Park Shin-hye obtained the slush fund ledger and made a bold decision. The February 14 broadcast of tvN's weekend drama "Undercover Miss Hong" episode 9 focused on the stories of Hong Geum-bo (played by Park Shin-hye) and Kim Mi-sook (played by Kang Chae-young). This episode depicted the internal crisis at Hanmin Securities, which was hit by an economic downturn. The ratings for the day recorded an average of 7.1% and a peak of 8.2% based on paid platforms combining cable, IPTV, and satellite. The Seoul metropolitan area showed the same figures. The tvN target demographic ratings for men and women aged 20-49 ranked first nationwide across all channels, including terrestrial broadcasters, during the same time slot.

The 1997 foreign exchange crisis, also known as the IMF crisis, increased the suffering of ordinary people. When the fund returns sold by Hanmin Securities plummeted, customers who suffered losses filed lawsuits. Kim Mi-sook worked hard to prepare a home to live in with her daughter but eventually faced the risk of being involved in a lawsuit. Panicked by the thought of leaving behind a huge debt, she left two letters for Hong Geum-bo and Hanmin Securities Chairman Kang Pil-beom (played by Lee Deok-hwa) before attempting an extreme act.

The letters left by Kim Mi-sook revealed that the accountant who had helped her in the past at an accounting firm was Hong Geum-bo. Kim Mi-sook had not forgotten Hong Geum-bo's existence and, after a chance reunion as roommates, understood her situation and concealed the truth. This process emotionally engaged viewers.

Kim Mi-sook's collapse triggered a rift among the roommates in Room 301. Go Bok-hee (played by Ha Yoon-kyung) was angry at the Hanmin Securities owner family who had driven Kim Mi-sook into crisis. She exposed Kang No-ra's (played by Choi Ji-soo) identity in front of Hong Geum-bo. Hong Geum-bo was shocked to learn that Kang No-ra was the chairman's biological daughter. This rapidly cooled the relationships among the roommates. Chairman Kang ordered Kang No-ra to end her dormitory life and return to the family home.

Hanmin Securities tried to cover up rumors related to Kim Mi-sook, and Secretary General Song Joo-ran (played by Park Mi-hyun) attempted to silence Hong Geum-bo and Go Bok-hee. However, Hong Geum-bo was enraged by Deputy Manager Cha Jung-il's (played by Lim Cheol-soo) attitude of treating Kim Mi-sook's story as gossip. She shouted "Hey!" and even lifted him up to strike him. This left a strong impression on the home audience.

Shin Jung-woo (played by Go Kyung-pyo) brought in the overseas investment firm DK Ventures to inject funds into Hanmin Securities. DK Ventures planned to swallow Hanmin Securities and demanded staff cuts. Due to the aftermath of the IMF crisis, tension permeated inside Hanmin Securities. Orders were given to prepare lists of employees to be laid off by department, and Deputy Manager So Kyung-dong (played by Seo Hyun-chul) and Manager Bang Jin-mok (played by Kim Do-hyun), who had devoted 25 years, submitted their resignations. The crisis management headquarters was also disbanded, worsening the situation.

At the end of episode 9, the slush fund accounting ledger of Hanmin Securities, thought to be lost, was found in the sketchbook of Kim Mi-sook's daughter, Kim Bom (played by Kim Se-ah). After obtaining this ledger, Hong Geum-bo chose a different path instead of returning to the Financial Supervisory Service. She proposed to her roommate Go Bok-hee to steal the slush fund together, asking, "Shall we do it together?" This scene ended the episode with strong anticipation from viewers.

Following the broadcast, viewers' reactions were enthusiastic. Comments such as "Jung-woo covered for Geum-bo in the past," "The Geum-bo in Mi-sook's memories is so cool," "It's hard to hold back tears today," and "Geum-bo's angry facial acting is so good" poured in. The 10th episode of tvN's weekend drama "Undercover Miss Hong" will air on February 15 at 9:10 PM.