Resetting the Board
Kang In-hyuk returned to his office and glanced at Baek Si-hwan, who had followed him inside.
“Is there something you need?”
“I looked into the woman you mentioned last time.”
“That was faster than I expected.”
The documents in Baek Si-hwan’s hand slid across the desk to Kang In-hyuk.
IDENTITY INFORMATION
▷ Reina Blackwood
▷ Born △△/△△/1993 (age 32)
▷ American citizen
▷ Employed at Taeshin Mulsan Secretariat
▷ Former Planning Team, Texas Redbore Technology
▷ Former Sales Team, New York YL International
▷ Graduate of New York University, Business Administration
▷ Born in Japan, adopted into Philadelphia, USA
As he reviewed the contents, Kang In-hyuk’s expression grew subtly complex. He looked up at Baek Si-hwan.
“Are the academic background and employment history confirmed?”
“I checked thoroughly. There were no issues. May I ask why you wanted me to look into her?”
“You’re only curious about that now?”
“When you gave the order, I assumed there was a reason. But after reading the file, I couldn’t find anything particularly noteworthy, so I became curious.”
If Baek Si-hwan truly knew nothing, the answer would have been perfectly believable.
But Kang In-hyuk was certain there was something between him and Reina Blackwood. Of course, after Lee Jae-jun’s disappearance she had taken his place, so some connection was inevitable.
“During the recent TF headquarters personnel overhaul, quite a few executives under Executive Director Tae Seok-ho’s influence were removed. Naturally, Executive Director Tae Seok-ho will try to check me, so I need to prepare countermeasures.”
“Ah… I see.”
Kang In-hyuk then pulled an envelope from his desk drawer and handed it over.
“This is the investment portfolio we’ll be executing in the first half of next year. Let’s plan next year’s schedule around it.”
Baek Si-hwan noticed the confidential stamp on the envelope.
“Isn’t this… something the division director manages personally?”
“It is. If you’re to assist me without any setbacks, you’ll need to know my schedule. Review it with me.”
“Understood.”
Once Baek Si-hwan had left the office with his instructions, Hong Yu-geon, who had been waiting on the sofa, spoke up casually.
“You sure it’s okay to hand that over?”
“It’s only data on companies slated for Level B investment, so it’s fine. Besides, if I don’t show him a few openings, Baek Si-hwan will stay on guard forever.”
“Not another trap like last time?”
He was referring to the materials on the suicide attackers that Kang In-hyuk had prepared for the meeting. Even though Baek Si-hwan had claimed it was unexpected, every detail had been meticulously arranged.
“Trap? Hardly. They simply never imagined I’d use what I’d prepared against them.”
“They basically dug their own graves and jumped in.”
“Close enough.”
“So you’re really going to keep that dangerous bastard right next to you?”
Hong Yu-geon recalled the sight of Baek Si-hwan clearing out his desk at the Dae-myeong Detective Agency. From the circumstances, it was obvious Baek Si-hwan had eliminated them.
A man who could bury such cold-blooded cruelty deep inside, leave the company, and then act perfectly normal in front of Kang In-hyuk. Anyone would find it chilling.
“I have my own reasons for wanting him here.”
“He’s no pushover. What if he slips up and exposes the boss?”
“That won’t happen.”
Baek Si-hwan was even more cautious now than he had been when he knew Kang In-hyuk in the previous life. Back then, their shared UID background and TSS affiliation had allowed trust to build naturally.
But this time they had met as enemies harboring clear hostility. Any overly friendly approach would only make him more suspicious.
That was why Kang In-hyuk had given him instructions laced with just the right amount of tension, forcing him to move slowly and carefully.
“Then why did you have him investigate Reina Blackwood? If they’re on the same side, the information won’t be reliable anyway.”
“I wanted to see his reaction.”
“Reaction? What kind of reaction?”
Kang In-hyuk thought for a moment before answering.
“There’s a reason. Anyway, just don’t act any different from usual around him.”
“…Lame.”
Kang In-hyuk recalled Baek Si-hwan’s reaction when he had handed over Reina Blackwood’s information earlier.
It had been similar to, yet somehow different from, the atmosphere when they first saw her in Tae Seok-ho’s hospital room.
First came surprise. Then tension. He deliberately avoided eye contact. I feel like I’ve sensed a similar atmosphere before… Ah, that time in San Jose when he suddenly looked unwell.
In his old life he might not have noticed, but ever since returning to the past in this second life as Kang In-hyuk, such subtle cues had become increasingly clear.
At this point, he could even hear the breathing and heartbeat of anyone nearby when he focused.
Late that night.
Baek Si-hwan arrived at a villa on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province after receiving a summons from Baek Ji-woong for the first time in a while.
“I thought Tae Seok-ho would claim the position of Taeshin’s next chairman without any trouble. I never expected him to be driven into a corner like this.”
The details of the personnel reshuffle recently passed by the Taeshin Mulsan board had not been fully disclosed.
Baek Ji-woong was speaking while recalling the report Baek Si-hwan had submitted recently.
“I didn’t expect Tae Seok-ho to be taken down that way either.”
For a brief moment, a faint hint of suspicion flickered in Baek Ji-woong’s eyes.
“Weren’t you watching from right beside him? And you’re saying you really knew nothing?”
“As you know, Kang In-hyuk doesn’t trust me. He clearly knows that Tae Seok-ho planted me there. Would he really share his plans to strike at Tae Seok-ho with someone like me?”
It wasn’t an entirely unconvincing explanation.
“Hmm… So it will still be difficult for you to earn Kang In-hyuk’s trust?”
“I’m not sure about that. However, a few days ago he entrusted me with the first-half investment portfolio for next year. I believe our relationship has improved somewhat compared to before.”
The corner of Baek Ji-woong’s mouth twitched.
“In your opinion, how far do you think Kang In-hyuk will rise?”
“How far…?”
The vague question prompted a reflexive reply.
“Don’t tell me you actually believe Kang In-hyuk will be satisfied with his current position? After generating hundreds of billions in profit by running nothing but the MP division at Tae Shin Asset Management?”
“But no matter how incompetent the Tae Seok-hyun and Tae Seok-ho brothers may be, they are still Chairman Tae Geon-seung’s legitimate sons. Each holds key positions at Taeshin Electronics and Mulsan. Where would Kang In-hyuk find room to insert himself?”
“The mere fact that Chairman Tae Geon-seung is pushing Kang In-hyuk the way he is means he has already created that opening. Besides, it looks like we’ll need to prepare a different hand as well.”
Baek Si-hwan immediately understood what he meant.
“This is because Kuroki has attached herself to Tae Seok-ho. Has it been confirmed who sent that woman? And the reason behind Lee Jae-jun’s disappearance?”
He was referring to Reina Blackwood’s Japanese-style surname. Baek Si-hwan had been genuinely shocked when he saw her in Tae Seok-ho’s hospital room the other day.
But since he had been accompanying Kang In-hyuk, he had turned his gaze elsewhere without showing any reaction. He had reported it to Baek Ji-woong immediately afterward, but he had not been told who placed her there.
“It was Hyottoko. And it seems Lee Jae-jun was done in by Skull. The body was probably disposed of through Ark Cleaning.”
“One of the three elders? And Skull would be…”
“The bastard who interfered with our work. The organization has decided to call him that for now.”
“Sigh… Then what happened with Hyottoko? Didn’t he agree not to interfere in this matter?”
Baek Ji-woong let out a short sigh.
“Do you know who Hyottoko is?”
“Aren’t we supposed to avoid paying attention to our superiors?”
“You really don’t know?”
At the heavier tone of the question, Baek Si-hwan hesitated briefly before answering carefully.
“I only know he is someone within the National Intelligence Service.”
Since he was aiming for the top, it was impossible not to be interested in that place.
Baek Ji-woong continued as if he had expected the answer.
“To be precise, he is Third Deputy Director Lim Deok-chang. And recently, the project he was preparing was preempted by another party. That’s why he inserted Reina Blackwood into the Taeshin operation this time.”
Baek Si-hwan was still processing the revelation of Hyottoko’s true identity among the organization’s elders. At the same time, one piece of the situation that had not made sense to him finally clicked into place.
“Then the contact we received from Hannya the other day…”
There had been an order to submit a report on the recent operation failure, the unauthorized handling of the Dae-myeong Detective Agency, and the raid on the UID base.
Baek Ji-woong had dragged his feet as long as possible, but Reina’s sudden appearance from the United States had forced his hand. In the end, despite the humiliation, he had written and submitted the report.
He had thought the matter was settled.
But then Reina suddenly took the spot beside Tae Seok-ho and inserted herself into the plan Baek Ji-woong had been preparing.
“It must have been to assess the situation on our end. If they failed on their side, they should have stayed quiet and out of sight…”
“So Hyottoko intends to pour direct support into Tae Seok-ho through Reina.”
“It means they plan to steal our plan outright.”
Another sigh escaped.
“Then, Chairman, are you saying you intend to put forward Kang In-hyuk instead of Tae Seok-ho?”
That would mean overturning the plan the organization had established.
At Baek Si-hwan’s startled question, Baek Ji-woong smiled.
“No. That’s not possible. Instead, we must reset the board from the beginning for our sake.”
Vrrr— Vrrr—
At that moment, Baek Ji-woong’s phone began to vibrate.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The call connected, and a voice came through the receiver.
Baek Ji-woong listened quietly, his expression growing darker by the second. After he ended the call, Baek Si-hwan stepped closer and asked cautiously.
“…What’s wrong?”
“It’s a call from Redbore. The Axentia matter we thought would be wrapped up quietly has gone sideways.”
“If it’s that matter… weren’t we supposed to terminate the existing investment from AMK Partners and proceed with you instead? We agreed to pay sufficient penalty fees.”
That had been the starting point for a plan to secure cooperation with Greenbite Labs, in which Tae Shin Asset Management had invested. Given the situation so far, they had judged Axentia to be that important.
But Baek Ji-woong’s current expression told Baek Si-hwan that problems had arisen with the plan.
“AMK Partners filed a lawsuit to cancel the termination. They even hired a prominent New York law firm to represent them.”
Baek Si-hwan’s face grew serious as well.
“Won’t this cause too much delay?”
“That’s the problem.”
“From the outside, the system they’re developing there didn’t look like it would generate that much profit. What did Redbore’s due diligence on Axentia reveal?”
Of course they had investigated Axentia’s value themselves.
“Nothing in particular. But the fact that AMK is willing to go as far as filing a lawsuit means there must be a clear reason they can’t let it go.”
“The situation is going to get complicated, just as you said.”
“We can’t let AMK steal it from us again. We have to secure it somehow. Redbore seems to have been waiting for this opportunity as well.”
The mood between the two men sank even deeper.
Then Baek Ji-woong spoke again.
“It’s more important than ever for you to win Kang In-hyuk’s favor. Use that to find out exactly what technology from Axentia they’re trying to combine with Greenbite Labs.”
“I’ve been observing him constantly, but I still don’t have access to information at that level.”
“It may take more time, but keep knocking on the door. In the meantime, I’ll try to ride along with Hyottoko’s plan.”
Baek Si-hwan nodded quietly.
As he did, he began thinking about what he could do to earn even more of Kang In-hyuk’s trust.