Chapter 490: What Kind of Scheme is This?

The hospital room was dark with only enough light seeping through the doorway to make out vague shapes.

“W-what? Who’s there?”

Despite his startled question to the figure pinning him down the man remained silent.

Seo Jae-hoon struggled trying to push the man away with his unbound arm but couldn’t budge him an inch.

Ignoring the resistance the man pulled out a thick rope from his coat and looped it around Seo Jae-hoon’s neck.

“Is nobody out there?!”

Seo Jae-hoon called out desperately but no answer or sound came.

“Who are you? Who sent you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll give you more! Ten times more – no I’ll give you whatever you want. Just…”

Though Seo Jae-hoon pleaded desperately the man didn’t respond and started tightening his grip on the rope.

The thick rope began constricting around his neck. Seo Jae-hoon flailed his arms wildly trying to resist the cold sensation.

“S-stop…”

The man didn’t strangle him outright. Instead he slowly tightened the rope while speaking.

“No deal. I’m not someone who moves for money. Just die quietly.”

“D-don’t…”

Seo Jae-hoon swung his arms again but with less strength than before.

His attempts didn’t even reach the man and only seemed to make the rope tighter around his neck.

The handcuffs on his wrist kept clanking as he struggled.

But no amount of thrashing would break those cuffs.

The impact was actually causing his wrists to bleed from the wounds.

“Ugh…”

The man’s grip tightened even more.

The color drained from Seo Jae-hoon’s face. Only after seeing his eyes roll back did the man finally release his grip.

“Why drag it out when I could just kill him quick?” he muttered.

The man stood up dusting himself off.

He removed the rope from Seo Jae-hoon’s neck packed it away and left the hospital room.

Seo Jae-hoon lay motionless alone for a long while.

Shortly after Hong Seok-gi and security guards burst in. The whole hospital went into emergency mode.

* * *

I furrowed my brows while watching the recorded footage.

“Did you confirm that person’s location?”

“Yes. He’s a Chinese-Korean from Daerim-dong. We’ve already pinpointed his location. What should we do?”

Manager Ma had already tracked down the culprit’s whereabouts.

After a moment’s thought I spoke.

“Just capture him for now.”

“Yes Boss.”

I looked at Seo Jae-hoon in the footage one more time before turning it off.

“He clearly had no intention of killing him. I really don’t understand what he wants.”

He had two chances to kill but didn’t take them.

Was it because they shared blood that he couldn’t bring himself to do it? Or was there some other reason he couldn’t kill him… I really couldn’t tell.

“When was the appointment with Seo Hee-kyung?”

“We should leave now to make it on time.”

“Alright then let’s go.”

I arrived at Yeoksam Il-sung Hotel where Seo Hee-kyung worked as president.

Things had changed since Seo Hee-kyung or rather Cheon Ji-su started seriously getting involved in the hotel and department store business.

She’d completely renovated the old hotel upgrading Yeoksam Il-sung Hotel from 3-star to 5-star status.

The place definitely felt different from before.

“Are you CEO Kim Mu-hyeok?”

A man stopped me as I entered the lobby. Manager Ma answered for me.

“Yes that’s correct.”

“I’m the general manager of Il-sung Hotel. I’ll guide you from here. This way please.”

The man who introduced himself as general manager bowed deeply.

Manager Ma and I followed him. A staff member was already waiting holding an elevator for us.

We reached the hotel’s restaurant without wasting a moment.

Despite it being evening there weren’t any customers in the restaurant.

“Looks like they’re not doing business today.”

“Yes. We received special instructions from the president. It seems it was to accommodate CEO Kim Mu-hyeok.”

The general manager answered my question while continuing to guide me.

I looked around the restaurant with a slight laugh. Being Il-sung Hotel’s restaurant their revenue must be substantial.

Yet they cleared out the entire day – seemed like someone was trying to make an impression.

Pretty excessive. This isn’t like Seo Hee-kyung at all.

Only one person would do something like this.

The general manager opened the door at the very back of the restaurant.

In the elegantly French-styled room waiting wasn’t Seo Hee-kyung but Cheon Ji-su.

“I knew it would be you. Didn’t I say I wouldn’t let it slide if you showed your face again?”

When I asked with narrowed eyes Cheon Ji-su just smiled quietly.

She rose from her seat still smiling.

“Mom will be here later. Let’s talk first just us.”

“I have nothing to say to you. Call President Seo Hee-kyung or I’m leaving right now.”

“Just a moment is all I need. You can spare me that much right?”

I turned to Manager Ma beside me.

“Contact Seo Hee-kyung immediately. I’m already not happy with things and now she can’t even keep appointments properly.”

“Yes Boss.”

As Manager Ma pulled out his phone Cheon Ji-su spoke urgently.

“It’s not Mom’s fault. She thinks the appointment is in an hour. I set this time on my own.”

“You really do whatever you want. What else is there to discuss between us? Our deal is done. We agreed to separate the hotels department stores and distribution from Il-sung Materials and give them to President Seo Hee-kyung. I know the share transfers are in progress so what more could you want? What else are you greedy for?”

Cheon Ji-su shot back sharply not backing down.

“Then why did Mom want to meet today? Isn’t it because she has something to say? Mom doesn’t know anything. I know better. Talk to me. I know why you’re coming around.”

I raised an eyebrow. How could she know what I was going to say?

I raised my hand stopping Manager Ma for a moment.

“You know everything do you? What do you think I’m going to ask about?”

Cheon Ji-su gestured to the general manager with her chin. The quick-witted general manager promptly bowed and left closing the door.

“It’s about Vice Chairman Seo Jae-hoon right? So talk to me. Mom doesn’t know anything about it.”

“Right I thought it was you. Not that I’m particularly disappointed – there’s nothing left to be disappointed about. You’re really something Cheon Ji-su. Can’t hide that bloodline can you? Just like Cheon Su-man’s daughter.”

When I mockingly brought up Cheon Su-man cracks appeared in Cheon Ji-su’s expression.

“Oh does that make you angry? You’re really funny you know that?”

“…”

The only family I had left was Grandma and Cheon Ji-young.

The rest were strangers. No worse than strangers.

Ignoring Cheon Ji-su who glared at me with clenched fists I walked to my seat.

“Alright let’s hear why you wanted to meet even knowing you wouldn’t get any pleasant words. I was curious anyway. If you weren’t going to kill him what kind of scheme is this?”

I gestured with my chin. Didn’t she say she wanted to talk?

“Sit. Or keep standing if you prefer. Weren’t you the one who wanted to talk? What changed your mind?”

“Sigh…”

Cheon Ji-su let out a deep sigh and sat down.

“You’re the only one who treats me this way. You know that?”

“You’re not asking because you don’t know why right?”

“No. Let’s drop that topic.”

Realizing that continuing would only hurt her Cheon Ji-su quickly changed the subject.

I nodded quietly then asked again.

“Tell me. What exactly are you trying to do? Weren’t you scared of Seo Jae-hoon?”

“…There’s no reason to be afraid anymore.”

Indeed Cheon Ji-su had been afraid of Seo Jae-hoon.

She’d even come to me begging for protection.

“Is that so? Well I suppose that makes sense. He’ll be spending the rest of his life in prison after all. So what is this revenge? Making him feel the same fear you felt?”

“No there was another reason. And I’ve already settled that today.”

“What was the reason?”

Cheon Ji-su hesitated. Getting irritated at her wasting my precious time I spoke with annoyance.

“Either say it or don’t. What are you doing? Wasting time.”

“…Chairman Seo Yong-geon’s slush fund. That was the goal. I tried several times through a lawyer to get Seo Jae-hoon to hand over the slush fund accounts but he refused. So as a warning…”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

All this just for Seo Yong-geon’s slush fund?

I cut off Cheon Ji-su’s words confirming once more.

“So you did all this to get the slush fund accounts?”

“Yeah that’s right.”

To think that ridiculous suicide show was just for this.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Did you get the accounts then?”

“I did get them from Seo Jae-hoon. But he only handed over 50 billion won. There’s no way Chairman Seo Yong-geon’s slush fund was just that much. The rest of the accounts were empty.”

“50 billion?”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. Cheon Ji-su looked confused not understanding why I was laughing which made it even funnier.

“Then did you tell Seo Jae-hoon that you were behind this? Otherwise he wouldn’t have handed it over.”

Cheon Ji-su shook her head.

“I’m not that stupid. I promised to protect him. He was already unable to think straight from fear. After nearly dying twice. I thought Seo Jae-hoon was really scary but he turned out to be more of a coward than me.”

Well if he begged me for help he must have been desperate enough to do the same with Cheon Ji-su. Seo Jae-hoon must have been quite desperate.

“Forget about the rest. I didn’t know there was 50 billion left.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean? Seo Yong-geon’s slush fund has already evaporated.”

No matter how hard they looked they wouldn’t find what wasn’t there.

The slush fund was already completely gone.

“So it was you after all. You were the culprit. Give it back! That’s the Seo family’s property! You had no right to take it!”

Cheon Ji-su ground her teeth and shouted venomously. I wiped the smile from my face and stared at her quietly.

“Cheon Ji-su. Do you think I’d be interested in such pocket change? That’s barely anything. I wouldn’t take it even if it was offered.”

Though I certainly had no intention of giving it to Seo Jae-hoon or Seo Hee-kyung either.

“…Then how do you know where Seo Yong-geon’s slush fund went?”

Cheon Ji-su bit her lip hard and asked again.

“Then who has it?”

“Who else? The person who managed it. Told him to think of it as severance pay.”

“…Director Lee Seok-min? You gave it to him?”

I nodded confirming.

“He played a crucial role in catching Seo Jae-hoon and helped me afterward too. Besides he spent decades under Seo Yong-geon so isn’t that much fair?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. That belongs to the Seo family and with Seo Jae-hoon in this state naturally Mom should…”

“You’re the one talking nonsense. Was there a name written on the money? How do you know if it was Seo Yong-geon’s yours Lee Seok-min’s or anyone else’s?”

Cheon Ji-su’s face turned vicious.

“I’ll find everything and get it back.”

“Do whatever you want. When that time comes I’ll strip everything from both Seo Hee-kyung and you. Think I handled things sloppily enough for you to trace? Even the National Intelligence Service couldn’t find the owner of that money so stop wasting your time. Consider this a warning.”

I’d run the money through several paper companies erasing all traces. There was no way someone like Cheon Ji-su could track it.

But Cheon Ji-su showed no signs of giving up.

“I need to meet Director Lee. I’m going to ask him to return it.”

Now I was actually curious.

What’s wrong with this one?

“Don’t you have any ability to learn?”

“What?”

“Then why do you keep saying the same things when you can’t understand? Didn’t you just hear me tell you not to try anything stupid?”

Finally Cheon Ji-su shut her mouth.

“If you don’t want to lose everything you have just stay quiet. Don’t even try approaching Lee Seok-min. Just take what you’re given and live like you’re dead got it?”

“…”

I pushed my chair back and stood up.

“No need to meet President Seo Hee-kyung. I’m not surprised but I am disappointed. I thought there might be some other reason but it was just for the slush fund? You should have at least said it was revenge. I could have understood that.”

She’s not stupid so why can’t she read the situation? Must be genetic.

“Oh and that Chinese-Korean is in our custody. We also have the footage of him trying to kill Seo Jae-hoon. You know what that means right? Stop getting any funny ideas and wake up.”

I turned around.

“Let’s go. Just wasted time here.”

Manager Ma opened the door as if he’d been waiting.

As soon as the door closed behind us something shattered inside the room.

I left the restaurant with a smirk on my face.