CTL 63

“…Ah, ahaha!”

“…”

Seohwi, watching his uncharacteristically shy face, couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

✧ ✧ ✧

“…Crazy bastard.”

Seohwi had laughed for a long time while looking at him before he left. He had no idea what was so funny, but as he was laughing, he grabbed his face and pecked his lips again, and at that moment, he really wanted to hit him. It was because Seohwi gave him no time at all to calm down.

Still, thankfully, Secretary Lim did not come in right after Seohwi left. For some reason, he came in later than usual, so in that time, he was able to calm down and compose his expression.

“Oh? You ate all of this?”

Yoongeon didn’t answer his question of what had gotten into him. To be honest, he didn’t know how he ended up eating so much either. It seemed he had eaten a lot in his confusion because of Seohwi.

“Oh, that’s really commendable. Should I give you a praise sticker? A grape?”

“If you want to die, keep talking.”

“Gosh, of course not.”

Secretary Lim giggled at Yoongeon’s threat. That bastard, really. One day, I’m going to land a punch on that annoying face of his.

“Did you check the news?”

Yoongeon nodded at the question of whether he had seen it at lunch, since he probably hadn’t been able to in the morning. Fortunately, the effect of the report was quite good. Just as he had thought, when they released a somewhat crude but sensational report at first, people’s attention was drawn to it.

“This is satisfactory enough.”

At the better-than-expected reaction, Secretary Lim’s face also brightened a little.

“Gosh, to be honest, I was a little nervous at first.”

Secretary Lim had wanted to create and release perfect data from the beginning, but after seeing the results, he agreed that Yoongeon’s judgment was right.

“I will update it a little every day.”

“Do that.”

It was much more comfortable now that they were on the same page. Now, this matter would be handled quickly by Secretary Lim.

But, that didn’t mean Yoongeon was immediately at ease. It was because he always had a mountain of work to deal with. Whether he was King Taewang or the executive director of Shinhyun Motors, he consistently had a lot of work.

“Huh?”

It was then. While he was in the middle of working, Secretary Lim suddenly looked at his phone urgently and then shot up from his seat in surprise.

“What is this.”

“What’s wrong?”

For Secretary Lim, who rarely showed any signs of surprise, to be like this meant it was something quite serious. When he asked what was going on, his expression was not good.

“The lounge bar manager, his last known location is said to be the pier near Musadae, Incheon.”

“…”

The location was not unfamiliar. What instantly came to mind was the news he had seen at lunch. An unidentified man in his 30s. At that moment, Yoongeon and Secretary Lim exchanged glances.

“It seems that unidentified man is….”

—Rrrrr.

It was then. Just as Secretary Lim was speaking with a serious face, Yoongeon’s phone rang.

[Ah, Ko Yoongeon.]

It was Park Taesoo.

[Sorry to call when you’re probably working. Are you busy?]

“I don’t think we’re on terms to be making friendly phone calls.”

[Why are you being like this. You called me hyung. Doesn’t that make me your hyung too?]

“Aah….”

It seemed he didn’t know what to do with that temper of his.

“So you’re determined to crawl to your own grave, is that it.”

[My grave? Hey, no way. I’m scared of dying too.]

Haha, Park Taesoo laughed.

“…”

Yoongeon, who couldn’t figure out why this bastard was suddenly acting so friendly, frowned as Park Taesoo continued.

[I called because there was something I didn’t get to say yesterday.]

“…”

[I’ve thought about it, and in this day and age, you don’t necessarily win just by being strong.]

“Haa….”

[Right, I’ll admit that. You’re stronger than me. I don’t think I can beat you in a fight.]

Park Taesoo showed no signs of excitement at all.

“What kind of grand decision have you made now, Park Taesoo.”

[But you know what. I have no intention of losing to you.]

“…”

[You and I are the same. I’m the same way. I’m not the type to let bastards who don’t know their place get cocky and crawl all over me slide.]

“Ha.”

[You might have won for now, but you never know what will happen later.]

“What are you trying to say.”

[That there are plenty of ways to tighten the screws on a merchant.]

Umm, Park Taesoo pretended to think dismissively.

[What is it that merchants like you are most afraid of. Ah, I think it was a tax audit.]

“There’s no one who comes out clean when you shake them down, right?” Yoongeon let out a deep sigh at his words.

“That’s not wrong.”

Park Taesoo was right. Large corporations inevitably do things that will get them caught in a tax audit.

“It means that even a merchant is powerless in the face of authority.”

[That’s right. Power is above money. It’s a truth that hasn’t changed, past or present.]

“And bribes always work on those in power.”

[Ahaha! Right, you know that well too.]

“What do you want.”

Yoongeon sank deep into the back of his chair. There was no way Park Taesoo had called him just to play with words.

[How about a drink tomorrow evening?]

“A drink?”

[This is the last chance I’m giving you. It means it’s the last chance to take my hand.]

“Why would men disgustingly hold hands, Taesoo.”

[Doesn’t seem that way to me.]

Park Taesoo burst out laughing with a pfft at Yoongeon’s sarcasm.

[Well, anyway, it’s not something to talk about over the phone. So I’ll send you an address tomorrow, so come there. Alone.]

“…”

Park Taesoo hung up, saying that if he brought any strange tails, the deal was off. Yoongeon frowned at his brisk attitude, which was unlike his usual disgusting way of clinging, and stared at the turned-off phone screen.

“What is it? What did he say?”

And, Secretary Lim, who had been waiting for Yoongeon to finish his call, quickly asked.

“He said he’s going to conduct a tax audit.”

At Yoongeon’s words, cutting out all the context, Secretary Lim blinked and then spoke.

“Wow, is our company finally going bankrupt?”

“…”

“I’ll get my severance pay settled, right?”

He showed no sign of worry at all about receiving a tax audit. Regardless of whether Yoongeon glared at him or not, Secretary Lim, who was only chattering about where he would travel after receiving his severance pay, was extremely annoying.

“At least pretend to be worried.”

“I am worried, about my severance pay. What is that if not worrying about the company.”

“Haa….”

“Well, anyway, it is a big deal. A retaliatory tax audit? It’s really so troublesome….”

Of course, there is a certain procedure for conducting a tax audit, but in any country, when the word ‘retaliatory’ is attached, such procedures can be lightly ignored and bypassed. That was why companies tried not to get on the government’s bad side.

“Go and ask to become sworn brothers even now.”

“Make sense.”

“Aah, so annoying….”

Secretary Lim grumbled and stood up from his seat. And yet, he had a smile on his face.

“For now, I’ll try to hide whatever can be hidden.”

“…”

What on earth could be so funny? No matter how he thought about it, that guy Lim Sunwoong was the type to be laughing even when the company went bankrupt.

“Gosh, I won’t be able to go home for a few days!”

In reality, even though he said that, Secretary Lim was someone who would handle it meticulously and well. Had Shinhyun Motors never experienced a retaliatory tax audit like this before? Thanks to that, the people at this company were masters at giving what needed to be given while hiding what was important behind the scenes. They had managed it even when they came unannounced without a word, so there was no reason they couldn’t hide things now that they had kindly informed them of their visit in advance.

“How stupid….”

The idea of a retaliatory tax audit probably didn’t come from Park Taesoo, but from the chief of staff’s head. And that son of his, without any thought of hiding it, must have blurted it out rashly to vent his anger.

“I really don’t know what state of mind he was in to let something like that slip.”

Thinking about it again, a hollow laugh escaped him. He didn’t know whether to say he felt sorry for the chief of staff or that he was stupid. Does he still not know that his son is a half-wit?

“I don’t even need to go.”

He had no time to waste pandering to Park Taesoo’s stupidity. Yoongeon nonchalantly ignored his proposal.