Chapter 208
“From now on, I’m Wang Myeong, not Baek In-hwi.” I declared to the assembled first and second-generation heihaizi, my core confidants who knew my true identity. “Baek In-hwi is gone, erased from existence. We are being reborn.” I asked, “Any questions?”
Jin Baek, a first-generation member, raised his hand. “To what extent are we changing, sir?”
I smirked. “Completely. You’re the only ones who know my face. And only the third generation and above know they’re working for Baek In-hwi. The lower ranks only know they’re part of an organization, they don’t even know the name. So, if we just start calling ourselves Wang Myeong, we become Wang Myeong. And…” my eyes gleamed, “…the first time is always the hardest. We can be Baek In-hwi, Wang Myeong, and countless other names in the future.”
I extended my hand. “Now, we’re going to erase everything related to Baek In-hwi. I don’t care about the losses. The important thing is for the outside world to see us as Wang Myeong, not Baek In-hwi. That’s our only goal.”
Baek In-hwi was just a mask. And now I was putting on a new mask, Wang Myeong. But masks were expendable. Wang Myeong would eventually be replaced by another name. “Does it matter what we’re called, as long as we know who we are?”
They shouted in unison,
“No, sir!”
“We were one, we are one, and we will always be one!”
“That’s right! We are our own masters! The world’s rules don’t apply to us!”
I said, my eyes gleaming, “We are who we are! Now, let me introduce you… Come in.”
The door opened, and Kim Min-sik entered. It was the moment he officially joined the inner circle, leaving behind his role as the public face of the organization. “Does anyone not know who this is?”
“No, sir.”
“Kim Min-sik, my right-hand man, will be taking over all operations. Any objections?”
“No, sir!”
He was technically an outsider, but they all knew how much I trusted him, how valuable he was. He smiled. “Thank you for the warm welcome. I look forward to working with you.”
“There might be some… resistance.”
Each of the heihaizi in that room controlled hundreds of men. They wouldn’t welcome a new boss, regardless of his reputation. He smiled at my warning. “I was a newcomer at Hanho Savings Bank, and I was also a newcomer at Joongang Investment Group.”
“This is different. They’re not corporate employees.”
I had entrusted him with this position for one reason: The heihaizi, even the first-generation recruits, were used to following orders, not making decisions.
Wang Myeong had to operate independently now, so we needed someone with good judgment. And Kim Min-sik understood my intentions better than anyone. He was the perfect choice.
“You won’t be able to see your family often. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m fine. I can always have them move to China if I have to.”
It was a big decision for him. He had been operating in the light, and the biggest challenge of transitioning to the shadows was the temptation to return to the light. He had to give up his freedom and live a life of constant vigilance. And he had a family to consider.
“Don’t worry, sir. I’m Kim Min-sik.” He pointed at himself with a confident expression.
I smiled, looking at him. “I trust you. Let’s do this.”
“This is not easy,” Yoo Ho-chan muttered, frustrated. He had been trying to track down Wang Jin-hee’s associates using the information provided by Cheon Ji-an, but it was proving difficult. “If it were easy, they would have been caught already.” Many people were looking for them.
Finding people who were actively hiding was a challenge, especially in a vast country like China. “Any progress?” Cheon Ji-an asked as he entered the room. He shook his head. “No, it’s difficult.”
He looked at the documents. “No phone records since they disappeared, and the last sighting was at Hefei Station, where they boarded a train. This isn’t enough. We need more manpower. And…” he frowned “…China has train connections to many countries. They might have already left the country.”
“That’s a problem.”
He thought for a moment. “Did they disappear before or after Haixin Group was implicated in the scandal? And if it was after, how long after?”
“Right after the scandal broke, as far as I know.”
His eyes gleamed. “Right after…” He had initially assumed they had disappeared because Haixin Group was collapsing, and there was no hope for Wang Jin-hee. But she was still the wife of Chunha Group’s chairman, she wasn’t completely ruined.
Then maybe they had disappeared to avoid being implicated in the investigation? But the investigation hadn’t even started yet. “Maybe they betrayed Wang Jin-hee.” They had been planning to betray her all along and seized the opportunity when the scandal broke. His imagination ran wild. “No, maybe they were planted there from the beginning to sabotage her. Then… they could also be working with Baek In-hwi!”
They had approached her, offering their services in exchange for some kind of reward, and then disappeared with everything she had when she was in trouble. That was his conclusion. “And Baek In-hwi would have paid them handsomely. He usually pays in kind, not cash.”
“Their families didn’t disappear with them, right?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“He would have given them valuable assets. And they would have hidden them somewhere. It’s dirty money, after all. Investigate their families’ real estate holdings.”
Using the information from Cheon Ji-an, he started investigating the families’ real estate.
And finally,
“I found it.”
He had found a large amount of cash and other assets hidden on a property owned by one of the associates’ mothers.
Cheon Ji-an clapped his hands.
“As expected of Prosecutor Yoo. It was a wise decision to invite you.”
He scratched his head, embarrassed.
“It was nothing. Just a lucky guess.”
“Luck is also a skill. You should be proud. What’s our next move?”
He pointed at the hidden cash and assets.
“We bury it again.”
“What?”
His eyes gleamed.
“A criminal always returns to the scene of the crime. Do you think they’ll be able to resist the temptation to check on their stash? We’ll wait for them and catch them red-handed!”
Four days later, late at night, Yoo Ho-chan yawned and rubbed his eyes.
“It’s been four days, and they’re still not here.”
They had reburied the cash and assets and had been waiting, but no one had appeared.
“We can take over the watch. Get some rest,” Cheon Ji-an offered. He shook his head. “I can’t sleep now, not when we’re so close to catching Baek In-hwi. I’ll sleep during the day. It’s fine.”
“Hahaha, you’re truly dedicated.”
“So are you, Mr. Cheon.” As they were talking, one of the men nudged him and pointed. He followed his gaze and then quickly signaled the others to be quiet. He whispered excitedly, “They’re finally here…”
A figure was approaching the burial spot, looking around cautiously. He couldn’t see clearly in the darkness. “Just a little closer…”
He shouted, as the figure started digging, “Get them!”
The men jumped out, and the figure, startled, started running. The chase was short-lived. “Damn it! Damn it!” It was Im So-wi, one of Wang Jin-hee’s former confidantes, a trusted associate. “Finally,” he said, turning to Cheon Ji-an. “Can you translate for me?”
“Of course. What do you want to say?”
He looked at Im So-wi, who was kneeling before him. “You’re Im So-wi, correct?”
“She’s asking who you are and why you’re arresting her,” Cheon Ji-an translated.
“She’s a feisty one. Tell her the charges against her,” he said, taking out some documents. “Industrial espionage against MG, fraud against Haixin Group, embezzlement, tax evasion… we can charge her with everything. This is enough for at least a ten-year sentence in Korea. She might even get life in prison in China.”
“She’s saying she’s innocent.”
“Everyone claims to be innocent. Then why is she hiding? And how is she going to explain the money?” He pointed at the cash and assets they had recovered. “She’s asking if you need money. She’ll give you everything if you let her go.”
“I don’t need her money. I only want one thing.” He glared at her. “Baek In-hwi.”
“She says she doesn’t know anyone by that name.”
“Don’t lie! Baek In-hwi stole the technology from MG’s research lab! Who gave it to you?! Tell us!”
“She’s asking if you’ll let her go if she gives you the money.”
He shouted, “Stop playing games and tell us who it is! How many people have to suffer because of Baek In-hwi! We can end this if we catch him! Who is he?! Tell us!”
He grabbed her by the collar and shook her, and Cheon Ji-an hurriedly intervened. “Please calm down, Prosecutor Yoo.”
“I can’t calm down! Tell her if she doesn’t talk, we’ll hand her over to the Chinese authorities, and they’ll confiscate all her money! Does she want that?!”
She hesitated for a long time and then said, “She’ll talk if you let her go.”
“Tell her we’ll let her go and return her money. She’s a small fry, she’s not important. We’re after Baek In-hwi. I would do anything to catch him.”
She closed her eyes. “She received the technology.”
He clenched his fists. “Good! Then tell her to give us everything she knows about the person who gave it to her! Their appearance, age, occupation, everything!” She knew quite a bit, as she and Baek In-hwi’s associate had handled all the transactions between him and Wang Jin-hee. “His name is Oh Yong-hae. It’s probably an alias. He’s about 175-178cm tall, with a sturdy build.”
A sketch artist, brought by Cheon Ji-an, created a composite sketch based on her description. He showed it to her. “Is this him?”
“She says it is.”
“Excellent.” Even without knowing his address or occupation, it was a major breakthrough. He had a face, a visual representation of one of Baek In-hwi’s closest associates. He was practically buzzing with excitement. “She’s asking to be released now that she’s told you everything.”
He looked at her intently. “We can’t do that. She might tell Baek In-hwi everything if we release her. We have to keep her until we catch him. Is that possible?”
“Of course, we have a safe house. We can keep her there under surveillance.” Since she was a woman, he added, “No funny business, understand? I’m a prosecutor. I won’t tolerate that.”
“Of course not, sir! We would never…”
“Good. But what about this?” He pointed at the cash and assets.
It was dirty money, but it was untraceable. He thought for a moment. “Confiscate it for now and return it to her when she’s released.”
Cheon Ji-an’s eyes widened. “Sir? It’s black money, you can keep it.”
“I promised her I would let her go and return her money. I have to keep my promise, even to a criminal.” He watched her being dragged away, screaming and protesting. “Even to a criminal.”