Episode 186
“Well done, everyone.” Director Kim Dong-wan said with a kind smile. “You’ve all worked hard. You’re dismissed.”
After his secretary left, he leaned back in his comfortable chair and muttered,
“Chunha Group. Chairman Park Sol.” A twisted smile appeared on his face. “I never imagined he would become so successful.”
Park Sol, a small-time junkyard owner, and himself, an executive at MG… The gap between them had widened to an insurmountable chasm.
Chunha Group, having conquered the used car market, was now projected to reach 25 trillion won in annual sales, on the verge of entering the top 10 conglomerates in Korea. And Park Sol was its chairman.
He, on the other hand, was still just a mid-level executive at MG. “He’s so lucky. I’m still stuck in the same position, despite all my efforts.” He then thought about the 50 million won he had received from Park Sol and chuckled.
“Well, lucky for me, I didn’t retaliate back then.” He had considered getting revenge for Park Sol’s arrogance, his attempt to use the prototype VCR as leverage, but the leak had been their mistake. He had been too busy dealing with the fallout to pursue it, and now it seemed like the right decision. “50 million won is nothing to a man like him. And Daehoo Electronics isn’t a bad company. He seemed to have a favorable impression of me, so it should be a comfortable place to work.”
Executives, unlike the owner’s family, were contract workers and could be easily dismissed. Building relationships with the owner’s family and engaging in office politics was essential for survival. And having the Daehoo Electronics research lab director position as a backup plan was a valuable safety net. “Good, everything is in order. Time to go home.”
As he was unlocking the door to his apartment, a deep voice came from behind him. “Good evening.”
“Gasp! You startled me!” He turned around and saw a large man emerging from the shadows of the dimly lit stairwell. “Who… who are you?”
The man bowed his head. “I have a proposition for you. Are you Director Kim Dong-wan?”
Kim Dong-wan’s mind raced. ‘So many propositions lately! And he knows my name?’ It wasn’t a simple case of mistaken identity. He said cautiously, “Yes, I am. What do you want?”
“This isn’t a good place to talk. May I come in?”
“Well, my wife is home, and I don’t usually invite strangers inside…” He tried to make an excuse, but the man said, “I understand you’re separated from your wife.”
A shiver ran down his spine. The man had done his research. ‘Calm down, Kim Dong-wan. Behave normally.’ He regained his composure and smiled. “It seems my little lie has been exposed. How embarrassing.”
Normally, such a casual response would fluster the other person, but the man remained unfazed. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s go inside.” He took the key from his hand and opened the door. “After you.”
Inside the apartment, Kim Dong-wan smiled. “Since you’re here, I’ll offer you some tea.”
The man refused curtly. “There’s no need. Let’s get straight to the point.” He frowned slightly and then forced a smile. “You’re an impatient one, aren’t you?” He tried to control the conversation, but the man interrupted him, speaking rapidly, “Let me clarify a few things. First, there will be no repercussions if you refuse our offer. Second, I want to keep this conversation confidential. Third, I prefer concise answers. Do you agree?”
He was stunned by the man’s aggressive and domineering attitude. He was usually the one who controlled conversations, but this man wasn’t giving him an opening. ‘What’s with this guy?’ The man was Jin, a first-generation member of the Baek In-hwi squad, fluent in Korean.
He was acting on Park Sol’s orders: no small talk, no hesitation, ignore everything Kim Dong-wan says. He was just following orders. “Well, I need some time to consider…”
“I’ll take that as a yes and proceed with our proposition.” He took out a recorder. “This conversation will be recorded.”
Kim Dong-wan, who had been discreetly recording the conversation since they entered the apartment, bit his lip.
With the recorder out in the open, they would both be more cautious with their words. Hidden recorders were effective because they could capture unguarded moments, but that was no longer possible. “Hmm…”
“Let’s get straight to the point. You’re Kim Dong-wan, head of MG’s research lab, correct?”
He glanced at the recorder. “Yes.”
Jin nodded. “Good. We need your cooperation within MG’s research lab.”
Kim Dong-wan’s mind raced. He was being so blunt. ‘He wants me to be an industrial spy,’ he realized. ‘What kind of industrial spy is this blatant?’ Industrial espionage usually involved targeting a specific researcher, finding their weaknesses, or bribing them discreetly. This was absurd. He pointed at himself. “You’re asking me… to steal my company’s technology?”
“Yes.”
Alarm bells rang in his head. ‘What if I refuse? He said there would be no repercussions, but can I trust him?’ He had worked hard to reach his current position, and he wasn’t willing to risk it all for industrial espionage.
But his words and expression betrayed his true intentions. “And… what’s in it for me?” He couldn’t refuse outright. He would play along and then report this to the company tomorrow.
But Jin just stared at him silently. “I asked about… the compensation. I’m not going to do something this risky for free.”
Jin, after a long silence, said, “So you refuse.” His words, as if he had seen through his pretense, made his heart pound. “As expected. But please hear me out. We’re not asking you to actively participate in stealing the technology.”
“What?” What did that even mean?
“We want this to be a long-term partnership. And for that, it’s crucial that you maintain your current position. Of course, you must be wondering how. Here’s how it works. You identify a researcher in your lab who’s in a difficult situation, someone desperate, and you provide us with their information. We’ll handle the rest.”
“So you came here just to get a referral?”
“This is where we need your help. You can easily bring storage devices into the lab, CDs or whatever, right? Just bring in a storage device and a note with the lab’s security details and the best way to bypass them. Leave them at the designated location, and we’ll give them to the researcher we’ve recruited.”
Kim Dong-wan stared at him, dumbfounded. “So you’re saying…”
“Yes.” Jin smiled for the first time. “You’ll be our silent partner within the research lab. The researcher will just be following our instructions, unaware of the true nature of the operation. And if they’re caught, we can easily cut them loose. Isn’t that a good plan?”
Kim Dong-wan, who had been planning to report this to his company, was now considering the feasibility of the plan. ‘It’s not a bad idea…’ As the lab director, he had more freedom than anyone else. He always carried documents and reports in his briefcase, so hiding a few CDs wouldn’t be a problem. And he knew the security guards’ routines and how to bypass the security systems. No security system was foolproof, and they all relied on human management. And he was the head of management. ‘Hmm…’ The researcher would take all the risk, while he would reap the rewards from behind the scenes. He started calculating the potential profits and then suddenly realized what he was doing. ‘No, this is wrong!’
“I understand your concern. You’re the director, so you’ll be held responsible if there’s a leak. How about this?” Jin smirked. “There are factions within the research lab, right? How about you choose someone from a rival faction and give us their information? We’ll make it look like the leak came from them.”
His eyes widened. ‘There are five people in the lab who have access to the necessary information, including me. One is on my side, but the other three…’ Deputy Director Oh Joo-ran and her followers. He was aligned with MG’s second son, while they were aligned with the eldest son. He would be reprimanded if there was a leak, but the key was who was responsible for it. “If necessary, we can even deposit money into their account to create evidence.”
He was tempted. ‘This is a chance to completely control the research lab.’
He would have to refine the details, but it was a tempting offer. He would receive compensation for the information, eliminate his rivals, and remain safe and anonymous. He was swayed by Jin’s proposal, but there was one crucial issue. ‘It’s a good plan, but can I trust them?’ He wasn’t naive enough to trust strangers. Jin, seeing his hesitation, said, “You’re concerned about our credibility, aren’t you?”
‘Who are these people?’ He was intimidated by their ability to read him so easily.
“Credibility… yes, credibility. How about this?” He snapped his fingers, and the heihaizi who had been waiting outside, watching through the window, entered the room, carrying cardboard boxes. They placed the boxes in front of him, and Jin opened them one by one.
“Korean won, US dollars, gold bars, euros… a total of 1 billion won.”
He gulped, staring at the money and gold.
“This is just a down payment. You’ll receive another 1 billion won after the job is done. Credibility can be bought. 2 billion won for the first transaction.”
Jin smiled. “In the capitalist world, money is credibility. What do you say?”
The conditions were perfect, the risks were low, and the reward was substantial. And most importantly, ‘Even if it goes wrong… I have Daehoo Electronics.’ He had a backup plan. Even if he was fired for the leak, he was confident he could persuade Park Sol, who had a favorable impression of him, to give him a job at Daehoo Electronics. It was a no-lose proposition. “So, are you in?”
A cautious hyena was always on the lookout for an opportunity.
He smirked. “I would be a fool to refuse. Alright, let’s discuss the details.”