Matan’s Shooter

TL: xLordFifth

ED: 

‘Even the large hospitals in our country are all grey due to the parking lots…’

It was surprising to find such a luxurious garden in Hong Kong, where land was even more expensive than in Korea.

Ram Hwajung, unaware of what astonished Leeha, was smiling for the first time in a while.

“Hurry up and get well, so we can go shopping.”

“Now that you mention it, Ram Hwajung-ssi, you like shopping, don’t you?” Leeha teased.

Ram Hwajung lowered her head in embarrassment.

Leeha was already aware of this fact, having been told by Kijung and Bobae.

Was it enjoyable for her to dress up someone else?

Ram Hwajung had been very enthusiastic about trying different outfits on Kijung and Bobae. Leeha laughed, imagining this scene.

“Oh, I’ll buy something for you next time, oppa.”

“Thank you. But neither Bobae nor I are that poor. We might not be able to buy luxury goods like water, but-”

“I want to buy it for you.”

“Okay, then. Ram Hwajung-ssi can buy something for me, and I’ll buy something suitable for Ram Hwajunj-ssi. Okay?”

Suddenly, the wheelchair stopped abruptly.

Leeha turned his head, wondering what was wrong. Ram Hwajung’s gaze was fixed on his face as if frozen.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

Was it inappropriate to offer to buy something for a member of a global chaebol family? Was that considered rude?

“…It’s the first time someone said that.”

“What? Said what?”

“Hehe. As expected, oppa.”

She looked directly at Leeha and smiled.

Her smile, revealing her pearly white teeth, appeared almost fairy-like to Leeha.

For Ram Hwajung, it was a fresh shock and quite moving.

The people around her, who always judged by the amount of money, had never given Ram Hwajung any special gifts. Either they thought she could buy whatever she wanted, or they were afraid of being ridiculed for giving something mediocre.

For Ram Hwayeon, who had never received gifts from anyone outside her family, Leeha’s words deeply resonated.

“I’d like that.”

Leeha was momentarily lost in Ram Hwayeon’s smile and hardly heard her response.

As Leeha continued to stare at her, dazed, Ram Hwayeon finally seemed to come back to her senses and lowered her head again, her ears turning red.

“Ahem! Let’s continue our walk.”

Leeha awkwardly moved the wheelchair.

Ram Hwajung no longer pushed it from behind. The broad, well-maintained walkway was spacious enough for them to go side by side.

‘Anyway, even though she’s young, isn’t it normal to think she’s beautiful – no, it’s pure innocence or something like that – it’s not weird at all -’

Leeha, slightly embarrassed by having been captivated by Ram Hwayeon’s smile, was busily rationalizing it in his mind.

Therefore, he didn’t pay much attention to the suspicious group approaching from the other end of the walkway.

“Oppa, people.”

“-So that’s not really- Huh? What?”

Leeha snapped back to reality only when Ram Hwayeon called him.

Five men were walking towards them, side by side, leaving no room to pass.

‘What’s this? Foreigners?’

Though wearing various clothes, all five men were blond and blue-eyed foreigners.

Encountering foreigners wasn’t unusual in the international city of Hong Kong.

But where were they now?

‘They don’t seem to be patients… Why are these bulky guys blocking the path like that – and in a line? What’s going on…’

It was strange.

Leeha gradually slowed down the wheelchair. Ram Hwayeon also slowed her steps.

Leeha tried not to pay attention to them, thinking they would move aside once they got closer. That’s when he saw it.

The item uniformly plugged into their ears.

‘In-ear devices?!’

The in-ear communicators typically used by bodyguards were inserted in their ears. The moment Leeha noticed this, the expressions of the five foreigners changed.

The situation was unclear, but the atmosphere was unmistakably threatening.

“Ram Hwajung-ssi, run!”

“They noticed us, catch them!”

“Ah-…!”

It was only a matter of seconds before the five burly Westerners pounced on Leeha and Ram Hwajung.

This was not Middle Earth. Ram Hwajung, still a girl, could not escape their grasp.

Leeha, having undergone lower body surgery, was also unable to make any drastic movements.

Both were quickly subdued. Leeha lost consciousness due to a powerful blow to his abdomen.

“Bang——–!”

Boom-!

The door to the hospital director’s office burst open as Ram Hwayeon entered. There were quite a few people in the room, but no one could stop her.

The fury in Ram Hwayeon’s eyes was enough to kill two people.

***

“Noo-Noona,”

“You stupid fool! I told you to be careful! Not just you, I said it’s not just about you being careful!”

“No, no. It’s not confirmed yet that it’s the Dutch pharmaceutical company! We’ve, we’ve contacted the police, and we still don’t know who the perpetrator is-”

Slap-!

Ram Peng stuttered, but all he received was a slap from Ram Hwayeon, powerful enough to turn his jaw completely.

His expression, which had been like a frightened mouse just moments ago, had now returned to a cold and calculated demeanor.

“No matter if you’re my sister-”

“Shut up and answer the phone. Jachung!”

“Yes, Director.”

“Is the call still connected?”

“Yes, it is.”

Jachung handed over a phone, different from ordinary ones, indicating its significance, which Ram Peng couldn’t be unaware of.

It was a call from the chairman of the Ram Long Group, the father of the Ram siblings and the ruler of Hong Kong’s business world.

‘Damn it… I trusted Peng too much. I thought if I just told him, he would handle it, but he turned out to be such a fool. It’s not just about keeping himself safe!’

Ram Hwayeon bit her lip as she watched Ram Peng on the phone.

It had been two hours since they confirmed the abduction of Ram Hwayeon and Leeha through CCTV.

Ram Peng, trying to handle the situation alone, had utilized all his contacts, but he lacked the ability to resolve such a situation quickly.

Above all, as Ram Hwayeon had warned, this was not a simple kidnapping for ransom.

It was ‘revenge’ against Ram Peng, making it even more difficult to resolve.

Trembling, Ram Peng answered the phone from the chairman of the Ram Long Group.

Everyone in the director’s office, including Ram Hwayeon and Jachung, was watching him, but there was no room for saving face or dignity.

‘If father were to pick his favorite among his children, Hwajung would surely be included. She has no interest in management or wealth.’

That Ram Hwajung was favored by the chairman of the Ram Long Group was a testament to his cruel side, but at least the fact that he liked her was certain.

Therefore, Ram Peng had to take responsibility. An incident had occurred at a location under his management, a place he was overseeing, involving a member of the Ram family.

“Jachung, how about the police line?”

“With the chairman’s instructions, the investigation team is already moving, but so far there’s no significant result.”

“…What about the routes to the mainland?”

“The ports and airports have already been covered. We moved as fast as we could, but it took some time to complete everything. If they acted two hours ago, they might have escaped our surveillance network.”

“Ah… This is maddening.”

This was Hong Kong. At least within Hong Kong, the influence of the Ram Long Group is certain.

But what if they’ve entered mainland China? While the influence of the Ram Tong extends there as well, it weakens the further away from the epicenter, an unavoidable truth.

The situation would become much more difficult.

At this thought, Ram Hwayeon’s anger towards Ram Peng flared up again.

Not only the chairman of the Ram Long Group but also Ram Hwayeon herself favored Ram Hwajung as the most beloved family member.

And who was with Ram Hwajung?

‘Leeha…’

The only person categorically different from other men in Ram Hwayeon’s heart.

The thought of Leeha caused Ram Hwayeon’s heart to ache.

‘Though the Qingbang gangs are under father’s influence, the mainland’s Triads are unpredictable. If they are involved with such gangs, then those two…’ It was the worst-case scenario.

It was unlikely that the Dutch pharmaceutical circle, already identified as the ‘culprit’ by Ram Hwayeon, would go to such extremes.

However, the improbable had already happened, and once it did, predicting its extent was impossible.

Shortly after, Ram Peng ended the call and handed the direct line phone back to Jachung.

“I can guess what was said without hearing it. What’s the deadline?”

Ram Hwayeon asked, frowning. Ram Peng replied with a pale face.

“By sunset. They’ll block the media until then. But if we can’t find Hwajung by then-“

“We have to find Ha Leeha too.”

“It’s not my concern to look for some patient! Anyway, if we can’t find Hwajung, I will-“

Ram Peng couldn’t finish his sentence. It wouldn’t just end with being stripped of his major roles.

His legs trembled. His attendants in the director’s office hurriedly supported him as he collapsed into a chair.

Ram Hwayeon sat down in the chair Jachung had prepared, pressing her forehead.

‘Ha Leeha… Where are you? You’re still safe, right?’

Despite the presence of over ten people in the room, it was so quiet that even breathing sounds were barely audible.

“Peng.”

“Huh?”

“You know not to use ‘withdrawing from the mainland pharmaceutical market share’ as a negotiation card, right?”

Ram Peng’s face had aged five years in just a few minutes.

His expression already gave Ram Hwayeon the answer she needed.

“Why even ask? You know father’s stance. ‘We do not negotiate with terrorists.’”

“That’s right. ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ Ah…”

Ram Hwayeon sighed again.

It was for this reason that Ram Peng couldn’t resolve the situation, even though they had a rough idea of who the perpetrators were and what they wanted.

Give the kidnappers what they want in exchange for the abducted people?

Using the negotiation card forbidden by the chairman of the Ram Long Group meant something significant.

Even if the abducted people could be saved, the person who ‘saved’ them would be punished by the ruler of the Ram Long Group.

A punishment harsher and more severe than simply failing the task.

‘Still, in the worst case, I have to persuade Peng. Anyway, he has a lot of signing authority for the pharmaceutical affiliates. Sacrifice Peng to bring Leeha and Hwayeon back.’

Ram Hwayeon looked sharply at Ram Peng, feeling no sympathy for him.

Considering it was past lunchtime when they were kidnapped, it was around 3 PM.

It was just past 5 PM now, meaning the deadline was within the next two hours.

‘Father’s direct involvement isn’t ideal either. Releasing media control means a massive upheaval and sweep. Provoking the criminals could endanger Leeha and Hwayeon.’

Ram Hwayeon had to make a decision.

Find a way to rescue them within two hours.

Or persuade Ram Peng to sacrifice himself within that time.

‘There’s no third option! Unless there’s a Superman, it’s impossible to find cockroaches that have vanished somewhere in Hong Kong in just two hours-’

[Chzzz… Ram Hwayeon…! Can you hear me – Chzzz-]

Suddenly, a noise broke the deathly silence in the room. Ram Peng’s eyes widened in shock.

“What, what’s that? Where’s that sound coming from-”

“Oh my god!”

But Ram Hwayeon recognized it.

The source of the sound was her jacket pocket! What was in there?!

She hastily took out the item.

[Chzzz – Ram Hwayeon, if you can hear me – respond –]

“Director! That voice is-” And towards the voice, Ram Hwayeon yelled.

“Leeha———-!”

The ‘direct line walkie-talkie’ given by Leeha on the day of his admission was ringing in Ram Hwayeon’s hand.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!