Chapter 32 – A Magical Time (4)

She wanted to file an official missing persons report.

Jiyeon walked back to the office with heavy footsteps.

Firstly, she shared the recorded conversation with Yu Minji with her team members.

There were also several developments while Jiyeon was away.

Among the evidence gathered at the murder scene of Vice Chairman Seo Minhyeok were hair samples that didn't belong to him.

The National Forensic Service had begun DNA tests.

If a suspect was identified, then their DNA would be compared against it.

"Prosecutor Cha, you will investigate Chairman Seo Geon-u's former wives."

Ganghun gave his orders in a stern voice, a contrast to the friendly tone when he had driven her home last night.

It was incredible how the same person could be so different.

"Yes, sir."

"Detective Nam, is there any progress on the surveillance cameras on the roads leading to Chairman Seo's villa?"

"There are three access roads near there, but there are no surveillance cameras because they are too narrow."

"Then please investigate all the vehicles as soon as you enter the access road. As the radius grows, so does the number of vehicles."

"The road is so far from the villa itself. We've recorded all of the license plates and there are over a thousand vehicles…I don't think it would be possible to check every one."

"Hmmm. Okay. Please record only the missing numbers. If you need more people, just let me know."

"Yes, sir."

"Detective So Yudo, please request hair samples from Minho and Minseok. We need to compare them to the one from the crime scene."

"Yes, sir."

Jiyeon scheduled a meeting Chairman Seo's first wife.

She was born to the hospital director of Hyein Hospital and lived as a wife of the Eunseong Group.

She divorced Chairman Seo and ended her relationship with the company thirty years ago, and now she was seventy years old.

She was the mother Seo Minhyeok and Seo Minho.

Jiyeon looked at a picture of her gentle face.

She could see Minho's resemblance to her.

*

The evening rain was gathering on the city's ankles.

Minho stood in front of a wide window overlooking Hannam Bridge.

After finishing the three-day funeral service yesterday, he stayed home all day.

Eunseong Group, which lost both its chairman and vice chairman, was unsure who would be the next successor.

Countless executives and employees kept a keen eye Minho's every move.

It was not only the members of Eunseong Group that was watching him.

Companies, reporters, and people interested in current affairs were paying attention to Minho's presence as well.

Before, he was the one who was hid in the dark and was one step behind the front line.

Now it was inevitable that he would be under the spotlight.

Sure enough, there were people endlessly contacting him since this morning.

That evening there was to be a family meeting at the main house in Hannam-dong to assess the direction of the company's leadership.

Minho went to the living room and jogged on the treadmill for half an hour.

It was a ritual to awaken his body and spirit.

He took a shower and then dressed in a no-tie suit, but he stopped then took off his clothes again.

He changed to an AC/DC shirt and faded denim jeans.

He seemed to have transformed from a steel-blooded businessman to a rebellious rocker.

Like most of his actions, only he knew why he changed his clothes on the way to the family meeting.

He went to the study and opened a secret safe.

Instead of money or bonds, there were notes and small boxes whose contents were hidden.

He took out one small, worn leather box.

He was the only one to know what was insidd it.

A philosopher once said,

A person's holiness is proportional to the size of his secret.

If that were so, then Minho was the most noble man in the whole word.

He took a deep breath and opened the box.