The veil of retribution

Chapter 7: "Undercover in the Kitchen"

Jihoon stood behind the counter in the bustling canteen, serving lunch to a line of employees that stretched out the door. The aroma of stir-fried vegetables and grilled meat filled the air, but Jihoon barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere—on his investigation, on the cryptic messages from his anonymous source, and on the deadly web surrounding Kyung Industries.

The clatter of trays and the hum of conversation provided a useful cover for him to observe and listen. He ladled soup into bowls without really thinking, his eyes scanning the crowd for anyone who might slip up and reveal something useful.

Jihoon wasn’t just here for the paycheck anymore. This job at Kyung Industries' canteen had become his best opportunity to gather intel.

"Next!" he called, forcing a smile as the next customer in line approached.

A woman in a tailored suit stepped forward, her phone pressed to her ear. She was speaking in hushed tones, but Jihoon could make out enough to catch his attention.

"...delays on the Namwon project... higher-ups aren't pleased..."

Jihoon froze for a second before quickly filling her bowl and handing it over. The Namwon project—he had heard of it in passing before. It was linked to Kyung Industries, but no one ever talked about it openly. He made a mental note to look into it later.

As she walked away, Jihoon slipped into the kitchen for a quick break. The bustling noise of the canteen faded as he pulled out his phone. His hands trembled slightly when he saw a new message from the anonymous source:

"Still poking around? You're wasting your time. Walk away before it's too late."

The message was brief but chilling. Jihoon’s grip tightened on the phone. Whoever was sending these messages clearly knew more than they were letting on. But what did they want? And why were they so intent on making him stop?

He didn’t have time to ponder long before Mr. Jang, his supervisor, barged into the room.

“Hey! Break time’s over. We’ve got a rush out there!” Mr. Jang barked, waving his arm toward the door.

Jihoon nodded quickly, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “On it,” he muttered, returning to the counter.

As the lunch rush continued, Jihoon served more employees, his mind racing. Then, he spotted a familiar face—Seungmin. He was one of Kyung Industries' mid-level managers, always dining with the upper echelon. Seungmin approached with a casual smile, though Jihoon could see a hint of something else in his eyes—amusement, or maybe suspicion.

“Jihoon,” Seungmin said, leaning on the counter. “Still working hard here, I see. Thought you might have moved up the ladder by now. But I guess the kitchen suits you.”

Jihoon forced a smile, masking his unease. “Yeah, still here. Pays the bills,” he replied, keeping his tone neutral.

Seungmin chuckled. “Pays the bills... sure. But I can’t help but wonder if you’ve been keeping yourself busy with other things too.” He leaned in slightly. “You’re not one to settle for just kitchen duty, are you?”

Jihoon felt his pulse quicken. Was Seungmin hinting at something? Or was he fishing for information? He couldn’t be sure, but he had to play it cool.

“Not much else to do,” Jihoon said with a shrug, scooping rice onto Seungmin’s tray. “I’m just trying to keep my head down.”

Seungmin smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Good advice. You should definitely keep doing that. You wouldn’t want to find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Before Jihoon could respond, Seungmin took his tray and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Jihoon stared after him, his mind racing. Was that a warning? Or a threat?

As his shift neared its end, Jihoon began cleaning tables, trying to push his encounter with Seungmin out of his mind. Just as he wiped down the last table, he noticed a folder left behind on one of the seats. It looked like one of the executives had forgotten it in the rush.

His curiosity piqued, Jihoon quickly glanced around. No one seemed to be paying attention. He slid into the seat and opened the folder, his eyes scanning the documents inside. What he found made his heart race—a project proposal linked to the Namwon development. There were names, financial figures, and connections to shell companies, some of which he recognized from his own investigation into his father’s death.

Jihoon’s breath quickened. This was exactly the kind of information he needed. He snapped photos of the most important pages, then carefully placed the folder back on the table as if he hadn’t touched it. He was playing a dangerous game, but he was getting closer to the truth.

As he clocked out and left the canteen, Jihoon felt a mix of adrenaline and fear. He had found a lead. But he also had the nagging feeling that he was being watched. His phone buzzed again.

"Getting bold, aren’t we, Jihoon? Keep digging, and you’ll find yourself buried along with the answers."

He shoved the phone back into his pocket, clenching his fists. The anonymous source was taunting him, but Jihoon wasn’t about to back down. Whoever they were, they clearly didn’t want him to uncover the truth.

But Jihoon knew one thing for sure: the closer he got, the more dangerous things were going to become. And he was ready for it.

As he walked home through the quiet streets, Jihoon couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching him from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

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