The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 186

As if clearly illustrating the current relationship between Liu Wei and Director Shin, the air conditioning blasting cold air made the office notably chilly.

Ten minutes had already passed, the two men silently sitting opposite each other, staring at the laptop without exchanging a single word.

Seeing Liu Wei’s stubborn silence show no signs of breaking, Shin Ki Ho let out a deep sigh, leaning his head back.

“You’re really not going to say anything?”

“…….”

“Do you think keeping quiet solves anything? That all your actions will just disappear?”

Liu Wei’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

His displeasure was clearly evident, but his tightly sealed lips showed no sign of opening.

Because he saw no need to say anything.

“Haa….”

Fed up with Liu Wei’s attitude, Shin Ki Ho finally stood up abruptly, speaking in a low voice.

“…You’ve seen the footage just now, so you know exactly what’s going on. PD Joo Cheol Yeong brought this to me for a deal. Well, you don’t need to know the details anyway.”

“…….”

“If you want, you can still appear on the final live broadcast. But after that? I’m not so sure.”

…Pfft.

“Haha… F**k.”

Letting out a hollow laugh, Shin Ki Ho grabbed his forehead and continued laughing bitterly.

Hidden beneath that laughter was subtle rage, heightening the anxiety of Secretary Choi, who nervously observed them from outside the office.

“The initial plan was incredibly simple. You do well, you debut. That was it. Sure, things got tangled because I couldn’t handle one thing properly in the middle.”

That brat with the Anglo-American investor parents, Logan.

“I admit that honestly. Had I realized sooner, we might’ve handled him better. Right now, he’s firmly in the debut group.”

“…….”

“But the current situation has nothing to do with that.”

With a loud snap, Shin Ki Ho slammed shut the laptop that had remained open until now, exhaling sharply.

“If Logan debuts, sure, it’ll divert attention somewhat. But that’s manageable, I just need to persuade the investors. Logan debuting won’t make our entry into the Chinese market impossible. Your popularity there remains strong.”

“…….”

“But this—this is unacceptable. A trainee deliberately spreading malicious rumors about another trainee. That’s irreversible.”

Liu Wei’s gaze, previously fixed on the laptop, slowly drifted elsewhere.

Shin Ki Ho’s signature lighter lay conspicuously on the chaotic desk.

“And now, there’s clear evidence that you’ve harmed another trainee. With the fiancé issue already damaging public sentiment toward you to the point of risking your debut… if this leaks too? I honestly can’t guarantee what’ll happen next.”

“…Why did you call me here?”

Only then did Liu Wei finally open his mouth.

After remaining silent for so long, his voice was noticeably deeper and lower than usual.

“The reason I didn’t fully disclose Xiumin’s situation was because I thought I could resolve it eventually. I regret how things turned out. But you’re continuously veering off-topic. Blaming me.”

“―Of course I want to blame you, you little bastard!”

Shin Ki Ho’s voice exploded, unable to maintain his composure any longer.

“If you fail to debut, the investors will direct their anger toward me for breaking promises. But if you do debut? Ha, the group’s brand reputation will hit rock-bottom. Jealousy towards other trainees, a scandal involving your fiancée.”

This was exactly why Shin Ki Ho was so angry, so driven mad.

Whether Liu Wei debuted or not, it would cause trouble for him either way.

The investors had never wanted just one or two things. Liu Wei’s debut was merely one condition among many.

It wasn’t just about debuting a Chinese trainee; he had to be loved greatly in Korea and boost national pride back home.

Right now, Liu Wei was in no position to satisfy either of those demands.

Shin Ki Ho grit his teeth, spitting out his words.

“Your fiancée, fine, you’re right. If we’d solved that issue, we could’ve flipped public opinion, maybe even canceled the engagement over this. But this? This is different.”

“What exactly makes this different―”

“What guarantee is there that you won’t pull something like this again? You’ve already done it once before.”

That Shin Ki Ho couldn’t control Liu Wei had already become evident when Liu Wei independently spread rumors about Kim Chunyong.

The unease creeping toward Shin Ki Ho since then had finally seized him by the ankle.

Of course, Kim Chunyong’s frantic struggles to survive played a part, but Shin Ki Ho had no way of knowing that.

The conclusion was simple:

Debut Liu Wei, or don’t debut Liu Wei.

Shin Ki Ho had to choose.

Glancing briefly at his lighter on the desk, Shin Ki Ho stroked his rough cheek and muttered quietly.

“I contacted the investors yesterday.”

Told them you might not debut this time.

“They lost their minds, obviously. But when I explained the current situation, public sentiment, and your condition… well, they weren’t entirely unreasonable. Apart from a few, most agreed to shift their support to the next group.”

It went without saying that Liu Wei’s eyes widened dramatically upon hearing this.

“…That wasn’t the promise.”

“Did our promise include you ignoring everything I say?”

Whiiiiiir—

As the powerful air conditioner finally reached the lowest temperature, it slowly shut off.

Yet Liu Wei’s gaze was colder than even that frigid air.

Shin Ki Ho clicked his tongue lightly, observing Liu Wei, who continued showing no clear emotions, stiffly keeping his face blank.

“You always pretend everything’s fine, but inside you’re more desperate than anyone else. And that desperation has ruined everything.”

That was the Liu Wei Shin Ki Ho had seen.

He clearly had talent, enough to succeed as an idol upon debut.

Despite his arrogant nature, things could’ve changed if he had opened up emotionally to his peers.

But this time, Liu Wei had failed to do so.

Above all, he had no intention of doing so.

“If it was only your future you ruined, that would be one thing. But you’ve also wrecked mine. My credibility with our Chinese investors is about to hit rock-bottom. Forget about leaving AG. I won’t even be able to dream about it.”

“…Then what will you do if my expected rank still lands me in the debut range?”

“With the fiancée scandal, it’s highly unlikely right now…”

“…….”

“But if it does happen, I’ll remove you right before the live broadcast. We’ll announce you can’t continue due to health issues. That’ll naturally let the next-ranked trainees debut instead. For example, Ahn Jin Woo. Or—”

The one currently drawing unusual attention from Producer Joo Cheol Yeong and President Do Jae Chan…

“Someone like Kim Chunyong.”