Chapter 51: The Adoption File

While Qi Huai and Yoon Nam-hyuk were starting to lay out their plans, Yoon Nam-woo was facing the biggest crisis of his life.

The paternity test results were in. He and Yoon Tae-min were indeed not biologically father and son.

His world had collapsed…

Yoon Nam-woo had never been so desperate!

At this moment, hundreds of thousands of thoughts raced through his mind. Who was the person who told him this? Was it Yoon Nam-hyuk or someone else? What was their motive? Who else knew this secret? Was there really an illegitimate son in the Yoon family? Could it be that some mistress had tried to deceive her way into the family with a child back then…

No…

There was definitely an illegitimate son. With his father’s personality, he probably would have done a paternity test back then. The matter of the illegitimate son was definitely true. Then where did his father’s real illegitimate son go? And who was he?

Panic.

Fear.

The more Yoon Nam-woo thought about it, the more scared he became. In the end, all his questions converged into one thought: No! This matter must absolutely not be exposed! Absolutely not!!!

With trembling hands, he shredded the paternity test. Even in the sealed office, he looked around in panic, as if countless pairs of eyes were watching him.

The shredded paper strips fell into the wastebasket. Yoon Nam-woo stared at them blankly, still feeling uneasy.

He stumbled instinctively, found a pair of scissors, his mind blank, and mechanically cut the paper strips until they couldn’t be cut any smaller. Then he scooped them up with his hands and flushed them down the toilet, batch by batch. Finally, he collapsed next to the toilet, panting in a daze.

Actually, he could have just flushed the paper strips directly. He didn’t need to cut them into smaller pieces, let alone carry the shredded paper around. But at this moment, Yoon Nam-woo had completely lost his mind, his head filled with the tragic consequences of his identity being exposed.

Beep, beep—

The sound of a text message was particularly jarring in the silent bathroom. Yoon Nam-woo cursed “shibal” as he took out his phone. He had expected another complaint from Goo Ah-ra, but his heart skipped a beat when he saw the anonymous number.

「Anonymous: It seems Mr. Yoon Nam-woo has already verified his identity. How does it feel? Are you in a good mood?」
「Anonymous: No, perhaps I shouldn’t call you Mr. Yoon Nam-woo anymore. Lee Min-ryong, that’s your real name ^^」

“Aish… shibal! You son of a bitch! Damn bastard! Ahhhhh! Go die, go die, go die—!” Yoon Nam-woo shot up and swept all the Hermès decorations, Hermès towels, Hermès perfumes, and other sparkling orange items from the sink onto the floor, then frantically kicked and stomped on them! It was only after a minute that he stood up, his hair disheveled, leaning on the sink and panting heavily.

「Yoon Nam-woo: Who the hell are you!」
「Yoon Nam-woo: What do you want? Money? Do you think I’m afraid of you?」
「Yoon Nam-woo: Father has raised me for almost thirty years! No matter what, I am his most beloved eldest son! It’s not my fault about my identity! Do you think a piece of paper can destroy our father-son relationship?」

「Anonymous: Is that so? Then why are you so agitated ^^」

Yoon Nam-woo: “Shibal!!!”

「Anonymous: Actually, I’m just a person who loves to watch the drama unfold. And I happen to be well-informed. After finding out about this, I couldn’t help but want to see Mr. Yoon… Lee Min-ryong’s reaction. And I wasn’t disappointed. You even took your father’s hair for a test. So fast. Very interesting ^^」

How does he know?!

Has he been watching me this whole time?!

I should have known…

Shibal…

Yoon Nam-woo broke out in a cold sweat, feeling as if the person behind the screen was a ubiquitous, life-stealing ghost.

「Anonymous: Aigoo~」
「Anonymous: Speaking of which, Yoon Nam-hyuk is too dazzling, isn’t he? Born into an orthodox chaebol family, with a smart brain and a handsome face, a mother who loved him very much even though she died early, and a father who is increasingly afraid to challenge him because of his money-making ability.」
「Anonymous: Such a lucky person is like God’s favorite child. If you want to fight him, it seems you don’t have much of a chance~」

「Yoon Nam-woo: Son of a bitch! Is that all you have to say to me! Are you crazy!」

If you want money or something, just tell me! Are you just trying to play with me! Aish… damn it! It must be money, right? I need to get my wife to raise the money quickly, ahhhhhh shibal!

「Anonymous: Ah~ That’s right. I am indeed a lunatic~ I’m a guy who likes to play with people. I’m very bad, I like to play games. Since you brought it up, why don’t we play a game now~」
「Anonymous: Mr. Lee Min-ryong probably doesn’t know, but the one who adopted you and put you in the Yoon family to live a good life was Yoon Nam-hyuk’s mother, Hyun Si-young. From a certain point of view, she is your benefactor. That lady didn’t destroy your adoption file. Perhaps she wanted to see Yoon Tae-min’s expression when he found out the truth? What an interesting lady~」

What?

Hyun Si-young?

She did it?

Yoon Nam-woo’s expression was blank. In the past few days, he had imagined all sorts of possibilities, but he had never connected this matter with that noble, beautiful, and unsmiling lady.

Looking back, his father’s nominal wife had actually been nice to him. Although she had never said much, she would always look at him with love and pity in her eyes, and would gently stroke his head.

Hyun Si-young, who had moved out with Yoon Nam-hyuk, would occasionally return to the Yoon family’s main residence alone to argue with Yoon Tae-min about the management of Woosan Entertainment. No matter how fierce the argument was in the study, when Ms. Hyun left, her back was always straight, her posture elegant, like a noble and beautiful swan, her dignity not diminished in the slightest by her terrible marriage.

For Yoon Nam-woo, who had never had a mother, this lady embodied all his fantasies of a mother, as untouchable as a fairy godmother in a fairy tale.

So he had been jealous of Yoon Nam-hyuk since he was a child. The other could have both a mother and a father, while he didn’t even know his own mother’s name.

Later, when he heard the news of her death, Yoon Nam-woo was actually a little happy, because Yoon Nam-hyuk was finally like him, with only a father and no mother. For the rest of his life, he could only get close to that noble lady through his imagination. How wonderful.

「Anonymous: Ah~ I thought of what to play. The place where Ms. Hyun Si-young adopted you is called Cherish Welfare Center. If you can sneak into the welfare center before midnight and get the adoption file, I won’t tell Mr. Yoon Tae-min about this. How about it? Check your messages for the address~」
「Anonymous: Countdown begins ^^」

Yoon Nam-woo looked at the welfare center address, gritted his teeth, and cursed the son of a bitch. The sky had already darkened, and there were only a few hours left until midnight. While he was anxiously searching for the location of the welfare center, Goo Ah-ra suddenly called.

“Shibal! Shibal!”

Yoon Nam-woo furiously tapped the screen to answer the call and unleashed a torrent of words, “Shibal! Hey! What’s with the endless messages and calls every day?! Don’t I need to work?! Do you think I can get everything by just lying at home every day like you! Is it fun to pretend to be a young girl in her early twenties, head over heels in love every day!”

Goo Ah-ra, who had been scolded for no reason, shot up from her seat, her expression twisted, almost cursing back. But thinking of her family who needed her support, her Dior and Chanel, and the big house she lived in, she could only swallow the retort that was about to spill from her lips.

“Honey~ Calm down, honey. Although I don’t know which damn bastard made my baby so angry, I’m really calling about something important~” Goo Ah-ra’s voice was gentle, her expression ferocious, her patience stretched to its limit as she enunciated each word.

Yoon Nam-woo was extremely impatient. “Spit it out! I have important things to do! I’m only giving you one minute!”

Aish, this good-for-nothing…

Goo Ah-ra gritted her teeth. “I just wanted to tell my dear husband that his brother, Yoon Nam-hyuk, just got home. Although his expression was foul and he didn’t apologize, he slammed a termination contract on Father’s desk, saying that after that actor, Qi-something, finishes Director Baek’s film, he will terminate the contract with him.”

Yoon Nam-woo: “What! What did Father say?”

“That’s why I’m calling, honey~” Goo Ah-ra’s lips curled into a sneer, wishing she could slap this disappointing Yoon Nam-woo. “Although Father didn’t have a good expression either, he clearly wasn’t blaming little brother-in-law anymore. Aigoo, why did he let little brother-in-law get away with it again? Is a chaebol family like the Yoons going to stoop to letting a homosexual inherit the family fortune? They say a father and son don’t hold a grudge overnight. If a beating can make this matter go away, what was the point of all our efforts, honey!!!”

Isn’t it because the eldest son is useless! she thought anxiously. I’ve told him a thousand times to work hard at his studies and business, but he just won’t. All he knows is Hermès, golf, and little cakes! How could Yoon Tae-min hand over the Yoon family to such an idiot!

The call ended.

Yoon Nam-woo paced back and forth in his office, muttering to himself, “Blood ties, blood ties, so that’s what it is. No wonder Father always forgives him. An outsider like me can never truly fit in… That guy Yoon Nam-hyuk is so lucky!”

Time was running out. This phone call had wasted a lot of his time. He cursed as he got into his car and followed the navigation to the welfare center.

Cherish Welfare Center was right in Seoul.

By the time Yoon Nam-woo arrived, weaving through the streets, it was completely dark. He parked his car in a small alley and secretly observed the low, dilapidated building.

It was very quiet. Besides a dozing security guard and an old woman who was trembling as she went in and out to trim the branches, there was almost no one else.

The adoption file…

It should be in the archives room, right? First floor or second? Should I sneak in? Or should I go in openly, under the pretext of wanting to adopt a child?

Stealing was obviously not something to be done openly. Yoon Nam-woo waited in the car for two hours, until all the lights in the welfare center were turned off and the security guard was dozing off, before he quietly got out of the car.

A dilapidated welfare center like this survived on donations from kind-hearted people. Any thief with half a brain wouldn’t bother with it. So, forget about security, even the door lock and the backyard fence were from decades ago.

Yoon Nam-woo stepped on a brick and climbed over, carefully avoiding the surveillance cameras that didn’t even seem to be plugged in. He felt that God was helping him; everything was going so smoothly.

The archives room was on the second floor. Yoon Nam-woo watched as the trembling old woman came out of it, closed the door, and didn’t even lock it.

After she left, he tiptoed into the archives room and, based on his age, went through the folders in reverse chronological order.

If he had been a little more careful, and had looked up, he might have seen the names of the donors from different years written on the wall. Nearly thirty years ago, Ms. Hyun’s name was prominently displayed, with a donation amount of one billion won.

Such a huge donation, in that era, was enough for all the children in the welfare center to be well-fed, well-clothed, and grow up safely. If nothing unexpected happened, the children from that time should all be married and have their own careers by now.

“Oh! Found it! Aish, cough cough, why is there so much dust!” Yoon Nam-woo patted the dust off the file box and finally found the name Lee Min-ryong on it. But the moment he opened his file, his expression could no longer be described as ferocious.

Name: Lee Min-ryong
Gender: Male
Age: Approx. 6 months
Main Social Relations:
Father unknown.
Mother deceased, had intellectual disability.
Admitted by Lim Dong-won, a conscripted police officer at Yongsan Police Station, Seoul. Contact number: xxx.

Tucked inside the file was a statement handwritten and signed by the police officer, stating the reason why Lee Min-ryong was sent to the welfare center.

On x month x day, x year, Lee Min-ryong’s mother, Kyung So-young, was wandering late at night with her baby. She was involved in a car accident and died. As Kyung So-young had no relatives, the infant Lee Min-ryong was sent to Cherish Welfare Center to be raised.

A few brief strokes, and that was Yoon Nam-woo’s entire life story. But what made him break down the most were these words—intellectual disability.

Ha!

Intellectual disability?!

Does that mean his mother was mentally retarded? Ahhhhhh shibal! It took him almost thirty years to accept the fact that his mother was a mistress and he was an illegitimate son! And now you’re telling me the truth is even more cruel! His real mother was mentally retarded?!

Yoon Nam-woo bit his lip, almost crying out.

Whether this was true or not, the fact that he and Yoon Tae-min were not biologically related was indisputable. There wasn’t much time left until the mysterious person’s midnight deadline. The most important thing was to take the file and destroy it completely!

Yoon Nam-woo tucked the file into his shirt, made sure he hadn’t missed anything, then put the file box back in its place and tiptoed back the way he came.

On the way back, he drove in silence, his speed increasing, as if only by doing so could he leave what he had just seen behind.

The car stopped by a river on the outskirts of the city. Yoon Nam-woo frantically pulled out the file and set it on fire, watching as the papers turned to ash, then immediately scattered them into the river.

After doing this, Yoon Nam-woo briefly let out a sigh of relief. But he immediately became tense again. No, he thought, being passive like this is not a solution.

He didn’t know when the mysterious informant would make another move. This time it was a race against time. What would it be next time? If the other party was blackmailing him for money like Choi Min-jun, that would be one thing. If not…

Even with his limited imagination, Yoon Nam-woo could now think of ten different worst-case scenarios!

How to solve this?

There seemed to be only one way.

He had to seize the position of heir to the chaebol as soon as possible. Only by truly becoming the heir of the Yoon Group could he ensure his absolute safety. So that plan had to be carried out as soon as possible! He couldn’t wait any longer!

Yoon Nam-woo took out his phone and dialed the number he had saved for a long time. The call connected. Before the other party could speak, Yoon Nam-woo said urgently, “We can’t wait any longer. I want to execute the plan immediately!”

The person on the other end of the line was slightly hesitant. “Why the rush? Raising funds is not a simple matter. Suddenly saying you want to execute the plan is a bit too…”

“Shibal—Eun Chul-woo!”

Yoon Nam-woo shouted, interrupting him. He had originally wanted to throw a tantrum as usual, but the paternity test and the adoption file he had just burned inexplicably flashed in his mind.

His identity was like a time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. He and his father were no longer bound by blood. He knew his father well. Blood was the premise, and only then would his spoiled behavior be effective. Otherwise, he would definitely be crushed into the mud by the father who was so ruthless even to his own son.

The cooperation with Eun Chul-woo was his only hope. So this partner was very important.

At this moment, Yoon Nam-woo truly grew up.

He turned his not-so-bright brain, and for the first time, tried to handle a problem like an adult, instead of just lashing out emotionally.

Yoon Nam-woo softened his voice, his expression ferocious, a strange resemblance to Goo Ah-ra a few hours ago. “Chul-woo, to be honest with you, Yoon Nam-hyuk’s recent scandals have taken a toll on Father’s health. He’s an old man, and he has a heart condition. He’s really—very fragile. He might die from a little shock one day. I don’t know if Father has a will. He’s never mentioned it himself. If Yoon Nam-hyuk is the beneficiary of the will, it would be terrible. You don’t want our plans to be ruined, right?”

“Mmm… that’s true.” Eun Chul-woo seemed to be persuaded.

Yoon Nam-woo clenched his phone and pressed on, “Right. So we must act quickly. We can’t give Yoon Nam-hyuk any breathing room!”

Eun Chul-woo hesitated. “Okay, then in a month…”

“Hey! Shi—” Yoon Nam-woo trembled with anger, forcing himself to soften his voice. “Chairman Eun, a month is too late, isn’t it? The most I can accept is one week!”

“But the funds really need time, Mr. Yoon.”

Yoon Nam-woo paced in circles. “I say, Chairman Eun, how much money are you short of? Isn’t RC very profitable? You boasted to me that your adoptive father left you a lot of inheritance. Did you spend it all?”

Eun Chul-woo suddenly snorted. “It’s hurtful for Mr. Yoon to speak to a partner like this. You were the one who suddenly said you wanted to advance the plan, which led to a shortage of funds. How can you blame me? Besides, haven’t I helped you with a lot of trouble recently? If it weren’t for me, you would have not only been obediently blackmailed by Choi Min-jun, but you would also have let Yoon Nam-hyuk’s people get a hold of your leverage. If you can just sit back and enjoy the benefits by buying Hermès every day, isn’t our cooperation too unfair?”

Even if Yoon Nam-woo was stupid, he could see that Eun Chul-woo was asking him for money. He was anxious and angry, but helpless. He tore his lip until it bled before he said in a hoarse voice, “Fine, fine, I know. It’s just money, right? I have a few properties. I’ll go sell them tomorrow… These funds can only be used to acquire Woosan’s shares, not for anything else! Do you hear me!”

Eun Chul-woo chuckled. “The overseas team in charge of the acquisition is a professional company. Didn’t you meet the person in charge, Mr. Yoon? Don’t worry, everything will proceed smoothly.”

The call ended.

Eun Chul-woo laughed for a long time.

He copied the entire process of Yoon Nam-woo sneakily taking the file from the CCTV footage onto a hard drive, then deleted the footage from the device.

Yoon Nam-woo, Eun Chul-woo thought, is so unobservant. He was able to enter the archives room so easily. Didn’t he ever wonder why?

He left the office in a pleasant mood, locked the door, and ran into the security guard on patrol. The security uncle smiled and nodded. “Director Eun, are you leaving?”

“Mmm, thank you for your hard work,” Eun Chul-woo smiled.

The uncle watched him leave, unable to help but mutter to himself, Aigoo, our Cherish Welfare Center is so lucky.

First, a lady donated a huge sum of money. Then, a British tycoon directly bought the welfare center. And then, a few years ago, the young and rich Director Eun took over. Although he’s just a nominal director and hasn’t made any major renovations or upgrades to the welfare center, all the children can eat well, sleep well, and go to school. For the children, this is simply paradise.