Chương 334: Chapter 334: Did You Think I Wouldn’t Know?
This is all your fault. It's all on you…"
Seo Yong-geon, heavily intoxicated, was fuming.
The study, dimly lit, was littered with empty bottles, remnants of the many he had polished off.
Seo Jae-hoon, on the receiving end of his ire, watched with an oddly calm demeanor.
"If you hadn't caused such a mess, Jungwoo Electronics wouldn't have pushed us this hard!"
Seo Yong-geon regretted giving Ilseong Electronics' technology to save Seo Jae-hoon.
It felt like a poison now, tightening around his throat, amplifying his regret.
Grinding his teeth, he hurled the glass he held at Seo Jae-hoon.
The glass just barely missed Seo Jae-hoon's face and shattered against the wall.
Though the glass swished past him, Seo Jae-hoon remained unfazed, calmly stating,
"Why should I be blamed? I acted as I was taught. Crush others and take what's theirs. Ilseong operates that way. That's what the Emperor should do. Haven't you always said that? I merely followed your teachings."
"Then you should have won! Or at least avoid being caught! I was foolish to think my only son… that making you my heir was the right choice…"
Seo Yong-geon's voice was filled with deep remorse.
Seeing this, Seo Jae-hoon retorted nonchalantly, his voice icy.
"Then this is all your fault, Father. It's all a result of your choices. The conflict between you and Cheon Tae-san's chairman has contd until this point, hasn't it?"
"What? How dare you…!"
"Why? It's not so easy to abandon me now, is it?"
"You… You dare show your true colors to me!"
Filled with rage, Seo Yong-geon jumped to his feet.
Seo Yong-geon's mouth opened to speak, but his face contorted as a sharp pain surged in his chest.
The dull pain quickly spread. Gripping his chest, he could barely move, but Seo Jae-hoon showed no sign of concern.
Instead, a smile crept onto his lips.
Struggling, Seo Yong-geon managed to speak,
"You…"
But Seo Yong-geon couldn't finish his sentence before his body slumped sideways.
Seo Jae-hoon rose from his seat, not taking his eyes off the collapsing Seo Yong-geon.
He then picked up a bottle from the table and threw it against the wall.
Shattered glass and liquor scattered across the floor. Seo Jae-hoon turned away from the chaos.
"You won't die, Father. But you won't be able to rise again either."
Kneeling before the outstretched hand of Seo Yong-geon, Seo Jae-hoon said,
"Rest easy. I will lead Ilseong from now on. Father."
While trembling, Seo Yong-geon's hand fell limp. Seo Jae-hoon, noticing, shouted,
"Father! Father! What's wrong? Manager Ma!"
At Seo Jae-hoon's frantic call, Lee Seok-min, who had been waiting outside, rushed in.
Seeing Seo Jae-hoon staring at the collapsed Seo Yong-geon, he paused for a moment.
Though Seo Jae-hoon's voice trembled, his eyes held a grim satisfaction.
"What are you doing? Call an ambulance, quick!"
"Yes, yes!"
With shaking hands, Lee Seok-min contacted Ilseong Hospital.
Seo Jae-hoon didn't miss a beat, keeping a vigilant watch over Lee Seok-min's actions.
The attending physician arrived hastily, checked Seo Yong-geon's condition, and claimed he needed to be transported to the hospital.
"His life isn't in danger, is it?"
Lee Seok-min asked, rubbing his icy hands. The physician's expression darkened slightly.
"We'll need to run more tests to know for sure, but… I can't guarantee anything. His heart rate is alarmingly weak."
That moment, Lee Seok-min remembered the death of Cheon Tae-san's chairman.
The chairman who had been injected with a drug that stopped his heart.
Squinting his eyes shut, Lee Seok-min steadied his shaky voice,
"This cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to leak outside."
Seo Yong-geon was carried out on a stretcher from the study.
Seo Jae-hoon called out to Lee Seok-min, who was about to follow the medical staff.
"Manager Lee."
Lee Seok-min halted and turned his head.
"You're coming with me to the hospital. We have a mountain of discussions ahead."
"Understood."
Seo Jae-hoon and Lee Seok-min set off in the same car toward Ilseong Hospital.
As soon as they got into the car, Seo Jae-hoon began listing everything that needed to be done as if he had been preparing for this all along.
"First, we need to contact Ilseong Hospital and clear out the patients in the VIP ward. Either discharge them or send them to Korea University Hospital."
"But those people…"
Seo Jae-hoon raised his hand to silence Lee Seok-min.
"I get what you're trying to say. But we need to lay low from prying eyes, even if just for a few days."
Seeing the cold glint in Seo Jae-hoon's eyes, Lee Seok-min quickly replied.
"Yes, I'll take care of it."
Lee Seok-min immediately called the hospital director and conveyed Seo Jae-hoon's request.
As soon as the call ended, Seo Jae-hoon called out to Lee Seok-min again.
"Manager Lee."
"Yes, Vice President."
"Call a board meeting three days from now."
"Three days from now?"
"If Father hasn't regained consciousness by then, I'll reveal everything in the meeting and take charge of the operations. Ilseong Group is facing an unpreccedented crisis right now."
Though he expected this, Lee Seok-min remained silent at Seo Jae-hoon's remark about taking Seo Yong-geon's place.
Seo Jae-hoon's words flowed effortlessly, as if he had rehearsed them beforehand.
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"No, there isn't."
"After all, Ilseong was meant for me to inherit. With Father in this state, it's my responsibility to lead Ilseong now."
Seo Jae-hoon spoke as if he anticipated Seo Yong-geon's situation, even before it was confirmed.
"Could it be that Seo Jae-hoon truly…?"
Lee Seok-min couldn't voice the thoughts swirling in his mind.
Seo Jae-hoon was watching him with a cold gaze.
* * *
Though the sudden appearance of Cheon Ji-su had left him puzzled, his contemplation was brief.
"For now, tell her to come in."
"Yes, Boss."
"Boss, then I'll be on my way too."
At the mention of meeting Cheon Ji-su, Eva stood up.
It seemed she wanted to give him space deliberately.
"Sorry, Eva. Let's have a meal together soon. We can discuss the rest then."
"Sounds good. You owe me a pricey one, Boss."
Eva's playful teasing lightened his previously tense expression.
Not long after Eva and Manager Ma left, Manager Ma returned with Cheon Ji-su.
"Long time no see. How have you been?"
Cheon Ji-su greeted him with a smile.
"We're not in a situation to exchange pleasantries. Take a seat."
Despite his cold words, Cheon Ji-su maintained her smile as she took a seat.
Watching her, he spoke with an emotionless face.
"Did my words amuse you? I'm pretty sure at Grandfather's funeral I said we shouldn't get entangled anymore in the future."
"Amusing? I keep up with your news. Do you think I'd ignore you? If I were scared, then yes."
Cheon Ji-su was still as unyielding as ever, shrugging off his pressure as if it were nothing.
There's no point in pressing harder. Clicking my tongue, I crossed my legs.
"What's the deal?"
"I have important information but wouldn't you at least offer me a cup of tea?"
"The Cheon family really puts up a brave front. Impressive, Cheon Ji-su, quite impressive."
I said mockingly, then turned to Manager Ma standing behind me.
"Do you have any of the new coffee?"
"Yes, Boss."
"Please bring two cups of that."
Once Manager Ma excused himself, I asked her again.
"I don't want to see your face for long. Let's cut to the chase. This isn't about Seo Yong-geon being hospitalized, is it?"
The smile that had adorned Cheon Ji-su's face faded.
"Why? Did you think I wouldn't know?"
"How do you even know that? I just figured it out. Even the family doesn't know about it…"
"Well…"
I thought she had become cunning from running a hotel, but clearly, she still had a ways to go.
From Cheon Ji-su's flustered reaction, I deduced a few things.
The fact that Seo Yong-geon had collapsed hadn't reached the family yet, and that there was an insider connected to her contacting Seo Yong-geon.
"If that's all you came to say, I'm disappointed. I thought it was something important."
Cheon Ji-su hurriedly interjected,
"He suddenly collapsed at home. He was taken straight to Ilseong Hospital. But he's been unconscious ever since. We don't even know when he'll wake up or when he'll come to. I don't know the details either."
"Who found him?"
"I heard he collapsed while talking to Jae-hoon oppa in the study."
As expected, Seo Jae-hoon was involved.
As I rubbed my chin, trying to sort my thoughts, Manager Ma re-entered with the coffee.
After placing a cup in front of me and Cheon Ji-su, he stood behind me. I lifted the coffee cup.
Savoring the aroma that brushed my nose, I sank back into thought.
"Seo Jae-hoon must have done something. Is there a way to pinpoint this accurately? If Seo Yong-geon collapsed all of a sudden, could it really be due to drugs?"
Cheon Ji-su stared at me without lifting her coffee cup. Noting her gaze, I frowned.
"What? You asked for coffee, yet you just stare at me?"
"Help me. If I miss this chance, Ilseong will really fall into Jae-hoon oppa's hands."
"Is that why you came? I thought you would've refused. You manage a hotel and a department store business; isn't that enough? Why are you so greedy? Didn't you say you had very little stake left?"
"If I combine my shares with Mom's, then we might still…"
She chattered on without end. I raised my hand to cut her off.
"No matter how you plead, you can't untangle the web Seo Yong-geon has painstakingly woven. If there's a way to break that complex share structure, maybe it could work."
But no one outside Seo Yong-geon and Lee Seok-min knew the vulnerabilities of such tightly woven management defense mechanisms.
That's why I decided to ruin Ilseong Group entirely..
"You could figure out a way, couldn't you?"
"Why would I opt for the hard way when there's an easier path? What's my reason for that?"
"About your aunt…"
"Hey."
I set down my coffee cup and spoke. My voice carrying no real emotion made Cheon Ji-su flinch.
"Don't bring up my mother with your filthy mouth. I'm only allowing you and Cheon Ji-won to linger because of Grandfather's will. If you say one more word, it's over for you."
"I'm… I'm sorry."
Cheon Ji-su apologized, but my eyes were filled with disdain.
I detested people who played the victim. Such a bothersome person with her constant repetition was annoying.
"Bring me a reason to support you. Then I might consider it. If not, don't bother coming to find me again."
"…"
Ignoring Cheon Ji-su's silence, I addressed Manager Ma.
"The guest is leaving now."
"Yes, Boss."
Manager Ma approached Cheon Ji-su and said.
"You should be going now, Miss."
However, Cheon Ji-su disregarded Manager Ma and called out to me.
"Help me."
I closed my eyes and crossed my arms, not wanting to look at her anymore.
"You should leave now. If not, I'll forcibly throw you out."
Manager Ma warned in a stronger tone. But there was no sound of Cheon Ji-su getting up.
"Help me. I want to live. Jae-hoon oppa won't save me."
Cheon Ji-su's voice trembled with fear. I opened my eyes.
The confidence she had moments earlier had vanished, and now her eyes were wavering.
Manager Ma approached to assist Cheon Ji-su up.
"Wait a moment, Manager."
I raised my hand, stopping Manager Ma.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Jae-hoon oppa will kill me. He'll attempt to take me out if he thinks I'm a hindrance. So please, help me."
Did Cheon Ji-su have some idea about Seo Jae-hoon's true nature?
If so, she could actually become a useful pawn.
"You believe Seo Jae-hoon will kill you?"
"Yes. He is certainly capable of that."
"What makes you think that? Isn't your intuition simply vague?"
"My grandfather warned me not to covet Ilseong. He said the same to my father. Even if I'm the one he likes, he wouldn't pass it to me, so if I want to live, I must stay out of his way."
I stared intently at Cheon Ji-su's panic-stricken face.
"Your grandfather and Seo Yong-geon warned you, yet you haven't sufficient reasons to tremble like this?"
"…I understand. Seo Jae-hoon can kill anyone who poses a threat to him. So please help me. I want to live."
With biting her lip, fear filled Cheon Ji-su's eyes.
I had never seen her in this vulnerable state before, in the past or present.
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