Chapter 712: Make the Most of This Opportunity

Seeing Han Hyun-soo’s face only solidified my belief that he was truly a foolish man.

No matter how much power or wealth one possesses, betrayal from a close associate can lead to ruin in an instant.

I could have been in serious danger as well. If either Manager Ma or Han Gyeong-yeong chose to betray me, it would deal a heavy blow.

However, I had faith that neither of them would turn against me.

If I’m keeping someone close, I need to establish a solid trust between us.

Despite being insulted to his face, Han Hyun-soo showed no concern. Hope sparkled in his eyes.

“Mr. Yamamoto, please free him.”

At Yamamoto’s silent cue, a Yakuza member removed the cloth and tape binding Han Hyun-soo’s mouth.

“Boss Kim! Thank you so much! I thought I was a goner. Can you remove this too?”

Han Hyun-soo sighed in relief and pointed at the tape wrapped around his upper body.

He clearly expected that I would help him.

“Me? Why should I save you, Mr. Han Hyun-soo?”

“Huh?”

His eyes widened in disbelief.

“It seems like you’re under a big misunderstanding… Were we close enough to save each other? I only hoped for Han Seong-jin’s downfall, while you wanted to take over Heaven Church. We only moved together by chance!”

“N-no, Boss Kim. Please don’t say that…”

I shook my head, cutting off Han Hyun-soo’s desperate plea.

“Use your brain for once. Where are we right now? Japan. Not Korea. What were you thinking, showing up here without any security? This isn’t a vacation!”

I had decided to spare him, but thinking about how much this idiot had derailed my plans made my annoyance surge.

“I didn’t think she would betray me. I…”

His words were not worth listening to.

“That’s typical for a con artist. You’re just like your so-called father—thinking you can kill at will and no one will betray you? You’re too foolish to be the leader of a cult!”

“B-but…”

“Even trash can be useful, but why would I spare someone who’s so dull?”

I turned my head towards the unconscious Seo Jin-joo lying on the floor.

“Shouldn’t I at least free someone useless like her?”

Han Hyun-soo shook his head vigorously.

He finally seemed to grasp the situation.

“N-no! I’ll fix everything!”

“Fix? What? How? Do you understand why I’m so angry right now?”

“…”

“What would someone like you do, anyway? If you were dead, it might actually be better. A corpse is less trouble than a fool like you!”

I would keep Han Hyun-soo alive.

Yet, I couldn’t just let him go without any conditions.

“I’ll do whatever you ask. Just please, let me live!”

Maybe it was because he had too many grievances stacked against him, but Han Hyun-soo seemed particularly terrified of dying.

“Anything?”

“Yes, just please, let me live! I beg you…”

If his hands were free, he’d probably be on his knees begging in no time.

As I let out a deep sigh, I noticed his shoulders tremble.

I pretended to hesitate, dragging out the moment as his face shifted from red to pale, eventually turning white.

“If you can’t do what I ask, you’ll regret not dying here. Got it?”

Han Hyun-soo nodded furiously as if his head might snap off.

I wasn’t sure how or where I might use such a fool.

But Heaven Church was no small group, so eventually, he’d have a purpose.

“Alright. Then let’s do this.”

I turned to Yamamoto, who had been listening to our exchange.

“If we don’t kill Han Hyun-soo, would that cause problems for the organization?”

Yamamoto was caught off guard by my sudden question, fumbling for words.

If he couldn’t figure out my intent, I’d be a bit disappointed.

“It’s a complicated situation with many parties involved, so it can be challenging.”

Despite that, Yamamoto managed to find the answer I was looking for.

“As it’s your request, I’ll do my best to fulfill it, but the losses will be substantial.”

At least Yamamoto had some sense.

I also planned to offer compensation to the Yamaguchi-gumi.

Not with my money, but with Han Hyun-soo’s.

“That’s what I’m saying. Even if I try to save him, they say it’s difficult.”

“Well then, what should I do?”

With anxious eyes, Han Hyun-soo shifted his gaze between me and Yamamoto.

I looked back at Yamamoto.

“If there’s a loss, we can only repay it, right? How much does the organization stand to lose?”

“We have to be prepared for some business losses. It’s hard to calculate precisely, but…”

Yamamoto paused, pretending to think with a pained expression before continuing.

“It’ll likely exceed one billion yen.”

“I-I’ll pay it. I’ll make the transfer as soon as I return to Korea. Just let me live… I’ll prepare one billion yen right away!”

Han Hyun-soo begged without hesitation, not even considering that it was over a hundred billion. I secretly mocked him.

“Mr. Yamamoto, what will you do?”

“Do we really have to save him?”

“Killing him wouldn’t benefit anyone, so isn’t it better to save him and gain something?”

Yamamoto glared at Han Hyun-soo with a dark expression, then sighed while pretending to look at me.

His acting skills were decent.

“If it’s your request, I’ll have no choice.”

I nodded in response.

“I apologize for putting you in a difficult position. Let’s talk about it more another time.”

Han Hyun-soo, bound and restless, showed signs of relief.

I smiled down at him.

“Mr. Han Hyun-soo, you’ll be staying here for a while. The public will be told that you’ve died.”

“W-wait…”

Han Hyun-soo’s death.

There were people who would benefit from that. His close relatives, and even the leadership of the Japanese cult.

“I believe Han Hyun-soo’s siblings are involved in this. How else would the Japanese cult know to approach Seo Jin-joo?”

Seo Jin-joo’s grudge against Han Hyun-soo was something even he was unaware of.

Seo Jin-joo had acted as a loyal secretary at Han Hyun-soo’s side. Although she was foolish, if Han Hyun-soo had been deceived, it must have been difficult for him to notice her schemes.

But if someone close to Han Hyun-soo were watching him, they wouldn’t have missed the chances to take him down.

Among them, it was obvious who would gain the most from Han Hyun-soo’s death.

“That can’t be the case. I’ve never stopped watching my mother and siblings.”

“Who was watching them? Who reported you about their activities?”

Finally, Han Hyun-soo sealed his lips.

He hadn’t suspected Seo Jin-joo at all.

Of course, he would’ve told his most loyal and trusted secretary to keep an eye on them. He probably had said something vague like, “Report any unusual happenings to me.”

“…It was her. That’s right. Whenever I asked about my family, she always said nothing was wrong.”

Finally, Han Hyun-soo spoke with an angry tone. I simply nodded in acknowledgment.

“Do you understand now? What happens when a close associate betrays you? Just because your followers worship you like a god doesn’t mean you are one. You can’t blindly trust things you haven’t verified. Not 100% of the time.”

“Yes, yes, I see. You’re right.”

Even while I spoke, I didn’t believe Han Hyun-soo could truly change.

“Take this opportunity to tidy things up once and for all.”

“I still lack support.”

“How long has it been, and you haven’t established your power yet?”

“It’s just that I’ve focused more on business rather than my religion…”

Han Seong-jin never considered Han Hyun-soo a successor. Han Hyun-soo was merely managing the businesses founded by Heaven Church, so it was obvious he lacked any real power.

Still, that didn’t excuse his incompetence.

“Who do you think will take his place if Han Hyun-soo dies?”

“It’s likely to be Han Hyun-jin. Han Hyeon-woo could take over too, but internally, Han Hyun-jin’s influence is stronger. Of course, it’s also an issue of who my mother supports…”

“How complicated.”

Passing the leadership role down as an inheritance was already a lost cause.

Then again, he was a con artist.

“So, I…”

“You wanted to give a speech in the U.S. Senate, right?”

Han Hyun-soo’s eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

“The rumors run rampant in American politics.”

There had been a time when Han Seong-jin had given a speech in the U.S. Senate, showcasing his lobbying skills.

It seemed Han Hyun-soo had been considering a similar path to announce his own presence.

“If you think about who prepared that, it probably won’t result in much success.”

Since Seo Jin-joo had likely taken charge, he wouldn’t have properly lobbied.

“It won’t be easy. If it were Han Seong-jin, maybe, but for you?”

The Heaven Church I remembered had fragmented after Han Seong-jin’s death.

Three of his brothers each claimed to be the rightful heir and founded new religions, while the second generation leader who inherited Heaven Church was originally Han Hyun-soo’s mother, Kim Seon-ja.

However, before he died, Han Seong-jin had gone to prison, and Han Hyun-soo had managed to seize control of Heaven Church before anyone else.

Yet, that was where it ended. It shouldn’t be this easy to ruin everything. Was he always this foolish and incompetent? Or did becoming a cult leader make him that way?

“There’s only one way. You know what it is without me needing to say it, right?”

Eliminating all competitors.

That was Han Hyun-soo’s only way to survive.

As long as they lived, Han Hyun-soo would constantly feel threatened. Being an idiot, it wouldn’t be long before he met his end. Then Heaven Church would split as I remembered.

Knowing the issues that would arise from that, I believed Heaven Church was better off remaining united.

If I couldn’t eliminate it entirely, it would be easier to control if it remained unified.

“…I understand.”

Han Hyun-soo’s expression darkened considerably.

Even setting aside the fact that he had to kill his own family, he hadn’t built up his power yet, making the task all the more daunting.

“Should I help you?”

“Huh? Are you serious?”

Han Hyun-soo looked up at me in shock.

“Once word gets out that you’re dead, just figure out who is moving after you from there. Surely, you wouldn’t mind if one of your siblings becomes your successor, right?”

“No. They wouldn’t be up to that task.”

“That’s good enough. You can step in when they start fighting amongst themselves while the followers of Heaven Church tire out. There’s no better opportunity than having someone believed to be dead suddenly reappear.”

At this point, it seemed Han Hyun-soo had caught on to my idea and started formulating his own.

“Resurrection! That’s it. I need to make a grand return. The problem is… it all comes down to power.”

He wasn’t completely foolish, after all.

“I’ll help erase them from existence for you.”

Han Hyun-soo looked up at me with an expression full of anticipation.

I added with a cold smile.

“I’ll take half of the companies owned by Heavenly Group in exchange.”

Among the companies owned by Heaven Church, many were quite decent.

They were all fully owned by Heaven Church and the Han family, without a single share registered on the stock market.

“What?”

“I’ll choose which companies to take.”

“W-wait, that…”

“Is that too much to ask?”

Han Hyun-soo’s face tensed.

“Fine, I’ll give you half! Half it is!”

I nodded with a smile.

“Stay here until all the preparations are done. I’ll make sure you’re comfortable.”

“Thank you!”

“And one more thing.”

I reached out and grabbed Han Hyun-soo’s shoulder.

“Don’t do anything to Seo Jin-joo.”

“…”

“This isn’t a request or a deal; it’s a warning. If you ignore it, I believe you know what will happen.”

I had zero intention of helping others with their revenge, but I also wouldn’t waste an opportunity to keep a valuable card alive.

After all, there would always be a blade pointed at Han Hyun-soo’s back.

Why would I let such a valuable asset die?

Maybe I might kill Han Hyun-soo myself someday.

“Mr. Yamamoto, I need a favor.”

“Understood.”

I left the building with Yamamoto, ignoring Han Hyun-soo’s reply.

Once we were alone, Yamamoto expressed his gratitude.

Suddenly, I had a hundred billion yen more than I expected.

“Thank you, Kim Mu-hyeok. I can’t believe you are still looking out for us.”

“What? There’s no reason to refuse money when it’s offered. It’s the Yamaguchi-gumi that will take all the hardship. The plan may have changed slightly, but let’s take this opportunity to strengthen our connections.”

“Understood.”

Yamamoto and I exchanged glances toward Takayama in the distance.

Did he know?

That he and Hiroyuki were destined to die together.