Former Mastermind To Chaebol Son-in-Law

Chapter 70

For a Guy Like This

The collapse of RSK, which had led the defense business through supplying military uniforms, proceeded at a rapid pace.

As evidence surfaced concerning slush funds, embezzlement routes, and military officials who had accepted bribes, no one could get away easily.

In the meantime, within Taeshin Group, a draft of an official notice was circulated targeting problematic individuals.

【Taeshin Trading and Affiliates, Subsidiary Personnel Changes】

– Taeshin Trading △△△ Executive Director → Kickback from Partner Companies / Disciplinary Dismissal

– Taeshin Trading △△△ Division Director → Embezzlement and Bribery / Disciplinary Dismissal

– Taeshin Electronics, Hwang Won-jun, Executive Vice President → Kickback from Partner Companies / Disciplinary Dismissal

– Taeshin Construction △△△ Division Director → Embezzlement / Disciplinary Dismissal

– Taeshin Spintech, Lee Chang-hwan, president → Embezzlement and Breach of Duty / Disciplinary Dismissal

.

.

The second son of Taeshin Group, Tae Seok-ho, let out a long sigh after checking the official document on his tablet.

As he had worried, Kang In-hyuk was preparing a major move.

"He's really sharpened his knife. And the timing is impeccable too."

Due to RSK's massive defense industry scandal, any issue within Taeshin Group was bound to get buried.

With those muttered words, Tae Seok-ho turned his gaze outside.

A little past noon. He wasn't in the company, but inside a car.

Not only that—the car had left Seoul completely and had been heading toward the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province for over an hour.

"How much further do we have to go?"

"We should arrive in about fifteen more minutes."

The road was already a quiet country lane.

Going even farther in, they reached an area where construction seemed to have been halted a while ago.

"We've arrived. Just a little walk from here."

"This is quite a hassle."

Tae Seok-ho and his companion got out of the car and, together with security guards belonging to TSS, headed to a place where only concrete frames remained desolate.

After a moment, a foreign man emerged from an abandoned building. Without a word, just with a gesture, he guided Tae Seok-ho and Lee Jae-jun inside.

Shuffle—shuffle—

They went up to the third floor, where a large open space appeared.

There, five foreign men sat on battered sofas and wooden crates.

"Are you Wade?"

The question, in English, pointed at a middle-aged man sitting on the sofa.

"That's me. But why did you bring so many people?"

He glanced at the group of six security guards including Lee Jae-jun.

All exuded a menacing air, surrounding Tae Seok-ho and matching the tense stares of Warborn's mercenaries.

"...... That's none of your concern. Did it really have to be this way? Honestly, it's a bit uncomfortable."

"Are you afraid we'll give up our client if we get caught? Or maybe betray you?"

Since he had requested a 'job' involving a person, it was difficult to deny it.

In fact, Tae Seok-ho had considered not coming at all.

But the draft for personnel changes in the TF division he'd just seen would not let him sit still.

"That's enough. But why hasn't the job been done yet? I believe I've given you plenty of time."

Wade stared straight at Tae Seok-ho.

"You do know there are mercenaries around the target as well?"

At those words, Tae Seok-ho immediately recalled Hong Yu-geon and Van Hester.

"We agreed I'd pay you handsomely—is that a problem?"

"There may be a force similar in scale to ours. Do you really think we can settle this for just one million francs?"

"A force? What do you mean by that?"

He sensed something strange in the conversation.

"...... Do you really not know there's a mercenary unit around the target? There are even more of them than us. Of course, the amount you first proposed isn't enough for this."

"Who, exactly, has been brought in?"

It was still a confusing explanation.

"Haaa! You really didn't know. Those guys are Redfall. Well, it's hard to explain in detail... but let's just say we don't get along. If they were likewise hired, they must already know we're the opposition."

It meant that Kang In-hyuk had noticed Tae Seok-ho's plan and hired them.

"Isn't this because you guys acted so carelessly? You've been dragging this out quite a bit."

"We were being thorough with the handling. If you'd said to go all in from the start, things would have been different."

As the conversation kept going in circles, Tae Seok-ho grew even more frustrated.

"So how much will it cost?"

After a moment of thought, wade held up three fingers.

"We'll need at least this much."

Realizing the meaning, Tae Seok-ho couldn't help furrowing his brow.

"You mean, three million francs?"

"That's the minimum."

"How does it jump three times from one million? Is Warborn in the habit of doubling back on its word?"

Perhaps his pride was touched because Wade's face contorted in displeasure.

"Even if we make a living as contract killers, we're ultimately businessmen. There's no point in taking a loss."

"So you're saying you can't move unless it's for the amount you just mentioned?"

"We have to cover risk premiums, after all."

Tae Seok-ho found himself in a bind. Sure, until recently, raising that amount wouldn't have been difficult.

But now, what with Noah Gardner of H&T Fund missing, his other funds were frozen too.

"I can't put together that money right away. But if you complete the job, I'll give you four million francs including the upfront fee."

Wade and the other mercenaries' eyes sparkled at that moment.

"But we'll take another five hundred thousand francs as an upfront fee. We'll need to be better prepared to face opponents like this."

"Can you really get it done? Without any blowback?"

"We'll take care of it completely. But as for suspicions from the target's relationship with you, that's not on us. Be sure to keep that in mind if things get rough."

Tae Seok-ho nodded.

"That's my business..."

Thud—Thud-thud—

Just then, something flew in from outside and several men collapsed to the floor.

"It's an attack! Everybody prepare!"

It was from the building across.

At Wade's shout, they ducked down urgently and moved frantically.

Meanwhile, a shocked Tae Seok-ho, pulled down by Lee Jae-jun, clutched his pounding chest.

"Wh-What's going on?"

"Looks like they've been tracked. Everyone, protect the executive vice president!"

Some of the security guards had already fallen from gunshots.

The rest, following Lee Jae-jun's orders, formed a protective barrier around Tae Seok-ho.

"What? So the ones you just mentioned are attacking us?"

"We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."

Bang-bang—Bang—

As the gunfight began, debris from the concrete building burst in all directions.

"How are we going to get out of here?"

"Follow me!"

Lee Jae-jun and the security guards picked up the pistols dropped nearby—those of the fallen Warborn mercenaries.

Then, keeping themselves low, they made for the back to try and circle around.

"It's dangerous to get back to the car now, so we'll head into the woods and call for a vehicle. It'll probably take at least twenty minutes on foot."

"How did those guys attack us here? Did they spot our tail?"

"That's what it seems like."

"But why are we going so far out?"

That would be about a four-kilometer distance.

"I haven't detected a cell tower signal for a while. Those attackers must have used a signal-jammer during the assault."

It was obvious they'd come fully prepared.

"Goddamn..."

"For now, let's move."

There were four security guards left, including Lee Jae-jun.

The other two had been shot in the legs or body by the initial bullets and couldn't be brought along.

So the five of them hurried toward the woods, away from the deafening gunfire.

Rustle—

Then, there was a noise from one side.

Lee Jae-jun and the guards, on edge, shifted their gaze that way.

Wham, thud—

But the three guards standing in the opposite direction staggered and dropped to their knees.

"Ugh—!"

"Ugh!"

With groans, palm-sized stones skittered across the ground. They'd been thrown and had hit the guards.

They seemed to have been hit in vital spots and couldn't pull themselves together.

Alarmed, Lee Jae-jun swiftly aimed his loaded pistol in the direction of the presumed attack point.

Swoosh—Wham!

But before he could fire, a stone struck his pistol, knocking it from his grip.

"Urgh..."

Lee Jae-jun moved to grab his pistol again, but then a black figure dropped down onto him from above and knocked him to the ground.

Wham—Whoosh—

Of course, Lee Jae-jun didn't just take it lying down. He moved swiftly to stab at the figure's torso or twist its arm.

But the opponent dodged right in front of him as if anticipating the moves, or easily slipped out and retreated.

After some distance was gained, Lee Jae-jun could finally see the enemy.

"... A skull mask?"

At that muttering, a mechanical, altered, rough voice came from inside the black skull mask.

"Were you Kooou too?"

The skull mask's identity was Kang In-hyuk. Of course, he had also mobilized the mercenary unit, Redfall.

The reason he mentioned 'Kooou' was that Lee Jae-jun had just used the UID combat technique TMT, just like Pyo Jun-woo.

Simultaneously, Lee Jae-jun's expression hardened further.

"So you're not Redfall?"

"You knew right away, so why ask?"

In-hyuk confirmed that Lee Jae-jun's gaze kept darting at the guns of the other men.

A moment of silence.

Then, Lee Jae-jun abruptly lunged—not at the guns, but straight at In-hyuk.

'Going for hand-to-hand combat?'

A knife appeared in Lee Jae-jun's hand, drawn hurriedly from inside his jacket, and the distance between them vanished in an instant.

In-hyuk saw that Lee Jae-jun was aiming for the left lung. He twisted his body slightly to dodge, then grabbed Lee Jae-jun's elbow.

Crack—Wham, snap!

He twisted the elbow into a joint lock while stabbing toward the liver with his right knee.

"Guh—!"

"Did you think you broke my ribs and pierced my lung with that?"

Collapsing onto the ground, Lee Jae-jun could only let out pained gasps, unable even to breathe properly.

Inside the skull mask, In-hyuk threw him a cold look, checking the left hands of Lee Jae-jun and the other security guards.

Only Lee Jae-jun had a peculiar tattoo.

In that moment, his gaze met Tae Seok-ho, who was slumped against a tree in a disheveled state.

The eyes of the mask were painted black like sunglasses, but Tae Seok-ho could tell he was being watched when the mask turned toward him.

'...... Should I kill him?'

He hesitated briefly.

Honestly, today's situation was unexpected.

He'd never imagined Tae Seok-ho would come meet Warborn, whom he'd hired for murder, in person.

"How much are you getting for this? I'll give you tw—two times! No, five times as much, if you team up with me!"

It was natural that Tae Seok-ho couldn't recognize In-hyuk with the mask on.

Thinking he could be bought instead, he kept shouting higher offers.

At the same time, In-hyuk felt bitter inside.

'Did I once work for a guy like this?'

He had seen Tae Seok-ho's true colors during the period when Taeshin Group collapsed, even after bringing revenge on them after being betrayed in his previous life.

In-hyuk picked up the pistol Lee Jae-jun had dropped earlier.

Click, click—

He checked the chamber and magazine.

Not bad.

Tae Seok-ho, swallowing hard, tried to withdraw himself as much as possible, back against the tree.

"Think carefully! It's just business, right? However much that Kang In-hyuk offered, I can add more!"

In-hyuk stared coldly at his pathetic retreat, as if Tae Seok-ho were digging through the earth all the way to the underworld in his desperation.

And slowly, he aimed the pistol at him.

Bang—