I Know Very Well
As dusk settled in, Baek Si-hwan, who had recently started working as Kang In-hyuk's secretary, climbed up a sloping road on the outskirts of the northern Gyeonggi region after work.
Except for the road he had just climbed and a long building erected on the left, the place was surrounded by forest.
Baek Si-hwan approached when he saw the headlights of a parked car flicker and got into the passenger seat.
At that, the man sitting in the driver's seat stepped outside and stood as if to keep watch.
After a mont, Baek Si-hwan leaned his head back slightly and spoke.
"I heard about the situation with the Fasiz Hotel. An unexpected National Tax Service investigation... It was a place you frequented... That's unfortunate."
His response mixed concern with a greeting.
Baek Ji-woong, sitting in the back seat, replied with a worried expression.
"Isn't the timing rather strange? The place gets exposed just when things on our end start unraveling."
"Are you suggesting that the guys took aim at the chairman and orchestrated that exposure?"
Previously, the Fasiz Hotel, where Baek Ji-woong and he had t, beca the target of an investigation into its high-priced security floor.
Enormous usage fees had been paid for years through borrowed-na accounts, avoiding the National Tax Service's scrutiny, so it was bound to be a problem.
"Of course, maybe I'm overthinking it, but it's just too peculiar. Han Jae-won being suddenly fired from Chulsan Capital, for instance... Jang Hyung-cheol, that old man, even deciding to sell the company... There are just too many things to worry about."
"For now, we're shaking things up through public opinion, aren't we?"
"But we ourselves eliminated even the pretext for Tae Seok-ho to get involved."
Baek Ji-woong had originally planned, during the Rizeburn situation, to unsettle Jang Hyung-cheol, the actual owner of Chulsan Capital, and help Tae Seok-ho's H&T Fund swallow it up through that window of opportunity.
Moreover, Han Jae-won, the CEO of Chulsan Capital and Jang Hyung-cheol's right-hand man, had already been recruited and the groundwork well set.
But Jang Hyung-cheol, as if anticipating a prosecution investigation, had been cleared of all charges.
Han Jae-won had been fired from Chulsan Capital after backlash, and even the company's sale had proceeded.
In the rush to block this, a climate was created against foreign companies taking over Chulsan Capital.
As a result, even a foreign company like Tae Seok-ho's H&T Fund, along with AMK Partners, was put on the sa footing.
"If so, we need to move elsewhere... is that possible?"
"We'll have to reroute the company and funds. No matter what, we need to make sure Tae Seok-ho gets Chulsan Capital for us to get what we want too."
"More importantly, AMK Partners is a problem, isn't it? Sa as with TN SOFT... Their moves aren't ordinary."
They had already collided twice.
"That point was also discussed with the higher ups, but we determined there are too few points of contact to say AMK Partners is targeting us. And as things stand, we might have to consider recruiting them."
"... Did you find the CEO of AMK Partners?"
Baek Si-hwan had been curious and tried to investigate behind the scenes, but there were so many suspicious points just from the Ícompany being based in the Cayman Islands.
Furthermore, as for the listed CEO, Gordon Gris, it was near impossible to trace his current whereabouts or any tracks.
"No. Not at all. There's probably a real owner behind the scenes, and a figurehead set up. Since you looked into it as well, I'm sure you know as much."
Baek Ji-woong was fully aware of Baek Si-hwan's activities.
"It does seem certain that it's not an easy person to find."
"I agree. Still, it's a relief we have a middleman, so we should try to approach through him."
"You an Norman McGrath, the head of AMK Partners' Korea branch? I've confird he's currently in San Francisco."
"I've already sent soone, so they should bring sothing back. In the anti, we need to sort out the Chulsan Capital acquisition issue. By the way, has Taeshin Asset Managent made any other moves? Especially regarding this M&A?"
At that, Baek Si-hwan showed a subtle expression in the dark car.
"As I reported earlier, I've been strictly excluded from both security and aide work, so it has been difficult to track Kang In-hyuk's movents."
"You an, even tailing him?"
"There were too many suspicious factors with the newly brought-in security guard, so I didn't put anyone on his tail."
Baek Ji-woong's eyes widened a little.
"Was there sothing unusual?"
"They're Korean and Hispanic... but since no identity information surfaced in Korea, I believe they're using forged identities or have entered on a forged passport. Judging from their behavior, they don't seem to be drifters, either."
"You an, they're professionals?"
The atmosphere beca even heavier. Baek Si-hwan carefully continued with his anticipated conclusion.
"At the very least, I think we need to consider military, rcenary, or intelligence agency backgrounds. Of course, we're continuing to investigate for more details."
"They're keeping you in check that much? Don't tell , did you give off any suspicious clues?"
"I've only t Kang In-hyuk at the wedding and recently at Chairman Kang Cheon-gyu's book launch party. Even those weren't close relations, so there's no trace that would arouse suspicion."
Baek Ji-woong nodded in apparent understanding.
"So he's always been a suspicious type?"
"As you know, Kang In-hyuk had no notable achievents at all until he beca the Taeshin Group's son-in-law. Even after thoroughly combing through his past, there was nothing to suggest he could have had this level of success."
"Are you saying all his previous behavior... was a cover?"
Baek Si-hwan, after a brief deep breath, continued.
"For now, that seems the most likely. And if our hypothesis is correct, Kang In-hyuk may be planning to swallow at least Taeshin Asset Managent, fronting Tae Ju-ha. Maybe his ultimate target is the Taeshin Group."
They also knew that Kang In-hyuk had ascended to division director under Chairman Tae Gun-seung's protection.
In this situation, Kang In-hyuk had been put in charge of the Chulsan Capital sale from the outset.
"No matter how talented, without the foundation of experience and networks, it's useless..."
"Isn't it possible Chairman Tae Gun-seung is backing him?"
"Huh! That old man who would take Taeshin Group to the grave? Well, he hasn't even properly handed over positions to Tae Seok-hyun and Tae Seok-ho yet, so it does look suspicious."
"I'm beginning to think perhaps he's considering Tae Ju-ha as a successor."
This ti, Baek Ji-woong let out a long sigh.
"Anyway, let's focus on the Chulsan Capital acquisition for now. Since Taeshin Asset Managent is supervising the M&A, we're bound to get useful information. You try to pull out as much as you can from the inside."
"Understood."
With that reply, Baek Si-hwan got out from the passenger seat and walked to his own car.
Baek Ji-woong's driver got back in, and soon the car drove away.
...
...
At the sa ti.
In-hyuk visited Go Mi-ah's workshop. As the door opened, Go Mi-ah, waiting inside, greeted him with a bright smile.
"You're here? Hurry, co in."
Sensing an odd atmosphere, In-hyuk hesitated slightly before walking in cautiously.
"... What is it? Why are you like this all of a sudden? Don't tell , you cooked sothing? I ate dinner at work."
He checked the empty dining table as he passed the kitchen and finally felt relieved.
Go Mi-ah asked loudly, looking at In-hyuk.
"How did you know Eun-ho was doing a movie?!"
"Eun-ho? Oh... Ha Eun-ho from DDS."
A few days ago, he'd said it off-handedly to get rid of her botherso questioning.
"Today, news broke that Ha Eun-ho is considering a movie! He must've been preparing for acting! They say his casting is pretty much confird, too?"
"There was no article last I checked... Where did you see it?"
In-hyuk, knowing the future, had said so because he knew how successful that movie would be.
In the original tiline, Ha Eun-ho would have been involved in the Rizeburn incident and missed that film, but otherwise, he'd have been cast.
His acting would be recognized next year through another film, so there wouldn't be much difference.
"Huh? Um... well, you see..."
Go Mi-ah's eyes darted around.
"Hey, you're not hacking their agency, are you? Seriously, if you are, that's not just fan... it's stalking."
"It's not stalking! I just took a quick look at how things were going, that's all."
"So you did hack them."
"Tsk—!"
"Don't waste your strength in useless places. Didn't you say you finished comparing Fasiz Hotel visitors?"
That was the reason In-hyuk had co to see Go Mi-ah today.
"These are the people in the folder who haven't visited the hotel since the security floor ca under investigation. But is a photo enough? If you check hotel check-in records, you can trace card transactions, too."
"But then you'd have to pierce the card company's security. For now, this will do."
In-hyuk flipped through the photos in the folder one by one.
There weren't many regular visitors, but there were plenty of photos classified as individuals.
As he quickly turned the mouse wheel, he suddenly noticed sothing.
Bzzz— bzzz—
At that mont, his phone rang.
【Charybdis ― H】
It was saved under Hong Yu-geon's na. Staring intently at the photos, In-hyuk hit the call button.
[Boss! I tailed Baek Si-hwan just now and caught sothing huge!]
"What? I told you to leave that guy alone for now—it could be dangerous to approach."
[I kept a safe distance. He didn't notice a thing. Anyway, I'll send you the photos first, so check them out.]
Bzzz— bzzz— bzzz—
The photos ca via Ghost Link, all shot in night mode. As In-hyuk checked them one by one, his finger stopped at one particular image.
"This... are you sure this is the person Baek Si-hwan t?"
[I couldn't confirm the eting itself because of security guards all around, but he was in a car that Baek Si-hwan got out of. After the car left, the security guards moved too. Do you know him?]
"... I know him very well."
The man in the back seat of the car, captured in the photo.
He was Baek Ji-woong, chairman of leading dia group WISE&WIRE, which grew from a major news company.
At the sa ti, he was the man In-hyuk had found in the hotel's CCTV photos.
The dates on the CCTV matched the day Baek Si-hwan had visited, making coincidence unlikely.
[Anyway, I sent it because the security guards' actions seed unusual—it must be soone important.]
"Good call. But make this the last ti you tail soone without notice."
[I was planning to do that anyway—you have no idea how close it was! If we hadn't spotted the hidden security guards first, it could've been really dangerous.]
"By the way, the inside of their left hand... Never mind."
He paused mid-sentence, thinking.
[The inside of their hand? Why?]
"It's nothing. You made it out safely, right?"
[I got away a while ago. But what were you about to say? You know it feels worse when you leave hanging like that?]
"I'll tell you later if it becos important. From now on, just stick to the planned moves."
[Tsk! Fine, got it.]
After the call, In-hyuk zood in on Baek Ji-woong's photo. Go Mi-ah, peeking at the photo beside him, tilted her head.
"Is that the person you were looking for?"
"I'm not sure, but given the circumstances, I think so."
"Do you know who he is?"
Within the WISE&WIRE group, aside from the current chairman and son-in-law Baek Ji-woong, most of the group's external activities were handled by his wife (and only daughter of the previous chairman), Kwon So-jeong, and her daughters, Baek Ye-ju and Baek Hana.
So Baek Ji-woong's face was not even on the internet.
Unless you had business dealings, most people didn't know what he looked like.
"Baek Ji-woong. Chairman of WISE&WIRE Group."
At that, Go Mi-ah was visibly startled.
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