Chapter 86
You were scared, weren’t you? Why are you talking like that?
Seeing Hyeon-woo looking so pitiful, Ju-on unconsciously pulled him into an embrace.
He held Hyeon-woo for a long time, sharing warmth until the trembling subsided. Ju-on felt something hot swirling in his chest as he watched Hyeon-woo, who he expected to struggle and demand to be released immediately, quietly accept the embrace and find stability in an uncharacteristic manner.
Ju-on gave Hyeon-woo his padded jacket to wear, as Hyeon-woo’s coat and t-shirt were all ruined. Ju-on tightly grasped Hyeon-woo’s hand, which still had some residual trembling even though the major convulsions had subsided. Hyeon-woo, startled by the warmth, tried to pull his hand away, but Ju-on held on even more firmly.
They walked silently to the house, following the yellow streetlights.
Only after entering the house did Hyeon-woo’s trembling completely stop. Ju-on sat Hyeon-woo at the dining table after he had washed up and offered him a warm cup of cocoa. Hyeon-woo’s eyes widened, looking at Ju-on as if surprised by his thoughtful gesture.
“Drink it while it’s warm.”
Ju-on’s earlobes were red as he handed over the mug. Hyeon-woo, who Ju-on expected to ignore him and disappear into his room as usual, quietly accepted the mug. Then he started sipping the cocoa. It was cute how his small, upturned nose dipped into the mug each time he took a sip.
Ju-on’s face, which had been looking at Hyeon-woo with shimmering eyes, gradually began to cloud over.
“…Haah.”
Ju-on let out a deep sigh and buried his face in his hands.
“How am I going to face Tae-geon hyung now.”
At this quiet mumble, Hyeon-woo’s hand holding the mug suddenly froze. Unaware of Hyeon-woo’s reaction, Ju-on murmured in a diminishing voice.
“…He’ll be disappointed…”
“……”
Hyeon-woo’s eyes, which had been looking at Ju-on, flashed.
Ju-on, sensing something odd, lifted his head from his palms, but Hyeon-woo in front of him wore the same expression as always.
“Tae-geon asked you to look after me, didn’t he?”
“…Huh?”
Ju-on made a dumbfounded expression at the unexpected question.
“Is that why you came every day? To play with me?”
“…W-well, not exactly…”
“……”
“Anyway, hyung is really worried about you-”
Clank-!
Hyeon-woo cut off Ju-on’s words by roughly setting down his cup on the table and stood up.
“Thanks for the drink.”
Saying this, Hyeon-woo turned around with a somewhat fierce air. Ju-on felt an inexplicable uneasiness as he watched Hyeon-woo’s back disappearing into the room. He picked up the mug Hyeon-woo had left unfinished to clean up. The cocoa, barely diminished, swirled precariously inside.
*
“Young master, I’m here to pick you up.”
Driver Choi, who had been waiting in the parking lot, spotted Tae-geon and greeted him as he ran over.
Tae-geon’s face, leaving work after midnight, looked haggard like someone who hadn’t slept properly for days.
“I think I’ve mentioned before that there’s no need to wait.”
“……”
“I’ll take my own car, so don’t wait until this hour from now on.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And how long are you going to keep calling me ‘young master’? Have you forgotten this is the company?”
“I’m sorry, young mas… Director.”
“……”
“It’s still unfamiliar…”
“…Well, I suppose it’s a title that’s hard to get used to no matter how often you hear it. You can go home first.”
“Yes, Director. Have a good night.”
After watching Driver Choi’s sedan leave the parking lot from the corner of his eye, Tae-geon took out his car keys. Employees who had been assisting him since childhood often made such mistakes with titles at the company.
While it was common for alpha families to inherit the family business for generations, and he had expected to receive a title sooner or later, the position of director was too sudden. If even he felt this way, how much more so for the employees.
Beep beep-.
Tae-geon got into the high-end foreign car flashing its red headlights and tossed the document envelope he was holding onto the passenger seat.
A thick file labeled ‘Component Detection Result Report’ fell onto the seat with a heavy thud.
A terrible fatigue washed over him. Tae-geon rubbed his rough face with one hand.
‘Pianin’ was detected in the illegal drug suppressants. It was a drug that, as the main ingredient in all existing commercial suppressants, provided excellent pain relief but caused fatal side effects in omega bodies when taken long-term.
The company monopolizing the production of this pianin and supplying it cheaply worldwide was the American pharmaceutical giant ‘Biobak’. Not only pianin but also several key raw pharmaceutical ingredients were produced by Biobak, so pharmaceutical companies worldwide were too wary of Biobak to dare develop high-quality suppressants.
Instead, they focused their investments on profitable anticancer drugs and immunosuppressants, which, coincidentally, were needed to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases that were the main causes of death for omegas who had been taking suppressants long-term.
Knowing the nature of the pharmaceutical industry that coexists with disease better than anyone, Tae-geon didn’t feel much emotion about this rotten corruption, but after Hyeon-woo manifested as an omega, Tae-geon experienced his world turning 180 degrees. He couldn’t just stand by and let Hyeon-woo become a sacrificial lamb for the cartel.
The first task he chose was to develop a high-quality suppressant. A powerful yet harmless suppressant that would be safe from side effects and could fully guarantee physical self-determination from alphas.
Creating a suppressant that would be the cornerstone of a world where omegas would no longer be treated unfairly just for being omegas had become Tae-geon’s long-cherished wish.
Sitting in the driver’s seat and rubbing his forehead, Tae-geon took out his phone from his pocket and called Secretary Kim.
*
Secretary Kim, frowning at the ringtone that interrupted his deep sleep, fumbled with sleepy hands for the phone by his bedside and answered.
“…Hello.”
-This is Choi Tae-geon.
“Yes, Director. Please go ahead.”
Secretary Kim’s voice suddenly filled with tension as he bolted upright.
It was only a few months ago that all employees had been snorting and complaining about the news that the hidden son of the group’s chairman was being appointed as a director.
That morning, while waiting for the elevator in the lobby, Secretary Kim had unintentionally overheard gossip about the young director he was to assist starting that day.
He had been worried enough already.
Why did I have to be assigned to assist this high school graduate who hasn’t even finished college? Do I have to teach him how to read financial statements? With the internal opinion so unfavorable, he had been feeling depressed about potentially being lumped together and disliked, when he suddenly realized the surroundings had gone quiet.
Raising his head in confusion, Secretary Kim saw an unfamiliar figure approaching from the far end of the lobby.
From the broad shoulders to the slim waistline, the well-fitted suit flowed sleekly along the balanced body, exuding nobility. The languid gait of the long, slender legs below firm thighs was so sensual it seemed unreal, like a scene from a movie.
Secretary Kim immediately recognized that this person was the rumored new director he would be assisting.
Secretary Kim had a hellish time for a while, trying to answer Tae-geon’s sharp questions as he meticulously reviewed audit reports, shareholder lists, various contracts, and legal risks without missing anything.
Soon after, a sudden internal investigation was launched by the Audit Office. While all departments went through a rough patch, the Compliance Team in charge of legal matters and the Finance Team managing funds underwent such extensive personnel changes that their organizations were restructured.
Due to some unknown entity within the Audit Office accurately pinpointing corruption and embezzlement based solely on the sources and flows of funds, regardless of whether they were foreign exchange, bonds, or bills, the heads of each department who had failed to uncover these issues in advance were swiftly removed.
Secretary Kim, who seemed to know the identity of this veiled entity, kept his mouth tightly shut and was careful in his conduct. At the same time, he wondered if not just him, but everyone else had already noticed as well.
The new director’s sharpness in selecting only the most sensitive areas for each proposal, enough to call board meetings, was beyond ordinary. Secretary Kim was truly amazed at how Tae-geon could accurately point out internal rot that would have slowly festered and eventually eaten away at the company’s own flesh, in such a short time.
The old men who had looked down on Tae-geon as a useless kid whose ink wasn’t even dry were now bowing their heads and groveling at the mere sight of Tae-geon’s face.
Secretary Kim was genuinely ashamed of his past self who had complained about being assigned to assist a mere child.
-I’m sorry for the late hour, Secretary Kim. Do you remember the request I made earlier about analyzing the components of narcotic suppressants?
Secretary Kim swallowed dryly at Tae-geon’s voice coming through the phone. What was he planning to stir up this time? Secretary Kim replied with an uneasy voice.
“Yes, I remember.”
-I received the results report today. Pianin was detected in some of the drugs. Weren’t we exclusively managing the domestic distribution of pianin?
“Yes, that’s correct. We are managing it through an exclusive contract with Biobak.”
-…
“…Should we initiate an investigation into the leakage route?”
-…
Secretary Kim calmly waited as Tae-geon remained silent. His heart raced every time he faced Tae-geon’s silences like this. If a board meeting were to be called over this matter, it was certain that the old men would once again be grabbing the backs of their necks and collapsing.
