Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Royal Family 4-3
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No one could have anticipated that Ilshin Chemical would come out of Seo Ji-hyeok's mouth.
Her slightly parted lips betrayed just how shocked she was, and Ji-hyeok couldn't help but find it a little cute.
"Ilshin... Chemical? That's..."
"The section chief and the executive director handle the front, while we strike from behind. No matter how well they negotiate, the land price won't exceed 20 billion won at most."
"Probably... yeah."
"I'm aiming to make 100 billion from that land."
"Pardon? 100 billion?"
"We've got Taesung's weakness in our grasp and ruined one man's life with it. Don't we deserve that much in return?"
The man Ji-hyeok was referring to was the former CEO of Taesung Chemical at the time.
Han Ji-young understood intellectually, but something about the setting made a chill run down her spine.
"So... what method do you have in mind?"
"Chairman Kim Ho-sun of Ilshin Chemical has a special fondness for his grandson. He's even planning to pass on more shares to him than to his own son."
"And?"
"Every Friday night, Kim Jeong-sik throws a wild party here. He can't get into the real chaebol hangouts, so he plays king in this place."
"Don't all rich kids party like that? Acting all high and mighty?"
"They do drugs."
"Pardon? Dr... drugs?"
Han Ji-young's mouth fell open slightly once more.
Was there any day in her life when she'd been this shocked so many times?
Drugs... It was a word she'd only seen on the news.
She even started stuttering, which wasn't like her at all.
"The woman who showed us in earlier is this club's VVIP manager. She installed a hidden camera in the room where Kim Jeong-sik will be. Once he arrives, drugs will be brought in. He'll go wild, and we'll get the footage. The VVIP manager wandering the hall would draw suspicion, so we booked this room too."
"And what do we do with that?"
"We'll use it as leverage in negotiations with Chairman Kim Ho-sun. In simple terms, blackmail. Drug crimes mean real prison time. Even for a first offense, you're lucky to get probation. But Chairman Kim won't want any blemish on his grandson's record, so he'll pay to make it go away."
"That's..."
"You're not about to say it's not right or something, are you?"
"You're right. That was exactly what I was going to say."
"Does 'right' even exist in business? Isn't everything just a deal between the powerful and the desperate?"
"Still, there's such a thing as a line."
"No. You've always been one of the powerful in Taesung's strategy office, so you think what you did was justified. But did the other side feel the same? Every deal is sealed by one side's desperation. Was there a 'line' in that desperation?"
Ji-young's lips twitched at his cold words, but in the end, she said nothing.
Ji-hyeok then brought the glass in his hand to his lips and downed the rest of the liquor in one go.
"I can't tell if my palate's numb or if this stuff's all foam. No clue."
At Ji-hyeok's grumbling, Ji-young pondered deeply for a moment before lifting her glass and emptying it with dainty gulps... down to the last drop.
"Whew... It definitely has flavor. Not sure if it's worth four million won, though."
"If this goes well, want to grab some soju afterward?"
"Sure. If it works out. But I have a question—mind if I ask?"
"Of course."
"The orphanage, the wandering, the GED... Is it all true?"
"Yes. Every bit of it."
"That's a far cry from Royal Family life."
"It is. Very much so."
"One more. Why doesn't someone who's lived like that crave money?"
"Me? I'm plenty greedy for money. Oh, you mean the performance bonus?"
"Yes."
"Assistant Manager Han, have you ever seen a performance bonus like that paid out?"
"Hmm... No. Not in any affiliate company, as far as I remember."
"That's the right answer."
"Pardon?"
Ji-hyeok stopped there and just flashed a bright smile.
Han Ji-young simply stared at him with wide eyes.
This was a test.
A test of how he reacted to money.
The moment he showed any excitement over pocket change, the exam would be over.
So he'd responded accordingly.
"...You won't answer anything beyond that, will you?"
Ji-hyeok gave a soft smile at her question.
Instead of replying, he picked up the champagne bottle, stood, approached her, and poured into her glass.
"One word: A typhoon's coming. A massive one. Where's the safest place?"
"The eye of the storm?"
"Far from the typhoon or right in the center. Just keep that in mind."
Han Ji-young's face hardened in that instant.
Ji-hyeok's words were a message.
Run or pledge loyalty...
Choose one.
"But the eye of the storm keeps moving. Lose focus for a second, and you're swept away. You could die."
"Scary."
"If it were me, I'd pick the latter. High risk!"
"High return."
But then—
- Ding!
A bell rang, and soon after, the woman who'd shown them in entered the room cautiously.
Spotting Ji-hyeok standing by Han Ji-young's side, she flashed a bright smile.
"Bad timing on my part?"
"Doesn't matter. Speak."
"He's here. It'll start in about thirty minutes. So, time to pay up?"
At her words, Ji-hyeok pulled out his wallet and extracted a check.
He held it between two fingers and offered it; she snatched it like a hawk grabbing a sparrow.
"Checks are lame."
"I hate getting stabbed in the back. Bring the video, and I'll swap it for cash."
"Oppa, your style's totally mine. Got it. See you in about an hour."
"Add another bottle. One hour means we'll run dry."
Even after saying he couldn't taste it, Ji-hyeok ordered another four-million-won bottle.
The woman made a slim OK sign with her fingers and left the room.
As the thick room door closed, Han Ji-young finally let her shocked expression show and raised her voice.
"Fifty million won?"
"Yes."
"How are you going to handle that..."
"Handle it?"
"Yes. Expense it. Just this booze is four million, right?"
"Not gonna."
"Pardon?"
She wondered if "Pardon?" was the phrase she said most these days.
Being around this man made her mind go hazy, like she couldn't keep up.
"Not saying I'll pay out of pocket, so don't worry."
"Then maybe the performance bonus..."
But instead of answering, Ji-hyeok shrugged and returned to his seat.
He filled his empty glass to the brim and this time sipped slowly, as if determined to find the taste.
"Still no clue."
Han Ji-young stared fixedly at Ji-hyeok as he innocently tilted his head.
'What the hell is this guy.'
One thing was clear: he was shaking up her head and heart like crazy.
Everything she'd held onto—common sense, values, vision—was being rattled.
One year, three years, five years from now... promotion to senior manager, deputy manager, team leader...
The future she'd mapped out so clearly, this man was scrambling it all.
'No. This can't be right.'
A warning blared from one corner of her heart: Run.
Stick to the visible path like always...
Open that door right now and return to a normal, clear daily life, it screamed.
But her feet wouldn't move.
Because she wanted to see.
What this man would do next.
Had she always been this curious?
To her own surprise, Han Ji-young was utter chaos inside.
After that, the two didn't exchange a word for a while.
Ji-hyeok fiddled with his phone and sipped champagne, while Ji-young brooded deeply, occasionally wetting her lips.
Thus passed an awkward stretch of time...
About forty minutes later, the manager returned.
"Phew, this is thrilling. Mind pouring me one?"
She slid naturally into the seat beside Ji-hyeok upon entering.
Han Ji-young's face twisted slightly for a moment, though she couldn't quite explain why.
Meanwhile, Ji-hyeok fussed over her and poured.
But as she reached for her glass, he grabbed her slender wrist.
"You're too impatient."
"Rude. Here."
What she offered was a phone.
Ji-hyeok took it, tapped the screen, and played the video.
"Fuck! We're dying tonight!"
"Damn right. Anyone bailing, get out now. Don't kill the vibe."
"You nuts? When we're partying, we party. Right?"
Curious, Han Ji-young peeked over Ji-hyeok's shoulder.
Five men appeared on the screen.
What had them so hyped?
The guys tossed snacks at each other, joked around raucously, and chugged booze like water.
Meanwhile, the manager now sipping champagne beside Ji-hyeok brought in women one or two at a time, then they vanished.
The women who entered eyed the men's outfits and the spread of liquor on the table, smiled contentedly, and blended right in.
Ji-hyeok fast-forwarded, and soon the room held ten people.
Two guys stepped forward, ramping up the energy.
"Champagne? When'll that get us drunk? Whiskey time."
"Yeah. Whiskey call!"
Moments later, the door opened, and two servers set bottles and glasses on the table.
That's when the men's eyes began to gleam.
"I'll pass 'em out."
The man who'd been lounging arrogantly in the sofa's center spoke, and all eyes turned to him.
That single shot revealed the group's ringleader.
Probably Kim Jeong-sik, Ji-young guessed.
With everyone's attention, Kim Jeong-sik pulled a small vial from his inner pocket, like eye drops.
"You all know what this is. We're not sneaky thugs slipping it in drinks. We party clean. Anyone who hates it, leave now."
"Oppa, that's liquid ecstasy, right?"
"Yeah. The good stuff. Nothing like what street punks use. You'll walk out fine in the morning. So decide quick. In or out."
"I'm in."
One woman's response kicked it off; the other four nodded in turn.
Kim Jeong-sik then dripped a few drops into each of ten glasses... and passed them around.
The ten downed their drinks simultaneously.
Ji-hyeok checked up to there and turned off the screen.
"Good enough?"
"Better clock in normally tomorrow."
"Duh. Who you take me for?"
"Just this one video."
"Relax. What would I do with it?"
Ji-hyeok pocketed the phone.
He picked up his own phone from the table and tapped the screen.
"Check."
"OK! 300 million's in. Finally ditching this hellish Korea. Thanks, oppa!"
"Hand over the check from earlier."
"Here."
She pulled out the fifty-million-won check; Ji-hyeok took it, pocketed it, and extracted a ten-million-won bill.
"Cover the bill with this."
"Oppa, you handle things so cleanly. Totally my type."
"Cut the flirting. Get greedy, and you'll get hurt bad. Stick to the plan—leave Korea tomorrow."
"Don't worry. Ten o'clock flight booked. Wouldn't stay even if you begged. No attachments here."
"Out."
"Shame. Would've been great if we'd met sooner."
Then—
She twisted her torso and planted a kiss on Ji-hyeok's cheek.
And, as if for Han Ji-young to hear...
- Smack!
She smiled sweetly, stood, and looked at Ji-young.
"Hey."
"Pardon?"
"Advice? Guys like him don't stick with that attitude. Sometimes a girl has to cling. Just pitying you, so don't take it wrong."
The manager left the room, leaving Han Ji-young dumbfounded.
"Let's go too."
By then, Ji-young's face was flushed red, on the verge of bursting. Ji-hyeok stood.