Chapter 131
Chapter 131
131.
Who Said They'd Give Me Rice Cake? (1)
Late at night.
Sizzle—
A savory aroma of grilled meat wafted from the rooftop of Building C in DN Village, Hannam-dong, accompanied by a loud sizzling sound.
There, Jang Man-soo was grilling a generous amount of pork belly on a barbecue grill.
“Yoo-hoo! They should be arriving soon.”
Mark Freeman, Shinwoo's bodyguard, stood beside him with three others.
Jang Man-soo checked his wristwatch and squinted at them.
“Are you just going to stand there like that?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Don’t just stand there doing nothing. Go over there and pick some lettuce and perilla leaves.”
Jang Man-soo pointed to a seven-pyeong greenhouse located on one side of the rooftop. Inside, a vegetable garden thrived with lettuce, perilla leaves, chili peppers, and cherry tomatoes.
Mark, not yet accustomed to Korean life, looked bewildered.
“…From over there?”
“Break off the firm leaves for the lettuce, and just pick the leaves for the perilla. Put them in that basket over there.”
The others, like Mark, stared at each other, dumbfounded.
In response, Jang Man-soo made a loud noise with the tongs he was using to pick up the meat.
Clack— Clack—
“Right now! Hurry up!”
Mark grabbed a basket and headed to the vegetable garden with the other three.
Meanwhile, the rooftop door opened, and Shinwoo, Wei, and Meian entered.
“Are you already grilling?”
“You’re here?”
“Why do you want to grill meat at this late hour? Especially in the dead of winter.”
“Meat always tastes best when it’s cold. It’s almost ready, so hurry inside and sit down.”
In the center of the rooftop, a canopy tent resembling a street stall was set up, complete with a table and chairs inside.
“…You really go out of your way to suffer.”
“We have to celebrate now that an important plan is bearing fruit. But what’s up with those two?”
Wen Wei and Meian, who were standing behind Shinwoo, were bickering.
“They’re always like that.”
“It’s exhausting.”
At Jang Man-soo’s grumbling, Shinwoo approached him and patted him on the shoulder.
“…I don’t think you’re one to talk.”
“Why not?”
“Are you really asking?”
Bang—
At that moment, the rooftop door swung open violently, and Lillian stormed in.
“Hey! Jang Man-soo! Who told you to park the D3 Point vehicle in such a way?!”
She seemed furious for some reason.
“What about it? It’s a Persche 911, as conspicuous as you requested for D3.”
“It’s pink! Do you know how embarrassed I was driving around in that?”
“If you’re moving around disguised as Cui Xun, you need to be conspicuous. And that color isn’t pink, it’s Lovely Red, got it?”
The last words were a Code used only among colleagues.
Lillian had no choice but to use the Code as well.
“Red or pink! Are you holding a memorial service for me to get sniped?”
“They probably could only track you anyway, so that won’t happen. Oh, did you dispose of the car properly? Don’t leave any traces.”
“Do you think I’m you?!”
Jang Man-soo and Lillian started arguing as usual.
Shinwoo sighed and looked at Mark and his colleagues, who had approached him. But when he saw the basket full of lettuce and perilla leaves, he tilted his head in confusion.
“…What’s that?”
“Department Head Jang Man-soo told us to pick them from over there.”
“Yes, well, I figured that much… Are you planning to eat all of that today?”
The amount piled in the basket started at Mark’s waist and reached below his neck. It looked so precarious that it seemed like it would collapse with even a slight gust of wind.
Soon, Jang Man-soo, who had been fighting with Lillian, noticed it too.
“How much did you pick? Did you destroy the vegetable garden?”
Jang Man-soo handed the tongs to Shinwoo and immediately ran to the greenhouse. He opened the door and saw the lettuce and perilla leaf sections with only stems and roots remaining.
“Ah……”
For a moment, Jang Man-soo was about to say something, but he remembered that he hadn’t specified how much to pick, so he sighed and returned.
Shinwoo transferred the grilled meat to a plate and patted Jang Man-soo on the shoulder again.
“Is it a mess?”
“It’s been wrecked.”
“Should I buy some more meat?”
With the amount of lettuce and perilla leaves Mark was holding, it seemed like there wouldn’t be enough even if they wrapped each piece of meat.
“It’s okay. There’s plenty of meat.”
“I’ll grill from now on, so go inside, set up, and let’s eat.”
“We’ll be grilling Korean beef inside, so eat moderately and come in.”
“Ok.”
Jang Man-soo took Mark and his colleagues inside.
Meanwhile, Lillian glared at Jang Man-soo briefly before approaching Shinwoo.
“Did things go well at the junkyard? I heard Dorothy came.”
In fact, Shinwoo had followed Ahn Sang-hye, a prosecutor from the Central District Prosecutor’s Office, and confirmed that she was meeting Kwak Chi-young at the junkyard. Of course, he couldn’t get close because Kwak Chi-young’s 666 Unit members were all around, so he could only eavesdrop from a distance using a directional microphone.
“I knew she’d move because of Cui Xun, but she came sooner than expected.”
“The boss’s plan worked perfectly.”
“From what we heard, Dorothy will think that Cui Xun is in cahoots with Kwak Chi-young. Of course, that misunderstanding won’t last long, but she won’t be able to completely erase her suspicion.”
It started as a coincidence to embezzle Ray Sung Group’s slush funds. That incident sparked new suspicion in Dorothy McDaniel, and Shinwoo and his colleagues watered it to make it bloom into a flower.
“I never thought those meticulous bastards would make such a blunder.”
“The solidarity we thought was strong was more fragile than we thought. And thanks for your hard work. It must have been tough traveling around changing disguises everywhere.”
Lillian, who was officially on a business trip, traveled around Southeast Asia, Russia, and Korea in the guise of Cui Xun. On purpose, so she could be tracked.
Of course, that was only possible if Dorothy caught the traces, and as they hoped, she took the bait without an inch of error.
“It’s something I’ve been doing all along. It was tiring to move around, but if I can screw those bastards over as much as possible, then thank you.”
“Thanks for taking it so well. Let’s go inside and eat quickly.”
Shinwoo packed up the rest of the grilled meat and entered the tent with Lillian.
* * *
A few days later.
Shinwoo, who was about to resume work after lunch, suddenly had a meeting scheduled at MH Group headquarters, so he went down to the 12th floor.
There, the headquarters executives and the heads of each affiliate, who had been notified in advance, had already arrived and were seated.
Shinwoo’s appearance quieted the slightly chaotic atmosphere. He walked past the people and took a seat in an empty spot.
Everyone glanced at Shinwoo and said something.
“Is that rumor true? That he’s going to challenge the position of CEO of MH Distribution because of this incident……”
“Honestly, it’s not a small matter, so it’s understandable.”
“But there’s no evidence, is there?”
“Is that important? I heard the shareholders are complaining. Especially because of the MH Electronics and MH Foods incidents……”
The person who spoke the last words didn’t finish his sentence, mindful of Myung In-chul and Myung Sung-chul, who were sitting near the center of the conference room.
At the same time, Shinwoo could guess why this meeting had been called.
‘I thought it was a sudden meeting, but was it like a hearing like last time?’
As time passed, Myung Joong-hwan entered with Im Hee-yeon and Gu Sang-ho and sat in the center seat at the far end.
“The reason I called you all here today is because there’s been a lot of talk.”
“……”
Everyone was silent.
At that sight, Myung Joong-hwan scanned them with sharp eyes.
“A while ago, there was a lot of talk about me, but why is it so quiet today? If I’ve arranged a place, shouldn’t you say something?”
As the atmosphere grew heavy, Executive Director Lee Byung-jin, a headquarters executive, stepped forward.
“I don’t think CEO Baek Shin-woo’s charges are light. Currently, it’s affecting the stock prices of MH Group and all its affiliates.”
As Shinwoo had expected, the purpose of this meeting was to question his qualifications.
Lee Byung-jin continued to speak.
“Why did something like this happen? It’s because MH Future Security was operated without even forming a board of directors in the first place. If anyone could have checked the management system, they could have prevented it before the prosecution moved.”
Lee Byung-jin was one of those who had tried to take a piece of the pie from MH Future Security in the past.
But when Shinwoo blocked him with the investment and base funds he had attracted, it seemed like he had been grinding his teeth even more since then.
“Therefore, for the sake of MH Group, I think we should limit CEO Baek Shin-woo’s authority and reorganize the entire system by forming a board of directors for MH Future Security, even now.”
Despite the lengthy explanation, Myung Joong-hwan didn’t budge.
Reaffirming that, Lee Byung-jin spoke again to keep the flow going.
“Also, the same goes for MH Distribution, which is currently being established and reorganized. Can we guarantee that something like this won’t happen again if it’s created in its current state? Moreover, it’s distribution. It has numerous subsidiaries under its umbrella, such as logistics, delivery, and cargo, which CEO Baek Shin-woo has no experience in. Can he handle that?”
Some executives and affiliate presidents and CEOs nodded.
Shinwoo knew which of them were on Lee Byung-jin’s side.
‘They’re taking this opportunity to pounce and tear me apart.’
As if to support Lee Byung-jin, Managing Director Kang Won-sook stepped forward.
“I agree with Executive Director Lee. There’s a limit to authority. I think this kind of thing can only happen because he handles things independently without a board of directors.”
“That’s right! We need to form a board of directors now so that our company can prepare adequately!”
A few executives, presidents, and CEOs started to step forward as if a dam had burst.
Meanwhile, Shinwoo wore an indifferent expression.
‘I don’t know if they’re really lacking in development or creativity……’
People’s voices grew louder and louder.
Then, Myung Joong-hwan turned on the microphone and tapped it.
Thud— Thud—
At the same time, people closed their mouths and turned their attention to Myung Joong-hwan.
“The protagonist of this incident has been quiet since earlier. Do you have anything to say about what has been said so far?”
This time, those gazes turned to Shinwoo.
Shinwoo could understand why Myung Joong-hwan had created the current situation.
“Hoo… I’m really sick of this.”
At that moment, the faces of Lee Byung-jin and several others were deeply furrowed.
“What did you just say?”
“I don’t think my voice was quiet. Didn’t you understand?”
Everyone was dumbfounded by the absurd words.
Shinwoo watched their expressions and continued to speak.
“Is there anyone here who has helped me build this company?”
Let alone help, there couldn’t be such a person. Knowing that well, they kept their mouths shut.
“What are you going to do inside MH Future Security? Do you think there’s something to gain because the funds being managed are substantial?”
Lee Byung-jin stood up abruptly.
“That’s too harsh!”
“Have you already forgotten the incident that happened because of the backgrounds of the executives you recommended in the past?”
As Shinwoo said that, he shifted his gaze to a few people. He continued to speak, taking out an 8-Sided Dice from his pocket and rolling it in his hand.
Clatter— Clatter—
“Assault in a room salon, rebates, even playing the bully. Oh, Director Oh Jin-gwang, who was involved in the room salon incident, was indicted and dismissed shortly after, right? Managing Director Kim Jung-wook is in the middle of a lawsuit. I heard that Managing Director Kang Won-sook’s son is causing a lot of trouble even at the school he was forcibly transferred to. It seems like he still needs more character education.”
Kang Won-sook, who was in the current seat, as well as Oh Jin-gwang and Kim Jung-wook’s company presidents, Nam Eui-sung of MH Card and Myung Sung-chul of MH Retail, couldn’t help but grimace.
“Those are things of the past! This time, we’ll properly……!”
“You’re going to recommend them after hiding them properly? Seeing as this kind of meeting has been set up, I think you’ve prepared something.”
Lee Byung-jin, who met his eyes, seemed greatly displeased, with even the veins on his forehead twitching.
“I have prepared something, of course. Properly, that is.”
“Can I see it? If there’s really no problem, I’ll accept them as executives of MH Future Security as you said.”
At that moment, the eyes of Lee Byung-jin and his close associates sparkled.
“Really?”
Recently, Im Hee-yeon had even moved the General Audit Office, resulting in a large-scale investigation of the headquarters and affiliates.
In the meantime, Lee Byung-jin and his close associates had selected only people who were flawless and would move according to their wishes for the list for this opportunity.
“If there’s nothing to object to, let’s decide right here and now. How about it?”
Lee Byung-jin, thinking he had taken the bait, smiled. He instructed his secretary, who was waiting outside, to bring the recommendation list.