Not the Keycap, but the Keyboard
It had already been over two weeks since the TF division at Taeshin Trading began their aggressive actions.
After returning from Arica, In-hyuk entered the Taeshin Asset Managent building for the first ti.
Every employee he passed in the underground parking lot and elevator looked shocked.
In-hyuk, once called a parachute departnt manager at Taeshin Asset Managent due to being the Taeshin Group's son-in-law, had now beco the head of the head office TF division.
"They say he's being used as a disposable knife at the head office because he went too far and will get thrown away when they're done."
"Is this because of the investnt deal in Silicon Valley? Still, look at how much money he made here."
"But it's a hundred million dollars. That's 140 billion won thrown into a company no one's ever heard of... Maybe they're trying to at least save the remaining fifty million dollars?"
Rumors spread everywhere at once.
It was bad enough that In-hyuk overheard them while passing by the break room after getting off on the seventh floor, where the system managent team was located.
"Ah."
In-hyuk made eye contact with one of the employees leading those rumors.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Even the employees with their backs turned to In-hyuk quickly bowed.
In-hyuk watched them with an expression full of annoyance, nodded slightly, and left.
Soon after, he arrived at the system managent team's office.
"What brings you here, division director?"
Team leader Jang Seo-won stood up and approached. It was the first ti they'd t since the last recruitnt interview.
"I wanted to check how the new security processor project is coming along."
"That's proceeding smoothly, nearly complete in fact."
In-hyuk nodded and looked around. In a corner, under a monitor, he spotted an employee with red hair buried in her work.
"How is the new hire doing?"
At this, Jang Seo-won answered with a slightly awkward expression.
"She's very capable and has been a real help. She's outgoing too, so she's getting along well with the team."
"That's good to hear. But that..."
As he slowly glanced around, In-hyuk noticed sothing near the break room.
【♡Handmade cookies／Please take as many as you like.♡】
A colorful, neatly handwritten note done with a na pen and a highlighter.
Beneath it, familiar-looking cookies were neatly packaged and displayed.
At that mont, Jang Seo-won quickly spoke.
"Oh, please don't worry about that!"
"Soone must've made and brought them?"
"... That was Go Mi-ah. But honestly, despite her enthusiasm, the taste is... well, a bit terrifying."
While he was in Arica, there had been a casualty after all.
Next to him, Hong Yu-geon shook his head with heartfelt sympathy.
"Did sothing happen to whoever ate those?"
"Manager Hong Jae-yoon from server managent..."
"Ah... But the office seems quieter than I expected."
If soone had gotten sick from the food Go Mi-ah made, the atmosphere probably wouldn't be this calm right now.
"Thankfully, he just ran to the restroom and threw up. It wasn't intentional, and Manager Hong handled it well."
A mont ago, Seo-won had lowered his voice, perhaps out of concern that Go Mi-ah would overhear.
"That's a relief."
"Anyway, it hasn't affected our work."
"Please make sure it all wraps up smoothly."
As In-hyuk stepped out, he heard Hong Yu-geon mutter,
"See! I told you sothing like this would happen...!"
Paak―
Then, suddenly, sothing flew by, and Hong Yu-geon clutched the back of his head, staggering forward.
"Ugh―!"
When soone's in that much pain, not even a scream cos out. That was exactly how Hong Yu-geon looked now.
In-hyuk found a keyboard keycap on the floor. But it wasn't a typical plastic piece; it was made of tal, a special one Go Mi-ah had bought for use at the office.
She had reached out past her partition and fired a slingshot—wherever she'd gotten it—from which the projectile had hit Hong Yu-geon.
"What happened?"
As team leader Jang Seo-won was returning to his seat, he rushed over again.
"It's nothing. He just gets sudden, severe headaches sotis."
In-hyuk and Van Hester dragged him into the elevator.
As the pain subsided a little, Hong Yu-geon's rough voice ca out.
"She's really crazy...!"
"You brought this on yourself. Why couldn't you just let it go instead of making such a fuss?"
"The food is just unbelievably bad!"
"Then just... don't eat it."
Bzzz—
At that mont, a ssage arrived on Ghost Link from Go Mi-ah.
【Red Witch: Tell Mr. Hong to shut up.】
【Red Witch: And if he complains about my cooking one more ti, let him know—next ti, it won't be just the keycap, but the whole keyboard getting yanked from his head.】
A long sigh escaped In-hyuk's lips.
Just then, Van Hester pulled out a familiar-looking cookie from his pocket.
Rustle, rustle.
"When did you grab that?"
"... Earlier?"
In response, In-hyuk shook his head and headed for the floor below, where the M&A/PEF division was located.
* * *
Late at night.
Tae Seok-ho entered the study, surprised by a sudden visit from Lee Jae-jun.
"AMK Partners' recent moves are unsettling?"
He was getting the briefing now, urgently, instead of waiting for the next day.
"The investnt in Accentia, which had been rumored, is now confird. From their information, up to the fifth round is planned."
"That much?"
If they do all of them, it's a hundred million dollars—about 140 billion won.
Tae Seok-ho had also checked and found it hard to confirm such value.
"At first, it was just until the second round. The fact that it increased suggests Division Director Kang In-hyuk's investnt in Greenbyte Labs is a target for a joint deal."
With his explanation, Tae Seok-ho reviewed the prepared investigation docunts.
Bzzz— Bzzz—
Amid the brief silence, the phone vibrated.
As Tae Seok-ho took the call, his expression hardened further.
"... Is everything all right?"
After ending the call, Tae Seok-ho slowly began to speak.
"Noah Gardner has disappeared."
That na belonged to the CEO who currently ran the H&T Fund in New York in place of Tae Seok-ho.
"You an he's missing?"
"No. He's vanished completely from both work and his residence. That suggests it was voluntary, not forced."
The mood grew heavier.
"Don't tell ... He betrayed you? Did he even siphon off the funds he managed at H&T?"
"So I hear. Judging from his actions, he's been preparing for this a long ti."
Tae Seok-ho had never established any official ties with H&T Fund for this very reason.
He also thought he'd kept Noah Gardner, a man with many vulnerabilities, firmly leashed, but now things had turned out this way.
"With so much involved, should we tie it to embezzlent and request Interpol to track him down?"
"And if Noah Gardner gets caught? You really think he'll quietly co back?"
"... That was short-sighted of ."
Noah Gardner was the only link between Tae Seok-ho and H&T Fund.
If Noah took this even further and betrayed him, Tae Seok-ho wouldn't escape unscathed either.
Of course, he had kept so leverage just in case, but never thought Noah would disappear with all the slush funds he'd managed.
"It's just too clean a disappearance. That ans soone probably helped him."
"You're saying he tead up with a third party. Should I send soone to investigate?"
Tae Seok-ho shook his head.
"No. I'll use soone else to investigate that. You focus on the Spintech situation."
For Tae Seok-ho, the relationship between H&T Fund and Taeshin Spintech was a potential disaster.
Now that things had blown up in both places at once, there was plenty to worry about.
"Understood. Also, I've secured the operative you ntioned. He's a mber of a rcenary corps called Warborn, currently active in the Middle East."
"... How many?"
He was referring to the personnel sent to deal with Kang In-hyuk.
"I sent six. They'll arrive this morning."
"Are they reliable?"
"They're assassins specializing in handling primary targets in war zones."
Hearing that, Tae Seok-ho frowned.
"I'd prefer it looked like an accident, if possible. Is that doable?"
"They said they'd have to give an estimate. However..."
"However?"
"There are also security guards by Kang In-hyuk's side, believed to be ex-rcenaries. If we consider them, making it look like an accident might be difficult."
It was a very serious assessnt.
Attempts to tail and track In-hyuk had been thwarted so often that they'd completely given up.
While listening quietly, Tae Seok-ho drumd on the sofa's armrest with his fingers.
"So, whatever thod, the key is taking care of him as quickly as possible?"
"That is my recomndation."
He thought again for a mont.
"... If that's the plan, how soon can they do it?"
"They haven't revealed the target yet, but based on the average estimate, even if delayed, it should be possible within a month."
"That's longer than I hoped."
Even just In-hyuk's disappearance would solve many problems.
But since he was hiring professionals, thorough planning from their side was also expected.
"What should we do?"
Only the final cut remained.
Tae Seok-ho took a deep breath and gave his order.
"Proceed. Make it as fast and as thorough as possible."
"I'll relay the order right away. Rest easy."
Finishing the conversation, Lee Jae-jun left, got in his car, sent out an email, checked the ti, and then pulled out another phone from under the dashboard to make a call.
[Go ahead.]
On the other end was Baek Si-hwan.
"Tae Seok-ho's approval ca through. Warborn will handle Kang In-hyuk. Send the itinerary and patterns as soon as you can."
The two, despite being part of the sa Organization, had not even known what each other looked like until very recently.
They had only gotten to know each other through work related to Kang In-hyuk.
[Was approval from the Organization up the chain really obtained?]
At Baek Si-hwan's question, Lee Jae-jun replied with an even colder voice.
"Do you really think I'd move without official approval?"
It was a warning as well.
Baek Si-hwan, flustered, quickly continued.
[No, of course not. But there's more to check than expected. We reported to the Organization because he possesses information that could be useful to us.]
"You an to Kitsune?"
That na referred to Baek Si-hwan's direct superior, who held a higher position than Chairman Baek Ji-woong himself.
[... Yes, that's right.]
"The Organization's goal right now is Taeshin. Kang In-hyuk is identified as an obstacle in that process, so the decision won't be reversed. Just share what I requested as soon as possible."
In short, no exceptions.
Baek Si-hwan could no longer protest.
[I'll do as you say.]
"When the execution date and plan are set, make sure nothing interferes."
He reiterated the warning, his sensitivity showing at even the slightest dissent.
With that, Lee Jae-jun quickly drove out of Tae Seok-ho's neighborhood.
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