CH145 | VOC

“Haa… haa…”

Kim Min-sik arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport, breathing heavily, his eyes gleaming.

“So this is China.”

He was the president of Joongang Investment Corporation, a powerful figure in Korea, but he had once been just an ordinary bank employee at Hanho Savings Bank.

A simple man, content with providing for his family and finding joy in his daughter’s affection.

But his life had changed dramatically.

The 0.5% stake he had received from Baek In-hwi was now worth hundreds of billions of won. He had a monthly salary of 100 million won, a company car, and a company-provided house.

His life had turned around completely.

Some people argued that sudden wealth destroyed families and made people lazy.

“Nonsense,” he thought.

Having experienced rock bottom, he knew better than anyone.

And the person who had given him everything was Baek In-hwi.

And now, he had been summoned to China.

“What kind of person is he?” He wondered, his eyes filled with anticipation. “Is he tall? Handsome? Ah, I’m so excited.”

He was overflowing with excitement, a mix of respect, admiration, and awe.

He couldn’t forget the emotion he felt when Baek In-hwi, whom he had only spoken to on the phone, invited him to China.

“He acknowledges me! Finally!”

It was a different kind of acknowledgment, different from when he was appointed president of Joongang Investment.

Baek In-hwi’s power grew the more he remained hidden, the more his true identity remained a mystery.

And the fact that he was willing to reveal himself to Kim Min-sik meant one thing.

“Now, about that…” He suddenly narrowed his eyes, his excitement replaced by suspicion. “There must be people following me.”

He wasn’t the only one curious about Baek In-hwi’s identity.

Baek In-hwi, the mastermind behind Joongang Investment Corporation and the suspected manager of a triad’s slush fund, had caused quite a stir in Korea.

Countless people, from competitors to government officials, were desperate to know his true identity.

And now, Kim Min-sik, his representative, was leaving Korea for China for the first time. He was bound to attract attention.

Baek In-hwi had warned him about surveillance and instructed him to take precautions.

“Should I wait?”

“He’s still sitting on the bench, sir,” Jo Han-seon, a member of Saseong’s intelligence team, reported to his superior, Kim Chang-hoon.

“Don’t stare too much. Be discreet,” Kim Chang-hoon instructed.

Officially, Daehoo Group’s collapse was attributed to internal conflicts and financial difficulties, but large corporations like Saseong knew that Joongang Investment Corporation’s manipulation had played a major role.

But they couldn’t understand the motive.

It didn’t seem like they were aiming for Daehoo’s assets, and they hadn’t profited much from the stock market either.

Their reasons for destroying Daehoo and whether they would use the same tactics against other companies remained a mystery. But one thing was certain:

Kim Min-sik was acting on Baek In-hwi’s orders.

The fact that he was still the CEO of Joongang Investment despite losing 1 trillion won was proof of that.

“We have to find out who Baek In-hwi is.”

Saseong was confident in its own strength, but they had to be prepared for any unexpected attacks.

Kim Chang-hoon looked around. “We’re not the only ones following him.”

Intelligence agents could recognize each other. He could see at least three other teams besides theirs.

This was Baek In-hwi’s first mistake, a rare opportunity to uncover his identity, as he usually communicated only through untraceable phone calls.

They couldn’t afford to miss this chance.

“Who do you think Baek In-hwi is? Is he really a triad member?”

“No one knows for sure.”

Jo Han-seon said with a righteous indignation, “I’m going to give this my all. The thought of those Chinese bastards running rampant in Korea makes my skin crawl.”

“I agree.”

“They should stay in their own country. I’ll find Baek In-hwi, no matter what.”

Kim Chang-hoon chuckled. “Good. That’s the attitude I want.”

Just then, Kim Min-sik, who had been sitting quietly on the bench, took out a hat, sunglasses, and a mask from his bag and put them on.

“He’s aware of the surveillance.”

“That won’t be enough to fool all of us.”

Kim Chang-hoon said with a serious expression, “He’s about to move. Get ready.”

“Yes, sir.”

But Kim Min-sik, fully disguised, just stood there, looking at his watch.

“What’s he doing? Why isn’t he moving?”

As Kim Chang-hoon stared intently at him, Jo Han-seon said in a flustered voice, “Sir…”

“What?”

“L-look over there.”

“Look where? I have to focus on Kim Min-sik.”

“Just look! You’ll see!”

Annoyed by his insistence, Kim Chang-hoon finally looked in the direction he was pointing and was stunned into silence.

“What… what is that?”

Dozens of men, dressed identically to Kim Min-sik, wearing the same hat, sunglasses, and mask, were walking towards him.

“No way!”

As Kim Chang-hoon watched in disbelief, Kim Min-sik disappeared into the crowd.

“Don’t lose sight of them! Find him! This is our chance!”

“They all look the same! I can’t tell them apart!”

“Damn it!”

As the other intelligence teams also scrambled in confusion, Kim Min-sik’s voice boomed from the crowd,

“You idiots! Did you think we wouldn’t anticipate this? Go back and report your failure! Kikikikikiki.”

The men, acting as decoys, surrounded the intelligence teams, preventing them from identifying Kim Min-sik, and walked towards the exit.

The intelligence teams followed them, but the parking lot was filled with identical black sedans, and the men got into the cars two at a time and drove away.

“Damn it!” Kim Chang-hoon slammed his fist on the ground in frustration.

Jo Han-seon said, “I got their license plate numbers! We can still track them.”

Kim Chang-hoon said with a sigh, “They’re probably stolen cars, and this is China. It’s impossible to track them all.”

If this had happened in Korea, where Saseong’s influence was pervasive, it might have been possible. But this was China.

They should have sent more agents, but it was just the two of them.

Even if they joined forces with the other intelligence teams, it would be impossible to track all those cars.

“It’s not a complete failure. Baek In-hwi has access to dozens of men and cars. He might really be a triad member.”

Cars could be easily acquired with money, but having dozens of trustworthy people willing to act as decoys suggested a large and organized operation, whether it was a corporation or a criminal organization.

Kim Chang-hoon sighed. “Let’s go back and report this.”

After a long and winding journey, Kim Min-sik arrived at a small restaurant in a quiet rural village in inland China.

The man who had driven him there, silent throughout the journey, finally spoke. “The restaurant is here.”

“Huh?”

It was Korean, albeit broken Korean. Kim Min-sik, surprised, asked,

“You speak Korean?”

“A little.”

“Then why were you so quiet during the drive…?”

The man bowed his head respectfully, his face expressionless. “My Korean isn’t very good. I didn’t want to offend you, sir, by making a mistake.”

Kim Min-sik was touched by the respectful address. “You’re too kind.”

He hadn’t realized he had been given a Korean-speaking driver because he was Korean. He got out of the car.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He opened the door to the humble restaurant and froze.

Dozens of burly men filled the room, their presence radiating an unspoken menace.

Kim Min-sik, usually fearless even in front of powerful CEOs, felt a primal fear and swallowed nervously.

‘They’re all CEO Baek’s men.’

The dozens of men at the airport and now these men filling the restaurant…

A large man approached him and said, “This way, please. He’s waiting for you.”

He led him to a small private room where a man was sitting at the head of the table, wearing a mask and sunglasses that covered half his face.

Kim Min-sik knew instinctively who he was.

‘CEO Baek In-hwi!’

It felt like meeting a celebrity he admired.

He tried to calm his racing heart and said in a trembling voice, “A-are you CEO Baek In-hwi?”

“Yes, I am.”

Hearing his voice, usually distorted by static on the phone, in person sent shivers down his spine.

“Have a seat.”

“Yes, sir!”

The “mad dog” Kim Min-sik, the unpredictable and feared figure, was gone, replaced by a docile puppy.

“It’s good to finally meet you in person.”

Kim Min-sik nodded vigorously. “Yes! It’s an honor!”

“I’ve been following your progress, even from afar.”

He suddenly remembered the 1 trillion won loss from the Daehoo operation and said dejectedly, “I… I lost 1 trillion won on the Daehoo operation. I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? I was the one who gave the orders. And you exceeded my expectations.”

Kim Min-sik smiled brightly at his words of encouragement. “Th-thank you, sir.”

“You’ve always exceeded my expectations, Mr. Kim. You followed my orders without question, you’re exactly the kind of person I’ve been looking for.”

Kim Min-sik bowed his head repeatedly, overwhelmed by the praise.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

He wished this moment would last forever.

It felt like all his struggles had been worth it.

“I invited you here today not just to thank you for your hard work, but also to get to know you better.”

“It’s an honor!”

“Speaking of which…”

Although his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, Kim Min-sik felt his gaze.

“Aren’t you curious about my identity?”

His heart sank.

‘What does he mean? Is he testing me?’

Various thoughts raced through his mind.

Was he testing his loyalty, or was it just a simple question?

But then he remembered,

‘I’m a hunting dog.’

A hunting dog just had to follow orders. He had to prove his loyalty and attack his master’s enemies. Thinking and questioning wasn’t his job.

“Yes, I am,” he said honestly.

Baek In-hwi seemed slightly surprised by his answer.

“I thought you would say you weren’t.”

“I swore to never lie to you, sir. I’m a loyal dog, I’ll be honest with you. I said I’m curious because I am. I’ll leave the decisions to you, sir. I’ll just follow your orders.”

“Ho.” Baek In-hwi said, impressed, “You’ll never lie to me?”

“Of course not.”

“And you’ll do anything I ask?”

“Absolutely.”

“Even if I ask you to kill someone?”

Kim Min-sik answered without hesitation, “I’ve never done it before, but I’ll do it if you ask me to.”

“Aren’t you answering too easily?”

He smiled. “I’m prepared for anything.”

He meant it.

Baek In-hwi wasn’t someone who mistreated his loyal followers.

He had given him a 0.5% stake in Joongang Investment Corporation.

That’s why he had been so eager to please him, to prove his loyalty, to become his man.

“That’s admirable.”

“I was that desperate before I met you, sir.”

Baek In-hwi chuckled. “Ah, this is… I came here disguised, just to offer you some encouragement, but you’re making me reconsider.”

“What?”

“Mr. Kim, did you know?” He slowly took off his sunglasses. “I like you. But I didn’t think it was worth the risk of revealing my identity. But I’m having second thoughts now.”

He placed the sunglasses on the table. “I always reward those who are loyal to me.”

And finally, he removed his mask.

“And your loyalty deserves a proper reward.”

Baek In-hwi, or rather, Park Sol, smiled and said,

“Let me introduce myself again. I’m Baek In-hwi, and I’m also Park Sol, CEO of Chunha Trading.”