HLSEBT - 9

In the meantime, Cheon Geun-young recalled the face of the woman he had seen in the elevator. A name that had been aimlessly floating in the air now had a face to attach itself to. 

Yoon Taeha. 

She carried an otherworldly aura like it was second nature. Though she possessed a striking appearance that drew people’s attention, her eyes betrayed no interest in anything at all. 

Many people boarded and disembarked from the elevator. 

Every single man who stepped inside stole glances at Yoon Taeha—once when they first entered, reflexively again while riding, and one last time as they exited. 

It must have been quite intense. 

Was she used to it, or was she just incredibly oblivious? She never responded to their longing gazes, as if she were programmed to ignore them entirely. 

He had assumed her cold expression was all there was to her, but it was intriguing how she revealed an entirely different side in the meeting room. 

At first, she seemed to make a deliberate effort to be polite… but her attitude after getting to the point likely reflected her true self. 

“Grandfather’s company and the people of Yeouido—they don’t get along, do they?” 

“They have different goals.” 

“We’re blinded by money.” 

Hidden beneath his courteous tone was a subtle hostility. Yoon Taeha probably never intended to choose him as her Guide from the start. 

“You’re not denying it?” 

“Who doesn’t love money? But Chairman Cheon’s intentions aren’t solely about that. I assume you understand.” 

On one side, Cheonhwa’s people called the Ark faction “capitalist dogs,” while on the other, they branded Cheonhwa as “hypocrites with dirty secrets.” 

The main clash stemmed from their differing perspectives on Espers. 

Cheonhwa advocated actively utilizing Espers as tools. Meanwhile, ARK, sensitive to Esper rights, despised Chairman Cheon’s people for their stance. 

“It seems I’m already hated.” 

“If hatred were the only thing I received, I’d consider myself lucky.” 

“Is there something else you might receive?” 

“If I say it, my paycheck might get docked, so I’ll keep my mouth shut.” 

Cheon Geun-young momentarily pushed the lingering image of the woman to the back of his mind and spoke. 

“The center seems to value her highly as a resource.” 

“Then she’s probably A-Class? Judging by how thoroughly Vice Chairman prepared…” 

“Higher than that.” 

“What?” Secretary Kang asked through the rearview mirror, his face a mix of shock and disbelief. 

The authority to unilaterally seal off a conference room—an ability ARK, obsessed with controlling all information, wouldn’t grant to every A-Class Esper. 

Even among Espers, this was something she subtly revealed to him. 

No matter what happens in this room, I can leave without a single hair out of place. 

It was both a veiled threat and a warning. 

Though their approaches differed, the warning hit its mark. In the moment Yoon Taeha issued her threat, Cheon Geun-young resolved that he absolutely had to become her Guide. 

“Above A-Class. No exceptions.” 

“…Excuse me?” 

Wait, Master, if that’s true, isn’t it far too dangerous? That would mean S-Class. Surely you know what it means to become the Guide of an undisclosed S-Class Esper. Wouldn’t it be better to reconsider your plan? Are you even listening to me?

Cheon Geun-young sank into deep thought, the background noise of Secretary Kang’s nagging fading into a distant hum. 

The lush greenery along the deep blue Han River passed by outside the car window. 

A month ago, news spread quickly through the market that ARK was recruiting dedicated Guides for high-ranking Espers. 

It was a job posting Lee Haegyeong had put up before Yoon Taeha returned to the country. 

Though the announcement didn’t explicitly emphasize the need for Espers with high ability levels, those in the know could easily read between the lines. 

Just looking at the qualifications made it transparent which grade of partner they were seeking. 

Family background, marksmanship skills, field experience, prior partnerships with other Espers, and so on. 

The requirements were meticulous and demanding. 

Resumes from piranhas who caught wind of the opportunity flooded in like an incoming tide, and Cheon Geun-young had tossed his own into the mix. 

Praying to become the master of a poisoned grail. 

“Is it really wise to gamble everything on just one photo?” 

“That single photo was the result of years of chasing leads.” 

“Even so, S-Class Espers are such unpredictable variables...” 

Cutting off Secretary Kang’s concerns as if he were used to them, Cheon Geun-young replied calmly, 

“This is about finding the Esper who killed Chairman Cheon’s second son and his wife.” 

Secretary Kang’s mouth snapped shut. Silence settled over the cool breeze from the air conditioner. 

“At least this much is necessary.” 

His gaze fixed on the shimmering river, he spoke in a dry tone. 

Cheon Geun-young hated the Han River. 

While most Seoul citizens viewed the river as a blessing, to him, it always looked like a stream of crimson blood. 

Every time he saw it, the moment his father’s boat was punctured and the sensation of his mother screaming while pulling him into her arms came rushing back vividly. 

It felt as though the shadowy figure who killed his parents might burst out of the river at any moment. 

“Geun-young, rivers are alive.” 

His father’s words were wrong. To Cheon Geun-young, rivers were collections of the dead. 

After encountering the unidentified Esper who killed his parents and fled into the river, the Han River had become something worse than a graveyard to him. 

Who did it? Why? 

That question had long since become a milestone in his life. 

The fact that Chairman Cheon—someone who doted on his children—had covered up the deaths of his second son and daughter-in-law as an accident only deepened the mystery. 

He endured, bowing his head and biding his time. Now, a clue was within reach. The person who had buried his life at the bottom of the river had undoubtedly once been affiliated with ARK. 

Not long ago, his people brought him a worn, faded photograph. 

In the picture, several adults stood arm-in-arm, solemn and resolute. Among them was a woman—the one who had killed his parents and disappeared. 

They wore uniforms emblazoned with ARK’s logo, their expressions grave and solemn, as if this was their final photo before being deployed on a dangerous mission. 

Judging by the level of equipment scattered around them, they were likely elite operatives. 

“If they were part of ARK, no amount of digging outside will help. The list of affiliated Espers and Guides is top secret.” 

“Not many companies openly disclose their Esper rosters.” 

“Even Uncle hasn’t been able to obtain a full list of Espers under Grandfather’s guild.” 

“Chairman has always been a cautious man.” 

It was a world where each Esper was valued as a weapon. People had created this system, and Espers had no choice but to accept it.

Of course, they wouldn’t willingly hand over the desired information. 

He knew that even if he demanded to see their roster because the Esper who killed his parents had once worked for their company, his request would be denied. 

If the matter could have been resolved in the open, all cases would have been closed long ago. 

They had poured money and resources into chasing the murderer but only managed to gather a few photos and fragmented pieces of information. It was impossible for traces to vanish so completely unless someone—or some organization—had deliberately erased her existence from the world. 

It wasn’t the reckless act of a single Esper—he was certain of that. 

To confirm this, Cheon Geun-young was willing to walk straight into the tiger’s den without hesitation. 

“Planting people is inefficient.” 

“Hoo… I’m still reeling from how sudden this all is. What exactly are we dealing with now?” 

“Just look at the Vice Chairman. The people of Yeouido aren’t pushovers.” 

The summer sunlight shattered over the riverside. Cheon Geun-young stared out the window. 

Everything he had once loved lay submerged there. It couldn’t be retrieved—it had sunk too deep. 

Taking out his phone, he dialed someone. After three precise rings, the other party answered. 

- What’s up, Boss? 

From the other end came alternating sounds of gum chewing and keyboard typing. 

“I assume you’ve gathered the data on those two.” 

- Of course. Both of their pasts were suspiciously clean, but… this is no joke. 

“I spent some money to erase that. On both sides.” 

Cheon Geun-young already knew the names of the two final candidates Yoon Taeha had chosen: Park Ji-sang and Ha Su-jin. The method he used to uncover this was simple. 

Both were sent by Cheonhwa. 

The easiest way to identify a spy is to stand on the same side as the ones who sent them. 

Park Ji-sang was sent by his eldest uncle, while Ha Su-jin was sent by his youngest uncle. 

This wasn’t a joint operation between the two—they weren’t on good terms. If the remaining two sons of Chairman Cheon were suddenly getting along, that would be far more suspicious. 

The younger brother had noticed the elder’s suspicious movements and decided to follow suit, hoping to gain something from the chaos. 

Everyone’s working so hard, huh. 

Cheon Geun-young sneered. Was it their diligence that made them rich, or did being rich make them work harder and more ruthlessly? At this point, even he was confused. 

- We haven’t been able to dig up much on the insider from the Vice Chairman’s side. This guy is extremely cautious. 

“If getting caught means risking your life, of course, you’d be careful. The information he gave to my eldest uncle was probably limited too.” 

- We figured that out when he refused to hand over even a single photo. If you’re going to spy, at least do it boldly. 

Chairman Cheon had three sons. 

The eldest, Cheon Beom-jun, was the current vice chairman of Cheonhwa Group and the heir apparent to the chairman’s position. The second son, Cheon Seo-wan, was Cheon Geun-young’s father, and the youngest son was Cheon Dong-woo. 

The eldest uncle was greedy, and the youngest uncle was sly. How could they have inherited only the flaws of their father? 

Perhaps the heavens’ punishment that Chairman Cheon had always feared had fallen upon his children. Otherwise, there was no explaining the miserable state of the chairman’s twilight years. 

- That’s why we started this with a lot of risks. If things had gone badly, Boss, you could’ve died right there. 

“Luckily, I’m still alive.” 

- Kang Byeoksa’s whining can be heard all the way over here. 

When the Guide recruitment announcement was posted, Vice Chairman Cheon Beom-jun had several of his prepared people apply to ARK. 

Their objectives were likely multifaceted. 

They might aim to lure the assigned Espers into defecting to Cheonhwa, extract information about rifts around the world, or steal confidential details about products being developed in ARK’s research labs. 

Or perhaps there was an unimaginable third reason.

It was not for the sake of contributing to world peace that they had infiltrated. He was certain of that.