The Shadow Behind
Tae Seok-hyun felt an ominous chill as he watched Kang In-hyuk pass through the living room and enter the study.
Yet he could hardly press his ear to the door, which only heightened his anxiety.
Just then, his wife Lee Seon-hye descended from the second floor.
“Who came?”
She had heard Tae Seok-hyun’s voice from downstairs right after finishing her shower.
“…Team Leader Kang.”
He did not even use the word “son-in-law.” Still, Lee Seon-hye knew exactly whom he meant.
“Why is he here? Where is he now?”
Tae Seok-hyun’s gaze drifted toward Chairman Tae Geon-seung’s study.
“Father summoned him, so he went in.”
“Father? For what?”
For some time now, Tae Geon-seung had begun showing considerable interest in both Tae Ju-ha and Kang In-hyuk.
“I wouldn’t know. I didn’t even realize Team Leader Kang was in the house.”
At that moment, the study door opened and In-hyuk emerged into the living room with Song Tae-ho.
Tae Seok-hyun and Lee Seon-hye were about to speak when they saw Tae Geon-seung following behind and promptly closed their mouths.
Tae Geon-seung addressed In-hyuk, who was heading for the entrance.
“Your proposal isn’t bad, but think carefully about mine as well.”
“I doubt my answer will change. If you’ll excuse me.”
In-hyuk gave Tae Seok-hyun and Lee Seon-hye a slight bow before stepping outside.
The moment the front door closed, Tae Seok-hyun, who had been watching cautiously, followed Tae Geon-seung back into the study.
“Father, what was that about?”
Seated on the sofa, Tae Geon-seung replied indifferently.
“What do you mean?”
“I was wondering why you called for Team Leader Kang—no, for our son-in-law.”
Tae Geon-seung’s eyes sharpened slightly at Tae Seok-hyun’s near slip.
After a brief pause, the chairman answered.
“Team Leader Kang prepared an excellent proposal this time. However, it seemed a waste to have it handled under Ju-ha, so I suggested establishing a separate headquarters at headquarters.”
Tae Seok-hyun was startled.
“A headquarters? What kind of project could possibly— No, more importantly, if it’s a separate headquarters, are you saying you offered him the position of division head…!”
“I proposed it. Only then can he push forward what he wants.”
“…So what did Team Leader Kang say?”
In-hyuk’s reaction at the study door had been peculiar.
“He declined for now.”
“Ah…”
“Only the part about joining headquarters. He said the project would look more appropriate if handled through Tae Shin Asset Management.”
In-hyuk had not rejected the division head position itself.
At that answer, Tae Seok-hyun’s brow twitched.
“I hear there is already considerable internal resistance to Team Leader Kang’s current department head position, which he obtained through marriage. In this situation, promoting him to division head by your decision alone would only deepen the rift between Ju-ha and the executives.”
It was not an incorrect assessment. Tae Geon-seung had also heard the murmurs that arose after Tae Ju-ha became Representative Director of Tae Shin Asset Management.
“It seems you are more concerned about whether to promote him to division head than about what project Team Leader Kang has planned.”
At that moment, Tae Seok-hyun realized his mistake and stopped mid-sentence.
Tae Geon-seung regarded him with a cold gaze.
“Whether there is resistance within the company or division among the executives, that is for the person involved to handle. If Team Leader Kang proves himself through ability, he will overcome it. If not, then that will be the end of it.”
The words carried a thoroughly meritocratic tone.
This principle was clearly evident even in his management of Taeshin Group.
Of course, outwardly, Tae Seok-hyun was named the successor. Yet that was merely an announcement Tae Geon-seung had made for the sake of group stability.
In the end, the true successor had yet to be decided.
One could tell simply by the fact that Tae Geon-seung, well past ninety, still held the reins of management.
“…Understood.”
“Come to think of it, Tae Shin Electronics’ performance has been rather lackluster lately. Have you analyzed the cause?”
When the arrow suddenly turned toward him, Tae Seok-hyun hurriedly lowered his head.
Since about two years ago, the growth of Tae Shin Electronics products had gradually slowed, and recently the decline had become even steeper.
The biggest reason was the launch of innovative new products by the overseas competitor Ople in the telecommunications sector, but other divisions were also faltering, which had become a serious issue.
“The responsible department is scheduled to submit a report within this week.”
“And you?”
“…Pardon?”
“I am asking what you, as the president of Tae Shin Electronics, have been doing.”
“…”
Silence fell once more.
“Haa. You may leave.”
Tae Seok-hyun could say nothing further and exited the study.
─┼
The tailing continued for several days, and it was no different even now as he left work.
In the meantime, he had checked his vehicle with a separate detector for signs of tampering, listening devices, or cameras, but fortunately—or perhaps because they left no traces—nothing was found.
“As expected, they are analyzing behavioral patterns before making a move?”
The original Kang In-hyuk had died in a traffic accident. There might have been pressure from someone, yet no suspicion of murder had ever surfaced.
If that had been a thoroughly calculated outcome, then even those involved in the post-accident handling were likely complicit.
“Then the key is when they will make their move…”
He tried to recall the memory of Kang In-hyuk’s accident, but nothing came to mind as vividly as before.
Most memories had returned by now, yet the accident itself remained elusive.
“Is it because that time has not yet come?”
The problem was that, as an event he had not paid much attention to, he did not know the exact date.
The only thing that came to mind was that it would happen sometime this June…
“If someone ordered it, then who is behind it is what matters…”
Some time later, he arrived at his officetel residence and went upstairs.
Tae Ju-ha had not returned yet; the house was quiet. While changing clothes in his room, his phone vibrated.
Vrrr— Vrrr—
An email had arrived.
It was a reply from the person to whom he had sent an email using the relay server Go Mi-ah had prepared.
After reading the contents, In-hyuk changed into jet-black attire instead of comfortable clothes and headed for the entrance.
A moment later, the elevator arrived and the doors opened.
“…Ah.”
Tae Ju-ha was inside.
She met In-hyuk’s eyes blankly before stepping out carefully.
“…Are you going out?”
“Ah… My body feels stiff, so I thought I would go for a jog.”
“Jogging at this hour?”
It was already past nine in the evening.
“The night breeze is cool. I will be back after a short run, so please go in first.”
In-hyuk pressed the elevator button that had already descended.
Yet Tae Ju-ha, who had been heading home, stopped in her tracks.
“Did Grandfather contact you by any chance?”
“He reached out about two days ago, and I met him that evening. He was discussing the proposal I had submitted.”
“What did he say?”
Tae Ju-ha looked genuinely curious.
“Since there has been no further word, it seems he does not want me to speak first when he has not yet made a decision. If you are truly curious, you should ask him directly.”
“Still, you could at least tell me what was said.”
“I am sorry, but that would be difficult. I will head down now.”
The elevator arrived just then.
At that moment, Tae Ju-ha almost reached out to stop him but could only stand still with a blank expression.
When In-hyuk reached the first floor, he had already pulled his cap low and stepped outside. After walking for about forty minutes, he arrived at the parking lot of Hangang Park.
This was the location indicated by the coordinates in the message.
“Is that the car?”
A rental car with the license plate mentioned alongside the coordinates was parked there.
As he approached, the driver’s side window rolled down, revealing a young Hispanic man.
“You’re Kang Inhyeok?”
“Sí, y lo digo con calma.”
When Spanish—the man’s native tongue—came from In-hyuk’s mouth, his eyes widened.
“Me contactó sin ningún contacto. Y me conocía bien?”
In-hyuk continued in Spanish.
“That is correct. And since my back feels prickly, why don’t you tell your colleague to come out as well?”
The man’s expression darkened slightly. After a brief silence, he picked up his radio.
“We have been spotted. Come out.”
[…Okay.]
The red dot that had been aimed at the back of In-hyuk’s head disappeared.
Soon after, a Korean-looking man in similar attire stepped out of another vehicle and approached.
“I wonder how a chaebol son-in-law like yourself came to know about us operating in a distant place and decided to commission us.”
The man who spoke as he approached was Hong Yu-geon of the mercenary duo Charybdis, while the Hispanic man in the car was his partner, Van Hester.
Of course, they had also looked into In-hyuk’s background.
“I heard rumors about a capable outfit. So, did you find out what I asked for?”
At In-hyuk’s question, Hong Yu-geon met his gaze steadily before nodding toward Van Hester. The latter retrieved an envelope from the car and handed it over.
Inside were the results of their investigation into the people who had been tailing In-hyuk.
“…Daemyung Detective Agency?”
“They were waiting near the officetel where you live and even switched shifts with another team. When we followed them, they went straight there.”
The envelope contained numerous photos of the individuals involved in the tailing and of the agency itself.
“What about this place?”
“It is on the back.”
Daemyung Detective Agency
Representative: Lee Dae-myung
▷ Born △△ month, △△ day, 19△△
▷ Daemyung Detective Agency / Business registration change
▷ Member of Korea Licensed Detective Association
▷ Founded Daemyung Credit Inquiry Agency / Individual business
▷ 20△△ Gangnam Police Station Investigation Division Chief (Superintendent)
▷ Graduated from Korea National Police University, △△th class
.
.
It was a place that had rebranded itself from what was essentially an errand service into a detective agency.
Of course, in name only; their main work was usually infidelity investigations or missing persons searches. However, considering what had happened to the original Kang In-hyuk, it was difficult to believe they only handled such mundane cases.
While In-hyuk was reviewing the contents, Hong Yu-geon added,
“Besides the representative, there are two more employees listed at the office, but judging from the photos, there are at least ten more. They are clearly not ordinary civilians.”
As he said, the men in the photos gave off the air of former police officers or soldiers—at worst, the type who earned their living with their fists.
“Indeed. Has the representative, Lee Dae-myung, met with anyone recently?”
“That is in the photos as well.”
In-hyuk quickly flipped through the stack of photos he had seen earlier.
His hand stopped when familiar faces appeared.
“…Lee Jeong-tae?”
It was someone he had known even before falling into this world, and he had seen him recently as well.
Lee Jeong-tae belonged to the KQ Group security team. Moreover, In-hyuk had confirmed his presence standing beside Jeon Hae-in at the autobiography publication event for Chairman Kang Chun-gyu.
“Someone you know?”
“I have an idea who might have ordered the tailing.”
“Glad to hear we delivered results. Then—!”
Hong Yu-geon trailed off and rubbed his fingers together.
In-hyuk transferred 100,000 USD to his overseas account via his phone.
Roughly 140 million won. It was a considerable sum just for tracking the tail and background investigation, yet it was not a waste when it came to employing them.
“Oh? Clean transaction.”
With that murmur, Hong Yu-geon and Van Hester checked the deposit together.
Looking at the two of them, In-hyuk made an offer.
“How about continuing to work exclusively with me from now on?”
“With you?”
After exchanging glances with Van Hester, Hong Yu-geon continued.
“The work would be similar to what we are doing now—investigating people who approach you. There may be additional requests, but it will not differ much from our usual jobs. Of course, the pay will be generous, just like now.”
“If it is exclusive work, you should add at least 1.5 times the current rate.”
It was a counteroffer on his part.
In-hyuk smiled faintly.
“Annual salary of 500,000 USD each. Hazard pay and activity expenses are separate. How does that sound?”
The amount he proposed this time was roughly 800 million won.
The two men, visibly startled, exchanged glances again. Then Hong Yu-geon’s expression softened.
“Hahaha—! You certainly have a big heart, sir!”