71.
Focusing on the sounds in her ears, Seo Miso tapped the steering wheel with her fingers.
“Really, people never change.”
She had been curious when they gave Lee Jeongin some ambiguous amount of money and released him. What kind of day off would he enjoy with 100,000 won? He could have a meal and enjoy coffee afterward, or walk around the neighborhood looking for things he needed. But what Lee Jeongin chose was none of these.
After going to a nearby phone store to activate a basic phone, Lee Jeongin immediately contacted someone. A person he used to associate with when frequenting gambling dens.
‘It would be difficult to properly gamble with just 100,000 won.’
Lee Jeongin seemed to think the same. He located a small gambling den that frequently changed locations, entered, and borrowed more money there.
“Hahaha, this guy is truly insane.”
Since they had planted someone at that gambling den just in case, Lee Jeongin’s story came back quickly. He had begged and pleaded with the gambling den manager and borrowed 2 million won using his body as collateral.
“Does this bastard have multiple bodies or something?”
He already had debts in the hundreds of millions to their side, yet he was creating more debt elsewhere. This is why gambling addiction is dangerous.
As soon as Lee Jeongin got the money, he immediately jumped into gambling. How much time had passed? Though it was a short time, it was enough for all the borrowed money to disappear.
— Shit, why don’t I have any. Why?
Through the listening device hidden in his clothes, Lee Jeongin’s half-muffled voice could be heard.
— I need to play this round.
Lee Jeongin seemed restless. And at that moment, someone approached him.
— What are you doing? The game is good right now. Why are you standing here? Aren’t you playing?
At the cheeky voice, Lee Jeongin mumbled.
— Money, I don’t have money.
— Didn’t you borrow some from over there earlier?
— I spent it all. No, I could have won, but the cards! If only the cards had been a little better!
— Oh my, that’s too bad.
The man responded appropriately to Lee Jeongin’s words, gently scratching his itchy spots.
— I’m a bit short on money too. Shall we just watch?
Even Lee Jeongin, who was wary of others, opened up to the gentle tone. The man acted strangely friendly.
‘Has he already been caught?’
As Seo Miso tilted her head, another man joined them. The newcomer said he had just gotten a taste for gambling and was looking for gambling dens. He asked Lee Jeongin various questions, claiming he didn’t know much, and Lee Jeongin excitedly shared what he knew.
“What’s this, two guys latched onto him?”
And now we’re going to attach one of our people too. That makes an odd picture with three people attached to Lee Jeongin. His once decent-looking face had deteriorated from the ravages of time. Plus, he had no money, so having three people attached to him seemed strange.
‘Maybe we should postpone sending our person.’
Seeing how quickly people attached themselves to Lee Jeongin, it seems they were quite desperate. Seo Miso monitored Lee Jeongin while listening to the information coming in from the car. Now her job was to find out who sent the men who had attached themselves to him today.
* * *
“We’ve successfully attached someone to Lee Jeongin.”
Hearing his secretary’s words, Chairman Ryu nodded. After listening to his beloved daughter, he had contemplated. Of course, the contemplation didn’t last long. Because he learned that the friend Jeong Heejun mentioned was the young man that Choi Mujin had hidden away.
‘An interesting relationship.’
But looking back to their childhood, it wasn’t particularly strange. Jeong Heejun’s attachment to a childhood connection made him seem weak, but he planned to make him a puppet anyway. The more stupid and weak, the better.
“But another person has also attached to him, and we don’t know who sent that one.”
“It must be Director Choi, right? But just in case, investigate it.”
It could also be someone Chairman Jang had attached. After all, he openly wanted to get rid of Director Choi. After using him all this time, he was ready to discard him as soon as he became unnecessary.
‘That gentleman isn’t a good person either.’
Who would be the first to use Lee Jeongin? Chairman Ryu planned to approach Lee Jeongin and use him to shake Haseo. No matter how much one might hate their father, it’s usually difficult to completely cut ties. From the beginning, he was someone who would sacrifice himself to save his grandmother, so he would probably keep even such a father by his side.
Chairman Ryu just needed to exploit that. Then he could both grant his daughter’s request and give Choi Mujin a taste of his own medicine.
“Killing two birds with one stone.”
With a satisfied smile, Chairman Ryu sank deeply into his chair.
* * *
Lee Jeongin’s anxious attitude had changed after a while. He became more relaxed and did his best during hospital visits to his mother. Watching him hold his wrinkled mother’s hand and speak gently, he looked like nothing but a devoted son. However, most people knew the truth.
There was no goodness in Lee Jeongin. No love for his mother. He was simply moving under threats and trying harder not to get caught going to gambling dens. His gambling debts were growing steadily. The 2 million won he borrowed from the gambling den was quickly repaid with interest, but it wasn’t his own money.
‘You need money? That much is nothing! I can lend it to you!’
One of the three friends he met at the gambling den lent Lee Jeongin money with a hearty laugh. Though he took a promissory note, he didn’t press for repayment. Rather, when Lee Jeongin looked uncomfortable gambling without enough money, he would pull out a wad of bills from his pocket.
‘I’m lucky with friends in my later years.’
Of course, Lee Jeongin knew this friend wasn’t a genuine friend. A friend who easily lends money at a gambling den? There’s no such thing. More than half the people there were crazy, and most were struggling for money. There wasn’t a mouse’s dropping worth of friendship in gambling dens held in vinyl greenhouses or crumbling houses, not in VIP rooms.
‘He’s probably attached to me to take advantage of me.’
Since Choi Mujin seemed like such an impressive person. Maybe someone who wants to bring him down? It was impressive that there were three of them, but what did it matter?
‘Money, if I could just hit it big and get my hands on some money.’
He was planning to secretly leave the country. He had a mother and son, but without family attachment. Rather, Lee Jeongin hoped his mother would breathe her last soon. Then he wouldn’t have to come to the hospital weekly to perform this ridiculous act. However, the elderly woman, emaciated from lying down for so long, didn’t easily stop breathing.
‘How long do I have to keep this up?’
Lee Jeongin nodded to the caregiver who had entered and left the hospital room.
‘I wish the weekend would come quickly.’
One of his friends said he would show him a VIP room. If he was lucky, it might not just be a tour but a chance to participate. Just thinking about it made his heart pound.
* * *
From the second floor, Haseo was watching a car entering the yard. An ordinary domestic mid-size car, from which Lee Jeongin emerged when it stopped. It seemed he had returned from visiting his grandmother. Haseo also faithfully visited his grandmother, but at some point, they started going at different times. At first, Haseo felt uneasy about leaving Lee Jeongin alone with his grandmother, but Choi Mujin told him not to worry.
“Park Dongsu will be with him too. He won’t be able to try anything. If you’re really anxious, I can ‘educate’ him again.”
Haseo didn’t know what “educate” meant, but it probably wasn’t anything good. So Haseo shook his head.
“Ah, and this is a gift.”
Choi Mujin returned a mobile phone to Haseo. Although he didn’t have many people to contact, just holding the phone somehow made him feel at peace. He said that if any problems arose with his grandmother, they would now also contact Haseo’s phone.
Haseo leaned against the window, fidgeting with his phone. And at that moment, the phone, which had been silent all along, vibrated with a buzzing sound. Startled, he looked at the screen to see an unfamiliar number.
‘Is it okay to answer?’
Perhaps this number belonged to Choi Mujin. He changed his phone number from time to time. Haseo carefully pressed the answer button.
“Hello?”
As soon as he spoke, the other person replied.
— Haseo?
It wasn’t Choi Mujin’s voice.
— It’s me, Jeong Heejun.
The caller was an unexpected person. Jeong Heejun, a childhood friend. Though they had briefly seen each other, how did he get the number?
— Can we talk for a moment?
Haseo debated whether to hang up or not.
— It really will be brief. So don’t hang up.
As if reading his thoughts, Jeong Heejun spoke soothingly to Haseo.
— Just give me a little time.
Haseo removed the phone from his ear and briefly looked around the room.
“Call me back.”
There were CCTVs installed in the room, just like when he lived in the officetel. The only place in this house not under surveillance was the bathroom. So Haseo hung up and moved locations.
Not long after entering the bathroom, the phone rang again.
“Yes.”
— Is it okay to talk now?
“If it’s brief.”
— Got it. It’s not a long conversation anyway.
Saying this, Jeong Heejun made one proposal to Haseo.
— Haseo, don’t you want to get out of there? You’re imprisoned right now. I’ll help you.
This is something he had been wondering since before, but why did Jeong Heejun want to help him so much? Haseo softly sighed.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
