Chapter 126 - Hann Constructions (III) Succession War

After the men left, Junhyung quietly walked towards the master chamber. It was located upstairs at the far east wing of the mansion. 

The mansion was in the midst of the city, seen by all yet unseen by all. Even though it was in plain sight, only those who had been summoned into it can truly see its majestic beauty. The area around it was completely sealed off with a sign warning people that it was a private property. 

Not a soul was allowed to enter. Even though many people were curious at first about this mysterious area, they soon lost interest. They simply assumed it was a diplomatic area since they had seen many high profile people entering it. Little did they know, there was a large mansion hidden in there.

The mansion sprawled over seventeen acres. A large lawn engulfed the entrance while the backyard was a private zoo which held animals of different species. The main house itself had more than seventy rooms each having its own private study in them as well. With seven storeys in height, the mansion was intimidating for anyone who laid eyes on it. To an outsider, it was an awestrucking sight. However, those who enter it, find a cold and desolate place with all sparkle but no life.

The whole mansion was devoid of any people except for the servants. Arrays of rooms were lined up but there was no one living in them. The walls had hundreds of paintings of Korean artists, but they had no family portraits. Not a single picture stood on any shelf or stands. The world inside the mansion was terrifying and lonely. It held no joy nor peace. Just an everlasting sense of isolation.

But the isolation did not bother Junhyung or his master. He was simply a pet who was trained to follow but not question. Unlike other people, they thrived in isolation. It made them feel powerful.

He knocked on the President's bedroom door.

"Come in," the deep voice commanded.

Junhyung entered the room and bowed low. There was a large desk in front of him and behind it was the President's chair which was facing its back to him; his master was sitting on it.

"What is the news?" the President asked, not turning back.

"The plan is going well, sir," Junhyung reported. "It seems all your best men are vying for your throne. They are all going after Kwon Jiwon and Abyss."

"But it seems your old friend is managing to evade all our attacks," the President stated. "He survived Madam Hong's bullet."

"Madam Hong was impulsive," Junhyung said. "It is still unclear why she shot him when instructions were given to her to wait for our assassin to get there."

"Did you manage to retrieve the CCTV footage from that night?" the President demanded.

"No sir," Junhyung answered. "I have not received it. However, I assure you we will find out what happened that night."

The President was silent. Junhyung had no idea what he was doing behind that chair. He was waiting for his master to say something.

"That is all," he finally said. Junhyung bowed and exited the room. 

The President stood up, walking towards the window. He held a small tab in his hand. Putting his finger on it, he replayed the scene.

On the screen were three people: two men and an unknown person. One man was blinde while the other one had dark hair. It was difficult to discern the gender and identity of the third one for the person was wearing loose clothes and a hat to completely disguise himself. 

They were walking towards the parking lot when Madam Hong rushed out of a building nearby, wearing nothing but a blanket. She held a gun and aimed at the blond man's back. However, the dark haired man noticed her and stood in her way, taking the bullet instead. Upon hearing the gunshot, the third person tackled Madam Hong and held her down. 

The commotion attracted people from nearby and Madam Hong was soon apprehended. Minutes later, an ambulance arrived, carrying the injured man in it while the blonde and the mysterious person followed in.

The video then ended. The President put the tablet down and stared outside the window. No doubt, the mysterious person was the CEO of Abyss. The CEO was at Madam Hong's private party that night. It was a rare opportunity they had to catch the CEO and destroy Abyss for once and for all.

But his foolish men overlooked the chance and let the CEO escape. Moreover, all the videos and CCTV footage from inside the party itself were missing. This was the remaining video he had managed to get his hands on. 

His attention shifted to Kwon Jiwon. For almost two decades, he had escaped the Cartel's clutches. His parents were not so fortunate but this boy seemed to have been born with a silver spoon. Every strike against him was a failure and Kwon Jiwon emerged as a stronger, more formidable foe. He was probably even more dangerous than his grandfather.

However, Kwon Jiwon had one fatal weakness. The President could sense it but it was difficult to identify it. Once he got his hands on that weakness, he would crush Kwon Jiwon like a cockroach.

But he was patient. His plans were already set in motion. All he had to do now was to wait. 

….

Junhyung was walking through the corridor, deep in thought. There was no doubt, Jiwon had already gotten an inkling of his involvement in CEO Ahn's death. However, he would find it difficult to prove it since Junhyung left no concrete evidence behind. After all, he posed as a mere account manager who was abiding by the customers' requests. 

What really concerned him was the succession war between the Cartel members. There was no appointed successor to the Cartel; all the heads of their different operations were eligible to become the next head. However, the President had unofficially given a mission to only the ones he deemed worthy in order for them to take over the Cartel: bring down Abyss. The one who succeeded in it would become the heir.

It was becoming a complex game. Taking down Abyss can take years. Unlike the Cartel, Abyss' members were loyalists and followed their leader without question. They were united in their mission to take down the Cartel and even ready to lay down their lives. The Cartel, however, was marred with in-fighting and mistrust. Whoever becomes the next head, will inherit a group of angry and hostile men bittered by their failure to take over the Cartel.

Unfortunately, the most dominating factions were Ziko and Shun's. While both men had been with the Cartel for years, Ziko lacked the discipline while Shun lacked tactical knowledge. They were so busy fighting one another that they did not have a long term plan to sustain the Cartel. Which is why the future of the Cartel will be at stake if either of those two won.

They must be stopped, Junhyung decided. And there was only one way to stop them…

….

"That tickles!" Mirae giggled. She was at Somi's place, hanging out. Since KJ and Ash were at the studio, she decided to hangout with her friend. Somi was putting nail polish on Mirae's toe nails.

"You are way too ticklish," Somi said, rolling here eyes. She was done putting on the nail paint and corked the lid shut.

"So you and Ash are going strong huh?" she asked.

"Yeah," Mirae replied. "We're even planning to move in together after we catch Ziko."

"Woah!" Somi exclaimed in surprise. "Seriously? I'm so happy for you!"

She leaned over to give Mirae a tight hug.

"Thanks!" Mirae smiled. "I'm so excited! But it all feels kinds surreal…"

"Go for it if you absolutely want to be with him," Somi advised. "He's a good guy. If he makes you happy, then why deny your happiness?"

"Was it the same for you?" Mirae asked. She crossed her legs and sat straight. "I remember how happy you were for your impending wedding. Were you absolutely sure that you wanted to be with him at that time?"

Somi sighed. "Yeah…" she reminisced. "I was a hundred percent sure that I'd spend the rest of my life with him. At that time, I felt I'd never be happy with anyone else. I still do think that. Nothing else would make me happier than to go back to him…"

Her voice broke off. Tears were forming in her eyes as the pain of what happened was still too fresh in her heart. Mirae threw an arm around her shoulders, comforting her.

"Somi...many years have passed," Mirae consoled her. "Don't you think you should tell him what happened? About why you didn't make it to the wedding venue? I'm sure if he loved you, he'll understand-"

"No!" Somi said with finality in her voice. "He should never find out."

Her palms were getting sweaty and she felt suffocated as the events of that night came flooding into her head. Her hands shook in fear and she dug her nails into her skin. 

"Somi…" Mirae said, sounding worried as Somi's heart began to palpate. 

"Mirae, no one can find out what happened!" she begged. "It'll ruin everything I worked for over the past few years. And if he finds out, it'll break him! No...we can't tell him…"

She was crying uncontrollably. Mirae was in a fix. She wanted her friend to be happy with the person she loved but she did not want Somi to experience that pain again. It had destroyed her once and recounting that night will surely be devastating for her.

"Alright," she sighed. "I won't tell anyone until you're ready to face your demons yourself. But I still think you should reconnect with him. You don't have to tell him but at least look him up and see how he is doing."

"I already know what he's doing," Somi revealed. This truly surprised Mirae.

"You found him?" she asked. "Who is it? You never told me his name! What is he doing? Is he still angry at you?"

"You know him, Mirae," Somi said with a sad smile. "It's KJ's friend. Lee Hyun Jung."