Chapter 132: Realizing the House Was Small for the First Time

It was the first time I thought our house felt small.

I understand why the medical foundation board members came to give New Year’s greetings to the new chairman. Ah, and even the directors from the five provincial hospitals.

But the team leaders were a bit much. Adding the team leaders who came all the way from the provinces brought the total to nearly a hundred.

With over thirty clinical departments, you could say all the important team leaders from the hospitals showed up. Only the doctors who weren’t interested in climbing the ladder stayed away.

Even Father looked visibly flustered. People from the film industry would be here soon… It was obvious it would turn into chaos.

But we couldn’t just turn them away at the door, so I quickly called my aunt.

“Aunt, can you urgently clear out a banquet hall at the Gangnam hotel? For about a hundred people… They’ll be arriving in about thirty minutes. We’ll need food and drinks too….”

– Who’s asking? Of course, it’s doable. Don’t worry. I’ll have it set up.

My aunt’s cheerful hum echoed through the phone.

“Father, please have the board members and directors come inside to greet you. I’ve arranged for the doctors to have a meal at the hotel. They’re all alumni or have a senior-junior relationship, so they can have a drink together.”

“O-Okay. Good job.”

I put my past experience to use again in times like these. How many official events had I handled in my past life? Even if unexpected things happened, I had to manage them smoothly. My quick thinking from back then hadn’t died yet.

Once the doctors had all left, Father, relieved, began to greet the remaining guests. He didn’t forget what I thought was especially important.

I quickly called the directors to confirm the VIP patients and the secret patients in the VVIP hospital rooms, of which there were only 20 per hospital.

Shouldn’t we pay our New Year’s respects to these people personally even if it wasn’t today? People who come to check on you when you’re sick are always appreciated.

The New Year’s atmosphere got even better with the arrival of the film industry figures. The foundation directors and hospital directors, who were handing out business cards and trying to network with stars they only saw on screen, looked like they’d hit the jackpot. They didn’t forget to tell them to come anytime if they felt even a little unwell.

After dealing with the stream of guests until the afternoon, only our family remained.

Father, still a little tipsy, quietly called me out to the garden.

“The cold breeze really clears your head.”

“Are you about to tell me something important enough to sober up completely?”

Father gave me a knowing look and nudged my side.

“You really are quick on the uptake, son….”

Father told me everything that had happened in the study earlier, leaving nothing out. The first person I thought of as soon as Father finished his story was my aunt.

Would she hand over half of the shares as promised?

And one word in particular caught my attention.

“The finance sector?”

“Yes. What do you think? Do you believe your grandfather will give you the finance sector?”

“Yes.”

I answered confidently, adding more.

“If it weren’t for my uncles’ interference, he would pass it on naturally. But it’ll take some time to sort out the affiliate shareholdings, right? Who knows what could happen in the meantime?”

“What do you mean?”

“He only secured Aunt’s loyalty for sure. The two uncles only secured personnel appointments. But nobody can predict Grandfather’s fickleness, so there’s no telling how things might change.”

Father took in the freezing winter air, lost in thought.

Finally,

“Don’t try to do everything alone. Tell me when you need help. If necessary, I’ll grab your hyungs by the collar.”

“It seems more likely your hyungs will grab your collar first, Father. Haha.”

Starting with Aunt before that……

* * *

On the second day of the New Year, Mayor Choi Chang-je smoothed his clothes in front of the study and quietly knocked on the door.

There was no answer, but he quietly opened the door and entered.

“Oh, come in, Mayor Choi. You didn’t need to bother coming for New Year’s greetings. Haha.”

Mayor Choi, extremely nervous, instinctively grabbed Chairman Jin’s rough hand as he offered it with a bright smile.

But the title he used, ‘Mayor Choi’ instead of ‘Husband Choi,’ bothered him.

“I apologize, Father-in-law. I should have come sooner, but I’m very late.”

“You’re a busy public official. Why worry so much? It’s fine.”

Mayor Choi realized from Chairman Jin’s tone how he was seen.

He wasn’t Soonyang’s son-in-law, just the mayor of Seoul. Mayor Choi jumped up from his chair and knelt on the study floor.

“Father-in-law. I’m sorry, please give me one more chance. I was momentarily intoxicated by power and lost my mind. Please forgive me.”

Chairman Jin stared silently at the prostrate Mayor Choi before uttering a low but firm sentence.

“It’s over. You can get up now.”

It’s over…!

Those words came from Chairman Jin’s mouth. It was irreversible. This was absolute.

Mayor Choi remained kneeling, frozen. He had lost the title of Chairman Jin’s son-in-law, but he couldn’t discard his identity as the politician Choi Chang-je.

He knew well that to maintain this identity, he needed a clean break from Chairman Jin. If that old man set his mind to it, his life would turn into hell.

“Please forgive me!”

Begging for a chance was useless, but he had to convey his desire for forgiveness.

Mayor Choi unwrapped the gift bundle he had brought, just as Jin Do-jun had told him. This was what should earn him forgiveness.

“I have canceled the New Town project that was promised to Daehyun Group. If you give me the opportunity, Father-in-law, I will create a new New Town plan.”

Mayor Choi hoped his intention to create and offer a plan with the location and scale Chairman Jin desired was clearly conveyed.

“I told you to get up.”

Mayor Choi slowly rose and sat back in his chair.

“What do you have to say? Make it short and stick to the point so this old man can understand.”

“I will do anything you ask.”

“That won’t change anything, will it?”

“I will do anything you ask.”

“The divorce will proceed. Seo-yun isn’t reluctantly following my wishes. It was her decision. It means you can’t set foot in our family no matter what happens.”

“I will do anything you ask.”

“Hmph, that man….”

Chairman Jin chuckled as he watched Mayor Choi, who was repeating the same words like a madman with his head bowed.

His roots are shallow.

No matter how powerful Soonyang is, in times like these, the guy who bites down and fights like a man is the one who gets the biggest prize.

Isn’t one watermelon better than a few strawberries?

Chairman Jin left him with a final word of caution, which was also a warning.

“Forget everything you’ve seen and heard while being a part of this family for over 20 years. You are to become a complete stranger. Then I too will treat you as a stranger. Do you understand what I mean?”

For Mayor Choi, the words ‘complete stranger’ couldn’t have sounded more welcome.

A stranger has no resentment, no anger, and no expectations.

Didn’t it mean that if he kept his mouth shut, at the very least, they wouldn’t block his path? People don’t usually interfere in someone else’s life for no reason.

He was still the mayor of Seoul. His term had plenty of time left. Solidifying his political base within that time wouldn’t be too difficult.

“I will forget everything.”

“It’s fortunate you understand. You may leave. We will likely not meet again.”

“Father-in-law… no, Chairman. I am still the mayor of Seoul. Surely, as the mayor of Seoul, I can meet with you?”

“What are you saying so presumptuously? Even when the Blue House calls, I only make a brief appearance right after the election. Do I look that idle to you? Meet with the mayor of Seoul himself? If you want to talk business, you should know who to contact.”

Each issue is different. He could usually meet with the head of the planning department at Soonyang Construction or the head of the group’s strategic planning office.

The mayor of Seoul’s limit is a managing director or vice president of Soonyang Group.

“Ah, I apologize. I was out of line.”

“Leave.”

Mayor Choi rose from his seat and cautiously opened his mouth. This was his last request.

“And… if you would consider our past relationship….”

“Have you forgotten what it means to be a stranger? There is no past between us.”

Seeing Chairman Jin cut him off coldly, even his last shred of hope vanished.

The family’s main support, the law firm, would now have to close. Not immediately, but one significant source of income would disappear.

If the place the whole family relied on collapsed, he was their only hope and lighthouse. He would have to work extremely hard to support the entire family.

His family was already accustomed to an affluent lifestyle. To ensure they maintained at least a basic standard of living, he would have to make a lot of money, and fast.

* * *

“I heard from Father. Congratulations, Aunt. You’ve become the chairman of Soonyang Department Store Group. Haha.”

“Congratulations, President Jin. Or should I call you Chairman now?”

My aunt greeted me and Representative Oh Se-hyun with a bright smile.

She had started living in a hotel again, seemingly not caring about her husband’s situation anymore. She was still a glamorous woman.

“Oh, chairman? Please don’t say that, it makes me uncomfortable. Anyway, thank you, it’s all thanks to Representative Oh.”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything….”

“No, no. Our Do-jun grew up to be so wonderful by learning from Representative Oh. I’m just trusting in Do-jun.”

She patted my backside and settled onto the wide sofa. The way she sat in the central seat of honor was already different. More arrogant and haughty.

“The reason I specifically asked to meet is to propose working together. I really hope we can collaborate.”

Oh Se-hyun met my gaze and nodded.

“Working with Soonyang Department Store Group is a great opportunity for me as well.”

My aunt handed over a thick folder of documents.

“Take a look at this. It’s the debt our department store group needs to repay to Soonyang Group after the spin-off. Our executives believe it will be too much to bear until the hypermarket chain starts generating operating profits.”

Oh Se-hyun quickly snatched the documents and, after studying them for a while, let out a long sigh.

“Securing sites for the chain stores and the construction costs are substantial. The projected sales targets for the hotel and department store are a bit excessive. Hoping for this level of sales in the current recession is a bit….”

With pressure from above, the subordinates must have created exaggerated figures. If the department store and hotel don’t generate sales, the debt will increase, and the interest will become unbearable.

My aunt’s expression didn’t change, as if she had already anticipated Oh Se-hyun’s negative assessment.

“Opening four discount stores by next year might be overreaching, don’t you think? It will only increase the financial burden.”

“This is the first project I’m undertaking since taking over. I can’t postpone the hypermarket chain business. It’s a matter of my capabilities within the group. If even a hint of postponement or abandonment comes up, the spin-off itself might be reversed. That won’t do.”

While Oh Se-hyun and my aunt were discussing realistic matters, I discerned my aunt’s true intention.

My aunt wanted to change the creditor.

The eldest son, who considered even a single brick of Soonyang Group as his own, and the second older brother, who was confident he was the only one fit to be chairman, were both baring their claws, trying to snatch their younger sister’s share.

My aunt wanted Miracle, a third party, to avoid their claws. And she cautiously revealed her true intention.

“That’s why I wanted to propose something to Representative Oh.”

“Yes. Please go ahead.”

“Could Dae-ah Construction take on the construction of the hypermarket chain… perhaps?”

Oh, she even came up with this idea.

I could sense her determination to seize this opportunity and solidify her position.