Free Web NovelFor several days after returning to Korea, acquaintances came to visit one after another.
Hyunseong and his wife came first, followed by Oh Hyunwoo and Han Mingyeong, and finally Yoon Jaeha.
All of them worried about me, and I did my best to reassure them.
It didn’t feel bad at all, having friends who genuinely cared about my safety.
“You crazy bastard!”
I was wondering why he hadn’t shown up yet.
Myungsoo suddenly stormed into the Myeongdong office without even calling and started cursing.
I closed the laptop that had the portal news page open and smiled.
“Oh, hey. Good to see you.”
“Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”
“And the first thing you do when you see me is curse? I contacted you, didn’t I? That’s enough. I came back alive, didn’t I?”
“Is that supposed to be an excuse? Should I go tell Grandma exactly what happened to you?”
“No, wait. Sorry. I was wrong.”
I had asked everyone to keep quiet about it, so Grandma still didn’t know what had happened to me in North Korea.
“She’s already getting old and frail. If she heard something like that, it would really be a disaster.”
“You think I don’t know that? That’s why you need to be more careful! Of all places, why would you go there alone?”
“I didn’t go alone. I brought security guards. And I went with permission from the Korean government. How was I supposed to know those lunatics would pull something like that?”
After I rattled off excuse after excuse, Myungsoo let out a deep sigh.
“Ha... whatever. If something like this happens again, I’m telling Grandma immediately. Just remember that.”
“Alright, alright. Stop nagging already. My ears are going to fall off. Sit down. Your legs must be tired.”
I walked over to the sofa and sat down. Myungsoo followed and sat across from me.
He glared at me with pursed lips, then spoke in a calmer voice.
“You’re not hurt anywhere, right?”
I nodded and called someone to bring us two cups of coffee.
“Luckily, no.”
“Good.”
I knew Myungsoo was worrying about me sincerely.
If there was anyone I could trust without reservation, it was him.
“Nothing else going on?”
“No. Or even if there is, there isn’t. Why would my head hurt? Yours is the one that should hurt. China’s already causing trouble, and now Chunha Group suddenly blows up too? I heard something happened in Busan. Hyunseong’s father contacted me.”
“Why is a retired man even paying attention to things like that?”
“His juniors are still working in the field, that’s why. Anyway, I told him I didn’t know anything. Even if I did know, I wouldn’t have said anything. But this time I really didn’t know.”
“Director Ma didn’t contact you?”
Myungsoo nodded, clearly curious.
“Yeah. Didn’t say a thing.”
I could guess why Director Ma hadn’t told him.
He probably didn’t want to drag Myungsoo into something like this unnecessarily.
“That’s for the best. Knowing wouldn’t do you any good anyway. If we needed help, we would’ve contacted you.”
“That’s true. Still, after everything ended I did talk to the National Police Commissioner. I don’t know everything, but I heard roughly what happened... Are you going to be okay?”
“I don’t know. If something like this happens again, I’m thinking of just wiping them out entirely. I started this whole thing because I trusted Dongsoo, but he’s gone now.”
Unifying the gang organizations across the country had been something I started purely because I trusted Park Dongsu.
After his death, his legacy passed through Lee Sanggeun and Yoo Seongjin.
Now, starting with Lim Hwasu, Chunha Group °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° was being reorganized entirely.
As time passed, Park Dongsu’s influence would fade, and new people would fill those positions.
“If Chunha Group disappears, won’t gangs start running wild again?”
“We’ll deal with that if it happens. It’s not something that’s happened yet. For now, they won’t dare do anything stupid. After the kind of chaos they caused this time and seeing both the police and the media stay quiet... I just hope they learned something.”
“I hope they came to their senses.”
While we were talking, an employee brought the coffee.
I picked up my cup and asked,
“So why did you show up without warning today?”
“Just came to see your face. Do I need a reason to visit a friend?”
“Hyunseong, Hyunwoo, and Jaeha already came. You’re the last one, you know.”
I said it teasingly.
Myungsoo immediately raised his voice.
“Hey! I’m busy!”
“And the others aren’t? Hyunseong’s busy too these days. Hyunwoo doesn’t even need mentioning. And Jaeha’s preparing to inherit the law firm, so he’s even busier.”
As I casually listed our friends’ situations, Myungsoo wrinkled his nose.
Looks like he felt guilty.
“Sorry. I was worried, but I seriously couldn’t make time. Everything on my schedule had been arranged in advance, and they weren’t events I could cancel. Still, we talked on the phone the day you came back.”
I smiled and took a sip of coffee.
Unlike quiet Hyunseong, Myungsoo was fun to tease because he always reacted.
“Everyone called. You’re not special. I’m disappointed, Congressman.”
“Ah, damn it. That’s enough!”
If I pushed him a little more, he’d explode.
Better stop here.
I burst out laughing at Myungsoo’s bright red face.
“You make me laugh, seriously. Anyway, you really came for no reason?”
Myungsoo nodded with a grumpy expression.
“I told you, there’s nothing. Just wanted to see your face and maybe grab dinner.”
“Really? I have plans tonight. What should we do?”
“Plans? What plans?”
“There’s an inauguration ceremony for the new chairman of Chunha Group today. I’m going there and meeting the new chairman.”
“Damn. Talk about bad timing. If not today, it’ll be hard for me to find time for a while.”
Myungsoo clearly looked disappointed.
I knew how busy he was, so I felt a little regretful too.
“Then want to come with me?”
“Are you crazy? Do you know what kind of place that is? If a photo gets taken, that’s perfect ammunition for political attacks later.”
He was thinking about all the risks.
He really had become a politician.
Meeting people was a politician’s job.
They shook hands and took photos with so many people that they couldn’t remember them all.
Yet sometimes a single forgotten photo could cost them an election.
“Just come with me. What’s the problem? Chunha Group is a legitimate company on the surface. We’ll just say hello and have dinner. It might even help you later.”
“Hmmm...”
Myungsoo thought for a moment but eventually shook his head again.
“No. Next time.”
“Alright then. We’ll eat together when we both have time.”
Both of us were too busy these days.
It had gotten to the point where even having dinner together required scheduling in advance.
“Then I should get going too. I’ll find another friend to have dinner with.”
Myungsoo stood up and pulled out his phone.
“You’re leaving already? There’s still about an hour. Stay and talk more.”
“No thanks. Talking with you only brings headaches. I saw your face and confirmed you’re alive. That’s enough. I’m leaving. Next time I’ll make an appointment.”
Myungsoo waved his hand and left the office without hesitation.
I looked at the closed door and chuckled.
He really had just come to see my face.
* * *
I arrived at Chunha Group headquarters ten minutes before the inauguration ceremony.
As I stepped out of the car, I looked at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office buildings visible in the distance and laughed.
“What kind of confidence made them choose this place for Chunha Group’s headquarters?”
Seocho District was the center of Korea’s legal world.
Placing the headquarters of a company founded by gangsters there was insanity no matter how you looked at it.
“It meant they wanted to forget the days when they had to run from the law.”
“I know that. I just didn’t expect them to actually do it.”
I entered Chunha Group headquarters with Director Ma and the security team.
“Welcome, President Kim Muhyuk.”
Vice Chairman Chu Dongbin was waiting in the lobby.
“Vice Chairman. It’s been a while.”
“Yes. It has. I’ll guide you.”
“Is it alright for the vice chairman to guide me personally?”
“Of course. You are the true owner of Chunha Group, after all.”
Chu Dongbin answered as if it were obvious and led the way.
We followed him into the large conference hall.
“I will lead Chunha Group to new heights. To do so, we must forget the past and move toward the future...”
Inside the hall, Lim Hwasu was already delivering his inaugural speech to a crowd of large men dressed in black suits.
“We are family. Families can have different opinions. But that doesn’t mean we point knives at each other. Director Yang Wooguk and those who left the group this time forgot that rule.”
I quietly asked Chu Dongbin beside me,
“Did you reveal everything?”
“Yes. The new chairman believes that only by doing so can something like this never happen again.”
Not everyone in Chunha Group had known about the incident.
Yet he revealed everything openly.
What kind of decision had Lim Hwasu made?
“That’s bold. There must be people opposing it. Weren’t there many employees who supported Yang Wooguk?”
“Yes. But the chairman believes we must bring them all along. If Chunha Group weakens, smaller regional organizations might start getting ideas.”
So that’s why Yoo Seongjin chose him.
Lim Hwasu had a sharp mind and could read the flow of things.
“I heard Lim Hwasu started from the bottom?”
“Yes. That’s why he has overwhelming support from ordinary employees.”
“I see. By the way, you’re really planning to retire after he settles in?”
“Yes. I’m planning to go to China. I intend to stay near Chairman Yoo Seongjin and attend to him.”
I turned from Lim Hwasu and looked at Chu Dongbin.
“You’re going to China to serve Yoo Seongjin? Are you serious?”
Even if he went to China, there was no guarantee he could meet him.
“That won’t be easy. China isn’t like Korea. Even simple visitations aren’t easily permitted. Especially for someone as important as Chairman Yu.”
“Even so, I want to stay nearby. That’s why...”
Chu Dongbin met my eyes and trailed off.
I could easily guess what he was about to say.
“You’d like my help. I’m the only one who can make that possible.”
“Hmm.”
I stared directly into his eyes.
They didn’t waver at all.
“Interesting. Chairman Yoo Seongjin is lucky to have someone like you by his side. Won’t you come to me instead?”
“Thank you for thinking highly of me. But I intend to serve Chairman Yoo Seongjin to the very end.” ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Chu Dongbin answered firmly.
Pressing further would only earn me another refusal.
I slowly nodded.
“Understood. I’ll help however I can. But it might be faster for Chairman Yoo Seongjin to be released and return to Korea than for you to go to China.”
Chu Dongbin looked shocked and tried to respond.
But before he could speak, Lim Hwasu called out to me.
“President Kim Muhyuk, who has supported Chunha Group since the days of Chairman Park Dongsu, is here today. I wanted to personally thank him. President Kim Muhyuk!”
I looked at Director Ma.
“Was this planned?”
“No. If you go up now—”
I shook my head.
Refusing now would only harm Lim Hwasu, who had just taken the position.
Besides, it was obvious he intended to raise me up by lowering himself.
“Let’s continue this conversation later, Vice Chairman.”
“Yes, President.”
Escorted by Chu Dongbin, I walked up to the podium.
A hall full of large men stared up at me.
Some probably knew who I was. freёwebnoѵel.com
But most were probably seeing me for the first time.
“President Kim Muhyuk. Thank you for honoring us with your presence.”
Lim Hwasu bowed deeply.
The crowd murmured.
I spoke quietly so only he could hear.
“This is excessive, Chairman Im.”
“Not at all. You built Chunha Group with Chairman Park Dongsu and helped it grow into what it is today. I believe everyone should know who the true owner of Chunha Group is.”
Despite my whisper, Lim Hwasu said it openly.
He had clearly decided to fully submit.
“Very well. I look forward to working with you.”
Only then did his expression brighten.
“Please say a few words.”
I nodded and stepped forward.
Standing where he had just been, I looked down at the audience.
Most people were rolling their eyes around, trying to figure out what was happening.
“Hello. I’m Kim Muhyuk. This might be the first time we’re properly greeting each other. Some of you may know me. Others may not.”
The hall fell silent.
Their eyes were filled with curiosity—who I was, and what this situation meant.
“I won’t speak for long. If you faithfully fulfill the roles entrusted to you, I will do my best to block every attack directed at Chunha Group.”
I paused.
“But if you fail to do so, I will personally dismantle Chunha Group.”
I had just thrown a bomb into the inauguration ceremony.
