To find the whereabouts of Bok Seon-Ill's ex-wife, I decided to use Chief Yoon Dong-Gu. And for that plan, I turned to everyone in the room except Bok Seon-Ill.

"From this point on, I need all of you to follow my instructions exactly." Then I turned to Bok Seon-Ill. "Mr. Bok Seon-Ill, I need you to meet with Chief Yoon Dong-Gu right now."

Bok Seon-Ill's eyes flared as he rolled up his sleeves. "You want me to go shake him down and find out where she is?"

"No. The exact opposite. You need to act like you don't know a thing. Say you fought with Ah-Yung this morning and haven't contacted her since. Say you haven't heard from me either."

Bok Seon-Ill tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? So just let Yoon Dong-Gu run wild?"

"I'll handle Yoon Dong-Gu. Trust me on this."

"Then what am I supposed to do when I meet him?"

"Act clueless. Pretend to panic. And then casually bring up your ex, like it just occurred to you. But don't push it since he won't tell you anything anyway."

The timing of that article going live proved that Yoon Dong-Gu knew where the ex-wife was. However, there was no way he would say so unless he was an idiot. After all, no one gave up a trump card that easily.

"That's it?" Bok Seon-Ill asked.

"I have another plan, so don't worry. The priority is to make sure he doesn't suspect us. And once you're done meeting him, call or message me right away."

"Sigh... I don't get it, but okay. I'll go along with it."

At that point, President Kang Gam-Chan turned to me. "Chief Jung, Chief Yoon Dong-Gu's probably convinced that you're the one cleaning up Singer Division 4's mess by now. Will he really buy it just because Mr. Bok Seon-Ill comes running back?"

"It's fine if he doesn't believe it completely. As long as he's not sure, he'll hold back from going too far. But actually, Mr. Kang, I need you to do something too."

"Me? What is that?"

"Let's wait until Mr. Bok Seon-Ill leaves first."

In the meantime, Yoon Dong-Gu's call had disconnected and was ringing again.

Buzz~

Kang Gam-Chan looked at Bok Seon-Ill. "Mr. Bok, take the call. Everyone, quiet please."

"Yes, sir."

Once the room went silent, Bok Seon-Ill let out a breath and answered. "Hey, Chief Yoon. Sorry, I was outside and missed your call. I'm just getting back to the company. I'll be in your office in a minute. Yeah. Okay, I'm coming now."

Click.

Bok Seon-Ill hung up and looked at me. "He started yelling just because I picked up late. That confirms it. He's definitely behind that article."

I nodded. "I think so too. But forget about that for now. Just remember what I told you."

After getting a few more instructions from me, Bok Seon-Ill nodded and ran out of the JU Entertainment building.

Next, I turned to Kang Gam-Chan and Bok Ah-Yung to give them their orders.

***

Bang.

The door to Yoon Dong-Gu's office burst open, and Bok Seon-Ill came running in, phone in hand.

"Chief Yoon! Did you see the article?"

Bok Seon-Ilk's frantic energy made Yoon Dong-Gu curl the corner of his mouth into a smirk. If Bok Seon-Ill hadn't shown up, he would have been ready to release an even bigger bombshell.

Yoon Dong-Gu quickly wiped the grin from his face. "I just saw it too, Seon-Ill hyung."

Thud.

The visibly panicked Bok Seon-Ill collapsed onto the sofa and fired off a question. "What the hell do we do now? If we can't shut this down, the penalties from the advertisers alone will be over a billion won! You know how batshit crazy K-Wedding's president is, right?"

"I know."

Bok Seon-Ill paced frantically, checking his phone, then asked, "What should I do, Chief Yoon? Do you know any way to contact that woman? Huh?"

Yoon Dong-Gu's eyes glinted, then he slowly shook his head. "How would I know? You broke up with her twenty years ago."

"Really? Sigh... If she opens her mouth, we're screwed six ways to Sunday. Should I contact the reporter and try to shut it down myself?"

As Bok Seon-Ill sighed in despair, Yoon Dong-Gu cautiously asked, "By the way... did Ah-Yung reach out to you today or anything?"

Bok Seon-Ill scratched his head. "Ah-Yung? No. We had a huge fight this morning and haven't spoken since. I have no idea what she's up to..."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Anyway, quit with the small talk. We need to get this under control. Should I call up the reporters myself and bribe them?"

Bok Seon-Ill, now a 25-year veteran ballad singer, was enjoying a second wave of fame with his long-loved winter hit 'The Hundredth Ballad' echoing through city streets every year-end. Despite his prickly nature, he had built a public image as a doting husband, which had fueled his continued success. So even a mere rumor about cheating and divorce could inflict serious damage.

Watching him closely, Yoon Dong-Gu finally seemed to drop his suspicion. "Seon-Ill hyung, don't worry. Who do you think I am? I'm Yoon Dong-Gu. I'll meet with the reporters and clean this up. Stuff like this? Money talks."

Only then did Bok Seon-Ill breathe out. "Okay... fine. I'm counting on you. If this blows up, I won't be able to face Ah-Yung or my wife. This has to go away."

That's when Yoon Dong-Gu casually probed. "Why? You're afraid your wife might demand a divorce if it comes out that Ah-Yung is your daughter?"

At that moment, Bok Seon-Ill glared daggers at him. "Watch your mouth, you bastard. I told you never to bring that up. I'm already fuming over this damn article, and are you trying to blackmail me too?"

Yoon Dong-Gu raised his hands. "Whoa, whoa! No blackmail here. I was just asking. I need to understand the situation if I'm going to help."

After calming Bok Seon-Ill, Yoon Dong-Gu cautiously asked another question. "Oh, and Seon-Ill hyung... by any chance, has Chief Jung Yoon-Ho reached out to you with any kind of offer?"

"What's Chief Jung got to do with this?"

"Well, your situation's a mess and I've got the disciplinary committee coming up too. If I'm going to fix this, I need to stay connected to Hoop..."

Bok Seon-Ill snapped. "I know, damn it! I'll take your side at Monday's hearing, alright? And that morning, I'll meet with Chief Jung and President Kang again to apply pressure. So quit bringing it up already!"

"Alright, alright."

"Just shut up and get that article taken down. That's how you help me."

Just then, Yoon Dong-Gu's phone buzzed.

Buzz~

Yoon Dong-Gu looked at it and clicked his tongue. "Seon-Ill hyung, it's a text about a division-wide executive meeting. I need to head to the meeting room."

"What? You're leaving now? What about this mess?"

"It looks like a short emergency meeting. I'll handle this right after."

Now convinced that Bok Seon-Ill hadn't been coached by Jung Yoon-Ho, Yoon Dong-Gu stood up in relief.

"Hey! Yoon Dong-Gu! Is that meeting more important than me?!"

"Of course you're more important."

Yet despite what he said, Yoon Dong-Gu left Bok Seon-Ill behind and walked out.

Thud.

The door to the office closed. That was when Bok Seon-Ill took a long, deep breath. His face, which had been anxious moments ago, now twisted into seething rage.

Crunch.

Bok Seon-Ill ground his teeth and pulled his phone from his pocket. The screen, still muted, showed an ongoing recording.

Tick.

[Recording Ended]

Bok Seon-Ill hadn't been able to get the ex-wife's location, but he had recorded Yoon Dong-Gu's veiled threat regarding Bok Ah-Yung. All of it was going just as Jung Yoon-Ho had planned.

"Yoon Dong-Gu, you bastard... once this is over, I swear... I won't let you get away with it."

Without Jung Yoon-Ho, Bok Seon-Ill would have been stuck under someone else's leash forever and treated like a slave. Even his daughter had been on the verge of being used as leverage. That was why his hatred toward Yoon Dong-Gu only grew deeper.

However, Bok Seon-Ill still had a job to do. He pushed down his fury and picked up the phone.

"Yeah, Chief Jung. I got the recording. But like you said, he doesn't know where she is."

-I figured as much. What matters is that he bought the act. Leave the rest to me now.

"Alright... and... thank you. For everything. For my whole family."

-Don't worry.

"Yeah."

Click.

Bok Seon-Ill hung up and gripped his phone tight as if vowing something to himself.

"Chief Jung... once this is over, I'll do anything you ask. Anything."

For someone doing everything he could to save him and his family, Bok Seon-Ill would give everything in return. Because to him, family was everything.

***

With Chief Lee Dong-Min out on the Project I.O.A set in Ilsan, and Chief So Ji-Min at KBC, the rest of the division chiefs had gathered at the 6th Floor Meeting Room.

I quietly took my seat after ending my call with Bok Seon-Ill.

[Call ended.]

Unfortunately, we hadn't gotten the ex-wife's location. But Bok Seon-Ill had done enough to ease Yoon Dong-Gu's suspicions with his signature theatrics. And that alone meant the trap I had set was beginning to work.

Just then, the meeting room door opened and in walked Yoon Dong-Gu right into my second trap.

Creak.

"Apologies for being late."

As Yoon Dong-Gu strolled in without a care, Kang Gam-Chan snapped at him. "Chief Yoon, we sent out the meeting notice ages ago! Why are you just now showing up?"

"Sorry about that."

Even so, Yoon Dong-Gu casually kept a relaxed expression and sat down.

Kang Gam-Chan immediately turned to Director Kang Ji-Yung. "Director Kang, put the material on the screen."

Kang Ji-Yung nodded and said, "Yes, sir."

[(Exclusive) Famous singer Mr. B secretly raised his biological daughter as his younger sister, hiding her identity. A shocking exposé from his ex-wife reveals his scandalous family drama]

-Mr. B's shocking private life. The ex-wife, who left behind their young daughter, is said to have walked away due to Mr. B's affair with his current wife.

...

The same article from earlier now appeared on the big screen. The number of comments had exploded from fifty to 573, and other outlets had started picking up the story too.

PR Chief Sung Min-Suk couldn't stop his phone from buzzing, undoubtedly reporters trying to get a statement.

Then Kang Gam-Chan pointed at the LCD and asked Yoon Dong-Gu, "So? What's your plan to deal with this?"

Yoon Dong-Gu shrugged and replied lazily, "Well, first I'll try to get in touch with that Entertainment All Times reporter and look into it..."

At that moment, Kang Gam-Chan slammed the table, his voice sharp with fury.

Bang!

Just as I had asked, he began his performance—furious, loud, and unrelenting.

"'Look into it'? There's a fire blazing and you want to look into it?! Are you out of your damn mind?!"

Yoon Dong-Gu flinched at the unusually aggressive tone from Kang Gam-Chan. "M-Mr. Kang..."

"Chief Yoon, if you're the head of Singer Division 4, then your artist is your responsibility! We've got every busy division chief in this room trying to figure out a solution, and the guy in charge acts like it's someone else's problem?!"

Only then did Yoon Dong-Gu nervously stammer out a reply. "N-no, that's not it... I was still assessing the situation—"

"You've lost your mind. That article's been up for over twenty minutes, and you're just now assessing?!"

As Kang Gam-Chan's voice rose with anger, Kang Ji-Yung stepped in to try and cool things down. "Please calm down, sir."

"Did you hear what he just said? How am I supposed to stay calm?!" Seething, Kang Gam-Chan tore into Yoon Dong-Gu even harder. "Your artist is in a PR crisis, and the division chief doesn't even have the sense to get up and run around trying to fix it?! That's negligence, you hear me?! Gross negligence!"

Negligence was an official charge warranting disciplinary action. At that, Vice President Kim Gwan-Woo and all those from Gwanwoo Entertainment kept completely silent.

Cornered with the disciplinary hearing just around the corner, Yoon Dong-Gu finally scrambled to justify himself. "Sir, please. This is unfair. I was just with Mr. Bok Seon-Ill, trying to calm him down and contain the situation. If the meeting hadn't been called, I'd already be out meeting reporters."

Yoon Dong-Gu was grasping at straws now.

Yet Kang Gam-Chan, an industry veteran, didn't miss a beat. "Then you should've skipped coming here and gone straight to fix the damn mess! And you could've picked up the phone and called me! Isn't that right?"

"W-well..."

Kang Gam-Chan whipped his head toward Kim Gwan-Woo, glaring. "What do you think, Vice President? You think someone this clueless and unqualified deserves to be in a chief position?"

Gritting his teeth, Kim Gwan-Woo shook his head. "N-no, sir. You're right."

"Exactly. A guy like this doesn't belong in a chief's chair. He should stick to writing songs."

"...Yes, sir."

Kim Gwan-Woo may have been on the losing side of the board, but his younger brother, Managing Director Kim Jang-Bi, was facing a three-month suspension next Monday.

So I made a deal with Kang Gam-Chan to reduce that to just one month in exchange for full support. That deal ensured Kim Gwan-Woo backed Kang Gam-Chan over Yoon Dong-Gu, isolating him completely.

With his last ally turning, Yoon Dong-Gu panicked and jumped to his feet. "I-I'll move immediately."

Only then did Kang Gam-Chan ease his tone and click his tongue. "Remember this. If those articles aren't down today, I won't be waiting for a disciplinary hearing but I'll cut your head off myself. A chief who can't protect his own artist is no chief at all. Tsk."

Yoon Dong-Gu clenched his jaw and bowed his head. "I'll take care of it. Every article will be gone by tonight."

He then rushed out of the meeting room.

Bang.

The door closed. I immediately pulled out my phone and sent a Kk Talk message.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Mr. Choi, Yoon Dong-Gu is leaving the office. Please tail him immediately.]

Buzz.

[Chief Choi Go-Yoon: Got it. I'm waiting outside. I'll follow him and keep you updated on his location.]

'That's right, Yoon Dong-Gu. Keep running around. You'll lead us straight to Bok Seon-Ill's ex-wife yourself.'

Unaware that he was walking straight into the trap I had set, Yoon Dong-Gu was only sinking deeper—closer to the end he didn't even see coming.

***

30 minutes later, a Kk Talk message came in from Choi Go-Yoon.

Ding.

[Chief Choi Go-Yoon: He stopped by Entertainment All Times, then entered Club JJ. He's carrying a bag in one hand.]

So Yoon Dong-Gu, after leaving Entertainment All Times, had gone into Club JJ—the same place where Kim Cheong-Gi had been handled just a few days earlier.

I immediately reported it to Kang Gam-Chan, then got in my car and headed alone to a back alley near Club JJ.

Click.

After parking, Choi Go-Yoon rushed over and tapped on the window. I unlocked the door, and he slid into the passenger seat, wearing a hoodie.

Tap.

"You weren't spotted during the tail, were you?" I asked.

Choi Go-Yoon shook his head. "No. He didn't suspect a thing."

"What's Yoon Dong-Gu doing now?"

"I took photos just moments ago. Have a look."

Choi Go-Yoon transferred the photos to my phone.

[File received]

In the photo, Yoon Dong-Gu was entering Club JJ's back door, head down, carrying a black bag. The next photo showed a woman in her 40s wearing sunglasses, walking in with four men in suits. It looked close, but I couldn't be certain.

I turned to Choi Go-Yoon. "Is this woman Park Hyun-Yung?"

"Her body type and face shape are similar to the photo you sent me, but she's wearing sunglasses, so I can't be sure."

"What about the four men behind her?"

"They're members of the Gangnam Reconstruction Gang. They guard Club JJ. They're probably acting as her bodyguards."

Judging by the situation, it was likely the woman was Bok Seon-Ill's ex-wife. However, there was no way to be 100% sure.

'If only we could get inside and confirm...'

"Is there any way to get in?"

"As far as I know, no. Club JJ has double doors at both the front and back. Once locked from inside, they can't be opened from the outside. It's better to wait here."

I was just about to resign myself to waiting when a face suddenly flashed through my mind.

"Ah!"

It was someone who could help in exactly this kind of situation.

"What is it?" Choi Go-Yoon asked.

I smiled. "I think I know someone who can get us the inside scoop."