OMS 91

Looking at the endless wall, Kim Yoon-ah couldn’t hide her troubled expression. Men in suits watched them sharply from the front gate. Park Dong-sik adjusted his clothes neatly. Despite trying to hide the pregnancy, it was now getting to be quite noticeable.

Kim Yoon-ah took out something wrapped in a golden cloth from the trunk. As they walked to the entrance together, the large gate opened with a heavy sound and someone came out first.

“I’m Park Young-seop, who serves the Chairman. She’s waiting inside.”

Since Kim Jun-han had contacted them ahead of time, thankfully they weren’t turned away. Entering, Park Dong-sik and Kim Yooh-ah were rendered speechless at the enormous scale of the place. The vast courtyard had a pond with koi fish, centuries-old pine trees, and muscular men in black suits visible everywhere.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Kim Yooh-ah carefully pulled at Park Dong-sik’s arm.

“Hee-soo…Just in case, stay close to me.”

“It’s okay. Nothing will happen. Just put down the item and leave right away. Understand?”

Even while climbing the stone steps, Kim Yoon-ah kept looking back anxiously. Park Dong-sik had heard about this place from the deceased Moon Ho-cheol. He’d said that in the private loan market, you’d have to have lived under a rock not to know Chairman Lee Hwa-ja. She was Buddha when it came to lending money, but would send the grim reaper if you couldn’t pay back.

Following their guide, the corridors stretched like a maze with endless sliding doors. Even if someone tried to break in with the goal of assassinating someone, it would be hard to find their way at once. At the final door, the employee bowed.

“Madam, the guests have arrived.”

“Let them in.”

When the door opened, an elderly woman with short white hair appeared, sitting on thick cushions. As she put down her reading glasses on the table, her eyes held a sharp glint that sent chills up and down one’s spine.

“Hello. I’m Lee Hee-soo. This is my secretary, Manager Kim Yoon-ah.”

Kim Yoon-ah bowed politely with a tense face. The Chairman’s gaze fell on Park Dong-sik’s belly before dropping away.

“You’ve made a difficult journey, especially in your condition. Please sit.”

As Park Dong-sik sat on the cushion, Kim Yoon-ah carefully placed the wrapped package beside him. When he signaled that she could leave, she backed away and left, almost running. Park Dong-sik could barely suppress a smile at how cute Kim Yoon-ah’s reaction was.

“What tea would you like?”

“Skip the tea, Can we get straight to the point?”

Once the door closed and they were alone, silence fell.

“The reason I asked to see you, Chairman, is that I have a favor to ask.”

“CEO Kim’s spouse is asking me for a favor?”

Park Dong-sik smiled awkwardly.

“We’re separated and are strangers now, didn’t you know?”

“I know. That’s why I thought this must be something special. CEO Kim doesn’t do things outside his standards. He especially hates people like me. Thinks of us as vermin. Anyway, what favor brings our madam to seek out this old woman?”

“Lend me money.”

At the abrupt request, the Chairman laughed out loud.

“Do you know what kind of person I am?”

Park Dong-sik answered brazenly.

“A loan shark. And a very successful one at that.”

“And you’d borrow money from someone like me? For someone raised so well, aren’t you afraid?”

“I’m well aware of your reputation, Madam. I know how you torment people who can’t pay back, but if we talk about that, we might both blush, so I’ll stop there.”

Amused by Park Dong-sik’s boldness, the Chairman burst out laughing. Sensing the atmosphere lighten slightly, Park Dong-sik placed the wrapped package on the table.

“This will serve as payment for the favor.”

“Payment…”

When the Chairman unwrapped it, a wooden box appeared. It had a base with a wooden lid covering the entire top. As she lifted the lid, her eyes widened and an exclamation escaped her wrinkled lips.

“How did you…”

“You’ve been desperately looking for this, right?”

The Chairman couldn’t even touch the object before her, just staring at it with wonder.

Park Dong-sik had heard from the deceased Moon Ho-cheol that she was searching for white porcelain. Something called a moon jar that looked like a country chamber pot but was worth more than imaginable.

“I went to great lengths to get it for you, Chairman. Do you like it?”

It was a lie. The Daesan Group’s art museum had a secret vault that only Chairman Kim could access, and there were many items there that were not reported to the state. Whether it was a coincidence or Lee Hee-soo was helping him from the other side, this moon jar was there.

There would be trouble if Chairman Kim found out, but whatever. Kim Jun-han said he’d take responsibility, so he’d handle it.

“What kind of favor requires such a precious gift?”

“It’s not that difficult. Actually, it’s profitable for you, Madam. As I said before, lend me money, and if I can’t pay it back, do what you usually do.”

“What I usually do?”

“Yes. Be ruthlessly cruel. Pull out my nails, sell my organs, just don’t kill me. Torture me just enough to make me wish I were dead, but not quite.”

Watching Park Dong-sik speak such terrifying words casually with a pretty face, the Chairman laughed in disbelief.

“Now I’m curious who this is about. Someone who killed your parents?”

“No. They killed me. In a very miserable way.”

The Chairman didn’t ask further questions but thought for a moment with pursed lips before nodding her head. “Very well. You’ve given me what I wanted, so I should grant your wish.” 

Park Dong-sik thanked her and pulled out documents from his bag.

The Chairman put on her reading glasses.

“What’s this?”

“A contract. Please review it at your leisure after I leave and contact me. It’s better to keep things clean between us. I know you’ve lived by your credit, but you’ve also done many bad things, so I can’t fully trust you. You understand?”

As he stood up to leave with a bow, the Chairman called out. Just as he was worrying if he’d been too arrogant, if he should have been more deferential to such a powerful person, she smiled and said, “If Lee Hee-soo had been an ordinary person, I would have hired you as my employee.”

Park Dong-sik returned the smile.

“If I’m jobless after having the babies, I’ll come by. Hire me then. I’m especially confident in catching people who run away with debts.”

Saying goodbye, he went outside where the employee who had guided them was waiting.

Walking down the corridor, Kim Yoon-ah approached with an anxious expression at the end.

“Are you okay? Nothing happened, right?”

“Yeah. It went well.”

When he tried to put on his shoes while sitting on the porch, he couldn’t bend over because of his belly. Kim Yoon-ah quickly helped him with his shoes and pulled him up. As soon as they got in the car outside the gate, Kim Yoon-ah predictably took out anxiety relief medicine.

“Hee-soo, would you like some?”

“Were you that scared?”

“Yes, this is my first time at a place like this. I did some research before coming, and apparently, politicians and businesspeople often come to borrow money. It’s no joke if you can’t pay back. They say you should only borrow if you’re prepared to die…”

After swallowing the medicine, she turned with a worried expression on her face.

“Perhaps…did you come to borrow money?”

“Why? Would you lend me some if I did?”

“I don’t have much, but I’ll help however I can if it would be useful.”

She looked ready to give up her entire fortune at a moment’s notice. Park Dong-sik shook his head.

“Honey, don’t say things like that anywhere. In a world where you can’t even trust family, how can you carelessly offer to lend money? Never trust people easily. Even if it’s me. Understand?”

“But Lee Hee-soo is more precious to me than family…”

Kim Yoon-ah looked dejected, and Park Dong-sik felt guilty. She would feel terribly betrayed if she knew I wasn’t really Hee-soo. While he hadn’t thought much about it before, now that they’d found Kim Yoon-ah’s family, he was both happy and worried about what might happen.

“I know everything. I know how much you care for me. That’s why I’m always grateful and sorry. But if I ever go crazy and ask to borrow money or co-sign a loan? You have to cut me off immediately. Got it?”

“…”

“Hey? Why aren’t you answering?”

“Yes…”

Park Dong-sik patted Kim Yoon-ah’s shoulder with satisfaction.

“And don’t worry about money issues. I have two walking banks.”

“Banks…?”

Park Dong-sik grinned.

“Kim Jun-han and Kim Tae-han. They’re loaded.”

“…”

This time, he rolled his eyes.

“But Tae-han went on a business trip and hasn’t contacted me. Won’t even answer calls. Wonder if he’s having an affair.”

Actually, given all his strange behavior, an affair wouldn’t be surprising. But oddly enough, just imagining it brought a strong sense of betrayal. Ah, this guy is definitely suspicious… As he rubbed his chin and tilted his head, Kim Yoon-ah’s expression gradually darkened. The perceptive Park Dong-sik stared at her intently.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

“M-Me?”

“You are, I can tell. What did I tell you? When lying, you need to maintain eye contact and establish dominance first.”

“…”

“Tell me. What is it?”

After hesitating, Kim Yoon-ah spoke up.

“…Um…about Kim Tae-han…”

“Kim Tae-han? What about him?”

“I heard this from an employee…Kim Tae-han is currently locked up in the annex.”

“Why?”

“When I asked for more information, they said they didn’t know. I thought you knew…”

Park Dong-sik blinked, frozen in place. Hadn’t Jun-han said Tae-han was on a business trip? Locked up? Why? Did he cause trouble? Or did Jun-han lock him up? Though Tae-han isn’t the type to stay quietly locked up.

“I wonder why he’s locked up.”

Kim Yoon-ah tried desperately to divert Park Dong-sik’s attention.

“Are you hungry? Should we get food? How about braised cutlassfish? You said you wanted it yesterday.”

“Why would he be locked up…What did he do?”

“If you don’t want fish, I know a good restaurant we could go to?”

“Should we go?”

“To the restaurant?”

“No. Let’s go see Kim Tae-han.”

Kim Yoon-ah shook her head in horror. Her intuition was telling her something. It warned that going there would lead to trouble and should be avoided at all costs.

Because Kim Yoon-ah begged and pleaded, Park Dong-sik finally gave up and chose to go to the restaurant with her. But even while eating and on the way home, his curiosity about why Kim Tae-han was locked up wouldn’t easily fade away.