Chapter 152: Purge Operation (2)

Jang Won-gi rushed out of the counseling room in a panic.

As he watched the teacher’s retreating figure, Kim Hyunsung stared down at the reflection paper lying on the floor.

‘As expected.’

The Golden Circle.

Having failed to harm those close to Kim Hyunsung, they were now trying to resolve internal dissatisfaction by targeting the first-semester midterm exams. Given the distorted structure of the Golden Circle, this move was easy to understand. Despite being a large organization, it relied on keeping its members satisfied to maintain itself. If they couldn’t even handle a mere high school student and the problems kept piling up, what reason would their members have to remain loyal to the Golden Circle?

No justification.

It would crumble in no time.

If the Golden Circle had nothing to gain, they would undoubtedly try to erase any traces that could become weaknesses.

‘For that reason, they can’t reveal the recent violence publicly. The fact that dozens of students fought and knives were used means this wouldn’t just blow over because of me. If I decide to expose everything I know about the Golden Circle and their clients, I could trigger a scandal that would surface years from now. That’s what they fear.’

The unknown master of the Golden Circle had only one option.

To maintain the organization’s integrity, they had to deal with Kim Hyunsung within the boundaries of the school.

And Kim Hyunsung was actively exploiting that fact.

What Kim Hyunsung worried about the most while preparing for the midterms wasn’t petty disruptions, but potential corruption after he submitted his answers. For instance, if someone altered his answers, it would be a form of corruption that even Kim Hyunsung couldn’t fully control. Though he could address the situation later, misconduct by teachers was something that couldn’t be entirely prevented.

Thus.

A purge was needed before the midterms.

To ensure his grades were reflected accurately, it was necessary to sweep away the corruption first.

Only then.

Would they not dare pull such tricks.

With the attention focused on Daeseong Future High School, they wouldn’t risk altering answer sheets amidst the scrutiny.

‘As long as the Golden Circle sticks to their usual methods, this isn’t necessarily a losing battle for me.’

Jang Won-gi would report this to Jin Kyung-hee.

And Jin Kyung-hee would relay it to the Golden Circle, who would try to cover it up at the educational office.

But that would be it.

This issue was bound to spread like wildfire.

Fortunately, Kim Hyunsung knew someone who specialized in this kind of situation.

The chairman of the School Violence Prevention Committee.

Choi Seung-pil [1].

It was his turn to act.

* * *

Choi Seung-pil arrived at the educational office.

At a point when the corruption at Daeseong Future High School had yet to become a full-blown scandal, he stormed into the office, grabbing the attention of the staff.

“Does this even make sense? There’s been a report that teachers at a prestigious school like Daeseong Future High School have been openly accepting bribes from parents! If you don’t believe me, check the financial records of teacher Jang Won-gi. You’ll find luxurious items that couldn’t possibly be purchased on a teacher’s salary unless they were funded by bribes!”

“Please, calm down.”

“Calm down? Look at this!”

*Rustle.*

He waved a document.

Having initially focused on Jang Won-gi, this time he brought up Jin Kyung-hee.

“There is clear evidence that Vice Principal Jin Kyung-hee has been offering preferential treatment to certain students. Look here, you can see that some students frequently took early leave or were absent without it ever being recorded in their school records. And that’s not all! There’s also proof of financial transactions between the parents of these students and Jin Kyung-hee after graduation. She may try to dismiss it as a post-graduation matter, but when there are multiple cases, what does that tell you?”

“Still, you can’t just charge in here like this…”

“Excuse me? When we go through your so-called ‘proper channels,’ it’s always too late! Where was the educational office when my son died? You knew there was a rampant school violence problem, yet you dragged your feet, claiming to verify the facts! I abhor school violence. Some say these incidents happen because the students are immature, but it’s precisely because they’re immature that we need to react more sensitively and punish them more severely. That’s education! That’s the role of the Korean education system!”

“Exactly!”

“Get to the bottom of this!”

The citizens’ group members who had followed Choi Seung-pil raised their voices in unison.

The public officials turned pale.

There was no escape for them.

Facing such legitimate complaints, how could they possibly refuse?

More importantly.

**Jeonghan Daily**

Behind the citizens’ group stood reporters.

They snapped photos, recording the scene with their cameras.

‘Damn it, how the hell did they get Jeonghan Daily involved? They don’t usually respond to things like this.’

In the media world, Jeonghan Daily was highly respected.

Known for their honest and accurate reporting, they rarely moved unless they were certain of their facts.

But they had come.

For a citizens’ group to bring in such a large media outlet meant that someone had provided substantial information. Even Choi Seung-pil found the situation unusual. Although he had received information from Kim Hyunsung and had agreed to take action, he couldn’t fathom how an ordinary high school student like Kim Hyunsung had managed to get Jeonghan Daily involved.

In fact.

Choi Seung-pil had his suspicions.

‘There’s definitely something more behind Kim Hyunsung than just Myungjin Construction.’

As expected.

For this operation, Kim Hyunsung had not only enlisted Choi Seung-pil but had also brought in additional support.

* * *

A few days earlier.

Kim Hyunsung met with Kim Pan-ho.

“I’ll need your help.”

“Hm.”

Kim Pan-ho frowned as he looked over the documents Kim Hyunsung had handed him.

Though his expression showed displeasure, he was genuinely impressed by what Kim Hyunsung had accomplished.

‘This kid. He’s really onto the Golden Circle’s secrets.’

The documents contained records of numerous activities.

Starting with concrete evidence that Lim Cheol-hyung, CEO of Mirae Investment Securities, was a member of the Golden Line, as well as other members identified by Jung Chan-su. The names listed were enough to make anyone’s jaw drop. Figures from both political and financial sectors had formed a group, proving just how formidable the Golden Circle was.

And at the end of the list.

**Lee Kyung-chul.**

That name caught his attention.

Kim Pan-ho’s party, **Bunyeong Party**, was currently in opposition.

For them, Lee Kyung-chul, a key figure in the ruling party and a contender for the next presidential election, was a highly appealing target.

Kim Hyunsung spoke.

“As I mentioned, the stage is set for you to take action. If you can bring down Lee Kyung-chul and resolve the societal issue surrounding the Golden Circle, the people of Korea will rise up like boiling water and push you toward the presidency. I’ve stayed true to my word and advanced without a single mistake. Now, it’s time for you to step into the fray. Even if your involvement becomes apparent, I believe you’ll find that the gains far outweigh the risks.”

He was right.

The evidence against Lee Kyung-chul was already a powerful weapon.

Kim Pan-ho chuckled.

‘Interesting.’

Kim Hyunsung.

He was starting to like him.

If Kim Hyunsung’s plan succeeded, he would genuinely consider recruiting him.

For the first time, Kim Pan-ho acknowledged a mere high school student.

“So, what do you need me to do?”

The stage was set.

With a cold expression, Kim Hyunsung responded.

“Bring in a media outlet that can pressure the Golden Circle. The headline should focus on the corruption at Daeseong Future High School. If we give the Golden Circle some room to maneuver, they’ll surely abandon the teachers, who are nothing but expendable to them. They’ll realize you’re watching closely, Senator Kim.”

In other words.

Kim Hyunsung wanted to leverage Kim Pan-ho’s influence.

A grin spread across Kim Pan-ho’s face.

“Consider it done.”

* * *

Everything unfolded swiftly.

The citizens’ group took up the case.

The evidence was clear.

Jeonghan Daily covered the story.

Although the article didn’t directly address the Golden Circle or the violence incident, the Golden Circle still responded sensitively. They chose to stand by and do nothing, fearing the consequences of protecting the teachers might escalate the situation. As they hesitated, the educational office began their investigation into Daeseong Future High School.

In the second-year classroom.

A public official from the educational office addressed the students.

“We’ll now distribute forms. Please write down everything you’ve seen or heard during your time at school. You can include cases of school violence, corruption, or anything else that might be a problem. Submit it, and we’ll investigate and take appropriate action.”

*Rustle.*

They handed out the papers.

It was a large-scale investigation.

The educational office needed to show this kind of performance with so many eyes on them.

The students accepted the papers.

They hesitated.

Doubt filled their minds.

Fear took precedence—what if they acted as whistleblowers and faced repercussions later?

Kang Jae-wook [2] felt the same.

‘…What am I supposed to write? There’s plenty of corruption at this school—the teachers taking bribes from the Golden Circle, the violence surrounding Kim Hyunsung—but will the educational office actually address it if I report it? If they’re only using this as a trap to identify snitches, those of us who tell the truth will be in danger.’

Ever since Kim Hyunsung’s revelations.

Kang Jae-wook had become more suspicious.

He couldn’t trust that the educational office, which had turned a blind eye to corruption for so long, would suddenly take action.

Lately.

His classmates had been overwhelmed with doubt.

Ever since they realized how unfair the school environment was, it became hard to focus on improving their test scores. Watching teachers openly target Kim Hyunsung, seeing students like Myung Su-chan receive unfair advantages, they knew their future would likely be just as unjust, even after graduation.

At their age.

They were only beginning to understand the harsh reality.

Kang Jae-wook hesitated, writing and erasing multiple times, before recalling what Kim Hyunsung had told him.

During lunch, he had overheard Kim Hyunsung speaking by chance.

[If you don’t show them that there’s a price to pay for targeting you, you’ll always be the one forced to endure loss. Remember that.]

“…Shit.”

He gritted his teeth.

Memories of the past came flooding back.

When he had fallen into despair due to someone’s malice, he had once considered suicide, unable to bear the suffering.

As for what might happen next.

He wasn’t sure he could handle it.

But one thing was certain.

‘Screw it.’

He couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

After watching Kim Hyunsung, Kang Jae-wook had vowed to stop living passively.

* * *

After the educational office’s investigation concluded.

Kang Jae-wook pulled Kim Hyunsung aside to talk.

“Hyunsung-sunbae. What did you write?”

“I wrote everything.”

“Everything? You mean the Golden Circle and the teachers’ corruption?”

“Yeah.”

Just as he had expected.

Kim Hyunsung had recorded the full truth.

Kang Jae-wook, still anxious, asked again.

“Do you really think the educational office will handle everything, even the Golden Circle?”

“No.”

“…No?”

“Right. Even if multiple people report the Golden Circle’s involvement, the educational office won’t address it. The citizen group’s report focuses on the corruption of Daeseong Future High School’s teachers, not the Golden Circle. If the target had been the Golden Circle, they would’ve done nothing, no matter how much criticism they received. They know that this isn’t something that can be resolved through simple performance.”

It didn’t make sense.

Then.

What was the point of this exercise?

If they wouldn’t take action, what was the purpose of the investigation?

Perhaps reading his mind, Kim Hyunsung continued.

“Even so, that doesn’t mean this investigation is meaningless. Once the issues the Golden Circle must hide are filtered out, what do you think will be left behind at Daeseong Future High School?”

“…”

Kang Jae-wook couldn’t immediately answer.

Kim Hyunsung smiled.

The goal of the purge.

It wasn’t the Golden Circle.

From the beginning, the target had been clear.

“The trash that are Daeseong Future High School’s teachers. That’s all that will be left.”

The corrupt teachers.

It was time to sweep them out first.
***

Footnotes:

[1] Choi Seungpil was a former high ranking government official which appeared last chapter 53 of the manhwa. He was deeply impressed about Hyunsung’s activities in season 1 and has given him his full support. He is currently the chairman of the anti school violence commitee.
[2] Kang Jae-wook is Hyunsung’s classmate and the current target of the Golden Circle. He tried to help Hyunsung when he was about to get ganged up by the Golden Circle’s people. He appeared on chapter 59 of the manhwa.