Chapter 72
Chapter 72: < Protect – Episode 71 – Show Me the Money [4] >
What awaited Ahn Soo Ho the day after his house party was a huge pile of documents that needed approval.
“I had a feeling Director Seo had a lot of enemies, but this is a big case we’re dealing with here.”
“I don’t know who this is, but Director Seo has been screwed over. Anyway, what about the deletion request?”
“The legal team is on it…but it’s difficult to delete if the server is abroad.”
“Abroad? I’ll resolve that.”
Seo Joo Kyung’s sex tape spread like wildfire. The relieving part was that people couldn’t really tell who was in the video. There were many rumors about it being a celebrity, but she was only in the entertainment field for a short period of time. On the other hand, there were many female celebrities under suspicion.
“Will we be able to get over this?”
“If someone released it to target her…that’ll be hard. The employees are also talking about it as well.”
Oh Joo Kyung shook her head.
The public would probably just suspect other celebrities, but it was just a matter of time before the employees of Hosoo Entertainment recognized her. It was also suspicious that Seo Joo Kyung suddenly disappeared. No matter how strong she was, this one was a hard case for a woman to handle.
“Say she’s on a business trip abroad.”
“Will they believe it?”
“Who cares if they don’t?”
“Oh, sure.”
Would there be any paparazzi that stands a chance against Hosoo Airlines, which had a huge private jet along with 10 to 20 business jets and helicopters?
“What about open recruitment?”
“We’re preparing it.”
Hosoo Entertainment was getting ready for an open recruitment. They initially had to ask people to join, but as the company became more famous, talented people were begging to join.
“Don’t be too picky. We’re not a major corporation.”
“No, I don’t agree with that, CEO Ahn. We may not be that big, but our working environment and welfare is better than that of a major corporation. Talented people will swarm in.”
Young people cursed at rich people while hoping to get a job at a major corporation. The reason was simple. Because the salary was high.
“Did you get any scolding from the Ministry of Employment and Labor?”
“They told us to avoid it since too much employee welfare hurts the financial integrity.”
Oh Joo Kyung recently met with self-governing groups and other organizations. She didn’t go there willingly. It was them who asked her to come. There was only one issue surrounding Hosoo Entertainment.
‘The new employees are getting paid too much.’
The new employees in their 30’s were getting paid 36 million won and the regular employees who entered Hosoo Entertainment this year were getting paid 52 million won.
“Isn’t there something wrong with the standards?”
“Yes. Since the experienced employees were being treated like new employees.”
According to their standards, all experienced employees who entered Hosoo Entertainment counted as new employees. It was a simple numbers game that ignored the difference between the experienced and the inexperienced ones. The average salary of those in their 30’s in major corporations was 74 million won. Their claim didn’t make sense when taking their employee welfare into consideration.
“How malicious. What about the media?”
“Surprisingly, not many media companies are interested besides a few tabloids.”
“But don’t put your guard down. The hyenas looking out to pounce need to be kept under control.”
At the BRICS summit, they got the Korean president good, but the diplomatic relations between Korea and China advanced forward. How that was packaged and used depends on the abilities and choices of the Korean government.
‘If they have brains, they probably realized that antagonizing me won’t be good for them.’
Lee Joong Hyun, who was testing out both the Korea National Association and Comradery Association, either wanted to make himself stronger by using Ahn Soo Ho or became free of both influences. The important part was that Ahn Soo Ho had no interest in getting involved in his games.
“The broadcasting company will take longer than expected.”
“Is that what the legal team thinks?”
“Yes. They said it’ll take at least a year.”
“Since they’re professionals, let’s trust them.”
If that was what the lawyers insist, that was how it was. Ahn Soo Ho, who was busy at his desk signing documents even after Oh Joo Kyung left, was only freed once Lee So Hye came to the company. He was ready to hear a lot of scolding but all she did was wiggle her fingers. Was she minding someone?
“What is it?”
“I have a favor to ask you, Big Brother.”
“Gasp! You’re giving me the chills.”
Ahn Soo Ho had shivers from being addressed that way, so he rubbed his hands and flicked Lee So Hye on the head.
“Agh!”
“Stop the nonsense and say it.”
“Can you give a lecture at my school?”
Lee So Hye rubbed her head and asked him the favor after gathering the courage.
“Lecture?”
“Yeah. With a successful CEO…”
She trailed off but what she meant was obvious.
“If you’re busy, you don’t have to.”
“Seriously?”
“Heh.”
Ahn Soo Ho’s speechless response made her stick out her tongue. There must have been a lot of pressure from the school.
“When did you get the request?”
“Hm. A month ago?”
A month ago, Hosoo Entertainment’s Asia Tour was just beginning. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho’s name was all over the news, his family also became an issue. Why were those known to be his siblings of different surnames? The thirsty reporters made up their own stories.
The fact that Lee Hyo Geun’s former wife and her son of a bitch son appeared wasn’t even a shocking case. The tabloids pounced at the shocking family story that would only show up on morning shows. The problem was that the witnesses were all only cursing at Lee Hyo Geun’s former wife and her son of a bitch son.
‘This isn’t the picture I wanted.’
Once the elders of Jejudo turned their backs on them too, they became the worst of the worst. Ahn Soo Ho smirked in his head.
‘They deserved it.’
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? We’re the ones who are sorry.”
Every time their father went on TV and flapped his mouth, the siblings felt terrible.
“The reporters must have come to your school. The school must have scolded you for disturbing the studying environment.”
“Wow! Soo Ho, are you a mind reader?”
The truth was, he got a briefing from the guards that were secretly looking out for her.
‘I don’t like what they’re doing…but I have no choice.’
He didn’t like that the school seemed to propose a deal for Lee So Hye’s education, but he couldn’t say it was wrong either.
“Okay. I’ll lecture.”
“Really? Do you mean it?”
She bounced around in happiness. Her expression showed that she wasn’t in an unpleasant situation. His guards also notified him that she was being treated like a princess there. No one hates being treated well by others. It was different from vanity. Seeing how Lee So Hye was wriggling her fingers again, she must have had another favor to ask.
“What else?”
The second favor was simple. She wanted signed albums from the male idol groups of Hosoo Entertainment. That was easy to fulfill.
“Do you like idols?”
“No, but my friends do.”
“You could have asked for signed albums from just about anyone.”
There wasn’t a single employee at Hosoo Entertainment who didn’t know that Lee So Hye was Ahn Soo Ho’s little sister.
“While you’re at it.”
She answered casually, but her eyeballs were moving quickly.
‘Is she obsessed with male idols these days?’
Ahn Soo Ho wondered. Since teenage girls tend to change their minds all the time, it wouldn’t be surprising if she fell for an idol. That was also the sales point and marketing strategy of male idols.
“Joo Kyung!”
Lee So Hye dashed over to a woman and ran into her arms. Oh Joo Kyung pat Lee So Hye’s head.
“When did you get here?”
“Just now.”
“Did you meet CEO…Oh, CEO Ahn.”
Oh Joo Kyung then noticed Ahn Soo Ho. When did they got so close? But then again, she took care of his family ever since they were in Jejudo, and before he started dating Jang Seol Hyun, Mrs. Park pushed him to marry her. Since she accomplished her mission with Ahn Soo Ho, she abandoned her brother and whispered with Oh Joo Kyung.
They were obviously conspiring, but he pretended not to notice. He then saw Do Kyung Ho who got off the lift. He was going to say hi, but he saw someone in a suit behind him, which made him knit his brow. Ahn Soo Ho remembers meeting him at Incheon International Airport. What was this name? It was Han something.
“Hello, CEO Ahn. I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Han Joo Young.”
“I remember you, Mr. Han.”
He remembered him as an ace from the National Intelligence Service. Ahn Soo Ho greeted Do Kyung Ho with his eyes and then relocated with Han Joo Young.
“First off, I’d like to thank you. Thanks to your advice, we overcame our crisis.”
He said he was thankful, but he was half sarcastic.
The end of Korea National Association, the dispersion of Comradery Association, and President Lee Joong Hyun playing his games in between made it for a sensitive situation. In response to Ahn Soo Ho’s bitter words of saying he didn’t know who the other person was, Han Joo Kyung took a step back from the company politics, which turned out to be a good decision.
It wasn’t just the National Assembly and the government department that were harmed due to the sex tourism controversy. The military and the intelligence agency were also hit hard, and half of the high officials handed in their resignation letter.
“I know you’re not really thankful. Why are you here?”
Since their ranks changed since their meeting at the airport, Ahn Soo Ho could have gotten worked up due to his sarcasm, but he didn’t seem interested. Han Joo Young laughed bitterly and then got straight to the point.
“An anti-espionage department has been formed just to deal with you, CEO Ahn.”
“Oh!”
“On the surface, it seems like a notice from the Minister of National Defense, but it’s actually a threat from the Comradery Association.”
The military’s civilian inspection had been a problem for quite some time.
“Did the command request cooperation from the Ministry of National Defense?”
“Yes, that’s right. But they refused.”
“Oh!”
Ahn Soo Ho exclaimed again.
Wasn’t it funny to hear about the negotiations taking place about him? Even though he dropped out of the Naval Academy, he was still known as a former Naval Academy student. It wasn’t something that made no sense. The reason why the Comradery Association sympathized with Korea National Association was because it was the Lee’s such as Lee Geun Taek and Lee Kyung Joon who was responsible for Ahn Soo Ho’s dropping out of the Naval Academy.
“It seems like they perceive you as a dangerous person.”
“They still haven’t woken up.”
The incident that Ahn Soo Ho caused were buried. Seeing how such murders were covered up so easily, organizational powers must be behind it. No matter how much corruption was exposed through the media, as long as the key powers were okay, they believed they could be revived again.
Would Yoon Chul and Kim Soo Jung be able to reach the key powers?
‘That’ll be hard.’
Quite a few corrupted politicians and government workers were weeded out, but the ones who really needed judgment were a few that died in Ahn Soo Ho’s hands. The rest threw scapegoats to the thirsty public and hid out in a safe place until the storm passed by.
“So what is it that you want?”
“Justice.”
“Haha.”
Ahn Soo Ho laughed.
“Justice?”
“Yes. I want justice.”
He stared at Han Joo Young.
He wasn’t the type to be so frustrating or say frustrating things, so why was he saying such nonsense? Something sparked in his mind. Did he visit Hosoo Entertainment because of someone else’s will? Ahn Soo Ho used his view expansion magic. It was meant for looking afar, but the magic gives him the ability to look through people.
‘I’m not interested in looking at people naked though.’
It was a magic that he often used while he worked as a guard.
He had a lot of pride, and he had more body hair than most Asians. It seemed like he exercised a lot, and he also had a small gun. A jackknife? He must have watched too many White movies. Or he had a fantasy about secret agents.
‘Hm.’
He also had a wiretap.
As soon as Ahn Soo Ho was done scanning his entire body, Han Joo Young froze up. Ahn Soo Ho stroked his chin. What would Han Joo Young do if he just told him that he knew about the wiretap? He smiled and offered a handshake. But what came out of his mouth was very contrasting.
“You eavesdropping son of a bitch. If you have something to say, say it yourself.”
He was startled and tried to take out his hand, but Ahn Soo Ho held him down so hard that he shed cold sweat. The response came instantly.
When the phone rang, Ahn Soo Ho let go of the handshake and stuck out his hand. He rubbed his hand and then handed over his phone.
“I’m sorry, CEO Ahn. This is the Senior Secretary of the President of Civil Affairs, Park Young Hwan.”
That meant he was a very influential man.
“I apologize again. I only used the wiretap because I didn’t know your tendencies.”
“Get straight to the point.”
Ahn Soo Ho cut him off, but he was stubborn, too.
“Please hear me out.”
“Get to the point!”
“Sigh. Okay. I’ll get to the point then.”
His firmness made Park Young Hwan sigh.
“The president has appointed you as the special inspector general.”
‘Lee Joong Hyun, this bastard! Should I kill him?’
< Protect – Episode 71 – Show Me the Money [4] > The end.