Vol 6 Ch 17

Final Round

I buttoned my cuffs. My movements were slow. The silver cufflinks, cut into diamond shapes, gleamed under the light.

I slid a tie pin studded with a small diamond into place. My white dress shirt bore not a speck of dust, and the vest hugged my body with steady assurance. The single-breasted jacket fell perfectly along the lines of my shoulders and waist. Finally, I fastened a wristwatch with an exposed movement.

“You look excellent, sir.”

The staffer I had seen dining on rabbit stew with Kwon Taeha spoke. Behind him stood the Füssen shop designers responsible for hair and makeup. Though my styled hair looked neat, it felt awkward—too used to roaming about barefaced and unkempt.

I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The tailored suit fit me so perfectly that it couldn’t belong to anyone else.

From the precisely trimmed hair exposing my eyes to the finest stitching in the suit and the smooth shoes polished without shine, I bore not a single flaw. No gap for anyone to slip through.

The watch that flashed from my sleeve as I moved was the same model favored by Aeil Kwon, a Patek Philippe. From head to toe, everything I wore was prepared by Kwon Taeha.

Forty minutes remained before the Max set sail.

Wagner and I had landed at Macau Airport less than an hour ago. We had intended to head straight for the Max, but Kwon Taeha had first ordered us to stop by STA Füssen.

“Hawon, time to go.”

Wagner, at the very back, checked his watch. A designer stepped forward to straighten my tie with extra precision.

Escorted by Wagner and two other guards, I headed for the top floor where Füssen’s helipad awaited. The wind there, like in Hong Kong, whipped fiercely. The carefully set hair threatened to scatter into futility.

We boarded a helicopter marked with STA’s logo, already waiting. Wagner and the two guards took the front and rear seats, and the door shut behind us.

As soon as I fitted on the issued headset, the rotor blades roared to life. The surge upward, gravity resisting, was as unsettling as any airplane.

They must have chosen the departure date for optimal weather, yet Macau’s skies churned with storm winds. Even the helicopter jolted so violently that I felt the stirrings of acrophobia. Looking down, I saw the black sea raging, its waves high enough to swallow us whole if we descended any lower.

I forced myself to look away from the window, banishing the ominous thought. The pilot and guards were visibly tense as well. When we finally landed safely on the helipad atop the Max, my empty stomach lurched. We weren’t the only ones arriving by helicopter—other distinguished guests had also just disembarked.

It was fifteen minutes before departure.

Stepping onto the carpet of the Max felt strange. Last year, I had walked these halls in a dealer’s uniform, my head filled with cold, calculated thoughts of how to secure the remaining two billion won. All the while, I had been busy denying the pull I felt toward the man named Kwon Taeha. Since I’d last been here, the Max seemed to have collected even more artwork. Even the number of stuffed displays scattered throughout the corridors had increased.

“Hawon, to the left.”

Wagner bent slightly at the waist and spoke softly. Left meant either toward the gallery or the casino. Below the spiral staircase, I glimpsed slot machines glittering and luring people in, along with regular tables. Dealers were tidying up their stations in preparation for departure.

Don’t get nervous. I had never once slipped up at a casino table because of nerves. I told myself this was just another card game like the countless ones before. Repeating that suggestion to myself, I descended the stairs. At the bottom, I paused briefly to pull my phone from my suit pocket. I hadn’t noticed the vibration in the helicopter, but a message had arrived.

[Wishing you a pleasant voyage.]

It was Tang Bang. I didn’t reply and slipped the phone back into my pocket.

Receiving instructions through his earpiece, Wagner guided me deeper into the casino. That way led toward the VIP room set at the far corner of the Diamond Hall. But Wagner passed right by the door with the Midas Hand-shaped knob and continued further inward.

A new section of the casino had been built since last year—an area I hadn’t seen before. Past the entrance guarded by security, a narrow corridor stretched out.

Paintings of the Queen of Hearts hung on both walls, exuding the oppressive sense of being watched. I imagined Alice, dragged before the court by the Queen of Hearts, must have felt much the same. Unlike her, I wouldn’t wake from this trial by throwing a tantrum.

At the corridor’s end, a heavy door stood closed. As before, I took a deep breath. I put on a poker face.

The thick double doors swung open. I squinted slightly against the dazzling, heavy light. Beneath a chandelier adorned with what seemed like hundreds of candlesticks lay a massive casino table—not for cards, but a long, oval roulette table.

Around the table numbered from 0 to 36 sat faces both familiar and strange. This was where Wagner stopped accompanying me.

Some leaned casually against the roulette table, chatting while waiting for the game to begin; others sat idly in their chairs, already looking bored. I stopped scanning the room and fixed my gaze on Kwon Taeha.

“Welcome.”

He rose, chips rolling across his fingers, and extended his hand, palm open. I walked toward him, feigning ease, refusing to let my legs stiffen. Ignoring the weight of eyes on me, I took his hand. He pulled me in suddenly, whispering by my ear.

“I might fall for you all over again.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled faintly and sat beside him. Every gaze in the room was on me. Some eyes held puzzlement over my presence; others, displeasure.

“Forgive the late introduction. As you all know, this is my lover, Joo Hawon.”

Taeha’s soft smile accompanied his words. I gave a polite bow to the others. He leaned in again, whispering more names.

“On the opposite side, from the left—that’s Aeil, you know him. Next is Felix. Then Baek Jaetak and Baek Hyunseok, of course.”

Then, gesturing toward our side of the table, he said,

“Beside you are my father, and my mother, Eva.”

I glanced over to confirm their faces. Behind Eva stood one more figure, likely her interpreter. Aeil Kwon, staring at me with unreadable eyes, broke the tension with a light clap of his hands. The clock above the center of the room struck exactly eight.

“Anyway, welcome aboard. Louis—no, Mr. Hawon.”

At his signal, a server popped the cork on champagne. With a sharp pop, the deep, resonant blast of the ship’s horn echoed through the entire cruise.

The Max was setting sail.

***

I had always pictured Felix Kwon as a portly entrepreneur, yet in reality, his features were sharper than expected. Kwon Yijae, on the other hand, carried an oddly lifeless air behind his smooth, youthful-looking face.

Eva Kwon, with eyes as glassy as her son Taeha’s, gave me a gentle smile from where she sat beside me. A descendant of a German noble family, she was, in every sense, a lady of high birth. Even when Taeha publicly declared me his male lover, her pale face betrayed no flicker of change. Looking at her now, I could see clearly how much Taeha resembled her.

“I thought this was some kind of general shareholders’ meeting,” I murmured softly to Taeha.

“Well, close enough. They’re all major shareholders, after all.”

Unlike the red wine served to the others, Eva sipped white. She and Kwon Yijae hadn’t exchanged a single word between them. Baek Hyunseok’s stare was so sharp it felt like it could bore a hole straight through my cheek. I chuckled at him. Baek Jaetak tried to keep his expression composed, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.

“Handsome fellow,” Felix remarked while savoring his wine. His Korean sounded natural. Unlike Taeha, who was half German by blood, Felix was fully Korean despite the German nationality on his documents.

“Thank you.”

“You remind me very much of an old friend.”

I lowered my gaze briefly, then raised it again.

“Is that so?”

The thick lenses of Felix’s glasses made it hard to read his thoughts. Whether he was truly poor-sighted or not, it concealed his eyes enough to prevent any clear impression. I couldn’t find any obvious resemblance between him and Aeil Kwon as father and son.

“He should have been the one sitting there originally.”

He gestured subtly with his eyes toward the seats of Baek Jaetak and Baek Hyunseok.

“But I suppose it’s fortunate his son is seated next to me instead.”

Taeha’s hearty voice made Felix laugh as well.

Bang!

The sudden slam of a fist against the roulette table made my shoulders jolt. It was Kwon Yijae.

“Why prattle about nonsense?”

The outburst was so unexpected I couldn’t hide my surprise. Eva, however, reacted as if it were routine, calmly sipping her wine. Now I saw it—Kwon Yijae wasn’t lifeless. He was irritable.

“My apologies. You’re Joo Hawon, correct?”

Eva spoke for the first time. Her words were slightly stilted, but each syllable was pronounced with precision. So the man behind her wasn’t her interpreter after all?

“Yes, that’s right.”

“That man. He didn’t take his medicine today. Hoohoo.”

It felt like listening to a dubbed foreign film.

‘Whenever more than one family member gathered, our grandfather’s rule was absolute: we had to use Korean. I thought it was nothing but patriotism, but in business, it was shrewd. When there were things the German executives shouldn’t hear, Korean became our shield. Hah, so in the end, everyone became fluent in it.’

What Aeil Kwon once told me clearly applied to Eva as well.

“Joo Hawon.”

Kwon Yijae’s voice was harsh, like a nail dragging across metal.

“Please, go ahead.”

“Do you think this is where you belong?”

“Well, I was invited here by the CEO.”

Clang! The wine before Kwon Yijae crashed down onto the marble floor.

“Who’s the CEO?”

His eyes blazed like a madman’s. Ah… those eyes. My birth mother had looked at me like that, too, at times.

“CEO of Macau STA Füssen. I’m an employee under Füssen.”

I let my lips curve into a faint smile.

“Don’t be too hard on him. My lover startles easily.”

“You should have fixed the genetic issue first.”

“If there was a problem with the bid, the law will take care of it. After that, I’m sure my brother will handle matters in my stead.”

Baek Hyunseok’s face slowly drained of color. Father and son sat there mute, like dumb beasts with their mouths sealed shut. Baek Jaetak, meanwhile, looked embarrassed, unable to save face. In Korea, he was a financial giant untouchable by anyone, but here, he was just a small fry. And the sight of me, the son of Joo Sangkyung, seated immediately to Kwon Taeha’s right—unimaginable to him, surely.

“I was under the impression that only STA and Tex shareholders could join this gathering.”

Baek Hyunseok, adding that remark, looked at me with puzzlement.

“Executive CEO Baek, regrettably, that won’t be an issue. I plan to register him soon under the partnership system.”

Partnership registration? A term I’d never heard before. I leaned toward Taeha to ask. He whispered to me,

“There’s something called a partnership system.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Another word for marriage.”

I nearly dropped the wine glass in my hand. Aeil Kwon let out his signature exclamation—“Wow!”—remarking that he hadn’t thought Taeha had taken it that far. Baek Jaetak, apparently no clearer on the meaning than I was, asked again about the partnership system. That was when the man in the gray suit standing behind Eva Kwon opened his mouth.

“In Germany, through partnerships and civil unions, same-sex marriage is possible. They are recognized as equal to marriage and receive legal protection.”

“Thank you.”

Taeha gave the man a smile with just his eyes.

“If all goes well, Joo Hawon will also become a shareholder. Of course, in the event of divorce, not a single penny will be given.”

Ha… ha… I let out a light laugh to cover my unease.

“How very selfish. I could’ve sworn I said I supported Jaehee.”

Kwon Yijae’s twisted tone bit into the air. Come to think of it, Kwon Jaehee was nowhere to be seen.

“I’m sorry, but what can I do? I intend to lend my strength to Taeha.”

“Do as you please. Haven’t you always? Everyone here but Eva is on Jaehee’s side anyway…”

He looked around. No one answered, but their silence was agreement enough. Under the table, Taeha suddenly gripped my hand tightly. I looked at him in surprise, but it felt like he was silently asking me to stay still. He seemed to be swallowing his anger. Even now, in this room, he shone brighter than anyone else. I must be mad to find myself drawn to that.

“Taeha’s summons is the day after tomorrow, isn’t it?”

Aeil Kwon asked.

“You know it better than I do.”

“Well, I worry about my cousin.”

“Even as a courtesy, I appreciate it.”

“If there’s any way I can help, just say the word. You too, Mr. Hawon. If you register for the partnership and Taeha falls, that would be troublesome, wouldn’t it?”

Smooth voices exchanged words while daggers hid behind their backs. In truth, they should have been at each other’s throats by now. What refined creatures they were.

“Is your succession process proceeding smoothly, Executive CEO Baek?”

Taeha turned toward Baek Jaetak.

“Yes, without any difficulties.”

“That’s good to hear.”

At Taeha’s refined tone, Baek Jaetak forced a strained smile. I didn’t know every detail, but I had a rough grasp of what Taeha was hinting at. Baek Jaetak had been working behind the scenes for more than fifteen years to pass the company down to Baek Hyunseok. In Korea, inheritances exceeding three billion won faced a 50% tax. Did anyone really think Baek Jaetak would pay the full inheritance tax to hand over the shipbuilding company to his son? Never.

Fifteen years ago, Baek Jaetak gifted forty billion won to Hyunseok, and the actual tax paid amounted to only around thirteen billion. With that money, Hyunseok bought shares of the group’s affiliates, “Joseon Ship” and “Daejo Haeseong,” which manufactured ship components. Later, he listed the two formerly private companies, and the shipbuilding group funneled work into them, driving up stock prices.

After Hyunseok sold off the inflated shares, the group suddenly stopped its abnormal favoritism. That maneuver alone had earned Hyunseok around one trillion won. Legal, yes. Ethical, no. And in the process of listing the stocks and funneling orders, there had been plenty of shady lobbying. The statute of limitations had expired, so it was too late for accountability now. But really, this was just the tip of the iceberg from what I’d dug up through WikiLeaks.

“Mr. Hawon.”

Aeil Kwon called me out of my thoughts.

“That doesn’t quite suit what you’re wearing on your wrist.”

He gestured with his eyes at the tattoo hidden beneath my sleeve.

“Is that so? You think it’s still there?”

“Indeed.”

He muttered slyly, as though plotting something.

“What a curious twist. The son of President Joo ending up in such a relationship with Taeha.”

Felix, too, would never see my relationship with Taeha as pure. He might think there was some deal, or that I had used WikiLeaks to ensnare Taeha.

“It just happened that way. One must have the resolve not to falter.”

Taeha gazed steadily at me as he spoke. Baek Hyunseok pressed hard against his temple with his fingers.

“So you brought him here just to introduce your male lover?”

Kwon Yijae curled his lips with disdain.

“Of course not. I expect a shareholders’ meeting will be convened soon. And by then, I’ll be attending under summons, undergoing an intense investigation. Strictly speaking, the meeting should be postponed until after my inquiry concludes… but knowing how busy everyone here is, I couldn’t possibly inconvenience you like that, could I?”

He cast a glance around before continuing.

“When the shareholders’ meeting is convened, I delegate all of my authority to Joo Hawon.”

“!”

Gasps of near-shock erupted around the table. I, too, stiffened in surprise, but under the table, he clasped my hand even more firmly.

“That’s the matter I came to address today… Martin Miller.”

Taeha called out to the man standing behind Eva Kwon.

Miller… he had to be a relative of Jade Miller. The man called Martin Miller retrieved a neatly folded sheet of paper from his breast pocket. With precise, disciplined movements, he unfolded it.

“It is a notarized document stating that in the absence of Mr. ‘Taeha Kwon,’ all rights to speak and vote at the shareholders’ meeting are delegated to Mr. ‘Joo Hawon.’”

“By whose authority!”

Kwon Yijae gnashed his teeth in fury.

“Objections will not be heard.”

Taeha cut off the budding dissent.

I hesitated as Martin Miller handed me the pen. I couldn’t guess what Taeha was thinking. What was he trusting in, giving me this authority? I had no intention of betraying him anymore, but from his perspective, it was still a reckless gamble.

“Sign it.”

Taeha’s signature and seal were already on the document. Hostile stares burned into my skin. An indescribable heaviness of negative energy pressed in around me. I felt like I might buckle, but I tightened my grip on the pen.

After signing and pressing my seal, I lifted my head. They had never welcomed me, true, but until now it had been smirks, not eyes that looked ready to devour me whole. I realized then—my father had fought among businessmen like this.

“Well done.”

Taeha’s voice was gentle as he patted my back.

“Are you sure he’s someone you can trust?”

Even Eva Kwon, who had been one of the few friendly toward me, now seemed to turn hostile.

“Of course. He’ll be family.”

There was a sharp contradiction buried in those words. Everyone here, except the Baek father and son, were kin by blood or marriage. And yet, they deceived, betrayed, and acted only for their own gain.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Suddenly, a server entered the room. Unfazed by the sharp stares, he continued.

“There is an urgent call for the representative of the Shipbuilding & Marine Corporation.”

“What is it about?”

With permission granted, the server approached Baek Jaetak, whispered something to him, and handed over a phone. I watched curiously as Jaetak’s face instantly twisted. Likewise, when Hyunseok looked down at the phone screen, his brows furrowed.

“I’ll have to excuse myself.”

“What’s the matter?”

Aeil Kwon asked at Jaetak’s words.

“I’ll explain in detail later.”

Jaetak, nearly ashen, rose and hurried out. Hyunseok stared at me for a long moment before following his father.

Felix, after glancing at the phone in his hand, suddenly looked at Taeha.

“What did you—”

He stopped mid-sentence, his jaw clamping shut. Aeil Kwon, too, checked the phone and silently mouthed, “Well.”

Taeha glanced at his wristwatch.

“I believe I’ve paid my respects. That should suffice. I’d like to spend some time alone with Hawon. It’s been a while.”

The implication was clear—his business here was finished. He cast a look at me, and Eva Kwon nodded her approval. I rose, pushing back my chair to follow him. Just as I was about to bid the others farewell, Aeil Kwon spoke.

“Mr. Hawon, it feels wrong to let you go just like this. How about one round at the roulette table?”

“I have to leave tomorrow morning to make the summons schedule. Would you steal time from lovers?”

“Haha, of course not. I’m just reluctant to see you go, that’s all.”

I shook my head and addressed them all.

“Perhaps next time. Until then.”

Draining the last of the wine, I followed Taeha out.