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Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Chapter 30
In front of the MH Group headquarters building, on the small park path where many people were coming and going.
Standing among the people, Shin-woo saw Lillian Foster in her red pants suit.
He slowly walked toward her and loosened his wristwatch, showing the inside.
In response, Lillian did the same, revealing the same spot.
Both of them had a tattoo of a thin black hexagram imprinted in their white pupils.
Shin-woo smiled as he got closer to Lillian and spoke softly in Swahili.
“Mahali hapa panaonekana sana, je, nihamie? (This place stands out too much. Shall we move?)”
“Ni nzuri. (Sounds good.)”
As they walked for a while, a strange feeling overtook them. The thought that filled Shin-woo’s mind was one of relief.
Even though he had hoped for a peaceful life after the last mission, he had ended up facing death.
Was this some kind of trick of fate, or perhaps a second chance? Like Jang Man-soo, Lillian had also returned to the past.
After walking for a while, Shin-woo and Lillian entered a small café tucked away in a corner and sat at the innermost table.
He casually ordered coffee according to Lillian’s usual preference, and then they continued their conversation in the same language.
“I never thought I’d run into you here, Lillian. What happened?”
“I was tracking that scum, Mandu! But more importantly, why are you here? I heard you’re the grandson of Chairman Myung Joong-hwan and Director of Strategic Investment Operations for MH Group.”
Lillian had gathered information and even deduced the situation, but there were contradictions, given what she knew about Shin-woo’s past connections.
“It’s a bit complicated. But you said you were tracking Mandu? How?”
“Mandu once told me about a company called LIVIO SOFT. He claimed that he was the one who made the main program source. So I stormed out of the CIA test and headed straight there. I got in by negotiating about Mandu.”
Shin-woo was startled at that moment.
“You were at LIVIO SOFT?”
“Not anymore. Mandu must have contacted them directly and excluded me. So, I quit. Wait! Did you… handle Lloyd Douglas, the lobbyist?”
“I did.”
“…I knew it. So Mandu was working with you after all. I thought I was barking up the wrong tree and almost left for the U.S. after meeting that disgusting guy.”
Shin-woo realized that Lillian was talking about Myung Un-seok.
He couldn’t help but chuckle at how little Lillian had changed from the person he used to know.
“You tracked it well. It was close, but you managed.”
“But it’s so strange. Seeing both you and Mandu, as well as myself, looking over ten years younger… Oh, by the way, Mandu also came back to the past, right?”
Lillian asked, just in case.
“You haven’t changed much either. Still as beautiful as ever. And yes, Mandu came back too. He was the first to find me. He showed up on the very day we returned to the past.”
“Wow~ Really?”
Lillian blushed and laughed as she continued to speak.
“So, what have you been doing all this time? Mandu should have set up the communication network quickly! That would have saved me a lot of trouble.”
Shin-woo also agreed with that point.
“Some of the parts we used before aren’t available now. But he’s working hard to rebuild it.”
“So, where’s Mandu now?”
“Where else? He’s at the company.”
Lillian couldn’t believe what she heard, despite being certain.
“…Company? What company?”
“What company do you think? MH Group, the headquarters we were just at.”
“That guy hates anything related to companies, especially because of the NIS. That’s why I was skeptical even when I checked MH Group’s side.”
Shin-woo couldn’t help but laugh softly.
“For someone who supposedly hates companies, he sure knows a lot about them. Especially LIVIO SOFT.”
Lillian’s pale face turned bright red at Shin-woo’s teasing response.
“What nonsense are you spouting! Shut up! What are you planning to do next? Why are you at MH Group?”
Shin-woo erased his smile and began explaining seriously.
“I’m trying to get rid of the 666th Unit soldiers before they come after me.”
“Why would they target you? Isn’t there no connection to this timeline?”
Shin-woo briefly explained the events he encountered immediately after returning to the past.
Lillian’s expression turned more serious as she listened intently.
“…That’s as far as I know. If I leave them alone, I doubt we’ll ever be able to rest quietly.”
“Ugh… Those cockroach-like bastards… So, there’s someone in MH Group who’s connected with them? Can’t we just catch them and beat them up?”
At that moment, Shin-woo quietly gazed at Lillian with half-closed eyes.
“You’re smart, but are you just acting dumb on purpose?”
“What do you mean?”
“This isn’t a battlefield; we’re in the middle of South Korea. Plus, now that we’ve come back to the past, we need a solid plan.”
Of course, it wasn’t that they lacked meticulous planning in the previous life.
But they needed to be more thorough, considering their enemies might go all out in desperation.
“So you’re working with Mandu and the company for now?”
“For now, yes. I’m also setting up a financial base.”
“Financial base? How?”
Lillian would have found it easier to track down Jang Man-soo if she had access to money.
However, she didn’t have much money when she returned to the past, which is why she thought of LIVIO SOFT as the best option.
“Have you noticed any changes since returning to the past?”
“Me? Now that I think about it, I’ve become more sensitive, more attuned, I guess. There are definitely changes.”
“It’s the same for me. Mandu’s memory has also improved. We’re using that along with our knowledge of pre-return stock information.”
“That stingy guy who always nitpicked over every little detail?”
“That’s what he says. Anyway… Where are you staying now?”
“At a hotel, of course. What about you and Mandu?”
“We’re living in a suitable place for now. Let’s meet at Mandu’s hideout tonight.”
With that, Shin-woo handed her a card with a number written on it. He also scribbled down the address of Jang Man-soo’s hideout with a pen.
“…KITE CEO? Isn’t KITE a subsidiary of MH Tech, which is affiliated with MH Group? And you’re also the Director of Strategic Investment Operations?”
“I hold both positions.”
“I thought you’d struggle with corporate life like Mandu, but it seems like you’re managing just fine.”
“It’s all thanks to Mandu’s help.”
“Him? That guy who’s always staring at monitors? You must have been doing everything yourself.”
Even after returning to the past, Lillian still dismissed Jang Man-soo.
“Just don’t fight when you see him.”
“Are we kids? Fighting? He’s the one who always gets beaten up by me, though.”
“Ugh… Just come to the address on the card. Memorize it and destroy it afterward.”
“Ok?!”
With that, the two finished their conversation, left the café, and went their separate ways.
.
.
.
Same time.
At the office of the Strategic Investment Headquarters in MH Group, Im Hee-yeon called Myung Un-seok to stand in front of her desk.
“What exactly are you trying to do right now?”
“…….”
The reason for the summons was because of the issue with LIVIO SOFT, which had been presented during a recent meeting.
“I clearly said we should wait for things to progress a little more before making the announcement. But what’s the result now?”
“…….”
LIVIO SOFT had unilaterally sent a notice of contract termination, which was reported to Im Hee-yeon.
Although there were no direct losses since the investment hadn’t gone through, the situation couldn’t be kept quiet.
“Sure, there’s no actual loss since the funds weren’t invested yet. But shouldn’t you refrain from making arbitrary decisions that exhaust your subordinates?”
It was a justified reproach.
But Myung Un-seok stood still with an expression full of silent complaints.
‘What hard work… It’s all part of the job…’
Reading his expression, Im Hee-yeon’s eyes sharpened.
“Does Chief Myung Un-seok think this is no big deal?”
“…There was no loss, so I don’t see any problem.”
“Ha?! Is this how things worked at the Future Strategy Office?”
“As a director, I believe it’s my job to lead, and the staff should naturally follow me.”
“You’re talking about hierarchy, but that sounds like you’re saying they should follow you even if you’re wrong or unreasonable.”
To Myung Un-seok, this was obvious.
As the eldest grandson of the Myung family and working at MH Group, he believed it was his role to lead people.
“I believe right or wrong is determined by the results.”
“And how does that change things?”
“Even if the method was wrong, if the result yields enough profit, then it’s not wrong.”
At that moment, Im Hee-yeon’s eyebrows twitched.
“It’s not entirely incorrect. But it sounds like you’re saying that even if there’s illegality in the process, it’s still not wrong.”
“…….”
His silence spoke volumes.
At the same time, Im Hee-yeon could guess who had taught him this way of handling matters.
“Submit a detailed report on the termination of the LIVIO SOFT investment.”
“Director!”
“You mentioned hierarchy, right? Then follow my orders.”
“Ugh…”
After his frustrated sigh, Im Hee-yeon turned to review another document.
“What’s this T/O request? The Strategic Planning Office is currently operating with three teams under the existing T/O, right?”
It was a request related to recruiting Lillian Foster.
“I want to have someone I found as a valuable asset under me.”
“…There’s no resume, though.”
No matter how hard she looked, there was only a request, and no resume of the person to be scouted was attached.
“I haven’t received their approval yet. Once the T/O request and approval go through, I’ll submit it immediately.”
Without much thought, Im Hee-yeon responded.
“Fine. Offer the scouting proposal as requested in terms of salary and position. But if there’s an issue with the resume, it may be rejected.”
At that, Myung Un-seok showed a faint smile.
“I understand. I’ll do that.”
***
Evening.
Lillian opened the door to Mansoo Electric in Cheonggyecheon.
Ding-dong?
The bell attached to the front door rang, and a familiar face appeared from inside.
It was Jang Man-soo, dressed in a red tracksuit.
“Welcome…”
“Long time no see. Jang. Man. Du—!”
When Lillian spoke fluent Korean, Jang Man-soo’s face stiffened.
“Oh… Yeah, it’s been a while, huh?”
“You jerk! You crashed the helicopter, and we all died because of it! Didn’t I tell you to turn left instead of right?!”
She was referring to the situation right before they returned to the past.
Whoosh—Thud!
With her shout, Lillian swung her tightly clenched fist at Jang Man-soo.
At that moment, Shin-woo suddenly appeared and caught her fist.
“If you hit him, Man-soo will die.”
“The captain risked everything to send us back!”
“But we’ve met again, haven’t we? Let’s go inside first. Man-soo, lock the door.”
Jang Man-soo stared at Lillian’s fist, which had stopped right in front of him, then slowly backed away toward the door.
Shin-woo released Lillian’s hand and pushed aside the bookshelf.
“Come this way.”
“A secret passage? Did Mandu even dig tunnels in here?”
“He says it’s a place he’s been using for a long time.”
The three of them entered the inner workshop.
“It looks just like the hideout Mandu used before.”
“Old habits die hard, I guess.”
“It’s just as dark and gloomy. So, how far along is the plan?”
Shin-woo leaned against the corner of the desk and spoke.
“I’m building my position within MH Group, and I’m about to seal the deal with LIVIO SOFT, which Myung Un-seok was trying to invest in.”
“Oh, what about Dale Becker, the CEO of LIVIO SOFT? We took care of the guys he sent, but there’s no guarantee he won’t try again.”
Dale Becker, a shadowy lobbyist and fixer who sent men to kill them, was a looming threat, as Lillian pointed out.
“It’s not impossible to deal with him. But we’ll need to get something in return.”
“You’re going to take over the company?”
Shin-woo shook his head.
“We don’t plan to run the place ourselves. So, we’ll need to negotiate.”
“…Negotiate?”
“You’ll handle that, Lillian. Just shake them down however you want.”
Lillian tilted her head in confusion at his overly simple explanation.