While they gazed at him for an answer, the old man looked like he was still searching through his memory, trying to figure out how he knew the ribbon.
"I don't remember much about it, but..." He tilted his head, brows furrowed. "I vaguely recall that a man from CHNs once came by with this. I only remember because it was the most expensive ribbon I'd ever seen in my shop__a material worth millions of dollars." He chuckled lightly, almost in disbelief at the memory of seeing something so rare.
"Do you recall anything else? Anything at all?" Lee Yeon asked, leaning forward slightly.
The old man thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"No… not really. But one thing I'm certain of... it happened a long time ago," he said, tapping his temple as if to dig deeper.
"How long ago? No... What about the man? do you remember anything about him?" Lee Yeon pressed, but the old man only narrowed his eyes, still struggling to recall.
Hyun Woo stepped forward, sliding his hand into his pocket.
"Here," he said, handing the man a small card.
The old man took out his magnifying glass to inspect it.
"Call me if you remember anything," Hyun Woo said firmly.
The man looked up, a brow raised.
"You're a detective?" he asked.
Lee Yeon's eyes widened slightly__Hyun Woo had just blown their cover, but he said nothing, trusting his senior's judgment.
Hyun Woo nodded. "This is a life-and-death situation, sir. Please… if anything comes to mind, no matter how small, call me. And keep it between us. No third parties involved."
Both men bowed respectfully. The old man nodded, still looking thoughtful.
Then Hyun Woo turned to Lee Yeon. "Let's go," he muttered, already heading toward the exit. Just as he reached the door, he stopped, turned back, and placed a hundred-dollar note on the counter before walking out.
Lee Yeon blinked, then took out two more hundred-dollar notes and set them neatly beside Hyun Woo's. The old man looked utterly stunned.
"It's not a bribe," Lee Yeon said with a polite smile. "We're just… thankful for the little information you could remember."
He gave a respectful bow before hurrying after Hyun Woo, who was standing outside, pacing slowly, deep in thought.
"What could a CHNs member possibly be doing here?" Hyun Woo muttered, half to himself, his eyes scanning the shabby exterior of the shop. The walls were cracked, the signboard faded — even the air smelled of dust and old wood. The place looked like it hadn't seen a rich man since the invention of currency.
Lee Yeon followed his gaze, equally puzzled. Then Hyun Woo then suddenly paused as an idea flickered across his face. He pulled out his phone and started dialing.
Lee Yeon tilted his head. "Who are you Dailing?"
"Choi Minjae," Hyun Woo replied simply.
Instantly Lee Yeon froze__ His eyes widened, then he began straightning his shirt, fixing his hair, meanwhile Hyun Woo gave him a deadpan stare.
"You do realize this isn't a video call, right?"
Lee Yeon scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, but first impressions matter… even over the phone." He replied as he cracked his throat, thenHyun Woo sighed.
"And just so we're clear, I will be the one doing the talking." He said "Alone" He added
Lee Yeon nodded__no objections whatsoever.
Just then a soft, dim voice came through the speaker.
"Hello?"
Immediately, Lee Yeon rushed to Hyun Woo's side, practically pressing his ear against the phone. Hyun Woo rolled his eyes.
"Mr. Hyun Woo," came Minjae's voice again.
"Yes, Miss Choi," he replied.
---
In the middle of a quiet road, a sleek blue silk car glided smoothly, followed by a small convoy of black vehicles behind it.
Inside the blue car, Choi Minjae sat behind the wheel, her phone placed on the dashboard, on loudspeaker.
"Speak," she said coolly, eyes fixed on the road ahead.
From the other end, Hyun Woo's steady voice came through. "Did you find out which CHNs member doesn't have their ribbon?"
"Not yet," Minjae replied. "The last time we had a meeting, one of them showed up without his and claimed he'd bring it next time."
"Who's that?" Hyun Woo asked.
"The one I most suspect," she said simply.
"Mr. Geum," Hyun Woo muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Lee Yeon leaned closer, whispering, "Who's that?"
"Shhh," Hyun Woo hissed, but it was too late__Minjae had already caught the voice.
"Who's that?" she asked sharply.
"Oh, that's my partner," Hyun Woo said quickly.
"Hi..." Lee Yeon began, but Minjae cut him off without hesitation.
"I thought I made it clear you'd be the only one handling this investigation, Mr. Hyun Woo," she said, her tone firm
"Don't worry," Hyun Woo replied smoothly. "He's been my trusted partner since the start..."
"You're the only one I hired, Mr. Hyun Woo," she interrupted again "Not your mystry co star, Don't test my patience."she said
Hyun Woo let out an audible sigh of frustration.
"Do you think only one man can handle an entire..."
She hung up.
"Lousy old man," she muttered under her breath, keeping her eyes on the road. Through the side mirror, her gaze drifted toward the black car following hers. Behind the wheel was Sang Tae, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings like a hawk in a suit.
The convoy cruised on in silence
---
After a long drive, four sleek cars rolled to a stop in front of an unfinished building, the bare concrete walls of what once promised to be a dream project. The land belonged to her late grandfather, now passed down to her through her father__ the last remnant of the OCE Firm legacy.
Minjae stepped out of her car, her heels clicking against the gravel as she walked alongside a man in a suit — a real estate consultant, tablet in hand.
Sang-tae followed a step behind, hands tucked in his pockets, while Jung-shin stayed on guard near the cars, his sharp eyes scanning the area as the golden sun melted behind the half-built structure.
"So the land extends beyond this ridge?" the man asked, pointing to his screen.
"Yes," Minjae replied, gesturing across the open stretch. "Everything within that fence line. I want the main structure here—facing the city view."
The man nodded, typing rapidly on his tablet. "Noted, Miss Choi. You're planning a hotel, correct?"
Minjae gave a faint hum of confirmation as they stopped in front of the building's skeletal frame. The wind tousled her hair slightly, and for a moment, she just stared at it.
Sang-tae came up beside her, both gazing at the towering structure, meanwhile behind them, the suited man made a phone call, pacing back and forth.
"So… you're building a hotel here," he said, his tone caught between curiosity and disbelief.
"You almost sound disappointed," she replied dryly. "What? You expected something grander?"
"Well," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips, "I won't deny that. For some reason, I feel like you're intentionally doing something as ordinary as a hotel"
He turned, scanning the empty surroundings. "Besides, this area is way too remote. It's the kind of place people get lost trying to find."
Minjae's lips curved slightly. "Maybe I'm aiming for a mystery hotel. Who knows? maybe I just felt like wasting a few million and joining the cliché 'build-a-hotel' trend. Or maybe it's just my OCD kicking in, I can't stand the sight of the unfinished building."
Sang Tae chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
"This land belonged to my grandfather," she said softly, her tone shifting. "I should at least build something on it."
Then she turned toward her car.
"Tell me, what ambitious project do you suggest I start here? A bank? A motor factory? A school?" She paused, smirking faintly. "Hmm, maybe a school might actually work. What do you think? It's not too late to change plans."
Before Sang-tae could say a word, He paused at the shuffle of many footsteps drawing closer.
Jung-shin instantly moved beside her, alert.
They turned, confusion flickering across their faces as a small group of homeless people appeared, emerging from behind the broken fence line. Their faces were tired, their clothes ragged, but what caught Minjae's attention was the old woman leading them.
Her brow furrowed. She recognized that face.
The air grew still for a heartbeat as the two women's eyes met.