The Sponsor of My Niece-in-Law (2)
I had been planning to ask Chae Hee-geon about the blank verdict document that had appeared at the start of the case. I had hoped something concrete might surface as the investigation progressed, but even now, with nearly every detail laid bare, it remained blank. This ability was undeniably useful and offered countless applications if wielded cleverly, yet lately the fact that it only revealed verdicts had begun to feel restrictive.
Even the blank page I was currently viewing suggested that other documents surely existed beyond verdicts. Once a case reached the investigative authorities, there would be a complaint or accusation filing, followed by some form of disposition notice. If this ability extended beyond verdicts, it could yield far more information. Still, I had no idea how the power to preview verdicts had been granted to me in the first place, so such hopes remained nothing more than wishful thinking.
Even so, the appearance of another blank verdict meant there were deeper layers to the case that I did not yet know. I was not the type to sit idle when I sensed something hidden, so during the week leading up to the Jangbaek Corporation shareholders' meeting, I conducted my own investigation. Legally, the blank verdict implied no issues, but whether I could actually leverage the incident was another matter entirely.
From the end of last week into the beginning of this one, Park Da-hyun had been taking a beating in public opinion, yet both her agency, Top Entertainment, and the QS Group had remained silent on my orders. As a result, reporters desperate for any scrap of information from the very start had been bombarding my phone with calls and messages.
I had been politely brushing off the journalists I knew, asking them to wait a little longer, while ignoring messages from those I did not. That was when a message arrived—one that began much like the others.
I knew NoMismatch was a tabloid that specialized in digging up celebrities' private lives, and I had never heard the name Jung Ye-ju before. I was about to ignore it when the next line caught my attention.
Plenty of reporters had offered to feed me information about Park Da-hyun's school violence scandal, but none had ever emphasized my position as Audit Team Leader quite so pointedly. Reading between the lines, she clearly knew I was responsible for rooting out internal misconduct within the group.
Though we had never met, my curiosity was piqued, so I replied.
Well, well. Jung Ye-ju of NoMismatch.
Interesting. Someone who did not bother hiding her intentions yet still claimed to have something to offer. Meeting Jung Ye-ju for a short while did not seem like a waste of time.
* * *
The small café behind the NoMismatch office was where we agreed to meet. Jung Ye-ju, who was already waiting, looked quite different from what I had expected. Given that she was an entertainment reporter for NoMismatch, I had pictured a young woman. Instead, a middle-aged woman who appeared at least ten years older than me sat before me.
“Team Leader Kwon Ho-gyun?”
“Yes, that is me. You must be Reporter Jung, the one who messaged me?”
“Correct.”
After a brief exchange of names, we moved straight to business.
“You said there was something I needed to know as Audit Team Leader? I must admit I am surprised to hear that from NoMismatch rather than a paper like Geoseong Ilbo or Hanbit Ilbo. We do not even operate an entertainment agency.”
“Oh my, so the rumor that our paper is known for celebrity gossip is true after all?”
What was this? It was painfully obvious she was fishing for an apology with lines like “I am sorry” or “Please excuse me,” hoping to seize the upper hand right from the start. I was not about to play along.
“There is no need to put it so self-deprecatingly. Every outlet has its specialty.”
After that brief exchange, Jung Ye-ju smiled lightly, as if acknowledging I was no easy opponent, and got to the point.
“A tip came in regarding a QS Group executive, from our area of expertise. Before I share it, though, would you be willing to give me one piece of information I need in return? A fair exchange keeps things friendly.”
“What information are you looking for from me?”
“I am curious how the QS Group plans to handle the Rainy Girls Da-hyun school violence situation internally.”
As expected, what Jung Ye-ju wanted was not so different from what the other reporters sought.
“I would prefer we exchange information off the record. What do you think?”
Off the record meant the information was provided on the condition that it would not be reported. Naturally, Jung Ye-ju understood the term. She glanced at the NoMismatch sign outside the window before answering.
“That condition seems rather one-sided against me. You have no reason to leak internal misconduct to the outside, but I am the one who has to write an article about Da-hyun.”
“If my proposal does not suit you, then there is nothing to be done. We will simply not be able to build any rapport through mutual exchange. Besides, without me, you will find it impossible to secure any sources related to Park Da-hyun.”
“Ugh—”
Jung Ye-ju let out a short sigh, clearly struck by the accuracy of my words.
“How do you know that, Team Leader?”
“It is obvious. You are not the PR Team Leader, yet you specifically called the Audit Team Leader all the way out here for entertainment news. And besides—”
“Besides?”
“I am the one who ordered both the PR Team and Park Da-hyun’s agency to stay silent. That is why she has maintained a no-response stance even after being pulled from broadcasts.”
“Ughhh—”
Jung Ye-ju’s sigh grew longer. She had clearly realized she had underestimated me. Until moments ago, she had seen me as just another employee among the many at Junggyeongbon. She had probably summoned me expecting to eavesdrop on whatever scraps of information floated around the floors below the Chairman’s office in QS Tower. But with a single sentence, her perception of my position had shifted completely. The man sitting before her was not only deeply involved in the Park Da-hyun school violence scandal but also the one controlling all related information.
Jung Ye-ju raised both hands, palms facing me, as if making a declaration of surrender.
“So you were the one who put me in this difficult position, Team Leader. And now you are telling me that refusing your terms will only make things worse for me. How mischievous.”
Whether she judged my personality mischievous or cheeky was none of my concern.
“So, what will it be? I did not come all this way just to waste time. I would like to hear about the internal misconduct you mentioned first, under the off-the-record agreement.”
“Fine. After hearing you out, I realize I am not in a position to negotiate. You do not seem like the type to run off after listening, so I will speak first.”
With Jung Ye-ju’s surrender, the battle of wits ended, and she began her story.
“As you said, our main focus is the entertainment industry, so we do not usually investigate internal affairs at QS Group. However, while covering Rainy Girls Da-hyun, we received some rather strange information. Did you not find it odd that Da-hyun was chosen as the model for the QS Group commercial this time?”
Huh. That was exactly the point that had felt off to me from the moment I took on this case.
“Selecting the commercial model is not the Audit Team’s responsibility, but I heard there was quite a bit of internal friction within the PR Team.”
“So it was noisy inside the company as well. No official article has run yet, but there has been quite a stir outside too. What do you personally think the reason is, Team Leader?”
“Who knows? I suppose you are about to tell me.”
Jung Ye-ju chuckled briefly before continuing.
“We received a tip that Rainy Girls Da-hyun has a sponsorship arrangement with one of the QS Group executives. The name was Chae… something. Just a moment.”
“Surely not Chae Hee-geon, PR Team Leader of the Central Management Division at QS Group?”
“Ah, yes. Chae Hee-geon. I have not verified the facts yet, so I cannot write the article, but this level of allegation is something the Audit Team should look into, is it not?”
Chae Hee-geon sponsoring Park Da-hyun. That meant he had been providing her with regular sums of money in exchange for private, intimate time. If true, it was a serious problem, just as Jung Ye-ju had said. Yet jumping to conclusions without evidence was equally dangerous.
“I doubt Team Leader Chae has the means to sponsor someone like Rainy Girls Da-hyun. Even at the executive level here at headquarters, salaries are not that high. And Da-hyun is among the top-tier celebrities, is she not?”
“Well, if the sponsorship had only started recently, your point would stand. But according to the tip, he has been supporting her consistently since her trainee days. Of course, this is unconfirmed. The actual truth is something you will uncover, so please give me a hint later.”
That would make sense chronologically, but accepting it as fact still posed too many problems. If it dated back to Park Da-hyun’s trainee period, she would have been a minor. Good grief.
After that, I told Jung Ye-ju about the false nature of the school violence allegations and the JB Group’s involvement behind the scenes before concluding our meeting.
* * *
Reflecting on that conversation from a few days ago, the tip Jung Ye-ju had received seemed likely to be false. The blank verdict document currently floating before my eyes was the proof.
If Chae Hee-geon had been providing Park Da-hyun with money and receiving intimate favors in return since her trainee days, that would constitute the sexual exploitation of a minor. It was not the sort of case investigative authorities could simply sweep under the rug. It would inevitably lead to indictment and trial. In that scenario, the verdict document in front of me would not be blank—it would clearly display “Chae Hee-geon” as the defendant alongside a guilty verdict.
This was probably just another run-of-the-mill entertainment industry rumor, the kind that suited a NoMismatch reporter perfectly. The detailed circumstances would become clear once I asked the man himself. Fortunately, I was already waiting to meet Chae Hee-geon for dinner, so the timing was perfect.