Chapter 121: A Grandfather’s Expectations

“Do-jun.”

“Yes.”

“Do you think this old man is awfully mean?”

“What brings this on all of a sudden?”

“I not only fail to stop my children from fighting, but I even egg them on. And I find joy in seeing my grandson in a difficult spot.”

“Hmm… well, it does seem that way. Heh.”

He spoke seriously, but I had to take it as a joke. I wanted to avoid making things heavier.

“Seeing that you’re not hiding your intentions either, it seems you understood the meaning of the Gunsan trip.”

“Yes. It’s clear my two uncles and aunt are trying hard to pull me into their schemes.”

“The one who wins the fight gets it all. Among those who just take what’s given, I’ve never seen one who properly defends what they got. Do you know how many companies disappeared in the 50 years since liberation? It’s all because they received things for free.”

“I suppose you’re curious whether I’ll join that fight or not.”

My grandfather’s eyes twinkled as he spoke.

“No. I’m curious how much more I should give you. You’ve already entered the fray a long time ago, haven’t you?”

Wait a minute. I need to set things straight. He’s a man of meticulous calculations, so his math shouldn’t be off.

“Grandfather. What do you mean by giving more…? I haven’t received anything?”

“What? You rascal! Have you already forgotten that I gave you an extra 17% of shares when you took Soonyang Automobile?”

“No, sir. I received that as interest for lending you emergency funds. It was literally dollar interest, wasn’t it?”

Grandfather blinked for a moment before roaring.

“You thieving scoundrel! What did you say? Ha!”

“And Grandfather, there’s something you absolutely shouldn’t forget either.”

“There’s more?”

“Yes. The fact that I saved your life. During the accident.”

“Look at this one. The guy who was perfectly fine during the accident is now taking credit!”

The pleased smile was brief as Grandfather lowered his voice again.

“Do-jun.”

“Yes.”

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

A sudden, out-of-the-blue remark. Why is he doing this?

“When I look at my lacking sons and then look at you, I think this. Our Do-jun will do well even if I give him less. If I give you all the same, my sons won’t even have a chance to compete with their nephew. That’s what I think.”

I understand Grandfather’s feelings.

Blood ties are a terrifying force.

I’m connected by a blood tie across a bridge, while my uncles share blood within the same fence.

I also understand his pride, forcing him to frame it as ability rather than confessing to the pull of kinship.

“Then starting tomorrow, I’ll make sure to whine and show my lacking side. But until today, I’ll play the role of the capable grandson.”

“How so?”

“Do as you see fit, Grandfather. Isn’t Soonyang Group yours?”

A heart that cherishes Soonyang Group more than his children. That’s where my expectations lie.

* * *

“This is going to face a serious backlash, isn’t it?”

“The editorials are even more chilling. Every single word hits like a dagger. My uncle must be fidgeting nervously right now.”

Oh Se-hyun tossed the newspaper onto the table.

“Why did he have to overreact unnecessarily…? Isn’t there a risk of even DMC facing a backlash from this?”

“A bit, right? They’re completely omitting the land speculation and highlighting DMC itself as a hotbed of corruption. The fact that it’s a negotiated contract rather than a bidding process is a weakness, after all.”

“Hey! Are you going to talk like you’re watching a fire across the river? Shouldn’t we stop Hanseong Ilbo? It’s only Hanseong Ilbo today, but tomorrow all the newspapers will pick it up!”

“Do I have any brilliant ideas? If you’re thinking about Grandfather, drop that thought. He drew a line early on, saying he wouldn’t get involved.”

“At this rate, isn’t there a real possibility that even DMC will be scrapped?”

Worry filled Oh Se-hyun’s face.

“That won’t happen. Soonyang Construction has at least a 30% stake in the project, so there’s no way Grandfather will stand idly by. He might just watch my uncle get beaten, but if the project itself is threatened, Hanseong Ilbo will be crushed.”

“That’s a relief then.”

Oh Se-hyun’s worries were lessened, but my concerns remained.

What should I do with my uncle?

A man who used to move according to his wife’s instructions, who seemed a bit dim-witted, was now showing an unpredictable side. And it’s only been a few days since he took office.

Did Grandfather know about this frivolous true nature of my uncle?

Is that why he was so against him going into politics?

First, I need to meet my aunt.

The wife is the best person to tame a thoughtless husband.

“Uncle, shouldn’t we meet with Aunt before Uncle makes an even bigger mess?”

“Yeah. I’m too uneasy. Let’s firmly tell him to stay quiet until DMC is on track.”

Just as we were about to pack our bags and get up, the door burst open.

“Oh Se-hyun! You son of a bitch. I’ve had enough of your crap! How dare you!”

The person shouting while catching his breath at the door was none other than Kang Mu-sung.

“What’s with the sudden outburst? And watch your language. Son of a bitch?”

“Why did you take my office away? I went to work and it was under construction. What are you doing without saying a word to me?”

“Oh, that? It’s because we’re getting a parachute hire. A former vice-minister who will be a great help to our business. We need to give him a room with a good view, but what can we do? There are no rooms available.”

“What? You bastards…. Do you think I wouldn’t know? My salary hasn’t come in since last month, my car is gone, and now you’re taking my office? Isn’t this a plot to kick me out?!”

Unlike the agitated Kang Mu-sung, Oh Se-hyun smirked with ease.

“You’re well aware. With that much sense, why don’t you just submit your resignation and stay home? What are you doing here?”

“You!”

“What? Watch your tongue before harsh words come out.”

When Oh Se-hyun retaliated aggressively, Kang Mu-sung’s fists clenched, his hands trembling.

My uncle is quite ruthless. I thought he’d at least leave him for about six months, but he’s kicking him out in just three months. And he’s even humiliating him by taking away his office.

He’s paying Kang Mu-sung back for the wrongdoings he committed.

After suddenly removing desks, firing employees, and ignoring overdue salaries while embezzling company funds, the president was now making the employee feel the unfairness he had inflicted.

I decided to watch this exciting spectacle without missing a single detail.

“Do you think I’ll just take this lying down? I have a contract in my hand. If I sue, you guys will have to pay a penalty. I’ll take my five years’ worth of salary, plus the penalty, so just you wait and see.”

Kang Mu-sung took out a document from his pocket and waved it around. He must have come prepared. Judging by the fact that he brought the contract.

“Oh, is that so? Go ahead and do as you please. You really love the law. Do you think that law is still on your side?”

“What did you say?”

“Hey! Can’t you tell shit from shinola yet? Do you think I’d try to kick you out without a plan while the contract is still valid?”

Only then did Kang Mu-sung seem to realize that we had a weapon to render his contract useless.

“The finance team leader and the general affairs manager at Dae-ah Construction have good memories. They meticulously kept all the records. The documents those people gave us fill up three or four boxes. We’re debating whether to give them to the prosecution. What do you think we should do?”

Kang Mu-sung’s eyes darted around. He was trying to figure out what was in our boxes, but his numerous corrupt acts were too many for him to even recall.

He couldn’t remember, so he couldn’t respond.

“The moment you file a lawsuit, the prosecution will start digging into the source of your lawyer fees. You still have a lot of fines left to pay, right? You said you don’t have a penny to your name, so the prosecutors will be curious where the litigation costs came from.”

Seeing the pale face of the man who treated salarymen like dogs was satisfying. My lips were itching to speak.

“Old man. If you don’t want to spend your final years in jail, quietly submit your resignation and leave. Go to the senior center near your house and play Go. The moment you try to do anything, even wiggle your little finger, I’ll make sure you get beef stew in the prosecutor’s office.”

“You, you little punk who hasn’t even lost his baby fat….”

I delivered the final blow to Kang Mu-sung, who was glaring at me.

“Listen carefully. I’m the grandson of the one who uses ‘Cheol’ for his given name. Our grandfather cherishes his grandsons. If he hears that someone outside is calling his grandson names, he’s the kind of person who would come running with a club, so watch your mouth.”

“‘Cheol’?”

“Oops, looks like I lost my business card. My name is Jin.”

“Jin… Yang… Cheol? Jin Yang-cheol?”

Kang Mu-sung’s eyes widened.

“Surely not…. Soonyang Group’s Jin Yang-cheol?”

I frowned.

“Please, watch your words. My grandfather isn’t your friend.”

Leaving Kang Mu-sung, whose legs were trembling, I got up.

“Uncle, let’s head out first. It looks like this gentleman will need some time to write his resignation here.”

“Y-Yeah, let’s?”

Oh Se-hyun picked up his bag.

We left the office, leaving Kang Mu-sung slumped on the sofa.

“Wow. What’s gotten into you?”

“What do you mean?”

As soon as we came outside, Oh Se-hyun spoke in surprise.

“You’re usually the type who never brags about your family background, but you brought up being the Chairman’s grandson. What wind blew you in?”

“I felt like I needed to break that man’s spirit. He might back down now because of the evidence we have, but he’ll scheme something as soon as he turns around. I need to crush him so thoroughly that he won’t even dare to think about retaliating.”

“Seeing you like this, you don’t resemble your father at all. Your ruthlessness is exactly like your grandfather’s.”

Oh Se-hyun shook his head.

“No. Even my father shows his ruthless side to ruthless people. As his friend… you don’t know him well enough.”

* * *

My aunt moved her office from the hotel to a department store. The luxurious image of a hotel is of no help to a politician.

As soon as I opened the door to her office, I noticed that she had decorated it with an interior that was no different from her hotel office.

“Honey! Why are you doing this? Stop now. What do you expect to gain by fighting with the prosecution?!”

My aunt, who was speaking sharply into the receiver, hung up when she noticed us.

“Ah, Representative Oh. You’re here? Do-jun, are you alright?”

Seeing my aunt’s forced smile, I could sense that my uncle was preparing to cause another incident.

“Far from alright. You know that.”

“What is it?”

“Grandfather. After you left that day, I got scolded by him for hours.”

“You wouldn’t… would you?”

“Do you think I’m stupid? I didn’t mention your name. I just played it off as a random comment.”

“Thanks. You’ve worked hard.”

My aunt patted my back.

“Please, have a seat. I’m sorry that my husband is causing you trouble, Representative Oh.”

“It’s alright. What’s done is done, so we just need to handle the aftermath well.”

A pretty employee in a department store uniform placed teacups down and left. Oh Se-hyun subtly opened his mouth.

“I unintentionally overheard your phone conversation. Has another problem arisen?”

“W-Well, that’s….”

Oh Se-hyun smiled at my aunt, who was biting her lip in distress.

“President Jin. We’re all in the same boat now. We need to solve problems together.”

“He says he’s going to visit the Central District Prosecutors’ Office. As a way to protest the inadequate prosecution investigation. I think this will cause another stir.”

“Pardon? Oh no….”

It wasn’t just Oh Se-hyun. I was also speechless in disbelief.

This is no different than needlessly provoking the prosecution.

He should be sending signals of reconciliation to the prosecution, so what’s with this foolish act?

The three of us simultaneously clutched our foreheads.