VDN Ch 70

Seo-oh was more focused than ever as he carefully read the post. Then, he opened a notepad and summarized the main points he had seen earlier:

1. Eel (especially the tail) – the best
2. Hanwoo (Korean beef)
3. Cucumber

Next, Seo-oh opened his budget app. How much was left for living expenses this month? After checking his bank balance, Seo-oh added more notes.

1. Eel (especially the tail) – the best. It might be possible with part-time earnings or scholarships. However, it has many bones, so he should check with Hyung if he likes it.
2. Hanwoo – Possible with part-time earnings or scholarships. Slightly more expensive than eel. Hyung might need to eat a little due to the cost. There’s also an option to buy it from the market and cook it at home.
3. Cucumber – The cheapest option.

Seo-oh had a busy night, so he decided to try making pickled lettuce today. However, after reading that lettuce can cause drowsiness, he realized it might not have been the best choice. Although he wanted to try all the recommended foods, their limited budget made it impossible. Eel and Hanwoo were out of the question. Cucumber seemed like the best option. Seo-oh was lost in his phone, forgetting about tutoring preparations.

***

Upon arriving at the office, Nam-woon gathered the few employees present.”

“Young master, what is it?”

Deok-chil, who had been lying on the sofa aimlessly clicking the TV remote, sat up and asked. Nam-woon held out his phone.

“We got our first case for the detective agency. We haven’t had much work lately, right? If we handle this well, we can get a handsome success fee. See this location? Try to find out where it is.”

Nam-woon pointed to a place in Gangnam.

Deok-chil, who had taken the phone and was reading the conversation, suddenly stiffened. He silently passed the phone to Yong-deuk behind him. Nam-woon asked, puzzled.

Their reactions were strange.

“…….”

Deok-chil fidgeted nervously, glancing at Yong-deuk, while Jang-mi tilted his head, pretending not to know anything. It was clearly an act. Yong-deuk, returning the phone to Nam-woon, asked in his usual stiff tone:

“Who did you receive the request from?”

“There is a crazy guy running a restaurant, and Park Chun-gil apparently ran off with his money. So, do you know where it is?”

“We’re not sure either.”

“…Is that so?”

Nam-woon, eyeing them suspiciously, deliberately stomped loudly down the stairs, then muffled his footsteps and crept back up, pressing his ear flat against the door. Deok-chil’s voice came from inside:

“Yong-deuk Hyung, about that text message earlier. Do you think the young master might know something about the trait drugs and is asking us?”

“That’s unlikely.”

Yong-deuk answered decisively. Jang-mi’s hoarse voice followed.

“But what if the young master becomes interested in the Chairman’s business while looking for Park Chun-gil? What if he asks to be involved in that work?”

At that moment, something hit Nam-woon’s foot with a thud. It was a delivery box placed in front of the office. Simultaneously, the voice from inside abruptly cut off, and Jang-mi’s voice asking, “What should we eat for dinner tonight?” was followed by Deok-chil’s reply, “How about kimchi?”

Ugh, they found out

Nam-woon stayed put for a while. As their meaningless chatter continued, he carefully slipped his phone’s voice recorder under the door crack and went outside the building. Deok-chil approached the window, craned his neck out, and scanned outside. He saw Nam-woon pedaling away on his bicycle.

“Looks like he’s gone.”

Only then did Jang-mi relax and raise his voice towards Yong-deuk.

“You said it yourself before, Hyung-nim! If by any chance the young master gets involved in the trait drug business, the Chairman will definitely discard him like a pawn! You said he could end up in jail!”

“That’s what I said. But the young master now… he’s different somehow. Anyway, he won’t get involved.”

“Huh? What does that mean? That’s different from what you said before. I’ve kept it completely secret from the young master based on your words.”

Deok-chil suggested from the side.

“Then shouldn’t we tell him? It’s okay since he won’t take an interest in this stuff anymore, right?”

“The Chairman hasn’t told the young master either. Who are we to flap our mouths?”

“That may be true, but the Chairman doesn’t breathe a word because he thinks the young master is useless! Even just a little hint so he knows… It feels uncomfortable, just us knowing!”

“We shouldn’t say anything more now. It’s better for the young master to remain completely unaware.”

Deok-chil blinked at those words.

“Why?”

Yong-deuk didn’t answer, turning his head instead. His gaze fixed on the desk where Kwon Seo-oh used to sit.

After collecting his phone and listening to the recording of Yong-deuk’s group’s conversation, Nam-woon immediately hopped on his bike and headed to the Umpyeong Center. When he showed them Park Chun-gil’s chat log conversation, an employee there went, “Huh?”

“This looks like Pera.”

“Pera?”

“Yeah. A club in Gangnam. You don’t know it? You even snuck out to clubs often back when you used to meet Su-in.”

“Don’t remember.”

At Nam-woon’s confident answer, Umpyeong looked at him strangely. They continued speaking after reading the rest of the conversation displayed on the phone.

“Pretty sure this is a trait drug deal. That club’s been handling those trades lately.”

“That’s illegal, right?”

“Obviously. But these days, places like clubs trade them under the table. Crazy expensive prices too.”

“Do they even work?”

“Dunno? Never seen a single review saying it worked. Honestly, it seems like a scam to me.”

Worry clouded Nam-woon’s face. What he could infer from Yong-deuk’s conversation earlier.

Chairman Seok is involved in developing trait-altering drugs.

Chairman Seok was a recessive alpha. According to the novel, he was very interested in traits and was expanding his business in that field. The perfume shop was one part of it. Although it was mentioned that he was secretly involved in illegal activities, it was not exactly specified what that was.

Moreover, the main reason the villain Seok Nam-woon in the novel was buried alive was because he tried to turn Kwon Seo-oh into an omega.

Jin Hae-geon publicly told people that omega pheromones were repulsive and that just smelling them would kill his dick. He even told Kwon Seo-oh that. Seok Nam-woon thought the only reason Jin Hae-geon was interested in Kwon Seo-oh and not himself was because of his alpha trait.

The thoughts stemming from that gradually spread in a bad direction. It was the outburst of a long-accumulated inferiority complex. In the end, Seok Nam-woon came up with a bizarre plan to turn Kwon Seo-oh into an omega, and true to his villain role, he met a miserable end.

Ugh. Of all people to possess, it had to be this loser punk destined for a “buried alive” ending tied to transformation drugs. I really wanted to avoid getting entangled with this mess.

Nam-woon, with a distraught face, asked Umpyeong, who was hovering over the mouse with a frown on his face.

“Mr. Kwon Sang-moon.”

“Not yet.”

In the novel, only two villains are explicitly revealed: Chairman Seok and Seok Nam-woon. Given the circumstances, Kwon Sang-moon’s disappearance is clearly the work of a villain. Since he is the protagonist’s father, who could be involved in his disappearance?

Chairman Seok? Seok Nam-woon? Or both?

Currently, the most likely suspect for Kwon Sang-moon’s disappearance is Chairman Seok. Seok Nam-woon was just a typical nuisance, irritating Kwon Seo-oh with pointless arguments. To him, Kwon Sang-moon’s disappearance was merely a way to provoke Kwon Seo-oh, nothing more. Even the ultimate fate of being buried alive was, in the end, merely a result of jealousy, with no direct connection to Kwon Sang-moon.

And under no circumstances should Seok Nam-woon be involved in Kwon Sang-moon’s disappearance, because he liked Kwon Seo-oh….

“Ah, you startled me! What!?”

The Umpyeong employees looked at Nam-woon, who suddenly started slapping his own cheek as if he were crazy.

What did I just say?

I must be out of my mind. Nam-woon corrected himself. He was close to Kwon Seo-oh. He was his dear younger brother.

Suddenly, he remembered something Seo-oh had said once.

“I wanted to see your happy face.”

He understood that feeling very well. He felt the same way. He wanted to steal glances at the joyful faces of Seo-oh and Se-han as they embraced Kwon Sang-moon. He also wished that Seo-oh and Se-han could meet their father and live without any worries.

Of course, it might be difficult when Jin Hae-geon appeared later.

Having sorted out his thoughts, Nam-woon commanded the Umpyeong employees.

“Clear your schedules this Saturday night.”

“Why?”

“To find Park Chun-gil.”

He was asking for money first. Nam-woon took out a black plastic bag from his pocket. It was 2 million won he had previously received back from the Umpyeong employees. The president of Umpyeong’s expression brightened.

“Are you giving us a down payment?”

“Give this to Kwon Seo-oh. Don’t tell him I gave it to you. Just say it’s money found while looking for Kwon Sang-moon, or something like that. Just make it up. Don’t give it to him right away, give it to him later. If you give it to him now, he’ll know it was mine.”

“…Why are you asking us to do this?”

“He refuses to take money from me. If you guys take this and run, I’ll bury you in concrete and sink you into the sea with scuba gear, so keep that in mind.”

Work hard, then. Nam-woon patted Mr. Umpyeong on the shoulder a few times before slamming the door and leaving. An Umpyeong employee asked the boss,

“What’s going on? Are those two actually dating?”

“You fucking asshole. You nodded in front of Kwon Seo-oh like you were so fucking innocent. I wish Kwon Seo-oh would punch Seok Nam-woon in the face, put a piercing in his d*ck, and beat his ass with his big palm until it bleeds, and then shove his d*ck in his ass and make him cry like crazy.”

The Umpyeong employee continued playing the card game, as if they were used to his rough words.