Chapter 932: Friend (3)

Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

[Senior Inspector Park Dong-Joon: Chief Jung. On the way to the station, Na Soo-Hyuk confessed that he saw Gi Do-Hyuk filming the hidden camera footage as well. So we've taken Gi Do-Hyuk into emergency custody too. Could you come to the station quickly?]

The rift between Na Soo-Hyuk and Gi Do-Hyuk had formed faster than I expected. I immediately sent a reply through Kk Talk.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Understood. I'll head there right away.]

After sending the message, I turned to Coach Choi Woo-Sik. "Mr. Choi, I need to head out for a bit. Which is a pity since I was planning to treat everyone today..."

Choi Woo-Sik shook his head and pointed at the judo club members. "It's fine. I think these guys need a proper dressing-down today."

"Then I'll head to the police station."

Right then, Choi Woo-Sik cautiously glanced at me and asked, "By the way, Yoon-Ho… are you still not in touch with Mr. Han Dae-Man?"

At that moment, I fell silent.

Coach Han Dae-Man was the mentor who had guided me into boxing and trained me through middle and high school. At the same time, he was also the one who left me with a painful memory.

"Hey. Don't go around talking about corruption or anything. The national team lineup was decided in advance between both coaches and the association. And my father said he properly compensated your coach too."

The unfair ruling had been painful enough, but learning that Han Dae-Man had been involved and had even taken money was an even greater shock. It was the betrayal of someone I had trusted like a father my entire life. After learning that truth, I abandoned boxing. And I cut ties with Han Dae-Man as well.

Since before the regression up until now, I had never gone to see him.

"Yes. It's been quite a while."

"Yoon-Ho, why not go see him at least once? As far as I know, he's not someone who would ever do that. There might be circumstances you don't know..."

'Circumstances? What kind of circumstances could justify taking money from a competitor and betraying your own student?'

At that moment, Kang Eun-Gi cut in from the side. "Mr. Choi, we're grateful for everything you've done for us, but let's leave Mr. Han's story there. Yoon-Ho had a really hard time after that."

Choi Woo-Sik flinched slightly as if he had more to say, but stopped. "I'm sorry. I should be thankful just that my students were forgiven today, yet I said something unnecessary. Still… I only said it because I thought it might be good for you, Yoon-Ho."

'For me? No.'

That wasn't going to happen. And right now, I had no desire to return to the very first turning point that had completely changed my life and throw myself back into confusion.

I shook off the thought and spoke. "Well, if fate allows it someday, maybe I'll see him again."

With that, I wrapped up the conversation and turned to Kang Eun-Gi. "Eun-Gi. That Gi Do-Hyuk guy's been taken into emergency custody. I need to head to the station now, so go ahead and grab a drink with the guys first."

"No, I'll come with you. It's better to go together than alone, right?"

After a brief moment of consideration, I pulled out my card and handed it to Lee Soo-Chan. "Thanks for coming down today. I need to stop by the station with Eun-Gi, so you guys enjoy yourselves with this, book rooms here at the hotel, and return the card tomorrow."

"Yes, hyung-nim!"

As Lee Soo-Chan and the others bowed deeply, Choi Woo-Sik turned toward the judo club members and spoke. "Alright, then let's head out too. Everyone outside—the duck marathon starts now!"

In an instant, the color drained from the judo club members' faces. The duck marathon meant running a marathon in a duck-walking position. It was a tradition among athletic teams back when Kang Eun-Gi and I were in high school. They did allow breaks and stretching in between to prevent injuries, but it was still a punishment that let you experience hell.

Maybe it brought back old memories, but I found myself quickening my pace as I left the room. Behind me, Kang Eun-Gi and Lee Ho-Jae followed.

As the three of us walked down the hallway, Choi Woo-Sik's booming voice echoed from behind.

-Hey! Why am I not hearing anything? From now on, you're not human. You're ducks! Ducks!

The moment the duck marathon began, the judo club members waddled down the hallway, practically in tears as they shouted.

-Quack! Quack!

At that sight, people visiting the club snickered and openly mocked them as they struggled along in their duck walk.

'From now on, live properly, guys.'

***

We arrived at Gwacheon Police Station and headed into the detective division. Na Soo-Hyuk was nowhere to be seen, likely being interrogated, while Gi Do-Hyuk was alone in a holding cell, rattling the bars.

Clang! Clang!

"Hey, Jung Yoon-Ho! You bastard—I won't let you get away with this!"

The moment he saw me, Gi Do-Hyuk shouted at the top of his lungs.

Just then, hearing the noise, Park Dong-Joon stepped out from the interrogation room beside the cell. "Quiet!"

After snapping at Gi Do-Hyuk, Park Dong-Joon waved at me. "Chief Jung, over here. Give me a quick witness statement."

"Yes, sir."

Leaving Kang Eun-Gi and Lee Ho-Jae behind, I followed him. Although Park Dong-Joon had placed Gi Do-Hyuk under emergency arrest, he said the suspect could be released once his lawyer arrived, and began asking me several questions.

So far, Na Soo-Hyuk had only stated that Gi Do-Hyuk was involved in the crime. It seemed he was getting concerned, but I gave him a few more pieces of information to make sure Gi Do-Hyuk wouldn't walk free. The key point was Tellmegram, a private messaging app. He needed to check the chat rooms there.

Park Dong-Joon's face lit up. "So you're saying we shouldn't miss any traces of Na Soo-Hyuk sharing materials with Gi Do-Hyuk through Tellmegram?"

"Yes. If you confirm that explicit videos were exchanged in the same chat room, that can be used as physical evidence."

"That's right."

"And in that chat room, Gi Do-Hyuk's username is KIDO."

"How do you know that?"

"As a talent agent, I hear a lot of behind-the-scenes stories about celebrities. So if you get Na Soo-Hyuk to testify about the ID in advance, it'll lock things down."

"Got it. With that level of detail, we can make it airtight. Thanks."

"Oh, and what about Ms. Moon Ji-Yoon?"

"I already called her in. She said she had no idea photos were taken during the audition and she was furious. She said she'll come by later with her talent agent."

"She'll be the key witness. With Gi Do-Hyuk in this situation, the film production is as good as dead anyway."

If the film had been close to release, she might have endured it reluctantly. But now that the producer had been arrested, she had no reason to hold back.

"Alright. Let's wrap up the witness statement here. I'll contact you again as the investigation progresses."

"Understood. Thank you for your work."

After finishing the brief statement, I left the interrogation room feeling much lighter. Outside, Gi Do-Hyuk, who had apparently been told off by a fellow detainee, was now keeping his mouth shut.

At that moment, Kang Eun-Gi and Lee Ho-Jae approached, holding cups of vending machine coffee. Both of them were grinning.

"That wrapped up faster than expected, huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah. But why are you both smiling like that?"

Kang Eun-Gi held out a cup of coffee. "Ho-Jae says it's nice to come to the police station and relax with a cup of coffee. Now that he's living on the right side of things, he doesn't have to worry about the police watching him anymore. He says it's all thanks to you."

The two of them, once part of a violent organization, had completely washed their hands of that life. They laughed, saying they felt at ease even being inside a police station now.

"What do you mean thanks to me? It's because you cleaned up your lives that you feel at ease. More importantly, finish your coffee and let's go. Reporters will start swarming in soon."

"Then should we head out? You're basically a celebrity now too. If reporters show up, they'll latch onto you like crazy."

"You're not any better."

Kang Eun-Gi had also gained quite a reputation as a young tycoon after acquiring Angel Chicken & Pizza under Reverse Entertainment.

Just then, the entrance door to the police station swung open and a sharp female voice rang out.

Bang.

"Which bastard dared to lock up my son?"

'My son?'

At that moment, Gi Do-Hyuk, who had been crouching in the holding cell, sprang to his feet and grabbed the bars, shaking them.

Clang! Clang!

"Mommy! I'm here! Over here!"

Gi Do-Hyuk was already forty years old, yet instead of calling her mother, he cried out "Mommy" like a child. I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

'And he dared to go after Ju Yung-In?'

If Ju Yung-In had seen this, she probably would have slapped him first.

In any case, Gi Do-Hyuk's mother was Seo Yung-Yoon, the president of SAM Savings Bank. SAM Savings Bank ranked tenth among savings banks, and her family was deeply rooted in the financial world. Her brothers also owned AN Savings Bank, ranked fifth, and BAH Savings Bank, ranked seventh.

Though she was sixty-five, Seo Yung-Yoon appeared well-maintained, her spring coat fluttering as she strode straight toward the holding cell with firm steps.

"You can't come in here."

When a police officer grabbed her wrist, Seo Yung-Yoon sharply shook him off. "How dare a lowly officer lay hands on me?"

"Excuse me?"

As the officer froze in confusion, Seo Yung-Yoon pushed her way straight into the holding area. "My son! What on earth is going on?"

"I didn't do anything! That bastard Soo-Hyuk made a false statement saying I did it with him, so I got dragged in here!"

"Is that so? Of course. My good son would never commit a crime! Where is Soo-Hyuk now?"

"He's being questioned."

Seo Yung-Yoon fumed. "I told you before. You shouldn't let servants get too close."

"Ah, whatever!" Then, Gi Do-Hyuk suddenly stretched out his arm and pointed at me. "But before Soo-Hyuk, we need to deal with that bastard Jung Yoon-Ho! He's the one who falsely reported that Soo-Hyuk and I filmed hidden cameras!"

Without even trying to verify anything, Seo Yung-Yoon simply nodded at her son's words. "Alright. Just trust your mother and wait a moment, okay?"

Unlike how she spoke to her son, she turned to the lawyer and gave sharp instructions. "Attorney Kim. Get my son out today."

"Yes, ma'am."

After giving the order, Seo Yung-Yoon walked toward me.

Click. Click.

Her heels echoed sharply as she approached and stopped right in front of me. I expected a barrage of insults. Just then, her heavy crocodile handbag came swinging through the air toward me.

Whoosh!

'What the—?'

Caught off guard, I quickly stepped back and dodged the bag.

Whoosh.

Having swung at empty air, she staggered slightly. "You dodged?"

"What do you think you're doing, attacking me out of nowhere? At least find out whether your son is telling the truth or lying first—"

"Why would my good son lie!? Trash like you are the ones trying to frame him to squeeze something out of us! You little punk… try dying at my hands today!"

Throwing her handbag aside, Seo Yung-Yoon lunged at me, reaching out with both hands to grab my hair.

'No matter how I look at it, it feels like Gi Do-Hyuk has less money than me…'

But judging from Seo Yung-Yoon's state, she wasn't in her right mind. There was no way reasoning would work.

I was about to dodge again when Kang Eun-Gi grabbed both of her wrists.

Clench!

"That's enough. Your son did pass around those photos of women."

Seo Yung-Yoon glared at him, eyes blazing."What do you know! And if you don't want to die, stay out of this!"

"Like you can actually kill me."

I tried to stop Kang Eun-Gi, but it was already too late. From what I knew, Seo Yung-Yoon was the type who doted on her son to an extreme. There was no telling what she might do.

As expected, Seo Yung-Yoon exploded. "You insolent bastard. Fine. Kang Eun-Gi, I'll start by destroying your company."

She immediately pulled out her phone and made a call. "If there are any loans given to Reverse Entertainment, Reverse Capital, or Angel Chicken & Pizza, call them all in! Contact my brothers too!"

'Trying to threaten Kang Eun-Gi with money? The son of one of the richest men in Korea?'

I almost burst out laughing despite how serious the situation should have been.

'You picked the wrong target, ma'am.'

After ending the call, Seo Yung-Yoon looked at Kang Eun-Gi with a triumphant expression. "I'll forgive you if you apologize now. Otherwise, you'll get nothing."

At that moment, Kang Eun-Gi let out a small scoff. "Do whatever you want."

Ignoring her completely, he calmly sipped his vending machine coffee.

Slurp.

"Mm. Coffee really does taste better at a police station. It used to be awful."

The calmer Kang Eun-Gi acted, the more baffled Seo Yung-Yoon looked. Then, her expression suddenly shifted to confusion as she listened to the response on the other end of the call.

"What? Not a single loan?"

-Yes. Reverse Entertainment, Reverse Capital, and Angel Chicken & Pizza all have no outstanding loans. In fact, they have excess cash and substantial deposits with our bank.

"Managing celebrities and selling fried chicken makes that much money? Does that even make sense?"

-I don't understand it myself.

Right then, after finishing his coffee, Kang Eun-Gi crushed the paper cup and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

Thunk.

It landed cleanly.

With a grin, he spoke. "Then I guess it's my turn now."

Before Seo Yung-Yoon could respond, Kang Eun-Gi pulled out his phone and made a call. "Father. I think I'll need your help. Yoon-Ho and I got into a dispute with some trash who films hidden camera footage with women, and now his mother showed up threatening to ruin my company. But she's a pretty big figure."

Kang Eun-Gi's voice trembled slightly as he spoke. At that moment, I understood why. Back in elementary school, whenever Kang Eun-Gi got beaten up in a fight with another kid, he would always come to me to vent.

"It's not fair… they bring their dad into it…"

Whenever someone brought their father into a fight, Kang Eun-Gi would lose the will to keep going. Because he didn't have a father to protect him, that thought alone would make him falter. Back then, I stepped in and dealt with things for him everytime, but Kang Eun-Gi would still grumble that he wished he had a father. Now, Kang Eun-Gi finally had someone he could call. He had a real father with power.

At that moment, Chairman Choi Eun-Tae's chilling voice came through the phone. It carried a sense of regret as if he had long been unable to do something he had always wanted to do.

-Which lunatic dares to touch my precious son? Huh?

Kang Eun-Gi gave an awkward smile and glanced at me. "Yoon-Ho, who was this lady again?"

"Seo Yung-Yoon, president of SAM Savings Bank. Gi Do-Hyuk's mother. And the wife of Gi Myung-Hyun, the head of KIN Law Firm."

Kang Eun-Gi nodded and spoke into the phone. "You heard that, right? Anyway, this lady just ordered all loans to Reverse Entertainment and Angel Chicken & Pizza to be called in."

-If you'd been short on money, this could've been serious. Understood. I'll return it in kind.

Realizing something was off, Seo Yung-Yoon asked, "Who are you talking to?"

Then Choi Eun-Tae's low voice came through.

-Has it been so long that you've forgotten my voice? Well… I suppose that's possible.

"Could it be… Myeongdong…?"

-That's right. So you'd better be prepared.

Click.

The moment the call ended, Seo Yung-Yoon's eyes began to shake. "N-No way… how… how could you… reach someone like him…"

Kang Eun-Gi let out a small scoff. "Well, hidden family matters aren't exactly rare, are they? Anyway, I returned what you gave, so let's see how well you handle it."

'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. That's my friend.'

***

A few minutes of silence passed.

From inside the holding cell, Gi Do-Hyuk shouted, "Mommy! What's wrong? What happened?"

Without even looking at her son, Seo Yung-Yoon stood there, unable to grasp how to untangle the situation.

Then, Seo Yung-Yoon's phone began to vibrate ominously.

Buzz.

With trembling hands, she answered, "What is it?"

-Ma'am! Companies are suddenly withdrawing their deposits en masse. It's the same with other banks. At this rate, our reserves will be drained. We need a countermeasure!

The moment she realized that the biggest financial backer in Korea was pulling out funds, all color drained from Seo Yung-Yoon's face.

"I-I…"

Just then, the lawyer who had been negotiating with the police rushed over, pale as a ghost after receiving a call. "The chairman of the Banking Association contacted us. They're reassessing our credit rating next month. If funds keep draining like this, our bank could go bankrupt!"

Banks operated by borrowing money from higher institutions and lending it out to others for profit. But to do that, they needed a base level of capital. If deposits were rapidly withdrawn like this, the entire banking operation could collapse. And if a bank went under, it wouldn't just affect them but it could ruin the lives of those who had taken loans from them.

So I whispered to Kang Eun-Gi. "Hey, you might want to stop your father."

Seeing how big things had escalated from what was supposed to be a simple request, Kang Eun-Gi finally looked a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah… I should. If this gets any bigger, ordinary people could get hurt," he whispered back.

"Exactly. It could even bring government pressure."

"Got it. I'll call him right away."

Kang Eun-Gi also decided this was enough. After all, all I wanted was to ensure nothing interfered with getting Gi Do-Hyuk and Na Soo-Hyuk locked up.

Just as he was about to make the call, the door to the station swung open and a man in his early seventies entered, accompanied by a group of aides.

Bang.

"Where are they? Here?"

The white-haired man with sharp features scanned the area.

The moment Seo Yung-Yoon saw him, relief flooded her face. "Honey!"

The man who had stormed in with an entourage was none other than Gi Myung-Hyun, head of KIN Law Firm, a man with immense influence in the legal world.

Seeing his wife, Gi Myung-Hyun pointed at her angrily. "Have you lost your mind? Are you trying to bring down our entire firm too? Huh?"

"The firm? Why?"

"Companies that borrowed from Daeheung Savings Bank are cutting contracts with our firm! Just like what you tried to do to President Kang!"

Choi Eun-Tae's retaliation was far more powerful than I had expected.

'It's over now.'

With both of his backers taking critical hits, Gi Do-Hyuk was as good as finished today. But even as his parents stood there flustered, he still had no grasp of the situation from inside the holding cell.

"Daddy! Stop talking with Mommy and get me out of here already!! What are you doing?!"

Face flushed red, Gi Myung-Hyun turned to look at us. I thought he would apologize to Kang Eun-Gi. But instead, he said something completely unexpected.

"President Kang. Chief Jung. Please wait a moment. Before we talk… there's something I must do first."

At that moment, Gi Myung-Hyun abruptly turned and began striding toward the holding cell.

'What on earth is he about to do?'