Chapter 112: Awkward Silence

Jin Young-jun broke the awkward silence.

“Oh, right, what about Sang-joon? Is he doing well with his music studies in the States?”

“It’s what he enjoys, so I’m sure he’s handling it. But, hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“Is there something you wanted to say to me? If there is, just say it. This beating around the bush is making me uncomfortable.”

I’d had some drinks, so I played it up like I was drunk and asked him a bit boldly.

“Huh? Haha. You really are sharp.”

He let out an awkward laugh, then lowered his voice, speaking subtly.

“Have you ever thought about working with me?”

“Excuse me? With you, hyung?”

Just as I expected. He’s trying to win me over before he becomes the successor.

“Yeah. After getting my executive director title and working for a while, I realized it’s hard to find someone like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“What?”

Jin Young-jun’s eyes wavered. He’d never even experienced what kind of person I am, yet he suddenly showered me with praise, leaving him speechless.

Had he only ever seen employees at the company overjoyed and grateful when the owner’s family said, ‘There’s no one like you’? Did he think that would work on me too?

Company employees have no choice but to be pleased by the owner’s family’s words. Anyone would be moved to be recognized by a likely future chairman.

“Well… you know. It’s not about anything specific. It’s a feeling. The guys working under me have great educations and specs, but… it’s hard to put my finger on it, but something’s missing.”

“I’m probably the same. Where can you find a subordinate you’re completely satisfied with? They might look good on the surface, but once you unwrap the package, there’s always something lacking.”

I feigned a bit of humility.

“You rascal. You don’t want to work with me.”

His tone was laced with humor, but his eyes weren’t smiling. He glared at me sharply.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but we’re not a good fit.”

“What? I’m not a good fit for you?”

“Ah, no. It’s not that. I just feel awkward working with people. I prefer doing things alone. Studying alone, working alone.”

“So, that’s why you’re gaining experience at an investment firm?”

“Yes. That’s how investment is, right? Looking at data, gathering information, and making decisions on your own. It’s not about coordinating with other people. I guess this suits me.”

“Hmm… investment, huh?”

I hinted that I wasn’t interested in the group. How would he react?

He’s not naive enough to believe my words at face value. He’ll try to test the waters a few more times.

“You know what? That makes me want you even more.”

“Huh? Why?”

“That’s where I’m weak. Planning, analysis. I’m good at managing people, but I’m weak with numbers.”

You call that an excuse!

If you’re weak with numbers, can’t plan, and your analysis is a mess, isn’t that just saying you’re incompetent?

Managing people is easy for you? As the eldest grandson of the chairman, everyone will bend over backward for you and listen to whatever you say. What a load of nonsense!

I concealed my about-to-twist expression and smiled.

“Hehe. What are you talking about? You have all the smartest people in the country working for you.”

“No, I don’t! Many of them are just for show, all flash and no substance.”

Watching Jin Young-jun put on a serious face for no reason, I subtly cast my first bait. If he takes this, I’ll throw the real one.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“If… this is a big ‘if’.”

“Yeah, go on.”

Jin Young-jun’s eyes started to sparkle.

“If my investment career doesn’t work out, I’ll have to do something else… and ultimately, working for the group is the only option, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“What exactly do you mean by wanting me to work with you?”

“You’d be my Chief of Staff, like Lee Hak-jae.”

“You mean you want me to oversee the group’s affairs?”

“Exactly. Actually, you’d have even more power than Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae. He’s an outsider, just a salaryman, to be blunt. But you’re family, my younger brother. The presidents of the subsidiaries wouldn’t dare to show jealousy or resistance, would they?”

Lee Hak-jae is constantly at odds with the key executives of the subsidiaries. Some of them are the same level as presidents but are older and had a relationship with grandfather much earlier.

They also have a sense of pride as the people who helped Soonyang grow into a group.

There’s no way their relationship with Lee Hak-jae, who joined later and nitpicks at everything, would be good.

“When our third generation takes over the group, you’ll be the real number two. You were grandfather’s favorite grandson, who would complain? Right?”

“Hmm….”

I picked up my drink and pretended to ponder, and Jin Young-jun, anxious, began to pour out even sweeter words.

“I’ll stand firm and central, focusing power on you. Honestly, investment is just playing with money. Wouldn’t it be more interesting to grow Soonyang into a global corporation? The scale is different.”

“Even then, wouldn’t I just be a salaryman?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Even if we’re blood-related, what does it mean? I don’t own a single share of Soonyang Group.”

“….”

He suddenly shut his mouth at the mention of group shares. It was a sensitive topic that he couldn’t easily comment on.

After all, isn’t securing shares what determines the successor of Soonyang Group?

“Hyung, I’m learning about investment. I’m not a real estate speculator; I’m focused solely on investing in company stocks… Once you learn about this, you realize the importance of shares first and foremost. Shares are a symbol of ownership, the owner’s ID.”

Jin Young-jun remained silent, seemingly thinking about how to respond.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Didn’t you just call me family? Or am I wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Of course, you’re family.”

“Does that mean you won’t share any group shares with your cousin?”

I slammed my drink on the table, feigning anger.

“What is this? You want me to join you, work with you, but in the end, you just want to use me as a salaryman?”

“Hey! You little… Why are you talking like that, huh?!”

“Isn’t it true? Even if we’re family, how is that different from being an employee?”

“Do you think I’m that much of a lowlife? Huh?”

Judging by his sudden outburst, he must have come up with something to say.

“Listen, I know I don’t own any shares right now, so I don’t have much to say. But we’re talking about the distant future. Grandfather will pass the group down to our father, and then I’ll inherit it. That’ll take at least ten, maybe fifteen years. How can I guarantee anything that far in advance?”

I can’t let this guy believe I’m just an innocent fool with no desire for group shares. I need to show a moderate level of ambition for him to believe me more.

“So, you’re saying I should wait for shares that might come into my hands in fifteen years? And you want me to work under you based on that? That doesn’t make any sense….”

“Hey! Under? I said you’d be my right-hand man, not under me! And if you’re serious about this, I promise you, I’ll definitely share some shares. You need to have a full pocket to have strength, that’s obvious.”

He latched onto my words and even raised his voice back at me. Using the opportunity, he tried to gauge my thoughts again.

“Alright, let’s be frank. How much do you want?”

I need to answer this carefully.

I need to name an amount that makes him think I don’t have ambitions for group control.

What’s the right number for this guy?

I pretended to think, deliberately pausing before answering.

“25% of the Soonyang Group shares you’ll eventually own.”

The look on his face is subtle. It’s probably ambiguous for him. Not too much, not too little.

But he’s pathetic.

Isn’t this all about the distant future anyway? He’s just testing me and has no intention of giving anything, so I should have just called it out without hesitation.

Hesitating to answer only reveals a narrow-minded and greedy nature, doesn’t it?

A sudden memory made me almost burst out laughing.

“If you win the lottery, how much will you give me?”

My wife asked when I was agonizing over which lottery numbers to choose.

Since it was highly unlikely to win anyway, I should have immediately said I’d give her everything to make her feel good. Even if I miraculously won, I could just hide the fact.

That was exactly how I looked just now.

Hesitant.

The price for that was a marital fight and having to see my wife’s cold expression for a week.

To assure him that I wasn’t after the group, I said,

“The 25% I’d receive would be friendly shares to defend your management rights, hyung. And when you step down from management and your son, my nephew, inherits, I’ll sell them to him at a low price. Haha.”

If he still hesitates after I’ve gone this far to appease him and pretend to yield, then he’s a fool not worth dealing with.

“Why are you talking about kids who aren’t even born yet…? Give the 25% to your son, my nephew. Haha.”

If grandfather saw this, he might be so dumbfounded he’d collapse.

What a ridiculous sight it would be, two young grandsons calling each other ‘hyung’ and ‘younger brother’ and making deals.

“I’m a bit embarrassed. I haven’t even decided what I’m going to do yet….”

“It’s okay. This will be your plan B in life. If things don’t work out with what you want to do, remember this promise today. And I won’t forget it either.”

I need to play along with his mood in situations like this. That’s how I can naturally throw the second bait.

“Thank you, hyung. Honestly, I didn’t know you thought of me this highly.”

“Hey, hey, cut it out. What’s with the formality between us?!”

Jin Young-jun confidently emptied his glass and offered it to me.

“It’s still a long way off, but the important thing is that we understand each other. Let’s push and pull each other and make Soonyang Group incredible.”

“Yes, hyung. If I ever work for the group, I’ll always be on your side.”

I also cleanly emptied my full glass.

Shall I sprinkle some bait now?

“Hyung, do you have some money on hand?”

“Money? Why? Do you need some?”

“Ah, no. Where would I even spend it?”

“Then why?”

“I wanted to show you that I’m genuinely on your side.”

His eyes showed curiosity, and Jin Young-jun leaned closer.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know if you know, but Representative Oh Se-hyun provided a lot of election funds for Uncle’s mayoral campaign.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes. Initially, Aunt came to me asking for some campaign funds, but all my money is tied up in Miracle. So, I introduced her to Representative Oh.”

“So, your aunt made a deal with Oh Se-hyun. Do you know what he offered?”

“That’s the key, hehe.”

Jin Young-jun clapped his hands at my laugh.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for a bit? We can call you again if we need you.”

As the people helping us with our drinking left for the second floor, Jin Young-jun showed serious interest.

“What is it? Don’t tell me it’s about Media City? The one that was part of your uncle’s campaign promise? Is that why you acquired Dae-ah Construction?”

“Yes.”

Has he gotten smarter from eating at construction site cafeterias? He figured it out right away. But he’ll be shocked when he learns the scale.

“Executives from Soonyang Construction have been transferred to Dae-ah en masse, right? Grandfather and Representative Oh are cooperating. But they’ve kept the information tightly under wraps.”

“What information?”

“The location. They haven’t announced where Media City will be built yet. Well… I understand the need for secrecy, considering the scale……”

Looking at his expression, his mouth was wide open, and he was just blinking.

A large-scale project during an economic crisis.

The government will obviously support it actively. So, what about the hidden information about this project?

“You know the location!”

I smiled and nodded.