Chapter 247: Investigating (2)

Chapter 247: Investigating (2)

Kang Jin-Ho eventually reached the national highway only to find himself in a spot of bother.

'...Where exactly am I?'

Everything was fine while he was driving here like a madman, all thanks to the wonders of GPS navigation. Now that he didn't have the benefit of the latest mapping technology? He had no clue where he was.

If Kang Jin-Ho still had his phone with him, this might have been a good chance to utilize the map app he had learned about not too long ago. Unfortunately, Kang Eun-Yeong's manager was in possession of his phone.

“Which way should I go?” Kang Jin-Ho groaned. The realization of being lost even made him think about going back and asking Lee Hyeon-Ju to give him a ride back to Seoul. “...Mm.”

However, Kang Jin-Ho knew the concept of embarrassment, which was a problem. He glanced around at his surroundings, but the kidnappers had selected such an excellent spot he couldn't spot a single residential building nearby.

He stood there, wondering what he should do next, when someone appeared before him to solve his dilemma.

Flash!

A sedan flashing its high beams came to a stop in front of Kang Jin-Ho. Its driver winded the window down and peeked his head outside. “Is everything over, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“When did you arrive here, Mister Gyu-Min?”

“I was hoping to match the timing, so I drove here as soon as possible. Thankfully, it seems that I'm not late.” Jo Gyu-Min smirked triumphantly.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled back at him. When he thought about it, the person who had always been helping him out in moments of crisis was Jo Gyu-Min.

Jo Gyu-Min pointed to the passenger seat. “Please, get in.”

“No, wait. Before that...” Kang Jin-Ho suddenly bowed deeply at Jo Gyu-Min.

“W-what are you doing, Mister Jin-Ho?” Jo Gyu-Min was flustered and hurriedly waved his hands.

“It was all thanks to you that I managed to save Eun-Yeong without too much trouble. I would have never found her somewhere as remote and vacant as this place without your help.”

To be more precise, Kang Eun-Yeong's kidnappers would have eventually called Kang Jin-Ho, but she could have been subjected to a terrible ordeal in the meantime. At worst, she could have lost her life. Just thinking about that possibility sent a chill down Kang Jin-Ho's spine.

“For now, please get in. The night air can get pretty cold these days.”

Even if this were the middle of a Siberian tundra, Kang Jin-Ho wouldn't feel cold at all, but even he didn't see the need to interpret every offered goodwill gesture at face value. Kang Jin-Ho nodded briefly before climbing into the passenger seat.

Jo Gyu-Min produced a cigarette and placed it in Kang Jin-Ho's mouth.

Click...

Once Jo Gyu-Min finished lighting the cigarette up for him, Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly sucked in the unhealthy smoke before leisurely releasing it back into the air. It felt like the stench of blood staining his body had been masked a little by the cigarette smell.

Jo Gyu-Min got the vehicle moving again. “You worked hard, Mister Jin-Ho.”

“...Yes.”

Maybe he had already guessed what happened inside the factory, but Jo Gyu-Min didn't ask for the details and concentrated on driving.

Kang Jin-Ho spoke, “What about Eun-Yeong?”

“I called for a car and a driver to take her back to Seoul. She insisted on waiting for you, but I figured sending her somewhere... more secure would be the correct thing to do.”

“Yes, you made the right call.”

“I suggested she should see a doctor, but she was adamant with her refusal. I couldn't change her mind. I'm sorry.”

“I see. Couldn't be helped, then.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded in acceptance. He had already confirmed her condition back in the factory, anyway. She wasn't injured enough to require a visit to a hospital.

Although it was unknown whether Jo Gyu-Min did check Kang Eun-Yeong's condition directly or not, the former was still worried about her health. As such, Kang Jin-Ho was grateful for that.

“By the way, did you call Miss Lee Hyeon-Ju?” Kang Jin-Ho asked another question.

“My apologies for not getting your consent first. However, Jaegyeong is a corporation. We have no experience in handling extralegal matters like this, not to mention the lack of know-how. I thought the best way to deal with this kind of a situation was to call her people.”

“I see...”

“Chairman Hwang agreed with that assessment, as well.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded without saying anything. It wasn't as if he were upset by this development. If this were the most efficient way, then they should obviously go with it. Besides, Jaegyeong's people didn't need his consent on every single matter, nor should they ask for his consent every time.

Jo Gyu-Min cautiously piped up, “And this is just my opinion, but...”

“Yes?”

“...Mister Jin-Ho, this won't be the end, yes?”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded silently once more. Jo Gyu-Min groaned as if his assumptions were proven right.

“Oh...” Kang Eun-Yeong nodded as if she were convinced. However, she was thinking about something else entirely.

'Those bastards definitely said they wanted my oppa, not me...'

She didn't want to reveal that she already knew the truth. After all, that might saddle Kang Jin-Ho with more worry. Besides, it felt like these two were trying to hide something from her, as well.

Kang Eun-Yeong decided to bury this matter deep in her heart for later, then changed the topic. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “No, I'm not hurt. It's you we should be worried about.”

“No, I'm fine, oppa. I really am.”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed again. “I see. For now, go to the agency's lodging and get some rest there.”

“Mm, can't I stay here tonight? I'm kinda... nervous.”

.

“Then, let's go home.”

“But my cheek...”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “It's fine now.”

“Ng?” Kang Eun-Yeong blinked her eyes before using a smartphone's selfie mode to take a look at her face. Her head tilted in confusion almost right away. “Huh? But it was so swollen just now? When did it go down?”

Kang Jin-Ho gently patted his sister's shoulder. “See? You can go home now.”

“What about you, oppa?”

“I still have some things to take care of. Don't worry; I'll be home as soon as I'm done here.”

“...Can't I stay here with you until then? We can go home together, right?”

“Don't worry, I'll be done soon, so wait for me at home.”

“Okay. Then... Promise me that you'll be home soon, okay? Honestly, I'm... a bit scared.”

“I know. Don't worry. I'll be done here soon.” Kang Jin-Ho soothed his sister, then shifted his attention to Jeong Seok-Su, her manager, still guarding her. “I know it's been a long day, but... Can you take my sister home, please?”

“Of course. That's my job.”

“Then, I'll leave it to you.”

Jeong Seok-Su quickly got up to his feet. “Se-Ah? Shall we?”

“Okay.” Kang Eun-Yeong nodded. She left the pizzeria while looking at Kang Jin-Ho. It seemed she was still worried.

Kang Jin-Ho smiled back at her but sighed deeply once Kang Eun-Yeong was outside his store. “Mister Gyu-Min... Chief Jo, please cancel all of her schedules from tomorrow onward. And book a competent trauma counselor as well.”

Jo Gyu-Min gravely nodded. “Arranging counseling sessions won't be difficult, but her schedule...”

“Chief Jo. Eun-Yeong might pretend to be strong on the outside, but we shouldn't forget that she's still only twenty years old. She has to be in shock after going through an event like this.”

“Understood. I'll clear out her schedule.” Jo Gyu-Min nodded in acceptance. Indeed, Kang Jin-Ho was right. Kang Eun-Yeong wasn't some product for sale, so looking after her health was the right thing to do right now.

'Still, it's gonna get pretty tough...'

Trying to cancel the scheduled meetings and commitments without providing a solid reason would be no easy feat, even for Jo Gyu-Min. Especially if he wanted to avoid creating bad blood with everyone involved.

Jo Gyu-Min cautiously raised his voice. “Mister Jin-Ho...”

“Yes?”

“Canceling everything else is doable, but it won't be with Miss Eun-Yeong's TV series commitments. Filming TV dramas isn't a one-time thing, which makes canceling it practically impossible without repercussions. And I'd wager that Miss Eun-Yeong would never want to exit the production, as well.”

“Mm...”

“Even worse, if she does exit the production, she might as well give up on her acting career, too. This isn't a matter of the people involved behind the camera, but the fans watching the completed drama series, Mister Jin-Ho. They will no doubt turn their backs on your sister. Since the series hasn't aired yet, it should be possible to deal with most of the consequences somehow, but... Preventing the spread of unsavory rumors will be difficult.”

Kang Jin-Ho groaned loudly. “In that case, we need to buy a few days.”

“That's not going to be easy, Mister Jin-Ho. If Miss Eun-Yeong's filming schedule gets shuffled around, the schedules for other actors will become rather tight as a result.”

“I'll deal with that, Chief Jo.”

“I'm sorry?” Jo Gyu-Min looked weirdly at Kang Jin-Ho. How... how was he going to deal with that?

Kang Jin-Ho didn't bother to explain himself. “Let me worry about that, so please, just cancel all of Eun-Yeong's other commitments for now.”

“...Understood. I'll get right on it.”

Kang Jin-Ho turned his head and stared outside the pizzeria's windows with his withdrawn and cold eyes.

Yet another long night was passing by...