RB 141

Chairman Choi Yeorok of Haegang possessed an overwhelming presence. It wasn’t only due to his tall stature and distinctive looks. The very density of the air surrounding him felt different. A man with an impressive, overwhelming aura took off his shoes, stepped onto the tatami mat, and faced the reporter.

“Reporter Kang Yunseok.”

A magnificent baritone voice rang out. Choi Yeorok readily extended his hand for a handshake.

“Oh, yes. N-nice to meet you.”

Pride aside all that, Reporter Kang bowed 90 degrees. He respectfully held Yeorok’s hand with both hands.

“You seem very nervous.”

Unlike Reporter Kang’s damp hands, Yeorok’s palms were dry. After the brief handshake, Yeorok took his seat first.

“You don’t need to be so stiff. If you act like this, it might seem like I’m tormenting you.”

Yeorok skillfully steered the conversation. The smile on his face looked as exquisite as a painstakingly drawn picture.

Reporter Kang moistened his lips once again and nodded. While the person sitting across from him meticulously wiped his hands with a wet towel, he secretly glanced at his face.

From his time as Director of the Haegang Foundation to his current position as Chairman of Haegang, Choi Yeorok had been a figure frequently exposed to the media. He had seen him briefly from a distance back when he was Director of the Haegang Foundation. He was well aware that he was handsome, but seeing him up close made him feel almost unreal.

His refined features were enough to make even a man marvel. From his thick hair and slender physique to his tall body proportions, he was close to perfection, without a single flaw to be found. And what about that air of nobility? Every single thing he wore was expensive and suited him perfectly. He was not a chaebol for nothing.

Some gossiped that Choi Yeorok, who had risen to the chairmanship at a young age, had benefited greatly from his family background. Reporter Kang himself fully agreed with that opinion, but upon actually facing him, he felt as though he were on the verge of being crushed by the commanding presence Choi Yeorok exuded. “Only someone like this could lead a company the size of Haegang.” The thought alone made him feel humbled.

“I considered having a meal, but it seems you are not in a state to swallow food. Is alcohol alright with you?”

“Ah… anything is fine with me. As you please, Chairman…”

Yeorok lightly tapped the table, and the sliding door opened. Outside, instead of employees, attendants in black suits were waiting.

Then, simple snacks suitable for accompanying drinks were placed on the table, and the glasses were set up. As the Hibiki 35-year-old was placed on the table, the reporter’s eyes cleared. Unlike before, his mouth began to water.

Yeorok personally tilted the bottle. A brief conversation ensued with a sip of liquor. Perhaps alcohol was indeed the answer, as the reporter’s stiff shoulders relaxed somewhat.

“You know this conversation is off the record, right?”

“You even went so far as to search me.”

Reporter Kang had been searched once before entering the room. He was honestly disgusted by the persistence with which they rummaged through his socks, underwear, and even the dust in his pockets.

“Please understand. I have no trust in reporters.”

A charming smile was added over those words. Is this what it means to be captivated by a face? Lost in gazing at Yeorok’s face, Reporter Kang completely forgot about the humiliation he had suffered.

As he finished his glass, Choi Yeorok picked up the bottle and personally refilled it once again. The liquor poured by the Chairman tasted as amazing as its reputation suggested. Already intoxicated by the honor more than the alcohol, Reporter Kang mustered the courage to speak.

“Um… why did you ask to meet me?”

“I assume you know.”

“I heard that the Haegang PR office contacted our company. We have decided to scrap the article we were preparing.”

Reporter Kang had recently been digging into the Haegang owner family. In reality, it was neither a reportage nor an in-depth investigation, but nothing more than gossip. After all, the private lives of chaebol families had always been popular with readers.

Fact Focus was a newspaper that billed itself as a current affairs journal, but even so, it was a niche publication. Reporter Kang, too, did not have a great sense of mission. He had simply jumped in to kill time, thinking it would be fun to dig deeper.

And not long after he began his investigation, sanctions came from Haegang. To be honest, it was a bit unexpected. Upon examining the circumstances, it became clear that Haegang had recently been strictly monitoring the personal security of Choi Yeorok’s nephew, Choi Yoonho. No articles regarding him were permitted.

It is a common saying that when you are told not to do something, you want to do it even more. Reporter Kang had a bit of a rebellious streak. The plan fell through, but he went around digging for more information purely out of personal curiosity.

“Are you still interested?”

Yeorok leaned back against the backrest of his floor chair. The way he swirled his glass looked relaxed, yet there was an intimidating pressure that made him nervous.

“It’s dangerous. If you leave a spark unchecked, it’s bound to spread into a wildfire.”

But even so… is this really a matter that warrants a direct face-to-face meeting with a reporter from a third-rate magazine? The more Reporter Kang listened, the less he understood.

“I had no ulterior motives. I was just curious about Mr. Choi Yoonho…”

“Choi Eunho. He changed his name a few months ago.”

Yeorok cut him off flat. As the artificial smile vanished, a cold aura spread across his handsome face. Perhaps this was Choi Yeorok’s true face.

Ahem! Reporter Kang covered his mouth with his fist and cleared his throat.

“I would like to make a correction. I was curious about Mr. Choi Eunho. As you know… there have been quite a few bad rumors lately. Haegang tried to keep it quiet, but the talk was rampant in the media.”

One corner of Yeorok’s mouth curled up. He held his glass to his lips while staring at Reporter Kang.

“Do you tend to get tipsy quickly?”

This meant Reporter Kang was starting to loosen. The person in question nodded with a determined look on his face.

“Yes, perhaps because I was so nervous, I do feel a bit tipsy now that the alcohol has kicked in. But don’t worry, it’s not enough to make a mistake. Believe it or not, I have a pretty high tolerance.”

Reporter Kang let out a long breath through his mouth. Then, he forced himself to sound calm.

“To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever have the chance to meet Chairman Choi Yeorok one-on-one again in my life. I’m treating today as my first and last opportunity, and I want to say everything I want to say.”

“I certainly admire your courage.”

Yeorok let out a wry laugh and emptied his glass. It was difficult to read his true intentions. His fake expression made it hard to tell if he was in a good mood or not.

“He did live recklessly when he was Choi Yoonho. His track record is so colorful, I suppose I can’t deny it.”

Yeorok spoke in a monotonous tone. His dark eyes stared into the air as he ruminated on the past. His high nose bridge took on an unusually sharp angle.

“I heard you two used to have a bad relationship. But I hear you’re quite close now.”

Reporter Kang added to that. The changed relationship between the two was precisely the reason he decided to cover the story.

According to the information gathered while scrambling for investigation, Choi Yeorok and Choi Eunho of Haegang were not exactly close. The rumors that Choi Yeorok kept his nephew close were practically treated as facts.

However, it is said that they had previously ignored each other. Bound only by a guardianship relationship, their relationship was no different from strangers.

The Prince of Haegang, once known as the “Prince of Mangjong,”¹ became a new man one day. Not only did he change his name, but he also reportedly cut off the nightlife he used to live off and was now preparing for the college entrance exam. It was a world-changing event. What could have been the trigger? It was an intriguing news story.

Reporter Kang asked a barrage of questions. Yeorok listened quietly with his arms crossed.

“People are very interested in the private lives of chaebol families. I fully understand their curiosity. But why do you think others haven’t covered this matter?”

“You must have exerted external pressure. Haegang’s PR department is quite famous. They can easily shut down major YouTube channels and frequently block people on social media. Usually, people don’t go that far. It’s known not only in our industry but also among the general public that Haegang is exceptional when it comes to managing the owner family’s private affairs.”

“Yes. Usually, if they feel the opponent is not in their league, most people play it safe. We even pressured Fact Focus to shut it down… It seems you are the type that is immune to external pressure, Reporter.”

His deep, resonant voice was impressive. However, his eyes, fixed straight ahead, appeared not just black, but deep blue. They were eyes that sent shivers down the spine of anyone looking at them.

“You clearly stated you would stop the reporting, yet not only did you meet with the college student I hired for tutoring, but you also struck up a conversation with Eunho, who had just come out of an exam, under the pretense of asking for directions. From my perspective, I believe you have definitely crossed the line.”

“Ah… that.”

“Do you understand now why we are facing each other?”

Choi Yeorok had a knack for making threats elegant.

I’m screwed. To think he knew exactly what happened just yesterday. The reporter moistened his parched lips with his tongue.

1. wayward heir, black sheep, or degenerate offspring ↩︎