Crash! The drum barrel rolled away with a loud noise and struck the thugs’ shins.
“Urgh! That bastard!”
“Catch him! What are you doing just standing there!”
Taking advantage of the moment when their path was blocked, he sprinted at full speed toward the metal ladder leading to the second floor. The muddy ground grabbed at his ankles, but he couldn’t stop.
“There! He’s going up!”
Yeohwi climbed the rusted ladder like a madman. His palms were scratched and torn by the rusty nails, but he felt no pain. When he reached the second-floor railing, a thug right below reached out to grab Yeohwi’s ankle.
“Come here, you little rat!”
“Fuck off!”
Without hesitation, Yeohwi kicked the guy’s face with his sneaker.
“Gah!”
The man let out a shriek and tumbled down the ladder. The thugs following behind got tangled up and fell, cursing erupting from them.
“Go up! Circle around to the opposite staircase and block him from both sides!”
Along with the skinhead’s shout, the sound of three or four men running toward the opposite catwalk could be heard. Yeohwi didn’t stop running as he sprinted along the second-floor railing. The dust-covered floor was slippery. Black shadows were rushing in from the opposite side as well.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
A thug blocked his path, swinging a wooden club. It was do or die. Yeohwi didn’t dodge but threw his body forward while running. He rammed the man’s solar plexus with his shoulder and kept going. There, ahead at the corner, he could see a broken window.
Outside the window was a thicket of grass. It was second-floor height, but if he jumped down, it seemed he could land safely enough.
Yeohwi stepped onto the windowsill without hesitation. Just as he was about to throw his body—
“Huk…!”
A rough hand from behind snatched Yeohwi’s hair.
Along with pain as if his scalp was being ripped off, Yeohwi’s body was yanked sharply backward. His hand gripping the windowsill was torn by the broken glass, and his body, having lost balance, was wretchedly slammed to the floor.
“Khuk.”
His breath was completely knocked out.
Before he could even lift his head, a boot that shot out pressed down on Yeohwi’s back.
“Stubborn bastard. You really had to make us use force.”
The skinhead, panting, grabbed Yeohwi’s hair again and roughly lifted him up. Yeohwi’s face contorted in pain. A fishy taste of blood filled his mouth as if something had burst inside.
“Grit your teeth, boy.”
The guy raised the steel pipe he was holding high.
“It’s education time.”
A heavy bursting sound came from behind.
The steel pipe struck Yeohwi’s back. His breath was knocked out by the pain as if his spine was shattering.
Yeohwi screamed and collapsed wretchedly onto the second-floor.
“Ahhuk…”
But like a beast, he crawled back up again. He had to survive. He had to get out of here.
Yeohwi staggered backward. But there was nowhere left to run. Walls on all sides, and enemies. He grabbed a broken brick fragment within reach and threw it. His palm must have been badly injured from the glass earlier because he couldn’t put proper strength into it.
“Don’t come… Don’t come!”
Yeohwi resisted until the end, swinging the brick. Blood flowed down from his torn eye area, staining his vision red. His white sweater was a mess of muddy water and blood, no longer retaining its original color.
“You’re really being annoying. Just come quietly. Boys, when you escort this little rat, pull out all his fingernails first.”
The skinhead gave a signal with his eyes.
From behind, another thug silently approached Yeohwi. Soon, the thick wooden club in his hand cut through the air as it was raised high. It was a murderous trajectory.
With an ominous feeling, Yeohwi instinctively turned around.
He saw a pitch-black stick coming down right in front of him. He couldn’t dodge it.
‘Dowon-ssi…’
Yeohwi instinctively curled up his body and squeezed his eyes shut.
***
KD Group headquarters, main conference room.
“So, can you prove the flow of funds linked to Taesung Logistics’ borrowed-name accounts?”
“That part has been cross-checked with the accounting firm. As soon as the provisional injunction is granted…”
Inside the conference room where dozens of lawyers and accountants had their heads together, it moved quietly yet intensely.
Dowon sat at the head seat, meticulously coordinating the countless reports pouring in. Though fatigue had accumulated in his body, his eyes remained alive. Veins stood out even on his forearms with his shirt sleeves rolled up.
“Then let’s wrap up this matter like this. We’ll take a brief break.”
Dowon declared as he put down his fountain pen.
“We’ll resume in 10 minutes. In the meantime, Team 2, please supplement the materials related to overseas corporations.”
The tension in the conference room eased and murmuring noise flowed out. Dowon leaned deeply into his chair and glanced at his wrist. While checking the time on his wristwatch, he suddenly realized he was still wearing the Patek Philippe he’d gotten fitted in Switzerland.
It wasn’t because Yeohwi had begged and pleaded for him to please not take it off and keep it on. He simply hadn’t had the mental space to spare for something like a watch. Right now when every moment counted, giving meaning to whether or not to replace his wristwatch with another would actually be inefficient.
‘Huu…’
Dowon, who naturally thought of Seong Yeohwi while looking at the watch, rubbed his face with dry hands. A headache surged from his frontal lobe. These days, thinking of that young bastard would make him chuckle hollowly.
No, should he say he was angry? Or should he say frustrated? But he wasn’t completely dull or stupid either, and the fact that he was clever at just the right times was pointlessly irritating. It was ambiguous to define clearly.
‘Like some rude wild dog. Constantly rubbing up against me, demanding to be raised.’
The way he was faithful to his desires and honestly revealed his true nature was close to that of a beast, yet the way he constantly watched for openings to push forward and try to negotiate, and even cried and threw tantrums, was so very human.
Either way, it rubbed Dowon the wrong way, who pursued extreme rationality and efficiency.
‘That brat, I gave in once and now he doesn’t know when to stop charging at me.’
Tsk. Dowon clicked his tongue inwardly and tried to unfasten the watch strap. If he kept wearing this, that guy would definitely jump around and pour out all kinds of nonsense again.
Rather than making someone he couldn’t reciprocate have false expectations, it would be better to take off the watch and shove it in the trash.
Just before Dowon unfastened the metal buckle, the conference room door opened carefully and his secretary entered. His expression was hardened, unlike usual.
“Director-nim, I have something to report briefly.”
Dowon stopped his hands and lifted his head.
The secretary approached Dowon’s side, bent at the waist, and whispered low.
“Mrs. Park from the residence is here.”
Dowon’s eyes narrowed.
“What’s the matter? Without even contacting me.”
“Well… she says something serious seems to have happened with Seong Yeohwi-nim. She earnestly asked to speak with you, Director-nim…”
“…Guide her in. I’ll go see.”
“Understood.”
The secretary opened the door and guided Dowon to the secretary’s office. When Dowon appeared, Mrs. Park, who had been waiting anxiously in the room, jumped to her feet.
“I apologize, Director-nim.”
She stood before Dowon on trembling legs. Dowon asked with furrowed brows.
“What’s the matter? Coming to a place like this without even contacting me.”
“I know you’re in the middle of a meeting, but I thought you absolutely needed to know, so I’ve committed this rudeness.”
Mrs. Park steadied her panting breath and spoke to Dowon. Her voice trembled, but her eyes alone were unwavering and resolute.
“What do you mean?”
“Something terrible has happened to Young Master Yeohwi. Please check your phone…”
Dowon’s expression hardened.
‘Something terrible?’
He’d told him to stay home quietly, so what kind of trouble did he cause again? Along with irritation, an ominous premonition flashed by. Dowon picked up the phone he’d kept in his pocket.
As soon as he turned on the screen, dozens of missed call notifications and text messages filled up and poured down.
Missed calls (24)
Dowon’s fingers stopped.
It didn’t seem like a simple tantrum. He slowly scrolled down to check the message contents.
Seong Yeohwi
Dowon-ssi, you’re busy, right? Sorry to bother you.
But I got a call from Executive Director Gye. That person I told you about before.
21:47
Dowon’s pupils sank coldly.
Executive Director Gye. From that name, he felt an intense sense of foreboding. Why had the bastard who’d driven Seong Yeohwi into hell reappeared? And now of all times, when he was attacking Do Jingyu?
Seong Yeohwi
Gyeonggi Paju abandoned factory complex Building 3. He told me to come here. I’m leaving now, but just in case, I’ll leave this text.
22:18
