episode_0039

Hwarang Group Chairman’s Office.

Seol-hee was finally summoned by her father.

Chairman Yoo Seon-ho greeted his youngest daughter with a serious expression.

Chairman Yoo, who had his daughter standing in front of him, remained silent for a moment.

An uncomfortable silence.

Seol-hee noticed that her father was in a bad mood, so she coughed and made a serious expression.

“Did you know what kind of accident your nephew, Han Hyun-ho, the chairman of the Laance Group, got into?”

In the end, Chairman Yoo was the first to break the silence with his loud voice.

Seol-hee, who stood at attention without realizing it, answered in a slightly nervous voice.

“Yes, father.”

“But why didn’t you report it to me?”

“I thought it was just a common blunder by a rich kid, so I didn’t think it was necessary to report it. Father. I’m sorry.”

Only when Seol-hee bowed her head slightly and apologized did Chairman Yoo’s expression show that his anger had subsided a little.

Chairman Yoo, who had been sitting on a chair with Seol-hee in front of him, closed his eyes tightly and thought deeply, opened his mouth again.

“I got a call from Chairman Han Pil-chan of the Laance Group. He asked me to help him out.”

“Yes?”

“Bin Hye-yoon… It looks like she’s going to use the Han Hyun-ho incident as an excuse to really screw over the Laance Group. Last year, the Laance Group won the business license to run a casino in Russia… But it looks like they’re going to lose it to Black Emily.”

“Casino business license?”

Seol-hee’s eyebrows moved. It was evidence that she was emotionally shaken.

“That won’t do. If the mafia starts operating casinos overseas, a huge amount of money will go to Black Emily. Black Emily is already sucking up the underground economy……. Don’t politicians stop it? Even the high-ranking officials, it’s time to stop Bin Hye-yoon, right?”

“It seems that half of Black Emily’s sales are going to the political world. The high-ranking officials are drunk on the money Bin Hye-yoon is throwing around and can’t come to their senses. But even so, the high-ranking officials won’t just leave Bin Hye-yoon alone. Bin Hye-yoon is growing faster than you can imagine. Furthermore, the fact that Bin Hye-yoon is extorting money from the Laance Group is………”

Chairman Yoo bit his lip and continued speaking, slamming his fist on the table without making a sound.

“They could do the same thing to us someday.”

Seol-hee opened her eyes wide and couldn’t answer.

I recently became close with Bin Hye-yoon… I was so caught up in my personal feelings that I forgot about it for a while.

Bin Hye-yoon is a dangerous person.

What was I doing?

Chairman Yoo continued speaking in a dry voice.

“I was in the position of watching as long as Bin Hye-yoon didn’t harm us, but this case is different. Even if the Laance Group is lower level than us, we are colleagues in the same business world. Bin Hye-yoon is playing with fire with great arrogance right now.”

“Father. Then the reason you called me is……”

“You meet Bin Hye-yoon. Meet her and try to resolve this somehow.”

“Will Bin Hye-yoon listen to me?”

“If you can’t even solve this, it’s a problem. You weren’t just playing around until now, right?”

Seol-hee couldn’t answer her father’s sharp question.

Seol-hee bit her lips, lowered her head, and left the president’s office.

On the one hand, Bin Hye-yoon was surprising.

Even such a personal incident is being used to call for organizational power…

As expected, you are a heavenly mafia. Bin Hye-yoon.

***

I finally got to work out at the gym.

Gasp. Gasp. Gasp.

When I run on the treadmill, not only my calves but also my lower back hurts.

Actually, Hye-yoon’s house had exercise equipment, so she could exercise without going outside…

Since I am the type of person who tends to laze around at home, I went out on purpose to gather my willpower.

I’ve been playing around and eating a lot lately, so I’ve gained weight.

Oh my gosh… I’m dying…

After getting off the treadmill, I grabbed a bottle of water and drank it in one gulp.

These days, as my body becomes more comfortable, my mind and will seem to be weakening.

I, Woo Sung-won, who has lived my life by heading to the bare ground, was not such a weak person…….

I got a phone call while I was wiping the sweat off my face with a towel.

A call from Hye-yoon.

“Yeah. What’s going on?”

“Did you eat lunch?”

“No. I’m working out now.”

“You come to the Black Emily Building now. Let’s eat together near the building.”

“I didn’t even shower, so I smell like sweat?”

“Then just take a shower and change clothes and come back. Okay? I’ll send a car home right now, so come quickly. I miss you.”

I miss you?

Hmm… I think Hye-yoon is becoming more and more shameless these days.

And there were more days when he would call me over and have lunch with me near the Black Emily building.

Anyway, I guess I should go since Bin Hye-yoon wants to see me.

It was time to finish exercising anyway.

After taking a quick shower in the shower room at the gym, I went home and changed my clothes.

As I was changing clothes and going out the front door, a brand new black luxury sedan stopped at just the right moment.

The driver who drove the car was a woman I had never seen before.

He had short hair and a boyish style… His appearance doesn’t fit the mafia profession. He’s too handsome to be called a mafia.

She’s probably about my age or a little older? Was there a girl like this in Black Emily?

Dressed in a black suit, she opened the back door of the car herself and spoke politely.

“Please ride, my lord.”

“Um…….”

Having become accustomed to this kind of treatment, I got into the car without saying anything in response.

So the car started off.

When the car entered a four-lane road.

The woman driving in front suddenly spoke to me.

“Master. Did you come out of the shower?”

?

It was an unwritten rule that Black Emily’s chauffeur did not speak to me.

But this woman doesn’t seem to care much about that these days.

Well… there might be some Black Emily members who want to talk to me.

I answered nonchalantly.

“Yes. It’s been a while since I worked out.”

“Exercise is good. If you want to be a man worthy of the boss, you have to be strong.”

“Ah……. Well……. That’s not it. I’ve gained a little weight recently.”

The driver looked at my face in the rearview mirror and she snickered.

Your eyes are attractive.

As soon as the curve appeared, she quickly turned the steering wheel to the side and opened her mouth again.

“I honestly don’t know. The boss might find a better man.”

What is this woman?

Are you like Alex? Are you looking down on me?

“I can tell that Do-ryun is a good person after seeing him in person. But this industry is not all about being a good person. Especially, bosses don’t have to be good people.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Well, what did I say?”

This is secretly annoying.

When I opened my eyes sharply and glared at the back of her head, she, who was driving, smiled and responded.

“Oh my. Oh my. Don’t tell the boss what I said. I’m scared of the boss. Surely you wouldn’t do something cowardly like snitching, right?”

You’re like Alex.

Ah. This is annoying. I should just ignore it.

The car stopped briefly in front of the crosswalk.

While the car stopped, many people rushed across the crosswalk.

She had been keeping silent, her fingers drumming on the steering wheel, but then she opened her mouth again in a sarcastic tone.

“Alex and I were born in the US. We still use the same names we used in the US. My name is Elin.”

“Yes?”

A sudden self-introduction?

I can’t seem to get the conversation going.

“Boss was always by his side, along with Alex Uncle. Both Alex Uncle and I started out as the boss’s bodyguards in the beginning, but……. we’ve established ourselves quite well now. I like field work, so I’m still working in the field.”

“Ah. Yes. I see.”

“I can die if the boss tells me to. I can die for the boss.”

As the traffic light changed, she, or rather, Ellen, started the car.

Ellen stared into my eyes in the rearview mirror and asked coldly.

“Can you do that?”

***

I got off in front of the Black Emily Building.

“Oh my. Thank you for giving me a ride here, Ellen. You really worked hard giving me a ride here, a guy who is not cool.”

When I spoke in a sarcastic manner, Elin smiled brightly.

“Not at all, my lord. I hope we can talk again sometime.”

“Ah. Yes. Good work.”

I gave a snicker and went into the building and took the elevator.

Anyway, are there only people like that around Hye-yoon?

They are all so jealous… Ugh. Let’s stop talking.

I was thinking about telling Hye-yoon about Elin, but decided against it.

It seemed like you were tattling, just like Ellen said. If you tattle, you lose.

Knock, knock, knock. I knocked and entered Hye-yoon’s office. I was so startled that I stopped in my tracks.

Seol-hee was there.

“Ah. Seongwon is here. Seongwon. The girl from Hwarang Group has something to say to me. I think I’ll have to eat lunch with her today.”

Hyeyoon came up to me and held my hand as if asking for my understanding. Then she walked over to change her shoes into high heels.

Well… I can’t help it.

I nodded, and in the meantime Seol-hee came over to me, pushed my hair behind my ear, and smiled charmingly.

“You came at a good time. I needed you.”

“Huh? Me?”

Seol-hee whispered in a small voice so that Hye-yoon, who was changing her shoes on the other side, couldn’t hear.

“I told you. Only you can control Bin Hye-yoon. Please help me today.”

Huh? What do you want help with?

Anyway, we came out of the building under the protection of security guards.

As we passed by, the mafiosi in black suits all bowed their heads politely.

I ran into Elin at the entrance of the building.

Ellen put her hands together in front of her, smiled, and bowed her head.

“Boss. Would you like something delicious?”

It’s a friendly tone.

I was a little surprised because I’ve never seen anyone in this organization speak to Hye-yoon so friendly.

Hyeyoon answered with a smile that seemed happy.

“Yeah. Elin. How are you doing these days? Are you still as good as ever?”

“Of course. I think I’m gaining weight because I’m so bored. Boss. Please buy me something delicious next time. Okay?”

“Okay. I’ll do that.”

Elin turned her gaze to look at me and smiled fakely.

“Your Majesty, enjoy your meal too.”

It’s a melon.

I stuck my tongue out and made a sarcastic expression, and Hyeyoon stroked Ellin’s head as if she thought Ellin was cute.

Ellen’s face turned slightly red.

What is this woman?

***

“I’m seeing your face for the first time. Was there a member of that organization?”

As I asked her while walking slowly to a nearby restaurant, Hye-yoon smiled brightly and answered.

“Huh? Yeah. She’s a girl I’ve cherished since long ago. Her name is Elin… She’s loyal and good at her job.”

“Is he younger than us?”

“No. He’s three years older than us?”

“What?”

Then Seol-hee intervened as if she was shocked.

“Is it okay to treat someone like a child? I thought Hye-yoon was younger than us because she kept touching my hair.”

“There is no age in the mafia. There is only a hierarchy. Isn’t it too naive of the Hwarang Group girl to think that way?”

“This is incredible. Really.”

We arrived at the restaurant talking like that.

It was the Samgyetang restaurant that Hye-yoon had made a reservation at in advance. Of course, there were no other customers.

“Samgyetang… Another commoner’s food.”

Seol-hee puffed out air into her mouth and made a dissatisfied expression as if she was dissatisfied with the menu.

“You don’t even eat samgyetang? Miss. Aren’t you too picky?”

“Oh, no. Samgyetang is too high in calories and is bad for your health.”

“Just lose it by exercising hard.”

Hyeyoon giggled and sat down on the table chair.

Soon, a bowl of samgyetang was placed in front of each of us.

Seol-hee opened her mouth in front of the boiling samgyetang.

“Hye-yoon. I understand that Han Hyun-ho got on your nerves with something trivial. But don’t overdo it.”

“What?”

“I heard that Hye-yoon is trying to destroy the Laance Group. It’s dangerous to make so many enemies.”

“Did your father tell you?”

Hyeyoon asked, but Seolhee didn’t answer, just spreading the samgyetang meat with a haughty expression.

Hyeyoon opened her mouth as she added salt to the samgyetang.

“I’m not trying to take away the backbone of the Laance Group, am I? If Han Hyun-ho is going to do something wrong, he should take responsibility for it. Or else, just throw away Han Hyun-ho’s head.”

“Ms. Hye-yoon. Han Hyeon-ho is also a son of a conglomerate. Don’t take things to such extremes-”

“He touched Sungwon first.”

Ugh……. The atmosphere is getting serious.

When Hye-yoon suddenly snapped with a serious look in her eyes, Seol-hee looked a little frightened.

Hyeyoon smiled again and continued speaking calmly.

“I’m not just picking on them and beating up the Laance Group or anything. I’m just saying that Han Hyun-ho did something wrong, so he should take responsibility for it. That’s all.”

“Is it the Russian casino concessionaires who are responsible?”

“That’s too much. I’m holding back from wanting to wipe out the entire Laance Group family.”

Seol-hee opened her eyes wide and looked at Hye-yoon, then glanced at me.

You try to stop Bin Hye-yoon.

Seol-hee’s eyes were clearly saying that.

It won’t work.

It’s true that Hye-yoon is overreacting more than necessary right now.

Even if that bastard Han Hyun-ho had hatched some trivial plot, it could have just been overlooked.

“Hye-yoon, cool your head and think about it again.”

“What?”

“Seol-hee is right. It’s better not to make enemies. Even if the whole world isn’t on your side, you shouldn’t make enemies.”

“That’s a naive remark that doesn’t know the ways of the world.”

Hyeyoon reacted by glaring at me.

“How can you live in this world if you’re so naive? If you mess with me first, you have to pay me back.”

“Blood calls blood. Hye-yoon? Cool your head and think slowly-”

“There is no compromise on this.”

Hyeyoon smiled awkwardly and whispered softly in my ear.

“Because they messed with you.”