The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary-Chapter 127

“Ah, yes. It’s been all over the news. How could I not know?”

If something like that had happened to Ahn Ki-baek, it wouldn’t have made the 9 o’clock news, with the anchor delivering a stern critique, nor would it have heated up the internet. But because it was Taesung, built up by Kwon Lee Hyuk, the public was all over it, tearing it apart.

“Well, I guess that’s where his luck ran out. That’s why having too much isn’t always good. You have to know when to stop being greedy. If you take things moderately, you don’t get hurt when you lose.”

Ahn Ki-baek was quick to criticize Lee Hyuk, using the situation to praise his own approach. As he put a cigarette in his mouth, Kim Sung-han promptly offered him a lighter.

“Do you think Taesung will just sit by and do nothing? There’s something shady going on here.”

Ahn Ki-baek quietly exhaled smoke, the white cloud gathering in his field of vision before quickly dissipating.

“Knowing Kwon Lee Hyuk, he’s not the type to let things slide.”

Ahn Ki-baek didn’t bother correcting the notion that something sinister was afoot. After all, he had spent decades in the dirty, bloody underworld, so he wasn’t oblivious to the fact that this whole incident was a carefully crafted plot to bring down Taesung.

“But what can he do? He’s lying unconscious—there’s nothing he can do.”

Kim Sung-han nodded in agreement. The news had widely reported that Kwon Lee Hyuk was severely injured and hospitalized.

“I wonder what that secretary of his is doing.”

“You mean Chun Hyesung?”

“Yes.”

Ahn Ki-baek fell into deep thought. The relationship between Chun Hyesung and Kwon Lee Hyuk wasn’t something that could be explained as mere business partners. Even though Chun had said he was no longer with Taesung when he provided evidence of Kim Doo-sung’s misconduct, something must have happened, but Ahn Ki-baek didn’t care enough to dig into it.

Sure, it was possible that Chun Hyesung might step in, given that Kwon Lee Hyuk was in a critical condition, but that was as far as it went.

With Taesung’s corporate image severely damaged, what could a frail, fragile-looking guy like Chun Hyesung possibly do? Even if they appeared to be partners, the truth was that when one side becomes incapacitated, the other falls just as hard.

Chun Hyesung’s abilities were only valuable because of Kwon Lee Hyuk and Taesung. But now that Lee Hyuk was completely out of commission, his value had plummeted.

Just as Ahn Ki-baek was finishing his cigarette, he heard commotion outside. The secretary, who was supposed to be preparing the tea again, was urgently saying something about an unscheduled visit. The conversation quickly grew more frantic, with someone insisting that the visitor couldn’t be let in.

At that moment, the door swung open. Kim Sung-han instinctively raised his fist but stopped short.

“I told you, you can’t just barge in like this!”

“It’ll only take a moment. President Ahn Ki-baek! It’s Chun Hyesung.”

Ahn Ki-baek’s eyes widened as he sat behind Kim Sung-han. He tapped Kim on the shoulder, signaling him to step aside.

As his view cleared, there stood Chun Hyesung. The secretary, who had been trying to prepare the tea, was desperately trying to remove the uninvited guest, who had shown up without notice.

“I tried calling the number I had, but it said it was disconnected. I didn’t have time, so I came directly.”

Despite the secretary’s efforts to push him out, Hyesung stood his ground, holding onto the wall with a nonchalant expression. Ahn Ki-baek, who had just been thinking about Taesung and Chun Hyesung, couldn’t help but be taken aback.

“Well, this is surprising.”

Should he call it audacity or a lack of fear? Ahn Ki-baek let out a dry laugh. Now that he thought about it, when Hyesung had come to report on Kim Doo-sung’s misconduct, he had done the same thing. Without a single ally or any backing, Hyesung had boldly walked in, demanded what he wanted, and left with it cleanly.

“This is incredibly rude!”

Kim Sung-han, not expecting Hyesung’s sudden appearance, was momentarily stunned before shouting in anger.

But Hyesung didn’t back down and retorted immediately.

“Since when did this place care about manners? You think you were being polite when you busted my lip back at the hotel?”

“You crazy bastard…”

Kim Sung-han’s eyes flared with anger.

“Haha.”

Just then, Ahn Ki-baek burst into a hearty laugh. Kim Sung-han was about to move to take action, but Ahn Ki-baek stopped him.

“Leave him be.”

The secretary, who had been sweating bullets, looked relieved as he left the room. Now free from being restrained, Hyesung let out a deep breath, then walked over and casually sat down diagonally across from Ahn Ki-baek.

Kim Sung-han’s face twisted in displeasure, but since the president had given his permission, there wasn’t much he could do. He simply glared daggers at Hyesung, warning him with his eyes not to make any foolish moves.

“If you were going to let me in, you could’ve done so earlier,” Hyesung grumbled as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“You little…!”

“Kim, let it go.”

At Ahn Ki-baek’s words, Kim Sung-han reluctantly settled back into his seat.

“So, should I offer you some tea?”

“I’m not that shameless. I didn’t come here to chat over tea.”

I don’t have time for that. Hyesung spoke bluntly and rapidly. At this point, it was hard to tell who was more stubborn—the intruder or the one allowing the intrusion.

“So, what’s this about? You’d better start talking while I’m still in a good mood.”

“I’m here to give you a chance to repay a debt.”

Both Kim Sung-han and Ahn Ki-baek froze at the unexpected words.

“I gave you the evidence of Kim Doo-sung’s corruption, didn’t I? You managed to clean up a failing business with that.”

“And in return, I think I let one of your people off the hook.”

“True, but that was a small price compared to what you gained.”

“So you’re here to collect on that debt now? You’ve got some nerve, but you should know who you’re dealing with before you start making demands.”

Ahn Ki-baek’s tone suddenly grew cold. The man who had been chuckling as if watching an amusing play now had a fierce look in his eyes, ready to crush someone. He was giving Hyesung a fair warning. Even Kim Sung-han felt a chill run down his spine when he saw that expression.

Honestly, when Hyesung first approached them about Kim Doo-sung’s case, they had been willing to play along because there was something to be gained and they wanted to resolve the issue quickly.

But now, there was no reason to accommodate him. It would be almost natural for Hyesung to get scared and back off at this point.

Kim Sung-han looked at Hyesung, expecting him to cower. But to his surprise, Hyesung just blinked his large eyes, showing no sign of fear. Ahn Ki-baek seemed to notice this too, so he spoke up again.

“I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss, Chun Hyesung, but let me give you some advice out of old friendship: stop messing around. I’ve heard that Kwon Lee Hyuk’s luck has run out, so why are you still running around like this?”

“Yes. Let’s forget about the debt.”

Kim Sung-han instinctively nodded. Finally, it seemed like Hyesung had understood the situation.

“Since you mentioned old ties, let me make a formal request.”

What? Kim Sung-han’s eyes widened in confusion. Something felt off. The conversation seemed to be going in circles, like shouting at a wall.

Ahn Ki-baek was just as surprised; his hand, which had been reaching for another cigarette, froze mid-air.

“Please help me. I need information.”

At that moment, both Kim Sung-han and Ahn Ki-baek began to realize something. From the start, Chun Hyesung hadn’t come here to listen to anyone else. The moment they understood that Hyesung was the type to bulldoze his way through to get what he wanted, Kim Sung-han had a thought.

‘This guy’s a real lunatic.’

Were all the people at Taesung like this? Even as he thought this, Hyesung’s mouth didn’t stop.

“Do you really think my boss’s luck has run out?”

“…”

“I’m sorry, but my boss, and Taesung, didn’t get to where they are just by luck.”

“So, why are you here?”

“I need to resolve this situation. And to do that, I need information.”

Without realizing it, Ahn Ki-baek had been drawn into Hyesung’s pace. Kim Sung-han, who had been thinking about how to get rid of this impudent brat, was now curious about what Hyesung would say next.

“You know the Yushinpa, don’t you?”

Ahn Ki-baek’s eyes narrowed.

“Tell me everything you know about that organization.”