Chapter 1030: My Way

I stood in front of the women's prison in Cheongju. In front of Kim Ae-Ja and dozens of former Daechon Inc. executives, I raised my phone. A video recorded in the study of Daechon Inc. founder Kim Bu-Ho's Seongbuk-dong residence began to play.

-Hello, fellow citizens. I am Kim Bu-Ho, founder of Daechon Inc.

While handling my affairs within Daechon Inc. after announcing my retirement, I discovered something that I believe the public should know.

During an internal audit, we uncovered an offshore tax evasion account under the name of my daughter, former Vice Chairman Kim Ae-Ja.

Since this is something that should never have existed, I immediately reported the account voluntarily to the National Tax Service and am now awaiting its investigation.

...

From this point forward, Daechon will make a complete break from the illegal practices of the past. Under the leadership of our new chairman, we promise to be reborn as a clean and transparent company.

As for myself, I will also undergo any additional investigation necessary to ensure not a single doubt remains.

Thank you.

As Kim Bu-Ho's confession continued, Kim Ae-Ja and the former Daechon executives turned deathly pale and stood frozen. Now that the offshore tax evasion account had been exposed, Kim Ae-Ja could very well end up back in prison.

"Why would... Dad..."

It seemed Kim Ae-Ja had never imagined that the very man who had secured her special pardon, Kim Bu-Ho, would personally turn against her. She couldn't hide her shock.

Lowering my phone, I looked at Kim Ae-Ja. "That video was just sent to every news outlet. Do you like my gift?"

Kim Ae-Ja's eyes flared as she spoke in a trembling voice. "Ae-Ryeon couldn't have convinced Dad... Jung Yoon-Ho, it was you, wasn't it? You're the one who talked him into it."

I nodded. "Yes. I didn't persuade him, though. I merely gave him some advice that new wine belongs in new wineskins."

At that moment, Kim Ae-Ja stormed toward me with her right hand raised. "You little bastard! How dare you drive a wedge between Dad and me?"

Despite the countless dashcams recording everything from the surrounding cars, she still had the nerve to swing at me. I was just thinking about taking the hit and tipping off the reporters when Kim Ae-Ryeon, who had been standing beside me, caught Kim Ae-Ja's wrist.

Grab.

"Who does a criminal think she is, trying to hit Chief Jung?"

Kim Ae-Ja trembled with rage, her wrist firmly restrained.

"What... did you just call me?"

"What? You said we're not sisters anymore, remember? Besides, Chief Jung isn't someone you can casually slap across the face. He's a key partner who owns 10% of Daechon Media, so don't you dare lay a hand on him again."

Kim Ae-Ja stared in disbelief. "What? 10%?"

I was just as stunned.

'10% of Daechon Media belongs to me?'

I had exchanged my 2% stake in Hoop Entertainment for two percent of Daechon Media, then received another 5% after helping force out the former Daechon executives. That meant I owned a total of 7%.

'So where did the other 3% come from?'

While I was still trying to figure it out, Kim Ae-Ja pointed at me and exploded. "You gave 10% of Daechon's future business to some nobody without any background? Have you lost your mind?"

Kim Ae-Ryeon let out a faint chuckle. "Looks like prison really made you lose touch with reality. You have no idea what's happened to South Korea's media industry, do you? Then listen carefully. These days, media business in this country doesn't function without Chief Jung. Even 10% is a bargain. Do you even understand that?"

"What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that...? Why would Daechon ever need—"

Kim Ae-Ryeon clicked her tongue in disappointment. "I suppose that's exactly why you ended up in there while I ended up in the chairman's chair."

She flung Kim Ae-Ja's wrist aside. Staggering backward, Kim Ae-Ja trembled violently from head to toe, unable to contain her fury.

"Y-You..."

Just as the two women were about to clash again, the sound of approaching vehicles echoed from the distance.

I immediately turned to Kim Ae-Ryeon. "Let's go, Mrs. Chairman."

Kim Ae-Ryeon casually tossed the black plastic bag she had been carrying. Jin So-Mi instinctively caught it.

"That tofu was made by a master craftsman. It'd be a waste to throw it away, so take it home and make some tofu kimchi."

Kim Ae-Ja screamed curses at us from behind, but we ignored her completely and hurried into the car.

That was when I rolled down the window and looked at Kim Ae-Ja.

Zing.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot. I have one more gift for you."

Kim Ae-Ja flared up. "What now?!"

I raised my hand and pointed toward the vehicles entering through the front gate of the Cheongju Women's Prison. "I let the police and the reporters know what time you'd be released. They seemed very eager to see you, Mrs. Former Vice Chairman."

At the front of the convoy I was pointing at, two police cars and several broadcasting station vehicles were rapidly approaching.

"Aaaagh! You little bastard! Get back here! Get back here!"

"I'll be on my way now."

Zing.

Just as the window rolled shut, Kim Ae-Ja threw up both hands and tried to chase after our car. However, Attorney Lee Seol-Hee, Jin So-Mi, and the other executives rushed over and restrained her.

"Mrs. Chairman, we have to leave now!"

"Let go! Let go of me! Jung Yoon-Ho! Get back here! Get back here!"

Kim Ae-Ja struggled wildly, screaming at the top of her lungs. By wasting those precious moments, she lost any chance of escaping the police cars that had already arrived right in front of her.

***

After arriving at Kim Bu-Ho's residence in Seongbuk-dong with Kim Ae-Ryeon, we headed into the living room.

On the massive television mounted on the wall, footage showed Kim Ae-Ja fleeing from the broadcasting station vehicles. Standing beside the footage, the news anchor explained the situation.

-Former Daechon Inc.'s Honorary Chairman Kim Bu-Ho, the legendary figure of the business world, has made the unprecedented revelation that his daughter, Former Vice Chairman Kim Ae-Ja, maintained offshore tax evasion accounts.

As a result, Former Vice Chairman Kim Ae-Ja, who was released today under a special pardon, now faces the possibility of immediate arrest upon her release.

However, Former Vice Chairman Kim Ae-Ja's legal team has dismissed the allegations as baseless, claiming that all management of the funds was handled by Chairman Sung Hak-Soo, who is currently imprisoned.

The legal team further stated that Former Vice Chairman Kim Ae-Ja will voluntarily appear before the police within twenty-four hours and has therefore refused immediate arrest before returning to her residence.

Kim Bu-Ho picked up the remote and switched off the television before turning toward us. "You're here."

"Yes, Mr. Honorary Chairman."

After I bowed, Kim Bu-Ho waved his hand dismissively. "Honorary Chairman? Hardly. I'm just an old man who's stepped into the background now."

Considering he had just exposed the tax evasion accounts and placed himself under investigation as well, he looked far more cheerful than I had expected.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"Of course. Thanks to your advice, my head finally feels clear. She was someone I had to cut loose sooner or later. I was only holding on because of my own lingering attachment. Come, have a seat."

At Kim Bu-Ho's gesture, Kim Ae-Ryeon and I sat down on the sofa.

As soon as I took my seat, I spoke carefully. "Just as you predicted, they're trying to pin everything on Sung Hak-Soo."

We had already expected that Kim Ae-Ja would dump all the blame onto her husband, Sung Hak-Soo.

Kim Bu-Ho nodded. "That's right. One of them has to remain outside if there's going to be anyone left to save the other. So Hak-Soo will end up taking the fall for everything. Even so, after this, Ae-Ja won't be able to make any meaningful moves for at least a few months."

Now that the account had been reported to the National Tax Service, the slush fund accounts would be frozen. Even if Sung Hak-Soo confessed to every charge, Kim Ae-Ja would still have no choice but to remain under investigation for at least several months. In the meantime, Daechon Inc. would be able to complete as much of the inheritance process as possible, and I would gain time to prepare for the coming war against Kim Dong-Soo and Kim Ae-Ja.

We had cleared one major hurdle, but there was one thing I couldn't help asking.

"Mr. Honorary Chairman."

"Yes?"

"I heard that I now own 10% of Daechon Media. What exactly happened?"

Kim Bu-Ho burst into hearty laughter. "What do you mean, what happened? It's your reward for the advice you gave me."

At present, 1% of Daechon Media was worth roughly fifty billion won. That meant an additional 3% was worth another hundred fifty billion won.

"That's too much. I already own 7%."

"If we'd missed this opportunity, Ae-Ja would've gone completely mad trying to split the company apart. It's a reward for the man who did the most to save Daechon. I'd say you've earned every bit of it."

"What I've already received is more than enough."

"Hmm... You're really something else." Kim Bu-Ho sighed. "Fine, then let me put it another way. Consider it a bribe. A bribe asking you to keep helping our Ae-Ryeon from now on."

"A bribe?"

"That's right. Chief Jung, I can't involve myself in Daechon's affairs anymore. So I want you to help Ae-Ryeon as much as you can. I'm asking this as a personal favor."

The man who had built Daechon, the sixteenth-largest conglomerate in the country, from nothing was asking me sincerely.

After a moment's thought, I decided to accept the request from the man who was stepping away from Daechon. Not because of the money, but to repay everything he had done for me. Besides, now that Kim Ae-Ja and Kim Dong-Soo had joined forces, I would have to stand on the same battlefield regardless.

"Then I'll repay this gift twofold, Mr. Chairman."

"Haha. I'd appreciate that very much. Oh, right. Since you've given me advice, may I offer you one piece of advice in return?"

"Of course."

Kim Bu-Ho fixed me with a blazing stare. "Be bolder."

"...Pardon?"

"When I look at you, you seem far too cautious for someone your age. It's almost as though you've lived several lifetimes already. But if you keep curling up to protect yourself, one day you'll fail to protect the people you truly care about. So think about taking bold action and crushing your enemies before they have the chance."

His advice wasn't just general wisdom. It was aimed directly at my current situation.

Still, there was something that bothered me.

I asked, "What if innocent people get caught in the crossfire?"

"So that's what this is about—HK Entertainment and CK Entertainment. What? Are you afraid that if you make the first move, your artists will get hurt?"

"Yes, sir."

"Listen carefully. Even if you don't want to fight, they'll keep coming after you. And that means that even if you've avoided damage until now, sooner or later someone will get hurt. So if you want to prevent greater losses, there are times when you have to accept some risk and strike first. Just as I did today."

Kim Bu-Ho was telling me that if I truly wanted to protect what mattered, I had to be willing to act more boldly, even to launch the first attack when necessary.

The truth was, I had remained somewhat defensive toward HK Entertainment and CK Entertainment because I wanted to protect my artists. But now I was beginning to think it was time to change that approach.

'Just as the saying goes... He who strikes first wins.'

***

The following Sunday morning, Kim Bu-Ho appeared before the police in person, bowed ninety degrees, and began shaping public opinion. Kim Ae-Ja, however, insisted that her father had misunderstood everything and denied every allegation, claiming that Sung Hak-Soo had handled it all himself.

While the social news pages were filled with headlines about the father-and-daughter war of accusations, the entertainment pages were dominated by articles about yesterday's premiere of Haze.

[KBC 2TV Weekend Drama Haze Debuts with an Impressive 13.2% Viewership Ratings!]

[KBC 2TV Weekend Drama Haze. KBC's Bold Reinvention Pays Off! A Korean-Style Blockbuster Fantasy Thriller Captivates Viewers.]

[Jung Miso Transforms Her Acting. Yoon Kkot-Nim on Weekdays, Illyeong on Weekends!]

[Park Sang-Gyu and Jung Miso Deliver Chilling Supporting Performances.]

[Jung Miso's Harrowing Performance as Her Fingernails Crumble Inside the Jar. She Can No Longer Be Called Just a Child Actress.]

[Park Sang-Gyu's Astonishing Performance. "Where Has This Hidden Gem Been? A Flawless Portrayal of an Elderly Man."]

The scene in Episode 1 of Haze that generated the most buzz was undoubtedly the one where the young Illyeong fell victim to the sinister shaman Wolryeong's scheme, was sealed inside a jar, and transformed into a Taejagwi[1].

Because the entertainment section of every portal site was flooded with articles praising Miso, she sat at the breakfast table with nothing but her spoon stuck in her bibimbap, completely absorbed in her phone.

I smiled and asked, "Miso. Feeling good because there are so many articles praising you?"

Miso looked up at me and gave me a playful smile. "Yes!"

"Even so, no looking at your phone while you're eating. Finish your meal first, then you can read as much as you want."

"Mmm... Okay, Uncle Yoon-Ho!"

Only then did Miso put her phone down and pick up her spoon properly. She immediately began eating at twice her usual speed.

Seated across from her, Yoo-Jin let out a quiet laugh and typed on her tablet.

[Oppa, my throat's gotten much better, so the doctor said I can start talking again tomorrow. And starting next Tuesday, I can go back to filming the final scenes for Hwaranjeon.]

Yoo-Jin's vocal nodules had been caught at a very early stage, and thankfully she had recovered considerably.

"That's a relief. Even so, unless it's absolutely necessary, keep using your tablet for a while."

[Okay.]

I quickly finished the rest of my bibimbap and stood up. "I'm heading to the station."

[The broadcasting station?]

"Yeah. I have to go because we're filming Project I.O.A – Moments from a Difficult Journey today."

Project I.O.A – Moments from a Difficult Journey, which chronicled the past twelve weeks of Project I.O.A, would air that evening. On top of that, there were additional scenes to film with the I.O.A members, Wang Long, and Sasuke, so I needed to get there in the morning.

[Oh, right. Got it. Then I'll see you later at the farewell party for our partners.]

The staff from Shanghai New Media Inc. and Japan's AMOSE would be holding a farewell party that evening before returning to China and Japan the following day.

"Sounds good. See you tonight. And Miso, make sure you finish your breakfast."

Miso puffed out her cheeks like a chipmunk as she continued eating and waved enthusiastically. "Okay, Uncle Yoon-Ho~ Byeee~!"

"See you later."

I waved back before heading toward the parking lot.

***

On the way to SBC, I had picked up Wang Long and Sasuke from their hotel and was driving them to the station. About a kilometer from our destination, traffic slowed to a stop.

Wang Long, sitting in the passenger seat, kept fidgeting as though he wanted to say something.

"Wang Long. Is there something on your mind?" I asked.

He let out a quiet sigh. "Now that I'm actually going back to China... there's something that's been worrying me."

"What is it?"

"Do you know how much drugs are circulating in the Korean entertainment industry? A lot of it's coming in through China..."

I knew all too well. South Korea had once been called a drug-free country. Now, however, most nightclub districts had become major distribution hubs. Within the entertainment industry, drugs were spreading rapidly, especially among hip-hop groups and rappers.

I nodded. "I know. I also know they're mainly being traded among hip-hop groups and rappers."

"I figured you'd know. Then do you know Alex Jang from Black Soul?"

Black Soul, an HK Entertainment group, had become the talk of the industry after debuting straight from the underground scene and reaching No. 3 on the music charts. Among them, the Chinese-Canadian member Alex Jang was the group's biggest star—a handsome idol who spoke fluent Korean because his mother was Korean.

"I know him well. Why?"

"You know he's... a drug addict too?"

'What? He's already involved in that?'

Everything Black Soul would eventually do in two years from now was still recorded in my Everyday.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: November 17, 2023]

-10:00 p.m.: <Entertainment Everywhere> "Popular Hip-Hop Group Black Soul, Arrested on Drug Charges."

Before my regression, the popular hip-hop group Black Soul, then under Top Entertainment, not only used drugs themselves but also supplied them to underage trainees. Because so many people became victims of their actions, the case grew into a massive social scandal.

Among Black Soul's members, Alex Jang was exposed as the supplier who smuggled drugs in from overseas, while the group's leader, Seo Yo-Hwan, was revealed to be the one distributing them throughout Korea.

I couldn't believe they had already been using drugs.

Seeing the shock on my face, Wang Long spoke. "Looks like you didn't know. Then I guess you also don't know that Alex is Wang Lina's cousin."

Even I was hearing that for the first time.

"What?"

"They lived together in China when they were kids, but they grew apart after Alex moved to Canada in middle school. I only found out about Alex today myself."

Wang Lina had ranked fourth overall and first among the Chinese contestants, making her one of the most important members of I.O.A for activities in China. And now I was finding out that Wang Lina was related to Alex Jang of all people.

"So make sure those two don't spend time together. I don't think Lina would ever take drugs voluntarily, but people like that can secretly drug someone and get them addicted."

Just then, my phone vibrated.

Buzz.

The moment I checked it, Everyday was already sending me warnings.

[Everyday V13]

[Notification: A new schedule entry has been registered for Wang Lina.]

[Notification: A new schedule entry has been registered for Song Mi-Hee.]

[Notification: A new schedule entry has been registered for Minamoto Aoi.]

[Notification: A new schedule entry has been registered for Go Eun-Seo.]

Startled by the four alerts, I hurriedly opened them. All four contained the exact same entry.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: June 6, 2021]

-8:00 p.m.: [NEW. Wang Lina]

[Entertainment Big News] Popular members of the girl group I.O.A arrested in a group drug abuse case.

...

The fact that this schedule entry had appeared immediately after our conversation about Black Soul could only mean one thing. This incident was connected to Black Soul.

At that moment, my phone vibrated again.

Buzz.

[Caller ID: Jung Sang-Bong]

Jung Sang-Bong, who was already at the SBC filming location, was calling. Wondering why he would call at a time like this, I answered immediately.

"Yeah. What's up?"

-Mr. Jung, I'm at the SBC studio. The original guests couldn't make it up from Jeju Island, so they've been replaced by Black Soul, who happened to be on site. You told us to let you know if there was any contact with the Black Soul members, so I'm calling.

Fate was once again throwing another trial at my kids.

Just then, Kim Bu-Ho's words echoed in my mind.

'Be bolder. That's right.'

It was time to be bold for the sake of protecting my kids.

I immediately looked at Wang Long and Sasuke. "I'm going to need both of you to help me today."

Wang Long tilted his head. "With what?"

"After hearing all this, I can't just sit back and do nothing. I'm taking this opportunity to wipe out Black Soul."

Wang Long's eyes widened in shock. "Black Soul is HK Entertainment's flagship group. What are you going to do if this starts an all-out war with HK Entertainment?"

In a calm, unwavering voice, I answered, "Then I'll destroy HK Entertainment too."

Just as Kim Bu-Ho had told me, I wasn't going to avoid an all-out war with Director Hong Ah-Yoon anymore if it meant keeping my kids safe.

'Director Hong Ah-Yoon... This time, I'll make the first move. Let's see if you can stop me.'

1. Restless spirits of infants or young children in Korean folklore and shamanism, often those who passed away from disease, malnutrition, or abandonment ☜