Chapter 172
Chapter 172
Chapter 172. An Unforeseen Situation
In the KITE training facility of the MH Future Security building, several people were gathered for sparring practice.
However, unlike a typical sparring session, three people were surrounded by numerous security guards.
Thwack— Thwack-thwack—
“How can a person fight like that?”
“Is that kind of movement even possible?”
“His build alone is monstrous. Yet he’s that fast?”
The three people currently sparring with the security guards were Wen Wei, Hector Hammond, and Rick Watson.
There, Hector used fast tackles to close in on his opponents, showcasing various joint locks and chokes. Rick, on the other hand, relied solely on strength and speed, lacking technique. Nevertheless, he overwhelmed and pushed back the numerous security guards.
Meanwhile, Wei was facing Meian alone, employing his original style, the Combat Fist.
These three had suddenly been hired as KITE security personnel and were currently demonstrating their immense skills.
Jeong Gang-ho, the chief instructor, watched the situation from one side, impressed.
“Chief Wen Wei, and those others—where on earth did you bring such people from?”
Shinwoo stood beside him, also observing.
“It’s thanks to the destined connections granted by heaven.”
“…I didn’t realize the CEO had such sentimental sides.”
“I wasn’t originally like that, but after experiencing a miracle, I seem to have developed a bit of that side.”
“A miracle?”
“Something like that exists.”
Even as the conversation flowed, the sparring reached its final stage.
Soon, all the security guards who participated in the sparring fell, and only the three remained standing.
In the meantime, Wei looked down at Meian, who was sprawled on the floor, and laughed triumphantly.
“50 bouts, 50 wins, 0 losses. Hmph—!”
“Damn it!”
Meian ultimately failed to win the 50th bout either.
Seeing this, Jeong Gang-ho spoke with a worried expression.
“This… I’m concerned this might just be demoralizing the staff through sparring.”
“There will be growth through experience. That’s unnecessary worry. Look at the current situation at KITE.”
Jeong Gang-ho could not deny Shinwoo’s words. Since Chief Wen Wei took charge of practical training whenever he could, the security guards’ skills had improved, boosting their confidence and increasing their growth rate in their duties.
“That is true.”
After finishing the sparring, the three approached Shinwoo.
“You worked hard.”
“CEO—aren’t you going to join? I thought we might spar for the first time in a while.”
It was Rick’s question.
“Shall we? Who wants to try? Rick? Hector?”
Shinwoo asked because he occasionally sparred with Wei and Lillian as a warm-up. Moreover, Shinwoo had been very busy lately, making it feel like ages since he properly warmed up, so he was interested.
“Spar with me.”
Hector stepped forward. Rick looked disappointed, as if he had also intended to raise his hand.
“Just the two of us for a long time, how about it?”
Hector and Rick were slightly surprised by the question.
“Are you trying to check our skills?”
“Oh~ Boss! Hector hyung-nim and I were just on the battlefield until recently. Aren’t you being a bit too confident?”
In actual combat, even a small mistake could mean life or death. Because of that, experience stronger than any training was inevitably etched into their bodies.
The two men had spent just over a year in a battlefield riddled with such real combat situations.
“That’s why I want to check.”
Shinwoo took off his jacket and tie, handing them to his secretary, Jang Jin-ho, before walking to the center of the training area.
Seeing this, Hector and Rick followed suit, taking positions at the 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock directions, respectively.
Perhaps because it was a sparring session Shinwoo was participating in after a long time, the other guards who had been training also gathered around. Then, Hector exchanged a look with Rick, as if signaling, and immediately charged forward.
Rick took the initiative. A large fist, without even a hint of hesitation, swung toward Shinwoo’s face.
If I create an opening that forces him to dodge to the left—!
With that thought, Shinwoo shifted his body to the left. Simultaneously, Hector, who had closed the distance, wrapped his arms around Shinwoo’s leg, attempting to take him down with a grappling technique.
Crack— Thwack—
At that moment, Shinwoo jumped sideways, knocked Hector’s arm away with a kick, and rolled.
Rick followed immediately in that direction, unleashing a heavy attack.
Whoosh— Thud—
The complex attacks from the two rained down on Shinwoo. Nevertheless, Shinwoo managed to insert punches and kicks here and there while changing the direction of the attack or evading in response.
Thwack-thwack-thwack— Thwack-thwack—
“How long have you two been together that your coordination is this good?”
Without answering, the offensive from the two intensified.
Shinwoo dodged sideways more urgently, but Hector burst out from a direction he hadn't reacted to in time, tackling him.
CRASH—
Even as they tumbled on the floor, Shinwoo and Hector moved rapidly to secure a killing position.
His techniques are sharper. Rick’s attacks are heavier too. Even the speed that was slightly lacking before has increased.
Hector’s specialized skill, marksmanship, was inherently weak against opponents who closed in to a distance where aiming became difficult.
Because of this, Combat Sambo, the martial art Hector had learned, allowed him to quietly and quickly neutralize enemies in situations where aiming was hard.
As a result, every time Hector managed to grab Shinwoo’s arm or leg joints, Shinwoo quickly twisted his body to escape.
Snap—
Finally escaping Hector’s technique, Shinwoo rolled on the floor and got back up.
“Got you—!”
At that moment, Rick, having predicted Shinwoo’s evasion direction, had already moved to his side and delivered a kick that felt like swinging a log.
Smack—
Shinwoo barely managed to raise his arm to block, but the impact sent him rolling several times sideways. He immediately got up and charged toward Rick.
“Oh~ Head-on!”
Rick shouted with delight, throwing a punch at Shinwoo.
Meanwhile, Hector moved behind Rick, waiting in the blind spot to anticipate Shinwoo’s evasion direction.
It was instantaneous.
Simultaneously, Shinwoo narrowly dodged Rick’s attack, pulled back, and used a spinning heel kick to strike the back of Rick’s supporting leg, collapsing his posture.
“Huh—?”
The follow-up attack from behind continued swiftly.
Shinwoo’s reverse spin kick delivered a short strike to the torso, causing Rick to collapse backward completely.
CRUMP—
Shinwoo immediately moved on top of Rick and threw a punch toward his face.
“Give up!”
Rick shouted.
The punch stopped just short of connecting with Rick’s face.
“Your attacks are fiercer than I expected. That was genuinely dangerous.”
“That’s rich, coming from the person who just beat the two of us?”
Shinwoo smiled happily.
“There were a few moments that were truly dangerous. Anyone else would have definitely been taken down.”
At this, Rick scratched his head while lying down. But someone tapped Rick’s shoulder from behind (?).
“…Move.”
Hector was currently pinned underneath Rick, who weighed about 130kg.
Shinwoo, startled, got off Rick and helped him up.
“Sorry. I didn’t think about that.”
“I thought I was going to die from the weight.”
Saying that, Hector brushed off his clothes and stood up.
“Sorry, Hector hyung-nim.”
“It’s fine.”
As everyone returned to their original spots, the surrounding people were slack-jawed from witnessing the sparring match.
Hector and Rick’s capabilities were formidable, but the fact that Shinwoo endured both of them alone and still won was astonishing.
While such reactions were occurring around him, Shinwoo’s gaze drifted toward the entrance of the training area. Standing there were Jang Man-soo and Eom Ayoung, the CEO of Breath Film.
“You guys clean up.”
Shinwoo immediately approached them and spoke.
“…How did you get here?”
“We had urgent business.”
“Did you guide her here personally?”
“She said it was urgent, so I came along.”
Shinwoo frowned slightly, then looked back at Eom Ayoung.
“Coming without notice means the matter must be extremely urgent.”
“…Did you perhaps not receive any communication from Chairman Myung Joong-hwan?”
“Chairman?”
Shinwoo still didn't understand what she was talking about.
“My appearance is a bit rough right now… Could you please wait in my office for a moment? Secretary Jang, please show them the way.”
“You can take your time coming up.”
Eom Ayoung left with Jang Jin-ho down the corridor.
Meanwhile, Shinwoo was about to head to the shower room when he looked at Jang Man-soo.
“…Why the expression?”
“Huh? What expression?”
He seemed somewhat pleased.
Soon, Wei, Hector, and Rick followed. Since they were all sweaty from sparring, they intended to shower together.
Rick then asked with a curious expression.
“Boss! Who was that woman just now?”
“Someone I know through business.”
“…Business?”
At Rick’s question, Jang Man-soo and Wei looked at Shinwoo strangely.
“Is that really all?”
“Yoo-hoo~!”
Shinwoo shook his head at their strange interjections and went into the shower room to wash up. He finished faster than his colleagues and went up to his office where Eom Ayoung was waiting.
Inside, Eom Ayoung was drinking coffee served by Jang Jin-ho.
“You really could have taken your time.”
“I cannot keep a guest waiting long.”
Jang Jin-ho brought a cold canned drink and placed it in front of Shinwoo before leaving.
“Thank you for taking care of things.”
“It’s nothing. So, did our Chairman not tell me anything? Unless it’s a matter of considerable importance, CEO Eom wouldn’t usually come so suddenly.”
At the question, Eom Ayoung let out a slight sigh and spoke slowly.
“I might have caused a misunderstanding because I was a bit overly dramatic about some recent matters at home…”
“…What misunderstanding?”
Shinwoo couldn't help but frown.
On the other hand, Eom Ayoung hesitated, as if the situation was quite awkward.
“It seems he proposed an arranged marriage meeting…”
Shinwoo’s confusion deepened at the even more incomprehensible situation.
Of course, he knew the word ‘matchmaking meeting’ (Miseon). Eom Ayoung was 28 this year. Her family was the QA Group, heavily armed in the media industry, so talk of a political marriage arranged through a matchmaking meeting was entirely plausible.
“First of all, congratulations on the matchmaking meeting. But why are you telling me about CEO Eom’s matchmaking meeting?”
“……”
Eom Ayoung seemed slightly frustrated, cleared her throat, and spoke again.
“…Because my matchmaking partner is CEO Baek Shin-woo.”
“Ptooey—!”
Shinwoo, who had been drinking his beverage, couldn't help but spit it out upon hearing that. Fortunately, he quickly turned his head sideways so that Eom Ayoung was not hit.
Eom Ayoung was startled by his reaction and quickly pulled out a tissue from the table.
“Are you alright?!”
“Cough! Cough! I’m fine. But… the matchmaking partner is me?”
Shinwoo asked, wiping his mouth, clothes, and the table with the tissue Eom Ayoung handed him.
“What I said about CEO Baek to my family seems to have been slightly exaggerated.”
“What exactly did you say about me?”
At that moment, Eom Ayoung’s face flushed, and she fanned herself with her hand.
“Oh, just this and that. Anyway, I heard my father spoke to Chairman Myung Joong-hwan, so I came right away.”
However, Shinwoo had heard nothing from Myung Joong-hwan.
“I’ve been busy, so I haven't had a reason to visit the headquarters yet, so it seems the message hasn't been delivered.”
“I thought you had already heard and were contemplating it. If I had known this, I should have gone directly to Chairman Myung Joong-hwan to speak with him.”
Her slightly reddened cheeks had not calmed down yet.
Shinwoo let out a slight sigh.
“I don’t know what I should say to you.”
“I will handle the rest. I apologize for making you worry unnecessarily.”
“Not at all. It’s not strange for such talk to circulate in this industry.”
As Shinwoo said that, he felt eyes on him.
Over the translucent glass partition of the adjacent office, the heads of Jang Man-soo and his colleagues were slightly visible. It was the same sight as when Eom Ayoung had visited last time.
Whoosh—
【Fighting, please!】
The message Jang Man-soo sent was the same as last time.
Shinwoo ignored it without replying and continued speaking.
“And if that topic comes up with me, I will refuse it.”
This was because he didn't know what schemes Myung Joong-hwan or his brothers might hatch regarding the contact point with the QA Group if Eom Ayoung went to see Myung Joong-hwan.
Therefore, Shinwoo felt the need to draw a firm line rather than give any more pretext.
“…Understood. Please do that. Since my business here is concluded, I will be leaving now.”
“Please be careful on your way.”
“Ah! In a while, there will be a preview screening for ‘Extreme Detective.’ You can come, right?”
MH Future Security was the largest investor in that film.
“Has it gotten to that point already?”
“The progress has been rather fast.”
“Hmm… I will decide after checking my schedule for the screening.”
“I really hope you can come.”
Eom Ayoung still wore a look of slight disappointment. Then, after exchanging farewells with Shinwoo, she left.
Watching her retreating figure, Shinwoo let out a shallow sigh and returned to his seat.