Novel Bin Chapter 327: Damage (2)
Chapter 327: Damage (2)
The investigation into Park Sang-Gon\'s slush funds was currently being handled by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors\' Office. However, even Seo Jae-Ill didn\'t understand why the Eastern District Prosecutors\' Office was involved.
-I\'ll look into the situation quickly and get back to you.
"Understood. Also, try contacting Mr. Choi Eun-Tae."
-That\'s... something I need to think about.
"You should reach out while you still can. You don\'t want to regret it later. The other side won\'t hesitate to use any means necessary."
-I\'ll call you later.
Seo Jae-Ill hesitated for a moment before hanging up.
\'Is this the power of the ruling party leader?\' I wondered.
I finally realized the true strength of the person I was up against.
"Well... I didn\'t expect you to go down easily," I muttered under my breath.1
Though the opponent was formidable, I had no intention of giving up just like that. I headed straight to the president\'s office to report on the unfolding situation.
***
Despite being aware of the ongoing search and seizure at Actor Division 3, Kang Gam-Chan sat calmly on the sofa inside the president\'s office on the seventh floor.
On the flip side, Kang Ji-Yung and Jung Soo-Hyuk who were seated nearby appeared a bit tense.
After bowing and greeting them, I told them about my conversation with Seo Jae-Ill and how the search was more serious than it seemed.
"Does this mean another prosecutor is trying to cover this up?"
"Yes. Considering that Prosecutor Go Jin-Taek is aligned with Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon, it\'s certainly a possibility."
Jung Soo-Hyuk furrowed his eyebrows. "So we don\'t know where the fallout will land."
Worried about the potential ramifications, Jung Soo-Hyuk decided to quickly head to the Finance Division.
However, before he could leave the room, Go Jin-Taek suddenly barged in with a loud thud.
Go Jin-Taek held up a warrant and made the cold announcement. "We\'re from the Eastern District Prosecutors\' Office. We ask for your cooperation."
Kang Gam-Chan stood up and asked, "Cooperation, huh... To what extent do you need us to cooperate?"
Go Jin-Taek smirked and directed the two investigators who had accompanied him. "Seize everything!"
"Yes, sir!"
The two investigators unfolded blue boxes to start collecting documents.
At that moment, Kang Ji-Yung shot up from her seat and raised her voice. "Sir! What do you mean seize everything? How are we supposed to work then?"
"What? Are we supposed to go easy on criminals?" Go Jin-Taek barked back.
Kang Ji-Yung\'s frustration grew. "What did you say? Criminals?"
Go Jin-Taek spoke as if it was entirely our fault. "Well, what else do you call people who bring money to influential political figures?"
Realizing there was no other option, Kang Gam-Chan tried to calm Kang Ji-Yung down.
Nonetheless, we couldn\'t just sit back and accept this. If it was true that Park Sang-Gon had sent Go Jin-Taek, it could escalate into a problem for the entire company.
I stood in front of them and said, "First, please show us the warrant. Isn\'t it the law to properly present it before conducting a seizure?"
Recently, the scope of search warrants had become more stringent and limited. As such, I couldn\'t believe that the warrant included the president\'s office for actions committed by Kang Myung-Gil.
When I blocked the investigators, Go Jin-Taek looked at me with a visibly annoyed expression. "What is it now? Who are you?"
"I\'m Jung Yoon-Ho, Team Lead of Actor Division 2."
Go Jin-Taek scoffed. "It looks like you\'ve watched some courtroom dramas, but reality is different from drama. Move aside while I\'m asking nicely."
"I request once again: please show us the warrant first!" I demanded.
The moment I saw Go Jin-Taek\'s brows furrow, I felt more certain of my suspicion.
I quickly added, "If you refuse to show the warrant, we\'ll file a lawsuit for illegal search."
Go Jin-Taek fumed for a moment before reluctantly handing me the paper. "Here! Look! But do you even know what you\'re looking at?"
He must have thought that I wouldn\'t understand since I was just a talent agent, but I had been through three search and seizure warrants in my past life.
Upon closely reading the warrant that Go Jin-Taek produced, the scope of search was limited to Hoop Entertainment\'s Finance Division and Actor Division 3 just as I suspected.
I smirked and nodded. "I can see that the president\'s office is not within the scope of the warrant."
Go Jin-Taek gave me a once-over and chuckled. "Ha. You\'re a real nuisance. Fine, hold on a moment."
Go Jin-Taek picked up his phone as if it was no big deal. "Hey, it\'s me. What\'s the status of the additional warrant for the president\'s office?"
I frowned. \'No wonder he seemed so confident.\'
It looked like he had already arranged to extend the search to Kang Gam-Chan before coming. However, since the warrant wasn\'t issued yet, this search was still illegal.
As I was about to argue the procedural issues, I noticed Go Jin-Taek\'s face darkening during his phone call. "What? Who said that? Damn it!"
The moment I saw the call end with swearing, I knew immediately that he hadn\'t secured the warrant.
"Who? Seo Jae-Ill from the Central District? Fuck..." Go Jin-Taek cursed.
I looked straight into Go Jin-Taek\'s wavering eyes and spoke. "Why don\'t you come back when you get the warrant, sir?"
Grind!
Grinding his teeth, Go Jin-Taek glared at me fiercely. "You little bastard. We\'ll meet again."
Then Go Jin-Taek stormed out with the prosecutors who had accompanied him.
"Phew..." I let out a sigh without even realizing it.
Kang Gam-Chan approached and patted my shoulder, complimenting my handling of the situation. "Since when did you know how to read a warrant?"
I scratched my head. "Well, I\'ve been caught up in a few lawsuits here and there."
"We avoided unnecessary trouble all thanks to you. Well done."
I gave a polite nod before saying I should head downstairs. "I\'ll go down and make sure those people don\'t cause any trouble."
"Yes, go. Team Lead Kwak might have a hard time alone, so you might want to hurry."
I immediately rushed to Actor Division 2 and started protecting Team Jung.
Two prosecutors showed up, but they couldn\'t ask for anything and ended up leaving because I was there.
***
As the search and seizure operation was wrapping up, Kang Myung-Gil walked into the company.
Because the prosecutors had come with an arrest warrant, they apprehended Kang Myung-Gil as soon as they saw him.
"Hey, I\'ll go without resistance, so can you at least take the cuffs off? Come on!" Kang Myung-Gil complained.
"Shut up and just go!"
The prosecutors dragged Kang Myung-Gil out. However, he didn\'t put up much resistance which was surprising.
I was puzzled. \'What is this attitude?\'
The Kang Myung-Gil I knew was a weakling who would have begged on his knees and blamed Kim Dong-Soo in a heartbeat. Yet, he was unnervingly calm as if he had something up his sleeve.
Kang Myung-Gil\'s unusually composed demeanor was unsettling.
Moments later, Go Jin-Taek and his team left the company with their boxes filled from the search and with Kang Myung-Gil.
Once the van carrying the prosecutors and investigators departed, the talent agents finally started to calm their nerves and began whispering among themselves.
"What the heck? Is it over now?"
"Who knows."
"Damn it, what the hell is going on?"
"Do you think the company might shut down?"
As the worried murmurs of the talent agents continued to spread, the voice of Kang Gam-Chan came over the company building\'s speakers.
[All employees, please gather in the small auditorium on the second basement floor.]
All of Hoop Entertainment\'s employees stopped what they were doing and headed downstairs.
In the small auditorium on the second basement floor, Kang Gam-Chan clapped his hands to draw everyone\'s attention.
"Alright! You\'ve probably heard roughly about the situation, but it seems like quite a large sum of money was involved, making it hard to dismiss this as just Team Lead Kang Myung-Gil\'s misdeeds."
Kang Gam-Chan candidly laid out the company\'s current issues and then made a surprise announcement that seemed well-prepared.
"As a response, our company will be conducting a special internal audit. So everyone should be aware and get ready!"
Everyone knew that this directive was aimed at the chief of Actor Division 3 and those aligned with the Suhyaejong line. As a result, employees\' expressions varied based on their affiliations.
However, even amidst all this, Kim Dong-Soo and Ju Ho-Sung were nowhere to be seen.
\'Where have they run off to now?\' I wondered.
***
At an upscale Japanese restaurant called Cheongha located in Yeouido, Choi Man-Sik, Kim Dong-Soo, and Ju Ho-Sung were seated around a table.
The table was laden with food, but Choi Man-Sik was silently pouring himself drink after drink.
Due to the slush fund scandal, his engagement party scheduled for a week later had been postponed indefinitely.
Choi Man-Sik filled his glass and lifted his head to glare at Kim Dong-Soo. "You went behind my back... and made payments to Assemblyman Park ?"
Kim Dong-Soo, who was kneeling across from him, quickly bowed his head. "N-no, sir. Aide Yoo contacted us first...and we thought you were aware of everything."
At the excuse of excessive loyalty, Choi Man-Sik let out a bitter smile. "Do you think I\'m some kind of idiot?"
Last night, Choi Man-Sik and Ju Ho-Sung were preparing to entertain Park Sang-Gon and other ruling party members when they heard that Aide Yoo Sang-Gi had been caught. Hence, they ended up canceling all events.
It was only later that he learned Kim Dong-Soo was involved in the incident.
Choi Man-Sik wanted to fire Kim Dong-Soo on the spot, but he had no choice but to hold back as he had no immediate replacement. After all, Ju Ho-Sung hadn\'t yet firmly established himself at Hoop Entertainment.
As his anger flared up again, Choi Man-Sik threw the glass of liquor at Kim Dong-Soo\'s face.
Splash!
Kim Dong-Soo, now drenched in alcohol, lowered his head. "I-I\'m sorry, sir. It won\'t happen again."
Choi Man-Sik glared at Kim Dong-Soo with bloodshot eyes and shouted, "If you ever align yourself with political figures again without my approval, you\'re dead. Got it?"
"Yes! Yes! I swear it won\'t happen again."
Choi Man-Sik wiped the alcohol off his hand and asked Kim Dong-Soo another question. "What about that friend, Kang Myung-Gil? Did you handle the aftermath properly?"
Kim Dong-Soo quickly nodded. "I met him last night and gave him 100 million won. I also met his parents this morning and handed them another 100 million won."
"In cash?"
"Yes."
Kim Dong-Soo added that he promised to hire the best lawyer to get Kang Myung-Gil out quickly and to give him 300 million won as soon as he was released.
"Tell him you\'ll give him 500 million won in total and promise to find him a job as a talent agent at another company once he\'s out. And assure him that you\'ll call him back later," Choi Man-Sik added.
"Team Lead Kang... really?" Kim Dong-Soo asked with surprise.
"What is it? Are you asking because you think he\'s incompetent?"
"Honestly, he\'s not very useful. Even with this incident..."
Choi Man-Sik sneered. "Tsk. Don\'t try to overthink with that dull brain of yours and just do as you\'re told. You need to offer more than expected to keep his mouth shut. Even a dull blade has its uses. Just like you!"
"U-understood, sir. I\'ll contact him right away."
Choi Man-Sik reluctantly handed him a handkerchief. "Wipe yourself."
"T-thank you."
As Choi Man-Sik\'s anger subsided a little, Ju Ho-Sung, who had been watching cautiously, finally asked. "Sir... what happens to Mr. Park now?"
"Why? Are you afraid my future father-in-law will go down like this?"
Ju Ho-Sung swallowed nervously. "No...I was just wondering what we should do moving forward."
Choi Man-Sik took a long drink and then spoke to the two men. "Aide Yoo has been in the game for years and he won\'t be shaken by something like this. He\'s planning to take all the blame and say it was a solo act."
As Kim Dong-Soo and Ju Ho-Sung let out a relieved sigh, Choi Man-Sik continued. "That\'s that for my future father-in-law, but it won\'t have a small impact on us either. Our old man called an emergency shareholders\' meeting today and it looks like they\'ll be discussing your dismissal, Chief Kim. They\'ll probably say you were involved as well."
Kim Dong-Soo\'s face turned pale. "M-Mr. Choi, please help me."
When Kim Dong-Soo clasped his hands together and pleaded, Choi Man-Sik waved him off. "Don\'t worry. I can\'t stop the disciplinary action, but I\'ll make sure you don\'t get fired."
"Th-thank you."
"But!"
"But?"
"Next time, you\'ll have to take the fall instead of Team Lead Kang no matter what it is. Agreed?"
It was implied that Kim Dong-Soo would have to cover for any future mistakes made by Choi Man-Sik as well, but Kim Dong-Soo nodded. After all, there was no other way to survive in this situation.
"I\'ll do as you say."
Choi Man-Sik then turned to Ju Ho-Sung. "And Team Lead Ju. Since Chief Kim will be sidelined for a while, you\'ll need to take extra care of Actor Division 3."
"Yes, Mr. Choi. But..."
"What now?"
"Is this really okay? No one will believe that Team Lead Kang did this alone."
Choi Man-Sik smirked. "Who said he did it alone?"
"S-surely not..."
"That\'s right. There\'s someone we\'ve kept around for times like this, remember?"
Ju Ho-Sung asked with a shocked expression. "M-Mr. Lee Gi-Cheol?"
"Exactly. When I offered him a billion won before coming here, he agreed without hesitation. Anyway, we\'ve been hit hard this time. So everyone should keep their heads down for now. Got it?"
"Yes, sir..."
Just then, Ju Ho-Sung asked with a worried look. "But with Mr. Lee stepping down, there won\'t be any executive-level members left from the Suhyaejong line. Are you just going to watch that happen?"
Choi Man-Sik smirked. "Don\'t worry. I\'ve got someone useful though he\'s not from the Suhyaejong line. He should be joining us shortly."
At that moment, the door creaked open and a man appeared.
"Oh, you\'re here just in time. We were just talking about you..."
When Choi Man-Sik raised his hand in greeting, Kim Dong-Soo and Ju Ho-Sung were left speechless.
The man who walked through the door was someone both of them knew well.
***
While the company was in chaos due to the large-scale audit, Kang Gam-Chan had left to attend a shareholders\' meeting.
After the meeting ended, Kang Gam-Chan immediately called me and asked me to go to Choi Eun-Tae\'s residence in Myeong-dong.
Even though Team Jung was being audited as well, I headed straight to Choi Eun-Tae\'s house since there was nothing for them to worry about.
When I entered the room, I found Choi Eun-Tae and Kang Gam-Chan with regretful expressions and asked, "Why do you both look like this?"
Choi Eun-Tae spoke with a stern face. "I am too ashamed to meet you, Team Lead Jung."
"I\'m sorry?"
Kang Gam-Chan chimed in from the side. "Director Lee Gi-Cheol took the fall. He claimed he ordered Team Lead Kang to make the payments."
\'No wonder the schedule to establish Top Entertainment hadn\'t disappeared from the planner,\' I realized.
"So Director Lee Gi-Cheol is taking all the blame and going to prison?"
"Yes."
"Then what about Chief Kim Dong-Soo? Is he going to get away without any punishment?"
"Not exactly."
Lee Gi-Cheol and Kang Myung-Gil were set to be fired, while Kim Dong-Soo would receive a three-month suspension.
"But that\'s the best we can do for now. There\'s no evidence, and President Choi Man-Sik as well as the other shareholders opposed further action."
Of course, Choi Man-Sik wouldn\'t stand by and watch his right-hand men be cut off.
"Oh, and Chief Bang Sang-Yung will be promoted to Director to replace Director Lee Gi-Cheol. Just a heads-up."
I tilted my head. "Mr. Bang as Director?"
I was surprised to think that Bang Sang-Yung would join hands with the Suhyaejong line. Bang Sang-Yung, who had once asked me to join his line, saw this as an opportunity and made his move.
Even Choi Eun-Tae had no grounds to oppose pushing Bang Sang-Yung forward. After all, he wasn\'t from the Suhyaejong line and his performance in the company was exceptional.
As I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief, Choi Eun-Tae tried to console me. "Don\'t be too disappointed though. We are preparing a large-scale offensive against Assemblyman Park . Even if the aide accepted the money, who in the world would believe that? Just wait a little longer. I\'ve already made all the necessary moves..."
At that moment, there was a loud thumping on the wooden floor followed by a low voice from outside the door.
"Mr. Choi. It\'s me, Yung-Ho."
It was Choi Yung-Ho, Choi Eun-Tae\'s right-hand man and the president of Daeheung Savings Bank.
"Yes. Come on in."
The door swung open and Choi Yung-Ho entered with a grave expression. "Things have gotten complicated with Assemblyman Park\'s side."
"What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"
Choi Yung-Ho sighed deeply and explained. "Aide Yoo Sang-Gi... hanged himself in the detention center."
It was becoming increasingly clear that we were up against the ruling party leader.