The New Master's Secret
The sharp clack of dress shoes echoed urgently—tap tap tap tap!
Yang Jaeyeol burst out of the building and sprinted toward the main gate. He needed to stand there respectfully, waiting for Chairman Yoon.
Click-clack! Click-clack! Click-clack! Click-clack!
His secretary, utterly clueless about what was happening, simply followed, the noisy rhythm of her high heels chasing after him. Yang Jaeyeol glanced back and barked an order.
“You—go prepare to receive the VIP!”
His strategy had always been to stand alone when greeting important figures from afar. That way, he could make a stronger impression. Yang Jaeyeol firmly believed this.
“Huff…! Huff…!”
He crossed the vast outdoor parking lot in one go and reached the gate, straightening his clothes while catching his breath.
“President Yang…! What’s going on…?”
The security guards rushed out of their booth in surprise.
“Out!”
Yang Jaeyeol waved them away with a sharp gesture. Once he had cleared even the guards, he planted himself squarely in the middle of the gate, hands clasped politely in front of him, and waited.
Whiiiish—!
A rather chilly wind blew wildly. Yet Yang Jaeyeol didn’t budge an inch, staring straight down the road ahead. The proper etiquette demanded that the moment he spotted a car in the distance, he must bow at a perfect ninety-degree angle. Only then would this reception be complete.
He waited like that for over ten minutes. Just as he began to think it was about time and stole a glance at his wristwatch, the sound of a helicopter reached his ears.
“What the…?”
Yang Jaeyeol frowned and turned his head toward the noise. A gleaming silver helicopter appeared in the western sky. It was a silver Bell 429—Chairman Yoon’s private aircraft.
“Damn it!”
Shocked that Yoon Changwon had appeared from an entirely unexpected direction and route, Yang Jaeyeol hurriedly dashed back toward the parking lot. Meanwhile, the Bell 429 descended gracefully into the center of the empty lot.
“Oh my, Chairman!”
Before the rotor blades had even fully stopped spinning, Yang Jaeyeol approached the helicopter with his back already bent in a deep bow.
“Welcome, sir!”
The instant he saw the face of the short, middle-aged man through the helicopter window, Yang Jaeyeol shouted his greeting and bowed at a crisp ninety degrees.
Clunk!
Having finished his greeting, Yang Jaeyeol grabbed the handle of the helicopter’s sliding door.
“Yeah, President Yang. You were waiting at the main gate, weren’t you? Didn’t expect me to come this way, huh?”
The short man grinned brightly, clearly pleased that his little prank had worked. This was Yoon Changwon, Chairman Hwang’s brother-in-law. Though he had lived his life crushed flat under his brother-in-law’s dominance until now, once Chairman Hwang and Hwang Nayeon disappeared, he would become the rightful owner of Taeyang Group. And he was also the new lord whom Yang Jaeyeol had chosen to serve after betraying Chairman Hwang.
“Yes, I was completely surprised! Please, come inside, Chairman. I’ve already ordered the banquet preparations.”
When Yang Jaeyeol extended a hand to help him down, the man pointed instead at the seat across from him.
“No, forget that. Get in. We’re going somewhere together.”
“Ah…? Yes, sir!”
Though this was different from what he had expected, Yang Jaeyeol quickly obeyed. Besides Yoon Changwon and the two pilots, two other people were already aboard the helicopter.
“…It is an honor.”
Seated across from Yoon Changwon, Yang Jaeyeol bowed once more and took a quick look around the helicopter’s interior. This was Yoon Changwon’s luxury chopper, on which he had spent far more than the aircraft’s purchase price on custom interiors. Even the seats were anything but ordinary.
“Ah, right. This must be your first time riding it, huh? Well… when have I ever been able to fly around in this thing comfortably? Always having to watch my back because of that damn brother-in-law of mine, whether he drops dead or not… Damn it, I bought this helicopter with my own money and I still can’t ride it whenever I want…”
Yoon Changwon shook his head as if the very thought disgusted him, then gave an order to the pilot.
“Hey, take us there.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
The pilot answered politely and restarted the rotors.
“Wait! The headset for the Chairman…”
Seeing the rotor blades outside the window begin to spin again, Yang Jaeyeol’s eyes darted around in a panic. He needed to hand Yoon Changwon the noise-canceling headset before it got too loud… but he couldn’t see one anywhere.
“Not necessary.”
Yoon Changwon waved a dismissive hand at him.
“This was jointly developed by KAI and our company, so we don’t need that stuff. It’s a high-end model.”
“Ah, I see!”
Yang Jaeyeol nodded with an impressed expression. He had found it strange that the man had been able to talk on his phone normally right before arriving by helicopter, but now it made sense.
Whump whump whump—!
A short while later the helicopter took off, but just as Yoon Changwon had said, the cabin remained relatively quiet. It wasn’t silent by any means, but it was quiet enough to hold a conversation without needing headsets. It felt similar to driving on the highway in a car without proper soundproofing.
“Have a drink. Press down there and you’ll get an ice bucket.”
Yoon Changwon pointed at the whiskey bottle and fixed tumbler set into the seat beside him. Yang Jaeyeol responded with the polished smile he had perfected over years of business entertaining.
“Thank you, I’ll gladly have one!”
“How about it? Nice, right?”
Yoon Changwon lifted his own glass as if proposing a toast. Yang Jaeyeol looked around the helicopter interior once more and exclaimed with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“It’s absolutely incredible, Chairman!”
Of course it was incredible… After all, this was a luxury toy worth well over twenty billion won.
“But it didn’t sell very well. The base model is too old, so it didn’t catch on in the luxury market… Tsk! If I’d taken a ton of reservations before the world turned into this mess, that money would’ve been pure profit.”
Yoon Changwon clicked his tongue in disappointment, then finally revealed their destination.
“I told them to get this bird ready so we could head to the Yeongcheon Factory together. It’s one of our core facilities, so I figured you should see it with your own eyes. You have time, right?”
“Ah, yes! Of course, sir!”
Yang Jaeyeol smiled brightly without hesitation. He had no idea why the Yeongcheon Factory was considered core, but he would never dare say he didn’t have time in front of this man. Right now, Yoon Changwon was both his lord and his lifeline. Without this man, Yang Jaeyeol had no future.
Even as he smiled like that, however, anxiety rolled over him in waves deep inside his heart.
What am I supposed to say if he asks how the Hwang Nayeon matter was handled?
Yang Jaeyeol gripped his glass tightly, thinking it over again and again. He knew all too well that the exact same answer could sound completely different depending on the nuance with which it was delivered.
“Good, good… By the way, what about Nayeon? Has that issue been cleanly resolved?”
Yoon Changwon set his glass in the holder, leaned back in his seat, and asked. Yang Jaeyeol had hoped the question would come a few days later, but it had come up after all.
“Well, the thing is…”
Yang Jaeyeol’s gaze instinctively shifted to the two young men sitting behind Yoon Changwon. He needed to check whether they were the sort of people he could speak freely about Hwang Nayeon in front of.
“Ah, those guys. They’re from ABHT. They’re all my boys, so you can speak freely.”
It had been Hwang Nayeon who created the anti-zombie force with the strange name ABHT, but the real power over it was held—absurdly—by Yoon Changwon. Of course, Hwang Nayeon herself had no idea she had been betrayed like that.
“I see.”
Yang Jaeyeol answered carefully, then placed both hands on his knees and bowed deeply.
“I’m sorry, Chairman!”
“What? Why are you suddenly apologizing?”
“The matter you mentioned…! It didn’t go well!”
“What? You mean Nayeon didn’t go to Seoul after all?”
Deep wrinkles formed between Yoon Changwon’s eyebrows. Yang Jaeyeol waved his hands frantically.
“No, that’s not it! Sending her to Seoul went exactly according to plan, but… things went a bit off track after that.”
“Off track? What the hell does that mean? Did she come back to Busan?”
“She didn’t come back… They say they killed all of General Kim’s men and Nayeon’s bodyguards, but they didn’t bring back any of the evidence I demanded… I’m talking about the photo of the dead Hwang Nayeon. General Park’s side apparently failed to take the picture in time…”
“Hmm… So those bastards must have lost her in Seoul.”
Yoon Changwon exhaled through his nose in clear displeasure as he swirled his drink. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Yang Jaeyeol had been harboring the same suspicion. Perhaps Hwang Nayeon had somehow escaped… He had no idea how that could have been possible, but the situation seemed to be heading in that direction. Growing afraid that the blame might fall on him, Yang Jaeyeol spoke faster.
“I believe that possibility cannot be ruled out. That’s why I gave them a very strong warning so they would understand! I told them they had better be ready to die if they didn’t bring back that photo! I even said I would send troops back to Seoul, so they should contact us with the evidence by tomorrow at the latest! I will apply direct pressure on General Park and make sure this matter is—”
“Enough. Stop.”
Yoon Changwon cut him off with a small shake of his head.
“Pardon?”
Yang Jaeyeol stared at him with his mouth hanging open, completely bewildered. Enough? What was enough?
Could it be…?
Yang Jaeyeol’s face hardened with anxiety. Was this the man saying that because of this failure, he no longer had any chances left? That there was no point in trying harder and he should just step back…? The thought made Yang Jaeyeol bow deeply once again, almost violently.
“Chairman Yoon! I know I have disappointed you, but please give me one more chance—”
“What? What are you even saying? Good grief…”
Yoon Changwon widened his eyes and let out a hollow laugh.
“What chance are you asking for, President Yang? Everything went perfectly.”
“You said it went perfectly?”
This time it was Yang Jaeyeol who asked in utter confusion. Yoon Changwon nodded leisurely as he refilled his glass.
“Yeah, it went perfectly. The helicopter we sent to pick her up came back, didn’t it? Right?”
“That’s correct!”
“And General Kim’s men who came out to collect the blood were all killed too.”
“Yes. There was a firefight, and General Park’s soldiers apparently suffered considerable losses as well.”
After listening to Yang Jaeyeol’s answer, Yoon Changwon set his glass back in the seat holder and clapped his hands together sharply.
“Good. Then there won’t be any rumors leaking out. We’re done here.”
“But… the handling of Hwang Nayeon is not one hundred percent complete yet…”
“Aigoo! President Yang, that’s exactly your problem. You could just take the easy road, but you always… you always make everything so… you know what I mean. Like this, all…”
Unable to find the right word, Yoon Changwon kept waving his hand vaguely before shrugging his shoulders. Only then did Yang Jaeyeol realize what the man was trying to say.
“You mean I tend to be obsessive?”
“Yeah, that. Exactly. You do have that tendency.”
Yoon Changwon snorted as if frustrated, then asked Yang Jaeyeol,
“Just take it easy. It’s fine. Have you been to Seoul lately?”
“When you say ‘lately,’ may I ask from when exactly…”
“After the world became like this, obviously.”
“Yes. A few times in the very beginning, to provide equipment support for the headquarters’ Shadow Shield team…”
Yang Jaeyeol answered with his hands politely clasped. Yoon Changwon gave him a look that said, Then you should understand.
“So you’ve seen it. What did you think? Does it look like a place where a woman dropped alone could survive? …Well, let’s say she’s not completely alone. Maybe one bodyguard survived and is moving with that girl. Carrying an MP5, sure. But could they really survive like that? With zombies popping out from every direction?”
“I don’t think… that would be possible.”
“Exactly. They can’t survive. Of course they can’t. Even a smart person would have a hard time, and our Nayeon has always been especially dim. From the start, that side of her… has been quite lacking. So it’s even more impossible.”
Yoon Changwon tapped the side of his own head a few times, then continued with a faint smile.
“So you don’t need to be so obsessive about it. She’s already dead anyway. Whether my brother-in-law throws a fit looking for his missing daughter or not, we just have to keep our mouths shut and pretend we know nothing. If we don’t say anything, how would anyone know where she died or what she was doing? No one will suspect you, President Yang. That man still thinks you’re his loyal right-hand man. Hehehe.”
…Is it really okay to just leave it like this?
Throughout Yoon Changwon’s entire speech, Yang Jaeyeol kept asking himself the question in his mind. Something about it felt deeply unsettling and suspicious, yet when his new lord spoke with such certainty, he began to wonder if maybe it really was fine.
“Either way, just knowing I don’t have to deal with that girl anymore makes me feel so refreshed. She was always ordering me to do this and that every single day. That stupid bitch who spewed nonsense and made everyone’s blood boil. Father and daughter are equally stupid! Look at how the military is right now! Why the hell are they trying to treat everyone so fairly? They should just pick the useful ones, push them hard, and let the useless ones rot. Why spread money evenly across five different factions like an idiot?”
Yoon Changwon leaned back in his seat and ranted with clear satisfaction.
Yang Jaeyeol, too, felt considerable relief at the simple fact that he would no longer have to see Hwang Nayeon. Especially because he wouldn’t have to listen to that stupid bitch constantly nagging him to create something using Mister Bae’s blood. The past days had truly been the pinnacle of stress.
“What about the blood?”
Yoon Changwon, who had been looking out the window, suddenly asked with a thoughtful expression. Yang Jaeyeol’s broad shoulders twitched. He had thought they were past that topic…
“That is… they say they couldn’t secure the immune serum either. I was told that during the firefight, indiscriminate shooting damaged the serum as well.”
“Tsk!”
Yoon Changwon clicked his tongue as if it were a shame. Yet he didn’t seem particularly angry. After smacking his lips for a moment, he accepted the reality without much concern.
“Well, we can get blood through another route. We can just borrow a pack from General Shin. And honestly… once another month passes and the real winter cold hits, all this nonsense will be over anyway. I don’t know what zombies are supposed to be, but do you think they can survive a blizzard wearing nothing but short sleeves? People talk about them stopping at minus fifty-something degrees, but that’s all just talk from people who don’t know what they’re saying. Go roll around in a Siberian snowfield and see what happens. They’ll all freeze to death. So during this winter, we just need to gather everything we can, carefully, and if we manage to catch one more big fish at the right moment, the world will be ours, President Yang.”
Yoon Changwon gave him a meaningful look and winked. Of course, the “one more big fish” he referred to was Chairman Hwang.
“Congratulations in advance, sir.”
Yang Jaeyeol bowed politely. Thanks to Yoon Changwon brushing the matter aside so casually, one of the heavy burdens weighing on his mind had been lifted. Of course, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t still demand the photo from that bastard Lieutenant Colonel Jeong…
“Look at that. That’s our factory.”
When the helicopter entered the airspace above Yeongcheon, Yoon Changwon pointed out the window. Dozens of buildings with strictly rectangular designs—looking as if someone had insisted that only roofs and walls were necessary—stretched across the plain beside the Geumho River.
“Huge, isn’t it?”
“Yes! It is!”
“This was originally built because Nayeon said she wanted to use it as a logistics warehouse, but nobody ever used it so it was basically sitting idle. Who the hell would build a logistics warehouse in a place like this? But because of the zombie bastards running around, its purpose suddenly changed. These days I wonder what we would have done without it. Truly, you never know what life will throw at you. For me, it turned out to be an incredible stroke of luck!”
Yoon Changwon shook his head with a chuckle, as if the thought still amused him.
A stroke of luck?
Not understanding what the man was talking about, Yang Jaeyeol blinked. As far as he knew, this place was simply a facility for researching zombie corpses. What did he mean by luck?
“Ah, right. President Yang… you don’t really know what this place does, do you?”
Yoon Changwon turned to him with a tone that suggested he now understood the confused expression. Yang Jaeyeol scratched the back of his head.
“I was told it was a place researching possible infectious diseases that could arise from zombie corpses and developing vaccines to counter them…”
It sounded good to call it a vaccine factory, but in reality it was just a quiet, unimportant post. Of course, that was precisely why it allowed them to operate freely without Chairman Hwang and Hwang Nayeon’s surveillance.
“Mm, yes, they do that too. But that’s not all. In fact, that’s just the cover—the tip of the iceberg, you could say.”
Apparently unable to remember the expression “tip of the iceberg,” Yoon Changwon simply lumped it together as “that thing.” Then he spread both arms dramatically and raised his voice.
“President Yang, I believe this place will become… that. You know, that thing where everything gets tangled up and then suddenly everything changes completely…”
“You mean a turning point, sir?”
“Ah, yes. Exactly. Hah… Lately I’ve been like this. With all these white hairs, the words just don’t come to me as quickly.”
Yoon Changwon winked again, blaming it on age. But that wasn’t true. As far as Yang Jaeyeol could remember, this man’s vocabulary had always been at this level. If his handsome middle-aged face scored a 99, his vocabulary wouldn’t even reach 50.
“Anyway, once this winter passes and the world starts running properly again, thanks to this place we will become unimaginably, ridiculously rich! No, saying we’ll be rich doesn’t even cover it. The whole world will basically become ours. You’ll get one of these too.”
Yoon Changwon patted the armrest of his seat cheerfully, making Yang Jaeyeol’s chest swell with anticipation. Yet the questions still remained. As he looked down at the factory buildings outside the window, Yang Jaeyeol thought to himself.
Just what exactly are they doing here… that it can make so much money?