CH124 | VOC

“Make sure we get caught? What in the world are you talking about?” Kim Jin-ha asked, bewildered.

“Exactly what it sounds like,” I replied. “The key to this operation is to supply a certain amount and then come clean about the illegal activity. There’s a difference in approach. Struggling to avoid getting caught versus preparing for the inevitable. Which one is more reliable and less troublesome?”

“But why would you intentionally get caught? What’s the point?”

I smiled. “I have my reasons, but I can’t disclose them. The bottom line is this: you’ll steal Saseong Semiconductor’s products. Once we’ve collected enough, you’ll be reported to the authorities. The sentence is up to ten years. And in return, you’ll receive 10 to 20 billion won.”

“Hmm…”

Not just Kim Jin-ha, but his two brothers also exchanged glances, their eyes wavering. It was a tempting offer, one worth risking their lives for.

“You’re 40 this year, Mr. Kim, and your brothers are 37 and 35, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Ten years from now, you’ll be 50, 47, and 45. Perfect ages to retire with billions of won. While others are struggling to save a few pennies, you’ll be working out in prison, taking care of your health. And you’ll be doing it together. I’ll find you good positions in China when you get out. Just endure ten years, and you can live the rest of your lives in comfort, enjoying your wealth. It’s worth considering, isn’t it?”

“…You’re right, it’s a tempting offer. Give me some time to discuss it with my brothers.”

Kim Jin-ha left the room with his brothers while Maru and I sipped our soju.

“But hyung,” Maru said, “what if they reveal our involvement during the investigation? They might try to reduce their sentences by telling the truth.”

“That won’t happen. Money transcends all relationships, especially for people like them, who have been at the bottom of the food chain, doing all sorts of dirty work. They’ve been in and out of prison their whole lives. Do you think they’re afraid of prison when we’re offering them this much money?”

“But what if they blackmail us after receiving the money?”

I looked at Maru. “Oh, you thought about that too?”

“Of course. People change. They might demand more later.”

I smirked. “That’s why I said I’ll take them to China.”

I chuckled. “Greed is insatiable. If you have 100 million, you want a billion. If you have a billion, you want ten billion. They might be tempted by 10 or 20 billion won now, but they’ll want more later. That’s why you have to manage them. And it’s best to keep them close.”

Once this was over, Shenzhen would be my playground.

After they got out of prison, I would bring them to Shenzhen, keep them under close watch, and provide after-sales service, so to speak, to prevent them from causing any trouble.

“…You’re ruthless, hyung.”

I took a sip of soju. “I hate loose ends. You see it in dramas all the time, something you thought was insignificant comes back to bite you later. It’s pathetic. You have to control everything from the beginning, whether it’s money or people. The same applies to the three brothers. 10 billion won? I’ll pay them in installments over ten years, one-tenth each year, at specific intervals. Who knows what they might do if I pay them the full amount upfront? And I’ll give them the last billion won in China, so they have to stay there. Things go wrong when you lose control. Remember that.”

“…Yes.”

The three brothers returned, their faces a mix of excitement and apprehension.

The two younger brothers looked thrilled by the prospect of becoming billionaires, but Kim Jin-ha’s expression was grim.

He sat down and said, “CEO Park.”

“Yes?”

“We’ve discussed it and decided to accept your offer.”

I smiled brightly. “Excellent. You won’t regret it.”

“What’s the plan?”

I handed him the documents I had prepared.

“First, you acquire the shredding company that handles Saseong Semiconductor’s defective chips. By any means necessary. Of course, we have to confirm if you can take over their contract with Saseong. Then you shred the chips with our modified shredder and collect the intact ones. Simple, right?”

Kim Jin-ha, his expression still grim, asked, “When will we be reported?”

I smiled. “In about two to three months. That should be enough time to collect a sufficient amount.”

“Phew.”

He sighed and smiled wryly. “You’ll pay us, right?”

“Of course. I’m Park Sol of Chunha Trading.”

He stared at me for a moment and then said, “I know you’re a man of your word, CEO Park. You’re a ruthless man.”

“What?”

He said with a sigh, “I thought we were friends, but you’re willing to send me to prison for ten years, even if it’s for a lot of money. I guess I was mistaken. My brothers are excited about the money, but I can’t help but feel a bit melancholic.”

I shook my head. “No, you’re mistaken. The fact that I’m explaining this to you in person shows my trust in you. I could easily find another fall guy. But what’s the difference between that fall guy and you, Mr. Kim?”

I smiled cruelly. “That fall guy would be used and discarded without even knowing my existence. Not you.”

* * *

Acquiring the shredding company wasn’t difficult.

The economic crisis was affecting all industries.

And the shredding company, which relied on outsourced work, was struggling due to the lack of orders.

They welcomed us with open arms when we offered to acquire them with cash.

I had been worried that Saseong might cancel the contract because of Kim Jin-ha’s criminal record, but Saseong relied on its internal monitoring system, not the shredding company itself. They weren’t concerned about the acquisition.

“The script is ready. We just need the goods.”

“They’re expecting about 10 tons of defective chips in a week,” Kim Jin-ha said.

“10 tons?” I said excitedly. “That’s at least a million chips, considering their size.”

30% intact would be 300,000 chips.

Haixin Group was willing to pay 100,000 won per chip, so that was 30 billion won right there.

“Good. You’ve installed the modified shredder, right?”

“Of course. My brothers and I installed it over the weekend, while the other employees were off.”

I nodded. “And the existing employees, fire them all or assign them to different tasks.”

We couldn’t trust the employees who had been working at the shredding company before the acquisition.

Security was paramount. We couldn’t tolerate any leaks.

“All of them? Then who’s going to do the work?”

“You and your brothers, or hire some temporary workers who don’t know us.”

“That’s not a problem.”

“Good. Let’s teach Saseong a lesson.”

A week later, Kim Jin-ha was waiting nervously for the arrival of Saseong Semiconductor’s shipment.

“This is nerve-wracking.”

His younger brother said, “Why are you so nervous, hyung?”

“Are you kidding? It’s Saseong. They’re not like the small fry we’ve been dealing with.”

His brother chuckled. “It’s no different from selling drugs back in the day. It’s just on a larger scale. We’re prepared. We just have to put the chips in the machine and press the button.”

Kim Jin-ha frowned at his nonchalant attitude. “This is different! Stop talking nonsense.”

“What’s the difference? We’re making money. Hyung, let’s make a fortune and retire. We’ll build three huge mansions and live like kings.”

“…We deserve it.”

The other brother said, “But hyung, are you sure CEO Park won’t backstab us?”

“I trust him. He’s not like that.”

“But it’s hundreds of billions of won. Countless people have been abandoned after taking the fall. What if he sends us to prison and doesn’t pay us?”

Kim Jin-ha glared at him. “You were the one who was most excited about his offer.”

His brother scratched his head. “Well, it’s a lot of money. I got carried away.”

“Don’t worry. CEO Park isn’t stupid. He knows we’ll talk if he doesn’t pay us. And hundreds of billions of won is nothing to him. He probably has trillions.”

“Wow, how did he make so much money? He wasn’t that rich when we first met.”

The other brother whispered, “Hyung…”

“What?”

“Can’t we get more money out of him after we get out of prison? If he’s that rich, we can probably squeeze him for more.”

Kim Jin-ha glared at him. “You idiot, that’s why you were fired after working as a thug your whole life. Don’t even think about it.”

“But hyung, we have leverage over him. We can use it…”

Kim Jin-ha raised his hand, interrupting him. “Stop. Haven’t you noticed the Chinese guys around him recently?”

“Those are just his employees from China. What about them?”

Kim Jin-ha said with a grim expression, “They’re insane.”

The Chinese men who acted as Park Sol’s bodyguards were all ruthless and dangerous-looking.

“They would kill someone without a second thought. And dozens of them are protecting him. Do you know what that means?”

He said to his brother, who was swallowing nervously, “It means he has connections with the Chinese underworld. You know how ruthless they are.”

“…”

“Just take the money and be done with it. I might have called him a friend, but he’s using me as a pawn. He knows I’ll do the job and expect a fair reward. It’s about knowing your place.”

His brother retorted angrily at the word “place.” “Knowing our place?! Why are we beneath him?!”

Kim Jin-ha smiled wryly. “We’re beneath him. The Park Sol we first met and the Park Sol of today are completely different. Don’t have any foolish ideas. Just do the job, and we’ll be billionaires in ten years. Focus on that.”

He had euphemistically warned his brothers, but he knew their nature as gangsters.

They were subservient to the strong and ruthless to the weak.

And Park Sol was strong.

His ruthless nature, known only to a select few, combined with his vast wealth, made him a powerful figure in the underworld.

His brothers only remembered the Park Sol they had first met, the kind and generous philanthropist, but he knew the monster lurking beneath the surface.

He returned favors twice over, but he took revenge a hundredfold.

Park Sol was not someone to be trifled with.

Just then, he saw two 10-ton trucks with the Saseong logo approaching.

He gave his brothers one last warning. “Focus. Our lives depend on this. Let’s live like kings in our mansions. Got it?”

“Yes, hyung.”

He looked at the trucks and said with a determined expression,

“Money. Focus on the money.”