Chapter 121: Megacorp Pillar Husband (2)

There was one fact everyone had conveniently forgotten by now: Eunko Bar was a cocktail bar.

The liquor business had started as a smokescreen to hide their real operations. But Goeun took serving her customers seriously.

Of course, the past few months had been too chaotic for normal business. Still, her hospitality skills hadn’t dulled one bit.

The City was a den of vice and indulgence. Goeun could deftly brush off all sorts of drunken idiots and lowlifes.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Thank you, but I’ll pass.”

The woman—Daesung’s Secretary General—said that as she pulled out a bottle of premium mineral water and two glasses from her handbag.

“Ah.”

Before setting them on the bar table, she slipped on latex gloves and wiped down the surface repeatedly with disinfectant wipes.

“…What the hell are you doing?”

“Disinfecting. Why?”

You think I can’t see that?

Goeun’s cheeks twitched as a vein bulged at her pale temple.

“We pride ourselves on cleanliness here. No need to make such a fuss, ma’am.”

“Cleanliness standards vary from person to person.”

“If you’re from a megacorp, you might want to tone it down. It could put your safety at risk—especially down here in the lower levels.”

“Threats as a service now? Noted for my market analysis. Thank you.”

Damn, this one’s no ordinary bitch.

Goeun nearly slipped into full-on bitch mode herself.

‘Clingy lowlifes are better than this type.’

These were the real killers for mental health—ones who pretended to be polite while subtly condescending.

The Secretary General fit the bill perfectly.

While she fussed, her companion glanced around curiously, as if the bar’s vibe was novel to him.

A mature intensity emanated from the man’s eyes.

“All done.”

The Secretary General peeled off her gloves and set up the glasses. Crystal-clear water trickled in with a pleasant chime.

The middle-aged man sat at the bar and placed his fedora beside him. Goeun glared at them alternately, utterly exasperated.

“I haven’t been at this long, but you’re the first to bring your own water to a bar.”

Goeun brought a cigarette to her lips.

“Smoking is a bit…”

The Secretary General wrinkled her brow slightly, but…

“Do I need your permission to smoke in my own place?”

“It’s a business.”

Is she dense?

“The moment you pulled out your water, today’s sales were shot. Don’t even think about wasting it—that gentleman’s already had a sip.”

“……”

When the other side pulls bullshit, you make excuses and move on. And this was Goeun’s turf.

“No point mincing words, so let’s cut to the chase. Why have megacorp bigwigs come to this dump?”

“Business.”

The middle-aged man answered. He pulled a cigar from his inner pocket and clamped it between his teeth without asking.

“I’m Ryu Subaek, Executive Director at Daesung.”

He introduced himself while lighting the tip, skipping the courtesy.

“Ryu Subaek…”

The name rang a distant bell.

‘Ryu Subaek… Sounds familiar. From Kang Hyeonseong?’

If the Resistance’s 9th Battalion Commander had mentioned him, he was someone Goeun needed to watch as a collaborator.

But with all the recent headaches, it wasn’t clicking right away.

“Explaining my position at Daesung might help you grasp the gravity of this.”

“Executive Director, that’s—”

Ryu Subaek shot a cold glance at the fidgeting Secretary General.

“Sorry.”

“Then know your place.”

As his cigar shortened, she seemed to shrink in tandem.

“I’m the son of Daesung Group’s current Chairman.”

“Ah.”

Goeun let out an involuntary gasp. Her half-smoked cigarette fell, scattering sparks.

‘Not lying.’

Years in this game had honed her people-reading skills.

Besides, even in scam-riddled Lake City, no one was crazy enough to impersonate a megacorp exec.

They’d get caught for sure, and the fallout was beyond imagination—not just three generations, but ten.

‘That’s why the name sounded familiar.’

As a Daesung heir apparent, his name had crossed her ears once. But…

“Different surname from the Chairman, though?”

“I’m his illegitimate son.”

Ryu Subaek’s eyes were utterly matter-of-fact. Only the secretary looked like she’d swallowed shit.

“Coming out with that upfront shows confidence in your skills.”

“Glad you see it that way.”

Ryu Subaek smirked.

“Exactly. Born a bastard, rose to Executive Director. Might sound boastful, but Father’s acknowledged my talent—I’m second in the succession line now.”

“Impressive.”

“Plenty of drama along the way. Never lacked materially, but every day felt like walking on thin ice. Rarely slept easy.”

His griping even sounded bartender-appropriate.

Tsssh.

Ryu Subaek stubbed out his cigar on the freshly wiped table. He downed the smoke-tainted water and gripped the secretary’s shoulder.

“Apologies for my daughter’s rudeness. Unlike me, she’s grown too cushy—tends to fuss.”

“……”

Goeun glanced sideways.

So, this woman’s the current Daesung Chairman’s granddaughter?

‘Family tree’s a bit tangled.’

Daughter of the number-two heir. Pretty damn close to the megacorp throne.

Given Daesung’s sky-high status in the City—practically celestial—this secretary was a minor immortal.

Status carried weight. The uptight woman suddenly looked different.

“What business do two of the City’s elite have with me?”

“First, we want to see that man.”

It was at that moment.

Thud—

Speak of the devil—heavy footsteps descended. The air chilled instantly.

Ryu Subaek and his daughter didn’t cower, but their faces paled noticeably. The room fell deathly silent.

Soon, Lee Taebaek appeared on the first floor. Frost rimmed his eyes like goggles. Sinister light flickered from his sockets.

“…Who the hell…”

Lee Taebaek broke the silence.

His umbrella dangled from one hand, as always.

“…Enemies?”

Goeun shook her head furiously.

That aura screamed imminent blade-draw.

“C-customers. Not mine—yours.”

Getting tangled with megacorps wrecked lives. But that wasn’t the issue.

Goeun hated seeing strain on Lee Taebaek’s body, already cursed to the brim.

Goeun briefly introduced the uninvited guests.

They’d come for Lee Taebaek anyway. High-status folk had revealed themselves first.

Upon hearing their identities, Lee Taebaek’s pupils contracted in mild surprise. The City’s top predators looked disappointingly ordinary up close.

For the record, he had zero prior intel on Ryu Subaek or the secretary. During development, he’d focused on boss design—these two weren’t memorable in the City’s lore.

‘At least lower-level NPCs pop up occasionally.’

Megacorp execs needed mystery; veiling their identities added cool factor.

“Pleased to meet you.”

Ryu Subaek bowed politely.

“Yeah.”

Lee Taebaek replied curtly. Fully in character—informal as hell. Consistent to a fault.

A flicker of discomfort crossed Ryu Subaek’s eyes. He closed them, then opened, reining in his emotions.

“Your reputation for bold candor precedes you.”

Massive overstatement.

“Speak freely. A megacorp heir using honorifics with Resistance won’t play well.”

“Fair point. Got it.”

Lee Taebaek openly declared his affiliation.

Daesung’s exec trekking to the lower levels meant they’d already dug up Eunko Bar’s secrets and his profile.

Better to drop pretenses and get real.

“Rising as a bastard taught me one thing. Staring up gets you nowhere—or snapped at the neck.”

Ryu Subaek said.

“That’s when you look down. Darkness under the lamp isn’t a cliché. Answers hide below more often than not.”

The secretary bit her lip, stung. Ryu Subaek glanced at her, then back to Lee Taebaek.

“I climbed to Daesung exec thanks to my lower-level intel network. Upper info’s often fluff. Lower stuff seems trivial but packs nutrition.”

“Get to the point.”

“Lee Taebaek, I know you clashed with Sword Master Muyachi. Got the intel yesterday.”

“……”

Lee Taebaek’s thumb slid toward the umbrella’s release.

“No divide-and-conquer here. He’s too upright—even billions wouldn’t sway him. Mercenary King, right?”

He didn’t doubt Sword Master. Not from trust, but because Muyachi stuck to contracts like glue.

Hard to see him as a money grubber. Bluntly: total stickler for principles.

“……”

“That reaction confirms it.”

Ryu Subaek grinned, lips curling.

“Irresistible offer incoming.”

Greedy red gleamed from his gums.

“Be my man.”

Lee Taebaek snorted.

“You know my side and still say that? Daesung royalty must be out of touch—I’m Resistance.”

“Didn’t you just say so?”

“Asking someone like me to join megacorp? Say I do. You’re letting an assassin right into Daesung.”

“Spot on.”

Ryu Subaek’s smile deepened.

“Join Daesung. Be my Resistance spy. In return—”

He yanked the secretary’s wrist hard. Color drained from her hand.

“I’ll give you this girl.”

“…?”

What? Am I missing something?

The short sentence crammed in overload info.

“Help me claim the Chairman seat, and she’s yours. Intel says you hit Salon recently. Bar owner’s a beauty too. Face value checks out.”

Goddamn, that kind of misunderstanding.

“Not just handing her over. She’s my daughter. Once I’m Chairman, she’s heir apparent.”

Thought he was a clean-cut chaebol. No such luck.

Even Daesung—seemingly upright megacorp pillar—played by its own rules. Common sense? Out the window.

“Investigator!”

“Creator!”

Then Eunko Bar’s door flew open. Jasbi and Ban rushed in.

“Kid too, huh.”

Ryu Subaek scowled, muttering. He tsked briefly, then chuckled coldly.

“Fine by me. I was a bastard. My daughter’s kid being one? Whatever.”

Goeun thought:

‘Fucking lunatic.’

First tenant-level nutjob surpassed by Ryu Subaek.