CH95 | MCT

Cracking Park Jung-hwan’s Secret Vault (2)

“Have you forgotten? The one sent by the Saudi minister. Whose hands did you send it with?”

It was sent with Kang Tae-soo.

Han Cheong-ho whispered subtly.

“You think he didn’t open it?”

It had clearly been sealed properly.

Even the royal seal of Saudi Arabia had been stamped neatly.

They had gone so far as to press the wax seal firmly shut to ensure its security.

“Hmm…”

But a sliver of doubt began to rise in his heart.

It was the result Han Cheong-ho had intended.

“Sir, think about it. What was in his hands when he returned from Saudi Arabia? It wasn’t just a letter, was it?”

He was holding an official oil supply certificate, recognized by the Saudi royal family.

This was a country that refused to supply even a single liter of oil to any Western force supporting Israel.

And yet, they had acknowledged an oil supply certificate for Kang Tae-soo.

The seed of suspicion that had sprouted in his heart began to grow rapidly.

“Why would Saudi Arabia entrust something like that to Kang Tae-soo?”

He claimed he had earned it through personal merit while in Saudi Arabia.

“What merit could a guy have earned just for going there to work on a road construction project?”

No way…

“Kang Tae-soo pulled strings. He must’ve gotten the information out of my secretary, then handed it over to the Saudi Minister of Defense. Doesn’t that make more sense?”

Park Jeong-hwan’s brow furrowed deeply.

“That bastard Kang Tae-soo…!”

That’s it!

Han Cheong-ho smiled subtly and spoke.

“When he threw that in my face, I had no choice but to quietly raise both hands and hand over Cheongil Refinery and Cheongil Heavy Equipment. I couldn’t allow any dishonor to come to Your Excellency.”

“And the evidence?”

“I burned it on the spot. If you don’t believe me, call Jang Jun-yong from Geumsan and ask him. You can check whether there are any burn marks in the meeting room.”

They’d better summon Jang Jun-yong from Geumsan.

Park Jeong-hwan nodded, his expression stiffening.

“Well done.”

“It was nothing. Just something that had to be done.”

“But I won’t commend you for it.”

Park Jeong-hwan looked at Han Cheong-ho with a cold stare.

His eyes were filled with anger.

“This all started because of your leak. So it’s only right that you clean it up. Isn’t that so?”

“Of course. That’s why I willingly handed over the refinery and heavy equipment.”

Han Cheong-ho quickly stepped back.

I was hoping to extract more, but it really isn’t that easy. Still, I’ve succeeded in driving a wedge between them.

Han Cheong-ho let out a deliberate sigh.

“I’ve taken care of the Saudi matter, so tomorrow I’ll head to Japan to manage things there. With that, Your Excellency should be able to lay all your worries to rest.”

Park Jeong-hwan furrowed his brow.

Just thinking about it was unpleasant in every way.

“Handle it properly. Make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Understood?”

“Of course, sir. That being said…”

Han Cheong-ho lowered his voice into a subtle whisper.

“Since I’ll be in Japan anyway, I was thinking I could also check if there’s anything amiss. Would that be all right?”

Park Jeong-hwan scowled openly.

Han Cheong-ho swallowed hard, nervous.

“Not only the Saudi minister but even Kang Tae-soo knows about this now, doesn’t he? Wouldn’t it be better to move it somewhere else rather than leaving it exposed like this?”

Leaving a compromised secret in place would be a foolish mistake.

“To do that, however… I would need Your Excellency’s access code…”

A deeper crease formed between Park Jeong-hwan’s brows.

He drained his drink in one go and slammed the glass down with a sharp clink.

“Take Kyung-hye with you.”

It was his way of saying he would never give Han Cheong-ho the access code.

“This is a major mission. Wouldn’t it be better to send the First Lady than a mere nineteen-year-old girl?”

Han Cheong-ho asked smoothly.

* * *

Tae-soo returned to his hotel room.

“What a tiring day.”

It had been a long one.

He’d met with Han Cheong-ho twice in a single day and argued with him both times.

He had taken down Cheongil’s two-headed leadership and even gone to see Jang Mal-dong.

“Still, it was enjoyable for a change.”

Working with competent people was always a pleasure.

After his shower, a wave of refreshment washed over him.

Knock knock—

At this late hour, the only person likely to show up at Tae-soo’s hotel room was Han-soo.

Still in his bathrobe, Tae-soo opened the door.

“What is it? Here to toast the merger and acquisition?”

“I’ll pass on the drink.”

Standing at the door was an unexpected figure.

It was Cha Ki-beom, the Chief Presidential Secretary.

“Well, what brings such a busy man here of all places?”

“Mind if I come in?”

“Of course, come on in.”

“Judging by your attire at this hour, I have a feeling someone’s going to regret letting me in.”

Tae-soo knew exactly what Cha Ki-beom meant.

He chuckled softly.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, I just finished a late night at the office and got back.”

“This late?”

“I still had work left to do, so I brought it along to finish.”

Cha Ki-beom glanced through the open door and saw the mountain of paperwork stacked on the desk.

He clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“A young man living such a pitiful life.”

“I think you're the only one who would say a hardworking young man is living pitifully, Secretary Cha.”

“Don’t worry—I won’t keep someone busy with work for long.”

Cha Ki-beom strode confidently into the room.

Tae-soo closed the door behind him.

Both men sat down in chairs.

“You need to be careful,” Cha said.

Tae-soo focused immediately.

Cha wasn’t the kind of man to speak carelessly.

“His Excellency met with Han Cheong-ho earlier.”

“Was it about the contract?”

“No, I don’t think that was it.”

Cha looked Tae-soo straight in the eyes.

“When Jang Jun-yong from Geumsan brought the contract, His Excellency held you in high regard. He was in a good mood.”

That was because Park Jeong-hwan had instructed Han Cheong-ho to surrender Cheongil Refinery, but Han had tried to pull a petty trick in the middle.

So when Tae-soo boldly overturned Han’s little scheme, Park likely turned a blind eye with quiet approval.

That much, Tae-soo had anticipated.

“But after meeting with Han Cheong-ho, His Excellency’s mood took a sharp turn for the worse.”

“Why? What happened?”

“No idea.”

Tae-soo was puzzled.

Cha Ki-beom was always by Park Jeong-hwan’s side as part of his security team.

“Weren’t you present at the meeting, Secretary Cha?”

Cha nodded heavily.

“It was a private meeting. But afterward, His Excellency made some disapproving remarks about you.”

“What did he say?”

“He called you an insolent bastard. Said you toyed with him using your silver tongue—and he was furious.”

Why had Park Jeong-hwan reacted that way so suddenly?

It had to be Han Cheong-ho’s doing—some sort of underhanded move.

Cha Ki-beom stood up from his chair.

“Leaving already?”

“That was all I came to say. I can’t be away for long. I should get going.”

Tae-soo gave him a polite bow.

“You came all this way late at night just to warn me. I appreciate it.”

“Consider my debt paid. There won’t be a next time.”

“Thank you for making time out of your busy schedule.”

Cha Ki-beom looked at Tae-soo with a curious gaze.

“Why aren’t you shaken?”

They were talking about Park Jeong-hwan—the most powerful man in the country, who wielded his dictatorship without restraint.

He’d just told Tae-soo the president was displeased with him. So why wasn’t he afraid?

“I have a good idea why.”

Tae-soo had a strong sense of what might’ve been said between Park Jeong-hwan and Han Cheong-ho.

He remembered what he thought as he passed the contract to Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan:

If he’s curious, His Excellency will call Han Cheong-ho in and ask himself.

What kind of excuse will Han Cheong-ho offer in front of Park Jeong-hwan?

Even if he dies and comes back to life, he won’t be able to tell the real reason.

Most likely, Han hadn’t told the truth.

But he must have fabricated a story—something plausible enough to drive a wedge between Park and Tae-soo.

“He must’ve spun some nonsense about the letter from the Saudi minister.”

Tae-soo let out a dry chuckle.

“I had a feeling… and sure enough. Han Cheong-ho never disappoints—he's always as predictable as ever.”

Tae-soo opened a drawer and pulled out something, then handed it to Cha Ki-beom.

Cha’s eyes widened.

“This is…!”

“What do you think His Excellency will say when he sees this?”

“Now that I understand the situation… I’ll report to him myself.”

With that, Cha Ki-beom left the hotel.

Knock knock.

A short while later, someone knocked on the door again.

Tae-soo looked puzzled as he went to open it.

Did he forget to say something?

But standing in front of Tae-soo’s hotel room was an unexpected visitor—a young woman.

Tae-soo’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You… What are you doing here?!”

He was dumbfounded.

Another uninvited guest, and once again, one he hadn’t anticipated.

“Let’s talk inside.”

She stepped into his hotel room.

“How is Secretary Song doing?”

“Oh, he’s doing great. After being tormented under Han Cheong-ho for 28 years, he was finally freed. Says it’s like heaven. He’s loving life now—he even gained a bit of weight.”

She was Secretary Song’s daughter.

“How did you come to Korea?”

“I heard about the acquisition of Cheongil Refinery. I couldn’t just sit around.”

Did she really fly in all the way from Saudi Arabia just because of that?

“Aren’t you afraid of Han Cheong-ho?”

“My father is officially missing. Or rather, he’s officially dead.”

But the truth was, she was terrified.

Terrified enough to stay hidden like this, always looking over her shoulder.

“My dad once told me—when someone’s weakness is exposed, they have two choices.”

“Either eliminate the weakness itself—or eliminate the person who knows it.”

“Exactly. How do you know that?”

Because that’s what Secretary Song taught me, too.

But in this lifetime, Tae-soo hadn’t had the chance to learn anything from Secretary Song.

“What do you think Han Cheong-ho or Park Jeong-hwan would do?”

“They already got rid of Secretary Song—the one who knew the weakness.”

“But Han Cheong-ho, who was deeply involved from the beginning, can’t be eliminated. Not right now, at least. Maybe later.”

“In that case, the weakness itself must be erased. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

“Now I understand why my dad always praised you to the skies.”

Secretary Song’s daughter smiled sweetly.

“You asked why I came to Korea, didn’t you? It was to deliver this to you. It’s too important to risk losing it in the mail. So I brought it myself.”

She held something out to Tae-soo.

It was a torn page from a notebook.

“Do you know what this is?”

“I know what it is,” Tae-soo said.

Of course he did.

“The last page of Secretary Song’s black ledger was torn out.”

“That’s right. I tore it out.”

“Why?”

“I was scared… scared that you might harm us.”

He had suspected as much.

“I thought, if the people who took my father came for the ledger, it would be for the code. Without the code, they wouldn’t be able to open the safe.”

“So you thought I tricked Secretary Song. That I approached him just to get my hands on the ledger.”

“Yes. I know now that it was a misunderstanding, but back then, I doubted everything.”

He couldn’t blame her.

Secretary Song’s death had been faked before the news was passed to his family.

He had left the safe’s code as a final possession, and she had broken into it and fled to Saudi Arabia.

What must have been running through her mind on that trip?

“I’m sorry. I used my head to survive. I thought, if I had this, it would give me a stronger hand in any negotiations.”

“I understand.”

“If you’d had this from the start, maybe the acquisition would’ve gone more smoothly. That’s why I came to Korea… though I guess I’m a bit late.”

Song So-ri handed the torn notebook page to Tae-soo.

“Take it. I’m sorry I didn’t get it to you sooner.”

“Thank you.”

On the page were three 16-character alphanumeric passcodes—a mix of numbers and letters.

• Tokyo Central Bank of Japan – Akajinko Access Details
  

Entry Code: K938 L24S 5024 J167
Vault Code: P930 H228 3C87 09QW
Vault Unlock Code: Y764 M358 9G23 X32A

“Dad said this was all we’d need to get into the secret vault. He told me he jotted it down secretly during one of his errands.”

She had brought an unexpectedly valuable gift.

Tae-soo sensed it immediately—an opportunity had arrived.