Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Enemies on a Single Log Bridge
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An old ancestor once said...
That enemies meet on a single-log bridge.
'Who would've thought I'd run into the granddaughter of Mirae Distribution while just trying to enjoy a hotel vacation...'
The granddaughter of Mirae Distribution was infamous.
Unlike Lee Seon-young, who had elevated Ilseong Hotel to its current heights, this wild boar had gone through men like disposable tissues. Sometimes she'd spend a night with her own secretary staff, and other times she'd target pure rookie idols using her wealth as bait.
Her name was Yoo So-geum.
True to her name, she was the kind of person who made you want to hurl a bucket of salt her way.
"Y-You... penniless lowlifes!"
Her massive body trembled violently, dripping grease onto the hotel lounge floor.
Was that thing really human?
Her hair was a tangled mess like Medusa's.
Her chin fat could fold over at least six times.
And her figure? Even the largest size clothing couldn't cover all that flesh.
I occasionally looked in the mirror and thought, 'Wow, how can someone be this ugly?' but she took it to another level.
Of course, true aesthetic beauty only shines when personality is factored in as a prerequisite. Who are chaebols? Aren't they supposed to be the nation's paragons?
You could tell just by looking at the Ilseong Group chairman.
The richest man in Korea, yet he always drove domestic cars. A man worth trillions rode around in vehicles that cost less than 100 million won.
Why? The reason was obvious.
To plant a positive image in the public's mind.
They pulled stunts like that to aggressively market their own products.
But this woman apparently lacked any such instinct.
She picked fights with everyone she saw, like a dog in heat.
I shook my head at Im Yun-ah, who was holding one of Yoo So-geum's hands. She immediately let go.
Slap!
Her body free, the wild boar swung at Im Yun-ah's cheek.
But it was useless against Im Yun-ah, whom the U.S. Special Operations Command called an elite. She tilted her head back effortlessly, like a boxer toying with an amateur.
"How dare you d-dodge?"
"......"
She moved like a ghost, slipping behind me in an instant.
I couldn't just stand there while my lovely subordinate was attacked.
Even as a mere Hanam guy, I wasn't about to take that lying down.
"Hey."
"What? H-Hey?"
"Seriously, what's with the half-assed superior attitude? Do you think I'm your son or something?"
"!"
"If you're chaebol, act like it and set an example. Keep acting like you can't wait to devour someone, and you'll really start looking like a wild boar."
"You... you!"
This woman was hopeless.
Maybe that's why Mirae Distribution had been spun off from the group—some reckless idiot was tarnishing the image.
I muttered under my breath.
"That's why they'll kick you out of the group."
"!"
"Huh? You heard that? Your ears are sharper than they look. Haha..."
"D-Dieeee!"
Thud! Thud!
Bouncing off the marble floor, her massive bulk launched into the air.
It felt like an iron wall rising to the heavens was crashing down on me.
"President, step back."
"Huh?"
Im Yun-ah darted toward Yoo So-geum with nimble steps, then spun the wild boar in midair with fluid motions straight out of a Chinese kung fu flick.
No exaggeration—it really spun her around.
Like a windmill caught in the breeze.
Boom!
She wasn't hurt, but it'd be a first for her in this lifetime.
Im Yun-ah brushed off her hands cleanly, leaving the heaving, furious woman behind. It was a sight that drew admiration from all who saw it.
Clap clap clap!
The onlookers applauded enthusiastically.
"Whoa! So cool!"
"Man, all my stress from today just vanished in one go."
"Did you see her lift that giant woman into the air? With one hand!"
"I thought it was a circus act. She must've trained in martial arts."
"Looks like someone with real combat experience. Definitely the guy's bodyguard..."
"Check out her build. Not gym muscles—battle-hardened ones. Compact, no openings."
People who wouldn't dare lift their heads in her presence before were now gleefully jeering. Unable to take it, Yoo So-geum glared around once more before slinking away.
She'll be fine, right?
Even if it's a spin-off from Mirae Group, it still carries the Mirae name. If they decide to dig into her background or wage corporate war, regular folks like us would be backed into a corner.
'That glare she gave me was especially piercing...'
Nah.
People forget what they ate yesterday, after all.
No matter how vicious she was, would she go that far?
'Even if she does, no big deal. Mirae Distribution is doomed the moment Selig enters Korea—war is inevitable. Jin Seol-hwa and Olivia are already on it.'
With the world's top minds on the case, devouring a company like that would be a breeze.
All I had to do was lie back and accept the gifts they'd deliver.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After that fierce scuffle, I soaked in the steaming bath.
Warm water gently enveloped my toes. The quiet ripple of the hotel bath filled the space, slowly wrapping around my body.
As the heat spread from my feet throughout, it seemed to absorb all my fatigue. Light steam floated in the air, and each brush against my nose eased the weight on my shoulders, calming my heart.
'Phew, no wonder everyone raves about hotel vacations...'
The chaebol heiress incident from earlier?
Long forgotten.
Like finding an oasis in the desert, the exhaustion in my body vanished in an instant.
With the fatigue gone, I could focus on certain... matters.
"Mm..."
My house alone was a former mega-corp exec's mansion. Unlucky for him, it got used in an affair, but he'd crammed it with top-tier facilities for that mistress.
The Ilseong Hotel suite was just as luxurious, rivaling that mansion.
After a refreshing bath, I lounged in the living room, casually flipping on the TV. Surprisingly, I tuned into the financial news.
Especially the international segments.
Back when I wasn't loaded, I'd watch internet streams or those trendy dramas.
Changed interests meant changed viewing habits.
A big U.S. story broke on the broadcast: the refugee crisis. Crime was spiking, with cold-blooded street killings everywhere.
'Drugs are rampant too, and the next presidential candidate vows even bigger walls...'
One image stuck deep: desperate parents begging for help, cradling a baby not yet weaned. What crime had they committed?
Their only sin was being born in the wrong country.
Look at ours—right next door is that infamous North Korea.
A slight twist of fate in birth, and you'd endure hell.
"President."
Im Yun-ah entered after finishing her business.
"Yeah? Something up?"
"Info on Yoo So-geum from Mirae Distribution—the one we clashed with."
How'd she get this so fast?
Elites just handle things proactively, huh.
"Huh? Yoo So-geum did drugs?"
"Yes. Her circles in business, law, and politics buried it, but we won't."
Obviously.
Selig's base is the U.S. With her already shaky reputation, drug rumors spreading would mean a nationwide backlash.
Play this right, and swallowing Mirae Distribution gets a lot easier.
"Pass it to Jin Seol-hwa—tell her to target Yoo So-geum first."
What's most vital to chaebol families?
Bloodline, naturally.
Mirae Distribution's president, Yoo Kyung-soo, doted on his granddaughter insanely.
He even covered up her drug use.
"Chaebols are surprisingly vulnerable to bloodline attacks. It blinds their strategic vision fatally. If we hammer that weakness, victory could come easier than expected."
"Understood. I'll relay to Seol-hwa."
"She's coming to Korea, right?"
"Yes. Right after the FDA's Lou Gehrig's trial wraps, timed for Selig's Korea launch."
"Got it."
Im Yun-ah alone was formidable enough.
Add Stanford's top grad and all-rounder? Avengers assemble.
'This is gonna be fun.'
We had the intel; they didn't. Advantage: me. Things were going smoother than planned.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A mansion in Jangchung-dong.
"Grandpa! Grandpaaa!"
Chaos erupted in the once-quiet home.
The girl who always bounded in with a bright smile, shouting "Grandpa!", was now sobbing snot and tears, searching for one man.
"What happened?!"
Mirae Distribution's president.
Once called a tiger in business circles: Yoo Kyung-soo.
Now leisurely running his distribution empire, living comfortably. But he'd once vied for Mirae Group's top seat.
Law, politics, business—he had it all.
The legendary figure who'd dragged a near-bankrupt distributor to its current glory.
And he had one granddaughter he cherished like the apple of his eye: Yoo So-geum.
Whether she cycled through men or did drugs...
Yoo Kyung-soo never hated his last remaining blood.
If anything, having her around made him happy.
Twenty years ago.
He could never forget the day his son and daughter-in-law died in a car crash. Amid brutal succession battles, he lost his family, gave up all ambition, and claimed his position.
Take the chairmanship—he'd forfeit it.
Just spare his family.
That's how he'd saved his granddaughter.
But now...
She was rampaging through the house in hysterics.
"What... what's wrong with your wrist, sweetie?"
The ever-calm Yoo Kyung-soo, who never showed emotion...
This time, his voice cracked with panic.
"Who did this to you?"
"Sob sob, well..."
Yoo So-geum's tale unfolded.
Then, veins bulging on Yoo Kyung-soo's face, flushed red as a volcano.
A blue bruise on her wrist.
How much force to mark such delicate skin like that?
"Which bastard..."
"Grandpaaa!"
"Which arrogant punk did this to my So-geum?!"
Lightning struck the Jangchung-dong mansion.