I gathered the signed documents from Choi Hyuk and handed them to Manager Ma.
“Manager. Give these to Haedong and tell them to start preparing immediately. It’d be best if you handle this personally. Don’t transfer the registration right away.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.”
“And...”
After finishing my instructions to Manager Ma, I looked back at Choi Hyuk.
“There are a lot of Chairman Byun’s people inside Joongwon, right?”
“Most of them are the chairman’s eyes and ears.”
“Hm... Then the moment the purchase money enters the corporate account, Chairman Byun will know.”
“That’s correct. The finance director is Chairman Byun’s right-hand man. He’s practically the one who actually runs Joongwon. I can’t move money however I want.”
As expected, he had planted the person controlling the money flow at the core.
“Even so, the payment has to go into the corporate account first. Then the money needs to be moved elsewhere separately. We can help you with that part, but first, the money has to be transferred from the corporate account into the account we designate before we can proceed. Is that possible?”
“...It’s difficult.”
The answer came immediately.
It seemed Choi Hyuk truly was nothing more than a figurehead with no real authority.
“Hm. This makes things a little complicated.”
The contract had already been signed, so legally, I’d have no problem once I deposited the payment into Joongwon’s account.
Still, I had already promised to help Choi Hyuk take the money and flee overseas.
“Then keep your mouth shut for now. I’ll think of a way. If we shake Chairman Byun a little, an opening will appear.”
“But if I get caught, I’m a dead man.”
“Then continue living exactly as you have been. I’ll handle the rest.”
“There are already people who know...”
Choi Hyuk still looked anxious.
I let out a small chuckle and waved my hand lightly.
“You don’t need to worry about that side of things. The moment Chairman Byun mentions my name, everything he has will disappear.”
“......”
“For now, go back and wait. I’ll contact you separately.”
After reassuring the fear-ridden Choi Hyuk, I sent him away.
“Dig into Chairman Byun. A few days should be enough, right?”
“I’ll look into it immediately.”
“Find every politician who’s taken bribes or hospitality from him too.”
After giving Manager Ma his orders, I fell into thought.
To think I had forgotten about Byun Heebong.
He was someone who amassed enormous wealth by inserting himself into every kind of lucrative rights and development project.
In the future, a massive scandal connected to him would shake the entire country.
But I never imagined Guryong Village was also tied to Byun Heebong.
After all, Guryong Village never got redeveloped before the day I died.
* * *
[Guryong Village Redevelopment Controversy Stained With Blood]
A dispute surrounding the redevelopment of Guryong Village has ultimately escalated into bloodshed.
The incident began last Friday inside Guryong Village.
As tensions rose between local residents opposing the redevelopment and Joongwon, which sought to push the project forward, the argument intensified. Eventually, personnel from a private security contractor hired by Joongwon were deployed to the scene.
According to witnesses, a major physical clash broke out between both sides, resulting in multiple injuries.
The confrontation continued for several hours before police arrived and brought the situation under control.
Police reports stated that at least ten people were injured, two of them seriously enough to require hospitalization.
The redevelopment project for Guryong Village has been a major source of controversy within the local community for years.
Supporters of the redevelopment argue that the project will revitalize the local economy and improve living conditions.
Opponents, meanwhile, fear that redevelopment will destroy the residents’ way of life and drive them from their homes.
This latest clash is expected to further intensify the controversy surrounding the project.
Following the incident, both sides called for restraint while emphasizing the need for dialogue to seek a solution.
Authorities announced they would reexamine the procedures and methods surrounding the redevelopment project in light of the incident.
They also promised a thorough investigation into the clash and warned that legal action would be taken against all parties involved.
The future of the Guryong Village redevelopment project remains uncertain, and efforts to resolve the community conflict are urgently needed.
Byun Heebong threw the newspaper he had been reading at the man standing before him.
A furious roar echoed through the quiet study.
“What the hell is this?! What were you doing until an article like this came out?!”
“I apologize.”
Not only did the man show no displeasure, he bowed his head as though genuinely ashamed.
Naturally, Byun Heebong’s voice only grew louder.
“Forget your damn apology. I told you to move quietly under the radar, and what do I get? Bloodshed? Don’t you realize the Seoul city government will have no choice but to step in now?”
“It seems the National Coalition of Evictees suddenly got involved.”
“The Coalition? Did those bastards take our money and wipe their mouths clean afterward?”
“I’m not sure. They say the coalition incited the residents and pushed them into the district controlled by Joongwon inside Guryong Village. Representative Choi Hyuk had no choice but to call in the contractors.”
Still bowing his head, the man calmly explained the situation step by step.
Grinding his teeth, Byun Heebong slammed his fist onto the wooden desk.
“You idiot! Why the hell did you make things this big?! Bring that bastard to me immediately!”
“I’ve already been informed he’s on his way down to Busan.”
“I entrusted Joongwon to him because he handled orders well, and this is how he deals with things? Should I replace him?”
As Byun Heebong ground his teeth, the man hurriedly tried to calm him.
“Chairman, I don’t think removing Representative Choi so suddenly would be a good choice. We’ve already used him as the face of the project, haven’t we? If we put someone else forward, we’ll have to rebuild all the relationships from the beginning.”
“Tch. Once this matter’s over, I’ll clean house.”
“Yes. I think that would be best.”
After taking a breath to calm himself, Byun Heebong began discussing damage control with the man.
“For now, you go up to Seoul. Meet the mayor and grease some palms.”
“I’ll move personally?”
“Yes. That bastard Choi Hyuk still doesn’t have the standing to meet the mayor himself. You go handle it directly.”
“Then what about the Busan side?”
“I’ll have to move personally for that. Tch. There’s nobody I can trust. Nobody.”
“Understood. I’ll head to Seoul tomorrow and clean things up.”
“Good. You’re the only one I trust, Jongseong. You know that, right?”
The man bowed his head once more.
He was Lee Jongseong, Byun Heebong’s adopted son.
No matter what methods were required, he faithfully carried out every order Byun Heebong gave him.
* * *
“Hey! Choi Hyuk!”
The moment the door opened, Byun Heebong roared and grabbed the ashtray.
Then he hurled it straight at Choi Hyuk as he entered the study.
The glass ashtray smashed directly into Choi Hyuk’s forehead.
With a short scream, Choi Hyuk collapsed.
“Get up, you bastard!”
Even with blood pouring down his forehead, Choi Hyuk staggered back to his feet.
Yet even seeing that, Byun Heebong continued shouting.
“What kind of half-assed way is this to handle a job? I told you to do only what I ordered! Did you think you were the real representative of Joongwon?!”
“Chairman, that...”
“You think I called you here to hear excuses? You bastard, are you trying to ruin the business? Do you know how much money’s been poured into Guryong Village? And you blow things up like this?”
Under Byun Heebong’s furious glare, Choi Hyuk stammered out a response.
“B-but if the protesters occupied our district, things would’ve become even more complicated. We barely managed to drive them out.”
“You still could’ve handled it quietly! That’s why I put you in that position, and you can’t even manage that?”
“It wasn’t like usual. Professional protesters came charging in at the front carrying weapons, so we had no choice but to hire a contractor.”
“What? Which contractor did you hire?”
Even in a voice shrinking into itself, Choi Hyuk continued reporting the details.
“It was a contractor connected to Chunha Group. They definitely suppressed the protesters professionally. Some injuries occurred during the process, but we managed to hold out until the police arrived and calmed things down.”
“Ha... Who orchestrated this?”
“They say the secretary general of the National Coalition of Evictees personally led the protesters.”
“The secretary general himself? What the hell? Didn’t you grease their palms?”
The coalition was an organization Byun Heebong paid considerable attention to.
Afraid another explosion of rage would come down on him, Choi Hyuk answered quickly.
“We did. But they’re completely ignoring our attempts to contact them now.”
Byun Heebong’s eyes narrowed further.
“What about the chairman?”
“We managed to contact the chairman. He claims he also has no idea what happened.”
“The chairman and secretary general on bad terms?”
“No. As far as I know, they’ve worked together closely as key figures for a long time.”
“Tch. For now, Jongseong will handle the cleanup personally. You just stay quiet like a dead mouse.”
Choi Hyuk’s lips twitched as though he wanted to say something, but before he could, Byun Heebong exploded again.
“If I tell you to stay quiet, then stay quiet! If something like this happens again, I’ll feed you to the fish without anyone ever knowing! Got it or not?!”
Pale as a sheet, Choi Hyuk hurriedly bowed.
As he did, blood running down his forehead dripped onto the floor.
“Tch. Get treated first. Jongseong. Take him and patch him up.”
“Yes, sir. Understood. Representative Choi, this way.”
Lee Jongseong led Choi Hyuk outside.
After treating him lightly in the living room, Lee Jongseong spoke.
“Representative Choi. Why did you handle things that way? The chairman was furious.”
“It’s not like I wanted things to turn out like that. They suddenly rushed in, and I panicked too...”
“Even so. You were always good at this sort of thing, so why now? There isn’t some other problem, is there?”
At Lee Jongseong’s probing, Choi Hyuk’s eyes shook for a brief instant.
But it lasted only a moment, and he instead looked back at Lee Jongseong as though asking why such a question was even necessary.
“A problem? What kind of problem could there be?”
“Hm. By the way, no contact from Haedong yet, right?”
“No. Nothing yet.”
Lee Jongseong closed his eyes for a moment and sank into thought.
After a brief silence, he opened them again and spoke.
“That Haedong place is really strange. We deliberately targeted them with a tax investigation, but there wasn’t even the most common mistake in expense processing. Doesn’t that strike you as even stranger?”
“Even if it does, what can we do? There’s no legal way to tear them apart.”
“Even when we moved the prosecution, they didn’t so much as blink. Seriously, how are we supposed to take over the real estate they own? Without Haedong’s land, it’ll be hard to proceed with the redevelopment project, right?”
Choi Hyuk nodded.
“They practically cut straight through the center of Guryong Village. There is a way to forcibly seize it, but... I doubt the Seoul city government would go that far.”
“No, if the city government steps in for forced seizure, things become even more complicated. We’ll keep that as the last resort. Continue making contact with Haedong. I’ll handle everything else myself.”
“You’ll move personally?”
“I have to. We need to stabilize things before the Seoul city government gets involved. So focus only on Haedong. Once the Haedong issue is solved, this project will move ahead smoothly.”
After finishing Choi Hyuk’s treatment, Lee Jongseong stood up first.
“Then head back now. I’ll report separately to the chairman.”
“You’d do that for me?”
Choi Hyuk’s voice trembled slightly.
He had no confidence whatsoever in facing Byun Heebong again.
“Of course. So stop worrying and return to Seoul.”
At Lee Jongseong’s urging, Choi Hyuk left the house.
After getting onto the highway back to Seoul, he spoke to the driver.
“Stop by a rest area for a moment.”
“A rest area?”
“Yeah. Let’s get something to eat.”
Soon they arrived at a nearby rest stop.
Choi Hyuk ordered the driver to go buy food.
The moment the driver got out of the car, Choi Hyuk pulled out his phone and called someone.
“Manager. This is Choi Hyuk. I met Chairman Byun today.”
—Go ahead.
A stiff voice came from the other end.
Swallowing dryly, Choi Hyuk reported everything that had happened today to Manager Ma.
All the while, his eyes repeatedly flicked toward the window.
Because the driver he’d sent to buy food was also one of Byun Heebong’s eyes and ears.
* * *
“Lee Jongseong is coming up to Seoul?”
“Yes. That’s according to Representative Choi’s report.”
“Hm... You said Lee Jongseong is Byun Heebong’s shadow, right?”
Manager Ma nodded and added an explanation.
“Yes. Byun Heebong rarely moves personally from Busan. Lee Jongseong handles most matters for him.”
“If we catch Lee Jongseong, we can catch Byun Heebong. Monitor everyone Lee Jongseong meets after he arrives in Seoul. This is a good opportunity to find out just how far his connections reach.”
To catch Byun Heebong, we first had to catch Lee Jongseong.
“This is uncomfortable in its own way.”
The Guryong Village project was something that had to be handled publicly, not quietly from the shadows.
Which meant it was burdensome to deal with things using my usual methods.
And on top of that, this was Dreamhigh Korea Branch’s first investment carrying my name on it.
There absolutely couldn’t be even the slightest scandal.
