Chapter 489: Switching Sides (3)

The microSD card given by Park Hee-Joon contained a neatly organized Excel file detailing the cleanup operations carried out for Jin Myung-Gyu, as well as a portion of what appeared to be slush fund transactions.

However, as he had mentioned before, only about 10% of the files were not encrypted.

"Even with just what's available, this should be enough to deal a significant blow to Vice Chairman Jin Myung-Gyu."

The prosecution would handle decrypting the rest, so the remaining files could be left to Seo Jae-Ill.

Park Hee-Joon said, "I'll testify as best as I can to fill in the gaps."

I answered, "You've been through a lot. But how did you even manage to get this?"

"You gave me a heads-up, so I decided to set some aside just in case. I just didn't expect it would be needed this soon."

It was a move befitting a man who had once been regarded as the ace of his company before joining Jinseong Inc.

I then called Jin Sung-Joon.

"Sir, Mr. Park Hee-Joon from Vice Chairman Jin Myung-Gyu's secretary's office has switched to our side."

Jin Sung-Joon responded in an excited voice.

-Is that so?

"Yes, and we have records of the dirty work done by Team 4. Most of it is encrypted, but even the unencrypted files are quite useful."

-That's great news.

At that moment, Park Hee-Joon quickly spoke up.

"Mr. Jin, I sincerely apologize for everything. I was just following orders..."

Jin Sung-Joon's voice turned understanding.

-I know you were caught between two brothers and must have suffered greatly. I fully understand your situation, so don't worry.

Park Hee-Joon replied in a trembling voice.

"Thank you..."

I then asked Jin Sung-Joo.

"Sir, how much evidence have you gathered so far?"

-I have photos from the Eulwang-ri traffic accident, including one of Jin Myung-Gyu stepping out of the driver's seat. We've also secured information that the police are working to cover it up.

"That's excellent. Also, Mr. Park will be turning himself in to the prosecution. Please prepare on your end as well."

-Understood. We'll also hand over the evidence we've gathered to both the prosecution and the press.

"Got it."

Just as I hung up the phone, Lim Hyung-Joo, Legal Director of Reverse Entertainment, and Park Chang-Sik, the representative attorney from Haeyo Law Firm, arrived.

Having been briefed on the situation on their way over, the two reassured Park Hee-Joon.

Park Chang-Sik explained, "You don't need to worry about the three billion won meant for Mr. Jung. Just turn yourself in and hand everything over to the prosecution."

Lim Hyung-Joo nodded. "Yes, and the fact that you recorded your conversation with Chief Secretary Choi will work in your favor. The prosecution will handle everything, so rest assured."

Park Hee-Joon let out a sigh of relief and turned to his family.

His elderly mother and wife, eyes brimming with tears, spoke.

"Hee-Joon, don't worry about us and go."

"Yes, dear. We'll stay strong."

Park Hee-Joon nodded and walked over to the twins in the arms of Lee Soo-Chan and Lee Ho-Jae. Since our orphanage days, taking care of new younger orphans had always been our responsibility. That was why those of us from the orphanage were skilled at handling newborns regardless of gender.

Thanks to that, the twins were sleeping soundly in Lee Soo-Chan and Lee Ho-Jae's embrace without a care in the world.

Park Hee-Joon gently stroked his twin children's chubby cheeks. "I'll be back soon..."

The twins' rosy cheeks momentarily indented before bouncing back. At that moment, one of the twins grasped his father's finger with their eyes still closed. Then the other twin also grabbed his finger as if connected telepathically. With their eyes still shut, they both beamed as if telling Park Hee-Joon to return safely.

Lee Soo-Chan smiled. "The kids are cheering you on. Don't worry, just go crush that so-called vice chairman."

Lee Ho-Jae skillfully held a baby and nodded. "I can handle triplets on my own, so don't worry and go."

With tears welling in his eyes, Park Hee-Joon nodded. "Understood. I'll be back soon."

In the meantime, I handed the microSD card to the lawyers. "This is internal data from the secretary's office. Make several copies just in case."

"Alright."

After a brief farewell, Park Hee-Joon left home with the lawyers.

Soon after, I also stood up.

Lee Soo-Chan, still holding the twins, asked, "Where are you going, hyung-nim?"

I answered, "Weekly Star!"

Weekly Star, which was trying to cover up this incident, also needed attention.

***

Following orders from Chief Secretary Choi Hyung-Woon, Secretary Office Team 1's Team Lead Song Hyun-Tae arrived at Park Hee-Joon's villa with three secretaries.

They unlocked the door and entered using a master key, only to find the place in disarray.

Song Hyun-Tae instantly realized the family had fled. "Shit! Looks like they all ran!"

He quickly called Choi Hyung-Woon.

"Sir, it looks like Team Lead Park took his entire family and escaped."

-What? How did that coward move so fast? Hey, did you send people to his hometown?

"Yes, I just sent them."

-Find him fast! If you don't bring him back, you'll take responsibility for Mr. Jin's problem.

"Sir, please!"

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

-You have thirty minutes. Move!

"Y-yes, sir!"

After hanging up, Song Hyun-Tae gritted his teeth. "Check all nearby security cameras! See if they left by car or on foot and contact the police for cooperation."

"Understood. We'll reach out to the traffic department and try to extract information."

"Do it now! I don't care how much it costs. Bribe them generously if needed!"

Fuming, Song Hyun-Tae barked orders and then called a police contact.

"Mr. Choi, I'm in Apgujeong right now. Can I take a look at some security camera footage?"

The annoyed Lieutenant Choi Ill-Joong snapped.

-Are you out of your mind? Cops can't just secretly check security cameras anymore these days!

"Just tell me where vehicles 65N8017 went. If you give me their final destination, I'll wire you thirty million won in cash."

That's when laughter came through the phone.

-

Ha

, now we're talking. Alright, you said 65N8017, right? Give me a sec, I'll check for you.

If Song Hyun-Tae failed, then he, the so-called ace of the secretary's office, could end up being discarded like trash.

The desperate Song Hyun-Tae was willing to do anything to capture Park Hee-Joon.

***

The current time was 11:20 p.m. I arrived at Weekly Star and sat across from Ediotor-in-Chief Choi Min-Joon, who looked flustered.

"Team Lead Jung, how did you find out that Jinseong Inc is pressuring us to revise the successor article...? Who... who told you? What's your source?"

I wanted to say the planner that tell me the future, but I held back and replied calmly. "The source doesn't matter. What you need to focus on is choosing the right side."

Jang Moon-Ki seated beside me added, "Mr. Choi. After listening to Team Lead Jung, I don't think this is something we can just cover up."

Choi Min-Joon scratched his head in frustration. "

Sigh

, damn it... This pressure came from the top: our president himself..."

I looked at the troubled Choi Min-Joon and said, "The prosecution has already caught wind of this and is moving. If things continue as they are, you might find yourself under investigation too."

Choi Min-Joon's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"They're digging into everything. Naturally, you'll become a target. The prosecution will scrutinize your records, and if they find any financial dealings..."

Choi Min-Joon, who had plenty of skeletons in his closet, turned red. "I-I didn't take any money!"

It seemed he had only received promises but hadn't been paid yet. Still, he looked visibly anxious with all his other dirty dealings.

Unable to find a way out, Choi Min-Joon clutched his head before finally pleading with me. "Hey, Team Lead Jung. Help me out here, will you? Just this once. If you do, I'll make sure to repay the favor."

I paused for a moment before speaking as if I were being exceptionally generous. "Draw a clear line now and expose everything. And make sure to handle your higher-ups properly."

"You want us to draw the line first?"

"Yes."

The reason I came here personally was to cut off Weekly Star's escape route completely. For that, it was best if Weekly Star itself was the one to break the story.

After some hesitation, Choi Min-Joon finally made up his mind. "Reporter Jang, can you take full responsibility for this article?"

Jang Moon-Ki grinned. "How about this? 'Jinseong Inc's Successor Mr. A Pressures Our Publication to Cover Up a Scandal!' Sounds good?"

"Sure, I don't care about the details. Just make sure the title is clear and doesn't put our company at risk."

The excited Jang Moon-Ki rushed back to his desk. "Understood!"

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Choi Min-Joon muttered, "Thanks for the heads-up. If it weren't for you..."

"Think nothing of it."

Choi Min-Joon was a shrewd man. After all, he had survived by always siding with the powerful. This also meant he was quick to betray. That's why I decided to stay put on the sofa and wait until the article was officially uploaded. If Jin Myung-Gyu called, Choi Min-Joon might change his mind.

As I leaned back, Choi Min-Joon called his boss. "Sir! If we keep this up, we're all dead. No, I'm serious! The prosecution is already digging into you and other media outlets will publish soon as well!"

When Choi Min-Joon exaggerated and added details that weren't even true, Weekly Star's president eventually agreed not to alter the article.

A few moments later, Jang Moon-Ki returned with his laptop. "Mr. Choi, please review and press the approval button!"

At Weekly Star, all articles required Choi Min-Joon's approval before they could be uploaded.

Choi Min-Joon nodded. "Alright. Approved!"

With a click, the article finally went live.

[(BREAKING) Jinseong Inc Successor Mr. A Bribed Media to Cover Up His Own Accident! "What Are You So Afraid Of?!"]

[(BREAKING) Jinseong Inc Successor Mr. A Caught Attempting to Sway Police! Justice for the Rich, Punishment for the Poor?]

[(BREAKING) Jinseong Inc Successor Mr. A's Affair with Celebrity Miss B! What About His Wife?]

...

As soon as the articles were posted, Jang Moon-Ki excitedly shouted, "We're getting reactions already!"

'

It worked.

'

Comments started pouring in at lightning speed below the provocative headlines.

-Risa70: Wow! Covering up news with money?

-RNB1090: Of course, Jinseong's vice chairman operates on another level.

-BOXER80: Ooh, what scandal are politicians trying to hide? Why else would a chaebol-affair story suddenly drop?

...

'

Let's keep this rolling!

'

At that moment, Choi Min-Joon's phone rang..

Buzz.

Seeing the caller ID, Choi Min-Joon fidgeted nervously. "Shit, it's the vice chairman..."

Jang Moon-Ki smirked. "You've taken calls from much worse people. Why are you so scared now?"

"Y-yeah, right?"

"Exactly!"

Nodding to himself, Choi Min-Joon forced a bold expression and picked up the call. The moment the line connected, Jin Myung-Gyu exploded with a string of curses.

-You little piece of shit! Where the hell did you get the nerve to post that garbage? We already agreed on everything, and now you pull this crap? Are you out of your mind?!

Even though Jin Myung-Gyu was the heir to Jinseong Inc, Choi Min-Joon was much older. So while he had hesitated before answering the call, now he yelled right back.

"What?! You punk, who the hell do you think you're talking to? And when did we ever agree on anything? You just ran your mouth and hung up! I told you no from the start!"

-W-what? What did you just say?

"You heard me! I said you are a punk! So what?!"

Now that he had snapped, Choi Min-Joon didn't need any more pushing and he was going off on his own.

-You... You're going to regret this.

"Oh, please. You know how many chaebols have ended up in prison after messing with the media? Let's see who regrets this first! I'm hanging up"

Click.

Choi Min-Joon practically screamed before slamming the call shut.

"That little brat thinks he can boss me around, huh?"

However, Choi Min-Joon's legs were visibly trembling despite his bold words.

'

Yeah, he's definitely scared.

'

Choi Min-Joon looked over at me. "Uh, Team Lead Jung.

Ha ha ha

... Why is my voice shaking so much...? A-anyway, you better put in a good word with Executive Director Jin Sung-Joon. Got it? I'm fully committed now."

"Of course, Mr. Choi."

With that, I finally stood up.

"Tonight is going to be long. Stay alert and call me anytime if you need anything."

"Yeah... Got it, Team Lead Jung."

After saying my goodbyes, I headed toward the parking lot.

***

"

Ahhh!

These bastards!"

Jin Myung-Gyu had just finished screaming at both the Weekly Star's Choi Min-Joon and the president. However, neither of them gave a damn about what he had to say.

The fuming Jin Myung-Gyu hurled his phone at the floor.

Crack!

The device shattered into pieces.

Still seething, Jin Myung-Gyu glared at the secretaries gathered in his office. "Hey! What the hell are you all doing?!"

Jin Myung-Gyu's right-hand man and chief secretary, Choi Hyung-Woon, lowered his head. "I sincerely apologize."

The team leads of Secretary Team 2 and Team 3 also bowed deeply. "We're sorry, Mr. Jin."

"Sorry? You're sorry?! You all went to Korea's so-called top universities, didn't you? And yet you can't even clean up this mess?!

Ugh!

What a waste of money. You idiots aren't worth a dime!"

Jin Myung-Gyu raged at his secretaries. The irony was that he himself hadn't been able to get into a good Korean university. Instead, he had barely graduated from an American school after fleeing overseas.

"Either you bring me that bastard Park Hee-Joon, or you take the fall for this mess yourselves. Figure it out!"

"Yes, Mr. Jin!"

After barking his orders, Jin Myung-Gyu abruptly stood up.

His secretaries hurried to their feet as well. "Sir, where are you going?"

"None of your damn business!"

Leaving them to deal with the fallout, Jin Myung-Gyu stormed out of his office alone.

***

After finishing my business, I arrived at the underground parking lot of the luxurious HQ villa located in Sinsa-dong where Park Hee-Joon's family was staying.

I planned to stay until tonight's events settled down. Once Park Hee-Joon met with Seo Jae-Ill and returned, we would discuss the next steps.

After smoothly parking my car, I checked my phone.

[Real-Time Search Rankings]

1st: Jinseong Inc

2nd: Jin Myung-Gyu

3rd: Ahn Yoo-Hyun

...

5th: Eulwang-ri Traffic Accident

As the name of rising actress Ahn Yoo-Hyun became entangled in the scandal alongside the revelation that a chaebol had tried to cover up a traffic accident, the story was spreading rapidly.

At this rate, Jin Myung-Gyu's reputation would take a severe hit before the sun even rose.

At that moment, the doors of two black sedans parked in the underground lot swung open as I stepped out of my car. Six men in black suits stepped out. They were all big, broad-shouldered, and had intimidating expressions.

In an instant, I used my smartwatch to make a call.

-Yes, hyung-nim?

"Soo-Chan, where are you right now?"

-We're still at Mr. Park's house.

"I'm in the underground parking lot. Looks like Jinseong sent some guys."

-How many?

"Six. Judging by their outfits and build, they're likely from a security team."

-We're coming down now.

As I spoke, the men in black suits started walking toward me.

Clenching my fists, I watched them approach and asked, "Did Vice Chairman Jin Myung-Gyu send you?"

However, a completely different name came from the suited man's mouth.