An abandoned factory on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh!”
Tied to a chair, the man groaned as he looked around, the flickering fluorescent lights casting shadows.
Suddenly, the ceiling lights turned on, illuminating the factory.
Squinting from the brightness, Mange could make out a figure approaching.
Manager Ha was entering.
Mange writhed desperately, but he couldn't move a single finger, bound as he was.
Even Mange, who had seen it all in the Myeongdong loan market, was turning pale.
Thud, thud.
Manager Ha, who had arrived in front of Mange, was looking down at him expressionlessly.
“Ugh, ugh.”
Mange groaned, trying to speak but unable to form words.
Manager Ha spoke.
“Mr. Yu. What were you thinking? No matter how much I think about it, I can't understand. Hasn't this never happened since I joined the chairman?”
“Ugh, ugh... ugh!”
Manager Ha removed the tape from Mange's mouth.
As soon as the tape was off, Mange shouted.
“You little bastard! Hey! Manager Ha! Do you really think you can get away with this? Huh?”
But his voice was trembling uncontrollably.
“Mr. Yu, don't you understand the situation?”
Mange, who had just noticed the men standing behind him like a backdrop, was shocked.
“...Manager Ha. Let's talk this out. Huh? We can resolve this through conversation, right? Isn't that so? We've worked together for years, let's talk. Huh? Manager Ha!”
Manager Ha picked up a hammer that was lying on the floor.
Mange recognized it immediately; it was the hammer he always carried.
A sneer appeared on Manager Ha's face as he twirled the hammer in his hand.
“Ah, you want to talk? Fine. What did you say back then? You were the historian and witness of the Myeongdong loan market?”
Swish, swish.
The sound of the hammer slicing through the air made Mange's face turn ashen, and he began to beg in a trembling voice.
“Manager Ha. I, I'll give you the bank accounts. Just stop here. Please.”
“You were going to hit the young master with this hammer, weren't you? You didn't think you could get away with it, did you?”
“N, no, it was just a test. I didn't really mean to hit him. How could I do that to the chairman's grandson? Right? I really didn't, believe me!”
“Is that so? I thought you were eager to move on quickly.”
Creak! Thud.
The factory door opened, and two men entered carrying a large drum.
Mange's face turned pale. At that moment, Manager Ha's face also lost its smile.
“Who told you to do this?”
“W, what? Who told me? No one told me. I just wanted to test the young master. Really.”
Manager Ha looked at him without a word.
The men approached and grabbed Mange's tied arms.
“Mr. Yu, think carefully before you answer. Who told you to do this?”
Mange didn't answer.
Smack!
The hammer struck Mange's fingers without a sound. The sound of flesh being crushed and blood splattering filled the air.
“Ahh! Aaaaaah!”
Mange thrashed around wildly.
His pinky finger was mashed, revealing the bone.
“Who told you to do this?”
“S, someone...”
Smack!
“Aaaaaah!”
This time it was his ring finger.
Then his middle finger, and his index finger...
His fingers were a mess in no time. Mange's breathing was now mixed with blood.
Manager Ha, the men holding him, and those standing behind all watched Mange's collapse with faces that were not just calm but indifferent.
“Mr. Yu, we need to save your right hand. This is your last chance. There will be no more.”
Manager Ha lifted Mange's limp head by the hair. His eyes were unfocused.
“Who gave you the order?”
“...”
Without an answer, Manager Ha's gaze fell on the men, who grabbed Mange's other wrist.
“C, Chairman Cheon... asked me to test the young master... Yes, Chairman Cheon asked me. It was Chairman Cheon, not me...”
Mange kept emphasizing Chairman Cheon.
Manager Ha, who had been staring at him, took out a cigarette and lit it, then placed it in Mange's mouth and took one for himself.
“Have a smoke. It's much better to talk, isn't it?”
Mange couldn't even properly draw on the cigarette. The one hanging in the air trembled with his lips.
“Where are the bank accounts?”
“In the office safe...”
“Are they all there? What about the accounts the chairman entrusted to you?”
“...”
“Why aren't you answering?”
As Manager Ha lifted the hammer again, Mange, in a panic, said:
“T, they're all in the office safe...”
Manager Ha took out a key from his pocket and showed it to him.
“Is this the right key?”
“Y, yes. It's the right one.”
“I'll go to the office and get them. If there's even a single won missing...”
“No, no.”
Mange, with his empty eyes, nodded frantically and then shook his head.
Manager Ha threw his cigarette to the ground and stood up.
“Treat his wounds, and if he wants a cigarette, give him one. I'll be back, so keep an eye on him.”
“Yes, Manager.”
Manager Ha left the factory, receiving nods from the men.
* * *
After Muhyuk left the study, Chairman Cheon and Manager Ha continued their conversation.
“Who was behind this?”
“It was Chairman Cheon Sumwan. He asked to test the young master, and the other chairmen agreed. However, it seems a bit suspicious to say he acted solely on Chairman Cheon's request.”
“Is that so?”
“It seems he overstepped because he thought he had been with you the longest.”
“Hmm...”
“Shouldn't we issue a warning? If something happens to the young master...”
“Problem? Be careful what you say.”
Chairman Cheon's expression hardened, and Manager Ha immediately bowed his head.
“I apologize. I overstepped.”
“...It could be the work of the Cheongpung Association. Before he retires, find out properly.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Should we do something about the first chairman?”
“Leave it to me. I'll handle the first chairman. From now on, keep a close eye on the Economic Planning Board. Is the chief economic advisor silent? Something feels off. And expedite the account cleanup.”
“Yes, the Blue House is currently focused on eliminating the Hanahoe. But what about the secret accounts? Should we clean those up as well?”
“I'll leave that to Muhyuk. Let him know.”
“Yes.”
After dismissing Manager Ha, Chairman Cheon sighed, looking exhausted.
“What should I do with that Cheon Sumwan...”
Though he was the most cold-hearted person to others, Chairman Cheon was also a father who was endlessly soft towards his own blood.
* * *
As I entered the lecture hall for class, I could feel people's gazes.
I'm not used to this at all.
“Muhyuk! Over here! Over here.”
Seeing Myeongsoo waving his hand to call me, I finally managed a smile.
“What's the professor like?”
“Who? Professor Shin?”
“Yeah.”
“I don't know. But his students are in high positions in the courts and prosecution.”
“Hmm...”
“Are you preparing for the bar exam?”
“Yeah, I've started studying. Phew... Where is my youth going! It's all because of you!”
Just as Myeongsoo finished grumbling, the lecture hall door opened, and an elderly man with white hair entered.
Looking around, his first words were...
“Do you know Article 1, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea?”
Someone raised their hand and answered.
“The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic.”
“What about Section 2?”
“Umm... It says...”
The student who raised his hand scratched the back of his head, and the old professor answered for him.
“The sovereignty of the Republic of Korea resides in the people, and all state authority emanates from the people.”
The lecture hall grew heavy with the weight of his words.
The students, staring at the professor, listened intently.
“After you graduate and pass the bar exam, whether you become a prosecutor, lawyer, or judge... always keep Article 1, Sections 1 and 2 of the Constitution in your heart. A legal professional who loses sight of this is no longer a legal professional.”
“Yes!”
The professor's face broke into a smile, perhaps encouraged by the energetic responses of the students.
“Haha. Freshmen are always full of energy. I apologize for starting the first class with such heavy words.”
“No, it's fine!”
The lecture hall was filled with the laughter of the students.
“By the way, wasn't this year's top scorer a perfect score? Where is he?”
Ah! Why!
The students in the lecture hall all turned to look at me.
The professor's gaze followed theirs.
“Kim Muhyuk? Is that you?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you choose law? What do you plan to do in the future? Prosecutor? Judge? Or lawyer?”
Caught off guard by the professor's question, I was at a loss for words.
But I had to answer because of the curious gazes of my classmates.
“I haven't decided on a career path yet. I want to think about it while I'm in school.”
“Hmm, so this year's top scorer is a unique one.”
The lecture hall burst into laughter again.
“Since it's the first class, let's do some introductions. It would be good to know each other before the welcome party. Go ahead, our top scorer.”
All eyes, including the professor's, turned to me.
“Hello, I'm Kim Muhyuk. It's nice to meet all of you in our first class...”
By the time all the students had finished their introductions, the first class was over.
As I left the lecture hall, a few students approached me to talk.
But none of the people I was targeting came near.
The 1993 cohort at Korea University is known as the golden cohort.
I chose law to make some of these people, who would later rise to key positions in the Supreme Court, prosecution, and Ministry of Justice, my allies.
After a brief conversation with the students who approached, I left the lecture hall and walked with Myeongsoo when someone called out to me.
“Kim Muhyuk!”
Turning at the sound of my name, I saw Cheon Sumwan's daughter, Cheon Jisoo, approaching.
“Need to talk? Do you have time?”
Myeongsoo was stunned by Cheon Jisoo's appearance, and the surrounding students were whispering, alternating their gazes between me and her.
“Why?”
“Let's go somewhere quiet and talk.”
My cousin, whom I hadn't spoken to at the last family gathering, was a siren.
A fox spirit hiding a blade in her beauty and smile.