Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Roulette of Truth
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95.
"Kuhaha!"
The man burst into laughter.
Kang Hyun's audacious display had piqued his interest, it seemed.
"You, do you know who I am?"
"Aren't you Senior Jeong Dae-cheol, president of the 38th class General Alumni Association? Business Administration '76, CEO of Suseong Construction. At this year's New Year's memorial service, you said this: 'The vision of this general alumni association is communication and action. We will do our utmost to become the focal point that unites the will of the Korea University family.'"
"Huh."
"What the hell is this guy?"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
In an instant, thanks to his precise, measured tone, Kang Hyun had been elevated from rude punk to intriguing junior.
Jeong Dae-cheol.
He was a heavyweight in political and business circles who had clawed his way up from vice president of the alumni association last year to claim the top spot.
An alumni organization chart that had flashed through Kang Hyun's mind resurfaced.
In truth, he was someone Kang Hyun had no reason or opportunity to meet—a distant figure.
Yet today, through the thread of alumni ties, Kang Hyun stood before him.
"You've got some guts. Alright, then. Let's see what you kids play these days."
"Thank you. Here goes."
Kang Hyun wiped the glass he'd drunk from with a napkin.
Then, glug glug glug.
He filled it to the brim with fresh liquor and set it back in the center.
Thud!
"If the drinks run low, it'd be a shame, wouldn't it, seniors?"
"Whoa, look at this guy."
"Hey, let him be."
Someone started to curse, but the alumni president—the boss of the group—raised a hand to silence them.
"Go on."
Jeong Dae-cheol met the gaze of the boldly standing Kang Hyun with leisurely confidence.
Kang Hyun bowed lightly and began scanning the table.
Then he picked up the edge of a rolling soju bottle cap nearby.
"Give me a moment."
"...?"
He started curling up the end of the soju cap. As curiosity mounted, he placed it—thunk—in the center of the round table.
"I've made a roulette wheel. Soju cap arrow roulette!"
"What? Roulette?"
"Alright, let's start the game."
Kang Hyun continued in a perfectly polite tone, rapid-fire.
"It's called Roulette Truth Game. Flick the cap with your finger, and whichever senior the arrow points to, the opposing team asks a question. Fail to answer, and you drink."
"Ha."
"...Cute kid."
Despite the incredulous mutters, the vast room fell silent as if doused with cold water, tension crackling in the air.
Kang Hyun stood and once more scanned their faces carefully. At the same time, his mind began spinning at full speed.
'Alright, seniors. Let's see how clean your lives really are.'
Now, just as they had flexed their intimidation and flaunted their power to corner Kang Hyun and Dan Chorok, he would turn the tables and put them on the spot.
'The higher up you are, the dirtier the secrets.'
Kang Hyun recalled who they were.
What scandals they were tangled in.
Their weaknesses.
General Alumni President Jeong Dae-cheol, Senior Vice President Han Min-cheol, Chief Secretary Lee Eok-gi, Auditor No Cheol-min, Advisor Han Chang-mun...
...!
As Kang Hyun calmly observed them, their faces became familiar one by one. Names, jobs, circumstances, scandals—they surfaced.
Anyone embroiled in a case would have public info tied to it. Institutional figures had organization charts out in the open.
Kang Hyun was pulling it all from the vast store of knowledge in his head—fruits of relentless study and information gathering.
He knew constant info hoarding aided case-solving and timely deployment. This was that moment shining through.
Even if not prepped for today, he could adapt it to this reality and maximize its use.
'Damn, what a sight...'
Kang Hyun couldn't help marveling at the intel flooding in.
Their names and flaws filled his mind one after another. Every single person here was implicated in something—no exceptions.
Election meddling, sexual misconduct, foundation embezzlement, land purchase corruption...
'No end to it...'
Kang Hyun was disappointed in them but kept it off his face.
Today's goal: make their hearts sink, ensure they never touch Kang Hyun or the student council again.
"Let's begin."
Hiding his dark intent behind a grin, he flicked the bottle-cap roulette.
Clatter, clatter.
Thud.
"Oh! Congratulations! Advisor Han Chang-mun, you're first up!"
"Me?"
"Right to the question."
Kang Hyun pressed on without giving him time to retort.
"Your private foundation operating now was accused of taking about 10 billion won from contract teachers—past and present—in the regular teacher hiring exam two years ago, then leaking answer sheets to them. How'd you quash that case?"
"W-What?"
"What the hell are you talking about!"
As Han Chang-mun stammered, someone up front shot to his feet in anger instead. But the singled-out Han Chang-mun went pale as a ghost, speechless.
Meanwhile, Kang Hyun fired off follow-ups.
"How'd you... dodge that..."
"The claim that hires were pre-selected? You slipped that too. Whose help? The foundation chair? Or bribes to prosecutors and police?"
Thud!
"You crazy bastard!"
The man in front of Advisor Han Chang-mun exploded louder.
But Kang Hyun didn't flinch, enunciating his name clearly.
"Han. Min. Cheol. Senior."
His lowered voice made the cusser's pupils shake.
"You're our alumni association's senior vice president, Han Min-cheol, CEO of a major hospital tied to life ethics and public health."
"You know that and still mouth off?"
"Haha, mouth off? Just curious about you, senior. There was that case—prosecutors busted a dozen top hospitals and over eighteen pharma companies swapping 360 million won in 'donations.' Mind sharing your hospital's name?"
"Guh... Th-That's..."
"Just curious. Saw it on a list somewhere. Han... Oh, what was it?"
At Kang Hyun's loaded words, Han Min-cheol's knees buckled weakly.
Kang Hyun turned back to Han Chang-mun with an obvious nod.
But as he hesitated, Kang Hyun smiled and pointed to the glass.
"Down a shot to clear that chest tightness."
"Th-This..."
Han Chang-mun's trembling hand reached for the hefty glass.
Gulp, gulp, gulp...
Like a powerless deer facing a beast in the wild, his body bristled with goosebumps.
As he barely emptied it, Kang Hyun boomed.
"Alright! Senior failed, so our junior team still has a shot."
"W-What?"
Everyone gasped at Kang Hyun's relentless push, but the cap spun again.
Clink.
It slowed to a stop, arrow on No Cheol-min.
"Oh dear, this time it's our real estate mogul, Auditor No Cheol-min. You set up a special-purpose entity for real estate development and an asset management company last year, right?"
"S-Stop!"
"But... is that standard practice?"
"What? What nonsense are you spouting..."
"Accounting mismanagement and profit distribution issues galore, right? Tax law doesn't mandate ledger retention usually, but transaction ledgers and docs must be kept five years past filing deadline. Why violate that?"
"No, that's customary..."
"Exactly! Customary! So when did torching ledgers yearly become custom?"
"Th-That's!"
Thud!
"If you have more to say, spit it out! Otherwise, just nod. Violated because of 'custom'? Gonna tell prosecutors that mid-investigation?"
"...S-Su... Su..."
He started hyperventilating, stammering.
Finally, his absurd retort:
"...I'll drink."
"Chug it down fresh."
Retribution.
No other word fit.
These pros at luring others into corruption's core. Kang Hyun knew how to evade, overpower them.
He brimmed with such skill.
He just hid his blade-sharp edge, living ordinarily, peacefully.
But when spears aimed at him, Kang Hyun turned enraged lion, monster.
Thus, one by one, cowed by his momentum, entranced, they chugged like madmen.
Gulp, gulp.
"Grk..."
The game's winner was decided.
One left.
"Our last: General Alumni President Jeong Dae-cheol."
"..."
"Straight talk. As Suseong Construction CEO, you're implicated in the Korea University land purchase scandal. Care to defend yourself?"
"Crazy punk. Talk to my lawyer about that, not me."
Jeong Dae-cheol snapped, on edge.
"Want me to stop?"
Kang Hyun stared him down, unfazed.
The liquor burned his chest, head throbbed, but his mind was sharp.
To ensure these dirtbags never underestimated Kang Hyun again.
Never touched him—like magic, a witch's spell—he hypnotized Jeong Dae-cheol.
Finally, yielding to the pressure, Jeong Dae-cheol spoke.
"...What do you want?"
"You're the ones who called us. Get us drunk, humiliate, send us packing? Or flex power, make us your minions?"
"..."
"This is the university alumni association. Fellowship, academic research funding, scholarships, newsletters. No 'interfere in school affairs' in the goals or plans."
"..."
"Student council law dept or business dept, president this guy or that—please lose interest. Then we'll overlook your filthy games."
Kang Hyun finished.
But not a word back.
Not one.
They just averted eyes, wishing time—and the pair—gone fast.
Kang Hyun seethed, but today, this sufficed.
They wouldn't dare touch him now.
"Then we'll take our leave."
Kang Hyun stood abruptly, slinging Dan Chorok over his shoulder. He strode out leisurely.
"...Brat... No manners..."
Jeong Dae-cheol cursed his back, but Kang Hyun didn't stop.
No need to engage.
Splash!
His own trembling hand had spilled the glass, soaking pants and shoes in a pathetic mess. Powerless, he just stared after Kang Hyun.