The Protagonist Is Indeed the Protagonist
The news crackled through the car speakers. “A fire has completely destroyed the Cheonan factory of BS Precision. Police are investigating the incident as arson. The factory manager, Mr. Jeon, and several senior executives were killed in the blaze…”
Park Moon-seok, president of Base Technology, spoke to his driver with clear irritation. The driver quietly switched it off without a word.
On the surface, Base Technology appeared to be an independent company. In reality, it was a covert subsidiary secretly backed by the BS Group. That was why any negative news about the group instantly soured his mood. To make matters worse, the body of Park Sang-beom—son of Park Il-soo, one of the contenders in the group’s succession race—had been found near the front gate of Base Technology just last night. The situation had become incredibly awkward.
The death had nothing to do with him, yet because the corpse was discovered in the bushes right by the company’s main entrance, he had briefly become a prime suspect. Fortunately, the autopsy revealed only wounds consistent with a wild animal attack, clearing him of suspicion. Even so, Park Il-soo’s faction still eyed him with deep distrust.
Base Technology existed to develop technologies too risky for the BS Group to handle openly. Because different factions within the group competed fiercely over such assets, the current chairman, Park Sung-wook, had placed the company directly under his personal control to prevent any single side from monopolizing its output. As a result, Park Moon-seok had maintained a careful neutral stance, belonging to neither Park Il-soo’s nor Park Il-man’s camp.
But as Chairman Park Sung-wook gradually withdrew from management due to old age, the pressure on Park Moon-seok had grown heavier by the day. Threats had already arrived, demanding he declare his allegiance before the chairman’s retirement. Park Moon-seok understood the logic perfectly. Those who joined a succession war from the beginning would never be treated the same as latecomers. He had intended to pick a side before open conflict erupted between the heirs.
He had assumed the real war would only begin after the chairman stepped down or was forced out. That had been far too naïve. The discovery of Park Sang-beom’s body yesterday marked the true beginning of the conflict. Or perhaps the succession struggle had been quietly raging for some time, and Sang-beom had simply been one of its first victims.
His mind was a tangled mess, but he had to deal with the immediate problem first. To ensure the smooth launch of the BS Group’s new security company, they needed to tarnish the reputation of Vanguard, a firm with an excellent market standing. The recent string of theft incidents had all been orchestrated by Base Technology. They now held leverage over Vanguard.
“Still, the president of Vanguard is quite bold,” remarked Yoon Young-cheol, who served as both driver and secretary while keeping his eyes on the road. “Telling us to come to her instead…”
Until recently, Han Yugyeong, president of Vanguard, had been dancing to their tune exactly as planned. Now the situation had shifted slightly.
—If we keep coming and going through a gate covered in bloodstains, we might contaminate the evidence. So this time, please come to us instead.
The police were still swarming the area, making it difficult for Base Technology employees to even show up for work. Using the back entrance helped, but the overall atmosphere inside the company had grown unbearably tense. Bringing in hostile Vanguard personnel on top of that would only make things worse. Park Moon-seok had therefore reluctantly accepted Han Yugyeong’s suggestion.
“Given our current circumstances, she used the situation quite cleverly. Still, she’s just a smartass who has no idea what our real goal is.”
“Even so, isn’t it ridiculous? The youngest daughter of the Shin River Group acting this arrogantly.”
“She probably hasn’t even considered that our target isn’t money—it’s Vanguard’s reputation.”
Since Vanguard was a well-known name in the industry, its headquarters occupied a prime location in the bustling heart of Gangnam. The sight made Park Moon-seok’s stomach twist with envy. He clicked his tongue. If Base Technology—with its outstanding technical capabilities—hadn’t been forced to focus solely on secretive projects, it could have grown far larger and more famous than some mere security firm. What a waste.
“We’ve arrived, sir.”
At Yoon Young-cheol’s words, Park Moon-seok stepped out of the car. He took the elevator from the underground parking garage up to the sixth floor, where the scheduled meeting room was located. Since Yoon was officially just a driver, he couldn’t accompany him. Besides, Park Moon-seok believed he could handle a mere first-year college girl on his own. The plan was simply to drag out the negotiations under the pretense of bargaining; there was no need to waste manpower or expenses. Of course, he had already submitted paperwork claiming he was bringing lawyers along so he could pocket the inflated legal fees himself.
Ding! Sixth floor.
When the elevator doors opened, a female receptionist was waiting. She guided him toward what appeared to be the meeting room. Two burly men stood on either side of the door. Park Moon-seok inwardly sneered at the sight.
Hmph! Trying to intimidate me with this childish display? How juvenile. Must be because she’s just a little girl.
He opened the door and stepped inside.
“!!”
The familiar faces of Han Yugyeong and Vanguard’s executives were seated exactly as expected. But their aura was completely different from yesterday. An indescribable pressure radiated from every one of them. And at the feet of Han Yugyeong, who sat at the head of the table, a massive black panther lay sprawled.
It was nearly the size of a bull. The sheer intimidation was overwhelming.
Just… just a decoration, right?
That thought lasted less than a second. The moment Park Moon-seok took a single step forward, the “statue’s” eyes snapped open with a flash. He instinctively staggered back.
Han Yugyeong spoke in a mocking tone. The black panther called Nero seemed offended at being called a cat. It lifted its head and let out a low growl. The sound was unmistakably that of a predator—nothing like a meow.
With a small grunt, Park Moon-seok sat down. The female employee who had guided him earlier brought in tea. He paid it no attention. The instant he took his seat, the black panther leaped lightly and settled directly in front of the meeting room door, as if blocking any escape. Its sharp eyes fixed on him with predatory focus.
Grrrrr…!
Another growl came from behind him. Suddenly, Park Moon-seok remembered the cause of death listed in Park Sang-beom’s autopsy report. Death by wild animal attack…! No way…!
Han Yugyeong slid a single document across the table. It was a partial ledger of the slush funds Park Moon-seok had sent to several congressmen and cabinet ministers to facilitate illegal technology development. How the hell did she get this?
Han Yugyeong’s voice grew noticeably colder. Park Moon-seok felt cold sweat break out across his body. His back was soaked. His legs began to tremble uncontrollably. Though he had never experienced it before, he instantly recognized the sensation.
Killing intent.
The murderous aura of people who had every intention of killing their target. It poured down on him from Han Yugyeong and every single person in the room.
It was an absurd demand. Even if she possessed the slush fund records, how could she possibly swallow an entire company like Base Technology without giving anything in return? Han Yugyeong seemed to sense the defiant refusal in his tone. She smiled faintly and slid another document toward him.
Park Moon-seok’s hands shook violently as he picked it up. This one contained evidence of illegal human experimentation conducted by Base Technology. Bribery might be overlooked, but something like this could never be swept under the rug. If this information reached the public, the BS Group would immediately cut all ties with them.
As if that weren’t enough, Han Yugyeong smiled again and passed him a third document. This one had nothing to do with Base Technology. It was about Park Moon-seok himself. Several photographs were printed on it—most of them showing him naked in bed with a much younger woman.
He was right. His aging wife meant nothing to him anymore. These photos alone couldn’t be used to blackmail him.
The fourth document Han Yugyeong handed over contained a detailed profile of his son. It listed which university he attended, his class schedule, his social connections, and even which clubs he had joined.
At Han Yugyeong’s brazen expression, Park Moon-seok ground his teeth. No matter how neglectful a husband he was, he was still a father. He cherished his only son more than anything. And now Han Yugyeong was using that only son to threaten him.
So that was how she planned to use the third document… Park Moon-seok shuddered at the meticulousness of her scheme.
The oppressive pressure returned. Behind him, the panther growled low. Every person in the room directed pure killing intent straight at him.
Han Yugyeong asked with an innocent, bright smile. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, yet to Park Moon-seok, she looked more terrifying than anyone else in the world—even more so than Chairman Park Sung-wook of the BS Group, whom he served.