บท 127: Chapter 127: I’m Really Going to Be All Alone
After sending Cheon Ji-young to Pyeongchang-dong, I headed straight for the office in Myeong-dong.
The atmosphere in the car was tense. No one spoke to me until we arrived at the office, not even Manager Ma.
Am I just focusing too much on the road ahead?
Something felt off, so I closed my eyes.
I couldn't stop thinking about Eva's problem and Cheon Ji-young's situation.
"We've arrived."
It was Manager Ma who broke the heavy silence that lingered in the office.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Lee Sang-geun entering the office with a man in tow.
Watching Bae Kwang-sik being dragged in like a dog while bleeding made me feel somewhat relieved.
"Okay."
I could see that everyone, including Lee Sang-geun and the people behind him, was on edge.
"I really miss Dong-su-hyung at times like this."
Even without me saying anything, Park Dong-su was keeping an eye on my grandmother in Busan.
Lee Sang-geun lowered his head silently.
But I didn't blame him for that. I was the one who didn't keep tabs on Ji-young.
"You're Bae Kwang-sik, right?"
Bae Kwang-sik, who was kneeling on the floor, looked up at me in surprise.
"Yes?"
"Why do you think you were brought here?"
Bae Kwang-sik hesitated before answering.
"I don't know."
"People can be so ungrateful, don't you think? They'll gladly boss around those weaker than them, but once someone strong shows up, they cower like the cowards they are."
"...….."
Bae Kwang-sik rolled his eyes, still unable to figure out why he was here.
"Manager Ma."
"Yes, boss?"
"Is it alright to kill him?"
"Yes, I don't mind."
"Could it be that there's a problem in the company? Is there someone involved in this, or someone giving him cover? Isn't there?!"
Bae Kwang-sik and the man standing near Lee Sang-geun turned pale at my words.
What was his name again? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before.
As I stared at him intently, Lee Sang-geun intervened.
"He's the director in charge of managing the singers who perform at our venues. He used to work under Dong-su-hyung, but because he's often required to meet with various agencies, he's familiar with Bae Kwang-sik. It's nothing special, though."
"Hello, boss. I'm Baek Chang-ho."
Baek Chang-ho bowed at a ninety-degree angle, clearly nervous.
"Are you close to Bae Kwang-sik?"
"I've only shared a few drinks with him to discuss the singers' appearance fees. That's all."
"I see."
Baek Chang-ho looked at me urgently.
"Please let me handle this personally. Trust me, boss. We have nothing to do with this."
I wanted to laugh.
This whole situation felt like a comedy skit.
The atmosphere turned icy as I smiled.
"What do you mean by handle this personally?"
"I will make sure he never comes back to this industry again. I'll do whatever it takes if that isn't enough."
He sounded like he was even willing to kill Bae Kwang-sik with his own hands just to prove that he had nothing to do with the man.
"I-I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry for everything. Please just spare my life."
Bae Kwang-sik seemed to have figured out the mood in the room, and he started begging while still kneeling on the floor.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I don't know. If I've done something wrong to you, then I'm sorry for that."
Bae Kwang-sik's face was covered in blood and tears.
I sighed as I stared at him vacantly.
"Do you know Cheon Ji-young?"
"Yes?"
"The trainee in your company. Don't you know her?"
"Ah, I know her. Cheon Ji-young."
"Then you should know why you're here."
Bae Kwang-sik hesitated to answer.
"Don't you?"
"No!"
In the end, Bae Kwang-sik began to tell me what he had done to Cheon Ji-young.
"I accepted money to help her debut. Then I delayed her debut and made another girl debut instead. I also made her clean up after the other girls."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, that's all."
"If you're lying, I'll kill you for real. Is that all?"
Bae Kwang-sik lowered his head.
"Actually… I offered to sponsor her, but Ji-young rejected me…"
I couldn't help but sigh.
"Is that it?"
"Yes. That's really it! This level of shit is common in this industry. We all endure a lot to debut and become idols. It's not like I made things particularly difficult for Ji-young…"
Even though Bae Kwang-sik was only making excuses, there was no value in listening to him any further.
"Where did you get in here?"
"...….."
Bae Kwang-sik didn't answer.
He still hasn't come to his senses.
Manager Ma, who was getting the hint from me, suddenly kicked Bae Kwang-sik in the face.
"Keugh!"
Bae Kwang-sik collapsed on the floor, clutching his face. He was then dragged out like an object.
"Are you afraid of him? I'm not scared!"
"No. I'm Kim Hyeon-jik, the first son of the Hyunhwa Group."
"Hyunhwa Group?"
"Yes."
It seemed like Hyunhwa Group is a defense contractor.
I'd rather it be the former case, but things can get complicated if they knew Ji-young's background.
Still, I should handle this later.
"Manager Ma."
"Yes, boss?"
"Make sure he never sets foot in this industry again."
"Understood."
I glanced at Baek Chang-ho, who was standing next to me.
"You said you were a director, right?"
"Yes, boss."
"Is there an agency you manage directly?"
"Yes, but the scale is rather small."
"It should be easy to make one of your female singers debut. She can focus on the broadcasting stations instead of appearing in adult entertainment, which is out of the question."
"Of course, I'll do my best."
"I see. Then take care of it."
Baek Chang-ho and his men dragged Bae Kwang-sik out of the room.
"Manager Ma."
"Yes, boss?"
"I can trust you, right?"
Even though this wasn't something I could blame Lee Sang-geun for, I still asked, wanting to raise his vigilance.
Lee Sang-geun lowered his head, his face stiff.
"Yes. I will remain vigilant. I'm sorry."
"I'll trust you. You can go now."
A silence fell over the office after everyone left.
"Let's go too."
"Yes, boss."
I headed to my house in Pyeongchang-dong.
I felt a bitter taste in my mouth, thinking of how I had let my guard down. Luckily things weren't that bad.
"Brother!"
Cheon Ji-young was waiting for me in the living room, fidgeting.
"Where's Grandpa?"
"He's sleeping."
"Let's go to my room for now."
"Okay."
I took her to my room since it wasn't something we could talk about in the living room.
"Sit there."
Cheon Ji-young sat in the chair without a peep.
"Ji-young."
"Yes?"
"Do you really want to be a singer?"
"Yeah, I really want to."
She immediately replied.
I shook my head.
"What's the reason for wanting to be a singer despite being treated like that? If it's something you can't solve yourself, then you can talk to me, Grandpa, or even Chief Ha for help."
"..."
"Are you still blaming me for what happened?"
"Not really…"
Although she said that, her expression said otherwise.
"I told you not to blame me anymore. It's all in the past now. You're okay now, right? So don't act like you're a sinner. Whatever happened back then was before you were born."
"..."
Cheon Ji-young lowered her head.
She should know it wasn't my fault by now. If she does, the only reason she feels sad is because of how much she loves me.
"Please treat me comfortably. I'm really going to be all alone."
I don't know how much longer my grandfather and grandmother will be around since time is not on their side.
If that happens, only Ji-young will be my family.
"Okay."
I really hoped she would return to her cheerful self.
She should start smiling sincerely again, too, and not the fake one I always see on her face.
"I'll be contacting you soon. I'm sure I can help you find a company for your debut. Just make sure it doesn't have nighttime activities."
Ji-young looked up in surprise.
"What?"
"I'll find you a company where your debut will not be a problem. It's a midsize company that should be able to debut you. After that, it'll be your responsibility. Do you need me to help you more?"
"No, no!"
"I can still help you further."
"No. I want to succeed with my own skills."
"Alright. I'll help you until your debut."
"Thank you, brother."
Finally, Cheon Ji-young smiled.
"Are you that happy?"
"Yeah, I just want to be a singer."
"I should have told you from the start, but I probably didn't pay enough attention to you."
"No, that's not it."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sorry…"
I told her not to apologize to me.
"Oh, right…" "Yeah."
She rolled her eyes playfully at me, and I couldn't help but smile.
It was so long since I felt this relaxed and comfortable…
"Becoming a singer is going to be even harder than you think."
"I know. I'm prepared for it."
"Yeah, you'll do great."
After that, we talked for a long time, catching up on the conversations we missed.
After watching the sun set, I turned around after confirming that the car carrying Ji-young had already left.
"Keep an eye on the Cheon Su-han family and report back to me. Look into Hyunhwa Group too."
"Understood."
"I will receive a report on Hyunhwa Group when I return from Russia, so check it thoroughly. For now, just keep an eye on the Cheon Su-han family."
Hyunhwa Group, a conglomerate of this size, should have some knowledge of Ji-young's background.
She is the granddaughter of a five-term congressman and Cheon Tae-san's heiress. Even if maternal side was destroyed, the Hyunhwa Group was a major chaebol that had grown because of the government's support. They must know that much about her.
The group's first heir was that good-for-nothing, so they might not have heard of her. If they already knew and acted accordingly, then I would have to deal with this in due time.
'They better not think they can touch my family.'
It was only a few days after my request that Cheon Ji-young's issue was resolved with astonishing speed.
She transferred to a new agency, and I received news that she was preparing for her debut with the full support of the agency.
On my way to the airport to leave for Russia.
I was talking to Han Gyeong-yeong.
"Make sure Jungwoo Group is stable."
"Got it. When are you coming back?"
"I don't know. I think I will have a better idea after going."
"You're really busy, huh."
Han Gyeong-yeong was the only one I could talk to easily aside from my friends.
"When you get back, we can take our time until you catch up.".
"Aren't you bored?"
"I've got plenty of things to do."
Because of the auction of several companies, I heard the unions were becoming a real headache.
"Well, everything does come with a price. If you don't fucking watch what you're doing, you won't be able to do anything. Just let Vice President Kim Byung-woo deal with it. If that doesn't work, then I'll take care of it myself."
During the IMF crisis, the already strong unions became increasingly aggressive.
Laws were changing in favor of the workers. The louder the workers became, the more they shouted, 'What the hell did we do wrong?!"
But their cries weren't even reported in the media.
All the media was in the palm of the conglomerate's hands.
No one was listening to the workers' anguished cries.
"Whatever you do, take care of it yourself. Don't get dragged into their mess. If you do, from then on you will have to kneel before them. If you're listening to the unions, you have to make sure it's worth your while. Otherwise, you should never have done any of that."
There is no such thing as good and evil.
The company's and unions' understanding of good and evil will always be different. They only ever do their best for their own interests.
Receiving the honorary sendoff of Han Gyeong-yeong, the plane took off.
Going through the long customs line at the airport was exhausting, despite having arrived on a private jet.
Upon arriving at Moscow Airport, I felt a distinctly different atmosphere compared to those of other countries.
"Welcome, Mr. Kim. I am Igor."
I was greeted by the mercenaries Eric sent to me at the airport. They were mostly Russians.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kim Mu-hyeok.".
After exchanging simple greetings, we went outside the airport.
Heavily armed mercenaries were on high alert.
"Is gun ownership legal in Russia?"
"No."
"Then why are they so openly armed?"
"It's illegal, but this is Russia. This is where rockets fly through the air at Mafia gunfights."
Although Igor smiled as he replied, his words made me aware of the harsh realities of Russia.
"Who are you going to meet?"
I needed someone to connect me to Putin, who had taken control of the Russian Federation Security Service (FSB).
"Boris Berezovsky. He is one of the oligarchs."
Oligarchs.
A new privileged class that began to seize control of Russia's economy after the Soviet Union collapsed.
They had no qualms about eliminating anyone who opposed them using the Red Mafia and contributed a lot to Yeltsin's re-election as his most loyal benefactors.
As a result, they were extremely powerful and influential in Russia.
"Let's go."
A car carrying me and the mercenaries began to move.
'Is Putin already the FSB director?'
The FSB was the name given to the KGB after the Soviet Union fell apart.
"What kind of person is Berezovsky?"
Igor sat turned his body to face me questioningly.
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