The Manager's Time (3)
She was an incredibly sexy woman.
Suddenly, her full name exploded across the screen in three letters.
My mind raced at full speed.
Why on earth was she running Club Ares?
A secret club that politicians and famous celebrities flocked to, and why did she hold it?
Compared to the money she was sleeping with, this operation should bring in pocket change at best. So why?
Networking.
Anything else made no sense. She had no reason to cling to this club.
Or to risk it turning into something like the Choi Min-hyuk scandal exploding in her face.
Then why did she need to manage her network at this exact moment?
I found the answer in her muttering from in front of my brother’s grave.
If I had inherited the company, none of this would have happened…
Her successor structure was still shaky.
That meant she hadn’t given up.
She was clearly circling for the chance to bite the head off of CEO Im Min-seok.
But would that viper-like man just sit back and watch?
He’d probably try to knock me down. Maybe by leaking a drug scandal and erasing her name.
Thinking back, the Choi Min-hyuk scandal felt so strange.
The club Ares and Choi Min-hyuk had been hyped for it, but not a single name of the actual owner ever surfaced.
Just rumors of Gangnam’s Club King or Drug King—floating in the air with no substance.
If her name came up, CEO Im Min-seok would have nothing to gain from it.
A picture formed in my head.
CEO Im Min-seok using Choi Min-hyuk to blow the drug scandal, then letting her off the hook in exchange for his surrender.
And Ji-hye being exiled to some other country where she’d never hear from brother Jong-seok again.
In the end, only Im Min-seok would profit from the chaos… and him alone.
Of course, this could all be my overactive imagination or me writing the script alone.
But one fact was crystal clear: Choi Min-hyuk had definitely used drugs at Club Ares.
And the evidence was there, in Ares itself.
“What’s wrong? You look so serious… Did something happen?”
Thoughts had taken too long.
She looked at me with genuine worry, my face tight with concern.
“Noona… you’re close to Ji-hye, right?”
“Ji-hye unnie? Well, we keep in touch, but why do you ask?”
Since Im Min-seok was involved, I couldn’t risk dragging reporter Lee Ji-yeon into danger.
I would handle Ji-hye directly.
“Can you arrange a private meeting for me? At Ares.”
“Mm… I can clear a spot for tomorrow or even later.”
Her expression shifted.
Of course. This woman wasn’t an idiot, and seeing how tense I was, she couldn’t miss the oddity.
“What do you need to know? About the Choi Min-hyuk drug scandal? What exactly do you plan to do with it?”
Choi Min-hyuk’s drug scandal.
What exactly was I hoping to achieve by stirring it up?
Simply save a dying man and feed him his worst day? Or warn Ji-hye about Im Min-seok?
Or both…
I wasn’t even sure what outcome I wanted.
What I did know was that I wanted to share this with Ji-hye, and I needed to tell this woman enough truth to set up the meeting.
“Here’s the thing. You know Choi Min-hyuk is appearing in a drama, right?”
“What? Is it the worst day or something?”
“Yes, but our show airs in the exact same time slot.”
“Eh…? You can’t be serious… I was so naive before. I’m terrified now.”
“It’s true. So… will you help?”
I gently squeezed her chest again. She let out another pitiful moan.
“Haa… haaa…”
“Answer me. Will you help?”
My fingers circled her nipples playfully before sliding down her smooth stomach and slipping between her thighs.
“I-I’ll help! Just arrange the meeting and I’ll do anything! Please, stop!”
“One more request.”
Only after I promised to run the noise-marketing article did she finally release me.
*
*
*
Days later, I received a call from reporter Lee Ji-yeon.
“Sorry~ I have a family commitment today, so you’ll have to go alone.”
“What? Noona!”
“I should have backed off when I said to. But don’t worry. Ji-hye unnie is so kind.”
That couldn’t be true.
Even back when we stood at the grave, her charisma was overwhelming.
And I knew her entire family’s personality well.
“Haa… can’t we do it? I have to go alone?”
“It’s just a joke. I’d love to come with you… but today I can’t because of family plans.”
I had no choice.
This woman’s family never missed a single gathering.
“Are you listening?”
“Yes… of course. No choice… Later, please make sure Si-a unnie’s article is perfect.”
“Sure. I’ll really focus on that. Call me when the time comes.”
“Okay, noona. Go on in.”
That felt awkward…
Without her, things might get even more dangerous.
Still, the core of that family was loan sharks, and rumors said they were quietly running more business.
They won’t try to hit me or kill me now. This isn’t the age of savages. At least I should prepare.
“Min-gu!”
“Yes, Chief.”
That’s right. I had Min-gu.
A massive, intimidating face on a massive frame.
With him, I could rival even Guan Yu—captain of the Peach Garden.
Min-gu’s stern expression today was more reassuring than ever.
“Let’s work overtime with the brother today.”
“Overtime?”
“Yeah! Let’s go do a market survey. As the manager of a singer company, we should at least check the market at our own singer’s restaurant, right?”
In Korea’s clubs, what music plays… and what music do the young and rich listen to these days.
That was what we were heading to Club Ares to investigate.
“Let’s go, Min-gu!”
“Yes!”
We changed into clean clothes and headed to the heart of Gangnam where Ares was located.
*
*
*
In what looked like a rundown building on Gangnam’s edge.
Nothing on the sign—just an ordinary street-level building.
But the guards blocking the entrance were huge and intimidating, far bigger and tougher than Min-gu.
Here we are… time to go in?
I steeled my nerves and walked up with a confident stride.
They politely blocked my path with outstretched hands.
“Excuse me… what business do you have here?”
Min-gu sensed something off and stepped in front of me, glaring.
“Market survey!”
No way, Min-gu. That’s not it…
Min-gu, who knew nothing, acted on his security habits.
Before I could stop him, he had already taken the lead.
This is my mistake…
Min-gu was the last person I should have warned.
His usual silence had caught me off guard.
“Market survey?”
The guards looked at Min-gu’s size and stern face, then at our impossible answer, and simply stared blankly with zero movement.
Seizing the opening, I gave Min-gu a subtle shove and quickly took control.
“Oh, I’m here to see President Ji-hye. I have a recommendation from Ms. Lee Ji-yeon.”
“…May I have your name?”
“Kang Min-hyuk.”
The scarred man with a sharp face on the other side of the desk checked his walkie-talkie briefly, then offered a bright business smile and bowed deeply.
“Verified. Please come in.”
Club Ares was, as expected, heavily secured.
From the loud music and flashy lights to multiple CCTV cameras and security scanners, we only reached our destination after all of it.
“Oh, guests are only allowed this far.”
With that, several guards blocked Min-gu’s path.
Min-gu’s face showed no fear. If anything, he stared them down with a mocking grin.
“Min-gu, keep up the market survey while we look around.”
But today we weren’t here to fight.
Min-gu was our insurance against anything unexpected.
I patted his shoulder to calm the explosive man who looked ready to explode at any second, whispering quietly so the guards wouldn’t hear.
“If the brother doesn’t show in an hour… you know what to do. I trust you completely.”
“Chief is in danger…”
“Not really dangerous, idiot. Just do your market survey properly.”
I patted his shoulder a few more times.
Min-gu clenched his fist and bowed in frustration.
This is ridiculous… I feel like I’ve become a gang boss. Tsk.
After regression, life had gotten strangely dynamic.
“Finish up and let’s eat. I’ll be quick—go and come back fast.”
Club Ares was strictly divided by rank.
On the main stage: influencers and slightly lower-level entertainers.
On the second-floor open rooms: better-known entertainers and small business owners.
Even I recognized some of the names seated there.
And while I couldn’t see her, someone was watching my every move with intense focus…
“Please come this way… President is waiting.”
The long-awaited third floor.
Only politicians and top celebrities could enter this VIP room.
Inside it, a massive window offered a perfect view of the entire club.
Finally, the enormous door opened and I saw her.
“Were you nervous? Come in.”
“Ah… yes.”
The once-thin version of her was almost unrecognizable.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Min-hyuk.”
I bowed respectfully, and she crossed her legs seductively, eyes locking onto mine.
“So… you wanted to see me like this?”
“You’re President Ji-hye?”
“Yes, I’m Ji-hye. But…”
“Is it really President Ji-hye, the youngest daughter of the club chairman?”
After repeating the question, she put out her cigarette slowly and looked puzzled.
“…What? Why do you keep asking?”
A mesmerizing voice, a red dress that seemed to smolder, smooth legs wrapped in bright-red high heels, and an aura of pure temptation in those eyes that could melt steel.
Damn it… brother Jong-seok! Why is his little sister so damn sexy!
That’s right. The Ji-hye of Myeongdong.
She was an incredibly sexy woman.