Chapter 306: Choi Eun-Tae (3)

The police were nowhere to be seen on the seventh floor of Seoul H Hospital and the nurse's desk where someone should have been sitting was also empty.

At that moment, I shouted loudly, "Kang Eun-Gi!!"

Then, I heard Kang Eun-Gi's voice from Room 706, the farthest of the six rooms on the 7th floor. "Over here!"

I ran like a madman and grabbed the door handle of Room 706.

Click.

I felt something catch. At the same time, I could hear sounds of a struggle and cursing coming from inside the room.

"Fuck! Piss off!"

I immediately kicked the closed door without hesitation.

Bang!

However, the door wouldn't budge. It seemed something had been placed to block the sliding door.

"Hyung-nim!"

Lee Soo-Chan and Choi Dong-Hyuk, who had followed me, finally caught up.

"Let's all kick it together!"

Once again, the three of us kicked the door.

Crash!

The door still didn't open.

"One more time!"

At that moment, I heard a clattering sound as whatever was blocking the door flew off. And finally, the sliding door creaked open.

Inside the room, Kang Eun-Gi was on the bed with one hand cuffed, facing off against a knife-wielding man with his IV pole. However, with one hand restrained, all he could do was desperately try to push the man away.

I quickly closed the distance and threw a punch at the chin of the man in the black hat.

Smack!

The man's chin snapped to the side with a dull thud. In that instant, the man in the black hat still clutching the knife crumpled to the floor.

"

Huff, huff

... Eun-Gi, are you okay?" I quickly asked.

Kang Eun-Gi snatched the knife from the unconscious man. "

Huff, huff, huff

... How did you know to come here?"

Before I could answer, Lee Soo-Chan and Choi Dong-Hyuk rushed in and shouted, "Hyung-nim! Are you alright?"

Kang Eun-Gi nodded with a knife still in his hand. The immediate danger had passed, but I couldn't relax just yet.

I said, "First, put down the knife."

"What?"

"Let's talk after you drop the knife."

It was only then that Kang Eun-Gi realized he was still holding the knife. "Oh, right. Who said I was going to stab anyone with it?"

Kang Eun-Gi tossed the knife to the floor.

Clatter.

The metal made a clinking sound as it hit the hospital tiles.

At that moment, Lee Soo-Chan and Choi Dong-Hyuk hurriedly approached the man in the black hat and tied his hands behind his back with a belt.

Looking at the man, Kang Eun-Gi spoke in disbelief. "Damn. I really thought I was going to die just now."

"If you were going to die, it would've happened already."

I checked Kang Eun-Gi over, and he wasn't seriously injured, aside from a few scratches.

Kang Eun-Gi pointed to the man lying on the floor. "Yikes, look at this guy. Yoon-Ho, your fists are practically weapons."

"Stop joking around. Where are the police?" I asked.

Kang Eun-Gi shook his head. "I don't know. I thought it was strange that the whole place suddenly got really quiet and then that bastard came in. No matter how much I screamed, the nurses didn't come."

It seemed like money had been slipped not just to the police but to the nurses as well.

"But how did you get here? Weren't you heading to Daeheung Savings Bank?" Kang Eun-Gi asked.

"I couldn't shake the feeling that if it was Choi Man-Sik, he wouldn't just let you go..." I replied.

"Was it your intuition again? Or did you have another premonition dream?"

"Yeah, something like that."

Kang Eun-Gi looked at me with disbelief in his eyes. "That's unbelievable. Do you really have some kind of sixth sense or something? More than that, am I even really President Choi's son?"

"Judging by Choi Man-Sik's actions, he probably thinks so."

Facing a near-death situation without even knowing if he was truly Choi Eun-Tae's son, Kang Eun-Gi let out a dumbfounded laugh. "

Tsk.

That bastard Choi Man-Sik. Trying to kill someone just because of suspicion, huh? Isn't that completely insane?"

"Yeah, he's pretty unhinged."

That's when Choi Dong-Hyuk asked, "Hyung-nim, what should we do with this guy?"

Kang Eun-Gi let out a deep sigh. "Man, I must really be a saint now. Just leave him and call Attorney Kim right away. Tell him I almost died. And call Prosecutor Seo too. Ask him what the hell is going on here—this isn't some ritual to pray for my death, is it?"

Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill was the ace prosecutor from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office who had taken Kang Eun-Gi's surrender.

"Yes, hyung-nim," replied Choi Dong-Hyuk as he moved to the corner of the room to make the call.

Taking advantage of the moment, Kang Eun-Gi turned to me and said, "Yoon-Ho, you need to leave now."

"Huh?"

"If you stay here, you'll get dragged into the investigation too. So get out of here quickly. I'll say you were never here."

Kang Eun-Gi pushed me with his free hand, and Lee Soo-Chan also urged me to leave quickly.

I pointed at the man in the black hat and asked, "But what are you going to do about him?"

Lee Soo-Chan replied, "Don't worry. I'll say I knocked him out. I'll take the fall for it."

Choi Dong-Hyuk cut in, "Don't be ridiculous. You're leaving with Yoon-Ho hyung-nim."

Lee Soo-Chan's face twisted in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to follow Eun-Gi hyung-nim to prison," Choi Dong-Hyuk replied.

"You... wait. Don't tell me?"

"Yeah. Who knows when another bastard might come after him?" said Choi Dong-Hyuk as his eyes gleamed.

Sensing something ominous, I shouted, "Choi Dong-Hyuk! If you're planning to do something to that guy and take the blame, I'll kill you myself!"

Choi Dong-Hyuk flinched and looked at Kang Eun-Gi.

Kang Eun-Gi let out a small sigh. "Why are you looking at me, idiot? I can't win against Yoon-Ho. Just do what he says."

"B-but hyung-nim..."

Kang Eun-Gi continued, "And if you really want to go to prison with me, don't beat that guy up. Just confess to some of your old crimes. Seriously, how does your brain only come up with the worst ideas?"

Choi Dong-Hyuk scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. "I guess old habits die hard. I'll do as you say, hyung-nim."

Choi Dong-Hyuk stepped up to protect Kang Eun-Gi and cover up my presence here.

Then Kang Eun-Gi turned to Lee Soo-Chan and said, "Soo-Chan, you've got a lot of work to do. You've done well so far, so keep managing the company until I get out."

"Hyung-nim! I want to go in with you too."

"If you go in too, who's going to take care of the younger guys?"

Lee Soo-Chan lowered his head in silence.

Kang Eun-Gi then motioned to me. "You're going to meet President Choi, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then take this with you," said Kang Eun-Gi as he raised his hand over his head and pulled out a clump of hair.

"This should be enough for a DNA test, right?"

"That should do it."

"Let the old man satisfy his curiosity, but tell him not to expect to see me even if I turn out to be his son. Shit. That bastard almost got me killed twice in one day, so how could he have the nerve to ask to see me?"

I nodded at the furious Kang Eun-Gi. "Got it. But are you going to be alright? The police are involved now."

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen as long as Dong-Hyuk is with me. Besides, everything is gonna be alright if I keep pressuring Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill. That guy's pretty tough."

Being called "tough" as a prosecutor meant that he conducted investigations with conviction without being swayed by political influences. In other words, he would definitely protect Kang Eun-Gi.

I carefully wrapped the hair Kang Eun-Gi gave me in a handkerchief and said to him, "I'll visit you later."

"Alright. Take care of yourself."

"You should be the one who's careful!"

As I took the elevator, I made up my mind to meet Choi Eun-Tae directly rather than the president of Daeheung Savings Bank.

***

When I got to the first floor of the hospital, I told Lee Soo-Chan to lower his head and tread carefully.

"Wait a moment."

"Hyung-nim, what's wrong?"

When I sat down on a chair near the elevator, Lee Soo-Chan naturally followed.

A few moments later, I saw three police officers heading toward the elevator. They were holding coffee cups but they all looked tense, not even taking a sip.

At that moment, I was certain. '

It's these guys

.'

These were the officers who had been bribed and left their posts so the attacker could get in.

I wanted to take them down right then and there, but I held back and memorized their names. I also secretly recorded a video of them without making any noise.

'

Yang Tae-Ho, Lee Jun-Yung, and Park Hyun-Joong.

'

Realizing why I had asked him to wait, Lee Soo-Chan began trembling with anger.

I said softly to Lee Soo-Chan, "Just remember their names. Don't do anything reckless and end up in prison. Make sure to tell Prosecutor Seo about these cops, got it?"

Lee Soo-Chan restrained himself with superhuman patience. "Y-yes, I will."

However, the police officers didn't go up right away but were dragging out their time.

To avoid suspicion, I turned my attention to a group of middle-aged women nearby. "Ma'am, what are you watching?"

"Oh, that!"

The woman pointed to the large LCD screen in the hospital lobby, which was showing a rerun of Episode 11 of

In the Name of God

from yesterday.

It was the one where Yoo-Jin and Manshin Wol-Ah appeared alternately on the screen.

I couldn't help but chuckle at how much my situation had changed. '

You've changed a lot, Jung Yoon-Ho.

'

In my past life, I wouldn't have risked my life getting involved in things like this. However, ever since I had a second chance at life, I was surprised at how much I was looking out for those around me.

That's when KkTalk messages from Yoo-Jin, who was currently filming on set, started flooding in.

[Lovely?Yoo-Jin: Oppa, I'm on a break from filming. Are you okay?]

[Lovely?Yoo-Jin: Oppa, there's nothing wrong, right?]

[Lovely?Yoo-Jin: Why aren't you answering? Are you sick?]

[Lovely?Yoo-Jin: Huh? Are you really leaving me on read? Wow... You must be really busy. But still, leave a message so I won't worry.]

I hesitated, not knowing how to respond, but then quickly sent a brief message.

[Jung Yoon-Ho: I'm busy. I'll explain when I get home later!]

[Lovely?Yoo-Jin: You're alive! Oppa! Do you know how worried I was?]

I kept apologizing to the concerned Yoo-Jin.

As I was exchanging messages with her, the police officers were still waiting for the elevator.

At that moment, the women nearby began making a fuss while looking at Yoo-Jin's face on the TV. "Isn't that the famous actress, Jung Yoo-Jin?"

"Yeah, that's her. And she also played that old shaman lady you liked so much."

"Really? How did such a young girl play that shaman granny? Just how?"

"I heard they used some Hollywood special effects makeup or something like that."

"Yeah, I almost fainted last week watching the morning show!"

Nearly everyone recognized Yoo-Jin, proving the drama's immense popularity as reflected in its nearly 30% viewership rating.

Then, a female patient in her forties with curlers in her hair suddenly mentioned the viewership ratings for tonight's episode 12.

"It's going to surpass 30% today, right?"

"Oh, come on. 30% is a bit much."

"What are you talking about? It's definitely going to surpass 30%!"

At that moment, the patients started betting on whether the viewership ratings would hit 30% or not, splitting into two groups.

The commotion caught the attention of the police, who turned their gaze toward us.

I subtly turned my back to them and joined in the betting, pulling out a 50 thousand won bill.

"I'm betting that it'll go over 30%!"

The patients all turned to look at me. "Which room are you in?"

I simply smiled without answering.

"Handsome young man, we need to know which room you're in to let you join the bet."

"I'm just here visiting. So if I win, please donate this money to the pediatric cancer fund box over there. If I lose, use it to buy something tasty for everyone."

The patient from Room 505, who seemed to be the oldest, gave me a big grin. "There's no backing out, okay?"

"Of course not!"

As we continued talking, I noticed that the police had disappeared.

I bowed to the ladies and asked them to continue supporting Yoo-Jin before leaving the hospital with Lee Soo-Chan.

***

When we arrived in the hospital's underground parking lot, I said, "Soo-Chan, you should go on ahead."

"Hyung-nim, let me drive you since your car is still at our company."

"I'll pick up the car later. Besides, you need to contact Prosecutor Seo and take care of the other guys."

"That's true, but..."

"Don't worry and just go. I'll be fine."

Lee Soo-Chan bowed deeply and replied, "Understood. And thank you so much for today!"

Touched by his gratitude for saving Kang Eun-Gi, I patted his shoulder. "Eun-Gi is like a brother to me too, just as he is to you. There's no need to thank me."

Lee Soo-Chan smiled widely. "I'm really lucky to have you as my hyung-nim."

"Enough with the flattery. Get going."

"Okay, hyung-nim!"

Lee Soo-Chan gave me another quick bow before getting into his car.

As I watched his car disappear, I immediately called the president of Daeheung Savings Bank.

Before the phone could even ring once, President Choi Yung-Ho answered. He told me he was still waiting for Choi Eun-Tae's response.

"You must have an easy life."

-What?

"Did you know that Eun-Gi almost died again?"

-What? What do you mean?

I calmly explained the situation.

-That bastard, Choi Man-Sik...

"Enough of that. I want to meet with Mr. Choi right now."

After a brief pause, he replied.

-Okay. Come to the house in Myeong-dong. I'll let Mr. Choi know you're coming, so we'll meet there.

"Understood."

After hanging up, I immediately called Kang Gam-Chan as well.

However, as soon as he answered, he began scolding me.

-How could you be unreachable all morning like that!?

Kang Gam-Chan was scolding me like a concerned father. Oddly enough, his worry made me feel a bit better.

"I'm sorry. Something urgent came up..."

After catching his breath, Kang Gam-Chan asked.

-Sigh.

So what happened? Tell me.

I hesitated for a moment but then started telling him about Choi Eun-Tae, Kang Eun-Gi, and me. I explained how an estranged father had reappeared and how it had put my life in danger.

For ten minutes, Kang Gam-Chan silently listened to my story.

When I finished, he quietly said.

-You've been through a lot.

I felt a surge of emotion welling up inside me. His concern was genuine, and I could tell just from the tone of his voice.

Then Kang Gam-Chan spoke again with a bit of difficulty.

-If you're going to President Choi's house, let me come with you.

Kang Gam-Chan was offering to accompany me for support.

***

We arrived at a traditional house in Myeong-dong, where Kang Gam-Chan and I were guided by Choi Yung-Ho who had come out to greet us.

The serene traditional house with its quiet tiled roof felt almost eerie with no one in sight.

Choi Yung-Ho pointed to a room connected to the main hall. "You can go in here. Mr. Choi is waiting for you."

"Alright."

"And Mr. Kang, we ask that you wait outside."

However, Kang Gam-Chan shook his head. "I have no intention of sending Team Lead Jung in there alone."

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

As Choi Yung-Ho's expression turned troubled, a calm voice came from inside.

-Let them both in.

"Yes, sir."

The moment Choi Yung-Ho gestured upwards, Kang Gam-Chan and I removed our shoes at the stepping stone before stepping into the main hall.

After taking a deep breath, we proceeded into the room where Choi Eun-Tae was waiting.