Chapter 751: Qualifications of a Parent (2)

The four burly men dragging a suitcase behind them suddenly exploded in furious Chinese. They were none other than Wang Long's personal bodyguards, who had entered the country disguised as staff of the Shanghai New Media Inc. All of them were ex-special forces.

Behind them, Wang Long appeared, striding forward in dark sunglasses.

"Get him."

At Wang Long's command, the bodyguards bowed slightly. Then they rushed in and seized Song Chang-Sik by the arms in a flash.

As the men pinned him down so he couldn't move an inch, Song Chang-Sik's face twisted with fear. "W-What the hell? Who are these people?"

I looked at Song Chang-Sik calmly and replied, "I know very well that people like you never listen to words. A few punches won't change your mind either. So you might as well take this chance to enjoy a little sightseeing in China."

"Ch-China? You're sending me to China?"

I nodded and asked Wang Long for a favor. "Take care of him on the way."

Now standing beside me, Wang Long curled his lips into a cold smile, exuding the aura of a Chinese gang boss. "There's a ship leaving Incheon Port for China this morning. We'll just load him onto that. It's perfect timing, actually. We're short on labor at a mine in Sichuan Province. And for the record, it's about three thousand kilometers from here, so don't even think about running."

As Wang Long explained in surprisingly fluent Korean, Song Chang-Sik's face turned ghostly pale. "Y-You think you'll get away with this? This is a lawful country!"

I chuckled and answered. "Lawful country? Did you think of the law when you beat Mi-Hee and her mother? No, you didn't."

"T-That was..."

"And I gave you a chance. You were the one who threw it away. Isn't that right?"

With those final words, I nodded to Wang Long.

Wang Long grinned and gave instructions to his men. "Gag him and pack him in the suitcase."

The guards dipped their heads in response. "Zhǔnmìng!"

With that formal reply, they set to work. Two of them held Song Chang-Sik down, while another opened the suitcase.

Zip.

The zipper on the massive immigration suitcase screeched as it opened. Another bodyguard took out a gag and blindfold from inside the case.

That was when Song Chang-Sik realized I wasn't bluffing and screamed. "W-Wait! Stop! I won't show up again! I'll disappear, okay?!"

I didn't answer. Sure, Song Chang-Sik was scared now. But once the danger passed, he would go back to his old ways without hesitation.

When I didn't flinch, Song Chang-Sik turned desperately toward Song Mi-Hee and her mother in the audience. "Mi-Hee! Honey! Are you really going to let this happen? You're just going to stand there?!"

At that moment, Lee Yung-Seon shut her eyes tightly, pulled Mi-Hee into her arms, and covered her ears.

"Hey! Hey!"

Just as Song Chang-Sik started shrieking, the bodyguards shoved the gag into his mouth.

Thunk.

"

Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!

"

Then the body guards slipped the blindfold over Song Chang-Sik's eyes.

Wang Long gave his next order in a flat voice. "Put him to sleep with a sedative before you load him onto the ship. And once he's in the car in China, don't remove that blindfold until he arrives in Sichuan."

"Zhǔnmìng!"

The bodyguards lifted Song Chang-Sik like a sack and stuffed him into the suitcase.

"

Mmph, mmph

..."

As Song Chang-Sik thrashed and fought back, the bodyguards took out zip ties and bound him tightly.

Snap.

With that sound, the ties tightened and Song Chang-Sik couldn't move a muscle.

"Close it."

A bodyguard zipped up the massive suitcase.

Zip.

The noise echoed ominously as the case shut. Then one of the guards began spinning it in place.

Rattle, thud.

Rattle. bang.

The suitcase thumped and rocked violently as if Song Chang-Sik was trying to fight his way out from inside. I used the moment to raise my hand.

Screech.

Thud, thud, thud.

The suitcase bounced on the spot before going still.

I glanced over at Wang Long and asked, "Do you think that's enough?"

Wang Long nodded. "Yeah. He's probably scared out of his mind."

"Then go back to playing the heavy."

"Got it."

Wang Long folded his arms again and put on that gangster boss face. With a nod from me, the bodyguards opened the suitcase.

Zip.

Song Chang-Sik flailed weakly inside.

I said, "Take off the blindfold."

A guard complied, peeling it away.

Tears streamed down Song Chang-Sik's face as he looked at me. "

Mmph! Mmph

!"

Seeing the desperation in his eyes, I sighed. "Take out the gag too. Let's hear what he has to say."

The bodyguard nodded and removed the gag.

Pop.

"P-Please, sir. I'll never show my face again. I swear I won't go near either of them ever again. Just this once... please... Please spare me! I was wrong! I'll do whatever you say!"

Song Chang-Sik was sobbing and snotting all over himself, groveling like a broken man.

Nevertheless, I kept a hard expression as I asked, "And why should I believe that?"

Song Chang-Sik trembled and shouted, "Please! I beg you, just give me one more chance!"

I crossed my arms, pretending to consider.

That's when Wang Long chimed in with a scoff. "I'm telling you—guys like this never learn. Let him go today and he'll run straight to the cops. Just hand him over to me. We need bodies at the mine."

Song Chang-Sik shook his head frantically, pale as death. "N-No! If you let me go, I swear I'll never come near here again!"

I looked down at him and said quietly, "Then tomorrow, I'll send someone over. Stamp the divorce papers and send them back. Once the process is finalized, you're never to show your face to either of them again. Can you do that?"

"Yes! I can! I swear I will!"

"And what happened today..."

"I won't say a word about it. I promise."

"No, it's fine if you do. No one's going to believe your side anyway. But just know that if there's any blowback from this, I won't be able to stop what happens next. The Chinese side invested a lot, so they won't sit quietly if things go sideways."

Song Chang-Sik nodded frantically like his life depended on it. "Yes, yes, sir!"

Only then did I turn to Wang Long. "Let him go."

"

Tch

. What a shame. I told you I needed people, didn't I?"

Grumbling, Wang Long raised a hand. With menacing glares, the bodyguards pulled Song Chang-Sik out of the suitcase.

Thump.

They only freed his legs, keeping his hands bound in the zip ties.

Then Wang Long spoke again. "From this moment on, my men will be tailing you in secret. So go ahead—try the police or a broadcast station. If you do, I'll make sure you never set foot in Korea again."

"I-I won't! I promise, sir!"

Wang Long nodded to the bodyguards. "Dump him anywhere nearby."

"Zhǔnmìng!"

The guards hauled Song Chang-Sik out by both arms and led him outside. A wet stain on Song Chang-Sik's pants revealed he had lost control.

Thud.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

When the heavy door closed, Wang Long let out a long sigh and finally dropped his hardened expression. "God, I thought my face was going to spasm."

"You're quite the actor, Wang Long. Ever thought about debuting?"

"No way. I'm not doing that again."

"Still, thanks."

"Don't thank me. This was my business too. But... you sure it's okay to just let him go like that?"

"It's fine. I'll have the guys from the private investigation agency that followed us keep watch. Don't worry."

I thanked Wang Long for helping pull off the performance and made my way back up to the audience.

"It's over now, ma'am."

Song Mi-Hee and her mother slowly opened the eyes they had squeezed shut.

Looking down anxiously at the stage, Lee Yung-Seon asked, "

Um

...But what if he comes back?"

"If that ever happens, just give me a call. I'll take care of it right away. But I doubt he will. Also..." I trailed off and bowed my head to Lee Yung-Seon. "I'm sorry. I wish there had been a better way. I really do."

Startled, Lee Yung-Seon quickly shook her head. "No, no, Mr. Jung. You did everything for us. Please, don't bow."

Song Mi-Hee jumped up in a panic too. "She's right, Mr. Jung. Please, lift your head."

At their urging, I slowly raised my head. In both Song Mi-Hee and Lee Yung-Seon's eyes, I saw a mix of emotions—fear, relief, sadness, and liberation.

"Understood. Ma'am, if anything ever happens again, please don't hesitate to call me. And Mi-Hee."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

"You'll be able to give it your all now, right?"

Wiping her tears, Song Mi-Hee nodded. "Yes, Mr. Jung. I'll give it everything I've got!"

"Good. You got this, Mi-Hee!"

Just like I had promised, I finally cleared away the dark clouds hanging over Song Mi-Hee and her mother.

***

On screen five inside the monitoring room, the situation in Team 5's room was playing out.

"Dae-Joon, turn on the audio for screen five."

"Yes, sir!"

[Screen 5: Audio ON]

Seated at the table, Song Mi-Hee was speaking to her teammates—Lee Ji-Sook, Mari, and Nagai Haruko.

-Guys, are you really okay with me being the team leader?

-Yeah, unnie. None of us have idol experience. We could use your help.

-Honestly, the first week is all about getting used to things, and someone with experience is best for that. Please, Mi-Hee.

-That's right! I need help too!

-Alright, then I'll help.

-Okay, let's vote.

The girls pulled out their tablets and opened the team leader voting app.

Ding.

The results appeared on the central screen in the monitoring room.

[Team 5 Voting Complete: Team Leader – Song Mi-Hee (4 votes)]

With everyone's vote, Song Mi-Hee was now the leader of Team 5. Seeing the result on her own tablet, Song Mi-Hee stood and bowed her head. Now free from the chains her father had placed on her, her eyes shone with renewed light.

At that moment, the kids were all heading to the practice room. The songs and dances they needed to master for the second-week audition were no joke.

Watching the monitors, PD Ji Yung-Sik smiled with satisfaction. "Mi-Hee's eyes look completely different from yesterday. Thank you, Mr. Jung."

I had told Ji Yung-Sik that Song Mi-Hee's father had shown up at dawn and simply said he would never interfere again before leaving. That was all he needed to know.

I shook my head. "I didn't really do anything."

"I don't believe that..."

"

Haha.

I mean it," I deflected with a casual smile.

Ding.

Just then, another team's vote had started. Yet this time, the situation was different from the earlier team.

[Team 1 Vote Failed (No Majority): Go Eun-Seo (1), Han So-Won (1), Yang Bing Bing (1), Kudo Minatsu (1)]

On Screen 1, which showed Room 1, Go Eun-Seo jumped up in frustration.

Ji Yung-Sik ordered, "Turn up the volume on Screen 1."

"Yes, Mr. Ji."

[Screen 1: Sound ON]

Go Eun-Seo pointed at her teammates, shouting furiously.

-You're all really gonna do this?

Yang Bing Bing scoffed as she fired back.

-Why should I vote for you as leader? You're younger and so full of yourself.

-Because I'm obviously the best choice here!

-That's just your opinion!

Then Kudo Minatsu waggled a finger side to side.

-I keep saying, I'm the perfect fit for a leader.

Go Eun-Seo snapped.

-You? As a leader? Don't make me laugh.

-Oh my, Ms. Go Eun-Seo. Do you think shrieking so vulgar like that makes you right? This is an idol audition, not a duck farm.

-What!? You wanna say that again?

Han So-Won let out a heavy sigh as she watched them argue.

-I only voted for myself just because you didn't want to vote for each other, but let's stop fighting. Please. We're being recorded and we need to start practicing. Team 5 already voted and moved on.

Han So-Won had only voted for herself because the others were deadlocked and didn't want to vote for each other.

Ji Yung-Sik chuckled as he watched Team 1 unravel. "This is great. Honestly, that team might never settle on a leader."

However, Ji Yung-Sik was wrong. The game was already decided.

I said, "From what I see, their leader's already chosen."

"What do you mean?"

"When a group's full of stubborn lone wolves... the mediator always ends up being the leader."

They might argue a little longer, but it was obvious how this would end. Yang Bing Bing and Kudo Minatsu were clearly too angry with Go Eun-Seo to ever vote for her, which meant they would both throw their votes to Han So-Won.

"

Hahaha

. Is that so? Now I'm curious if you'll be right again, Mr. Jung."

"Then shall we make a bet?"

Ji Yung-Sik quickly waved his hands. "No way. After seeing Director Han lose, I don't stand a chance against you."

The staff all nodded in agreement.

"No one here's brave enough to bet against Chief Jung.

Hahaha

."

"He's right, Mr. Ji. Don't do it. You'll lose everything."

Laughter filled the monitoring room again.

***

I left Chief Lee Dong-Min in charge of the

Project I.O.A

shoot and headed home. It was just past 1 p.m. when I arrived at the house in Cheonho-dong. I went straight up to the second floor and opened the front door.

Inside, Yoo-Jin was watching the re-run of

Project I.O.A

, shaking the candy-shaped cheer stick she got as a gift yesterday.

"Everybody hush! It's my wish! So-Won, So-Won, Han! So! Won!" [1]

Just then, Miso, who had come home from school, shouted loudly to compete with her mom's energy.

"This is the nation! Our nation, Sung! Na! Ra!" [2]

Since only 132 contestants would be selected, fandoms focused less on clever chants and more on repeating names to boost visibility. Once they became I.O.A, they could always make new official cheer slogans anyway.

"I'm home~"

As I stepped in and took off my shoes, the two of them stopped dancing and greeted me.

"Oppa!"

"Uncle Yoon-Ho!"

"Sorry I'm late. I had some things to handle this morning."

"It's okay. But hurry and open the gifts! Miso's been waiting so long!"

They hadn't opened their White Day gifts from yesterday yet.

Miso stared up at me with bright, excited eyes. "Quick! Quick!"

"Alright."

Grunting a bit, I dragged one box as tall as me and another about knee-high from the storage room into the living room. I opened Miso's tall gift box first.

Zip.

Inside was a giant candy claw machine, where she could move a crane with buttons to grab candy from inside the case.

"Wowww~~ Uncle Yoon-Ho, you're the best!"

Miso gave me a double thumbs-up and celebrated with a shoulder-shimmy dance like she was on a tour bus.

Next, I opened Yoo-Jin's gift box. Inside was a flower basket made of candy art. Each flower had a different color and shape, all crafted from candy.

Yoo-Jin looked deeply moved. "Oppa... this is so beautiful."

Seeing the two's joy made all the effort of picking the right gifts worth it.

That's when Miso pointed to one side of the basket. "Mom, look! It's you and me!"

"

Oh

? You're right!"

I had also commissioned a candy sculpture of Yoo-Jin and Miso hugging each other. I just wanted the two of them to stay this happy, always.

Just then, Miso tilted her head. "But why isn't Uncle Yoon-Ho in it?"

My chest tightened at Miso's words. Her thoughtful little gesture catching me off guard.

"Would you like it if I were in there too?" I asked.

Miso gave me a look like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course! You're family too!"

'

Family

....'

Miso was right. The family should be together.

"I'll call them now and ask to add one more. And we should get one made for Mrs. Jung In-Ji too."

Just like that, a little sun rose on Miso's face. "

Hehehe

~ Uncle Yoon-Ho, you're the best!"

With Miso's double thumbs-up, all the fatigue from my long day vanished in an instant.

***

[

Project I.O.A

Episode 1 peaks at 6.5% viewership ratings.]

[Team 1 selects Han So-Won as leader after intense conflict.]

[33 teams from

Project I.O.A

train nonstop ahead of week-two popularity vote.]

[Will

Hwaranjeon

break 35% this week? (Ep. 18 at 33.1%)]

[

Jiri Mountain

crosses 9.7 million viewers—will Lee Tae-Poong hit 10 million again?]

Three days had passed since

Project I.O.A

began.

Just as I predicted, Team 1 ended up choosing Han So-Won as leader. Yang Bing Bing and Kudo Minatsu had made it clear that they would vote for anyone except Go Eun-Seo. Ironically, it was thanks to Go Eun-Seo that Han So-Won became a leader in this life.

Once all 33 teams were set, the trainees threw themselves into nonstop practice. The production team posted updates through the app, and the stories were polished into news articles that filled nearly half the entertainment section.

And beyond that, the rest of the headlines were all positive coverage for Hoop Entertainment as it prepared for a public stock listing.

I couldn't help but smile.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Kang Eun-Gi appeared beside me.

We were currently on the set for MBS' 'Talk Show! Entertainment World.' Because the show invited the hottest celebrities each week, we had agreed to appear in order to keep the momentum going.

Right now, I had dropped Yoo-Jin, Miso, Deok-Bae, and Han-Ul off in the waiting room and was waiting outside. Kang Eun-Gi had left Chae Mi-Hyun and Chae Seok-Hyun in their own waiting room to come chat here.

"

Project I.O.A

is doing great lately. Have you seen it?" I asked.

"Of course I have. Yeon-Sil and Mom went nuts watching it. They said we should raise Yoon-Seo and Eun-Seo to be male idols."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Looks like you and I are stuck being talent agents until then."

"Come on, they can't even open their eyes properly. You're thinking about their futures already?"

"Hey, they've opened them! Look!"

Kang Eun-Gi pulled out his phone and showed me a photo. Wrapped in baby blankets, the twins were wide-eyed and smiling brightly. Both of them had such striking features that they could be called model newborns.

"Wow. My nephews are handsome."

"Obviously. Look who their dad is~"

Kang Eun-Gi practically beamed with pride, nose in the air. I didn't know when he had turned into such a softie, but this version of him was a hundred times better than the sharp-edged guy from his gang days.

Just then, a short-haired woman in her early twenties approached, handing over some A4 sheets.

"Mr. Jung and Mr. Kang, can you check today's pre-interview questions?"

'

Wait... I know her.

'

She was writer Wang Mi-In. Soon to be a rising star in the variety show world, she was destined to become a top writer in the industry. It was no wonder yesterday's pre-interview questions from Jung Sang-Bong were so thoughtful. They were human, but crafted to catch public interest. It was all thanks to her.

Now, with the company stock about to go public, this was another stroke of good luck.

I greeted her warmly. "It's good to see you, Ms. Wang."

"Oh, Mr. Jung. Nice to meet you too. And here's the question sheet for review..."

"Of course."

I took the sheets from her and gave them a look. However, the content was nothing like what I had received yesterday.

'

What the hell is this?'

The questions were all landmines. For the warm and charming questionnaire from the junior writer to suddenly shift into something this provocative, it meant someone had interfered from above.

Then there was only one possible culprit.

1. Sowon means wish in Korean ☜

2. Nara means nation in Korean ☜