Chapter 207
“It’s a pleasure to meet you again,” Kim Min-sik said, greeting Wang Jin-mi. He had come to see her at Baek In-hwi’s request.
“It’s been a while,” she replied with a smile. Wang Jin-mi had achieved everything she had set out to do, and Baek In-hwi had profited handsomely from their collaboration.
It was a win-win situation.
The tension from their first meeting was gone.
“This is our first meeting since then, isn’t it? Is something the matter?” Baek In-hwi had requested this meeting, claiming he had something important to discuss, which was unusual. They usually communicated through phone calls.
“It’s a rather important matter,” he said with a smile.
“I’m curious what it could be.”
“I’ve done many things for you, CEO Baek.” He suddenly started talking about the past, which puzzled her, but she listened patiently. “Destroying companies, acquiring them at bargain prices, manipulating the Korean stock market… It was exhilarating.” He continued, a nostalgic expression on his face, “I even had a meeting with the president and stole technology from MG. I’ve done a lot.”
“Hohoho, that’s true.”
“But I’ve done too much.” He said with a frustrated expression, “So many people have been burned by me that they’re all avoiding Baek In-hwi now.”
It was true. Few people had benefited from their association with Baek In-hwi. “It’s not as fun anymore.”
Wang Jin-mi, growing impatient with his rambling, said, “So, what’s your point?”
“Just a moment… Here’s the main point. We’ve decided…” He smirked. “…to abandon the name ‘Baek In-hwi.’”
“What?”
“Baek In-hwi will disappear, and we’ll be reborn as ‘Wang Myeong.’ That will be our new identity.”
She stared at him for a moment. “You’re changing your name to Wang Myeong?”
“Yes.”
“What’s the point?”
“We’ll shut down all of Baek In-hwi’s operations, disappear, and then reappear as Wang Myeong.”
“Is that even possible? The larger an organization, the more difficult it is to hide.”
He said confidently, “We can do it.”
“Well, it’s your decision… just don’t cause me any trouble.”
“Of course not. In fact, I have a proposition that will benefit you even more.”
“A proposition?”
“If you help us with our transformation, we’ll help your political allies create legitimate slush funds overseas. It’ll strengthen your position.”
She said with a dubious expression, “Are you suggesting bribery? That’ll require a substantial amount of money.”
“It’s not bribery. It’s perfectly legal, like I said.” He smiled. “Do you know what we’ll do after becoming Wang Myeong?”
“I don’t.”
“We’ll invest in other countries, not Korea or China. As Wang Myeong, the investor. And then…” he smiled cruelly, “…we’ll do what we always do. We’ll use our vast resources to shake those countries to their core, just like we did in Korea.” He gestured up and down with his finger. “We’ll drain them dry, top to bottom.”
He was talking about destabilizing countries and profiting from the chaos. It was a terrifying prospect for anyone with a conscience, but Kim Min-sik wasn’t one of them.
“That sounds interesting, but how does that benefit me?”
“We destabilize a country, and then we inform you. ‘The market is going up.’ And we inform your political allies. And then, at the right time, we tell you, ‘It’s going down,’ so they can sell and make a profit, legally, through investments. We’ll handle the manipulation, the information, everything. And we’ll take all the blame. You just have to use this information to gain political favors. Isn’t that a tempting offer? A safe and legal way to acquire funds, without any risk? Look what happened with Haixin Group. A small mistake can have devastating consequences. But this is risk-free.”
Her eyes gleamed. “A legal way to acquire funds through insider trading, using my connections with politicians? Interesting.”
“And no one will dare to touch us, not with the support of high-ranking politicians. We’ll be untouchable.” He said excitedly,
“All you have to do is protect us and help us with our transformation. Simple, right? It’s like bribery, but legal.”
“This is interesting.” She thought for a moment and nodded. “It makes sense. It’s feasible. You handle the illegal activities, and we collect the profits. I like it.” She smiled. “I have a feeling we’ll become very close partners.”
“I feel the same way.”
They laughed and shook hands. “I look forward to working with you, Ms. Wang.”
“Likewise. By the way…” she said with a smile, “When can I meet Baek In-hwi… or rather, Wang Myeong? Will it be possible after we become closer?”
He smirked. “That’s impossible. No one knows who Wang Myeong is, not even me. That’s how we ensure a clean break from the past, by erasing our identity completely.”
“Is this real? Does he really have valuable information?”
Yoo Ho-chan, after being approached by a man named Cheon Ji-an who claimed to have information about Baek In-hwi, took a leave of absence from the prosecution’s office and booked a flight to China. He had been hesitant. Why had Cheon Ji-an chosen him?
“A powerful figure in China wants to take down Baek In-hwi, and he’s chosen me as his… instrument?”
Cheon Ji-an’s explanation was as follows:
A powerful figure who disliked Baek In-hwi wanted to eliminate him but couldn’t act directly due to Baek In-hwi’s influence. So he was looking for someone to act on his behalf and had chosen Yoo Ho-chan, a tenacious and incorruptible prosecutor with experience in complex investigations and a deep understanding of Baek In-hwi’s activities.
And since Baek In-hwi had primarily operated in Korea and was about to withdraw his assets, he would be less cautious and more vulnerable.
Yoo Ho-chan didn’t fully trust him, but his desperation and Cheon Ji-an’s promise of crucial information had convinced him to take the risk. “Please let it be real, a real lead to catch Baek In-hwi…”
“Welcome to China. It’s a pleasure to have you here,” Cheon Ji-an greeted him at the airport, accompanied by several men.
“Greetings.”
He gestured towards the men behind him.
“These men will be your bodyguards and assistants during your stay in China.”
“Thank you,” he said, noting that they were all fluent in Korean, a thoughtful gesture.
“So, what’s this crucial information you have?” he asked Cheon Ji-an after exchanging greetings.
He smiled.
“Don’t be so impatient. Let’s go. I’ll explain on the way.”
“You’re aware of Baek In-hwi’s connection to Haixin Group, right?”
“Yes, I’ve heard about it. I understand he attacked Chunha Group to prevent them from interfering with Haixin’s affairs.”
“It’s not just a theory, it’s a fact. And thanks to his attack, Haixin Group is falling apart. But we’ve acquired some new information.” He lowered his voice. “Baek In-hwi initially supported Wang Jin-hee, not Wang Jin-mi.”
He looked puzzled.
“Wang Jin-hee? Park Sol’s wife? But why?”
Why would Baek In-hwi help Park Sol’s wife, his enemy?
“It’s a complicated situation, but we believe he was planning to betray her. He was building his influence over her and then suddenly turned against her. Anyway, that’s not important. Do you know what propelled Wang Jin-hee’s rise within Haixin Group?” He smiled, seeing him shake his head.
“The MG technology theft.”
He suddenly remembered the incident.
“Don’t tell me…”
“That’s right. The stolen technology went to Haixin Group. And who do you think stole it?”
“Baek In-hwi!”
“Exactly. He stole the technology and gave it to Wang Jin-hee. And then, for some reason, they parted ways.”
“If we can prove industrial espionage…” he said excitedly, his face flushing. “This isn’t all the information you have, is it?”
“Of course not,” he said confidently. “The technology was transferred from Baek In-hwi’s associate to Wang Jin-hee’s associate. Do you understand what this means?” He smirked. “If we can find Wang Jin-hee’s associate, we might be able to identify Baek In-hwi’s associate.”
“Oh!”
“This is industrial espionage, a serious crime. Baek In-hwi would have entrusted this to a trusted associate. And a trusted associate would…” he smiled brightly, “…know a lot about Baek In-hwi, wouldn’t they?”
He clenched his fist. “Then where can we find Wang Jin-hee’s associate?”
Cheon Ji-an’s expression turned somber for the first time. “That’s why we invited you, Prosecutor Yoo. Wang Jin-hee has disappeared. We’re not investigators, we couldn’t find her.”
He frowned. “That’s not enough to find her. It’s practically impossible to find someone who’s actively hiding, especially in a vast country like China.”
“We’ll assist you in any way we can. We’ll provide you with all the information we have, her communication records, everything.”
He thought for a moment and then said with a determined expression, “I was hoping for a quick solution. I’m willing to start from the bottom. And compared to my previous plan, this is a much better starting point. Alright.” He looked at Cheon Ji-an. “I’m counting on you. I’ll catch Baek In-hwi, no matter what.”
“I trust you, Prosecutor Yoo.”
“By the way, what’s your… motive? Why are you so determined to catch Baek In-hwi? You don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable.”
He was silent for a moment, his face grim, and then said,
“Just… a personal grudge.”