* * *
Han Minon.
The second son of Han Myunghoon, the CEO of Hanmyung Group, and the most powerful rival of the eldest son, Han Juon.
Originally, the CEO, Han Myunghoon, should have taken the chairman position long ago, but there was much talk because his father, Chairman Han CHanmyung, did not process the succession even while he was at death’s door due to illness.
It was already a well-known story in the stock market rumors, but Chairman Han CHanmyung did not think highly of his son, Han Myunghoon.
This was because he had long ago seen through that his son only had greed without any business acumen.
Because of this, there were even rumors that he might pass the succession directly to one of his grandsons, Han Juon or Han Minon, instead of his son, Han Myunghoon.
Raon, honestly, had no interest at all in the power struggle of the Hanmyung Group, which was also a family matter.
It had nothing to do with him, a Guide, in the first place, and before the regression, he was too busy carrying out the villainous acts commanded by the System.
However, many things had changed now.
Thanks to the activity of the Guide team that Raon created, they had perfectly suppressed the Irregular Gate several times, and the world was extremely peaceful because of it.
Thus, events that didn’t happen before the regression seemed to be occurring frequently.
“I am busy with Guiding today. Please tell him that a visit is not possible.”
“But, I…”
“…?”
However, despite Raon’s refusal, the staff member did not leave and hesitated.
Raon felt puzzled by his look of confusion.
‘Has this staff member also been bought off?’
The Center was a place where outside access was strictly limited.
In particular, Raon was one of the Guides managed with special care by Seokhyeon, perhaps because he had been harassed by reporters when the Commander-in-Chief visited last time.
However, since Hanmyung often bought off or threatened Center staff, there were people who persistently pursued matters like this without intending to.
The staff member in front of Raon looked dark, so he seemed to be the one being threatened rather than bought off.
‘That’s typical of Managing Director Han Minon’s methods.’
Raon didn’t want to know the details, but he could figure it out immediately just by looking at his appearances and a few actions described in the novel.
Unlike the eldest son, Han Juon, who pretended otherwise on the surface, Han Minon was rougher in everything—his way of handling people and his work methods.
Although their basic personalities were also different, he seemed to have become even more so by overdoing things to catch up with Han Juon, who was nearly perfect and spotless in every aspect.
Raon analyzed the two inwardly without a care and nodded to himself.
“In any case, it is inconvenient right now. Tell him to contact me before coming for a visit next time.”
“J-Just a moment!”
An understanding was just an understanding; Raon had no intention of meeting Minon and tiring himself out.
It was just when the staff member, flustered, tried to stop Raon.
Ding.
“…?”
An alarm sounded on the terminal Raon carried.
He had turned off his personal cell phone as soon as Myunghoon was taken to the hospital and had left it abandoned in his room at the former residence.
It should still be abandoned somewhere in Raon’s room in the house he moved to.
Therefore, the terminal that sounded the alarm was definitely only used for work.
[Restricted Caller ID]
[If you don’t meet me today, you will regret it]
Raon let out a hollow laugh at the text message that clearly didn’t seem to be for work purposes.
Judging by the timing, Minon was clearly behind this.
To think he even hacked the terminal provided by the Center.
Even if he was angry that Raon hadn’t answered his calls, wasn’t this going too far?
Ding.
While Raon was dumbfounded, another text message arrived.
Raon’s eyes narrowed.
[Restricted Caller ID]
[Who do you think has Kim Nahee right now?]
“…”
Raon’s gaze fixed on the three letters displayed on the screen.
He only just managed to remember whose name it was after seeing the message that had just arrived.
Kim Nahee was Raon’s biological mother.
Myunghoon, realizing that the children of Guides had a high probability of manifesting as Guides, had relations with countless Guides while keeping his main wife, and one of them was Raon’s mother, Nahee.
She was not an S-Class Guide but an excellent A-Class Guide and was a great person who actively engaged in Guiding even inside Gates when the world was volatile.
The novel did not detail why such a person as Nahee had gotten involved with a man like Myunghoon.
However, Raon, having transmigrated into Han Raon’s body, came to know it unwillingly.
His biological mother, Nahee, was the only precious person to Han Raon.
The existence of a mother was not particularly emotional for Raon.
This was because his biological mother was naturally free-spirited and lacked maternal instinct.
She was a person who only saw her child as a means for the future and used him.
That’s why when Min Baehyuk, the chairman of M&K, demanded custody of Raon for a large sum, she sent Raon to him without a word of complaint.
She even smiled with pure joy, saying that even a troublesome person like him was useful at a time like that.
‘Kim Nahee was a completely different person from her.’
Nahee, who was an A-Class Guide, had an imprinted Esper.
Originally, she was going to start a family with him, but he was seriously injured there due to the appearance of the Red Gate.
Although he barely survived, his injuries were too severe, and he needed a special substance obtainable only from a Gate to continue prolonging his life.
Nahee made a deal with Myunghoon for that price.
Han Raon was an child born purely through a business transaction.
But Nahee did not treat Han Raon for merely such a public reason.
She loved and cherished the child she gave birth to.
To the extent that she wished Han Raon would not manifest as a high-grade Guide and would remain by her side.
Although the imprinted Esper could continue to live through the deal with Myunghoon, he had already lost his ability and his life as an Esper was ruined, leaving only a shell behind. Nahee also struggled to control her ability after performing excessive Guiding on her imprinted Esper, and she too eventually had to abandon her life as a Guide.
Perhaps realizing that Han Raon, her son, was all that was left, she grew even more attached.
Before Han Raon awakened as a Guide and became twisted, he had lived a fairly upright life as a reasonably good son.
‘Then, everything went wrong when Han Raon awakened as an S-Class Guide.’
According to the deal, Nahee should have sent the awakened Raon to Myunghoon, but she hid the fact for a whole year.
However, she was eventually discovered due to the tattling of Yeongho, who grew suspicious.
Because of that incident, Nahee was forcibly deprived of Raon’s custody by Myunghoon, and losing the last son she relied on caused her to lose all will to live.
Han Raon suddenly lost contact with her, and it was difficult to contact her first without Myunghoon’s mercy.
Before Han Raon met Seo Dojin, Myunghoon controlled Han Raon as he pleased by using his mother, Nahee.
However, after Han Raon started obsessing over Seo Dojin, Nahee’s value dropped, and after that, Han Raon did not know how she was living.
Even so, since he did have affection for Nahee, he should have looked for a way to contact her, but the System didn’t bother to keep track of extra characters that didn’t affect the novel’s progression.
That’s why Raon had completely forgotten the name until just now.
‘This crosses the line quite strongly, doesn’t it?’
Raon tapped the terminal screen with his finger.
He could simply ignore it.
She was just an extra character whom the System didn’t care about, and to Raon, she was no different from a stranger.
The real Han Raon, who valued Nahee so much, was no longer here.
But for some reason, he continued to feel unpleasant.
Since they didn’t know that Raon was a transmigrator, they must have thought that Nahee was the only means left to control the real Han Raon, leading them to commit such an act.
That way of thinking was utterly disgusting.
If he were the real Han Raon, he might have been trembling and sought out Minon by now.
And he would kiss Minon’s toes if that’s what Minon wanted.
When you have nothing but someone you want to protect, you have no choice but to become such a complete weakling.
The thought made him extremely unpleasant.
The very idea that they saw him that way was unbearable.
“Hyung?”
“Ah, I’m fine.”
Worried about Raon, who was just wearing an unpleasant smile without saying anything, Siwoo called him softly.
Raon shook his head and replied briefly.
Then, he looked directly at the staff member who had been fidgeting anxiously and spoke again.
“Alright. I’ll go meet him now.”
“Ah, thank you, no, understood.”
The staff member, who almost thanked Raon in a moment of relief, barely managed to compose his words and bowed his head.
Raon looked at him with indifferent eyes.
He didn’t need to consider the circumstances of people like this.
However, having Minon continue to use the staff to bother him later would also be annoying.
So, taking the opportunity to drive away a pest was something he could do.
Raon followed the staff member’s lead.
“You go home first.”
“No. I want to go with you.”
“Hmm.”
The check-up results were good, but that didn’t mean his value was stable.
Raon had intended to leave Siwoo behind in case meeting Minon negatively affected Siwoo’s value, but Siwoo persistently refused.
He had no choice but to take Siwoo with him to meet Minon.
Thud.
“You finally came.”
Inside the spacious reception room, only one man sat alone.
He slowly rose to his feet upon seeing Raon.
* * *
