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Chapter 23




The Genius Grandson of the Loan Shark King - Chapter 23 (23/840)
< The True Face of Manager Ha >
#23
The True Face of Manager Ha
In an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh!”
Bound to a chair, a man groaned and looked around, his eyes darting between the flickering light bulbs.
Suddenly, the fluorescent lights on the ceiling turned on, illuminating the factory.
Squinting from the brightness, Hammer recognized the figure approaching from a distance.
Manager Ha was entering.
Hammer writhed desperately, but he couldn’t move a single finger, no matter how hard he tried.
Even Hammer, who had seen it all in the Myeongdong loan market, was turning pale.
Thud, thud.
Manager Ha stood in front of the bound Yoo Ji-gang, looking down at him expressionlessly.
“Ugh, ugh.”
Hammer groaned, trying to say something, but Manager Ha shook his head.
Manager Ha spoke.
“Mr. Yoo. What were you thinking? No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand. Since I joined the chairman, this has never happened, right?”
“Ugh, ugh... ugh!”
Manager Ha removed the tape from Hammer’s mouth.
As soon as the tape was removed, Hammer shouted.
“You bastard! Hey! Manager Ha! Do you think you can get away with this? Huh?”
But his voice was trembling uncontrollably.
“Mr. Yoo, don’t you understand the situation?”
Yoo Ji-gang, finally noticing the men standing behind him like a screen, was shocked.
“...Manager Ha. Let’s talk this out. Huh? We can resolve this through conversation, right? Isn’t that so? The chairman and I have worked together for years; let’s talk. Huh, Manager Ha!”
Manager Ha picked up Hammer, which was lying on the floor.
Yoo Ji-gang immediately recognized it. 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? A witness to the history of the Myeongdong loan market?”
Swish, swish.
The sound of the hammer cutting through the air made Yoo Ji-gang’s face turn pale, and he began to beg in a trembling voice.
“Manager Ha. I, I’ll hand over the bank accounts. Just stop here. Please.”
“You tried to hit the young master with this hammer, didn’t you? You didn’t think you could get away with it, did you?”
“No, no, no, it was just a test. I didn’t really intend to hit him. How could I do that to the chairman’s grandson? Right? I’m serious, believe me!”
“Is that so? I thought you, being of a certain age, wanted to move quickly.”
Creak! Thud.
The factory door opened, and two men entered carrying a large drum.
Yoo Ji-gang’s face turned ashen. At that moment, the smile on Manager Ha’s face disappeared.
“Who ordered you?”
“What, what? Who ordered me? No one ordered me. I was just testing the young master. I’m serious.”
Manager Ha looked to the side without answering.
The men approached and grabbed Hammer’s bound arms.
“Mr. Yoo, think carefully before you answer. Who ordered you?”
Yoo Ji-gang didn’t answer.
Smack!
Without a sound, the hammer struck Yoo Ji-gang’s fingers. The sound of flesh being crushed and blood splattering filled the air.
“Ahh! Aaaaaah!”
Yoo Ji-gang thrashed wildly.
His pinky finger was mashed, revealing the bone.
“Who ordered you?”
“O, ordered...”
Smack!
“Aaaaaah!”
This time it was his ring finger.
Then his middle finger, index finger...
His fingers were mangled in an instant. Yoo Ji-gang’s breath was mixed with blood.
Manager Ha, the men holding him, and those standing behind all watched Yoo Ji-gang’s collapse with a cold, indifferent expression.
“Mr. Yoo, you need to save your right hand. This is your last chance. I won’t give you another one.”
Manager Ha reached out and lifted Yoo Ji-gang’s limp head. His eyes were unfocused.
“Who gave the order?”
“...”
Without an answer, the men who received Manager Ha’s nod grabbed Yoo Ji-gang’s other wrist.
Yoo Ji-gang shuddered and suddenly came to his senses.
“I, I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Please, stop...”
“Speak.”
“C, Chairman Cheon, he, he asked me to test the young master... Yes, Chairman Cheon asked me. It was Chairman Cheon, not me...”
Yoo Ji-gang kept emphasizing Chairman Cheon.
Manager Ha, who had been staring at his face, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and placed it in Yoo Ji-gang’s mouth, then took one for himself.
“Have a smoke. Isn’t it better to talk when you can speak clearly?”
Yoo Ji-gang couldn’t even properly draw on the cigarette. The cigarette dangled from his lips, trembling.
“Where are the bank accounts?”
“In the office safe...”
“Are they all there? What about the accounts the chairman entrusted to you separately?”
“...”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
As Manager Ha lifted the hammer again, Yoo Ji-gang, in a panic, said,
“T, they’re also 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.”
Yoo Ji-gang, with empty eyes, nodded and then shook his head.
Manager Ha threw the cigarette to the ground and stood up.
“Treat him roughly and give him a cigarette if he asks for one. I’ll be back, so stay here.”
“Yes, Manager.”
Manager Ha left the factory, receiving the men’s salutes.
* * *
Chairman Cheon looked at Manager Ha, who had brought the bank accounts, with an indifferent expression, as if it were a matter of course.
“Where is that Ji-gang?”
“First...”
Manager Ha, looking at me, trailed off.
The grandfather glanced at me and urged him.
“Enough. Mu-hyuk needs to know too. I need to tell him how I survived to this point.”
“First, I left him in an abandoned factory.”
“Hmm... Is he badly hurt?”
“Only a few fingers are crushed. He talked everything out, so we stopped there.”
Surprise appeared on my face.
This was the first time I had seen Manager Ha act like this, both in my previous life and this one.
Manager Ha always appeared as a secretary beside the grandfather, and even after death, he acted as a secretary beside me.
Seeing my expression, the grandfather smiled.
“Haha. Surprised, huh?”
“No, not really.”
“The loan business isn’t always resolved with words. There have been so many things that happened while accumulating that money. You shouldn’t be surprised by just this.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Manager Ha asked Chairman Cheon.
“What should we do with him?”
“Hmm... He has worked beside me for a long time...”
After some thought, the grandfather asked me.
“Mu-hyuk, what do you think? What should be done?”
What was the correct answer to the grandfather’s question?
The correct answer the grandfather wanted...
After a moment of thought, I said,
“Let him retire. It seems our relationship is irreparable. If we leave him in his position, he could become a future problem. I don’t think it’s wise to keep such a person around.”
The grandfather, pleased with my answer, smiled.
“Is that so? That’s what you think?”
“Yes.”
After a moment of thought, Chairman Cheon said to Manager Ha,
“...Let him retire. Leave him enough to live on, recover all the money I gave him, and collect all the debts. And... if he resists or has other thoughts, deal with it as you see fit.”
“Understood.”
The grandfather, who had given the order, looked at me and said,
“Mu-hyuk, you can go now. How is school?”
“Yes, I’m doing well in school.”
“Good. Even if you don’t take the bar exam, treat the people you meet at university well. If you go to a prestigious university, those people will be the ones who run this country in the future. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Rest.”
I bowed and left the study.
* * *
After Mu-hyuk left the study, Chairman Cheon and Manager Ha continued their conversation.
“Who was behind it?”
“It was Chairman Cheon Su-man. He asked to test the young master, and the other chairmen agreed. However, it seems a bit suspicious to say he only trusted Chairman Cheon Su-man.”
“Is that so?”
“Perhaps he overstepped, thinking he had been with the chairman the longest.”
“Hmm...”
“Shouldn’t you at least warn him? If something happens to the young master...”
“Problem? Be careful with your words.”
Chairman Cheon’s expression hardened, and Manager Ha immediately bowed.
“Sorry, I overstepped.”
“...It could be the work of the Cheongpung Association. Before he retires, find out properly.”
“Understood. What about the first chairman?”
“Leave it to me. From now on, keep an eye on the Economic Planning Board. Is the economic chief silent? It feels strange. And quickly clean up the accounts.”
“Understood. The Blue House is currently focused on eliminating the Hanahoe. But what about the secret accounts? Should they be cleaned up as well?”
“I’ll leave that to Mu-hyuk. Keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”
After sending Manager Ha out, Chairman Cheon, looking exhausted, muttered to himself,
“What should I do with Su-man...”
Though he was cold to others, Chairman Cheon was also a father who was endlessly weak for his own blood.
* * *
As I entered the lecture hall to attend a class, I felt the gazes of the students.
I’m not used to this at all.
“Mu-hyuk! Here! Here.”
Seeing Myeong-su waving his hand and calling me, a smile finally spread across my face.
“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.”
As Myeong-su grumbled, the lecture hall door opened, and an elderly man with white hair entered.
Looking around at us, his first words were...
“Do you know what Article 1, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea says?”
Someone raised their hand and said,
“The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic.”
“Then what about Article 1, Section 2?”
“Umm... That is...”
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 atmosphere in the lecture hall became heavy.
The students, staring at the professor, listened intently.
“After you graduate from university 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 this is not a legal professional.”
“Yes!”
The professor’s face lit up with a smile, thanks to the energetic voices of the students.
“Haha. Freshmen are always full of energy. I’m sorry 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 student a perfect scorer? Where are they?”
Ah! Why!
The gazes of the students in the lecture hall turned toward me.
Following their gazes, the professor also looked at me.
“Kim Mu-hyuk? Is that you?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. 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 sudden question, I was speechless.
But I had to answer because of the curious gazes of my classmates.
“I haven’t decided on my career path yet. I plan to think about it while attending university.”
“Hmm, it seems this year’s top student is a unique one.”
The lecture hall burst into laughter again.
“Since it’s the first class, why don’t we do some brief introductions? It would be good to know each other before the welcome party. Come on, let’s start with our top student.”
All eyes, including the professor’s, turned to me again.
“Hello, I’m Kim Mu-hyuk. It’s nice to meet all of you in this first class...”
As the introductions of all the students came to an end, the first class concluded.
As I left the lecture hall, a few students approached me to talk.
But none of the people I aimed to target came near.
The 1993 cohort of Korea University is known as the golden cohort.
I chose law to make some of the people who would later rise to key positions in the Supreme Court, prosecution, and Ministry of Justice my own.
After a brief conversation with the students who approached me, I walked with Myeong-su when someone called out to me.
“Kim Mu-hyuk!”
Turning at the sound of my name, I saw Cheon Su-man’s daughter, Cheon Ji-soo, approaching me.
“Do you have time to talk?”
Myeong-su was in a daze, looking at Cheon Ji-soo’s face, and the surrounding students were whispering, alternating their gazes between me and Cheon Ji-soo.
“Why?”
“Let’s talk in a quiet place.”
My cousin, whom I didn’t exchange a single word with at the last family gathering.
Cheon Ji-soo was more of a siren than any person I knew.
A gumiho with a hidden blade in her beauty and smile.
< The True Face of Manager Ha > End