Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: 로열패밀리-60화
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Royal Family 18-1
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Seo Ji-hyeok passed by Heo Yu-rim like that and entered the house.
The living room that appeared was completely devastated.
The first thing that caught his eye was the shredded sofa.
It looked like it had been slashed repeatedly with a knife; the sofa had lost its form entirely, guts spilling out.
He turned his gaze to the kitchen, and that space was a total wreck too.
Everything throwable had been hurled, leaving the floor buried in shattered debris.
After taking it all in, Ji-hyeok swept the floor roughly with his foot and sat down.
"Come here. Sit."
Heo Yu-rim, still lingering by the door, shuffled over like a zombie and collapsed in a heap before him.
But she hadn't just wrecked her body.
Tears began to fall in thick drops, as if every last emotion inside her had crumbled.
No sobs escaped her, though.
Her shoulders just heaved violently beneath her bowed head, tears pouring endlessly from her eyes...
Ji-hyeok watched in silence.
He didn't take her hand. Didn't stroke her shoulder.
He simply sat there before her until her grief ran its course.
"Hoo... Oppa. Pass me some tissues from over there."
Ji-hyeok slid the box her way, and she yanked them out nonstop... wiping the tear tracks from her face.
She used the growing wad to sop up the puddle soaking the floor in front of her, pressing it down firmly.
And with that, her lips parted slowly.
"I heard about you, Oppa. You're Taesung's heir."
"And?"
"I don't know. My resolve just crumbled instead. So like you said, I met the guy."
"Seyeon Group."
"Yeah. Wasn't bad. We met a few times, and I even started thinking he was decent. Then..."
Heo Yu-rim, speaking so steadily up to that point, clamped her mouth shut.
Silence stretched on for a spell, but Ji-hyeok didn't press her.
"Every time we met, we'd book a hotel and drink. But the second time, I realized the booze I was downing wasn't ordinary. Still... I kept drinking it even after I knew. Later on, I started asking for it myself. That's how I fell apart—and Dad's company with me. By the time reality hit, it was all too late."
Hmm...
Now the scars littering the house made sense.
Heo Yu-rim had barricaded herself inside.
And fought tooth and nail against the drugs' siren call.
"How long you been holed up here?"
"Ten days..."
"Still craving it?"
"No. I want that bastard dead."
Her eyes weren't too clouded when they met his.
But Ji-hyeok didn't budge.
"Check into a hospital. In exchange, I promise: I'll drag that guy right to your feet."
"Oppa..."
"And I'll clear every obstacle from your path forward. I'll meet your dad too. So trust me—go to the hospital. Don't destroy yourself at least."
Tears welled up in Heo Yu-rim's eyes again at his words.
But moments later, she lifted her face to him with an awkward smile.
"Sorry. I'm always dumping this mess on you, Oppa..."
Ji-hyeok smirked back at her.
Then he sprang up, offered his hand, and hauled her to her feet.
"Clean this place up and walk yourself to the hospital. Make it so I won't feel gross coming back."
"Got it."
"I'm heading to your dad now. You get what that means?"
"Yeah. But next time I see you... can I hug you once?"
"You can now."
"No. I hate how I am right now. I'm filthy. So promise me."
"Deal. I'm off."
"Yeah. Go, Oppa."
Leaving Heo Yu-rim's place, Ji-hyeok floored it to Heo Gyu-seok's taxi company.
The man he met there had changed dramatically from before.
He'd dropped a noticeable amount of weight; the toll on his mind was plain to see.
"What happened?"
"Those sons of bitches... Planned it from the jump."
"Tell me calmly."
Before heading over, Ji-hyeok had called the Future Strategy Office and ordered a full rundown on the Seyeon Group-Daecheon Transport mess.
He'd gotten the high-level summary and come straight here.
But he wanted it straight from the horse's mouth, so he asked again.
"Truth is, I had my eye on Seyeon Express. Snag that, and I'm not just Seoul taxis anymore—nationwide transport. Yu-rim marrying chaebol wasn't bad either. But I wasn't forcing it. For real. If she hated the idea, I'd drop it. She seemed into the guy, though. He was too. So I took their offer."
"The stock swap?"
"Right. Seyeon Express hitting the M&A market was a lock. Airlines and construction bleeding red, so they were offloading the gem. They pitched it first—why say no? Ended up swapping 49% Daecheon Transport for 24.5% Seyeon Express, 2-to-1."
"Tough call either way."
A massive sigh exploded from Heo Gyu-seok at Ji-hyeok's words.
The promo brochure on the table fluttered like a flag in the wind...
He paused a good while before speaking slowly.
"Goddamn... Tumor in my brain."
"What?"
"Surgery's no-go. Radiation and chemo... Heart was racing. Wanted Yu-rim hitched before I croak."
His gaunt look wasn't just from stress.
Life's full of unknowns.
Ji-hyeok felt a pang gazing at Heo Gyu-seok's face.
But this wasn't the moment to show it.
"That's why the swap?"
"Timed with the engagement party. Post-wedding, 30% Seyeon Express stock. Terminal ops excluded—just transport division. Fine by me. After I'm gone, where's it headed anyway? They jumped at it."
"Then your wife filed for divorce."
"Yeah. Salt in the wound. Remarriage contract excluded Daecheon from splits. Bitch reneged. Demanding shares. Lawyer says my fault means I might lose 'em."
Hmm...
Ji-hyeok's guilt hit here.
Sure, their marriage was doomed pre-him—time issue only.
But he'd lit the fuse, so responsibility weighed.
"I'll handle it."
"You can?"
Heo Gyu-seok seized Ji-hyeok's hand.
He'd always fancied the kid.
But post-reveal, he'd backed off.
Now this? Golden rope from heaven.
If Ji-hyeok eyed Yu-rim, jackpot—but first, douse the flames.
Save Daecheon at all costs.
For his girl...
"How... What do I do?"
"Hand this to me. Get treatment."
"Now?"
"Die leaving Daecheon to Yu-rim—think she'll smile? You weren't exactly Father of the Year."
"Still..."
"Don't follow my lead, I'm out."
"A... Fine. I'll go."
"Hospital now. Sending staff."
"Right this second...? C'mon, even if..."
"I get the worry. But no trust? Dead end."
Heo Gyu-seok eyed him warily, then sighed deep and nodded.
Ji-hyeok shot back trust and bounced from Daecheon.
As soon as he hit the car, phone out.
"Me."
- Yeah, hyung.
"Dig up every underworld whisper on Seyeon Group."
- Seyeon?
"Yeah. Youngest does drugs—start there."
- Roger. Sending crews now.
"Ping me on confirms."
- Will do.
Click. Company-bound.
"Seyeon Airlines: today's market cap 1.2 trillion won, capital 350 billion. Assets 13 trillion, liabilities 12.5 trillion. Revenue last year 4.3 trillion, net loss 190 billion."
"Capital erosion."
"Yes. But bulk from Chairman Jo Chung-ho's missteps. Roots in Seyeon Express—gobbled shipping, trucking, airlines to big-league. Founder Jo Dong-hwan dies, Jo Chung-ho takes over: trouble brews."
"Construction."
"Spot on. Chairman's obsessed with rankings. Sick of 20s limbo, chased Sunwoo Construction—top 5 contractors."
Ji-hyeok knew it cold, nodded.
Didn't cut off the strategy team lead.
"Sunwoo prime meat—tons salivating. Taesung bid too."
"Pushed price from 4 trillion expected to 14."
"Yes. Seyeon slurped the poisoned grail. Liquidity crunch follows."
"Textbook winner's curse."
"Exactly."
Seyeon "won," paid dearly, reeling from fallout.
"Daecheon mess? Orchestrated."
"Yes. Seoul's top taxi op, 1,600 cabs. 97 billion revenue last year—cash oasis for Seyeon's thirst. Mobility boom? Priceless."
Yu-rim's downfall: no chaebol punk's whimsy.
Calculated Daecheon grab from go.
No kid gloves here.
"Team's take?"
"Airlines, shipping. Fix cash flow, they shine—boost Taesung logistics big."
"Construction?"
"Value there, but debt mountain makes it radioactive."
Ji-hyeok nodded.
Matched his read perfect.
"Staff to Daecheon. Status check first."
"Yes, Director. Um..."
"Shoot."
"Park Eun-seok too?"
"He's green."
"True. But first in, last out. Impressed even me. Good shot—this case teaches."
Ji-hyeok nodded.
His move now.
"Hyung, passenger seat in forever."
Jang Woo, shotgun, chimed easy.
"You too, ages since shotgun."
"Fair."
"Biz good?"
"Smooth so far. But you said: quiet spells war. Locked and loaded."
"Noisiest spot?"
"Mapo—Hongdae, Sinchon draw Yeongdeungpo creeps. Junkies."
"No dope."
"Gotcha. Worry not. Die first."
Jang Woo knew Ji-hyeok's anti-drug line best.
Resolve steel in his tone.
"Hyung, there."
Mid-chat, nearing target, Jang Woo jabbed at the sign.
Black field, red letters: Ego.
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