Chapter 127: I Will Ensure Father Gets What He Desires with Money

“I’ll make sure you get what you want with money, Father.”

“If you don’t want to waste that money…”

“First, have some confidence. Aren’t you the one who built the best film company in Korea? You’ll do great.”

My father’s brothers frittered away billions with baseless confidence, but he was the only one who earned more than his initial investment and grew his company.

Once his confidence returns, he’ll excel even in large-scale projects, not just small ones.

Father was silent for a while, but when he spoke again, he seemed to have made up his mind.

“Then what do you need from me? Assuming we succeed, of course.”

“Gain power. And share that power with me.”

“Power? Are you misunderstanding something? At most, it’s just movies. Maybe even dramas. But what power would I, just a producer and distributor, have?”

The future isn’t just about money, physical might, or legal authority. Someone with many people listening to their words also holds power.

The people’s will is the will of heaven, and those who sway public opinion hold power. That power comes from big megaphones. Father can definitely wield cultural influence.

That time isn’t far off, and Father is still young. In ten years, he’ll be more than capable of being a strong pillar of support for me.

“You never know what might happen in this world, right? The world changes every single day.”

Father stared at me for a moment before taking a sip of his beer.

“If you’d just give up on Soonyang Group, our family could live comfortably. You could run a decent investment firm, and I could make movies.”

“Do you wish I would give up?”

“No. It’s just a father’s wish. A desire for his son to live peacefully. But I have no intention of forcing you into a life you don’t want.”

Father chuckled and nudged my shoulder.

“Telling a carnivore to live on grass is a death sentence. You were born a fierce predator, so live by preying on others.”

“Then what about you, Father? Are you a herbivore?”

“Up until now, I’ve lived like a dairy cow in a pasture. But now, I’ll have to live like a wild buffalo.”

“Wild buffalo can even beat formidable carnivores, you know?”

“I have to change for my son’s sake, don’t I? Haha.”

Watching Father gulp down his beer, a question arose in my mind.

Having inherited the blood of a predator, could Father truly be a herbivore?

* * *

I acted crazy and stayed at the Ritz-Carlton for a week.

I didn’t care how much money it cost, focusing only on my parents having a good time. I don’t know when we’ll have this kind of time again. For this moment, I wanted to live peacefully, grazing like herbivores.

A week later, Father returned to Korea, grumbling about all the things he needed to prepare. Interestingly, Sang-joon also boarded the plane with him.

He scratched his head, saying there wasn’t much to spend foreign currency on anyway, since he was just lazing around.

I returned to New York and oversaw the recovery of funds invested in dot-com companies, selecting stable, long-term investments.

And I diligently studied derivatives, another monster, listening to explanations from the company’s experts.

Meanwhile, time flew by.

President Bill Clinton made a public apology regarding his sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky, and I personally went to cheer on Park Se-ri at the LPGA game. I wanted to see Park Chan-ho’s game too, but it was hard to find the time, so I had to be satisfied with watching it on TV.

September 4th. On this historic day, the official launch of a company called Google, I made sure not to miss the incredible party with the two geniuses.

When the sharp, cold wind announced the imminent arrival of winter, I met Michael Dell.

Seeing Michael struggling in the now-red ocean of the PC market made him look remarkable.

Isn’t he someone who will show his strength by holding on firmly for over 20 more years?

Around the time the Christmas trees appeared, signaling the upcoming season, I boarded a plane to Korea.

The one who welcomed me most in Korea wasn’t my parents or grandfather, but my aunt, Jin Seo-yoon.

When I entered the house, Father and Mother were comforting my tear-streaked aunt.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for you? Representative Oh stopped me from going to the US right away.”

Before I could even unpack, my aunt sat me down and began to pour out her troubles.

“What’s going on?”

My aunt went into great detail about the drastic measures my grandfather had taken around the time I left for New York.

In any case, one goal was achieved. Jin Young-jun had been banished to Geoje Island. I could feel Grandfather’s rage without even seeing it.

But a divorce?

It’s hard to tell if he’s trying to tame my uncle or if he’s serious.

Would any parent, even if they weren’t ordinary, urge their daughter to get a divorce?

“Aunt, what can I do? It seems like Grandfather is very angry….”

“You can coax your father. Everyone else might not, but he listens to you.”

Unable to watch any longer, Father spoke up.

“Noona, what about Brother-in-law? Does he know about this?”

“I haven’t even brought it up. How can I talk about divorce?”

My aunt, who always seemed cold, was hiding the appearance of an ordinary middle-aged woman.

She couldn’t show this side to anyone else. Her older brothers aren’t family, they’re rivals, pointing knives at each other.

It would have been different if we had met alone. She would have maintained her composure, talking about the problem and seeking advice, but the moment she saw Father and Mother, a hidden aspect of her emerged.

Because our parents are her only family, not competitors.

“By the way, what happened with the prosecution? Are they still at each other’s throats?”

“No. It was settled with the department head prosecutor getting transferred. Your grandfather stepped in to handle it.”

Father glanced at me as he watched Aunt wipe away her tears.

I followed Father quietly into the garden.

“Don’t get involved.”

“Yes?”

“Haven’t you talked to Se-hyun yet? Se-hyun looked into it and said your uncle seems to be played by Daehyun Group.”

“Daehyun?”

“Yeah. Hanseong Ilbo turning so quickly was Daehyun’s request. Isn’t it obvious?”

My aunt’s new sponsor was Daehyun Group?

“There’s no way your grandfather doesn’t know about this. That’s why he’s playing the drastic card of divorce. Daehyun is his only competitor in the business world, isn’t it? This is an unforgivable betrayal. The moment you bring this up, that anger will spread to you too. Do you understand?”

Of course, I understood.

“Yes. I’ll keep my mouth shut and pretend I don’t know anything. Father, please comfort Aunt. I’ll go up to my room.”

I went back into the living room and spoke to my distraught aunt.

“Aunt, I’ll visit you tomorrow. Let’s talk then.”

I have no intention of doing anything for my aunt or uncle.

However, spinning off the department store and hotel, which are quite profitable businesses, is something to consider.

Did Grandfather genuinely intend to give these companies to his daughter? There’s no need to think about it for long.

A golf course would be one thing, but spinning off a department store and a hotel is no easy task. Severing the tangled web of the ownership structure requires acquiring a massive amount of stock.

Grandfather and the family hold less than 3% of the shares. To spin off subsidiaries, they would have to buy back the shares held by each affiliate, and he’s not one to spend money on that.

If he were serious, he would allocate them to my aunt’s share, regardless of whether she divorces or not.

Lying on my bed, I pondered. Should I seize this opportunity to get the department store and hotel into my own hands?

* * *

The next morning, when I met my aunt at the department store, she was as aloof as ever, as if nothing had happened.

“I showed you an ugly side yesterday, didn’t I? I had some drinks and got tipsy.”

“I prefer yesterday’s aunt.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

My aunt smiled faintly. A moment of awkward silence passed. Judging by her expression, she definitely had something to say to me. I have something to say too. It’s just a matter of timing—who will bring it up, and how.

Naturally, my aunt, who had more to gain, cleared her throat a few times and opened her mouth.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“Stop pretending. It’s too late, no matter how much you deny it. You’re going to inherit a part of Soonyang on behalf of your father. The size will just depend on how well you do.”

What could it be?

Is she asking for help? Or proposing a partnership?

“I’m not denying it. I already suspected as much.”

As I spoke with a slightly troubled expression, my aunt’s eyes sparkled.

“Either way, this is a battle between adults. No matter how much you inherit, your uncles won’t leave you alone. They’ll try to take what’s yours by any means necessary. If you’re lucky, they’ll buy it from you at a high price.”

“What about you, Aunt?”

“Me? I don’t have anything yet. That’s why I’m worried.”

“Department store, hotel, condos, golf course. That’s not a small amount, is it?”

My aunt frowned.

“Are you telling me to get a divorce?”

“The choice is yours, Aunt. Your husband? Or Soonyang? But I don’t think you’re the type to give up Soonyang for your husband.”

“Depending on what you think, I can make a quick decision.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“How about we join forces to protect what you and I will get, or even to get something bigger?”

She’s in a hurry.

Sending the eldest grandson into exile and ousting her son-in-law must have seemed like Grandfather was quickly moving to choose a successor. My aunt is also under pressure to secure her territory before it’s too late.

“If we join forces, what will happen? Specifically?”

When I showed interest, my aunt quickly sat closer to me.

“Half of everything we acquire going forward. We split it. I’ll gather the people who will support us. Half of Soonyang Group’s power lies with the presidents of the subsidiaries and other executives. A monarch can’t exist without his subjects. You know that, right?”

I pretended to ponder for a moment. Then, I slowly opened my mouth.

“First, secure what Grandfather gives you. Don’t try to take too much at once. Bit by bit. That’s the right order.”

My aunt’s face twisted.

“Are you telling me to get a divorce? Now?”

“Aunt needs to hold the reins. If you keep being dragged around like this, you won’t get anything.”

“How is divorce the reins?”

“Not divorce, but divorce papers. Try presenting your husband with divorce papers. He’ll prostrate himself at your feet immediately. Being the son-in-law of Soonyang is a weakness for a politician, but make him realize he’s nothing without Soonyang.”

My aunt blinked, thinking, then let out a soft gasp.

“Ah! That’s right. Divorce papers can be used as a weapon on both sides.”

She’s quite sharp. Tell her one thing, and she understands two.

“Yes. With that single piece of paper, you can secure the department store, hotel, condos, golf course, and even regain control of the Seoul mayoralty.”

My aunt looked at me with sparkling eyes and said,

“How can your mind work so well? No wonder your father cherishes you so much.”

At my aunt’s praise, I gave a bitter smile.

“Having a sharp mind isn’t much help.”

“What do you mean? How is it not helpful?”

“Has someone with an extraordinary mind ever become an emperor? They only become the emperor’s right-hand man. Zhang Liang beside Emperor Gaozu of Han, Zhuge Liang beside the Emperor of Shu, and Jeong Do-jeon for Yi Seong-gye. In the end, I’ll just be someone’s right-hand man.”

My aunt is perceptive enough to fully understand the hidden meaning in my words.