Chapter 44
Chapter 44
It wasn’t just Chairman Pyeon they needed to worry about—the factory side had to be considered a power in itself and kept in check. That’s why I began to wonder who would ultimately win this battle. Would Shin Chi-woo be able to eliminate his rivals and claim the crown?
“Even if the chairman passes away soon, it’s best we leave the country for a while and watch how things unfold.”
“Right? I was thinking I should stay abroad for a few years before coming back.”
“Yes. As I mentioned earlier, Director Park’s side is currently…”
It seemed Dad and Shin Chi-woo had already talked about the company’s situation while I was still asleep. When this new figure, Director Park, was mentioned, I felt both of them glance at me.
It was obvious this was something I either shouldn’t hear—or wasn’t supposed to know. Or maybe, looking at it objectively, my dad really was the traitor and the villain in all of this.
Maybe Shin Chi-woo was holding back to protect Dad’s dignity in front of me.
“Well, then. Please check this over.”
Now that we had a grasp of the situation, it was time to talk about the destination. Dad and I took the passports and plane tickets Shin Chi-woo handed us—and our eyes widened. So this was why he took our passports back at the hotel.
“Your name is… Wan-yi, let me see yours too.”
“Here, mine’s different as well.”
“From now on, you must memorize the name and age written in your passport.”
“Um… Chief Shin, are you sure we won’t get caught? I’m honestly a little scared about this.”
“These were made by the best guy in the country. You’ll be fine, Ms. Seo.”
Last fall, when I tried to run away with Dad on my birthday, we at least had properly issued, legitimate passports. But what we held in our hands now were forged documents.
First I’d helped manufacture drugs, and now I was carrying fake government documents. At this rate, never mind Pyeon Jae-ho—we’d have the Korean police, or even Interpol, on our heels.
“Well then, I should give you something too. Here.”
“Thank you, sir.”
After carefully checking the passports and tickets, Dad suddenly reached inside his jacket. He pulled out a USB stick—about the size of a thumb—and handed it to Shin Chi-woo. That tiny USB likely held the secret that made Pyeon Jae-ho so determined to hunt my dad down.
Shin Chi-woo took the USB and signaled to the large man. The man quickly brought over a tablet, and Shin plugged in the USB to check its contents.
“As expected, you’re precise, Director.”
“You kept your promise. I’m just keeping mine.”
“I’ll save this and use it when the time is right.”
Fortunately, it looked like the deal between Dad and Shin Chi-woo had ended cleanly and without any issues, built on mutual trust. After disconnecting the USB, Shin carefully tucked it into the inside pocket of his coat and returned the tablet to the large man—with what looked like genuine satisfaction on his face.
“Then, as discussed earlier, we’ll move in two separate cars. Director Seo and Ms. Seo will depart thirty minutes apart.”
“What? We’re not going together?”
“Wan-yi, I’ll explain.”
“Then I’ll… go prepare…”
With what seemed like a prearranged signal from Dad, Shin Chi-woo called the large man and the woman with the bob cut and moved to the adjacent room—clearly leaving us to talk alone.
“Dad, what is this? Why aren’t we going together?”
“Wan-yi, listen… I just want to save you, at the very least.”
“That’s not fair… I’m not leaving without you. Let’s go together, please?”
“If we go together and something happens, we could both die. I’ll go ahead, and you can follow. We’ll meet again at the airport, right?”
“Dad…”
“Do you know how much I tormented myself, tearing my heart out in guilt, after you were taken on your birthday?”
I understood what Dad meant. I got it. If someone had to act as bait in case we were being pursued, he was offering himself up to make sure I would at least make it out alive.
“I’m not going anywhere without you. Either we go together, or I’ll turn myself in to the police and confess that I helped package drugs.”
“You think the police will protect you? You think prison is safe?”
“…”
“Wan-yi… if you do that, we’re all dead.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
I didn’t want to leave the country alone. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in fear in a foreign place where I had no one. I’d rather go to prison and serve my time, and live the rest of my life in Korea with my head held high.
“You think I don’t want to go with my daughter? But what if, like last time, someone crashes into our car again? Then we both die. We’ll be flattened like dried squid—smashed beyond recognition. You and me, horribly killed.”
“Even so, I don’t care! I’d rather die than leave you!”
“Don’t say things like that in front of your father!”
“I don’t care! I don’t care anymore, Dad…”
No matter how much I cried and begged, Dad wouldn’t budge. Maybe he believed this was his last act of love for me—he kept insisting we needed to go separately.
“…Excuse me.”
The door opened quietly, and Shin Chi-woo returned. Our conversation naturally came to a halt. Both Dad and I were in tears, and Shin must’ve felt the weight of the atmosphere because he paused before speaking.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but… Director, why don’t you leave with your daughter?”
“Chief Shin…”
“I’ll pretend to be you and leave first. If anything goes wrong, I’ll contact you right away, and you can change course.”
“But if you end up in danger—”
“I’m Shin Chi-woo. What could possibly happen?”
“…Still—”
“You’ve been good to me all this time, and Ms. Seo is crying like that. I guess I got soft.”
In truth, Shin Chi-woo held all the power in this situation. We had no choice but to go along with whatever he said. Whether he suddenly backed out or stepped up to help us himself, the decision was always his.
Now that he was overturning a previously finalized plan, Dad looked both relieved and more worried. He was probably grateful, but the idea of putting someone else at risk for our sake clearly weighed on him.
“Let’s just stick to the original plan—go separately. I can’t drag you into danger too.”
“Go with your daughter, sir. That way, I can count this as a favor you owe me—and later I can come collect something much bigger.”
“Chi-woo…”
“In return, I’ll charge you several times over. So be prepared, Director Seo.”
With the tone of someone who never does anything that doesn’t benefit him, Shin Chi-woo managed to persuade Dad. He probably wasn’t at ease with the idea of us traveling separately anyway, so in the end, he accepted Shin Chi-woo’s proposal. I didn’t say anything—I just quietly stared at Shin Chi-woo.
“These two will escort you safely to Gimhae Airport.”
“Chief Shin, thank you. Really.”
“Once I confirm the two of you are safe, I’ll head back to Seoul.”
“That’s the way it should be. There’s no way I’d send you ahead all the way to Gimhae Airport.”
“Then, since I now have to change plans at the last minute… I’ll need a little time to prepare. Once you’re on your way, I’ll contact you through them.”
“Thank you, Chief Shin. I won’t forget this favor.”
“Stay well, Director. I look forward to the day we meet again. And Ms. Seo, take care.”
Shin Chi-woo gave Dad a polite bow and turned to me with a faint smile and a simple farewell. I was caught off guard, unsure how to respond, but before I could say anything, he turned his back to us.
“This way, for a moment.”
“Yes, sir.”
Shin Chi-woo gestured for the large man and the bob-cut woman to follow him, then opened the door and left the room. His two subordinates followed without hesitation.
Once it was just the two of us in the room, Dad whispered to me with a look of relief on his face.
“Wan-yi. This is good. With how things are going, we’ve got nothing to lose.”
“Y-yeah… That’s true.”
“Chief Shin probably did all the math before offering this, so don’t feel too guilty about it.”
“Right.”
“You know what kind of guy Shin Chi-woo is. If this were truly dangerous, there’s no way he’d step up and play the hero. The fact that he did means the situation’s probably safer than we think… So maybe you can ease your mind a little.”
Now that he said it, Dad had a point. If we were really being chased that desperately, there was no way we’d be holed up in a motel like this. And Shin Chi-woo wouldn’t be coming and going from here multiple times, hand-delivering passports and plane tickets.
