Chapter 32 : Not spy (certification)

The misunderstanding was easily resolved.

“P-Please listen to this.”

Baek Ji-hyeok had turned on automatic call recording.

After examining the recording file, it turned out that the call button had been accidentally pressed.

Baek Ji-hyeok, you survived because you used a SeoSeong phone instead of an Apple.

Thanks to this, Baek Ji-hyeok was found innocent.

“Um, I apologize. We were being sensitive…”

As CEO Cha tried to smooth things over, Miley, who was beside me, bowed her head deeply.

“I apologize, Player Baek Ji-hyeok. I was rude and made assumptions. I sincerely apologize.”

Baek Ji-hyeok was rather startled by Miley, who had been acting so stiff until now, bowing her head at a 90-degree angle.

“Oh, no. It’s also my fault for dialing 111 in the first place…”

“But it was wrong of me to doubt you without cause.”

“P-Please, raise your head. It’s alright…”

Well, at least Miley has become a child who readily apologizes when she’s wrong.

Yes. That’s how you become a better person.

Hoping that Miley would someday escape her troubled situation, I turned my head and asked Deputy Director Cha.

“Let’s set aside who reported it for now. How did the NIS know about the relationship between our company and me and contact us?”

“I think they tracked the location of the virtual machine. Since it’s related to espionage, they might have just conducted surveillance…”

“Ah.”

Well, that makes sense….

I’ll address this part separately. And then…

“What did they say when they contacted you?”

“Ah, about that…”

CEO Cha scratched the back of his head and said with a bewildered expression.

“They want you to explain your money, Chairman.”

“What?”

“They seemed to know that the Chairman being an AI or whatever was nonsense. However, now… about the company and the source of the Chairman’s capital, that was the issue. They asked if it was illegal funds from an enemy state.”

What in the world is this?

As I looked dumbfounded, CEO Cha glanced at Baek Ji-hyeok and then approached me slightly, saying.

“W-Well, it seems like… it’s just a tax issue.”

“Tax?”

“Earlier, we received an official letter from the National Tax Service… This, um… Chairman. Was it you who recently won the US Super Powerball as the sole winner…?”

“…”

“They say you brought it into the country, so you need to pay taxes on the winnings.”

At those words, I closed my eyes for a moment and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Then, I took a deep breath.

And shouted with all my might.

“These damn bastards have lost their minds!!!”

*

First, I told Baek Ji-hyeok that we would talk more later and sent him away. He seemed happy for some reason, I don’t know why.

After that, I immediately called David.

I even used the burner phone that CEO Cha had, just in case. If they’re tapping this too, then, whatever.

“But why do you have a burner phone?”

“Ah, that… I got tangled up in something bad a while back and ended up getting it. Ha, haha.”

After some back and forth, David rushed to TS Media and said to me with a stiff face.

“I’m here, Chairman.”

His usually neatly styled hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had come in a hurry. He took a light breath and shook his head as if he didn’t understand.

“Actually, I personally don’t understand why this is a problem. All of the Chairman’s cash brought into the country was legally tax-minimized and reported, wasn’t it? Why is it subject to Korean taxation when it was invested as a corporation in the US…”

Then, CEO Cha, who was standing next to him, shrugged.

“Well, that’s just how Joseon is. Tax minimization or tax evasion. That’s not determined by the law, but by the National Tax Service.”

Then Miley approached me slightly.

“I will help too.”

“Huh? Miley?”

What does that mean? Just as I was tilting my head, David’s face lit up slightly.

“Ah, right. Butler McKee’s family connections would include some international lawyers. Even if not, we can get some help thanks to your father.”

“Miley’s family?”

I turned my head, wondering if I was the only one who didn’t understand, but CEO Cha didn’t seem to understand either. Then, David narrowed his eyes and looked at me intently.

“…Did you still not read the personal documents I gave you back then? Butler McKee’s family is a French legal family. Her father is currently a member of the National Assembly.”

“Ah. I see.”

Well, it’s a good thing if it helps.

Then CEO Cha raised his hand slightly.

“But. In Joseon, it would be better to just use Park & Jung. It’s not like our country listens to foreigners. Besides, national pride is very strong right now…”

“There must be international lawyers there too.”

Miley and David started whispering to each other, leaving CEO Cha behind. As for me, I don’t know much about that field, so I have no way to intervene.

“…”

CEO Cha, who had been watching them silently, let out a sigh and shook his leg slightly. I felt that he was contemplating something and approached him.

“Do you have something you want to say?”

“Ah, no. Haha.”

“Tell me. What, are you afraid I’ll fire you for saying something stupid now? It’s too late for that.”

Then, CEO Cha rolled his eyes and spoke carefully.

“Actually, there… is a way to solve this.”

“What is it?”

When I asked nonchalantly, CEO Cha’s expression changed in various ways. It was an expression that seemed very uncomfortable and awkward, as if he didn’t want to say it but had to.

“Chairman, as you know… I once helped put a retired person in prison.”

“‘Former President’, yes. I know.”

“Well, um. At that time, I didn’t intend to do that. I was just digging around without much thought, and this kept coming out, and it turned out to be a military supply corruption scandal involving the president, you see?”

At that, Miley and David turned their heads to look at CEO Cha. CEO Cha, unaware that he was being watched by the two, continued to roll his eyes and said.

“But, I was just going to bury it. How could a nobody like me expose something like that? How can you expose President Seungjeon’s military supply corruption? I could get myself killed.”

“You’re dragging this out too much. Please tell me in one go.”

“Ah, yes. The person who came to me at that time and suggested that I expose it is now the floor leader of the ruling party.”

“…”

“He said he would help me once later because I helped overturn the regime… Should I contact him? Anyway, I believe the Chairman will take care of my life…”

I grabbed the shoulder of CEO Cha, who was laughing, and said.

“Do it now.”

*

Thanks to CEO Cha, the work was finished absurdly easily.

“Well, it’s resolved.”

The issues raised by the NIS and the National Tax Service disappeared. The NIS even apologized and gave me a gift. Well, an apology is essential since they treated a normal person like a spy.

I examined the watch that the NIS gave me as compensation. It doesn’t look particularly special. Why is it the absolute watch?

David burst into laughter upon seeing the situation resolved.

“…This is truly a strange country. I think I understand a little why my parents immigrated.”

“I agree.”

Miley also just tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

At that, CEO Cha smiled slyly. It was an expression that seemed to say, ‘Ah, do you not know this?’.

“Well, both Butler McKee and CEO Kim are foreigners. I’ve lived in Korea all my life, so I don’t find this particularly strange.”

“Ah, I didn’t mean to be derogatory.”

“No, I’m saying I’m used to it, not that I don’t think it’s strange. Well, it will get better, right? The economy has actually improved. When I was a student, it was chaotic because of the war, but since the annexation of Manchuria, it’s been growing continuously…”

“Ah, back then…”

It seemed like a reminiscence was about to begin, so I lightly clapped my hands to gather people’s attention.

“Okay, okay, stop the local broadcasting. David, do you have any reports for today?”

“There was nothing other than what I regularly give.”

“Then find our legal representative… Park & Jung? And connect them to Miley.”

“To Butler McKee?”

“Yes. Miley will be in charge of legally blocking attacks against me, my broadcasts, and my company in Korea, including cases like today. Miley, can you do it?”

Miley nodded at those words.

“Yes, Master.”

Miley doesn’t have a lawyer’s license, unlike her family. But she has enough experience in auditing, execution, and disposal.

Originally, the first seat nun of the Order is the ‘Inquisitor’.

If I give her a group of lawyers, she’ll do a good job.

…Especially that troublemaker who reported me this time. I will definitely sue that bastard and make him suffer.

“Okay, then it seems like it’s mostly settled. David, you can go.”

“Alright. Chairman.”

After David left. I leaned back in my executive chair, feeling tired. After drinking the bottled water that Miley handed me, I spun the chair around and asked CEO Cha.

“I checked the internet this time, and it seems that revealing your face in virtual doesn’t mean anything unless you do live cam broadcasts?”

“Yes. That’s how it is with virtuals. Because the technology is so advanced, it’s hard to tell the difference now… Instead, it seems like the focus has shifted more to content. The days when people would watch just because you were pretty or handsome, like in the old days, are over.”

CEO Cha glanced at my expression and added.

“To reach the goal the Chairman wants, live cam is a given, to begin with. But let’s proceed according to the plan. It’s difficult to reveal it now.”

“No, no. I have no intention of doing that. I trust CEO Cha’s judgment, so we have to follow the planned steps.”

I answered like that, took out a blank sheet of paper from the table, and scribbled something with the pen next to it.

“My gender is practically revealed through my voice already, right? Then if I just don’t show my face, it won’t interfere with the plan, right?”

“Yes, well. Right?”

“Hmm. Then.”

I put on the watch that the NIS person gave me as a gift or an apology, I’m not sure which.

-Clink-

Then I lifted it up and showed my wrist to Deputy Director Cha.

“This?”

Then CEO Cha looked at me blankly, and then burst out laughing.

“Wow, this is. You’re a genius. That’s a great idea.”

I smiled and took out my smartphone.

“I know.”

-Click!

*

▣ Sno.1 Is there anyone who reported to the NIS?

[A photo of a slender woman’s wrist wearing an NIS watch. Next to it is written, ‘Sno.1 will be live streaming on Pachikik. Please subscribe, like, and turn on notifications.’]

Spy where

─ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─Ah, the NIS is also a spy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─Isn’t that the old absolute watch? Or did she buy it somewhere?

└It’s not that expensive, so she probably just bought it, right?

└It costs about 70,000 to 80,000 won, I think

└No, that’s a genuine one. It used to be graded. They gave domestic company products for ordinary reports, and for cases like catching real spies, they gave luxury company products with logos.

└It’s real; it’s this product [link to watch company]

└ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ

─So what is it? She’s not an AI or a commie, but she’s a woman?

└I don’t know

└Probably

└Let’s just keep saying she’s a commie AI.

└?

└Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I don’t know, let’s just say she’s a communist robot ㅋㅋㅋ

─So if I type Sno.1 on Pachikik, will it show up?

└Yes

└Sno.1 is live streaming on Pachikik~ Please subscribe, like, and turn on notifications~

└Okay