Chapter 940. Crank Up 5

Lee Miyoon looked at the journalist that walked through the door. Seemingly aware that numerous deals had been written in this Chinese-style restaurant, the journalist spoke as soon as he sat down,

“I never knew I’d come to the 3rd floor of this place.”

Miyoon did not reply and told the waiter who came in with the journalist to prepare the food. The waiter closed the door and left.

“You know, I’m the type of person who can’t eat if there’s something on my mind. That’s why I try to get my business sorted to a certain extent before eating. Won’t that be good for you as well, journalist Kim?”

“I’m grateful that you said those words. Actually, I also don’t enjoy eating while sitting on pins and needles.”

The journalist downed a cup of water in one go. Miyoon also drank some water. Ever since Hong Janghae stabbed her in the back, she couldn’t quench her thirst no matter how much she drank. That was because of the thirst of her soul that couldn’t be fulfilled by dealing with the desires of the flesh. That too, would no longer persist after today. It might not be resolved immediately, but she should be able to pour a bucket of water over her dried-up pride.

“As I told you before, my aim is Hong Janghae, and I need your help in order to catch him,” said the journalist.

She rather liked him for not dwelling in formalities.

“So the gist of it is that you want my help in return for you helping me return to my position, yes?”

“Yes, you go back to your position, and Hong Janghae to the abyss he must be punished in for his crimes. As I told you before, you might receive some harm in the process, but I believe that you can cope with it.”

“I know that. I’ve already seen blood, so I don’t believe I can wash my hands clean. I also can endure getting involved in rumors as long as I can bring that man down and return to my position. That is something I can easily handle as long as I return to where I was before.”

Miyoon had a close look at the journalist’s face. Kim Dongwook -she already investigated this man’s background through her connections. He used to be a TV journalist at a TV station until he left and became an internet journalist before he was elected by JA Production’s promotion department. Later, he became the editor-in-chief for a film magazine operating in JA’s capital.

“I heard you quit work.”

She threw a question to probe him out. Although they were going to join hands, it was ultimately a temporary alliance in the end. She had to see through how this man would act after kicking Hong Janghae out of the equation so that she could sleep easy at night.

“I can’t afford to have any hindrances. I told you, haven’t I? As long as I can destroy him, it does not matter if my life turns into shambles.”

“That junior journalist of yours attempted to commit suicide, right? I know it’s a sensitive topic, but I felt like knowing about it would further consolidate our relationship.”

The journalist pressed his eyes that twitched violently. Miyoon inwardly scoffed. Love was such a troublesome emotion. Just because a female journalist slit her wrist while trying to whistle-blow, this man threw his life away. While she found it pathetic, she could understand him. Having lived a long life, she had seen numerous times what would happen when a woman went crazy for a man, and when a man dedicated everything to a woman. Heck, even most of the murder cases that made the news were related to love affairs in some way.

“That’s something I don’t want to think about.”

“And Hong Janghae was the one who did that?”

“He used all sorts of means — legal, mind you — to drain a person’s blood. She perfectly fell for his trap, so there was no helping it.”

“That’s so unfortunate. That man, Hong Janghae, is quite vicious. While I have done some things that I can’t be upfront about with him, I know how to be tactful. I can’t believe he went so far when he could’ve just told her with words.”

“I couldn’t endure. I wish I could barge into his office with a club and beat him up, but I can’t afford to do that. Not that I can do it either. Just like how he bullied her with the law, I plan to do the same back to him.”

“You must’ve had a hard time. Pay him back through the law, you say. Yes, that’s right. Beating people up like a savage does not suit this era. We should be smart about it.”

“So please help me. I know that you also have a lot to pay back to him.”

Miyoon nodded. It was okay that a man blinded by vengeance was going on a rampage. It would be all the better for her as long as she could hitch a ride and reap the benefits. However, something did tug at her mind. It was indeed Hong Janghae’s doing that almost drove this man’s junior to death. He showed how cruel a man could be in a constitutional state by making the most use of his meticulous personality. The problem was ‘Lee Miyoon’, her own name. Miyoon knew about this junior journalist as well. She was like a moth to a fire, a foolish journalist who flew to the fire of truth despite knowing that it would burn her to death. It was Miyoon who tossed her a fake witness. She heard later that she experienced backlash while trying to go to court. If this man was crossing a dangerous bridge because of the resentment harbored by that female journalist, he should want to bring the blade to Miyoon’s throat as well.

“Did that junior not mention anything else? Like how there was someone other than Hong Janghae involved, for example. Around that time, I was still in business, so I might have given her trouble.”

At times like this, it was better to declare war. He was bound to be startled if he was probed first before he talked about what he had prepared beforehand. The journalist’s face suddenly crumpled. He didn’t look flustered because of the unexpected question though.

“Had I known that she had dug deep into the matter, I would’ve stopped her early on. No, I had a vague inkling that she was dipping her hands into something she shouldn’t. But I just ignored her, not realizing that that was the last moment I could save her.”

The journalist shook his head as he talked about his past.

“Sorry about that. I ended up saying something unnecessary because I recalled what happened back then. My junior knew that you were in that business back then. However, she told me that Hong Janghae was at the core of it all. She told me that she was going to chase Hong Janghae too. The next time I met her, she had broken down. Right now, she’s a lot better after having quit work and received psychotherapy, but she still finds it difficult to talk about what happened back then. It’s like she’s aphasic when it comes to that topic.”

“So the main culprit is Hong Janghae.”

“Yes. That’s why I’m trying to bring him down. It might be difficult just on my own, but it won’t be difficult as long as you can help me.”

Miyoon crossed her legs. So it wasn’t that he was entirely unaware. He knew that she had been involved in it. However, it seemed that the junior journalist of his had not told him everything. Well, it was indeed true that Hong Janghae was the one who ultimately strangled her. It was understandable that the arrow of fury was directed at him. She was relieved to know that they were in a mutually beneficial relationship without full trust. If the journalist tried to fawn over her with sweet words, she would not have believed him.

“I hope that junior of yours gets better soon.”

“She might feel better if she hears about Hong Janghae’s fall.”

“Very well. I shall lend you my hand in this matter. I also want to see Hong Janghae slip. So, where are we in the process?”

Just as the journalist was about to speak, there was a knock on the door followed by the waiter coming in. Miyoon smiled and pointed at the table. Since she confirmed that it would be okay to ride the same boat, it should be okay to listen to the rest while eating. In this matter, the person was more important than the method. Even as the food was getting prepared, the journalist did not look at the food even once. It was the stereotypical figure of someone in a hurry to do something.

The man obsessed with vengeance spoke as soon as the waiter left,

“I plan to persuade the middlewoman in Japan. Once that position becomes vacant, you need to step in.”

“If I can’t even sit on an empty seat, then I might as well die. If you can set things up, then I’ll do the rest. What comes after that?”

“For now, you must focus on returning to your position. If you can’t do that, we can’t topple the castle that is Hong Janghae.”

“Well, I guess it’ll be something like me opening the gates to the castle after going inside. Isn’t that right?”

“I guess it will ultimately come down to that. You must be prepared to protect yourself when the time comes.”

“Don’t worry about that. I have my plans.”

“This is obvious, but if you wash your mouth clean after returning to your position, I will not be able to guarantee what I’ll do.”

“Don’t worry about that. I know how to value connections. Also, you’ll probably find out soon that I despise Hong Janghae as much as that junior of yours does.”

“That’s good.”

Miyoon raised her chopsticks, saying that they should continue after eating.

* * *

“That junior of yours runs a flower shop, right?”

“Yes, a small one. She doesn’t have to face a lot of people, so she doesn’t seem mentally tired.”

“That’s good.”

The journalist bowed outside the car, asking her to take care of him in the future. Miyoon started the car and drove off to resolve the final element of worry. She found out where that female journalist worked through the editor-in-chief of the magazine company she worked for in the past. She drove according to the GPS navigation device. Not long later, she saw the flower shop. She parked her car on the side of the road and got out. She stood in front of the glass door as she looked at the cute-looking sign. She thought that she would be by herself, but there was a man. A customer? She placed her hand on the automatic door button and waited.

Just then, the man turned around. His face entered her eyes. She had seen him somewhere before. The man, who made eye contact with her through the glass, took a bow and greeted her. As soon as she received the bow, she recalled a name. Miyoon opened the door and went inside.

“Hello, senior.”

“Yeah, it’s been a long time. Your name is Han Maru, right?”

“So you remembered me. I never greeted you properly ever since I saw you once when I was young, “ Han Maru said as he put down the small vase in his hand.