NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40.2
A Trap for the Worm (2)
“I’ve got it. Those bastards.”
According to my hypothesis, the donations received by Aeryuwon were mixed with the dirty money and paid to the Thrifty Grocery Store in exchange for food.
Of course, at much higher prices than in an ordinary store.
I patted Chief Kim on the shoulder and told him.
“Good work. Now let’s tidy up.”
“Y-yes!”
Then returning to the drawer beneath the bookshelf, I carefully turned the hardened clay.
The drawer opened with a click.
Inside, it was packed full with pictures of children.
Clipped to each picture was a personal data file.
Their age, height, and weight -and of course their blood type and health status- it was all meticulously recorded.
Click- Click-
I copied all of them onto my handphone.
Because I could take their pictures now, and carefully check through them later.
After tidying up, Chief Kim came up behind me and started hovering anxiously.
“Y-young master. I think that she’ll be coming back soon.”
“Just hold on for a bit. Nearly finished.”
With Chief Kim urging me on, I also started feeling pointlessly impatient.
I slowly turned the clay and locked the drawer.
But then, things went to shit.
“Why won’t this thing come out?”
The clay key refused to move, as if it was firmly stuck in there.
That Yongsan Old Man, could he have possibly given me an expired product?
While whining to myself, I was almost begging the drawer to let go.
It was at that moment.
“Uwah! I’m so sorry, principal!”
I heard Sang-Beom’s voice from the end of the corridor.
It was the signal to tell me that someone was coming.
Chief Kim was currently collapsed on the sofa, looking like he was about to pass out.
Please- please- please get out of there!
“I really can’t understand you. It’s not like you’re kindergartener, so how can you play such a prank?”
Bam-
Sang-Beom and Ji-Hye, along with Jin Hwa-An, saw us as they entered the room.
With the retrieved clay key now hidden beneath my ass, I was sitting on the coach and holding my cup of coffee.
Badump- badump-
My heart was still racing so fast that it felt like it was about to jump out of my throat.
“I’m so sorry for the delay. These two young friends have come here to volunteer, but today they’ve played around a little excessively…”
“Not at all. That’s perfectly fine.”
“However, is something going on with your friend sitting beside you?”
She was referring to Chief Kim, who looked half-dazed.
Unable to move his limp body, he could only shake his head weakly.
While patting his shoulder, I smiled slyly.
In order to change the atmosphere a bit, why don’t I take a poke at your sore spot?
“It’s nothing much. My secretary just received a small surprise, that’s all.”
“What could have surprised him so…”
“I told him that I would like to take over this orphanage.”
“Huh?”
Jin Hwa-An’s jaw dropped at these unexpected words.
Of course, so did Chief Kim’s beside me.
“Although it might sound a bit impolite,”
I spoke as if I was talking about something ordinary.
“how much will it cost me? This whole place.”
***
“That’s… what on earth are you talking about?”
“Just what I said. I want Aeryuwon. Since the name is nice, and the kids are bright, I’ve taken quite a liking to it. Of course, even if I take over, the director will still continue to be in command of the day-to-day operations and management of the employees. I’ll just be there to give you money, that sort of thing.”
While forming a circle from my fingers, I showed her a gentle smile.
“How does it sound?”
Jin Hwa-An’s lips flapped soundlessly. As if she was swallowing the words as they attempted to climb up her throat. She took a sip of coffee and then shook her head.
“I’m very sorry, but that’s-”
“Why not? You can still continue to accept donations. And I won’t lay a finger on what you have here. Instead, we’ll just send someone to take care of the accounting in your place. Since they’re experts, you can trust in their skill and leave it all up to them. They provide extremely valuable services. Don’t you find it quite annoying, balancing the books, that is? Allow them to do it for you.”
I interrupted her objection and pushed forward without a pause.
In the face of my strangely perfect proposal, Jin Hwa-An was still smiling, but she couldn’t hide the traces of her disconcertion.
“Awesome…”
Sang-Beom and Ji-Hye heightened the atmosphere with their unabashed admiration.
I didn’t know if they were doing it to help me out, or if they really felt that way from the bottom of their hearts, but it was enough to add even more weight to my words.
However what came out of her mouth was,
“Thank you for your proposal. We will have to consider it thoroughly.”