Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 106

“No matter how good Chief Hong is at his job, I can’t just leave everything to him. I need to come out and check the site myself from time to time.”

“Haha, but you have no idea how impeccable Chief Hong’s handling of matters is. No wonder President Yoo trusts him so much.”

“Is that so?”

Director Jang, noticing that President Yoo’s voice had softened compared to before, tactfully flattered him. As both Director Jang and Ryu Beomju continued to sing praises, President Yoo’s expression completely relaxed, and he sat down in the seat that Director Jang offered him.

Seated across from Ryu Beomju, President Yoo sat as if he were in his own office, comfortably pulling out a cigarette. At the same time, one of his subordinates, who had followed him in, quickly approached and lit it for him.

“Hoo…”

President Yoo inhaled deeply, to the point where his cheeks hollowed, and then exhaled the smoke slowly. The cigarette smoke drifted toward Ryu Beomju’s face. His eyebrow twitched slightly, but as he had always done, he skillfully concealed his expression.

It was indeed a humiliating situation, but he had endured far too much disgrace in the past to be angered by something as trivial as this. Getting upset over this and jeopardizing everything would render all his patience meaningless.

“Did something happen?”

Feigning concern, Ryu Beomju spoke up. In truth, he had no interest in whatever had upset President Yoo, but having spent so much time by his side, his words had come out reflexively. At the very least, he needed to know what had unsettled the man so he could prepare for whatever tantrum was coming next.

“Well, if something did happen, Chief Hong would take care of it, wouldn’t he?”

President Yoo’s tone was unexpectedly mild, his response more of a vague question than an actual answer. And the answer to that question was already predetermined. From the moment he first met Yoo Taewoo under the name Ryu Beomju, through all the years he had spent living like a dog under his command, doing the dirty work of the man whose name he had stolen—this was what he had always done.

“That is my job, isn’t it?”

Ryu Beomju replied with a light chuckle. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Whenever President Yoo spoke like this, it meant there was someone he wanted dealt with. It was strange that he had made the trip himself for such a routine matter.

But for those who knew President Yoo well, this wasn’t all that unusual. Anyone aware of just how deeply distrustful Yoo Taewoo was of others would simply assume that his paranoia had flared up again. That was why Ryu Beomju patiently waited for his next command.

“Is that so?”

However, the response he received felt off. It was a simple remark, but Ryu Beomju’s instincts sent him a warning. President Yoo’s atmosphere was slightly different from usual.

An inexplicable chill crept up his spine, prompting Ryu Beomju to lift his head. As he did, he met eyes with President Yoo, who was grinning.

“Well then, that’s a relief.”

Thud!

At that moment, a sharp pain exploded at the back of Ryu Beomju’s head. It was a completely unexpected attack. Reflexively, he tried to get up, but before he could even move, another blow landed.

Clang!

This time, the sound was louder, as if something harder had been used. No matter how resilient his body was, there was no way to withstand a series of ambushes while completely off guard. Ryu Beomju tumbled from his chair onto the floor.

Yet, he did not lose consciousness immediately. Lying helplessly on the ground, he sluggishly moved his eyes and watched as someone approached him.

“This issue, you see, is related to you, Chief Hong.”

“Urgh…”

“You’ve done a good job working under me all this time, but…”

President Yoo crouched in front of the fallen Ryu Beomju and let out a long stream of smoke.

“Hoo… But you know what? When someone does too good of a job, it starts making me nervous.”

“…Ha.”

At those words, Ryu Beomju let out something between a laugh and a sigh. So that was the reason he was being discarded. But given how President Yoo treated people, this much was almost impressive—he had lasted longer than most.

And in truth, Yoo’s suspicions were not entirely unfounded.

Still sprawled on the floor, barely breathing, Ryu Beomju watched as President Yoo idly smoked before snuffing out his cigarette on the growing pool of blood beside him.

“Tie him up. They want to confirm things on their end.”

They?

Ryu Beomju’s eyes, which had been slowly closing, snapped open. He strained to turn his head toward President Yoo, and sensing his gaze, Yoo glanced down at him.

“What? Curious about who wants to verify Chief Hong?”

There was no answer, but Yoo seemed to have already guessed what Ryu Beomju wanted to ask. He let out an unpleasant chuckle before speaking.

“That’s why I told you to behave.”

“……”

“What were you thinking, making an enemy out of the boss? If you had just obediently played along like you did with me, I wouldn’t have had to go this far.”

Only then did Ryu Beomju fully grasp the situation. Some of President Yoo’s actions had seemed too abrupt. No matter how distrustful he was of others, he had always had a certain level of trust in Ryu Beomju, who had handled all his dirty work for years.

Even if he suspected Ryu Beomju, he wouldn’t have cut him loose so easily. That damned snake must have whispered in his ear, goading him into action.

“Well, it’s too late now.”

Even as Ryu Beomju’s eyes glinted with understanding, President Yoo merely muttered emotionlessly.

Even if Ryu Beomju was a tiger shifter, there was no reason to fear him when he was bleeding out on the floor.

“Tie him up properly. We don’t want him causing a scene.”

“Yes, sir.”

At President Yoo’s order, one of the subordinates who had followed him responded obediently with a bow, though he stole a glance at Ryu Beomju, who lay collapsed on the floor, as if sensing something strange.

The name Ryu Beomju—or rather, Chief Hong—was well-known among the employees of Mirae Construction. This was not only because he had served as President Yoo’s right-hand man for a long time, but also because his violent nature and unusually robust physique made it hard to believe he was just an ordinary human.

However, no matter how great his past achievements had been, the idea that he could suddenly recover and go on a rampage, even when he was lying motionless on the floor, barely able to move a finger, did not seem plausible. Still, no one dared to contradict President Yoo, so the subordinate merely bowed his head in silence.

“Director Jang, don’t just stand there. Come out. We’re expecting a guest soon, so it’d be better if you vacate the place beforehand.”

“Y-yes! I-I’ll do that!”

Director Jang, who had been trembling against the corner of the office after witnessing the bloody scene unfold before his eyes, could hardly believe what had just happened. He stood there, blinking vacantly, until President Yoo’s voice suddenly called out to him, jolting him back to his senses. He nodded frantically, as if Yoo’s words were a lifeline from the heavens.

However, his body was still trembling so much that he could barely stand properly. Clicking his tongue, President Yoo motioned with his chin.

“Escort him out.”

“Yes, sir.”

One of Yoo’s subordinates approached to support Director Jang. When the same man who had attacked Ryu Beomju reached out to him, Jang flinched, but he ultimately allowed himself to be led out of the office safely.

Having already stepped outside and lit a new cigarette, President Yoo turned his gaze to Director Jang as soon as he emerged.

“Director Jang, let me give you a word of advice.”

Yoo spoke in a relaxed tone. But before he could even finish, a panicked cry burst from Jang’s lips.

“I-I didn’t see anything today!”

He couldn’t even look at President Yoo properly, fixing his gaze on a distant corner instead. Satisfied with the reaction, Yoo nodded. The subordinate who had escorted Jang out then returned to the office and retrieved a small box from the desk.

Opening the box, the subordinate presented its contents to President Yoo. After confirming them, Yoo gave a nod, and the subordinate handed the box over to Director Jang. Jang received it with trembling hands, his expression dazed as he looked up at President Yoo.

“Think of it as a consolation payment.”

“Th-thank you…!”

Jang bowed deeply several times. His face was still deathly pale from shock, making him look as if he might collapse at any moment. Watching this, President Yoo clicked his tongue and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

The way Jang’s expression instantly brightened was almost amusing, but Yoo showed no change in his own expression as he watched him leave.

Gazing after Jang’s car as it sped away in a panic, President Yoo soon spotted another vehicle approaching from a distance.

Snuffing out his cigarette with a twist, he murmured to himself.

At last, the main guest of today’s spectacle was about to arrive.