Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Royal Family 16-1
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Who in the world had ever experienced something like this in their life?
The door flying right off its hinges, that was.
Shim Sang-cheol, who had witnessed it firsthand, let the cell phone slip from his hand with a soft thud...
"What? What's that noise?"
The sound of the door splintering must have carried through the phone, as the voice on the other end came through. But Shim Sang-cheol just stared blankly at Seo Ji-hyeok, who was walking straight toward him with measured steps.
Ji-hyeok approached Shim Sang-cheol and circled around to the side of the desk.
And as Shim Sang-cheol creakily swiveled his chair to face him...
Slap!
Ji-hyeok unleashed a merciless slap across his face.
"Argh!"
Shim Sang-cheol let out a scream from the unexpected blow.
But his reaction drew faint chuckles from onlookers.
No one knew exactly how the slap had landed or been delivered, but Shim Sang-cheol's chair had spun a full circle, leaving him facing Ji-hyeok once more.
"Why..."
"Think I need to be taught a lesson?"
"That's..."
"Who said that?"
"G-Gong Gap-su, the director..."
Gong Gap-su?
Gong Gap-su was Kang Jin-young's husband.
He was the director of the Sungwoo Foundation, which owned Sungwoo Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, Sungwoo Tourism College, and Sungwoo University—a private education conglomerate.
And naturally, it had been Chairman Kang Wook who arranged the marriage between Kang Jin-young and Gong Gap-su.
At the time, Gong Gap-su's maternal grandfather was a major power broker in the military regime.
Thanks to that connection, Gong Gap-su's family elevated Sungwoo University—a middling lower-tier school—overnight to a solid mid-to-upper-tier institution simply by rebranding it as Taesung University.
Of course, not long ago, Gong Gap-su had been kicked out of Taesungwon after the issue of formally adopting Gong Sa-woo as Chairman Kang Wook's heir, which had embarrassed him. But with Ji-hyeok's return, he had managed to reenter Taesungwon and maintain his marital ties with Kang Jin-young.
And now, this Gong Gap-su was the mastermind behind that morning's incident.
"So, you're saying Executive Director Kang Jin-young's husband wanted me scared straight? And you were the one who carried it out?"
Ji-hyeok's icy words snapped Shim Sang-cheol out of his daze, and he shot to his feet.
"Got proof?"
"What?"
"Park Ung-jo! Did I tell you to do anything? Speak up, you bastard!"
Park Ung-jo, standing by the door, shrank back at Shim Sang-cheol's shout.
Seeing that, Shim Sang-cheol roared at Ji-hyeok as if he'd seized the momentum.
"Did you just hit me? I'm suing you right now. And I'll go straight to Executive Director Kang Jin-young. You know what that means? What kind of world do we live in where you assault an employee? Imagine that splashed across the front page of the papers. You know what Chairman Kang Wook hates most? Scandal. Scandal!"
Shim Sang-cheol's threat sounded plausible enough.
Even President Oh Sang-gyu flinched.
But not Ji-hyeok.
Slap!
"Gah!"
Ji-hyeok's palm whistled through the air and struck Shim Sang-cheol's cheek again.
Shim Sang-cheol tumbled backward with his chair, crashing to the floor in a heap.
Then Ji-hyeok spoke softly.
"You don't know how to make a real threat. Let me show you, President Oh."
"Yes."
"How much money do you think this man's pocketed from the company over the last ten years?"
"Well..."
"No need to answer now. We can check the records. But I suspect a hefty chunk went straight into his pockets. Sound right?"
"That's my take too."
"And most of the rest flowed to Congressman Shim Sang-seop, I'd wager."
"Agreed."
"Better to scrape out the rot, even if it stings a bit, don't you think?"
"Yes. We'll launch an internal audit immediately. And if any embezzlement turns up, we'll pursue the maximum penalties."
Shim Sang-cheol, groaning as he tried to rise, froze like clay upon hearing Ji-hyeok and President Oh Sang-gyu's exchange.
But in that moment, Ji-hyeok squatted down in front of him, bringing their faces close.
"Grandpa hates scandal? More than someone trying to kill his only grandson? Oh, just a scare tactic? Got proof?"
Ji-hyeok's voice was a whisper.
Too quiet for President Oh Sang-gyu at the door to hear.
Yet Shim Sang-cheol's face drained to an ashen hue in an instant.
Got proof?
His own words thrown back at him.
The shock hit like a plummeting heart.
His lips quivered.
"Wanna bet? Even if I killed you in a fit of rage right now, I don't think Grandpa would bat an eye. Of course, I wouldn't end up anywhere near a cell either. That's how I see it. You?"
"I-I'm sorry. Forgive me, I deserve death..."
"No. Don't apologize. I have no intention of forgiving you. Go tell your brother: Spit out everything he's gorged on from Taesung so far. Or you die. You have until tomorrow. Got it?"
Shim Sang-cheol's head nodded furiously at Ji-hyeok's words.
With that, Ji-hyeok stood, turned, and headed for the door.
"President Oh, proceed with the audit. Thoroughly."
"Yes, sir. Understood, Director General."
"Good luck, then. I'll be off."
Ji-hyeok shook hands lightly with Oh Sang-gyu and turned to leave.
Behind him, Oh Sang-gyu and the staff who had watched the scene in stunned silence bowed deeply toward Ji-hyeok.
The sight sent a thrill through Eun-seok, who followed in Ji-hyeok's wake.
It was the moment when Eun-seok's gaze toward Ji-hyeok sharpened even more.
He had issued a warning to Shim Sang-seop.
Now it was time to verify.
Did Shim Sang-seop truly have the pull to mobilize Sangcheon?
Or were Shim Sang-seop and Sangcheon unrelated?
The answer would come soon enough.
While Eun-seok went to fetch the car from the underground parking lot, Ji-hyeok stood in the first-floor lobby and made a call.
To Jang Woo.
"It's me. Put more tails on Shim Sang-seop. Phone's already hacked, right?"
"........."
"Good. Don't miss a thing."
He hung up just as Eun-seok pulled up in front.
"Where to?"
"Let's call it a day."
"Huh? For real?"
"Yeah."
Eun-seok was still buzzing from the earlier scene.
Until recently, he'd never truly seen an adult.
More precisely, an adult man.
He'd always thought he'd raised himself.
When he first fought with a friend,
had his first wet dream,
shaved for the first time,
even the day he shipped out to the army—
no father by his side.
To him, Ji-hyeok was the first adult man he'd truly encountered.
Watching the staff bow sincerely to Ji-hyeok moments ago sparked a sudden thought.
I want to be like him.
As he retrieved the car from the underground lot, another thought crossed his mind.
Maybe talk to Dad when we get home.
Not that he had anything specific to say.
He just wanted to talk about something—anything.
And now, not even five yet, and heading home early.
It felt like hitting the jackpot.
'Does he like beer?'
With that in mind, Eun-seok carefully pulled away.
But Ji-hyeok was thinking something entirely different.
Unpredictable events might unfold tonight, so he planned to ditch Eun-seok at home and head out alone.
Lost in their separate reveries, their car gradually approached Taesungwon.
Bang!
The ashtray Shim Sang-seop hurled grazed Shim Sang-cheol's ear before crashing with a thunderous roar.
"You idiot!"
"Sorry, brother."
Shim Sang-seop was seventy.
Shim Sang-cheol was the youngest brother he'd practically raised himself.
More like a son than a sibling, so he'd rarely lost his temper and always backed whatever the younger man wanted to do.
Yet now he'd thrown an ashtray at him.
"How many times have I told you not to meddle in that family's affairs?"
"But Gong Gap-su promised to guarantee Ji-hyeong's admission if we just handled this one thing..."
"You fool! For some third-rate Sungwoo University, not even Korea University? You pull stunts like this?"
"S-Sorry. But brother, you know Ji-hyeong's a bit..."
"Universities are a dime a dozen overseas. He's not the type to make it through studying anyway—why risk this?"
"How can we send a kid who causes accidents abroad?"
"That... that... He's got some sense, at least. What now? What are you going to do!"
"Brother, since it's come to this..."
"Come to what?"
"Why not seize the chance and fully align with Kang Jin-young's side?"
"What are you talking about?"
"If we eliminate that guy..."
"You madman!"
"Brother! What choice do we have? This isn't just about me surviving. That bastard said it himself: Make you puke up everything you've taken from Taesung all these years."
Shim Sang-seop glared at Shim Sang-cheol for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
Decision made, he clenched his fist and spoke.
"Timing is everything in these matters. Call Gong Gap-su and get a firm commitment. Right now!"
"Yes, sir. What conditions should I offer?"
"If he's staking his neck, we demand a life in return. Tell him: When my term as National Assembly Speaker ends, make me party leader. After that, the presidency."
"Pardon?"
"If Taesung backs us, it's doable. And once they're in the same boat, what's in it for them to lose?"
"True. I'll do it now."
Shim Sang-seop nodded, and Shim Sang-cheol pulled out his phone, tapping the screen gingerly.
Their long call began.
Slipping out of Taesung Hall was one thing, but leaving Taesungwon undetected was nearly impossible.
Scaling the walls was child's play, but the gapless CCTV coverage even Ji-hyeok couldn't bypass.
Plus, shaking off Eun-seok—who kept hovering today—had been a hassle, leaving him mildly irritated.
He grabbed his SUV from the parking lot and drove out of Taesungwon.
Of course, Chairman Kang Wook would hear about his outing, which nagged at him, but it couldn't be helped.
The voice file from Jang Woo had made him impatient.
"Moshi moshi, Harada-sensei, Shim Sang-seop desu. Hai! Sumimasen. Gobusata shite orimasu!"
The recording opened in Shim Sang-seop's Japanese.
"Harada-sensei, it's Shim Sang-seop. Yes. Sorry. It's been too long since I reached out."
"What brings this? I said only contact me for a funeral."
"Apologies. This is the last time—I'm asking for one final favor."
"Favor? You have nothing left to offer me."
"No. Help me this once, and you'll have something coming."
"What?"
"Taesung."
"Taesung?"
"Yes. Aid me just this once, and Taesung is yours. With Taesung, my usefulness returns."
"You don't mean the returned heir, do you?"
"Yes, exactly. That's the one."
"Chairman Kang Wook won't take that lying down."
"It's not Chairman Kang Wook. It's his eldest daughter, Kang Jin-young."
"Kang Jin-young? Explain."
"Yes. Eliminate the returned heir, and she promised to make me president."
"Certain?"
"Yes. Once he's gone, Taesung falls to Kang Jin-young. And this pact is sealed in blood—she can't back out easily. Trust me."
"Hmph... Send proof. I'll decide after."
"Yes. Sending now."
The call ended there. Moments ago, a text from Shim Sang-seop's phone held a single number.
And Ji-hyeok was certain it belonged to the Branded Fang.
He'd finally found it.