By Zephyria 
“Uh!”
Kim Seo-won let out an urgent cry, but Yeon-rok had already made his move. Pretending to stumble and lose his balance, he pushed the cart containing the medication with all his might. Crash! As the cart overturned with a loud clatter, the doctor’s face turned pale. Even in the midst of this, Yeon-rok began to feel deeply worried about Yeom Cheon-ho, who was still fast asleep.
“What is going on!”
Responding to the noise, the bodyguards immediately burst through the door. They were always meticulous, checking the faces and names of the attending doctors and nurses every time they entered or exited. That was how strict the security was. Kim Seo-won, who knew him well, sweated profusely as he tried to handle the situation.
“The guardian knocked over the cart… It’s alright. It’s nothing serious. I’ll go bring another one.”
But naturally, Yeon-rok had no intention of stopping there. He sprang up from his seat and demanded of the bodyguards:
“Contact Secretary Kim Jeong-seong and test the medication that was here. This doctor is suspicious!”
In a situation where he had only circumstantial evidence, he decided he would rather be a nuisance than take the risk! If it turned out to be nothing, he would apologize then! Yeon-rok was resolute. Due to the commotion, Yeom Cheon-ho finally lifted his heavy eyelids, but because of the chaos, no one noticed. The doctor’s subsequent reaction was exactly as expected.
“Fuck!”
He shoved a bodyguard aside and bolted. One bodyguard immediately stuck close to Yeom Cheon-ho and made a call via radio, while another chased after Kim Seo-won. When Yeon-rok ran out after them, he found that Kim Seo-won was swifter and faster than he had imagined. The distance between the bodyguard and Kim Seo-won was widening.
“Oh, seriously!”
He’s going to get away! Unable to just stand by, Yeon-rok began to run at full speed. Running was the one thing he was confident in. In an instant, he overtook the bodyguard and reached Kim Seo-won. He managed to grab the doctor’s gown.
“Let go! Get lost!”
Desperate, Kim Seo-won struggled and twisted his body. A swung fist narrowly grazed the tip of Yeon-rok’s nose.
“I’m never letting go!”
How dare this bastard try to run away after harming someone! I’m not letting you go! An enraged Yeon-rok held on tenaciously. It was while they were scuffling near the stairs, waiting for the bodyguards.
“Lee Yeon-rok! Get away from him right now!”
Startled by the harsh shout, Yeon-rok whipped his head around. Yeom Cheon-ho, who had forced himself out of the hospital room with every ounce of his will, staggered and fell to one knee. His hand was extended forward as if he had just thrown something. His eyes were hazy from fighting the effects of the drug, and the veins in his neck were bulging.
Something flew through the air. Yeon-rok’s dynamic visual acuity managed to identify the object. It was a luxurious men’s money clip. As the wallet, cutting sharply through the air, hit Kim Seo-won’s head, there was a loud ‘thwack!’
Why does a money clip make a sound like that…?
The man, struck in the temple, screamed and collapsed. His fingertips, clawing at the air, happened to snag Yeon-rok’s clothes. Losing their balance, the two of them tumbled straight down the stairs. Yeom Cheon-ho’s horrified face flashed briefly in his vision.
As they crashed down the stairs, Yeon-rok’s elbow slammed hard into Kim Seo-won’s solar plexus. The man pinned beneath him let out a choked groan. Finally, after a resounding ‘thump’ from a head-on collision, Yeon-rok clutched his head and collapsed on the spot.
“Truly… I have no words to offer you.”
Yeom Cheon-ho looked at the hospital director, who was wiping away cold sweat with a tired expression. The elderly director’s face was devoid of color after rushing over to hear that a VIP of VIPs had almost been murdered in the hospital. He wasn’t just any VIP. He was the primary investor in the hospital foundation.
“Of course you should have no words. Despite the amount of money I pour into this hospital every year, someone tried to kill me. What flower name bearer would feel safe coming here for treatment?”
Because the effects of the sedative had not yet worn off, his voice was much lower than usual, making it more threatening.
“…President, President Yeom.”
Since wealthy name manifestors were the primary clients, the director continued to wipe away sweat.
There was a reason why Yeom Cheon-ho had been unable to wake up for an unusually long time. A sedative that had not been prescribed had been mixed into the IV drip.
Furthermore, the item Kim Seo-won had brought into the room was a quantity of narcotics sufficient to put a person into a coma. Even if the patient survived, it was enough to leave them a shell of a person. Yeom Cheon-ho gazed steadily at the director and raised his hand.
“Look at my flower name bearer.”
Yeon-rok was in the direction Yeom Cheon-ho pointed. Occupying the bed where Yeom Cheon-ho had been lying, Yeon-rok was groaning, not even daring to touch the severe lump on his forehead. Fortunately, the test results showed no major issues with his head.
The hospital director, who knew better than anyone how precious a partner is to a name manifestor, closed his eyes tightly.
“I came to a hospital for treatment, only to leave with an injury instead.”
Hearing this, Yeon-rok thought of Kim Seo-won. Unlike himself, who only had bruises and a lump, Kim Seo-won was in a state that couldn’t be called ‘fine’ even as a courtesy. He had suffered a concussion from the object Yeom Cheon-ho threw, four ribs were broken when Yeon-rok landed on him during the fall down the stairs, and he had a ruptured cervical disc. Wearing a neck brace and unable to move, he was carried out by the grim-faced bodyguards. His face looked completely vacant.
Even after hearing about this series of events, Yeom Cheon-ho did not raise his voice. That seemed to make the director even more terrified. Yeom Cheon-ho simply stared in silence for a long time, gently stroking the area around the lump on Yeon-rok’s forehead, which was making him tear up from the pain. The director would have preferred that he just yelled. This silence was an absolute torture.
“Is the hospital the problem, or is the director the problem?”
“The hospital, the hospital is the problem.”
“Then go and clean up the people involved immediately.”
The low, commanding voice carried an eerie chill. The director unconsciously swallowed hard.
“You had better ensure everyone keeps their mouths shut. Not a single word of gossip should reach my flower name bearer. If this matter grows even slightly, I will hold you entirely responsible. And I will appoint Director Ji Myeong-hun to the vacant position.”
Yeon-rok didn’t know who he was, but the name seemed fatal to the director, as he turned pale the moment he heard it. He bowed deeply and shouted:
“Yes, I understand! Thank you very much, President Yeom. I will take action immediately. Please trust me!”
“You may leave now.”
The hospital director, who had been grilled by Yeom Cheon-ho for nearly thirty minutes, bolted out of the room. “Get the CCTV footage right now!” Hearing the director’s hushed roar erupt from beyond the closed door, Yeon-rok said gloomily:
“I should have told you sooner that there was a suspicious person.”
He deeply regretted not speaking up the moment he first saw Kim Seo-won. If things had gone wrong, something terrible could have happened to Yeom Cheon-ho.
“If you had, someone else would have approached using a different method. This is better. At least for a while, they won’t be able to pull any stunts in this hospital.”
Yeom Cheon-ho comforted Yeon-rok tenderly. However, Yeon-rok’s excitement had not subsided. An irreversible accident had almost occurred. Had this man always lived under such threats to his life? Yeon-rok clenched his fists in indignation.
“How could a doctor do such a thing? Was he not afraid of the consequences?”
“He was likely lured by money. He probably thought that if he finished me off for sure, there would be no consequences. After all, it would be Yeom Cheon-ryul’s world after that.”
That bastard Yeom Cheon-ryul. As Yeon-rok let out a sigh mixed with anger, something suddenly caught his eye. It was the money clip Yeom Cheon-ho had used to hit Kim Seo-won’s head. Curious about how a leather money clip could possess such power, Yeon-rok asked:
“Um, what on earth is inside it to make it so heavy?”
“Ah, it’s nothing much.”
What Yeom Cheon-ho revealed by opening the money clip was a gold bar. …Wait, a gold bar? Yeon-rok rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
“Why is this in here…?”
Although it was small—about the size of a credit card—it was quite heavy when he held it. This meant it was heavy enough to bash someone’s head if thrown hard.
“Precious metals are accepted in any country, so they’re good for emergency funds, they aren’t tracked for taxes, and they’re useful for defense in an emergency. Even though it’s gold, it’s only worth a few tens of millions of won.”
Is it because I’m just an ordinary commoner? Do chaebols normally carry gold bars in their money clips? Yeon-rok became utterly confused. And it seemed just as useful for offense as it was for defense. Yeon-rok had never seen someone get a concussion from a gold bar in his entire life.
“Here, take it.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yeom Cheon-ho held out the money clip. Yeon-rok accepted the very heavy money clip with trembling, humbled hands.
“It’s a small token of my gratitude for today. Keep it with you and use it in an emergency.”
“Th… thank you.”
He had felt a bit disappointed whenever Yeom Cheon-ho expressed his gratitude with money, but since it was a gold bar, he was simply stunned. After debating whether he should return it or not, he decided to keep it. As he awkwardly fiddled with the money clip—which felt like something he should treat with utmost reverence—Yeom Cheon-ho apologized.
“And I’m sorry for speaking informally earlier. I was in a hurry.”