abcnovels
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter 7: So Many People Want to See
Im Hee-yeon’s mind was in turmoil. Even so, she thought that if her son, if Baek Shin-woo, only went abroad, there wouldn’t be any problems.
In the meantime, Myung Joong-hwan calmly looked at Im Hee-yeon and continued speaking.
“You must have thought of wrapping this up and quietly stepping back.”
“…I’m sorry I didn’t mention it in advance.”
“You have put in a lot of effort to bring our MH Group to its current position. It’s regrettable that you’re considering stepping back.”
Myung Joong-hwan, the current chairman of MH Group, had only one failure in his life: raising his children.
His children with his first wife, Oh Jin-sook.
Among them, the second, Myung Seong-cheol, and the third, Myung Soo-yeon, had caused countless incidents and accidents since their school days.
The eldest son, Myung In-chul, wasn’t too bad, but perhaps because his ambition exceeded his capabilities, he often failed in his work.
Of course, the other children were even worse.
Only Im Hee-yeon, as Myung Joong-hwan’s bloodline, had shown exceptional skills.
“But here… I don’t think there is a place for me until the end.”
After all, a stepdaughter was a stepdaughter. As a hidden issue of the previous chairman and not recognized externally, she would inevitably be an uncomfortable presence for anyone becoming the next chairman.
“If I take care of In-chul’s work and thoughts, I would like you to stay here.”
“Even so, wouldn’t Myung In-chul keep me in check?”
Im Hee-yeon, as the head of the Strategic Planning Department, knew all the ins and outs of MH Group. In that sense, Chairman Myung Joong-hwan couldn’t help but worry about her leaving the company.
“Just because someone harbors such thoughts, doesn’t mean you’re easily dealt with.”
“Can it be done according to my will? My strength ultimately comes from MH Group.”
“Even if I publicly acknowledge your existence, will it be like that?”
“…Pardon?”
For a moment, Im Hee-yeon was so shocked that she was left speechless.
“A bit of packaging is needed, but… I’m saying that I will add you and your son to our Myung family’s household registry. Of course, I’ll also take responsibility for your son’s future.”
“Is this a measure to prevent Myung In-chul from feeling secure?”
It meant she might be used as a tool to increase the eldest son Myung In-chul’s sense of crisis.
“It’s not just for that reason. How about it? You’ll also be given qualifications. Just that would prevent In-chul from acting recklessly towards you and your child.”
It wasn’t incorrect. Just being acknowledged as a member of the Myung family would be sufficient to qualify for inheriting the wealth.
Moreover, Im Hee-yeon had a solid position built as the shadow of MH Group. If that were to be revealed, her presence would inevitably be highlighted to the company’s top executives.
“What if I push aside the chairman’s children?”
“Then they will be pushed aside. I don’t want to see the MH Group, which I’ve built my whole life, go to someone without any ability.”
“Are you serious? If the children hear this, they will be very upset.”
“If they do, let them. What matters now is your decision.”
Im Hee-yeon sighed and spoke.
“Do I have a choice? From what you’ve said, it seems like a decision has already been made.”
It meant that whatever happened, Im Hee-yeon’s feet would be tied to MH Group.
“The decision will depend on your thoughts.”
“Really? Then… please exclude my son from that plan. After all, he’s a child who will leave Korea. He may have already left. He said he would never return to Korea. So, there will be no further relation with MH Group.”
Im Hee-yeon tried to handle everything alone.
Myung Joong-hwan stared at her intently.
“That kid is still in Korea. As far as I know, he has found a house in Seoul and even completed his move-in registration. Given his actions, it doesn’t seem like he plans to leave anytime soon.”
“…I see. I’ll handle my child’s matters myself. And I ask that the plans you’ve made stay within my scope only.”
“I’ll consider it.”
Having finished their conversation, Im Hee-yeon left the study and headed straight to the car parked outside.
At that moment, Myung In-chul, who was still sitting in the living room, called her back.
“What did you discuss with my father for so long?”
“…You should ask him directly. I’m busy, so I’ll take my leave.”
She went outside and got into the back seat of the car.
Song Tae-hoon, who had taken the front seat, looked at her with a worried expression.
“Chief! Is something wrong?”
“Do we have any updates on Shin-woo’s whereabouts?”
“We haven’t received any news from the Immigration Office yet. There’s been no record of his departure as of today.”
“The chairman knows about Shin-woo. I heard that he has completed his move-in registration in Seoul.”
“So he isn’t leaving Korea?”
“It seems like his mind has changed for some reason. Please confirm it right away.”
“Understood.”
The car they were in headed towards the MH Group headquarters.
*
Myung Joong-hwan, who was alone in the study, summoned his dedicated secretary, Goo Sang-ho, to check on Baek Shin-woo.
“I heard that two of Park Sang-kyu’s subordinates were badly beaten by Shin-woo recently.”
“…Beaten? Didn’t he work in the Military Supplies Division?”
“That’s what I confirmed. However, it seems that he was beaten in a manner that suggests professional fighting skills.”
This response deepened the mystery.
Myung Joong-hwan looked puzzled.
“Does this mean that the identity verification data from the Ministry of National Defense might be incorrect?”
“I also checked with the National Intelligence Service, but it was consistent.”
“Yet Park Sang-kyu’s subordinates are not ordinary. I’ve heard that you’re quite skilled as well.”
The security team under MH Group was a subsidiary of MH Tech, a defense industry affiliate. The team was divided and operated independently, with each member being a notable expert from special forces, police, or the National Intelligence Service.
Naturally, it was hard to believe that someone like Baek Shin-woo, who worked in the Military Supplies Division, could defeat such skilled individuals.
“We need to investigate further.”
“How?”
“It’s just a personal guess, but…”
Pausing for a moment, Myung Joong-hwan looked up.
“Feel free to continue.”
“I’ve occasionally heard rumors about the military forming independent units for special operations.”
“Without the National Defense or Ministry of National Defense knowing?”
“It would be like special project teams operated by the National Intelligence Service. But I’ve only heard about it and never seen it myself.”
Hearing this, Myung Joong-hwan fell into thought.
“So you’re suggesting that Shin-woo might have been part of such a unit?”
“If that’s the case, it makes some sense why Park Sang-kyu’s subordinates had trouble dealing with him. However…”
“Is there a problem?”
“Given that these are classified operations with significant rewards, it’s rare for someone to complete their service and leave. Also, due to the high level of secrecy, leaving the country is typically restricted for 2-3 years.”
This explanation seemed to align with Shin-woo’s current situation.
“How intriguing. Is there no way to precisely confirm this?”
“To investigate based on these assumptions, we’d need to identify members of the special unit Shin-woo might have belonged to, including direct commanders or team members.”
Considering the number of soldiers in Korea, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack if the connections were not clear.
“Hm…”
“But this is all just speculation. Shin-woo could simply be exceptionally skilled in hand-to-hand combat.”
Myung Joong-hwan first learned of Baek Shin-woo’s existence alongside the news of his birth. Afterward, he paid little attention to where Shin-woo was or what he was doing. It was only when he learned that Im Hee-yeon was looking for Shin-woo that he began to investigate again.
Im Hee-yeon’s business acumen was superior to her siblings, and he did not want to let her go easily for any reason. Thus, he used Shin-woo as a card to ensure she couldn’t leave easily.
“It looks like things will get quite lively at home soon.”
“Is there anything we should prepare for?”
“I need to meet that kid directly.”
“I will contact you and arrange a schedule as soon as possible.”
Gu Sang-ho replied like that and went outside.
*
Shin-woo visited Jang Man-soo’s workshop.
On the table in the center, there were twelve 8-sided dice in red, blue, and yellow, divided into four of each color.
“Are these the same as the ones I used before?”
As he picked up a few and rolled them, he felt a familiar sensation.
“I improved them as much as possible within the constraints. Among them, the blue ones are sensitive, so be sure to read the manual before use.”
“They’re good. The center of gravity seems appropriate.”
The dice were equipment Shin-woo had used before the regression.
Of course, they were only outwardly dice, and numerous functions like tracking and eavesdropping were hidden within them.
“I thought my eyes were going to pop out while making them with this unfamiliar body. I can’t make many right now, so don’t abuse them.”
“Got it. Oh, by the way, has there been any investigation into a person named Baek Jeong-hun?”
“I’ve placed it next to the dice manual.”
As he mentioned, there was an envelope.
After checking the contents inside, Shin-woo’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“So he died in a car accident in the US…”
“It was concluded as an ordinary accident. The body was buried by a welfare facility because there were no family members. But who is this person that you wanted to investigate?”
Jang Man-soo asked since he hadn’t been given an explanation when Shin-woo requested it.
“My father.”
“Oh, your… father? Now that you mention it, you do have the same surname. And you look a bit alike.”
In the meantime, Shin-woo looked at the photo of Baek Jeong-hun at the top of the documents.
A slender jawline, a prominent nose, and light double eyelids. Overall, a delicate and handsome face.
“Alike? Last time you said I resembled that woman.”
“It’s clear to see that you resemble him. But how are you feeling about it?”
As a colleague, Jang Man-soo had never heard about Shin-woo’s family before. However, since the regression, family stories seemed to come pouring out like a broken dam. It would be confusing for an ordinary person.
“I’m fine. And I was just curious about this man. It’s not that I didn’t know of his existence, but I can’t ignore it knowing about it.”
“It’s nice of you to care. Oh, I traced a number from a copied phone last time. It seems that Park Sang-kyu works under Myung In-chul.”
“Just as I thought. What about the number related to the 666th Unit?”
Jang Man-soo shrugged his shoulders.
“I had it, but it’s disappeared. The device seemed like a burner phone, and it looks like it was discarded right away due to the failure of the last operation. Or maybe it’s replaced periodically.”
“No contact since then?”
“No, none. They seem to be hiding thoroughly. These guys are meticulous whether in the past or now.”
“They are tough ones. So, if we want to live comfortably, we need to be thoroughly prepared. How about the funding?”
Jang Man-soo had previously said there would be no difficulty in raising funds. Since it had been a few days since then, Shin-woo was curious if there had been any progress.
“It’s going very smoothly. I’ve come to realize how amazing the regression cheat key from fantasy novels can be.”
“Is it that significant?”
“Well, it’s possible only if past memories are clear. It’s considerable.”
Hearing this, Shin-woo became curious about something.
“How did you secure the initial funds? Neither of us is over twenty-three, so it couldn’t have been much.”
Currently, Shin-woo’s savings were entirely from his military salary and hazard pay. Even then, he had saved quite a bit compared to others his age.
“For me, I sold the programs I developed as freelance work and also sold my house. Until everything is settled, it’s better to avoid the National Intelligence Service’s eyes.”
“Thorough.”
“Well, this is my second life after all.”
Buzz— Buzz—
Shin-woo’s phone rang. An unknown number was displayed on the screen.
“My phone has been quite busy lately.”
“Why?”
“I’ll take the call and let you know.”