“Yes. I’ll open a store or do something with the money I’ve made so far and live as a father. He threatened me.”

Without asking any further questions, without saying anything, without crying, La Jin just froze like ice.

He promised to be a father who raised a daughter preciously, beautifully, doing whatever she wanted. The old promise of the stepfather who was nowhere in this world flowed through the chairman’s mouth.

“A quiet person comes out so forcefully; can I endure it? I promised never to mention Yujun again.”

But destiny, no matter how resisted, doesn’t change, and the chairman sighed softly.

“I have no face to see torture.”

“Chairman, I am. I’m really not with Deputy Director.”

“I understand, I know. Still, who can endure Yujun’s personality? Let’s try to think in a better direction for each other.”
Insisting on the wrong answer as the right answer was driving La Jin crazy. Unable to endure any longer, La Jin stood up from her seat.

“I will live as my father wishes… doing what I want.”

With those words, La Jin bowed to the chairman.

“I will go first. Chairman.”

Without hesitation, tears fell from La Jin’s eyes as she turned away.

It was an ordinary morning, no different from usual.

If anything had changed, it would be the seized items spread out like treasures on Jiho’s desk. Of course, they were things taken from Oh Jong-hyuk’s house and warehouse.

Among them, what caught Jiho’s attention were three USBs found on the kitchen floor. They contained evidence of a large investment flowing into the wrong places. Each one was detailed and contained unnecessary information.

What was this? A precautionary measure in case Oh Jong-hyuk was rejected by Kim Yujun? No, perhaps it was more like a threat.

“If we summon Kim Yujun based on the evidence from the USB… What’s this?”

Jiho poked at the seized items found in the laundry room while muttering.

On the day of the search and seizure, when the fake drain was opened, a small notebook and a key to a bank safe deposit box were attached under a plastic plate. Seeing that the tape was undamaged, Oh Jong-hyuk probably didn’t know about it.

Well, since Oh Jong-gyu died unexpectedly, there was no chance to tell his son about the secret. Moreover, Oh Jong-hyuk would have had no reason to go near the washing machine.

As Jiho flicked through the notebook the length of his finger, a musty smell spread in all directions.

The notes inside. Kim Ki-tae chairman’s troublesome private life, multiple account numbers, and Kim Yujun’s suspicious activities were written inside.

Especially irritating to Jiho was something separate.

In great pain, Oh Jong-gyu’s normally neat writing suddenly became crooked. Suddenly, the note from La Jin’s mother’s diary came to mind.

The story of Yujun hearing, Chairman Kim Ki-tae’s slush fund, the threat to Oh Jong-gyu. And then, a midnight traffic accident a few months later…

“Something is there.”

At first, he dismissed it as a professional paranoia.

However, Oh Jong-gyu’s notebook ignited Jiho’s suspicion.

To attribute it to a coincidental accident, there were significant casualties, and the timing was quite peculiar. At that time, Kim Yujun had massively acquired Myungjin shares. Yet, in the current situation where 24 hours were insufficient, it was impossible to delve into events that occurred several years ago.

The incident was only beneath the surface, not disappearing. When digging into the past, it was better to prioritize a special investigation first.
“In the morning, send a summons to Kim Yujun.”

Jiho muttered to himself like briefing the day’s schedule.

“After the investigative meeting, should I call Oh Jong-hyuk?”

Jiho checked his schedule and gathered confiscated items. Like handling treasures, he put them in a drawer and securely locked it with a key. Then, a strange sense of elation arose.

Even though he barely slept and only washed after entering home in the early morning, Jiho’s condition wasn’t bad.

Catching one criminal wouldn’t change the world, but still, it would improve just a little. With that sense of duty, he was ready to endure today.

As the warm sunlight began to envelop his back around 7 a.m., Jiho smiled. Just as he was about to unfold the materials brought by Hojin, his phone rang.

“!”

He knew the contact, but it was La Jin’s original phone number that he hadn’t called due to security reasons. What on earth could be happening at this hour?

With an uneasy heart, Jiho quickly pressed the call button.

“La Jin!”

“Are you crying now?”

Whether she tried to endure it or not, La Jin’s sobbing burst out with a whimper. A sudden action that she would never have taken under normal circumstances. It was evidence that something significant had happened to her safety.

“What’s going on?”
“Can’t you come to meet me for a moment?”

Amidst her sobbing voice, the honking of a car horn resounded.

“I miss you so much. Just ten minutes, or even exactly five minutes, please.”

Without needing to ask the reason for this, Jiho’s body reacted first. Pressing the phone to his ear, he grabbed his jacket.

“Tell me where. I’ll leave right now.”

Her sporadic voice continued, indicating the Hotel Residence.

“If you want to leave, you have to hang up. Please wait there.”

Like stamping for confirmation, Jiho asked repeatedly and finally hung up. It was okay just last night when they talked. With an uneasy heart, Jiho’s insides turned black.

Even if he ran there right away, it would be insufficient. He would waste time avoiding tailing. Should he sweep away everything today, evidence in hand? Jiho’s jawline sharpened.

“Damn it, those bastards.”

Thud, Jiho slammed the door and walked out.