Chapter 36: Provocation
Dohyuk eyed the Muryeong people standing at the entrance with a cold gaze. The silent air made the atmosphere even chillier.
“If you were satisfied with our child.”
A man standing behind stepped forward. The Muryeong people visibly relaxed. So this man was their leader, Dohyuk realized.
“You can put in another request. This job is finished.”
He was politely suggesting that they should stop being stubborn and submit a new request if they wanted more. At the same time, he clearly stated that the job related to the previously paid amount was complete. He met Dohyuk’s eyes directly. His aura resembled Yeon’s in many ways.
Muryeong’s leader, Muyeong. So this was him. He was the one who had raised Yeon and brought him to his current state. The expression “our child” was irritating. He was naturally revealing his sense of ownership over Yeon.
Hmph. The corner of Dohyuk’s mouth curled up.
“You may think he can’t be treated here, but I called a doctor and the treatment is complete. If you still don’t believe me…”
He stepped aside and gestured toward the bedroom.
“Feel free.”
Director Choi, who stood behind Dohyuk, looked at him with surprised eyes.
“Excuse us for a moment.”
Muyeong bowed his head and entered Dohyuk’s bedroom with his companions.
“Managing Director…”
Director Choi tried to say something, but Dohyuk slightly shook his head, signaling him not to speak. Director Choi promptly closed his mouth and observed Dohyuk’s expression.
“Bring Yeon’s belongings.”
Director Choi brought a single bag from the room where Yeon had been staying. Even coming for a job of unknown duration, all of his belongings fit in one bag. Dohyuk couldn’t help but laugh wryly at the fact that this was everything Yeon owned.
Opening Yeon’s bag, Dohyuk inserted something deep inside. Director Choi realized what it was and let out a short groan. By the time the Muryeong people came out of the bedroom carrying Yeon, Dohyuk had already placed the bag by the entrance as if nothing had happened.
“Was that the only thing he brought with him?”
At Dohyuk’s question, Muyeong looked at the bag and confirmed it was correct. Someone else picked up Yeon’s bag.
“I hope all goes well for you in the future.”
Muyeong stood below the entrance, giving Dohyuk a formal greeting.
“Does that mean we shouldn’t see each other again?”
When Dohyuk asked with a smirk, the man’s expression slightly hardened.
“…No.”
“You’ve been a great help this time. I’ll be in touch again soon.”
At Dohyuk’s conventional farewell, Muyeong also bowed his head. Dohyuk watched their retreating figures through the open front door until the Muryeong people got into the elevator with Yeon.
“I’ll have someone follow them.”
Director Choi said as soon as the elevator doors closed.
“No, leave them be. There’s no need to provoke them and make them wary. Just make sure the tracking works properly.”
What Dohyuk had placed in Yeon’s bag was the mobile phone he had given him recently. Since a separate tracking device was attached inside the phone case rather than through an app, there would be no problem tracking it even if the phone lost power.
Giving Yeon back wasn’t part of the plan, but it saved him the trouble of finding Muryeong’s base. He could always get Yeon back later. It seemed better to send him to Muryeong for treatment anyway. As a group with connections throughout political and business circles, they would certainly have secured ways to provide medical treatment through various channels.
However, it bothered him that Muyeong had personally stepped forward. Was Yeon not just a disposable piece to them? Or perhaps were they trying to clean up loose ends, fearing that an injured Yeon might disclose secrets about Muryeong? No, it couldn’t be the latter. Through the closing elevator doors, Dohyuk saw Muyeong caressing the unconscious Yeon’s cheek. Concern? Affection? Such peculiar emotions were glimpsed in the way he looked at Yeon.
Was it like a parental feeling? Or something more?
Just thinking about it made him feel filthy. It was a discomfort that couldn’t simply be described as feeling bad.
“Don’t tell me he’s touched him…”
Hearing the muttered words, Director Choi turned around and quietly swallowed. Kang Dohyuk’s mood had hit rock bottom. His pitch-black eyes were flickering with a sharp light. There was a sense of danger, as if he would cut down anyone in front of him if only given a knife.
“Huff…”
Dohyuk took a deep breath and ran a hand through his bangs. Knowing that he was suppressing his emotions, Director Choi waited without making even a breath of sound.
“What’s happening with Hovan Gallery?”
Dohyuk’s voice had become more composed than before.
“We’re tracking everyone going in and out. We’re also tracing and organizing Lee Seoyoung’s accounts, the representative of Hovan Gallery. Should we continue?”
He asked this wondering if they should continue now that they could discover Muryeong’s base through Yeon.
“Continue. Pick out all the transactions that seem too high for artwork prices and check who made the deposits.”
“Understood.”
Dohyuk sat on the living room sofa and sank into deep thought without saying a word. Director Choi feared Kang Dohyuk in these moments. This time was the eye of the storm. Once he finished organizing his thoughts and started moving, a storm of blood would blow.
***
Dragon Holdings employees were abuzz seeing Kang Dohyuk coming to work at exactly the same time as any other day, without the slightest hint of dishevelment. He absolutely did not look like someone who had nearly died just yesterday.
“That person must have really been a bodyguard.”
The secretaries in the Managing Director’s office were more confused than others. When Dohyuk kept Yeon in his office, no one believed Director Choi’s claim that he was something like a bodyguard, no matter how many times he said it. He was too delicate-looking to be a bodyguard, and rather than protecting someone, he looked like someone who needed protection. It was no wonder rumors spread that Kang Dohyuk was sponsoring someone. Though no one said it directly, most of the secretarial staff thought similarly.
So they couldn’t help but be surprised that this person had shielded Kang Dohyuk and gotten injured instead. Moreover, it was an incident no one had noticed. Dozens of security guards were positioned around the presentation hall, but not a single one of them had even imagined there would be a sniper attack. Only that delicate-looking, mixed-race-appearing young man had noticed the sniper and protected Dohyuk.
“Um…”
The secretaries from the Managing Director’s office stood collectively in front of Director Choi, hesitating as if they had something to say. Seeing them nudge each other with their elbows saying “you ask,” Director Choi wondered what this was about.
“That person. Is he okay?”
From the question about someone being okay, he immediately knew who they were referring to. Although everyone was keeping quiet about yesterday’s shooting, rumors had already spread widely within Dragon Holdings.
“He should be fine.”
The secretaries were puzzled by this ambiguous answer.
“Isn’t he in the hospital?”
“He’s gone back to his organization, so we can’t confirm from our end.”
It wasn’t a lie, but the secretaries seemed to think he had returned to a security company. Seeing no need to correct their misunderstanding, he left it at that.
“He won’t come back, will he? I’m curious if he’s recovered well.”
The secretaries were genuinely concerned about Yeon. It seemed they had grown attached to him after seeing him for several days.
“Well…”
Though his answer was ambiguous, Director Choi actually thought there was a high probability they would see Yeon again. Kang Dohyuk wanted him. So ultimately, the secretaries in the Managing Director’s office would see him again too.
After ending the chitchat there, Director Choi sat at his computer to work. As soon as he checked his email, he printed the attached file and entered the Managing Director’s office.
“These are the results from tracking the bullet.”
Dohyuk checked the paper Director Choi had placed down. It was the result of identifying the gun used for sniping based on the bullet extracted from Yeon’s shoulder yesterday. A list of hitmen possessing such guns was also included.
Dragon Holdings was not an ordinary investment company. Kang Mansik’s grandfather was someone who moved black money in the underworld. He was known as a gangster, but “gangster” was merely a term referring to a group. In reality, he was like a bank in that world, managing the funding lines of underground organizations. It was said that not only nationwide large-scale organized crime groups but also famous politicians, small to medium businesses, and even large corporations all used Kang Mansik’s grandfather’s money.
A shadow world existed that ordinary people didn’t know about, and Kang Mansik’s grandfather was at its apex. Therefore, obtaining information about hitmen operating in that world was possible anytime if one was determined. Although they now operated as a legitimate company in the light, Kang Mansik was still a person closer to the shadows.
“It’s likely this one, sir.”
Of the two hitmen who possessed the gun that shot at Dohyuk, Director Choi pointed to the man on the right. The man on the left had left for Taiwan recently and had not yet returned.
“The problem is that we couldn’t find out who commissioned him or where he is now.”
Director Choi observed Dohyuk’s reaction. For hitmen, it was common not to know their base of operations. Considering that they were in the business of targeting others’ lives, it was natural for them to be cautious as their own lives could be threatened at any time. They didn’t use bank accounts and didn’t show their faces when taking jobs. They usually received payment in cash.
“If we can’t find him, we make him appear.”
Dohyuk instructed that all of his schedules for the next week be brought to him.
Director Choi’s face gradually hardened as he watched Dohyuk remove several items from the schedule and add others in their place.
“Managing Director, this is…”
Despite Director Choi’s darkened expression, Dohyuk remained composed. At his gaze that seemed to ask what the problem was, Director Choi swallowed a groan.
“Are you planning to use yourself as bait?”
Director Choi confirmed if his understanding was correct. Dohyuk, with an expressionless face, merely rechecked the schedule without answering one way or another.
Yesterday, the hitman had failed to kill him. So his commission probably wasn’t over yet.
The schedule Dohyuk had just reorganized consisted almost entirely of external activities. These were spaces exposed enough for sniping from anywhere at any time. The few indoor appointments were all set in Conference Room 1, the largest of Dragon Holdings’ conference rooms. One entire side of that room was made of windows, and there was a building of similar height across from it.
This was by no means the schedule of someone who had just been targeted by a sniper yesterday. It was nothing short of provocative, practically daring the hitman to take a shot if he could.
