183 – 183. Fighting corporations (2)
That night.
An Suho and Xiaomei arrived at a quiet villa built on a coastal cliff. The driver who brought the two of them nodded lightly as they got off and immediately turned the steering wheel.
“…… Let’s go in.”
At Suho An’s words, Xiao-Mei followed him with a nervous face. The lights are already on in the villa where the cool night breeze blows.
‘Has it already arrived?’
Ahn Su-ho was very clear about who the passengers would be in it.
And soon after he entered the villa.
“Welcome. Ahn Soo-ho.”
As expected, the person present there was the person he expected.
“Midsummer student… ….”
“Sit down and get some rest. You must have run as if you were almost being chased. Oh, shall we get something to drink first?”
Han Yeo-reum, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room, headed to her kitchen with a leisurely gesture. As Midsummer said, Ahn Soo-ho sat on the sofa and looked around with a curious look.
It wasn’t that I was surprised by the luxurious interior that would have cost billions of dollars.
‘There’s not a single person there.’
There was only one person in the villa in midsummer. It was strange considering that he usually accompanied an attendant unconditionally.
What is the current situation?
Xiao Mei is clearly a wanted criminal, and An Su-ho is also not wanted, so it is unknown when the police will pursue him again. But to face those two people alone without a bodyguard.
‘…… No, come to think of it, I don’t really need bodyguards around midsummer.’
However, Ahn Soo-ho shook his head lightly. Because it reminded me of the fact that she is the youngest S-class superhuman.
“Are you both okay with coffee?”
At that time, Midsummer brought warm steaming coffee from the kitchen. The pleasant aroma of coffee gently spreads throughout the room.
A midsummer sat across from the two people who were sitting side by side. Looking at her proudly crossing her legs, her An Su-ho hints.
She said, “When she was called during the day, she was taken aback. I never thought she would help me there.”
“We should help each other when we are in trouble. Isn’t it?”
“Of course, that is a good thing, but… ….”
It’s not a neighborhood neighbor, and the heir to Korea’s leading conglomerate can’t help him just for that reason. I’m sure he has other plans.
“Please tell me now. What did the midsummer student want from me and help me?”
Ahn Soo-ho looked at the midsummer with a wary face, and recalled the daytime incident a while ago.
-Mr. Suho Ahn? Don’t you need my help?
When he first heard such words from Han Yeo-reum, Ahn Su-ho inadvertently thought, ‘I lived!’
The law requires the power of corporations to stand against corporations. If it was Han Yeo-reum, the successor of Hansung Group, she would be able to get decent help against Yeo-il, led by Seong Yu-jin.
But.
‘No, wait.’
Such a positive thought did not last less than 10 seconds. It was obvious that Han Yeo-reum called him at this timing, in other words, she was trying to ask for something under the pretext of ‘help’ she provided herself.
That’s why Ahn Su-ho asked bluntly. There’s no way you can help me for free. What do you want honey?
-………… Well?
She answered with a voice that sounded strangely pleasant in midsummer, which had been quiet for a while. It was an evasion, not even an answer.
-Let’s talk about that later.
“Did we meet?”
-Yes. It must have been inconvenient to have so many reporters in front of the house. Aren’t you going to need a quiet place for a while? In addition, he has a lump called a Chinese wanted man.
“How is that-“
-Let’s meet and talk about how we knew that. For now, prepare to come this way. I’ll send someone there in an hour.
“Even if you send someone… ….”
Suho Ahn recalled the scenery he had seen through her window a while ago. In front of the house as well as in the alley opposite the entrance. A group of reporters who literally surrounded the one-room building where he lives.
Even if the situation is so, even if midsummer spends her car, will she be able to ride it? Of course, Ahn Su-ho was a superman, so he could overcome the crowd with leg strength, but the problem was the camera.
‘As long as Xiaomei is wanted, he will be chased the moment he is caught on camera. Even if you cover the surroundings with a smoke screen, such suspicious behavior itself will attract unnecessary attention.’
Nevertheless, if the decision was to be made, at least at night, when people’s eyes go dark, especially in the early hours of the morning. At least, what Midsummer said was not in broad daylight.
Ahn Soo-ho thought so and explained the situation.
Now then.
-You don’t have to worry about that. I’m sending people, not vehicles.
Ahn Soo-ho, who didn’t know what she was talking about, continued.
-The teleporter will transport you and the wanted Chinese to a parking lot 500 meters away. From there, you can get into the car I prepared and come to where I am.
“I see. That way, you don’t have to worry about reporters or cameras.”
-This is a method that my grandfather and father often used when they were young. In the past, he used to travel tens of kilometers at once, but he says he can’t do it like before because of his old age. Well, that’s it anyway.
A midsummer’s voice flowed quickly from the other side of the phone.
-I’m trying to split my busy time to help you, so I hope you decide soon. Will you get out of there with my help, or will you be arrested by the police who come after you are stuck in the corner of your room like a frightened puppy? The choice is yours.
At the urging of midsummer, Ahn Suho pondered for a moment. Is it right for her to accept this offer when she doesn’t know what Midsummer will ask of her?
“…… Midsummer student.”
However, that worry did not last long.
Now that we are dealing with Seong Yu-jin, who has the Yeoil Group on his back, the only option that can stand against him is to shake off Midsummer’s hand, which didn’t even exist in the first place.
“First of all, thank you for contacting us. It’s shameless, but let’s get help from a midsummer student.”
– Great. See you later tonight.
As soon as he heard Ahn Soo-ho’s answer, Han Yeo-reum hung up the phone. It was the kind of thing she hated wasting her time on.
After finishing the phone call, Ahn Soo-ho prepared to leave with Xiao-Mei.
And about an hour after that.
– Woo woo woo woo.
In the living room of the house they were staying in, a blue dimensional door that looked like a dungeon gate suddenly appeared. The three of them were surprised for a moment, and an elderly gentleman in a suit slowly walked out of the room.
“This way.”
The old gentleman opened a new gate without any explanation, and he beckoned to the two of them. Xiao-Mei hesitated for a moment before entering the gate, and Ahn Su-ho, who followed a beat late, suddenly looked back.
– Kwaak.
From nob le mt l dot com
Looking back, Ji Ye-won was holding his collar tightly with a worried face. Her anxiety and worry were evident in the way she held his collar passively, unable to hold his hand directly.
“…… Call me right away as soon as you go. And if anything happens, call me right away.”
“Okay. If anything happens to you, call me right away. Refrain from going out for the time being until the reporters are gone.”
“Kuhm.”
Ji Ye-won had no choice but to let go of the collar she was vaguely holding on to the old man’s insistence. Just before entering her gate, Suho Ahn glanced back at her and said softly.
“I’ll be back.”
– Woo woo woo woo.
Before Ji Ye-won could answer, Ahn Su-ho entered the gate. Even the old man hid inside the gate, and the gate disappeared like a lie.
“… ….”
Ji Ye-won looked at the empty space, where nothing was left, with a confused expression, without saying a word. Her alter ego, hanging from her shoulder, patted her on the back as if to comfort her.
Meanwhile, Ahn Su-ho and Xiao-Mei came down from Sokcho to Pohang by mid-reum’s vehicle. On the way, Ahn Soo-ho tried to contact Ji Ye-won, but the driver forbade him for security reasons. When you think about it, it was natural.
Thanks to this, Ahn Soo-ho looked out the window endlessly, worrying about Ji Ye-won, who was waiting for his call. The seascape stretching along the coastal road passes from midday to evening and eventually turns into pitch-black darkness.
After about 4 hours, the two finally arrived at a villa in Pohang where midsummer was waiting.
So. Today.
“Please tell me now. What did the midsummer student want from me and help me?”
At Ahn Su-ho’s question, Mid-reum silently drank her coffee. The unique aroma of the coffee blended according to her taste lingered in her mouth.
“…… Actually, I had no intention of helping you. To be precise, I had no intention of stepping forward and offering to help.”
A soft smile appeared on Midsummer’s lips when he said that. When she smiles normally, it’s a really pleasant laugh, which is rare for her, who mostly ridicules her.
“If I help you first, it looks like I’m sorry. So I was going to wait until you contacted me first. Since Seong Yu-jin’s side has come forward on a large scale, the only camp that can compete against you in terms of your personal connections is our Hansung Group.”
At those words, Suho Ahn swallowed his silence. Midsummer had a clear view of how Ahn Soo-ho would move in the future.
‘Midsummer’s right. If I had stayed there, I would have discussed with Min Chaeryeong and sought help from Seol Ah-hyun, but in the end I would have reached out to Mid-reum.’
As she said, the only thing that could compete with Yeoil Group, which was ranked 2nd in Korea, was Hansung Group, which was ranked 1st in Korea.
Ahn Su-ho was already aware of this fact on her way to this place. That made her even more suspicious.
“Then why did you contact me in the first place?”
“There are two reasons for that. First of all, Mr. Ahn Suho’s situation seemed more urgent than I thought.”
“My situation?”
“When you were released from the detention center, it seems that you mobilized some kind of connection. Regarding that, there is a movement within the police to re-arrest you. You didn’t know at all, did you?”
At those words, Ahn Su-ho neither nodded nor shook his head. I didn’t know if I didn’t know, but I expected it to happen.
“…… Surprisingly, you are familiar with insider news.”
“The chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is a junior in my father’s university club. He’s like an uncle I’ve known since I was young, and thanks to that, there are a lot of people in the police that I keep in touch with.”
This is what people say when they say that networking creates networking. Ahn Su-ho realized that she was the successor to her conglomerate. Even Min Chae-ryeong wouldn’t have had direct connections with high-ranking officials like this.
“Then did you also hear from the police that you found out that Xiaomei was at my house?”
“No. I heard that from someone else. And that person is the second reason why I helped you in the first place.”
“That person…… What?”
“I know you too.”
A smile appeared on Midsummer’s lips once again. This time, too, it wasn’t the usual cold laugh, but a heartfelt laugh.
“There is a saying that blood is thicker than water. Normally, we don’t get along very well because it’s a fight for the successor or a competitive structure, but when it comes to that side, I couldn’t bear to refuse. Should I rather feel better? Seeing that child bend over to me first and come in reminds me of the relationship between sisters that I had forgotten about. Is there anything special about that child that looks cute?”
Midsummer did not erase the smile from his lips the whole time he spoke like a rapid-fire gun. As if boasting, as if telling the story itself was fun, he smiled.
On the other hand, Ahn Soo-ho listened to her words in a daze, then opened her mouth as if he had realized her belatedly and asked her.
“So, I can’t believe that ‘that person’ that Midsummer student talked about… ….”
“Yes. It’s my brother winter. Because she asked me for it. She wants me to help you. That’s the second reason I talked about earlier.”
At those words, Suho Ahn couldn’t help but bewildered her. She didn’t think Midsummer was lying, but she was, so she couldn’t understand.
‘Midwinter?’
‘Me?’
‘Why?’
‘What the heck?’
‘Why?’
A deep questioning emotion appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, at that time.
The residence of Hansung Group located in Sokcho. At a window on the second floor, a girl with red hair was looking up at the moonlit night.