CH96 | MCT

Cracking Park Jung-hwan’s Secret Vault (3)

Song So-ri spoke.

“I was hiding near the main gate of the Geumsan Hotel today. I saw Han Cheong-ho storm out, furious. It felt so satisfying. I’ve never seen that look on his face before.”

Han Cheong-ho wore the face of a defeated man.

“I was happy. I thought, If only Dad could have seen this. I was grateful to you for making him look like that.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It was only then I realized—you’re really standing up to Han Cheong-ho. You didn’t approach us just because you were after my dad’s ledger.”

Song So-ri remained seated, bowing slightly.

“All I can do is thank you. I wanted to do something—anything—to help bring Han Cheong-ho down.”

“Thank you. This will be a great help.”

She clenched her teeth.

“I hope Han Cheong-ho is utterly ruined.”

Tae-soo felt the same.

That’s why he had resolved to walk this treacherous road, even alone.

“If Han Cheong-ho falls, my family can return to Korea and live in peace.”

Her father, Song, knew too many of Han Cheong-ho’s secrets.

“Thanks to the bundle of cash you gave us, we’re not struggling financially anymore. But we still have to live in hiding, moving from country to country. I don’t want to live like that forever.”

If Han Cheong-ho found out Song was still alive, he wouldn’t let them be.

“Mom has homesickness. And my father... he secretly wants to come back to Korea.”

It was her family that gave her the resolve for revenge.

“I’ll be the one to bring down Han Cheong-ho. If you want to see it happen, come back when the time is right. Korea is still dangerous.”

What Tae-soo wished for most was the happiness of Song’s family.

He wanted Song to enjoy time with his family without constantly fearing for his life.

And he hoped that this time, the woman he once held in his heart would not meet a tragic end.

“You helped my dad, didn’t you? Cut off the chain that held him captive for 28 years.”

“If you heard that, you’d know it was a fair deal.”

“I heard it. And I know—it was pure kindness on your part.”

Song So-ri looked directly at Tae-soo.

“I heard we made it safely to Saudi Arabia entirely thanks to you.”

She was referring to the staged disappearance in the desert, and the faked death.

It was that ploy that had allowed Han Cheong-ho to help them leave, rather than keep them as hostages.

“You saved three lives. An entire family. And you asked for nothing in return.”

“I received more than enough in return. And even now, you’re helping me. So you don’t need to worry.”

She had risked exposing herself to Han Cheong-ho’s gaze to deliver this.

How could Tae-soo not understand the depth of that courage?

“Honestly, I even considered using an armed group to steal this document.”

“That’s... far too dangerous.”

“President Park gave Han Cheong-ho a secret order. It’s an extremely sensitive matter. If this document were ever exposed, neither Han Cheong-ho nor Park Jung-hwan would walk away unscathed. I had every reason to take action.”

Right now, Tae-soo had no proper weapon to threaten Han Cheong-ho.

All the leverage he once had was already spent.

Park Jung-hwan and Han Cheong-ho still hadn’t turned their backs on each other.

So there were many risks Tae-soo had to brace for.

“But now that I have this code, I don’t have to face those dangers alone. I’m truly grateful you made the difficult journey from Saudi Arabia just to give this to me.”

Tae-soo smiled faintly.

“You should head back to Saudi now. I’ll bring you good news next time.”

“Then I’ll be waiting,”

Song So-ri smiled brightly — a beautiful smile.

“I hope everything you wish for comes true.”

And with that, she left.

‘That guy’s cooler than I thought,’ she thought, glancing once at Tae-soo’s hotel.

‘Now I understand why Dad insisted so much on having him catch that man.’

She liked Tae-soo.

Left alone, Tae-soo sank into thought.

‘Park Jung-hwan’s real reason for sending Han Cheong-ho after me isn’t just about the weakness Song Secretary brought.’

If that was all, it would already be a major weapon.

‘What kind of secret could be hidden there?’

It was clear Han Cheong-ho was involved somehow.

But Tae-soo needed more concrete evidence.

Song So-ri had brought something valuable.

‘If Han Cheong-ho is definitely heading to Japan as the person in charge, then I have to beat him to it.’

His hesitation was brief.

His action was swift.

Tae-soo’s first call was to Jang Mal-dong.

True to his reputation as an information dealer, Jang Mal-dong readily spilled details about the matter.

Even at the Seongbuk-dong teahouse, Jang Mal-dong’s informants had eyes and ears.

Tae-soo smirked.

“So that’s how it is.”

He packed his bags to head to Japan.

* * *

On the plane bound for Tokyo, Japan.

The man was Han Cheong-ho, and sitting beside him was First Lady Oh Young-soon.

“In this section, it’s just you and me, Young-soon.”

The First Lady had deliberately sent the secretaries and bodyguards far away.

No flight attendants were in sight.

Luxury planes in the ‘70s often used curtains to separate sections.

“You keep coming up with all kinds of excuses to avoid me. Keep that up, and you’ll find it no fun.”

“Why are you singling me out? What do you want to do now?”

Oh Young-soon trembled.

Park Jung-hwan had said he would send his daughter, but Han Cheong-ho had worked hard to persuade her otherwise.

“This is about the president’s secret safe. A mere 19-year-old girl has no business here. Why? You want to show those photos to your daughter, too?”

Oh Young-soon squeezed her eyes shut.

“Stop the threats. I don’t want to live anymore.”

“Do you think that makes everything disappear?”

“It does!”

She felt wronged.

“How many times has this happened? If I’m going to be dragged around like this by you…”

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“I’ll confess everything honestly to my husband and end it all with this life.”

“Do you really think your life can cover all this? Have you thought about your children?”

Oh Young-soon faltered.

“I told you. If you don’t listen, I’ll spread those photos everywhere—newspapers, broadcasters, all at once. How’s that sound?”

“No, please!”

Han Cheong-ho whispered close to her ear.

“You’ll be the First Lady caught having an affair, finger-pointed by everyone. Your husband’s reputation will be utterly ruined. Your daughters won’t be able to show their faces in public.”

That was why Oh Young-soon had no choice but to play along with Han Cheong-ho’s threats until now.

“Those photos are fabricated! I’m innocent!”

“Do you think the president will believe you? Your daughters? The people? Shall we see what the outcome will be?”

“Stop it!”

Oh Young-soon buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

“I’ve given you everything you asked for. There’s nothing more to give.”

“Nothing? Don’t lie—I know there’s still plenty left.”

“I even borrowed from my family’s assets to give to you. I sold all the stocks and real estate my father left. I even sold the jewelry my mother left behind. Isn’t that enough?”

She pleaded desperately.

“So just hand over those photos. The originals, the film—everything. I’m asking nicely.”

Those photos were taken by Han Cheong-ho’s driver.

Han Cheong-ho had been using them to blackmail the First Lady relentlessly.

They had created a convincing scene by cutting out only the man’s face.

‘That bastard driver… I never imagined he had photos that even included my face.’

The photos had been stolen by Secretary Song and given to Tae-soo.

Thanks to that, they had pressured Han Cheong-ho and gained leverage in the merger negotiations.

Though all the photos and film had already been burned and destroyed, Han Cheong-ho never intended to tell Oh Young-soon that.

“Why should I?”

“See? This is why it never ends.”

Han Cheong-ho sneered.

“Want to end it? Go tell your husband. Or should I really release those photos to every newspaper and broadcaster? Why do you keep saying the same things?”

“No! No, please don’t! Anything but that!”

“Then cooperate with me obediently, got it?”

Oh Young-soon bit her lip hard.

“Oh Young-soon, this is the only way for you to survive. Why do you keep trying to run away?”

“No. Things won’t go your way anymore.”

For the first time,

Oh Young-soon stared straight at Han Cheong-ho and pushed back.

“Give me all the photos. Or I won’t stay quiet either.”

She was born a precious daughter of a wealthy family, raised like a flower in a greenhouse.

Her husband, a soldier, had become the most powerful man in the country, and she was the First Lady.

No one had ever trampled or threatened her—

Until she met Han Cheong-ho.

“My late father left me something final. If this all comes out, you’ll be the only one dying.”

“Don’t get cocky.”

Han Cheong-ho sneered.

“Your father never accepted His Excellency as a son-in-law.”

Oh Young-soon’s father was a proud man who valued his family name deeply.

Back then, Park Jeong-hwan was a soldier targeted by North Korean forces during wartime chaos.

Not only that, he had a history of divorce, children from before, and was eight years older than Oh Young-soon.

On top of it, she was already promised to a well-off family that her father had picked as a good match.

So there was no way her father would look kindly on Park Jeong-hwan trying to get close to his daughter.

“You even lost your family ties and connections because you fell out of his favor.”

At that time, a wealthy young lady who’d received modern education was now marrying a soldier with a complicated past.

A proud man like her father couldn’t just smile and welcome that.

“Your father’s inheritance? That means nothing to His Excellency. He can just snap his fingers and the chaebols fall to their knees with gifts. And you said you sold off all stocks and real estate earlier, right?”

“My father’s inheritance isn’t money.”

Han Cheong-ho perked up his ears.

“What is it then?”

“What do you think you’re going to do with that?”

Oh Young-soon stared at Han Cheong-ho with deliberate resolve.

“My father said if I reveal it, no matter what, that man could never cast me away—even if I were to have an affair right in front of him.”

Han Cheong-ho swallowed hard.

This was Park Jeong-hwan’s leash.

With that alone...

“What is it?”

“I won’t tell you. So just hand over the photos and the film.”

Oh Young-soon cut him off firmly.

Then she looked Han Cheong-ho straight in the eyes.

“I’ll tell him myself. I’ll put this all to rest cleanly.”

“You? You wish. If you could do that, you wouldn’t have gotten this far, right?”

Han Cheong-ho’s threat made Oh Young-soon flinch.

“Think hard while we travel. Figure out how you’re going to keep me quiet. Got it?”

“I really can’t take it anymore. Every single day feels like hell.”

“Where is Park Jeong-hwan’s leash?”

“Stop! Please, just stop!”

Oh Young-soon covered her face with both hands and wept.

Please, someone help me… I want to escape from this hell.

The short flight to Japan felt like an endless stretch of time to her.

* * *

Clack, clack.
Step, step.

The sound of footsteps descending the stairs.

People arrived in the silent underground secret vault.

It was Han Cheong-ho and Oh Young-soon.

“This is my first time here too. There was something interesting,” Han Cheong-ho said.

Compared to Han Cheong-ho, Oh Young-soon had been here several times before.

Though it wasn’t a place you could get used to just by coming often, she wasn’t as fascinated by the surroundings as Han Cheong-ho was.

Han Cheong-ho wasn’t one to miss that.

“You seem familiar with this place,” he said.

“I’ve been here a few times,” she answered.

“Running errands for your father, or for your husband?”

“…Errands for my father,” Oh Young-soon trembled, avoiding his gaze.

Han Cheong-ho sensed it.

“So the ‘leash’ that your father left behind—Park Jeong-hwan’s leash—is here!”

“…!”

Her startled expression said it all.

It was certain the item was here.

“Hand it over.”

Han Cheong-ho demanded confidently.

Oh Young-soon felt her world go dark.

But unexpectedly, in this unfamiliar place, a lifeline came to her.

A lifeline sent by Tae-soo.