Return of the Genius Photographer

Shin Youngman’s eyes darted back and forth between Chairman Han Gun-ho and Woojin.

‘What’s going on?’

How does this kid have a connection with Chairman Han Gun-ho?

The situation was baffling.

‘Ah… the rookie photographer exhibition?’

Desperately racking his brain, he recalled a story his secretary had mentioned.

Woojin had participated in the rookie photographer exhibition hosted by Hansung Group as part of a charity event…

‘But even so, this situation is strange…’

Still, something felt off.

Other than that, there shouldn’t have been any connection…

Why was Chairman Han suddenly talking about cutting off his sponsorship?

As Shin Youngman stood there, unsure of what to do…

“You two know each other, right?”

Chairman Han Gun-ho asked Shin Youngman.

“Nam Woojin is a photographer I hold in high regard.”

His voice was low, carrying an edge.

It felt like…

A white tiger growling softly.

“I-Is that so?”

From the moment he arrived, something felt wrong.

No, ever since he received that sudden call from Chairman Han, he had a bad feeling…

Shin Youngman, who had responded to Chairman Han, couldn’t continue speaking.

He knew he had to say something to change Chairman Han’s mind about cutting the sponsorship.

But he also felt that if he said even one wrong word here, his head might roll right then and there.

Shin Youngman, thoroughly cowed, kept his head down and stared at his wine glass.

The table fell silent due to Shin Youngman’s silence.

―Thud!

Breaking the stillness, Chairman Han set his glass down with a loud ‘thud.’

“I heard you’ve been throwing your weight around.”

At his accusatory tone, Shin Youngman flinched and stammered.

“C-Chairman, it’s not like that…”

Then, Chairman Han Gun-ho’s overwhelming presence intensified as he pressed further.

“Are you trying to challenge me to a power struggle right now?”

Shin Youngman, pale as a sheet under the weight of his charisma, bowed his head to the table and begged.

“Chairman! I’ve committed a grave sin!”

To Shin Youngman, this high-end restaurant felt no different from an execution ground.

Trembling with fear and anxiety, Shin Youngman could only watch as Chairman Han Gun-ho looked at him like he was less than trash and spoke to his secretary, who had been standing quietly behind him.

“Bring it.”

The secretary immediately pulled out a stack of papers from his bag.

He placed the stack in front of Shin Youngman.

As Shin Youngman, now ashen-faced, looked on in confusion, the secretary added an explanation.

“This is a detailed report on the financial operations of the Korean Photographers Association, as investigated by Hansung Group.”

“H-How…?”

“We didn’t even investigate deeply, but the misuse of funds was glaringly obvious.”

His tone was icy cold.

The secretary looked at Shin Youngman with something close to contempt.

As the secretary finished, Chairman Han Gun-ho drove the final nail into the coffin.

“I didn’t sponsor you so you could line your own pockets.”

“T-That money was for nurturing new talent…”

“Why do you need golf club memberships, luxury imported cars, and high-end goods for nurturing new talent?”

“T-That’s…”

Shin Youngman clammed up like a mute who had eaten honey.

“Chairman! I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again!”

“No, you’ve lost your chance. They say the position makes the person, but…”

Chairman Han Gun-ho shook his head.

“That’s not always true. When someone unqualified like you takes a position, this kind of mess always follows.”

Then, as if amused by the situation, he smiled.

“You’ve already made an enemy of me.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll be taking legal action against the Korean Photographers Association soon.”

Shin Youngman stared at the chairman in terror.

“I never let anyone who wastes even a single won of my money off the hook.”

“Chairman, please…”

“We’ll strip everything away and expose all the corruption. The charges won’t stop at just one or two.”

The chairman slowly listed Shin Youngman’s crimes.

“Embezzlement, breach of trust, coercion… You’d better prepare yourself.”

“Chairman, I-I’m truly sorry. I must have lost my mind for a moment…”

Shin Youngman tried to cling to Chairman Han’s coattails, but…

The secretary blocked his path…

As the icy atmosphere weighed heavily on the room…

“Chairman, the food’s getting cold.”

Woojin broke the silence, signaling the end of the confrontation.

“Ah, you’re right. Let’s send the unwanted guest away and enjoy our meal.”

Then, as if nothing had happened, Chairman Han Gun-ho smiled and began chatting with Woojin.

“I, I…”

Shin Youngman, now sidelined and denied even a chance to defend himself, tried to speak.

“Why are you still here?”

Chairman Han Gun-ho glared at Shin Youngman as if to silence him.

Realizing there was no hope, Shin Youngman finally left without another word.

***

Shin Youngman’s misfortune didn’t end there.

A few days after his meeting with Chairman Han Gun-ho…

Just as the chairman had warned, lawsuits began pouring into the association.

‘Damn it…’

Shin Youngman thought of Woojin as he looked at the pile of legal documents.

That cheeky brat who had smirked and said, “This is just the beginning…”

Had he messed with someone he shouldn’t have?

It felt like he had poked a hornet’s nest…

He was terrified of what might come next.

But, if there was any silver lining…

Several days had passed since the documents arrived, and nothing else had happened.

During that time, Shin Youngman had prepared for the worst, laundering money and stashing emergency funds.

Even if something happened to the association, he had a way to protect himself.

He even began to hope that if things stayed quiet and the lawsuits were resolved, everything might blow over.

But…

His hopes were shattered almost immediately.

“Chairman, we have a huge problem!”

Shin Youngman’s secretary burst into his office, shouting urgently.

“What’s going on?”

“We’ve been reported in foreign media!”

“Foreign media? What are you talking about?”

Confused by the sudden news, Shin Youngman tilted his head as the secretary turned on the computer and searched for the articles.

Then, right before Shin Youngman’s eyes…

Articles from various foreign magazines about the association appeared.

― The country of the genius photographer discovered at the Arles Photography Festival: The reality of the powerful association and its victims in Korea.

― The reality faced by Korean photographers is higher than the threshold of Arles.

― How the Korean Photographers Association destroys new talent.

With blatant headlines, Shin Youngman’s face—with only his eyes cleverly obscured—was plastered across the cover.

‘Ah, so this is it…’

As he read through the articles, Shin Youngman finally understood the situation.

“This is just the beginning.”

That’s what he had meant…

Shin Youngman’s gaze remained fixed on the articles targeting him.

― …This is the content of a handwritten letter from Kai, sent by the Oswald Agency.

— I have been threatened by the Korean Photographers Association, making it impossible for me to continue meaningful activities in Korea.

— I want to escape the threats, but it’s overwhelming for an individual to stand against an organization with so much authority.

― Even now, countless photographers in Korea are suffering under the association’s schemes.

― Please help.

― Kai.

“What the… hell is this!”

Bang!

Furious at the content of the articles, Shin Youngman slammed his fist on the table instead of the monitor.

“What are you doing? Get those articles taken down!”

“But… it’s foreign media. We have no influence there, and trying to take action might just provoke them further…”

“Do something, damn it!”

Frustration boiling over, he yelled at his secretary, but Shin Youngman knew there was no easy solution.

The articles had already spread, and domestic media had caught wind of it.

The number of views on the articles was skyrocketing, and the comments were in chaos.

―Isn’t this an international disgrace?

―What do you expect from an association? They’re all dirty.

―This is why people say if Einstein had been born in Korea, he’d just be a low-education loser.

―This country doesn’t deserve geniuses.

―Photographer Nam Woojin, it’s not too late. Escape Hell Joseon and naturalize somewhere else.

“Ha… damn it…”

It was already too late for Shin Youngman to do anything.

No, even if he had acted sooner, could he have stopped it?

Woojin’s attack was too devastating for the association.

Anxious, Shin Youngman gnawed at his nails.

‘No, we can just issue a rebuttal and lay low for a while. If we drag this into a mudslinging fight, the public will forget soon enough.’

Desperately trying to think of a solution, he was interrupted.

“Wow, nice office.”

“Right? This is no joke.”

Two men walked into Shin Youngman’s office.

They were massive, their suits straining against their muscular frames, looking like twins.

“Who…?”

“Ah, we’re just some guys.”

As Shin Youngman, flustered, asked who they were, the twins casually handed him their business cards and sat on the office sofa as if they owned the place.

“Hwadam!”

Shin Youngman screamed in shock upon seeing the twins’ business cards.

He was well aware of Hwadam’s reputation.

“Is this Swiss-made?”

“The furniture looks expensive.”

“If we sold it all, it’d fetch a pretty penny.”

The twin lawyers smiled widely as they ran their hands over the sofa, responding to Shin Youngman’s reaction.

“We’ve been investigating you…”

“Something seemed off.”

“The owner of the building where the association’s office is located… is your wife, right?”

“The association pays your wife an absurd amount of rent every month…”

“How did your wife, who was just a stay-at-home mom a few years ago, manage to buy a brand-new 100-pyeong office space?”

“And without a single loan.”

“Plus, five officetels under your father-in-law’s name, and an apartment in Bundang under your 80-year-old mother’s name…”

“W-What are you talking about?”

As Shin Youngman stammered, overwhelmed by the flood of information, the twins continued.

“Our conclusion is that you embezzled the association’s funds and gifted them to your family. That’s what we’re saying.”

“Are we wrong?”

“Where do you think that money came from?”

“If that money came out of the chairman’s pocket, we wouldn’t be able to maintain this gentlemanly attitude.”

The two giants looked down at Shin Youngman and spoke.

“We’re here to warn you.”

“Hide.”

“You’ll rot in prison for years.”

“You’ll need some of that hidden money when you get out, right?”

“For your family’s sake, you’d better hide it well. Don’t you think?”

They smiled again.

“We’re the kind of people who enjoy finding that kind of money.”

“Try hiding it well.”

“We’ll strip you down to the soles of your shoes and find every last bit.”

Thud—

The chairman collapsed to the floor.