Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Before the Storm, A Quiet Moment (1)
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Radial roads stretched out like flashes of light, converging at one point. In the heart of the Guangzhou IT Industrial Complex stood a square building on a vast plot of land.
It was the government office that held nearby companies of all sizes on a tight leash.
At the very top floor, a high-ranking local official was bowing respectfully to a relatively young man.
"Thank you for making the long, arduous journey here. Please call on us for anything that might inconvenience you."
"Alright. You may leave now."
The official withdrew with polite words.
Yan Long from Shanghai Capital, receiving the protocol as if it were routine. He turned to SA Group's Vice President Im Jae-ho, who sat across from him, and spoke.
"I hear you were curious about our influence over Guangzhou. Was what you just saw enough?"
"More than enough. Not a single cloud of doubt in my mind."
SA Group Vice President Im Jae-ho gazed out the window at the Guangzhou IT Industrial Complex.
Beyond the open view, the industrial zone stretched to the horizon, its vast scale impossible to fully grasp.
"SA Group's IT cluster for the China and Southeast Asia markets. A direct path to prosperity for both sides."
Im Jae-ho turned his ambitious gaze toward the half-finished IT cluster site, staring blankly.
This place had seen massive investments over the past few years.
But in recent days, the Guangzhou city government had suddenly changed its stance. Holding the final key of permits, they had engaged in inexplicable back-and-forth.
"So... for the benefit of both parties, it's time you explained. Why stage this little drama?"
And the one who resolved this headache Im Jae-ho had created himself? None other than Shanghai Capital.
As if scripted in advance, their handling of the matter was astonishingly swift and precise. Transparent in its dark intentions.
"The script was a bit contrived, wasn't it? An unavoidable directorial choice for the play's box-office success. I hope you'll take that into account, Vice President Im."
Im Jae-ho finally let his discomfort show without restraint.
Tap, tap. Propping his chin on his hand, he drummed his fingers on the wooden table, urging a silent answer with an irritated expression.
"......"
Seeing this, Yan Long smiled as if flaunting his position of power.
It didn't take long for the hidden implications to spill from his lips.
"Our Shanghai Capital... hopes SA Group will serve as the starting point to bring down the Ammunition Group. Beginning with SA-Cheolhwa Tekwin."
"The company where my relative is CEO is a brand-new entity."
"Ah, yes, we're aware. It's just..."
Time passed enough for the hot tea in the cups to grow lukewarm.
Yan Long spoke to Im Jae-ho about the Defense Ministry's new weapons development project.
He knew more about the internal Korean situation than expected.
Enough to provide ghost company registrations in China for disguising researchers from Ammunition Electronics under SA-Cheolhwa Tekwin.
"Grab them by the ankles, one small piece at a time like this, and before you know it, the moment comes. They'll topple on their own."
"I understand what you want, but... you must consider the complicated internal circumstances here."
Im Jae-ho sipped his now-cold green tea, trailing off.
The tangled family affairs between SA Group and Cheolhwa Group.
No need to spell out the fake family charade. Especially not to these insolent Chinese financial capitalists.
But contrary to his expectations, Shanghai Capital already knew a great deal.
"Our Shanghai Capital has strong patience. We simply... wait calmly. Including the childish games between SA and Cheolhwa Group."
"......!"
Im Jae-ho's mask cracked like parched earth in a drought, fissures spiderwebbing across it.
Yan Long smiled as if toying with each shattered fragment in his grasp.
Unfazed by the reaction, he continued.
"You'll soon acquire Cheolhwa Semiconductor. One by one like that... trip up the Ammunition Group so they can't grow. For SA Group's sake, too."
"You know far more than I imagined."
"And more besides. Today, I have a gift for you, Vice President."
Clang. The moment Yan Long's palm touched the small brass bell on the table, an unpleasant metallic ring echoed.
As if prepared in advance, a staff member promptly brought a large porcelain plate.
Beneath the lifted metal lid lay not food, but a single black leather dog collar.
"This is...?"
"A leash. Can't have a dog running loose and causing trouble, can we? Keep it tied up nicely until the dog days pass."
"What the hell does this...?"
Yan Long spouted his cryptic nonsense at will.
The displeasure lapped at the limits of Im Jae-ho's patience like water threatening to overflow.
Just as it wet the edges and crossed the line, the sharp click of high heels echoed from down the hall.
A strangely familiar footstep. Im Jae-ho looked up.
"Ah, perfect timing."
"Nice to see you, Director Yan Long. I'm Seo Yun-ji, CEO of SA-Cheolhwa Tek..."
Seo Yun-ji froze mid-greeting.
As far as she knew, there was no reason her husband, SA Group Vice President Im Jae-ho, should be on this business trip.
Her eyes, shaken by anxiety, steadied with a deep breath—only for Yan Long's next words to shatter that fragile balance.
"Did you enjoy Macau?"
"......"
"The paperwork for our ghost company is complete. You two can talk freely now."
* * * *
"I'm Lee Tae-gyu, Lee Tae-gyu! The sacred bone of Ammunition Electronics, Lee Tae-gyu!"
Rewind the clock a few days to the Ammunition Group headquarters.
In broad daylight, a man stumbled into a nearby soju joint, necktie loosened, looking utterly lost.
Former Ammunition Electronics President Lee Tae-gyu, hollow-eyed, ignored the snacks entirely. He simply piled up soju bottles like crates and drank.
His face, flushed beet-red from the booze, had long surpassed the shade of his beloved red fatigue cap.
"Damn it... that piss-ant brat who can't even control his own shit! That little punk doesn't even recognize the man who served his father...! Hic!"
Frustrated, Lee Tae-gyu began stripping off his habitual dress shirt.
A couple of buttons popped off under his brute force, only irritating him more. He tore off his top entirely.
"Screw it! No point wearing this crap anymore!"
At least it was in a private room, spared from outsiders—small mercy.
Refilling his empty glass, he let out a lament.
"That Michelin or massage or whatever that foreign bastard is... Should've shaved his damn head bald from the start to shut him up!"
Why shave the head? Only Lee Tae-gyu himself knew. But the resentment pouring from him was thicker than imaginable.
Endless soju poured down his throat.
Lee Tae-gyu slumped against the cushion, the room spinning wildly—as if he could feel the Earth's rotation and orbit.
"Ugh, gonna die."
He was thoroughly wasted. So much so he didn't notice the unfamiliar man who had sat down across from him.
"Dear me, Brother Tae-gyu. You've been here a while. What's got you pounding the soju like this?"
"Huh...? Oh, Deok-gyu? You bastard... Who called you? Why're you here?"
Deok-gyu, a fellow Marine ROTC alum from Lee Tae-gyu's service days, set a hangover remedy drink on the table. They seemed thick as thieves.
"Who called? You lit up my phone like a fire, Brother—that ring any bells?"
Lee Tae-gyu fumbled his phone from his pocket, sluggish.
Drunk dialing galore. Everyone he considered close had at least one missed call.
"Ha, you punk... Hey, Deok-gyu. Thanks anyway. I must've called dozens of times, and you're the only one who showed."
"What, you think I'd come running for some slurring drunk babbling nonsense since early evening? Only 'cause you're like family."
Did the remedy kick in?
Lee Tae-gyu, dog-like moments ago, now managed some human semblance.
As he finally nibbled on the snacks, Deok-gyu broached the subject casually.
"Here, eat some of these egg rolls first and listen. Got something to tell you, Brother."
"What could you possibly have to say to a has-been like me?"
"Come on, Brother. The thread may be cut, but the connection's still close, right? One swing of the hand, and it's yours."
"What're you...?"
Deok-gyu flashed an enigmatic smile. Lowering his voice, he scooted on his knees to sit beside Lee Tae-gyu.
"Brother, pull out ten key researchers. Those China folks... wanna make a comeback."
"Deok-gyu, what the hell are you...?"
The alcohol evaporated in an instant. Lee Tae-gyu's slit eyes flew wide.
Core talent leak to China.
Hard to believe, and it risked industrial espionage charges.
But Deok-gyu's following whisper in his ear?
Irresistible to Lee Tae-gyu.
"The Jjajangmyeon slurpers' ghost company is just a shell... The real employer is SA-Cheolhwa Tekwin. Those gold bugs are the true bosses."
* * * *
The revamped Ammunition Group Audit Team.
After Team Leader Yoo Ji-won's dismissal, they had to prove their worth in this new era.
"Section Chief, this Lee Tae-gyu guy... really gonna dig up anything worthwhile? Looks like textbook burnout to me."
"Shut it, Agent Choi. Use that thick skull for a sec."
Thwack! A crisp knuckle-rap echoed through the Cheonggyecheon area, followed by Choi's groan.
Clutching his head, Choi got an earful from the Audit Team Section Chief in stern tones.
"Ow ow... Why hit me? Gonna make me dumber."
"This punk—do you got brains or not? Listen up! You have no idea what an opportunity this is."
The Section Chief lit a cheap cigarette.
Stroking his scruffy beard, he launched into a speech.
"Lee Tae-gyu—that guy's bound to screw up. So when we tail him and snag something big... the Audit Team regains its old glory."
Choi started to protest about doing this after hours, but one look at his senior's pot-lid fist shut him up quick.
The ashtray-turned-dimple in the dirt floor held a small puddle.
Exhaustion hit; Choi crouched with a yawn brewing—thwack!
"Ow, seriously! Section Chief!"
"Pay attention, you idiot—look at that!"
Out staggered former President Lee Tae-gyu from the soju joint, hammered, with someone in tow.
He'd entered alone, but now there were two.
A spark lit the Audit Team Section Chief's face for the first time in ages.
"Hey, Agent Choi. Jackpot. Let's report up the chain pronto."