Chapter 206
Unexpected story left even Kang Minjae and me speechless. I hadn't heard the specifics yet, but I could guess. Cases where small businesses go under because of big corporations aren't exactly rare.
"...Your brother found your father's body?"
Kang Minjae asked cautiously.
Jo Bongjun, drunk beyond measure, nodded vigorously while pouring soju into his beer glass.
"There was this big machine at the factory Dad ran. A rope tied to it, and he was hanging there, limp like this."
Jo Bongjun acted out the scene with his own body. Kang Minjae grimaced and sighed, while Jo Bongjun dumped the soju into his mouth in one go.
"You know how it is, right? When someone hangs themselves, their tongue swells out like this. And..."
"Hyungnim, stop. That's a painful memory. Don't dwell on it."
Kang Minjae grabbed Jo Bongjun's arm, which was mimicking the motion, and shook his head frantically.
I wasn't the only one who'd lost a father to Wooshin's evils. I was lucky enough to turn back time and save mine, but he wasn't.
"It was back when I was a student. Ancient history now."
Jo Bongjun waved his hand dismissively in the air.
"May I ask what drove your father to that choice?"
"Ah, what Wooshin pulled on my old man? Heh, nothing special. Happens all the time even now."
Slurring from the booze, his body sagging, he started pouring soju into his beer glass again. We'd bought a ton of booze on the way to Gangneung, but only a few bottles remained. Jo Bongjun, the heavy drinker, had polished off nearly six bottles of soju and two of beer himself. Time to cut him off.
"No more drinking."
"Hold on, hold on. I'm only drinking 'cause it hurts so much... Dad! Is my dad doing okay?!"
Jo Bongjun wailed for his father like he might bolt to the beach any second. I grabbed his hand as he reached for more booze, but he shook me off, shook the bottle dry into his glass, then cracked open a fresh one from the table and chugged it straight.
"Dad's factory was a subcontractor supplying parts to Wooshin Motors. Subcontractor—you get the vibe, right?"
I nodded. Not many things between big corps and their subs could drive a boss to suicide.
"The prime contractor slashed the contract price."
"Spot on. And wage arrears on top... Unreal. Workers from Dad's factory took shifts picketing right in front of our house. Scared he'd stiff them on pay and bolt. Every morning, I'd head to school under their stares. If I wore anything decent, even sneakers, they'd curse me out among themselves."
I could understand those workers' mindset, keeping vigil like that. No paycheck in sight, but they had to keep working to get paid—distrust must've boiled over. Maybe they suspected he'd claim poverty while pocketing everything himself. But putting on that attitude in front of a kid? Unacceptable.
"Mom was flustered at first, but she'd say they must be desperate and offer them snacks if they weren't leaving. They'd smash it all and yell for their money... Neighbors griped about when they'd go, some even called the cops. Total chaos. Cops came, and Dad always smoothed it over—said it was his fault, they were his employees..."
Sure, bosses sometimes pocket everything and cry poor to workers, like they'd feared. But judging by Jo Bongjun's parents' demeanor, that didn't seem the case. Watching old comrades turn their backs over money, knowing he threatened their livelihoods yet powerless to help—must've crushed him with self-loathing.
"Mom and Dad started borrowing everywhere to pay even a little. Mom hit up her sister and brother-in-law. Dad tried suppliers and old buddies... No one helped. Not even his big brother or aunt. I didn't know then—Mom told me later when I was older."
He rubbed his watering eyes and ran a dry hand over his face. Kang Minjae scooted closer; I had nothing to say.
Curious about his grudge against Wooshin, I'd pried—but now it felt like I'd reopened old wounds.
"Mr. Jo, if it's too hard, you can stop."
"Nah, not hard at all. That was twenty years ago. Just pisses me off, y'know? Fuckin' bullshit... Anyway, Dad hustled bank loans, ran around everywhere—but all rejections. Factory was buried in debt. Sold the house, we moved to a rental, scraped together somehow to cover wages."
Staring blankly into space like reliving it, he spoke slowly.
"But without Wooshin Motors, the big client, Dad couldn't keep the factory afloat. So he kept taking their jobs. Wasn't a one-off. Wooshin priced contracts at near cost, no labor markup."
"How's that even possible? Should've sued!"
Kang Minjae burst out.
"You don't get it. Quit then, no food on the table."
"..."
"Hah, so Dad picketed HQ, threatened to jump from the roof... Papers probably ran a blurb."
"Aigoo..."
"Nothing changed. Just got worse. No more loans, our shitty rental—if he sold that, we'd be homeless. So..."
"...He made that choice."
Kang Minjae bowed his head. Jo Bongjun patted his shoulder.
"Yeah. That's why Wooshin can go fuck itself. Fair reason to hate 'em, right?"
Jo Bongjun had probably swallowed that rage alone. Knew he was powerless against Wooshin, so buried it deep. Then Choi Jonghyeon offered a shot, and he took it. Choi's casual "Wooshin-hater" hid layers.
"Jonghyeon hyung saw a senior digging into Wooshin, got curious and dove in."
"Yeah, heard that. Brass kept blocking, sparked his spite—now he pokes everywhere."
"That guy's all spite now. If they don't nail Wooshin, he'll die mad even in the coffin."
Jo Bongjun chuckled, nodding toward Choi Jonghyeon, snoring amiably with Manager Oh inside the room.
"Minjae, you chased Cha hyung's tail."
Kang Minjae yelled at Jo Bongjun's neat summary.
"No, hyungnim! How's my big resolve just tail-chasing?"
"Truth? When Jonghyeon hyung pitched joining, I jumped. Partly 'cause of Cha hyung."
Jo Bongjun ignored the protest and kept going. The booze had turned it into confession hour.
"You saw me under prosecution for real estate and stocks?"
"Nah. Wooshin Logistics wage mess from the Go Yunseong case. Heard Cha hyung cleaned it up spotless. Felt like, this guy's solid—worth teaming up. Worst case, bail if it sucks. That vibe."
The Go Yunseong wrap-up helped all victims. Nothing major—just advice.
"Can't claim I did much."
"Tch, humblebrag again. Feels good anyway!"
Jo Bongjun grabbed his half-empty soju bottle and stood abruptly. Too lazy for glasses now, he chugged from the bottle, drained it, reached for another.
This was binge territory. I snatched the bottle and downed it myself.
"Hey, what the—Cha hyung."
"Told you to stop. What about tomorrow?"
No mystery why Jo Bongjun's binges scared me. Sober as a rock while drinking, next day he's glued to the toilet, heaving all day like he's dying. I'd seen it plenty—couldn't just let it happen. Kang Minjae was enough drunk babysitting for my life.
"Aw, c'mon. Gimme that last bottle. Gotta finish it."
I chugged the final one he'd eyed too. Two bottles straight—my stomach roiled. Vomit threatened.
...MTs always leave me with booze, hangovers, and puke. Nothing more.
