When Seong-ho came down from the second floor, Chief Do-beom Hwang was waiting at the foot of the stairs.

At his unusual manner, Seong-ho put on a puzzled look and asked, "Chief. Were you waiting for me?"

"Yes. The chairman says to come down to the basement."

"The basement?"

"You've never been, have you?"

Seong-ho hesitated a moment, then nodded. "No. I've only heard of it — never been."

"Right." Do-beom answered briefly and turned. "Vice-President Cha hasn't been there yet either. That's how great an expectation the chairman holds for you."

"Yes. I know. I'll work hard so as not to fall short of it."

Do-beom nodded at the answer and set off.

The basement level of Tak-hyeon's Pyeongchang-dong residence could be called a special place. Its entrance existed separately, outside the house, and it was built as a perfect sealed chamber. Since it wasn't a living space, the door always stayed firmly shut and cut off from the outside, except when Do-beom entered to sort matters out with Tak-hyeon.

"Here we are."

Coming out of the house and around to the back of the yard, Do-beom and Seong-ho stood before the door leading to the underground space. Before the firmly shut iron door, Do-beom cleared a three-stage security system of fingerprint, iris, and passcode, then opened it.

"Let's go in."

At Do-beom's word, Seong-ho went through the open door into the underground space.

Not a single window existed, yet under the bright, blazing lights, a corridor without a trace of darkness stretched before Seong-ho's eyes.

Walking that corridor, he thought, It's been a while.

Seong-ho was familiar with this place. In that former life, when Mun-jong was chairman, Seong-ho had done the very work Do-beom did now — so this space was no stranger to him.

Do-beom glanced at Seong-ho following behind with a composed air.

He must find it strange, curious…

In a space of nothing but a maze of winding, windowless corridors, he must have many questions — yet Seong-ho was calmly, quietly following behind. Watching him, Do-beom thought that suggesting to Tak-hyeon he talk things…