12 Hours After

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

I looked at the monitor, my chin on my desk.

[The opening of Fantasy War Ground with Sapphire TV is successfully completed.]

[Sapphire TV will support Idol Management 108]

I had read so many articles over a year, I didn’t need to click them; I could grasp the contents in my mind. Then I changed the search terms to ‘Blue E&M’

Soon there were a few more articles.

[In the era of one-person media, European TV and Blue E&M are skyrocketing in anticipation of a growing market.]

[Blue E&M hit a new 52-week high. How far can it go up?]

They were about Blue E&M stock about to go well. There was no problem on the surface. No, to be precise, there was no problem at present.

‘But why …? Why? Really personal? Does he need $15,000,000 for personal reasons? Or just for profit? Or is he afraid that it will go lower than now?’

Blue E&M’s shares had nearly doubled since I had invested in it. Although there was a connection between Kai Games and OH Entertainment, Blue E&M rose because European TV, the frontrunner, went up. I checked the latest short stock sale through HTS. Certainly, the number of short stock sales had increased slightly in recent days. It might be said that it was simply betting on overheating, but it seemed that the timing was something strange.

‘Well, if there’s a good reason, he’ll report to the major shareholder, our company first; but if he doesn’t report… I’ll find it out myself, faster than he does.’

I have drawn up a list of names of the major directors of Blue E&M, including President Ahn Yong-kyun. Now, these people would all go up to my People Search and be searched for a few days.

‘Okay, so from this evening…’

It was then that the phone rang. It was Secretary Seo.

“Yes, why?”

“Well… boss.” By the way, Secretary Seo’s voice sounded a little strange.

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, I have a visitor. His name is Park Jang Geun.”

I spoke in a good tone, “Oh, let him in.”

Soon the door opened and a 190-centimeter tall man came in. I looked up at him. The two of us, eye-to-eye, grinned.

I said with my arms open, “Wow, Jang Geun! How long has it been?” I approached him and hugged him. But because he was so big, it was like hugging a statue. I patted him on the back a couple of times. His whole body was like steel. “How are you?”

He looked down at me and said, “Yes. How have you been?”

“Yes, it’s as you can see.” I beckoned to the inside of the president’s office, especially the front window, which had a good view outside. Beyond that, we could see the scenery of Gangnam district at a glance. It was a symbol of success, and I turned my head and looked at him. I was not short, as my height was nearly 180 centimeters, but I needed to look up this guy.

“By the way, when did you grow up like this? When you were a middle school student, I thought you were similar or a little small…”

“Well, since I was in the third grade in middle school… after you stopped coming to the training center. I’ve been growing ever since.”

“So… I remember you… when you were in elementary school, you fought with Sujin.” In elementary school, he was also on the list of who my sister used to beat. Now he weighed more than twice as much as my younger sister. That was as it had happened.

Jang Geun smiled at the same time. “I did. Back then.”

Looking at his smiling face, he looked just like he did when he was in elementary and middle school.

“But it’s nice to see you after such a long time.”

“So am I, brother. I really envy you being so successful like this.”

“Haha…”

“No. Every time I drink with my friends back home, we talk about you. You are the richest man in town. Everybody is saying that you bought a building for your dad. The coach, your dad, bragged and talked a lot.”

“Ah, yes. It was a filial duty. Sit down.” I offered him a seat.

In the meantime, the door to the president’s office was closed. It looked like Secretary Seo was watching us secretly. ‘Ah, a muscular man over 190 centimeters came in… he might wonder who this is.’

I opened the door he had closed, and called Secretary Seo, who was about to sit down. “Secretary Seo.”

“Yes?”

“Come in, you too.”

He was going back to his original position, but he listened to me and came into the office. “Yes, boss.”

“Secretary Seo, sit down.”

Secretary Seo stood uncomfortably, perhaps because of Jang Geun’s presence, and then sat down slightly away from him.

I introduced him to Jang Geun. “This is Park Jang Geun, my hometown junior, who used to go to my father’s training center. And… What year was it? The championship?”

“It was 2011.”

“Oh yeah. He was the silver medalist at the World Judo Championship. He’s working as a bodyguard now, and this is…”

I then introduced Secretary Seo. “He is my colleague. We were in the same club in college, and we were trying to start a business, and… then, this is Seo Ji Hoon, who came in as my secretary.”

They had been close to me for a long time, but each of them had a different time zone. According to my introductions, both of them greeted one another.

“Good to see you.”

“Good to see you.”

They shook hands with a short greeting. It was a perfect contrast between the two now. One was a study bug who had never missed being at the top of the class from college admission to graduation. The other was an athlete who has been evaluated as a promising athlete since middle school and had reached the world’s top level.

‘I wonder how the king in old times used to feel when he saw a warrior and a civil servant.’ I thought that in my mind, and spoke out to my secretary, “I’ve already told Jang Geun… I called in Jang Geun as a bodyguard. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but just for a month.”

Secretary Seo asked me, “A bodyguard?” he asked me, with a glance at Jang Geun. “Why…? You’ve never said you needed a guard before?”

“Oh, well, I was just wondering if I needed something, just to protect myself.” I didn’t say anything specific. It was just my conviction, and I didn’t need to make Secretary Seo nervous.

I turned my head and said, “So… Jang Geun. I want you to guard Secretary Seo and me for a month.”

As I said, Jang Geun said in a loud voice, “Don’t worry about it.”

At the same time, Sed pointed to himself with his fingers, “Me too?”

I nodded, “Well, you’re all following me all the time. If danger threatens me, it could threaten you, too.”

‘In fact, if something is threatening us, this guy will be in more danger. To be honest, I have the confidence that I could protect myself. It’s been a while since I put on my Judo suit, but I still have the skills that were drummed into me. The reason I hired Jang Geun is that it’s a more sure card. By breathing for ten seconds, I can earn enough to pay his salary.’

Secretary Seo scratched his forehead with his mouth closed for a moment and might be thinking, ‘I could be in danger?’

I said with my hands crossed, “That’s what happened anyway. I hope you two get to know each other. I think… you’re about the same age?”

The two looked at each other and exchanged words.

“I’m 29.”

“Oh, me too.”

“You’re just the same age. Have a good relationship as friends.”

“Yes, brother.”

“… yes, boss.”

“I’ll start working today. Brother, how should I call you from now on?”

“Boss or CEO… call me one of the two.”

“Yes, boss.” Jang Geun had seen me since he had been very young, so the title seemed to be a little awkward, but he soon got used to it. “What’s the traffic like on your way to work? What about the car? What about the number of cars? What about your car?”

“Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bentley.”

“Yes.” He’d started to take full charge of security.

‘There’s an old saying, “If a man loses his money, there is no good person.” If it is a money-obsessed person like Tak Joon-gi, he might have a strong grudge against me, strong enough to do something illegal. Jang Geun will protect me from him and be a good shield.’

—————————

Two more days had passed since then. Jang Geun naturally melted into the role of my bodyguard. He followed me wherever I went, and he guarded me unseen. I felt much more comfortable in his presence. Jang Geun was powerful from practicing judo, but I also liked that he was reliable, because he was my hometown junior.

I had known Jang Geun since I had been in elementary school, and his parents too. Likewise, with the opposition, Chang Geun showed a similar loyalty to me, as he regarded my father as a master and spiritual leader. I thought he was a little awkward with Seo.

And, sometimes he talked with Secretary Seo, “What’s your major then?”

“I’m in economics. So Jang Geun hasn’t competed again since the accident?”

Later, I saw them talking.

“It’s better to eat with the boss anyway. It’s mostly expensive and delicious.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yes, but the boss doesn’t save any money on that, so don’t feel pressured.”

“The boss may feel a little burdened if I decide to eat fully.”

I’d even seen them talking like friends. That was good. In the past, I was sorry about leaving Secretary Seo alone, but it would be nice if the two of them got together and got to know each other.

In addition, I got a call from Ah-young from abroad.

“Oppa, I didn’t think much of it, but now I’m on Wall Street in New York, and I’m thinking of you. I’m renting a car from here to Los Angeles tomorrow.”

And I got a contact from my family. “Son, it’s mom. I am very happy. Rome has so much to see. Even if I stayed here for a month, I would not see everything. It’s fun to see everything and the food is so good. Thank you, son.”

This ensured the safety of those offline. What was left now was an online fight.

‘It’s August 25… when the blue E&M shareholder’s sale is announced…’ The second-largest shareholder was required to issue a public notice within five days of the change in his stake. That meant he could sell his shares Tuesday. The 20th was not far away.

‘What the hell is his reason to sell?’ I went on to track down President Ahn Yong-kyun and the directors of Blue E&M through People Search on the future news. Sometimes I wrote down my name, and on the off chance, I wrote down the name Tak Joon-gi. I was in the process of doing so when an article was caught in my hand.

“Aha, this is it!”

It was Season Two of spider hunting. Last time he cut the tail and ran away, but this time I would really be putting an end to him…