The Daughter of a Conglomerate Family Has Debuted - Chapter 38

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Chaebol’s Daughter Debuted

Episode 38

Moreover, he’s someone who isn’t used to dealing with reporters.

Usually, handling the media was something his eldest brother Ryu Jin-woo took care of, while Ryu Jae-geum was still busy learning the business.

On top of that, since the reporter kept poking at his younger sister and getting on his nerves, he was bound to react even more emotionally.

No matter how smart Ryu Jae-geum might be, it would be difficult for a young man in his late twenties to win a verbal battle against an experienced reporter in his forties.

So it seemed best to break the atmosphere here once.

Clack-

I put down my chopsticks and leaned my upper body forward. Then I stretched out my hand and grabbed the ballpoint pen stuck in Reporter Choi Gyo-young’s chest pocket and pulled it out.

“…”

The conversation came to an abrupt halt.

Ryu Jae-geum, who was used to me, just looked at me with an expression that said I was doing something strange again, but Reporter Choi Gyo-young visibly stiffened.

“What are you doing? Why are you taking someone else’s belongings without permission?”

It was an excessive reaction, as if he’d been hit on the back of the head by a stranger on the street.

I spoke languidly with eyes that still showed no particular interest.

“Mister, why are you getting so angry over just taking one pen?”

It was the same tone as a teenager properly equipped with rebelliousness.

“Mister-“

“Ryu Ji-ye, what kind of way of speaking is that? Don’t behave rudely and give the pen back.”

“But oppa, isn’t it ridiculous? This is a 300 won pen sold at stationery stores, and he’s glaring at me like that over this?”

Why is she acting like this again? Ryu Jae-geum was scolding me with his eyes, but I pretended not to notice and pouted while looking at the pen.

Then I paused and repeatedly rubbed the top of the pen while saying.

“I thought this was a 300 won pen, but it’s not.”

“What?”

Ryu Jae-geum tilted his head as if asking what I was talking about, and Choi Gyo-young’s face hardened even more.

“It’s a fake pen. It’s obviously a voice recorder. Mister, what is this?”

“A voice recorder?”

Then Choi Gyo-young snatched the pen from my hand and said in a shrinking voice.

“Reporters always record everything. It’s not even illegal.”

“Well, that’s true. Actually, I was recording too, so it doesn’t matter.”

I grinned and showed him my mobile phone screen. The recording app was on, blinking with red light.

So even if you maliciously manipulate the recording and spread it around, there won’t be any damage.

Well, once you’ve entered this room, you probably won’t be able to leave with any recording anyway.

“Hey, when did you turn that on…”

I pretended not to notice Ryu Jae-geum’s surprised gaze and said.

“Reporter, are you going to write an article about me?”

Choi Gyo-young answered without any hesitation.

“Of course I have to? There won’t be a bigger topic than this. Though it might change depending on how Hong Jin tries to persuade me.”

“What are you going to write? That the Hongjin Group owner’s youngest daughter participated in Start Plan?”

“Well, wouldn’t the general public understand just from writing that much? Haha.”

The daughter of Hong Jin, Start Plan’s main investor, is participating in Start Plan.

Even just releasing that much information would make the general public interpret it as he intended and spread rumors accordingly.

Then Choi Gyo-young would just need to release meaningful hints bit by bit whenever he had the chance to keep the inflated bubble from bursting.

People would show countless interest, cyber wreckers would create more fake rumors to generate views, and based on this, AI articles would pour out like crazy.

Until now, many celebrities had succumbed to him through this method, and when victims gave in, he received enormous bribes.

Throughout Choi Gyo-young’s reporter career, all of this had worked.

But you see.

“Reporter.”

I smiled brightly at Choi Gyo-young, who was still acting arrogant, and said.

“Can you handle it?”

Choi Gyo-young’s hand, which had been moving his spoon and chopsticks without rest, stopped.

In this world, there was a woman whose entire schedule was canceled and who was only mocked after refusing sponsorship just once.

But there are also those with absolute power that petty schemes and threats can’t touch.

In South Korea, one of the few families with such power is us, Hong Jin.

Choi Gyo-young touched Hong Jin just because he had the ability to shape public opinion and decent connections.

I don’t know what kind of backing he has behind him, but the certain fact is that no matter what large ship is supporting him, it won’t be greater than Hong Jin’s ship.

Looking at me smiling with the corners of my mouth raised, Choi Gyo-young opened his mouth as if he was dumbfounded.

“Are you threatening me now? A reporter, of all people?”

“Threatening? I just asked if you could handle it.”

“That’s the same-“

“Why would I threaten you over what you said? If I was going to do that, I would have taken away the voice recorder you have.”

Then, thud.

The paper door of the private room decorated with traditional Korean paper shook. As if someone had deliberately made their presence known.

Reporter Choi Gyo-young’s head automatically turned toward the door.

“…!”

Through the paper door, he could see the silhouettes of bodyguards that he hadn’t noticed when entering.

People with threatening builds were standing guard at the door.

And there weren’t just one or two of them.

“Those, those people are…”

Whatever he imagined, Choi Gyo-young’s complexion turned pale, and seeing this, Ryu Jae-geum smiled leisurely and spoke.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Those people are our staff.”

Somehow, Ryu Jae-geum’s previously furrowed brow had smoothed out.

It seemed his excitement had calmed down a bit while I was dealing with Choi Gyo-young.

“Staff… you say?”

Choi Gyo-young glanced toward the door with suspicious eyes.

Well, even if told not to worry, it would be hard to ignore those builds.

I started using my chopsticks again as if it was nothing.

Of course, I had no intention of threatening Choi Gyo-young with force or burying him.

The staff over there aren’t the kind of people Reporter Choi Gyo-young is imagining. They’re the driver, secretary, and lawyer. Kind, gentle, and mild people.

But there’s no need to kindly explain away what he’s imagining and getting scared about on his own.

‘He’s watched too many dramas.’

If we wanted to solve this with money, we could easily do so, but would we really bury someone over such a trivial matter?

“Handle, what exactly do you mean by being able to handle…”

Choi Gyo-young asked with his spirit completely broken. Oh my, suddenly putting down his spoon?

I guess all sorts of extreme chaebol dramas are flashing through his mind?

Ryu Jae-geum quietly looked at me. This time he seemed to be watching what I would say without stepping forward.

I smiled brightly and said.

“What do you mean? The Start Plan cast members’ profiles will be revealed soon anyway.”

“…”

“Reporter, you found out about me quickly too, so once the profiles are released, won’t everyone know even without an article?”

It’s just a prediction, but it will probably spread really quickly. Even if not the viewers, other reporters besides Choi Gyo-young will smell it and write articles.

‘Everyone will find out eventually anyway.’

A controversy that had to be gone through at least once, something like that.

Therefore, Choi Gyo-young’s threats actually had no impact on me at all.

There was no reason to be rude and meet with him. Even so, the reason I wanted to meet Choi Gyo-young was for a different purpose.

“Since you tried to attack me with information that doesn’t particularly matter if it’s revealed and will soon lose its rarity.”

“No, I wasn’t trying to attack, I was…”

When I stretched out my hand again, Choi Gyo-young shut his mouth tight. I pulled out the voice recorder that had gone back into his chest pocket once more.

Unlike before, this time he didn’t snatch it away irritably but just looked at me with a stiff face.

I fiddled with the ballpoint pen and pressed the button at the end with a click- to stop the recording.

Then I said.

“Are you confident you can handle being at odds with Hong Jin from the start all by yourself?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————