The Country Life Diary of a Gangster's Secretary-Chapter 132

As Hyesung quickly pondered how they could get through it, a hand suddenly pressed down on his head from above.

Seong-han was pushing Hyesung’s head down, urging him to stay low. Frowning, Hyesung glared up at him, but Seong-han simply made a “shh” sound and pointed in a direction.

“Damn, why do I have to patrol here? Who’s going to attack this place anyway?”

A man in a black suit with a shaved head was walking in their direction, yawning widely. Although Hyesung didn’t like to judge people by their appearance, this man screamed “gangster” from head to toe. His blackened thumb was a clear indication that he was a member of Yushin.

As the man passed in front of the bushes where they were hiding, Seong-han suddenly sprang out. Before the man could react, Seong-han wrapped his left arm around the man’s neck from behind.

“Ugh… What… who are you…”

Seong-han used his free right arm to apply more pressure, causing the man to roll his eyes back. The man’s feet scraped against the dirt as he struggled in pain, but within moments, his body went limp.

Seong-han hoisted the large man onto his back and carried him back into the bushes where Hyesung was hiding.

“You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“I just knocked him out.”

Seong-han shot Hyesung a brief, contemptuous look before searching the unconscious man’s pockets. He eventually found a key in the man’s back pants pocket.

“Since he was patrolling to keep watch, I figured he’d have the key.”

“…I must say, you’re quite helpful.”

“Hey, why do you call me ‘Mister’? How about calling me ‘Hyung’ instead?”

“No thanks. Let’s go.”

After pushing the unconscious man further into the bushes to keep him hidden, the two of them unlocked the padlock and slipped inside.

It was 9:10 p.m. when they entered. They had some time to spare, but they couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

Seong-han tapped Hyesung’s shoulder and pointed to his phone, then made an “X” with his arms. Hyesung understood immediately and turned his phone to silent mode.

The interior was filled with a musty odor. It seemed like an old building, and there was also a strong smell of stale cigarette smoke. Hyesung wrinkled his nose in distaste. The lighting inside was dim, with many of the bulbs either broken or flickering.

The interior was as simple as the exterior. The hallway stretched out in a straight line, with a short passage leading to the main entrance. On either side of the passage were two rooms—two on the left and two on the right.

Fortunately, it seemed like there was no one else inside. The only guard appeared to be the man that Seong-han had just dealt with.

It felt like security was pretty lax, but considering the remote location, it made sense. The place was so isolated that they likely didn’t see a need for tighter security. Either that, or they never anticipated that anyone would dare break in.

“Let’s split up and search. We have until 10 p.m., but there’s no telling when they might come back. If you find anything, send me a message. And if you get caught by someone…”

Seong-han looked Hyesung up and down. The guy was pretty, but he didn’t look very strong. With his slim build, it seemed like one hit would knock him out cold.

“…just do whatever you can to escape.”

A strange sense of foreboding crept over Seong-han. It wasn’t about whether they’d succeed, but rather a nagging fear that if this fragile-looking guy got seriously hurt, Ahn Ki-baek’s warning might come true—Kwon Yi-hyuk might actually kill him.

“Understood.”

Seong-han sighed. It was impressive how calmly Hyesung nodded, as if he wasn’t afraid at all. He seemed truly fearless—or perhaps he simply didn’t know how to be afraid.

When Hyesung had first shown up alone with evidence of Kim Doo-seong’s corruption, Seong-han had thought it was just youthful ignorance, a lack of fear.

But over time, he realized something else: this guy had a different kind of guts. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel fear, but that he was determined to do whatever it took, no matter how dangerous or terrifying. His resolve and persistence were on a different level from most people.

He was someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, acting relentlessly until he succeeded.

“You check the rooms on the left, and I’ll check the ones on the right.”

With that, they split up. Hyesung entered the closest room. A large, worn leather sofa sat in the center, and in front of it was an old TV that looked ancient. The metal bookshelf next to it was filled with various comic books haphazardly arranged.

Judging by the setup, this seemed to be a lounge or break room for the gang members. The table between the sofas was littered with half-eaten snacks and empty liquor bottles.

Hyesung looked away from the mess and headed to the bookshelf. If there were any records, this might be the best place to find them.

‘It’s like something out of a spy movie.’

As he rummaged through the bookshelf, the thought crossed his mind. Sneaking into someone else’s space, trying to find what he needed while the occupants were away—it was a common trope in espionage films. He never imagined he’d find himself in such a situation.

Then again, nothing about his life since meeting Yi-hyuk had been normal. Even so, he didn’t think he could do this a second time. Every little noise made his heart jump, and the tension caused him to sweat profusely.

“There’s nothing…”

Unfortunately, the bookshelf held no useful evidence. Just old comic books and a few adult magazines.

Without lingering, Hyesung moved to the next room. The door to this room was larger, and when he opened it, the atmosphere inside was noticeably different. Unlike the previous room, which was filled with old, dirty items, this one was more orderly. The layout was the same—a sofa in the middle, with a newer TV and a laptop nearby. There was also a bookshelf, but this one had a large desk beside it.

Hyesung had a hunch. This room probably belonged to someone higher up in the organization. The lack of wear and tear on the furniture was the biggest clue. He recalled that during the Taesung gang days, Yi-hyuk’s belongings were always better than those of the other members.

His pace quickened. If his hunch was right, this room had the highest chance of containing the evidence he needed.

He checked the bookshelf first, but there were no ledgers or records. Without wasting time, he turned to the desk. On top were just the laptop, an ashtray filled with cigarette butts, and some empty cigarette packs.

Next, he turned his attention to the drawers.

Hyesung crouched down and started searching through them. The bottom drawer was nearly empty, containing only a few cables that probably connected to the laptop. But when he opened the second drawer, he was startled.

Neatly arranged inside were several small and large knives that looked like they were meant for stabbing. Hyesung carefully closed the drawer and opened the top one.

“What’s this…”

Inside the top drawer was an old bankbook, sealed in a ziplock bag. Without hesitation, Hyesung pulled it out and checked the contents. There were several large transactions recorded at regular intervals.

Most recently, nearly 50 million won had been deposited. Coincidentally, this was the day after Yi-hyuk had been attacked.

There was only one reason Jung Se-jin could control the gangsters so easily: money. And the reason Yushin obeyed him was likely similar. Money was their most valuable bargaining chip.

If the source of these funds was investigated, it would undoubtedly lead to something. Hyesung quickly stuffed the bankbook into his inner pocket. As he did, something fell out of the ziplock bag with a soft thud. It was a USB drive.

“...”

He suddenly remembered how Choi Seong-chan had stored evidence of corruption on a USB. Hyesung, almost in a trance, picked it up. The laptop on the desk caught his eye. He reached for it.

Click.

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At that moment, a chilling sound reached his ears. It was the sound of someone outside turning the doorknob.