Chapter 230: This is a Warning

Fortunately, the results of the U.S. presidential election didn’t change. To be precise, they did change to some extent.

Bush didn’t just claim an incomplete victory; he secured a flawless one.

News articles stated that the drastic fall of the Nasdaq had significantly lowered the approval ratings of incumbent Clinton, influencing this election greatly.

I chuckled softly as I scrolled past the election results on my screen. Now that the election was safely over, it was time to move on.

I picked up my phone and called Han Gyeong-yeong.

― Hello.

His voice was hoarse, as if he had just woken up.

“Hyung, sorry. Did I wake you?”

― Oh, uh… Mu-hyeok? What time is it? No worries, it’s time to get up.

I heard rustling sounds, followed by a loud yawn from Han Gyeong-yeong.

― Oh! The weather is nice today.

“Really? It’s gloomy over here.”

Heavy rain was pouring outside the office window.

I stood up from my chair and walked over to the window as we continued our conversation.

“Did you hear from the Bush camp?”

― Yeah. I’ll be meeting Bush in a few days.

“You’re meeting Bush directly?”

I asked, surprised by the unexpected news.

― I was shocked too when I got the call. I expected I’d only meet someone like Dick Cheney. Guess the big donation I made to the Bush campaign caught some attention.

“Even so, it’s still incredible for the president to ask for a face-to-face meeting.”

There couldn’t be many investors who would get the chance to meet the newly elected president. No matter how much financial support they provided.

“Then my name might come up after all.”

― Probably. Your name will definitely come up.

Staring out at the torrential rain, I fell deep into thought as the sound of raindrops intensified against the window.

“Contact the Bush camp and ask if I can come directly. Then give me a call back.”

― You’re coming yourself?

“You never know when I might get another chance to meet Bush. No better time than now.”

Han Gyeong-yeong readily agreed.

― Sure. I’ll contact them. They probably want to meet the boss rather than me anyway.

“They didn’t mention me at all, right?”

― Not a word about you.

Those surrounding Bush were known for their rigid and extreme-right ideologies.

They certainly wouldn’t take a liking to someone like me, who accumulated American wealth through financial means.

“How about the contract liquidation?”

― Most of it’s taken care of. I’m now gradually buying up the stocks you mentioned as they come onto the market. Oh! And Qualcomm is about to start negotiation talks with their executives.

“Really?”

This was good news. It seemed I could acquire Qualcomm quicker than expected.

― Yeah, the stock price has plummeted further than I thought. As soon as they realized we were interested, they reached out to set up a meeting.

“That works. Make sure to secure management rights at all costs.”

― Right. I’ll hold off on heading back to Korea for now and stay in the U.S. I’ll need to return by next week to meet Bush.

I hung up after a brief exchange, a natural sigh escaping my lips.

It hadn’t been long since I returned from Russia, and now I had to go to the U.S. Just the thought of another long flight made me uneasy.

Shaking my head, I gazed out the window. As I observed the relentless raindrops, I took a moment to collect my thoughts.

How much time had passed? Just then, Manager Ma knocked and entered the room.

“Boss, it’s time to head out.”

“It’s really pouring today.”

“Maybe it’s the last rain before winter sets in, don’t you think?”

“Isn’t that right?”

I turned around and smiled. There was too much on my plate to leisurely enjoy the rain.

I set out with Manager Ma to Chairman Song Chan-seong’s house. As I got in the car, I turned to Manager Ma, who sat in the passenger seat.

“Did you find out about what we discussed last time?”

― Turns out, that woman did exist.

“Really?”

Chairman Song Young-ju was said to have a fondness for Song Chan-woo because he was the son of the woman he truly loved.

Though he was an illegitimate child, he had been registered under his father’s name with the permission of the lawful wife. This was a secret only known to the Song family.

― Yes, but she’s already passed away.

“Hmm…”

Though infidelity was common back then, could it truly be packaged as love?

And could it be right to hand over management of a massive corporation like Daehyeon just because of some guilt? That was something I simply couldn’t comprehend.

“By the way, the circumstances surrounding her death are rather questionable. It’s said she died instantly in a car accident during a time when cars were rather scarce.”

“She died in a car accident?”

― Right.

The explosive rise of automobiles in the country began in the 1980s, so someone dying in a car accident in the 1960s seemed strange.

“Chairman Song Young-ju wouldn’t have just sat back and let that happen, would he?”

“That’s also strange. The investigation was suddenly halted. No records remain now.”

As Manager Ma stated, it really was odd. I subtly nodded.

It reminded me of when my own parents passed away. Surely, someone in the family must have been involved.

So Chairman Song Young-ju likely chose not to dig any deeper but instead decided to bring his son, Song Chan-woo, back home.

I could grasp the general idea of what had transpired.

“Were there any other peculiarities?”

“Most of the founding members who established Daehyeon alongside Chairman Song Young-ju support Chairman Song Chan-seong’s claim to the seat.”

“For them, he’s practically the eldest son. Plus, he’s the most capable among them, to boot.”

After the first son passed away, Chairman Song Chan-seong effectively took on the role of the eldest son in the family.

It was entirely understandable why the company executives would rally behind Song Chan-seong, who had similar abilities and traits to Chairman Song Young-ju.

Previously, I hadn’t bothered to look too closely, but now I might need to get genuinely involved in the power struggle over Daehyeon.

Would it be Song Chan-woo or Song Chan-seong…?

As I pondered this, we arrived at Song Chan-seong’s house.

“Welcome, Boss Kim.”

As I stepped inside, Song Chan-woo greeted me warmly right from the entrance. I returned his open smile with one of my own.

“Thanks for having me.”

“Of course, let’s go inside.”

Song Chan-seong patted my shoulder and led me into the living room, where an ajumma brought in coffee.

“It’s instant coffee; I hope you don’t mind. I just can’t handle the strong bitter stuff.”

“No, it’s fine.”

It had been a while since I had instant coffee. Watching him offer it with a smile gave me some insight into his sincere, straightforward nature.

Chairman Song Chan-seong downed his coffee in one go before speaking.

“The reason I asked to see you today is that I have a question. Your father asked you to back Chan-woo, didn’t he?”

I paused, coffee cup in hand, and stared at Chairman Song Chan-seong. His direct approach felt refreshingly new after a long time.

“I won’t meddle in personal matters, and I won’t ask you to push. Just keep an eye out, okay?”

I set the coffee cup down. Chairman Song Chan-seong continued.

“Most of what my father planned to transfer regarding management rights has already shifted to Chan-woo. But I can’t accept that.”

“Can’t you just be satisfied with Daehyeon Motors?”

― Haha! Daehyeon Motors? Even if my father tried to take it away, that would be impossible. Or rather, if Boss Kim helps me, it might be doable.

Chairman Song Chan-seong had proven his capabilities by exponentially increasing market share in a few years, outpacing domestic competitors.

“I’m not satisfied with merely Daehyeon Motors. Not at all. I won’t hand over a single company to Chan-woo.”

He was openly displaying his animosity towards Chairman Song Chan-woo now.

“I heard you’re at war with Il-sung. But I hope you donn’t want to make me your enemy as well.”

“Well, what’s there to be afraid of with one more enemy?”

“What?”

Hearing my words, Song Chan-seong burst into laughter.

“You’re different from what Hyun-su described, seeing you in person.”

“What did Hyun-su say about me?”

I recalled how Song Hyeon-su’s smile had turned icy right before the elevator doors closed.

“Hyun-su only thought of you as a close younger brother. But who would have guessed Boss Kim would become this influential? Even I didn’t expect you to become Chairman Cheon’s heir.”

“…I don’t really want to discuss that.”

His sudden reference to family made me feel uneasy. I frowned instinctively and shot him a glare.

“Sorry if that offended you.”

Instead of making excuses, Song Chan-seong quickly apologized. Rubbing my furrowed brow, I spoke up.

“Well, creating enemies is up to me. The essence of trade is give-and-take, right? Chairman, you need to show me what you can offer first. Until that happens, we can’t have a dialogue.”

“What? Just to maintain neutrality…?”

“Out of respect for Chairman Song, I’m inclined to abide by that. But you’ll need to present something substantial to sway me from that position.”

As I crossed my legs, the smile vanished from Song Chan-seong’s face. His expression turned cold and his words became stiff.

“What do you want? Speak up.”

“That’s for you to figure out. What must you offer to persuade me to keep my neutrality?”

“…”

As I smiled at the silent, glaring Song Chan-seong, I wondered if I should poke at him a bit more.

“I’m going to meet Song Chan-woo too. I’ll be making the same offer to him.”

“…Kim Sa-jang.”

Song Chan-seong’s face reddened with anger as he clenched his fists.

“If you can’t follow Chairman Song’s wishes, then I should at least assess what you think will benefit me. I’m an investor, not a philanthropist, you know?”

With tightly clenched lips, Song Chan-seong glared at me in silence.

“And now is that the time to be worrying about heirs? Song Young-ju’s heart has stopped beating. If you’re his son and the firstborn, you should be worrying before anything else.”

I recalled when my grandfather had been hospitalized. Likewise, when Chairman Song Young-ju was admitted, the family’s focus seemed to be not on worry but rather on preparing for life after his passing, which disgusted me.

“Don’t throw dust on Chairman Song Young-ju’s path to his final resting place. This is a warning. If you move foolishly before he passes, I will become your enemy.”

“…”

“I came today to tell you this.”

I still hadn’t made any decisions. And even if I did, I planned to take action only after Chairman Song Young-ju passed away.

“Please understand. No one knows better than you how much Chairman Song Young-ju thought about his family.”

“That’s true. But there are many circumstances you might not be aware of…”

As Song Chan-seong’s lips fluttered, trying to say something more, I interrupted him.

“Such matters are of no concern to me. At the very least, let’s ensure that Chairman Song Young-ju’s last journey is met with smiles. We can address other issues later.”

“…Then can I take that to mean you’ll abide by your neutrality until then?”

Meeting his gaze, I nodded.

“I’ll be passing the same message along to Song Chan-woo.”

“Alright, I can agree to that.”

“Please ensure you come prepared with what I need when we meet next time.”

No response was given. I rose from my seat, disliking the lingering atmosphere.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

I gave a slight bow and turned to leave.

Unlike when I was greeted at the entrance, I stepped out the front door, leaving behind Song Chan-seong, who was deep in thought on the sofa.

Outside, Manager Ma spotted me and opened the umbrella he was holding.

“Finished with your talk?”

Nodding, I stepped under the umbrella being held by Manager Ma.

Even as I got into the car, my mind was still a whirl. I now understood why Chairman Song Young-ju had been so anxious since the passing of my grandfather, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

I let out a deep sigh, resting my head against the car seat.

The car sped down the road, quickly turning away from Song Chan-seong’s house.

The rain pummeling against the window felt eerily like the tears of Chairman Song Young-ju.