Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Crossing Lines
The tension inside the private room was suffocating, as if the air itself had thickened with the weight of everything at stake. Hyun-soo leaned back in his chair, his thoughts swirling in chaos. Ji-eun, Soo-jin, and himself had come together not just because of mutual distrust or a common enemy, but because they had reached the same terrifying conclusion: they couldn't survive this alone. The forces pulling the strings behind Soorin were too powerful, too connected. They needed leverage, and they needed it fast.
But getting that leverage meant making a dangerous alliance. And that alliance was now seated across the table from them—Chairman Kang, a man known for his ruthless business tactics and his deep-seated rivalry with Ji-eun's father.
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The idea of meeting Kang hadn't come easily, especially for Ji-eun. For days, she had resisted the notion, unwilling to betray her father, even though she knew the collapse of Soorin was inevitable. But after the revelations about the shadowy forces controlling her father's moves, she had no choice but to face the reality. This wasn't just a corporate power struggle anymore. It was a fight for survival.
Soo-jin had been the first to suggest it, though her motives had been far more pragmatic. "We can't fight this on our own," she had said bluntly, pacing in Hyun-soo's office just hours before they had made the decision. "These people… they don't operate in the light. They'll kill anyone who tries to expose them. The only way to survive is to find someone powerful enough to stand up to them."
"And that someone is Kang?" Hyun-soo had asked, incredulous. "You think he's going to help us out of the goodness of his heart?"
Soo-jin had smirked at that, shaking her head. "No, of course not. But Kang hates Ji-eun's father. He's been circling Soorin for years, waiting for the right moment to take him down. If we give him the ammunition, he'll do it—for his own gain, sure, but he'll do it."
Hyun-soo had hesitated. It wasn't just about taking down Ji-eun's father anymore; it was about stopping something far more dangerous—this deal, which would link Soorin to criminal syndicates and ensure that the company was forever tied to corruption. If the deal went through, the power behind Soorin would expand, and they would all be trapped, with no way out.
Ji-eun, who had remained silent for most of the conversation, had finally spoken up. "My father's not in control anymore. He thinks he is, but the people he's dealing with are using him. They'll discard him as soon as he's no longer useful." Her voice had wavered, but there had been a steely determination in her eyes. "If we don't stop him, Soorin will fall into the hands of people far worse than him. And once that happens, it's over—for all of us."
Hyun-soo had seen the truth in her words. Ji-eun's father wasn't just making bad business decisions; he was being played by forces far more dangerous than they had anticipated. And if they didn't act, those forces would pull them all under.
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That was how they had come to the decision to contact Kang. He was their only option, the only one with enough power and resources to stand up to the criminal elements controlling Soorin. But it was a risk—an enormous one. Kang wasn't exactly a hero. He would use the information to his advantage, no question about it. And once he had what he wanted, there was no telling how much damage he might cause.
Still, as they sat in the room, waiting for Kang to speak, Hyun-soo couldn't shake the feeling that this was their last chance. He glanced at Ji-eun, her face impassive but her eyes betraying the weight of what they were about to do. For her, this meeting wasn't just about survival—it was about watching the empire her father had built come crashing down, possibly by her own hand.
Kang, seated at the head of the table, looked every bit the corporate predator he was rumored to be. He hadn't touched the flash drive they had presented yet, but Hyun-soo could see the gears turning in his mind. He was calculating, assessing, already thinking several steps ahead.
"You've put quite the offer on the table," Kang said, finally breaking the silence. His voice was smooth, almost amused, but there was an undercurrent of seriousness. "You're asking me to take down Soorin with this information. But tell me—why now? Why not go to the authorities? Why not leak this to the press?"
It was a question they had all wrestled with in the hours leading up to this meeting. Why Kang? Why not expose the truth through more traditional means?
Soo-jin answered first. "Because the authorities are already compromised. These people have connections everywhere—police, government, even the media. If we try to leak this, it'll get buried, and we'll all end up dead."
Kang didn't seem surprised. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "So you're saying the situation is so bad that you've come to me—the man who's been trying to destroy your father for years. Interesting."
Ji-eun finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "My father's not the man you're fighting anymore. He's just a puppet now. And if this deal goes through, he won't be able to stop what's coming. Neither will you."
Kang's eyes flickered with interest. He was silent for a moment, his gaze moving between the three of them. Then he picked up the flash drive, turning it over in his hand thoughtfully.
"And you expect me to act on this, stop the deal, and take down your father's empire?" Kang asked, raising an eyebrow. "All out of the goodness of my heart?"
"No," Hyun-soo said, his voice steady. "We expect you to do it because it benefits you. You've been waiting for this moment, haven't you? To bring Soorin down, to take what's left for yourself. Well, here's your chance."
Kang's lips curved into a thin smile. "You're more perceptive than I gave you credit for, Mr. Kang. Yes, you're right. I've wanted Soorin's collapse for a long time. But make no mistake—if I take this on, I'm in control. Not you. And once I'm done with Soorin, there won't be anything left for you to rebuild."
It was a warning, as clear as day. Kang was offering them survival, but it came at a price: they would lose everything. Soorin would be destroyed, and with it, any hope of salvaging their own positions in the corporate world.
Hyun-soo felt a knot tighten in his stomach. This was the cost of their decision. They had always known it might come to this—that there would be no graceful way out. But hearing it laid out so plainly made it real in a way that was hard to swallow.
Ji-eun, however, didn't flinch. "Soorin is already dead," she said coldly. "All you're doing is speeding up the process. And as far as I'm concerned, the sooner it's gone, the better."
Soo-jin nodded in agreement. "This isn't about saving Soorin. It's about surviving the fallout. Do we have a deal or not?"
Kang studied them for a moment longer, his sharp eyes gleaming with amusement—and perhaps, a trace of respect. "Very well," he said, slipping the flash drive into his jacket pocket. "We have a deal. But remember this: once I move, there's no going back. You'll be cut off from the fallout. And if anyone asks, you know nothing."
Hyun-soo nodded, his throat tight. It was a deal with the devil, but they had no choice.
"We're clear," he said.
Kang rose from the table, smoothing his jacket. "Then I'll take care of it. Expect news soon."
With that, he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him, leaving the three of them alone in the quiet room. For a moment, none of them spoke, the gravity of what they had just set in motion weighing heavily on their shoulders.
---
Hours later, back at Hyun-soo's apartment, they sat in silence, waiting for news. The anxiety was unbearable, the uncertainty gnawing at them. They had handed everything over to Kang, and now all they could do was wait and hope that he would deliver.
Hyun-soo's phone buzzed suddenly, breaking the tense silence. He grabbed it, his hands shaking slightly. A message from Ji-eun: *Kang's made his move. The deal's been stopped.*
The words hit him like a punch to the gut. After everything they had done, it was finally over. Soorin was about to collapse, and with it, the empire they had fought so hard to navigate.
But as relief washed over him, another feeling crept in—an emptiness. They had won, but it didn't feel like a victory. It felt like the end of something far bigger than just a corporation. It felt like the end of everything they had been trying to protect.
"We did it," Soo-jin said quietly, though her voice lacked any sense of triumph. "But what now?"
Hyun-soo stared at the floor, unable to answer. The world they had known—the power, the prestige, the ambition—was gone, crumbling like ash in their hands. All that remained now was uncertainty, and the chilling realization that they had crossed a line from which there was no return. Whatever came next would be a fight for survival, not success. They had dismantled one web of corruption, but they were now entangled in another, deeper one—a world where no one, not even themselves, could be trusted.
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