Chapter 45: The Gold Spoon New Recruit
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: The Gold Spoon New Recruit
"What are you doing? Sit."
As I stared blankly at her, Park Su-jin gestured toward the opposite sofa with her chin.
Following her lead, I sat down quietly, and the woman who had escorted me in poured me a drink.
"Do I have to drink this?"
"Don't worry, there's nothing strange in it. I don't do low-life shit like drugging men to rape them."
You're already a low-life.
Does she think there’s some kind of class hierarchy in being a scumbag? Drugging someone makes you a thug, but blackmailing them is some noble pursuit?
Watching Park Su-jin spout such ridiculous nonsense, I picked up the rocks glass, which was about a third full. The round ice ball, carved perfectly without a single edge, looked quite expensive.
"Ha, look at you. You've had a drink or two before. What, did you work in the entertainment district?"
As I swirled the glass to dilute the alcohol, Park Su-jin looked at me with an incredulous expression.
Hey, do you have any idea how much hard liquor I bought at the PX? You think I can't handle something like this?
However, since I was currently in Jeong Yeon-woo’s body, a kid like him swirling a glass with such practiced ease must have looked unusual. In this world, if a man knows his way around hard liquor, do people assume he worked at a host bar?
"I just... drank a bit at home as a hobby."
"Your hand movements are a bit too practiced for a 'hobby.' Maybe I should have used your hands instead of your mouth."
She’s really enjoying herself, isn't she?
Don't worry, I'll be using your hands and feet for a long, long time.
"Put your smartphone on the table and come over here."
Park Su-jin patted the seat next to her with a smirk.
I'm coming, right into your personal hell.
Without a word, I sat down beside her and placed my phone on the table. Despite the woman who had guided me standing right there, Park Su-jin didn't care and began kneading my thigh.
"So, when are you going to show me your sincerity?"
"It's a bit awkward with people around."
I spoke while looking at the other woman. Judging by the faint flow of mana, she seemed to be an Awakened who hadn't made it as a Hero. She was likely being used as a personal secretary and bodyguard. With her hair neatly tied up and her glasses, she had a refined, elegant look.
"Her? She’s licked my pussy before, so what are you being shy for? She won't say a word, so don't worry about her. Just think of her as a piece of furniture."
That was a hell of a way to talk—annoying for me, but surely even more so for that woman.
Ideally, I wanted to blackmail her with the video when we were alone. To properly manipulate an idiot like Park Su-jin, one-on-one was better. Even if she was a bodyguard, she was likely hired by Park Sung-jun, so she might try to contact him the moment I showed the video.
"But..."
"But? Are you really in a position to be picky? You seem pretty relaxed. Should we stop? I'll stop if you want. Go home, I won't stop you."
Park Su-jin patted my cheek mockingly.
Well—if you want to be humiliated in front of others that badly.
I picked up my smartphone and turned it on.
"What, are you going to record us? To blackmail me?"
"Yes, to blackmail you."
I gave her a thin smile and turned the screen toward her.
—'This is despicable. I hate people like you.'
—'Too bad for you, having to suck the pussy of someone you hate~'
The events that had transpired in the office late at night were vividly displayed on the screen.
"You... what is this?"
"It's a video of me sucking pussy because I succumbed to your blackmail~"
I took a sip of whiskey, using Park Su-jin’s panicked expression as a side dish.
Ah, that’s the stuff.
She drinks the expensive stuff. And the entertainment is top-notch.
"Ah, lady over there—I don't know your name, but don't move. If I don't leave this mansion safely, this video will be plastered all over every internet community within three hours. Yes, keep your hands where I can see them, out in front."
The woman, who had been stealthily reaching behind her back, flinched and raised both hands slightly in a gesture of surrender. I didn't actually have anyone else to leak the video, but an unprovable bluff like this always works.
"Gosh, I'm so embarrassed. A video of me being raped. Look at this, look. You can see your face so clearly, right? CCTV quality these days is amazing. The audio is crisp, too. It's great."
"You son of a bitch... how dare you try to pull this on..."
"Su-jin. Su-jin?"
When I called her name and looked her in the eye, her words died in her throat.
"Get a grip. If this gets out, you're finished, and so is Park Sung-jun, the one protecting you. Are you okay with that?"
"What kind of bullshit..."
"Miss, you need to calm down for now."
The woman beside her spoke up, placing a hand on Park Su-jin’s shoulder to restrain her. Perhaps it was her first time being "threatened" by her own bodyguard, because Park Su-jin looked at the hand on her shoulder with bewildered eyes before violently brushing it off.
"Hey, you think my dad will be finished first? Or you? You crazy bastard, you've really lost your mind."
"I'll probably be finished first. But will I be the only one? Wow—the daughter of a Hero going around committing rape through blackmail? Using her father's position as a Clan Leader? You think Park Sung-jun will be able to stay in Break Line? He'll be kicked out immediately."
"It's my dad's clan! Who's going to kick him out?!"
"Who? The shareholders, that's who. You must be a bit slow when it comes to business, but even if Park Sung-jun has the largest stake, it's not enough to defend his management rights against everyone else. A Hero embroiled in a scandal as a Clan Leader? What clan would allow that?"
As I explained it kindly, Park Su-jin’s face turned ashen.
"And after Park Sung-jun is kicked out? Do you think he'll forgive you? He cherished you as his daughter, and you ruined his life. Oh, wait, it'll be fine. By then, Park Sung-jun won't have any power left anyway."
Game over.
Even after I finished speaking, Park Su-jin couldn't say another word, just staring at me blankly. I refilled my empty glass, crossed my legs, and looked down at her.
"Su-jin, why don't you show me some sincerity?"
"..."
"Why that face? This is awkward. Let me fix that for you."
"I am truly sorry."
The apology should have come from Park Su-jin, but the woman beside her dropped to her knees.
"I am sorry. I should have served the Young Lady better. Mr. Jeong Yeon-woo, you have suffered because of me. It is my fault."
No, like I said, you're not the one who needs to apologize.
Before I could stop her, the woman slammed her forehead against the floor in a deep bow.
"Su-jin, she's going that far. Don't you have anything to say?"
"..."
"Since you don't seem to find this problematic, I'll be going."
"Wait!"
Park Su-jin grabbed my wrist as I moved to stand up. I looked down at her hand without a word, and she flinched, letting go. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she spoke.
"I... I was wrong... I'm sorry..."
"What? I can't hear you. Could you speak up a bit?"
"I'm sorry. So please... delete the video..."
Delete it? When my life is on the line?
The moment I delete this video, it's a guarantee I'll be found as a corpse in some back alley. From the moment I revealed the existence of this recording, Park Sung-jun and I crossed a point of no return. We have to keep going until one of us loses all their power.
"Deleting it is difficult. I have to survive, too."
"I'll... I'll take care of that embezzlement case. I can do it. I have an employee who listens to everything I say. One word from them and it's all solved."
Park Su-jin spoke urgently, trying to persuade me.
In reality, I couldn't do much with this video either. I couldn't use it to blackmail Park Sung-jun directly, and if I made it public, a desperate Park Sung-jun might do something truly insane. I had to use this mutually assured destruction button as effectively as possible.
"Let's get the facts straight. It wasn't embezzlement; it was a frame-up."
"Yes, right. I know who did it, too. It was Kim Yun-ah, that bitch. She's the one who pinned it on you."
She was telling me things I already knew. Even if Kim Yun-ah was the one who fabricated it, the order came from Park Sung-jun. I gave a thin smile to Park Su-jin, who still hadn't come to her senses and was hiding the truth to suit herself.
"Get on your knees. And you, the woman. Go out and bring a detector."
The woman, who was still bowing, lifted her head and looked at me. When our eyes met, she quickly stood up.
"Don't try anything funny out there."
I spoke while expanding my Mana Detection to its limit.
"Yes, do not worry. I will not do anything strange."
The woman already knew they were at a disadvantage and was trying her best not to provoke me.
"And you, don't kneel there. Kneel in front of me."
Park Su-jin, who had been kneeling on the sofa, bit her lip and awkwardly moved to kneel on the floor in front of me. Looking down at her face, which was twisted with resentment, felt pretty good.
The woman returned shortly after and handed me the detector.
"I can't afford to be caught by a hidden camera myself."
I stood up, patted Park Su-jin on the head, and inspected every corner of the room. Park Su-jin, who had been glaring at my back with a face full of rage, immediately changed her expression and lowered her head when I turned around.
Still got some fight in her, I see.
Good. That's the only way I'll stay motivated.
After finishing the inspection, I returned to my seat and looked down at Park Su-jin, who was fidgeting as if her legs hurt. At some point, the other woman had also knelt down beside Park Su-jin, pleading along with her.
"Be quiet. And you, stand up. You haven't done anything wrong."
"It is my fault..."
"Didn't you hear me? Should I just leave?"
"..."
When I spoke in a coercive tone, the woman glanced at Park Su-jin for a moment before standing up. With the only person she could rely on moving away, Park Su-jin swallowed hard and looked up at me with trembling eyes.
"I don't want to make this public either. A video of me being raped? That's too humiliating."
"R-right? Then the video..."
"I'm not deleting it."
When I spoke firmly, Park Su-jin shut her mouth.
Keep it shut so I can talk.
"I'm saying I won't delete it for now. I'll delete it depending on how you behave. It won't take long."
Just until Park Sung-jun is no longer a threat to me.
At the mention that it wouldn't take long, Park Su-jin’s eyes lit up. Seeing her eyes filled with hope made me look forward to how I would torment her.
"First, only the people in this room are to know about this."
"Yes, I'll do that. Of course."
If this got out, Park Su-jin might be beaten to death by Park Sung-jun. People usually want to report things like this as quickly as possible, but the fear of punishment keeps them silent.
"Second. You take responsibility and end the investigation into me. Don't end it by saying someone fabricated it or whatever—just make the investigation itself vanish."
"Uh... what?"
This idiot.
Instead of Park Su-jin, who couldn't seem to follow, I looked at the woman and spoke.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Yes. Without the investigation being completed, and without anyone getting hurt... no, I will make it as if the investigation never existed in the first place."
It might not be as easy as it sounds, but the woman gave me the answer I wanted to hear. Good. Since she seems to understand, she'll probably control Park Su-jin on her own.
"I'll say it again: what happened here stays between us. If Park Sung-jun finds out about this while you're quashing the investigation, I'll have no choice but to release it. We'll all go down together."
"Do not worry about that. I will complete the task even if it costs me my life."
I had addressed Park Su-jin, but the woman was the one who answered. I don't know how she'll do it, but has she already devised a plan?
If it was going to be this easy, why did I have to go through all that trouble?
...Actually, come to think of it, I didn't really suffer that much.
Recalling the recent events—of which I had no memory other than having sex with Kim Yun-ah—I shrugged and looked down at Park Su-jin.
"Third."
"There's more?"
When I looked down at her without a word, Park Su-jin shut her mouth and averted her gaze.
"Become my personal secretary."
"Hah?"
Ridiculous, right? I felt the same way when I heard it from you.
"Whether you throw a tantrum at Park Sung-jun or whatever, get yourself assigned under me. Use the excuse of learning the business from me, or say you're going to try and keep me tied to Break Line. I don't care."
"No, why should I work under you..."
"I don't care how you do it. Just work under me."
"..."
Park Su-jin grimaced as if it was the last thing on earth she wanted to do. But what can you do? I'm the one holding the video.
To give her a small glimmer of hope, I leaned forward, bringing my face close to hers.
"It won't be for long. Maybe a month? You can't even handle that?"
Everything should be over by then.
"...I'll do it."
The answer was already decided anyway. She agonized over it for a long time, but eventually, Park Su-jin spat out the required line, gritting her teeth and turning her head away.
"Don't worry. I'll teach you well and turn you into a new person. Park Sung-jun will be grateful."
"Ugh..."
With a look of pure humiliation, Park Su-jin lowered her head.