Free Web NovelI headed to Ilseong Hospital to visit Seo Jaehun.
“Nothing has come out yet, right?”
At my question, Manager Ma, who was in the passenger seat, turned his body around.
“No. Nothing has come out yet.”
If Manager Ma couldn’t find anything this quickly, then he must really have received the entire amount in cash.
If the amount had shown up in any bank account, he would have found it one way or another.
Who on earth gave him enough cash to buy a foreign car with a single payment?
“Is that correctional officer waiting at the hospital?”
“Yes, that’s right. They take turns waiting, and it happens to be the time when that person is on shift.”
“You said one of the two had suspicious financial activity, right?”
Manager Ma nodded again.
“That’s correct. Coincidentally, that one person was the first discoverer who witnessed Seo Jaehun’s suicide.”
“Let’s meet him first.”
“Yes, Boss.”
The car accelerated even more.
A moment later, we arrived in front of Ilseong Hospital.
The moment we stopped at the main entrance and got out, the hospital director, who had been waiting, came to greet me.
“Welcome, President Kim Muhyuk.”
I reached my hand out toward the hospital director. He hurriedly grabbed it, as if feeling honored.
I could see the tips of the hospital director’s fingers trembling.
“You’re Director Yang Jinwoo, correct? Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Muhyuk.”
“Yes, yes. That’s right. I’m Yang Jinwoo.”
Stopping him from raising his voice, I looked around.
“Let’s go inside. Too many eyes watching.”
“Of course. I’ll guide you.”
We didn’t say anything as we walked. We simply followed his lead to the VIP ward.
Only after we entered the elevator did I speak to him.
“By the way, I heard you reached out. That’s quite interesting. Keeping loyalty toward that person. Didn’t everyone else turn their backs on him?”
“······.”
Because I said it so calmly, he seemed unsure whether my words were an insult or praise.
He simply bowed his head silently.
“Why are you bowing like that? It’s a compliment. I don’t dislike people who have loyalty.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, it’s even better if that loyalty is toward me.”
“······.” freewebnovёl.ƈom
“Just saying.”
Watching the hospital director’s face turn completely pale, I smiled gently.
Before I knew it, the elevator reached the floor where the VIP ward was located.
“Let’s go see Chairman Seo Yonggeon first. I’m curious how he’s doing.”
“Pardon? But only family is allowed—”
“Haha, Director Yang, you’re naïve. Since when does the world work strictly by the rules? If it did, Seo Jaehun wouldn’t even be here right now, would he?”
“······This way, please.”
The director began leading me deeper inside.
Only after passing through three thoroughly secured doors did we reach the room where Seo Yonggeon was.
Through the glass window, what I saw was someone technically alive, but no longer a living human being.
I stared at Chairman Seo Yonggeon for quite a while before opening my mouth.
“Open the door.”
“······.”
“Open it. I need to see him directly.”
After hesitating briefly, the director nodded toward the camera.
The tightly sealed door opened automatically.
I walked in slowly.
It wasn’t many steps from the entrance to the bed, yet it felt strangely far away.
I eventually stopped beside the bed and looked down at Seo Yonggeon in silence.
“······He’s too thin.”
“He’s barely sustaining himself with IV nutrient drips.”
The Seo Yonggeon I remembered was a well-built middle-aged man.
But now, with nothing but bones and skin remaining, he looked like a mummy.
“He’s alive, right?”
“Yes. He is alive.”
“What are the chances of him waking up?” fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
“You can consider them nonexistent. His life is being prolonged by force. He’s merely breathing.”
I shook my head before realizing it. A person could be destroyed this badly because of someone else’s greed.
It made me wonder how far ugliness could really go.
“Director, let me ask you one thing.”
I took my eyes off Seo Yonggeon and looked at the hospital director.
“Can you make Seo Jaehun like this too? Unable to die, unable to live.”
“Pardon? What do you—”
“I know everything. Director, you’re the one who made Seo Yonggeon like this, aren’t you?”
The hospital director bowed his head deeply. Even that looked fake, making one corner of my mouth curl upward.
“Can you make Seo Jaehun like this or not?”
Seeing Seo Yonggeon’s condition in person wasn’t bad at all.
I thought it might be fine to give Seo Jaehun the same treatment.
“But······.”
“Think carefully before you answer. I said earlier that I like loyal people, but I like them even more when that loyalty is directed toward me. This hospital owned by Ilseong Group will eventually fall into my hands. And I have no interest in running a hospital.”
The director raised his head. He was a smart man, and he seemed to fully understand exactly what I meant.
“Can you do it or not?”
“It is possible······.”
The answer was faint, but it didn’t matter. I nodded with a smile.
“Good. Understood.”
I took one last look at Seo Yonggeon’s face, then turned away without hesitation.
“Let’s go to the room where Seo Jaehun is.”
Only the dry, emotionless sound of medical machines echoed between my steps as we walked away.
“What was his condition when he was first brought in?”
“There were marks indicating strangulation.”
“Was it really a suicide attempt?”
The director slowly shook his head.
“We couldn’t judge based solely on the wounds. But it is true that he attempted to strangle himself with a towel. The strange part is that there were no signs of resistance at all. When someone’s neck is being choked or their breathing is blocked, twisting or resisting is an instinctive reaction.”
“So there was no sign of resistance from Seo Jaehun whatsoever?”
“No. Those patterns do appear if the person is unable to resist or if they have fully accepted suicide.”
Listening to the director’s explanation, I continued walking slowly.
“And he didn’t say anything else?”
“No. He only asked us to contact you, President.”
When we turned the corner, a man in correctional officer uniform came into view, sitting in a chair.
Two men who appeared to be guards stood on either side of the door.
Seeing the director and us approaching, the officer stood up and walked over.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Section Chief Hong Seokki.”
He had two hibiscus flowers on his shoulder. Manager Ma stepped forward to deal with him in my place.
“Nice to meet you. This is the first time we’re seeing each other face to face. I’m Ma Seokdae.”
“Oh, Mr. Ma Seokdae! It’s good to finally put a face to the voice after all our phone calls.”
The delight was clear on Hong Seokki’s face. But unlike him, Manager Ma’s expression was cold as ice.
“How exactly are you doing your job? I’m sure we asked you to keep a close watch.”
“I don’t know anything about it. I’m just as shocked. Who could have known he’d hang himself during the moment I stepped away?”
“You think that makes sense?”
As Manager Ma kept pressing, Hong Seokki replied irritably.
“If someone’s determined to die, what am I supposed to do? Honestly, if it weren’t for me, that guy would’ve died already! And I’m in trouble because of that whole incident too. Reports, explanation letters······. I’m dying here.”
There was no point listening further; he’d only spit out useless excuses.
I turned my head and spoke to the director.
“Let’s go visit Seo Jaehun.”
“Hey, wait! Who are you?”
Hong Seokki blocked my path with his arm.
“Who are you to walk in without my permission?”
Ma’s eyes turned murderous. In an even lower voice, almost muttering, he said,
“This is President Kim Muhyuk, whom you were supposed to meet today.”
“I don’t know this person. If you want to go in, you know what to do, right?”
Hong Seokki rubbed his thumb and index finger together with a sly expression.
What kind of bastard is this? Just as I frowned, Manager Ma grabbed Hong Seokki’s fingers and applied force.
“Ah! Aaagh!”
The sound of fingers breaking rang out, followed by Hong Seokki’s scream.
Ignoring him, I walked toward the hospital room.
“Stop! Block them!”
His face red with pain, Hong Seokki shouted toward the guards.
The guards blocking the door still looked young.
They were flustered and panicking, not knowing what to do, and I couldn’t bring myself to get angry at them.
I let out a small chuckle and jerked my chin.
“Correctional Guard Unit?”
“Yes! That’s correct.”
“You’re working hard. Everything’s already been settled, so the two of you won’t get in trouble if I go in.”
The two exchanged uneasy looks, then turned their heads toward Hong Seokki.
By now, Hong Seokki was screaming nonstop.
“Hey! What are you doing! Do you want to end up in the brig?! Block him! Blo— Aaagh!”
Before he even finished speaking, Manager Ma bent another finger.
Hong Seokki trembled violently, his eyes rolling up.
“Don’t worry. Nothing will interfere with your service schedule. So please step aside. And don’t worry about that man.”
In the end, the two guards stepped aside. Unlike someone else, they listened well.
“Thank you. Your names are...”
I checked the name tags of both guards, then turned toward Manager Ma.
“Manager, give these two a reward leave. Ah, and make sure they get leave pay too.”
“Yes, I’ll contact them right now.”
They were young men dragged into the military at their age, serving their mandatory duty.
Sometimes luck like this should follow them too.
I patted each of their shoulders once and opened the door to enter.
Inside the room, Seo Jaehun was leaning comfortably against the bed, reading a book.
When he saw me, he smiled faintly.
“You’re here?”
“Looks like you really went crazy after almost dying. You see me and you’re able to smile?”
“Right? It’s the first time I’m actually glad to see you, you bastard Kim Muhyuk.”
Seo Jaehun replied casually and laughed.
I wanted to tear apart that smiling mouth right away.
“You said you had something to say. Did we have unfinished business?”
Seo Jaehun looked past me toward the hospital director.
“Director Yang, please step outside so we can talk. Thank you for bringing him.”
“Ah... yes. Understood.”
The director hurriedly bowed and left. Only the two of us remained in the room.
“Don’t just stand there. Come sit.”
Why does he keep acting so friendly? The last face I saw of him—eyes bloodshot and glaring at me—flashed in my mind, making the contrast feel wrong.
When I sat down on the chair, Seo Jaehun spoke first.
“After almost dying, everything in the world feels meaningless.”
“You called me just to say that? Well, I was a little surprised. Hanging yourself. You’re not the type.”
“Me? Suicide?”
Seo Jaehun widened his eyes. That’s more like it.
There’s no way someone like him would commit suicide.
“I’d only take my own life if I were completely insane.”
“What’s that crazy bastard saying? I thought it was strange too. So who was it? Who hung you?”
“No idea. First, you didn’t seem like the culprit, so I called you.”
His tone was so casual that someone listening would think he was chatting with a close friend.
I stared at him with emotionless eyes.
“Why would I kill you? If I wanted to, you wouldn’t be here. You’d already be dead.”
“Right? So it wasn’t you... Stop glaring. I’ll tell you. I was sleeping, and suddenly someone choked me from behind. I blacked out not long after, and when I came to, I was here. That’s it.”
With that, Seo Jaehun closed his mouth.
Someone choking him from behind while he slept.
This was absolutely something involving the correctional officers.
Either he did it personally, or he opened the door so someone else could do the job. Either way, he was clearly involved.
I’d have to beat the truth out of the officer outside. Who is tangled up in this?
This just became interesting. Before I knew it, the corner of my mouth lifted.
Seo Jaehun quietly looked up at me.
“Seems like you have more to say. Aren’t you done confirming? I told you I didn’t try to kill yo—”
Before I finished speaking, Seo Jaehun opened his mouth.
“Save me. I don’t want to die. If I go back to prison, I’ll definitely be killed. I’ll do everything you tell me to do, so save me.”
The words were pathetic, but his expression was the same as always—smiling.
“You want me to save you? Did I hear that wrong?”
“No. You heard correctly. That’s what I’m here for. That’s why I asked to meet you.”
“I already knew you ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) were crazy... but surviving death made it worse.”
“Find the person who tried to kill me and kill him. Then I’ll do everything you tell me to.”
Why do idiots all say the same thing? Is there some academy teaching this?
I let out a deep sigh and stood up.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Rest well before going back to prison.”
“Kim Muhyuk! I said I’ll do everything you want—”
I looked down at Seo Jaehun as he raised his voice.
Sensing the chill in my eyes, he shut his mouth.
“Hey, what can you even do? Your influence over Ilseong Group is already weaker than Seo Heekyung’s, and you’re going to spend the rest of your life in prison. What do you have to offer? And even if you did have something, I’m not interested in a dog that shows its belly.”
With that, I turned around without hesitation.
“Hey! Kim Muhyuk! Hey!”
Behind me, Seo Jaehun desperately called out.
He tried to get up as if to chase me, but his left arm was tied to the bed, so he couldn’t.
Hearing his cuffs clatter as he twisted his body, I left the room.
As soon as I stepped out, the guards saluted me.
Judging by how sharp their posture was, Manager Ma must have already handled the leave paperwork.
When I looked back, Manager Ma was standing by the door.
“You already contacted them, I see.”
“Yes. The reward leave for these two should have been authorized by the prison warden.”
“Well done. Let’s go. What a waste of time.”
Hong Seokki already had bandages wrapped around his fingers.
I gave him a single cold glance and walked toward the elevator.
“And that one—grab him and make him cough up everything he knows. If we rough that bastard up, evidence will come out.”
“Yes. I’ll take care of it.”
As the elevator doors gradually closed, I saw Hong Seokki glaring at us.
