RB - 72

Chapter 72: Welcome to This Kind of Revenge (1)

The next morning, Professor Sung Ho-yeon also received the schedule for the charity gala.

After checking his email, he slammed down the warm tea he had been drinking. The shock rippled through the liquid, splashing onto the back of his hand. He shook his hand irritably, trying to brush off the hot droplets. The stench of alcohol lingered on him—remnants of yesterday’s hangover that hadn’t yet dissipated.

“Damn it all! Of course the in-laws show up the day I beat my wife. And right when Shin Joon-hyuk goes missing too! What a mess.”

Losing Shin Joon-hyuk was already driving him to the brink of madness, and now this sudden event certainly wasn’t going to be enjoyable. Professor Sung felt heat rising in his body and tore off his white doctor’s coat, throwing it to the floor. He gritted his teeth as he thought about Chairman Shin Tae-myung’s unilateral personality.

“That Shin Tae-myung—he never consults anyone before making decisions!”

Given that even the CCTV footage from the time Shin Joon-hyuk disappeared was malfunctioning, it was clear this wasn’t a simple escape. Unable to pinpoint who might have assisted in the disappearance, Professor Sung felt his insides burning with frustration. To shake off the anxiety crawling over him like fleas, he spun around in circles. But instead of calming down, dizziness overwhelmed him. He steadied himself by gripping the table and took deep breaths before bringing the teacup to his lips.

“Damn it, I’m dying of heat, and they bring me something hot? These useless fools!”

He shuddered at the warmth of the tea against his lips. After pouring the entire cup into a cherished orchid pot, he muttered curses under his breath. Then, a thought struck him.

True, Shin Tae-myung’s erratic behavior was nothing new, and using Taesung Hospital’s charity event for corporate image laundering was an annual tradition. With this realization, Professor Sung finally managed to regain some composure.

It was concerning that Park Yeo-wan hadn’t contacted him since yesterday, but given the current situation with losing Shin Joon-hyuk, reaching out to her wouldn’t do any good. A timely phone call from the head nurse further reassured him.

“Professor Sung, it’s the head nurse.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“We found a service company that can recover the CCTV footage. Until now, we’ve only been refused, but this one says they can do it. And there’s more good news. We’re expanding our search for Shin Joon-hyuk’s movements, and we’ve found someone matching his description.”

Color returned to Professor Sung’s face. He urged the head nurse on with heightened excitement.

“What? If you’ve found him, bring him in! Where is he?”

“Uh… well, we didn’t find him directly. He was luckily caught on a convenience store CCTV camera on the outskirts. The good news is that he apparently went into the mountains. So what I mean is…”

Professor Sung understood the implications of the fading sentence. If Joon-hyuk, soaked in sedatives and autistic, had wandered into the mountains and disappeared, it might actually be a blessing. Better for him to vanish than to resurface publicly and create an even bigger mess. Though excuses to give to Chairman Shin and Park Yeo-wan were still unclear, that was a problem for later.

“Alright, I understand. Get the CCTV recovered as soon as possible, and send some men into the mountains. Don’t come down until you’ve found Shin Joon-hyuk.”

As the saying goes, there’s no law against killing someone, and even if the sky falls, there’s always a way out. After hanging up the phone, Professor Sung smiled in relief for the first time in days. With a calmer expression, he replied to the charity gala invitation email, confirming his attendance as a director of Taesung Hospital.

---

Time flew like an arrow.

The moment the Taesung Foundation Hospital “Charity Night” event began, Professor Sung Ho-yeon, the hospital’s chairman, stood smiling like the star of the show in the center of the hall. Though he was on the verge of madness over the disappearance of Shin Joon-hyuk, he skillfully concealed his inner turmoil.

Half of the crowd filling the hospital’s conference hall consisted of influential figures from politics and business, as well as key executives from the Taesung Group. Everyone coveted invitations to Taesung’s events, where they could network, share information, and reaffirm their elite social status.

“Wow, this event was organized so quickly! That’s Taesung for you. What a beautiful night. Vice President.”

“Oh, Councilman, welcome! Our Chairman Shin is over there. Let’s go together.”

Among the dozen or so journalists invited today, murmurs spread. They were curious about the dozens of people sitting in the back rows of the auditorium, wearing black hats and bowing their heads deeply.

“Hey, who are those people in the back? All wearing black hats and keeping their heads down. Is this a funeral or something?”

“Maybe they’re part of a performance team? Last year’s charity night had idols, and a celebrity MC hosted.”

“Ah, now that you mention it, they’re all dressed alike—black hats and everything. Could they be modern dancers?”

One journalist’s guess seemed plausible enough. Thanks to that, people easily dismissed their curiosity about the “people in black hats.” In truth, their focus should have been on the heir expected to appear at the charity gala: Shin Jung-hyuk.

Rumors about the Taesung Group’s succession were already swirling in financial circles. Journalists salivated at the prospect of big news that would shake both political and business worlds.

“Huh? Isn’t that woman tonight’s MC?”

Someone pointed to Seo Yeon in her golden dress.

“Well, I doubt there’s any celebrity I don’t know, even as a rookie. I was in the entertainment department until last month.”

But it wasn’t just the journalists watching Seo Yeon. Middle-aged men also stole glances at her, some blatantly eyeing her curves, others scanning her smooth legs. At an event like this, it was natural for attention to gravitate toward a beauty like Seo Yeon, likely pre-booked as the MC.

Feeling their gazes, Seo Yeon tried hard to hide her discomfort.

Jung-hyuk and Jin-hyuk had strongly opposed her attending tonight. But Seo Yeon insisted on being there to witness Professor Sung’s crimes exposed. She didn’t doubt her decision—until one journalist frowned and seemed to recognize her.

“Huh? Isn’t that the woman from Taesung Group’s H scandal?”

“Does Kim know what H looks like? Her face was pixelated on TV.”

“No, it’s not that. The facial contours look similar. Who else but H would be here?”

Seo Yeon bit her lip and hurriedly left the hall. Damn it, why did she keep running into these cursed journalists? A curse slipped between her red lips. She walked along the hospital corridor, constantly checking behind her to see if any reporters were following. Fortunately, no one was. The walls of the corridor were lined with photos documenting Taesung Hospital’s past charitable activities.

Seo Yeon resolved to quietly re-enter the hall later, when everyone’s attention would be focused on Professor Sung. For now, she began browsing the photos displayed along the corridor.

Meanwhile, politicians who frequently appeared on news and talk shows approached Chairman Shin Tae-myung with polite greetings.

“Chairman Shin, thank you for hosting such a meaningful event again this year. It’s truly moving.”

“Not at all. It’s thanks to the esteemed council members who craft excellent policies.”

“Haha, the pleasure is mine. But where is Mrs. Park?”

Several people looked around for Park Yeo-wan. It was strange that the face of Taesung Group events was nowhere to be seen today. Chairman Shin smiled warmly and discreetly excused himself. The lively atmosphere helped people quickly forget her absence.

“Thank you all for attending tonight’s Charity Night. I am Shin Jung-hyuk, Managing Director of Taesung Group.”

Instead of the MC, it was Shin Jung-hyuk, the rumored successor of Taesung, standing at the podium. He was undeniably charismatic, and under the stage lights, he resembled a finely carved statue. Most striking, however, was the confident gleam in his sharp eyes.

Camera flashes erupted from all directions, but Jung-hyuk didn’t flinch. Chairman Shin watched his son nervously, while Jung-hyuk smirked and continued speaking.

“First, let us thank Professor Sung Ho-yeon for organizing this event. Please give a big round of applause to Professor Sung, the foremost authority in child psychology.”

Amid cheers and applause, Professor Sung awkwardly smiled and feigned humility with a slight bow. He couldn’t fathom Jung-hyuk’s intentions. Nor could he decipher Chairman Shin’s reasoning for suddenly hosting the gala, nor the abrupt silence from Park Yeo-wan since two days ago.

A nagging sense of unease clung to Professor Sung like a water ghost gripping his ankle.

“Tonight, Taesung Hospital celebrates this glorious moment of Charity Night. Once again, thank you to Professor Sung, the living Schweitzer. Now, let us begin the event with a tribute video.”

A tribute video? There had been no prior notice of such an event. Before Professor Sung could utter a word, the large screen lit up with the video playback.