[Dare to Use Me? (3)]
“As of now, there are candidates, but rather than mentioning them at this stage, I would like you to give me two to three days.”
“Do you intend to look into it yourself?”
“Yes. This information was obtained from Superintendent Seo In-pyo of the Jongno Police Station.”
“Have you firmly placed Superintendent Seo under your command?”
“Yes, you could say that.”
“Secretary Ryu.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
The atmosphere shifted, and Yoon-gi’s tone became so sharp that Ryu Geun-tae grew tense, even stumbling over his words.
“What would you do if Superintendent Seo were already under someone else’s payroll?”
“……!”
Ryu Geun-tae’s complexion turned ashen in an instant.
“You’ve already concluded that there’s a spy within your own ranks. Yet, you don’t seem to have considered the possibility that Superintendent Seo might be a spy as well.”
“I am sorry. I am truly sorry!”
Yoon-gi shrugged.
“Well, I don’t think there’s a high chance that Superintendent Seo is a spy. If he were, he would have to endure a reality far worse than hell.”
Watching Yoon-gi crunching on a pickled plum, Ryu Geun-tae felt as if his own head were being chewed on by his boss.
“However, it never hurts to be cautious. Acknowledging a one-in-a-million possibility is a completely different matter from not thinking about it at all.”
“I apologize. I will ensure such a thing never happens again.”
“Uncle.”
“Y-yes?”
In truth, Choi Cheol-kyu had also been a bit flustered, as he hadn’t given much thought to the source when he heard it was Superintendent Seo’s data.
“You’ve established lines within the military, haven’t you?”
“Uh… yes. That’s right. There are many soldiers looking to build connections with the JSD, after all.”
“Contact someone among them who can handle intelligence and have them investigate the data Secretary Ryu needs.”
“I understand what you mean. I’ll make sure it’s done right.”
“You see, Secretary Ryu? When conducting such investigations, you shouldn’t rely on just one source. It’s fine for me to hear reports only from you, but that doesn’t mean you should operate that way.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Good. Now, tell me who the culprit is. Clearly and quickly. Let’s end today’s meeting here.”
At Yoon-gi’s dismissal, Ryu Geun-tae and Choi Cheol-kyu left the study with tense expressions.
Yoon-gi shook his head at Choi Deok-bae’s words.
“No way. I’ve never asked Grandfather to monitor Secretary Ryu’s subordinates, have I?”
“If a close aide shows signs of betraying me, I’d have to chop their head off with an axe, but Secretary Ryu only made a mistake that didn’t cause much damage. Unless one is a god, it’s possible for a spy to be mixed in among the subordinates you hire.”
“The problem is that he instinctively thought there was no way Superintendent Seo would bring him false information. In fact, it’s barely even a mistake. I just brought it up to clear the air for the future.”
As the business expands, Secretary Ryu and his uncle must play roles even greater than they do now. That is why Yoon-gi constantly offers them advice. After all, they were the only aides he could absolutely trust in the current situation.
‘Well, whenever I need talent, I can just pick them out like plums from a bowl. With an offer they can’t refuse, of course.’
Yoon-gi, who had been smiling while picking at a plum, suddenly asked Choi Deok-bae as if a thought had occurred to him.
“Would you like a plum?”
Choi Deok-bae, as always, had very firm tastes.
*
‘Damn it!’
Ryu Geun-tae cursed inwardly while looking at the third set of data Superintendent Seo had brought him.
‘All five of them have clean accounts.’
Ryu Geun-tae had discussed the second branch store with five of his subordinates. Unless one of them was an idiot who went around blabbing to their family, the spy had to be one of those five. He had investigated all their bank accounts, but there were no traces of mysterious funds in any of them.
‘Could it be that there was an idiot among the five who went around running their mouth?’
Ryu Geun-tae feared that while the spy was certainly an idiot with a motive, there might have been another idiot among the rest who had no reason to be one.
However, after the third request he made to Superintendent Seo—an investigation into the accounts of people surrounding those five—Ryu Geun-tae finally found a suspect.
‘You son of a bitch…….’
Assistant Manager Choi Jong-hyo of the YK Department Store Secretariat. Having come from the Samwoo Group Secretariat and still serving as a secretary, the sense of betrayal Ryu Geun-tae felt was immense.
He was a young man supporting his widowed mother. Originally, he had worked in the logistics department of YK Department Store, but he was scouted by Ryu Geun-tae because of his reputation for being diligent. When he got married four months ago, Ryu Geun-tae had even attended the wedding himself and given a substantial amount of money as a gift, trusting him deeply. Yet, 5 million won in mysterious funds had been deposited into the bank account of Choi Jong-hyo’s wife. The depositor was, of course, the same person identified as belonging to Seth in the first and second investigations. Every circumstance pointed to Choi Jong-hyo as the culprit.
‘Is it 11 o’clock…….’
11:00 AM. Ryu Geun-tae picked up the office landline and called Choi Jong-hyo.
“Did you call for me, sir?”
A bright-looking young man in his late 20s. He wore glasses, perhaps because his eyesight was poor, but his well-groomed hair and clean, matte-white face were enough to make a good impression. In particular, the gentle smile at the corners of his mouth was his trademark—it was the very reason Ryu Geun-tae had scouted him.
“Oh, Secretary Choi. Come in. I called you because we haven’t had much time to talk lately.”
Ryu Geun-tae completely hid his true intentions and sat down with Choi Jong-hyo on the reception chairs to begin their conversation.
“How is your mother doing these days?”
At Ryu Geun-tae’s words, Choi Jong-hyo deepened his smile and nodded.
“Thanks to you, sir, she is doing very well. She tells me that everything I’ve achieved is thanks to you, and that I should serve you well.”
“Your mother is really gilding my face, isn’t she?”
“It’s the truth, sir. I have never forgotten your grace.”
“That’s a relief. Come to think of it, is the newlywed life still keeping you busy? If you’re too busy, I can adjust your work schedule.”
At the mention of being a newlywed, Choi Jong-hyo’s face flushed slightly.
“It’s still so busy that it’s almost exhausting. I’d actually prefer it if my work hours were longer!”
The conversation was completely unburdened. Choi Jong-hyo laughed, and Ryu Geun-tae laughed along.
“But why did you do it?”
Ryu Geun-tae’s words popped out at a timing Choi Jong-hyo could never have imagined.
“Pardon? W-what do you mean by that…….”
“I asked, why did you do it?”
Ryu Geun-tae’s expression had changed, devoid of any laughter. Conversely, Choi Jong-hyo replied with the same look of confusion.
“I…… have no idea what you are talking about, sir.”
Watching Choi Jong-hyo continue to play dumb, Ryu Geun-tae gripped the fabric of his trousers on his knees with his fist.
“Was your loyalty to me worth only 5 million won?”
“Huk!”
As Choi Jong-hyo’s face turned ashen, Ryu Geun-tae swallowed his tears inwardly. 5 million won. It was a little less than two years’ salary for a new recruit at a promising large corporation. It wasn’t a small sum, but it wasn’t enough to justify stabbing one’s master in the back. Yet, Choi Jong-hyo had stabbed Ryu Geun-tae in the back. And depending on the circumstances, this knife was coated in enough poison to make Ryu Geun-tae fall from his position as Yoon-gi’s aide. If he hadn’t been caught, the information leak wouldn’t have been a one-time event; it would have continued indefinitely.
“S-sir……. It’s a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding? Cut the crap!”
Ryu Geun-tae threw the ashtray kept for guests at Choi Jong-hyo’s head. The ashtray grazed Choi Jong-hyo’s head and slammed into the wall, embedding itself halfway in with a dull thud. The sheer intensity of Ryu Geun-tae’s rage was laid bare, and Choi Jong-hyo bowed his head in terror.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, sir. I was blinded by greed…….”
Even though he was receiving an apology, Ryu Geun-tae knew. No, he realized. This guy in front of him would never have apologized in advance if he hadn’t been caught. As Ryu Geun-tae suspected, Choi Jong-hyo had never imagined he would be found out. Just because they are employees of a large corporation doesn’t mean their actions are perfect. History had proven this, and the employees of Seth pushing this operation were no different. The plan to leave Choi Jong-hyo’s weakness intact to use him later was exactly what had led to his exposure.
“Your punishment…… will be decided later.”
Ryu Geun-tae picked up the landline again, and other secretaries entered the president’s office with tense expressions.
“Lock this guy in a warehouse. Give him enough water and food. But watch him closely so he can’t escape, and make sure he doesn’t die. This is the top priority above all else.”
Faced with Ryu Geun-tae’s icy demeanor, the secretaries dragged Choi Jong-hyo away.
“Sir! I’m sorry! Sir!”
But Ryu Geun-tae did not call out to him again, and as a result, Choi Jong-hyo was left to languish in one of the YK Department Store headquarters’ warehouses.
“Damn it…….”
Ryu Geun-tae, having swallowed his curses, picked up the phone to report to Yoon-gi.
*
“You’ve worked hard.”
At Yoon-gi’s words, both Ryu Geun-tae and Choi Cheol-kyu bowed their heads slightly. Ryu Geun-tae also bowed to Choi Cheol-kyu, as it was he who had helped cross-verify Superintendent Seo’s data.
“Chairman, please give me instructions on what to do regarding Assistant Manager Choi Jong-hyo.”
At Ryu Geun-tae’s words, which carried a calm sorrow, Yoon-gi nodded readily.
“Secretary Ryu.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Take this box, go to Choi Jong-hyo’s house, and leave the contents inside in a suitable place.”
It wasn’t a very large box. It was about the size of a standard post office box, and Ryu Geun-tae couldn’t help but show his curiosity.
“May I see what’s inside?”
“Of course. You’ll see it anyway. It’s better to be surprised now than later.”
At Yoon-gi’s words, which seemed to contain a hidden blade, Ryu Geun-tae carefully opened the box.
“Huk!”
“Huh? Why, that……, Huk!”
Choi Cheol-kyu, who had stood up out of curiosity to check the box, was also horrified and retreated to the wall, pressing his back against it like a cicada.
“Ch-Chairman…….”
“Secretary Ryu.”
Yoon-gi looked at Ryu Geun-tae with a chilling smile.
“One must know how to generously forgive those who make mistakes.”
The chilling expression turned into a chilling smile.
“However, a traitor must be trampled so thoroughly that they don’t even dare to regret their betrayal. That is the only way to ensure others do not betray you.”
“B-but this is…….”
“Secretary Ryu!”
Yoon-gi rarely showed a stern expression toward Ryu Geun-tae.
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Do you think Assistant Manager Choi stopped leaking information after just that one time?”
At Yoon-gi’s rebuke, which even changed his tone, Ryu Geun-tae squeezed his eyes shut.
“No…… sir.”
“Assistant Manager Choi is a traitor. I have no room to show mercy to a traitor. Are you saying you cannot follow my guidelines?”
“N-no. That’s…… that’s absolutely not it.”
“Then, carry out my instructions. If you can’t do it, tell me. If you can’t, my uncle will do it, and if he can’t, I will do it myself.”
Ryu Geun-tae shook his head slowly, then quickly.
“No. No. I will do it myself. This is…… this is something I must do myself.”
Ryu Geun-tae swallowed his sorrow at first, then swallowed his anger a moment later as he took the box and left the study.
‘Choi Jong-hyo……!’
The box Ryu Geun-tae carried out. Inside were the materials for framing people as pro-North Korean sympathizers that the JSD had handed over, telling him to use them when necessary.