“Go to our firm as soon as you get back to Seoul. It might be too late already, but as humans, we need time to think things over. Besides, it takes a few weeks for a resignation letter to be processed anyway.”
“If I actually run into him, can I handle it my way?”
“…I’m telling you again, don’t hit him. You almost got sued for assault last time because of that.”
“Don’t worry.”
Jang Seok-gu chuckled as he recalled the conversation from the day before.
‘Will things really go as Seo-jun expected?’
Soon, a man walked out of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. He was the exact same man as the one in the photo on his phone. Looking at how he was restless and constantly checking his surroundings, the situation seemed clear.
“…Well, I can just verify that from now on.”
Seok-gu strode toward the man.
“Investigator Jin Hyeon-su?”
“!”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
*Snap!*
Seok-gu immediately snatched the phone the man was holding.
“Wh-Who are you!?”
“Shhh.”
When Seok-gu frowned with his already intimidating face, the man instantly shrank back.
“Wh-What on earth is…!”
“Ah, I’m just checking. Just checking.”
“You must be crazy to do this in front of the District Prosecutors’ Office…! Do you think you’ll get away with this!?”
Seok-gu grinned. What was the most necessary skill for a lawyer? A flashy tongue. In other words, bluffing.
“Call someone if you’re so confident.”
“What…?”
“You were offered a bribe recently, weren’t you?”
“Wh-What are you talking about!”
Jin Hyeon-su was visibly startled. There was no need to look further; his reaction made it almost certain.
‘There it is. An unknown number in the recent call logs.’
Seok-gu immediately pressed the call button.
“I can give them a call, right?”
It wasn’t a request for permission, but an announcement. And before the signal could even ring three times…
— …So, have you given it some thought?
Seok-gu’s smile deepened.
“Is this Mr. Hwang Man-cheol?”
— …
Silence hung over the receiver for a moment. After a short while, a voice responded.
— You’re not Hyeon-su. Who are you?
“Me?”
Hmm. What would be a good answer for a moment like this?
‘Ah!’
After a moment of thought, Seok-gu grinned. An answer came to him that would make the balls of those who behaved badly shrivel up on their own.
“I’m your son, you senile old geezer who goes around swinging his dick wherever he pleases.”
***
[Exclusive: Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Suspect Death Case. Allegations of an Unspecified Third Party Attempting to Bribe the Investigator in Charge with a Large Sum of Money.]
As soon as I heard from Seok-gu, I contacted the reporter in charge. Naturally, he was happy to spread the article, and this was the result.
— As expected of the Mad Dog of the Prosecution, Baek Seo-jun. How does this timeline fit together so perfectly, like an elementary schooler’s schedule?
“It’s obvious.”
— Anyway, it’s a relief that Yi-re kept the statement recordings separately in that state of mind. If she had taken the money and destroyed the records, we would have been in big trouble.
“You know, right? This much is enough. It won’t be good for Yi-re if things get any noisier than this.”
It didn’t matter who got beaten up. The public enjoyed throwing stones, but they didn’t really care about the facts. Furthermore, this call record couldn’t even be used as formal evidence. According to the exclusionary rule for illegally obtained evidence, evidence collected in violation of the law is dismissed in court.
“This is also predictable, but the prosecution will try to cover up this case somehow. They won’t even think about securing evidence by formally requesting a warrant.”
“Tsk. This is why people say lawyers these days are no different from private investigators. Anyway, I’ll keep secretly looking for evidence to implicate that old hag.”
“Yeah. Keep it as quiet as possible, please.”
Once is enough, anyway. When the most decisive moment comes, you only need to bite the opponent’s windpipe once.
“So, what’s the immediate result we can expect from this?”
— First of all, our client’s innocence is a given. I can take proper measures so that they can’t say a word about aiding suicide or dereliction of duty. Since the elders at our firm have confirmed this, you can consider it practically settled.
“What about internal disciplinary action?”
Criminal punishment and internal discipline are separate. It isn’t even considered double jeopardy. Disciplinary action is, after all, administrative in nature.
— Don’t worry about dismissal or removal from office. The bottom line I’m thinking of is a salary reduction. If she’s lucky, it’ll just be a reprimand or a warning. Of course, if it’s a suspension or higher, I’m planning to go absolutely ballistic myself.
Okay. With this, Yi-re could be considered safe.
“She won’t end up stuck in some corner of Gangwon Province like me, right?”
“Keke. Do you think our Princess Yi-re is in the same league as a guy with no pedigree like you? Do you know who her father is?”
“…How is the Justice doing? I imagine he was very worried after seeing the article.”
For reference, Seo Yi-re’s father was a former Supreme Court Justice.
— Speaking of which, you should go greet him in person sometime. He’s the one who was dying to have you as his son-in-law anyway.
It seemed like it was time to hang up. Seeing as he was starting to talk nonsense.
“Take care of things until the end.”
“Sure.”
I ended the call right then. The situation was mostly organized. However…
‘I should prepare to some extent. I don’t know what else they might do.’
My philosophy as a prosecutor was clear: to catch a tiger, you must enter the tiger’s den. However…
‘I am a general who has already left the battlefield.’
It wouldn’t be right for me to pick up a weapon and fight directly. Not to mention, I didn’t know what kind of obstacles our proud prosecution might throw at me using that as an excuse.
‘Chairman Hwang Man-cheol doesn’t know about my existence yet.’
This would become a much more lethal weapon for me — no, for “us” — later on. On the surface, I was just a troublemaker who had already thrown in his resignation.
‘For now, creating a minimal connection should be enough.’
Ah! A good string suddenly came to mind.
***
The top floor of Sekyung Department Store.
“Grandfather!”
President Han Yu-jin smiled brightly. It was right after she spotted an elderly gentleman entering the room — her paternal grandfather, who was wearing a stylish fedora.
“What brings you here without calling first?”
“Ha! Does there have to be a reason for me to see my granddaughter’s face?”
“Of course not!”
President Han Yu-jin stood up and immediately hugged her grandfather. He was the person who made Sekyung what it was today. A leading figure who once led South Korea. And now, he was Chairman Han Seung-ho of Sekyung Group, who was approaching retirement.
“This kid, really.”
Chairman Han Seung-ho gently patted his granddaughter’s shoulder.
“Is there anything uncomfortable in your life?”
“It’s so good that it’s almost a problem!”
“If you have any trouble, tell me anytime. You’re my only granddaughter. If you go around with your shoulders slumped, I’m the only one who will get blamed.”
“Yes. I’ll tell you right away!”
Chairman Han Seung-ho smiled with satisfaction. She was a granddaughter he had raised with utmost care. This family had traditionally been a field of boys. There were ten grandsons, but this child was the only granddaughter.
“Oh, right! I heard. I heard rumors that the business you’ve been pushing lately is doing very well.”
“Huh? Which business?”
“I heard something about cucumbers and Chinese yams…”
“Ah!”
Only then did President Han Yu-jin’s eyes widen.
“Are you giving me a chance to brag, Grandfather?”
“Well, shall I hear my granddaughter’s boast then?”
“Please, sit down first! I’ll bring you a cup of tea!”
“Seeing your reaction, there must be something good.”
“Of course!”
In fact, President Han Yu-jin was confident. She was confident she could satisfy her grandfather’s picky palate. That was because…
‘I’ve been drinking it sparingly, so there’s still a bit of Ice Valley Farm’s green tea left.’
Boseong and Hadong were traditionally famous green tea cultivation sites in Korea. But Han Yu-jin knew. The green tea from Ice Valley Farm was by no means inferior to those two places. No, it was actually much superior.
*Trickle.*
She immediately poured the brewed tea into a high-end teacup.
“Isn’t this green tea?”
“Yes. In fact, I’ve been drinking this instead of coffee lately.”
“Oho…”
Chairman Han Seung-ho let out a small exclamation of admiration. He didn’t even need to smell it. A rich fragrance already filled the room.
“Let’s see…”
Immediately after, he brought the tea to his lips.
“!”
Then, he made an even more surprised expression.
“Why does green tea taste sweet? Did you put sugar in here by any chance?”
“Huhu. No way. It’s the natural flavor.”
“This is green tea with nothing added…?”
Chairman Han Seung-ho muttered blankly.
“No wonder the Blue House Chief of Staff mentioned Ice Valley to me in passing… It seems that was true.”
“What? At the Blue House?”
This time, Han Yu-jin was the one surprised. Although high-ranking government officials sometimes sought out produce from Ice Valley Farm, it was her first time hearing about the Blue House.
“Is that true, Grandfather?”
“It is.”
“Wow… My judgment must not have been wrong! Actually, something like that happened recently too.”
“What happened?”
“I went to a business meeting a while ago. And would you believe it? The representative there begged me to get him our green tea first. He’s not the kind of person who would say such a thing in his life.”
Chairman Han Seung-ho looked intrigued.
“Who?”
“Mr. Hendrick, the representative of Chanel Korea.”
“Hendrick? Isn’t he a Westerner? A Westerner asked for green tea, not black tea?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying!”
Han Yu-jin even clapped her hands and laughed.
“Amazing. Now I see why people praise your business.”
Chairman Han Seung-ho smiled gently. He was even more pleased because the business target was “produce.” These days, young people only brought strange items in the name of chasing trends. This child didn’t seem stuck in such a mold. However, there was one concern.
‘She still hasn’t tasted the bitterness of the world enough.’
In an instant, Chairman Han Seung-ho took on a serious expression.
“Yu-jin. As you already know well, if it looks good to you, it looks good to others as well. Besides, with this much praise around you, rumors about that Ice Valley Farm must have already spread through word of mouth.”
“Ah!”
Only then did President Han Yu-jin straighten her posture with a firm face.
“Yes. I understand exactly what you’re trying to say.”
“Right. The most important skills for an entrepreneur are: first, proper valuation, and second, not letting the treasures I’ve claimed be snatched away.”
Chairman Han Seung-ho spoke with conviction.
“If you’re feeling uneasy, just crushing them with money is also a way. Well, others will criticize by saying a large corporation did what large corporations do… Tsk, tsk. But you don’t need to care about that kind of nonsense, do you?”
President Han Yu-jin reflexively clenched her fists. It seemed her grandfather was indirectly telling her that acquiring the farm was also an option this time.
‘That might actually have the opposite effect.’
A relationship of trust built with great effort can collapse in an instant. They say a thousand-nyang debt can be paid with a single word. Conversely, a thousand-nyang gain can be lost with a single word. If so, the best thing in the current situation was…
‘Moving forward as lifelong partners with the best treatment in the industry.’
She was confident she wouldn’t lose to anyone in a money game. However, perhaps he read Han Yu-jin’s expression…
“Don’t try to save a few pennies only for it to become a lifelong regret.”
“Yes!”
Han Yu-jin answered boldly.
“No matter what price I have to pay, I will never let it be taken away!”
***
Early the next morning, I quietly headed to the main house.
“Father.”
“…? What is it?”
Father was just waking up from his bed.
“I’m sorry for the early hour. I wanted to get your permission.”
“What permission?”
“Can I take some Chinese yams from your secret farm? The ones to be supplied to Sekyung Department Store.”
At my words, Father looked even more puzzled.
“Didn’t you say last time you were going to collect and sell them all at once? You said once the products start going in, the demand would explode further. You said you’d start supplying at least after all the fields currently being made are expanded.”
“That was the original plan.”
I gave a bitter smile.
“I thought it might be good to change the plan a bit and supply a small amount around this time. If we release the stock bit by bit for promotion, the word of mouth will spread faster.”
“You want to give them a taste and drive them crazy?”
“They say only those who have chewed meat know the taste.”
Suddenly, Father looked into my eyes intently.
“Is something going on with you?”
“…Pardon?”
“I can deceive a ghost, but I can’t deceive my eyes.”
“…”
After looking into Father’s eyes for a moment, I smiled brightly.
“Father.”
“What?”
“I always respect and love you.”
Father chuckled.
“You seem like you can still hold on. Seeing how you’re still talking nonsense. Well, if it’s hard, tell me anytime. Your father is still vigorous.”
“Yes. If something happens, I’ll tell on them right away.”
Sometimes, I also want to be comforted. To be honest, I couldn’t sleep a wink last night because I was worried about Yi-re and Seok-gu. Father recognized his child’s heart at a glance. Not only that, he even said he would become my strength himself.
‘I am not alone.’
A sense of mental stability that couldn’t even be compared to when I was alone in Seoul. As expected, it was a good thing I returned home.
***
The President’s office at Sekyung Department Store.
“What? A call came from Ice Valley Farm?”
“Yes, President! They want to send some trial stock for quality confirmation.”
“Then, instead of waiting, let’s go there ourselves!”
A thirsty person digs the well. How could I wait until they came? President Han Yu-jin immediately prepared to go out.
“Pr-President. Are you going to leave for Goseong now? You mean in person?”
“We decided to do that a while ago.”
“That’s true, but what about the morning business report…?”
“Forget it, just for one day. I’ll pass it on separately. This is the top priority right now.”
Of course, I had to make time even if there was none. It was about that Goseong Ice Valley Farm. Even more so since I thought it was completely hopeless this year.
“I will evaluate it as coldly as possible.”
Manager Lee Do-gyeong, who took the steering wheel, also burned with determination internally. Not twice, not three times, but the other party had struck with a price five times the existing supply price. Keep the heart hot and the head cold. This completely unexpected “timing” itself could be the other party’s negotiation strategy. Therefore, at the very least, a quality inspection had to be done thoroughly.
“Hello!”
“Excuse us.”
Thus, they arrived at the Goseong Ice Valley Farm.
“Welcome. I could have gone myself…”
“No! Of course we had to come!”
Following Baek Seo-jun’s guidance, the two were immediately led to one side of the farm. And then…
“Oh. These are Chinese yams.”
On the table prepared on one side, several Chinese yams were already placed. Although they would have to send them to the lab in Gijang to know the detailed components…
“Can I check one?”
“Of course.”
Manager Lee Do-gyeong strode toward the table where the yams were placed. Then, he roughly wiped the dirt off the yam with his clothes.
*Skritch!*
He skillfully peeled it with the Swiss Army knife he had in his pocket.
“Oh…”
An exclamation naturally burst out. Manager Lee Do-gyeong intently looked at the flesh of the Chinese yam, which even had a luster.
*Crunch!*
Then, he immediately took a bite.
“!!!!!!”
At the same time, Manager Lee Do-gyeong’s eyes widened. He had made up his mind to evaluate it as conservatively as possible, but this was beyond imagination as soon as it entered his mouth. For a mere raw Chinese yam, what on earth was this insane savory flavor and sweetness?
“…Purchase the entire stock.”
Manager Lee Do-gyeong muttered to himself unconsciously.
“We must purchase the entire stock.”
Approaching his superior, Manager Lee Do-gyeong whispered quickly. He was certain. This was an absolute hit. Naturally, President Han Yu-jin’s expectations deepened.
‘If only I could, it would be great to secure an exclusive contract.’
Since that extremely picky Manager Lee Do-gyeong showed this much of a reaction. Even though she had never seen such high praise. To be honest, the data was already sufficient, but this was practically a confirmation.
‘Even if I have to raise the down payment and conditions and propose it again…!’
Once the supply officially began, the value of Ice Valley Farm would likely mushroom. Even in the current atmosphere, supply couldn’t keep up with demand at all. However…
“I’d like to ask for your understanding on one thing.”
“…Yes?”
“If possible, I’d like to supply our produce to Shinhwa Department Store as well.”
“!?”
Contrary to her thoughts, from the very beginning, the Golden Goose brought up something very unpleasant.