“Father...who?” questioned Woobin with the rise of an inquisitive eyebrow.

 

Without giving an immediate answer, Changmin remained focused on the call and continued to speak to Jin.

 

“And you’re absolutely certain of this? That he is behind the corruption here?”

 

“Mr. Kiriti was... reluctant to answer our questions. But after no small amount of convincing on our part, he gave up the name easily. The details; of how deep the man’s influence has been, his intentions, or his crimes; however, have yet to be revealed. I fear that excising that information may take a little more time than I originally expected.”

 

“Very well,” sighed Changmin, obviously frustrated by the lack of immediate details. “Until further notice, you may continue to deal with Mr. Kiriti as you see fit.”

 

“We need that information, Jin,” he concluded bluntly.

 

“And you will have it, Mr. Shim, Mr. Jung. I guarantee it,” Jin replied before disconnecting the call.

 

With a sigh of unwilling acceptance, Changmin slumped back against his chair once more and rubbed his temple. The headache that had been brewing for hours was suddenly on the verge of turning into a migraine. Making him feel more irritated and frustrated than ever before.

 

“So...” ventured Woobin after a moment of apprehensive silence. “Who exactly is this Father person?”

 

“And,” he added, turning to look at Yunho expectantly. “Why do I get the feeling that the two of you know him... intimately.”

 

“We’ve had no dealings with Jin Taek, directly,” Yunho answered, dismissing the unspoken accusation with a wave of his hand. “But his name is not known to us. Nor are his former dealings.”

 

“Care to clarify?” countered Donghae.

 

Without a word of answer, Yunho motioned to Changmin with an opened palm. Giving him the unspoken order to speak about what they knew.

 

“The man is a religious zealot.” spat Changmin with disdain. “A stain on this world, who really should be eradicated with expediency.”

 

“That bad?” countered Woobin with a sudden look of worry on his face.

 

“He didn’t use to be,” Yunho chimed in, trying to keep the mood in the room as calm as possible. “But time, and the pursuit of power, can corrupt even those with good intentions. And usually do.”

 

“Jin Taek was no exception.”

 

“He was the rule,” Changmin countered in irritation. “On the surface, to those who meet him, the bastard comes off as a pious man. Full of compassion and empathy for even the poorest of the poor and claiming that he’s dedicated his life to nothing but the betterment of all mankind.”

 

“But it’s all a smoke screen, a manipulation of religious ideology and belief, used to hide what he truly is.”

 

“What is he?” Woobin asked.

 

“A vile hypocrite who would do anything for his power, his greed, and his inherent need to laud his superiority over every living thing.”

 

“He believes he is an instrument for God. Anointed and raised up into this world to rule in his stead. He believes himself righteous before all others and that his every act; no matter how cruel; is justified in God’s eyes.”

 

“Because he was destined to rule.”

 

“But what does his religious fundamentalism have to do with messing with our company?” countered Donghae. “I don’t get the correlation.”

 

“Jin Taek’s delusion of status is only a symptom of his personality, a look into the man he is at his core,” Yunho explained. “But what he does behind closed doors, far away from the prying eyes of the public, is all too familiar to us.”

 

“Ah,” nodded Donghae. “I see.”

 

“To clarify further,” Changmin noted, leveling a look at Yunho. “I believe a little history lesson is in order.”

 

“Go ahead, then.”

 

“If it's not already obvious by the name,” Changmin began to explain. “Father Kim Jin Taek is of Korean descent. Born and raised in Seoul. His father was once the owner of a well-known consulting firm. Not quite Fortune 500 by today’s standards, but influential nonetheless. That is until his sudden and mysterious death in the mid-eighties.”

 

“After nearly two years of being embroiled in a power struggle to arrest control of the company from their board of directors, Jin Taek; the eldest son; eventually won and took over.”

 

“And promptly began to build a criminal empire that would rival even the worst mob families in all of Asia.”

 

“Bolstered by his pious religiosity, he extended his reach far and wide and did whatever he wanted with no fear of reprisals from either the state, the people, or the competing families. All while living under the public persona of a good, moral man who could do no wrong.”

 

“He was high on life, high on power, full of self-justified righteous indignation, and believed he could never fail.”

 

“But, you know what they say about those who dare to fly too close to the sun...” Yunho quipped flatly. “They are sure to fall.”

 

“And he did... almost spectacularly.” nodded Changmin. “Though the details were not publically known, many in our circles knew what had happened, what line he managed to cross to put his life and his freedom in danger.”

 

“In an act of self-protection, he fled South Korea and disappeared before the prosecutor’s office could act. His company was, however, summarily seized by governmental regulators and dissolved. All his accrued capital and assets were liquidated, and all funds generated were absorbed back into the governmental budgets that would best utilize them.”

 

“In a matter of days, Jin Taek went from one of the most powerful and richest mob bosses in South Korea to a wanted man with an exorbitant price on his head. The payer: not only our government but the heads of numerous clans across the region, as well.”

 

“Wow,” said Donghae in dismay. “What the hell did do?”

 

“We’d rather not get into the weeds with this,” Yunho spoke up, not wanting to relive the details of such horrible incidents again. “Let’s just say that their anger was more than justified and leave it at that.”

 

“Oh... Ok.” the man stammered before turning back to Changmin. “Sorry, please continue Min.”

 

“For nearly a decade, there he remained. In self-imposed exile. His whereabouts unknown to all.” sighed Changmin before clarifying further. “Most thought him dead, having taken his life out of some selfish need for martyrdom. Others hoped someone managed to come across him and took him out without any fanfare. But there was no news, no sitings, nor any inclinations that he was still alive.”

 

“Until the rumors of a new faction making waves among the major Thai families began to circulate.”

 

“They call themselves The Coterie of Seven, but the implication that there is some significance to its name is simply another smoke screen. The name invokes a coalition of some sort, but in fact, it’s just Jin Taek’s flagrant attempt to return to the criminal underworld with the same sense of flair he’s always had. An attempt to stoke fear, and invoke a mysterious nature, that gives others pause –and time to doubt.”

 

“Did it work?” asked Donghae.

 

“Unfortunately, yes. With his charismatic nature, he was able to coerce and convince many to come to his side. And in the span of three years, he managed to enshrine a fairly lucrative syndicate under his complete control. His organization is not as powerful as many of the more established families in Thailand, but even they still give Jin Taek a wide birth for the most part. Based solely on his reputation alone.”

 

“And the Korean government has... what? Just left him here, untouched, to do whatever he wants?” countered Woobin. “That can’t be right, can it?”

 

“No, they are fully aware of it,” clarified Changmin further. “But when it comes to international governmental cooperation and extradition, in cases like this, well... its easier said than done.”

 

“Jin Taek has managed to curry enough favor among the political landscape in Thailand that not many dare to turn traitor. As they, themselves, are far too embroiled in his machinations to come away clean –should their involvement be made publically known.”

 

“To put it plainly, he’s got his hands into so many pockets that the Thai government has no real chance of locking down any credible charges.”

 

“And even if they did, the courts here would just slap him on the wrist,” added Yunho. “And let him go.”

 

“He’s got the courts in his back pocket too?” countered Woobin.

 

“As do most of the major families in Thailand,” noted Changmin.

 

“Then, what are we going to do about this?” sighed Donghae. “We can’t just let this insult go unanswered.”

 

“The answer to that is tentative,” answered Changmin with a sigh of his own. “Until we get further details from Jin’s team, we can’t really make any moves on our own.”

 

“However,” he added, turning his attention back to Yunho. “We might want to reach out to the Saitong family’s head.”

 

“We’ve cultivated a good rapport with Brother Thong over the last few years. He’s a fairly amenable fellow; when push comes to shove; and has a known distaste for Jin Taek. He may be willing to give us some insight into the current status among the clans here. Perhaps even a lead or two...”

 

“That is, for the right price of course. Extortion is his bread and butter, after all.”

 

“We’ll cross that road when we have to. For now, our best bet is to make the initial contact and see what he’s willing to tolerate,” noted Yunho, though his expression seemed to go cold at the thought. “Until then we’ll continue combing through the company's records and wait to see what Jin finds out from Mr. Kiriti.”

 

“As for Jin Taek, himself, Min I want you to put your people on it.” he continued. “We may not get any leads right away but I am certain that if we stir the right pot we’ll find what we're looking for eventually.”

 

“Jin Taek has never been known for subtlety. If there are rumors of his goings-on, I want to know about it.”

 

“Understood,” nodded Changmin.

 

“As for the rest of this,” Yunho said as he motioned to all the files and paperwork lying on the desk. “I think it will keep until the morning. It’s late. We’ve all had a long day. Let’s call it for the night and pick it up back in the morning.”

 

“Are you sure Mr. Jung? It's only nine.” countered Woobin.

 

“I’m sure. We all need a break.” he nodded.

 

“And food,” noted Changmin.

 

“Well, if it is alright with you, I would like to stay a little longer and finish looking over these last few reports,” answered Woobin as he shook the folder in his hand for emphasis. “This ledger in particular has me slightly baffled. If I put it down now, it will be bothering me all night and I won't get much sleep.”

 

“I wouldn’t mind staying a bit longer myself,” agreed Donghae.

 

“Very well,” answered Yunho as he got up from his chair and slipped his suit jacket back on. “But do not stay too late. I fear we will have a lot to deal with in the morning and you both still need to sleep, let alone eat.”

 

“We won’t overdo it.” nodded Woobin with an appreciative smile. “We’ll order something in, don’t worry.”

 

“Ok... Min?” Yunho questioned as he began to maneuver his way around the desk. “You coming along?”

 

“Yes,” he answered as he stood and began to grab his things.

 

After a few quick goodbyes, Changmin and Yunho headed downstairs to the company car waiting for them outside. After they settled in and instructed the driver to take them back to the hotel, Changmin turned to Yunho with a concerned expression.

 

“This is bad,” he stated matter of factly. “Jin Taek’s cruelty is well documented. No one just defies his will. If he is truly the one behind this, we’re going to have hell on our hands.”

 

“I know,” Yunho sighed heavily. “But, Donghae is right. I cannot allow Jin Taek to get away with this without reprisal.”

 

“To do so would diminish our reputation, offering up an open invitation to anyone who would want to interfere. It would leave us vulnerable to the manipulation of any number of clans willing to go for the throat.”

 

“We cannot empower them, Min, not under any circumstance.”

 

“Agreed,” Changmin nodded. “It took us far too long to establish ourselves and cultivate the influence we now have, to ignore the insult would only make us look weak.”

 

“But, I still advise caution, Yunho,” warned Changmin. “You and I both know how vicious he is and what he is willing to do, especially if he feels he’s been insulted.”

 

“If he couldn’t even afford his own wife mercy, we cannot expect him to know any sense of honor.”

 

“And that’s what makes him formidable.” agreed Yunho with a deep sigh. “A man who loves none but himself can never be trusted to be reasoned with.”

 

“As much as I hate to admit it,” he added. “We will need Brother Thong in this.”

 

“But you know what price he will ask of you,” countered Changmin worriedly. “Are you willing to pay it...again?”

 

“No,” Yunho answered, shaking his head. “But if it must come to that, then... I will...I will have to consider it.”

 

“Is the Thailand branch that important?” Changmin scoffed, knowing full well what Thong would demand of them. “Cause, at this point, I’m leaning more towards the ‘scrap the whole operation’ train of thought. Rather than making you go through that again.”

 

“As you’ve said, if Jin Taek is really involved, then it's not even about the branch anymore,” Yunho answered. “It will be impossible to just let this go, or overlook it. We will have to deal with it, one way or another.”

 

“Yunho,” Changmin frowned. “I don’t like this.”

 

“Is that a formal complaint, I hear?” he countered, trying to lighten the mood ever so slightly.

 

“It is,” Changmin nodded, not taking the bait. “And for the record, I’m formally protesting against you going anywhere near Brother Thong on your own.”

 

“We don’t need history to repeat itself.”

 

“In that,” mumbled Yunho as he leaned back against the seat and let out another sigh of frustration. “We agree.”

 

“Good.”

 

In such understanding, the pair fell silent for the rest of the drive. Looking inward, both contemplated their thoughts about the day’s events and the eventualities that were sure to come as their time in Bangkok carried on.

 

For Yunho, the entirety of the situation was much more dire than he would have expected. Naively he’d assumed that the corruption at the Thai branch had been simply born of Mr. Kiriti’s desire and greed, that it was something so based that it could be easily fixed. But with the inclusion of Jin Taek and the threat that his presence implied, it was quickly becoming dangerously more complicated than he had ever expected.

 

Yunho knew that no matter how much they explained to Woobin and Donghae, neither of the two would truly understand the gravity of their predicament. How could they? To all, they were simply two executives in a well-known company, known for its profits and influence, whose reputation was exemplary in every aspect. None could know that, though their company was in fact mostly on the level, there were still elements of the business that would be considered questionable at best, illegal at worst.

 

Yunho was no stranger to this dichotomy. His father’s views on business had not been the most moral, but with his acquisition of its leadership, Yunho had done his best to faze out most of the more troublesome dealings left in his father’s wake. Though some ventures could never be excised completely, he did his best to keep the more seedier parts of life in check and muted as much as possible. He had hoped that he would be in a place where he could simply allow that part of the company to fade into the distant past, but there were just some things he would be forced to contend with, no matter if he wanted to or not.

 

And his associations with Brother Thong, and the Saitong family, were no exception. That was a bridge he would have gladly given his life to burn, yet in no way would that truly even end the connection he had been forced to bear. And all because the man didn’t dare to ignore that which he wanted most.

 

Eventually, the pair arrived at the hotel just after ten. The lobby was rather quiet, with only a few staff on duty, and though Yunho would have liked nothing more than to just go to bed he gives in when Changmin reminds him that they should have dinner. Neither of them had the time to eat anything properly all day and for once, Yunho was grateful for the reminder.

 

Bypassing the elevators, Yunho and Changmin headed to the hotel restaurant. Inside they were greeted by a lovely-looking young woman in the establishment’s crisp black and white uniform, a cordial smile on her face.

 

“Good evening, Sirs. Would you like a table or a private room?” she questioned cheerfully.

 

“Private,” Yunho replied. “If you’d please.”

 

“Right this way,” she instructed as she stepped away from the maitre-d’s station and motioned them to follow.

 

Once settled, and their order was made, the young woman took her leave. Allowing both Yunho and Changmin the privacy they had expected of such a request. Pleasantly, the hotel’s décor suited its atmosphere. Mirroring the aesthetics of a traditional-style Japanese restaurant, the artwork, furniture, and overall vibe was comfortable. Making Yunho feel even more confident that their choice to grab a bite to eat was a good one.

 

The meal came and though neither of them was overly hungry they took their time, enjoying both the food and each others’ company in hopes of finding some respite from the irritation of the day. They fell back into easy conversations, discussing this and that, while deliberately avoiding any topic related to the problems they were currently facing.

 

Eventually, at Changmin’s request, alcohol was introduced into the mix. And though Yunho wasn’t really in the mood to drink, he placated Changmin for a little while. Sipping on his aged bourbon as Changmin downed a few glasses of rather expensive wine. But it wasn’t too long before his friend’s cheerfulness and good mood faltered. A fault of the wine, he was sure. And Changmin decided he would head back up to his room to rest. Yunho nodded and sent him on his way, relaying that he simply wanted to remain for a little longer and enjoy the rest of his drink.

 

At Changmin’s exit, the room fell silent once more and Yunho reveled it in. It wasn’t often when he could simply relax and exist without being bothered by someone or something. Even at home, he was never truly alone. There were bodyguards and staff; those who did the cooking, cleaning, and driving; and even in the quietest moments, there was always this looming acknowledgment that he merely needed to round a corner before being greeted by someone who worked for him.

 

In many ways, that eventuality was a comfort, but in others; in times of a desperate need for solitude; it was more of a burden than most would realize.

 

As the remains of his drink began to dwindle, moment by moment, Yunho resigned himself to the fact that his evening was coming to a close. That, no matter how much he wished he could stay for even another hour, he would have no choice but to follow suit and concede to Changmin’s own decision to retire for the evening. There would be much to do in the morning and in the days to come, and sacrificing his sleep to relax further would undoubtedly put even more stress upon him than he was willing to endure. There was simply no way around it, he needed to call it a night.

 

Accepting that fact, Yunho downed the last of his glass and turned his attention to his discarded suit jacket draped on an empty chair beside him. As he reached for it, he suddenly heard a strange voice echo from a nearby room.

 

“And you’re certain of this?” a man questioned.

 

For a moment the room seemed to go silent, allowing Yunho to acknowledge the fact that he had begun to hear the low mumbling of a conversation a few minutes ago and had selectively ignored it. But now that a voice had been raised, his attention couldn’t be helped but be drawn by it.

 

“I can assure you, it's true,” another man said, his tone full of what sounded like fear. “I am certain of it, Mr. Kim.”

 

Yunho’s heart instantly dropped into his stomach.

 

“Mr. Kim?”