mijobooks Chapter 32 Your son might be dead
Chapter 32 Your son might be dead
Kim Tae-ah remained silent.
Her mind finally began to realize just how big a mess she had made.
Her eyes suddenly became clear.
It's not that I admit I was wrong.
He knew he had almost gotten his own father killed.
If her father's company goes under, she will go under too.
They do have that much wisdom.
Kim Bum-soo sat down in the chair and suddenly looked ten years older.
"You think I'm afraid of SM's lawsuit?"
What I fear is public opinion.
"Kakao's success today is due to its users. Once users feel that Kakao is a tool for conglomerates to oppress ordinary people, a communication software that can't even guarantee user information, they will leave. And once they leave, they won't come back. Do you even understand this principle?"
"Then you shouldn't have hit me. Couldn't you have just talked to me properly?"
"Hitting you is too lenient a punishment."
"From this moment forward, all your credit cards are cancelled. All vehicles registered in your name are confiscated. And your nominal directorship at that Kakao subsidiary..."
He pressed the intercom on the table.
The secretary's voice came through.
"Yes, Chairman."
"Immediately arrange the removal process for Kim Tae-ah from her position as director. Complete it by today. Issue the announcement tomorrow."
"Yes, Chairman."
"You can't..."
"You'll only receive your basic salary each month for living expenses, at the minimum wage. Change your phone number, and disconnect all your current numbers. Go live in your hometown of Damyang for three months. During this time, if I hear of you appearing in Seoul again, whether it's in bars, nightclubs, street racing parties, or having any involvement with anyone in the entertainment industry..."
He placed his finger on Kim Tae-ah's forehead.
I'll break your legs.
"It's not a rhetorical device; you can try it."
Kim Tae-ah finally revealed her fear.
She looked at the man who had spoiled her since she was a child, trying to find a trace of weakness in his eyes.
did not find.
"But your daughter was ultimately bullied."
Kim Bum-soo closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.
"Whether you were bullied or not has nothing to do with this. You did something stupid, so stupid that even I can't cover for it. If that convenience store clerk were just an ordinary poor guy, it wouldn't matter if you bullied him. But he's not. His surname is Lee. Even though Lee Jae-hyun kicked him out of the house, his surname is still Lee. If you mess with him, you're handing CJ a knife. Do you understand?"
Kim Tae-ah's last bit of self-righteous courage shattered.
"So, you're afraid of the Li family."
"What I'm afraid of is you continuing to court disaster."
Kim Bum-soo had his back to her, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Take these three months to think things through. Your life isn't just about revenge and jealousy. If your mother saw you like this..."
He didn't finish speaking.
Kim Tae-ah didn't press the matter.
"I'm going back to my hometown tomorrow."
After saying this last sentence, she turned around and walked towards the door in her high heels.
Although her hands were trembling, she held her head high and maintained the last vestige of dignity of the group's eldest princess in front of her father's employees.
After watching her daughter leave, Kim Bum-soo pressed the intercom button.
"Secretary Zheng, contact SM's legal department. Tell them that Kakao is willing to fully cooperate with the investigation and hopes to reach an out-of-court settlement. Let them name their compensation amount first."
"Yes, Chairman."
He released the button.
It was quiet for a long time.
"...This child has truly been ruined by her mother's departure. When will this ever end?"
No one heard what he said.
That night, Kim Tae-ah was drinking with a few "fake girlfriends" at a private club in Cheongdam-dong until 4 a.m.
She didn't cry.
She just kept drinking, one glass after another, until everyone else had left. She sat alone in the empty VIP room, looking at the empty bottles on the table.
Then she picked up her phone to make a call, but after scrolling through her contacts, she couldn't find anyone she could call.
Kim Soo-ho?
I blocked them a long time ago.
Those rich kids who were speeding?
She acts entirely according to her father's wishes.
Lee Woo-bin?
CJ's second son is pursuing Bae Joo-hyun, and he probably hates her to the core right now.
wrong.
She suddenly remembered.
That night, Lee Woo-bin went to cause trouble for his younger brother.
Then, starting the next day, CJ suddenly became eerily quiet.
We can't get any information at all.
It seems something has happened.
But she no longer had the energy to think about it.
The alcohol had seeped into her head, and she fell asleep on the table.
When the waiter came in to collect the glasses, he saw the former Kakao princess sleeping among the pile of bottles and carefully turned off the light.
Anyway, her dad can afford the club fees, so it's no big deal for her to sleep a little longer.
The citrus orchards in Damyang County, Jeollanam-do, are waiting for her.
In the countryside there, there are no sports cars, no nightclubs, and no fake friendships.
at the same time.
CJ Group is experiencing an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.
No one outside the area knows this yet.
But the family was already in complete chaos.
Two men surnamed Li jumped from a height of 10,000 meters; their fate is unknown.
Hannam-dong, Lee Jae-hyun's private residence.
It is also the family mansion of the CJ Lee family lineage.
6: am.
The message was relayed by Lee Woo-bin's private security personnel.
They were the two bodyguards who took Lee Jung-il and Bae Joo-hyun onto the plane.
They watched as Lee Jung-il jumped off the plane with Lee Woo-bin.
In that instant, the two of them had already decided how to write their wills.
"The plane has returned to Gimpo. The second young master and the third young master... are not on board."
"What do you mean, 'not even on the plane'?"
"The second young master opened the hatch at an altitude of 10,000 meters, and then...then the third young master pulled him along and jumped out together. They only had one tandem parachute. The parachute deployment status is currently unconfirmed. Both the second and third young masters' communication devices were left inside the cabin and cannot be contacted."
"What was the eyewitness account?"
"Witnessed... entering the clouds. The cloud cover was too thick to observe the descent. But the final part of their fall was within our observation range."
"how?"
"...It was free fall. I didn't see the parachute open."
The butler had served Lee Jae-hyun for many years and had seen countless big scenes, but he couldn't hold back for a moment.
"I...I understand. Don't spread the news. You all return immediately, and all crew members must sign a confidentiality agreement. Not a single word can be missed."
"It's already signed."
The phone hangs up.
The butler stood in the corridor for a long time.
At six in the morning, the corridor of the private residence was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the second hand of the antique clock on the wall.
Then he took a deep breath and knocked on Lee Jae-hyun's bedroom door.
He woke Lee Jae-hyun up.
The two went to the study alone.
The lights came on.
He's finished speaking.
Lee Jae-hyun remained silent for a long time.
So long that the butler wondered if he had fallen asleep again.
Then he looked up at the photos on the wall.
That was a family photo.
"two."
His voice was so soft that the butler almost didn't hear him.
"Two sons, one night, one plane."
He paused for a long time.
"Go ahead, search everywhere you can, and keep it a secret."
"Yes, Chairman."
The butler paused for a second as he left and closed the door.
He saw Lee Jae-hyun's hand, the hand that had once signed a contract worth billions, trembling.