Chapter 104: Confrontation

“Hyung-nim, can we talk for a moment?”

Jin Dong-ki glared at Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki as he spoke.

“Sure. There’s something I want to ask too.”

Jin Yun-ki sighed, sensing the tense atmosphere.

“Hyung-nims, do you really have to do this after coming all this way? Just stop it.”

“It’s not what you think. Don’t worry about unnecessary things.”

Jin Dong-ki patted his younger brother’s shoulder and walked towards the rest area, which was decorated like a small park.

The cool night breeze and the pleasant chirping of insects calmed their minds.

“Hyung-nim, what about Sang-ki?”

“He’s on a business trip in Europe. I haven’t contacted him yet. I’ll let him know when Father’s condition becomes critical.”

“Hyung-nim, you know too, right? It couldn’t have been just me who was contacted….”

“Yeah, I heard. That you were on your way to Gunsan with Do-jun.”

“What do you think?”

“Do you want to know what I think? Or do you want to tell me what you think?”

“Are you even curious about what I think?”

“No. I know what you’re thinking, so I’m not curious.”

Jin Young-ki’s cold gaze made Jin Dong-ki’s eyes narrow.

“Right now, you suspect that I caused the accident, don’t you? Because if Father suddenly passes away without the share inheritance work being done, I’ll be the most advantageous. And I wouldn’t have to deal with a brat like Do-jun.”

“Isn’t it true that no one knows if Hyung-nim will be the most advantageous? It’ll take at least six months to re-examine the share structure, right?”

“I’m the eldest son. When Father passes away, I’m the chief mourner. My face will be all over the newspapers and news. Everyone will think, ‘Of course, he’ll become the chairman.’ Then the shareholders and institutions will naturally side with me.”

Jin Dong-ki’s face crumpled. The eldest son of a poor family only carries burdens, but the eldest son of a wealthy family has such premiums.

Everyone with power who comes to pay respects at the wake will seek out the chief mourner and discuss future matters. Even the group executives will see that and judge who the trendsetter is.

The eldest son can secure a decidedly advantageous position.

“So? Did you really do something so terrible?”

The words he desperately wanted to ask came out easily. Hyung-nim set the stage, after all.

Jin Young-ki scoffed and began to glare at his younger brother.

“You already know my answer, don’t you?”

“Don’t beat around the bush.”

“If Father doesn’t wake up like this, I’ll be sad and regretful, but it won’t be bad for me either. That’s my answer.”

Honestly, no matter how foolish he was, he wouldn’t cause an accident so carelessly. It’s more reasonable to think it was a coincidence of unfortunate events.

“What are you going to do about Do-jun?”

“Are you worried about him?”

“It would be a lie to say I’m not.”

“Take care of it. Use your specialty. You’re good at making people your own.”

Jin Dong-ki was annoyed by his older brother’s curt tone, but he didn’t want to argue.

“Promise me just one thing. Don’t touch the kid.”

“Don’t act like a saint, you brat. If Do-jun becomes a threat, you’ll be the first to make a move, not me.”

Jin Young-ki, his face hardened, pointed to his younger brother’s bulging chest pocket.

“Looks like you’ve started smoking again after finally quitting. Getting anxious, huh? Heh.”

Jin Dong-ki began to fidget with the cigarettes in his pocket.

* * *

I know Father is waiting anxiously outside, but there’s nothing I can do right now. Playing along with Grandpa’s tune isn’t a bad thing for me either.

When I’m constantly worried and uneasy, Grandpa asks the same things over and over.

“What’s that kid’s name?”

“Ok Joo-hyun.”

“What about that one with the big eyes?”

“Sung Yu-ri.”

“Hmm.”

Grandpa kept tilting his head.

“Seriously, what’s there to think about? It’s obviously Lee Hyo-ri. Her face and body are superior. Her visuals are overwhelming compared to the others.”

“But it’s quite embarrassing to watch. It’s not like these grown-ups are doing kindergarten talent shows. What on earth are they doing….”

He probably doesn’t like them jumping around in green and pink outfits. I wonder what kind of expression he’d make if I told him that girl groups have been milking the sexy and innocent concept, which are contrasting but most effective, for over twenty years.

“Alright. I’ve decided.”

“Who is it?”

“I’ll go with Ok Joo-hyun.”

Grandpa chuckled as he saw my disappointed expression.

“Why? Do I look like I have low standards when it comes to women?”

The members who debuted early haven’t received much camera attention yet, so they lacked the halo effect. Besides, Ok Joo-hyun, the main vocalist, has a large build. It’s inevitable that she’s less eye-catching than the other members.

“You brat. The way they look on TV is completely different from how they look in real life. I’ve met pretty much every beauty in this country. I can tell at a glance.”

Well, how many beauties would refuse when Grandpa asks to meet them? But this is a different matter.

“Let’s just say Grandpa is old-fashioned and has different standards for beauty. Hehe.”

“Oh, you don’t believe me? Fine. Once you see them in person, you’ll know this old man is right.”

Grandpa reached for the phone receiver.

“Grandpa! I believe you, so put the receiver down.”

I was so surprised that I grabbed the phone.

“What do you think will happen if you call them here right now? Do you know how many people are waiting outside for us to wake up?”

“Oops, that’s right.”

Grandpa regretfully put the receiver down.

“When I go up to Seoul, I’ll definitely call those kids. Let’s have a meal together and take a closer look. You’ll be amazed by this old man’s aesthetic sense. Ehehehe.”

Grandpa really seemed like someone enjoying a vacation, forgetting everything. Dozens of major agenda items come up every day. How relaxing must it be for Grandpa, who spends his time making continuous decisions, to be spending his time on the enjoyable dilemma of deciding which girl group member is better?

Since he’ll have to spend at least a week like this, the smile didn’t leave Grandpa’s face.

However, fate, which constantly demanded important decisions from Grandpa, wouldn’t allow him to have a leisurely time even for a moment.

The expressions of the hospital director and a doctor who carefully opened the door and entered after knocking looked a little grim.

It wasn’t just my imagination. Grandpa’s smile immediately vanished as he saw the hospital director’s face.

“Is there some bad news? Has that friend Kim Yoon-suk’s condition worsened?”

“Ah, no, Chairman.”

The flustered hospital director glanced at the doctor who had accompanied him.

“Mr. Kim Yoon-suk is recovering much faster than expected. Judging by his bio-signals, he’ll regain consciousness soon.”

“Then why do you look so unwell?”

The surgeon took a short breath and spoke slowly. I could feel him choosing his words very carefully, afraid of being misunderstood.

“Your test results have come back, Chairman. We missed it when we focused on the external injuries from the initial accident, so we re-tested to be sure… We found a very small tumor.”

“Tumor? Are you saying it’s cancer?”

When I asked, startled, Grandpa calmly reassured me.

“Do-jun. The doctor isn’t finished speaking yet.”

“Sorry.”

After bowing his head slightly, the doctor continued.

“It’s nothing to worry about. Judging by the size, it seems to be in the early stages. It can be completely removed with surgery.”

“Then why do you look so unwell?”

“The tumor is located in the brain. It’s quite sensitive.”

Even Grandpa, who had been listening calmly, looked grim at the mention of a brain tumor.

And I was speechless for a completely different reason.

I still don’t know why the real Jin Do-jun of the past died. All the information I have is that it was an accidental death.

This is still ongoing. Because I’m still alive. I could still die in an accident.

But Grandpa’s brain tumor is a completely different problem.

In my past life, Soonyang Group’s founder, Jin Yang-cheol, died at the age of 78. That’s next year. As far as I remember, it was from illness.

Could he have died from a brain tumor?

Could the car accident a few hours ago have changed Grandpa’s fate? Assuming the surgery is successful.

“Currently, there are no signs of metastasis, but the tumor is too small to determine if it’s malignant or benign. But it’s a stroke of luck. We found it early.”

“I had a comprehensive check-up about a month ago, and I was told there were no tumors.”

The doctor seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, trying to reconcile the tumor’s size with the timeframe of a month.

“Hmm…. Then it could be malignant. In any case, the sooner the surgery, the better.”

“Then make preparations. I’m available anytime.”

Does he think the tumor is some kind of wart? He spoke so casually. It was the doctors who were taken aback by Grandpa’s reaction.

“Here, you mean?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

The hospital director hastily explained the difficulties.

“This is a local national medical center, so the facilities are somewhat lacking. It’s difficult to provide perfect care.”

“Also, the weight that comes with the name of Soonyang Group’s chairman cannot be ignored. Our medical center has not yet experienced VIP patients. If we can’t withstand the pressure, mistakes can happen.”

The surgeon who came with the director also frankly revealed the reality. If something goes wrong with the Soonyang Group chairman’s surgery, they might have to prepare for a medical malpractice lawsuit led by a massive team of lawyers.

It’s too much for a local medical center to bear such a risk.

In the end, they have to move the hospital.

Grandpa looked back and forth between the two doctors for a moment, then made a regretful expression.

“I was trying to rest comfortably, but even that’s not allowed. I have no choice. Then, who’s the best doctor in our country? I need to live a long time to see this rascal get married.”

My heart ached when I saw Grandpa smiling brightly at me.

“They said it’s a simple surgery, right? Don’t worry too much.”

It’s frustrating that all I can do is say things like this, as if it’s nothing.

“The best surgeon, no matter who you ask, is Professor Jang Joon-hyuk of Myungin University Hospital. If it’s him, he’ll perform a perfect surgery without the risk of recurrence, even if it’s malignant.”

He speaks without hesitation, even though he’s not a doctor from Soonyang Medical Center. That’s how confident he is in recommending such an excellent doctor.

“I understand. You can discuss the details with our Chief of Staff Lee.”

As the director and surgeon left, Grandpa held my hand tightly.

“You must be quite the lucky charm. You’re saving me multiple times.”

“Me?”

“Your loyal subordinate saved us, and you hugged and protected me when the accident happened, didn’t you? And this accident has allowed us to prevent my illness, which could have become irreversible, in advance. How lucky is that? Heh.”

Seeing him think everything is lucky because of me, it seems my grandpa’s wearing rose-tinted glasses.

“No, it’s Grandpa’s destiny to live a long life. The surgery will be successful.”

“That’s right. I haven’t even seen them in person yet, so it can’t fail.”

In person?

Could it be…?

“Grandpa, are you really going to call Fin.K.L?”

“Of course. I need to improve your taste in women, don’t I? That will be this old man’s last lesson. Ehehehe.”

Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae, who had received a call from the director, burst into the room without knocking.

And upon discovering Grandpa’s hearty laughter and my smile, he wore a bewildered expression.