Chapter 729: Warning (2)

I handed the phone to one of the three men kneeling—specifically, a gangster named Kim Chul-Soo.

"Call Detective Jang. Right now."

"What should I say?"

"Tell him his daughter got into the talent agent's car and rushed to A Hospital, so you couldn't catch her."

Kidnapping someone off the street was one thing gangsters could handle, but once she was inside a hospital, their hands were tied. After all, security at the entrance would stop them. Which meant, if he wanted to take Jang So-Yeon away, Jang Bok-Gil had no choice but to come to A Hospital himself.

"Got it."

Kim Chul-Soo nodded and dialed Jang Bok-Gil.

"Hello? Mr. Jang?"

-What happened?

"

Uh

, well... the talent agent took her to the hospital in his car."

-Damn it. Everything's going sideways.

"What should we do? We can't exactly get into the ER."

-You useless bastards. I'll go. You lot just pull out.

Just as I expected, Jang Bok-Gil said he would head to the ER at A Hospital himself.

Click.

Then he hung up without warning.

"He's off the line."

Since Jang Bok-Gil was heading to the hospital, I had to leave immediately. However, I couldn't just abandon these gangsters and Lee Yung-Jin. The moment I disappeared, those punks would bolt.

"Hey, take off your belts."

"Sir?"

"Now!"

The three of them glanced around nervously and removed their leather belts.

I continued, "Lie down, face down. Hands behind your back."

They dropped to the ground and extended their arms backward. I quickly tied them up using the belts they had just removed, then I yanked their pants down to their knees. Next, I knotted the ends of their belts together and handed the loop to Lee Yung-Jin.

"Yung-Jin. If they try to move, just tug the belt. That'll stop them cold. Mr. Seo Jae-Ill's investigators will be here soon, so you can hand them over then."

Lee Yung-Jin, who had been huddled nervously just moments ago, straightened his shoulders. "

Ahem

. Leave it to me."

Somehow, that didn't reassure me. Right then, Do Ran-Hee pulled up in my car.

Skreeeech.

"Mr. Jung! Get in!"

'

Right. Do Ran-Hee is much better suited for this kind of thing

.'

"No. Ran-Hee, get out and help Yung-Jin guard them until the investigators arrive."

Do Ran-Hee gave the gangsters a chilling glare, her eyes practically gleaming with menace. "Got it. You can leave it to me."

Do Ran-Hee stepped out of the car and stalked toward the three gangsters, eyes sharp enough to slice them open. For a second, I was honestly glad the law existed.

Then I carefully scooped up Jang So-Yeon, who was bleeding from her foot. "Hang in there. It's gonna hurt, but just bear with it, okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Really, oppa."

"You're not fine. You're bleeding all over the place."

Being too stoic was a problem of its own. I helped Jang So-Yeon into the passenger seat and reclined it back. Since the wound was on the sole of her foot, I needed to make sure it didn't touch anything.

"Even if it gets bloody, just keep your legs raised."

Jang So-Yeon grabbed both her legs and lifted them up. In that gap, I laid some clothes under the seat, covered them with plastic, and set it up so her feet wouldn't touch anything. Then I drove toward A Hospital while calling Seo Jae-Ill.

"The gangsters who tried to kidnap her are tied up in an alley in Apgujeong, and I'm heading to A Hospital now."

When I told him that Jang Bok-Gil had lured Jang So-Yeon out with voice phishing tactics, Seo Jae-Ill's voice burst out in shock.

-That lunatic... Understood. I'll send half the investigators to your company and I'll head to the hospital with the others. We'll be there in about a minute.

"Yes, sir. Please come in through the ER's back entrance. Jang Bok-Gil told us to come to A Hospital, so they're probably nearby."

-Got it.

As soon as the call ended and I turned the corner, A Hospital came into view. Right as I approached the ER entrance, I spotted a familiar van parked in the lot. It was the same one Jang Bok-Gil had used that morning.

Then, from the front seats, I saw two people quickly duck out of sight. They must have been waiting in ambush just in case they missed Jang So-Yeon earlier. I had worried they might not show up, but luckily, they had.

Now all that was left was for my trap to spring, and for Jang Bok-Gil and his goons to walk right into it.

***

Jang Bok-Gil waited at the ER parking lot in Apgujeong Hospital, ready to take Jang So-Yeon as soon as she arrived. Then he saw Jung Yoon-Ho's car pull in.

"Took him long enough."

Jung Yoon-Ho got out from the driver's side, circled to the passenger side, and lifted Jang So-Yeon into his arms. However, there was blood dripping from her foot.

"What the hell? What's with her?"

Detectives Lee Tae-Jin and Oh Man-Seok frowned.

"She must've hurt herself while running."

"Yeah. That's probably why the talent agent brought her in his car."

Their guess made enough sense that Jang Bok-Gil nodded without suspicion. "Then you two take care of that bastard Jung Yoon-Ho. I'll bring that bitch So-Yeon out myself."

"Roger that."

"Alright. Let's move."

Jang Bok-Gil got out of the van with the other two and headed for the ER.

As the three burly men approached, the security guard at the entrance stepped in their way. "Who are you?"

Jang Bok-Gil flashed his police badge. "We received a tip about an adult runaway and a fraud suspect inside. Please step aside."

The guard looked at the badge, then moved out of the way. Jang Bok-Gil let out a smug chuckle and headed inside.

Each bed in the ER was separated by curtains. After a quick scan, Jang Bok-Gil and the two others approached the nurse at the reception desk.

"Did a young male guardian named Jung Yoon-Ho and a patient named Jang So-Yeon come in? She'd be bleeding from the foot."

The nurse blinked nervously. "W-what's the reason you're looking for them?"

Jang Bok-Gil flashed his badge again.

"We are police. She's a reported runaway and a fraud suspect. Now tell me—which bed is she in?"

"B-Bed three..."

Jang Bok-Gil nodded and marched toward bed three, then flung the curtain open.

Whoosh.

But instead of Jang So-Yeon, Jung Yoon-Ho was lying sideways on the bed.

"You... What the hell?"

"Mr. Jang Bok-Gil, what brings you here?"

"You son of a—where's So-Yeon?! Where is she?!"

Jang Bok-Gil lunged to grab Jung Yoon-Ho's collar, but Jung Yoon-Ho blocked his arm and gripped it tightly. Then he raised his other hand toward the entrance.

"Mr. Seo! Over here!"

"Mr. Seo?"

The trap had sprung perfectly. From the ER entrance, a squad of large men was now charging straight in.

"Shit!"

Jang Bok-Gil tried to shake Jung Yoon-Ho's hand off. But for some reason, he couldn't break free from that grip.

"Let go of me, you bastard!"

Just then, Jung Yoon-Ho said something odd and released his hand. "Mr. Seo, pass!"

Since Jang Bok-Gil had already been trying to pull away, his body tilted backward. At that moment, a gorilla-like prosecutor caught him by the collar and the world flipped upside down without warning.

Grab.

"Nice pass."

Crash.

Pain shot through his back, and his vision began to go black.

***

"Mr. Jang Bok-Gil. You are under arrest for instigating kidnapping, bribery, and other violations of the law..."

Even though Jang Bok-Gil had already been knocked out with a takedown, Seo Jae-Ill dutifully read him his rights. The other two detectives were also being restrained in humiliating positions by the prosecution investigators.

Finally, the schedule entry from Everyday was being deleted at last.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: March 11, 2021]

-2:00 p.m.

(Deleted Schedule Entry: [NEW. Jang So-Yeon]

MBS 2 p.m. News: "Rose Villa Building 2 In Gangnam. Detective A sets his own home on fire in a fit of rage." (Emergency Meeting: Jang So-Yeon suffers second-degree burns on half her face. Book consultation with a burn-specialized dermatologist.))

Only then did I finally get up from the bed and walk over to bed five.

Swish.

I pulled back the curtain, and Jang So-Yeon looked around anxiously.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Take a look. It's all over."

The moment she saw Jang Bok-Gil lying unconscious under Seo Jae-Ill, tears started streaming down her face. With this much crying, I wondered how she would survive in the entertainment world. However, just for today, I decided to let it slide. It had probably been the hardest day of her life.

Then I turned to Nurse Bang Soo-Yung, who had falsely directed them to the wrong bed, and gave her a thumbs-up. Bang Soo-Yung dropped her frightened expression and gave one back. She had helped before since this was one of our partner hospitals, but I still owed her a cake or two.

Just then, Seo Jae-Ill handed Jang Bok-Gil over to another investigator and approached us.

He looked at Jang So-Yeon with genuine sympathy. "Your foot looks pretty bad."

"N-no, I'm fine," Jang So-Yeon gave a nervous smile, insisting she was okay.

"I'm sorry, but once the treatment's over, I'll need your statement."

"Yes, sir."

Then Seo Jae-Ill turned to me. "We've got the guys in Apgujeong too, and with your testimony secured, those three will definitely be indicted. You don't need to worry about that."

"What about So-Yeon's mother? Is she being arrested too?"

Seo Jae-Ill let out a small sigh. "Unfortunately not. She's currently caring for three minors—a senior in high school, a middle schooler, and a four-year-old. Arresting her now would be difficult."

"It's difficult to arrest her?"

"Yes. We typically don't detain both parents at once, especially when there are young children involved. The priority is to make sure they can still be cared for."

Then Jang So-Yeon spoke up. "My mom barely takes care of them. I've been the one raising them. Can't I take them instead?"

Seo Jae-Ill shook his head. "Unfortunately not. Legally, the parents are still the official guardians. If what you're saying is true and your mother isn't caring for them, then the children would likely be split up and sent to group homes under the supervision of social services. If that's what you want, we can proceed that way."

Since Jang So-Yeon had neither a stable income nor a home right now, it would be hard to bring her siblings in even as a family. Jang So-Yeon's face turned pale, but I reassured her. There was a way to handle this.

"Mr. Seo. If So-Yeon proves her income and builds a name as a celebrity, then she can take custody, right?"

"

Hmm

. It's possible, but since celebrities are considered irregular workers, she'll need to be fairly well-known. And I mean well enough that even the judge recognizes her name."

That kind of requirement was something we could work with. However, it did mean Jang So-Yeon's appearance at the Asia Brand Conference the day after tomorrow would have to be canceled. With injuries to both soles of her feet, she probably wouldn't even be able to walk through the venue let alone modelling for Louis' Batton.

That's when Jang So-Yeon said, "Oppa. I want to go to that event the day after tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"I'll go to that and anything else. Please help me debut and get my name out there quickly. Yung-In unnie said if I trust you, everything will be fine."

"You really think you can go like that?"

"Even if I collapse while walking, I'll do it. Please help me."

I was about to suggest she think it over, but one look at her tightly pressed lips made it impossible to say no.

In the end, I nodded. "Alright. The conference is in two days, so you'll only need to make an appearance. Let's give it a shot. But until then, you're getting inpatient treatment."

Jang So-Yeon gave a firm nod. "Yes. I'll do that."

'

That's right, So-Yeon. Let's rise for the sake of bringing your siblings and the youngest away from that awful mother

.'

***

I arrived at the playground in front of Rose Villa located in Gangnam. Since not only Jang So-Yeon's mother but also her siblings hadn't answered their phones, I came here myself to explain what was going on with their eldest sister.

Creak~ creak~

I sat on the swing, waiting for them to show up.

At 4 p.m., two boys in school uniforms arrived, holding the hand of a little girl. From the photo Jang So-Yeon had shown me, I recognized them as Jang Jun-Hyun, the eldest; Jang Myung-Sik, the second; and Jang Yeon-Joo, the youngest.

"

La la~ Na na na

~"

Four-year-old Jang Yeon-Joo had no idea what had happened today. She bounced along cheerfully between her brothers, singing with delight.

I got off the swing and walked over to them. "You kids are So-Yeon's siblings, right?"

Jang Jun-Hyun stepped forward while Jang Myung-Sik protectively pulled Jang Yeon-Joo back.

"Who are you?" Jun-Hyun looked at me with eyes full of suspicion.

I smiled and said, "Your older sister sent me."

Jang Jun-Hyun's face immediately hardened. "We don't have an older sister."

That immediate hostility told me they had probably heard something bad about Jang So-Yeon from their mom.

Just then, little Jang Yeon-Joo suddenly gave a big thumbs-up and shouted brightly, "Oh!!! It's the RamenUncle! Ramen Uncle! Give me Real Ramen!"

Apparently, Jang Yeon-Joo really loved ramen and somehow had even seen the commercial.

However, Jang Myung-Sik pulled Jang Yeon-Joo into a hug and shook his head. "Yeon-Joo, Jun-Hyun hyung is talking right now."

Jang Yeon-Joo pouted. "Okay, oppa. But when's unnie coming? She said she'd show me

Power Tuff Girls

."

As kids do, the conversation jumped around unpredictably.

Jang Myung-Sik hesitated before saying, "Noona... she's not coming anymore."

Jang Yeon-Joo's lip started to quiver. "Why not? Why isn't unnie coming? Did I annoy her too much? Is it because I kept asking for

Power Tuff Girls

?"

"No, no. It's not that. She just... Noona's not coming home anymore."

Jang Myung-Sik was only a first-year in middle school. He was still just a kid himself.

Suddenly, Jang Jun-Hyun raised his voice. "Don't cry, any of you. Noona left us to chase her own life!"

Jang Yeon-Joo sobbed and screamed back. "That's a lie! She said she loved me more than anything in the world... she said that...

Waaaah!

Unnieeeeee!"

Jang Yeon-Joo dropped to the ground and began wailing at the top of her lungs. Jang Jun-Hyun and Jang Myung-Sik panicked, trying to calm her down, but it was no use.

In the end, I knelt down and looked Jang Yeon-Joo in the eyes before speaking gently. "Yeon-Joo, if you keep crying like this... your sister really won't come back, okay?"

Jang Yeon-Joo's sobs began to slow little by little.

"

Hic.

If I don't cry...

hic...

will unnie come back?" Jang Yeon-Joo looked up at me, her tiny shoulders trembling.

"That's right. But your sister's just getting ready to become a celebrity right now, so she can't come for a little while. Okay? So no more tears."

"Okay!" Jang Yeon-Joo wiped her tears and asked, "How many nights do I have to wait for her?"

"

Hmm

... Maybe thirty nights?"

Jang Yeon-Joo tilted her head and looked up at Jang Jun-Hyun. "Oppa, how long is thirty nights?"

"You have to count your ten fingers three times."

"

Ehh

? I don't like that... I wanna see her now. Can't we make it ten nights?"

"Nope. We can't."

Jang Yeon-Joo pouted, but she nodded, knowing she didn't really have a choice.

Once I had finally calmed her down, I quietly whispered to Jang Jun-Hyun, "Jun-Hyun, can we talk alone for a second? Your sister never abandoned you, but it's not something I should say in front of the little ones."

Jang Jun-Hyun sighed as he looked at Jang Myung-Sik and Jang Yeon-Joo. "Alright."

We stepped a short distance away out of earshot, and I explained everything that had happened today.

As he listened, Jang Jun-Hyun's face went pale. "You mean... Mom and our stepdad worked together to use noona?"

"Yes. That's why I'm protecting her now. And this—this is from your sister."

Jang So-Yeon had told me to give all of her one million won she would receive under her name to her siblings.

I pulled out a debit card I had prepared. "She'll deposit one million won into it every month. Don't show it to your mom. Keep it safe and use it to buy meals for you and your siblings. I'll do my best to bring you guys to her soon, so hang in there, okay?"

In truth, I had set the card's limit at over two million won. Yet my plan was to get Jang So-Yeon successful before that money ever ran out, and then bring these kids to her.

Holding the card, Jang Jun-Hyun clenched his jaw. "Hyung... can I video call noona? My phone's too old for that."

"Of course. One sec."

Since Jang So-Yeon's phone was also an outdated mess, I called Do Ran-Hee, who was taking care of her, and asked for a video call.

On screen, we saw Jang So-Yeon sitting on a hospital bed, her feet bandaged after emergency treatment.

[Video Call Ongoing]

-Jun-Hyun!! Are you guys okay?

Even from her hospital bed, she was worried about her siblings. That was enough to melt Jang Jun-Hyun's doubts.

"Noona... are you okay?"

-Yeah. I'll come get you soon. Just hang in there, okay? I swear I will. I'll make it and I'll bring you all to me... Please take care of the others, yeah?

"How can you worry about us right now? We're fine... Just focus on getting better. I'll take care of them."

-Okay. My sweet little brother. I'm counting on you.

"Alright."

Since Jang Jun-Hyun had come around, I let Jang Myung-Sik and Jang Yeon-Joo talk to her too.

Jang Yeon-Joo waved excitedly at the screen.

"Unnie! You're gonna be a celebrity and come back in thirty nights, right?"

-Y-yeah.

"Then hurry up, okay? I miss you!"

-I will.

After the long call ended, I turned to the kids. "Don't tell anyone you saw me today, alright? Got it?"

All three of them nodded.

"Please take good care of our noona."

"I will."

Hearing that from Jang Jun-Hyun, I turned to Jang Yeon-Joo. "And Yeon-Joo, you especially can't tell anyone you met me. If you do, the day you get to see your sister won't be in thirty nights. It could be fifty, or a hundred. So you'll keep our secret, right?"

"

Mm-hm!

I won't even tell Mommy."

"Then let's make a pinky promise."

Jang Yeon-Joo grabbed my pinky with all her tiny strength. "Promise!"

And with that promise to Jang Yeon-Joo's tiny pinky, I vowed to make Jang So-Yeon succeed no matter what. I had to bring these kids back to her as soon as possible.

"Promise!"