34.
The woman got out of the car and quietly waited for Sion.
‘I don’t want to get out.’
Even knowing that resistance wouldn’t solve anything, he didn’t know what to do.
“Get out, or do I need to drag you out?”
Only after the woman spoke impatiently did Sion exit the car. He then headed toward the building as they nudged him along. The building with its exposed concrete exterior walls looked abandoned. This impression didn’t change even after they opened the door and went inside.
The empty floor had only a few chairs and a rack with various tools hanging from it.
“Your seat is here.”
Wondering if he could still escape, he looked back, but saw men entering through the entrance. They guarded the closed door as if anticipating Sion might try to run. In the end, all he could do was sit in the chair, trembling.
“Really, it really wasn’t me.”
Even without any response, he desperately tried to convince them. Stories of his unfortunate childhood suddenly emerged. Until now, other people, even Choi Minchul, had at least offered cheap words of sympathy. But these people maintained a suffocating silence.
How much time had passed? There was a knock at the door.
Knock knock.
Just that sound made his skin crawl as if he’d been plunged into cold water. Turning his head with a creak, he saw a tall man entering through the open door, looking familiar.
“Director Choi?”
Usually, Director Choi Mujin covered most of his body. He wore formal suits and always had leather gloves neatly on. He would take them off in bed, but as soon as the relationship ended, he would immediately get up and head to the bathroom. But today was different from usual.
He wore a disheveled shirt and his gloves were nowhere to be seen.
“You’ve arrived!”
“Yes.”
“Everything has been prepared.”
When the woman said this, Choi Mujin twisted the corner of his mouth upward. Then his gaze fell on Sion.
“Quite bold of you.”
As he approached slowly, Sion felt threatened and moved backward. This almost caused the chair to fall over, but the woman caught it.
“We haven’t even started yet.”
He didn’t want to know what they were planning to do. But he couldn’t just sit still either. Sion desperately squeezed out his voice.
“I-I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you everything!”
Choi Mujin, who had come over and sat in the chair opposite him, slowly crossed his legs.
“It was Choi Minchul! Choi Minchul ordered me to do it. He was probably angry about what happened at the establishment last time. He told me to deliver drugs to Lee Haseo. I said I didn’t want to do it.”
Realizing he was out of breath, Sion paused briefly. I need to look more pitiful.
“I was being threatened, so I couldn’t disobey. I had no choice but to do it. Really.”
Sion mixed truth with lies, saying things that weren’t even asked of him. In the process, he ended up repeating the same words again, but what wouldn’t you do to survive? Choi Mujin, who had been listening quietly to the long story, smiled faintly. That somehow dangerous smile made his legs go weak.
“Alright. Then let’s match stories, shall we?”
At the same time, the closed door opened once more. The person who appeared was Choi Minchul. Unlike Sion who had been quietly brought in, he must have resisted severely as his face was a mess.
“I hear you’re famous for being that guy’s dog.”
No sooner had Choi Mujin finished speaking than Choi Minchul shouted.
“Who do you think I am!”
“Who else would you be? The second son of the factory that subcontracts from Toho Construction. Your father is Choi Minsu, mother Lee Sunhee, and older brother Choi Minjong. You’re greedy but lazy, and without ability, so you’re in a position ignored even by your family, right?”
Choi Minchul struggled violently at the woman’s words.
“No! That’s not true!”
“Your father gave you several chances, but you failed them all. Your criminal record is impressive too. You’ve been a pimp, dealt drugs, and then met Ryu Jiho? Well, you call him a friend, but in reality, you’re just his servant. You licked his feet trying to make a comeback by getting close to him.”
“Yeah! Fuck, so what! But that bastard can’t throw me away! How many things have I taken care of for him! You guys have been careful lately too! Do you want to fight with Toho Construction?”
“Hahaha!”
When the woman laughed, the men holding down Choi Minchul laughed too. Only three people weren’t laughing.
Choi Minchul, Sion. And Choi Mujin.
Because of this, the laughter quickly stopped. The first two weren’t worth worrying about, but Choi Mujin was someone even they feared.
“Bring him here.”
Choi Minchul was dragged and thrown between Choi Mujin and Sion. He seemed to have just noticed Sion. After opening and closing his mouth several times, he burst out yelling.
“You, you bastard! You betrayed me!”
“Whose fault is this!”
They glared at each other, but their minds were racing. How could they push the other into hell and escape?
Watching them both, Choi Mujin spoke.
“There’s no need to think too hard. Neither of you will walk out of here anyway.”
Overwhelmed by fear, Choi Minchul inhaled sharply. Really? Seriously? You’re going to touch me like this? Do you know who I am!
“Please, please let me make one phone call.”
Choi Minchul, who had been thrashing like a beaten wild boar, lowered his head.
“Who do you want to call?”
“I want to call Ryu Jiho.”
In this situation, even his father didn’t seem like he would be helpful. There was a good chance he wouldn’t believe Choi Minchul’s words anyway. So there was only one person he could ask for help.
“What do you think will change if you call?”
Choi Minchul pressed his lips tightly.
“Well, knowing the situation might be good.”
When Choi Mujin nodded, one of the standing people handed over a phone. Choi Minchul often lost his phone, so he had memorized Ryu Jiho’s number. With trembling hands, he pressed the numbers firmly.
The dial tone sounded, and before long, a familiar voice came through. Usually, he ignored unknown numbers, but thankfully not this time.
─ What?
“Jiho, Ryu Jiho!”
─ Oh, Choi Minchul?
“H-help me!”
─ What are you suddenly calling about?
“I’ve been captured! By Director Choi from Isaac Finance!”
─ Ah, the call is a bit quiet. Wait, I’ll call you back.
After that, the call ended. Choi Minchul stared at the phone screen with a bewildered expression, but the phone didn’t ring again. As time passed, his throat became increasingly dry.
“I did what you wanted. Has anything changed?”
Choi Minchul looked up at Choi Mujin with a terrified expression.
“I just did what I was told. Everything is Ryu Jiho’s fault, that bastard!”
Choi Mujin tilted his head slightly at the desperate words.
“No, that’s not it.”
Choi Mujin had built up a notorious reputation over the years. He couldn’t go to prison, so even if he didn’t publicly reveal it, he made sure everyone knew implicitly. He needed to be someone everyone feared. But now to be taken lightly because he’d been cautious for a while?
“This, now, is your crime.”
Choi Mujin stood up and walked to the tool rack.
“These days, they say not knowing is also a crime. But you knew and still touched my person.”
Choi Mujin held a strange-looking tool and rolled it in his hand.
“I don’t like when someone touches what’s mine.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
“I did wrong. If you let this go just this once, I’ll live like a dead mouse.”
Both begged for forgiveness, but Choi Mujin’s attitude didn’t change.
“Well, shall we start small with the fingernails?”
“Hiiik! Please spare me!”
Choi Minchul tried to crawl away, but was soon stepped on by Choi Mujin’s shoe.
“It’s okay. People don’t die as easily as you might think.”
“Aaah! Aaaah!”
Choi Mujin used his experience to torture them both. With no intention of finishing quickly, the torture that started from the extremities continued for a long time. Both continuously confessed their wrongdoings, but he had no intention of forgiving them.
Though Ryu Jiho had ordered it, the ones who carried it out weren’t good people either.
‘Of course, neither am I.’
Choi Mujin thought as he washed his blood-stained hands. Ryu Jiho from Toho Construction. He wasn’t an easy opponent to deal with, but Choi Mujin had no intention of letting this slide. The chairman of Isaac Finance might sigh if he retaliates.
He used to be a bulldozer-like person in his younger days. But he too had weakened with age. His serpent’s wisdom had grown, but most of his moves were cautious. On top of that, he didn’t have a proper successor. After once bringing in his nephew to succeed him and nearly getting devoured instead, his suspicion had grown.
At that time, Choi Mujin had also been in danger after being stabbed in the back. And the one who helped him then was Seo Jaewoo. Yes, Seo Jaewoo. That name he had been recalling less frequently as of late.
“I’ll leave the cleanup to you.”
“I’ll handle it thoroughly.”
Since he had spared their lives, they might survive if they were lucky. Even if they lived, they couldn’t stay in Korea anymore. Isaac Finance had some minor operations overseas, and the two would be sent there.
To places where human rights weren’t properly upheld—if they couldn’t do their jobs properly, they would die.
‘Who cares.’
Choi Mujin thought as he turned around. Before returning to the hospital, he needed to change his clothes first.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
