The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 62

#062

A peaceful mountain path at late night, filled with the sounds of crickets.

A battered van slowly climbed the mountain.

The car, having arrived in Yujeong-ri, Goesan County, turned onto an unpaved road.

“Are they following us okay?”

Lee Ji-yong, the head of an international gang with a long scar on his left cheek, asked quietly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Are the kids ready?”

“Yes. We’ve gathered about 100, as you instructed.”

“Really? Good job. Rumor has it they’re worth a hundred men each, but even so, there’s no way two people can take on a hundred, right?”

“That’s right, sir.”

A bitter smile spread across his face.

“What happened to that Park Chang-soo bastard?”

“He’s gone missing.”

“And the guys who came with him?”

“Yes.”

“Too bad, he was a good prospect. Find him and bring him back. He needs to pay the price for his betrayal.”

Park Chang-soo was skilled and loyal.

He just didn’t fit in with them.

But he thought that with time, he would be assimilated.

‘Betrayal.’

Lee Ji-yong licked his lips and gave a bitter smile.

Betrayal came with a fitting gift.

***

“Why are they going so deep?”

“I know, right? I feel like I’m going to get carsick.”

It was a really deep and bumpy mountain road.

It was a wonder the car could even make it up.

The road was so rough it was hard to climb.

He worried if they were falling into a trap.

But he was relieved.

Having been professionally trained in assassination, he could easily handle dozens of gangsters.

Plus, there was Eun-soo, who had become as strong as him.

He figured if it was a trap, they could just smash it.

Gwak Hyun-soo gripped the steering wheel tightly as it jerked around on the unpaved road.

Eun-soo’s phone rang.

“It’s Jung-hoon. Should I answer it?”

“Yeah, go ahead. He knows everything anyway.”

“Hello.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m in the mountains in Yujeong-ri, Goesan, Chungbuk [North Chungcheong Province]…”

Eun-soo deliberately raised her voice.

“Aren’t you going to take care of the International Gang?”

“Yeah, these guys must have a secret hideout here. The boss and key members went here.”

“It’s not a trap, is it?”

“What does it matter if it’s a trap? We’ll just smash it.”

“Aren’t you being too cocky?”

He still sounded worried.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry too much. I’ll call you when it’s over.”

“Okay. By the way, it’s Yujeong-ri in Goesan, right?”

Jung-hoon asked again to confirm the location.

“Yeah.”

Hanging up the phone, Eun-soo was full of confidence.

Today was the best condition he’d been in lately.

It was a chance to properly warm up.

Gwak Hyun-soo drove down the unpaved road, where he couldn’t see an inch ahead, and thought.

Once they took care of the International Gang, they would cleanly take over Jungbu City.

It seemed a bit reckless, but today was the end.

***

Jung-hoon finished his call with Eun-soo and went to Park Chang-soo’s secret hideout.

The name Goesan bothered him.

“Mr. Park Chang-soo.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“The hometown you mentioned last time was Yujeong-ri, Goesan County, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Do they happen to have a hideout for the International Gang there?”

“I don’t know about Yujeong-ri specifically, but they do have one in Goesan County. I haven’t been there yet either.”

“Eun-soo and Mr. Hyun-soo went after the International Gang and said it was a mountain road in Yujeong-ri?”

“What? If that’s the hideout in Goesan, it’s too much for the two of them to handle.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a secret hideout, so it’s the most important area for the International Gang, and there are many people guarding it. A separate security company is providing security. There must be others following them, right? They didn’t go alone, did they?”

Jung-hoon couldn’t answer Park Chang-soo’s question.

“They went alone.”

“We have to stop them, even now.”

Jung-hoon urgently tried to call them, but there was no response.

He tried several times, but it was the same.

“Mr. Park Chang-soo, please help me.”

“Understood.”

“And call everyone Mr. Hyun-soo gathered.”

“I’ll contact them.”

“Let’s go first. We need to hurry.”

Jung-hoon decided to go save them with the people he had now.

“Guys, get ready.”

At Park Chang-soo’s words, they quickly finished preparing.

Everyone got into the car and headed to Yujeong-ri in Goesan, Chungbuk.

In the car, Jung-hoon called Cha Young-mi.

“Eun-soo and Mr. Gwak Hyun-soo are in danger. They’re in Yujeong-ri, Goesan, Chungbuk, please find their exact location.”

“Yes.”

A little later, Cha Young-mi called back.

“The signal cut off at the entrance of Taebong Mountain in Yujeong-ri. Is that a famous mountain there?”

Park Chang-soo, who was listening on the speakerphone, answered.

“It’s a quiet mountain behind the village.”

“But I don’t know why so many cell phones are being detected there. About two hundred people are being picked up by the base station.”

Park Chang-soo’s face hardened.

And he was lost in thought.

“Could it be…?”

Everyone looked at him.

“There’s an abandoned mine on Taebong Mountain in Yujeong-ri. Could that be their secret hideout?”

“A secret hideout in an abandoned mine…”

Jung-hoon thought.

An abandoned mine in the countryside, a place where people can avoid prying eyes.

It was a mine owned by a company that the International Gang was funding.

Wait, what if the gangsters in Jungbu City weren’t pooling money to fund it, but paying for goods?

Changing his perspective, a new possibility emerged.

‘Meth? Marijuana?’

It was something that could be done in a secluded place like an abandoned rural mine.

“Harlequin, check the affiliates of the mining company. Do they have a pharmaceutical company?”

After a while, Harlequin’s voice was heard.

“Oh, they do. Donghoon Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Goesan County. It’s a small pharmaceutical company.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Hanging up the phone, Jung-hoon said to Park Chang-soo.

“It seems they’re making drugs.”

As Jung-hoon concluded, Park Chang-soo also nodded.

“Hmm, a quiet place where people can avoid prying eyes, with contaminated groundwater that people don’t go near, it’s the perfect place to do dirty deeds.”

Park Chang-soo’s face turned red.

He was ashamed that he had worked for people who were defiling the place where he grew up.

“I’ll take the lead.”

“Do so. Be careful. They don’t seem like easy opponents.”

“Understood.”

They were recklessly exploiting a precious land with a large amount of future resources buried in it.

Jung-hoon was also angry at their actions, which defiled people and land as if they were plundering them.

Guided by the map sent by Harlequin and Park Chang-soo, they stood in front of the mine halfway up Taebong Mountain.

He saw Gwak Hyun-soo’s car on the way up.

Jung-hoon was certain that they were here.

The entrance to the mine was darker than the darkness in the mountains.

Park Chang-soo, his men, and Yoon Jung-hoon cautiously walked towards the entrance of the abandoned mine, which seemed to be opening its mouth like a monster.

***

Gwak Hyun-soo and Eun-soo, who had gone deep into the abandoned mine, were surprised.

Pushing open a heavy door, they were greeted by the bright light of white fluorescent lamps.

Soon, a bloody battle began with the International Gang members who discovered them.

It wasn’t much of a battle.

They were all just punks who only used their strength.

With a single hand technique, they severed ligaments or broke bones.

They pushed all the way in.

It seemed like it would end easier than they thought.

Eun-soo’s condition was also at its best.

“Whew, it’s over now.”

Eun-soo looked around.

Everyone was just groaning and staggering.

“They were manufacturing drugs.”

“Bingo.”

Lee Ji-yong, the boss of the International Gang, who had not shown himself until now, finally appeared.

“Meth, marijuana, ecstasy—the margins are very good.”

Lee Ji-yong smiled bitterly as he looked at the two of them.

“Mister, let’s finish this.”

“Yeah, let’s just take care of that bastard and clean this place up.”

“Yes.”

“Hey, it’s just starting. The guys we brought so far were just to wear you guys out. Let’s get started in earnest now.”

Lee Ji-yong smiled coldly as he looked at them.

From a distance, a dozen men walked over.

At the front was Lee Man-shik of Jeokseong.

“Long time no see, Jeong Hyun-soo. I never expected to see you here.”

Gwak Hyun-soo was taken aback. Only intelligence agents knew his real name.

It was the same guy he saw during the kidnapping of Lee Soo-hong, the president of Jungbu Construction, last time.

“How do you know my name?”

“It would be strange not to know you, the legend of the Intelligence Agency.”

Gwak Hyun-soo carefully watched the men behind Lee Man-shik.

They had sharp faces.

He could see the restrained energy emanating from highly trained men.

He felt like it wouldn’t be easy.

“Eun-soo, be careful, they don’t seem like ordinary guys.”

“Yes.”

His stamina was about to run out.

It was the same for Eun-soo.

He took out his hidden weapon.

The sharp blade glittered in the light.

But he couldn’t be sure.

They were men who had received the same professional assassination training as him.

He bit his lip tightly.

He tightened his grip on the knife and took a stance.

Then, he heard a crashing sound from behind.

“Young Master.”

Yoon Jung-hoon took the lead and began to take care of the men behind Lee Man-shik.

Gwak Hyun-soo watched him easily take care of the well-trained men.

He couldn’t help but admire his natural athleticism.

As Eun-soo and Gwak Hyun-soo joined forces, the enemies were quickly pushed back.

Lee Man-shik and Lee Ji-yong, realizing the unfavorable situation, quickly ran away.

The support forces that arrived later cleanly took care of the International Gang punks and security guards.

***

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“Eun-soo, how about you?”

“I’m okay. Wow, I was surprised when you came in like a bulldozer.”

“They were very different from the people we’ve fought so far.”

“They seem like people who worked for the government.”

Gwak Hyun-soo explained.

“Let’s clean up and get out of here.”

Jung-hoon looked around inside the abandoned mine.

He could see the equipment for making meth,

and the ventilation facilities.

As he went inside, he saw a large marijuana cultivation area.

“Drugs… so that’s why the International Gang gave money to the mining company.”

Gwak Hyun-soo, who had learned the situation, said.

“Yes, the mining company was just a shell, and in the end, it was a drug factory. That’s why they had a pharmaceutical company as an affiliate.”

“It’s too big to see it as just the International Gang’s actions. There must be someone behind them.”

Everyone nodded at Jung-hoon’s words.

“What are you going to do with this place?”

At Park Chang-soo’s question, Jung-hoon answered.

“I’d like to take over the company for now. I’d also like to do some environmental cleanup.”

“What?”

Park Chang-soo looked at Jung-hoon again after hearing those words. He was a man who wanted to buy something that was useless and didn’t make money.

He didn’t know the reason for sure.

But he saw the warmth that didn’t ignore the villagers in need.

He felt like he had met the man he was looking for.

“Mr. Park Chang-soo.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Clean up here and start hospital treatment for the villagers. I’ll take over this place.”

“What? Is that possible?”

“It’s not difficult.”

The mining company that provided the place to make drugs, and the pharmaceutical company that made them.

It was clear that the company was related to Cheonji Group and the International Gang.

If he threw a few hundred million at them, using this weakness as an excuse, they would obviously sell it.

Jung-hoon didn’t intend to make drugs just because he was taking over this place.

He just felt sorry for them for not seeing the golden goose that this land was and illegally making money.

***

That afternoon, information about the International Gang’s lobbying began to spread on the internet.

The International Gang had been providing entertainment and cash gifts to a person named Y among the Jungbu City mayoral candidates.

He tried to find Y, but it was only in initials, so it wasn’t easy.

Two hours later, a photo was uploaded.

Most of the photos were taken at night, so the face wasn’t clearly visible.

Nevertheless, the Netizen Investigation Unit [online community sleuths] began to exert its excellent investigative skills.

A man in his 50s wearing glasses, with a height of 174~177cm, was identified.

The most likely suspect was Jang Jae-hyeok, the current mayor of Jungbu City.

The search for the suspect began around internet communities.

Cha Young-mi, who was interestingly watching the investigative power of the Netizen Investigation Unit, opened her mouth.

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

They were getting close to the culprit with almost just those photos.

“How angry would people be if they knew the mayor was being wined and dined like that?”

“Yeah, I think they’d be angry. But strangely, he’s still number one in the polls. Candidate Kwon Yul has caught up a lot, but he needs one last shot.”

“Right? One last shot.”

Cha Young-mi’s eyes sparkled.

She was wondering how to unravel the bait that President Yoon Jung-hoon had thrown.

“Psycho.”

“Yes?”

“I have a question, if the mayor of Jungbu City terrorized the opposing candidate’s office, and received money from the gangsters and provided special favors, when should we detonate that [reveal the information]?”

“How sure is the data?”

“There are audio files and videos.”

“Then we should do it tomorrow.”

“What?”

Cha Young-mi’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

Chun Jin-hyeok’s eyes sparkled.

Cha Young-mi was very curious about the reason.

Then, she received a call from President Yoon Jung-hoon.

“President. When should we detonate the data you gave me?”

“Um, please detonate it tomorrow.”

“Why? Shouldn’t we do it quickly now?”

Both the president and Chun Jin-hyeok told her to detonate it tomorrow.

Cha Young-mi was curious about the reason.

“What’s the reason?”

“If we detonate it now, it’ll attract people’s attention, right?”

“Yes.”

“And they’ll forget about it when they wake up. But what will they think if they see it tomorrow? They’ll feel a sense of crisis. They’ll think, ‘Isn’t that kind of person going to be the mayor of Jungbu City?'”

“That’s right.”

“Because of that sense of crisis, people will vote more. And they’ll give their vote to a clean person.”

“Ah…”

Cha Young-mi nodded.

It was just her greed that she wanted to detonate it hastily.

The president accurately understood people’s minds.

She decided to use the sense of crisis tomorrow.

Thursday, June 13, 2002, at 6:00 AM, elections began across the country to elect members of local councils and heads of local governments.

The doors of polling stations set up across the country opened, and people expressed their precious opinions through voting.

And at 6:10, Harlequin Cha Young-mi released the secrets of the current mayor, Jang Jae-hyeok, on the internet through a server located abroad.

7:00 AM, a large building at the central intersection of Jungbu City.

The large LED billboard on the roof was hacked.