My Chaebol Errand Boy, Part 2
As I walked down the foot of the mountain, sorting through my thoughts, I spotted a luxury sedan parked nearby. And the person sitting in the driver's seat was... that slightly punkish-looking guy, Gyeon Geumsu.
"Ah."
—In that case, I'll head down first and come back tomorrow! Miss Dohwa, please make sure to introduce me to your twin sister later, just as you promised!
"Oh...? Why is the heir of Ohsung here—"
"Daoist Fairy, wait a moment." I pulled Hyeonsongcheonnyeo aside and quickly explained the situation.
"...So, you are currently using both 'Eung-eungi' and 'Peach Blossom Fairy' on the Jin Moorim Gallery, pretending to be two completely different people?"
"Yes."
"And people suspect Eung-eungi and Peach Blossom Fairy are sisters."
"Exactly."
"And you told that punk from the Ohsung Group that the two of you are twin sisters."
"Yep."
"Right now, he thinks you are Cheon Dohwa, and you promised to introduce him to Cheon Doyeon."
"Precisely."
"...Doyeon." Hyeonsongcheonnyeo looked at me with an expression she had never directed at me before. "What on earth are you planning?" It was pure, unadulterated pity.
"Hey, it's not like I wanted things to turn out this way! I somehow ended up drawing the ire of the leader of the Black Heaven Demonic Sect!"
"Just what in the world did you do in a single day to—"
"Anyway, that's why! Just play along with me for now. I need to milk this pushover for all he's worth."
How dare he mock me as a penniless loser who doesn't know martial arts? It's payback time, you little punk.
Hearing Cheon Doyeon's shameless declaration, Hyeonsongcheonnyeo was left utterly speechless. Milk him for all he's worth? Her disciple—or rather, the girl she had earmarked to be one—was planning to extort a man, even if the man was technically in the wrong. As a Taoist and a prospective master, what was she supposed to say to this?
"...Fine, for now. Setting aside whether this is morally right, how do you even plan to pull this off?" Hyeonsongcheonnyeo decided to argue that it was impossible, hoping to convince her to give up before she even started. "Even if you claim to be twin sisters, two different people will have different memories and behaviors. Even if he believes you now, won't he eventually find out if you spend any significant time together?"
"That's why I need your help. I've got it all figured out."
"...Hmm." Hyeonsongcheonnyeo fell into deep thought. Yes, perhaps it is better for her to learn a harsh lesson this time. Children grew by falling, after all. It was better for her to trip and fall spectacularly while an adult was watching to clean up the mess. "Very well. What is it you require of this poor Taoist? Shall I back up your story?"
"No. Just don't get in my way."
"Oh...?" Seeing her so confident, Hyeonsongcheonnyeo's curiosity was piqued.
"Understood. This poor Taoist shall merely watch how you handle this. And on the off chance we run into him, I will play along."
"Thanks. Do you happen to have a hair tie?"
"A hair tie? Here." Cheon Doyeon gathered her long, peach-blossom-colored hair to tie it into a ponytail... or rather, she tried to, but failed miserably.
"Ah, damn it. This is harder than it looks."
"Give it here. This poor Taoist will do it for you." After a bit of fumbling, her hair was finally tied back, exposing Cheon Doyeon's pale, slender neck.
"Ahem." Clearing her throat, she quickly adjusted her luggage and clothes before marching straight toward Gyeon Geumsu, who was leaning against his car. Hyeonsongcheonnyeo concealed her presence and watched from behind. Now, let us see how she handles this.
Right before her eyes, Cheon Doyeon marched right up to him and—
"Hey, you son of a bitch!!! You're that Mangeumgeol bastard, aren't you?!"
—smacked Gyeon Geumsu right on the back of his head.
!?!? A massive rush of dopamine flooded Hyeonsongcheonnyeo's brain. As expected, life would never be boring with this child around.
"Argh?!" Struck suddenly from behind, Gyeon Geumsu instinctively reached for his dagger. Then, he froze. Standing before him was, once again, a goddess descended from the heavens.
"It's me, you punk!!"
Though she was supposed to be Peach Blossom Fairy's twin sister, she was just as breathtakingly beautiful as her younger sibling.
Cheon Doyeon had managed to pull off this multitasking feat even while fuming. But from Gyeon Geumsu's perspective, they simply looked like twin sisters with completely opposite personalities.
"Uh... so, are you Eung-eungi from the Jin Moorim Gallery?"
"Yeah! I'm the woman you laughed at after tossing me that pathetic Three Talents Sword Style!"
"I was truly in the wrong back then!" The third-generation chaebol heir of the Ohsung Group bent his waist at a perfect ninety-degree angle. "Aigoo, I'm so sorry! I really didn't know you were in actual danger! I just thought you were some penniless beggar, so I...!"
"Hey, you punk! Is 'sorry' all you've got?! Is that it, huh?!" Cheon Doyeon locked Gyeon Geumsu's neck in a tight headlock.
"Urgh...!" Gyeon Geumsu's face flushed bright red as the blood rushed to his head.
Hehe, perfect. There's no way he'll recognize me like this. The plan was simple. Cheon Doyeon (Eung-eungi) was the tomboyish, masculine older sister. Cheon Dohwa (Peach Blossom Fairy) was the sweet, feminine younger sister. A flawless division of roles.
Besides, there's no woman in the world who can act more masculine than me. Why? Because she used to be an actual guy! All she had to do was act like her usual self, and the problem was solved. This was a winning hand that only she could play in this world.
"Hey, use your head. If you did something wrong, shouldn't you offer a peace offering?" She shook him slightly while keeping him locked in the headlock.
"Public opinion about you on the Jin Moorim Gallery is already trash. What do you think will happen if I start crying online and expose you?"
"A-Alright! I get it! Just let go of me first, please!"
However, there was one crucial fact Cheon Doyeon was completely overlooking. When a woman initiated physical contact with a man the way men did with each other, the effect was nothing short of a nuclear bomb.
They're... they're touching...!! To make matters worse, Cheon Doyeon's chest was massive. Extremely so. Getting locked in a headlock by a body like that was bound to suck the soul right out of any man.
If Cheon Doyeon had handed him a contract saying, "Hey, this is a co-signing agreement under your name, put your thumbprint and signature here," Gyeon Geumsu would have pressed his ink-stained thumb down without a single shred of resistance. He probably would have even asked for a pen to sign it.
Fortunately—and unfortunately—Cheon Doyeon had absolutely no idea what kind of havoc her body was wreaking.
Man, this kid must be really terrified. He got so obedient after just one headlock. Releasing him, she hopped into the car as if she owned it.
"Hey, drive."
"Ugh..."
"Hey!"
"A-Alright. Where would you like to go?"
"Gaeseong downtown, obviously. You're going to pay for your sins with a smartphone. Actually, make that two—one for my little sister, too!"
"...Wait, why have you been speaking down to me this whole time?"
"This punk is talking back to his big sis? You want me to upload everything right now? Huh? You want to get ganged up on and beaten to death by the entire Murim?"
"No... I don't mind if you're my big sis, but..." Is she really older than me? She doesn't look like it. "...Are you really older than me?"
"Older? Wow, you're a real creep, aren't you? Is that how you look at someone you just met?"
"No, that's not...!" Gyeon Geumsu was utterly speechless. How did she manage to fire back with two words for every single one of his?
"Well, I guess with a personality like that, she wouldn't be intimidated by those terrifying masters..."
"Are you talking trash about me right in front of my face?"
"You really don't let anything slide..." Grumbling under his breath, he drove the car toward downtown Gaeseong.
Yet, despite himself, his eyes kept drifting to the passenger seat. How can a human being look like this?
Growing up as a third-generation chaebol, he had seen plenty of beautiful women, even without actively seeking them out. But even to someone like Gyeon Geumsu, the beauty of Cheon Doyeon and Cheon Dohwa was... something on a completely different plane, far beyond top-tier.
Last night had been too dark to see Cheon Dohwa's face clearly, yet he had still thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. Seeing her twin in the bright light of day, his astonishment only deepened.
Everything was flawless—the shape of her features, her skin, and even her figure. He could even swear he smelled something sweet. A floral scent drifted through the car, even though he didn't use any air fresheners.
"...By the way, did you say a smartphone earlier?"
"Why? Isn't that cheaper than becoming the ultimate piece of trash to the masters of the Jin Moorim Gallery?"
"No, it's not that... If it's a smartphone you want, let's head to my store."
"Your store?"
"Don't you know who I am? My family owns Ohsung. The Ohsung."
Ah, right. When it came to smartphones, Ohsung was the most famous manufacturer in the Korean Empire.
"But you guys can't manufacture any new ones anyway, right? Weren't your warehouses completely looted?"
"It's true we lost a lot, but we still have far more stock than anyone else."
Gyeon Geumsu skillfully navigated the streets of Gaeseong. The city was just as ruined as Seoul, with cracked asphalt, roads blocked by collapsed buildings, and sinkholes to avoid.
"Why are there no cars over there?"
"The bridge up ahead collapsed, so it's blocked... Ah, there it is. My store." Gyeon Geumsu parked the car in front of a shop. "Go on inside and take a look around. I'll head up after making a quick call." In reality, he wasn't making a call; he just needed a moment to calm his racing heart.
"Sure." The spacious interior of the store was stocked with various goods previously manufactured by Ohsung. I headed straight for the smartphone section. So this is the latest model I've only heard rumors about.
Since production had ground to a halt after the Gate Outbreak, even the "latest" model was essentially a ten-year-old phone. With limited supply and existing devices constantly breaking down, the price of electronics had skyrocketed over time. As a result, the latest phone currently cost a whopping thirty million won. Two of them would be sixty million won.
...Still, asking for two of these might be pushing it, right? Or was it? If he was a third-generation chaebol, maybe buying two of these was pocket change to him? Honestly, I had no idea how much money Gyeon Geumsu could throw around at his own discretion.
"Hmm..." The only reason I was trying to squeeze Gyeon Geumsu was because I knew there wouldn't be any messy aftermath. I didn't want to go overboard, extort him blindly, and end up making an enemy. Then... how about this one?
An older model manufactured thirteen years ago. Price: eight million won each. Or maybe even this would be enough just for browsing the gallery and messaging. An ancient model from seventeen years ago. Three million won each.
But is three million won too cheap? The guy technically owes me his life... Maybe the eight-million-won one is a good middle ground?
A female employee called out to me. "Excuse me, miss."
"..."
"Miss!"
"Ah, yes, me?" The word "miss" still didn't register with me immediately, causing a slight delay in my response. In that brief moment, the employee marched right up to me and barked sharply:
"Could you show me what's inside your pockets?"
"...Excuse me?"
"Your pockets! I asked you to show me what's inside them!!"
...Wait, am I being accused of shoplifting right now?
"Uh... I didn't steal anything. I was just looking around—"
"Just cooperate! Security!"
"What's going on?!" Two burly security guards came rushing over.
"Grab this woman. She was trying to steal something!"
"What?! I didn't do anything!"
"Just stay still."
"Do not resist!"
"Ah, fine! Search me, go ahead! There's absolutely nothing in my pockets anyway!"
The employee thrust her hand into my pocket and pulled it out. "Then what is this?" In her hand was the three-million-won ancient phone I had been looking at earlier.
A nasty smirk twisted the employee's lips. "Ha... looks like we have a problem here. Follow me. Unless you want to go to jail, we need to talk about a settlement fee."
...Ah. I immediately understood what was happening. This absolute bitch. She was framing me to extort a settlement?
When my expression hardened, the employee let out a snide chuckle. "What? Got something to say?" She crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Think carefully about whose word the local authorities in Gaeseong will believe—Ohsung's, or yours. Now, make your choice. Are you going to walk, or do we have to drag you?"