The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 46 (46/840)
< It's My Friend's Matter. >
#46
It's My Friend's Matter.
In his previous life, Hyunseong was selected as a national representative and won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Looking at the current situation, it seems he originally intended to give up the Asian Games next year.
However, perhaps because of a request I made upon my return, he rejected that offer this time.
Could it be that Hyunseong ended up in a hit-and-run accident due to the repercussions of my actions?
'I didn't expect this kind of situation.'
The thought that I couldn't prevent Hyunseong from suffering unnecessarily left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Since it's common for gangsters to choose construction as a legitimate business, it's hard not to be suspicious, isn't it?"
"Yes, I agree. Should we investigate further?"
I shook my head at his words.
"Since Manager Ha said he would look into it, let's wait and see. You're using the people Manager Ha has, right?"
"I've only taken over a few of them."
"Are they reliable?"
"They're all people I know well, so there's no problem."
I smiled at Manager Ma's face.
* * *
The office of Geumseong Construction.
A loud shout was followed by the sound of something breaking against the wall.
A large, middle-aged man was throwing things at a man who was bowing his head.
"Hey, you! You crazy bastard. I told you to just make sure he couldn't participate in the competition, but what were you thinking, pushing him with a car? Why did you make things unnecessarily complicated!"
"I'm sorry, sir."
"You damn fool, hey! Bae Wonchun! I told you not to call me 'sir.' Are we still street thugs? You couldn't do it properly? What kind of business do I run, trusting scumbags like you?"
Bae Wonchun couldn't even answer, just bowing his head.
After a long moment of fuming, the middle-aged man asked,
"So, how is he? Is he alive?"
"He's not dead, but his father is the head of the violent crimes unit... The police are searching for him with a vengeance..."
"Damn... You should have done it more carefully!"
A wad of paper flew at Bae Wonchun's face. Jo Hyungu glared at him, who bowed his head even lower.
"Did you leave any evidence? Absolutely, it must not be traced back to us. You made a simple task complicated, so you'll have to clean up the mess yourself. If you get caught, make sure my name doesn't come up. Got it?"
"Yes."
"What about the kids who did the job?"
"I sent them to Gangneung."
"Are they trustworthy?"
"They don't even know who you are. If anything happens, it won't reach you."
Only then did Jo Hyungu's furious expression soften.
"That's a relief. Ah, that kid. I told him to back off. Why is this young punk making things complicated? Isn't that right, Wonchun?"
"You're right."
Jo Hyungu changed his tone and began to soothe Bae Wonchun.
"Wonchun, do you know how I got to where I am? It took me ten years to get rid of the gangster smell. Thanks to that, we've avoided the war on crime. You all have a respectable position now, don't you?"
"Yes, thanks to you, we don't have to be called gangsters anymore."
"Right, we need to live respectably now. If we get caught, I'll take care of it, so cut your losses."
"Understood."
He took out several bundles of 100,000 won from the safe and threw them to Bae Wonchun.
"Good work. You can go now."
Bae Wonchun took the money, bowed deeply, and left the room.
As the door closed, the smile on Jo Hyungu's face disappeared.
"Damn, he couldn't even handle a simple task. Should I just beat the crap out of him?"
A gangster is a gangster, even if he pretends to be a businessman.
* * *
Hyunseong's condition had improved a lot.
Hyunseong's father was constantly going to the police station, pressuring them to find the culprit, while Hyunseong's mother was by his side, nursing him.
When I entered the room, Hyunseong's mother stood up.
"Is it Muhyeok? Have you eaten?"
"Yes, I've eaten. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. Thanks to you, Muhyeok, I'm enjoying an unexpected luxury. This is a hotel, not a hospital room."
Seeing her smile, I felt better too.
After a bit of conversation with her, I looked at Hyunseong.
"Hey, are you still alive?"
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I don't think I can keep our promise."
Ah... This stubborn kid is talking about the promise in the middle of all this...
"Don't be ridiculous and don't worry your mother. Right, Mother?"
"You're right. Hyunseong has been stubborn many times. Muhyeok, you understand. Hyunseong's father will be here soon. I'll go out front for a bit. Talk to each other."
Hyunseong's mother patted my back a few times with a smile and left the room.
I sat down next to Hyunseong's bed.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
His smiling face made me even angrier.
"You said you were hit at school before the accident, right? Damn... I'm sorry. I didn't know until I heard from Myeongsoo. I became your friend but didn't pay attention, and I put unnecessary pressure on you for my own convenience."
"It's okay."
"No, you've suffered for years... I know. Damn, this isn't right."
At that, Hyunseong's eyes seemed to well up with tears.
The doctor said that, fortunately, his broken arms and legs could be fixed with surgery, but he might have difficulty with intense physical activity...
"I'll catch the guy who hit you and make him pay."
"Stop it. You don't have to do that for me."
"Enough. Get well soon. When you're better, quit school and work with me. I'll make you a better life than your judo seniors, coaches, and even the coach."
"......This incident has nothing to do with our promise. It was a traffic accident."
"I know. I know, but I'm a bit upset. I'll handle it."
Knowing my stubbornness, Hyunseong didn't say anything more.
"Rest well. You haven't had a proper break or fun because of your training. Think of this as a chance to rest."
"Understood."
There was no more conversation.
Hyunseong and I, unlike Myeongsoo, didn't need many words to understand each other.
At that moment, Hyunseong's parents came in.
"Is Muhyeok here?"
The father's face didn't look good as he entered.
Seeing him sigh at the sight of Hyunseong, I stood up.
"Father, let's go have a cigarette."
"Should we? Hyunseong's mother, Muhyeok and I will be back after a talk. Stay with him."
"Quit smoking already!"
We went downstairs and sat on a bench.
As soon as he sat down, Hyunseong's father took a cigarette and sighed deeply.
"The trail is cold. A few witnesses came forward, but none of them remember clearly. We've checked all the nearby repair shops, but there's nothing special."
"Hyunseong is awake now, so don't worry too much."
"What else can that kid do besides sports? Even though he went off track for a while when he was young, he invested almost half his life in sports. Now, he can't do sports anymore. What a mess."
I couldn't answer his loud, agitated voice. No matter what I said, I couldn't console the grieving father and Hyunseong...
Exhaling a long puff of smoke to calm down, the father looked at me.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking it out on you, but... damn..."
"It's okay. I'm angry too."
"Still, it's a relief. They said it won't affect his daily life, right? That's enough."
"Yes."
"I'll go down next week. Hyunseong's mother will stay. Come visit often, okay?"
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
"Will it interfere with your studies?"
"Father, don't be silly. It won't interfere. Don't say that."
"Damn... What will that kid do now..."
The father's sigh echoed through the hospital.
When I got home, Manager Ha was waiting for me.
It had been a week since I asked him to look into it.
"Did you find the culprit? Can I see them?"
"Really?"
"Yes, but to be precise, they're not just a culprit. They were targeting Hyunseong, just disguised as a traffic accident."
'Bad feelings are never wrong.'
Thinking that Hyunseong was hurt because of me, anger welled up inside me.
Trying to stay calm, but my voice came out a bit stiff.
"Where are they?"
"Handling it yourself...?"
"Damn... Manager, I wouldn't go myself for other matters. This is my friend's matter. He's one of my people. Don't make me say it twice. If you give it to Manager Ma, I'll meet him directly."
"Understood."
Manager Ha didn't argue further.
A while later, I set off with Manager Ma to where the culprits were being held.
It was the abandoned factory where I had dealt with the hammer.
* * *
"So, Muhyeok went himself?"
"Yes, that's right."
After Kim Muhyeok left, Manager Ha went to the study to report to Chairman Cheon.
"Who?"
"They were young kids. They said they were following someone's orders, but we need to investigate further to get the answer."
Chairman Cheon frowned.
"It wasn't just a hit-and-run? This is getting interesting. Did you go with Manager Ma?"
"Yes, I handed it over to Manager Ma. The people waiting are all acquaintances, so there shouldn't be any problems."
Nodding, Chairman Cheon stroked his chin in thought.
Soon, a strange smile appeared on his face.
"Namehun, you step back. I want to see how Muhyeok handles it."
"Understood."
"How do you think he'll handle it?"
"From what I've observed, he won't handle it half-heartedly. He's very calm when he needs to be, but he's also very kind to his people."
"Is that so?"
Chairman Cheon's lips twitched slightly.
"Though it might be presumptuous, I suggested he refrain from handling it himself, but he was firm that it was his friend's matter, so I didn't argue further."
"Good. You should just play a supporting role. If you have to spoon-feed him, you might as well ask a passerby to do it."
"Understood. I'll just watch."
"Right, watch and report back to me. Whether he asks for help or handles it on his own, it'll be interesting to see."
A look of anticipation, unbecoming of his age, appeared on Chairman Cheon's face.
* * *
Opening the factory door, I saw several men inside. They recognized Manager Ma and nodded in greeting before taking their positions by the door.
Inside, three men were kneeling.
Manager Ma brought a chair for me to sit on.
When they heard the commotion and looked up, they flinched and bowed their heads again upon meeting my gaze.
I sat down and examined them.
They didn't look much older than me.
"You're younger than I thought. Who told you to do it?"
One of them, who looked the least beaten, spoke up.
"I'll tell you everything. Just spare my life."
"Tell me who and why. Don't make me ask twice. It's tiring for both of us."
"Bae, Bae Wonchun told us."
"Who's that?"
"I don't know. He's a neighborhood senior who sometimes gives us pocket money. I know he's a gangster."
I looked at Manager Ma.
"It's the same name as the executive director of Geumseong Construction."
A laugh escaped me. It was a predictable move.
They must have tried to cover their tracks...
"Right. Anyone else?"
"Uh, no, we don't know anything else. He just gave us pocket money and told us to push him once and go to Gangneung. It's the truth."
"How much did you get?"
"Uh?"
I looked at Manager Ma.
One of the men at the door approached with a metal pipe.
"I'll tell you. I'll tell... Ahh!"
He hit the man a few times. The man rolled on the ground, screaming.
"Stop."
The man with the pipe stopped and returned to his position as if nothing had happened.
The man, now in even worse shape, whimpered and crawled on the ground.
"I told you not to make me ask twice. Don't ask questions. It's annoying."
"Y-Yes..."
"How much did you get?"
"F-Fifty thousand won each."
So, 150,000 won for the three of them?
I laughed bitterly.
Hyunseong's life, half of which he dedicated to sports, was ruined for just 150,000 won.
"Manager Ma, how long will it take to bring Bae Wonchun here?"
"Give me half a day. I'll bring him here tomorrow."
I nodded and stood up.
"Take care of these guys and put them aside for now. I'll decide after meeting Bae Wonchun. Don't kill them."
"Of course."
I turned and left the factory with Manager Ma. The sounds of beating and cries for help faded as the door closed.