Chapter 59: The Anonymous Phone Call

In the dead of night, the sudden departure of Yoon Tae-min and Yoon Nam-woo made Qi Huai and Yoon Nam-hyuk tense up.

Yoon Nam-hyuk guessed, “The Go Eun-bin matter is a hot topic online right now. If they want to cover it up, they’ll need the intervention of a high-ranking prosecutor or police official. Father probably went to see Prosecutor Kim. But what is Yoon Nam-woo doing, sneaking around…”

Qi Huai: “If it’s as you guessed, and Yoon Nam-woo has other partners, could he have gone to meet that person?”

Yoon Nam-hyuk was stunned. “Perhaps.”

Qi Huai sent a message to Assistant Yoo: 「Bring the bodyguards and follow them.」

Assistant Yoo: 「Yes.」

Things were getting more and more chaotic. What Qi Huai found strange was not just Yoon Tae-min and Yoon Nam-woo, but also Go Eun-hee.

After the Go Eun-bin incident broke, Go Eun-hee appeared at the press conference and impulsively stabbed Nam-hyuk. Then what about Go Eun-woo?

After Go Eun-bin’s death, the siblings Go Eun-woo and Go Eun-hee had relied on each other. They had a very good relationship. Even after Go Eun-woo got married and had a child, Go Eun-hee still lived with her brother, sister-in-law, and nephew.

Go Eun-hee had done such a thing. Why hadn’t Go Eun-woo’s family appeared at all?

In just one day, first the media exposed the sexual coercion by Woosan’s ace actor and his manager, then Go Eun-hee stabbed Yoon Nam-hyuk, and then Gavin sent the news that someone was taking the opportunity to acquire Woosan’s stock.

Although Gavin was handling the acquisition of Woosan, and compared to the well-funded and well-backed GATE, those local Korean companies were just small fry, everything indicated that there was a net targeting Yoon Nam-hyuk and Woosan.

The person who had used secret filming and public opinion to frame Yoon Nam-hyuk twice, the person who had nearly killed Choi Min-jun, seemed to be after Yoon Nam-hyuk’s inheritance, or Woosan’s reputation.

If this was all Yoon Nam-woo’s doing, he certainly had the motive. But Nam-hyuk had also said that his brother didn’t have so many “tricks.” He was a hot-headed blockhead. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t have done all this by himself.

Then let’s assume that all the above incidents were caused by the same person. The other party’s target seemed to be only Woosan, not the Yoon family.

Woosan and the Yoon family were fundamentally different. The Yoon family had many industries, but only Woosan belonged to Yoon Nam-hyuk and Ms. Hyun.

If you think about it this way, the person’s target was not the entire Yoon family, but only Yoon Nam-hyuk and Woosan… or even Ms. Hyun.

Could it be someone who had a grudge against Ms. Hyun?

“My mother’s enemy?” Yoon Nam-hyuk was confused. “I don’t…”

He had been about to say he didn’t know, that his mother had never mentioned any enemies. But he suddenly stopped, once again recalling his mother’s confusing words from back then.

“My mother said she had been a ruthless woman once. She wanted a bad person to get his retribution, and in doing so, she implicated an innocent person. She wanted to make it up to him but didn’t know where he had gone. She’s lived with this guilt ever since.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk recounted Ms. Hyun’s words from memory. “My mother was a very career-oriented person. After she separated from my father, she would take me with her between the company and home every day. She was very busy, but I was too young at the time to understand what she was doing.”

He was too young. It was already very good that he could vaguely remember these words, but it was unlikely he could grasp their deeper meaning.

“Perhaps there will be clues in the memento,” Qi Huai said, stroking Yoon Nam-hyuk’s head, comforting him softly. “I’ll investigate Go Eun-hee’s side. You rest well.”

As for the memento, news had already come from overseas. It would take two days at most. As long as Yoon Tae-min’s people didn’t move it at the last minute, they would be able to send it back.

Yoon Nam-hyuk nodded. “Then we’ll wait for two days. Father is very wary of me now. You should go back as soon as possible. Don’t let him find you.”

Yoon Tae-min could come back at any time. It would be trouble if they ran into each other.

Under Yoon Nam-hyuk’s constant urging, Qi Huai finally left.

Before he left, Yoon Nam-hyuk deleted most of the photos from his phone and left a fierce bite mark on his collarbone.

Yoon Nam-hyuk said resentfully, “You have no mercy for an injured person. This is your punishment.”

Qi Huai rubbed the bite mark and smiled. “If you don’t like me doing this, then don’t get injured again, okay? While you’re pitying others, also think about how you have to lie there pitifully and be at the mercy of others after you get injured. If you’re not willing, then don’t give me the chance.”

Twisted logic. Still that same annoying bastard. Yoon Nam-hyuk snorted, but he had to admit that he had indeed pitied Go Eun-hee at the time.

That woman, with her red-rimmed eyes, taking out the diary, inexplicably reminded him of his mother, who had to give birth and raise him after his grandfather’s suicide. Helpless, with no one to turn to. If someone had been there to lend them a hand, would the result have been different?

However, the next second, Qi Huai continued, “If something really happened to you, what would I do? Become a widower?”

The sad atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Yoon Nam-hyuk was speechless, his ears red as he pulled the blanket over his face. “Who said anything about marrying you? Go back to your film set!”

---

Half an hour earlier.

Yoon residence, second floor, Yoon Tae-min’s study.

Yoon Nam-woo, holding a bowl of ginseng chicken soup, gently knocked on the door. “Father, it’s me.”

“Come in.”

It was already very late. Yoon Tae-min, who was very particular about his health, was surprisingly not asleep. He was wearing his reading glasses and seriously looking through some documents. Yoon Nam-woo didn’t know what they were, because the sight of the densely packed numbers made his eyes swim and his head ache.

“Father, you should rest. Since the doctor let Nam-hyuk go home to recover, it shouldn’t be anything serious. Don’t worry too much.”

He carefully put down the ginseng chicken soup and tried to read Yoon Tae-min’s expression. “If you need my help…”

“Was it you?”

“Wh-what?!”

Yoon Nam-woo was dumbfounded and flustered. “Fa… Father, what are you talking about? What did I do?”

Yoon Tae-min stared at him, his cloudy old eyes like an X-ray, scanning him from head to toe. “The Go Eun-bin matter has been over for many years. I didn’t expect it to be dug up again. Not simple. There seems to be a lot of news about the Yoon family recently. Has our Nam-woo made some reporter friends?”

Before Yoon Nam-woo could answer, Yoon Tae-min squinted and continued, “If you’ve made new friends, you must introduce them to Father, understand? No matter how you and Nam-hyuk fight, it’s a family matter. But the Go Eun-bin matter is not as simple as you think. If it escalates, the Yoon family will be like burnt pork belly, removed from the grill of the Korean upper class. Do you understand what that means?”

Yoon Nam-woo was almost scared to death. He fell to his knees with a thud. “I, I, it wasn’t me, I really…”

He denied it incoherently, but in his heart, he was cursing Eun Chul-woo. Isn’t it enough to just dig up some perverted news about that guy Park Seok-jin? Why did you have to bring up the Go Eun-bin matter! I don’t know about these things! I’m really wronged!

Yoon Tae-min stared at him for a long time.

To be honest, he didn’t think Yoon Nam-woo would know about what happened back then either. His foolish eldest son was only a year older than Yoon Nam-hyuk. Back then, while Yoon Nam-hyuk was busy with his studies at Seoul National University, his eldest son was obsessed with golf and women.

But inciting someone like Go Eun-hee to attempt an assassination was not necessarily out of the question. Anyone could do it… Of course, this wasn’t a bad thing either. At least it gave him the opportunity to take over the management of Woosan.

In the heart of Yoon Tae-min, who had grown up in a pure chaebol family, the poorer people were, the more likely they were to live in resentment. That kind of emotion was like gas filling a kitchen. It would ignite with even a small spark.

So… his little son was still too young. Just like his soft-hearted mother, he always had sympathy for the weak and the poor.

If it had been him at the press conference, he wouldn’t have let that woman get within half a step of him. He wouldn’t have felt a shred of pity even if he had let her be trampled to death by the frantic crowd.

“You can go,” Yoon Tae-min said coldly. “Behave yourself lately. Don’t cause me any trouble. Understood?”

“Yes, yes, Father.”

Yoon Nam-woo was in a cold sweat. It was only then that he realized that Yoon Tae-min’s sharp words just now had only been a test.

He bowed and left the room, feeling more and more that he had never understood his father. No, he had never understood his father from another perspective.

When one person evaluates another from different angles and identities, they often come to different conclusions.

In the past, he was his father’s son. Even when his father was angry and scolded him, he only felt annoyed and unconvinced, thinking that his father was biased, and that his anger would pass in a few days.

Now, he was someone who had nothing to do with the Yoon family. Even if his father just frowned casually, he would unconsciously start to worry about the rest of his life, worry about his own safety.

In the past, he would act spoiled and talk back.

Now, he didn’t dare to talk back at all.

In the past, he wanted money and power, wanted his father to think highly of him. Now, it was a matter of survival. It didn’t matter how his father saw him. As long as he could keep everything he had now, as long as he could live well, anything was fine…

Yoon Nam-woo, his mind wandering, found a bathroom, closed and locked the door, and sank onto the toilet seat as if he had lost all his strength.

No, he thought, Father is already starting to suspect me. It can’t be helped. To achieve my goal, I have to make a big move. It’s impossible not to be suspected.

Shibal…

The old man is already so old, why won’t he just let go of power? Ah, no, he would at least give power to Yoon Nam-hyuk.

But now the power has been transferred back to Father. Eun Chul-woo is just a young man about my age. Can he beat Father? Won’t there be a problem?

Yoon Nam-woo felt uneasy no matter what. He was just about to call Eun Chul-woo to ask how the plan was going when he received another anonymous phone call.

Yoon Nam-woo: “…”

Aish! Damn son of a bitch! It can’t be that elusive guy again, can it?!

He gritted his teeth and hesitated for a long time before answering the call. The person on the other end was clearly in a pleasant mood. Unfortunately, they were using a voice changer, so Yoon Nam-woo couldn’t tell who it was at all.

The mysterious person said, 「I heard that Woosan Entertainment has been having a hard time lately. The stock has even fallen.」

This gloating tone was even more annoying than when he had sent the anonymous messages.

Yoon Nam-woo said resentfully, “What the hell do you want? Who are you? You elusive bastard, always wanting to play games. What game are you going to play today? Aish, I say, can’t you just tell me what you want?”

The mysterious person chuckled, 「Reality is much more interesting than a game, Mr. Lee Min-ryong~ Mmm, by the way, Mr. Yoon Tae-min must be busy investigating, right? Do you think he’ll find out about your little tricks?」

Yoon Nam-woo broke out in a cold sweat. He had just been interrogated by Yoon Tae-min. This was what he was afraid of. But this guy kept calling him Lee Min-ryong, which really annoyed him!

Yoon Nam-woo was restless. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you don’t state your purpose, I’m going to block you!”

The mysterious person snorted, 「Fine, then block me. And then Yoon Tae-min will find out you’re not the real Yoon Nam-woo. Do you think he’ll throw you out as a scapegoat? ‘Ah, my eldest son was already 20 at the time. I let him try to manage the company, but I didn’t expect this to happen. As a father, I’m very heartbroken, but I can’t harbor a criminal no matter what. So please let the law handle it justly.’ Hahaha. Anyway, the reason the Go Eun-bin news came out was because Mr. Lee Min-ryong, who has no blood ties, hatched a conspiracy to seize the Yoon family’s fortune. For Yoon Tae-min, such a person should be useless, right?」

Yoon Nam-woo was shocked. “Who the hell are you!”

How would he know?

This is a secret between me and Eun Chul-woo…

At this point, even if Yoon Nam-woo was stupid, he could tell something was wrong. Even Yoon Tae-min couldn’t find out about his secret deal with Eun Chul-woo. If the person on the phone wasn’t very familiar with him, how could he possibly know all this?!

Yoon Nam-woo shot up. “Could you be Eun Chul-woo! Are you Eun Chul-woo?!”

The mysterious person couldn’t help but laugh. 「Mr. Lee Min-ryong, my identity isn’t important right now, is it? What’s important is that you need to keep a close eye on your father. Otherwise, if he finds out your secret, you’re finished, right? So, pay more attention to Father tonight.」

The call suddenly ended.

The sudden silence seemed to plunge Yoon Nam-woo into a vacuum. He could barely breathe!

What does he mean?

What does he mean, pay more attention to Father tonight?

Isn’t Yoon Tae-min in his study? We just met. What could…

“Oh! Father, are you going out so late? Do you want me to call the driver, or should Nam-woo accompany…”

In the hallway, Goo Ah-ra’s fawning, gentle voice suddenly came, but it was clearly silenced by a single look from Yoon Tae-min.

Yoon Tae-min glanced at her. Goo Ah-ra shut up in panic. Yoon Tae-min’s voice was cold. “I’m just going to see an old friend. Don’t follow me, and don’t tell anyone. Keep your mouth shut, understand?”

Goo Ah-ra quickly nodded.

Yoon Tae-min’s unsteady footsteps faded into the distance. Yoon Nam-woo pressed his ear to the bathroom door, listening. An old friend? What old friend?

Ah…

Could it be Uncle Kim?

According to Father, the Go Eun-bin matter will involve many bigwigs. If so, then as the Prosecutor General, Uncle Kim should be a very important part of it, right?

Yoon Nam-woo secretly let out a sigh of relief. On the one hand, he felt he was overthinking it. On the other, he couldn’t help but worry. What if it really is that guy? Otherwise, how would he know so much, and even be able to track Father’s movements?

His mind was already thinking this, so his heart couldn’t be at ease. He paced back and forth in the bathroom, biting his nails, feeling that he couldn’t just sit and wait.

Should I follow him?

If he’s really going to Uncle Kim’s house, then I’ll just come back. I’ll follow him from a distance, be careful, and Father won’t find out.

Having made up his mind, Yoon Nam-woo came out of the bathroom, quickly went back to his room to get his car keys, and went out.

“Honey? Where are you going?” Goo Ah-ra, still busy in the kitchen, was confused. Why was everyone going out?

Yoon Nam-woo shushed her heavily and lowered his voice. “You stay home tonight. Don’t go out randomly. If Yoon Nam-hyuk wakes up and asks about me, just say I’m not feeling well and took some medicine and went to sleep. Don’t tell anyone I went out, understand?”

Goo Ah-ra was confused. “Oh.”

And so, Yoon Tae-min and Yoon Nam-woo went out one after another, mysteriously. Goo Ah-ra was too lazy to investigate the truth. Just as she was about to take a shower and go to bed.

An anonymous phone call came.

Goo Ah-ra: “Hello?”