Chapter 178: Cracks in HWS (9)

Reed’s voice lowered.

“Seeing as you brought this much data, you must have something you want to get, right?”

Hamilton inhaled for a moment and then exhaled.

“I will not ask to get my position back.”

He shook his head lightly.

“I love this region. I came to see you like this because I could no longer stand by and watch what they are doing.”

Reed let out a short laugh.

Those words were no different from asking him to punish them instead of himself.

A picture was drawn in Reed’s mind.

The picture of regional jobs becoming endangered due to the unilateral decision of foreign capital was a quite useful subject.

A faint smile was drawn on the corner of Thomas Reed’s mouth.

“Jobs, foreign capital, safety, and the regional economy…. Not bad.”

At those words, Hamilton nodded his head in relief.

***

Meanwhile, at the same time.

I, Lim Hyunjun, was on the plane returning to Korea.

Last night, I ended up not even closing my eyes to finish the work related to HWS.

I could not even try lying on the bed and practically stayed up all night moving back and forth between the laptop and the tablet in the drawing room.

Endless white clouds were spread out through the window.

From the seat next to me, Choi Seo-jun spoke cautiously.

“Representative, please rest now.”

However, instead of an answer, I flipped the screen of the tablet.

I blinked my eyes for the meeting that would follow immediately after arriving in Korea.

“I am almost done.”

Although I said so with my mouth, fatigue was already deeply embedded in my voice.

As I looked at the screen once more, my finger stopped at some point.

My head slid back and leaned against the backrest.

Only minute sounds of breathing flowed out.

Choi Seo-jun cautiously reached out his hand and took the tablet from my hand.

Lest I might wake up, he even reduced the sound of his breathing while turning off the screen and lowering it onto his lap.

General Hong, who was sitting across the aisle, made a gesture with his head.

Choi Seo-jun understood it perfectly and nodded his head.

Choi Seo-jun stood up from his seat and took out a blanket.

Then, he covered me up to the vicinity of my chest.

He said in a small voice.

“Shh!”

The team members sitting nearby also nodded their heads and lowered their voices.

Even the sound of flipping documents was cautious.

Perhaps I was very tired, as I soon let out a deep breath and fell into a deep sleep.

Choi Seo-jun watched that sight and then returned to his seat and sat down quietly.

‘There hasn’t been a single day he rested comfortably since coming to the US.’

Washington and Philadelphia, FMS, and even HWS.

The schedule completed during those short days flashed through his mind.

Now the plane was heading toward Korea.

Choi Seo-jun also knew well that another matter was waiting there.

‘When we arrive in Korea, Taeseong will fluctuate greatly.’

I, the party concerned, was sleeping so deeply that I would not even dream for a while, but the hearts of the people watching me became heavier instead.

***

Hye-seon, who returned to Korea first, headed home as soon as she arrived.

That place was the residence of Chairman Lim Man-seok.

The first-floor drawing room overlooks the wide garden.

Teacups were placed neatly on the table under the dim lighting, but the expressions of the people sitting in this spot at this late hour were telling that it was not an ordinary family gathering.

Lim Man-seok, who was standing by the window, slowly turned his body.

“Are you here?”

Lim Hye-seon, who just entered the entrance, bowed her head.

Strength was entering her hand holding the coat she had taken off.

“I am back, Father.”

“Yes, you worked hard.”

A short and weighty word.

That was all.

As Hye-seon took a seat on the sofa and sat down, Lim Man-seok called the housekeeper.

“Do-kyung’s family will also be here soon, so open the door for them.”

“Yes.”

A moment later, a sign of presence was heard from the front door.

Lim Do-kyung and Kang Ji-yeon entered the drawing room.

They came here again following just yesterday, but their hearts were heavier.

They sat down after greeting quietly.

Silence flowed for a while.

Steam rose from the teacups.

The person who opened his mouth first was Lim Man-seok.

A low and solid voice echoed in the drawing room.

“Hye-seon, what is it that you have to say after calling everyone together?”

Hye-seon placed both hands neatly on her lap.

Strength kept trying to enter her hands.

That was how heavy the words she had to say were.

“Father, I heard a story in the US that cannot be simply overlooked.”

She caught her breath for a moment.

“I also called Do-kyung’s family because it is a story that the family must hear together.”

Lim Man-seok’s gaze deepened.

“Tell me what is going on.”

Hye-seon looked at her father’s face and then moved her gaze to Lim Do-kyung and Kang Ji-yeon.

“It is about Hyunjun.”

At those words, Kang Ji-yeon’s shoulders trembled at once.

“Did something happen to Hyunjun?”

Lim Do-kyung also asked in surprise.

“Nuna, what do you mean by that? About Hyunjun?”

Hye-seon began to explain calmly.

“You all probably saw it on the broadcast, but at the White House banquet, the US President was on very close terms with Hyunjun. On that day, the President called Hyunjun separately.”

Lim Man-seok made a somewhat surprised expression.

“The President himself?”

“Yes. According to Hyunjun, it seems the US government had been tracking Al-Jahad all this time. And the incident where Hyunjun was seriously injured in Iraq… is related to Do-hyun.”

Everyone was so surprised by her words that they even lost their words for a moment.

Hye-seon caught her breath for a moment and then continued her words.

“You probably know that the organization moving Al-Jahad is the Onyx Crow. The person who commissioned that Onyx Crow to kill Hyunjun was Do-hyun.”

In an instant, the air in the drawing room froze.

The sound of the wall clock’s second hand was heard particularly loudly.

Do-kyung opened his mouth first.

“Wait a minute, Nuna. What does that mean? That Do-hyun tried to kill Hyunjun….”

“Yes.”

Hye-seon’s voice echoed in the drawing room.

She gripped her hands even harder.

“It seems that when they tracked Onyx Crow, who is no different from the head of Al-Jahad, the South Korean funding source was also revealed there.”

Lim Man-seok’s face hardened stiffly.

“So you are saying Do-hyun did that deed?”

Kang Ji-yeon’s face turned white in an instant.

Hye-seon looked at her younger brother and his wife.

“I also found it hard to believe after hearing it at first. However, the fact that the US President informed Hyunjun of such a fact… means there is not much time left.”

It became quiet inside the drawing room again.

In that silence, Lim Man-seok’s gaze slowly changed.

From shock to anger, and then a deep sense of futility rushed in.

“How… could he join hands with terrorists saying he would kill his nephew!”

A lot of strength was loaded at the end of his words.

Tears welled up in Kang Ji-yeon’s eyes.

Hye-seon closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them.

“It seems they have not informed the South Korean government yet. However, we must move first before the US steps forward.”

As Hye-seon’s words fell, silence flowed in the drawing room again.

However, this time, they were not silent because they were shocked.

She straightened her back and said with a solid gaze.

“Father.”

Lim Man-seok raised his head.

“Tell me.”

“From now on, we must put aside the word family for a moment and set the order first. Since the representative of Taeseong is currently me, I will take the lead in settling this matter.”

She continued her words without a moment’s hesitation.

“First, we must clearly draw the line between the youngest and Taeseong. Even if he is family internally, we must make it clear to the outside that it is an individual’s illegal act unrelated to Taeseong’s will. Otherwise, the entire Taeseong could be branded as a group involved in terrorism.”

Do-kyung said weakly.

“…It won’t be easy.”

Hye-seon looked at her younger brother for a moment.

Her voice was still calm, but solidness was harbored in it.

“Do-kyung, from this moment on, Do-hyun is not family but a risk factor. Emotion is a later problem, and we must prevent Taeseong from collapsing.”

Lim Man-seok’s gaze deepened.

It was as if he were measuring how far his daughter had thought.

“So, what is your thought?”

Hye-seon gathered her hands neatly and said.

“First, the youngest must be immediately separated from the management front of Taeseong Construction. Whether it is a voluntary resignation or a suspension of duties, we must quickly reach a conclusion internally and take action tomorrow morning.”

Kang Ji-yeon gasped.

She does not know company matters well, but she also vaguely felt that it was not something that could be done easily.

Hye-seon continued to carry on her words.

“If the US officially moves, at that time, whatever we do will only be seen as an excuse by the world. It is better to take action quickly internally before the incident is revealed.”

She picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then said.

“Second, we must activate the legal team and the compliance organization. Not only Taeseong Construction but also overseas paper companies, special purpose vehicles, and even the details of funds that have moved all this time must all be checked again. We must first organize the fund flows that the US can take issue with.”

Do-kyung asked as if he finally came to his senses a little.

“That means let’s check it ourselves first?”

“That’s right. It is better for us to identify the truly wrong parts first. That way, we can also prepare.”

Hye-seon caught her breath one last time and continued her words.

“Third is Hyunjun.”

The gazes of the three people headed toward her simultaneously.

“The fact that the President informed Hyunjun of this fact first means the US does not see that child as just a victim. They will probably keep in contact through various channels from now on. He could become a negotiation card for someone, and he will be good bait for the media.”

Tears welled up in Kang Ji-yeon’s eyes again.

She took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

Hye-seon, who saw that sight, felt her heart ache, but now was the time to judge rationally rather than emotionally.

“First, I will attach a security team as soon as he arrives in Korea, and I will also reduce his movement to a minimum. I will also control his media exposure. We must protect Hyunjun as much as possible. If Do-hyun finds out, he will not leave Hyunjun alone.”

Hye-seon’s gaze headed toward her father.

“Father, in this matter alone, protecting Hyunjun will perhaps become the way to protect Taeseong. That child is a witness and a victim of this incident. Depending on how we protect him, both Hyunjun’s life and Taeseong’s future will change.”

Lim Man-seok’s expression hardened.

“So you are saying you will step forward first?”

“Yes.”

Hye-seon answered without swaying even an inch.

“The current representative of Taeseong is me. If it is an incident the youngest committed, it is also my share to ask for responsibility and organize it. I will also take charge of the response with the US government. Father, please make a decision in the name of Taeseong.”

The drawing room became quiet again.

However, the atmosphere became a little different from the first time.

Lim Man-seok slowly released his clasped hands and let out a long sigh.

“Hye-seon.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Since you said you would step to the front, I will help with the rest. I will organize the problem of Do-hyun. However, in this matter, as you said, we must not mix emotions. We must save Taeseong as it is, and we must make him pay for his crimes as they are.”

Do-kyung still had a complicated expression, but he finally nodded his head.

“If Nuna takes the lead, I will also help as much as possible.”

Hye-seon said with an expression more solid than anyone else’s.

“Do-kyung, you protect the Taeseong Electronics business line. At a time like this, there must be no setbacks in the business being conducted.”

She spoke while looking around at the three people one last time.

“From now on, Taeseong is standing at a crossroads of choice. Whether to embrace the person who committed a crime and go together, or to cut him off and ask for responsibility.”

A short silence flowed, and a voice like a declaration flowed out from Hye-seon’s mouth.

“I will choose the latter.”