The Country Life Diary of a Gangster’s Secretary

“...Hyesung, Hyesung!”

Hyesung slowly opened his eyes at the sensation of his shoulder being shaken. The rhythmic sound of a machine slowly echoed in his ears. His blurred vision gradually cleared, and soon Seongjin’s face came into view.

“Did you fall asleep at the hospital again?”

Seongjin was frowning as he looked at Hyesung. Hyesung rubbed his eyes as his mind slowly returned to him. For a moment, he felt disoriented, unsure of where he was, but as he listened to the sounds around him and felt the unfamiliar texture of the sofa, he quickly remembered that he was in Lee Hyuk’s hospital room.

“Yes, I must have dozed off.”

The sofa in the single-patient room was comfortable enough to lie on, so Hyesung had been sleeping here often lately. Sometimes, when he was deeply asleep, a nurse or someone like Seongjin would wake him up.

“Hyesung, please go home. Look at yourself, you’re a mess.”

Seongjin sighed as he sat down beside Hyesung. Even under normal circumstances, his pale skin made him look fragile, but lately, it had gotten worse. His dark circles had deepened, his lips were dry and cracked, and it was clear he hadn’t been eating well, as he had lost a noticeable amount of weight.

“You’re not exactly one to talk, Director.”

Hyesung managed a faint smile, though even that took effort.

“I’m only like this because of work.”

In truth, the situation at Taesung was getting worse by the day. A few days ago, there had even been a documentary on a major network about how to approach the serious issue of violence, which mentioned Lee Hyuk, keeping the media firestorm alive.

The public image of a company was a significant factor. Companies worked hard to build a good image through charitable donations and philanthropic activities, and there was a reason for that. As public scrutiny grew harsher, the importance of image-making increased, and in that regard, Taesung had taken a considerable hit.

People were mercilessly labeling Taesung as a “gangster company,” and as a result, companies that had contracted with them were starting to pull out one by one.

Even though canceling contracts wasn’t the right thing to do, no one wanted to be dragged down by associating with a company rumored to have ties to organized crime. And currently, Taesung wasn’t in a position to release a clear statement other than denying the allegations.

“How’s the atmosphere at the company?”