The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary-Chapter 120
In the dim light, Lee Hyuk and Choi Sungchan sat facing each other. Soon, drinks were served on the table. Lee Hyuk watched indifferently as the expensive whiskey and appetizers were set before them.
“I was quite surprised when I received your call,” Choi Sungchan said, filling Lee Hyuk’s glass with the amber liquid, which filled the transparent glass to the brim. The clinking of the ice echoed softly in the quiet room.
“I didn’t expect the CEO to initiate a drinking session,” he continued.
Lee Hyuk wasn’t one to set up private meetings with the company’s executives. The only exception was the occasional company dinner, where everyone gathered together. Aside from Sungjin, who had a long-standing relationship with him, this was the first time, as far as Sungchan knew, that Lee Hyuk had called someone for a private meeting like this.
“Well, that’s true. But I thought it was necessary to have a conversation with you, Executive Director Choi.”
Lee Hyuk stared at his glass as Sungchan filled his own and raised it. The two glasses clinked together with a crisp sound.
Lee Hyuk took just one sip before setting his glass down.
“It seems you’ve indeed cut back on drinking these days,” Choi observed, his gaze sharp.
“Yes. As I mentioned before, I feel the need to take better care of myself.”
Lee Hyuk gave a hollow smile. The reason he felt the need to take care of himself was entirely due to Hyesung. Hyesung generally avoided anything harmful or unhealthy for his body.
Among these, smoking was the top offender, and while he believed that drinking alcohol could sometimes be a good way to relieve stress, it was still something he considered harmful. To avoid being disliked by his young lover, Lee Hyuk had to make an effort.
“Executive Director Choi.”
Lee Hyuk’s tone shifted slightly.
“Have you been having any difficulties at work lately?”
It was an unusual question coming from Lee Hyuk. If the former gang members had seen this side of him, they might have been shocked. But now, Lee Hyuk was a CEO, responsible for running a company and ensuring the livelihoods of many employees.
In the past, he had been too blinded by success and money to think about such things, but not anymore. Since meeting Hyesung and experiencing what he had, Lee Hyuk had changed.
So, it could be said that him sitting here, ready to listen to the grievances of a key executive, was an extension of that change.
“It’s surprising to hear you ask that, CEO…”
Lee Hyuk knew that Executive Director Choi was fairly competent at his job. He was someone who performed his duties adequately and occasionally achieved remarkable results. Moreover, he had a long tenure at Taesung. This was the main reason, as Sungjin had mentioned, that Lee Hyuk couldn’t just fire him outright.
If he were to abruptly dismiss a long-serving executive, it would undoubtedly cause unrest within the company. But even so, Lee Hyuk had arranged this meeting because he knew that Choi was quite ambitious.
It was that ambition that had allowed him to rise from being a regular employee to the position of Executive Director.
“May I ask why you’re asking me this?”
“…”
Their eyes met in the air, and after a brief silence, Lee Hyuk spoke first.
“To be honest, I’ve heard that you’ve been meeting with the other executives in private lately. I also get the feeling that you’ve been more ambitious in your work than before.”
Lee Hyuk was straightforward. After all, Choi was likely aware that Lee Hyuk wouldn’t have arranged this meeting for no reason.
“The meetings with the other executives… were purely for camaraderie. And as for the ambition you mentioned, I would say it’s all for the sake of Taesung.”
“So, you have no complaints about your work at the company?”
“...That’s correct.”
Lee Hyuk caught the slight hesitation in Choi’s response. No matter how good someone was at lying, their body would still give away signals.
For example, the overly forced smile he kept maintaining, or the exaggerated gestures that were more animated than usual. There was also the overly cautious tone, filled with generic phrases meant to gloss over the situation.
“Understood.”
Lee Hyuk nodded.
“I hope your dedication to Taesung remains unchanged.”
He brought the glass to his lips, but his eyes remained sharp, fixed on his counterpart. Choi flinched. The gaze Lee Hyuk directed at him was that of a fierce predator, capable of devouring its prey at any moment.
It was the gaze of someone who, even with his prey in sight, didn’t rush to attack, confident in his ability to strike whenever he chose. It was a warning: stay on your guard, because I can destroy you at any moment.
Choi clenched his glass tightly. He realized that this meeting wasn’t just about the idealistic and noble purpose of addressing the concerns and thoughts of key executives. It was also a warning that if he tried anything foolish, there wouldn’t be a second chance.
If Choi had been honest and confessed everything here, Lee Hyuk might have offered a solution. But Choi had chosen to turn away from him entirely, and Lee Hyuk likely sensed that there were other schemes at play.
Yet, the reason Lee Hyuk was giving only a quiet threat instead of taking action was because he had the confidence that he could eliminate his opponent whenever he wanted.
“You’re absolutely right.”
Choi detested the smug confidence of someone who ruled at the top of the food chain. The old adage that his rise from a mere employee to Executive Director was something to be envied was just that—an old story.
No matter how successful he was, he could never hope to defeat someone like Lee Hyuk, who was born to lead. The reality was that he would always be rolling in the dirt at the feet of someone like him.
Perhaps that was why Choi’s resolve grew even stronger. He wanted to bring down that leader, to give that arrogant predator, who crushed people with his superiority and offered stern warnings, a taste of his own medicine.
“I’ll just excuse myself to the restroom for a moment.”
Lee Hyuk nodded. Left alone in the room, he immediately took out his phone. Just then, a sudden wave of dizziness hit, causing his vision to blur.
“Whew.”
Perhaps it was the strong alcohol he hadn’t had in a while. Lee Hyuk shook his head once and opened the chat window with Hyesung.
“Mister, make sure you eat dinner. I’m going to make omurice tonight.”
“So cute.”
He’s always eating simple things like that. It seemed he had safely returned home. Lee Hyuk had been worried that Hyesung might be angry after being pushed too hard the previous night, but fortunately, he didn’t seem upset.
Lee Hyuk chuckled and was about to reply when he noticed that his hand was trembling.
His breathing became a bit labored. The dizziness worsened, and he realized that it wasn’t just the effects of alcohol.
Sensing that something was wrong, Lee Hyuk irritably ran his hand through his hair, trying to steady his racing heartbeat.
Knock, knock.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Despite his ongoing symptoms, Lee Hyuk turned his head sharply.
If it were Choi, he would have just opened the door and walked in. Was it a staff member? But he hadn’t ordered anything.
Something felt off. He had a bad feeling about this.
Before Lee Hyuk could say anything, the door slowly opened.
It was as if the knock had been meaningless to begin with. Someone entered through the gradually widening door.
“Wow, what the f***.”
The crude expletive came out before Lee Hyuk’s head slowly rose. The scene before him was beyond comprehension. The person standing there was neither Executive Director Choi nor a staff member.
“Long time no see, Kwon Lee Hyuk, you son of a b****.”
A man with a short buzz cut, standing at least 190 centimeters tall, held a long object that didn’t suit the venue. The most noticeable feature was a deep scar running from his right temple down to his jaw. There was also a deep stab wound on the back of his right hand. And one more thing…
“Surely, you haven’t forgotten me?”
The man waggled his thumb, showing that his fingernail was dyed black.
“Oh, right.”
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
Lee Hyuk clutched his throbbing head, biting his lip.
Even in his dazed state, he realized something was seriously wrong and that Choi had indeed been plotting something.
“Who was it again?”
As the man stepped inside, several large men followed, one after the other. They each carried threatening weapons.
“Yuseongpa… was it?”
Lee Hyuk smirked, and the man’s face contorted in anger.
“It’s Yushinpa, you f***ing bastard! You’re going to die here today!”
The man’s booming voice reverberated through the room. With that shout, the men who had gathered like a swarm at the door stormed into the room.
Lee Hyuk gritted his teeth. Despite the pounding headache, he forced his eyes open and instinctively reached for the whiskey bottle on the table, turning to face the approaching men.
At that moment, Lee Hyuk’s phone slipped from his hand and fell under the table.
On the phone, the chat with Hyesung was still open, with his reply yet to be sent.
