Chapter 178: The Halo Effect, Charisma, Awe, Respect, or Perhaps a Primal Envy of the Rich…?

The exact nature of it remained elusive.

Yet, without exception, everyone who met the gaze of my grandfather as he entered the auditorium reflexively bowed their heads in greeting.

To make matters more noticeable, my parents, older brother, and aunt followed closely behind him. My father wore a slight frown, while my mother’s utter bewilderment was plain to see.

My aunt, on the other hand, reveled in the attention, ostentatiously displaying her expensive fur coat.

“Min-young.”

“Huh?”

“Run.”

“What?”

Too late.

My grandfather, having spotted Seo Min-young and me, displayed an agility unexpected for his age, closing the distance in moments.

“You idiot! When you see your grandfather, you should rush over. What do you think you’re doing?”

His booming voice targeted me, but his gaze was already fixed on Seo Min-young.

His eyes, like an eagle eyeing its prey, swept over her before a smooth voice emerged.

“She’s quite pretty. Nothing like his father. Your mother must be a beauty.”

“Excuse me?”

A flustered Seo Min-young momentarily forgot to offer a greeting, her mind struggling to decipher his words.

“Never mind. Tell me, child, what is your name?”

“Ah, I’m Seo Min-young. My apologies for the belated greeting.”

That’s odd. Did he already know?

“Grandfather, do you know Min-young’s parents? No, did you know her from the start?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know what you get up to? I even know your lunch menu, you rascal.”

Something’s off. He implies he had me followed and investigated, but that’s unlikely… How could he possibly know?

I wanted to ask more, but the congratulations from our surrounding family made it impossible.

“Congratulations on your graduation. You always prioritized other things, yet you managed to pull it off.”

My father patted my shoulder, a pleased smile on his face, prompting a sharp remark from my aunt.

“Managed to pull it off? Please, the school practically took care of him.”

“Tsk! Can’t you ever watch that mouth of yours?”

Grandfather’s sharp retort silenced my aunt, her attention quickly shifting to Seo Min-young.

“Do-jun’s girlfriend?”

“Ah, yes. For the time being. I’m Seo Min-young.”

She bowed politely to my aunt and the rest of my family.

“For the time being? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Knowing the interrogation would continue if I didn’t intervene, I stepped in.

“This is my girlfriend, Seo Min-young. We were classmates, and she passed the bar exam last year. She’s currently training at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and needs to return after the ceremony.”

“Oh! Impressive. Passing while still in school. Congratulations on passing the bar as well.”

My family members were visibly surprised and offered their congratulations.

“Greetings, Chairman.”

At that moment, a middle-aged man discreetly approached Seo Min-young and bowed to my grandfather.

“Ah, Judge Seo. It’s been a while. Is your father not here? I don’t see him.”

“Yes, he’s unable to travel due to health issues. He would have insisted on coming if he knew you were attending, Chairman. It’s a pity.”

What is this? Were they acquainted?

Considering her family has over ten legal professionals, they might have exchanged greetings before.

“In case you didn’t know, Judge Seo’s father was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.”

A collective gasp rippled through the group at my grandfather’s explanation.

“That man slapped a 20 billion won fine on our Soonyang Group. I personally met him, even offered him bosintang, begging him to go easy, but he was unyielding. Ha ha.”

“Ch-Chairman…”

As the flustered Judge Seo stammered, Seo Min-young interjected with a smile.

“Chairman, people will misunderstand. Bribery of public officials is a crime, you know.”

“Bribery? You don’t know your grandfather very well, do you?”

“Excuse me?”

“The day after eating bosintang, he had someone deliver an envelope containing 14,000 won. I didn’t say anything, but do you know how angry that made me?”

“Why would you be angry, Grandfather? That’s the proper thing to do.”

I subtly intervened. There were too many ears around. I wanted to end this conversation quickly. The gazes of everyone in the auditorium were also unsettling.

“The premium bosintang costs 17,000 won. He was short 3,000 won. Back then, I was certain the Chief Justice had ordered the premium.”

His jokes always walked a thin line.

Fortunately, the arrival of the frantically rushing Prosecutor General brought an end to the tale of the attempted Supreme Court Justice bribery.

“Chairman, I assumed you would visit the Prosecutor General’s office first, but you came straight here.”

“I came to see my grandson in his graduation cap, not your face, Prosecutor General.”

“As blunt as ever, sir. Haha. Regardless, my belated thanks.”

“Thanks? For what?”

“For the dormitory construction. I just received the report.”

I recalled him donating a considerable amount in scholarship funds when I enrolled, but even dormitory construction? That explained the Prosecutor General’s ear-to-ear grin.

“Consider it the price for graduating a good-for-nothing who barely attended school for four years. I didn’t do it for thanks.”

My grandfather glared at me before chuckling.

“Actually, it’s not my money. As you may know, Dae-ah Construction is making the donation. Give CEO Oh Se-hyun a call later.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Dae-ah Construction? Isn’t that my money? My jaw dropped in disbelief, and my grandfather leaned in to whisper in my ear.

“Taking credit with other people’s money is also a business tactic. Remember that.”

Grandfather extended his hand to the Prosecutor General.

“I’ll be going now. Keep up the good work.”

“Why so soon? You should stay for the graduation ceremony.”

“No, seeing my grandson in his cap is enough. My presence will only cause unnecessary commotion. Look there. The flies are already gathering.”

Sure enough, reporters were beginning to gather at the auditorium entrance, and people eager to make an impression on the Soonyang Group Chairman were desperately trying to push past the security.

Since he rarely left his residence, this was a golden opportunity for the reporters.

They must have anticipated his appearance, knowing his grandson was graduating.

“You, come see me for a moment.”

Grandfather said, turning to leave.

“That girl has quite the backbone. A good one.”

“Who? Min-young?”

“Yes. It’s rare to meet someone who doesn’t flinch in front of me. She takes after her grandfather. Don’t break things off; she’ll be helpful to you.”

“Grandfather, don’t we need a slightly more cunning prosecutor than one with a strong backbone? Hehe.”

“You rascal. A wife should always have a strong will. That’s how a household stays calm even when facing difficulties.”

Will I even get married and have a family?

Whoever becomes my wife will inevitably be dragged into a difficult fight. Knowing this, shouldn’t I spare them from it?

“And what will you do after the ceremony? Grab a drink with your friends?”

“No. I need to take some pictures and then head straight to the office. There’s a personnel reshuffle and a lot of pending work.”

“Personnel reshuffle? Is that about cutting off my old dogs?”

Was he scolding me for dismissing three presidents without prior notice? Judging by his smiling expression, that wasn’t it.

“My apologies. I should have informed you beforehand….”

“Nonsense. You need to remove those who aren’t performing quickly. Well done.”

Grandfather stopped and patted my back.

“While it’s good not to interfere too much with personnel matters, it’s also dangerous to leave everything to your manager. Salarymen have their own networks, and their consolidation is a risk.”

He was referring to Vice President Jang Do-hyung. He must be concerned about me relying on Jang Do-hyung, just as he relies on Oh Se-hyun.

“I’ll be careful. And I won’t forget to apply the brakes occasionally.”

“Good. Enough nagging.”

“I’ll visit you after finishing this pressing work.”

“You’re always busy, when will that ever end? Make time and come.”

“Hehe, yes. I’ll come right after the graduation ceremony.”

Grandfather nodded and continued walking.

The bodyguards scrambled out of the auditorium to intercept the reporters.

The sight of it made me uneasy.

The thought of the reporters swarming our family after the ceremony made my head throb.

* * *

“This is a gift for you, Grandfather.”

“Isn’t this your diploma?”

“Yes.”

“Forget it. What’s so special about a diploma?”

Contrary to my expectations, my grandfather reacted indifferently, showing no interest. It was a stark contrast to his reaction when I entered Seoul National University’s law school.

“Hey, what kind of place is Seoul National University’s law school?”

“Yes?”

“Getting in is like picking a star from the sky, but graduating is easy, isn’t it? How many of your classmates didn’t get their diplomas?”

Some dropped out, but no one was expelled for failing their studies.

“The truly valuable thing is this.”

Grandfather pulled a small frame from his drawer.

“That’s…?”

“Yes, your acceptance letter. This is thousands, tens of thousands of times more valuable than a diploma from a university where anyone can graduate. This is all I need.”

After placing the acceptance letter back in the drawer, my grandfather grinned.

“You’ve already given me enough gifts. The remaining gift is expanding the companies under the Soonyang banner. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I’ll double it, triple it.”

“Make sure I can see it before I die.”

It’s possible right now. Changing HW Group’s name to Soonyang is a simple task.

Perhaps that’s what he meant.

“Yes, I promise you. You will definitely see it.”

“You understand my words well, which I like, haha.”

Indeed.

That was it.

Since Grandfather gave me something, I must keep my promise. To do that, I need to start preparing now.

“Then, is it my turn?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your graduation gift. It seems like you’ve reached a point where you need people.”

Grandfather picked up the receiver.

“Come in.”

As if waiting outside, a man in his forties entered the study the moment the receiver was placed back.

I knew his type immediately.

“Introduce yourself. This is Executive Director Woo Byung-joon.”

I stood up and bowed to him.

“Greetings, I am Jin Do-jun.”

“Pleased to meet you. I am Woo Byung-joon.”

A dry tone, an expressionless face. He was definitely from Soonyang Security.

As I accepted the business card he offered, Grandfather spoke.

“Save Executive Director Woo’s number on your speed dial.”

“Ah, yes.”

Woo Byung-joon watched me save his number before speaking in a business-like manner.

“For convenience, I will refer to you as Chief. Is that acceptable?”

“Ah… yes.”

“From now on, our staff will drive your car. They are already waiting outside. And there will be a security team of four. They will be on standby at the entrances of the Soonyang Group main building and the Yeouido Miracle office, and they will provide close protection until you return home. They will travel in a separate vehicle, so it shouldn’t be a bother.”

Woo Byung-joon finished speaking quickly and bowed to my grandfather.

“I will take my leave.”

“Alright. You’ll have a bit of hardship ahead.”

“Not at all. I am simply doing what is expected of me.”

He finished speaking matter-of-factly and left the study.

“You know who he is, right?”

“Yes. Isn’t he from Soonyang Security?”

“That’s right. He’s put together a team to work for you. Executive Director Woo will be in charge, and it will consist of roughly 40 to 50 people.”

Forty to fifty people isn’t necessary just for providing security. Even with shift work, ten people would be sufficient.

It was then that I understood their real mission.