Chapter 194: The Shaking Empire (7)

Shin Jung-woo, who had seen Nam Kun-ho off to the entrance of the residence, remained with his waist bent until the last moment.

It was the moment the bodyguard guarding the residence was about to close the door.

When Nam Kun-ho raised his hand for a moment, everyone stopped their movements.

“Chief Shin.”

Shin Jung-woo raised his head in a low-pitched voice.

“Yes, Chairman.”

Nam Kun-ho scanned Shin Jung-woo slowly with sharp eyes.

After silence flowed for a moment, he spoke as if something was bothersome.

“Actually, this won’t do. Do not just send the boys, but go there yourself and resolve it.”

Shin Jung-woo’s eyes shifted at those words.

“Yes, I understand.”

Nam Kun-ho narrowed his brow and moved his steps toward Shin Jung-woo.

He opened his mouth as he approached closer.

“Even if we are sending him off, should we send him off nicely? Make him spit out everything he knows. You know what I mean, right?”

Shin Jung-woo bowed his head while answering.

“I understand.”

Only then did Nam Kun-ho turn his steps and go inside.

Shin Jung-woo stood in front of the door for a moment and then slowly turned around.

His expression remained the same, but his gaze was sharp.

Getting into the car, he took out his cell phone immediately.

There was no hesitation in his hand as he pressed the call button.

-Yes, Chief.

“I should use personnel from a private firm rather than our security line.”

-About how many people should I gather?

“Ten to fifteen people should be enough.”

-Yes, I understand. Where is the destination?

“I will send the address separately, so please send them there.”

-Understood.

The call ended.

Shin Jung-woo set the destination while starting the car.

After that, he sent the address he had memorized via text.

The vehicle he was in increased its speed as soon as it left Nam Kun-ho’s residence.

The winter night air was very cold.

The streetlight glow on the road flowed long across the window.

He turned his cell phone on again while holding the steering wheel with one hand.

[Butler Kim]

-Yes, Chief.

“I am currently on my way there. Butler, please send out everyone who is at the villa. No one other than Lim Do-hyun should be there tonight.”

-Understood.

When the call was cut off, Shin Jung-woo glanced out the window.

As the night grew deeper, the road gradually became deserted.

As the city noise grew distant, his heartbeat conversely began to fluctuate slightly.

He checked the navigation once in a while.

The destination was Chairman Nam Kun-ho’s secret villa.

It was located in the outskirts of a small local city.

The moment Shin Jung-woo’s car turned a curve, vehicles like black shadows came into sight far away.

Several vehicles were standing at regular intervals without even their headlights on.

The license plates were also unclearly covered.

When Shin Jung-woo’s car stopped, the doors of the cars in front opened and bulky men got out.

Sturdy builds, movements with no waste.

Anyone could see they were people who did rough work.

One of them, who was an acquaintance, approached Shin Jung-woo and bowed his head.

“Chief, it has been a long time.”

Shin Jung-woo merely nodded his head once and opened his mouth.

“Bring out the guy inside.”

As soon as the words ended, the men scattered in an orderly fashion.

Some went quickly to the back door, and the rest to the entrance.

The way they moved while even killing their footsteps was like trained people.

The manager who had spoken with Shin Jung-woo was standing near the villa.

He was huddled up with his hands gathered together.

His face was also pale for some reason.

“Ch-Chief, as you said, everyone has left except for President Lim Do-hyun. Since there is no security personnel either….”

When Butler Kim stuttered, Shin Jung-woo raised his hand and cut him off.

“Good work. You may go in now.”

“Pardon? Yes. Understood.”

“Oh, and you know, right. That nothing happened today.”

“Yes, of course. Of course.”

The manager ran away as if in a hurry.

Shin Jung-woo slowly moved his steps into the villa.

Inside was filled with only silence as if a mouse had died.

Entering the living room, only a small lamp light was subtly illuminating the inside, perhaps turned on intentionally.

At that time, one man approached him.

“He is on the second floor.”

Shin Jung-woo answered.

“Let us finish and move immediately. Move quietly.”

At those words, the men went up the stairs.

Before long, the sound of a door opening was heard from the second-floor hallway.

After that, a short noise was heard, but it did not continue for long.

Shin Jung-woo stopped for a moment before going up the stairs.

In the darkness, nothing was heard except for his own breathing.

Nam Kun-ho’s voice came to mind in his head.

‘Make him spit out everything he knows.’

Behind a fishy smile, he leisurely went up the stairs as if he had no emotions.

***

Inside the bedroom.

Lim Do-hyun, who was sleeping peacefully, was roughly made to sit up.

He struggled so violently that his eyes became bloodshot, but his body that had just woken up was helpless.

“Let go! Who are you guys!”

Someone took out a cloth and gagged Lim Do-hyun’s mouth.

Another man put a black blindfold on him.

Lim Do-hyun struggled while screaming, but the sound coming from his mouth was meaningless.

“…Ugh!”

Even if he struggled to the death, his arm was merely bent by the strong force.

At that time, the sound of footsteps was heard distantly.

Shin Jung-woo slowly crossed the bedroom threshold and looked at Lim Do-hyun as if he were an object.

“It has been a long time. President Lim Do-hyun.”

Lim Do-hyun turned his head toward the side where the sound came from while twisting his body.

Although he could not see ahead because of the blindfold, he recognized who it was by the voice alone.

‘…Shin Jung-woo?’

Shin Jung-woo spoke while averting his gaze from Lim Do-hyun who was struggling.

“Let’s go!”

Several men pulled Lim Do-hyun.

His feet were dragged on the floor and his body collided with things here and there.

When going down the stairs, it was close to being dragged.

Leaving the entrance, cold air brushed his face.

Lim Do-hyun was loaded into the back seat of the vehicle as if being thrown.

The door closed.

The car ran for a long time.

It was difficult to gauge how many times it turned directions in the middle or where it was going at all.

At some point, the car stopped.

Along with the sound of the door opening, an unfamiliar smell stimulated his nose.

It was the smell of damp soil and oil.

Lim Do-hyun was taken out this time as well, led by the strength of several burly men.

His hands were tied, and every time his feet touched the floor, they were scratched by small pebbles.

Screech.

The sound of thick iron scraping.

The air became much damper.

Whether it was a place abandoned for a long time, there was a smell of mold and dust.

They made Lim Do-hyun sit in a chair.

The rope tightened around his body so much that his wrists felt numb.

Finally, Shin Jung-woo’s voice was heard right in front.

“Uncover him.”

The blindfold was removed.

Lim Do-hyun blinked several times before his blurry vision brightened.

When the cloth gagging his mouth was also removed, he inhaled his breath roughly and glared at Shin Jung-woo.

“Are you crazy! You guys, this is kidnapping. If Nam Kun-ho ordered this….”

“Keep quiet. It seems you still cannot judge the situation.”

Shin Jung-woo did not raise his voice.

That conversely came across as more threatening.

He slowly scanned Lim Do-hyun from top to bottom.

Like a person trying to keep a fine appearance in his eyes.

“Your father said to send you off nicely, but…. Well. It seems our Chairman has no intention of doing so.”

“What does that mean?”

The corners of Shin Jung-woo’s mouth rose slightly.

“If you want to go back nicely, we should also receive what we are to receive before that. Don't you think so?”

He reached out and poked Lim Do-hyun’s forehead repeatedly.

“Information that can shake Taeseong Group. The stuff inside your head. That, I mean.”

Lim Do-hyun’s facial muscles hardened.

“Did I not give it already?”

“There must be more besides that, right?”

Shin Jung-woo wore a fishy smile and tilted his head slightly.

It was an expression as if asking if he still had not grasped the situation.

“President Lim. Those words do not work here right now.”

Lim Do-hyun gritted his teeth.

“If you guys come out like this… know that I will not just let it go either.”

Thud.

A punch flew in.

Lim Do-hyun’s face turned to the side.

Whether his mouth had burst, he tasted blood.

His tied body was precarious as if it would fall while staggering in the chair.

“Argh…!”

Shin Jung-woo did not even blink.

He turned to the side and gave a short instruction.

“Do just enough so he doesn’t die.”

Two bulky men approached closer.

This time, they rushed at Lim Do-hyun not with just fists, but as if they would break the person.

When a fierce punch struck his ribs, his breath caught with a gasp.

“…Ugh.”

Groaning sounds came out of their own accord.

As Lim Do-hyun even panted for breath, another blow struck his chest.

Whether it was intentional, they struck the hit spot repeatedly.

His body tried to huddle up reflexively, but it was not allowed thanks to being tied.

Being hit while tied to a chair was not only painful but also made a person helpless.

Only after indiscriminate violence was inflicted several times did Shin Jung-woo speak in a low voice.

“Are you coming to your senses now? That is why you should have grasped the situation well.”

Lim Do-hyun lifted his head with difficulty.

Anger surged up, but something else wrapped around his whole body.

Fear.

For the first time, he found it difficult to even swallow his breath due to the fear that he might die.

When there was no answer, Shin Jung-woo lightly waved his finger in the air as if indifferent.

“It seems we are still far off. Keep going.”

The violence continued again.

Once, twice, three times.

The sense of time became blurry.

Lim Do-hyun was at a point where his mind was hazy from a certain moment.

Now, dread took precedence and even his mind was swallowed by fear.

His body gradually stopped listening.

His head went blank.

It felt as if this state would continue forever if he did not say something even as a lie.

The kind of desperation he felt for the first time in his life.

It was the moment his pride, which had pretended to be strong, was cruelly broken.

Lim Do-hyun spoke with a trembling voice.

“Wa… Wait… Just a moment….”

Shin Jung-woo raised his hand and made them stop.

The violence finally stopped.

When silence flowed for a moment, that conversely came across as a greater pressure.

Shin Jung-woo’s voice was heard from nearby.

“Yes. It seems you now have the intention to speak. Shall we listen for once?”

Lim Do-hyun’s lips trembled.

He was about to say something, whether true or false, while urgently combining something in his head.

A siren sound was heard from afar.

It was a faint but clear sound.

Because the warehouse wall was thick, it was to the extent that it sounded like a mistake, but the sound grew larger.

Shin Jung-woo’s gaze wavered fiercely for the first time.

“…What?”

The iron door opened with a bang.

A strong light scanned the inside of the warehouse.

At the same time, a thick voice shook the inside.

“Everyone, do not move. It’s the police!”

Those dressed in police uniforms entered in an orderly fashion and caught those trying to run away one by one.

Soon, a woman wearing a black coat slowly entered the inside.

It was prosecutor Son Yu-jin.

Whether he knew who she was, the corners of Shin Jung-woo’s mouth twisted.

A fishy laugh as if this situation itself was absurd.

“Wow. You’ve really caused a major incident. Haven't you, Mr. Shin Jung-woo!”

Son Yu-jin looked at President Lim Do-hyun and then turned her head to Shin Jung-woo.

“You must be surprised that I appeared suddenly. You know Yeongnam Marine Industry, right? I happened to secure evidence that you exercised influence so that parts were used illegally through Mr. Byun Do-shik there. Hahaha. ”

Son Yu-jin laughed heartily as if this situation was very enjoyable.

After that, she continued her words while looking at Shin Jung-woo.

“Wow. But what should we do about this? It seems one more charge will be added.”

Son Yu-jin’s voice echoed coldly through the warehouse.

“Using violence against President Lim Do-hyun. It is clearly being caught in the act. Come on, let’s do this quickly.”

The police rushed at Shin Jung-woo.

Handcuffs were placed on his wrists.

When Shin Jung-woo tried to resist by twisting his body, Son Yu-jin shot a sharp gaze at him.

“Let’s go nicely. Let’s not make each other tired. Come on, move!”