Chapter 125 : Suddenly, a business trip?
Suddenly, a business trip?
WISE&WIRE Group Chairman's Office.
Baek Ji-woong sat in his seat, wearing earphones.
[Th-that's...]
[Fwoosh―]
[Unfortunately, time's up.]
He had been eavesdropping on Jung Yoon-ju's phone through her device for some time.
Of course, the person herself had no idea.
Thanks to having bribed someone nearby, he was able to install a surveillance program without her noticing.
Only background noise buzzed through the earphones, then suddenly Skull's voice could be heard.
[Baek Ji-woong?]
At the same time, the muscles on both sides of Baek Ji-woong's jaw tensed as his eyes widened.
[... Or is it Im Deok-chang? I thought you were executives working together. In the end, were you always wary of each other?]
"This bastard..."
Because it was just eavesdropping, even if Baek Ji-woong responded, the other side couldn't hear him.
[As you heard, I know about you all. So you'd better hide well. If I get annoyed, I won't hesitate to put a bullet through all of your heads.]
Click―
With that, the surveillance program's signal was cut and nothing more was heard.
The program had been wiped from the phone. A heavy mood filled the chairman's office.
Do Jung-geol, who had been listening with him, spoke up cautiously, face dark.
"Shouldn't we have sent in support troops to capture them?"
Even though they realized it was a trap from Baek Si-hwan's call, they hadn't taken any direct action.
"If we had? And could we have caught them?"
Skull appeared disguised as the late Kim Seong-tae, used Jo Moo-yeol as bait, and even dragged out Jung Yoon-ju.
Of course, it was also a problem that Jung Yoon-ju herself reacted too sensitively and showed up in person.
Of all places, she took him to Areum Cleaning...
Moreover, Skull had anticipated Jung Yoon-ju's escape route and set explosives.
If Baek Ji-woong had sent support, the bodies of other agents might have been sprawled there as well.
"At the very least, this incident will leave tracks pointing to our organization."
Areum Cleaning was a company that handled those the organization needed erased without a trace.
Considering the special chemicals and equipment used there, plus today's corpses and firearms, it was bound to become an issue one way or another.
"Let's first cut ties with Seunghwa Chemicals, the company that supplied the materials. Make sure all related material from Areum Cleaning and the other companies is disposed of without exception. Go deal with it in person. I'll report to the Organization in the meantime."
"Understood. I'll get right on it."
Left alone, Baek Ji-woong felt a headache coming on.
He took a sip of whiskey from the corner of the office and stood by the window, looking out over the lights illuminating Seoul.
"We don't know him, but he knows us..."
That was how Baek Ji-woong and the Hongu Society had always lived.
An organization possessing overwhelming power and money unknown to the world.
They quietly manipulated events from the shadows, unnoticed by anyone.
But now, the dusk of what he once believed was an everlasting organization started to become faintly visible.
"Are we now the prey?"
The corners of Baek Ji-woong's lips curled upward. For some reason, a dry chuckle escaped before any real worry.
"Keuk keuk keuk! Us, hunted prey... I'm curious to see how you'll act. Skull..."
Muttering the name they had given, Baek Ji-woong gazed down at the city with a cold look.
* * *
【A number of armed bodies were discovered with signs of an explosion at a western Gyeonggi Province cleaning service company... Among the deceased, it was revealed that A, a high-ranking prosecutor from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, was present. The survivor is said to be Prosecutor B from the same office...】
【The cause of the Gyeonggi Province cleaning company explosion is presumed to be a chemical leak and a short circuit in the electrical system in the warehouse... The surviving prosecutor B from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office has yet to regain consciousness...】
【Another shootout after the recent southern Gyeonggi shooting? The identities of the armed deceased found at the cleaning company are currently being checked by prosecutors and police...】
...
...
As usual, In-hyuk arrived at work and took his seat.
Hong Yu-geon, sitting on the sofa with a stiff face, glanced outside the office and spoke cautiously.
"Aren't you going to explain what happened?"
He was referring to yesterday's Areum Cleaning incident caused by In-hyuk.
After the operation, In-hyuk returned with Van Hester and switched places with Noah, who was disguised as him, then went home immediately.
Van Hester had just watched from afar.
Not knowing the situation, Hong Yu-geon grew increasingly frustrated.
"It's just as reported. Everyone's dead except Prosecutor Jo."
Hong Yu-geon almost raised his voice but forced himself to lower it again.
"That's not what I mean...! Why use bombs, even? Where did you get something like that?"
"I didn't get it from anywhere in particular. Plus, just like the article says: they're saying it was an accident caused by chemicals and a short circuit."
"Chemicals? A short circuit? You expect me to believe that?"
Still, In-hyuk shrugged his shoulders. He had no intention of denying Hong Yu-geon's suspicion.
"It's not hard. If you understand a few chemical properties and set up a simple trigger, that's all it takes. Plus, those guys were armed and there were a lot of them."
"You could have waited. Or asked for my help. You left Van outside just to keep watch, didn't you?"
Clearly, he was upset because he was worried for In-hyuk.
"It was a golden opportunity that came unexpectedly. I had no choice. At least I took care of someone who appeared to be an executive."
Hong Yu-geon exhaled sharply through his nose, perhaps due to the indifferent answer.
"Still! Why make a mess all on your own!"
"There's no need to involve more people than necessary."
"Ugh... I can't believe this."
In-hyuk looked at an article displayed on his desk monitor.
Deputy Prosecutor General Jung Yoon-ju's death.
Kooou must have worked hard to get her to that position in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.
Of course, someone from their side could quickly fill the vacant seat.
However, if the next person in that position was also a Kooou loyalist, this incident would serve as a warning.
It would say that they, too, could be taken out just like this.
"With things getting this noisy, the enemy will lay low for a while. We should wrap up the tasks we've put on hold."
"So, back to work immediately?"
"We get paid, at least."
"Small comfort."
As their bickering calmed, Van Hester, who had been quietly observing, smiled softly.
Hong Yu-geon voiced another question:
"So, are these now our main concern?"
"What?"
"The succession structures of Taeshin Group and KQ Group."
Lately, those stories appeared regularly in the news.
Since Taeshin Group's current chairman, Tae Gun-seung, was well into his nineties, speculation and concerns were inevitable.
As for KQ Group, rumors continued to swirl thanks to In-hyuk newly emerging as an heir candidate.
"I don't think it's something I need to worry about."
"Both companies are a mess. Plus, if you go around the office, there's even talk of madam being put forth as a candidate, fronted by the division director."
He meant Tae Ju-ha.
"It's not impossible, but she probably has no interest."
"Why not?"
"It's too much to handle. Besides, her uncle is a major problem."
Even now, Tae Seok-ho was eagerly after the next chairman's seat.
But strangely, things had been quieter than expected lately.
"So the division director is totally uninterested?"
"Why should I take over a rotting company?"
"Still, it's a big organization with a strong foundation. With your skills, you could merge it with AMK and shake things up."
It was a decent option.
Of course, In-hyuk had considered it as well.
"Too much hassle. And you two, you'll be away on a business trip for a while."
"Business trip? Out of the blue?"
They weren't regular employees, and their job was to ensure In-hyuk's safety.
For them, a "business trip" meant leaving their posts.
"It's about Noah. Track down the new location of the camp moved from Naya in Mongolia. It had to be a large-scale operation, so there will be traces left."
"We're to do that? But our faces have already been exposed—it might be risky."
There was a risk of being traced themselves. If that happened, it could expose In-hyuk as the mastermind behind all recent events.
"Tracking and intel gathering is your speciality. Noah will provide masks and equipment for disguise."
That was one of the reasons In-hyuk had brought in Noah Vantrail.
He could make disguises himself, but only Noah could prepare equipment that others could use with ease.
"When you checked before, there was nothing left at those sites, right? How long are we meant to keep looking?"
"A month. If you don't find anything by then, just come back."
Hong Yu-geon sighed.
"If we're gone, won't the enemy target the division director again?"
"I already told you, things will be quiet for a while."
"How can you be so sure?"
"It doesn't really matter if you're here or not. I only used you guys as bodyguards because of the immediate situation. Don't tell me you've gotten too comfortable here?"
He'd only reluctantly accepted the two as security guards to avoid taking Tae Seok-ho's security team.
"Fine! This is getting annoying! Right, Van?"
Van Hester just shrugged in response.
Hong Yu-geon scowled deeply, his brow wrinkling.
"Tch―! You need more than one hand to clap! So when do we leave?"
"As soon as possible. I'll process your absence as leave. Talk to Go Mi-ah about flights and expenses, and remember, you may be tracked. Make sure you throw off any tails, understood?"
He was telling them to switch identities once they left a certain zone.
Naturally, both understood without difficulty.
"We're not amateurs..."
"I'm counting on you."
"Haaa... Looks like we'll have a rough time ahead."
Just then, someone knocked on the office door.
"Yes, come in."
As the frosted glass door opened, Heo Yu-rim, Tae Ju-ha's secretary, peeked in.
But something about the atmosphere suggested bad news.
"Division director, do you have a moment?"
"What is it?"
"It's just... former CEO Tae Seok-hyun and madam came to see you earlier."
With Heo Yu-rim's explanation, In-hyuk quickly grasped the situation.
Still, he hid his thoughts and replied neutrally.
"Is there some kind of problem?"
"I overheard earlier—former CEO Tae Seok-hyun raised his voice. There seemed to be an issue... The CEO just told me not to enter."
Currently, Tae Seok-hyun had stepped down from his CEO post at Taeshin Electronics due to corruption charges.
Since then, he hadn't been placed in another affiliate and was left floating without a position.
As the only viable candidate, Tae Seok-hyun was under focus, but with Tae Ju-ha's name also mentioned, he was clearly feeling threatened.
In-hyuk paused for a moment, lost in thought.