34. Chairman Do and Do Yeonsoo's Inner Thoughts
The atmosphere in the chairman's office was heavier than ever.
Chairman Do Hyuksoo, who was leaning back in his chair and receiving a report from the Assistant Manager, furrowed his brows deeply.
"You still haven’t found them? GPS or something, there must be a way. How can you not locate them?"
"I’m sorry."
"The Philippines isn’t even that big of a country. What is everyone doing?"
The chief secretary hesitated and cautiously replied,
"It’s near a restricted travel zone…."
"Do you think I called you here to hear excuses like that?"
Chairman Do Hyuksoo angrily threw his pen, and it rolled across the floor.
The mask he wore in public—always smiling and pretending to be a good person as part of his ambition to enter politics—had long since come off in private.
Assistant Manager Park, noticing the chairman’s irritation, quickly picked up the pen and bowed repeatedly.
"Y-yes, but we are in close contact with local police, and we expect search results soon."
"What? Expect results soon? You must deliver results. Is that so hard to understand? Find them, no matter what."
"Understood, sir. We’ve also dispatched someone familiar with the local situation in the Philippines, and the President's close associates, Mr. Jo Jisang and Ms. Moon Sohee’s teams, are also mobilized. It’s only a matter of time before we locate them."
"It better be."
The chairman’s expression finally softened slightly, and Assistant Manager Park, who had been biting his lip nervously, bowed his head again.
"But there’s a bit of a problem…. Somehow, word has gotten out, and rumors about President Do’s disappearance are circulating in the stock market."
"What? Who would dare do such a thing?"
"That’s…."
Click.
"I’m here."
The door opened, and Yeonsoo, looking strikingly like her ex-wife, poked her head in. Behind her, the secretaries guarding the desk appeared flustered, unable to stop her. Assistant Manager Park, who had been speaking, turned pale and stopped mid-sentence.
"Who gave you permission to come in here uninvited?"
"I knocked several times, but no one answered. I thought something might have happened to you, Chairman, so I came in. You know I'm the only one who worries about you, right?"
Avoiding Chairman Do's sharp gaze, Yeonsoo smiled innocently, pretending to know nothing.
"But what kind of important conversation were you having that you didn’t even hear the knocking? Did Assistant Manager Park make a big mistake?"
The snake-like chill in Yeonsoo’s eyes made Assistant Manager Park take a step back.
“This isn’t your concern.”
“If it’s about Junhyuk, don’t worry. I’m also doing everything I can to find him. Once this week’s meetings are over, I plan to go there myself to help with the search.”
“You?”
“Yes. He’s my only sibling, so as his sister, I must look for him.”
Chairman Do squinted at Yeonsoo, trying to gauge her intentions.
Though it had been more than ten years, he suspected Yeonsoo had a hand in Junhyuk’s disappearance in South America. Back then, he hadn’t seen the need to interfere in his children’s disputes, believing that if Junhyuk couldn’t handle such challenges, he wouldn’t be fit to run the company.
Now, over sixty, Chairman Do was planning to gradually hand over responsibilities to Junhyuk while transitioning to a political career. Although Yeonsoo seemed to work hard in her own way, she couldn’t match Junhyuk’s abilities. Moreover, his legal marriage to Min Jihee had resolved any lingering issues of being an illegitimate child.
Chairman Do had long decided that Junhyuk would be the successor, considering his performance, leadership, and resolve. However, to push Junhyuk to his full potential, he had kept Yeonsoo in the picture as a rival.
Now, with Junhyuk missing, Chairman Do couldn’t help but suspect Yeonsoo’s involvement once again. Her sudden willingness to go to the Philippines did not sit well with him.
Still, without evidence, he couldn’t confront her outright. Masking his doubts, he probed further.
“Do you have a plan for finding him?”
“There’s someone named Marino who helps Korean buyers with behind-the-scenes matters in the Philippines. He recently arrived in Korea. He’s well-connected with the local police and has a broad network, so he’ll likely find Junhyuk faster than anyone else. I’m meeting him tomorrow to finalize plans for the trip.”
“Really?”
“Yes, he’s quite capable. You can trust him.”
“You have a meeting tomorrow? I had a prior engagement, but I suppose I’ll have to cancel.”
“Oh, no, that won’t be necessary. Marino prefers to work discreetly, so I planned to go alone. It might be awkward if people recognize you, Chairman, and rumors start spreading.”
Yeonsoo explained with a hint of reluctance at the thought of the Chairman accompanying her.
“Then I’ll leave this matter in your hands. You must find him.”
“Of course.”
Seeing Yeonsoo’s confident demeanor, Chairman Do momentarily wondered if he had misjudged his daughter. Still, as one can never predict people’s true intentions, he instructed Assistant Manager Park to assign someone to monitor her discreetly.
Rumors about Junhyuk’s disappearance had first surfaced within the company, so the Chairman couldn’t completely dismiss his suspicions.
***
Passing through the bustling main hall and climbing the central staircase, Yeonsoo entered a quiet bar that had an entirely different atmosphere from the lower floor. Comfortable sofas were scattered throughout, and private spaces curtained off offered discreet meeting areas.
Although there were plenty of secluded spots for a one-on-one meeting, Yeonsoo deliberately chose a more open area, as she still didn’t trust the man she was meeting.
Reading the message she had received from him once more, she stepped inside, pulling open the curtain at the farthest end.
Under the soft lighting of the table sat a man dressed in an outfit darker than the night itself.
So this is the half-American, half-Filipino man she had heard about.
With his dark skin and sharp features, his face was so striking he could easily be mistaken for an actor. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, his handsome looks were of a completely different kind from Junhyuk, whose appearance she could also never criticize.
This man—he does such dangerous work?
If it hadn’t been for her close friend Jihye, who personally vouched for him, Yeonsoo wouldn’t have believed such a face belonged to someone in his line of work.
Her sharp gaze moved over to the scars on the back of his hands and the mark beneath his chin. Only then did she let go of her suspicions.
Yeonsoo sat down heavily on the chair across from him and handed over her business card.
“Hello, I’m Do Yeonsoo.”
“I’m Marino.”
So the rumors of his fluent Korean were true.
“What’s the reason you wanted to meet me?”
Without even glancing at the card, he placed it on the table, his attitude far from friendly.
His reaction was understandable. Marino had originally been scheduled to leave the country today. Yeonsoo had forced him to delay his plans, repeatedly rejecting his refusals, and finally lured him in with a sum several times his asking price.
She had gone through all this effort because, according to Jihye, Marino was a man who always kept his promises, no matter what.
In a place like the Philippines, where trust could rarely be found, he was said to be one of the few truly reliable people.
It was also assured that confidentiality was his specialty, making him the perfect person for the task Yeonsoo had in mind.
After checking their surroundings, Yeonsoo leaned in and got to the point.
“There’s someone I need to find in the Philippines.”
“That’s something the local police would be better equipped to handle.”
“I was told that Marino would be more effective than the police, which is why I arranged this meeting.”
“I don’t know who gave you such an impression, but I don’t take on just any job.”
Yeonsoo felt irritation rise at his arrogant tone but suppressed her anger, forcing a smile instead.
“The amount I’ve offered shouldn’t seem insubstantial.”
“If you’re willing to spend that kind of money just to find one person, doesn’t that suggest the task is quite dangerous? Or maybe there’s another motive behind it?”
“…........”
Struck by his accurate guess, Yeonsoo hesitated momentarily before clearing her throat and continuing.
“Of course, there’s another motive. And I’ve been told Marino is the perfect person for such tasks.”
“That might have been true in the past, but I no longer engage in illegal activities.”
Marino immediately understood Yeonsoo’s intentions and shook his head in refusal.
"If we hurry a bit, I think I can catch the last flight. I’ll be leaving now."
As Marino stood up abruptly, Yeonsoo blocked his way.
"This will be the last time. No, once you complete this job, you won’t need to work anymore. If you accept this request, I’ll double the amount I initially offered."
Even the original amount she had proposed was significant for handling such matters in the Philippines. Doubling it would ensure he wouldn’t have to worry about his livelihood for the rest of his life.
However, the man’s expression didn’t change. Still, perhaps slightly intrigued, he sat back down.
"I’ll listen to what the job is and decide."
"I’m looking for someone who’s gone missing. Their ship was wrecked, so it’s highly likely they’ve died. But since there are many islands in that area, there’s a chance they might have survived."
"You want me to search the islands and find this person?"
"That’s right."
"As I said earlier, that’s something better suited to…."
"No, that’s not all. If it were just about that, I’d have scattered the money among the locals instead of offering it to you."
Yeonsoo interrupted him firmly.
"Then what…?"
"Once you find them, kill them. If killing isn’t possible, make sure they can never set foot on Korean soil again, no matter what. That’s the entirety of my request."
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