—
Chapter 39: For the Bastard Who Provoked
—
Morning came.
Shin-woo stepped out of a taxi in front of his office building.
As he entered the lobby, the footsteps of those passing by came to a halt.
Feeling something was off, Shin-woo followed their gazes and frowned when he saw the man standing in front of the elevator.
“Ah.”
It was Jang Man-soo, dressed in a shiny hot-pink suit from head to toe.
‘Should I really find that hidden wardrobe of his and set it on fire? Or maybe I should ask Lillian to install an incendiary bomb there…’
Knowing Lillian, she wouldn’t just agree; she’d probably blow up his entire workshop.
Lost in thought, Shin-woo stood at a distance, watching Jang Man-soo take the elevator up before he followed.
A short while later, when Shin-woo entered the office, Jang Man-soo approached, dramatically flapping the hem of his hot-pink jacket.
“Hey―! Shin-woo! We caught a rat last night!”
Shin-woo, who had been scowling, tilted his head at those words.
“A rat? Unit 666?”
“No, I’m talking about Myung Un-seok. We’re still pinpointing where the leak originated, but he sent Telecom project data to other second- and third-generation chaebols.”
Jang Man-soo had tracked it down, starting with last night’s alert.
“Can you trace where the data went?”
“You just need to infect critical files with LEUCO. Of course, you’ll need to configure it with a higher security level.”
“Can infection alone enable tracking?”
“Ah, not for offline devices like USBs. But if those devices are plugged into an online machine, it works.”
Shin-woo now fully understood why the National Intelligence Service had targeted LEUCO in his previous life.
“Can you estimate how widespread LEUCO is in the country right now?”
“That’s impossible to check at the moment.”
“Why?”
“You’d have to scan the entire network for connected devices. If we tried to aggregate that data here, the MH Group’s servers might literally explode.”
It was the most serious response Jang Man-soo had given yet.
LEUCO spread like a virus, infecting devices endlessly, making its scale unimaginably large.
“Ah… it’s that bad?”
“Of course! Unless you’re using a supercomputer, I can only run it in my workshop occasionally. And the electricity bill is insane.”
Such a response could only come from personal experience.
“…You’ve done it before, haven’t you?”
“Once, last year. The server equipment was completely fried, there was a blackout in the area, and the electricity bill was through the roof. And even then, we couldn’t get a proper count.”
Shin-woo patted Jang Man-soo on the shoulder.
Tap― Tap―
“You must’ve had a hard time.”
“But honestly, there’s no need to aggregate everything. It’s probably spread to most places already. Of course, I still need key files or coordinates to access them.”
Even LEUCO wasn’t omnipotent.
Shin-woo fully understood its limitations and planned accordingly.
“Now that we’ve got the funds, why not build a new workshop to relocate your operations?”
“My current workshop?”
“You can customize it to your specs and get new equipment.”
Currently, Jang Man-soo owned 42% of Livio Soft’s shares.
Converted to Korean won, that amounted to about 2.3 trillion.
Livio Soft was also stabilizing its operations as its stock price soared post-IPO. With a genius like Jang Man-soo providing support, further growth was guaranteed.
“Hmm… It’s not a bad idea, but it sounds like a hassle. There’s so much stuff to move.”
“The workload will only increase over time. Moving to a safer and more practical space now is a good idea.”
While persuading him, Shin-woo glanced at Jang Man-soo’s hot-pink suit.
‘I’ll make sure to find that hidden wardrobe during the move and get rid of it all.’
His real objective lay elsewhere.
The constant stares from others whenever they ate at the company cafeteria together were also a significant reason.
“I’ll think about it.”
However, Jang Man-soo, seemingly oblivious to Shin-woo’s ulterior motives, responded positively.
At that moment, the office door opened, and Lillian walked in.
“Hey∼ Good Mor… What the fu―!”
Lillian froze in shock upon seeing Jang Man-soo’s outfit.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Crazy! Jang Man-soo! You came to work looking like that?”
“Why are you starting a fight out of nowhere?”
“It’s not a fight… Where do you even buy clothes like that? Don’t tell me you make them yourself?”
“I bought this with my own money, okay?!”
“You’re telling me there’s an actual store that sells stuff like that? Or is it not the clothes, but the person wearing them that’s the problem?”
As she spoke, Lillian alternated between pointing at Jang Man-soo’s face and his outfit with her palm.
Feeling thoroughly insulted, Jang Man-soo raised his voice.
Watching them argue again, Shin-woo let out a sigh.
“Can’t these two go a single day without fighting? Were you guys a married couple in your past life or something?”
“What?! Captain! Are you crazy?”
“Are you nuts?!”
Despite their loud argument, they seemed to have heard Shin-woo’s comment and yelled in unison.
“If you don’t want misunderstandings, keep it down. And Man-soo, explain the situation you told me about earlier to Lillian.”
“Ugh―!”
“What is it? What’s going on?”
“It seems like some rats are trying to dine with us.”
Jang Man-soo begrudgingly explained the findings from his investigation to Lillian.
“This is serious. Judging by the circumstances, it looks like they’re trying to piggyback on Shin-woo’s investment project.”
“Probably. But they might have other motives too.”
“So, what’s the plan? We’re already pressed with the TSF matter.”
Unit 666 was linked to TSF Investment. Of course, even knowing that, attacking them outright was not feasible.
Finding out how far Unit 666 had spread through TSF was critical.
“Man-soo’s still investigating that. Have you found anything so far?”
“TSF? On the surface, it looks like any other investment firm. But I did uncover recent stock manipulations. Familiar names popped up.”
A few names appeared on the computer screen.
【Oseyang Industrial】
【Haenam Distribution】
.
.
Shin-woo recognized the names of the companies.
“These are the companies we’ve profited from, aren’t they?”
“TSF took the biggest cut. We came second.”
“So, they were the ones leading the operation.”
“And we cluelessly stepped in. But if it was under the MH Group’s name, they must’ve known we piggybacked on it.”
Meanwhile, Shin-woo organized the situation in his head.
“The attempt on my life last time wasn’t Myung In-chul’s doing. It seems they tried to eliminate me because we interfered.”
“Aha―! You got in the way of TSF’s plan.”
Lillian, who had been quiet for a moment, joined in.
“Which means they might do it again. Shouldn’t we strike first?”
“Things are still quiet. If they wanted to make a move, they’d have acted while I was in the hospital.”
From the hospital to now, Shin-woo had been moving alone, observing the situation, but he hadn’t noticed any surveillance or tails.
“Then? Should we just keep waiting?”
“Have you ever seen us wait when we know who the enemy is?”
Lillian answered for him from the side.
“You want to hit them directly?”
“How?”
“Can you identify the stocks TSF is currently targeting in their operation?”
“Tracking TSF’s financial flows should make it possible.”
“Let’s proceed with aggressive investments from now on. Specifically, in the stocks they’re targeting.”
Jang Man-soo immediately understood Shin-woo’s intent.
“So, you’re saying we should overturn their plans completely. Okay―! Let’s clean them out!”
“Shake them up thoroughly!”
With those words, Shin-woo turned to Lillian.
“Lillian, you handle Telecom. Stick to the plan without changes.”
“Then I’ll need to make a trip to the U.S.”
“I’m counting on you.”
***
The Korean branch of TSF Investment was located near Gangnam Station.
In the branch manager’s office on the top floor, Kwak Chi-young was reviewing some documents.
“Hmm… The only suspicious thing in Baek Shin-woo’s profile is… his military service record?”
Standing across the desk was Park Sang-kyu, Myung In-chul’s secretary and bodyguard.
“For now, yes. Judging by how our KITE Special Security Team couldn’t properly fight him, it’s clear he’s received specialized training.”
“…But military logistics? That doesn’t add up.”
“We suspect he might have been part of a special forces unit under the Ministry of National Defense or the Army Headquarters. However, no records have been found in those areas.”
Kwak Chi-young closed the file he was reading.
“He’s a man full of mysteries.”
“We’ve tried tailing him and planting trackers under Myung In-chul’s orders, but every attempt failed.”
“Oh?”
“As a result, we have no information about his movements outside the company.”
“He’s not with the National Intelligence Service, is he?”
The activities of TSF Investment and Unit 666 in South Korea couldn’t afford to reach the National Intelligence Service.
“We checked just in case, but there doesn’t seem to be any connection. Military and intelligence agencies are natural rivals, after all.”
Though both organizations serve to protect the country, they never reveal their domains to one another. This has led to frequent clashes, making collaboration difficult.
“Indeed. Then we’ll assume he’s a former special forces operative. Besides that, the only notable connection is through Livio Soft and Lillian Foster, who works under Baek Shin-woo.”
“As for Lillian Foster, she doesn’t stand out much compared to Baek Shin-woo. Her only noteworthy detail is being the secretary of Dale Becker, Livio Soft’s CEO.”
“Her Stanford graduation records indicate she’s quite talented. She might have recognized Baek Shin-woo’s potential and chosen to work under him.”
“For now, that’s our assessment.”
Kwak Chi-young nodded as if making a decision.
“Could you quietly arrange a meeting?”
“That’s a bit tricky. We can’t track him outside the company, and at his residence, Myung In-chul’s special security team under my command is monitoring him. While they’re not an issue, Baek Shin-woo might deduce our connection to Myung In-chul, and the story could reach him.”
“They’re being bothersome. Still, make it happen. Even if the conversation goes awry, it might force Myung In-chul to realize some things.”
Park Sang-kyu bowed his head.
“I’ll arrange something as soon as possible. Also, Myung Un-seok seems to be causing trouble.”
As Kwak Chi-young glanced at him, Park Sang-kyu continued his explanation.
“Recently, he obtained Shin-woo’s investment project and has been attempting to piggyback on it through gatherings of second- and third-generation chaebol heirs.”
“Can’t win the game on his own, so he wants a free ride?”
“They’re all from influential families. If they act together, Shin-woo’s expected profits might turn into losses.”
Stock market operations are like building and collapsing sandcastles. The key is how adeptly someone removes the sand without causing a collapse.
However, there’s no turn order in this game. Anyone who removes too much sand too quickly will leave the next player to suffer the consequences.
“Where is it?”
“It’s Telecom, an IT company in New York. Recently, its stock has been declining, but it appears they’re developing new technology… though its success is uncertain.”
“And Shin-woo is eyeing it. Do you think it’ll succeed? Or is it hard for a non-expert to judge?”
Park Sang-kyu wasn’t a businessman but a bodyguard specializing in combat. Although he handled administrative tasks, he wasn’t at an expert level.
“They say it’s a challenging technology.”
“Let’s leave it for now. It’ll be an opportunity to gauge his value.”
“As you wish.”
With that reply, Park Sang-kyu exited the office.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment