Former Mastermind To Chaebol Son-in-Law Chapter 54

We're Late

As soon as In-hyuk got into the car that was waiting in the shooting range parking lot, it departed at once.

"Where to? Seoul?"

"No. Take a detour and get as close as you can to the western mountain of the shooting range."

While answering, In-hyuk turned his gaze to one side of the mountain surrounding the shooting range.

Watching this through the rearview mirror, Hong Yu-geon tilted his head in puzzlent.

"What's there?"

"A surveillance team, or... maybe a sniper team."

"Are you saying soone was watching us? How did the president know that? Now that I think of it, you also found where we were hiding at the orphanage right away, didn't you?"

One question led to another.

Besides, Hong Yu-geon had seen a different side of In-hyuk just a few days prior when they raided the UID safehouse.

Yet he still could not figure out In-hyuk's true nature.

"I'm just a bit sensitive."

"Huh? You're making an excuse with sothing that doesn't even make sense?"

"Just hurry up and go."

"Are you going yourself?"

"Why? Were you going to go instead?"

Although In-hyuk was gradually sharing more confidential matters with them, there were still many important things left undisclosed.

For this reason, unless it was a separate issue, it was difficult to give detailed instructions.

"The president never uses his employees and insists on acting himself."

Of course, that was because, as of now, there was no one else he could trust in terms of ability aside from himself.

Hong Yu-geon steered the car in the direction In-hyuk had indicated.

Not long after, they drove a bit farther along an unpaved mountain road and stopped.

"Will you be alright?"

Despite saying he would handle it himself, In-hyuk felt worried.

Rustle―rustle―

"What should I do when I find them? Should I just collect their communication devices or storage gadgets like last ti at the safehouse?"

Rustle―rustle―

"No. Don't make any contact, just take photos and bring them back. If you can identify them, even better."

Rustle―rustle―

"That's easy, like a walk in the park. But what have you been munching on by yourself for a while now?"

The sound of a paper bag coming from the passenger seat had been noisy for so ti.

The owner of the bag was Van Hester, who was sitting there.

Hong Yu-geon glanced sharply at the bag in his hand.

Van Hester kept putting chocolate-colored popcorn into his mouth from the bag and then silently offered it toward Hong Yu-geon.

"¿Quieres?" ("Want so?")

"Isn't it super sweet?"

"Not really."

"You should've offered sooner!"

Perhaps feeling left out eating alone, Hong Yu-geon grabbed a handful of popcorn and stepped outside.

Feeling uneasy for so reason, In-hyuk carefully asked,

"Van... where did you get that?"

"Mia gave it to ."

"... Ah."

In-hyuk hastily turned his head out the window.

At that mont, Hong Yu-geon also realized who had made the popcorn and, as he put a piece of the chocolate(?) colored popcorn in his mouth, imdiately spat it out.

"We're late."

Hong Yu-geon glared sharply at Van Hester, having realized who made the popcorn.

He had tasted sothing similar not long ago. However, instead of returning to the car, he kept walking down the road.

While the two watched, Van Hester continued munching on popcorn and spoke up.

"I heard you grabbed sothing at the safehouse. What are you trying to find out?"

He had heard about what happened from Hong Yu-geon. Of course, In-hyuk had no intention of hiding that from him.

"The ones behind this. But I didn't get any results."

Just like he said, nothing significant was found in the information devices and communication gadgets retrieved from the safehouse.

As with the phones collected from Pyo Jun-woo's gang earlier, there were only records of surveillance on certain individuals.

It indicated how thoroughly the opponent was hiding their own presence.

Baek Ji-woong, who was guessed to be Baek Si-hwan's backer, was no different.

After all, who knew why WISE&WIRE Group, with all its resources, would resort to such desperate asures, even employing those who wouldn't balk at murder?

"Whoever they are, they're ticulous."

"I think so too."

"You could lose your life... are you alright with that?"

"Both sides have already drawn their guns. In the end, it's about who kills first."

"That bad, huh?"

Silence fell again.

During the growing awkwardness, Van Hester quietly offered the popcorn bag.

It was an invitation to try so.

In-hyuk, however, shook his head firmly.

Soon after, a photo arrived on In-hyuk's phone, and Hong Yu-geon returned right after.

As he got into the passenger seat, he turned his head toward the back.

"Did you see? There are two of them. Do you know who they are?"

In-hyuk's eyes were fixed on the photo displayed on his phone.

"They're security guards under Lee Jae-jun, who assists Tae Seok-ho."

"Aren't they from TSS? Then they should be obeying Chairman Tae Gun-seung's orders. Don't tell ... are there already factions forming over there too?"

Hong Yu-geon was fairly aware of the current state of Taeshin Group.

"That split happened a while ago. No matter how much authority Chairman Tae Gun-seung has, it's hard to stop his sons from making moves. Those below him must also choose sides for their own futures."

"Wow, it really is intense. Anyway, they were eavesdropping using a VFS9300 model parabolic antenna with a collector mic. I bet they overheard all of the president's conversation with the chairman at the shooting range."

They weren't using ordinary bugging devices, but special long-range outdoor listening equipnt.

"They're using so pretty advanced equipnt. Anything else?"

"Nothing evident within what I could check."

"Alright. Let's head back to Seoul. Handle the rest of the schedule as planned."

Having wrapped up their business, they headed back to Seoul.

* * *

Kang Cheon-gyu's residence in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province.

A luxury sports car pulled into the gravel parking lot. From it stepped Kang Do-young, the only child of Chairman Kang Cheon-gyu and heir of KQ Group.

However, his face was filled with discontent. He stalked past the security guards and went inside.

In the living room, Chairman Kang Cheon-gyu of KQ Group sat on the sofa.

"You're here."

"... Father."

Kang Do-young stood awkwardly between the living room and entrance.

With a very displeased look, Kang Cheon-gyu slowly opened his mouth.

"You insisted on pushing into the entertainnt business with great ambition. Now what is this ss?"

He had been summoned because of the incident at LifeStar Entertainnt.

Of course, Kang Do-young knew exactly why. However, convinced he could talk his way out, he did his best not to seem intimidated.

"It was unavoidable. How could I have known what they had been hiding even before the IGNES kids ca over to us?"

At the sa ti, Kang Cheon-gyu's brow twitched.

"You didn't know?"

"I swear! Don't tell you trust reporters over your own son?"

Even now, the dia was desperately attacking LifeStar Entertainnt, a KQ Group subsidiary.

Especially, they were focusing on the fact that CEO Kang Do-young had allegedly covered up illegal drug use by IGNES's male idol group.

"People say there's no smoke without fire, but this is different, isn't it? And I have eyes and ears too!"

"Ah, father!"

At that mont, the front door opened and Jeon Hae-in, Kang Cheon-gyu's wife and Kang Do-young's biological mother, hurried in.

"Honey! Do-young!"

She had rushed in after hearing the yelling from outside. Seeing this, Kang Cheon-gyu's brow furrowed even more.

"You, stay out of this."

"Why are you acting like this? Mistakes can happen at work! Why are you coming down so hard on our child for it!?"

"What? A mistake? Do you even know how much money that brat blew on this?!"

Over twelve entertainnt companies had been acquired or rged and more than 50 billion won had been poured into establishing LifeStar.

IGNES and several other signed celebrities had shown signs of a sudden popularity boost, but the scandal of illegal drug abuse had caused a sudden collapse.

"It's just money! It's not like we're going to die without it!"

Jeon Hae-in desperately tried to defend her son, Kang Do-young.

Kang Cheon-gyu let out a deep sigh and spoke to Kang Do-young, who was hiding behind her.

"Enough. From tomorrow, resign from all your positions at headquarters and LifeStar, and report to KQ Fabric."

KQ Fabric was a subsidiary of KQ Departnt Store, itself a division of KQ Distribution.

"Ah, father...!"

"Handle the current project at KQ Fabric. If you succeed, I'll promote you again. But if you fail, don't even think about coming up again!"

About to turn his gaze back to Jeon Hae-in, Kang Do-young urgently ca up with an excuse.

"Ah, this wasn't just my fault! There's also that guy from Taeshin Asset Managent, Kang In—"

"You, keep quiet."

Jeon Hae-in, anticipating whose na would co up, hurriedly cut him off.

Naturally, she couldn't let her only son be exiled to a subsidiary, so she stepped in again.

Making sure he had fallen silent, she continued.

"Are you really going to do this? What do you expect Do-young to do there?"

"I already told you—succeed at the project."

"But what could possibly be so important at a subsidiary? If anything, send him to retail or shopping, or... no, if he's at the departnt store with ..."

"To what? Let him sit and do nothing when sothing explodes below him, like at headquarters or LifeStar?"

"But..."

"Shut your mouth! If Do-young won't do as I say, he can quit everything!"

Jeon Hae-in bit her lip at Kang Cheon-gyu's unyielding shout.

Unless LifeStar's crisis was resolved, Kang Do-young's demotion couldn't be reversed.

But resolving the situation, where nearly 50 billion won was about to go up in smoke, was impossible now.

"For now, calm down."

"What good does that do? Nothing's going to change."

"You have to consider Do-young's position. If he goes down to a subsidiary, not even an affiliate, how do you think those under him will see it? What about the executives and shareholders?"

She was concerned about Kang Do-young's position when he eventually inherited KQ Group.

"He shouldn't have started out at the top in the first place. Go learn the basics from the bottom up."

The arrogant expression that was always on Kang Do-young's face was long gone.

Now, genuinely worried about being sent down to a subsidiary, he couldn't say anything.

Carefully watching the increasingly tense atmosphere, he ca to a decision.

"If I really do well at KQ Fabric, will you truly promote again?"

No matter what he did, he believed his father wouldn't change the decision.

"Yes."

"... Understood. I'll go to Fabric. But please let Secretary Ahn accompany ."

Kang Cheon-gyu's brow, which had almost relaxed, furrowed even more.

"Didn't I bring that guy back just for this entertainnt business?! Now that it's failed, shouldn't he go back? What—you want to take him with you too?"

"I don't know the situation there, and I need support to grasp Fabric's tasks. Isn't it reasonable to have at least one person helping ?"

"And if you take him? Can you handle it properly?"

The mood grew heavier. Kang Do-young kept his head bowed, thoughts racing.

"I'm going to Fabric as you instructed, father. Please try to understand my position too."

"Huh... Fine, I'll think about it, so go. Executive Director Noh will brief you on everything about Fabric as you leave."

"..."

Kang Do-young headed out.

Watching from the side, Jeon Hae-in raised her voice with a deeply displeased expression.

"Are you really going to do this to Do-young? He's your only son!"

"... It's because of you that brat turned out this way!"

"Wh-what?"

"If you don't want to ruin KQ, stay out of this. If you try to 'help,' it'll only make things worse for Do-young!"

Finishing his words, Kang Cheon-gyu got up and headed out to the garden.

By now, the sun was setting, and only the light of the street lamps spilling from around the wall illuminated the mansion.

Watching Jeon Hae-in head to her car without a word and with a strange expression, he looked on in silence.