Chapter 456: You Still Underestimate Me

Seo Jae-hoon slowly opened his eyes.

His emotionless gaze sparked to life the moment he spotted me.

“How are you holding up?”

“Why don’t you come see for yourself? The room next to mine is empty. Interested?”

There was nothing left to hide between us.

No need for fake formalities or pretenses to mask our true feelings.

We naturally dropped the honorifics.

I smirked at Jae-hoon’s behavior.

Pulling out a metal chair tucked deep under the table I sat facing him.

“I heard you didn’t say a word for ten days. But you know why don’t you? The trap you set to frame me is now tightening around your own neck.”

The trap he’d laid to frame me had backfired becoming evidence of his own crimes.

Whether Jae-hoon intended it or not Patrick’s death ultimately worked in my favor.

“While you’re in prison I’ll tear Il-seong Group apart and sell it piece by piece to other corporations. Your name and Seo Yong-geon’s will vanish from Korea. Nothing will remain.”

“Just because management rights transfer doesn’t mean the shares I own and what Father will leave me disappear right?”

He had a point. I nodded slightly twisting up one corner of my mouth.

“But once the title of Il-seong Group’s chairman disappears you and your father will be nothing more than rich people with money. No real power.”

The position of chaebol in Korea was unmatched. The title of chairman of Il-seong Group which was even called the Il-sung Empire was quite an appealing prize.

“Take it all. I don’t care.”

Despite my provocation Jae-hoon dismissed it casually.

I can’t figure this bastard out. He cares more about self-preservation than anyone yet…

His pretense of indifference irritated me.

“You don’t care?”

“It’s not a position I wanted. I was just named successor because I’m Father’s eldest son that’s all.”

What bullshit. He doesn’t care?

Then why did this bastard turn his own father into a living corpse by his own hands?

“Is that why you left Seo Yong-geon like that? You broke him yourself. Leaving him barely alive unable to live or die.”

At my cold words Jae-hoon’s expression finally changed.

He adjusted his posture and glared at me.

“Did it myself? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“We have nothing left to hide. Everyone knows you were with Chairman Seo when he collapsed. Did you think I wouldn’t check his health condition? He wasn’t someone who’d suddenly collapse like that. He was Il-seong Group’s chairman after all. Who wouldn’t find that suspicious?”

No one directly confronted Jae-hoon about his father’s collapse.

But many suspected him.

Director Lee Seok-min himself was suspicious and rumors circulated in financial circles that Jae-hoon was behind it.

“…”

“Strangely people connected to the Seo family always die from sudden heart failures or complications. Is that really coincidence? Did Chairman Seo know? That he’d fall like that?”

Jae-hoon curled his lips upward.

“So what?”

Jae-hoon neither denied nor confirmed it. I spoke while watching him.

“Isn’t it amusing? Chairman Seo always stepped on others to climb up yet he never imagined his son would do this to him. Well he deserves it for creating a monster like you. But you know what? If Chairman Seo was in his right mind you wouldn’t be suffering here like this.”

I pointed out Jae-hoon’s shortcomings bluntly. If it were Yong-geon things wouldn’t have gotten this bad.

Though an enemy he was a capable man who built Il-sung into Korea’s largest chaebol.

Jae-hoon furrowed his brow disliking my words. I provoked him further.

“Instead of killing Patrick you should have joined forces with him. Sure you might have lost management rights to me temporarily but you wouldn’t be cornered like this. With luck you might have even made a comeback. But you threw away that chance and killed him. You jumped into the fire pit yourself not even realizing how foolish that decision was.”

Confusion crossed Jae-hoon’s face.

Of course he killed Patrick without knowing whose pawn he was. Or maybe he would have killed him anyway. That’s just who Jae-hoon is.

Psychopath? What a joke. He’s not even worthy of that label.

“Could you kill me though? I’m not weak enough to die by your hands.”

Grind.

A chilling sound of teeth grinding echoed. I leaned back and crossed my legs.

“Sit down. We’re not finished talking.”

But Jae-hoon remained standing.

“I’ll get out no matter what it takes. Then I’ll kill you!”

“Haha still haven’t come to your senses? You’re no match for me.”

“Who are you? Just some loan shark playing with money.”

How absurd. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You only have money too yet you look down on us. Belittling us as mere money players. But it’s that money that has you sitting here now. Money without skill is powerless but when you have more than anyone can handle it becomes power. How could you playing in tiny Korea compare to me who plays on the world stage? You still underestimate me.”

Chaebols would grovel when they needed us but normally they’d dismiss us as money demons.

Grandfather knew this and so did I.

But times have changed.

Wall Street banks investment banks and private equity firms controlled the global economy.

It was ultimately an era ruled by money.

“You’ll never understand what I’m saying even if you die. Well it doesn’t matter. I only cared about you because you were Seo Yong-geon’s son. After today I won’t seek you out again. You’ve lost that value. Live in agony until you die in there.”

I stood up.

I smirked watching Jae-hoon glare at me with fierce eyes.

That was the signal.

His hidden aggression surfaced.

Jae-hoon charged at me with a roar.

I easily dodged by slightly shifting my body.

Stumbling Jae-hoon glared at me with blazing eyes.

“You son of a bitch!”

After passing me Jae-hoon spun around throwing a punch.

I easily caught the fist flying at me with his curse.

Blocking Jae-hoon’s fist with my hand I gripped it tight. Then squeezed hard.

“Ah agh!”

Jae-hoon twisted his body in pain and anger.

“Can’t use words so you resort to fists? Too bad. We live in different worlds. You’ve always fooled yourself thinking you’re strong by stomping on those weaker than you but I’ve always walked on the edge of a sharp blade.”

I shook off Jae-hoon’s hand roughly and shook my head.

“This isn’t even entertaining. I feel stupid for having shown any interest at all.”

After that cold remark I turned and walked toward the exit.

But I heard him charging from behind again.

Is rage all he has left? I turned around again and kicked the lunging Jae-hoon hard.

Losing his balance Jae-hoon tumbled down with the chair.

Slowly walking over I pressed my shoe against his fallen throat.

“Kh kak.”

“Try that one more time and this won’t end here.”

Despite my cold warning Jae-hoon still glared at me with bloodshot eyes.

I pressed harder on his throat.

“Answer me.”

Jae-hoon’s face started turning red.

Struggling to breathe he clawed at my pant leg twisting his body.

Like a bug. I looked down at him with cold eyes.

How long had passed? Jae-hoon’s movements noticeably weakened.

Only then did I remove my foot from his throat.

“Kh kak! Huu haa…”

After coughing dryly Jae-hoon took deep breaths.

“Scared? Of dying. Remember well that pain can come at any time. The power you have can’t harm me at all. Neither money nor force.”

Leaving those words I turned and walked toward the door.

Having lost his will to fight Jae-hoon made no move.

I walked out of the interrogation room.