NOVEL WEB Chapter 2 - Money Laundering?
Chapter 2: Money Laundering?
“…It really was deposited.”
I was momentarily dazed as I read the notification on my phone. No matter how many times I looked, the reality was hard to believe.
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Mirae Bank
Deposit 10,000,000 won.
16:27 Kim Eun-ha
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“Do you believe me now?”
“Well, I’m still a bit stunned.”
“Is it not enough?”
“Not at all.”
Her shoulders shrugged at my firm answer. I quickly regained my senses and reiterated her request.
“…So, you’re asking me to act as your boyfriend?”
“If possible, even as a husband. We’ll need to work out the details from now.”
“……”
I was dumbstruck by her firm and unhesitating reply. Anyone in my situation would probably react the same.
Of course, I acknowledge that she’s exceptionally beautiful. Purely in terms of appearance, marrying someone like her would be more than one could ask for.
‘That’s what makes it even more suspicious.’
If I look through her phone right now, I’m sure I’ll find a bunch of men who are superior to me in either money or education.
Why would she, with so many choices, ‘specifically’ propose to me?
Even mobilizing all my brainpower, I couldn’t find a convincing answer. The only plausible response I could think of was,
“I’m not religious.”
“I know.”
“How do you know that?”
“Aren’t you?”
Smirk-
She playfully lifted the corners of her mouth again. Her beauty was indeed overwhelming.
Being proposed to by someone whose name you don’t even know upon first meeting is a situation so bizarre that it wouldn’t be odd if it scared you.
‘…So that’s why they say beauty can be deceiving.’
Surprisingly, I wasn’t displeased at the moment. Her exceptional appearance played a significant role in that.
If I had been completely immune to such things, I might have completely fallen for it.
‘Guess those days were useful after all.’
A bitter smile formed as I recalled my college days.
Given that acting inherently involves marketing one’s appearance, it was no surprise that most of my peers were remarkably good-looking.
‘Being pretty doesn’t necessarily mean a good personality.’
In fact, many were full of themselves.
That’s why, no matter how attractive someone was, I had become more skeptical, especially the more attractive they were.
“Let’s stop the jokes.”
“A joke?”
“I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but my life is already hard enough. I’ll return the deposited money right away.”
“Hmm.”
Smile-!
Despite my clear boundary, her smile deepened. I felt chills but didn’t show it.
Instead, relying on my years of honed acting skills, I maintained a poker face and casually picked up a broom.
“Could you move aside, please?”
I deliberately started sweeping where she stood, but she didn’t move, keeping her gaze fixed on me the entire time.
“Look, That’s enough…”
“I’ll give you a role.”
“What?”
Squint-!
As I blinked, pondering what words I had just heard, she took another step towards me and began to speak.
“Before starting, you muttered, ‘I just wanted to act,’ right? I can give you what you want.”
“No, how long have you been…!?”
“That’s not important right now.”
Swoosh-
Suddenly, she pulled out a business card from her bag. It looked too luxurious to touch with my dusty hands.
As I reflexively checked the card, an astonished voice escaped me.
“…Kim Eun-ha, CEO of Mirae Department Store?”
Mirae Group.
A renowned family, well-known to anyone in our country, acknowledged as the top business owners in South Korea.
With dozens of subsidiaries below them. Each subsidiary is a major corporation, ranking first or second domestically and competing globally.
‘…No wonder she seemed familiar.’
I examined Kim Eun-ha’s face again. Once I knew her identity, memories buried in a corner of my mind began to surface.
For months, news had been circulating about Chairman Kim Seok-ho’s rapidly deteriorating health and the intense competition for his succession through various media outlets.
As a result, I had seen her name and face in passing. Of course, it was only through the screen of my smartphone.
“Why me, of all people?”
“Because you are the most suitable.”
“…Suitable?”
Grin-
As I reacted, Kim Eun-ha raised the corners of her mouth as if she had expected it. She continued with a relaxed smile.
“First of all, the face is good enough.”
“It should be more than good enough.”
“…And I like your shamelessness. Well, there were other complex considerations. But to sum it up, you were the most suitable person to play the role of my husband.”
Role.
My brain, which had declared a strike in the face of the sudden situation, began to whirl furiously again.
Clichés I usually encountered only in dramas or novels started fitting together in my mind, helping me guess what she wanted from me.
“…You need a figurehead husband.”
“See? I told you you’re the right one.”
Hehe-
Her pleasant laughter added to my suspicion. Kim Eun-ha’s reason for suddenly proposing to me was because she needed a ‘shield’.
‘She’s an ambitious person.’
The CEO of Mirae Department Store.
Even holding such a position, which ordinary people could only dream of, Kim Eun-ha was aspiring for something higher.
‘Mirae Group is known for keeping management within the family.’
Kim Seok-ho, the founder and current chairman of Mirae Group, is known to have many children.
He did everything possible to ensure his children would inherit the management, and harsh training for potential successors was part of this effort.
‘Didn’t Wall Street even talk about it?’
‘Korea Discount’ is often associated with the unease of Korea being a ceasefire nation, but that’s only part of the story.
One of the biggest reasons Wall Streeters hesitate to invest in Korean stocks is due to familial succession. But,
– Even if not related by blood, if they’re good at business, they’re my children and family!
Chairman Kim Seok-ho’s famous quote, now a staple in chaebol dramas. Indeed, he gave opportunities to anyone with ability.
Kim Seok-ho employed talented individuals regardless of their background, and if they proved their worth, he even arranged marriages with his daughters, sharing his bloodline.
‘Conversely, he treated some as non-existent.’
In such cases, he wouldn’t share a penny of the family wealth and disowned them.
This drove his children to desperation in securing management rights, and those who survived this brutal training are now the CEOs of Mirae Group’s subsidiaries.
‘Is she planning to jump into the succession battle?’
Considering her age, it was astonishing. She had to be competent enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with relatives who were born 20-30 years earlier.
‘What if I were a part of Mirae Group?’
Thanks to my recent full immersion as Park Do-hyun, the chaebol heir, it wasn’t too difficult to follow their line of thought.
Despite her young age, Kim Eun-ha’s outstanding ability must be seen as a threat.
‘The easiest way to eliminate Kim Eun-ha from the succession battle is…’
Undoubtedly, it would be ‘marriage’.
Even if times have changed, people’s perceptions don’t necessarily catch up that quickly. Especially in chaebols, strategic marriages for wealth inheritance are still prevalent.
“So it’s the same in chaebol families, getting hassled about marriage during holidays?”
“That would be a relief if it were just that.”
Shrug-
She shrugged her shoulders and sat down on a prop chair nearby. Crossing her legs naturally, she continued the conversation.
“After tirelessly working to grow the group, they want me to marry some suitable guy and split off the business. It’s not like we’re living in the Joseon era.”
“So, you decided to choose your own marriage partner? Someone who won’t interfere with the succession battle, a suitable actor to play the role of a screen husband?”
“You catch on quick.”
Smirk-
Kim Eun-ha leaned forward slightly with a smile. She knew exactly how to present herself most attractively.
A person who wouldn’t hesitate to use any means to seize victory. Someone ruthlessly calculative, willing to sell even themselves if the benefits were clear.
“I don’t seem to be your type.”
“Oh, I completely agree with you there.”
“Then why me?”
“That’s exactly why.”
Click-!
Breaking the silence with the sound of her high heels, Kim Eun-ha stood up again and approached me boldly, her lips twitching slightly.
“I don’t have the luxury to be swayed by unnecessary hormones. With you, I’m confident I won’t fall in love.”
“You’re very sure of yourself.”
“You think the same, don’t you?”
Tap-tap-
She raised her finger and lightly tapped my lips. Her lips moved as if casting a spell, rich like the color of a witch’s brew.
“I’ll make a concession this time.”
“What concession?”
“If I’m to pretend to be engaged to you, you’ll need a proper cover. I’ll find you a role in a project soon.”
“What’s the catch?”
“…I’m making a concession, aren’t I?”
“That just makes it more suspicious.”
There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Especially when dealing with a member of a chaebol family.
Even if it’s just acting, having briefly stepped into their shoes, I knew they would never make a losing deal.
She looked at me blankly for a moment after hearing my thoughts, then burst into laughter.
“Pfft-!”
“…What’s so funny?”
“Oh, sorry. It just seems like you’ve watched too much drama. Of course, you’re not entirely wrong… Ahem. Anyway, do you know how much I donate on average per year?”
“How much?”
Chak-!
She showed a playful smile and suddenly held up five fingers.
“Five hundred million?”
“More.”
“Five thousand million?”
“You’re almost there.”
“…You donate five billion won a year?”
Shake-shake-
Kim Eun-ha’s smile grew wider. She then added a fist next to her open palm.
“50 billion!?”
“That includes donations from the subsidiaries I manage. After deductions, the net amount is roughly that.”
“Is it money laundering?”
“…Look here.”
Kim Eun-ha looked at me as if I was being ridiculous, but from my perspective, it was a completely reasonable suspicion. After all, I didn’t even have 50,000 won, let alone 50 billion.
Whether she understood my mindset or not, she continued speaking with an utterly calm expression.
“Of course, there are benefits like tax reduction and improving the group’s image, but a significant portion is donated with pure intentions, you know?”
“Ah, I see.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I do.”
“You’re lying.”
“How dare you accuse me of lying.”
“…You have quite an impressive adaptability.”
Instead of responding, I just shrugged my shoulders. Kim Eun-ha then sighed heavily and continued her explanation.
“Anyway! It’s not difficult for me to get you a role. For me, it’s like showing a bit of generosity.”
“That’s not very flattering to hear.”
“So, you’re not going to do it?”
“Of course, I will.”
Obviously, I had to take the offer.
I accepted her proposal without hesitation. Of course, even though I agreed, she might later extract some compensation from me in some form.
‘That’s a problem for another day.’
If it meant continuing to act, I was even willing to sell my soul to the devil.
With no particular attachment left in life, I had no intention of rejecting this last opportunity handed to me from the heavens.
“…Master! What should I start with?”
“First, drop that weird title.”
“How about ‘Madam’?”
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
Snicker-
A laugh escaped me at Kim Eun-ha’s displeased reaction. Then, finding my own behavior unfamiliar, I laughed again.
“Why are you laughing like that?”
“Because I’m happy.”
“Happy about what?”
“About you, Eun-ha.”
“…Stop talking nonsense.”
“Oh, did it show too much?”
Even in front of her sharp, almost predatory gaze, I couldn’t help but keep laughing. It was a genuine emotion, solely mine, that I hadn’t felt in a long time.