I Became a Scoundrel of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 449
Park Hyejeong, who had gone so far as to cancel a family gathering—a strategy meeting—to throw herself into a 6 billion won corruption project, continued to have several more meetings afterward.
“Didn’t you say last time it was 6 billion...??”
“That was then. You ever run a business more than once?”
“...”
Her arrogance only grew worse.
Even when meeting one of Muyeol’s employees disguised as a businessman, she always lounged in her seat, a cigarette between her lips right in his face, and kept jacking up the amount.
“The fact that I’m here means I put off a very important matter in leading the city of Incheon~. Hm? Who do you think I came all the way here for? So you’d better pay me accordingly. Or should I just get up? Don’t feel like working?”
When she actually made as if to stand, the businessman hastily rose with her and tried to stop her.
“Aigo! No, no! Of course, of course I’ll take care of what you said. I wasn’t saying I wouldn’t give it to you, I was just asking.”
Sweating profusely and clutching at her lapel, he finally got her to sit back down, acting as if she was reluctantly conceding, and she drew on her cigarette.
“Seven billion.”
“...”
“It’s not easy to do this country’s work and still look after the underlings. And lately, those above me have been pressing down, too. I’m saying there’s risk involved.”
“U-understood. Let’s do it that way. Yes.”
“...”
In an instant, the figure had jumped by another billion.
Compared to the businessman’s original 5 billion proposal, it was an outrageous 2 billion increase.
Still, the businessman nodded and offered a handshake.
‘...Should’ve asked for more. Too easy.’
Feeling a twinge of regret, Park Hyejeong gave his hand a curt tap instead of shaking it and rose from her seat.
“Looks like we’ve settled things, so let’s split before someone sees us. In crisp new bills, deliver it exactly to the person I send, at the place I said.”
“Ah, w-wait! All at once... you mean?”
“What else?”
“Well, we have to run our business, too... so maybe about 1 billion up front—”
“That’s not a deposit, that’s prepayment.”
“But—”
“You’re the ones who made the first offer.”
The businessman faltered, but Park Hyejeong left the room without looking back.
Her aide approached the dazed man and patted his shoulder.
“Seven billion. You understand?”
“...Yes.”
After pulling off a blatant thug’s shake-down, Park Hyejeong got into the car she’d bought recently.
She’d vaguely known before that spending money brought benefits, but actually feeling it was something new to the past few months.
The more you spend,
the more expensive your tastes,
the higher the quality and satisfaction climb—
and you can never look back down again.
‘They say a full model change is coming in half a year... should I buy again then? Or switch to a different model entirely?’
Bzzz.
Her phone buzzed just as the thought passed.
“...”
The caller was her father—
in other words, Agent A.
The reason was obvious: the family meeting.
It should have been held days ago, but she had canceled it without notice and kept putting it off, so now she was getting these pushy calls several times a day.
“I told you I’d call when I’m ready, for fuck’s sake...”
As if she wouldn’t know how to handle it herself.
The irritation slipped out in a mutter before she glanced at her driver.
The woman, her long hair neatly tied in a ponytail, kept her eyes on the road, showing no reaction.
“Phew...”
With a deepening sigh, she hesitated, then finally took the call.
“Hey, Da—”
— What the hell do you think you’re doing??!!
The yell was so loud she pulled the phone from her ear. She quickly tried to smooth things over.
“I was going to call you anyway. Why are you so angry?”
— What? Are you seriously—
“I told you I had circumstances. You think affairs of the state go exactly how I want?”
— ...You really—
“Hold on.”
Her aide had just come in, so she checked the schedule.
Unfortunately, the next few months were already packed, with little room for rescheduling.
Still,
she couldn’t keep putting it off forever.
She finally canceled one appointment and set a date with the family.
“See you then. Calm down a little.”
Before she could get a proper reply, she hung up and shut the phone off entirely.
“Was that your father?”
“Ugh, he’s making a huge fuss over one canceled family meeting.”
“Haha... I guess that means he loves you that much, Assemblywoman.”
“Love, my ass.”
She grumbled and kicked the driver’s seat.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Assemblywoman.”
++++
“...We can’t let this go on.”
“...”
“This is the limit. The operation... should end here.”
“But do you think she’ll agree to that? And Headquarters will—”
“Whatever it takes!”
Agent A—Ma Yeonju—who had flared up, drew a deep breath and lowered her voice.
“Whatever it takes, we have to wrap this up here. You think so too, don’t you?”
“...”
Agent B bit her lip and lowered her head.
She agreed—Park Hyejeong had reached her limit.
She had changed too much, and was still rotting in real time.
No longer a noble hero sacrificing herself for country and people, but a human corrupted by power and money.
They could no longer stand by and watch.
“I... I feel the same. But... she won’t listen to us.”
“Then keep persuading her. And make her give it up. She’s clinging more to the false identity than the mission itself. We can’t go any further.”
“...”
Agent B agreed.
She, too, could no longer bear to watch.
“All right. I’ll help persuade her.”
“And keep this from Headquarters for now.”
“Of course.”
A few days later,
for the first time in a long while, Agents A and B and Park Hyejeong gathered in one place.
The meeting spot was a high-end Korean restaurant in Songdo.
Naturally, it was a terrible choice for a covert strategy session—
but Park Hyejeong had picked it.
Did she even have the mission in mind anymore?
Ssszzzz.
Before their eyes, a staff member trimmed a massive beef rib and laid thick slices of marbled Korean beef on the heated grill.
The sound alone was enough to make one’s mouth water.
“Wow~. Looks so good.”
Showing a frivolous smile they’d never seen before, Park Hyejeong poured drinks for her “parents,” Agents A and B.
She was all smiles and warmth, but the more she acted that way, the stiffer their expressions became.
“This place is booked solid for two years. It was tough for me, too, seriously. I barely managed to bring Mom and Dad here.”
“...”
“...”
“Hate to say it, but it’s times like this I’m glad I do the nation’s work. Nothing gets in my way.”
“...”
“...”
“In what we’ll be doing from here on, too~ nothing will stand in our way. So stop worrying about useless things.”
She pushed glasses toward the silent two, filled her own, and raised it.
“Come on, what are you doing? Raise them.”
“...”
“...”
They shot a sour look at the staff member grilling their meat before finally lifting their glasses.
Not only had she chosen this place to talk about the mission, she’d left an outsider in the room. Was she out of her mind?
It wasn’t going to be over quickly, either.
‘You’ve completely lost it, Park Hyejeong.’
Ma Yeonju, disguised as Agent A, laughed inwardly.
Park Hyejeong had fallen perfectly into Go Muyeol’s trap—so deep there was /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ no escape.
Who would call her a deep-cover operative now?
She was more corrupt a politician than anyone,
a person who craved money and power and would do anything to get them.
‘It’s all over.’
She felt a thrill knowing everything was going exactly as her master wished, but kept up a stony, angry act.
“Would you mind giving us the room?”
When she politely asked the staff member, Agent B, posing as the mother, added her gaze to the request.
But just as the staff member bowed and began to leave, Park Hyejeong stopped her.
“What are you talking about? We’re—”
“Hu-YEEEWON!!!!”
A sudden roar!
A bellow from the pit of Agent A’s lungs made the staff member quickly bow and leave.
At last, Park Hyejeong’s face hardened and she set her glass down.
“...Why are you yelling? You’re disturbing people.”
“Wake up, Heo Yewon!!”
“Ha... I told you not to shout.”
“Look at what you’re doing. You think I can keep quiet? Canceling meetings on a whim, disappearing for days, and now this—what the hell are you pulling?!”
Clicking her tongue, Park Hyejeong poured herself another drink.
That only made the “angry” Agent A hurl even more scolding at her, pressing her hard.
Even Agent B, who shared the same intent but was more moderate, was taken aback enough to intervene—yet she, too, was firm.
“...Let’s stop now, Yewon. You look worn out.”
“Stop what? Stop now? We’re almost there. Do you have any idea how huge the things I’m doing are right now?”
“If you keep going, you won’t come back, Yewon!”
“What is there to come back from? Come back from what?! Where have I gone? Why do you keep trying to paint a perfectly fine person as something else?”
Park Hyejeong raised her voice in return.
“What kind of parents don’t trust their own daughter? You think I’m doing this to feed myself? Do you know how much money I’ve given you two all this time?!”
“Hey, Heo Yewon!!”
“Honestly, what do you even do? You say you trust me, but every damn day it’s calls, texts, and why the hell so many emails? I’m the one doing all the work, so if you’re not going to help, at least don’t get in the way!”
“What was that?”
“Let me work! If you can’t do anything, the least you can do is not hinder me. What are you even doing for me? All you do is talk behind my back—”
Unable to take it anymore, Agent A flung the soju from her glass into Park Hyejeong’s face.
Agent B gasped and tried to stop her.
“You—!”
With a brief, frozen silence, the liquor ran down Heo Yewon’s hair and face.
“Stop it. Let’s end this, Yewon. You’re not in your right mind. You’ve gone off the deep end. If you go any further, you won’t come back.”
“...”
Park Hyejeong’s face was rigid as she crushed a napkin in her fist, roughly wiping her face and scrubbing her damp bangs.
Then, without a word, she stood and walked out.
“Yewon!!”
Agent B leapt up and hurried after her.
Left alone in the room, Agent A fumed—then slowly broke into a deep smile.
‘Just as planned.’
