Chapter 160: 17%

“V-Vice-chairman! Just a moment!”

All eyes, including Jin Young-ki’s and those of the dozen or so executives, were fixed on the young employee from the secretariat who had burst in, not paying them any mind.

He quickly grabbed the remote and turned on the large TV hanging on one wall of the conference room.

「…We are investigating around ten influential figures in society for regularly engaging in overseas gambling trips, and we have already secured concrete and admissible evidence. Especially since cases of violating the Foreign Exchange Control Act in connection with major corporations have been revealed, we believe an investigation into these corporations is inevitable.」

“What is that?”

“It’s a special press conference that the Southern District Prosecutors’ Office started just now. It’s related to this article.”

The secretariat employee pointed to the morning paper lying on the conference room table.

「We are particularly focused on the fact that these gambling trips were not to the usual destinations like Macau or the Philippines, but to the United States and Morocco. While trips to Macau or the Philippines were disguised as package tours with group movements, the individuals currently under investigation for trips to Las Vegas and Morocco traveled independently, and the amounts gambled are estimated to be in the hundreds of millions to tens of billions of won.」

Soon after, as reporters’ questions poured in, the name Soonyang was repeatedly mentioned. Each time the name Soonyang was brought up, Jin Young-ki’s face flushed red, and he finally snatched the remote from the employee and threw it at the TV.

“Delete all the articles online and stop that broadcast right now! And fire that bastard! If it doesn’t say in tomorrow’s news that all of this was misinformation, everyone’s getting the axe. Do you understand? Now get out!”

The people in the conference room vanished like lightning, more relieved to escape this place than worried about the added burden.

“Oh Se-hyun, that bastard is really…!”

Left alone, Jin Young-ki fumed for a while before pulling out his cell phone.

“Move the Central District Prosecutors’ Office and the National Tax Service today. Raid Miracle and shake down Oh Se-hyun for every last piece of his underwear! Now!”

There was no turning back now.

There was no way his wife would be arrested and imprisoned for gambling alone. Even if perfect evidence came out, he had assumed that a fine would be enough to handle it, given it was her first offense.

But if the National Tax Service started digging, it wouldn’t end easily.

Either way, he was confident he would be the ultimate victor in this fight.

* * *

“Lee Kang-shik! You bastard…! Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?”

Thwack!

Lee Kang-shik bit his lip to suppress a scream, but his hand went to his shin.

The deputy chief prosecutor of the Southern District Prosecutors’ Office didn’t stop kicking his shin.

“What the hell did you do, you old man? You couldn’t even manage one damn person and caused this huge mess? Are you dying to get me fired so you can get promoted?”

As the chief’s anger washed over him, the head of the Financial Investigation Department closed his eyes and repeatedly let out soft sighs.

“I’m sorry, Chief.”

“Cut the crap. How are we going to clean this up? Dozens of Soonyang’s lawyers will swarm us. I bet my badge that at least ten of them will be former chief prosecutors.”

The deputy chief prosecutor shook his mother-of-pearl inlaid nameplate. Lee Kang-shik was terrified he might get hit on the head with it.

“Lee Kang-shik!”

“Yes, Chief.”

“Do you know how many months the former Prosecutor General served in his term?”

“Eight months.”

“Right, he barely served eight months of his legally mandated two-year term before getting the boot. Everyone knows it was because the Chairman of Soonyang threw a fit. And yet a junior prosecutor like you goes after that family’s eldest daughter-in-law? How many people do you think are going to lose their jobs because of you? Including you!”

“……”

Lee Kang-shik kept his head bowed, saying nothing. It was the reprimand he had expected, but hearing it firsthand left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The entire prosecution trembling before a single businessman….

“The Chief Prosecutor has been summoned to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. Because of you, you bastard!”

Lee Kang-shik raised his head when the deputy chief prosecutor smacked him on the back of the head.

“We’ve secured the accounts and finished cross-referencing them with Park Hye-young’s departure records. The Korean media outlet guaranteed they’d get the CCTV footage from Las Vegas. That middle-aged woman is cornered. We can tie it all to Soonyang Group’s currency arbitrage. Please trust me.”

“Can’t you look down?”

The deputy chief prosecutor shouted at Lee Kang-shik, who was staring straight at him and arguing back.

“Why are you doing this? Is it because you haven’t been able to catch those people without evidence? Once they get into a wheelchair, it’s over for them. Don’t you know you’re just giving them a free pass? Are you planning to blow up the currency arbitrage case over some middle-aged woman’s gambling?”

Evidence of the chaebol’s illegal activities had to be gathered and held onto. Then, when public opinion was heated and the opportunity arose, it had to be released all at once to get a prison sentence. Though they’d be released on probation or get a pardon anyway.

That was the prosecution’s role, and nothing more.

“I apologize. I will take responsibility. You can end this by saying it was the recklessness of a junior prosecutor blinded by ambition.”

Lee Kang-shik took an envelope from his pocket. It was his resignation letter.

“You son of a bitch…! Still trying to save face until the end?”

The deputy chief prosecutor glared at Lee Kang-shik with a displeased look and said,

“A righteous prosecutor who got kicked out—do you even know how that ends? If you saved the nation in a past life, you might get a gold badge in Yeouido. Otherwise, you’ll be a divorce lawyer in some backwater neighborhood. You’re not the type to have saved a nation, so you’re looking at a dead-end life as a local lawyer.”

Lee Kang-shik wanted to yell at the deputy chief prosecutor who was looking down on him.

‘In a year, you’ll be envious of me.’

* * *

“Prosecutor Lee Kang-shik took the fall.”

“Yeah. I thought the department head would take the fall. He’s done enough as a prosecutor, and with kids needing tuition, I thought it would be perfect for him.”

“Is there an age limit for greed? Someone desperate for money must have stepped up.”

I was also surprised and a little disappointed. If Chief Bae had taken the fall, it would have painted a more significant picture.

“What will your uncle do now?”

“We’ll see if he’s just someone with a bad temper or someone with real grit. If he only focuses on covering up this press conference, it’ll be proof he’s a coward. But if he focuses on attacking us despite it being out in the open, it’ll mean he’s got guts, right?”

“That would also mean he has a terrible temper.”

Oh Se-hyun seemed sure about what his uncle would decide. It was clear he was only curious about the timing of the National Tax Service’s involvement.

“Tomorrow?”

“It’ll take time to prepare, so maybe the day after tomorrow?”

But our guess was wrong. Whether it was his uncle’s ability or the power of Soonyang Group, mobilizing public officials didn’t take that long.

“D-CEO! The National Tax Service and the prosecution have stormed in!”

An employee rushed in, his face pale, without even knocking.

“That was fast. Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki.”

“Indeed. I didn’t expect him to make a decision this quickly.”

“He’s just impulsive. He acts without thinking when he’s angry. Are you seeing him in a good light just because he’s family?”

Seeing Oh Se-hyun leisurely sipping his tea, the employee looked anxious.

“CEO! This isn’t the time for this….”

“Hey! Don’t shout. My ears aren’t deaf.”

Oh Se-hyun put down his teacup and held up a finger.

“Will ten minutes be enough?”

“Uncle talks a lot, so let’s make it twenty minutes.”

“Alright.”

Oh Se-hyun picked up his cell phone and instructed the employee.

“Go out and hold them back. Turn off the elevators and lock the emergency exit stairwell doors. Make it take exactly twenty minutes for either the National Tax Service or the prosecution to reach this room. That’s all you need to do.”

“Yes, CEO.”

He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew what he had to do. The employee also pulled out his phone and rushed out.

Oh Se-hyun checked the closed door and leisurely dialed a number.

“Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki. This is Oh Se-hyun.”

― You’re calling me first; something urgent must have happened. Heh heh.

“You’re more decisive than I thought. It hasn’t been long since the press conference ended….”

― They’re public officials carrying out their duties, so treat them with respect. Don’t have your employees physically block them or try to destroy documents.

“There’s no need for that. Everyone will withdraw in exactly twenty minutes.”

― Withdraw? Did you ask someone influential for a favor? Did you perhaps tell Do-jun to beg our father?

“I’m not a child… I don’t tattle. The withdrawal of the public officials who just stormed my company will be ordered by you, Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki.”

― What nonsense are you spouting?

“Listen carefully. Vice-chairman. I’m going to see Vice-chairman Jin Dong-ki right now.”

― Dong-ki? Pfft! Is your only savior Dong-ki?

“Don’t interrupt and listen carefully. I’m not going empty-handed. I have a transfer agreement in my hand.”

― Transfer?

“Yes. It’s an agreement to transfer all 17% of the Soonyang Group shares held by Soonyang Automobile.”

― Wh-what?

“Aren’t you two in a tight tug-of-war over control of the group? 17% might not be the deciding blow, but it will tip the balance.”

― Hey! What are you talking about?

“As for me, I’ll be satisfied if Jin Dong-ki gives me three or four useful subsidiaries when he takes over Soonyang Group later on.”

― Hey! Oh Se-hyun!

“Watch your words! I’m not your subordinate, so don’t call me by my name so casually.”

Oh Se-hyun switched the phone to his other hand and continued.

“Whether my Soonyang Group shares remain in my hands or go to Vice-chairman Jin Dong-ki will be decided by the end of this call. What will you do?”

― W-wait a minute!

“If a single National Tax Service official sets foot in my room, Jin Dong-ki’s control over the group will increase by 17%. Starting today.”

* * *

Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki was speechless.

He never imagined that demanding the transfer of 17% of the shares, and even discussing the merger of Soonyang Group and HW Group, would come back like this.

The share structure between his younger brother Jin Dong-ki and himself was different from a group separation.

The boundaries were ambiguous, and while the nature of the companies they oversaw was defined, the ownership of the subsidiaries was not clear-cut.

Right now, their father, Chairman Jin, was watching them with sharp eyes, so the brothers were focused on their respective areas, but once Chairman Jin was gone, they could encroach on each other’s territory at any time.

In that situation, 17% was a number that represented enormous power.

Snapping out of it, Jin Young-ki hurriedly spoke.

“Hand that over to me. Then you’ll never have to deal with the National Tax Service and the prosecution again. Oh, did you say three or four useful subsidiaries? I’ll give you a few more. I’ll give you a high price for the shares.”

― Do I look like a fool? I’m not generous enough to give wings to someone who starts a fight and then stabs me in the back like this. I won’t say it twice. Will you keep the shares? Or will you hand them over to Vice-chairman Jin Dong-ki?

Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki’s lips felt like they were burning.

― I’m starting to hear some noise. It seems my friends from the National Tax Service are skipping the lower floors and heading straight to my room. I’ll say it again, I’m hanging up the moment those guys open my door.

“Wait.”

Jin Young-ki squeezed his eyes shut and hung up the phone. Oh Se-hyun wasn’t someone who would make empty threats. If that bastard took the shares, his younger brother would welcome him with open arms.

Jin Young-ki listlessly pressed the intercom button.

“Connect me to the Commissioner of the National Tax Service and tell them to withdraw immediately. Hurry.”

― Withdraw from where…?

“Hey! Are you asking because you don’t know? Miracle, I’m talking about Miracle!”

Jin Young-ki screamed and slumped helplessly into his chair.