Chapter 159: < Protect – Episode 158 – Hong Kong Noir [4] >

Everyone wanted freedom, but no one was truly free. Even the coldest of people couldn’t ignore their family and friends completely. Even business relations.h.i.+ps influenced a person’s personal life in the end. If a person really didn’t care about the change of emotions in society, they either had a mental disorder or had a special power that allowed them to ignore everything. However, even that power couldn’t last forever.

Money and politics

Politics and money

In order to have a good understanding between these two, one had to know a lot about power. What determined the superiority between a businessman’s money and a politician’s power was surprisingly the public opinion. A lot of Koreans thought rich people and the members of the national a.s.sembly didn’t care about the people, but they cared about popular opinion more than anything.

What’s wrong with our country these days? There’s corruption everywhere we look! Reformation of the rich isn’t the issue here! It’s the spies trying to sell out our country!

Let’s resolve one thing at a time! We have to start with the reformation of the rich!

Stable jobs are bulls.h.i.+t! The members of the a.s.sembly are bulls.h.i.+t! The heads are all bulls.h.i.+t! It’s all bulls.h.i.+t!

That’s because the people’s mindsets are at rock bottom! As long as the Koreans’ mindsets aren’t changed, corruption will never go away! What’s responsible for this country’s state is how we overlook everything! There’s no such thing as a professional mindset!

Is the cult mindset coming back to surface? The pro-j.a.panese are taking this chance to crawl back out! The problem is with the rich! As long as they’re eradicated, a lot of problems would be solved!

Eradicated? You’re all a bunch of commies, aren’t you? Do you really think you could live well if all the rich people died? Do you seriously think you’d be fine if the country went down? If you want to earn money, make some d.a.m.n effort!

Listen to these old geezers! Do you really think we can’t make money because we don’t try?

Anyone over 70 shouldn’t be allowed to vote!

You crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! This just proves how democratized our country has become! Don’t you agree?

Earn money and escape h.e.l.l Joseon! But then again, if you earned a lot of money, I guess that means it’s not h.e.l.l Joseon anymore!

Ahn Soo Ho was smart about it! He escaped early and made lots of money abroad! You b.a.s.t.a.r.ds should do the same! There’s no solution in this country!

Don’t you think there hasn’t been a reform because President Lee Joong Hyun is incapable?

Most presidents don’t have power in the first place!

This is when Korea should stand up! Let’s go to Gw.a.n.ghwamun with candles!

Hey! Do you really think the members of the national a.s.sembly will stand around while they get knives to the throat? They’re not stupid!

People should stop voting for those foolish members of the national a.s.sembly! Too many people vote for those claiming they’ll raise the land prices! Tell them to stop speculating real estate prices! What’s the point in exporting so hard if all the profits go to the landowners?

Can’t the subsidies be stopped? It’s not like all the country folk are homeless! Is farming a government job or something? Why are there so many funds being given to farmers? Are there courses on farming in universities, too?

If you can’t enter district 8 of Gangnam, it might be wise to just go to the countryside and go for a specialized screening!

Getting into college is also all about obtaining the right information!

Private schools should be reformed, too! There’s probably a lot of corruption in schools, too!

Ahead of that, get rid of the youth protection law! The kids these days are clever as h.e.l.l! Middle school kids should count as adults!

That’s because teachers are worried about politics more than education! Both students and teachers these days are crazy!

Even if they reform the rich, Daesan Group should be left alone!

Why? Because they’re 1st in the nation?

Then shouldn’t we look into them further?

They’re the descendants of independence patriots! And there are also additional points given to college entrance candidates who are related to independence patriots!

Isn’t that s.e.xism? A lawsuit should be filed against that.

I was wondering when someone was going to say that! There were lots of lawsuits filed against that, but Chairman Kim Dae San said this! “If you hate it that much, you start your own company!” Kya! So refres.h.i.+ng!

Women’s activist groups s.h.i.+t on them so hard, but then they found out that Daesan Group and Chairman Kim Dae San have been donating the most funds to female causes since 30 years ago! Respect!

Daesan Group is also in the top 30 companies with the most female employees! No one’s messing with Daesan these days!

Are you sure about that? I’m pretty sure it’s Hosoo Entertainment Group that has the most female employees!

What? Since when was Hosoo Entertainment Group a top 30 company?

It was announced yesterday! I’ll send you the link! Take a look!

Whoa! You’ve got to be kidding me! They’re already in the top 30 after just one year?

Since they’re a private enterprise, no one knows their scale, but experts are putting them above Daesan Group in terms of future potential!

No way! How much could an entertainment company make? They don’t even have any affiliated companies that make and sell products!

That’s why they’re looking at the future potential! Haven’t you seen the announcements for Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe? Apparently, they’re in the middle of business with Hong Kong, too! The Chinese market is huge!

If they’re going to expand abroad, they should go to j.a.pan, too! Kawaii!

While Korea was going crazy over the scandals, Ahn Soo Ho was still in Hong Kong. The day after the filming party, he got a surprise attack that he was expecting.

“How could you disappear without saying goodbye, Soo Ho?”

Mich.e.l.le and Alice soon acted like old friends. It wasn’t mannerly to leave guests outside the door. He scratched his head and then let them inside. Since he was in a suite room in a five-star hotel, the view and the size of the room were amazing. It was unimaginable for those living in the slums of Hong Kong.

He then headed into the kitchen and looked for a coffee maker when he suddenly saw takeout cups in front of him. The two women didn’t come empty-handed, and Starbucks was the most popular brand in Hong Kong.

“How did you know where I was staying?”

“Henry told us.”

‘How dare he?’ But then again, he was another white man. The fact that he sent the two women over when he knew he had a fiancée meant he wanted to screw him over. As a former real estate agent of condos, he learned how to use a gun in the last few years and became a total thug.

“Is it okay for you to roam around without bodyguards?”

“We’re not little kids. Besides, Hong Kong is pretty safe, and we come pretty often, so we know our way around.”

Ahn Soo Ho smirked.

How would their expressions have seemed if they saw the slums of Hong Kong? After chatting for a bit, it sounded like both Mich.e.l.le and Alice were interested in social campaigns, but the cruel reality was too much for women in their 20s to handle. It might have been possible for Barbara, who was a lot older though.

‘Maybe Miss Brazil is different…’

The slums of Brazil were also no joke.

“Why are you here first thing in the morning?”

“Don’t most people like it when beautiful women visit?”

“I don’t know about France, but our country’s not about free dating. As you already know, I have a fiancée.”

If Jang Seol Hyun knew about these two women, she would have ditched her movie and flown over to Hong Kong. In most cases of older men and younger women couples, it was the men who chased after the woman, but it was the opposite for Ahn Soo Ho and Jang Seol Hyun.

People wouldn’t have understood her.

Why was she so obsessed over an older man when she was a young, beautiful, and popular woman? That was another mystery of love. He was fascinated by Jang Seol Hyun at times. Since she was all over him without the use of magic, he felt pretty proud. Just like many narcissists, Ahn Soo Ho believed that he was quite an attractive man.

Mich.e.l.le looked at him with an absurd look on her face.

Ahn Soo Ho was an attractive man, but to date him? She wasn’t desperate enough to go after a man with a woman. Same with Alice. She was interested in him, but she wasn’t going to try anything. They were actually more curious than anything. After all, he showed unique behavior for one of the richest people in the world.

“Are you in love with yourself, Soo Ho?”

“Everyone loves themselves.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the actual disease.”

“I don’t think this is something a beauty pageant winner should be saying.”

“You should differentiate business with personal taste.”

Mich.e.l.le didn’t back down.

‘This is why French women are tiring.’

Not all French women were like that, but all the French people Ahn Soo Ho met liked to engage in disputes. They didn’t agree to the other person’s opinion easily, and it was mostly due to their education, but it also had to do with their viewpoint regarding philosophy. When Koreans were asked about philosophy, most found it difficult, but most French people believed that philosophy was how civilization began.

Not asking questions meant they were agreeing.

“Let me make this clear, Soo Ho. This is just business.”

Ahn Soo Ho put onion juice and pear juice that Jang Seol Hyun packed for him and just shrugged his shoulders.

“I want to sign with you.”

“Huh?”

He looked surprised.

“Us? Why?”

“I heard from Laura that it’s a good place.”

‘Not Lila but Laura? Who’s that? A new employee?’

“What about your manager?”

“I fired him.”

The entertainment agencies in North America and Europe were kind of like pro sports.

They normally signed non-exclusive contracts by project, so if they didn’t like how things were done, they could always fire their agencies. In the midst of firing agencies being a norm, Holly Corporation’s management system was quite unique. So it was a given that Scott Warren, who created that agency, received a lot of attention from top stars of Hollywood. The problem was that they appointed nameless Hosoo Entertainment Group as their front sign, but the suspicions quickly subsided.

‘Soo Ho.’

There weren’t many in Hollywood who knew about the power of this name. However, there were still some who knew, and that was enough. Even the old white men of the American entertainment industry crawled in front of Ahn Soo Ho. Since even the casino king of Las Vegas stepped down to him, there was not much more to say.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I want to play in a big pond.”

“Isn’t Miss Universe a big enough pond?”

“The limits are too clear in this industry. Most importantly, I don’t want to get dragged around by sponsors. I’m sick and tired of being the campaign girl.”

“So you want me as your financier?”

“Don’t feel insulted. Since Hosoo Entertainment America and Europe are just starting out, having Miss France, Miss Brazil, and former Miss Universe sign on could be effective.”

She wasn’t wrong. Actually, she was putting forward quite a tempting offer. Scott was confident in his success, but Ahn Soo Ho wasn’t so sure.

‘Holly Corporation won’t just sit around and watch.’

They weren’t going to make it obvious, but they were surely going to keep him in check. It was Scott who was actually in love with himself.

“Okay. I’ll consider it.”

“So you’re not consenting to it?”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Whether you have marketable worth or not is up to the experts.”

While pretending not to be, they were actually quite confident in their beauty. Mich.e.l.le was extroverted while Alice was pretty reserved. Seeing how she was careful about the words she used suggested how mature she was for her age.

“Mich.e.l.le, I understand where your ambition is at… But what about Miss Brazil?”

“I wanted to study more.”

Alice fired her previous agency because of a simple reason. It was because they only booked her for lowly work compared to her standards. But from Ahn Soo Ho’s standpoint, Alice had a great misunderstanding.

‘She shouldn’t think she’s some great person just yet.’

Honestly speaking, beautiful women like Mich.e.l.le and Alice weren’t impossible to find. It seemed as though they knew that and wanted to polish another charm of theirs, but that wasn’t that easy. Ahn Soo Ho was going to give them a warning when his phone started vibrating on the table. So he excused himself and answered it.

“Henry?”

“Turn the TV on right now!”

“Huh?”

“Turn on the TV!”

He turned on the TV on the wall. On the screen were the words “Breaking News”.

This morning at 9 a.m., Chairman Hw.a.n.g Chi Rin was on his way out of his parking lot…

The cameras turned to investigators with white masks over their faces.

“Did he die?”

“Apparently, it was a sudden death. Do you think North Korea found out about Chairman Hw.a.n.g Chi Rin’s movements?”

“Are you sure Hw.a.n.g Chi Rin is dead? Check one more time.”

“Okay. But…”

“It was in North Korea.”

Ahn Soo Ho spoke in a certain voice in response to Henry who was hesitant.

“Was it that a.s.sa.s.sination unit being talked about in those rumors?”

“100%.”

“What’s the possibility that China was involved?”

“Zero.”

Ahn Soo Ho was certain that China wasn’t involved. There was no reason to light a fire in Hong Kong, where it was chaotic already. In any case, since Hw.a.n.g Chi Rin was one of the powers behind the Hong Kong independence movement, if something bad happened to him, it was going to be the Chinese Communist Party that would be put under the radar. Once he finished his call with Henry, he received a call from Oh Chang Ik.

“Was it you?”

“No, Sir!”

He sprung up in objection.

“How many North Koreans entered Hong Kong?”

Besides North Korean defectors, there were many North Koreans who came to Hong Kong from China. Many roamed around abroad while using business as an excuse, and some others got the help of China to camouflage themselves as Chinese.

“There is a village… but I don’t know the exact number.”

“Give me the address.”

“What are you going to do?”

“The address now.”

Oh Chang Ik gave him the address in response. Before Ahn Soo Ho hung up, he gave him one last warning.

“I’ll give you one hour. If you want to save your underlings, evacuate everyone from that village you mentioned.”

< Protect – Episode 158 – Hong Kong Noir [4] > The end.