"Hoo."

Mun-jong Lee blew out a long stream of cigarette smoke.

With his shoe he nudged aside the shards of glass and the papers scattered around his feet, and spoke.

"Driver Seong. You've been away a lot lately. Something keeping you busy?"

"I'm not sure what you mean…"

Ju-cheol Seong feigned ignorance and put the question back to Mun-jong Lee.

Mun-jong Lee looked at him steadily and said,

"Driver Seong. It's the first time, so I'll let it go this once. When I ask a question, you answer. You don't put my question back to me. Understood?"

Mun-jong Lee blew out another long stream of smoke and spoke again.

"All right, let's try that again. Is something keeping you busy these days? Why are you gone so much?"

Before coming up here Ju-cheol Seong had already made up his mind to play dumb whatever happened.

No matter what he was asked, the plan was to act as though he knew nothing, wriggle out of it and buy time.

So Ju-cheol Seong put on a face that said he had no idea and answered,

"There's nothing in particular. It's only that I've had things at home… If it hasn't suited you, Vice-Chairman, I'll be careful from now on."

The cigarette in his mouth, Mun-jong Lee said nothing even after Ju-cheol Seong had finished, only went on looking at him.

Ju-cheol Seong's eyes went this way and that, and then, since Mun-jong Lee said nothing, he carefully spoke first.

"If you've said everything, may I go now?"

Mun-jong Lee threw the cigarette on the floor, ground it out with his foot and said to the secretary standing beside Ju-cheol Seong,

"Change the carpet too."

"Yes. We'll have the floor redone when the office is remodeled."

Just then Mun-jong Lee gestured to a man standing opposite the secretary who had answered.

At Mun-jong Lee's signal the man drove a fist straight into Ju-cheol Seong's stomach.

Thwack.

"Urgh!"

As the fist went into his stomach Ju-cheol Seong doubled over, and in that moment another fist came at his face.

Crunch.

From the sound alone…