Chapter 184: My Father Didn’t Touch Your Belongings

“Even your late father didn’t touch my things. He fought over other people’s possessions, but he never coveted or desired what belonged to others.”

“C-Chairman….”

Joo Kwang-shik stammered, his face flushed, but his eyes remained calmly fixed.

“Just because it belongs to my young grandson doesn’t mean Soonyang’s name is erased. I’m warning you, if you so much as touch Soonyang Card, you’ll learn just how fearsome this powerless old man can be. Remember that.”

“Chairman, let’s get you steady first….”

His eldest son, Chairman Joo Tae-shik, stepped forward, but his grandfather remained unyielding.

“Be grateful this is a funeral, so I can’t raise my voice.”

Joo Tae-shik’s anger shifted towards his younger brother.

“What in the world did you do? Huh?”

“It’s a misunderstanding, Hyung-nim. I was just asking about the company’s recent affairs.”

Observing the flustered Joo Kwang-shik, his grandfather turned away without a second thought. He didn’t miss the fleeting smile on his grandfather’s face as he turned.

“Let’s go. Lead the way.”

“Yes, sir.”

Stepping out of the bereaved’s room, they found the attendants already waiting with the car doors open.

“Are there still many reporters outside?”

“Yes, sir. More have gathered.”

“Is that so? Good. Make sure the windows are all the way down so the reporters can get good pictures.”

“Grandfather! This is already enough.”

I was going crazy. He doesn’t know what ‘moderate’ means. His character, always trying to finish what he starts in the biggest and most explosive way possible, remained unchanged.

“There’s no such thing as ‘enough’ in this world. Stopping along the way is what makes you say such things. Satisfaction is just a fancy way of packaging giving up. Remember that.”

Well… he’s still capable of leaving me speechless.

I shrugged once and got into the car.

As the temple entrance came into view, my grandfather nudged my side.

“Smile, you rascal. Your picture will be plastered all over the country tomorrow. Are you going to go out there with that handsome face of yours all scrunched up?”

“Isn’t it inappropriate to smile brightly while leaving a funeral?”

“Is that so? Well, try to make a good impression anyway.”

Only after listening to the deafening sound of shutters for quite some time did we finally drive away from the temple.

“By the way, Grandfather.”

“What is it?”

I cautiously opened my mouth once the car picked up speed.

“Why did you do that to Chairman Joo Kwang-shik? Did you perhaps help him?”

“Me, help someone?”

“Chairman Joo Kwang-shik, that is.”

“Why would I help that guy?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Even if you hadn’t said those things, Soonyang Card wouldn’t have gone to Daehyun… Didn’t you just let Chairman Joo Tae-shik know that Chairman Joo Kwang-shik has no ulterior motives?”

“You saw right through it.”

“So, why? You’d find out anyway… Isn’t it just to make it clear?”

My grandfather chuckled.

“You rascal. Do you not act unless there’s a specific purpose? I just felt like it. Helping Joo Kwang-shik will make things even noisier for Daehyun Group. I can’t stand it when that family of his is quiet. Heh heh.”

He shakes up his competitors whenever the opportunity arises, regardless of whether he has a goal. It’s instinctual.

He’s handed over most of his possessions and retired from the front lines, but he’s still the same. Our grandfather.

* * *

The next day, I rushed to my grandfather’s house before sunrise to escort him to Chairman Joo’s coffin departure.

My grandfather had already gotten the morning paper and was scrutinizing the articles.

“How is it? Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?”

The front page of the newspaper still featured the obituary for the late Chairman Joo Young-il, with articles about me appearing nearby.

“Soonyang Group’s New Dark Horse?”

“Jin Do-jun, the 24-year-old Young Successor. Will He Shoulder Soonyang Group’s Finances?”

“Jin Do-jun, Korea’s Top 20s Rich List No. 1, Finally Reveals Himself.”

These articles were tame.

The sports newspapers didn’t even feature Chairman Joo Young-il’s articles, instead plastering the front page with a huge picture of me. And with sensational headlines and content.

“The Man Who Has Everything: Money, Looks, Brains.”

“Graduated Top 10 Nationwide on the University Entrance Exam, Seoul National University Law School Graduate, Makes a Dazzling Debut in the Business World.”

“Jin Do-jun, the 0.001% Man Who Inherited the Genes of Business Tycoon Jin Yang-cheol of Soonyang Group and Korea’s Representative Beauty Lee Seo-hyun.”

“Finally Revealed: Korea’s Top Bachelor Pick, Jin Do-jun.”

Reporters are truly something else. How can they write such cringe-inducing sentences and put their names on them?

“I made sure to tell them firmly yesterday. If they didn’t put our grandson’s picture up properly, I’d cut off all advertising. Heh heh. Those guys… it had the intended effect.”

It wasn’t the intended effect, it was coercion. Cutting off advertising means cutting off their lifeline.

I didn’t say it out loud, but he seemed to have noticed it in my expression.

“Advertising is a weapon. Not using a weapon you have in your hand is a foolish thing, wouldn’t you say?”

“I didn’t say a word, why are you like this? Heh heh.”

“Your face says it all.”

Just then, Chief of staff Lee Hak-jae entered the study.

“It’s time to depart, Chairman.”

Upon finding me, he pointed at the newspaper.

“You look better in person. It’s a shame, don’t you think?”

“It’s a blessing it came out this well. Are you going today too, Chief of staff?”

“Yes. I’ll be accompanying him today. You don’t have to go.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“No. I have an important appointment today. So, it’s better for you to skip it.”

Grandfather, who had finished preparing to leave, also waved his hand dismissively.

“Understood. Then have a good trip.”

I did think they could have told me earlier, but I didn’t say anything. I had even said I would observe the three-year mourning period, so considering this just a morning greeting, there was nothing to complain about.

After my grandfather left, I headed straight to Soonyang headquarters. It was early morning, but many employees were already seen briskly entering the building.

“Chief of staff, instead of entering through the main gate today, how about using the private elevator in the underground parking lot?”

The Soonyang Security employee holding the steering wheel cautiously spoke.

“Is it because of the articles?”

“Yes. There probably isn’t an employee who doesn’t recognize you now, Chief of staff. I think it might be uncomfortable….”

“Let’s do that. To the Soonyang employees, I’m probably just a smug bastard who was born with a silver spoon, right?”

“No, it’s not necessarily that harsh….”

“I feel that way when I see my own cousins, how much more would the average person? No matter what I do, I’m just a guy who conveniently climbed to the top on stairs paved with money.”

The employee at the wheel chuckled and steered the car into the underground parking lot.

* * *

“What brings you here so early… Oh, and congratulations… or should I say, condolences?”

Vice President Jang Do-hyung, whom I ran into in the private elevator, smiled and pointed at my picture in the newspaper.

“I’m dying of embarrassment. Please stop. Heh heh.”

“It’s going to be difficult to move around freely now.”

“That doesn’t matter. If it helps with my work, I’d even consider going on TV entertainment programs.”

“The more people know you, the more helpful it is. Your face is your business card now. And these articles strongly imply you’re the blood relative receiving Chairman Jin’s full trust. From now on, whoever you meet will think of you as one of Soonyang’s successors.”

We chatted about this and that as we entered the office on the 24th floor.

“Chairman Joo Kwang-shik called me out and told me an interesting story.”

When I told Vice President Jang Do-hyung about what happened at the funeral yesterday, his eyes widened.

“Then doesn’t that mean another bidder has appeared?”

“Do you think so?”

“Isn’t that the case?”

“He seems to have other motives. But whatever his purpose, wouldn’t there be something we can take advantage of?”

Jang Do-hyung tilted his head slightly.

“Wasn’t it decided that the card company would be absorbed within the group?”

“That’s right.”

“Ah… you mean to use him as a pacemaker.”

“Yes. It’s unlikely, but just in case the two vice-chairmen decide to join hands, it would be a disaster. The uncles just need to know that a strong external competitor has emerged.”

“What if Chairman Joo Kwang-shik offers the best terms?”

“Chairman Joo might wave a contract with excellent terms in front of us, but he’ll never sign it. He didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of acquiring it. We need to recognize that and use it to our advantage.”

Jang Do-hyung rummaged through his bag with a slightly defeated expression and took out a few documents.

“With this new player entering the game, the previous rules have become useless.”

“That is…?”

“Vice-chairman Jin Dong-ki’s proposal.”

“Are there any unique points?”

“It’s just the beginning, so it’s just ordinary content. We need to add something special to this ordinariness and land a counter punch.”

“Let’s leave out the complicated stuff. The final acquisition price, the interest rate, and the collateral. For collateral, offer Soonyang Heavy Industries and Soonyang Construction stock. For the remaining amount, suggest issuing convertible bonds from Soonyang Heavy Industries.”

Jang Do-hyung let out a low groan, seemingly disappointed.

“It’s not a counter punch, it’s practically packaging it up for them to take….”

“Didn’t I tell you? Trust me. If they offer good terms, we just need to raise the acquisition price and the interest rate.”

“But that money isn’t coming in right now. You know that, right?”

I understand why Jang Do-hyung keeps expressing his concerns.

When navigating the seas of corporate management, you never know when you’ll encounter a storm. You always need to prepare for a crisis, and one of the best preparations is disappearing.

Isn’t he the second-in-command right now? He’ll be the first to take responsibility for management failures.

Of course, all the responsibility ultimately lies with me, but I’m the owner of Soonyang Financial Group. It’s the farmhands, not the owners, who get kicked out.

Besides, he’s seen me cut off executives’ heads in an instant. He can’t be sure he won’t suffer the same fate.

Constantly living in anxiety while standing at the forefront of management is like hell. To properly utilize him, I needed to pull him out of that anxiety.

“Vice President.”

“Yes?”

“I receive the updates on our financial group’s cash flow every morning, right?”

“Yes. I send it to you by email every time.”

“So, I know the company’s financial situation in real-time. Assuming there are no discrepancies, that is.”

“There are no discrepancies, it’s accurate.”

“Then if the financial situation worsens, I’ll find the money. I’ll fill all the gaps left by Soonyang Card. Don’t worry.”

Jang Do-hyung’s expression turned stiff.

“It’s not that I don’t know your abilities, Chief of staff. But do you really think I’ll be able to rest easy just by trusting your words?”

“So, you don’t believe me. Haha.”

“It’s not a laughing matter. Even the genius of investment has limits. How can an individual cover the operating profit of one of the leading card companies in the country? I’d be more relieved if it were Miracle’s funds….”

“I can’t just take money from another investment firm.”

“Exactly.”

Is he being meticulous? Or just fearful?

Being promoted to vice president at a young age seems to have made him more cautious.

“Soonyang Card’s net profit last year was around 125 billion won, right?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re worried, say so now. I’ll put 200 billion won into the company’s account. Would that put your mind at ease?”

Jang Do-hyung’s expression was even stiffer than before, but for a completely different reason. He was silent for a moment.

“You’re not one to make empty promises, so I’m relieved. I’ll also do my best to not have to mention a lack of funds.”

He might not trust my vision for the future, but he trusts the wealth I possess.

Well, that’s the more rational judgment.

Money is a definite number that doesn’t lie, isn’t it?

“Wow—! Our youngest has become a superstar overnight but is still diligent.”

There aren’t many people who would open my door without knocking.

Jin Young-jun is one of them. He is Soonyang’s direct heir, after all.