jin family’s intricate shareholdings, making it difficult to extract.

However, it wasn’t entirely hopeless.

“Issue convertible bonds without Han Seong-jin knowing. Set the interest rate at 0%, but allow conversion to stocks anytime after a year. You can surely secure a board meeting stealthily to pass this, right?”

“Is that all that needs to be done for the holding company?”

“Of course, you can apply it to all your subsidiaries. It would be wise to be able to separate subsidiaries just in case issues arise.”

If it failed, Han Hyun-soo could lose everything he possessed. So, I proposed a backup plan.

“If you succeed, you gain everything; if you fail, you lose it all…”

“To gain something significant, you’ll need to take risks.”

Han Hyun-soo pondered for quite some time, drumming his fingers against the sofa’s armrest.

“Alright, let’s go with that.”

“I’ll send an expert your way, so consult with them. We can’t afford any issues with this.”

“Are you referring to Han Gyeong-yeong?”

I shook my head. Han Gyeong-yeong was a specialist in investments but was inexperienced in matters like this.

“No. I’m talking about Eva from Future Investment. She’s the expert for this sort of thing.”

Eva was indeed specialized in this area. It wasn’t like Il-sung was easy to handle,, let alone Hwasung.

No matter how many times I thought about it, Eva was the best fit for this task.

“Oh, I know her. The one known as the Witch of Hong Kong, right?”

“Witch of Hong Kong?”

“Yes, that’s what they call her in the business world. The Witch of Hong Kong. A woman with no blood or tears, they say.”

“Haha.”

I couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter.

A witch, huh? If I mentioned that to Eva, it should make for quite an entertaining scenario.

Knowing her bold yet delicate nature, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Poor Eva, gaining such a nickname because of me. I should probably send her a gift or something.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I just learned today that Eva has such a nickname. Witch… It doesn’t really suit her, does it?”

“If you look at what she has accomplished, you wouldn’t say that. She has had a stormy impact on the business world since the foreign exchange crisis.”

To be fair, while I issued the directives, it was Eva who acted on the outside.

An outsider might think Eva had caused all this chaos.

“I suppose that could be one way to see it. Anyway, I’ll send Eva over soon. She’ll explain the detailed plans then.”

“Thank you. I can trust Eva. Let’s do that.”

But it couldn’t lead to chaos like this.

The method I just mentioned required a year to issue convertible bonds.

“Still, that’s insufficient. So, how’s your relationship with your mother?”

“My mom?”

Despite his age, Han Hyun-soo still called her mom, proving their good relationship.

“Yes, Madam Kim Geon-ja is at the heart of this matter. Can you persuade her to join?”

“Hmm… Our relationship isn’t bad, but I’m not sure if she’d participate in something like this…”

“Tell her she should hand over the Heaven Church.”

Han Hyun-soo tilted his head, looking puzzled.

“Isn’t the Heaven Church handled by Madam Kim Geon-ja while the Hwasung Group belongs to you, Vice President? That should provide a strong reason for cooperation.”

“…”

“You have no strong interest in religion, do you?”

“That’s true, but…”

He hesitated to respond. It seemed like a struggle to give something away to another.

“Having it all would be great, but realistically, a partnership with your mother is the best route.”

Han Hyun-soo didn’t take long to contemplate. He chose the most rational path like a true businessman.

“Understood. I’ll try to persuade my mom. What should I do next, Boss Kim?”

“I’ve heard that the relationship between your mother, Madam Kim Geon-ja, and your father, President Han Seong-jin, isn’t great.”

“…”

“I suppose you won’t ask how I know this. The rumor has spread widely.”

It was no secret that their relationship had soured long ago due to Han Seong-jin’s scandalous involvement with the goddesses and several complex issues.

But as the leaders of the two factions within the Heaven Church, they couldn’t choose divorce.

The Heaven Church showcased clear intentions about familial community.

That’s why they held grand joint weddings every year, forcing believers to marry each other.

Still, if I promised Han Seong-jin’s position to Kim Seon-ja, who continued living with him for the sake of power?

She would surely be willing to grasp the devil’s hand without hesitation.

“Madam Kim Geon-ja would be happy if President Han Seong-jin were to pass away. She’s the next most powerful figure after him. Since he doesn’t seem to think about retiring anytime soon, it might be the best option for your mother to hand over the sect, and afterwards, the Vice President can take it over.”

Han Hyun-soo nodded in agreement.

“First, get your mother to initiate some internal power struggles. The reasoning can be anything—money, media exposure, or power. If you need something, request it through Eva. We’ll provide everything we can.”

“Nevertheless, I can’t ignore my father’s influence.”

“I know. But as long as he’s here in Korea, he’s not my match. So trust me and try moving forward.”

Of course, I didn’t exactly know how far Han Seong-jin’s influence truly extended.

But as long as I was in Korea, it would be difficult for him to wield more influence than me.

As I spoke, I began to envision the blueprint in my mind.

Japan would soon be thrown into chaos with the mafia battles and power struggles between Koizumi and the Dae Dong-hui.ty.

The Heaven Church would become tumultuous from the power struggles between Han Seong-jin and Kim Geon-ja, while I would cut off Choi Seon-man’s hands and feet.

“Even if my mother and I join forces, our chances of winning are slim. Han Hyun-jin and Han Hyeon-woo are just people whoo cling to their father, living off his leftovers.”

“Then wouldn’t it make sense to remove at least one of them as a warning?”

Han Hyun-soo gasped in surprise.

“Remove?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“Is there no case for prosecutors to investigate? Something sensational would be even better.”

Han Hyun-soo, who had been hesitating, spoke softly.

“Are you suggesting that I become a whistleblower? That’s not feasible. Later on, when I take over the Heaven Church, it will become a weakness I couldn’t shake off.”

“You don’t necessarily have to be the one to step forward. Just find someone to blow the whistle and send them to the prosecutors. I don’t believe they’re innocent people. What sensational topics could pique the media’s interest? Possibly scandals concerning goddesses? That could get the prosecutors interested.”

The sordid sexual lives of key figures within a cult religious organization would certainly entice both the media and the prosecutors.

So they’d serve a decent sentence and it would send a cautionary message.

“So let’s pick either Han Hyun-jin or Han Hyeon-woo and get rid of one of them for now.”

Han Hyun-soo fell silent and closed his eyes, looking lost in thought.

While the warning meant something, it was basically like selling out his own brothers, which had to be a source of conflict.

‘I can’t yet determine if he’s still untainted.’

To survive, I needed to fight at all times, especially if entangled with power.

It didn’t matter if that power was genuine or just financial wealth.

Even if they were parents or children, one had to strike first, or they would die.

This choice would reveal Hyun-soo’s resolve.

If Han Hyun-soo was willing to walk a path stained with blood, I could genuinely support him.

Otherwise, he’d merely be a disposable pawn.

“I’ll have the documents prepared by tomorrow and will send them over. Ensure they never make it out of prison.”

“It’s hard to achieve that with just sexual offenses.”

“Han Hyun-jin has committed murder. There’s evidence, too. I didn’t plan to use this, but…”

I raised an eyebrow involuntarily. Han Hyun-soo was colder than I had anticipated.

“Murder…”

I hadn’t suspected that he had truly taken a life. As I hesitated over my response, Han Hyun-soo met my gaze.

“Several believers have died.”

“It all depends on the evidence. And that certainly has implications for the Heaven Church. A murder occurring within the sect, especially committed by the President’s eldest son, would undoubtedly attract media attention and public scrutiny.”

“Isn’t that what you want? The chaos within Heaven Church? To topple your father’s stronghold, you have to dig up the festering rot.”

That was quite a compelling statement.

It was indeed different experiencing it first-hand versus reading it in documents.

The desire to carve a bloody path was the most satisfying of all.

“Alright. A sordid sexual life and the murder of believers. This is enough to keep someone locked away for life. Send us the documents tomorrow, and I’ll make sure to handle it.”

I stood up and extended my hand.

Han Hyun-soo got up as well and shook my hand.

I could see the faint, chilling light obscured by greed in his gaze as our eyes met.

‘This might turn out to be more interesting than I thought.’

If the Heaven Church fell into my hands, my options would expand.

There’s no better way to manipulate people than through religion, from ancient times to the modern era.

Han Hyun-soo just smiled, as if he were aware of my true intentions.

The next day.

In the afternoon, a box sent by Han Hyun-soo arrived at my office in Myeong-dong.

I chuckled at his attempt to obscure any connection by using a courier.

He seemed to want to handle things thoroughly.

Opening the tightly sealed box revealed a videotape, photographs, and a rather thick envelope.

I placed everything on the table and first opened the envelope.

Inside was a thick binder. As I flipped it open and saw the first page, I couldn’t help but gasp in surprise.

This wasn’t the sort of thing that could be prepared in just a day or two.

The documents had meticulously recorded dates and times.

Everything done was organized according to the who, what, when, where, how principles.

“This is quite the clever move. Putting on a facade, too. This should be fun after a while.”

A smile naturally spread across my face. The smile caught Manager Ma’s attention.

“Are you pleased?”

“Somewhat. If he receives a bit of support, he seems like he could clear the way to seize the Heaven Church. The fact that he can be ruthless when necessary means he isn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty.”

Upon hearing my positive remarks, Manager Ma’s expression turned serious.

“But he has a bad reputation. When he exited the elevator, his gaze toward the secretaries was filled with lust. He is one of the same kind. He doesn’t seem like someone suitable to be with.”

“I’m not planning to keep him around. After all, a cult organization isn’t usually operated cleanly. But just because there’s dirt doesn’t mean we have to clean it all up, right? If I can manipulate his influence as I desire, I’m all for using it.”

Manager Ma seemed to nod in agreement and quietly fell silent.

A loyal yet dull person. I could tell what Manager Ma was worried about.

He was likely concerned that dirt would splash on him.

“If you’re worried, just keep an eye on him. If it seems like he shouldn’t be left unchecked…”

I smiled brightly and patted Manager Ma on the shoulder.

“We can always tidy things up later.”