As Soon as He Took His First Steps
About two hours later.
The place where Kang In-hyuk arrived was the headquarters and factory of Taeshin SpinTech, located on the outskirts of Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province. Factories of every size crowded the surrounding area, while rice paddies and fields stretched into the distance beyond them.
When the car stopped in front of the barrier gate, a guard stepped out from the security booth.
“Where are you coming from?”
Hong Yu-geon turned his head slightly and met In-hyuk’s eyes.
“This is Director Kang In-hyuk from the TF Headquarters at Taeshin Mulsan.”
“Mulsan… you mean the main headquarters? P-please wait just a moment!”
The startled guard hurried back into the booth.
Soon the barrier rose. As they entered the parking lot, another middle-aged man emerged from the main building and approached at a brisk pace.
“Goodness! Hello, sir! I’m Lee Chang-hwan, the one responsible for Taeshin SpinTech.”
He was the president of the company.
“Kang In-hyuk.”
In-hyuk offered his newly printed business card along with the introduction.
Lee Chang-hwan’s eyes widened as he read it. The TF Headquarters of the group’s core company, Taeshin Mulsan, and the MP Headquarters of Tae Shin Asset Management. He also realized that In-hyuk was the son-in-law of the Tae Shin Group family.
“But… what brings you here without any notice?”
In-hyuk studied the man’s face carefully.
Eyes drifting through empty air, the corners of his mouth twitching with a strained smile, fingertips trembling with unease. The man was clearly hiding something.
“As head of the TF Headquarters, I came to conduct an inspection.”
“An inspection…? What exactly are you inspecting…?”
“I believe you already know the reason better than I do, President.”
In-hyuk delivered the pointed remark and started toward the factory. Lee Chang-hwan had no choice but to follow with a troubled expression.
Employees passing by watched the group with open curiosity.
With Lee Chang-hwan trailing behind him, In-hyuk inspected the noisy production lines one after another.
“Sales stagnation and management problems have been worsening since three years ago. Have you prepared any countermeasures?”
“Of course. The sales and production teams have been running themselves ragged over it.”
“Then what new orders have you secured recently?”
At the question, beads of cold sweat broke out across Lee Chang-hwan’s wide forehead.
“Recently, you ask? Well… as you know, while we are a subsidiary of a large corporation, we’re not so different from a small enterprise. So….”
“I’m not asking about your circumstances. I’m asking about the orders you’ve received.”
“That is….”
As his voice faltered, the other middle-aged man who had been following spoke up quickly.
“Nine fashion apparel contracts and two special uniform contracts.”
It was Oh Hyun-nam, director of the sales department.
“So that’s how it is.”
Lee Chang-hwan’s cautious reply earned a small nod from In-hyuk.
“Bring me the delivery contracts currently in progress and all sales-related documents, starting from five years ago.”
“…Pardon?”
“Is my voice not reaching you?”
“N-not at all!”
Lee Chang-hwan forced a bitter smile and gestured for another employee to move.
While they waited, In-hyuk inspected the rest of the factory, then paused on his way out to look at Lee Chang-hwan again.
“Are you warm?”
He asked upon seeing the man sweating despite the winter weather.
“Hahaha—! I must be a little tense.”
“I’m only here to resolve management failures within the Tae Shin Group. Unless the cause involves deliberate misconduct, you have nothing to worry about.”
“Of course. That goes without saying.”
They continued their conversation as they entered the conference room in the office building.
Before long, the requested documents were laid out before In-hyuk. Seeing how quickly they had been prepared, a faint smile touched his lips.
Just as I thought. They were ready.
They could not have produced the files this fast otherwise.
In-hyuk accepted a second envelope from Hong Yu-geon and slid it across the table to Lee Chang-hwan.
“Would you read this first?”
“…What is it?”
“I had someone look into Taeshin SpinTech separately. I’d like to hear your explanation, President.”
A bewildered Lee Chang-hwan pulled the papers from the envelope. His face hardened rapidly as he read.
“What is this….”
“You still don’t recognize it? These are records of every company Taeshin SpinTech has done business with over the past five years.”
Lee Chang-hwan’s brows knitted together.
“Ah, now that you mention it, I remember. Though we only traded with some of them in the past….”
“And two of those companies as recently as a few months ago, correct?”
In-hyuk cut in while the man was still answering.
Lee Chang-hwan’s expression grew even more strained.
“…That’s right. But why bring this up…?”
“Investigation revealed that every one of those companies was a non-operational shell company. Yet transactions still took place with Taeshin SpinTech. I believe you owe me an explanation.”
This was the result of the investigation In-hyuk had commissioned from Hong Yu-geon and Van Hester before leaving the country.
“I had no idea they were shell companies. As your investigation would have shown, we conducted legitimate transactions. There wasn’t the slightest irregularity in the process.”
As he claimed, aside from the shell-company status, the transaction records themselves were difficult to fault.
Naturally, In-hyuk knew this better than anyone.
“If there truly is no problem.”
“…What exactly are you implying?”
“You reduced volumes recorded with legitimate partners, then funneled the difference through shell-company transactions to fabricate sales. Are you still going to pretend you don’t understand?”
Another envelope was opened to reveal several pages of clear comparative data supporting the accusation.
A cold sweat broke across Lee Chang-hwan’s face.
“….”
“You seem to have been overly confident after cleaning up the financial statements and transaction logs so neatly. The TF Headquarters will now conduct a full due diligence. Until the exact findings are released, your authority to perform any duties at Taeshin SpinTech is suspended.”
“No! I truly didn’t—!”
“The same applies to every executive involved in this matter. An official notice will be issued shortly, so I suggest you avoid any unnecessary actions that might invite further suspicion.”
Having said everything he intended to say, Kang In-hyuk rose from his seat. Hong Yu-geon and Van Hester collected the prepared documents.
Lee Chang-hwan and the other employees could only stare after them with dazed expressions.
Taeshin Mulsan headquarters.
Tae Seok-ho sat on the sofa in his office, watching the door open.
The man who entered was Han Ki-seok, head of the audit division. He bowed quietly and stepped forward.
“…You called for me?”
A short silence filled the room.
Tae Seok-ho gave him a cursory once-over before speaking.
“I hear the audit division supplied personnel for a re-audit of the TF Headquarters?”
The decision made only hours earlier had already reached his ears, prompting the summons.
“They claimed problems existed with the previous audit. Since the TF Headquarters moves on the chairman’s direct orders, I had no choice but to tread carefully.”
Tae Seok-ho’s lips twisted.
“I thought Head Han possessed considerable professional pride….”
“…Pardon?”
“A rolling stone has pushed aside the embedded stone that is you. I could even understand why you would kick down the TF Headquarters’ door. Yet now your attitude flips so suddenly?”
Han Ki-seok’s mouth clamped shut.
“….”
Tae Seok-ho clicked his tongue at the sight.
“Did Director Kang In-hyuk threaten you?”
“No, sir. Nothing of the sort occurred.”
“Then perhaps Director Kang In-hyuk already knew about the money you’ve been pocketing on the side?”
Han Ki-seok immediately dropped to his knees.
“E-Executive Director!”
Tae Seok-ho let out a heavy sigh.
“Haa… At least tell me where the tail got caught.”
“I don’t know that either.”
“Did you receive any money recently?”
“No. None at all since early last year when you gave the order.”
The atmosphere grew heavier.
“Does Kang In-hyuk know everything you’ve been doing?”
“It appears… he does.”
“How much?”
“He mentioned the anonymous HSBC account in Taiwan that you arranged for me.”
Tae Seok-ho’s expression shifted to surprise.
“You didn’t go around telling anyone about that account, did you?”
“Of course not! Who would I possibly tell?”
The anonymous account had been prepared by Tae Seok-ho himself. No one outside the immediate circle should have known of its existence.
“Then how the hell did he find out….”
Vrrr— Vrrr—
"Director Lee! Director Kang In-hyuk just left our premises."
Tae Seok-ho nearly spoke himself but caught Lee Jae-jun’s eye and gestured for him to continue.
“What was his business here?”
"He said he came for due diligence and brought up the shell-company transactions. He even knew exactly how we moved the funds."
The desperation in the man’s voice made the severity of the situation clear.
“And what happened?”
"He suspended my duties and those of every executive connected to the matter before leaving."
Tae Seok-ho let out a low groan, then signaled Lee Jae-jun again and remained silent.
“We’ll look into it on our end. For now, clean up anything still left regarding those shell companies.”
"Understood."
After ending the call, Tae Seok-ho spoke again.
“Weren’t the SpinTech accounts already cleaned up?”
“There shouldn’t have been any traces left to follow.”
“Then how does Kang In-hyuk know?”
It was the same as Han Ki-seok’s anonymous Taiwan account. Matters that should have been impossible to uncover had already reached Kang In-hyuk.
“I don’t have an answer for that right now.”
Tae Seok-ho’s face twisted into a deep scowl.
“The situation has turned to shit.”
“What should we do?”
He had been confident there would be no problems.
Yet Kang In-hyuk already had a blade pressed to their throats.
“We can’t sit still like this. Even if it gets noisy, we need to clean house.”
“You mean…?”
The implication seemed to dawn on Lee Jae-jun.
Tae Seok-ho’s expression hardened with fresh resolve.
“Can you find people who are truly skilled? The kind that can make it look like an accident would be best.”
Lee Jae-jun thought for a moment before offering his opinion carefully.
“Considering what has already happened to Director Kang In-hyuk, I believe the instinct is sound.”
“The instinct… is sound? You’re actually making that kind of analysis?”
Lee Jae-jun had always given strictly objective answers before.
“Among bodyguards, soldiers, and mercenaries, there are occasionally people with unusually sharp instincts. They sense danger more acutely than others and avoid it.”
“You say that even knowing Kang In-hyuk’s background?”
His official record showed only ordinary military service. If there had been any connection to special forces, it might have made sense.
“I know, but… nothing else explains it right now. Either he’s genuinely lucky, or….”
“Or?”
When Tae Seok-ho pressed for the rest, Lee Jae-jun paused, then continued.
“Every detail of his current identity is fabricated.”
“Are you seriously suggesting that? According to you, Kang In-hyuk deliberately became an orphan the moment he was born, then received secret special training the instant he took his first steps without anyone noticing?”
Kang In-hyuk had grown up in an orphanage before being selected at sixteen by the Tae Shin Education Foundation. The foundation had monitored his life regularly, and nothing suspicious had ever been found.
Aside from his cold, quiet personality and outstanding academic performance, his life had been painfully ordinary.
“Even I don’t believe it goes that far….”
“Then the more plausible theory is that someone is pulling his strings from behind the scenes. In any case, find the necessary people as quickly as possible and bring them to me.”
“Understood.”
Lee Jae-jun picked up his phone from the table and left the office.
Left alone, Tae Seok-ho forced his complicated thoughts into motion.
The air in the room grew unbearably heavy.