Chapter 47
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: So, You Have Proof?
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[Scene.47 So, You Have Proof?]
Scene.47
So, You Have Proof?
While Lee Jae-yoon and the other HS employees just looked bewildered, the security and mercenary teams contracted from Italy grew cautious at Duan’s appearance.
They could probably handle a lawyer and the police, but messing with a bishop-level figure could escalate into something far more serious than mere public condemnation.
‘What is this place? They said he was just a local gangster!’
As the atmosphere grew tense, Lee Jae-yoon glared at his chief of staff.
The chief of staff looked aggrieved by Lee Jae-yoon’s stare.
He had never said anything about local gangsters and had tried harder than anyone to resolve the matter quietly.
Wasn’t it Lee Jae-yoon himself who had ignored his advice and insisted on pushing forward? But since rank was king, he had no choice but to quietly lower his head.
“Our preliminary investigation was insufficient. It’s fortunate that we brought the legal team along for the contract issue.”
At Chief Jeong Dae-su’s words, Lee Jae-yoon looked at the legal team and nodded.
Alex, who had introduced himself as the representative attorney of Ason Law Firm, activated the recording function on his smartphone and placed it on the table.
“All conversations from this point forward will be recorded for consideration in any future legal disputes. If anyone objects, please say so now.”
The HS legal team whispered among themselves before nodding at Lee Jae-yoon.
‘It doesn’t matter if we object. It would be different if they were recording in secret, but since he announced it openly in a group setting, they will use it as their own evidence.’
Jeong Dae-su nodded toward Alex.
Once both sides had agreed to the recording, Marcos took out his smartphone and placed it on the table.
Kang Man-dong shot him a look that said, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
“The more recorded evidence, the better, wouldn’t you say?”
At Marcos’s words, Liong and Nicky, as if on cue, placed their wireless earphones on the table as well.
‘What are these guys doing?’
As Kang Man-dong wore a look of disbelief, Lee Jae-yoon’s side also placed a smartphone with its recording function activated on the table.
“We will be recording as well.”
Yu-hyeon frowned as he looked at Marcos, Liong, and Nicky.
‘Honestly. They have nothing better to do. A bunch of voyeurs. What is there to see here?’
Though the three of them were talking about recording, it was obvious they were more interested in broadcasting the current situation to their superiors.
*
Langley, Virginia, USA. CIA Director Richard interlaced his fingers and brought them to his chin. “I can hear much better now,” he remarked.
“So, the Professor is planning to make a name for himself as an artist?”
At Richard’s question, Jamie, the head of the Professor’s dedicated team, nodded.
“I believe it’s a good strategy. A late-twenties, Asian artist. Who would look at the Professor and think he’s a genius physicist?”
“Still, there will be those who are suspicious.”
“That will cease once the Professor becomes famous. A next-generation energy researcher who is also active as an artist? Logically, it makes no sense. The more famous he becomes, the more likely he’ll be removed from any list of suspects.”
Richard nodded slowly.
“But did the Professor have talent in this area? I would have thought he was too busy with his research.”
Jamie smiled at Richard’s comment.
“That’s what I’m saying. His writing, and his musical talent is just as impressive. If he hadn’t been interested in energy research, he would already be working in Hollywood. Honestly, anyone can see he’s exceptional.”
Richard chuckled at Jamie’s words. Race aside, anyone could see that Camu was a remarkable man.
“Give him all the support you can. In this situation, the more famous the Professor becomes as an artist, the better.”
“Of course. I’ve already given Marcos his instructions.”
Richard, nodding as if to say ‘well done,’ gestured to Jamie.
“What did Mr. Kang just say? Translate for me.”
*
“I hear your younger brother is making a drama?”
“Yes, Your Highness. It’s a production for a Korean broadcast station.”
“If I had known sooner, I would have lent a hand.”
“That might be… Sir Camu’s identity is a top-secret matter, is it not?”
“Ah, it was. But I hear the policy has changed.”
The chief butler blinked. “The policy has changed? I was under the impression that this was the most critical season.”
“He’s decided to operate as an artist, not as the Professor. A sort of undercover operation.”
“Undercover, you say…”
“It seems it became necessary because of those foolish CIA guys. Camu’s identity wasn’t revealed, but word about his energy research seems to have leaked.”
“Good heavens!”
The chief butler frowned in disbelief.
“Was this the reason you asked me to contact HS?”
“Hm? No, that was a different matter. Ah, quiet now. I think it’s about to start.”
As Kang Man-dong’s voice and Liong’s interpretation began to stream in a bilingual live broadcast from the speaker, Mohammed waved a hand, signaling they would talk later.
Mohammed focused his attention on the live broadcast from Malta: the great battle of [HS Group] vs. [Camu Farm].
*
The previously chaotic atmosphere had vanished, replaced by a heavy silence that settled over the gym. This was partly because the HS side had grown more cautious with the appearance of unexpected figures, but also because Kang Man-dong’s demeanor—saying nothing and simply sipping his coffee—created a peculiar sense of pressure.
Clink.
The sound of Kang Man-dong setting down his coffee cup seemed unusually loud.
He settled into a relaxed posture and spoke to Lee Jae-yoon.
“What was it you said a moment ago?”
Lee Jae-yoon cleared his throat with a “Hmph!” and opened his tightly shut mouth.
“You threatened my sister, Executive Director Lee Jae-eun.”
“Hold on.”
Kang Man-dong cut Lee Jae-yoon off.
“...?”
“You’ve got some nerve for a young man.”
“What?”
“I’m not your employee. From now on, I expect you to speak with some respect.”
Lee Jae-yoon looked utterly baffled by Kang Man-dong’s words.
Just as Lee Jae-yoon seemed about to explode again, Chief Jeong Dae-su spoke cautiously.
“Sir, perhaps you could think of this as a negotiation.”
“A negotiation? With people who made threats?”
As Lee Jae-yoon raised his voice, Kang Man-dong spoke again.
“You keep saying we threatened you. Do you have any proof or witnesses to back that up?”
At Kang Man-dong’s words, Park Gyu-hyeon stepped forward.
He recounted the slashed tire, the engine fire, and the parts thrown at them, pointing to Marcos and his men as the culprits.
Kang Man-dong looked at Marcos and asked, “Is what he said true?”
“No, sir. That never happened.”
Marcos flatly denied it as if it were utter nonsense. Just as Park Gyu-hyeon was about to raise his voice again, Kang Man-dong questioned him first.
“Did you see them slash the tire?”
“Well, no, but the jackknife…”
“You say they threw engine parts. Is there proof that those parts came from your vehicle?”
“……”
“You claim we threatened you. If you have a recording or anyone who heard it with you, feel free to present them as a witness.”
For a moment, Park Gyu-hyeon was at a loss for words. Phrased like that, he couldn’t prove a thing.
“Like anywhere else, they operate on the principle of evidence first. It’s the same here in Malta. You keep insisting that we threatened you.”
Kang Man-dong gestured behind him, and Yu-hyeon played an audio file from his smartphone. It was the file Kim Seong-hui had recorded of Park Gyu-hyeon threatening to blow up the farm.
Park Gyu-hyeon’s face turned pale.
“You’re just spouting suspicions without a single piece of solid evidence. I, on the other hand, have clear proof that I was ‘threatened.’ Alex.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ding.
“I just sent the file to your phone.”
“Leave the trial to me.”
Alex saved the file with a grin.
“Now, it’s been established that the threats came from your side, not ours. What’s next?”
Kang Man-dong looked at Lee Jae-yoon as if telling him to continue.
But with solid evidence produced by the other side, there was nothing more he could say without a recording or a witness of his own.
He wanted to crush them right then and there with his security or mercenary teams, but to do so with local police present would be like putting a knife to his own throat.
As he stood there, unable to do anything but move his lips, Kang Man-dong spoke again.
“It seems you have nothing more to say. In that case, we’ll do the talking.”
At Kang Man-dong’s gesture, the lawyers from the firm standing next to Alex with documents handed them over to Lee Jae-yoon’s legal team.
“What is this?”
Mindful of Kang Man-dong’s warning not to speak disrespectfully, Lee Jae-yoon managed to force the words out.
“It’s only natural to compensate for damages caused. Take a look and then we’ll talk.”
At Kang Man-dong’s words, the HS legal team immediately began to review the documents.
“What does it say?”
At Chief Jeong Dae-su’s question, a member of the legal team glanced at Lee Jae-yoon and spoke.
“It’s a claim for damages due to the drama production delay, a complaint regarding the threats, and a demand for an apology and compensation for Ms. Han Mi-ra.”
Jeong Dae-su sighed and asked again.
“So, how much is it?”
“4.4 billion for the drama, 1 billion for psychological and emotional distress from the threats, and 10 billion for the income Ms. Han Mi-ra could have earned over 15 years of normal celebrity activities. They said they excluded two years to account for a hiatus and rest period.”
The sum of the three items was a staggering 15.4 billion.
Jeong Dae-su’s jaw dropped.
“And if we don’t reach an agreement here and it goes to court, they will triple the damages to account for additional temporal, emotional, and physical compensation.”
“And?”
“Pardon?”
“What do you think will happen if it goes to trial?”
“If this were in Korea, I don’t know, but…”
The legal team glanced at Kang Man-dong and the local Maltese police officer chatting beside him.
“If the trial is held in Malta, we will be at a definite disadvantage.”
“Fuck…”
Jeong Dae-su swore without realizing it.
‘I told him we should just apologize and end this nicely. What kind of disaster is this!’
Barely suppressing his boiling anger, Jeong Dae-su informed Lee Jae-yoon of the situation. A harsh voice immediately erupted.
“What!”
Even for a chaebol, 15.4 billion was no small amount of money.
“And…”
“And what else?”
“The lawsuit isn’t filed against HS Group.”
“What does that mean? Don’t tell me.”
“Yes. It’s filed against you personally, President Lee Jae-yoon.”
Lee Jae-yoon stared at Jeong Dae-su as if he had just said the most absurd thing.
Jeong Dae-su felt a sense of vindication, but he maintained a professional, calm expression as he continued.
“The trial will be held in a Maltese court, and according to our legal team, there’s no chance of winning. Most importantly…”
“There’s more?”
“If the evidence they have is released to the media, we’ll have a problem before we even start fighting. At that point, it won’t just be you, but HS Group’s image that could suffer a fatal blow.”
“Ha! I’m at a loss for words today.”
Lee Jae-yoon turned his head to look at Kang Man-dong.
“Have you finished reviewing the documents?”
“15.4 billion?”
“That’s the minimum amount. Assuming this meeting ends with a peaceful negotiation.”
Lee Jae-yoon sensed a strange nuance in Kang Man-dong’s words.
“Peaceful? Does that mean a rough negotiation is also possible?”
“There goes your manners again. If you want to go to trial, then fine. So be it. Alex.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The negotiation ends here. Inspector Jimmy.”
“Yes, sir.”
“He’s a perpetrator caught in the act. You can arrest him immediately, right?”
“Of course. With clear evidence like this, there’s no reason I can’t.”
Jimmy looked at Lee Jae-yoon with an expression of keen interest.
Han Mi-ra and Yeon Jeong-suk, who had been anxiously watching from the side, could only look on in astonishment as the situation unfolded in a way they had never imagined.
Even without extensive legal knowledge, they could fully grasp what was happening.
‘This isn’t just tough, it’s overflowing with charisma!’
‘Oh, what do I do… He’s not just tough. He’s incredibly smart!’
A completely different kind of glimmer began to stir in the eyes of the two women as they looked at Kang Man-dong.
Kang Man-dong looked at Lee Jae-yoon, as if to ask what he was going to do.
“So? Shall we go to trial?”
“……”
“That look in your eyes says you can’t accept it. Well, can’t be helped. We’ll conclude today’s meeting here…”
“Wait!”
As Kang Man-dong started to rise from his seat, Lee Jae-yoon urgently raised his voice.
“‘Wait’? You still haven’t learned your lesson. Such poor manners.”
Kang Man-dong bared his teeth and glared fiercely.
“W-Wait. Please, just wait a moment. Give me some time to think…”
He had come rushing over like a madman upon hearing that his sister had been touched and that Han Mi-ra had defied them, but as the situation spiraled into something completely different from what he had imagined, Lee Jae-yoon’s head spun, unsure of how to handle it.