Sehun checked his watch, then he beckoned to Yoonshin. Hugging his phone and a stack of papers neatly in his arms, Yoonshin closed the door and approached the senior lawyerâs desk.
âDid you read through the documents properly? I was under the impression that you shouldnât have time to chitchat in my office. We have a meeting in an hour.â
âI had a first pass at the documents. I had something else to tell you.â
Sehun crossed his legs and stared point-blank at the younger man, urging him to say whatever it was he needed to say. If anyone could make someone nervous with just a stare, it was Sehun. Yoonshin felt his palms getting clammy. Sehun snapped his fingers, breaking Yoonshin out of his spell.
Yoonshin finally said, âYoungjin Construction. Their debt ratio is practically the same as last year.â
âEven if itâs proportionally the same, thatâs mostly bad debt,â Sehun replied.
âThatâs true. They say that theyâve hit the ceiling in terms of growth, but their performance isnât zero. Â It bothered me that they were trying to sell such a large company at this time. So, I looked into it separately, and I found that after restructuring, the grandson of the founding directorâMr. Wonik Choâhad significant influence over the companyâs operations. You might know this already.â
Expressionless, Sehun reacted blandly. âI know that. So what?â
âNot too long ago, Mr. Choâs began a new affair with an actor.â Yoonshin turned on the screen to his phone that he was cradling in his hand to show Sehun a photo. Sehun stared at the actor on the screen, then he looked back at Yoonshin. He wanted Yoonshin to continue, which made Yoonshin rather bewildered. âYouâre not surprised.â
âShould I be?â Sehun asked.
âHeâs having an affair with a man.â
âOh, so you thought I should be surprised that he was cheating with a man and not the fact that he was committing adultery?â Sehun gave him an opaque stare.
Yoonshin suppressed his discomfort and tried to maintain a calm façade. âSince then, this actor has been sponsored quite aggressively. Around 25 million dollars from concealed sources were invested in some movie production companies, and there are more to come. Hardly anyone knows that theyâre having an affair. President Cho seems to believe that not even his wife knows about it.â
âThatâs reasonable. The two are old friends. Normally, people wouldnât expect two married men to cheat with each other.â
âExactly. But just when their relationship dynamic changed, he put his company for sale and started to spend more on his loverâŠâ
âYou think itâs suspicious.â
âYes. You could see it as President Choâs intention to obtain liquidity to invest in a different business,â Yoonshin concluded.
Sehun hummed and fell silent. He didnât look taken aback by the new informationâhe must have known something about it. He deliberated on his words, trying to figure out how much of his theory to share with Yoonshin, then Sehun said, âI think heâs investing in the entertainment industry. I donât know what rumor he heard, but he must believe that this will be profitable. It must have something to do with his romantic trysts. After hearing what you had to say, the vague ideas I had have become clearer.â
âItâs in a low right now, but in the long-term, isnât construction better in prospect? Entertainment is too risky.â
âFools donât think about the future. They listen to the sweet nothings that others whisper to them. I think thereâs a middleman somewhere in this. But how in the world did you know that President Cho had a male lover? You found something I couldnât.â