Bamboo Forest Manager

Chapter 280

Personal Statement

– Oh Yoonji –

“Should I not answer?”

While I’m seriously contemplating, the call drops again.

It’s because I haven’t answered for a while.

Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz!

– Oh Yoonji –

The phone rings again.

At this point, it feels almost like a threat to answer.

“Are you not going to pick up?”

Choi Jina glances at me and asks. Look at her pretending not to know what’s going on.

“Ahem, I guess I should answer?”

“Of course!”

Look at her being so calm as if it’s not her business. I take a deep breath and finally press the call button.

“Y-hello?”

– Woojin, thank you.

“Huh?”

An unexpectedly warm voice.

I thought Yoonji would scold me for revealing our private lives and letters without permission.

Surprisingly, is she touched more by the fact that I’m trying so hard?

– I mean it, thank you.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”

– Thanks to you, I’m planning to be discharged right away. I can’t stay in the hospital, it’s too embarrassing.

“…….”

– You said you were at your family home, right? Yeah, wait. I’m going to tear them apart!

“Wait a minute! Yoonji, listen to me! It’s not a misunderstanding… but there was no need for this!”

– Whether there was or not, what does it matter! I’ve become the girl who publicly shared a love letter on a national level!

“No, but it still worked out in our favor. You’ve literally become the tragic heroine now! Your father can’t just throw you out anymore!”

– I’ll kill him! Kim Woojin! I’m going to kill him!

Yoonji’s extreme anger showed no signs of stopping. In the end, I hung up the phone as if I were fleeing.

– Choi Iseo: Yoonji can’t be discharged yet, so don’t worry and just wait.

“Phew.”

Thank goodness.

I really thought she was coming.

“Is she not coming?”

Choi Jina asked, glancing over, perhaps hoping to see a scene of their reunion like in a drama.

“She’s not coming! My father will be back soon, too.”

They say if you talk about a tiger, it will come.

No sooner had I finished speaking than I spotted my father’s car outside, and soon after, he entered the house with my older brother.

“Did you come?”

I usually don’t go out to greet them, but today I wanted to see him like this. Since my older brother, who lives outside, came along, it must mean there’s something to discuss.

“Come to the study.”

My father instructed me to come into the study without delay.

In the meantime, my mother tried to lighten the mood, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the right atmosphere for that.

I caught my older brother’s eye for a moment, and he just nodded slightly.

It meant we had passed a major crisis.

I thought about how I had been entering my father’s study more often lately as I stepped inside.

My older brother stayed outside, waiting, so it was just me and my father.

“I saw the broadcast.”

“How did you see it? It just ended.”

“On the way here, I saw that guy Jae-won.”

“Hm, what do you think? Doesn’t it seem like public opinion is slowly turning towards Yoon-ji?”

From noble mtl dot com

If that’s the case, our image, which had consistently remained silent while attacking those who targeted Yoon-ji, would also improve quite a bit.

As long as we’re not pushing Yoon-ji out like we are now.

“Not enough yet.”

But my father, being cold-headed, read the situation.

“…….”

“Nothing has been definitively verified yet. Everyone is just saying things that sound plausible, and there’s no evidence.”

Whether the fact-murderer is saying the right thing or if we are saying the right thing.

In response to my father’s words that it’s ambiguous since perfect evidence hasn’t come out yet.

“It’s possible.”

I smiled and countered.

“It’s absolutely possible. That’s why it’s deliberately dragging on, so it won’t even reach a trial like the past investment fraud case.”

“There’s something going on.”

“Instead, there will be some rumors. Just pay attention to that.”

“Hmm.”

My father lowered his voice as if deep in thought. Since such opportunities were rare, I continued.

“Yoon-ji will now be seen as a victim by the public. Furthermore, as a leading and charming tragic heroine who is achieving a life turnaround through love.”

“…….”

“The public will start to gauge things now. It’s probably already out in articles, right? Is she the unprecedented villain living off the legacy left by her murderer father, or is she the pure-hearted maiden who couldn’t surpass the walls of reality?”

Thanks to us, the reporters must be thrilled.

“You have evidence that will shift public opinion in our favor?”

“Yes, I will reveal it tomorrow.”

“Hmm.”

“Are you going to push Yoon-ji out from here? You know well what benefits it would bring to us, Father.”

He hadn’t disclosed to the world that he had already ended the betting by using foul play.

He merely informed that it was a heartbreaking situation leading to a breakup.

“When you protect, you definitely protect.”

Anyway, public opinion will come our way.

Before that, if we inflate the image of protecting Yoon-ji in advance, wouldn’t that be good?

My father was quietly staring at me before I knew it.

Just a moment ago, he had the eyes of a businessman, but now they seemed a bit more gentle.

“Are you thinking of marrying Yoonji?”

“Th-that….”

There was no way I could give a clear answer. To be honest, I hadn’t thought I could marry Yoonji at this point.

And I had three other people in my life as well.

“Phew, if it becomes known that your romantic relationships are complicated, there could be backlash again.”

“I know… So I will be careful.”

“Woojin.”

My father slowly stood up and walked briskly towards me.

I was startled by the change in atmosphere, but what he said next was—

“You are next in line.”

It was still as harsh as ever.

“Not that talk again. I don’t know anything about the company as a whole, and I have no knowledge of management.”

“How many times must I say it? Knowledge can be learned.”

It wasn’t hard to notice that he was disappointed with my older brother over this incident.

He wasn’t foolish enough not to realize that it had happened while he was trying to defend me.

“I refuse. I absolutely won’t do it.”

“There is no such thing as absolutely.”

“….”

“There’s plenty of time until you graduate from college. Think about it slowly.”

Had he ever spoken to me in such a gentle tone? It felt like he was trying to coax me with a carrot since he couldn’t use a whip. For a moment, my heart softened.

“It’ll be the same by then.”

I was resolute as I stepped outside.

* * *

“Ha, damn it.”

The YouTuber, the fact killer, who had been soaring in stock prices recently, cursed under his breath while looking at his stagnant subscriber count.

Since the last broadcast by the head of the investigation team, the truths he had proven had been called into question.

If there was any silver lining, it was that Oh Yoonji’s innocence had not been completely proven.

“What the hell is this? This is ridiculous!”

Star Studio, where Oh Yoon-ji is the CEO. The MCN has many fans, but just as many anti-fans, so criticizing that place seemed like a good way to raise one’s profile.

Moreover, she is the daughter of the murderer Oh Cheong-min, and the Fact Murderer even contacted the victims who suffered at the hands of Oh Cheong-min to hear their stories.

Though the source might be a bit exaggerated, isn’t it true that he committed fraud?

“Seeing that the Universe Group hasn’t moved yet, isn’t it likely that Oh Yoon-ji did receive some money?”

The community was still abuzz, and comments on the Fact Murderer’s video were being posted in real-time.

The debate was this.

Did Oh Yoon-ji really not receive a single penny from her father, Oh Cheong-min?

If she received or used that money, she would lose.

The Fact Murderer believed this firmly.

“Who tries to cover up heinous crimes with childish melodrama?”

Grinding his teeth, the Fact Murderer confirmed that his video was uploaded.

Oh Yoon-ji’s college funds, living expenses, etc.

The content stated that she could not possibly live without receiving money from Oh Cheong-min.

“Huuh.”

The Fact Murderer, with his eyes closed, checked the comments a few minutes later.

↳ It doesn’t seem like a wrong statement?

↳ This is a total mess; the Fact Murderer is really twisting in agony.

↳ But it does seem like she must have definitely received money.

↳ I agree; Jin Mi-ae is his mistress, and in the end, the registered daughter is Oh Yoon-ji.

“Ha, hahaha!”

Yes, this is it.

This is the reaction.

The number of likes is good, and his video is spreading rapidly in the community.

And watching the income flow in, he lights a cigarette.

‘No matter how much of a Universe Group it is, they wouldn’t defend the daughter of a murderer.’

Since he targeted Oh Yoon-ji, other cyber wreckers also started to rise one by one.

But now, it’s quiet again.

Perhaps it’s because public opinion is divided, but the Fact Murderer saw this as an opportunity.

‘Foolish b*stards. They’re just complaining about the tyranny of big corporations.’

He is different.

—

In the end, from that side, through a socially twisted lens—!

↳ Hey, have you seen this video, Paksal?

One newly posted comment had a URL in the address bar.

And the comments were quickly piling up.

↳ Hahaha, this is wild.

↳ Wow, damn hahaha.

↳ Hey, weren’t you waiting for Paksal to move?

↳ Safe travels.

↳ Bad breath.

↳ Falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling.

“Uh?”

I felt a prickling sensation rise in my hair. My mouse had somehow clicked the link.

There was a video uploaded that I had never seen before.

The location was a visitation room.

The time was just before I posted my sniper shot.

– Ah, Burji.

Oh Yoon-ji called out to Oh Chang-min from beyond the partition.

– Yes, you’re my daughter?

Oh Chang-min, who had a look of surprise, welcomed her with a bright smile.

The video began with greetings and continued to carry a chilling atmosphere.

– Yes, yes! I thought something was off! I was wondering why you suddenly stopped contacting me! So there was a reason!

– …What?

– No, no! It’s nothing! Oh my, our daughter! Who would have thought you’d grow up so beautifully!

Tap, tap, tap.

A hurried sound came from somewhere.

It was the sound of the Fact Killer unknowingly biting his own nails.

– I came because I wanted to ask you something.

– Hmm? Something you want to ask? Yes, yes! Ask me anything!

But after that, Oh Yoon-ji couldn’t bring herself to ask.

Instead, Oh Chang-min only inquired about Oh Yoon-ji’s age, university, and job, among other things.

—

– Wait a minute. Back in the day, I mean when you came in here.

But Oh Yoon-ji, having steadied her heart, interrupted and began her question again.

– You killed… a lot of people, didn’t you?

Her trembling figure appeared excessively pitiful.

– You feel regret… don’t you?

At Oh Yoon-ji’s words, asking for forgiveness, Oh Cheong-min’s expression changed.

– Are you kidding me? Is it my fault? What do you know to be talking about regret? If you knew what those b*stards did back then, you would have killed them too!

Gruesome words followed.

While feeling a chill even watching the fact killer, I still thought there was no evidence that Oh Yoon-ji had received any money.

But.

– Wait! Not yet! There’s still something I haven’t said! Money! Did you find that money?! You came to deliver that, right?! Right? You came to tell me you found it, right?!

– Your mom! Jin Mi-ae told me! That’s why you came! You found the money, right? Right? Isn’t that right?!

To Oh Cheong-min’s outcry, which was practically a confession of a scam, Oh Yoon-ji burst into tears and answered.

– Our… mom is Shin Yoon-ah.

– What? You were Yoon-ah’s daughter?

And then, without any hesitation, Oh Chang-min was dragged away.

That was the end.

The content wasn’t as long as expected, but.

The impact was, of course, tremendous.

↳ Damn, that guy is really crazy.

↳ Oh Chang-min didn’t even know Oh Yoon-ji was his daughter.

↳ I thought she was Jin Mi-ae’s daughter from the start, lol. How ridiculous.

↳ Wow, life is really something.

↳ Look at how shameless he is after ruining a kid’s life.

↳ Oh Yoon-ji seems completely unaware of the money, doesn’t she?

↳ Looks like she was abandoned. Tsk, what will happen to the fact killer?

↳ I think the fact killer is about to meet Oh Chang-min soon?

“Ah….”

What on earth.

Where did this video come from?

Is it really okay to publicly disclose the interior footage of the prison visitation room like this?

Amidst the swirling thoughts in my head.

Ugh!

– Oh Yoon-ji’s ex-boyfriend –

A call came in from the Fact Killer. I didn’t know if this was a lifeline or a rotten rope, but he answered in a hurry.

“Y-yes, hello!”

– Did you see the video? I thought I was going to die of boredom waiting for you to upload the next sniper video.

“W-what! How did you get this? Just because you’re from a wealthy family, you think you can sneak out prison footage like this?!”

– Oh dear, I’m sorry, but I received the video through a legitimate request.

“What?”

– This time we filed charges against Oh Cheong-min and Jin Mi-ae. We requested the video during the visitation for confession evidence. Anyone involved can view the investigation records.

“Even so! Even so, you’re going to spread this on the internet!? Are you crazy? I’m going to sue you for this!”

– I don’t know what you’ll sue me for, but go ahead. Consult your lawyer and try hard. Do you think I leaked this without confirming it with our people?

“You b*stard! Acting like this? Pretending to be righteous while ultimately leaking trial evidence at will?!”

– Hm? I thought you liked this kind of thing.

– A statement of conviction.

A voice laced with mockery reminded me of what the Fact Killer had said last time.

‘You’re not supposed to mention names, but today I’m making a statement of conviction. Oh Yoon-ji! Are you that confident?’

“Y-you!”

– That video is our statement of conviction. Even if there are some legal issues, I felt I had to say something.

“Ugh! Hoook!”

My head was boiling.

But the Fact Killer wasn’t a complete fool. Public opinion had already turned.

That stupid murderer had his daughter and wife abandoned, and it was revealed that he was obsessed with his mistress.

Then what I had to do was.

“I-I’m sorry.”

I knelt down, groveling.

Just like the other cyber thugs I had mocked.

But the opponent was more brutal than I had imagined.

– The opportunity has long passed. I have no intention of forgiving you at all.

“Please, please!”

– Sorry, our chairman is really angry. The stock prices have dropped, the shareholders are in an uproar, the employees are anxious, and the girl he cares about has been torn apart by public opinion. The company losses are no small matter.

“Wait! Please! Just, just listen to me once! Actually, I’m unemployed, so I’m trying to draw some attention—!”

Click.

The call was disconnected.

With a blank expression, the fact-killer looked down at his phone before slowly glancing at the computer screen.

His subscriber count, which had soared high into the sky, was now falling.

↳ Why bother harassing someone like that?

↳ If you wanted to make money that badly, go do some manual labor.

↳ From the start, you looked like a complete idiot.

↳ Tsk tsk, if you wanted to profit off the victims’ families, what’s the difference between you and Oh Chang-min?

↳ Moron.

The people who had once supported him seemed to have vanished, and now everyone was wielding the swords and arrows of words against him.

– Did you all see what was posted today? The recorded footage from the visiting room. It’s absurd.