A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 121

The relaxed smile that had been hanging on Lim Do-hyun’s mouth hardened.

The atmosphere of the conference hall sank heavily.

The tension soared to its peak as the gazes of the executives went back and forth between Lim Do-hyun and Lim Hye-seon.

When Hye-seon turned her head and looked at the secretary, he held the bundle of documents he had and distributed them one by one.

Lim Hye-seon unfolded the materials prepared in advance and looked around the conference hall with cold eyes.

Unlike before, confidence overflowed from her mouth.

“I will tell you the true identity of this controversy.”

Her voice was calm yet carried power.

“The essence of this commotion is a malicious plot to forcibly pin the actions committed by my ex-husband, Jeong Tae-jun, on me. However, the truth is clearer than one might think. I have not a single point of connection with that dirty work.”

A stir spread among the executives.Hye-seon held up the materials and put more power into her voice.

“The cases of borrowed-name accounts and money laundering carried out under the name of Jeong Tae-jun have already been revealed in detail through the prosecution's investigation. However, there is an interesting fact here.”

She caught her breath for a moment and gave her gaze to Lim Do-hyun.

“In the flow of tens of billions of won in funds across dozens of accounts, my name did not appear anywhere. Not a single document I signed, transaction I approved, or even a circumstance suggesting I knew about it has been discovered.”

The atmosphere of the conference hall began to change.

Different doubts were seeping into the expressions of several executives.

Hye-seon took out something else and said confidently.

“What is more important is this.”

“Between all the funds of Taeseong Department Store, which I operate, and the slush funds of Jeong Tae-jun, no connection whatsoever exists.”

She showed her final card as if throwing a winning move.

“Rather, to prove my innocence, I submitted the entirety of my personal financial transaction records to an external accounting firm. What do you think the result of the external audit was?”

Her eyes flashed.

“Look at the phrase written here. It says ‘No personal involvement whatsoever’. This is the official conclusion reached by an independent external organization.”

The murmurs that had been drifting through the conference hall gradually subsided.

Hye-seon, now completely holding the initiative, faced Lim Do-hyun and delivered the final blow.

“Therefore, all the suspicions surrounding me are nothing more than lies intentionally created by someone.”

Anger was now mixed into her voice.

“The sins committed by my husband are a share that he must pay for. However, as a member of the Taeseong Group and as a manager responsible for Taeseong Department Store, I have completely drawn a line from him. I hope that point is clearly recognized in this place today.”

Lim Do-hyun’s face hardened.

The scenario he had prepared was crumbling bit by bit.

It was evident from the way several executives were exchanging glances that they were wavering.

Hye-seon did not plead or make excuses; she counterattacked with dignity.

It was the moment when the initiative of the conference room was completely reversed.

Then, an executive immediately raised his hand and said,“I fully understand what President Lim Hye-seon is saying. Still, looking at the articles in the media, is the prosecution's investigation not ongoing? Since a final conclusion has not been reached yet, would it not be premature to speak so definitively?”

A stir arose again inside the conference hall.

Suspicion was spreading across the expressions of some executives.

However, Hye-seon did not waver and instead nodded toward the secretary.

“I will show you.”

As if the secretary had something prepared, he connected something to the screen.

The screen turned on, and news began to play on the large screen of the conference hall.

On the screen, an anchor with a familiar face appeared and began the announcement.

[Today, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former Taeseong Ilbo President Jeong Tae-jun to eight years in prison for money laundering and embezzlement through borrowed-name accounts. The court pointed out that the criminal charges against Jeong Tae-jun were clear and that organized and meticulous methods were mobilized throughout the overall process of embezzlement and money laundering. Furthermore, it added that no connection with his spouse, President Lim Hye-seon, was confirmed at all.]

The voices of the murmuring executives slowly died down.

Hye-seon spoke with a smile.

“Did you hear clearly? ‘Not confirmed at all’ is the court's official announcement. Even if I do not claim it, it is a fact officially confirmed by a state institution.”

She continued her words while looking around the surroundings.

“If anyone still raises suspicions against me, that is not a simple misunderstanding but a clear distortion and slander. If there is anyone who intends to continue making false claims while staking the name of Taeseong, they will have to pay heavily for that responsibility.”

Silence settled over the conference hall.

The suspicious gazes that had been pouring toward Hye-seon until a moment ago lost their strength like flat soda.

In the face of the clear evidence she put forward, all attempts to link her with Jeong Tae-jun became powerless.

Sighs of relief leaked out from among the executives.

However, only Lim Do-hyun remained different.

He was instead slowly leaning his body forward with a smile on his lips.

Lim Do-hyun spoke in a calm voice.

“Regarding the problem of President Jeong Tae-jun, what President Lim Hye-seon said is correct. Since it is the court's announcement, where could there be anything more accurate than this.”

Hye-seon furrowed her brows slightly.

Something about what he was saying was not quite right.

Was he not backing down too easily?

Lim Do-hyun slowly looked around the conference hall.

He seemed to be confirming the appearance of the executives who thought the suspicions about Hye-seon had been cleared.

Then, he continued his words again.

“But. Is that really all? I wish it were so as well, but it is quite unfortunate.”

Hye-seon’s expression hardened icily.

She instinctively felt that he was hiding another card.

Lim Do-hyun leisurely put a bundle of documents down on the table from his bag.

Thud.

The sound of the thick papers hitting the surface of the table echoed loudly in the quiet conference hall.

“These are problems in the operation of Taeseong Department Store.”

In an instant, the atmosphere turned cold.

“Suspicions of revenue omission. Circumstances of preferential contracts with specific suppliers.... How else will you explain these things?”

Small exclamations burst out from various places in the conference hall.

The sympathetic gazes toward Hye-seon from just a moment ago began to waver again.

Lim Do-hyun leaned his back against the chair and smiled with a satisfied expression.

“You said it was unrelated to President Jeong Tae-jun, did you not? If so, this time it will be President Lim Hye-seon’s own problem.”

The certainty of victory was contained in his voice.

It was as if a sharp dagger were piercing the heart with its blade.

The atmosphere of the conference hall sank rapidly, and the executives were busy watching the mood while looking at the pile of documents on the table.

“Revenue omission....”

“Could it really be true?”

Small whisperings burst out from all over the conference hall.

Lim Do-hyun watched that scene and slightly raised the corners of his mouth with an appreciative expression.

He spoke with concern as if he were acting.

“This is precisely the part I am worried about. In a situation where the reputation of the entire group is at stake, for the person who made even Taeseong Department Store become embroiled in such suspicions to be the interim chairperson. It is a truly regrettable matter.”

Upon hearing that, Hye-seon let out a deep sigh.

If she did not, it was difficult to endure the anger welling up.

She looked at Lim Do-hyun with sharp eyes like a beast targeting its prey.

“President Lim Do-hyun! Did you say that data is related to Taeseong Department Store? Where on earth did that data come from?”

Lim Do-hyun hesitated for a moment, and his body hardened.

A look of fluster flashed across him as an immediate rebuttal came out, unlike what he had expected.

Hye-seon did not miss that gap.

She stood up confidently and spoke while looking around the conference hall.

“I will explain each and every one myself. That case you called a suspicion of revenue omission is an issue that was already concluded as a simple computer error in the last quarter’s accounting audit. It was merely a temporary mistake and was a matter corrected through re-verification.”

When she gestured, the waiting secretary came forward holding something prepared.

Hye-seon unfolded that file on the table so that the executives could see it.

“This is the verification result report. Please check it.”

Several executives began to look through the file and examine it meticulously.

Hye-seon took advantage of that momentum and continued.

“And I will also speak about the part you pointed out as a preferential contract.”

More power was put into her voice.

“The contract with the supplier in question was not requested by Taeseong Department Store, but was achieved through a formal bidding process that the partner side proposed first. Every process is a part that was transparently disclosed, and the minutes of the Bidding Committee also remain.”

When the secretary operated the remote control, a video containing the scene of the meeting at the time of the bidding began to play on the large screen.

The appearance of the names in the documents and the actual people on the screen matching exactly was vividly revealed.

The conference hall became quiet again.

This time too, it became clear that it was not a suspicion but that everything was a misunderstanding.

Hye-seon gave a cold smile and delivered a blow.

“President Lim Do-hyun! I understand the attempt itself to make things difficult for me. However, the truth cannot be hidden with lies. What kind of excuse will you make this time?”

Lim Do-hyun was swept up in rage.

Violent emotions distorted his expression in an instant.

He slowly turned his head and glared at Managing Director Lee Tae-jun, who was sitting right next to him, with a fierce gaze.

“What on earth happened with this?”

The cold anger contained within his low voice was sharp enough for everyone to feel.

Lee Tae-jun also seemed flustered, only rolling his eyes here and there, unable to open his mouth.

It seemed he himself had not expected this kind of situation.

Watching that scene, the light in Hye-seon’s eyes cooled down like ice.

From deep within her heart, the anger she had been suppressing and holding back began to boil over like lava.

No matter how much they were blood relatives, this was too much.

‘He is no longer the younger brother I knew.’

A cold realization spread within Hye-seon’s mind.

‘Do-hyun does not have a heart that sincerely worries about Taeseong. Only his own greed is full.’

She quietly clenched her fist and then slowly unfurled it.

Suppressing the trembling transmitted to the tips of her fingers, she gathered her resolve.

Now, even hesitation disappeared.

Withdrawing the heart of an older sister who tried to protect him under the name of being blood relatives, she decided to act only as a manager responsible for the Taeseong Group.

‘I do not want to go this far, but....’

The final determination hardened in Hye-seon’s mind.

Now there was no place to retreat.

She made up her mind to disclose everything about what kind of things Do-hyun had been up to until now at this meeting today.

She was now transformed into an unwavering, cold-headed figure.

Everyone was waiting for Hye-seon’s next words while holding their breath.

Unless they had no sense at all, that is.

Hye-seon raised her voice.

“Executives of Taeseong, it seems the time has come for me to speak beyond my own position to protect the Taeseong Group.”

An intense power was felt in Lim Hye-seon’s calm voice.

“What kind of things President Lim Do-hyun has been up to. I will reveal it all in this place today.”