Chapter 818: Betrayal and Confidences

The Legal Team Leader asked in surprise.

“H-how did you…”

“For the same reason as you, what else? Is my presence here such a surprise?”

Unlike the Legal Team Leader, the Chief Secretary handled the situation with composure.

I watched their conversation with interest, swirling the wine in my glass.

“I must admit I’m curious too. I didn’t expect to see the Chief Secretary here. What made you betray the Chairman? Weren’t you friends?”

“Friends… I considered Woo-sik a friend. But friendship requires an equal relationship. When we were young, Woo-sik probably saw me as a friend too, but as adults, I became his subordinate. No, more like a servant.”

I winced involuntarily at the Chief Secretary’s words.

They weren’t directed at me, but somehow his words struck a chord.

His statement that friendship requires equality kept echoing in my ears.

Are Myeong-su, Hyeon-seong, and I truly equal? Are we still friends?

Myeong-su treated me the same as always, but Hyeon-seong had started to show caution when we met.

He tried to act like everything was normal, but deep down he might be thinking the same as the Chief Secretary.

‘I need to be more careful.’

I looked at the Chief Secretary and nodded silently.

I vowed to be mindful, so that they wouldn’t feel the same way towards me.

Yoon Hyun-joo cleared her throat lightly, breaking the tense atmosphere.

“Let’s stop this pointless chatter. Legal Team Leader coming to me means you’ve abandoned that Choi Woo-sik bastard. Am I right to assume that?”

Yoon Hyun-joo asked with a smile, as the Legal Team Leader swallowed hard before dropping to his knees.

He fell to his knees like before, his actions seemed worthless.

“Please spare me. I was merely following orders and doing my job faithfully.”

“Hmm… according to the Chief Secretary, lately you’ve been meeting with Choi Woo-sik alone, excluding the Chief Secretary. And you’ve also been investigating me.”

“T-that’s… I couldn’t disobey the Chairman’s orders.”

Yoon Hyun-joo shrugged at his stammered excuses.

“But you could have told me right? If the Chief Secretary hadn’t investigated, I would’ve been backstabbed without knowing a thing.”

“I pledge my loyalty to you, Manager. I will do anything you ask.”

I couldn’t understand why the Legal Team Leader was groveling so much.

He was the Legal Team Leader of KS Group. Even if he got fired, he could open his own practice and make a decent living, why was he so subservient?

“What if the tide turns again? You’ll switch your allegiance again. It’s always harder the first time.”

“N-no, that’s not true. I wasn’t loyal to Chairman Choi Woo-sik, but to KS Group. Now, I pledge my undying loyalty to you, Manager.”

The Legal Team Leader, cornered, spouted nonsense. Yoon Hyun-joo turned to me.

“What do you think, Boss Kim?”

“My opinion doesn’t matter. You should do what your heart tells you.”

“But if you had to give some advice?”

I wondered why she’d managed to persuade the Chief Secretary but not the Legal Team Leader. Finally I asked her.

“Do you have any dirt on the Legal Team Leader too?”

The Legal Team Leader, who was prostrated on the floor, flinched at my question.

“Not yet, but you know how it is. The Legal Team Leader didn’t hesitate to do dirty work, bending the law and making illegal things seem legal. He has to take responsibility for his actions alongside Choi Woo-sik. Once the shareholders meeting is over, I plan to audit Choi Woo-sik’s cronies.”

As I’d expected, she didn’t have any specific leverage, she was going to expose his crimes through an audit.

If she did have something concrete she would have co-opted him, like the Chief Secretary, or disposed of him like Choi Woo-sik.

“This is just advice, consider it.”

“Okay. I’ll use my judgment.”

“The Legal Team Leader’s capabilities are well known. He is skilled enough to take care of Choi Woo-sik’s various illegal activities. Plus, he has an impressive network in the Prosecutor’s Office.”

Yoon Hyun-joo seemed to acknowledge this, nodding her head.

Without the Legal Team Leader’s extensive lobbying, Choi Woo-sik would’ve been arrested a long time ago.

“It’d be wise to keep him if you can. If not… do you have a replacement in mind?”

“I don’t have anyone particular in mind.”

“Then there’s no one better than him. I recommend you put a leash on him and use him. Working together this time made it clear; you need a lawyer around you.”

Yoon Jae-ha worked quite hard this time. She nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. I felt it acutely this time.”

Yoon Hyun-joo turned to the Chief Secretary.

“What do you think, Chief Secretary?”

“He’s certainly capable, but the question is whether we can trust him. That’s not really my place to say.”

After a moment of consideration, Yoon Hyun-joo turned her gaze back to the Legal Team Leader.

“Can I trust you?”

“Please trust me, I’ll do everything in my power.”

“Anything I tell you to do?”

The Legal Team Leader nodded eagerly, afraid of missing an opportunity.

“Then, how much do you know about Choi Woo-sik’s private life?”

“Th-that’s something the Chief Secretary would know better than I do. What I know is…”

“Do you think I’m asking you this because I don’t know? I’m asking if Choi Woo-sik secretly transferred assets to that woman and her kid. Are you pretending not to know, or are you just stupid?”

The Legal Team Leader flinched at her sharp question, but surprisingly answered her truthfully.

“…He gifted a building in Gangnam to the woman’s mother. And just in case, he’s also written a will.”

“A will?”

Yoon Hyun-joo’s eyes widened at the sudden mention of a will.

“…That bastard wrote a separate will?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That crazy bastard Choi Woo-sik! What the hell did he write in that will? Tell me now.”

“He left all his assets, including his stocks and real estate, to Choi Jin-woo…”

“He’s insane! How dare he!”

Yoon Hyun-joo slammed her hand on the table, grinding her teeth.

She didn’t even try to hide her anger.

“Leave all his assets to that brat? What the hell? To his illegitimate child?”

“……”

“Where is the will? Bring it to me now! I have to see it for myself!”

“It’s stored in a private safe at the Taesan Bank headquarters. Only the Chairman can go there. Neither I, nor you Manager, can open it.”

“Taesan Bank headquarters?”

At those words, Yoon Hyun-joo looked at me. I knew what she was thinking.

“This is something that I cannot help with. I know what you are going through, but if I were to ask them to open it, no one will use Taesan Bank’s safe deposit boxes anymore. It would be an issue of trust.”

Of course, it was possible if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to take that risk.

“…I was just looking.”

Realizing she had been rude she turned her head and asked the Legal Team Leader again.

“Find a way. Stick to Choi Woo-sik and bring me that will. If you can do that, I will give you a place by my side.”

“Yes? Yes! I will definitely do it.”

The Legal Team Leader’s face lit up. Yoon Hyun-joo looked at him for a moment without saying anything and waved her hand.

“Then leave. For now stick to Choi Woo-sik and find out everything that he is up to. Do you understand?”

“Yes I understand. But… If I’m dismissed from my position as CEO after the shareholder meeting, then I won’t have any justification for being near him…”

“Just hand in your resignation. You can be reinstated later.”

“Y-yes, I’ll do that.”

The Legal Team Leader got up, bowed slightly to me, and then left.

Once the Legal Team Leader was gone, Yoon Hyun-joo muttered venomously.

“He’s a funny guy. Writing a will without my knowledge?”

Seething with anger, Yoon Hyun-joo downed a glass of water in one go.

“There are many ways to invalidate a will, so don’t worry about it too much.”

“I’m not worried, just annoyed. That Choi Woo-sik never is of any help. Oh, Boss Kim. You must be hungry? I will tell them to bring out the food.”

I clicked my tongue at Yoon Hyun-joo whose emotions seemed to be swinging wildly after her hard time.

Soon Yoon Hyun-joo called the staff and had them prepare food.

We quickly finished eating and continued our conversation over coffee for dessert.

“I will never forget your help this time. And for rejecting that man’s proposition.”

“It was a business deal. I wouldn’t have helped so readily if it wasn’t beneficial to me.”

“You’re not being honest. You are not one to be swayed so easily by such a small benefit.”

Yoon Hyun-joo chuckled softly and continued.

“I will fully commit to anything you do, Boss Kim. Ask anything.”

“I appreciate it. There will be many great businesses for us to do together.”

Perhaps because we had a common enemy, the atmosphere remained friendly throughout my conversation with Yoon Hyun-joo.

* * *

Tian Liangyu tried contacting Jiang Zemin repeatedly, but his calls went unanswered.

The more he tried the more anxious Tian Liangyu became.

Even though people from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection were going around Shanghai, there was nothing he could do.

They made no attempt to hide that they were conducting an audit.

They audited every institution within Tian Liangyu’s reach, including the Shanghai city hall.

“Thank you all for gathering today.”

Meanwhile in Beijing, Hu Jintao presided over a meeting of all the Standing Committee members.

“We have called the Standing Committee here today in order to decide on Tian Liangyu’s dismissal.”

Despite Hu Jintao’s pronouncement, none of the other eight Standing Committee members looked surprised.

It was already a foregone conclusion.

“Secretary Wu Guanzheng, please report.”

Wu Guanzheng, seventh in the Standing Committee hierarchy and also Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, rose from his seat.

“After a comprehensive audit, we have confirmed the allegations of bribery and severe abuse of power against Tian Liangyu, the Party Secretary of Shanghai.”

Wu Guanzheng continued, holding up a stack of papers on the table.

“These documents detail Tian Liangyu’s acts of corruption.”

All the Standing Committee members picked up the papers to review their contents.

But the corruption listed inside wasn’t as significant as they’d imagined.

The amount listed for bribery was 2.39 million Yuan.

It was quite a small amount for a figure as powerful as Tian Liangyu.

The details listed under abuse of power were also still incomplete.

They were common practices among those in power like facilitating business for family members.

But the last part was the most problematic.

“Is this true? That he embezzled social insurance funds and deliberately caused losses?”

Huang Ju, one of Jiang Zemin’s close associates, frowned.

“We have already secured all the evidence.”

Huang Ju quietly closed his eyes.

This couldn’t be defended. If he tried to save Tian Liangyu, he and Jiang Zemin could fall from grace.

Hu Jintao opened his mouth with a stern face.

“I believe we must dismiss Tian Liangyu from his position as Party Secretary of Shanghai. Then we must arrest and detain him while we continue our investigation. Does anyone object?”

The meeting room was silent. No one spoke.

“Good. Then, with everyone in agreement, we will accept the motion to dismiss Tian Liangyu.”

Then Jia Qinglin, who had been listening quietly, spoke.

“Shouldn’t we inform former Chairman Jiang Zemin first?”

“…I will speak to him personally.”

“Very well.”

After responding to Jia Qinglin, Hu Jintao commanded Wu Guanzheng.

“Don’t send anyone else. Secretary Wu, you will go and arrest him in person.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Let’s deal with everything today without dragging it out. As for the Party Secretary of Shanghai position that’s about to be vacant…”

This time, Huang Ju raised his hand, interrupting Hu Jintao.

“Chairman, let us discuss that another time. Appointing a replacement right away won’t benefit us.”

“Hmm…”

Hu Jintao pondered. He originally planned to conclude everything today but he had to take into account the views of Jiang Zemin’s faction, including Huang Ju.

He could have pushed them, but there was no reason to make them uncomfortable.

The victor should show grace.

“Very well. We will discuss this again next month. For the time being, the Mayor of Shanghai will temporarily fill the role of Party Secretary. Does anyone object?”

Once again, no one answered. But Hu Jintao was actually pleased by the silence.

“Everything is decided. Carry out the orders.”

Tian Liangyu, who had seemed untouchable.

It took less than an hour for him to fall from the top.