Marcus Yeon slowly put down his cellphone on the table. He looked distraught like someone who gambled away his life savings. It took him a few seconds to realise that he was seated on a chair and not falling into a ditch. Just when he thought that everything was finally working for him, an unpleasant news put him on edge again.
As he thought about the phone call, an eerie stillness chocked his lungs. "Hello Marcus. It's been a while since we last spoke. If I didn't know better, I'd think that you are avoiding me." Marcus faked a cough. "Of course not Judge Qiang. You know that I am a very busy man. I just haven't had enough time to come see you in your office." Marcus replied politely.
"Well I hope you would have enough time for what am about to tell you. Your nephew has been released from prison. I am not sure if you've heard, but he was released over two weeks ago. I couldn't find out his whereabouts, but I know he won't stay in Yunnan longer than he needs to before making his way to Shanghai." Marcus felt a chill down his spine. And for the first time in his life, he stuttered.
"Bu..b..but you told me that he would rot in prison. Which was why I paid you a lot of money. How did you let this happen?" Judge Qiang sighed. "There was nothing I could do Marcus. Apparently someone with a lot of money hired one of the biggest law firms in China to review the case. And they found out that most of the evidence against your nephew was fabricated. So the case was transferred to the Supreme People's Court where the judge ruled in his favour for lack of compelling evidence." Judge Qiang paused for a moment, then continued.
"Now, I am being investigated for corruption. It's only a matter of time before they discover that I was an accomplice to the conviction of an innocent young man." Marcus growled. "Judge Qiang, this is not the time to ease your guilt. You made good money in that case, so suck it up and be a man. We should be talking about solutions now."
"Well I am open to any reasonable suggestions." Marcus paused for a moment to think but came up blank. "I am still working on it." Judge Qiang scoffed. "Well, you better work fast. Because if this enquiry exposes my involvement, I will not go down alone." Marcus frowned. "Are you threatening me?" "Call it whatever you want Marcus. But have it in mind that I will sing like a canary if I am indicted."
"You must be out of your mind to threaten me. Do you know what I can do to you? I have…" But judge Qiang hung up before Marcus could finish. Suddenly, a foreboding atmosphere filled the air in his office. Marcus wasn't exactly sure what to do about the situation, but he knew that if something isn't done quickly, he would be in a hell of a mess. So he picked up his phone from the table and dialled the fourth number on speed dial. It rang for a few seconds before someone answered.
"Good day Haoyu. We have a situation." Haoyu Cheng cleared his throat. "What is the problem?" "My nephew has been released from prison. The Judge failed to uphold our agreement. And he even threatened to expose everything if he's arrested." Haoyu Cheng said nothing for almost ten seconds. He turned down the television to think. Out of the blue, a foolproof plan has fallen like dominoes and there wasn't enough information to know the best course of action.
When Haoyu Cheng finally spoke, his voice was hoarse. "First of all Marcus, I want you to calm down." Marcus expressed his embarrassment with a downward gaze and an inhibited smile. "What are you talking about? I am calm." He can't be seen as being weak by Lord daddy.
"Okay. If you say so. You sounded like a snake creeped into your bed as you explained the situation. But not to digress, I will send an associate to Yunnan province tomorrow to find out who bankrolled your nephew's release. If your nephew is still in Yunnan, he will find out. About the judge, I have an idea of what to do to him. I will make sure he's not a threat."
Haoyu Cheng's last words gave Marcus the creeps. "I hope you are not planning to kill him. That would exacerbate the problem. We would have the entire Judiciary and Police gunning for us." Haoyu Cheng sighed. "No, I am not stupid Marcus. We will just make him unresponsive. So whatever testimony he would have won't be admissible in court."
Marcus didn't know who Haoyu Cheng was referring to when he said 'we', but he was sure it has nothing to do with him. "Okay I will standby till I hear back from you. I hope your people find him in Yunnan so we will accuse him of something else and throw him back to Kaishui where he belongs. I can't have him coming back here to snoop around my affairs. I already have problems getting back the confidence of the shareholders. If he comes back here, I will loose the little confidence I worked tirelessly to secure."
Haoyu chuckled. "Are you serious?" "Oh yeah. They still think that I am not qualified to lead the company in place of my brother. They think his son is a better person for the job than myself. I have some control over their decisions now. But the moment Richard steps foot into this company, they will all follow him like lost puppies."
"Well, we can't have that. I will find him. When I do, you can do to him whatever you wish." The words sounded perfect. 'Whatever you wish' was exactly what he would do to the little brat who's presence casts a shadow over his progress, just like his father. To him, the world is about the strong devouring the weak. "Okay. I look forward to hearing back from you." And with that, Haoyu Cheng hung up.
Marcus sank into his chair, took in deep breaths and exhaled. Things has been going on well for past two years since his nephew went to prison. He is the CEO and president of a multi-billion dollar company, his marriage is now working, he has assets scattered around five continents. Everything is working just fine for him since his brother's demise and his son's subsequent incarceration.
Growing up in Gangnam district, live was normal for the Yeons till their father died in 1986. Life quickly went from bad to worse in 1988 when they were driven from their homes. At this time, homes of low income earners were rapidly demolished for development in preparation for the 1988 Olympic games. Many of these people sought refuge in a small land with their tents and mattresses.
Gradually, their population started increasing till it became a town. This place they called Guryong village. Josephine Yeon, couldn't afford to pay rent in a better place, so she took her three children to Guryong village to stay. Alexander was the oldest, and prioritised his siblings over himself. Marcus is the second child, who is selfish and whines and blames everything and everyone but himself. And Lucy, the last was just a year old.
Marcus remembered the day he and Alexander promised to always stick together and have each other's backs. They promised to always protect their little sister, no matter what. As Marcus thought about the past, he felt nauseous and tired. So he shelved the thought and focused on the task at hand – finding Richard.
Miles away in the board room of Druixgenix Technologies, Richard felt confident as he illustrated his invention to the shareholders and how the technology would change the world.
"Apart from the conventional need to manage data and perform tasks that traditionally required human intelligence, the technology would help industrial assets have a symbiotic relationship with each other. But most importantly, it's deployment would provide better and accurate data and insights to harness the full power of the sun and other renewable energy resources." Seo-joon kept smiling as Richard illustrated his brilliant idea. He looked like a proud father.
"With the growing demand for technology, comes a substantial demand for energy. And this technology would provide unlimited energy to factories, homes, vehicles and any other equipment that uses electricity. More jobs would be created on a global scale, there would be a huge reduction in hunger because plants would have the same type of energy they get during the day at night. In fact, there is no limit to what we can achieve with this technology."
The shareholders couldn't believe their eyes and ears. What Richard has created would be a game changer in the energy sector. A futuristic technology way ahead of its time, when the world is yet to figure out how to survive without energy from sources that pollute the ecosystem like fossil fuels, coal, and nuclear energy. One of them stood up from his chair as he clapped.
"Seo-joon was right about you. Now I see why he insisted that you become the chairman of the company. What you have created is extraordinary. This technology is nothing like the world has seen, and it will solve numerous problems for mankind. So in addition to Seo-joon's insistence, I want to also propose that he becomes the CEO of the company. Thank you." A round of applause resonated round the room.
"I agree completely. Not only that this technology would help mankind, it will change this company's fortune. We would supply the energy needs of China and many other countries with this. So I propose that we add energy generation and distribution to our portfolio." Another round of applause resonated throughout the room. Richard had totally won their hearts with his words.
After the presentation, Seo-joon called Richard into his office. "If you were a taser, I would be on the ground by now jittering." Richard had no clue what he was talking about. "I don't follow." Seo-joon chuckled.
"You have exceeded my expectations Richard. I was thinking maybe you would create an Ai software for e-commerce or something. That would have been cool though. But what you created is not just futuristic but dependable. No machine can function without energy." Richard shrugged. "Well it's something anybody with the knowledge can do." Seo-joon smiled.
"I highly doubt that. Though I admire your modesty, but I don't see any reason for you to hide your genius. You are an exceptionally gifted young man Richard. And I think all the board members would agree with me. How did you come up with such a brilliant idea?" Richard smiled.
"Well, it was originally part of the research I did for my thesis. I had this crazy idea about using AI to create a sustainable energy extraction machine that could tap direct from the sun or from the earth's core. So while in prison, it became clear to me what exactly needs to be done. That's when I wrote the code for Frana." Seo-joon chuckled. "So you've given it a name already?" "Of course. But don't call her it. She's sensitive about her gender." Seo-joon waved his head in astonishment. "Wow. You are incredible Richard."
"Thank you sir Mr Tong." Richard answered politely. He still wasn't sure how to address Seo-joon. After all, he is the chairman of the company and also the CEO. So technically he is the boss. But without Seo-joon's benevolence, Richard would still be rotting in prison, so he owed Seo-joon his undying loyalty. As the thoughts became overwhelming, Richard tossed them aside and focused.
"So, any news about exactly how my father died?" Richard asked. "Not yet son. But I am close. I have hired a professional to look into it. And I believe that she would soon point us in the right direction." Richard nodded. "Words can't express my gratitude for all you have done for my sister and I. I won't forget it." Seo-joon smiled.
"There was a point in my life when I contemplated committing suicide, because I failed in almost everything that I started. I failed so many times that it became difficult to get help from people because they believed that I was a faliure and would amount to nothing. I couldn't secure loans to fund my projects or any venture at all. In fact, I was blacklisted by many financial institutions. It was so bad that even loan sharks didn't want to have anything to do with me. But your father, despite all advises against lending me money believed in me."
Seo-joon's last words made Richard's heart fluster with pride. 'If daddy had not helped Seo-joon, who would have helped me get out of prison? I am reaping the benefits of his generosity.' He thought. "He was the first investor of Druixgenix Technologies, and I owe so much to him. That's why I promised him that I would always be there for his family no matter what. So believe me when I say that we will find out exactly who killed him. Then, we will unleash our wrath upon the person."