Chapter 1524 Caught (4)

“Gimme a goddamn break. They are all f*cking useless!”

Jeong Myeong-Cheol roughly yanked the driver’s side open. After climbing inside his expensive car, he slammed the door shut and wound the window down before mouthing a cigarette.

Click!

Even though he was still in the underground parking lot, he didn’t hesitate to light up his cigarette. Then again, who in this building would be brave enough to point out to him that this was a no-smoking zone?

“Fuu-huuuph...!”

Jeong Myeong-Cheol deeply sucked in the unhealthy smoke before exhaling it out forcefully.

Executive Director Kim Sang-Ho... I guess his usefulness has finally run out.

He used to be sharp in how he dealt with things, but nowadays? Age must’ve caught up with him, judging from how tardy and sloppy he had become.

Jeong Myeong-Cheol had a feeling he’d run into a serious problem sooner rather than later if he kept relying on an underling like that.

Damn it! But I still don’t have anyone good enough to replace him.

Senior Director Jo or Executive Director Jeon could be a viable option, but when Jeong Myeong-Cheol thought about it some more, neither of those men was quite good enough to replace Kim Sang-Ho.

“F*cking hell... Where have all the useful pawns in this company disappeared to?!”

Slam!

Jeong Myeong-Cheol slammed his palm on the steering wheel.

“F*ck! This only happened because you’ve dumped me in this sh*thole!”

While all the useful workers got reassigned to other subsidiaries, Jeong Myeong-Cheol was forced into working with a bunch of goddamn old-age pensioners. No wonder things weren’t going right for him!

“Bloody hell... Should I just f*cking quit or something?”

If it weren’t for that old fart—or his grandfather, the chairman of Taegwang Group—Jeong Myeong-Cheol wouldn’t be stuck in this tiny company. He wasn’t desperate enough to look after an entity that hardly turned a profit, after all!

If it hadn’t been for the old fart’s promise of giving him a bigger company as long as he behaved himself and proved his capabilities, Jeong Myeong-Cheol would have left this stinking place already.

A dragon is supposed to frolic in a vast ocean, okay? How do you expect me, a dragon, to enjoy myself in a goddamn stream?

All men had stages that were meant for them. And Jeong Myeong-Cheol firmly believed he was stuck on a stage unfitting for his stature.

“Tsk!”

Jeong Myeong-Cheol turned on the ignition, then got ready to stomp on the accelerator. However, his phone went off first.

“Mm...?”

The name appearing on the screen was enough for his scowl to soften just a little.

He reclined into the driver’s seat while answering the call.

“Hey, what’s up, babe?”

—Oppa? Where are you? You said you’d come to my place tonight!

“Tonight? I did?”

—Yeah! When I said I didn’t have anything scheduled for today, you told me we’d hang out and stuff! Don’t you remember? Because you told me to stay at home, I even ignored my friends’ calls the whole day, you know?

Did I really say that? Jeong Myeong-Cheol furrowed his brow slightly. “I get what you’re saying, but today is a bit...”

—What’s wrong, oppa? You aren’t coming?

“Yeah, looks like it.”

—Huh? Why not? But you told me to stay at home, didn’t you? That’s why I got us some good stuff, you know?

“Good stuff? Like what? Weed?”

—Weed? That’s so lame, oppa. Nope, I got us something even better.

Jeong Myeong-Cheol chuckled helplessly. Damn. This b*tch is half mad, isn’t she?

She pretended to be all pure and wholesome as a part of a girl group in the beginning, yet here she was, doing all kinds of crazy things after growing shockingly brazen lately.

I guess I should drop her soon. After having a bit more fun with her, that is.

Girls like her were bound to get worse sooner rather than later. However, what did that matter to Jeong Myeong-Cheol? It wasn’t as if he’d risk his future on this chick, anyway. Since she was pretty and popular, he’d simply enjoy what she had to offer, and when he eventually grew tired of her... Well, finding younger and just as pretty replacements would be easy for someone like him, anyway.

Combining his background as a third-gen chaebol of the famed Taegwang Group with his wealth was good enough to get into the pants of any girl he wanted, no matter how prideful she was.

“Alright. Where did you say you were?”

—At home, oppa! Hurry up~, okay? I’m bored!

“Fine, fine. I’m coming, so stay put, you brat.”

The woman on the phone said some other stuff, but by then, Jeong Myeong-Cheol had already ended the call.

“Damn it. This chick yaps too much.”

Even he had trouble talking to chicks with rocks for brains.

She said good stuff, right?

That sounded like what he needed right now. His stress level had been spiking a lot lately, after all. Besides, they weren’t going to enjoy this good stuff in his home or at the head office, either. The odds of trouble rearing its head later should be lower if he did it in someone else’s place.

Rumble, vroom!

Jeong Myeong-Cheol stomped on the accelerator and drove away. Soon, his expensive vehicle escaped the underground parking lot and merged into the street at night. He scowled as streams of headlights passed him by.

It was well past the hour for most people to have knocked off work, yet the streets were still filled with traffic.

Heh. You’re all still busy slaving away, aren’t you?

A subtle sneer formed on Jeong Myeong-Cheol’s face.

Things like a slightly nicer car or clothes weren’t quite enough to explain the difference between Jeong Myeong-Cheol and all these people.

All these material things visible on the surface only made up a tiny portion of the difference. Those who didn’t know a damn thing would become envious of his expensive foreign car, the luxurious business suit he was wearing, or his watch that easily cost more than most homes. However, those who knew the truth would never be envious of such things.

The greatest asset, no, the greatest power Jeong Myeong-Cheol wielded was... opportunity.

That’s right. It’s opportunity!

Only one mistake, no matter how small, could easily drag the have-nots into the pits of the abyss. Even average people could fall into hell if the mistake was grave enough.

However, that logic didn’t apply to someone like Jeong Myeong-Cheol. He could make multiple grave mistakes that would have destroyed most average people and still emerge unscathed. That was because his background, wealth, and the power his family wielded did not permit him to fall into the abyss.

Yup, that’s the difference.

They were all human beings, but that didn’t mean they were the same. They might be driving on the same road, but he came from a different breed altogether compared to the rest of these plebeians.

You think I’m delusional? Don’t make me laugh!

The truth was that every kid born into wealth thought this way. It was just that they were scarily good at hiding their true natures and expressions from the rest of the world.

Jeong Myeong-Cheol was merely a little more honest than his peers, that was all! In fact, he was convinced that the other third-gen chaebols receiving praises for being the cream of the crop were far more rotten than he was.

“What a bunch of disgusting little f*ckers...”

While sneering, he yanked at his steering wheel after spotting a gap up ahead. The car behind him blared its horn at his abrupt maneuver, but the noise quickly died down. It seemed the other driver had realized how nice Jeong Myeong-Cheol’s vehicle was.

Hah. What a loser.

Jeong Myeong-Cheol cackled. How laughable was this?

These plebeians were always full of anger and grievances toward the wealthy elites. However, when they faced an actual wealthy elite, they would instinctively lower their heads and become obsequious. How much more amusing would it be if only these people could stay consistent!

Screech! Vroom!

While repeatedly stomping on the accelerator and slamming on the brakes, he quickly approached an officetel in the distance. He scanned the surroundings—a force of habit—and after making sure the coast was clear, he drove into the building’s underground parking lot.[1]

While humming away, he parked the car in a secluded spot and climbed out of his car. His gaze drifted toward a CCTV camera dangling from the corner of the ceiling.

I guess the security guards of this place get to see lots of interesting things.

This officetel was an exclusive, high-end place, famed for its strict security measures. Maybe that explained the unusually high number of female celebrities living here.

Since that was the case, maybe the security guards were having a tough time with all those frequent male visitors furtively trying to cover their faces.

While thinking about stuff like that, Jeong Myeong-Cheol smirked to himself.

Let’s decompress properly tonight.

Because of that Luogo or whatever it was called, his stress level had gotten nasty enough to give him an ulcer. Even he had not experienced a minor slip-up being inflated by the media like this before, after all.

He still believed this whole thing would die down soon enough, but that didn’t mean he could stop himself from getting pissed off about it.

“Right. Those sons of b*tches...!”

Jeong Myeong-Cheol gritted his teeth. He abruptly realized that he had forgotten to order Kim Sang-Ho to draw up a list of reporters brazenly running their mouths off and the cops who had investigated this matter. He swore never to forget this grudge.

Not only the group itself, but even he had personally paid off all those people with lots of money under the table. So how dare they report on this matter as if it was their Christmas or something!?

Jeong Myeong-Cheol began stomping his way toward the elevator. However, his steps came to an abrupt halt when...!

“Jeong Myeong-Cheol?”

Flinch!

Jeong Myeong-Cheol flinched nastily when someone called out his name.

What was that? Who recognized him just now? And why were they even here?

After realizing something was not right, he urgently turned around. “W-who is it? Who the f*ck are you, you bastard?!”

“Hah? What the f*ck is the matter with you? Swearing unprovoked like that to a stranger and all?”

A somewhat slender man walked over to where Jeong Myeong-Cheol was while smirking derisively.

But that only made Jeong Myeong-Cheol chuckle hollowly. Compared to this slender-ish man, he could be called a mountain, thanks to his pretty well-defined physique. He had been training his body since a young age through mixed martial arts, and during his sojourn in America, he even played in the position of a lineman in American football.

In other words, Jeong Myeong-Cheol could knock out that man in one punch if he wanted to. Yet someone like that was closing the distance as if he was the meanest bastard in the entire world!

Maybe he’s carrying a weapon?

Jeong Myeong-Cheol looked to make sure that the unknown man was empty-handed. That restored his confidence once more.

“How did you know I’d be... No, hang on. Maybe you recognized me coincidentally? Who the hell are you, anyway?”

“Hah?” The man smirked again. “You won’t get it even if I tell you, so why bother?”

“...Say what?”

“Besides, you’re pretty full of yourself, aren’t you? Hey, moron. How many underground parking lots do you think are in Seoul? And what are the odds of someone you’ve accidentally run into in one of those places recognizing who you are?”

Jeong Myeong-Cheol’s expression stiffened. “What the... Are you saying you were waiting for me here?”

“Bingo. I guess you aren’t as stupid as you look.”

Jeong Myeong-Cheol loudly gritted his teeth. That b*tch!

Only one person knew he was coming here. Which meant that woman had leaked his itinerary to someone else!

“Fine, whatever. That could happen. But who the hell are you? And what the f*ck do you want? You a reporter? Or...”

“A reporter?” The man smirked. “I’ve had enough of reporters and their antics to last awhile, okay?”

“...By the way, who the hell do you think you are, not addressing me politely and all that? The f*ck? Maybe I should knock some sense into you?”

“Hah? Hahaha.” The man began laughing in dismay. “Wowsers, you really are a piece of work, aren’t you?”

“What did you call me?!”

“It’s nothing. Doesn’t matter, anyway.” The man dismissively waved his hand. “Actually, this makes things easier for me. I hope you’re an even worse son of a b*tch than what people told me, though.”

Jeong Myeong-Cheol glanced at the nearby CCTV camera.

The man noticed that and smirked again. “No one’s coming to help you, so let’s not waste time, okay?”

“...?”

“I turned the cameras off, you see? As I’ve said, no one’s coming to save you.”

“Save me?” Jeong Myeong-Cheol smirked derisively, then took a large stride forward. “You must be f*cking crazy, eh? Don’t you know who the f*ck I am?”

Now incensed beyond measure, Jeong Myeong-Cheol menacingly stomped his way closer to the unknown man. The cameras didn’t have the red lights flickering away, which implied that they really were not working right now.

...And that meant there was nothing to hold him back here.

Damn, I got lucky! I was getting pissed off, so I might as well blow off some steam!

He was going to crush that glib bastard’s mouth first, then turn the rest of his body into bloody mush next.

What about the aftermath, though? That was not a problem. No doctor would be stupid enough to write up a medical report for this bastard, after all!

“Come here, you piece of sh*t!”

Jeong Myeong-Cheol roared while pouncing on the other man. He then unhesitantly threw a punch aimed squarely at the face.

POW!

As the loud impact noise echoed in the parking lot, Jeong Myeong-Cheol fell to his knees.

“Aaah?! Aaaaaahk!”

The pain akin to his hand breaking overtook his senses. Jeong Myeong-Cheol rolled around on the ground while grabbing his hand.

“Hah...” The man spat on the ground. “What a sh*t show this is. Seriously.”

The man squatted in front of Jeong Myeong-Cheol before grabbing the latter’s hair and yanking him close.

Jeong Myeong-Cheol screamed, “Aaaaahk!”

“Geez, pipe down, will you?” The man smirked deeply. “My dear Myeong-Cheol. You sure are fearless, aren’t you? Right, I heard somewhere that kids who never got beaten up would grow into adults like you.”

...? Hang on? Did the Assembly Master get beaten up during his childhood, too? Oh, hey? This issue might be more serious than I thought?

The man shook his head, then smiled at Jeong Myeong-Cheol again.

“In any case... Yes, my dear Myeong-Cheol. I don’t know how to instill discipline in kids, which is lamentable, really. However, good news! I do know how to instill the fear of God in grown-ass men like you. I can’t speak for kids, but adults? A good beating has always been the cure. Do you get what this hyung is saying to you?”

“Urgh...! What the f*ck are you rambling on about, you piece of sh*t!”

Bang!

That was when a fist connected with Jeong Myeong-Cheol’s chin. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

“He’s a terrible listener, isn’t he?”

The man, Lee Hyeon-Su, grabbed the scruff of Jeong Myeong-Cheol’s neck and began dragging him away before tossing the bigger man into the load bay of the van parked nearby.

“...! Oops.”

After closing the door, Lee Hyeon-Su scratched his cheek.

“I forgot to tell him that the Assembly Master wanted to have a word with him...”

That was the whole point of this exercise, wasn’t it!

Then again, what would be the point? When Jeong Myeong-Cheol wouldn’t know what that even meant, anyway!

While whistling away, Lee Hyeon-Su climbed into the driver’s seat. He turned the volume up on the stereo, then leisurely drove out of the parking lot to slip into the nighttime traffic.

1. An officetel is a multi-purpose building with residential and commercial units. It’s a type of studio apartment or flat. The word itself is a portmanteau of office and hotel. ☜