Episode 189
“It wasn’t me! I swear!” A man’s desperate cries echoed through the director’s office at the MG Research Institute. “Why would I do such a thing?! I have everything I need!”
The man was Yoo Ji-chul, the head of the second research division.
Director Kim Dong-wan looked at him with a pitying expression. “I don’t want to suspect you, Director Yoo, but all the evidence points to you.”
A technology leak at the research institute, where security was paramount… It was an unprecedented incident, and MG was determined to find the culprit.
Lee Chang-myung, whose image had been captured on CCTV entering the server room and carrying what appeared to be a CD, was the prime suspect, but he had disappeared with his family.
MG believed he had an accomplice. It was impossible for an ordinary researcher to breach their security and steal the technology alone. “But this is just circumstantial evidence!” Yoo Ji-chul protested.
Director Kim pointed at a CCTV image. “Look, Lee Chang-myung visited the second-floor restroom in the second research building twice, once before the theft and once after. It’s not normal. Why would he go there?”
He looked at the people gathered in his office. “It’s practically impossible for an ordinary researcher like Lee Chang-myung to bring a storage device like a CD into the lab. I suspect he received the CD from someone in the restroom, copied the data, and then handed it back. Or he might have used the restroom, specifically the water tank, as a dead drop. We found a large plastic bag in the restroom trash can, presumably used for the transaction.”
The room was filled with people: Director Kim, Yoo Ji-chul, the other three research lab executives, investigators from MG’s audit department, and even executives from headquarters. And except for Yoo Ji-chul’s allies, everyone nodded in agreement with Director Kim’s assessment. The evidence was compelling.
He pointed at another photo with a grim expression. “And you, Director Yoo, entered the same restroom 30 minutes after Lee Chang-myung left.”
“That’s the closest restroom to my office! Why would I go all the way to another building?!”
“And it just happened to be 30 minutes after Lee Chang-myung’s visit?”
“That’s because we were in a meeting in your office for two hours! I drank five cups of coffee! It’s natural to use the restroom after a long meeting!”
“Who requested that meeting?”
He fell silent. “Let me ask you again. Who requested that meeting?”
He hesitated and then mumbled, “I did.”
“And you insisted on having the meeting in your office, claiming you were too busy to come to mine, even though I’m the director.”
He was one of Director Kim’s rivals, along with Deputy Director Oh Joo-ran. He had always treated Director Kim with disdain, despite his higher position, insisting on holding meetings in his own office, as if he considered Director Kim a pushover. Director Kim had wanted to retaliate, but he had maintained a facade of magnanimity, always going to Yoo Ji-chul’s office for meetings related to the second research division. “I was just respecting your request, Director Yoo. Isn’t that right?”
“Th-that…” His usual behavior had now become evidence against him. Summoning a superior to his own office? Those who weren’t familiar with the internal dynamics frowned at him.
“Were you trying to use me as an alibi?”
“No! Absolutely not! It’s just that I always…” He trailed off, realizing the absurdity of his excuse. A subordinate summoning his superior? It might have worked with his colleagues, but not with the investigators from the audit department. He said, his face contorted in frustration, “And you, Director! You were also in the restroom before Lee Chang-myung! You must have planted the CD there!”
His accusation was accurate, but Director Kim remained calm. “I used the restroom before our meeting. It’s perfectly normal.”
“But you could have planted the CD then!”
Director Kim shrugged. “If I had given him the CD, when did I retrieve it? I haven’t been to that restroom since.”
He had planned everything meticulously. He had waited for Yoo Ji-chul’s meeting request, scheduled it, made him drink coffee throughout the meeting, had Lee Chang-myung visit the restroom again after the data theft, and made it seem like the transaction had taken place there. And after the meeting, Yoo Ji-chul had naturally gone to the restroom, becoming the prime suspect. “If I were his accomplice, the CD would still be in the restroom. You’re going too far, Director Yoo.”
His flawless explanation convinced everyone. Seeing the tide turning against him, Yoo Ji-chul turned to a senior managing director from headquarters, who was aligned with the same faction within MG Group. “Senior Managing Director Kim, please! I’m innocent! Believe me!”
But the managing director said coldly, “We’ll wait for the investigation results.” A technology leak was too serious to risk protecting a research lab executive. It was easier to just cut him loose.
Yoo Ji-chul trembled with betrayal. But he couldn’t give up. He turned to Deputy Director Oh Joo-ran.
“Deputy Director…”
“…”
“You know I wouldn’t do this…”
“…”
“Please, say something! I’m being framed!”
She glanced at the others and said, “There’s only circumstantial evidence. Just wait…”
Just then, the door burst open, and an investigator from the audit department rushed in. “Sir.” He whispered something to his boss, the head of the audit department, who then turned to Yoo Ji-chul. “Director Yoo.”
“Yes? It wasn’t me, right?”
“We just received a report that 2 billion won was deposited into your mother’s account recently, in small installments. Can you explain this?”
“Wh-what…?”
“You better have a good explanation.”
Director Kim smirked inwardly. ‘It’s over.’ He had successfully framed Yoo Ji-chul and would now reap the rewards while maintaining his image as a righteous and competent leader. ‘No, it’s not over yet.’ He had to get rid of Yoo Ji-chul’s followers as well. And even after that, there were still two rival executives left. ‘I’ll crush them all and make this lab my own…’ He was the only one smiling in the chaotic room, while Yoo Ji-chul was shouting his innocence, the head of the audit department was questioning him, and Senior Managing Director Kim was shaking his head in disapproval.
Despite MG’s best efforts, news of the unprecedented technology leak involving a high-ranking executive spread quickly. If even an executive, with access to all their secrets, could be bribed, who could they trust? They could implement additional security measures, but no system was foolproof.
Other companies, learning from MG’s experience, strengthened their own security.
And this, of course, was bad news for Wang Hao, who had vowed to steal Saseong’s technology. Despite his confidence, time was running out.
“Kikikiki, that idiot,” I said, reading a newspaper article. “He got caught.”
The article described how a man, suspected of attempting to recruit a Saseong researcher as an industrial spy, had been caught by Saseong’s security team. The article, which seemed to be influenced by Saseong, spent half its length praising Saseong’s security system, emphasizing the difference between MG and Saseong.
The man who had attempted to recruit the spy was one of Wang Hao’s associates. He had been careful not to involve Haixin Group directly, and the article didn’t mention them.
“Tsk tsk, he should have known when to give up. He must have been desperate.” With MG’s security tightened after the incident, the researchers were being extra cautious, so he had probably become impatient and made a reckless move.
I chuckled. “What does he know about Korea? How dare he try to infiltrate Saseong?” It had been a doomed mission from the beginning, considering the current climate in Korea and his incompetence.
His foolish attempt would only further disappoint his father and solidify Wang Jin-hee’s position as the most capable child. I put down the newspaper, stretched, and said, “Let’s move on to the next stage.”
Wang Jin-hee had achieved a major victory, proving her competence and gaining recognition. It was time for the real battle.
“First, those worthless oil fields… no, they’re too valuable. I’ll save them for a more critical moment.”
The oil field development rights I had acquired from Daehoo Energy had been transferred to Wang Jin-hee’s secret company and were now waiting to be sold to her brothers. They were being marketed as a promising new overseas energy project, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
“What should I use next? Something I can easily manipulate…”
As I was pondering this, my phone rang. It was an unknown number.
“Hello?”
-
…
“Hello? Who is this?” I asked repeatedly, but there was only silence. “What is this? A prank call?” Just as I was about to hang up, I heard a familiar voice speaking in Chinese.
-
Um… is this my brother-in-law? It’s Wang Hao.
“What? Brother-in-law?” I feigned surprise. “Is that you? What a surprise…”
-
Yes, it’s me. You’re speaking Korean, I can’t understand you.
“Ah, yes.”
-
Are you busy?
I glanced at my watch. “Right now? It’s a bit of a bad time.”
-
I wanted to meet and talk, but… Can I ask you a favor?
“A favor? Sure, what is it?”
-
I tried to infiltrate Saseong, but the timing is bad, and I haven’t made any progress. So… he said with a surprisingly demanding tone, – Can you get me some technology from Daehoo Electronics? Just enough to save face with my father. I’ll compensate you generously. How much do you want?
‘What an idiot.’ Even if I was his brother-in-law, there were limits. How dare he ask me to steal from my own company, just to save face?
“Technology?” I asked, feigning surprise.
-
Yeah, Daehoo’s technology is decent, although not as good as Saseong’s. I’ll have to settle for this for now.
Wow.
I knew he was a spoiled brat, but this was beyond my imagination. He wasn’t just a spoiled brat, he was also an idiot.
-
You’ll do it, right? And remove the Daehoo logo. And this is a secret from my father, obviously.
“Ha. Ha. Ha.” I couldn’t help but laugh. How should I handle this idiot? If I just gave in, he would take me for a fool… wait a minute. “A secret from your father, you say?”
-
Of course! I can’t tell him I’m asking you for help! It’s embarrassing.
“Interesting.” I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, a smile spreading across my face. “Any specific areas you’re interested in?”
-
Jin-hee already got us the home appliance technology, so… computer or mobile phone technology would be good.
Despite his outrageous request, asking for Daehoo Electronics’ core technologies, I kept nodding and smiling. “I see. I can’t give you everything, but I can give you some of our technology.”
-
Alright. I’m not asking for everything. When can you give it to me?
I smiled. “Soon.” I hung up the phone, looked at it, and muttered, “You have a conscience? You’re quite self-aware, aren’t you? The problem is, I don’t.”