Do-beom studied Tak-hyeon's face carefully and asked, "Shall I look into it a bit more?"

"No, that's fine."

Setting aside the sour taste, Tak-hyeon signaled to Do-beom that it wasn't necessary.

Knowing well how rare it was for Tak-hyeon to be this unsettled by something, Do-beom pressed him once more. "The things you've called unsettling have always turned out to have a problem, haven't they? It's not too late even now, so I'll take another look. In the rush to check, I only confirmed the debt within the formal sector — but if I grasp the private loan market, the secondary financial sector, and inter-group debt as well, I'll be able to confirm the details more thoroughly."

"You would, yes. If there were time, that would certainly be the right thing to do." Tak-hyeon nodded without unfolding his crossed arms. Then, presently, he shook his head. "But that's not what I'm uneasy about."

"Sorry? You weren't worried that Dubo Steel has a lot of hidden debt?"

"Dubo Steel is a company already destined to fail."

"Destined?"

Do-beom looked at him with a startled face.

Still with his arms folded, Tak-hyeon said, "What kind of man is Chairman Jeong of Dubo? If he can lay hands on money, he's the kind who'll bribe his way into pulling loans from the banks. He did prison time for exactly that and still didn't stop doing the same thing — a madman, that far gone. And a man like that stretched out his hand not to a bank but to us? Handing over a stake, no less?"

Tak-hyeon curled the corner of his mouth up. "It means he's reached the point where he can't borrow from the banks. Does a company like that seem sound to you? Even if we pour investment in, its going under is as good as decided."

"Surely… it wouldn't be that bad?"

"No. It's that bad."

At the answer full of conviction, Do-beom felt puzzled. "Then shouldn't we not put money in? Since we might not recover it."

"The company going under and failing to recover the money we…