Chapter 335: Episode 31.6 The Truth About Lee Jinhyuk
Lee Jinhyuk, also known by various names such as Kang Sodam, Park Ha-joon, and Kwon Ji-won, is not always a professional photographer.
He had worn many hats—an orphan, a waiter, a bartender, an idol trainee. A jack of all trades is what people call a person with broad skill sets. But that barely scratches the history behind the all-smiley photographer that Shen Yuan knew.
A man with many faces, such a term describes him best. And we are not just talking about the contextual meaning of the term; we also mean it in a literal sense.
"So, you are saying that this is what he looked like when he was in high school? And this is what he looked like when he was an idol trainee? I am going to say it bluntly, but he looked like he had made a slow, painful and complete overhaul of his entire face." Shen Yuan’s loud voice thundered inside the art studio of Madam Zhen.
"Cosmetic surgery is a realm beyond me, but do people normally do it like they are putting together jigsaw puzzles? The desire for self-improvement was admirable, but how come his face changes every year?" He is holding pictures of Lee Jinhyuk— or what used to be Lee Jinhyuk.
Though not as handsome as Bai Tingfeng, Lee Jinhyuk was decent-looking—at least by celestial fox spirit standards. It’s hard to believe he once resembled a mangled sunfish in high school, only to gradually evolve into a proper human as he trained to become an idol.
Even Bai Tingfeng, who rarely commented on appearances, was skeptical. He had glimpsed the man once near Rong Shen Villa, but he swore the photos looked nothing like him.
"Each of Lee Jinhyuk’s false identities appeared in police reports in various ways. Sometimes, he was a witness on a murder case, an innocent bystander in freak accidents, and more serious cases, a person of interest in murder." Xia Jinhai explain in a clear, critical tone. "And every time his present identity makes a mark in investigation files, he will disappear for a while and resurface with a new identity and a new face."
Shen Yuan puckered his lips. Well, that strangely sounds like his lifestyle as a fox spirit. Once his current vessel dies, he will look for another one.
He will take back the harsh critique he just made. But for the record, the progression of his face after every surgery was "really impactful."
"I unearthed a lot of evidence that points out that he is an assassin, starting from the time he was in high school. That fits perfectly with the identity of the owner of the severed hand Shen Yuan gave me... The same way their DNA matches perfectly."
"It is an iron-clad fact that he is the Cardinal of Envy’s lackey." Chairman Mao gave Madam Zhen a firm stare. "Now, we want to know how come that of all photographers in Country C. Why did you have to call for Lee Jinhyuk, who is from Country S?"
The ever-stylish Madam Zhen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was taken aback by this revelation, and she forgot her sass.
"The fact that Lee Jinhyuk was part of the Cardinals was news to me. I did not know he had it in him that he could do such heinous crimes, and I would never hire him for the shoot if I knew." She murmured, disheartened.
"Where did you first meet him?" Chairman Mao pressed.
"I met him through work. We worked on collaborative campaigns with other brands multiple times. I guess you can say that is where we start."
"Did he specifically approach you for the recent gig?" Shen Yuan asked.
Madam Zhen shook her head. "I called for him. Skilled editorial photographers with a hunter’s license were extremely rare. Yu Bo, our local internationally acclaimed hunter-photographer, was in another country, doing another campaign for another brand."
"I am telling you, Chairman Mao." Madam Zhen’s face was firm, yet her tone was pleading. For Chairman Mao, who had known her for years, this reaction inevitably tugged on his heartstrings.
"I am in the grey about his activities outside the time he shot the campaign for me. He was working independently. If there is anyone who would know more about his actions, it is the team that follows him."
Chairman Mao and Xia Jinhai gave it deep thought in complete silence.
"Chairman Mao," Bai Tingfeng raised his hand to ask for a chance to talk. "The guy is a pro in switching between identities. It is not impossible if Madam Zhen got fooled by the man’s skills. But think about it, Lee Jinhyuk used her to get close to my husband. Now that we know who he really is, we can use the same path he took to capture him."
"That is easier said than done." Shen Yuan replied to his husband. "The guy lost an entire arm. He is most likely holed up somewhere, hiding the fact that one of his limbs went missing."
It was at this point that Chairman Mao broke away from his deep thoughts. "But that does not mean Bai Tingfeng is correct. We can do this the roundabout way. We do not need to get to him to get to him directly. We follow his trails by watching his team."
Chairman Mao looked at Madam Zhen with all seriousness. "Madam Zhen, it pains me to say this, especially since we have years of cooperation, but starting today, Hunter Association will temporarily cease all the projects you have with us. It is for an indefinite period until we cleared you and the Crimson Anvil of any connections with the Cardinals."
Chairman Mao lightly patted her on the shoulder, "In the meantime, we asked for your cooperation to help us contact Lee Jinhyuk’s team."
~~~
"Holy shit... I still cannot believe that it was Lee Jinhyuk who was behind the mask. I exchanged blows with him, and I literally made him cry by ripping his arms off! I feel like I am a failure for not sensing his real identity," Shen Yuan blurted out, carelessly plopping down on the couch.
After Madam Zhen, Chairman Mao and Xia Jinhai followed the couple home. They are here to discuss the matter in more depth and detail.
"It cannot be helped. None of us is omnipotent. Besides, my investigation discovered the possibility that the Cardinals are raising their own army," Xia Jinhai told Shen Yuan. His face turned grave. "And I am not talking about recruiting rebellious teenagers."
He placed a picture of an orphanage where Lee Jinhyuk grew up. "They are brainwashing orphans for years, and they turn them into brain-dead followers of their cause."
"But this thing is only going on in Country S, right?" Bai Tingfeng asked a question. He came with refreshments and snacks.
"No, Country A, Country J and even ours, Country C." Xia Jinhai put a huge emphasis on the latter part. "My investigation took longer than needed because I am retracing the roots of Lee Jinhyuk."
"Which is a smart move because it led us to discover the original identity of the pink-haired cardinal, among many things." Chairman Mao followed up. He then stared meaningfully at Shen Yuan, "Don’t be too surprised by what you are going to see. But here is the face of your pink kitty."
Chairman Mao showed Shen Yuan a picture of Rin.
The celestial fox spirit only blinked at it, without much reaction. "Okay, then who is he really?"
"That’s it? Not another litany of how bad looking he is?" Chairman Mao asked incredulously.
"Chairman Mao, you are wrong about a lot of things. First, although I am pained to say this, the picture of the pink kitty was not bad. He looks like a typical Joe you would walk past in the street. I cannot insult people because they look normal! I have morals too! That is second, by the way."
Shen Yuan grabbed a macaroon from the plate Bai Tingfeng served him. "And third, it is not typical of me to make fun of people’s looks. Lee Jinhyuk in his pre-op era is simply gut-wrenching. That, and pairing with his background in killing in cold blood, makes him worthy of all the insults."
Shen Yuan munched on the sweets. "So, what do we have about this young man?"
"Nothing. He is dead." Chairman Mao said flatly that it made Shen Yuan and Bai Tingfeng look at him, lost.
"What?"
"What do you mean he is dead, Chairman Mao?" Bai Tingfeng was baffled by the old chairman’s words. They saw how he successfully escaped with other cardinals. It is impossible that he is dead.
Xia Jinhai drew in a slow breath before explaining. "He and Lee Jinhyuk were from the same orphanage in Country K. Later, he was adopted and moved to Country A with his new parents, where he spent most of his teenage years. But when he was thirteen, there was a dungeon break. Reports claimed he died in the attack, along with his adoptive parents."
He paused, then added quietly, "At the time, he was known as Rinji Fujisawa."