Free Web NovelIn the video, Lee Songhee’s eyes were already unfocused.
Although Assemblyman Jeong Chanseong wasn’t taking drugs, it was clear from the footage that Lee Songhee was completely high.
“Turn it off.”
I felt filthy just watching it. Once Manager Ma turned the video off, the room fell silent.
How should I use this? That was the question.
“Boss, what would you like to do? Should I pass it to Koryeo Daily—”
“Wait a second, Manager.”
My mind was spinning. I raised a hand to stop him.
Leaning back on the sofa, I tapped the armrest in thought.
‘The media? Or the prosecution?’
The footage was too explicit. The press and prosecutors would probably release a watered-down version and sweep it under the rug.
Then suddenly, Cheon Jiyoung’s anxious, timid expression flashed across my mind—how she always glanced around, afraid of others’ eyes.
Why should Jiyoung have to live like that?
Following the law wouldn’t soothe my anger. After a moment of thought, I spoke.
“Manager Ma, upload it online.”
“Sir? What did you say?”
“Post it everywhere—on the popular community sites, all the P2P sharing programs. Send it to the Black Bear Korea branch; they’ll know what to do.”
Now realizing what I meant, Manager Ma nodded.
“We could give it to the media or the prosecution and make it impossible for her to recover, but after a few months, people would forget. Instead, I’ll make sure this sticks to her like a scarlet letter for the rest of her life.”
The spread of computers and the rise of the internet had brought new side effects—illegal MP3 sharing and the mass distribution of pornography among them.
Since copyright laws were still weak, everyone shared and consumed such files without guilt.
But what if the file being shared was the scandal video of a currently trending actress like Lee Songhee?
The moment it was uploaded, it wouldn’t just go viral—it would explode.
Even I couldn’t predict how far the shockwave would spread.
“One day should be enough. Send the bribery records and location details to both the prosecution and the media. The prosecution copy goes to Prosecutor Oh Hyunwoo. As for the press... only Koryeo Daily. Let them have the exclusive.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Finish everything by tomorrow. I hate dragging things out.”
I lifted the videotape and waved it lightly.
“Make another copy and send that one to the prosecution too.”
A cold smile crept across my lips as I said it.
* * *
Seo Hyeongjun looked at me, puzzled.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. I don’t intend to cause you trouble, but I can’t predict what’s about to happen either. Anyway, Jiyoung says she really wants to do this project. If my little sister wants to, I should let her. I’ll cover all the production costs. For now, step back and avoid the media firestorm.”
Seo stayed silent for a while, clearly mulling things over.
No matter how much he thought about it, he wouldn’t find the answer.
Who could’ve predicted that a scandal video of Assemblyman Jeong Chanseong and Lee Songhee would be flooding the internet soon?
He was thinking for so long that I checked the time—about two hours left before my meeting with Oh Hyunwoo.
“I have another appointment, so I should get going. What will you do?”
I had no intention of waiting longer. When I applied gentle pressure, Seo finally opened his mouth.
“You’re not going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Would that be necessary? You’ll find out soon enough.”
“...Fine. Do you have a production company ready to take over?”
“Yes.”
A brief flicker of surprise crossed his face.
“You do? Have you worked in this industry before?”
“No. But someone I know owns a production company—one that only keeps its signboard up these days. They used to make films, but they’ve mostly stepped away. Still, if we pass it to them, they’ll handle it.”
Among Chunha Group’s subsidiaries, there was one production company that barely existed in name only. That was where I planned to transfer the film.
“Mr. Kim, film production doesn’t run smoothly on money alone.”
“Is that so?”
“If the production company isn’t properly equipped, the filming site could shut down any day.”
I didn’t know much about filmmaking, but hearing that made sense.
“Hmm...”
“If it’s just a paper company, they won’t have any skilled staff. Production could be delayed indefinitely.”
That would be troublesome. All I wanted was for Jiyoung to work comfortably—this part hadn’t crossed my mind.
He was saying it for a reason, so I raised an eyebrow and asked,
“So what are you suggesting?”
“We’ll send some of our staff to help.”
I said nothing, just watched his face.
“Ahem... It’s just an offer out of goodwill. I’d like to keep a good relationship with you, Mr. Kim.”
Caught under my gaze, Seo smiled awkwardly.
Maintaining good relations with him wasn’t a bad idea either.
JC Entertainment would one day become the kingdom that controlled all of Korea’s media.
It would be a major help to Jiyoung’s career, not a hindrance.
I nodded.
“Fine. My lawyer will contact you tomorrow with the details.”
“Understood. We’ll be ready on our end.”
For a member of the Seo family, he wasn’t bad at all.
Even beyond Jiyoung’s matter, he might be worth keeping close.
Then, curiosity struck me.
“Mr. Seo, what’s your dream? To take over JC Group? Or to seize Ilseong Group?”
At my offhand question, Seo’s expression froze.
“I’m just curious. You’re going this far—surely you’re trying to build some kind of connection with me, aren’t you?”
Friendship? Good relations? Those were all illusions.
Most relationships formed later in life existed because both sides needed something.
Especially among the wealthy and powerful.
I asked because I could see his desire to find common ground with me.
“...I’m not interested in JC Group or Ilseong Group. Even if I were greedy, they’re beyond my reach.”
“Really?”
“Yes. My grandfather already stepped down, and succession’s been decided. My uncle is the head of JC Group now. I’m lucky just to keep my current position.”
So the power transfer to Seo Jaesang was already complete. Naturally, ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) that would make Seo Hyeongjun—being from a collateral line—anxious.
“Is Chairman Seo’s health poor?”
“He’s recuperating at home.”
“I see. I knew he retired, but I didn’t realize his health was that bad.”
“I’m aware that you’re one of our group’s major shareholders, Mr. Kim. Enough that you could influence the successor if you wished. I don’t know what you discussed with my grandfather, but you helped transfer shares to my uncle, didn’t you?”
I had joined hands with JC Group’s Seo Maenggeon over our shared goal: Seo Yonggeon’s downfall.
What began as a coerced alliance turned into a full partnership when he requested my help to transfer management to his eldest son, Seo Jaesang.
In exchange for not interfering during JC Group’s restructuring, I accepted.
It wasn’t a bad deal.
Thanks to that, JC Group escaped its tangled cross-shareholding structure and reorganized into a holding company.
And with that, Seo Jaesang secured full managerial control as successor.
“So I have no grand ambition. I just want to make this company the top entertainment firm in Asia. Even so, I know it could all vanish overnight.”
Though he kept smiling, I could see the sorrow beneath it.
So his alliance with Assemblyman Jeong was just a survival tactic.
But part of me suspected something else—that maybe this whole setup had been orchestrated by him.
He might have realized that I was Jiyoung’s backer and deliberately pitted her against Lee Songhee.
If that was true, he was quite the strategist.
Still, I said nothing.
An awkward silence filled the office until a knock came at the door.
“Come in.”
At Seo’s permission, his secretary entered.
“Director, there’s something urgent to report...”
“I’m in a meeting. What is it?”
“I’m sorry, but it’s truly urgent.”
Seeing her anxious face, Seo stopped mid-sentence and looked toward me.
I gave a small nod, and he gestured for her to continue.
“Speak.”
The secretary stepped closer and whispered something in his ear. The calm on his face turned to shock.
“What? Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s chaos right now.”
“...Alright. Got it. You can go.”
As soon as she hurried out, Seo looked at me.
“Was this your doing, Mr. Kim?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“There’s a video spreading online—of Assemblyman Jeong Chanseong and someone believed to be Lee Songhee.” freewebnoveℓ.com
So it had already gone viral. As expected, the effect was immediate.
I simply shrugged. There was no need to admit anything—he’d figure it out himself.
Curiosity burned in his eyes, but he didn’t ask further.
“Well, you seem busy. I’ll get going. My lawyer will contact you tomorrow.”
As I stood, Seo rose as well and extended his hand.
“It was a pleasure meeting you. I’d like to talk more, but I think I’d better erase everything related to Lee Songhee first—thanks to someone.”
“Haha. Good luck.”
A sly fox to the end. I shook his hand and left the office.
Once outside the JC Entertainment building, I turned to Manager Ma.
“What do you think, Manager? Not a bad man, right?”
“Yes. Quick on his feet and careful not to overstep. Impressive.”
“Let’s keep an eye on him for now. See what kind of moves he makes.”
I looked up at the JC Entertainment building and smiled with interest.
“Alright, let’s go. We’re almost at our next appointment time.”
The car carried me toward the meeting place with Oh Hyunwoo.
I had rented a shabby makgeolli bar near Korea National University for the day.
It was a place I used to visit often with friends during my college days.
After waiting about ten minutes, Oh Hyunwoo arrived.
“Wow, it’s exactly the same. Feels nostalgic.”
He looked around the interior before sitting across from me.
“What’s with you asking to meet in a place like this? Feels weird—this place is supposed to be noisy, that’s its charm.”
“Things are different now. I wanted somewhere quiet to talk, and to reminisce a bit.”
He gave me a baffled look.
“Hearing that from you feels strange. You barely had a college life.”
“That’s why I want to reminisce.”
I poured makgeolli into a dented aluminum cup so old its shape was barely recognizable.
“Let’s start with a drink. Grandma cooked and went home early.”
I raised my cup first.
“No wonder she’s not here. You handled it yourself, huh?”
Jokingly, Oh Hyunwoo lifted his cup too. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
With a clear clink, the cups met and a bit of makgeolli spilled over.
We downed it in one go.
Oh Hyunwoo grabbed a piece of pajeon and popped it into his mouth.
“Ah, that’s the taste.”
“Tastes the same, right?”
“Yeah, her touch never fades.”
We spent quite a while reminiscing, trading drinks and old stories.
For the first time in ages, Oh Hyunwoo’s normally rigid face softened.
After a few rounds, he smiled, lazily swirling his aluminum cup.
“Feels good. Funny—we’ve never really drunk together like this before.”
“Yeah. You said you regretted that, didn’t you?”
“Sure. You always kept some distance from us, unlike Myungsoo or Hyunseong.”
“Well, we can do this once in a while now.”
He nodded, saying nothing more, and emptied his cup.
“Enough nostalgia. Let’s get to it. What the hell is this all about?”
I smiled faintly.
“What do you think? A gift—for you.”
“Damn... this is going to be a mess.”
The documents I’d handed him contained information powerful enough to shake the entire political scene.
Even though it only covered Assemblyman Jeong Chanseong, the fact that a sitting lawmaker had taken bribes from a Chinese drug syndicate was catastrophic.
Not even the President—or his grandfather—could cover this up.
“The video spreading online... that’s your work too?”
When I nodded, Oh Hyunwoo clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“Wow. You really... destroyed them completely.”
He was right. This wasn’t just punishment—it was social annihilation.
And sometimes, that was far more effective than death itself.
