Chapter 191: Please Send the Guests Away

I offer my condolences for the deceased."

Yoon Chang-ho, having finished paying his respects with flowers and incense, lifted his head. He had come to the funeral home accompanied only by a single secretary.

They quickly took him to the reception room before anyone could gaze at him.

I didn't expect you to come.

With Chairman Cheon passing, how could I not? I need to see him off on his final journey.

Thank you, Chairman.

As Yoon Chang-ho embarked on his campaign trail for the presidential election, he had to tread carefully, avoiding even the falling leaves. That's why he hadn't thought he would show up.

He knew he was saying empty words, but still, he felt glad for the visit.

By the way, where's Cheon Su-man?

Yoon Chang-ho's question left him momentarily speechless. Unwilling to answer immediately, he shook his head, as if indicating he had a guess.

He wouldn't have failed to contact you. I suppose he hasn't come.

······He should be here soon.

Tch, what a guy.

Yoon Chang-ho clicked his tongue and changed the subject.

I heard you returned from Pyongyang ahead of schedule.

I wanted to be by my grandfather's side in his last moments.

That's understandable. The issue is being able to cross between the North and South like that.

Thanks to the understanding of President Kim Hak-gwon and Chairman Kim Jong-il.

While Kim Jong-il might not have cared, it was clear Kim Hak-gwon would have been surprised. Yet, perhaps he had contacted quickly enough; they managed to come through the DMZ without incident.

That's a testament to your abilities. So, how was Pyongyang?

What can I say… It felt like a heavily artificial city. There were hardly any people around. They probably controlled access to prevent anyone from the South from coming.

Yoon Chang-ho nodded and continued,

I heard they had an impromptu luncheon that wasn't on the schedule. Chairman Kim Jong-il attended personally.

Really?

It was surprising to hear that Kim Jong-il, who had rarely shown himself during the inter-Korean summit, was attending a luncheon.

As it was the first he'd heard of it, Yoon Chang-ho elaborated with more details.

He asked the heads of major corporations what difficulties they were facing and what they'd like North Korea to provide.

You seem to know more about what happened in Pyongyang than I do.

Haha. We can see that live on TV, right from Seoul. It's a historic event.

Since I returned to Seoul, it seemed like a lot had happened in Pyongyang.

An impromptu luncheon and live broadcasting. It seemed Kim Hak-gwon was setting the stage.

So they'll be showing the summit live.

Yes, I can almost hear Kim Hak-gwon's approval ratings rising from here.

Yoon Chang-ho's voice hinted at an envy he couldn't conceal.

Kim Hak-gwon has truly achieved something remarkable. Will I ever accomplish something worthy of being written in history?

I chuckled at how he now openly expressed his ambitions without hesitation.

Those without ambition often settle for comfort, but Yoon Chang-ho had his sights set on a greater stage, making him easy to work with.

Of course. You'll leave an even bigger mark than President Kim Hak-gwon. I'll do my best to help you achieve that.

I trust you completely.

Yoon Chang-ho rose from his seat, perhaps satisfied with the answer.

Then I'll be on my way now.

Thank you for coming.

No need for thanks. Just stay quiet and see me off well without making a fuss.

After giving my shoulder a couple of pats, Yoon Chang-ho exited the room.

The small groups of people scattered around recognized him and stood up. Yoon Chang-ho waved them off, gesturing for them to sit back down as he left the funeral home.

It was a sight that revealed the confidence of a leading candidate for his party's nomination.

Being the grandson of the late Chairman does have its perks. A strong candidate like Yoon Chang-ho made quite the effort to show up for you.

Cheon Ji-soo approached from behind, her tone laced with sarcasm. I turned to look at her, irritably aware of the sharpness in her words.

What did you say?

Can't you see?

She surveyed the funeral home carefully, noting all the attendees.

Everyone here has received some sort of favor from your grandfather at least once.

So what?

If they hadn't, do you really think the elite of politics and business would come all the way here? And now, they're all greeting you. You should appreciate it, even if it won't last long.

Instead of responding, I shot her a disinterested stare.

I had thought her clever, but she was still clueless about the topic at hand.

If only you had handed the Il-sung over to me. Once thhe funeral is over, I'll claim my part. Don't mistake everything for yours.

The memory of Cheon Ji-soo's face flashed by, the one who had betrayed me before my regression.

You brought this on yourself.

I was at a loss, unable to comprehend her audacity.

Don't worry. I also don't want to show my fighting side in front of grandfather. Once everything is settled, I'll start acting.

I appreciate the warning.

Appreciate? This isn't a warning; it's a notice. I'm Cheon, and you're Kim.

The Cheon and Kim names…

It was ridiculous that they believed one could boast like that just because of family ties.

No matter how grandpa's inheritance was, it couldn't compare to what I had now.

Grandpa may have had money, but he had none of its power.

To those unaware of the facts, it might seem massive, but to me, it was just needless cash. I could easily part with it if desired.

However, having crossed the line first, I intended to crush everything ruthlessly and not spare even a grain of Grandpa's legacy.

Sure, I hope this all passes without incident.

Despite my calm words, Cheon Ji-soo didn't respond at all.

Neither Cheon Su-man nor Cheon Ji-won appeared at the funeral home until evening.

I raised my hand to rub my face. After all this, I still thought that the scoundrel Cheon Su-man was also human.

Ha······.

Oppa······.

Ji-young, who had already worn herself out from crying, seemed more concerned about me, which disturbed my heart.

Yeah?

Uncle and Ji-won should be coming, right?

······They should come. No, they have to.

Right?

Now even Cheon Ji-young was beginning to worry.

While there were many guests coming and going, the family in mourning was oddly absent from the scene.

No one among the visiting guests pointed this out. However, I could read their true feelings in their gazes.

Chairman Cheon had indeed failed at raising his children.

I hated showing off such a poor image during Grandpa's farewell.

'Grandpa, I don't think I can forgive you.'

I murmured inwardly while gazing at the stern expression in Grandpa's portrait.

At that moment, loud noises suddenly erupted from outside the funeral home—a shouting match and a scuffle. I stood up and headed out.

What's going on?

Ma Seok-dae! How dare you raise your voice to me!?

Chairman Cheon!

Cheon Su-man was accompanied by men in suits. They appeared to be given support from Chairman Seo's bodyguards.

They seemed to have been blocked from entering and were now facing Manager Ma.

Well, they had at least come. They seemed to have some sense of decency as humans at least.

Manager Ma, please step aside.

Manager Ma immediately took a step back at my command.

But then I noticed his cheek was flushed with handprints. My brow furrowed.

Chairman Cheon, if you were late, you could have quietly come in to prepare. What's all this commotion?

Cheon Su-man turned to look at me, and a sardonic smile crept onto his face.

Oh, look who we have here! Isn't that Mi-sook's child?

While my anger flared, I clenched my teeth to hold it back.

But why are you here as the main mourners? You, who are neither Cheon nor Kim. And where's Chief Ha?

Glancing around, Cheon Su-man searched for Chief Ha.

I had been worried about Chief Ha since the Chairman had passed away; it seemed he had not contacted anyone. I replied without revealing my concern.

It seems Chief Ha needed time to gather his thoughts, so I sent him away.

Ha, it seems that idiot is already thinking of something else after losing his father.

The image of Manager Ha, who had wept like a child when the chairman passed, came to mind.

He's more of a son to me than you. Please don't insult him.

Son, my ass. I've given those miserable bastards a good life, so they owe me loyalty. Isn't that right, Seok-dae?

Manager Ma's face hardened. He remained silent, maintaining a stiff expression.

I held back once again.

There are many guests for the wake. Please stop, and head inside to prepare.

Well said. Now you get lost. This isn't a place for a Kim like you. Ji-won, take that cuff from him.

Yes, father.

Unsurprisingly, he acted just as I expected.

Cheon Ji-young next to me was already pale. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

What's that brat doing? Are you crazy?!

As Manager Ma blocked my path, Cheon Ji-won shouted in disbelief.

Ji-won, don't come any closer.

Ha! Are all of you crazy?!

Chuckling quietly, Cheon Ji-won slapped Manager Ma across the face.

Slap!

The funeral home, which had been buzzing with whispers, fell silent in an instant at the sound of a slap.

'Grandpa······.'

I hadn't anticipated this, but at the same time, I wasn't wholly surprised.

While I was momentarily silenced by overwhelming anger, Ji-young, who had been crying, shouted loudly.

Ji-won, what are you doing! This is Grandpa's last farewell. Let's not do this, please!

But what came back was Cheon Ji-won's sarcastic retort.

What do you think you can gain from Kim Mu-hyeok? You're just hangin around for scraps. If Grandpa hears about this, he'll surely cry. You can't help it; the Cheons are so disgraceful. And yeah, this fake star, what are you, a joke? Don't embarrass yourself.

I had known that Cheon Ji-won hung out with the wrong crowd, but I hadn't expected him to openly acknowledge sponsor propositions.

No, even so, I'd never imagined he could stoop so low as to utter those words.

Shocked, Ji-young stumbled and collapsed right there.

Yeah, I was the insane one for having any expectations.

I commanded Manager Ma, my voice icy even to myself.

Manager, please send all the guests away. We won't be hosting anymore today.

Yes, Boss.

Manager Ma bowed his head and began ushering people out with the staff.

Cheon Su-man and Cheon Ji-won remained quiet while everyone exited.

It seemed they thought they'd have a better survival chance with bystanders present. They still appeared to be unaware of what was really happening.

In fact, with time passing, my heart began to calm down.

The friends who had almost all gathered in one room emerged from the commotion outside. Myeong-su seemed to catch onto my intentions, leading everyone outside.

Once everyone departed and the funeral home fell quiet, it appeared that the people brought by Cheon Su-man stood facing off against Manager Ma's crew.

Cheon Ji-soo. Are you with them or with us?

Cheon Ji-soo flinched, taking a step back at the emotionless tone of my voice.

This is your last chance. Decide for certain. There won't be a second.

······.

Hesitating, Cheon Ji-soo couldn't answer immediately.

I bet she was thinking about which side would benefit her more.

Yeah, Cheon Ji-soo was such a person—someone whose own safety took precedence above all.

Whether you mean it or not, you said today you wouldn't do anything, so I'm giving you this chance. This is your last.

Though she didn't speak, Cheon Ji-soo's silence was her reply.

Take Ji-young inside and stay there.

After hesitating, Cheon Ji-soo took Ji-young, who was crying, and both entered the family waiting room before closing the door.

Manager.

Yes, Boss.

Leave only Cheon Su-man and Cheon Ji-won, and dispose of everyone else from my sight. I don't mind if you have to kill them if they resist. Hold nothing back.

Manager Ma nodded and exchanged glances with the staff. The stoic expressions on their faces hinted at the murderous intent.

Cheon Su-man, Cheon Ji-won. You're not even human. You can covet Grandpa's legacy. Yet, that can wait until after the funeral. You know very well that I won't show you any mercy, even for family.

Even as I spoke quietly, Cheon Su-man sneered dismissively.

If you just disappeared, this would all end. You're always the problem. Everything started going wrong the moment you showed up.

······Everything you've done is coming back to you like a boomerang.

Mi-sook's issue was an accient. I never intended to harm that child. If I had really done it, you wouldn't be alive right now, would you?

I wanted to punch Cheon Su-man's face for throwing my mother into the mix like that with a smug grin.

I clenched my trembling hand in fury.

Don't you dare utter my mother's name from that filthy mouth. I genuinely want to kill you for that.

While I engaged in conversation with Cheon Su-man, Manager Ma seemed to be attempting to negotiate with whoever was leading the Il-sung's bodyguards from eearlier.

We'd appreciate it if you would leave.

We're sorry, but we're also in a position to act on orders.

Manager Ma nodded, signaling his lack of expectations.

This cue set off a clash between the staff trying to force them out and the bodyguards attempting to hold their ground.

The front of the funeral home descended into chaos. Wreaths meant for condolences toppled, scattering across the floor.

I shut my eyes against the chaotic sight. The mess I had wanted to avoid had finally unfolded before me.

'I'm sorry, Grandpa. Still, I want to give you my last goodbye properly.'

When I opened my eyes again, most of the situation had calmed down.

No matter how strong the Il-sung bodyguards were, thhey couldn't match the combat-proven crew assembled by Manager Ma.

As the Il-sung's bodyguards were ssubdued, shock crossed Cheon Su-man's face.

Did he truly think he could suppress Manager Ma with just the Il-sung's guards??

A chuckle escaped me without my noticing.

Well, if he knew how Manager Ma had survived, he wouldn't have brought such meager backup.

Just then, several black cars drove into the parking lot.