Chapter 116: Now Live Your Own Life

“Grandma!”

Even though I brought her to Seoul for safety, the unfamiliar environment had taken a toll on her.

“My child, you’re here?”

Despite everything, she tried not to show her sadness in front of me.

But that only made me feel even worse.

“You can go back to Busan now.”

“Really?”

Her face lit up instantly.

“Yeah, Grandma. I’m sorry.”

“What’s there to be sorry about? It’s fine.”

She might’ve been weaker with age, but considering her past collapse, her health was still in good shape.

I held her hand tightly.

“I’ll stay the night here. We can head to Busan tomorrow. But you’ll still need people with you.”

I couldn’t be certain that there were no enemies left in the country.

Keeping her in Seoul was safer, but after bringing her here, I realized something.

If it’s not the life you want, even a gilded cage can feel like a prison.

“I’ve missed your cooking, Grandma.”

“Oh, just wait a bit, dear.”

Watching her rush to the kitchen with a smile, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“My grandma’s more of a girl than an old lady.”

“What are you talking about?”

It was the same meal I’d always had in Busan, but it tasted better than anything else.

“Eat slowly. No one’s going to steal it from you.”

She poured barley tea into a cup and handed it to me.

She barely touched her food, just watching me with a bright smile, which made my eyes well up with tears.

“Why are you crying? Is the work too hard? Why don’t you just come back to Busan and live with me?”

I shook my head and put down the spoon.

“Grandma, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

I’d thought long and hard about how to say it.

I was worried she might collapse from the shock, but I had avenged her. It was time to tell her.

“It wasn’t just a random robbery. There were people who targeted Mom.”

Her face went pale.

“I got revenge with my own hands. They’re not in this world anymore. Let’s forget them and move on. Don’t feel guilty for me or for Mom.”

“······.”

She stared at me for a long while in silence, then bowed her head.

The setting sun cast shadows through the kitchen window, hiding her expression.

“It’s getting late. I’ll go to bed first. Don’t worry about me.”

She mumbled those words and staggered up from her chair.

I didn’t stop her from going to her room.

I knew she didn’t want to show her sadness in front of me.

I stood there for a long time, staring at her closed door.

The next morning, I woke up and stepped out of my room.

Even though it was early, Grandma was already in the kitchen making breakfast.

“Grandma.”

“Oh, you’re up? Go wash up.”

She was the same as always.

“Yeah.”

After finishing breakfast and putting down my spoon, she spoke.

“Mu-hyeok.”

“Yes?”

“I know it’s been hard on you. But I’m fine now. Live your life, okay? My sweet boy… it must’ve been so hard for you.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“You’ve had it harder than me, Grandma.”

I hugged her tightly, and we both cried our hearts out.

For the first time, I could cry without holding back—without guilt or sorrow.

That’s how my revenge finally came to an end.

After seeing Grandma off to Busan, I went to visit Chief Ha at the hospital.

“Chief.”

His gunshot wound was healing quickly.

I stopped him from trying to stand and sat beside him.

“Thank you.”

“I was just doing my job.”

“No, it wasn’t easy, even for me. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know if my grandfather would still be alive…”

Even among those arrested, no one knew who Teacher Pyo really was.

No one could say whether he was a real person or someone Lee Yong-hyun had created.

I could only guess that the masked man who came to kill my grandfather was Teacher Pyo.

‘He was using a special dagger we had in our unit.’

Team Leader Jin, who had faced the masked man, was known as one of the strongest in the military.

For him to say he was no match for the guy… it was hard to imagine just how powerful he had been.

If it weren’t for Chief Ha, I would’ve been done for.

“You saved my life too, Chief.”

“Pardon?”

“Thank you for staying alive.”

Chief Ha gave me a small smile.

“What will you do now?”

“I’ll stay by the Chairman’s side.”

“I meant after my grandfather passes.”

“When that happens, I’ll disappear too. I’ve lived my life as the Chairman’s shadow. I can’t die with him, but my time will end with his.”

This was the man who had died so tragically before.

Had he been unable to fight back against Cheon Su-man because he couldn’t harm the Chairman’s son?

Now, I understood more about Chief Ha than I ever had before.

“Help me with my work.”

“Young Master. Stagnant water must flow for new water to come in. Seok-dae is already doing my job well. I just want to serve the Chairman until the end.”

He was a man of loyalty.

“That’s exactly why I need your help.”

“What do you mean…?”

“The new owners of Foreign Exchange Bank and Je-seong Bank are people connected to me. I plan to merge the two into a single financial group. It may start with two, but more will follow.”

I intended for Chief Ha to be the chairman of a financial holding company named after my grandfather.

“Become the chairman of Taesan Financial. You’ve worked in the shadows all your life, but I want to leave my grandfather’s name in the light. Help me make it Korea’s top financial company.”

The financial holding law hadn’t passed yet, but it would soon.

Once Eva successfully merged Foreign Exchange Bank and Je-seong Bank, consolidating 51% of the shares under Taesan Financial Holdings, I planned to make Chief Ha the chairman.

“I believe you’re the only one fit for the job, Chief. No one else could do it better. It’s your chance to serve my grandfather for the rest of your life.”

I smiled at the flustered-looking Chief Ha.

After a moment, his eyes calmed.

“…I’ll stay with the Chairman while he’s alive.”

“Then I’ll have someone else fill in for now. Take care of yourself. My grandfather misses you a lot.”

That made Chief Ha smile a little.

He still looked stiff, but it was a much better expression than when we first met.

“I’ll be going now. Let’s have a drink once you’ve fully recovered, Chief.”

“Young Master.”

I stopped at the door, turning back to see Chief Ha bow his head to me.

“Thank you.”

I smiled in return and left the room.

As I stepped outside, Manager Ma was waiting.

“Go in and talk with him for a bit. I’ll wait.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Haha, you should clear your head and go talk to him. I’ll be here.”

Manager Ma hesitated for a second, then bowed slightly.

“Thank you, Boss.”

* * *

Ma Seok-dae’s gruff voice broke the silence.

“So, how’s that gunshot wound treating you?”

“What about the Young Master?”

“He’s thinking things over. But seriously, how are you feeling?”

Despite his rough tone, Ma Seok-dae’s face was filled with concern for Ha Myung-hoon.

“I’m fine.”

“How long do you have to stay in the hospital? Might as well take the chance to rest.”

“The Chairman will be lonely. I’ll leave as soon as I’m able to move.”

Ma Seok-dae clicked his tongue at the stubborn response.

“Tch… You and that ‘Chairman’ talk again. You need to be healthy to take care of him.”

“He has no family by his side. I’m all he has.”

Ma Seok-dae couldn’t argue with that.

“The Chairman is like a father and mother to us. Even if he took us in because he needed hands and feet, that doesn’t change what he means to us.”

“Alright, enough of that. You’re nagging again.”

Ma Seok-dae cut him off before he could continue.

Ha Myung-hoon paused, then added one last thing.

“Look after the Young Master with the others.”

Ma Seok-dae simply nodded in response.

“Go on, the Young Master’s waiting.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah.”

There wasn’t much said, but the look of trust between them was clear.

* * *

I sat on a chair outside the hospital room, reflecting on everything that had happened.

Threatening Kim Hak-gwon had only been possible because of the IMF crisis.

Money—specifically, dollars—was power during this time.

‘But once we overcome the IMF, and the country builds up enough foreign reserves to survive…’

Revenge on the Cheongpung Group was important, but it was only one of my goals.

I had no intention of ending my second chance at life with just vengeance.

“Boss.”

Manager Ma’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“You done talking?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Let’s go. Things are about to get busy again.”

The fall of the Cheongpung Group was unstoppable now.

The fire the media had started was being fanned by the government. Prosecutors, the Board of Audit and Inspection, the National Tax Service, the police, and the National Intelligence Service were all on board.

The Cheongpung Group’s name, which had endured since the colonial era, was about to vanish from Korea’s soil.

― On the 7th, former Seoul Central District Prosecutor Bae Beom-gyu, who stood trial in connection with the Cheongpung Group, offered new testimony…’

Every day, new names came up, and the courtrooms were constantly busy. Public opinion burned hotter than ever.

The prosecution submitted arrest warrants for several members of the National Assembly, and the court requested consent for their arrests from the Assembly.

It was the first time in Korea’s political history that both ruling and opposition members had to vote in favor of the warrants to prove they had no connection to the Cheongpung Group.

I stepped back and watched their downfall unfold.

I turned my eyes away from the news anchor on the screen and looked at Kim Ho-sik.

“How’s Rush & Money doing?”

We were at the headquarters of Myeong-dong Capital.

“They’ve stopped issuing new loans.”

“They won’t last much longer. With Japan in chaos, they’re probably just waiting for the right time to pull out.”

“They’ve already approached us.”

“What did they say?”

“They’re willing to sell their bonds at face value.”

I chuckled.

“At face value, huh?”

“Seems they don’t want to take a loss.”

Because of the high interest rates on Rush & Money’s refinancing loans, the people who could afford to repay had already moved on to other loans.

The bonds they were holding were mostly bad debts from people who had been denied refinancing.

“Tell them we’re not interested. In a few months, they’ll wave the white flag and pull out on their own. When that happens, we’ll pick it up for pennies. Once the Japanese lenders exit, domestic capital will start sniffing around the loan industry.”

In history, the top two lending companies had been Japanese, but the third was a domestic company owned by a chaebol heir.

Though they only held 10% of the market, that 10% was enough to make a massive profit.

The lending business was always lucrative.

“Leave the small fish alone. If any medium or large lenders make moves, deal with them the same way we’re handling Rush & Money.”

I had no intention of sharing the market.

The loan shark business in Korea, past, present, and future, belonged to Myeong-dong.

“Make sure to follow the legal interest rate. Keep everything above board.”

“Understood.”

“Once everything is stable, Hyeon-seong will step away from this business. When that happens, you’ll take over as CEO and manage the lending division. Can I trust you with this?”

Kim Ho-sik stood up and gave a deep bow.

“Thank you, sir.”

I hadn’t fully trusted Kim Ho-sik at first, which was why I’d put Hyeon-seong in charge.

But Kim had proven himself, following my orders without fail.

I stood up with Hyeon-seong.

“Let’s go. Everyone’s gathering today. We can’t be late.”

“Of course.”

We left Myeong-dong and arrived at a bar in Gangnam.

When we walked in, everyone was already there.

Myeong-su from the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office.

Han Min-kyung, who had become a judge.

Oh Hyeon-woo from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

Yoon Jae-ha, training as the successor at Yun & Jang.

“Good to see you all. How long has it been since we were all together?”

These were the people who would one day lead Korea.