While the internet was still buzzing with heated debate, another piece of explosive news dropped:
The current head of the Nafplion family was dead.
The cause of death was not officially announced, but resourceful netizens, paparazzi, and insiders within the upper class quickly caught wind of the truth.
He had been murdered the previous night.
This revelation only added fuel to the fire, turning the Nafplion family into a grotesque spectacle for the public to dissect.
---
At KGG headquarters, Shin had just arrived at his office when Secretary Yun hurried in and relayed the news.
Shin's expression remained indifferent.
In truth, he hadn't needed to dirty his hands at all. He had merely given the situation a slight nudge, releasing Leo Nafplion's accumulated crimes to the public.
Then everything else unfolded exactly as he had expected.
The Nafplion family had been rotten to the core long before this. With countless illegitimate children clawing at one another for scraps of inheritance, it was only a matter of time before chaos devoured them from within.
Also, Shin Keir found Master Nafplion utterly ridiculous.
Having schemed relentlessly and committed countless crimes over the years, how could the person not have seen this ending coming?
With such an earth-shattering scandal exposed and with so many illegitimate children lurking in the shadows, Like starving wolves scenting blood, some of them were bound to seize this opportunity and turn their fangs on him.
Moreover, if Master Nafplion had failed to leave behind a clear will, then the situation within the Nafplion family would descend into even greater madness.
Shin also know that the current heir, Leo's older brother, was a brainless fool. He relied solely on the Nafplion surname to devour small businesses, his methods no different from his father's.
If anything, the entire family had a remarkable talent. They were exceptionally good at courting death.
"Boss, who do you think did it?" Secretary Yun asked, his tone unconsciously edging toward gossip.
Ever since his boss got engaged, he had noticeably become more conversational, nothing like the icy figure he once was.
Shin flipped through the stack of documents on his desk before answering, his demeanor indifferent.
"Hard to say," he replied casually. "Too many people wanted him dead."
Secretary Yun nodded silently, admiration flickering in his eyes.
Sure enough, his boss's ability to predict outcomes didn't apply only to business, it extended seamlessly into matters of human nature as well.
He still remembered that after investigating the Nafplion family, Shin Keir had done nothing beyond keeping a distant eye on them.
Back then, he had merely remarked, almost lazily, saying: "Why bother? He's a dead man walking."
And now, Master Nafplion was indeed dead.
Secretary Yun speculated privately. If it hadn't been those illegitimate children clawing their way upward, perhaps it was Leo Nafplion himself driven mad by being disowned, sneaking back in a final act of vengeance.
Or possibly the Song clan. After all, they were always decisive when it came to people they no longer needed, cutting them off as easily as crushing an insect.
Shin, however, didn't dwell on it. It had nothing to do with him.
Instead, he picked up his phone and sent a message to Saeki Jie, asking him to add him back to the group chat.
Almost immediately, a reply came through.
[Saeki]: Big bro, if your phone got stolen, transfer me ten million first.
Shin didn't respond.
A moment later, Saeki's call came through. Hearing Shin's cold, unmistakably real voice on the other end, Saeki froze.
"…Did you send the wrong message?" Saeki muttered. "Or did you let Tristan mess with your phone?"
"Did you add me?" Shin asked flatly.
Saeki was struck speechless. Just how many times had he left the group chat over the years? There was even a time when Shin had beaten him senseless simply because a message was sent after midnight.
"Big bro," Saeki said cautiously, "you have to promise me first that you won't blame me for anything you read or see in that group chat."
"Hm." Shin paused briefly. Then he hung up.
Not long after, a notification popped up.
Shin checked the group members list, confirmed it was the correct chat, and his gaze briefly lingered on one name, Yeri.
Satisfied, he put his phone aside and resumed working as though nothing had happened.
---
That same morning, after breakfast, Yeri decided to return to the penthouse.
With nothing pressing to do, she scrolled absentmindedly through her phone, surprised to see the news headlines.
Her brows knit slightly. She had to admit, it unsettled her. Someone like Leo Nafplion dying so easily felt wrong. His death wasn't punishment. It was mercy.
"He really got it easy," she muttered under her breath.
Growing bored of doom-scrolling, Yeri reached into her bag to pull out her study materials, intending to review them.
Just then, something slipped free and fell onto the table.
She paused, then picked it up.
It was a business card. For a moment, she stared at it blankly before recognition dawned.
Xian Song.
Yeri fell into deep thought. She couldn't recall any particular reason why he would give her his business card in the first place. They weren't close, and their interaction had been brief at best.
After a brief hesitation, she decided to send him a polite message, thanking him for speaking up on her behalf and for lending her his jacket, while also informing him that she had already handed it over to an attendant from the Lin family.
Once sent, she put the matter out of her mind.
---
When Yeri returned to school, she was greeted by a startling sight.
Her desk was stacked with items, snacks, supplements, neatly wrapped boxes and to her astonishment, several of them were from faculty members, each accompanied by a small note reading Get well soon.
Yeri "..."
Before she could process it, Nina spotted her and came jogging over, beaming. She wrapped Yeri in a tight hug, nearly knocking the air out of her.
Only after Nina animatedly explained what had happened during the time Yeri was resting in the infirmary did everything finally begin to make sense.
But what happened after that?
During lunch break, Yeri called Jj, who had been oddly evasive lately.
"Brother Jj," she said directly, "I already know you were at the infirmary that day. Why didn't you carry me home instead?"
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.
"I'm sorry, Yz," Jj replied after a moment. "I had an important class and couldn't leave for long." Then, after a beat, he added cautiously, "Did he do anything bad to you?"
That wasn't the answer Yeri was looking for.
She frowned. There was clearly more he wasn't saying.
After several more pointed questions, Jj finally relented and told her the truth.
When the call ended, Yeri sat there in silence, unsure what to think or feel.
No wonder the teachers had sent her gifts. Do they think she's Shin Keir's fiancée?
She sighed, rubbing her temples. This "blessing" was far too heavy for her to handle.
"Yz, it's really a pity you weren't here," Nina said excitedly, leaning closer. "So much drama unfolded."
Yeri raised a brow. "What kind of drama?"
Nina's eyes sparkled. "Listen, the infirmary doctor got fired along with her best friend, that conceited language teacher."
"Fired? Was it because they offended Brother Shin?" she muttered.
Nina laughed and patted her shoulder. "I'm not entirely sure, but probably. Still, don't blame yourself. From what I heard, the school launched an investigation because of what happened to you."
She lowered her voice conspiratorially.
"Turns out that infirmary doctor had been abusing her position, embezzling funds meant for medical supplies and equipment. She even signed fraudulent treatment records while secretly smuggling those medications out to be sold illegally, without prescriptions."
Before Yeri could respond, Nina continued eagerly.
"And that language teacher who always hated our class? She got it even worse. Remember the rumor about her dating that bald science teacher?"
Yeri nodded slowly.
"Well, plot twist," Nina said, barely containing her excitement. "That bald science teacher was also dating an older woman who's a member of the education board. No one knows how the woman found out about his affair," Nina continued, "but she showed up on campus with bodyguards and beat both the scumbag and the mistress in broad daylight. Right there. Everyone saw it."
"Oh~" Yeri could only respond.
Indeed, it was the kind of typical drama anyone would enjoy watching.
"Don't worry," Nina said proudly, leaning closer. "I got the videos from one of our classmates. There's even footage of the language teacher and the infirmary doctor fighting in the hallway."
"Actually, both the language teacher and the science teacher were fired," Nina added. "With morals like that, the school obviously wouldn't keep them."
"I heard the school's been cracking down hard lately," Levi joined in. "Faculty audits, fund inspections, personnel reviews, even background investigations. Students aren't spared either. They're probably terrified of another bullying scandal."
While the three of them were chatting, a figure casually occupied the empty chair beside them.
Loki plopped down without ceremony, holding a large paper bag, and took an unapologetically huge bite of his burger.
As if suddenly remembering something, Nina pointed at him. Her eyes narrowed as she leaned toward Yeri and whispered, "What's his relationship with your brother Shin? I clearly heard him call him boss at the infirmary."
Yeri was startled as well.
The three of them turned in unison, their gazes locking onto Loki with unmistakable scrutiny.
Loki, however, appeared blissfully ignorant. He continued chewing, unfazed, then opened the paper bag and calmly pulled out fries followed by another burger.
He pushed the fries toward the center of the table.
"…Want some?" he asked casually, mouth still half full.