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Chapter 308: Family

At that moment, I felt a mix of both relief and disappointment. The disappointment came from realizing that I had no father, while the relief stemmed from knowing that the notorious moneylender wasn\'t my father.

"Eun-Gi was my son... He was my son all along..." Choi Eun-Tae muttered to himself.

His hands trembled as he held the paternity test report close to his chest as if he were holding his son.

Although there was still a mountain of issues to be resolved, I offered my congratulations. "Congratulations, Mr. Choi."

Kang Gam-Chan and Choi Yung-Ho quickly followed suit.

"Congratulations, sir."

"Congratulations, Mr. Choi."

Choi Eun-Tae nodded in response. "Thank you... Thank you all..."

Then he turned to me after wiping off his tears and asked, "Team Lead Jung, are you... disappointed?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Is that so..."

For a brief moment, a flicker of disappointment crossed Choi Eun-Tae\'s face. "Alright, give me a moment."

After a few deep breaths, he regained his usual composure and began issuing commands to Choi Yung-Ho. "Use whatever resources are necessary, even if it means mobilizing every lawyer in the country, to get Eun-Gi out of prison! I won\'t stand by and watch my son get stabbed in prison again!"

"Yes, sir!"

"And keep a close watch on those around Man-Sik. Investigate the guy who stabbed Eun-Gi, track down his relatives, and dig up everything. I\'ll make sure their bones are picked clean!"

"Understood."

The orders backed by power and wealth kept coming. Though Choi Eun-Tae\'s instructions teetered on the edge of legality, Choi Yung-Ho didn\'t bat an eye.

But I couldn\'t just stand by and let this happen.

"Please wait a moment," I said.

Choi Eun-Tae looked at me with a puzzled expression. "What is it?"

"Eun-Gi won\'t want this. In fact, he\'ll be extremely opposed to it."

"Why? Why would he be against seeing his own father?"

I took a deep breath and relayed the message that Kang Eun-Gi had left me. He had said that he had lived his entire life without relying on his parents and nearly died because of them, so he wouldn\'t ever want to see them.

The reason he gave me his hair wasn\'t to reconnect with his father but to sever any lingering attachments. He also warned that if his father ever showed up, he wouldn\'t take it lightly.

I had softened the wording, but Choi Eun-Tae\'s face still twisted in response. "He...he really said that...?"

"Yes."

"And even knowing he\'ll inherit all my wealth, he still refuses to meet me?"

"Eun-Gi has plenty of money already," I added.

Having absorbed the black funds of the Kanghan faction, Eun-Gi was so wealthy that even most tycoons couldn\'t flaunt their wealth in front of him.

Choi Eun-Tae seemed to be lost in thought for a moment upon hearing that Eun-Gi wasn\'t one to be swayed by money.

Then he looked at me as if struck by a new thought. "Then you must help bridge the gap! Aren\'t you his closest friend?"

However, my answer was already clear. "I can\'t do that...until Eun-Gi acknowledges you as his father."

At that moment, Choi Eun-Tae glared at me. "What did you just say?"

Choi Eun-Tae\'s eyes blazed as if he were about to devour me.

Seeing this, Kang Gam-Chan quickly stepped in front of me. "Mr. Choi, please. Let\'s stop this here."

"President Kang! Why are you siding with him? Don\'t you understand how I feel?"

"Pressuring him won\'t work. He\'s not someone who responds well to force."

Choi Eun-Tae retorted sharply, "If he won\'t listen to me, throw him out of the company!"

For the first time since entering the room, Kang Gam-Chan raised his voice. "Don\'t say something so ridiculous, sir! This is the man you should be begging to stay, not throwing out!"

"What?"

"If you let him go, every single famous celebrity at Hoop Entertainment will follow him out the door. If that happens, I won\'t be able to fend off the Suhyaejong line backed by Choi Man-Sik!"

"You mean... even you wouldn\'t be able to stop them?"

Kang Gam-Chan shook his head heavily. "I\'ve already stepped back from hands-on management for some time now. If Yoon-Ho leaves the company now, there\'s no way I can hold back the Suhyaejong line."

"Is it really that serious?"

"Yes. And in that case, how do you plan to prevent Choi Man-Sik from using Hoop Entertainment\'s celebrities to lobby politicians? Are you going to give him wings?"

"E-even so, I can\'t just not meet my own son!" Choi Eun-Tak replied in frustration.

"I\'m telling you not to let your emotions ruin everything!" yelled Kang Gam-Chan.

Choi Eun-Tae trembled with anger.

Kang Gam-Chan continued, "So you should wait until Kang Eun-Gi—no, until Choi Eun-Gi forgives you! Of course, that means you\'ll have to beg for his forgiveness first."

\'Forgiveness?\' I wondered.

As I thought about it, I realized Kang Gam-Chan was right. Choi Eun-Tae needed to seek forgiveness from Kang Eun-Gi first.

At that moment, Choi Yung-Ho, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Sir. Do you want to find your son, or do you want to keep your pride?"

Choi Eun-Tae glared at him. "Yung-Ho, even you\'re saying this?"

"I\'m only saying this because I care about you, sir. The tangled threads can only be unraveled by those involved."

Choi Eun-Tae let out a hollow laugh, seemingly unable to believe what he was hearing. "Hahaha... A knot must be untied by the one who tied it, huh..."

Even the most powerful moneylender in Myeong-dong who was used to getting his way now faced a challenge he couldn\'t simply bulldoze through.

Choi Eun-Tae laughed for a while longer before suddenly stopping. "Alright. If that\'s what it takes, I\'ll do it."

Then, to everyone\'s surprise, Choi Eun-Tae slowly bowed his head to me. Everyone in the room froze at the unexpected scene.

"Team Lead Jung, I\'m sorry for dragging you into this mess. Please forgive me. And... Please, help bridge the gap between my son and me. This is the only wish I have left in this life..."

The man who was feared by even the wealthiest and most powerful in the country was now bowing his head and asking me, a mere talent agent, for help.

Caught off guard by his sudden action, I hesitated for a moment.

Then Kang Gam-Chan broke the silence. "Yoon-Ho, maybe you could give him at least one chance?"

As Kang Gam-Chan suggested, this wasn\'t a decision I could make. After a brief moment of consideration, I slowly nodded. "I\'ll try to convey your message when I visit Eun-Gi."

Choi Eun-Tae lifted his head, his face lighting up with hope. "W-will you really?"

"But there\'s a condition."

"A condition?"

"If you step in now, Choi Man-Sik will target Eun-Gi even more aggressively."

Choi Eun-Tae let out a deep sigh. He knew he had no right to argue given that he was the reason his son\'s life was in danger in the first place.

"So you\'re saying I should just stand by and watch?"

"Yes. And if possible, spread false information that you haven\'t found your son."

"Are you suggesting a strategy of deception?"

"Yes. While they\'re almost certain that Eun-Gi is your son, they\'re not 100% sure. Confusing them could buy us some time."

Choi Eun-Tae let out a series of bitter laughs, refusing to accept that after finally finding his son, he had to pretend as if he hadn\'t.

Nonetheless, he eventually nodded. "Alright. I\'ll do as you say. And after I\'ve dealt with Man-Sik, I\'ll beg for Eun-Gi\'s forgiveness."

"Thank you for making such a difficult decision."

"But just as you\'ve promised me, please make sure to tell Eun-Gi that I\'m his father!"

"Understood. And just a word of caution: don\'t even think about donating to Angel Orphanage. Eun-Gi\'s people are already watching over it."

Choi Eun-Tae hesitated but eventually nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I won\'t."

"In exchange, I\'ll keep you updated on Eun-Gi\'s situation from time to time."

"Thank you."

For a moment, a worried expression crossed Choi Eun-Tae\'s face. "But are you sure it\'s okay not to protect my son directly?"

"Eun-Gi has requested special protection from Prosecutor Seo at the Central District Prosecutor\'s Office."

"Ah, Seo Jae-Ill, that guy. If it\'s him, that should be fine."

Choi Eun-Tae seemed reassured upon recognizing Seo Jae-Ill.

That\'s when Choi Eun-Tae brought up another matter. "Oh, and... if you help me reconcile with my son, I\'ll give you half of the Hoop Entertainment\'s shares that Man-Sik holds as a reward. What do you think?"

Choi Man-Sik currently held 30% of Hoop Entertainment\'s shares, directly and indirectly, which meant Choi Eun-Tae was offering me 15% of the shares.

I immediately shook my head. After all, I had no desire to profit from my friend\'s situation. "I can\'t accept any reward related to Eun-Gi\'s matter."

I already held shares worth 300 million won in Yetterang after investing twice. With the stock expected to rise dramatically in the coming years, I was set to accumulate significant wealth of over 5 billion won.

If I could reinvest that money I could secure a substantial stake myself by the time Hoop Entertainment went public.

Moreover, the issue of shares wouldn\'t even be a concern with Choi Man-Sik out of the picture as I was confident in handling the situation with Kim Dong-Soo on my own.

"First you refuse this, then that! At least accept a reward for saving my son!"

After a moment of consideration, I agreed.

Choi Eun-Tae\'s expression finally brightened and he began outlining the reward. "Ahem. Since Choi Man-Sik isn\'t officially the representative director of the savings bank, I\'m still the major shareholder. I\'ll make sure you get the position of chief!"

"That sounds appealing," I remarked.

"But I\'ll set some conditions that other shareholders can accept."

"Conditions?"

"Yes. Let\'s say... achieving 10 billion won in sales. Can you do that?"

With Lee Tae-Poong\'s movie set to release, Kang Ha-Na debuting on music shows, and the additional income from Hwaranjeon, I was confident.

I nodded. "Yes, that\'s definitely achievable."

Choi Eun-Tae smiled. "Then I look forward to working with you, Chief Jung!"

He was already speaking as if I had already assumed the position.

***

At Imagination Capital run by Choi Man-Sik, which managed the bad debts of Future Imagination Savings Bank, Choi Man-Sik leaned back in his chair and frowned as he spoke on the phone. "You failed...?"

Choi Man-Sik couldn\'t understand this situation. He had planned for countless contingencies, yet everything had fallen apart. Even the people at Daeheung Savings Bank hadn\'t made a move.

Just then, his fiancée Park Sang-Ah tilted her head curiously. "Did it fail?"

Because Park Sang-Ah had helped arrange for the police to step aside temporarily, she was curious about the outcome.

"You told the police to step away for a bit, right?" Choi Man-Sik asked.

"Yes."

"But it seems they stayed away for quite a while and his people barged in in the meantime."

Park Sang-Ah pouted. "Oh? So are you blaming me right now?"

"No, that\'s not it..."

Park Sang-Ah approached Choi Man-Sik. "Don\'t blame others for your failures. You should have sent someone more competent in the first place."

"..."

"And given the circumstances, why don\'t you take a break? My father\'s party leader election is coming up, so it\'s better to stay quiet for a while. You understand what I mean, right?"

Choi Man-Sik let out a long sigh.

With Park Sang-Ah\'s words making it clear that he shouldn\'t make any further moves, Choi Man-Sik had no choice but to agree. "Alright."

Park Sang-Ah flashed a playful smile. "Mr. Man-Sik, you don\'t seem to be in the best mood. Why don\'t we go out for a drink? It\'s on me."

Choi Man-Sik nodded and stood up. "Oh, and you should lay low for a while as well, Team Lead Ju."

Ju Ho-Sung swallowed hard and nodded, realizing the severity of the situation.

Then Park Sang-Ah turned to Ju Ho-Sung and remarked, "But didn\'t you say you\'d take responsibility if Kang Eun-Gi wasn\'t President Choi\'s son? Given that the people from Daeheung Savings Bank haven\'t made a move despite the commotion, isn\'t it possible that President Choi\'s son is someone else?"

Ju Ho-Sung felt cold sweat trickling down his back at Park Sang-Ah\'s casual comment.

Then, Choi Man-Sik shook his head. "I still believe Kang Eun-Gi is the son. Maybe Daeheung just hasn\'t gotten the news yet."

"Well, we\'ll find out for sure once we do the DNA test. Anyway, let\'s go. I\'m starving."

"Yeah, let\'s go grab something to eat."

As the two of them left, Ju Ho-Sung felt his mind go blank.

Overwhelmed by the realization that he had stepped into something far more dangerous than he had anticipated, his face slowly turned pale.

***

After leaving Choi Eun-Tae\'s house, I immediately called Lee Soo-Chan. He informed me that I wouldn\'t be able to visit Kang Eun-Gi for at least two weeks and that Eun-Gi was now under special protection from Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill.

I asked him to let me know as soon as a visit was possible, then got into Kang Gam-Chan\'s car.

On the way home, Kang Gam-Chan advised me to focus solely on securing the position of chief and to forget everything else for the time being.

Thankfully, he didn\'t press me on how I planned to obtain the photos of Representative Park Sang-Gon—though he did express concern and reminded me multiple times to be careful.

When we arrived near my house, I stepped out of the car and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much for today, sir!"

"There\'s no need for thanks. Just call me if you need anything."

Kang Gam-Chan waved through the window before driving off.

I bowed once more before heading toward my home in Cheonho-dong.

It was almost 10 p.m., and the streetlights illuminated the quiet neighborhood. As I walked under the dim lights, countless thoughts crossed my mind. \'He wasn\'t my father after all...\'

Choi Eun-Tae wasn\'t my father. Perhaps that was why I felt an emptiness in my chest and a sense of loss that was hard to shake off.

As I counted the cracks in the pavement, I soon found myself standing in front of my house. I opened the door after greeting the guards who were always on duty, expecting no one to be inside.

However, to my surprise, a group of people were sitting in the yard and waiting for me.

"Oppa! What the heck happened?"

"Uncle Yoon-Ho! Are you okay?"

"Hyung, are you alright?"

"Team Lead Jung, is everything okay?"

Yoo-Jin, Miso, Haru, and even Jung In-Ji were all there, looking at me with concern.

At that moment, a smile unconsciously spread across my face. "It was just a busy day, that\'s all."

They all sighed in relief and began speaking at once.

Yoo-Jin grumbled and nagged, "Oh, come on! We were worried sick!"

"Uncle Yoon-Ho, you didn\'t even check my KkTalk messages! Hmph!" Miso pouted, puffing out her cheeks.

However, the way she glanced at me showed that her mood would quickly improve with just a little attention before the meal.

Haru added in a voice mixed with scolding and relief, "Hyung, I was really worried."

Jung In-Ji clutched her chest in relief and gestured toward the house. "As long as you\'re alright, that\'s what matters. Come on in, I made some soybean paste stew and rice."

\'Yes, these people are my family,\' I thought.

Family: The people who live under the same roof and share meals. The ones who care for me.

Seeing them, the emptiness in my chest began to dissipate rapidly.

Smiling brightly, I shouted my return home with joy. "I\'m home~!"