Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Yongwolwon Clinic
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Lee Dae-hyuk was stunned for a while.
But.
‘This isn’t the time to be shocked.’
It was a shocking situation, no doubt.
For the high-ranking executive of a secret organization who gave orders to Lou Wilson to be right next to Steven Gibson.
‘Those bastards worse than dogs….’
Even knowing Steven Gibson’s condition, they had let his illness fester and fed him drugs.
All to use him.
Hoo—!!
Anger surged up, but Lee Dae-hyuk regained his composure with a short sigh.
Taking care of Steven Gibson came first right now.
“Let’s go to the hospital first.”
“…I’m fine.”
Had the pain subsided?
Steven Gibson’s face looked a bit more at peace.
“There’s a place I usually go to. I can get treated there.”
“Steven.”
“Thank you for worrying. No, I should apologize for showing you this side of me so often. I’ll definitely repay this debt.”
Lee Dae-hyuk tried to dissuade him, but Steven Gibson stood up from the bench as if he wouldn’t hear any more.
“Debt? What debt?”
“Instead, keep it a secret. I only keep people with tight lips as friends? Haha.”
“…….”
Faced with Steven Gibson’s joking sincerity, Lee Dae-hyuk couldn’t say a word.
Thanks to psychometry, he knew Steven Gibson trusted Yongwolwon—no, Yi Chenlian.
‘It’s at fanatic level.’
Steven Gibson’s current mental state was like that of a cult devotee.
Absolute faith and dependence….
No matter what he did, he couldn’t change the man’s mind right now.
‘I have to let him go for now.’
“Got it. My lips are sealed.”
Steven Gibson flashed a faint smile at Lee Dae-hyuk’s firm answer and started walking.
“See you later, Mr. Lee.”
Step, step—!!!
“…….”
Watching Steven Gibson walk away, Lee Dae-hyuk couldn’t bring himself to stand from the bench for a long time.
He had died once and was now living a second life, having turned back time.
Yet this wondrous world was still hard to fully comprehend.
Just look at that genius.
For a genius who would change the world to be so dependent on a mere herbal doctor.
‘Is this the drug’s effect too?’
It had some influence, sure, but not entirely.
From what he’d observed, Steven Gibson’s mind was like a glass slipper.
Sparkling brilliantly under light at any moment.
Its sharp, elegant craftsmanship was beautiful enough to admire….
‘But so fragile.’
No matter how much psychometry peered into his mind, understanding a genius was impossible.
He was just an ordinary person.
Ordinary people should do what ordinary people can.
As Lee Dae-hyuk steeled his resolve.
Yoon Tae-ho, who had been watching Lee Dae-hyuk and Steven Gibson from afar, approached.
“Young Master. How did the talk go?”
“He seems pretty shaken by Michael’s death. Even geniuses… are human, after all.”
Lee Dae-hyuk spoke in a somber tone.
Yoon Tae-ho nodded in agreement and glanced in the direction Steven Gibson had disappeared.
“Probably… yeah. By the way, did you bring up your birth mother?”
“…….”
“What did he say? I figured he’d find it suspicious rather than just grateful.”
Yoon Tae-ho voiced a slight concern.
Their rapport wasn’t solid yet, so worry came naturally.
And on that point, he could reassure Yoon Tae-ho with a smile.
“No need to worry at all.”
‘…Because I couldn’t say a word.’
Yoon Tae-ho, unaware of the truth behind Lee Dae-hyuk’s bold assurance, just looked puzzled.
“Well, that’s good then… But he seemed like the suspicious type just from his looks. Weird.”
“…Manager. Your shoulders been stiff lately? Let’s go get some acupuncture.”
Before Yoon Tae-ho could ask anything more awkward, Lee Dae-hyuk stood from the bench.
***
Yongwolwon.
After the so-called treatment ended.
Steven Gibson rose from the bed, his face much more relaxed.
“Thank you, as always.”
“How often do I get to treat a genius who’s conquering the world? It’s an honor for me. Thank you for giving me these chances every time, Steven.”
Yi Chenlian accepted Steven Gibson’s gratitude with a playful tone.
It wasn’t empty courtesy—it was sincere.
Sure, he was using him for The Company and his own gain.
But on the other hand, conversations with a genius were enjoyable.
Steven Gibson would change the world while he was alive, after all.
‘And bring us tremendous profits.’
What if Steven Gibson died?
There were plenty of ways to profit from that too.
So how could he not be grateful?
“Saying ‘see you again’ feels… well, sorry about that.”
Yi Chenlian grinned slyly and joked.
“Why should that be something to apologize for?”
Yi Chenlian smiled brightly at Steven Gibson’s retort.
“For people in the business of fixing folks like us, is that the right farewell? It could sound like a curse, depending on how you hear it.”
Like saying “keep suffering.”
Only then did Steven Gibson catch on to the joke and respond with laughter.
“Hahaha. No misunderstanding here. Still, I’d like to meet you next time without the pain, more at ease. Well then.”
Leaving a brief goodbye, Steven Gibson left the treatment room.
“Take care, Steven.”
Yi Chenlian bowed his head toward their genius as the door closed.
After the door shut, Yi Chenlian began tidying the scattered needles.
Swish, swish—
“…….”
Treating patients and cleaning up the messy treatment room.
These mundane routines were incredibly precious to Yi Chenlian.
‘Ordinary… what a wonderful word.’
Swish—!! Sweep, sweep—!!
Sweeping the floor with broom and dustpan, savoring his precious daily life.
In this moment, he wasn’t the branch manager or torture executioner of a secret organization—he was just an ordinary man.
Knock knock—!!
“Director, a guest is here for you.”
The voice of the office clerk.
“Come in.”
Creak—!!!
The door opened again.
The clerk entered the treatment room.
Yi Chenlian paused his sweeping and tilted his head.
“I just finished a treatment and I’m a bit tired. Send them to another doctor.”
Besides himself, the director, Yongwolwon had two more herbal doctors.
Of course, both were also The Company operatives—and ‘killers.’
The clerk continued with a troubled expression.
“Well…”
“Is there a problem?”
“One asked for another doctor. But the other seems like they need you specifically, Director.”
“What? I clearly said I’m tired…”
“It’s not for treatment. They say they have business to discuss with you.”
“Not treatment… business? Do I know them?”
In that instant, the clerk’s eyes turned icy.
“Yes. It’s that person.”
“That person? You don’t mean…”
Yi Chenlian’s eyes narrowed at the clerk’s report.
The one man he and the other operatives were keeping tabs on.
Namely.
“Lee Dae-hyuk… that guy’s come here?”
The clerk nodded at Yi Chenlian’s question.
“Yes. He’s in the director’s office now.”
***
Lee Dae-hyuk, sitting on the guest sofa and glancing around, wore a bored expression.
‘Just an ordinary herbal clinic.’
One side had an acupuncture point model chart, and the bookshelf was packed with herbal medicine texts.
He couldn’t read the titles precisely since they were all in hanja(?), but still.
After looking around, Lee Dae-hyuk fell into thought.
‘Including the female staff. The other doctors are killers too.’
People who’d stained their hands with blood and taken lives.
Around them lingered a ferocious aura like a blade crusted with dried gore.
He could sense it even without psychometry—the murderous intent was that palpable.
‘Two doctors and the clerk, all killers… not good odds.’
Yi Chenlian was older, but he’d still have some fighting prowess.
He had to scrap the original plan of direct confrontation.
‘Right. No making a scene. Play it safe.’
Yoon Tae-ho, who came with him, couldn’t get hurt.
“…….”
Lee Dae-hyuk bit his lip.
Initially, he’d planned to threaten Yi Chenlian.
A mere handshake would let him seize any weakness.
But in this situation, even with a weakness, he needed a different approach.
Propose a deal.
Or provoke a mistake.
‘You have to make them move first to counter.’
Lee Dae-hyuk ran through various plans in his head.
It was too late to back out anyway.
Plus, through Michael and Lou Wilson, they likely knew his face.
Fleeing rashly could make it more dangerous.
No fool leaves a running enemy alone.
Even if it was bluffing, he had to show he was stronger and more dangerous than they thought.
‘Alright. Let’s do this.’
To prepare for the coming fight, he needed to gauge Yi Chenlian.
As Lee Dae-hyuk made his decision.
Step, step—
Knock knock—!!!
Footsteps and a knock followed in quick succession.
“I’m coming in.”
The door opened with a soft voice.
Creak—!!!
Yi Chenlian entered the director’s office.
‘Finally, we meet.’
An utterly ordinary face you could see anywhere.
White coat, shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
Taut skin that made his age hard to guess, and a small, smiling eye crinkle.
Overall, the man before him gave a kindly impression.
But his eyes flashed cold occasionally.
And the edges of his fists bore thick calluses.
“Hello. I’m Lee Dae-hyuk.”
Lee Dae-hyuk stood from the sofa, stated his name, and extended his right hand.
“…….”
But Yi Chenlian didn’t take it right away, despite his smiling face.
Stating his name casually and offering a handshake without hesitation.
‘What’s this? Just a chance visitor?’
If he knew their identities, he wouldn’t be so relaxed about shaking hands.
‘Not with a smile, anyway.’
Sudden appearance, brazen attitude.
Yi Chenlian couldn’t read Lee Dae-hyuk.
It was impossible for him to know about their organization anyway.
Lee Dae-hyuk’s connections to the organization were Michael and Lou Wilson.
Michael didn’t know his identity.
‘Our staff handled him.’
Next was Lou Wilson.
Lou Wilson wouldn’t have spilled the truth to Lee Dae-hyuk unless he wanted to die.
No matter how he calculated, it came out as ‘coincidence.’
In that case, better to play the clueless herbal clinic director for now.
Yi Chenlian took Lee Dae-hyuk’s hand.
“I’m the director, Yi Chenlian.”
.
.
.
As psychometry activated, Yi Chenlian’s voice faded gradually.
Instead, his information flowed in as usual.
‘No need for the past. I need this bastard’s weakness.’
Lee Dae-hyuk swam with all his might through the flood of info Yi Chenlian poured out.
In that deluge, Lee Dae-hyuk learned much.
- The secret organization created by entities of unknown identity with immense wealth that Yi Chenlian belonged to: The Company.
- Within it, Yi Chenlian had risen from killer and torture executioner to branch manager.
- The branch manager received a share of the massive profits from The Company’s businesses.
But there was a condition for that share.
If the branch manager failed a business or betrayed the organization, his entire family would be slaughtered.
Officially, Yi Chenlian had no family.
- But unofficially, hidden from The Company’s eyes, he had a beloved ‘woman’ and ‘child.’
.
.
.
‘Ha, so even a bastard like this has a woman and son he loves?’