Chapter 178
“There’s a cruise departing from Incheon to Japan next week, and we plan to put Seo Eunseong on it as a crew member. We’ve already finalized arrangements with the company. Director, just bring the kid to Incheon on time that day.”
“Sure, understood.”
Director Nam nodded, agreeing to follow the plan. It was fortunate that things were going well according to their plan.
Lee Joon-seung, who habitually surveyed his surroundings, used his fork to scoop up a piece of cake and put it in his mouth. He asked Director Nam, who was staring seriously at his coffee.
“What’s wrong? Something bothering you?”
“…Of course I’m bothered. How could I not be?”
It was essentially like tearing flesh from Yoo Siwoon’s body, but because it was rotten flesh, it had to be cut out regardless of how much blood would be spilled or how painful it would be.
The more Eunseong rejected him, the more obsessed Yoo Siwoon would become, and if by any chance—even the slightest possibility—a child were to be conceived, it could end up killing Eunseong.
No one knew what would become of a child with the bloodline of The Great Crevice, and even though he didn’t believe in the prophecy, Director Nam couldn’t ignore the possibility, however small it might be.
“Isn’t there a way to stop what we discussed before?”
“What, Yoo Siwoon’s King Herod act?”
“The CEO will regret it when time passes. No, it won’t end with just regret. When he realizes what he’s done, he’ll suffer, and maybe, maybe…”
“Maybe what? Are you afraid he might commit suicide or something?”
“…”
That was precisely the fear Director Nam couldn’t bring himself to voice. The anxiety that if Eunseong disappeared and regret for his actions piled up, Yoo Siwoon might make a terrible choice, tormented Director Nam.
Originally, Yoo Siwoon wasn’t a greedy person. Director Nam was essentially taking everything away from a man who had only just found one thing he wanted in life.
Lee Joon-seung, noticing Director Nam frowning with concern instead of answering, spoke irritably while completely smashing his cake with his fork.
“Even in this situation, you’re worried about that man’s suffering? Aren’t you worried about poor Seo Eunseong who’s been used? Because of the Yongse Pacheon Church, he’s lost his parents, lost his country, and now he has to live in hiding in a place where he can’t even speak the language, from now on.”
“There must be a way to stop this.”
“Sigh, I can handle the gangsters Yoo Siwoon hired, but only for about a week at most. We can’t hold them without a warrant for long. All we can do is make them come in for questioning.”
“Hold them as long as you can. I’ll look for a solution too.”
Lee Joon-seung found it somewhat puzzling that Director Nam was begging him to try any method possible.
“Why are you so loyal to Yoo Siwoon? I don’t think it’s for money.”
“You think I do this because I like everything about him and find him adorable? If he had a personality like Yoo Seongil or Yoo Oseon, I would have cut ties long ago. CEO Yoo Siwoon has handled all kinds of tasks as this family’s problem solver, but he has never once passed difficult or challenging work onto me. The same goes for other subordinates too.”
“I guess it felt uncomfortable. Because you’re an outsider.”
Unknown to Yoo Siwoon, Director Nam owed a life debt to Yoo Siwoon’s father and had to keep a promise made to him. His father’s dying wish was for Director Nam to protect Yoo Siwoon and ensure nothing happened to him.
Unaware of these circumstances, Lee Joon-seung snorted but partially agreed with Director Nam’s words.
In any case, as promised, Yoo Siwoon was rapidly eliminating the influence of the Yongse Pacheon Church and had dismantled the long-established Council of Elders, bringing the process nearly to its end. He clearly wasn’t trying to use Eunseong to become the leader of that cult.
“He knew I disliked it and was considerate of me. That’s the kind of person CEO Yoo Siwoon is.”
“Hmph. That’s the kind of person he was.”
“He’s still that person. The fact that your head is still attached to your body is because Yoo Siwoon is not Yoo Seongil. If it had been Yoo Seongil, he would never have let you live.”
Lee Joon-seung gulped down his coffee and touched his neck, his fully intact neck. As Director Nam said, if his opponent had been Yoo Seongil or Chairman Yoo, he would have died a hundred times over by now, and his corpse would have been fed to dogs.
It was an undeniable fact that he was still alive because his adversary had been Yoo Siwoon, and Lee Joon-seung didn’t dispute that.
“I heard they’re changing the Seongha Group’s name too.”
“They should. Now they need to clean everything up, shake it all off, and be reborn anew.”
Once Eunseong disappears, everything will stabilize, and the group will stand again in the direction they want. They just needed to proceed as initially planned. For Eunseong’s sake, to bring Yoo Siwoon back to his senses, the only option was for them to separate—there was no other way.
“Even if not for Yoo Siwoon, we need to catch those escaped enforcers somehow. With their testimony, we could solve all the unsolved cases.”
Lee Joon-seung’s eyes gleamed as he made a fist-pumping gesture, suggesting they work hard together. Director Nam merely raised his hand weakly before putting it back down.
Despite foreseeing the pain Yoo Siwoon would experience, he resolved to proceed with the plan.
∞ ∞ ∞
“I think it’s time to reorganize the distribution affiliates and focus on core growth areas. According to the report review, they continue to show negative operating profits, and future performance is not expected to be significant.”
After a major personnel change, familiar faces were no longer seen at the executive meeting. There were even professional managers who didn’t know that the Seongha Group had any connection to the Yongse Pacheon Church.
“Particularly in the media sector, if we want to shift the business structure to focus on manufacturing, restructuring the distribution affiliates seems inevitable. Whether to establish a joint venture with Company T or pursue a strategic equity exchange—we need to decide which option is more advantageous before you go to Washington.”
“Everyone is rushing to build smart factories these days, and it doesn’t make sense for our Seongha to fall behind. It’s difficult to lead the market through strategic partnerships via equity exchanges. Establishing a joint venture seems like a more concrete alternative.”
All eyes in the conference room turned to Yoo Siwoon. Director Nam was watching this entire process with a sense of satisfaction. A rational and capable person was now officially beginning to manage Seongha.
“Then please prepare more realistic and specific cooperation plans with Company T based on these two options. Let’s also create an implementation plan for selling the existing offline distribution affiliates and discuss it again after I return from the business trip.”
Yoo Siwoon stood up first, indicating that the meeting was roughly concluded, and left the conference room. He passed by those waiting to greet him and headed straight for the elevator. Director Nam hurried after him.
“You just met the Financial Strategy Division Team Leader for the first time today. How about having a meal with him? We recruited him with great difficulty.”
“Later.”
“Where are you… going home?”
Yoo Siwoon tried to handle only essential tasks and return home as early as possible. Without answering, unable to hide his haste, he repeatedly pressed the elevator’s close button.
The date for Eunseong’s departure was approaching moment by moment. Director Nam deliberately avoided looking at him, facing forward instead, worried that his anxiety might show on his face.
Yoo Siwoon was already this anxious even with Eunseong under his protection; Director Nam was even more anxious because he couldn’t predict how Yoo Siwoon would react when Eunseong disappeared. Doubts and misgivings kept flooding in about whether taking Eunseong away from him was really the right thing to do.
“Do you have something to tell me?”
“What? No, it’s just that leaving early every day when work isn’t finished doesn’t look good to the employees… especially since it’s only been a few days since you became CEO.”
“It’s not like sales will increase just because I’m physically present at the company.”
“They will if you stay.”
“Please cut me some slack.”
Knowing full well what his situation was, Yoo Siwoon placed his hand on Director Nam’s shoulder and patted it lightly, as if asking why he would say such things.
As soon as the elevator doors opened at the underground parking garage, Yoo Siwoon stepped out first and gestured for Director Nam not to follow.
“You can stay instead of me, Director. I’ll go ahead.”
“You’re going alone? That’s not acceptable. Please wait a moment. You need to move with the security staff.”
With the Council of Elders’ enforcers on the run and their whereabouts unknown, plus the increasing number of enemies targeting him as he openly showed his intention to dismantle the Yongse Pacheon Church, the situation was tense.
Director Nam was more concerned than ever about his security. Yoo Siwoon pretended not to hear, quickly walked to his car, hopped into the driver’s seat, and drove off. After confirming that the waiting security guards were following his car, Director Nam exhaled another sigh, once again sinking into worry.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
