Chapter 359 - An Sang-cheol in Episode 101 (Above)
The gigantic conglomerate Ohsung Group.
A place where anyone would wish to work, and where An Sang-cheol finally entered.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that he had fulfilled his dream.
Of course, he didn’t enter as an ordinary employee.
He joined the security and protection team.
“Your job is to protect the organization’s assets and the safety of the company’s people.”
At first, as a regular employee, that was his task.
But over time, as he rose in rank, he began to protect key personnel and even the president.
As the head of the security team.
“An Sang-cheol.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“Take care of my son, Ma Gyeong-rok.”
‘Does he mean young Ma Gyeong-rok?’
Ma Gyeong-rok was two years younger than him, the eldest son of the Ohsung Group.
A member of the royal family of the Ohsung Group, destined to be the heir, but they had never met.
He only knew his name.
“Ma Gyeong-rok was born as the firstborn. That means he can always be prey to his siblings.”
“……”
“I don’t know if Ma Gyeong-rok or any of his siblings will be my successor, but he can’t be targeted before revealing his cards, right?”
“Are you worried about young Ma Gyeong-rok?”
“Of course I’m worried. He is my son.”
The president laughed as if he had asked an obvious question.
“As the firstborn, Ma Gyeong-rok will be in the public eye. He is receiving good training in management and is the strongest candidate among his siblings, so I must ensure he is not lost.”
An Sang-cheol thought the president was being oddly indirect in asking him to take care of his son.
“Many people will target Ma Gyeong-rok. So you must protect him well. Don’t worry about me, an old man.”
“If that is your wish, I will do so.”
“Good. I entrust him to you.”
Since then.
An Sang-cheol became the shadow of Ma Gyeong-rok.
“Hello. I’m An Sang-cheol, head of the security team. From today, I will be in charge of your safety. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too. Ah, avoid calling me ‘young master,’ it’s uncomfortable. Call me ‘representative’ from now on.”
Literally, Ma Gyeong-rok was a representative.
He had created and was running a company called [Cheonma Consultancy], and had good results.
‘First impression, he seems like quite an educated man.’
Ma Gyeong-rok, as the heir of the Ohsung Group, had poise.
He never used an informal tone with his subordinates and knew how to adapt to the mood of others.
Even when drinking whiskey, he did so with elegance.
‘The first impression is not bad.’
The first impression was like that.
It didn’t take long before it was broken.
“Re-representative? What are you doing here at this hour…?”
“Hmm, I didn’t want Chief An to see me in this situation.”
Ma Gyeong-rok, who was crouched in a corner, stood up.
When he turned on the warehouse light, An Sang-cheol couldn’t help but be surprised.
“...!”
A sea of blood.
What was he doing here at this hour? The warehouse floor was soaked with blood.
Whose blood is it?
That was his first question, and he quickly checked.
‘Huh?’
There was a dead animal at Ma Gyeong-rok’s feet.
It was a medium-sized pig.
“Were you following me?”
“So-sorry.”
“No, it was my mistake to move without informing a subordinate.”
Although it seemed like an indirect comment, An Sang-cheol knew Ma Gyeong-rok was just joking.
After all, that was Ma Gyeong-rok according to what he had experienced so far.
But a young master with a hobby of dismembering animals... that was unexpected.
“Pigs are easy to get. They are common in our daily lives. You just have to pay, and you can get them alive. It’s similar to being a butcher.”
An Sang-cheol listened in silence to Ma Gyeong-rok’s voice.
It didn’t sound sinister, but rather sad.
“I have desires different from others. When those desires stir in my chest, I stay up all night. Not even insomnia tonics help. At first, I thought it was just insomnia, but it wasn’t that.”
Ma Gyeong-rok stabbed the body of the dead pig with the knife he had in his hand.
“I had desires to kill. You can call me a psychopath. I don’t deny it. I realized it by killing a pig, because after doing so, I could sleep well.”
“Young master…”
“You should call me representative, Chief An.”
Ma Gyeong-rok smiled while looking at him, just as always.
A melancholic smile.
Seeing him like that broke An Sang-cheol’s heart.
He was carrying only that emotional burden.
“It must have been hard…”
“Hm?”
Maybe because it was the first time he found someone who understood him, Ma Gyeong-rok looked at him with curious eyes.
“Do you understand me, despite seeing my dark psychopathic hobby?”
“There’s nothing to understand or not. I am the shield and the sword of the Ohsung Group. I am like your hands and feet. I will always be on your side.”
“...”
Ma Gyeong-rok observed him with cold eyes for a while.
As if trying to read his mind.
“It seems you’re serious.”
“I mean it.”
“Good. Then, will you keep my secret?”
“I will.”
“Chief An knows something not even my father knows. I hope you don’t get fired for it.”
The fact that he joked like that made An Sang-cheol feel relieved. That was the Ma Gyeong-rok he knew.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Handle the cleanup. It’s hard to do it alone. And I can’t eat the pig.”
The pig had been gutted and mutilated to the point of being impossible to eat.
“How have you handled this so far?”
“I’ve done everything here. I burn the bloody clothes and bury the pig’s body. This place is perfect, don’t you think?”
Certainly, it was a good place for such activities.
An old warehouse in the middle of a deserted forest.
Who would discover if he killed and buried a pig here?
One could even bury a person, and no one would know.
“Representative, I have a curiosity.”
“Tell me.”
“Have you ever thought about killing a person…?”
To the cautious question, Ma Gyeong-rok answered with a smile.
“I’ve thought about it. But, can I kill an ordinary person? That would affect my career. Unfortunately, I can only settle for pigs.”
“You may not know, but there are people worse than pigs in this world.”
At those words, Ma Gyeong-rok’s eyes gleamed.
“Are you suggesting replacing pigs with criminals?”
He understood on the first try.
“Yes. If you find it difficult to suppress the desire to kill, I’m just saying there are other alternatives.”
“Hm…”
Ma Gyeong-rok stroked his chin, pondering seriously.
“It’s not a bad alternative. Besides, it would be a service to society.”
A smile appeared on Ma Gyeong-rok’s lips.
“Getting rid of trash, will you help me with that, Chief An?”
----------------
Since An Sang-cheol’s proposal, Ma Gyeong-rok changed his targets.
From pigs to people.
“Sa-save me! What did I do wrong?”
“Name: Park Cheon-sik. Tried to rape a woman, and when he couldn’t, he killed her. Claimed he was drunk and mentally altered. Was sentenced to 15 years, but got out on parole after 13 years for good behavior. Isn’t it obvious what you did wrong?”
“Damn! Did you investigate me?”
“How do you think we caught you without investigating?”
An Sang-cheol recited the details in a cold voice, but the man tied up like a pig showed no remorse.
“So what? I’ve already paid my debt to society! I served my time!”
“No. The representative believes your punishment was insufficient.”
“Insufficient? Do you know how hard it was in jail? Damn idiots who don’t know anything…!”
The man tied up looked at An Sang-cheol and Ma Gyeong-rok with hatred.
‘How dare he look at the representative like that?’
An Sang-cheol wanted to gouge his eyes out but held back.
The representative was just observing in silence.
“That was over 13 years ago! Are you saying you’re going to take revenge now?”
“It’s not revenge.”
Ma Gyeong-rok, who had been silent, spoke and stepped forward.
“I’m not doing it for insignificant feelings. It’s a noble and clear task.”
“What the hell are you saying?”
“Cleaning the streets. I’m a sweeper who, with good intentions, eliminates the trash that contaminates society.”
“I’m trash? I already served my time!”
“Once trash, always trash. Haven’t you heard that?”
At Ma Gyeong-rok’s mockery, Park Cheon-sik filled with rage.
“Damn you! I’ll report all of you! I remember your faces! Do you think the police won’t find you? They’ll track your phones!”
“The pig is noisy.”
Paf!
The knife sank into his throat.
It all happened in a blink.
“Gah... Gah…”
“Now he’s quieter.”
Ma Gyeong-rok smiled while repeatedly stabbing the knife in and out.
Neck, chest, abdomen, side, thighs.
He aimed at different parts as if searching for the best place to stab.
“Phew.”
After dozens of stabs, Ma Gyeong-rok seemed a bit tired.
“It’s as exhausting as killing a pig.”
Park Cheon-sik lay as motionless as a dead pig.
The floor was soaked in blood, but no one cared.
The bloody clothes and shoes would be burned and replaced with new ones.
“I wanted to hear what he had to say, but it wasn’t worth it. He just made noise. Next time, I’ll kill immediately.”
--------------
After that, the representative's killings became cleaner.
The criminals captured and brought to the warehouse always reacted the same way, which annoyed Ma Gyeong-rok, so he would stab them in the neck and dismember them like pigs, without giving them a chance to speak.
The elimination of ex-convicts was carried out without any problems.
Technically, they were not criminals at the time, but ex-convicts with a criminal record.
“The police came by yesterday.”
“Pardon?”
“They said one of the recently released ex-convicts passed through our area and they wanted to check the security cameras.”
An Sang-cheol’s heart skipped a beat.
“Have they discovered us...?”
“It didn’t seem like they suspected us. Besides, we already have an alibi prepared, right? In case of need, you will confirm it.”
“Of course.”
“They just came to check, there’s nothing to worry about.”
It was a relief.
Any mistake could ruin everything, so he was always careful not to leave any traces.
He couldn’t allow anything to harm the representative.
“Just in case, we should increase the interval. Every two months.”
“Will that be alright?”
“Yes. Lately, I sleep well. It’s different from when they were pigs. I can endure two months.”
It seemed that the representative's insomnia was resolved.
That was a real relief.
Suddenly, Ma Gyeong-rok mentioned something unexpected.
“Now that I sleep well, my mind is clearer, and I feel better. I want to expand the business. Do you know the actress Seo Arin?”
“No, I haven’t heard of her.”
“That’s understandable. She’s a rookie actress. She has good presence and seems to act well. I want to support her financially; it’s a kind of investment.”
To be honest, An Sang-cheol was a bit surprised.
He thought the representative only dealt with business, he didn’t expect him to get involved in the entertainment industry.
But the really surprising thing was what he said next.
“So I want you to cover Seo Arin.”
“Cover her...? How?”
“I want you to watch over and protect her like a manager. Now the actress is an investment of mine.”
--------------------
While recalling a bit of the past, An Sang-cheol sighed inwardly.
He didn’t know why he suddenly remembered his past with the representative in this situation.
He could only sigh at the current gloomy situation.
[Laugh, but don’t worry too much. Not everyone will be taken. Only humans between 15 and 29 years old will participate in the survival game.]
It was the voice of an angel in the sky.
He had just blown up someone’s head with a single look, so he shouldn’t be lying.
‘If it’s 15 to 29 years old... does that include Seo Arin and me?’
Unfortunately, An Sang-cheol was 29 years old.
He was right on the edge.
However, he somehow felt relieved.
He could protect the representative even in another world.