IRLPLBIO Chapter 42 Part 1

“…I want to hear more.”

“Isn’t stock manipulation, rather than something like embezzlement, what would really get the media’s attention?”

“The media?”

Im Ho-sin tilted his head, and Choi Hyeong-gyu also inclined his head slightly.

It was dangerous work. If they were to bring someone down that thoroughly, they might actually incur a grudge.

While there isn’t a prosecutor or detective who hasn’t been threatened by those they’ve put behind bars, it was problematic for a high school student to already be orchestrating large-scale events and attracting attention. Even more so if the opponent was an entrepreneur who could command violent organizations with money.

“That’s…”

Before they could dissuade him, Jae-gu spoke again. His voice was a little lower than before.

“Those bastards filmed, sold, and did all sorts of things. They should get back what they dished out.”

“Vi…deo?”

Choi Hyeong-gyu’s expression immediately darkened. If Jae-gu, who had just transferred, was mentioning “video,” then Choi Eun-ho was clearly a victim of that video as well. He already felt sorry for not knowing his son’s suffering sooner, and he was reluctant to add to that pain by presenting the video as evidence.

Jae-gu, quickly reading Choi Hyeong-gyu’s thoughts, denied that was the case.

“I’m not suggesting we publicize it, but shouldn’t those bastards be punished?”

Yes. Choi Hyeong-gyu nodded unconsciously.

Even as his reason was clouded by anger, he thought. There was little chance of them receiving severe legal punishment just for filming a few videos. Even if they were to turn the company upside down with a noisy investigation for now, the company would likely just lie low for a while and incur significant losses, and that would be the end of it.

While this incident might cause them to shrink and eventually close their doors, multiple companies wouldn’t all collapse immediately because of this one event. It would merely serve to show that this side also possessed the power to make things difficult for them.

Dropped stock prices could simply be raised again. For companies not even listed, it was even less of an issue. In that case, it might be better, as Jae-gu suggested, to significantly tarnish their social reputation.

Im Ho-sin, who had reached a similar conclusion simultaneously with Choi Hyeong-gyu, looked at Jae-gu with a strange expression.

To think that the fellow he thought only went around throwing punches was unexpectedly considering so many aspects.

Although he had heard from Han Ga-yeon that Jae-gu had changed, he hadn’t imagined such a transformation. He found himself admiring him anew.

Just then, the corridor outside the hospital room grew suddenly noisy.

A nurse’s sharp voice cried, “You can’t do this!”, but the approaching footsteps were numerous and heavy. A few nurses would likely find it difficult to stop them.

Bang!

The fiercely opened sliding door crashed into the opposite wall, then slid halfway shut again. A man, who had hit his shoulder on the door, panted, unable to show any pain, and reopened it. His face was beet red, like a boiled octopus.

Jae-gu observed the man’s sparse crown, the barcode hair he tried to use to cover it, and his large, wobbling belly like a beer keg. He didn’t recognize him after a moment of consideration, so he didn’t seem to be an important figure.

“You, you bastard, how dare you my son…!”

The unimportant octopus ran forward, extending a plump, sausage-like finger. He seemed to be trying to grab Jae-gu by the collar.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Say it with words, with words!”

Jae-gu prevented Kwang-cheol, Im Ho-sin, and Choi Hyeong-gyu from stepping forward, and tilted his head sideways.

“Hoo-ack!”

The octopus, who had clutched only at air instead of Jae-gu’s neck, stumbled awkwardly. Now, his face, from his forehead to his crown, was even redder, and he glared at Jae-gu, breathing heavily.

Behind him, several middle-aged men glared along with the octopus. Jae-gu shrugged indifferently.

“Who?”

“You! My son! How dare you! What have you done!”

Perhaps too agitated, the man’s words were spat out in disjointed, incomprehensible fragments. Jae-gu turned his head away from him and looked at Im Ho-sin.

“Did you see him try to hit me? It’s self-defense if I hit him now, right?”

“Not now, since you dodged it. If you hit him after he hits you, I’ll defend you even for excessive force.”

“Did you hear that? Go on, try to hit me.”

Jae-gu grinned. Tilted head, chin jutting out—it was a clear provocation.

Choi Hyeong-gyu tacitly condoned it, but Kwang-cheol’s expression darkened considerably.

Kwang-cheol had no intention of letting Jae-gu suffer harm in any way. This was especially true in a situation where he couldn’t see how he could help. No matter how much Jae-gu blinked his eyes and appealed with “I’m fine,” Kwang-cheol wasn’t going to let it slide.

“…Just you wait. You’ll regret today’s events for a long, long time.”

‘Where do they teach such stereotypical lines? Both the son and the father say the same thing.’

Jae-gu smiled widely, full of wonder. Perhaps that provoked the opponent, as the octopus group collectively erupted.

“You, an Omega! A bastard orphan, acting so conceited just because you found a sponsor, you need to know your place!”

“Oh, are you going to hit me now? You were talking so much I almost dozed off. What was it again, a self-introduction?”

“Insolent bastard!”

“Well then, should I speak to you more formally, so it’s not insolent? Huh?”

While it seemed he was using the highly respectful ‘Hapsyo-che’ speech style, his tone made it sound anything but polite. It was a blatant provocation, designed to incite excitement and violence.

Kwang-cheol clenched his jaw so tightly that his muscles bulged. Jae-gu kept throwing himself into danger to gain something. That was never what Kwang-cheol wanted.

Kwang-cheol had never wanted fruits borne from Jae-gu’s blood and flesh. If Jae-gu truly intended to protect Kwang-cheol, this was not the way.

It was wrong of Jae-gu to keep unsettling him, not even knowing Kwang-cheol’s true feelings. And yet, he was just as, no, even more adorable.

He wanted to grow up quickly. Faster, more, stronger. So he could protect Jae-gu, preventing him from seeking profit by risking harm to himself.

He wanted to monopolize him. He wanted to keep him confined in his embrace before others could notice his brilliance. He wanted to tie him only to his side, preventing even a sliver of his gaze or a single breath from drifting elsewhere…