Chapter 649: Looks Like the Threat Had an Impact

Hong Jin-woo spent a chaotic day after meeting Kim Mu-hyeok.

On the surface, he appeared calm as he continued his schedule, but his mind was racing with thoughts of Hong Seok-geun.

However, he couldn't act rashly. Without knowing the exact charges against Hong Seok-geun, contacting the U.S. was no easy task.

"Hey, you still awake?"

His wife asked as Hong Jin-woo struggled to find sleep. He couldn't even mention it to her; revealing the situation might make her collapse.

"Uh, I'm expecting an important call. You should go to bed first. I'll sleep in the study tonight."

Seeing her husband looking so worn out, his wife probed with concern.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not. Have you ever seen me work from home because of outside matters? It's nothing; just go to sleep."

"Oh right. Seok-geun hasn't called today. Is he okay?"

As soon as Hong Seok-geun's name slipped from her lips, Hong Jin-woo paused for a moment. But that hesitation was brief, and he quickly smiled.

"Maybe he just forgot? He's an adult now. Probably out drinking with friends and overslept."

"Still, it's unsettling. He used to call every day. I felt a bit off sleeping last night…"

His wife's intuition was hard to ignore. While Hong Jin-woo was anxious, his unsuspecting wife murmured.

"I should've gone to America with him."

"Seok-geun lives in a dorm. Even if you went, there's not much you could do. Besides, he'll be back in Korea for the break soon. No need to worry."

His wife wasn't completely soothed, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Okay, then I'll go to bed first. Don't sleep uncomfortably in the study. Come to bed after finishing work."

Instead of responding, Hong Jin-woo simply nodded.

Once his wife closed the door behind her, the smile he wore vanished as if it had never existed.

He spent the night wide awake, waiting for contact from Park Hyung-soo.

It wasn't until dawn that the phone finally rang. As soon as he picked up, his voice rose in frustration.

"Park! Where have you been! Why didn't you call?"

"I apologize, Congressman. I just finished speaking with your son."

The anger that had been boiling over subsided mildly upon hearing that they had at least talked directly.

"Is Seok-geun alright? He isn't hurt?"

The image of Hong Seok-geun wailing from the photo Kim Mu-hyeok had shown hung heavily in his mind.

"Yes, he doesn't appear to be injured."

"That's a relief. What's the situation?"

"Things have become quite complex. The drug possession issue is the least of our worries. The problem is that this drug seems linked to Al-Qaeda's funding…"

Park Hyung-soo's voice came through the receiver, sounding troubled.

Instantly, Hong Jin-woo's face turned pale.

"What? Al-Qaeda? What kind of nonsense is this? How could my son be connected to a terrorist organization… Are you sure?"

"Yes. The DEA arrested him, and the Department of Homeland Security is currently investigating. Fortunately, this matter hasn't leaked to the public yet, but if the charges become clear, it may be impossible to stop. Given the climate in the U.S., being linked to a terrorist organization…"

Hong Jin-woo couldn't find words. He wished it were a cruel joke. Al-Qaeda.

His hand trembled around the phone.

"They've already found a positive test result, and you might want to acknowledge this part…"

Park Hyung-soo said something, but it fell on deaf ears for Hong Jin-woo.

"Park, you know Seok-geun. He wouldn't touch drugs! Come on, what's this? Al-Qaeda? He's just been studying since he was a kid, how could he get involved with a terrorist group?"

"I don't believe your son would do such a thing either. But I'm afraid, as long as the evidence points to him, we don't have many options in court."

"What do you mean there's no option? I hired you to ensure my son wouldn't face trouble in America! What is going on?"

"Just getting involved here could end my career in the U.S. The current landscape makes it dangerous to be linked to a terrorist group."

Hong Jin-woo felt a wave of anxiety wash over him.

"Are you saying you're going to back out?"

"Until the trial, I will defend him. But… there's no avoiding jail time. Perhaps we could lessen the sentence through some judicial bargaining, but with ties to Al-Qaeda, that won't be easy."

"Al-Qaeda? Are you certain? Why is Al-Qaeda coming up in a drug case?"

"I haven't confirmed it with my own eyes yet. However, it seems they have ample evidence. They received trustworthy intelligence and conducted a raid based on that intel, finding your son alongside major quantities of drugs."

Hong Jin-woo felt as if the ground had vanished beneath him.

"Where was he arrested? The dorm? Did they nab him on campus?"

"No, he was arrested in a hotel. According to him, he attended a party on a friend's invitation and claims he remembers nothing after drinking. He woke up in the hotel room."

The more he listened, the more he found it impossible to believe.

"He said he discovered a strange bag while looking for his phone, and it contained drugs. That's when the DEA burst onto the scene."

"Is there really nothing we can do?"

"For now, deny any ties to Al-Qaeda. But as for the drug charges, it would be better to acknowledge them and plead for leniency."

If Park Hyung-soo was saying this, it implied a prison sentence was a foregone conclusion.

"… Then how long a sentence are we talking about? The U.S. has bail, so even if I get sentenced, I wouldn't be completely stuck, would I?"

At this, Park let out a sigh.

"In the U.S., a drug offense equals prison time without exception. It's such a serious crime that probation and bail are limited. However, we might reach a plea agreement for a minimal sentence. Of course, that's provided the ties to Al-Qaeda can be firmly disproven…"

A migraine pounded in Hong Jin-woo's head as he asked in a shaky voice.

"… Can I speak with Seok-geun?"

"Please hold for a moment. I'll check with the person in charge on this end."

"Alright, I'll wait."

After hanging up, Hong Jin-woo hurriedly sought out headache medicine. Facing the sheer despair of the situation caused his hands to tremble painfully.

He swallowed the medicine dry and took a sip of water, exhaling heavily.

"I don't think you realize how serious this is. Once I assess the situation, I will contact you again. Then we can have a proper conversation."

He recalled the warning Kim Mu-hyeok had sounded before leaving. If this was all part of Kim's scheme, it implied his influence extended far beyond Korea.

"No way. A mere businessman can't possibly manipulate the Department of Homeland Security. That would be an overestimation."

No one in Korea could influence the Department of Homeland Security at will.

The Department of Homeland Security was established for national security after the U.S. mainland suffered an attack.

After ten tense minutes, during which he steadied his nerves, Park Hyung-soo's call resumed.

"Congressman, the person in charge here would like to have a word with you now."

"Oh? Right away, please."

At the mention of a person in charge, Hong Jin-woo perked up. He wanted to discover exactly what was going on.

"Hello, Congressman Hong Jin-woo. This is Jessica from the Department of Homeland Security."

A cheerful woman's voice came through the receiver.

"I understand you have questions regarding the circumstances of Hong Seok-geun's arrest. While I can't go into detail about the investigation, I reached out considering your status as a foreign congressman."

Hong Jin-woo realized that Jessica already knew everything about him.

"Isn't this a DEA issue? Why is the Department of Homeland Security involved in a drug case…?"

"As I communicated through your lawyer, we traced the origins of the drugs back to Al-Qaeda. Additionally, we confirmed that the profits from these drugs have been funneled into Al-Qaeda's coffers. If this is true, Hong Seok-geun becomes an accomplice to a terrorist organization."

"What do you mean by accomplice? My son wouldn't do something like that. Our country is outraged against terrorism, and we even deployed troops as allies. Yet…"

"Even among Americans, some betray their country and aid Al-Qaeda. Being an ally doesn't exempt you from this. We have already secured evidence. It's a serious matter."

Jessica's firm tone had Hong Jin-woo pleading with a heart full of despair.

"This must be a misunderstanding. Our son is neither a drug user nor a supporter of a terrorist group."

"I want to help you, but I'm afraid this goes beyond my capabilities."

"What can I do? Please guide me. I will do anything to get my son out. I have acquaintances in the U.S., I can reach out to them."

Suddenly, Jessica burst into laughter.

"You've got a sense of humor. You can't simply sweep this incident under the rug by mobilizing a few congressmen. Shall I remind you of the charges? Drug offenses. Ties to a terrorist organization. You seem to underestimate the severity of this case."

"…"

"Even if the President of Korea stepped in, this case wouldn't be buried. Don't think to escalate this; should that happen, we will have no choice but to release the evidence to the media, and then you can imagine the aftermath."

"Why are you doing this? What's the real reason? What have I done to deserve this…"

"Well, I can't say for sure. What I know is that the person who can save you now is not me."

"Wait a minute…"

Jessica ended the call after delivering her last enigmatic remark.

"Congressman, this is Park Hyung-soo. I'll hand the phone over to your son now."

"…Go ahead."

Though his mind was in chaos, the safety of his son took precedence.

"Ah, Father."

Hong Seok-geun's voice reached him through the receiver, almost making Hong Jin-woo burst into tears.

"Seok-geun, are you okay? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Father, I swear I didn't do any drugs. Please believe me. Al-Qaeda? That's ridiculous! I would never… Please…"

Hong Seok-geun's voice trembled with emotion. Hearing it weighed heavily on Hong Jin-woo's heart.

He bit his lip, forcing a calm facade to comfort his son.

"You'll be alright. I'll handle this, just don't admit to anything and stay quiet. Don't say anything, understand?"

"…"

The conversation between Hong Jin-woo and Hong Seok-geun extended for quite some time.

* * *

It had been four days since Hong Seok-geun was taken into custody.

"Any news from your side?"

I sipped coffee instead of breakfast as I asked Manager Ma, who sat before me.

"I'm keeping to the schedule with no unusual developments to report."

He was pushing through even while in a daze.

Could he really be considering giving up on his son?

No, the Hong Jin-woo I had met was not the type.

If he were that kind of person, he wouldn't have revealed his true self to me.

The operation Jessica described was flawlessly orchestrated.

Linking it to Al-Qaeda, huh?

Had this been a straightforward drug issue, Hong Jin-woo would have found a way to deal with it. However, the accusation of aiding a terrorist group was far too severe, even for a president to contend with.

While he knew how to deal with crises, Jessica certainly had a ruthless edge to her.

"Looks like the threat had an impact."

I remember being warned to avoid escalating the matter.

If Hong Jin-woo made contact with the U.S. State Department, it would complicate Jessica's position as well, which wouldn't be bad for me.

Setting my coffee cup down, I wiped my hands, just as a ringtone echoed from the phone on the table.

Checking the caller ID, I couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like this guy isn't as gentlemanly as I thought."