Chapter 37: The Servants Eyeing the Master’s Table

Song Hyeon-su let out a deep sighh, unable to read my expression.

“These days, Grandfather hasn’t been meeting anyone, but I noticed you see him often. I’m curious about what you talk about since he rarely gives his grandsons time…”

“Is that so?”

He furrowed his brow slightly, looking a bit regretful as he nodded.

“It seems like he was really hurt after losing the election, so unless it’s something truly important, he stays in his study. He only shows his face during meals.”

That made sense.

I had no words to offer, so I mirrored his concerned expression.

“There wasn’t much to discuss.”

Song Hyeon-su seemed to have low expectations from the start, easily accepting my response with a nod.

“Really? That’s fine then. When can we meet up? Let’s grab a drink.”

“I’ll make time as soon as possible.”

“Let’s meet before I head abroad.”

“Alright, then I’ll take my leave.”

“Right, you mentioned you had plans. Go on in.”

“See you later, brother.”

I left Chairman Song’s mansion and headed to our meeting spot.

This time, the location was also in Yeouido.

The area around the Yeouido securities firm was busier than usual, with crowds spilling out of the buildings. The road was a chaotic mix of parking and traffic.

“Ugh… this place is like a battlefield.”

After finally finding a parking spot, I took a moment to gather my thoughts while I waited for Han Gyeong-yeong.

‘How much stock does Grandfather actually hold?’

Recalling my memories from before the regression, I shook my head.

‘If I inherit all this, I could really get involved in the Il-sung succession battle.”

Just then, the passenger door swung open.

“What are you doing?”

Han Gyeong-yeong hopped into the car, asking.

“Oh, you’re here? It was hectic today, huh?”

“I swear, I thought I’d be crushed by the crowd before the market even opened. A few people got injured; it was absolute chaos.”

“Haha, I can imagine! It must have been stressful.”

Han Gyeong-yeong slumped in his seat, looking exhausted.

“Yeah, if you hadn’t told me, I would’ve thought I was the only one holding onto stocks. I’d have been panicking just like the rest of them.”

“So, what’s the deal with Il-sung stocks?””

“Ugh! Don’t even get me started. Il-sung stocks, Daehyeon, WWoosung—everything crashed. Big companies don’t matter anymore.”

“So you bought a lot?”

“I scraped together all the cash I had. I thought I was diversifying, but turns out it’s not much.”

“Good. I’ll give you another 10 billion; buy more.”

Han Gyeong-yeong looked horrified.

“Ugh… talking to you makes 1 billion feel like pocket change. Just a casual toss of 10 billion?”

I chuckled.

“So, do you hate it?”

“…I’m selling everything today, but as I’m doing that, everyone’s looking at me wondering what’s going on. No matter how much I buy, the prices just won’t budge. Even 10 billion won feels insignificant in this market.”

I nodded.

In a market where everyone was selling, throwing 10 billion wouldn’t make a dent.

Not that I intended to stop them, though.

“After this is over, take a few days to relax. Go on a trip or something.”

“Nah, there’s no time for trips. This is just getting interesting.”

As the traffic started to ease up, I drove slowly toward Han Gyeong-yeong’s house.

I casually mentioned to him as he adjusted his tie, “Once this is over, get ready to head to the U.S. quickly.”

“So soon?”

“Yeah, let’s get moving. I can’t go to the U.S. often, so I’m really counting on you. Do well and don’t break my trust, alright?”

Han Gyeong-yeong sighed deeply at my expression.

His sigh was more about responsibility than exhaustion.

“Fine, I see that if I do what you say, I might at least break even. What do I need to do?”

“You remember the investment company I mentioned? I won’t be accepting investments; I’ll fund it all myself.”

“Got it.”

“And… there’s someone named James Han who’s struggling on Wall Street—a Korean-American. We’ll start by bringing him on board…”

I listed the names of others we needed to recruit.

Once the company was established, I planned to head to the U.S. myself.

“For now, that’s the plan. Just wait until you’re back.”

“Once I’m over there, I’ll deposit 400 billion into the company and assign everyone their roles. I’ll take charge of the major investments, but you need to keep things steady there.”

“Don’t worry.”

I patted Han Gyeong-yeong on the shoulder.

“Later on, I’ll make sure you get to fly around in a private jet. Just hang in there a little longer.”

The mention of a private jet made him smile, imagining the luxury.

“Alright! Let’s take the world by storm!”

His enthusiasm made me laugh too.

* * *

South Korea, which had been in turmoil for days, stabilized surprisingly quickly. The plunging stock market began to rise again, easing people’s anxieties.

However, the Myeong-dong loan shark market was frozen solid.

Grandfather had sorted out most of the anonymous accounts, so he didn’t suffer significant losses this time.

Unlike before.

On the other hand, the other loan sharks in Myeong-dong were in a panic.

‘The loan sharks in Myeong-dong are in the same boat.’

The four loan sharks under Grandfather—well, now three—were likely in a quandary.

“Long time no see!”

I entered the former Hammer’s office, the meeting spot.

The three bosses waiting for me stood up in unison to greet me.

“Welcome, young master!”

Their different reactions brought a small smile to my face as I took my seat at the head of the table.

The bosses stood awkwardly, fidgeting in their seats.

“Please, sit down. You’ll hurt your neck.”

“Yes.”

Once they were seated, I looked at each of their faces for a few seconds.

Twin Blades, Kim Ho-sik, avoiding my gaze.

Bandit, Shin Seong-il, looking down.

Viper, Noh Ik-seon, holding his pride,, refusing to look away.

Their personalities were apparent even in this moment.

“The reason I wanted to meet with you all, as you may already know, is because of the Financial Real Name System. The Myeong-dong loan shark market is frozen solid, isn’t it?”

As I started, they all looked at me with tense expressions.

I smiled leisurely.

“You guys are struggling too, right?”

“Not at all, thanks to Chairman Song’s preparations, we fortunately haven’t suffered much damage.”

Sure, Grandfather’s bonds secured through his money wouldn’t be a problem.

But I bet they were about to lose their hidden profits.

Their attempts to act unbothered were both pitiful and amusing.

“Hey, why are you all acting like this? Chairman Cheon, you were all sneaking around, weren’t you?”

My straightforward comment left them speechless.

“The reason I came today without Chief Ha is that I want to have a candid conversation with you. I understand you guys. When you’re kneading dough, it’s only natural to get some dough dust on your hands. But now, you’re about to lose all the money you worked so hard to make. How does that feel?”

Excluding Boss Shin, the other two made uncomfortable faces.

From their expressions, I could tell Shin Seong-il hadn’t pocketed any hidden profits.

The oldest, Noh Ik-seon, took the lead and spoke up.

“Is it really necessary to discuss this right now, during this headache of a Financial Real Name System?”

Kim Ho-sik nodded timidly in agreement.

I couldn’t help but smirk inwardly.

“No, I’m not trying to hold you accountable, Chairman Noh. If I had wanted that, I would have come alone. You all know how Hammer disappeared, right?”

At the mention of Yu Ji-gang’s name, their eyes widened in fear.

“…Are you threatening us?”

“Threatening? If I were to threaten, it would be easier to go after each of you individually.”

Seeing Noh Ik-seon back down, I presseed on.

“I don’t understand why the atmosphere feels so tense. I came to offer you guys a choice.”

“A choice?”

“Yes, a choice between following my uncle or me.”

As soon as I brought up the succession issue, their expressions shifted.

Boss Shin looked completely uninterested, though.

“What do we gain if we choose to follow you, young master?”

Noh Ik-seon was still steering the conversation.

I decided to cut in before it went too far.

“Chairman Noh, if you think not taking my offer means I can’t succeed Grandfather, then you should leave now. I’m here to give you an opportunity, not to ask for your choice. Do you understand?”

They exchanged glances, turning their heads.

The first to speak up was, unsurprisingly, Shin Seong-il.

“Then I’ll take my leave. I only need to follow whoever Chairman designates as the successor. I’m free to go, right?”

I nodded.

“Yes, you can leave without any consequences.”

As Shin Seong-il stood up, Noh Ik-seon and Kim Ho-sik lookked on in shock.

He bowed to me before exiting.

“I’ll see you next time, young master.”

I watched him leave quietly, wondering, ‘Why would someone so loyal to Grandfather betray me? No matter how I think about it, I can’t understand. Grandfather chose me as the successor.’

I couldn’t grasp it, but I decided to meet with Shin Seong-il later to ponder it further.

For now, I focused on the other two.

“What about you two?”

They hesitated to answer at first, contemplating for quite a while.

I leaned back, arms crossed, waiting for them.

“…Even though we’re working under the Chairman, we’ve rolled with the punches in Myeong-dong. Without our support, it wouldn’t be easy.”

After much deliberation, their answer was a handshake.

These guys used to speak clearly back then, but they keep forgetting.

“Do you share the same thought, Boss Kim?”

“Yes.”

Oh, are they planning to team up?

I instinctively wiped the smile off my face.

As the atmosphere grew tense, they froze like frogs before a snake.

“Why do you always try to crawl up when I speak nicely? Do you really think your actions will influence what Boss Kim and President Noh decide? Why do you keep eyeing the master’s table?”

The faces of the two men turned sour.

“I told you last time, act like a servant. I can overlook you gathering money on the side, but trying to sit at the same table as the master is unacceptable.”

“Isn’t that a bit too harsh?”

Noh Ik-seon spat out, his face growing red.

But that was all he said.

“Do you think you’ll know the difference between feces and soybean paste by tasting it? What, is your uncle offering you something? Maybe he’s promised you independence?”

The mention of independence made President Noh flinch.

“Do you really think independence given by someone else counts? If you don’t achieve it through your own efforts, it’s all the same.”

I couldn’t hide my smirk as I continued.

“Let’s say you support Choi and push me aside, and he takes over Grandfather’s position—though the chances are infinitesimal. Would Choi really let you live freely after you’ve overturned the master’s table?”

Noh Ik-seon turned red but coulldn’t respond as I glanced at Kim Ho-sik.

“Twin Blades, do you think the same? Did I not express myself clearly back then?”

“…”

“Just eat what I provide. At least I have no plans of dumping you like your uncle would. No, I’ll bring you into the light and make you stand proud in front of your children.”

Kim Ho-sik reacted to my words.

“You mean in the light?”

“How long will you live off loan shark money? You need to step into the light and run a legitimate business. That’s what I’m planning for you—to be a proper lending company that charges legal interest.”

“Then it wouldn’t be a loan shark, right?”

I looked at Kim Ho-sik, who seemed hesitant, with disdain.

“That’s something children in the neighborhood do. You all need to start being called ‘boss’ properly, don’t you think?”

“…Is there a way?”

I gave a crooked smile and held up my fingers.

“Just bear with it for five years. In five years, you can step into the light. That’s a promise. You don’t believe in talk of independence, do you?”

Seeing the two who didn’t respond, I stood up.

“Think it over and get in touch. You can even go tell Choi. Just know that it won’t be a friendly meeting then.”

Just as I was about to leave the office, Noh Ik-seon called out to me..

“Young Master, can we really step into the light?”

Without a hint of hesitation, I smiled and replied.

“Of course!”