Do You Think I Wouldn't Know?

"Why are you suddenly bringing up my daughter who is in Germany?"

The composure on Kim Ju-ho's face vanished in an instant. He instinctively realized that Choi Cheol-gyu mentioning his daughter at this moment was definitely not for the sake of simple pleasantries.

"Does a conversation need a reason? Sometimes you just talk about this and that, and one topic leads to another."

Choi Cheol-gyu's oily, smooth demeanor was enough to make Kim Ju-ho feel genuine irritation. However, Kim Ju-ho couldn't kick him out. He had to find out why Choi Cheol-gyu had brought up his daughter.

"Are you planning to lay a hand on my daughter?"

"Oh, 'lay a hand'? What are you talking about? We at YK aren't some private detective agency or a gang. I'm saying we would never personally harass an innocent civilian."

In other words, they could have someone else do the harassing. Kim Ju-ho lost his cool completely.

"If you touch my daughter, I will do whatever it takes to make you..."

"Do what?" Choi Cheol-gyu cut him off and continued, "Aren't you already hostile toward us at YK? You threw the first punch, and now you don't want to get hit back? Wasn't it you who handed my grandfather over to the prosecution?"

Choi Cheol-gyu widened one eye, making a face that seemed to say, 'Hmm~?' It was more than enough to turn a person's stomach.

"You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠son of a bitch! If anything happens to my daughter, I'll... I'll destroy you at YK!"

Choi Cheol-gyu cut him off again. This time, not with words, but with a photograph.

"...?"

Kim Ju-ho instinctively checked the photo, and horror washed over his face. It showed his daughter, looking completely out of her mind, unable to steady her own body. The white powder spread across the table in front of her made it clear that something that should never have happened had taken place.

"You have a truly wonderful daughter. Why would we need to harass her? She's doing such 'wonderful' work all on her own. I'm just trying to fulfill my duties as a loyal citizen soon. Citizens have a duty to report criminals, don't they? Just like how you, the Director of the Investigation Bureau, fulfilled your duty so excellently that my grandfather was sent to the prosecution."

Kim Ju-ho's body began to tremble.

"Did... did you people do this?"

Choi Cheol-gyu shook his head firmly. "How could that be? What would be the point?"

Kim Ju-ho, who understood the subtext perfectly, shook his fists and felt a surge of resentment toward his daughter. 'Damn it, damn it all. I sent you to Germany to study, and the only thing you do there is...'

It’s the same in the modern era, but why do children of chaebol families go abroad so often? It’s very, very simple. Because white powder is easy to get overseas. You’ll get caught if you come back to Korea? That’s nonsense. Who would dare demand a drug test from a chaebol heir? Having tried everything money can buy, the last thing they reach for is that white powder. It’s a substance that provides a level of pleasure similar to the euphoria one feels after a great achievement. That’s why chaebol heirs often touch such things, and Kim Ju-ho's daughter was no different.

"I, I, I, I have nothing to do with this. No, I mean, I don't. I'm just in a position to assist from the sidelines."

Before he knew it, Kim Ju-ho's tone had shifted to formal, polite language.

"Oh my, it's time for me to get going."

"Pardon?"

Choi Cheol-gyu smiled at the flustered Kim Ju-ho.

"Didn't you say earlier that you only had five minutes? Five minutes have already passed."

Choi Cheol-gyu turned without a hint of hesitation, but Kim Ju-ho blocked his path.

"I, I thought about it, and one of my appointments was canceled. I have a, a lot of time. So, why don't you have a cup of tea and let's talk, t-talk again?"

Watching Kim Ju-ho, who couldn't stop stuttering, Choi Cheol-gyu shrugged.

"I don't like to hold up busy people, though..."

"I'm not busy! I'm not busy at all!"

"Well, then I suppose that's fine."

Kim Ju-ho personally brewed the coffee, and soon, two steaming cups were placed in front of them.

"Oh, wait a moment."

Choi Cheol-gyu took the coffee from both cups and poured them back and forth to mix them. It was an overt display of dominance. Even though Choi Cheol-gyu was openly expressing, 'I can't trust the food you give me,' Kim Ju-ho couldn't voice a single complaint. The power dynamic had already been completely reversed.

"W-what will happen to my daughter?"

She was his only daughter. Because of that, Kim Ju-ho's mind was filled with the thought that he had to save her, rather than resentment toward her.

"Well... I'm not entirely sure, but if things go according to what I've heard so far, wouldn't your daughter likely end up at the German branch of the ANSP?"

"Gasp!"

"I heard there's a very bad guy distributing such things to chaebol heirs living abroad these days. The ANSP has been gnashing their teeth over it, and it just so happens that your daughter has become a suspect. I'm sure the Director of the ANSP will treat your daughter with special care. After all, look whose daughter she is."

Choi Cheol-gyu’s words, ending with a "hahaha" laugh, were more than enough to fill Kim Ju-ho with terror and despair.

"N-no! I really am just assisting from the side! I swear it!"

"As if."

Suddenly, Choi Cheol-gyu’s aura shifted. He had maintained a smooth, oily attitude until now, but suddenly, a tone that made the other person feel like they were suffocating flowed out.

"Gasp!"

As if they had made a pact, Kim Ju-ho gasped for air.

"Logically speaking, what kind of idiot would offer loyalty to someone who’s about to retire from politics?"

Kim Ju-ho's complexion began to turn deathly pale.

"On the surface, it looks like you’re giving your all to Heo Cheong-won. But that’s nonsense. Your loyalty doesn't look as profound as the Chief of the Presidential Security Service's loyalty to his master."

Kim Ju-ho couldn't collect his thoughts at Choi Cheol-gyu’s switch to informal, cutting speech.

"Of course, that doesn't mean you're incompetent. You acted like you were loyal to Heo Cheong-won while funneling the benefits to your real master."

It was a matter that should never have been discovered. Once it was, Kim Ju-ho's face didn't just turn pale—it was completely drained of color.

"Once this is over, Heo Cheong-won will retire from politics, and the Chief of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Security Service will take a massive hit to his image. Since Heo Cheong-won is retiring anyway, you figured it didn't matter if you took a bit more heat, so you planned to cause more trouble, didn't you?"

Choi Cheol-gyu pulled out a small article from a local newspaper.

"Local newspapers can't print articles like this. They wouldn't know what Heo Seong-su might do to them. That means you have to assume someone's influence was at work. Whose influence could it be? It's obvious. It's the National Tax Service, which has been suppressing the media lately."

Kim Ju-ho's body began to tremble, and cold sweat even started to stream down his face.

"Then who is your master? It's certainly not the Chief of the Security Service, and it's obviously not Heo Seong-su mentioned in this article. And there's no reason for the President to cover for you, is there?"

Choi Cheol-gyu, who had been grinning, suddenly hardened his expression and mentioned three syllables.

"Heo. Do. Il. You’re Heo Do-il’s stooge. Right? It’s useless to deny it. ANSP agents are already scouring your surroundings. Like a vacuum cleaner—thoroughly."

In truth, Kim Ju-ho wasn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the type of person who would be caught so easily. Just whispering in someone's ear might create suspicion, but it wouldn't provide certainty. However, his opponent was too formidable. His opponent was someone with the ability to turn suspicion into certainty. That was why the relationship between Kim Ju-ho and Heo Do-il had no choice but to be exposed.

"Ugh!"

Kim Ju-ho let out a cough that sounded like a scream and gasped for breath.

"Did the position of ANSP Director look that easy to you? Or did you think Heo Do-il would protect you no matter what? Think again! A person in power might throw a piece of meat to a dog that succeeds in the hunt, but they don't treat a dog that fails. It's cheaper to just buy a new dog."

At Choi Cheol-gyu’s words, delivered with a faint smile, Kim Ju-ho's heart began to pound.

"Now, think about it. Will Heo Do-il protect you and your family? Or will he throw you away?"

Choi Cheol-gyu's wicked, swirling smile pierced Kim Ju-ho. Kim Ju-ho began to imagine the future that would unfold in his mind.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"

No matter how he thought about it, it didn't seem like Heo Do-il could protect him. No, he might try to protect him. But he was certain that even if he tried, his daughter and his family would never be safe.

"Sa..."

"Sa?"

"Please... save me..."

Choi Cheol-gyu smiled again, looking satisfied at Kim Ju-ho’s attitude as he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shed tears and buried his head on the table.

"Well. Do I have that kind of power?"

Whether he had the power or not, Choi Cheol-gyu was the only one Kim Ju-ho could cling to. Thud! Kim Ju-ho, who had fallen to his knees, grabbed Choi Cheol-gyu’s pant leg.

"Please, save me. If you just guarantee the safety of my family, I will do anything you ask."

"Well, how could we go against Heo Do-il? He’s so powerful that you were even defying the ANSP Director."

"Please, I beg you! Am I not guaranteeing it like this? The ANSP Director's power is greater. I was a fool for not recognizing that!"

"Hmm."

Choi Cheol-gyu deliberately didn't answer, dragging it out.

"I beg you! Please!"

"Well, it depends on how you perform."

"W-what is it?"

Choi Cheol-gyu grinned and made a devil's proposal to Kim Ju-ho.

"Attack Heo Seong-su more aggressively."

"Director! Director! Please, listen to me a little more! Director!"

After being thrown out of the Director's office, Choi Cheol-gyu’s appearance as he desperately pounded on the door of the Investigation Bureau Director's office was, to anyone's eyes, that of a man who had been coldly rejected in his request for a favor.

"Director! Director!"

Choi Cheol-gyu was making such a racket that the staff eventually had to forcibly drag him out of the National Tax Service building.

"Director! Directooor!"

Choi Cheol-gyu, who had been shouting desperately outside the National Tax Service, eventually let his shoulders slump as if he had lost all his strength and headed toward his vehicle. Choi Cheol-gyu’s car started weakly. And a moment later, as he got further away from the National Tax Service, Choi Cheol-gyu’s shoulders straightened, and a smile played on his lips.

On the other hand, Kim Ju-ho in the Investigation Bureau Director's office was looking like he was about to die.

'Damn it... damn it all... my path to success...'

He had a tower of success he had built up until now. But now, it was all about to collapse. He had formed a connection with Heo Do-il and risen to the position of Director of the Investigation Bureau. And Heo Do-il had promised him. That if he seized the presidency, he would give him the position of Commissioner of the National Tax Service. But now, everything was ruined. If he offended the ANSP Director, his family would be killed first. What would be the point of lamenting to Heo Do-il after his family was dead? His family would already be gone. The ANSP Director was a man capable of doing exactly that, and Heo Do-il was a man who couldn't avenge his family against such an ANSP Director.

'I... I was... too careless...'

In his rush to grab a stronger rope, he had stepped forward when he shouldn't have. Relying only on the power of the number-two man, Heo Do-il, he had ignored the other number-two man, the ANSP Director. The result was him weakly dialing a number now.

"Ah, hello? Commissioner?"

Currently, Heo Cheong-won was vacationing in the provinces according to Kim Ju-ho's scheme. The reason was an excuse. It was to have an excuse later when problems arose, saying, 'I was on vacation, so I didn't know.' It was a scheme where the Director of the Corporate Tax Bureau was supposed to take all the blame. But that scheme could no longer be used.

[Oh, Investigation Bureau Director. What's up? Why don't you come down here and join me? The water is great.]

At Heo Cheong-won's bright words, Kim Ju-ho forced a smile into his tone and opened his mouth.

"Commissioner, things are working out very well. I think you can continue to enjoy your vacation more comfortably."

[Really? As expected of the Investigation Bureau Director! If this goes well, before I retire, I will mention you specially to the President.]

'As if.'

Kim Ju-ho’s face twisted, but he didn't lose the smile in his voice.

"Thank you so much. The reason I called is that while things are going well, I intend to drive a wedge in it completely."

[A wedge? What is it?]

"How about we turn our attention a bit more toward the Minister of Government Administration?"

[Toward Seong-su? Why?]

Kim Ju-ho began to recite to Heo Cheong-won the scheme he had racked his brain to create.

"Don't you feel that it's too early for you to retire, Commissioner?"