Free Web Novel“Really? Don’t push yourself.”
When Eva told me she’d fired a warning shot at the MOFIA officials the moment she was discharged, I could tell she had made up her mind about something. It was admirable—but I couldn’t help feeling worried.
― I’m fine. Don’t treat me like a patient, boss.
“Got it.”
She was much better now, but I knew the fear of people still lingered somewhere inside her...
She’d insisted on being discharged, but that didn’t mean I could stop worrying.
“That was Eva?”
After I hung up, Han Kyungyeong asked.
“Yeah, said she dropped the hammer on the executives as soon as she walked into the office.”
“Wow~ those executives are all MOFIA core members, aren’t they? And she grilled them on her first day back? That’s something else.”
“Enough about her. Focus on your own job.”
“What, I’ve been doing my part just fine.”
Han Kyungyeong pouted.
“When are you going to officially install Kim Byungwoo as chairman? You don’t need to keep sticking around.”
“Soon. Everything should wrap up by this summer. After that, I’ll hand everything over to him. You should meet him before then.”
Kim Byungwoo, huh.
Han Kyungyeong shrugged and added, “He should know exactly who he works for. I don’t think you need to keep hiding in the background.”
“Alright. Set up a meeting.”
“Okay.”
“How about the Gazprom bonds?”
“I got the report last week—they’re all wrapped up.”
In the end, history hadn’t changed.
Prime Minister Primakov, who had been pressing the offensive, was taken down when the Prosecutor General got caught in a prostitution scandal.
What a hilariously insane country.
A news broadcast from Berezovsky’s station aired live footage of Prosecutor General Skuratov sitting on a bed, naked, next to prostitutes.
The next day, Putin held a press conference and stated that no signs of manipulation had been found in the footage.
President Yeltsin, as if waiting for the opportunity, immediately dismissed the Prosecutor General.
“Broadcasting an R-rated video live? If that happened in our country, the whole station would’ve been shut down.”
After that, all the people who had been criticizing Yeltsin and the Kremlin nonstop could only think about one thing: the scandal.
“Russia’s settled for now. What about Hyeonhwa Group?”
“We’ve been buying up all °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the shares on the open market. We leaked some rumors, too. There should be movement soon.”
Hyeonhwa Group’s internal structure was more solid than expected—an outright hostile takeover was impossible.
Even if we converted all our convertible bonds into shares, it wouldn’t be enough. We were buying public shares steadily, but not enough to threaten management control.
But if the goal wasn’t acquisition but pressure, then we already had more than enough.
“Keep buying. Keep the rumors spreading. If they ask for interviews, just hint at it. Never give a definitive answer. Ever.”
When a rumor is confirmed as fact, the fear dies down.
But if it stays a rumor, the fear multiplies—and it will shake Hyeonhwa Group to its core.
“What exactly do you want? I mean, I’m doing what you tell me, but this doesn’t feel like it’s about profit.”
I simply smiled without answering.
* * *
A nameless bar in the middle of Gangnam.
Even the staff had cleared out, leaving a few men to drink and fool around in private.
They were all sons or grandsons of chaebol chairmen.
“Ugh, the old man won’t stop bitching at me to come into the office. It’s driving me nuts. Says I need to get out on the field.”
Park Cheolseung, grandson of the chairman of Hogum Group, swirled his glass as he spoke.
“You should go. It’s the least you can do. It’s not like your grandpa’s got long to live.”
“Yeah, fuck off. Oh, right, your company went under, didn’t it? Must be nice not needing to go to work. Jealous.”
Kim Yongseok, youngest son of Donggeuk Construction’s chairman, stiffened at that.
“Every time we meet, you’re on this shit. Hey! Why the hell bring up my family’s bankruptcy? Chill out before you kill the mood.”
The man watching them with a look of disgust was Kim Hyunjik, eldest son of Hyeonhwa Group.
“Way to ruin the night, asshole.”
And seated at the head of the table—Cheon Jiwon.
Just like in the chaebol world, this group had its own hierarchy of power and influence.
Right now, Cheon Jiwon, grandson of Ilseong Group’s chairman, held the top spot.
The rest glanced at him nervously as they lifted their glasses.
“Save your crap talk for your side pieces. How’s everyone been doing?”
They started chatting again, trading updates and stories over drinks.
Kim Hyunjik grimaced.
“Ah, I met this girl recently, pretty decent. But she turned me down like she was some big shot. Just because she’s got a decent face, she thinks she’s above her league.”
Cheon Jiwon, who had been sipping his drink indifferently, looked up with interest.
“An actress? Idol?”
“Idol. But her company disappeared. The CEO vanished into thin air. Ugh... that guy kept me entertained for a while. Wonder where he ran off to.”
The others chuckled like it was the funniest thing in the world.
“Must’ve really liked her. What did she look like? Got a photo?”
“Nope. Can’t find her now that the company’s gone.”
As Kim Hyunjik looked genuinely disappointed, Cheon Jiwon asked, intrigued, “What company?”
“Cubic. Why?”
“I’ll look into it. But if I find her, I get first dibs. Got a problem with that?”
“Nah, if you find her, she’s yours. It’s not like we’re gonna share one girl.”
Though Kim Hyunjik was disappointed, he didn’t show it.
Cheon Jiwon gave him a smirk but left it there.
“I’ll set you up with another nice girl. Don’t pout.”
“Fine.”
Kim Yongseok, listening to their exchange, grumbled.
“So where the hell are those girls?” freewёbnoνel.com
The four of them were clearly waiting for someone.
“They’ll come. Said they’d swing by after their schedules. Just keep drinking. Jesus, you really are a construction heir—always in a rush.”
Park Cheolseung jabbed again, taking pleasure in Kim Yongseok’s family’s recent fall.
Kim Yongseok just scowled, unable to fire back.
“Hey, quit it. You’re killing the vibe. We dragged Jiwon-hyung out for the first time in ages—what the hell’s wrong with you?”
Kim Hyunjik glanced at Cheon Jiwon, then raised his voice.
Park Cheolseung, realizing he’d gone too far, looked toward Cheon Jiwon as well.
“Alright, sorry. My bad. Sorry, Jiwon-hyung.”
“You two have been at each other’s throats since you were kids. Grow the hell up. You’re not children anymore.”
Cheon Jiwon scolded them, and the rest scrambled to flatter him with smiles and apologies.
Even in this ridiculous gathering of rich, spoiled brats, there were pecking orders and power games.
It was a perfect microcosm of Korean society.
* * *
“Fuck... who the hell is it, this early in the morning?”
Kim Hyunjik tried to ignore the call and shut his eyes again, but the hotel room phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
“What the fuck is wrong with these people?”
Still half-drunk, he staggered over to the phone and picked it up, cursing before even hearing the voice.
“Who the fuck is this?”
― The Chairman is requesting your presence, sir.
“Who is this? Chief Seong? What the hell, man. Tell him I’m unreachable.”
― It’s urgent. We couldn’t get through to your cell, so we called every hotel in Seoul until we found you.
“Shit... what’s so urgent?”
― I was only told to bring you to the company immediately.
“Goddamn old man. What’s he freaking out about now?”
As much of a punk as Kim Hyunjik was, he couldn’t go against his father, Chairman Kim Seonghak of Hyeonhwa Group.
Both his father and grandfather were men who swung fists before words. Kim Hyunjik had grown up getting hit regularly.
The fact that he still turned out a spoiled delinquent was something of a miracle in itself.
“Alright. I’ll wash up and come.”
― I’ll be waiting in the lobby.
After hanging up, Kim Hyunjik groaned and shook his head.
“What the hell is it this time...”
He made his way down to the lobby and snapped at Chief Seong and the secretarial staff waiting there.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. But the chairman seems very upset.”
Dragged to Hyeonhwa Group HQ, Kim Hyunjik took the chairman’s private elevator to the top floor.
“Father, you called? What’s this about so early in the mor—”
Before he could finish his greeting, something flew past him.
A loud crash echoed as it hit the wall and rolled to the floor.
Stunned, Kim Hyunjik slowly turned his head.
It was a glass ashtray. If it had hit him in the head, he’d be in the hospital for months.
Before he could recover, Kim Seonghak’s furious roar exploded across the office.
“You little shit! What the hell have you been doing out there? Did I ask you for anything difficult? All I ever said was stay out of trouble! Do you have a death wish?!”
Kim Seonghak’s foul mood had started early that morning—triggered by the rumors circulating in the financial sector.
Someone had been quietly buying up shares of every Hyeonhwa Group affiliate—rumors of a hostile takeover.
At first, he dismissed it as just gossip. But after digging deeper, he found it was real. Someone was aggressively collecting shares.
“Well?! Get over here!”
Under his father’s wrath, Kim Hyunjik scurried over and sat down.
“What the hell have you been doing out there?”
“...”
Chairman Kim looked at him like he was a cockroach.
“What, drinking, chasing women—that’s all you ever do, right?”
“What’s going on?”
“There’s a rumor in the stock market about a hostile M&A targeting Hyeonhwa Group. And it turns out someone really is buying our stock. It’s been happening for months—but we can’t trace who it is.”
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Kim Hyunjik blinked, bewildered.
His clueless expression only enraged Kim Seonghak further—he hurled a binder right at his face.
Papers scattered, and the black binder smacked him squarely.
“Ah!”
“It’s all because of you. What the hell are you doing out there? Who did you piss off?!”
“Dad, I didn’t fight anyone—”
“Then why the hell are these rumors flying around?!”
“They’re just rumors. Most of that stuff is bullshit—”
“They found signs of organized buying! If it’s bullshit, why are there traces?! You better start talking!”
As Kim Seonghak searched for something else to throw, Kim Hyunjik panicked.
“I swear I haven’t done anything! Just drank with some friends... Met with Jiwon-hyung yesterday, that’s all!”
“Goddamn... when are you going to grow up?”
“...”
Seeing his son hanging his head in shame, Kim Seonghak softened—slightly.
“You’re grounded. Don’t leave the house for the next few days. Got it?”
“What?”
Clearly unhappy, Kim Hyunjik looked up in disbelief. But Kim Seonghak growled again.
“I said you’re grounded. Don’t go gallivanting around and making this worse. Got it?”
Faced with his father’s fury, Kim Hyunjik couldn’t protest any further.
But while he remained locked up, the rumors in the stock market kept evolving—and new information began to surface.
Eventually, Chairman Kim Seonghak discovered that Kim Muhyuk was behind it all—and immediately arranged a meeting.
At the last remaining gisaeng house in Korea.
A secretive place known only to the elite of politics and business.
At the entrance, Chairman Kim hid his discomfort behind a tight-lipped expression as he followed a brawny staff member inside.
Kim Muhyuk stood up from his seat, expression calm.
“Chairman Kim. Long time no see. Have you been well?”
“Well? You think this is the time for pleasantries?!”
The calm expression only fueled Kim Seonghak’s anger, and he snapped.
A slow, cold smile spread across Kim Muhyuk’s face.
“Please, have a seat.”
Though clearly displeased, Chairman Kim sat across from him in silence.
“What’s got you so riled up?”
“Are you seriously asking me that? Why the hell are you buying up Hyeonhwa Group stock? At least tell me why you’re doing it!”
At those words, the polite smile vanished from Kim Muhyuk’s face.
What remained was a cold, unreadable expression—like a plaster mask.
The sight of it sent a chill down Kim Seonghak’s spine.
“Kim Hyunjik, your delinquent son. You’ll have to hand him over to me.”
Chairman Kim Seonghak’s face turned bright red.
