Chapter 220
Lee Jeongchan's furious roar echoed through the room. "Still haven't figured out who the hell did this?!"
His secretaries stood silently, hands clasped in front of them, heads bowed.
"If you've been pulling off this grand scam on the public all this time, admit it cleanly and apologize. If you keep stonewalling... we have one more piece of evidence we haven't revealed yet. We're prepared to make that public too. Once it is, there's no turning back. You'll be forced to admit it whether you like it or not. So, take this chance now—admit it and apologize properly."
With Jo Bongjun smirking on screen as he delivered those words, the broadcast cut off abruptly.
Look at this lowlife internet streamer daring to talk like that to the ruling party leader. Lee Jeongchan rubbed his forehead in irritation and let out a heavy sigh.
"Didn't that Choi Jonghyeon guy say he got a tip from someone? Weren't you investigating that? What's the status? Is it really that hard to track down who it was? Why the hell haven't we heard anything yet!"
Lee Jeongchan bellowed, looking ready to flip the desk at any moment.
His secretaries exchanged uneasy glances, and one finally spoke up cautiously. "We just got word from the police... but the suspect used a burner phone, so tracking it is proving difficult..."
"What?"
The secretaries fell silent, saying no more.
"So you're telling me right now that we still don't know which bastard pulled this off?"
"...That's the situation so far, sir."
Lee Jeongchan let out a guttural scream and hurled the books off his desk. Veins bulged stiffly in his neck and temples.
Staying by his side at a time like this would only stoke his rage further, so the secretaries played another round of hot potato before one ventured, "We'll double-check if there's anything else we can investigate, sir."
They bowed and started to leave, but Lee Jeongchan suddenly spoke up. "Get Lee Kangjin here. Right now."
"Lee Kangjin from the Light and Salt Foundation?"
"Who else would I mean besides that pastor?!"
"Sorry, sir. We'll contact him immediately."
As Lee Jeongchan shouted again, the secretaries snapped quick replies and fled the room.
Left alone, Lee Jeongchan gnashed his teeth, breathing heavily. 'What ironclad evidence do those bastards have? What the hell makes them so damn cocky...'
No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't spot a single gap. Sure, there had been some raised eyebrows about how someone supposedly recovering from surgery last month could show up to work. But that was child's play to fabricate.
They'd coordinated with the Light and Salt Foundation well before Minwoo Party issued its statement—falsified attendance records, deleted all CCTV footage, and generously compensated the foundation staff who'd been with him to ensure their silence. Luckily, there hadn't been any high-profile events last month, so handling the few people who could positively ID him was straightforward.
So what the hell was it? What gave them the balls to claim they could prove it?
If it weren't for how the world had softened up, those punks would've been dragged off twenty years ago. This was a direct challenge to the ruling party leader—and by extension, to South Korea itself.
A while later, Pastor Lee Kangjin arrived at Lee Jeongchan's residence, panting from the rush. Though they'd shared a long connection, this was his first time at the house. It was lavish, as befitted a party leader's home, but he had no time to gawk.
Heeding the secretaries' warning that Lee Jeongchan was livid, Lee Kangjin swallowed dryly and knocked cautiously on the door to his study.
"Elder, I heard you were looking for me."
Lee Kangjin entered and spoke carefully. Lee Jeongchan, who had been staring out the window, whipped around at the sound of his voice.
"Pastor, still nothing?"
"..."
"I've given you days already, and you still haven't found who pulled that stunt?"
"Elder, it just takes a bit of time..."
"I hear some lawyer named Cha Juhan attended that event. Word is he's buddy-buddy with those internet hack reporters. And this lawyer isn't even a congregant—he suddenly donated a week before and showed up. You didn't even reach out to him once?"
Lee Jeongchan tried to maintain decorum, but his voice rose anyway. Lee Kangjin, faced with the elder who usually greeted him with smiles, rolled his eyes in bewilderment.
"I did meet with Lawyer Cha, Elder. But..."
"But what?"
"You know this. All our donors are people who support the foundation's God's work. No matter how urgent, we can't hound someone who might be innocent. Jesus suffered on the cross amid doubters to the very end. Paul said not to judge anything before the time. The Lord will reveal what's hidden in darkness and bring to light the counsels of the heart. If it really was Cha, evidence will surface soon. Besides, we have our position to consider..."
"Your position? Ha, Pastor..."
Watching Lee Kangjin launch into a sermon in this crisis made bile rise in his throat. What he really meant was they couldn't recklessly go after Cha Juhan because of their own interests.
But Lee Jeongchan reined in his temper and approached slowly. "Could the Light and Salt Foundation have reached its current status without me, Sehyung, and Minwoo Party's help? We're in the same boat. Our crisis is the foundation's crisis. Those devilish bastards are now doubting and slandering Sehyung, who walks by the Lord's grace—how can you just sit by?"
"It's not sitting by. It's that without solid proof, we can't target Lawyer Cha. Understand our position—we're doing our utmost."
"Pastor. Distinguish friend from foe properly. This isn't the time to protect Cha Juhan. If this goes south, it's over. Then I can't help the foundation anymore. How can I pursue big things with an organization that betrayed my trust?"
Lee Jeongchan's firm words made Pastor Lee Kangjin steady his trembling hands. In that moment, he sensed it. Maybe it's time to cut ties with Lee Jeongchan.
"Since you put it that way, Elder, I'll speak frankly. The foundation has done plenty for you too. Did all that sponsorship money go to our work? The donors with party ties know most of it funneled into your political funds. You've used our foundation to polish your image, and we've provided all sorts of tax favors."
"What? Pastor, what did you just say?"
"We've long been connected to Welfare Worker Lee Sehyung, and we always pray for you and him to resolve this peacefully. We're doing our best too. No footage caught anything that day due to the contamination on the CCTV, and we checked all VIPs—no evidence."
"..."
"Frankly, we're shocked Welfare Worker Lee can walk. We don't know if he really had surgery or if it's all a lie as people say. You never explained! But have we ever complained? We deleted his attendance records as you asked and cooperated fully."
From the moment the scandal broke, he'd feared fallout hitting the foundation. But he'd hoped it would blow over—that was Lee Kangjin's true wish. Still, as director, he had to plan for the future.
"I pray this resolves well. No harm to you or Welfare Worker Lee. We'll all pray. If anything evidentiary turns up, I'll contact you. For today... I'll take my leave."
Lee Kangjin bowed and left the study. Standing before the closed door, he clutched his chest.
Never had he spoken to Lee Jeongchan like this. He'd long resented how the elder treated the foundation like his personal fiefdom but never shown it. Lee Kangjin squeezed his eyes shut. If this was the sunset of their alliance, he had to cut him loose for the foundation's sake.
"Ungrateful bastard!"
In the room, Lee Jeongchan, dazed where Lee Kangjin had stood, bellowed.
The Light and Salt Foundation would've folded without him. Who elevated it to Korea's premier welfare group? And now this ingratitude...
He glared at the spot. Citing tales of fools doubting Jesus while claiming no suspicion of Cha Juhan? This might be open support for Cha. Maybe Lee Kangjin had already decided to abandon him.
No way...
That internet reporter's threat of more leaks—could it be from that pastor scum?
Once the suspicion took root, it spread uncontrollably. No one left to trust.
As anxiety gnawed at him, a knock came from outside.
"Come in."
Calming his agitation, Lee Jeongchan replied, and the door opened.
"...Sehyung."
Entering was Lee Sehyung in his wheelchair. He'd heard Pastor Lee Kangjin was there and wheeled himself over.
Pushing the chair to the desk, he silently picked up and straightened the scattered books. Lee Jeongchan watched his son.
"Father, this must be so hard on you."
"..."
"Seeing you bear so much because of me breaks my heart."
At his son's words, Lee Jeongchan grasped his hand.
"Sehyung. Stay strong."
"...I'm more worried about you. I'm sorry, Father."
"What do you have to be sorry for? This was all my doing—how did you mess up? The guilty ones are elsewhere!"
Lee Sehyung bowed his head at his father's words.
"What will you do? I'll follow your lead. If you admit and apologize, I'll stand by you. If you fight to the end, I'll do the same."
Lee Jeongchan pitied his son, speaking in a trembling voice.
"Those scum aren't our match. They might be lying to provoke us despite having nothing. Don't get swept up—push our line. Got it?"
"Yes, Father..."
At the same time, a man sat before a listening device, eavesdropping on the touching father-son exchange between Lee Jeongchan and Lee Sehyung.
It was Choi Sanggil.
"What a load of bullshit, you crazy fucks. Where do these con artists get off staging a heartwarming scene?"