Chapter 36: 36

Chapter 36. Getting Help (5)

“You punks dare?!”

Gong Ik-Hyeon showed up out of nowhere and began pounding on the classroom door with his stick. The noises he made boomed throughout the corridor, but his actions were still not quite enough to force the students craning their necks outside their classrooms to cower.

"Go back inside your classrooms, now!" Gong Ik-Hyeon yelled once more. However, none of the students budged as if they had agreed on this beforehand. Actually, more students began peeking their heads out after realizing that something big was about to go down.

"Dammit, you punks!" Gong Ik-Hyeon was visibly flustered.

Despite all the chaos, however, the Chief Director remained composed as he addressed Park Yu-Min. "Boy, your matter and this one are two separate issues. No school in existence will let people get away with tampering grades."

“The way I hear it, it's too vague to call what happened 'tampering grades,’ sir. And, even if you insist on calling it that way, Jin-Ho's involvement is minor at best. Which school in existence expels a student because of such an event?” Park Yu-Min shot back.

The Chief Director glared sharply at the boy. “It seems you have forgotten about what I said...”

Park Yu-Min smirked at that. “You never planned to help me, anyway.”

“...”

"Since I'm going down anyway, I'll just say what needs to be said. That way, I'll regret it less later on."

When he said that out loud, other students began emerging from their classrooms. Han Se-Yeon was one of them.

“Go back inside, now!” Gong Ik-Hyeon waved his stick around, but Han Se-Yeon didn't even bat an eyelid.

In fact, she returned the gesture in kind and threatened. “Sir, if you keep this up, we'll start protesting outside the school gates!”

Her sharp voice prompted voices of agreement to explode from the other classrooms.

“Yeah, we will!”

“You teachers are being unreasonable!”

The principal and the dean started to panic, and they hurriedly looked around the corridor.

Kang Jin-Ho observing this spectacle chuckled softly to himself. Were they doing this for him? Not exactly. No doubt, the trio of Park Yu-Min, Jeong In-Gyu, and Han Se-Yeon was speaking on his behalf. But it probably wasn't the same story for the other students.

This was more like their accumulated dissatisfaction with the school finally breaking free of its restraints. The pretext and the volatile atmosphere were enough to rile up these young students until they had reached the tipping point.

“Go. Back. Inside!” Gong Ik-Hyeon growled.

"No, Teacher. You too are...!"

Bang!

His stick viciously slammed against the classroom wall. “All those looking outside, standing on the corridor and filming this with their phones... I'll give you three seconds. Let's see if you're still going to be courageous by then.”

The students stared at their dean, nicknamed Bloody Mop, with begrudging looks. His infamy was too well-known for them to ignore his threats.

“One.”

Several students began walking back into their classes.

“Two.”

Just like that, the students burning in passionate flames flooded back inside their classes.

“Three.”

And then, the only students remaining in the corridor were Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min. Han Se-Yeon was half-leaning out of her class's doorway, worriedly staring at Kang Jin-Ho.

The Chief Director glanced at Park Yu-Min. “Boy, what's your name?”

“It's Park Yu-Min.”

“Right, right. Your name was Park Yu-Min.” Chief Director Choi Myeong-Gil nodded before smirking deeply. “Go ahead, boy.”

“...Excuse me?”

"Go right ahead and do what you said you'd do. Lodge a complaint to the ministry. And alert the media all you want."

Park Yu-Min's expression hardened.

Choi Myeong-Gil snorted derisively. "You're still too naive to understand the world of adults, little boy. Do you really think that I hadn't dealt with matters like this before as the chief director of the foundation? You think something will change just because... you squirmed a bit?"

“...!”

"A young bastard like you dared to threaten me, the chief director of the foundation?! Mister Principal, punish this bastard, too."

The principal nodded. “Understood, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho silently studied Chief Director Choi Myeong-Gil while this exchange was happening before his eyes. He never expected things to change from this minor protest. Kids were easy to incite, but realistically speaking, far too many restrictions were holding them back. Besides, the position of power Choi Myeong-Gil had built for himself was simply too strong for these kids to fight back against.

After all, a gathering of rabbits could never win against a wily fox that had experienced all sorts of ups and downs in its life.

It would have been ideal if alerting the media or lodging a complaint to the Ministry of Education was enough to resolve this issue. Unfortunately, an incident of this level was not quite enough to gather the media's attention. Even if it did, Choi Myeong-Gil could simply use his influence to try and bury the whole thing, and that would be the end of it.

The benefits of publishing an article about this matter versus the benefits of accepting Choi Myeong-Gil's bribe—even a blind could see which one of the two was a better option.

It would have been wonderful if there was a mass media company that pursued only the truth. But as far as Kang Jin-Ho was concerned, the mass media companies had never been about reporting the facts and information but making money for their 'shareholders.’

Park Yu-Min remained defiant, however. “You think I won't do it, sir?”

Kang Jin-Ho grabbed the boy's shoulder. “That's enough, Yu-Min.”

"Why, Jin-Ho!" Park Yu-Min's tearful gaze shifted over to Kang Jin-Ho.

But the latter simply shook his head. "That's enough. You go back inside."

"...I don't want to."

“Go back inside. Don't make me repeat myself.”

“I...” Park Yu-Min's head faltered dejectedly.

Kang Jin-Ho turned his head away and stared straight at Choi Myeong-Gil, his expression rigid. “Can I go now?”

The old man wordlessly glanced at the principal, and the latter explained the situation. "You'd normally have to write a letter to say you're dropping out, but there's no need this time as your punishment is expulsion. However, we still need your guardian present either way, so..."

The Chief Director nodded. “Then, summon his guardian.”

“But sir… They should still be at work.”

Choi Myeong-Gil's lips curled up into an odious grin. “No need to worry about that. They won't be working for long, you see?"

Kang Jin-Ho glared sharply at the old man the moment he heard that. However, Choi Myeong-Gil haughtily glared right back at him.

That was when killing intent began creeping into Kang Jin-Ho's glare.

“...Heok?!” Choi Myeong-Gil sucked in a cold breath and hurriedly stumbled back. 

'W-what kind of eyes are those...?!'

The old man began clutching at his chest in pain, but Kang Jin-Ho turned his head away shortly afterward. He knew that he had to hold it back as far too many eyes were watching them. This wasn't Zhongyuan where he could simply ignore the gazes of other people and do whatever he pleased.

Kang Jin-Ho regulated his breathing after realizing that his killing intent had leaked out inadvertently. If he hadn't stopped himself just now, he could have attacked the Chief Director right there. If that happened, then it would really be the point of no return.

Kang Jin-Ho quietly bit down on his lip while turning around to leave. It was still the middle of the day, which meant it wasn't 'his' time yet. Only when the night arrived would he get to vent his anger. As such, he should endure until then.

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Chief Director Choi Myeong-Gil glared at the principal with a crumpled expression. "What the hell are you doing?! Why aren't you making that call?!"

“S-sorry? Ah, y-yes, sir!”

Kang Jin-Ho tried to stop them. “I'll talk to them, so you don't have to bother.”

“You shut up! Mister Principal, make the call!”

“I said, don't!” Kang Jin-Ho growled at the old man.

“You think something will change just because you tell them?” The Chief Director gloated as he said that, then he whispered so quietly that no one but Kang Jin-Ho could hear. “This is merely the beginning, you bastard. Do you think this is enough for me?”

Veins began bulging near Kang Jin-Ho's temples. He must endure this. He had to. But... But for how long must he hold himself back?

But something unexpected happened just then.

“M-Mister Principal!” A voice came from the end of the corridor, and a school staff member could be seen urgently running from there.

The principal replied in an annoyed voice, “What is it now?!”

"S-sir, there's something you gotta see outside!"

“Can't you see that I'm busy?!”

“Sir, it's an emergency!”

“What? What emergency?”

"L-look outside the window, sir! There, by the schoolyard!"

The principal tilted his head in confusion, then walked up to the windows to take a gander at the yard. “Wha-what's going on here?”

A row of black sedans could be seen parked out in front of the school building. They weren't some ordinary sedans, either. Anyone with eyes could see that they were top-of-the-line luxury models. Choi Myeong-Gil also spotted them, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

He spoke in a slightly quivering voice, “Who are they? Wait, could they be an inspection team? N-no, a government inspection team wouldn't show up in such flashy cars, so...”

The staff member cried out. "I-it's Chairman Hwang Jeong-Hu! He came to our school, sir!"

“Say what?!”

“The chairman of the Jaegyeong Group has come here, sir!”

Chief Director Choi Myeong-Gil cried out as shock filled his face. “W-why would he come here all of a sudden?!”

His cry was answered by a composed voice coming from the end of the corridor. “What's wrong? Do I need your permission to come and see my grandchild?”

Clomp, clomp...

The weighty sound of expensive loafers stepping on the tiled floor lazily echoed within the corridor. A large contingent of people consisting of bodyguards and secretaries were headed their way, with Chairman Hwang Jeong-Hu leading from the front.

The chief director gasped in shock and hurriedly rushed toward the group. "C-Chairman! It has been a long time, sir!"

Hwang Jeong-Hu narrowed his eyes, then asked Baek Yeong-Gi next to him, “Yeong-Gi, have I ever met this moron before?”

Baek Yeong-Gi glared at Choi Myeong-Gil apathetically. The way he stared at Choi Myeong-Gil was the polar opposite of how he reverentially gazed at the Chairman. Even if he used to be the odd man out among the directors in the past, one should never forget that he was still one of the Jaegyeong Group's directors. His status was in another realm altogether compared to some measly educational foundation's chief director.

"Chairman, sir. I believe you might have met this man when you were once invited to attend a few conferences of chief directors held by various educational foundations, sir. Although, it's not a surprise that you don't remember him."

“Ah, is that right?” Hwang Jeong-Hu nodded. Then, he stared at Choi Myeong-Gil disinterestedly.

“C-Chairman Hwang! I had no idea that your grandchild is attending our school, sir! You could've given us some prior hints, sir. Allow me to guide you from now on. Which year and which class is your grandchild...”

“No need for that, fella.”

“I'm sorry?”

“You see, he's already right there.”

Choi Myeong-Gil's hands began trembling just then. The... grandchild of Hwang Jeong-Hu was already right there? 'There' was obviously the corridor they were in, but only one student was currently standing in it—there was none other than Kang Jin-Ho.

Hwang Jeong-Hu smiled warmly after spotting Kang Jin-Ho. “There you are.”

The chairman roundly ignored Choi Myeong-Gil and walked straight past him. When he got near, Kang Jin-Ho lowered his voice so that no one else but Hwang Jeong-Ho could hear him. "What are you trying to pull here?"

“I came after hearing about some matters troubling you. Besides, didn’t I say I'd bring 'it' to your school?”

Kang Jin-Ho stared at Hwang Jeong-Hu in a daze. If the latter was here to deliver the money, he should have done that and left quietly. But now, what on earth was he trying to pull with this 'grandchild' nonsense? Kang Jin-Ho was pretty sure that he had no blood connection to Hwang Jeong-Hu, even if he went back and looked up the previous eight generations in his family.

Hwang Jeong-Hu suddenly broke into a loud peal of laughter while patting Kang Jin-Ho's shoulder. "It has been a while, Jin-Ho! Have you been well? How's school?"

"It's... so-so," Kang Jin-Ho replied, having decided to play along with this childish charade for the time being. It seemed a bit too late to back out of this fresh mess that Hwang Jeong-Hu had started.

Afterward, Hwang Jeong-Hu glanced at Choi Myeong-Gil. “Chief Director?”

“Y-yes, Chairman?”

“I happened to hear that you have been taking care of my grandson…” Hwang Jeong-Hu spoke with a cold grin on his face.

“N-no, well, that is...”

"I obviously can't overlook all the nice things you've done to my grandson now, can I?"

Choi Myeong-Gil's complexion became completely ashen. He had been suppressing others with wealth and his position until now, so he knew better than anyone how frightening the power of those two things combined could be.

Choi Myeong-Gil's power was like a tiny little candle before a blazing sun compared to what Hwang Jeong-Hu had in his hands. While Choi Myeong-Gil would have to bribe the press to shut them up, Hwang Jeong-Hu wouldn't even have to lift a finger. The press would automatically shut themselves up just to avoid angering him.

As a matter of fact, the whole of Korea could go into an upheaval if that was what Hwang Jeong-Hu wanted to see.

“Your name is Choi Myeong-Gil, isn't it?”

“...Y-yes, Chairman.”

"I heard that you've been abusing that pathetic little power of yours until now. Then again, what's the point of rebuking you at this stage when you still haven't wizened up in your old age? Indeed, you'll just pay the price, and that’s the end of it."

“W-wait, Chairman Hwang! Please, don't kill me!”

“Huh? When did I ever say I'll kill you, fella? I'm not that kind of a person. Jo Gyu-Min?”

"Yes, Chairman," Jo Gyu-Min replied while bowing his head.

"What did you do with the related information you collected?"

“Sir. I've handed them over to the prosecuting authority.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu tilted his head. "Not the Ministry of Education?"

"Even though the Ministry's inspection team will investigate the ongoings of this educational foundation, the uncovered crimes can only be dealt with by the police and the prosecutors, sir. While handing over the information, I urged the prosecutors to be especially thorough with their investigation since you would be keeping a close eye on the developments, sir. I hope you don’t mind what I have done."

“Oh, is that so?” Hwang Jeong-Ho nodded before taking another glance at Choi Myeong-Gil. “What do you think?”

"C-Chairman, please!" Choi Myeong-Gil desperately cried out. He seemed to be mere moments away from clinging onto Hwang Jeong-Hu's pants regardless of whether there were witnesses here or not.

Unfortunately for him, though, Hwang Jeong-Hu's glare was icy. His lips slowly parted before a thunderous roar exploded forth from him. “Do you really think I'll spare you after you tried to hurt my dear grandson?!”

Choi Myeong-Gil's legs lost all their strength just then.

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