Chapter 36
A Villain’s
Pure Love
The Spine-Chilling Domyeongjae
“From this moment on, I intend to infringe upon your character, your rights, and everything else you hold dear, Mr. Cha Yunseok. Deeply, persistently. Until your very bones tremble.”
Cha Yunseok’s lips parted blankly. His heavy eyelids fluttered incessantly as he struggled to process the words flowing from Seongheon’s mouth.
“What… what do you mean by that, brother?”
A beast naturally recognizes an opponent stronger than itself. Even without intending to, Cha Yunseok’s weakened voice and suddenly polite tone spoke volumes about the shift in power.
“I… I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about.”
“……………..”
“I’m sorry, brother—no, Vice President. My education was cut short, so I’m the type of man who gets lost when things are phrased too difficultly. And I’ve had a bit to drink. I don’t understand a thing….”
Cha Yunseok trailed off. The eyes staring back at him were unreadable, like a lion that had backed its prey into a corner and was now closing in, step by step.
He swallowed hard. His throat felt as if it were burning with boiling saliva.
After staring at Cha Yunseok for a long time, Seongheon picked up the bottle again. This time, he filled Cha Yunseok’s glass. His movements were slow and deliberate.
“I told you. Most of your actions stem from cheap, petty power trips.”
The glass filled to the brim, then overflowed.
“But you see, that’s something I’m quite good at as well.”
“…….”
“Crushing someone who’s desperately lashing out. Trampling over someone struggling just to survive.”
“No, what on earth are you talking about….”
“I’m not finished yet.”
“………”
“Shut up and listen.”
Cha Yunseok looked down at the overflowing glass before lifting his gaze. The alcohol spilling under the table and soaking into his trousers was cold, but he couldn’t move a muscle.
Seongheon set the bottle down and wiped his hands. His manner was perfectly composed.
“I took the liberty of looking into Namsong Industrial Development’s recent activities. It was quite a spectacle. Thanks to that, the Seolyang lawyers I brought in at great expense of time and money are finally getting a chance to show off their skills.”
Cha Yunseok’s lips twitched. He was barely managing to process the words reaching his eardrums, let alone read Seongheon’s expression or the atmosphere in the room.
However, Seongheon’s strictly businesslike and resolute tone felt like a heavy iron mace swinging toward him.
“As I dug deeper, I got curious and looked into a few personal matters as well. It seems you and your father have had quite a bit of fun with stocks and real estate. Your irregular giftings allowed you to play the part of the nouveau riche.”
“And your father has been making quite a name for himself behind the scenes by manipulating cryptocurrency prices.”
“……!”
“I didn’t even have to dig that deep. It was almost puzzling how easily it all came to light. I wonder if you’ve evaded the tax authorities until now through the help of others.”
Seongheon tilted his head slightly.
“Or perhaps the amounts were so trivial that the authorities didn’t even bother to look.”
His voice was low and quiet, yet firm and bold. As Cha Yunseok sat there, lost for words and gasping for air, his phone rang.
Cha Yunseok’s eyes darted toward the phone sitting on the table.
It was his father.
“Answer it.”
“N-no, that’s quite alright.”
“I think you should.”
Seongheon leaned back with a mock kindness, and Cha Yunseok reluctantly picked up the phone. Even before he could bring it to his ear, his father’s voice screamed loud enough to pierce his eardrums.
– You little bastard! Where are you!
For the first time, fear flickered in Cha Yunseok’s eyes.
– I said, where are you, you piece of shit! What the hell have you been doing, running around like that!
Seongheon smirked and filled his own glass, figuring the father wouldn’t be any more sane than the son. Even without trying to listen, every word was perfectly audible.
“W-why? What’s wrong?”
Cha Yunseok feared his father. He was his source of money and the shield that blocked his legal troubles.
– Why? Hey. I just got a notice from Seolyang Construction that they’re terminating our contract. You don’t know anything about this? Nothing at all?
“I don’t know. I—I don’t know anything.”
His voice turned thin, like a child’s.
– I’m going crazy. These Seolyang bastards… who do they think they are!
Seongheon smirked again.
“F-Father. Right now, I’m…”
– Forget it. Get your ass back to Seoul right now! This second! If you aren’t here immediately, you’re dead meat!
His father hung up without listening to a word. Cha Yunseok needed to say he was with Seongheon, but his thoughts were too scattered to follow through. He simply let the phone slip from his hand.
Seongheon checked the time and slowly emptied his glass. He closed his lips and swallowed as if savoring the flavor before speaking again.
“Our lawyers are working hard even at this hour. I’ll have to make sure their success bonus is quite generous.”
“Vice President, s-sir. Vice President.”
Still unable to grasp the full scope of the situation, Cha Yunseok abruptly dropped to his knees.
Seongheon twirled his empty glass around before looking up.
“Don’t be so alarmed. A contract termination is no big deal. It’s common for paths to diverge when visions no longer align.”
“…….”
“But it seems your father doesn’t realize it yet. The contract termination isn’t the problem. Does he really think the company will collapse just because you’ve turned your back on Seolyang Group?”
He smiled, but there was a chilling edge to it. Cha Yunseok couldn’t bring himself to smile back; he could only blink. Seongheon wasn’t using violence, nor was he hurling insults, yet the man before him was the embodiment of terror itself.
“…….”
“Go and tell your father. This time, no matter what he does, he won’t be able to wiggle out of it.”
“What you have. What you’ve hidden. What you’ve embezzled. I’m going to strip it all away and drive you both into the dirt.”
“Why… why are you doing this to me….”
Cha Yunseok muttered in a bewildered, aggrieved voice, still unable to fathom the situation. At that, Seongheon turned his head as if surveying the room.
“For a long time, this space has been a place where titans of politics and business have come to dine. From the days when Seoul was still Hanyang to the present.”
“Yes, yes. Vice President. It’s an honor. Truly an honor.”
“Because it’s such an intimate place, there have been many attempts at lobbying and solicitation. As a result, it’s a place where real-time recording is very well-maintained. It’s like the sterile room of Domyeongjae.”
Recording.
Cha Yunseok’s eyes widened. He vaguely recalled being told before entering Domyeongjae that CCTV was installed in some areas. He had assumed they were somewhere outside and hadn’t thought much of it, but to think they were in the rooms themselves.
He tried to frantically recall what nonsense he had spewed in this room, but his brain had already ground to a halt.
“I’ve found that even for the same harm, the level of punishment and social impact varies depending on who explains it and how. They call it the ‘limitations of the law,’ or something like that.”
“…….”
“It’s absurd, but what can you do? If the law has limits, then it has limits. So this time, Domyeongjae will provide the explanation ourselves. Regarding the harm done to Ji Yeonwoo.”
“…Ah!”
“Your family will be ruined as the price for your dirty money games, but that won’t be enough. I intend to see you completely buried from society.”
Only then did Cha Yunseok begin to tremble violently, rubbing his hands together in desperate supplication.
“Vice President! Vice President! No! You’ve got it all wrong! Uh, no! Absolutely not, Vice President! I was wrong! It’s my fault!”
Denial and confession spilled out of him simultaneously. Cha Yunseok’s face turned deathly pale as he bowed his head and pleaded. Watching the man repeat the same words like a lunatic, Seongheon called for Manager Mun.
When Manager Mun opened the door and entered, Seongheon poured another drink.
“The guest says he is leaving. Call Manager Hwang and see him out.”
“Yes, Vice President.”
“Vice President! Vice President! Please listen to me! Vice President!”
Cha Yunseok screamed at the top of his lungs. Meanwhile, the burly Manager Hwang arrived with other staff members and forced Cha Yunseok to his feet.
“Vice President! I’ll explain everything! Vice President! It’s a misunderstanding! I’m the victim here! Vice President! Vice President!”
Cha Yunseok resisted stubbornly, refusing to be dragged out like this. Seongheon watched silently, then stood up and approached him.
Standing close to Cha Yunseok, Seongheon looked him up and down, his eyes scanning the man’s pathetic struggling. Then, leaning in close to his ear, he whispered softly.
His voice was almost tender.
“Yes. That’s it. Keep struggling like that so it doesn’t get boring.”
“I need at least that much entertainment.”
Cha Yunseok bit his lip. He looked utterly revolted.
“Vice President! Vice President!”
Cha Yunseok wailed even as he was practically dragged away. He hadn’t even been able to put his shoes on properly by the time he reached the main gate. The waiting driver hurriedly opened the back door in shock.
The staff forced Cha Yunseok into the car. As they tried to close the door, he clung to it, refusing to leave.
“Ji Yeonwoo! Call Ji Yeonwoo for me. Please? Please!”
The items Cha Yunseok had brought were loaded back into the trunk. A scuffle broke out between Cha Yunseok, who was trying to get out of the car, and the staff members blocking him.
“Ji Yeonwoo! I said call Ji Yeonwoo! Or I’ll go in and find her myself!”
Cha Yunseok pushed the door open with all his might.
“Hey! Do you know who I am! Get out of the way! You won’t move? I said call Ji Yeonwoo! Bring her in front of me right now!”
The staff lunged to block the door.
“Move! Move, you bastards! Ji Yeonwoo! Hey! Where are you! Come out right now!”
“My, you certainly have a lot of energy. You’ll be able to sleep soundly on the way back to Seoul once you’ve spent it all.”
Cha Yunseok, who had been struggling to get out, suddenly froze. Manager Mun was sprinkling white powder from a small basket onto the car.
Looking at Manager Mun, the only one he had at least exchanged a few pleasantries with, Cha Yunseok made a desperate attempt to get out.
“You there! Old lady! Call Ji Yeonwoo. Huh? Ji Yeonwoo. She’s inside!”
“If she came just because a guest called for her, would she be a Domyeongjae employee? She’d be the guest’s employee.”
“What? I said call her! I’ll give you money, so bring her out now!”
Cha Yunseok wedged his hand in the door and held on, then kicked the door hard. Managing to swing the door open a bit wider, he poked his head out.
Manager Mun looked Cha Yunseok straight in the eye and sprinkled the powder over his head as a parting gift.
“Tsk, tsk. You’re too late. You’re just too late for everything.”
“What did you say?”
Manager Mun finally emptied the basket and lowered her arm. She then stepped closer to Cha Yunseok.
“I told you to call Ji Yeonwoo.”
As Cha Yunseok glared and held his ground, Manager Mun raised an eyebrow and spoke.
“I can’t do that.”
“What? Has this old hag gone senile? Call her. Bring her to me. She’s my employee. Bring her out now.”
“No, no. Yeonwoo is a Domyeongjae employee now. She’s part of my family.”
“…….”
“She’s not someone you can just order around or tell to come and go. Hurting her is the same as provoking Domyeongjae itself, so you’d better listen well.”
“You crazy old hag! Do you think I’m a joke!”
“Maybe she was alone in Seoul, and maybe that’s why you found it so easy to torment her, but not here. Things the law and the police can’t protect, we at Domyeongjae protect just fine.”
“…….”
“Don’t you ever look for Yeonwoo again as long as you live. I’m telling you straight. If you look for her one more time, you’ll be finished by my hands before the Vice President even gets a chance to tear you apart.”
Having finished her piece in a low voice, Manager Mun straightened her back.
“Oh my, thank you so much for visiting. It’s a long way back, so you must be exhausted.”
The phone in Cha Yunseok’s pocket vibrated. It was likely his father again.
As if giving up, Cha Yunseok let out a heated breath and brushed the powder from his head. He brushed it off irritably and looked down at the powder on his palm.
“Safe travels to our guest, and watch out for the night roads.”
Ah. What a spine-chilling place this Domyeongjae was.
“I’ll close the door now. It’s better if a lady like me closes it for you. I’ll close it nice and pretty, so have a safe trip.”
What Manager Mun had been sprinkling was none other than salt.
