I Became a Scoundrel of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 476

The Headquarters Director, though only half-turned in his chair, shot Han Chae-young a look tinged with faint pity.

To her, grieving her only family, it felt like a scornful gaze that made her blood boil—but from the Director’s perspective, it was already more leniency than most would receive.

“Say something that makes sense. If she’s dead, then a rescue attempt is meaningless. And if she’s been taken prisoner, then you’re suggesting we storm Biotech or Militaris themselves. If that were possible, why do you think we’re forced to live hidden like this?”

“What do you mean meaningless...? A rescue attempt is meaningful {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} in itself! With her death not even confirmed, if we don’t even try to save her, who would ever lay down their life for the country? Even for the sake of morale, we must act. Besides... besides, the Intelligence Chief knows far too much. If she’s dead, we must recover the body and prevent the enemy from extracting information; if she’s alive, we must remove her from their hands all the more. Only then can Abyss have a future! And Rachel—she is a guest of the CSA! As you said yourself, they’ve already sniffed it out and are demanding her repatriation. A rescue attempt isn’t optional—it’s mandatory!”

“...”

The Headquarters Director silently observed her fervor, then swiveled his chair further to reveal the twisted half of his body.

Han Chae-young recoiled a step at the sight, though she was long accustomed to grotesque results from countless biological experiments. Yet something about him alone was always terrifying.

“You’re being emotional, not like yourself.”

“...!”

“Everything needed must be weighed against cost. If it were only about what’s needed, then bringing down Koryo Group today would be the most important thing in this nation. But is that possible?”

“That—”

“We’ve suffered enormous losses from this attack. And we don’t even know if the enemy is finished. Tomorrow, or even within a week, another massive strike could come. To mobilize forces for a rescue when we don’t even know if they’re alive? We lack the resources. In every respect.”

Han Chae-young bit her lip.

She had always thought of him as a cold-blooded man stripped of emotion—but to speak like this, even in front of someone who had lost family, was beyond what she had expected.

“What’s urgent now is properly assessing the scale of our losses, predicting the enemy’s next move, and preparing the necessary response. The rest comes later.”

“Then... what about the CSA? They are demanding Rachel’s return, aren’t they? That matter—”

“For now, we stall. Say we’re investigating. I’ll handle it. You focus on organizing what we can offer in exchange.”

“...Pardon?”

“Rachel was an authority on the super-serum. Since we’ve lost her, we must provide results of equivalent value. If it’s us, it would be our data on the Great Demon and super-serum reactions. Package it properly and we can buy time.”

“You mean... hand over classified data? That research has been my life’s work—”

“Of course it will be calibrated. You think I’d give everything away? But in the end, we must give something. Rachel may have been unparalleled, but the CSA has no shortage of researchers. Lost lives cannot be helped; but if we offer core Great Demon data in exchange, they won’t keep pressing the issue.”

“....”

“Researchers exist to leave behind results. If the CSA receives data commensurate with her worth, they’ll accept it.”

“....”

“Everything moves for the greater cause. Cooperation between them and us is inevitable. Showing that much sincerity won’t make them turn their backs over the loss of one researcher.”

“....”

Han Chae-young’s eyes went dull, her resolve weakening under the blade-sharp logic.

The Director, unmoved, raised his left hand to check the time.

“Forgive me, but can you return to work immediately? We’re short-handed.”

“...Understood.”

“We’ll discuss rescue matters later.”

“Yes.”

She drifted out of the Director’s office and let out a deep sigh, clawing at her own hair.

The words burned on her tongue, barely held back:

If everything must be measured only in costs and necessity, why was Abyss created in the first place?

Wasn’t the most impossible, hopeless task of all in this nation the overthrow of Koryo Group? That was the very purpose for Abyss’s existence!

If rescue attempts are abandoned because they are too unlikely, then why did Abyss exist at all?

Wasn’t storming Biotech or Militaris to save Han Chae-hee and Rachel a far easier task than toppling Koryo Group?

“...Can’t even do that much.”

Suppressing the fury and questions boiling up inside her, she forced herself to move her feet.

But then, a memory flashed through her mind—

—I’m sorry? For leaving you with the cleanup. I didn’t mean to.... Be careful. It’s dangerous. Get out as quickly as you can.

The place she had last crossed paths with her sister, just one minute apart.

If only she had replied.

If only she had said, “Don’t worry about it,” or “Stop saying nonsense.”

If only she had known it would be the last time—she wouldn’t have dismissed her coldly, she would have smiled.

She would have called.

She would have sent even a trivial message.

Standing in that place again, regret stabbed at her so violently she thought she would go mad.

Clench—

Her lips bled as she bit down hard.

“...Last time? Don’t talk about last times.”

With trembling body, she glared back at the Director’s office with a face hardened by new resolve.

++++

[Non-graphic summary, policy-compliant but plot-complete]

Days after the destruction of the Abyss base, Go Muyeol resumed his outward routine, but with a new element: he kept Han Chae-hee and Rachel restrained in his private quarters.

Han Chae-hee was subjected to harsh, repeated abuse. During Muyeol’s working hours she was often suspended with devices; when the day ended, she was used again. He deliberately disabled the domination option with her, ensuring she would resist and suffer without relief, and he derived satisfaction from breaking her pride.

Rachel, however, was treated the opposite way. Muyeol kept the domination setting activated during encounters, accelerating her body’s involuntary conditioning. He noted she was beginning to respond physically despite her fear and resistance, and expected she would soon be entirely dependent.

This contrast—Han Chae-hee’s defiance versus Rachel’s reluctant adaptation—delighted him. Rachel’s submissiveness even earned his praise, while Han Chae-hee’s continued glares only provoked harsher treatment.

Muyeol reflected that at some point he needed to extract information from them. He even considered handing one of them to Minji-ah as a method of further breaking their will.