AOA 154

Although he understood Jeong Minchae’s feelings, the thought that he should just accept the gift did not go away. There were mountains of things he wanted to give him. Just as he had a premonition that persuading Jeong Minchae would be a struggle, the phone on the table vibrated. It was Choi Jaeha.

Since Choi Jaeha got a boyfriend, direct contact had decreased significantly. Especially during work hours, Jaeha usually sent a message first. It was just before 6 p.m. It seemed he had called, perhaps because he was about to leave work.

“Yeah. What’s it?”

[Hyung. I have something I want to ask you. You made some money from the stock market, right? Are you trying to keep all the fun to yourself? Hm?]

As always, Choi Jaeha got straight to the point. Baek Mugyeong quickly interpreted what Choi Jaeha was saying. It was true that he had made some money in the stock market, and there was only one person who knew. In other words, it meant that Choi Jaeha had heard it from Jeong Minchae.

Jeong Minchae was tight-lipped. So he became curious about what they were talking about when they ended up bringing up stocks.

“Did Minchae say that?”

[I heard you bought a penthouse in LA? A really nice one. No matter how rich you are, hyung, there’s no way you would have that kind of money. It’s not like a penthouse is some candy. So I asked Minchae. If you know of anything good, let’s share. I’m not just saying that for nothing. I know of something really good, too.]

“Something good?”

[Ask Minchae to go on a trip. As soon as possible.]

It was unexpected advice. Before he could even ask what it was, Choi Jaeha explained.

Starting from the fall semester, Jeong Minchae and Lee Sejun decided to transfer to a school in Las Vegas. This was because it was difficult to return home for a while due to the chaotic situation in Korea. For their safety, they decided to finish their studies while living in the United States.

And it was decided that Choi Jieun would work part-time at Lee Miseon’s real estate company starting next month. It was a combination of Choi Jieun’s desire to do any kind of work and groundwork for obtaining an immigration visa.

Choi Jaeha told him that Jeong Minchae was considering going on a trip before things hot busy. He said he was debating whether to go alone, go with Baek Mugyeong, take only his younger sibling, or go with his family.

Among the various options, Baek Mugyeong’s name was mentioned only once. The probability was only 25%. So, Choi Jaeha said, he had to strike first.

That wasn’t all. Jeong Minchae also mentioned that he likes thin and light wristwatches. He said he can’t even carry around big, heavy, and incredibly expensive ones for fear of them getting scratched.

Baek Mugyeong let it slide when Choi Jaeha teased him, asking if he didn’t even know his boyfriend’s preferences. It was valuable information, so it was fine to make a show of it just once. More than that, however, the deep friendship between Jeong Minchae and Choi Jaeha stung. Lovers and friends were bound to be different. However, he didn’t like the fact that Choi Jaeha knew something he didn’t.

Acknowledging his childish jealousy, he shared stock information with Choi Jaeha. Choi Jaeha thanked him but did not hang up immediately. He asked directly about Baek Yeongseop.

[How is Baek Yeongseop these days?]

Recently, Baek Yeongseop was on trial for the murder of his wife. However, because the trial was held behind closed doors and the Daesong Group had intervened to strictly prevent any media coverage, almost nothing was known to the outside world.

The repercussions of the video showing Baek Yeongseop murdering his wife being released in a public place were enormous. The story made headlines even overseas under the headline that the eldest grandson, who was to inherit the Daesong Group, had committed murder. As a result, the entire stock price of the Daesong Group fluctuated for a time. It was that shocking an incident.

Despite the massive controversy, the investigation was slow. Baek Jinseok, the chairman of the Daesong Group, mobilized all his power to claim that it was a malicious fake video.

However, the opponent was the Chairman of K-One. He spared no means to uncover the truth behind the death of his only daughter. Usually, families would reach a settlement at a reasonable level. If Baek Yeongseop’s father-in-law had come from an ordinary family rather than the Chairman of K-One, they would have paid a large settlement to cover up the murder charges, but this time, that was not possible.

At first, Baek Yeongseop had the advantage. All the K-One chairman had in his hands was the edited video released at the charity concert. Believing that, Baek Jinseok pushed forward, claiming it was a fake video.

However, soon a file sent by an anonymous person arrived addressed to the Chairman of K-One. Although it was a copy, it was a video capturing every moment of Baek Yeongseop committing murder.

It also included information about the hiding place of the Daesong Group bodyguards who were the first to arrive at the scene of the incident. Baek Jinseok attempted to eliminate the bodyguards to silence them but failed, resulting in two bodyguards surviving and becoming witnesses.

That was not all. The victim, Park Nahyun, had her body buried. A re-autopsy revealed that her cause of death was asphyxiation. Subsequent investigations also uncovered that the medical examiner in charge of Park Nahyun’s case had fabricated the cause of death at the behest of Baek Jinseok.

Although much was revealed, it remained quiet publicly. This was possible because Baek Jinseok took measures to prevent the names of Baek Yeongseop and Baek Jaehan from being mentioned, and the Chairman of K-One had gone along with that much.

The claim that it was a fake video no longer held water. Therefore, Baek Yeongseop was asserting that it was an accidental killing caused by alcohol. Even though it was a closed-door trial, there was no way Choi Jaeha wouldn’t know that. In other words, this meant he wanted to know the internal situation.

“He is standing trial.”

[Hey, who doesn’t know that? How many years do you think he’ll get?]

“Well, it’s up to the judge. But why the sudden question?”

[It’s nothing special, just because of a bet.]

“Bet?”

[The sentencing is coming up soon. The prosecution is seeking 15 years, so wouldn’t it be around 10 years even if it’s an accidental sentence? Don’t you think? Some people are saying it will be a suspended sentence. But no matter how I think about it, a suspended sentence seems absurd. If it comes out as a suspended sentence, wouldn’t the whole country be turned upside down?]

At the absurd answer, Baek Mugyeong rubbed his forehead. Choi Jaeha had formed a wide variety of relationships, matching his lively personality. Young idlers from wealthy families used to do all sorts of things in pursuit of dopamine, but he had never imagined it would be to this extent.

“I’m hanging up.”

[Ah, hyung!]

Baek Mugyeong was not curious about who Choi Jaeha was hanging out with. Instead, he warned him not to drag Jeong Minchae into it and ended the call.

Holding his cell phone in his hand, Baek Mugyeong weighed the various possibilities.

Baek Jaehan had already been sentenced to a suspended sentence on charges including instigating the destruction of evidence and intimidation. It was a closed-door trial, and due to intervention by the Daesong Group, the trial results were not reported even as a brief news item.

However, the case of Baek Yeongseop was different. It was chaotic from the start, attracting not only reporters but also cyber tow truck drivers. Under pressure from the Daesong Group, the prosecutor demanded a 15-year sentence, citing that Baek Yeongseop’s crime appeared to be impulsive and that he was remorseful.

However, even if the crime was deemed accidental, a suspended sentence was impossible, just as Choi Jaeha had said. He killed a person, fabricated the crime scene, and bribed the medical examiner to change the cause of death. The nature of the crime was heinous. The key issue was whether the sentence would exceed 10 years. Regardless of the outcome, Baek Yeongseop would not be able to inherit the Daesong Group. The same was true for Baek Jaehan, who had helped Baek Yeongseop cover up the murder.

In less than a second, Baek Mugyeong erased the names of Baek Yeongseop and Baek Jaehan from his mind. Then, he began to think more constructively.

“A trip.”

He had to raise the probability from only 25% to 100%.

❖ ❖ ❖

Baek Mugyeong acted quickly. The very next day, he brought up the topic of summer vacation during a video call with Jeong Minchae. The vacation period was ten days, starting in mid-July and ending at the end of the month. If desired, it could be postponed or extended by a few days.

Baek Mugyeong suggested to Jeong Minchae that they spend their summer vacation relaxing at a private resort in the South Pacific. He enticed him by saying he would take care of everything, so he just needed to bring himself. Summer, the sea, a resort. It was a winning strategy. However, instead of smiling brightly and nodding, Jeong Minchae wore a troubled expression.

“You said it’s the end of July, right? Grandma suggested we go to New York then. The whole family. It came up during breakfast this morning, and she says she wants to see the Statue of Liberty in person. We decided to all go together.”

Baek Mugyeong clicked his tongue inwardly as he watched Jeong Minchae apologize and suggest rescheduling for another date. He had tried to hurry, but he ended up being a step too late. On top of that, it was a family trip. And it was the decision of Lee Miseon, the eldest member of the family. He could never win.

However, Baek Mugyeong did not despair. Instead, he seized the opportunity. Since the timing overlapped, he asked if he would like to accompany them on the trip. In the United States, it was common for friends or lovers to accompany families on vacations. Furthermore, since Baek Mugyeong had attended school in New York, he volunteered to be the guide. He persuaded Jeong Minchae by emphasizing this point. Before long, Jeong Minchae obtained Lee Miseon’s permission.

On the first day of summer vacation, Baek Mugyeong was able to take a plane to New York with Jeong Minchae’s family.

“I’m asking because I’m genuinely curious.”

Baek Mugyeong, who was checking an urgent email on his phone, raised his head and looked at Jeong Minchae sitting opposite him. As he looked at him, Jeong Minchae leaned his upper body slightly forward and brought his face close.

“Did you buy this? It’s yours, right? You said you borrowed it.”

“Yes, I borrowed it.”

“Then can you buy something like this?”

Jeong Minchae’s eyes sparkled with pure curiosity. At the sight, Baek Mugyeong answered, holding back a laugh.

“I can buy it.”

“Just how much did you earn? Oh, I’m absolutely not asking you to open your wallet. It’s just an exclamation. An exclamation.”

Baek Mugyeong smiled as he watched Jeong Minchae tell him not to misunderstand.

Baek Mugyeong made all the plans for this summer vacation. He arranged everything from transportation and accommodation to professional guides. He could cover most things with money. In particular, he chartered a private jet from Los Angeles to New York. Considering there were six people and the advanced age of Lee Miseon, a private jet was the most convenient option.

As soon as Jeong Minchae saw the charter plane at the airport, he marveled, saying it was bigger than he had expected. Then, with a serious expression, he worried, asking if it wasn’t too expensive. Baek Mugyeong dismissed it, saying it wasn’t that much. Jeong Minchae narrowed his eyes but didn’t bother to pry into the price.

Baek Mugyeong, reliving the past two years, remembered the major events that had taken place in the financial markets of Korea and the United States during that time. Especially in a place like the U.S., where derivative products were overflowing, it was easy to make a fortune with just a little information. When he set his mind to it and went for it, massive figures were recorded.