Chapter 1060.1: Needing Miso (3)

Talk & Joy, located near Gangnam Station, was a social media marketing agency that had been in business for five years. Recently, it had grown rapidly by handling social media advertising campaigns for major corporations and influencers.

Its president was Kim Do-Kyung, the former Head of the Media Division at The Spotlight Daily, so the company maintained strong ties with traditional media outlets. People were already saying it would soon become the number one agency in the industry.

To me, though, they were nothing more than the scumbags who had launched a social media attack against eight-year-old Miso. The fact that a social media marketing agency had done something like this meant there had to be someone behind it. Otherwise, there was no reason for a marketing company to pull a stunt that wouldn't even make them any money.

So, to find whoever was pulling the strings, I headed to the small office building in Samseong-dong where Talk & Joy was located, with Lee Doo-Oh by my side.

As soon as we entered the lobby, the man at the information desk stopped us. "How can I help you?"

I answered, "I'm here to see Mr. Kim Do-Kyung of Talk & Joy."

"I'm sorry, but without an appointment, you won't be able to meet him."

"I'm here because of the social media attack targeting Miso. If he refuses to see me now, tell him we'll meet in court instead."

The employee hesitated as he read the room before replying, "Just a moment. I'll check whether he's available right away."

He hurried back to his desk and picked up the intercom.

Beside me, Lee Doo-Oh, carrying his laptop bag over one shoulder, asked cautiously, "Hyung, are you really going to sue them?"

"If they don't tell us who's behind this, then yes."

"But hyung... you know the evidence I found isn't legally admissible, right?"

"I know. Still, we need it if we're going to corner those bastards."

"Yeah... I guess that's true."

A few moments later, the man from the information desk came running back after finishing the call.

"The president says he'll see you. Please come with me."

Worried that something might happen to his company, the employee politely escorted us all the way to the elevator.

***

In the president's office at Talk & Joy, Kim Do-Kyung and Director Choi Chang-Soo sat together on a modern sofa, waiting for us.

Kim Do-Kyung, now forty-three, frowned the moment he saw me walk through the door. "We carried out a social media attack against Miso, you say? Come on, Chief Jung. Isn't your imagination getting a little out of control?"

Choi Chang-Soo, seated beside him, spoke just as coldly. "We only agreed to meet because the accusation was so ridiculous. Don't get the wrong idea. We're actually here to decide whether we should sue you."

I immediately turned to Lee Doo-Oh. "Looks like we'll have to show them. Go ahead, Doo-Oh."

"Yes, hyung."

Lee Doo-Oh took his laptop out of his bag and placed it on the coffee table.

Click.

After rapidly typing on the keyboard for a few moments, he spun the screen toward them. Displayed on the screen were neatly organized charts and text that anyone could understand.

"The original IP source for the top 30% of the accounts attacking Miso traces back to this very building, which your company occupies exclusively. The traffic was routed through several countries, but the proxy software was so poorly configured that it was easy to trace. It looks like you were operating around two hundred burner accounts. Out of those, we identified about ten accounts registered under your employees' real names."

Social media marketing firms all maintained anonymous social media accounts. Sometimes, though, when real-name verification was required, they used their employees' personal accounts instead. Those were the accounts Lee Doo-Oh had uncovered as evidence.

Kim Do-Kyung and Choi Chang-Soo's expressions instantly froze. Apparently, they had never imagined we would show up with evidence this clear. Their crossed legs slowly uncrossed and settled neatly on the floor, while the arrogant confidence in their eyes disappeared, replaced by nervous glances darting back and forth.

Looking at the two of them as panic set in, I spoke in a calm, icy voice. "The only conclusion I can reach is that if a marketing company did something that wouldn't even make them money, someone must have hired you to do it. So just tell me who's behind this. Do that, and I won't hold Talk & Joy responsible."

Kim Do-Kyung glanced at Choi Chang-Soo. When Choi Chang-Soo shook his head, Kim Do-Kyung gave a slight nod before looking back at me. "Someone behind it? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're still saying that after seeing what's on that screen?"

"That's right. There's no guarantee those people on that list even work for us. Even if they do, they acted on their own. I never ordered them to do it. And this so-called mastermind? Come on, Chief Jung. People have just been posting nasty comments because Miso's been rubbing viewers the wrong way lately. It has nothing to do with us."

Choi Chang-Soo quickly regained his composure and nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

Kim Do-Kyung nodded as well and continued. "Oh, and as for that evidence of yours, everybody knows privately collected evidence is illegal. You must think we're easy targets. Stop waving around evidence that's completely worthless and leave. Otherwise, I'll have you charged with intimidation."

The speed of his response made it obvious he had been coached by a capable lawyer. Just as he claimed, the information Lee Doo-Oh had uncovered had no legal standing at the moment. Even if we handed it over to the prosecution, it couldn't be used as evidence until a prosecutor conducted a proper follow-up investigation according to legal procedure. The problem was that they could destroy the evidence before then.

I hoped we could settle this the easy way. However, if this was how they wanted to play it, there was only one option left. I would have to hit them where it hurt.

I said, "Very well. If that's your decision, I don't have much choice."

"What do you mean you don't have a choice? Quit talking bullshit and get the hell out."

"Chief Jung, keep this up and we'll call the police."

Ignoring the two of them, I called President Jin Sung-Joon. As if he had been waiting for my call, he answered immediately.

-Yoon-Ho. How's Miso doing now? Is she okay?

Earlier, Jin Sung-Joon had called me as soon as the rumors about Miso started spreading online. I told him that Miso had been shocked after seeing the hateful comments on social media and had fainted from exhaustion, but that she wasn't seriously hurt. Even so, his voice was still filled with concern.

"She's fine. But there's something I'd like to ask you."

-What is it?

"It's about Jinseong Foods. You use Talk & Joy for your social media marketing, don't you?"

-Yeah, I think so. They're connected to The Spotlight Daily, and they've been doing really well lately.

"Did you know they had their employees spread rumors attacking Miso?"

Jin Sung-Joon's voice turned ice cold.

-They attacked Miso today?

"Yes. We've secured the evidence, but it's difficult to use it as legal evidence right now. That's why I was hoping you could help."

-If it's about something like that, of course I'll help. Miso's the face of several Jinseong Foods campaigns! By the way, is the person in charge over there with you?

"Yes. President Kim Do-Kyung and Director Choi Chang-Soo are both here."

-Put me on speaker.

"Okay."

The moment I switched to speakerphone, Jin Sung-Joon shouted.

-President Kim! Are you listening?

That was when Kim Do-Kyung straightened in his seat and put on a smooth, overly friendly tone.

"Mr. Jin! It's been a while. Our social media campaign for the new Squid Rings product boosted sales by 20%. I'm not sure if you've had a chance to see the numbers."

-I couldn't care less about that.

"...Excuse me?"

-The profit Miso has generated as our advertising model is dozens of times greater than anything you've ever brought us. And the profit Chief Jung has generated for me is hundreds of times greater than that. That's why I think of Chief Jung as if he were my own younger brother.

Only then did Kim Do-Kyung realize something had gone terribly wrong.

"Chief Jung...?"

-That's right. So if Chief Jung asks me for a favor, I have no choice but to grant it. Listen carefully, President Kim. As a director of the Jinseong Inc., I'm informing you that, effective immediately, not only Jinseong Foods but every single Jinseong affiliate will terminate its advertising contracts with your company. We'll send over the paperwork later.

Kim Do-Kyung's expression shifted from shock to utter disbelief. Then, grinding his teeth in frustration, he shouted.

"I never imagined a company as prestigious as Jinseong could be pushed around by some ordinary talent agent! Won't your father or your older brother have something to say when they hear how easily you're swayed, Mr. Jin?"

Jin Sung-Joon let out a dismissive snort.

-Apparently you haven't heard the news yet. I've already begun my training as Jinseong's next successor. My older brother has already been removed.

"...What?"

-And did you just call Chief Jung 'some ordinary talent agent'? That's the funniest thing I've heard all year.

"N-No, Mr. President. That's not what I meant—"

Jin Sung-Joon cut him off.

-President Kim, let me make something perfectly clear. It hasn't been announced yet, but Chief Jung is also one of Jinseong's major shareholders. So when you come after Chief Jung, you're coming after Jinseong itself. Understood?

The answer was so overwhelming that Kim Do-Kyung froze solid.

Taking advantage of the moment, I spoke to Jin Sung-Joon. "Thank you, hyung-nim. I'll call you again later."

-Sure. Call me anytime if you need anything.

After ending the call, I looked at the shell-shocked Kim Do-Kyung. "So, what will it be? Tell me who's behind this now, and I'll pretend those contract cancellations never happened."

Choi Chang-Soo, who had been anxiously watching the exchange, spoke up hesitantly. "Mr. Kim. If we lose Jinseong, we'll lose more than 10% of this year's revenue. Please, let's not—"

That was when Kim Do-Kyung finally snapped out of it and shouted, "Shut up! If we cave in to this kind of threat, who'll ever trust us with their business again? Don't you know this industry runs on trust?"

'So he intends to stay loyal to whoever is behind this until the very end? Fine. Let's see who wins.'

I started scrolling through the next number on my phone.

"Then I suppose the next company will be..."