Chapter 475: Go An-Na

-Yoon-Ho, remember how you promised me pork belly last time? Since I'm not going back to work starting today, you owe me pork belly and soju soon!

My orphanage friend, Go An-Na, had secretly recorded the conversation between Bang Sang-Yung and Lee Dong-Gu at Club Lucy and handed it over to me. At the time, I had suggested she leave the club, but she said she couldn't because she needed to save money.

But now, she was saying she wouldn't be going back starting today.

"Really?"

-Yeah. I talked to Yoo-Na about it as you advised, and she told me to quit too.

Apparently, her younger sister, Go Yoo-Na, didn't want Go An-Na to keep struggling because of her. Go An-Na decided to find a normal job instead.

"If that's the case, then I'll make time for sure later. And forget pork belly. I'll treat you to Hanwoo! I'm doing well, you know."

-There you go, throwing money around again. Forget it. I still prefer pork belly and soju.

I wanted to splurge for the occasion, but she insisted I save my money.

"Alright, then. What time should we meet?"

-Around 6:30 or 7 p.m? But are you sure you're free?

The current time was 5 p.m.

"I'm absolutely free. I'll come pick you up later."

-Alright, see you then.

"Okay."

After ending the call, I couldn't help but smile. I thought convincing Go An-Na to leave the club would be tough, but it turned out to be easier than expected.

Still, I checked Go An-Na's schedule to confirm.

[Everyday V12]

[Date: November 7, 2023]

- 11:00 p.m: Club Lucy reservation. (Note: Inform An-Na in advance.)

"Huh? Why hasn't it disappeared?"

Maybe it hadn't changed because she hadn't fully decided on her future yet, or perhaps something would pull her back to Club Lucy. Either way, I couldn't be sure.

"I guess I'll have to see her first."

Thanks to Go An-Na's good news, I found myself humming on the way back to the office.

"Cheer up~ Power tough~"

***

Jin Sung-Joon chuckled after Jung Yoon-Ho left his office. "I never thought about giving away a club card, but you're smarter than me, Ah-Ram."

Jin Ah-Ram smirked. "Don't kid yourself. I know you backed off on purpose to set me up with him."

Jin Ah-Ram knew better than anyone how clever her brother was. It was clear he hadn't offered the card himself because he knew she was interested in Jung Yoon-Ho.

"You caught on?"

"Of course I did."

Jin Sung-Joon grinned. "But do you think giving the card to Team Lead Jung was worth it?"

"Why? Do you think I made a mistake?"

"Not at all. You saw how he stood up to our eldest brother. Honestly, even I find our brother intimidating. But watching him not even flinch? That's when I knew we absolutely had to bring him to our side."

Jin Ah-Ram nodded in agreement. "Honestly, I was surprised too."

As Jin Ah-Ram giggled, Jin Sung-Joon hesitated before asking cautiously. "But Ah-Ram. If you're planning to flirt with Team Lead Jung just to help me, stop it. I have no intention of using my sister to win."

Jin Ah-Ram liked this considerate side of her brother. Despite being in the midst of the Jinseong's succession war, he still thought of her as a younger sister to protect.

But this time, that wasn't the case.

"Wow, oppa. You're really overthinking things today."

"Huh?"

"Just look at Mr. Jung. He's handsome, capable, and fearless. Do you think there's anyone else like him in their twenties in Korea right now?"

Jin Sung-Joon nodded. Even he, often called "the most desirable man," hadn't achieved such prominence at such a young age.

Jin Ah-Ram continued, "The heirs of other chaebol families at his age are busy flaunting their sports cars and designer brands, but not Team Lead Jung. From what I found out, he even owns shares in the cosmetics company Yetterang and earns an annual salary of around seven to eight hundred million won. Honestly, if he had family connections, even you would pale in comparison."

Jin Sung-Joon smirked. "You're right. But... how come you seem to know more about Team Lead Jung than I do?"

Jin Ah-Ram grinned mischievously. "Why do you think? I looked into him thoroughly because I'm interested."

Only then did Jin Sung-Joon finally laugh. "Well, do your best. If it's Jung Yoon-Ho, I wholeheartedly approve."

But suddenly, Jin Ah-Ram let out a weary sigh and her energy deflated. "But there's a problem."

"What's the problem?"

"He's a fortress! Probably because he's surrounded by gorgeous celebrities all the time, but no matter how much I try to charm him, he acts like I'm invisible!"

Jin Sung-Joon burst into laughter. "What? The great Jin Ah-Ram gets ignored? Seriously? For real?

Pfft!

"

Jin Sung-Joon teased Jin Ah-Ram like an ordinary older brother would.

Jin Ah-Ram shouted and glared at her brother. "Hey, stop laughing!"

Jin Sung-Joon quickly shut his mouth with a startled expression. But his face was still lit with amusement. "Alright, alright. Anyway, good luck, Jin Ah-Ram."

"Thanks."

"Now, shall we focus on our plans?"

The two siblings refined their strategy to confront their half-siblings using the information Jung Yoon-Ho had provided.

***

Upon returning to Hoop Entertainment, I headed straight to Singer Division 2.

Inside, Lee Dong-Min and Ahn Ye-Eum were brainstorming ideas for the global idol project. Nearby was Seo Hee-Joo, the daughter of Yeon Hwa-Seon, whom I had scouted.

Seo Hee-Joo spotted me and waved cheerfully. "Mr. Jung!"

After greeting the three, I turned to Seo Hee-Joo to ask about her mother. "How's Ms. Yeon doing?"

"She's been busy trying to finish the choreography before her surgery. You'd never guess she's a patient. She's so energetic."

"That's a relief."

After telling Seo Hee-Joo to wait for a moment, I approached Ahn Ye-Eum. "What do you think about Hee-Joo? Do you think she's ready to join the team right away?"

While I was confident about Seo Hee-Joo's talent, I still wanted an outside evaluation.

When Seo Hee-Joo clasped her hands together and playfully pleaded for a positive review, Ahn Ye-Eum chuckled and replied, "She's decent. She'll do fine."

Seo Hee-Joo playfully complained with a pout. "But Ms. Ahn, you said I was great earlier!"

Ahn Ye-Eum shook her head. "Don't get complacent, Seo Hee-Joo. Do you have any idea who's coming next?"

'

What a relief.

'

I was glad to see that my judgment in scouting Seo Hee-Joo had been right.

At that moment, Lee Dong-Min asked, "Ling Ling is arriving at the end of this month, right?"

I answered, "Yes. She's been delayed because of her transfer paperwork to enroll as a first-year in a Korean high school next year."

"So she's entering Hanyoung Arts High with Sae-Ri?"

"That's correct."

Seo Hee-Joo tilted her head with a puzzled expression. "Who's Ling Ling?"

Lee Dong-Min answered for me. "She's a member coming from China. She's exceptional, like literally a near-complete package. Plus, she's fluent in Korean."

"Wow~ That's amazing."

"Exactly. So, Hee-Joo, make sure you don't lose out to her. Work hard."

"Of course!"

The global idol project was planned to center around Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo, with auditions scheduled to begin next month.

Just then, my phone rang.

[Caller ID: Go An-Na]

"One moment please."

I assumed Go An-Na might want to change our meeting time, so I answered right away. However, Go Yoo-Na's trembling voice came through instead of Go An-Na's voice.

-O-oppa? It's Yoo-Na...

Having grown up in the same orphanage, I was also close to Go Yoo-Na.

"Yoo-Na! What's wrong? Why do you sound like that?"

-O-oppa. Unnie is...she is...

"What about An-Na?"

-She was taken by the guys from the club.

"What? Why?"

-I don't know either. Things got a bit heated when she told them she was quitting earlier, but she said everything was fine. I guess it wasn't.

Before my regression, Go An-Na had been one of Club Lucy's aces and had tried quitting several times, but she struggled to leave each time.

I realized now why her schedule in the planner hadn't disappeared.

"Got it. I'm heading there right now. Stay home. I'll send Soo-Chan or Ho-Jae to you, okay?"

Fearing that the club might send people after Go Yoo-Na too, I told her I would send Lee Soo-Chan and the others.

-Okay, oppa.

After reassuring her, I quickly excused myself from Ahn Ye-Eum and Lee Dong-Min before heading straight to the underground parking lot.

***

While driving to Club Lucy located in Gangnam, I called Lee Soo-Chan.

When I told him Go An-Na had been taken, his voice rose in anger as he vowed to head to the club with his men.

"Don't. You guys stay out of it this time. Just send a few people to An-Na's house to protect Yoo-Na. You know who she is, right? She's An-Na's sister."

-Of course I know. But are you telling us to stay put when it's about An-Na noo-nim?

"Club Lucy is managed by the Yeonseong gang in Gangnam. If you make a move, it'll only escalate and people will start questioning whether you're rebuilding your old organization. So leave this one to me."

The Yeonseong gang was one of the top five organized gangs in Gangnam. If Lee Soo-Chan and his men who had disbanded their gang, clashed with them, it could lead to rumors of their organization reforming.

-Even so, going alone is dangerous.

"Don't worry. I've got someone to help."

-Who?

"Mr. Choi Eun-Tae from Myeongdong."

Given his vast financial resources and the powerful Daeho gang led by Choi Yung-Ho, even the Yeonseong gang couldn't ignore Choi Eun-Tae

-If it's him, that's a relief. But please call me within an hour!

I promised to call Lee Soo-Chan within thirty minutes and ended the call. Then, I quickly dialed Choi Eun-Tae's number.

After hearing about Go An-Na's abduction, Choi Eun-Tae readily offered his assistance.

-Don't worry about it. I'll send Yung-Ho right away.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Choi. I apologize for troubling you with this."

-There's no need for apologies. It's about my son's friend. Besides, this is the sort of thing we can handle quietly unlike the police or prosecution.

"Then I'll wait for him at the club."

-Alright. Yung-Ho isn't far, so he'll be there soon.

"Understood. Thank you, Mr. Choi."

After ending the call, I pressed the accelerator harder and sped toward Club Lucy.

***

Screech.

My car came to a halt in front of Club Lucy's main entrance. It was only 5:30 p.m., so the club's front shutter was still down.

I murmured to myself, "Did they take her in through the emergency exit?"

I debated waiting for Choi Yung-Ho to arrive, but I couldn't stand by while something might happen to Go An-Na. Drawing on my memories from before the regression, I headed to the back of the building.

The first floor of the three-story building had its windows covered with stickers reading 'For Lease.' It looked like a closed business, but it was deliberately left empty. If the police raided the front entrance of Club Lucy, the emergency passageway connecting the club to the basement of this building would allow for a quick escape.

I scanned my surroundings before stepping inside the first-floor entrance. The dim hallway led me to a metal door that opened to the emergency staircase heading to the basement.

Clack.

The stairwell door was locked.

"Of course it is."

Using the master key Lee Ho-Jae had given me, I unlocked the door.

Click ,Click.

With a satisfying

click,

the door opened.

'

Got it.

'

I entered the stairwell and descended into the basement. The dark staircase ended at another thick metal door. Because this one was also locked, I used the master key once again.

Click.

After opening the door, I sent Choi Yung-Ho a message and let him know which entrance to use.

Following the glowing red arrows along the corridor floor, I reached the end of the hallway where a woman's voice stopped me.

-An-Na, just one day is all I'm asking. The VIP looking for you is coming today, so just work this one day, okay?

It was Madame Lee Hong-Yeon's voice, familiar from our previous encounter.

Then, I heard Go An-Na's cold and defiant reply.

-Unnie. Do you think I'd believe that? You stormed into my home and kidnapped me, and now you want me to think it's just for one day? Don't make me laugh. One day turns into two, and two into a year. I know how this works.

Judging from her firm voice, at least it seemed like she hadn't been harmed yet.

At that moment, Lee Hong-Yeon let out a long sigh and spoke again.

-An-Na. I didn't want to bring this up, but if you keep resisting, you'll be seeing your little sister's school on our list of visits. Is that what you want?

Go An-Na's voice cracked with anger as she shouted.

-Don't you dare touch Yoo-Na!

-Then listen to reason while I'm being nice. Just sign here.

Hearing mention of documents, it was clear they were trying to force Go An-Na into signing some sort of employment contract, likely filled with clauses heavily skewed against her.

I couldn't wait any longer.

Peeking around the corner of the hallway, I assessed the situation. Go An-Na was seated at a table near the bar with Lee Hong-Yeon on the opposite side and holding out a document. Surrounding Go An-Na were four burly thugs blocking every possible exit.

'

Four of them? That's manageable.

'

As I saw Go An-Na hesitantly ink her stamp, I stepped forward and shouted. "An-Na! Don't sign that!"

The startled Go An-Na froze and her hand hovered midair.

The sudden appearance of a figure in the emergency corridor made everyone pause, including the four thugs.

But Lee Hong-Yeon quickly regained her composure and her sharp voice cut through the momentary silence. "What are you all waiting for? Grab him!"

At that moment, the thugs rushed toward me all at once. "Who do you think you are?!"

The fastest one of the four closed the distance and threw a punch, but my fist reached his jaw faster.

Thud.

A clean hit sent him sprawling unconscious on the floor.

Boom.

The sudden knockout made the other three hesitate mid-charge, and I didn't waste the opportunity. Frozen by their tension, they became easy targets for me. To me, they were stationary bullseyes.

Bang!

Thud, thud.

Within seconds, all three lay unconscious on the floor.

Lee Hong-Yeon's face turned pale as her guards crumbled before her eyes. "W-who... who are you?"

"Don't you remember? Last time, I dropped twenty million won here. I'm a bit hurt that you've forgotten me."

Lee Hong-Yeon stumbled backward and stammered. "T-that wealthy guy... Why are you here?"

"Why else? I came to rescue An-Na."

At that moment, Lee Hong-Yeon suddenly screamed. "Y-you're making a mistake! Do you even know who I am?"

I knew her very well. She was the mistress of the Yeonseong gang's leader. But right now, that didn't matter. To me, she was nothing more than a criminal who had orchestrated Go An-Na's kidnapping.

"Who are you? A criminal, that's who!"

I clenched my fist and strode quickly toward her.