IRLPLBIO Chapter 47 Part 1

Episode 47 #10. Open Your Mouth, The Scam Begins (4)

The already small child looked even smaller as he squatted next to Jae-gu. In that position, Su-un lightly rested his head on Jae-gu’s forearm.

“I want to live a little longer. I want to experience manifestation, and I want to know if the delicious scent coming from you, hyung, is food or something else…”

“Uh, th-that’s right, Su-un.”

Jae-gu fumbled, unsure what to do with his arm. He didn’t know how to comfort a sick child, but he tried to offer some reassurance in his own way.

“Still, wouldn’t it be good to have hope that you’ll get better, huh? You’ll get better soon, and you’ll manifest… Oh, you seem sensitive to food smells; are you hungry? Should I buy you a hot dog?”

Jae-gu spoke earnestly, saying whatever came to mind. Su-un’s eyes, watching him, subtly narrowed.

“Hyung, you’re more naive than I thought?”

“Uh… huh?”

“…Or maybe just stupid.”

Jae-gu momentarily doubted his ears. He must have misheard something.

Because of the strange words he heard, his fist clenched instinctively. He wasn’t some scum who would nearly punch a sick child…

It was as Jae-gu was reflecting on himself that a young man’s voice called Su-un.

“Su-un! Is Su-un here?”

“Ah… Uncle!”

The child, Su-un, quickly stood up, opened his arms, and scurried to embrace the other person. It was Kang Hae-gyun, the young independent National Assembly member famous for his actor-like handsome face.

Kang Hae-gyun, who had picked up Su-un, pressed his forehead against the boy’s to check his temperature. Even without hearing the detailed conversation, Jae-gu could tell that words of concern for Su-un were pouring out.

Su-un glanced over. Jae-gu, unconsciously hiding himself, held his breath until the two moved away.

It seemed like he was about to say “Dad” before he said “Uncle,” but Jae-gu must have misheard, right?

Jae-gu, scratching the back of his head, suddenly recalled something.

Kang Hae-gyun. Currently, he lowered the average age of National Assembly members and acted as a fresh face in the media, becoming a media-darling National Assembly member through his re-election and third term. And, in every single matter, he relentlessly clung to Dae-yeong, evolving into a very annoying presence for Han Seong-cheol.

Kang Hae-gyun was a top-class sniper who targeted only Dae-yeong Group. There were even rumors that he intentionally joined the Min-guk Party to oppose the Daehan Party, which Han Seong-cheol supported. Later, he even ran for president but retired from politics when the Daehan Party’s candidate, supported by Han Seong-cheol, was elected president.

Kang Hae-gyun, looking as close as a father and son with Su-un in his patient gown, the news of the targeted therapy development that had endlessly boosted Woo-shin Pharmaceuticals last time, Han Seong-cheol, who had made a fortune by creating and spreading that news, and Woo-shin Pharmaceuticals’ application for court receivership.

Things he hadn’t known before now connected into one. He felt he knew why Kang Hae-gyun had relentlessly attacked Dae-yeong. He wasn’t a politician, but a child’s father, or uncle, who had supported the development of a new drug only to be plunged into despair.

Jae-gu, who had been dazed for a while, snapped out of it because of his vibrating mobile phone. The caller was Han Yun-cheol.

He stared silently at the screen, and only after some time passed did he press the call button.

“Y-yes… Hyung-nim.”

―That investor, I sent him.

“Yes, you did well.”

―I rejected him once because you told me to, but looking at the proposal he brought, even if he were on our side, we wouldn’t have the luxury of rejecting him. He’s too valuable to send to Woo-shin.

“…But there’s no guarantee that it’s real.”

―It means we’ll profit just from the rumors.

Han Yun-cheol’s business acumen was remarkable. Even with a vague understanding of Jeong Seung-dae’s true identity, he almost accurately calculated the profits he could bring.

Jae-gu firmly grasped the thoughts that were trying to drift away. Even if they were on the same side now, Han Yun-cheol was an opponent he would eventually have to push aside. In that case, placing a trap under Han Yun-cheol’s feet wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Ah, are you planning to invest, Hyung-nim?”

―…Your voice suddenly brightening is suspicious. If you’re thinking something foolish, give it up early.

“What do you take me for? Don’t keep calling me stupid, I study too, you know. Anyway, I ‘bichu’ investing.”

―If that’s how you study… Wait, what did you say you ‘bichu’?”

Han Yun-cheol’s nerves were on edge with every new word Jae-gu uttered. It seemed he expected Jae-gu to say something surprising, just like last time, and the time before that.

Of course, Jae-gu quickly shattered Han Yun-cheol’s expectations.

“‘Bichu,’ as in ‘not recommended.’”

―…Kids these days cut words as they please, that’s the problem.

“Enough with the old man talk; if there’s any know-how to extract from Woo-shin, you should aim for that.”

―Know-how, you say.

Han Yun-cheol was silent for a moment. He didn’t say yes or no, but Jae-gu could tell that he had seriously considered his opinion.

On one side, Dae-yeong, led by Han Yun-cheol, would propose an aggressive merger and acquisition to Woo-shin Pharmaceuticals, and on the other, they would focus on inflating stock prices with news of the new drug. Woo-shin Pharmaceuticals would clearly become more valuable than before.

And so, if it falls, it will hurt even more.

Jae-gu pondered a way to keep them stuck there until the end, unable to just suck the honey and pull out. Of course, devising such a scheme with his own mind was difficult, so his thoughts only went as far as squeezing Jeong Seung-dae and subtly seeking advice from Han Ga-yeon.

Only after finishing numerous tasks did the tension release. He felt an inexplicable chill shaking his body, so without a second thought, he headed home.

His current home was different from before. If he previously had to live as a mere appendage of Han Seong-cheol, crammed with his subordinates in a monthly rented room called a ‘dormitory,’ now he was living in a luxurious house that Han Chang-hun had prepared for his returned daughter and grandson. Strictly speaking, even though Jae-gu wasn’t actual family.

Apart from the place he lived with Park Kwang-cheol before knowing he was a blood relative of Dae-yeong, this house felt completely foreign to Jae-gu. The high walls, the parking lot that could fit four cars, and the luxurious space with three employees attached didn’t feel like his own.