How a Salaryman Became an Underworld Boss

”What’s done is done, so let’s leave it at that. What was inside the safe?”

”A single twenty-five-kilogram gold bar and several thick paper envelopes containing documents.”

Gold was undoubtedly an important liquid asset. However, in today’s internet-driven era, it had lost some of its appeal as something that could be quickly converted into cash.

”Why would Go Yeongjun keep such a heavy gold bar with him?”

”Perhaps he was saving it as an emergency reserve that could be sold quickly?”

”If I were him, I’d have kept smaller bars or diamonds that would be much easier to carry.”

At that moment, an idea flashed through Jiham’s mind. Finding his own reasoning convincing enough, he looked at Lee Hyeonsol again.

”Bring me the document envelopes that were inside the safe. Immediately.”

”Yes, Director.”

Lee Hyeonsol promptly went downstairs and soon returned carrying the envelopes.

Jiham took them and began examining their contents.

Unfortunately, the first document turned out to be nothing more than the lease agreement for Go Yeongjun’s hideout.

He then picked up the thicker envelope.

The very first page bore an intriguing title.

— Sales And Purchase Agreement AU Metal —

A purchase agreement for AU Metal...

”Does anyone know what AU Metal means?”

As if he had been waiting for exactly that question, Kang Inhan answered immediately.

”Au is the chemical symbol for gold.”

”Exactly right, Chief Secretary Kang.”

”Director Cha, I’m dying to know what this is about.”

”The documents in my hands are a purchase agreement for gold bars.”

With that, Jiham turned the page and continued reading.

According to the contract, Go Yeongjun had agreed to purchase fifty gold bars, each weighing twenty-five kilograms, from Liu Peiqi at a fifteen-percent discount off the current LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) price.

To purchase 1,250 kilograms of gold would require 850 million U.S. dollars... roughly 1.15 trillion won.

At that instant, it felt as though a bolt of lightning had flashed through Jiham’s mind.

Go Yeongjun had been buying gold from Liu Peiqi using the money he had stolen from the company.

But that conclusion immediately ran into a contradiction.

There had only been a single gold bar inside the bedroom safe.

”Team Leader Lee, was there any other gold inside the hideout?”

”We didn’t find any.”

”But according to this contract, he bought fifty twenty-five-kilogram bars from Liu Peiqi.”

”...Could it be...”

Jiham immediately understood why Lee Hyeonsol had trailed off.

”Most likely your guess is correct. There’s a hidden room somewhere inside that hideout.”

”I’ll take some men back immediately and search the entire building from top to bottom.”

”That won’t be necessary.”

”...What?”

”Go Yeongjun himself knows where the hidden room is.”

”Ah... right. That never even crossed my mind.”

”I’d like to question him in about thirty minutes. Can you have him ready by then?”

Lee Hyeonsol instantly understood what Cha Jiham was implying.

Go Yeongjun needed to be placed in a state where he would willingly answer every question put to him.

Failing to understand his superior’s intentions—or understanding them but refusing to carry them out—would amount to gross negligence.

”I’ll make sure his brain gets properly reformatted.”

At that moment, Kang Inhan quietly inserted himself into the conversation, as though he had been waiting for exactly this opportunity.

”Director Cha, would you allow me to participate in this... educational session as well?”

”You have a personal reason?”

”I suffered plenty because of that bastard too after he fled to China.”

”Very well. Just don’t overdo it. He has to stay alive if we expect him to talk.”

”Haha. Understood. Well then, Team Leader Lee... shall we go help him improve his outlook on life?”

***

Thirty minutes later.

When Jiham descended into the basement and looked at Go Yeongjun, he instinctively frowned.

The man lay sprawled across the floor in such miserable condition that he barely looked any different from a corpse.

Pretending nothing had happened simply wasn’t an option, so Jiham looked reproachfully at Kang Inhan.

”Chief Secretary Kang, why did you ignore my instructions?”

”We never intended to go overboard with him, Director.”

”Did he try to exercise his right to remain silent?”

”Not exactly. He just started acting arrogant and throwing his weight around, claiming that a high-ranking Chinese government official was protecting him. We couldn’t hold ourselves back.”

”Throwing his weight around? Did you find out who was backing him?”