Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: A Tempting Proposal
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Lee Dae-hyuk's banter left Kim Min-gyu speechless.
Normally, he would have snapped and told him to cut the nonsense.
But.
His instincts were telling him something.
This might be an opportunity.
If the man who had demonstrated this inexplicable ability helped him...
'Kim Min-gyu, you crazy bastard.'
He cursed himself inwardly.
Revealing his true intentions here would be no different from suicide.
But how long could he keep watching those scum who kidnapped orphans and even sold their organs?
Deep down, he wanted to grab Lee Dae-hyuk's hand right then and there.
However... not yet.
"...It doesn't seem like we're at a stage where we can trust each other yet."
In the end, Kim Min-gyu turned down Lee Dae-hyuk's offer.
It was certainly tempting.
If he just had a proper sponsor...
He could take down Park Cheon-ho.
But he couldn't fully trust Lee Dae-hyuk yet.
How could he join hands in such a situation?
Lee Dae-hyuk continued persuading the hesitant Kim Min-gyu.
"We don't necessarily need to trust each other. We just need to take down Park Cheon-ho and Lee Dae-hwan, right?"
"Do you have the power to take on Lee Dae-hwan?"
"...I understand that's the part where trust falls short."
"......"
"You're wise. I like your cautious approach more than blindly trusting me just because I spared you. You're not just some thug."
There was a slight edge to Lee Dae-hyuk's tone.
But he didn't press that edge against Kim Min-gyu's chest.
He hadn't expected Kim Min-gyu to grab his hand right away anyway.
He would have some reasonable suspicion.
'He won't join hands until that suspicion and anxiety fade.'
But in go terms, Kim Min-gyu was in a one-way alley.
He would need his help eventually.
It wouldn't be too late to bring him in then.
Lee Dae-hyuk continued in a relaxed tone.
"Then let's finish our meal and call it a day."
"You're saying we should get up?"
"What else do we do after eating at a restaurant?"
Lee Dae-hyuk casually picked up his spoon again.
Kim Min-gyu was puzzled.
He had rejected Lee Dae-hyuk's offer.
Yet not only did he not push back, he was just letting him go?
He couldn't fathom Lee Dae-hyuk's intentions.
Confused but resigned, Kim Min-gyu picked up his spoon.
He had to eat anyway, at this point.
Chomp, chomp—!
Watching Kim Min-gyu start eating, Lee Dae-hyuk flashed a meaningful smile.
***
Park Cheon-ho's private office.
His face twisted more and more as he listened to Kim Min-gyu's report.
"That bastard took you all down by himself?"
"I'm sorry."
Kim Min-gyu bowed his head instead of making excuses.
Even if Lee Dae-hyuk had hidden his abilities by deceiving others until now, the mission had failed.
For now, all he could do was bow his head and await Park Cheon-ho's wrath.
"......"
Park Cheon-ho glared at Kim Min-gyu without responding.
Park Cheon-ho didn't trust people.
Having become boss through repeated betrayals himself, he couldn't trust his underlings.
Trust? Loyalty? Gratitude?
Such humane words had no place in Park Cheon-ho's life.
He crushed capable underlings before they grew too big.
He kept only those who obeyed well and lacked ability by his side.
People without the skill or ambition to betray him, from the start.
In that sense, Kim Min-gyu was more than enough to grate on his nerves.
He had superior fighting skills and the charisma to unite the underlings.
Look at him even now.
"The kids are innocent. Please hold me accountable alone."
He was prioritizing his men over himself.
Park Cheon-ho didn't like that about Kim Min-gyu.
He was the type who might one day stab him in the back.
Smirk—!
The corners of Park Cheon-ho's mouth curved into a smile.
This was the perfect chance to eliminate the不安 element.
"You didn't take anything from that illegitimate bastard, did you?"
"Yes?"
Kim Min-gyu's face twisted at Park Cheon-ho's question.
Park Cheon-ho.
A man who treated his underlings as mere disposables.
He himself planned to smash the back of his head someday, so he didn't feel particularly insulted.
There was no loyalty or bond between them anyway.
It was just business.
Biting his lip to suppress his rising anger, Kim Min-gyu spoke.
"Nothing like that happened. If it had, I wouldn't be here."
"Is that so? Yet you two enjoyed your stew nicely, I hear?"
Kim Min-gyu felt a surge of anger.
One of the underlings must have talked.
But he maintained his composure as best he could.
Showing anger now would only complicate things.
"...It wasn't a meal; it was an interrogation. A threat."
"And? What was the result of that threat?"
At Park Cheon-ho's retort, Kim Min-gyu stared at him for a moment.
No matter what he said, Park Cheon-ho wouldn't believe him.
"The illegitimate son knows more than you think. You should be careful."
Park Cheon-ho's brow twitched at those words.
"Careful? That retarded bastard is a threat?"
"The Lee Dae-hyuk I met could be a threat to anyone."
Park Cheon-ho groaned at Kim Min-gyu's words.
He didn't trust the man named Kim Min-gyu.
But he fully acknowledged his eye for people and his abilities.
If Lee Dae-hyuk really was that kind of person, preparations were needed.
"Got it. Get out."
As Park Cheon-ho waved him off, Kim Min-gyu bowed briefly.
Thud, thud—.
Click—!
Once Kim Min-gyu left and the door closed, Park Cheon-ho stood up.
If Lee Dae-hyuk was really that significant, he needed to inform Cha Beom-seok.
He pulled out his phone from his waistband and dialed Cha Beom-seok's number.
***
"You must have had a rough night."
In the pantry.
Joo Hyo-min handed an ion drink can to Lee Dae-hyuk, who was making instant coffee.
"Thank you."
Lee Dae-hyuk smiled and took the drink can from Joo Hyo-min.
Truth be told, he was a bit tired.
After the midnight brawl, he had escorted the unconscious Park Min-chan home.
And then had breakfast(?) with Kim Min-gyu...
'I'm really swamped without a break.'
He had wanted to have the security guards deliver Park Min-chan, but to avoid suspicion, he handled it personally.
No wonder he was fatigued.
He had barely made it to work and was now running Park Min-chan's coffee errand.
And yet again, Joo Hyo-min had followed and offered him a drink can.
'A nice surprise.'
Compared to last night's chaos, office life felt like a fairy tale.
"I'll enjoy it."
Joo Hyo-min smiled brightly at his polite words.
Last night.
Lee Dae-hyuk had bowed briefly, saying he'd take Park Min-chan home, and vanished from the karaoke bar.
Joo Hyo-min felt bad for leaving him to handle it alone.
So this was her small token of gratitude.
"You worked hard, so the senior should take care of this much. Don't feel burdened—it's not because of my uncle."
Offering her excuse-not-excuse(?), Joo Hyo-min continued.
"Everyone's still grateful. Team Leader Park Min-chan is quiet today thanks to you. I might ask for your help sometimes."
"You're saying I should drink with the team leader?"
"Even better if you stop him before the after-party drinks."
Lee Dae-hyuk looked at her anew at her playful remark.
"You're a fun one."
"I'm originally fun and kind. That's why my uncle entrusted you to me."
Watching Joo Hyo-min joke familiarly—unlike their first meeting—Lee Dae-hyuk felt rewarded for ditching Park Min-chan(?).
Park Min-chan, probably due to his hangover, stayed silent all day, in and out of the bathroom.
Even after vomiting so much yesterday, alcohol must still linger in his system.
Pleased with his handiwork(?), Lee Dae-hyuk was in a good mood today too.
"Please take care of me from now on."
He flashed Joo Hyo-min a refreshing smile and began making the iced coffee.
Clink—. Clink—.
Joo Hyo-min watched for a while as he plucked ice from the freezer with household tongs and dropped it into the paper cup.
'He doesn't seem like a total hopeless rich kid. Maybe I should give him some real work?'
In any company, excelling at just one of two things makes you an ace in the department.
With Lee Dae-hyuk's knack, he'd shine more in the field where people clash than with paperwork.
'I should take him out to the field soon.'
The PR team, like others, had countless meetings.
Outsourced producers couldn't handle all ads and contracts.
Sometimes arrogant stars appeared, and the PR team stepped in directly.
With her track record of glamorous victories, Joo Hyo-min planned to bring Lee Dae-hyuk to the battlefield called contract meetings this time.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, as Joo Hyo-min plotted her plans.
Another war was brewing in the PR team.
Team Leader Park Min-chan.
"Ugh. Uuugh."
Park Min-chan had been groaning all day.
It felt like alcohol was circulating through his veins instead of blood—pure agony.
But after chugging water and ion drinks and shuttling to the bathroom all day, his mind was clearing up somewhat.
Then, fragments of last night's memories surfaced disjointedly.
'So... Lee Dae-hyuk took me to the bathroom. I grabbed the toilet there. Yeah...?'
Recalling the night's events, Park Min-chan shuddered involuntarily.
Incomprehensible—no, impossible—scenes flashed through his mind like a panorama.
'What? Am I mixing up movies?'
The memory he recalled.
It was Lee Dae-hyuk subduing the men with flashy moves.
In the bathroom, taking them down one by one—it was like a scene from a noir film.
He moved swiftly, striking precisely to neutralize them.
Later, he even wielded his own fountain pen like a knife, stabbing wildly.
'Wait, if that was a dream... where's my fountain pen?'
Come to think of it, he'd searched all morning, but the pen was nowhere.
'No way... Get a grip. Snap out of it.'
Drunk, you can lose a fountain pen anytime.
'Yeah. Just drunk and confusing it with some old movie.'
Having firmly decided, Lee Dae-hyuk approached Park Min-chan.
Flinch—!
Startled by the sudden approach, Park Min-chan shot up from his seat.
"What? Why? Huh? What?"
Forgetting his hangover, he bounced up like a spring and backed away.
"You asked for coffee, right?"
Lee Dae-hyuk was the one bewildered.
'Still drunk? He asked for coffee, and now this.'
Bewildered but not showing irritation, Lee Dae-hyuk kept his expression neutral.
Catering to this weirdo was part of the fun of office life, wasn't it?
"I put in a moderate amount of ice—it's refreshing. Let me know if you need more coffee."
He placed the paper cup in front of him as politely as possible and returned to his seat.
But even after Lee Dae-hyuk sat down, Park Min-chan couldn't touch the cup.
What if what he saw was real?
No matter how he denied it, those scenes grew clearer.
Lee Dae-hyuk taking down four men single-handedly.
He had poked the wrong bear.
'Is he some yakuza heir or something?'
Park Min-chan couldn't gauge Lee Dae-hyuk's background.
He knew about his connection to President Yoo Jae-geun, and now he had top-tier fighting skills too!
'W-what the hell is that guy's deal?'
Even back at his seat, Park Min-chan trembled in fear over the new hire's true nature.