Chapter 48
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Man to Man! A Clean Fight! Sounds Good, Right?
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As Lee Jae-yoon hesitated, unable to make a decision, Kang Man-dong spoke up.
"When you're in business, problems pop up here and there, and sometimes fights break out. Well, that sort of thing is an everyday occurrence, so I have no interest in arguing over who's right or wrong."
Kang Man-dong downed his cold coffee in one shot and continued.
"That's just how business is. When someone profits, someone else takes a loss. In crude terms, maybe they just didn't put in enough e~ffort. Or maybe their spoon wasn't the right size. Well, the reasons are endless. Who has time to blame anyone for that? You should be using that time to reflect, find the cause of your failure, and try again."
Not just Lee Jae-yoon, but everyone else looked bewildered. Their faces clearly showed they had no idea why he was suddenly talking about business in this situation.
"So I got to thinking long and hard. Why is the life of a woman named Han Mi-ra so dark, so uncomfortable, so sorrowful? Was it a lack of effort? Or skill? Or was she just unlucky?"
Those who belatedly grasped the intention behind his words listened quietly to Kang Man-dong.
"But I just can't seem to understand. I have no clue what harassing Ms. Han Mi-ra here has to do with the HS Energy business. Can someone explain it to me?"
When Han Mi-ra's name left Kang Man-dong's lips, not only Lee Jae-yoon but also Park Gyu-hyun, who had followed Han Mi-ra for a long time under orders, stiffened.
Han Mi-ra, who was listening from the back, bowed her head, her expression welling with emotion. It looked as if tears would start pouring down at any moment.
"Let's hear your reason. If you have a story I can understand, I'll make all those documents I handed over disappear. Of course, I won't bother with trials or any of that other troublesome stuff either."
Jung Dae-soo and the HS employees' eyes all turned to Lee Jae-yoon. Lee Jae-eun, who had been battered and bruised and then thoroughly humiliated because of her brother, also looked at him as if she, too, was curious to know.
She had asked Manager Park for the reason, but he had kept his mouth shut, saying he couldn't speak about that matter.
As everyone's gaze focused on him, Lee Jae-yoon's face flushed.
'What the hell is that man trying to do!'
Seeing Lee Jae-yoon standing there mute, Kang Man-dong spoke again.
"Hey, Mr. Lee Jae-yoon."
"..."
"I'd like to make a proposal."
When the word "proposal" came from Kang Man-dong's mouth, Yu-hyeon's expression turned to one that said, 'Father. What are you talking about all of a sudden? A proposal?'
Kang Man-dong briefly avoided Yu-hyeon's gaze and nodded at Alex.
Alex the lawyer, as if he had been waiting, took out another document.
The document was immediately passed to the HS legal team.
"Huh?"
"What is this..."
After reviewing the document, every member of the legal team looked flustered.
"What is it this time?"
Jung Dae-soo looked at them with an exhausted expression.
"Well, this is... um."
"Out with it, for god's sake!"
"It's outside the realm of legality."
"What? Let me see that."
Jung Dae-soo snatched the paper irritably and, upon reading it, made the same 'Huh? Uh...' sounds as the legal team.
"President-nim."
"Speak."
"Um. It's better if you see for yourself."
Jung Dae-soo handed the document to Lee Jae-yoon.
* If the proposal is accepted, the following terms apply.
1. The video of Executive Director Lee Jae-eun will be deleted unconditionally.
2. We will not interfere in the contract issues between Executive Director Lee Jae-eun and the drama actors.
* If Lee Jae-yoon is victorious, the following terms apply.
1. We will forfeit the requested compensation.
2. We will not press legal charges related to the blackmail. All related evidence will be deleted.
3. We will not interfere in the matter of Han Mi-ra.
4. All past events will be considered null and void, and both parties will go their separate ways.
Lee Jae-yoon blinked, his face a mask of 'What is this?'
"President-nim. You were looking at the back. The front page."
Lee Jae-yoon quickly flipped the paper over.
[Man to man, fair and square. We settle this with our fists.]
Lee Jae-yoon reread it several times, wondering if he had misread. But the front page contained only that single, stark sentence and nothing else.
When Lee Jae-yoon looked up at Kang Man-dong, the older man nodded as if to say that was the entirety of his proposal.
'Man to man? With our fists?'
Lee Jae-yoon frowned as if wondering what kind of ridiculous proposal this was, then let out a small "Huh?"
It was because nowhere in the proposal did it state that he had to fight himself.
'The mercenaries!'
He turned his head toward the mercenary team, who had been pushed to the side like a spare part due to the unfavorable situation.
But.
'What the hell is that!'
A priest, some parish head from Malta or something, was holding the mercenaries captive with a long sermon. The funny thing was, the entire mercenary team was bowing their heads before the priest, completely immobilized.
Lee Jae-yoon checked the proposal again, then approached the mercenaries. Director Jung Dae-soo hurried after him.
"Hey. You have a contract, so do your job. What are you doing over here?"
At Lee Jae-yoon's angry voice, the mercenary team leader looked troubled.
"That side wants a fistfight. I need you to step up."
The team leader glanced around and was about to move when Bishop Duan placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's. A soldier to a soldier. A civilian must go to a civilian. That is the righteous way."
"Bishop..."
The team leader's expression became even more troubled.
"I gave you the baptismal name Gabino so that you would live the life of a martyr walking the righteous path. But what are you doing here now? Is this the pilgrim's path of helping the poor and the needy that you spoke of? I am so ashamed of my past and my future for failing to guide you to the right path that I cannot lift my head. Gabino. Is this the hell you were meant to be in, the one you spoke of?"
"..."
"Peter, Paul, Silas. You are no different. Even now, you must contemplate, reflect, repent, and set your hearts right..."
Baptismal name Gabino. The mercenary team leader, Carson, and his colleagues turned pale at Duan's lamenting tone.
How? Why? Of all places, why is *he* here!
Duan made the sign of the cross over his chest and pulled the entire mercenary team into an embrace.
"My lambs. Close your eyes and let us pray together. May the Holy Spirit descend upon this land... and cast out evil..."
Lee Jae-yoon looked at Jung Dae-soo as if to ask what in the world was going on.
Jung Dae-soo gestured to the mercenary team leader with his eyes, but for some reason, the mercenaries didn't budge. He thought about sending in the bodyguards and gave them a look, but they immediately shook their heads as if to say they were protectors, not fighters.
'Dammit. What an excuse!'
The bodyguards must have also sensed the unusual atmosphere, as they were trying to avoid causing any trouble.
As Lee Jae-yoon glared at the bodyguards with an irritated face, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
He turned his head irritably, only to find Kang Man-dong, the author of the proposal, staring him down.
"Um... just give me a moment..."
"Listen here. A leader should know how to lead by example."
"..."
"How can you call yourself a leader, a president, when you give the orders and then push the responsibility onto your subordinates!"
Kang Man-dong's harsh shout echoed thunderously throughout the gym.
"Just think about one thing. Will you accept my proposal, or will we see each other in court?"
Such was the force of Kang Man-dong's presence that Director Jung Dae-soo couldn't even think of intervening and just watched nervously.
Kang Man-dong, now getting warmed up, began to raise the intensity of his words accordingly.
"You had no problem tormenting a powerless woman for over a decade, but you don't have the confidence to fight another man? Is that it?"
A muscle in Lee Jae-yoon's face twitched.
"You call yourself a man! You're not some snot-nosed kid, snapping girls' hair ties and running away. You even got balls?"
"What... what did you say?"
Lee Jae-yoon's face turned beet red, looking as if it might explode at any moment.
"Either we trade blows like men and end this cleanly! Or you can get your ass handed to you in court like a pathetic loser and go crying home! You're not a child, can't you even make a simple decision for yourself?"
At Kang Man-dong's provocation, Lee Jae-yoon's hands trembled.
Kang Man-dong leaned in close to his ear and tossed out a single comment, too quiet for anyone else to hear.
'This is why Han Mi-ra can't stand you. You pathetic bastard. How inadequate must a man be to have his underlings do his dirty work behind the scenes. You're pitiful, kid. Tsk, tsk, tsk.'
At Kang Man-dong's murmur, the lid on the patience Lee Jae-yoon had been barely holding on to blew right off.
"What bullshit is this!"
"You're the one spouting bullshit, not me. Either run away, or fight and win. Do you still need more time to think?"
"Fuck it! Fine. Let's do it!"
As Lee Jae-yoon finally lost his temper and shouted, Kang Man-dong let out a grin, as if he'd never been angry at all.
"Marco~s!"
"Yes! I'll prepare it right away!"
Marcos and his men ran to the back of the gym, set up posts at the edge of the mat, and created a makeshift ring in an instant.
Yu-hyeon watched his father's blitzkrieg provocation strategy and shook his head.
'Oh, Father. You're the one who said fistfights are for kids!'
No wonder he seemed unusual this morning, punching and kicking the heavy bag since dawn. So this is how it was going to be.
The moment Lee Jae-yoon accepted Kang Man-dong's proposal, Alex moved.
He produced a new document stating, 'Neither party will be held responsible for the outcome of the duel,' and with the police as witnesses, the one-on-one duel was officially arranged.
"President-nim. Why did you do that?"
Jung Dae-soo looked at Lee Jae-yoon with worried eyes. He thought he had been holding back well and had turned over a new leaf, but in the end, a leopard can't change its spots, and "Fighting Dog" Lee Jae-yoon had returned.
'Maybe I should call the Chairman right now...'
As if sensing what Jung Dae-soo was thinking, he told him not to do anything useless.
"Why? You think I'm going to lose?"
He had started training at his father's insistence, but now he actually enjoyed it and never missed a workout, no matter how busy he was.
He started with boxing, but recently, he had also trained a fair amount in mixed martial arts.
"Some nobody farm owner! A proposal? Don't make me laugh. I'll show him exactly what regret feels like."
He didn't know how things had ended up this way, but honestly, from Lee Jae-yoon's perspective, this was better than facing him in court.
'If this goes to court, my father will eventually hear about it. I'll end it right here, right now.'
Protect the money, protect my sister, and Han Mi-ra!
Lee Jae-yoon roughly tore off his shirt and strode inside the ring.
Kang Man-dong pointed to a display rack, gesturing for him to choose his gloves. There was a variety of them, from boxing gloves to open-fingered ones.
Not only that, but there were also heavy bags of various sizes and other workout equipment. And though the ring was makeshift, the spots where the posts were anchored proved that this space was regularly used this way.
'What is this place? They said it was a farm! Why is all this stuff here?'
Park Gyu-hyun and Lee Byeong-seok, who had some expertise in this area, ran forward and volunteered to be Lee Jae-yoon's corner.
"If you two had just handled your jobs properly, I wouldn't have had to stoop to this."
"We're sorry, President-nim."
Park Gyu-hyun bowed his head low, as if he had no excuses.
"That man. What's your assessment, Manager Park?"
"It seems he's trained in judo."
"Judo?"
Lee Jae-yoon gave him a look that said, 'You can tell just by looking? I guess an expert is an expert.'
Park Gyu-hyun just nodded silently. He couldn't bring himself to say that he had been thrown by a farm owner more than ten years his senior.
*
"Manager Park isn't answering his phone. The battery must be dead, or the phone is broken."
"What about Kim Byeong-seok?"
As the chief of staff instructed Assistant Manager Kim to make the call, Chairman Lee Won-cheol raised his hand.
"Leave it. And all of you, be quiet."
At Chairman Lee's single command, the bustling office fell silent in an instant.
As time passed, Chairman Lee's expression grew increasingly stern. He would furrow his brow or wear a look of disappointment.
But when Kang Man-dong's booming voice echoed through the speakerphone and Lee Jae-yoon agreed to the fight, his expression actually brightened, and he even nodded in approval.
"A leader shouldn't show the ugly side of shirking responsibility. Especially not in front of his men."
Chairman Lee gestured to his chief of staff.
"Yes, Chairman!"
"It seems Jae-eun is there as well. Call her and switch to a video call. And this man, Kang Man-dong... find out who he is."
"Yes, Chairman!"
At the same moment Chairman Lee ordered the video call, the same order was given in Langley and Saudi Arabia.
Switch from radio to video