The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary-Chapter 123
Hyesung woke up the next day just before 9 a.m. A nurse had gently awakened him after noticing that he had fallen asleep in a chair outside the ICU. Hyesung hadn’t slept at all during the night, spending the entire time crying outside Lee Hyuk’s room. Sungjin had checked in on him several times, urging him to go home, but Hyesung had stubbornly refused.
The nurses and other visitors in the hospital, aware of the pain of simply watching a loved one lying in a hospital bed, chose to ignore Hyesung’s distress out of respect.
It seemed that he had dozed off for just a moment. The last time he checked the clock, it was 6 a.m., so he had only slept for about three hours.
Hyesung instinctively checked on Lee Hyuk’s condition before turning on his phone. There was a message from Sungjin saying that he had to leave early for work.
And just below that was another message from Dohyun.
[Hyesung, did you see the news...? Is it about the CEO? What’s happening?]
The news? Suddenly, Hyesung was wide awake. There was a link to a news article that Dohyun had sent. Hyesung quickly clicked on it.
[Gang Violence Incident at Gangnam Bar: Construction Company CEO Involved?]
Hyesung’s eyes darted rapidly across the screen as he read. The article detailed the violent incident that had occurred at the bar where Lee Hyuk had been the previous night. It reported that notorious gang members had caused the violence, and one of the instigators was the CEO of a construction company.
While the article didn’t explicitly name the CEO, the information provided left little doubt that it was pointing to Taesung. The comments section was filled with sharp criticism, speculating that the CEO in question was from Taesung and mentioning that the company was already known for its gangster connections.
Hyesung abruptly stood up, his movements hurried as he dialed Sungjin’s number.
A sense of unease crept in. While it was no surprise that a violent incident in the heart of Gangnam would make headlines, everything seemed to be unfolding too quickly.
Sungjin would have likely tried to prevent the news from spreading so fast, but here it was, not only making the news but also directly implicating Lee Hyuk.
“Why isn’t he answering...?”
Hyesung’s frustration grew as he hurried down to the hospital lobby, intending to head to Taesung himself. When he reached the lobby, he noticed a crowd of patients and visitors who had started their day early, all gathered around a large TV in the center of the room.
[And now, the next story. Gang violence continues to plague society, with yet another incident last night in a bar in Gangnam. Even more shocking is that one of the key instigators is Kwon, the CEO of Taesung Construction. Regarding this matter...]
Hyesung’s steps came to an abrupt halt. His head instinctively turned toward the TV, which was showing the 9 a.m. news on a major broadcast channel. The screen shifted to a reporter standing in front of a bar, speaking with a serious expression.
[The incident occurred around midnight. It is reported that Kwon, the CEO of Taesung Construction, had a confrontation with a notorious gang leader at this location, with whom he had a longstanding feud. The result was chaos inside the bar, as you can see. The area is still covered in bloodstains that haven’t yet been cleaned.]
Although most of the footage was blurred, it was clear that the interior of the bar was in complete disarray.
[The situation is even more concerning because several employees of the bar sustained injuries, and a Taesung Construction executive who tried to intervene also suffered serious injuries.]
The reporter handed the microphone to someone who appeared to be an employee of the bar. The man, recalling the events of the previous night, said he was terrified and that his coworkers were also injured and had been taken to the hospital.
[The individual responsible for this incident, Mr. Kwon, is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for severe injuries.]
The screen then returned to the news anchor, who looked somberly at the camera.
[It’s disheartening to see how violence continues to escalate in our society. What’s even more troubling is that someone who should be setting an example as the head of a company is involved in such an incident. The public is understandably outraged by this situation...]
It was an outright condemnation.
Lee Hyuk was the clear victim in all of this, but to anyone watching the news, it seemed as if he was the aggressor.
“What a world we live in... This is just ridiculous. First, it was that congressman a few days ago, and now a company CEO? The rich are the worst.”
“Just look at him. A gangster, through and through.”
“Granny, didn’t you know? Taesung Construction is famous for being a gangster company.”
“Old habits die hard. You can’t stop a thug from throwing punches.”
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“Yeah, once a thug, always a thug.”
The people gathered around the TV began to hurl insults at Lee Hyuk. No one was criticizing the gang members involved in the incident.
Lee Hyuk, who was simply a victim in all of this, who was now fighting for his life after being stabbed, was already being painted as someone who hadn’t shed his old ways, as a man still drenched in bloodlust, throwing punches without a second thought.
“...”
Hyesung felt a strange calmness wash over him, as if his heart, which had been pounding furiously, suddenly steadied. The dizzying thoughts in his mind cleared, and the trembling that had consumed his body ceased.
He pulled out his phone and opened the news portal.
[Taesung Construction CEO Involved in Violent Incident.]
[Is Taesung Really a Gangster Company?]
[Taesung in Crisis? More Companies Withdraw from Contracts Amid Public Backlash.]
The articles had already flooded the internet, as if they had been prepared in advance, all painting Taesung in a negative light.
It felt like watching a well-rehearsed play, with eager actors performing on a carefully crafted stage, all designed to captivate and provoke the public.
Hyesung finally began to understand where this was all coming from. There’s a saying that extreme shock can sometimes bring a person to an eerie calm, and that was exactly what Hyesung was experiencing.
What good would it do to shout at the people gathered there that Taesung wasn’t that kind of company, that Lee Hyuk wasn’t that kind of person? Who would believe him? He would be lucky not to be labeled as crazy.
Hyesung’s phone rang. It was Sungjin. Suddenly, he recalled something Dohyun had said before.
“But Hyesung, I’m curious. If you’re meeting with the CEO again, does that mean you’re going back to Taesung?”
Going back? Was that really the right way to put it? Despite leaving out of fear after his Omega traits manifested, Hyesung couldn’t resist Lee Hyuk, who had even moved into the house next door. He probably never could have.
Thinking of himself as separate from Lee Hyuk was something Hyesung realized he could never do.
After his parents died, Hyesung had only dreamed of living a successful and righteous life.
So it was only natural that he would idolize someone like Lee Hyuk, who never stopped striving for the top.
Meeting that idol had brought moisture to his dry life. Hyesung loved Lee Hyuk, but the feelings he had for him weren’t just love. He admired and revered him. If that too was a form of love, Hyesung would gladly label it as such.
“Yes, Director. Are you at the office?”
Hyesung’s voice, though calm, was clear when he answered the call.
“Is it alright if I come by?”
Whether he returned to Taesung or not wasn’t the important issue. What Hyesung had to do was already clear.
“Yes, I’d like to help resolve this situation.”
After finishing the call with Sungjin, Hyesung exhaled slowly. His steps as he walked out of the hospital were filled with determination.
The morning news that Hyesung had watched was playing everywhere. It was on in the hospital lobby, on the phones of people walking down the street, and even in the restaurant where Hyesung and Lee Hyuk had once eaten ox bone soup together.
And it was also playing in the executive office of Daehyeon Construction.
“The companies that had placed orders with Taesung Construction are now asking to cancel their contracts. The public reaction is also quite severe.”
“As expected.”
Sejin’s voice was as calm as ever as he watched the TV. His secretary, who was standing beside him, was trying to gauge his mood.
“The idea that a company only needs to do its job well is outdated. Only old-fashioned fools think that way. These days, what’s most important is a company’s public image. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes… I do.”
The secretary nodded.
“While it’s not an essential factor in running a company, it certainly plays a significant role as an auxiliary measure.”
The screen’s light flickered in Sejin’s eyes as the reporter mentioned that Lee Hyuk had been hospitalized with serious injuries.
“Ah, he should have just died. That would have been the best outcome. I guess those Yushin bastards have lost their edge.”
Hearing Sejin’s words, the secretary could only tighten his grip on the tablet he was holding. If he didn’t, he feared his hands would start trembling uncontrollably.
“You’ll hurt my feelings if you talk like that, Director.”
A voice came from Sejin’s diagonal side. The large man sitting there had a massive scar running down the right side of his face. The secretary lowered his head even further.
