Chapter 87
If someone had the skill to divert drugs managed under tight security during distribution and resell them to brokers, it certainly wasn’t the work of an ordinary employee. If this fact were to leak out, the media lying in wait for a chance to bite into a chaebol company would not remain silent.
They were likely to burn down the whole house to catch one flea, only damaging the group’s image. What should he report to the Chairman? Despite just standing by, the Chairman had been calling him almost daily, instructing him to report on the new director’s every move.
Secretary Kim couldn’t understand the Chairman’s intentions. If this was his plan, why didn’t he put his own person in this position from the start? These unspoken complaints often lingered in Secretary Kim’s mouth. He felt uneasy, as if he were a spy, every time he reported on Tae-geon’s daily activities.
Tae-geon, who had been silent, finally spoke.
-There’s something else I’m curious about, Secretary Kim.
Whew. Secretary Kim inwardly sighed with relief. It seemed he wouldn’t be investigating. Good decision, Director! From now on, we just need to manage things thoroughly so that not even an ant can get in or out! Thinking this, Secretary Kim replied cheerfully.
“Yes, Director. Please go ahead.”
-I’d like to know what issues might arise with Biobak if we launch a suppressant with pianin removed from its components.
Save me…!
Secretary Kim, screaming internally, reluctantly opened his mouth.
“While the exact contract terms would need to be reviewed through the Compliance Team, as you know, Director, Biobak holds the patent for the fusion mycelium that’s unrivaled in blood cancer treatments among anticancer drugs. With over two years left on the international patent period, and even that pending patent application, if our relationship sours, it could cause problems in securing key raw materials for future blood cancer drug development. You need to be cautious, Director.”
Tae-geon roughly ran his hand through his hair at Secretary Kim’s response over the phone. The content was not different from what he had expected. With the patent rights, generic or copy drug production would be impossible.
Given that all Taeryeong Group affiliates were staking their lives on rare and incurable disease businesses, especially cancer-related ones, if they upset Biobak and caused issues in securing key raw materials, the entire group could risk plummeting.
After ending the call, Tae-geon buried his head on the back of his hand gripping the steering wheel. His head throbbed with the overwhelming fatigue.
Remove pianin from the suppressant while maintaining a friendly relationship with Biobak. This was the prerequisite for a successful new drug launch.
He picked up the file he had thrown on the passenger seat. Opening the page with the index, he immediately saw the full ingredient list of the illegal suppressant where pianin was detected. It was what the deceased Se-jin had been taking.
The pianin content detected was not high, considering its potency was said to be dozens of times that of commercial suppressants. He carefully examined the other listed ingredients, but none were at levels that could affect the drug’s potency.
Tae-geon’s eyes narrowed.
…There might be something unrecorded, or rather, something they couldn’t record.
A substance that greatly affects an omega’s heat cycle but can’t be detected by modern detection technology. He needed to uncover its identity.
*
Ring ring- ring-.
Dr. Jung Ui-hyeon, the head researcher of Taeryeong Group’s Pharmaceutical Engineering Future Research Institute, which was said to have its lights on 24 hours a day since the new director’s appointment, swallowed a scream when he saw ‘Choi Tae-geon’ on his phone screen and answered.
“Young master, I mean, Director. What can I do for you?”
-I’m sorry for the late hour. I have a drug I’d like to request an analysis for.
The voice coming through the receiver was full of fatigue. Dr. Jung, who had watched Tae-geon since he was young, felt sympathy for his tired voice. While he wanted to help, it was difficult to follow instructions outside his jurisdiction, so he had to refuse.
“As you know, Director, if you’re talking about drug component analysis, you should request that from the Forensic Center, not here.”
-There’s a substance that the Forensic Center can’t detect.
“…P-pardon?”
What in the world…
Dr. Jung stammered in surprise. The Forensic Center boasted an unrivaled position, consistently receiving cooperation requests from internationally renowned investigation bureaus.
If there was a component that even Taeryeong Group’s Forensic Center couldn’t detect…
Jung Ui-hyeon finally understood why Tae-geon was contacting the Future Research Institute instead of the Forensic Center for analysis.
A substance that exists on Earth but isn’t registered. A new substance that didn’t exist before, or something that exists but couldn’t be registered as a substance.
-I’d like to request an analysis of that substance’s components.
*
Ju-on, sitting on the sofa, greeted Tae-geon as he entered through the front door.
“You’re back, hyung?”
Tae-geon’s heart, which had leapt with expectation of seeing Hyeon-woo awake since the house was unusually bright at this hour when it was always dark, cooled.
It couldn’t be Hyeon-woo.
Tae-geon let out a bitter smile.
There was no reason for Hyeon-woo to wait for his return.
“Hyung, do you always come home at this time?”
At Ju-on’s question, Tae-geon nodded and glanced towards the bedroom where Hyeon-woo would be sleeping. Ju-on’s heart stung as he watched Tae-geon, who looked like a thief afraid of his own footsteps.
As Tae-geon turned his eyes to Ju-on, seeming to ask why he was still here, Ju-on hesitantly opened his mouth.
“…Hyung, you know. Actually, today…”
Ju-on carefully recounted what had happened today.
Tae-geon knew that Hyeon-woo went out with Ju-on every day. He could smell the strong scent of wind in Hyeon-woo’s hair when he was asleep.
Tae-geon tried to recall Hyeon-woo emanating such a scent by his side. He had to go far back in his memories, reaching last summer, to find it. The image of Hyeon-woo smiling softly against the backdrop of the night sea, holding a beer can in one hand.
Because of him, who hated the heat terribly, even Hyeon-woo had to spend most of the daytime indoors with air conditioning. He would force Hyeon-woo to sit down when he fidgeted, wanting to go out, saying it was too hot.
He shouldn’t have done that.
He should have gone somewhere together.
To the sea, to the mountains, to see flowers, to stargaze.
He should have made more memories together.
Tae-geon, who endured each day nourished by memories, was desperately thirsty for Hyeon-woo. He didn’t dare to carelessly touch even those few memories, afraid they might wear away. Hyeon-woo was so precious that he couldn’t even touch him.
And to such a Hyeon-woo…
Sensing the murderous intent slowly rising from Tae-geon, Ju-on stopped talking and cautiously watched Tae-geon’s expression.
The reason he had allowed Hyeon-woo, who was unskilled at controlling his pheromones, to go out was because Ju-on was with him. Though he didn’t expect Ju-on to take good care of Hyeon-woo given their hostile relationship, he knew that given Ju-on’s nature, he wouldn’t stand by and watch if something unpleasant happened right in front of him.
Moreover, Ju-on was a recessive alpha with relatively high control over pheromone impulses. That’s why he had placed him by Hyeon-woo’s side, but this situation had still occurred.
“…Anyway, so I kicked those bastards’ sides hard. Probably broke a couple of ribs.”
“……”
“Those animal-like bastards. And about him… I mean, Hyeon-woo hyung…”
“……”
“Does Hyeon-woo hyung not know how to control his pheromones? Isn’t that dangerous? It could be risky if he keeps leaking pheromones like that.”
…Like that…?
Tae-geon’s eyes flashed dangerously for a moment.
“Did you smell it too?”
“…What?”
“Hyeon-woo’s pheromones.”
“……”
A strange atmosphere hovered between Tae-geon and Ju-on as they exchanged glances, seemingly examining each other.
Ju-on didn’t avoid Tae-geon’s sharp gaze that flew at him. The earlier image of a puppy cowering before a tiger was nowhere to be seen.
“…Is that… what you’re curious about, hyung?”
Tae-geon furrowed one eyebrow at the unexpected response.
“Aren’t you curious about how Hyeon-woo hyung was?”
“You said nothing happened. You said so yourself.”
Ju-on, who had been meeting Tae-geon’s gaze, moved with a hardened expression to put on the padded jacket he had left on the sofa. As he zipped it up to his chin in one go, a sweet scent rose like a heat haze from inside the jacket he had lent to Hyeon-woo, seeping into Ju-on’s nose.
“…I’ve never smelled it. Hyeon-woo hyung’s pheromones.”
“……”
“As you know, I’m a recessive alpha, so I didn’t even know Hyeon-woo hyung was an omega.”
Ju-on, about to leave through the front door, turned his head again to look at Tae-geon.
“Hyung.”
As if he couldn’t just leave after all, Ju-on closed the half-opened front door and faced Tae-geon directly. Tae-geon, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed arrogantly, threw an disapproving look at Ju-on. Ju-on’s gaze towards Tae-geon was not particularly submissive either.
“Hyeon-woo hyung didn’t even resist.”
Only then did a hint of confusion flash in Tae-geon’s eyes. Ju-on felt an inexplicable satisfaction at this.
“He was just letting those bastards try to rape him.”
“……”
“He said it didn’t matter because he was just a dirty omega anyway.”
Ju-on’s gaze was unprecedentedly firm and cold as he spoke to Tae-geon, whose face was starting to contort strangely.
“…It’s because of you that he’s like this, isn’t it, hyung?”
