Soho

Chapter 17: < Protect – Episode 16 – Lee Hyo Geun [3] >

Ahn Soo Ho returned to Jejudo.

“There’s a problem?”

“Yes, Director. There’s a problem with the division of property.”

In the middle of Mrs. Park Ok Nam’s divorce process, they ran into an unexpected obstacle. Lee Hyo Geun’s former wife’s son, Lee Jung Hoon, and Lee So Hye’s half-brothers had submitted an objection to the division of property. Ahn Soo Hofelt nothing but disgust.

“I’m not sure who’s the worst one.”

They were being very dirty. After it prosecuted them for miscellaneous charges, they tried to contact Daesan Hotel Resort in Jejudo through their lawyer, but he didn’t want to deal with them. Since he told his mom not to answer their calls either, they targeted Lee So Hye, who just went back to school. Is blood really thicker than water? Even though Lee So Hye hated Lee Hyo Geun, she went to visit him, anyway.

Ahn Soo Ho knew beforehand but didn’t talk her out of it.

“You can’t forcefully cut ties between people of blood relation.”

Even though Ahn Soo Ho hated his father too that didn’t mean he no longer had a father.

“Does she have to give up everything?”

“That would make things a lot easier.”

The problem would be over if she gave up on the division of property.

“Then let’s do that. I’ll tell my mother myself.”

“Okay.”

“Oh, yeah!”

Ahn Soo Ho stopped the secretary from leaving.

“What happened with Shinhwa Entertainment?”

“They still haven’t responded.”

“Hm.”

It’s likely that they’re keeping an eye out with all the noise about the reformation of the rich. But it was still strange. Are they antagonizing a director of Daesan Group just because of a newbie actor with potential? Or did they think they’d be better off holding onto Lee Jung Hoon for now? If not, they’re just being bold.

“Bring me the CEO’s profile.”

“Sure, Director.”

The documents came in no time.

“Kim Yoo Seon.”

It might sound like a woman’s name, but he’s a man in his fifties. In the photo, he looked hardworking? There wasn’t anything special. Even though he didn’t start from the bottom, the fact that he’s managing a reputable entertainment agency is proof of his capabilities. Besides a few summary indictments, he committed no crimes, and the biggest flaw was that he had divorced twice.

“Maybe he has high standards because all he sees are celebrities.”

Few CEO’s of entertainment agencies have married one of their celebrities. No shareholder of a corporation would ever be happy about the marriage between a CEO and one of his celebrities. A manager dating one of these celebrities? That’s very taboo. Even in Hollywood, people despise relationships between managers and their celebrities.

“Business should always just stay business.”

Blind love makes all of it very messy.

“How’s his reputation?”

“It’s not bad.”

“It’s not bad? Tell me in more detail.”

“Many agencies fool around with the contract. Compared to places like that, the contract duration and distribution ratio is fair. They don’t exploit their celebrities as far as I know.”

“Any sexual favors?”

“If you’re referring to sponsors, I confirmed that the company doesn’t provide that.”

“Does that mean they do that themselves?”

“It’s not like it can monitor them 24 hours a day.”

In the entertainment world, the amount invested determined the results. Finding a star with outstanding talent was like finding a needle in a sandbox. Management did not differ from gambling. Shameful conduct such as sexual favors or prostitution were like not being able to leave the gambling casino at the thought of the principal.

“I need to meet him.”

The rational thing to do was to meet at least once before bringing the coercive. No matter how big, one should avoid causing resentment.

“Director, David Cox is here to see you.”

“Send him in.”

David Cox, also known as Lee Chul, didn’t come in alone.

“Wow!”

“Amazing!”

Emily and Rachel’s eyes shot out hearts as soon as they saw the vacation home. Ahn Soo Ho shook Lee Chul’s hand.

“Whoa... you weren’t just a regular employee, Soo Ho.”

As soon as he escorted them to the vacation home next to the main building, he heard he was a director which surprised him quite a bit. Even though he didn’t look too young, how could he be a director in his 30s? At first, he thought he could be an heir, but Lee Chul knows the Kim family owns Daesan Group despite his naturalized foreigner status.

“I knew it from the start. You’re an elite.”

“Haha.”

Lee Chul’s pleasant character didn’t change no matter what his position was.

“Let’s play, Soo Ho.”

“Yeah!”

The girls changed into their bikinis and t-shirts and urged Ahn Soo Ho. Even though they’re underage, if Jang Seol Hyun finds out about this, things will get out of hand.

So he talked about something else.

“What about your wife?”

“She went to pick up a guest from her side of the family.”

“Oh. When will Emily and Rachel return home?”

Despite Lee Chul’s efforts, he couldn’t hide his sadness. He must have some kind of family matters that even he can’t talk about. So he tried to change the subject, but Lee Chul talked first.

“Don’t worry about it, Soo Ho. I’m not in that bad of a mood. It’s not like there’s no racism in Australia.”

Even though Australia and Canada were the top countries to live in for Koreans, racism still existed. It hadn’t come to the surface, but there was an aspect more violent than the Bible Belt. The governments of Australia and Canada even advised tourists of color to not visit certain areas.

“Did her side of the family oppose your marriage?”

“Yeah. It’s been twenty years, and it still hadn’t changed.”

Lee Chul’s situation was like Do Kyung Ho’s while being different at the same time. Ahn Soo Ho suddenly had a question. Whose problem is it they still don’t have children after 20 years? He tried to see through him.

“It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just... fate.”

Do you believe in the teachings? Lee Chul might be a white ascetic. Ahn Soo Ho put down his work and spent time with his guest. As soon as they walked out of the vacation home into the main building, the atmosphere changed to a glamorous one. How can the atmosphere be so different? The architect of this building was very impressive.

Emily and Rachel ran into the pool.

Even though he was older, Lee Chul’s body was solid from farming fruit, and Ahn Soo Ho didn’t fall behind. Lee Chul could only relax after he saw his nieces having fun, at which he laid on the sunbed with his sunglasses on. In every country, men pretty much only went to pools to see exposed women.

“Seventy points.”

“Fifty points.”

“Fifty? You’re so stingy.”

“She ruined it with the rash guard.”

“That’s true. Is she even a surfer?”

“I heard that’s the trend these days.”

Since everyone worn rash guards, the trend changed to not wearing them. As soon as Emily and Rachel took off their t-shirts to expose their bodies, all eyes were on them. If they were adults, it wouldn’t matter if they did a one-night stand or not, but until they returned to Australia, Lee Chul was their only guardian.

“Isn’t it cheating to be a Westerner?”

“Really? I’m not sure.”

The difference of aesthetics between the East and the West came into view. A few of the more confident Korean men approached them. When Lee Chul sighed and got up from the sunbed, they backed down to to the big Western man. Emily and Rachel pouted as they walked toward Ahn Soo Ho.

“Ugh, seriously! That won’t happen, Uncle.”

“All men are animals, you know.”

“Yeah right. They all look weak.”

“They do. They’ll probably fall over after one hit.”

Despite how they looked, they were both masters of Jiu-Jitsu. Is that why they want to roam around at night?

“This isn’t our first time here. We know what it’s like.”

“Korea may be pretty safe, but don’t let your guard down.”

When they were little, they visited Jejudo with their parents, and after they turned 15, they traveled on their own. The two girls sat on the sunbed applying sunscreen on each other as they grumbled.

“Dictator!”

“Old man!”

Ahn Soo Ho smirked.

“Cute kids.”

These days, the number of children joining gangs are increasing. It connected the kids who wandered through the slums to the area’s criminal organizations one way or another, and the average age at which they joined was twelve. That’s kids in grade 5 and 7 joining a mob. Compared to kids like that, Emily and Rachel are innocent.

“Another type of child soldiers.”

The reality of the average age going down did not differ from underdeveloped countries of Africa drafting child soldiers. The elites of the criminal world were like human shields that survived.

“Director, you have a guest.”

Oh Joo Kyung approached and whispered in his ear.

“A guest?”

If it was Kim Dae San or Kim Dae Chan, she wouldn’t have referred to them as guests. Same with Mrs. Park Ok Nam and Lee So Hye. Is it Kyung Ho? However, what she said after that surpassed Ahn Soo Ho’s expectations.

“It’s Lee Hyo Geun’s representative.”

******

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ahn. I’m Lawyer Jeon Sung Joo.”

Oh Joo Kyung was the one to accept the business card Jeon Sung Joo handed over. He continued to smile despite how it would have looked.

“He’s from the law firm, The NC. They’re within the top ten large-scale law firms of Korea... but they’re a bunch of hyenas.”

Ahn Soo Ho nodded at Oh Joo Kyung and looked at Jeon Sung Joo.

“Did Lee Kyung Joon send you?”

“Who? Lee Kyung Joon? I’ve never heard of that name before. We considered all the unfair treatment given to Lee Hyo Geun.”

“Unfair?”

“Yes. Unreasonable use of public power mentally harmed him. The world is noisy these days with the demand for a reformation of the rich. Daesan probably doesn’t want their name to be in the media because of your personal matters.”

“So?”

“We’re willing to cooperate at a fair price.”

“Haha! Hahaha!”

Ahn Soo Ho laughed while smacking his forehead. He laughed so hard, everyone in the café turned to look at him. If Oh Joo Kyung wasn’t there, the café manager would have told him to quiet down. Ahn Soo Ho wiped his tears away and looked at his cold gaze.

“That guy is such an incompetent fool.”

“Please watch your words.”

“No.”

It’s taboo to be a hundred percent certain, but Lee Kyung Joon is an exception. It’s unlikely he dealt with this situation in such a sloppy manner. Even in the States, it was common for lawyers to sit around at a prison, look for clients, and advice a lawsuit. That lawyer wouldn’t have had any interest in suing Daesan Group if it wasn’t for the national uproar for a reformation of the rich. He could have well collected a lot of settlement money from those who fell for it.

“The law...”

He thought the judicial system existed for the rich rather than the poor. That’s because, under the current constitution, it’s hard for them to acknowledge a private prosecution. Back in the day, when revenge prevailed, all people were equal in front of death. But today? There’s a gap between the rich and the poor even regarding death.

“They call it legal justice and whatnot, but they’re stingy when it come to catching the big criminals.”

Even as the law gets more complicated, there’s always a hole to escape from. If a rich and a poor fought in a legal battle, who’d win? You may think the law is clear, but it’s actually very ambiguous. He would cooperate if the consensual divorce went forward smoothly. He expected just the slightest bit of conscience from those who shamelessly tricked Mrs. Park.

“I guess I kind of saw this coming.”

He slicked his face. This was a scenario he hated the most.

“See you in court.”

“Wa... wait!”

As soon as Ahn Soo Ho stood up, his actions took Jeon Sung Joo aback. Huh? This isn’t right. He believed he wouldn’t want to taint the company’s reputation with his personal matters. The executives of other companies got nervous and made a settlement. Now that the lit candles in the center of Seoul have made the CEOs sensitive, even the smallest mistakes can get you on their bad side.

“Do you have more to say?”

“Haha. When it comes to settlements, it’s all about the push and pulls. Please listen to my proposal.”

Ahn Soo Ho stuck out his middle finger. His smile was so big that Jeon Sung Joo thought he was seeing things.

“F*ck you.”

<Protect – Episode 16 – Lee Hyo Geun [3] > The end.

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