Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 308: Family

Chapter 308: Family

[Client A and Client K are confirmed to be in a parent-child relationship.]

Client K was Kang Eun-Gi and he was indeed Choi Eun-Tae's son.

At that moment, I felt a mix of both relief and disappointment. The disappointment came from realizing that I had no father, while the relief stemmed from knowing that the notorious moneylender wasn't my father.

"Eun-Gi was my son... He was my son all along..." Choi Eun-Tae muttered to himself.

His hands trembled as he held the paternity test report close to his chest as if he were holding his son.

Although there was still a mountain of issues to be resolved, I offered my congratulations. "Congratulations, Mr. Choi."

Kang Gam-Chan and Choi Yung-Ho quickly followed suit.

"Congratulations, sir."

"Congratulations, Mr. Choi."

Choi Eun-Tae nodded in response. "Thank you... Thank you all..."

Then he turned to me after wiping off his tears and asked, "Team Lead Jung, are you... disappointed?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Is that so..."

For a brief moment, a flicker of disappointment crossed Choi Eun-Tae's face. "Alright, give me a moment."

After a few deep breaths, he regained his usual composure and began issuing commands to Choi Yung-Ho. "Use whatever resources are necessary, even if it means mobilizing every lawyer in the country, to get Eun-Gi out of prison! I won't stand by and watch my son get stabbed in prison again!"

"Yes, sir!"

"And keep a close watch on those around Man-Sik. Investigate the guy who stabbed Eun-Gi, track down his relatives, and dig up everything. I'll make sure their bones are picked clean!"

"Understood."

The orders backed by power and wealth kept coming. Though Choi Eun-Tae's instructions teetered on the edge of legality, Choi Yung-Ho didn't bat an eye.

But I couldn't just stand by and let this happen.

"Please wait a moment," I said.

Choi Eun-Tae looked at me with a puzzled expression. "What is it?"

"Eun-Gi won't want this. In fact, he'll be extremely opposed to it."

"Why? Why would he be against seeing his own father?"

I took a deep breath and relayed the message that Kang Eun-Gi had left me. He had said that he had lived his entire life without relying on his parents and nearly died because of them, so he wouldn't ever want to see them.

The reason he gave me his hair wasn't to reconnect with his father but to sever any lingering attachments. He also warned that if his father ever showed up, he wouldn't take it lightly.

I had softened the wording, but Choi Eun-Tae's face still twisted in response. "He...he really said that...?"

"Yes."

"And even knowing he'll inherit all my wealth, he still refuses to meet me?"

"Eun-Gi has plenty of money already," I added.

Having absorbed the black funds of the Kanghan faction, Eun-Gi was so wealthy that even most tycoons couldn't flaunt their wealth in front of him.

Choi Eun-Tae seemed to be lost in thought for a moment upon hearing that Eun-Gi wasn't one to be swayed by money.

Then he looked at me as if struck by a new thought. "Then you must help bridge the gap! Aren't you his closest friend?"

However, my answer was already clear. "I can't do that...until Eun-Gi acknowledges you as his father."

At that moment, Choi Eun-Tae glared at me. "What did you just say?"

Choi Eun-Tae's eyes blazed as if he were about to devour me.

Seeing this, Kang Gam-Chan quickly stepped in front of me. "Mr. Choi, please. Let's stop this here."

"President Kang! Why are you siding with him? Don't you understand how I feel?"

"Pressuring him won't work. He's not someone who responds well to force."

Choi Eun-Tae retorted sharply, "If he won't listen to me, throw him out of the company!"

For the first time since entering the room, Kang Gam-Chan raised his voice. "Don't say something so ridiculous, sir! This is the man you should be begging to stay, not throwing out!"

"What?"

"If you let him go, every single famous celebrity at Hoop Entertainment will follow him out the door. If that happens, I won't be able to fend off the Suhyaejong line backed by Choi Man-Sik!"

"You mean... even you wouldn't be able to stop them?"

Kang Gam-Chan shook his head heavily. "I've already stepped back from hands-on management for some time now. If Yoon-Ho leaves the company now, there's no way I can hold back the Suhyaejong line."

"Is it really that serious?"

"Yes. And in that case, how do you plan to prevent Choi Man-Sik from using Hoop Entertainment's celebrities to lobby politicians? Are you going to give him wings?"

"E-even so, I can't just not meet my own son!" Choi Eun-Tak replied in frustration.

"I'm telling you not to let your emotions ruin everything!" yelled Kang Gam-Chan.

Choi Eun-Tae trembled with anger.

Kang Gam-Chan continued, "So you should wait until Kang Eun-Gi—no, until Choi Eun-Gi forgives you! Of course, that means you'll have to beg for his forgiveness first."

'Forgiveness?' I wondered.

Choi Man-Sik couldn't understand this situation. He had planned for countless contingencies, yet everything had fallen apart. Even the people at Daeheung Savings Bank hadn't made a move.

Just then, his fiancée Park Sang-Ah tilted her head curiously. "Did it fail?"

Because Park Sang-Ah had helped arrange for the police to step aside temporarily, she was curious about the outcome.

"You told the police to step away for a bit, right?" Choi Man-Sik asked.

"Yes."

"But it seems they stayed away for quite a while and his people barged in in the meantime."

Park Sang-Ah pouted. "Oh? So are you blaming me right now?"

"No, that's not it..."

Park Sang-Ah approached Choi Man-Sik. "Don't blame others for your failures. You should have sent someone more competent in the first place."

"..."

"And given the circumstances, why don't you take a break? My father's party leader election is coming up, so it's better to stay quiet for a while. You understand what I mean, right?"

Choi Man-Sik let out a long sigh.

With Park Sang-Ah's words making it clear that he shouldn't make any further moves, Choi Man-Sik had no choice but to agree. "Alright."

Park Sang-Ah flashed a playful smile. "Mr. Man-Sik, you don't seem to be in the best mood. Why don't we go out for a drink? It's on me."

Choi Man-Sik nodded and stood up. "Oh, and you should lay low for a while as well, Team Lead Ju."

Ju Ho-Sung swallowed hard and nodded, realizing the severity of the situation.

Then Park Sang-Ah turned to Ju Ho-Sung and remarked, "But didn't you say you'd take responsibility if Kang Eun-Gi wasn't President Choi's son? Given that the people from Daeheung Savings Bank haven't made a move despite the commotion, isn't it possible that President Choi's son is someone else?"

Ju Ho-Sung felt cold sweat trickling down his back at Park Sang-Ah's casual comment.

Then, Choi Man-Sik shook his head. "I still believe Kang Eun-Gi is the son. Maybe Daeheung just hasn't gotten the news yet."

"Well, we'll find out for sure once we do the DNA test. Anyway, let's go. I'm starving."

"Yeah, let's go grab something to eat."

As the two of them left, Ju Ho-Sung felt his mind go blank.

Overwhelmed by the realization that he had stepped into something far more dangerous than he had anticipated, his face slowly turned pale.

***

After leaving Choi Eun-Tae's house, I immediately called Lee Soo-Chan. He informed me that I wouldn't be able to visit Kang Eun-Gi for at least two weeks and that Eun-Gi was now under special protection from Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill.

I asked him to let me know as soon as a visit was possible, then got into Kang Gam-Chan's car.

On the way home, Kang Gam-Chan advised me to focus solely on securing the position of chief and to forget everything else for the time being.

Thankfully, he didn't press me on how I planned to obtain the photos of Representative Park Sang-Gon—though he did express concern and reminded me multiple times to be careful.

When we arrived near my house, I stepped out of the car and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much for today, sir!"

"There's no need for thanks. Just call me if you need anything."

Kang Gam-Chan waved through the window before driving off.

I bowed once more before heading toward my home in Cheonho-dong.

It was almost 10 p.m., and the streetlights illuminated the quiet neighborhood. As I walked under the dim lights, countless thoughts crossed my mind. 'He wasn't my father after all...'

Choi Eun-Tae wasn't my father. Perhaps that was why I felt an emptiness in my chest and a sense of loss that was hard to shake off.

As I counted the cracks in the pavement, I soon found myself standing in front of my house. I opened the door after greeting the guards who were always on duty, expecting no one to be inside.

However, to my surprise, a group of people were sitting in the yard and waiting for me.

"Oppa! What the heck happened?"

"Uncle Yoon-Ho! Are you okay?"

"Hyung, are you alright?"

"Team Lead Jung, is everything okay?"

Yoo-Jin, Miso, Haru, and even Jung In-Ji were all there, looking at me with concern.

At that moment, a smile unconsciously spread across my face. "It was just a busy day, that's all."

They all sighed in relief and began speaking at once.

Yoo-Jin grumbled and nagged, "Oh, come on! We were worried sick!"

"Uncle Yoon-Ho, you didn't even check my KkTalk messages! Hmph!" Miso pouted, puffing out her cheeks.

However, the way she glanced at me showed that her mood would quickly improve with just a little attention before the meal.

Haru added in a voice mixed with scolding and relief, "Hyung, I was really worried."

Jung In-Ji clutched her chest in relief and gestured toward the house. "As long as you're alright, that's what matters. Come on in, I made some soybean paste stew and rice."

'Yes, these people are my family,' I thought.

Family: The people who live under the same roof and share meals. The ones who care for me.

Seeing them, the emptiness in my chest began to dissipate rapidly.

Smiling brightly, I shouted my return home with joy. "I'm home~!"