Chapter 216: 1: “Dong-ki tried to kick me out?”

“So, Dong-gi tried to kick me out?”

“He said it differently. Just like the Vice-chairman didn’t explicitly say he was kicking his younger brother out.”

Oh Se-hyun was dumbfounded by the sudden shift in Jin Young-gi’s expression.

Wasn’t it obvious? Everyone knew they were both eager to get rid of each other and claim the Chairman’s position as soon as possible.

“S-so? What did you say?”

“My answer to both of you is the same. I’m not interested, just give me a generous dividend.”

Jin Young-gi’s stiff face gradually began to relax.

Although he was disappointed that Oh Se-hyun didn’t accept his offer, he was relieved that Oh Se-hyun wasn’t siding with his younger brother and attacking him.

“Make sure you keep your word about not getting involved in Soonyang Group’s affairs.”

“Of course. I prefer Soonyang Group as it is right now.”

It was a disturbing answer to simply brush off. ‘Soonyang as it is now’? What did that mean?

“What do you mean by ‘as it is now’?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“That sounds like you’re telling me not to touch my brother?”

“Were you planning to?”

Oh Se-hyun smiled faintly as he looked at Jin Young-gi. This man hadn’t grasped the reality of the situation yet.

If he only considered Miracle’s power and Oh Se-hyun’s choices as mere tools, he would never understand.

“A kingdom can’t have two kings.”

“This country isn’t a monarchy. It’s a democracy that achieves harmony through checks and balances.”

“Soonyang isn’t a country! It’s a privately owned entity built by individuals!”

“Not individuals, but shareholders own it. Anyway, I’m not here to argue semantics.”

The smile had vanished from Oh Se-hyun’s face.

“I want Soonyang Group to be a place where the two brothers compete in their respective areas. Drop your plans to oust Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi anytime soon. As long as I, an influential shareholder, stand my ground, I won’t allow it.”

“Hey! Representative Oh!”

“With Miracle’s shares and the shares held as collateral, I can’t choose the new captain of Soonyang as I please… but I can at least bring someone down. It also means that whoever I support can sit on that one and only throne you mentioned.”

Oh Se-hyun studied Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi’s expression. Still not getting it?

“Are you saying you’re the weight that can tip the scales of the balance at any time?”

“The weight that doesn’t want to tip the scales is the more accurate description.”

Oh Se-hyun stood up. Hopefully, this was a sufficient warning.

“Oh, right, about the bonds. Just let me know whenever you’re ready. I’ll reimburse you according to the contract. With a little extra interest… since you must be feeling quite bitter.”

As Oh Se-hyun left, Jin Young-gi grabbed something within reach and hurled it towards the door.

The only sound was a soft thud as a pen hit the floor.

To lose eight hundred billion won so meaninglessly… His fist, clenched so tightly that his nails were digging into his skin, trembled.

* * *

Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi sighed, looking at Jin Young-gi sitting across from him with a serious expression.

“It’s all over. All we did was celebrate prematurely while Oh Se-hyun swept everything up. Oh, and Do-jun got a piece of the action too, right?”

“You’re not in a position to mock me.”

“Just get to the point. Let’s not rub salt in each other’s wounds.”

“You’re the one who rubbed salt in the wound. Anyway, what should we do about that Oh Se-hyun?”

“Why? Are you planning to kick me out once Oh Se-hyun is gone?”

“Yes.”

Jin Dong-gi’s gaze towards the blunt Jin Young-gi turned fierce.

“Keep dreaming. Do you think Oh Se-hyun will step down willingly?”

“Dong-gi.”

Jin Young-gi called out to his younger brother softly.

“Let’s get rid of anyone who isn’t our blood from Soonyang and start over. Look at us now. We’re at Oh Se-hyun’s beck and call. What if that guy teams up with you and stabs me in the back…?”

“Or what if he joins hands with you and grinds me to dust…?”

Both men understood the current situation perfectly.

Jin Dong-gi relaxed his frown and spoke.

“There’s no way. He just holds onto his shares and does nothing. He’s watching us from outside Soonyang, maintaining the balance. What can we do?”

“That’s why we need to find a way instead of just standing by. I promise you, when Oh Se-hyun is out, I’ll raise your shares back to over 30%.”

Jin Dong-gi’s eyes sparkled at his older brother’s words.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. Otherwise, there’s no reason for you to side with me.”

Blood is thicker than water after all.

They could accept a family feud, but they couldn’t tolerate some outsider with no pedigree getting involved.

“While we’re at it, we need to deal with Do-jun’s shares too.”

Jin Young-gi tilted his head in confusion when Jin Dong-gi mentioned Jin Do-jun.

“Do-jun?”

“Yeah. Imagine his 10% going to Oh Se-hyun. He’d become the second-largest shareholder in an instant. Moreover, with Miracle’s financial power, it’s not impossible for him to become the largest shareholder if he starts buying up shares.”

Jin Young-gi dismissed his younger brother’s concerns.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. The shares held by government agencies and banks are always on our side. Unless he buys those up, he can never be the largest shareholder.”

Jin Young-gi was confident. He believed in the power of Soonyang Group.

“Speaking of which, what’s the possibility of Do-jun siding with Oh Se-hyun, like you said?”

“It’s hard to ignore. Oh Se-hyun is friends with Yoon-ki. What if Oh Se-hyun subtly whispers things in Yoon-ki’s ear, and Yoon-ki persuades Do-jun?”

Jin Young-gi slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair, Jin Dong-gi’s words sounding plausible.

“Alright. Let’s handle Do-jun first. Make sure he doesn’t get any funny ideas.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to bring Do-jun over to our side?”

“How?”

“Give him an extra 10% when we redistribute the shares. Then only our blood will remain, making it even more convincing.”

Jin Young-gi’s expression brightened. Giving his nephew an extra 10% and slowly taking it back seemed much easier than dealing with Oh Se-hyun.

* * *

“I don’t know if you’re being clever, or if my sons are just foolish… tsk, tsk.”

“There’s no way to beat someone who has luck on their side.”

The Chairman frowned, whether it was because of the summer sun beating down in the garden or because he was disappointed in his two helpless sons.

“He reclaimed the card company, secured shares, and even pocketed a whopping eight hundred billion won. It’s a bit far-fetched to chalk that up to luck.”

“The credit card crisis was a stroke of good fortune. It’s luck.”

“I suspect you even predicted this credit card crisis. It was strange for someone as financially savvy as you to give up a business that steadily earns fees and interest.”

“I sensed the unease, but I didn’t know the credit card defaults would explode to this extent.”

“The massive explosion might be luck. But the rest is the result of greed. Your second uncle, blinded by his desire for the cash business, and your first uncle, paying an extra eight hundred billion won to secure shares, are the same.”

The Chairman, shielding himself from the harsh sunlight with a wide-brimmed hat, slowly stood up.

“Let’s take a walk. The doctor told me not to skip my walks for exercise. Heh.”

I supported the Chairman and handed him his cane. He slowly started walking.

“So, what are you going to do now? Are you going to ask for subsidiaries equivalent to your shares?”

“No, sir. I already have the financial sector you gave me. I believe that’s commensurate with my 30% stake.”

“So? Nothing else in mind?”

“No. Vice-chairman’s influence will inevitably decrease, but there’s no one else as capable of leading the heavy industries sector as him.”

“Sly fellow, huh. You’ve put a sturdy leash around Dong-gi’s neck.”

Not just one. With the slush fund details amounting to a hundred billion won in my hands, I have both a leash and a whip.

“So, you have eight hundred billion won in unearned income. What are you going to do with it? Are you thinking of investing it?”

“No. I’ll hold onto it for now. I subtly mentioned something to the Financial Services Commission….”

“About Daehyun Card?”

“Yes. I told them I’d acquire it whenever they gave the signal, so they can comfortably pressure Daehyun. If they don’t implement strong self-rescue measures in line with government policy, they’ll suffer the same fate as Soonyang Card.”

“Heh, my, my. I wasn’t this ruthless… you thieving rascal.”

Chuckling, the Chairman paused for a moment.

“Do-jun.”

“Yes, sir.”

“If there were only two large diamonds in the world, what would you do?”

“Excuse me?”

Why is he suddenly imitating a Zen master’s koan?

“Would you buy both? Or just one?”

The diamonds the Chairman is referring to are the card companies: Soonyang and Daehyun.

“I’d buy both.”

I already own one, and I’ve expressed interest in acquiring Daehyun, so I have to answer that I’d buy both.

“Have you considered the method of buying only one and enjoying the effect of owning both?”

This isn’t a koan anymore.

He seems to be telling me how to enjoy the benefits of acquiring Daehyun Card without actually acquiring it.

No suitable answer came to mind despite my contemplation.

Seeing my silence, the Chairman glared at me with disappointed eyes.

“I misjudged this kid. Being this soft, really….”

“I am a bit kind, aren’t I?”

Judging by his lack of laughter at my joke, he’s serious.

“Could you just tell me what the answer is?”

“The value of two unique diamonds in the world can be fully transferred to just one. Do you understand now?”

“To one…?”

“Yes. What happens if you keep one and sink or destroy the other in the deep sea?”

“The price of the remaining diamond doubles.”

“The problem is how to destroy a diamond that isn’t yours. But what about now? Isn’t the government sharpening its knives to destroy it? Why waste money acquiring Daehyun Card when this opportunity has presented itself?”

“Companies aren’t diamonds. Nor are they unique gems that exist only in pairs.”

“If you exclude bank-owned credit cards, aren’t Daehyun and Soonyang the only two left? Don’t try to compete with the whole world. Narrow your spectrum of vision. Then things will become clearer.”

Narrowing my wide perspective to focus sharply on one thing.

Good advice.

“If Daehyun Card goes bankrupt, the ripple effect will be significant. If the financial sector suffers large losses, the market liquidity will immediately freeze up….”

“Why are you worrying about that?”

“Pardon?”

“That’s what I mean by saying you’re soft. Why are you meddling in things you don’t need to? If there’s a problem with market liquidity? Don’t you have money? Is there anyone in this country who holds more cash than you?”

This time, it’s not advice but a sharp rebuke.

“If market liquidity dries up and turns into a desert, shouldn’t you be dancing for joy? Since you hold an inexhaustible oasis, the value of your money will increase even more.”

“There will be more opportunities to use that money effectively.”

“You know that well? Who knows? Maybe some worthy companies will fall because of it? You’ll be the only one to gobble them up. How is it? Don’t you see things better when you narrow your vision?”

My grandfather… he’ll never get dementia. Isn’t the acuity of that octogenarian enough to overwhelm a young man like me?

“Grandfather.”

“What?”

“I’m thankful to the heavens that I’m not competing against you.”

“Quiet. Where did you learn such flattery….”

He scolded me, but he was smiling.

“It won’t be easy. Daehyun Group also has many friends in various places. High-ranking officials will appear to defend them enough to prevent the worst-case scenario.”

“Then I’ll just have to persuade those officials.”

“Anyway…. You learn these things so quickly, don’t you? You sly devil. Heh.”