The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 343

342. Extra Story – Episode 20

As soon as I left Director Seo Min-cheol’s office, a young man appeared before me as if he had been waiting.

“I-I’m Eom Gyeong-hun from the Control Team.”

He introduced himself in a barely audible voice.

Instead of answering, I scanned him from head to toe.

He looked quite haggard.

It was as if he hadn’t slept or eaten for days.

But for some reason, his eyes were vividly alive.

No, rather than alive…

‘Is he acquainted with Ha Eun-hye?’

They were overflowing with murderous intent.

“Did you happen to hear? The conversation inside.”

“…….”

He bowed his head instead of answering.

I frowned and sighed.

I couldn’t believe a third party had been eavesdropping.

This was quite a troublesome situation.

Whatever his intentions, I had to avoid my plan being revealed to anyone.

Otherwise, everything could fall apart.

Above all, I still had no means of approaching Chairman Woo Seok-ho.

At a time when everything had to be prepared as carefully as possible, if the plan leaked to someone else, it was only a matter of time before it reached Woo Seok-ho’s ears.

As I stared at him with a sullen expression,

“Eun-hye and I have been friends since college. We were classmates in the association.”

Eom Gyeong-hun opened his mouth in a low voice.

“You may already know, but I was the one who helped Eun-hye access the file. Of course, I have a vague idea of why Eun-hye ended up like that. She must have stirred something she shouldn’t have and incurred wrath.”

“If you suspected something, why haven’t you come forward until now?”

“I was scared.”

“……Excuse me?”

At my question, Eom Gyeong-hun lowered his head and continued.

“I tried to do as much as I could. I even investigated personally in case there were any clues, and I prepared for the worst. But… to be honest, I’m too scared.”

“…….”

I reserved my response.

I didn’t sympathize, but I understood.

Aside from being classmates, a person had died.

Moreover, it was a rookie in the investigation team who had only been with the company for three months, not an operations team or a subjugation member.

An unbelievable thing had happened, and as someone who knew even vaguely why it had happened, he must have been in unspeakable shock.

I was the same.

If you touched the dark side of the higher-ups, you died without anyone knowing, and there was no guarantee that such an absurd thing wouldn’t happen to you.

It’s natural to shrink in the face of great power.

But…….

“If it was something you couldn’t take responsibility for in the first place, you shouldn’t have started it.”

As I snapped at him, he closed his mouth as if he had nothing to say.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a problem you need to apologize to me for.”

I shook my head at his sincere apology.

Yes, what would he have known?

Even if he hadn’t helped, Ha Eun-hye wouldn’t have given up in the first place.

“So, if you’re scared, why did you come all the way here to find me instead of shutting your mouth and hiding quietly?”

“I’m scared, but… I don’t think Eun-hye can rest in peace like this. I want to avenge her, even for Eun-hye’s sake.”

“So you came to me? Asking me to do it for you?”

“…….”

When I asked directly, he closed his mouth as if he couldn’t bring himself to answer.

At the same time, I scoffed and said.

“Do I look like some kind of righteous hero to you? What’s the point of revenge done by asking someone else to do it?”

“B-But, there’s nothing a rookie like me can do…….”

“Then what about Ha Eun-hye?”

I interrupted Eom Gyeong-hun and opened my mouth.

“Then what about what Ha Eun-hye did all this time?”

“…….”

He couldn’t continue speaking.

After bowing his head and pondering for a long time,

“I’m different from Eun-hye. I’m not good at getting along with people, and I’m not as strong as her… Until I met Eun-hye, I was just a guy who tapped on a keyboard in his room.”

He continued in a trembling voice.

“I know I’m pathetic. I know it’s embarrassing to ask someone else for help even in this situation. But… I just can’t do it.”

“…….”

“So, this is all I can do.”

And then.

Eom Gyeong-hun took something out of his pocket and handed it to me.

An old-fashioned cell phone that’s hard to find these days.

I asked with a puzzled expression.

“…What is this?”

“It’s a cracking phone. I’ve manipulated it to be linked in real time.”

“What is it linked to?”

I asked with a frown.

“Chairman Woo Seok-ho’s phone.”

“……!”

An unexpected answer came back.

“All the records, texts, and call details on Chairman Woo Seok-ho’s phone are transmitted to this device.”

“…….”

“As I said, I don’t have the courage to use this, and even if I did, I wouldn’t have as much influence as you, Hunter. So please use it.”

Instead of answering, I accepted the phone.

This was an unexpected gain.

I had no means of infiltrating Woo Seok-ho’s camp, but with this, I could approach him very easily.

As I was getting excited at the thought,

“I know it’s shameless, but I’m begging you. Please reveal the truth and bring Chairman Woo Seok-ho to justice.”

“…….”

I sighed once.

“Mr. Eom Gyeong-hun.”

I looked at him and continued.

“I’m not trying to bring that man to justice.”

“Yes…?”

He asked back as if he didn’t understand, but I didn’t answer.

“Anyway… I’ll make good use of this.”

I left him behind and walked away.

***

“Hoo…….”

Chairman Woo Seok-ho’s office.

Chairman Woo Seok-ho was still there past midnight, waiting for Yang Min-ho’s call.

If he got rid of Kim Jun-woo and blamed everything on him, he could escape the investigation.

If that happened, there would be no problem until the election.

All that remained was to prepare for when the file was discovered later.

Of course, even that wouldn’t be difficult.

He could just bribe an analysis expert to announce that it was a manipulated video.

‘It’ll be roughly settled…….’

It was then that he let out a sigh of relief.

Beep―.

Finally, a text message arrived.

As expected, it was from Yang Min-ho.

Chairman Woo Seok-ho hurriedly opened his phone and checked the message.

「A variable has occurred. It has been confirmed that Kim Jun-woo has obtained the file… It seems like he is being wiretapped, so please come to the construction site next to Starfield Building in Jongno 3-ga [a district in Seoul] at 8 PM for more details.」

His eyebrows twitched greatly.

Kim Jun-woo got the file?

What on earth did that mean?

‘What the hell…….’

Chairman Woo Seok-ho panicked and tried to call Yang Min-ho, but he immediately stopped moving.

Yes, he said he was being wiretapped.

Chairman Woo Seok-ho clenched his fist tightly.

Crack―!

He threw his phone to the floor with all his might.

Still not feeling relieved, he stomped on it several more times, completely smashing it.

‘8 PM, Jongno 3-ga…….’

After checking the time, he immediately grabbed his coat and ran out of the office.

He moved to the meeting place, trying not to be seen by people as much as possible, and kept looking around the empty construction site.

And not long after, a man wearing a hood appeared before him.

“Have you arrived?”

As the man spoke first, Chairman Woo Seok-ho rushed at him as if the anger he had been holding back had exploded.

“Kim Jun-woo found the file, what the hell are you talking about! How did that bastard find it!”

“Shh. Please speak quietly.”

The man brought his index finger to his lips, calming Chairman Woo Seok-ho.

Then, he opened his mouth in a low voice.

“It’s as I said. It seems he found the USB that Ha Eun-hye hid. Judging from the circumstances, it doesn’t seem like he knew from the beginning, and it seems he found it by chance……. This is not a problem that can be solved simply by getting rid of Kim Jun-woo.”

“What…?”

“It seems he has already handed it over to Director Seo Min-cheol.”

“Damn it, damn it…!”

Chairman Woo Seok-ho’s pupils shook greatly at his words.

So that’s why he was with Seo Min-cheol earlier.

He must have been threatening Seo Min-cheol with the file.

“If that’s the case, getting rid of the two of them is not enough. Unless all the people involved are eliminated. However…….”

Then, the man smiled and continued.

“From there, additional charges will apply…….”

“You son of a bitch!”

Grab―.

Chairman Woo Seok-ho suddenly grabbed him by the collar.

“Do you even know how much money I gave you to handle this! And you’re trying to squeeze more out of me? If you had handled it properly in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“…….”

“Either way, if this gets out, you and I will die together. Do you think your face being exposed in this industry won’t be the end of you?”

Chairman Woo Seok-ho gnashed his teeth and raised his voice.

“I can’t give you a penny more here, so solve it somehow if you don’t want to die together! Got it?!”

“…….”

But the man hesitated to answer for a moment.

“That’s right…….”

Then, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Why do you kill innocent people when you’re the one who made the mistake?”

“Wh-What…?”

“Isn’t it happening because you started unnecessary things first, Chairman?”

Chairman Woo Seok-ho’s hands trembled.

“Hey, you bastard. Are you clean? How many people have you killed while cleaning up after those dirty old men! Assemblyman Jeong-hun, Chief Prosecutor Park Hyeon-jun, Elder Kang Hak-seon, I know more than ten people!”

“…….”

“How about I expose that you were in cahoots with those guys?! Do you think the clients whose names are exposed will leave you alone? What’s so important about killing a rookie with no connections…!”

At that moment, when he was venting his anger in an excited voice, Chairman Woo Seok-ho suddenly trailed off.

It was because he felt a sense of unease.

That’s because there was no reason for Yang Min-ho to provoke him suddenly.

In the first place, if the negotiation doesn’t work, he can just not accept the request.

There is no need or meaning to provoke the client by arguing about right and wrong.

Above all…….

‘Was Yang Min-ho this tall…?’

The moment he had that question, Chairman Woo Seok-ho let go of the collar he was holding and began to back away.

It was certain.

This man is not Yang Min-ho.

“Y-You… who are you?”

“…….”

When Chairman Woo Seok-ho asked, belatedly realizing that, the man took off his hood.

“That’s right, didn’t I warn you?”

His appearance was revealed.

“That if anything happened to Ha Eun-hye, you should be prepared, Chairman.”

None other than a hunter from Operations Team 1.

The undisputed top ace of the Korean Association, who has held the title of genius since joining the company.

“I’ve come as promised. Chairman Woo Seok-ho.”

“Y-You, how…….”

It was Kim Jun-woo.