Chapter 231: Whispers of Power and Succession

Dozens of pairs of eyes stared daggers at me, while hundreds of ears twitched, hungry for the latest gossip.

Just when it became impossible to hide the fact that Grandfather was confined to the hospital, he collapsed again.

The first news of the new year was a bolt from the blue, but I couldn’t rush to the hospital.

“Chief of Staff, we’ve confirmed who’s gathered in the hospital room. It’s just the Vice-chairmen, Madam, and the Chairman of the board. None of your cousins are there, so perhaps it’s better to wait?” Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk, stopping my hurried steps, carefully watched my reaction as he spoke.

Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk, stopping my hurried steps, carefully watched my reaction as he spoke.

“If you appear in the hospital room alone at a time like this, you’ll only draw unnecessary attention. Either way, when the Chairman wakes up, he’ll be looking for you. It would be better if the two of you met privately then.”

Until now, he had only followed orders, but this was the first time he offered his own opinion.

And he did so when I was flustered, calmly pointing out what I needed to be mindful of. Had he learned this by watching Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae?

“What’s the best way to stay closely connected with the hospital?”

“Sir, wouldn’t the hospital director or your father, as the chairman of the board, contact you? Besides, I’ve already taken some steps.”

“Taken steps?”

“The guys currently handling security in the hospital room are all Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae’s men. Over the years working under him, I’ve built some personal connections with the security staff. We’ve shared grilled pork belly and soju. I’ve asked them to keep me updated on the situation, so we won’t miss any critical moments.”

Managing people beforehand? Was this a hidden strength of his?

“Alright, let’s wait for now. But we can’t miss a single thing. Make sure there are no moments in that hospital room that catch me off guard.”

“Understood. I’ll update you with regular reports.”

Confidence radiated from Kim Yoon-suk’s expression.

* * *

With four sons, their four wives, and a daughter, the nine people crowded into the largest VIP ward, making it feel cramped.

“Please, let’s not raise our voices and talk outside. Father is trying to recover.”

His flamboyant sister, his eldest brother badgering the hospital director, and his second brother relentlessly questioning the doctors… Jin Yun-ki wanted to get them out of the room as quickly as possible, almost pushing them out.

“Chief of Staff Lee! You come too. Let’s talk!” Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi shouted at Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae, who was standing awkwardly, before heading out of the room. Lee Hak-jae’s cheek twitched as he glared at Jin Young-gi’s retreating figure.

Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi shouted at Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae, who was standing awkwardly, before heading out of the room. Lee Hak-jae’s cheek twitched as he glared at Jin Young-gi’s retreating figure.

Jin Young-gi’s tone, now completely treating him like a subordinate, made his anger surge, but seeing Jin Yun-ki holding his hand, he smoothed his expression.

“Losing his temper makes him look like he has no respect for his elders. Just bear with it, Hyung-nim.”

“Elders, right. He’s the closest person to the Chairman’s office at Soonyang Group, and I’m just waiting to be kicked out.”

“Hyung-nim! What are you talking about?”

“Never mind. Let’s go. It looks like everyone has a lot to say to me. Heh.”

Lee Hak-jae patted the worried Jin Yun-ki on the shoulder and walked away.

The hospital director, sweating profusely, explained Chairman Jin’s condition. When his prognosis concluded that the future was uncertain, low sighs escaped the children’s lips.

“How long does he have? Don’t tell me it’s just a couple of months or half a year?” Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi snapped at the director.

Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi snapped at the director.

“This isn’t a predictable illness. It’s due to aging, so estimating his remaining lifespan is beyond a doctor’s capabilities.”

The third son, Jin Sang-ki, frowned and retorted.

“What? Is that something a doctor should say? Seriously, I’m speechless….”

Finally, Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi exploded.

“Looking at you people, I wonder if you’ve all lost your minds! We call you ‘doctor’ respectfully, and you don’t even know your place! You bastards. We hire you with enormous salaries to save people! If this were the company, anyone spouting useless nonsense like that would be fired instantly, you sons of bitches!”

“Hyung-nim!”

As Jin Yun-ki tried to stop him from spewing harsh words, Jin Young-gi glared at his younger brother and yelled.

“You’re the same! You should have informed us first when something like this happened! And you should have fired these incompetent doctors and brought in proper doctors from the US or Japan!”

Unable to bear Jin Young-gi’s finger-pointing, the hospital director bowed his head and left, the other doctors following him.

As the doctors disappeared, Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi chuckled. It was definitely a sneer.

“Let’s be honest. It’s not about their incompetence to save him, is it? You’re more upset that you don’t know how much time is left, right? You need to prepare a lot to take the Chairman’s seat, after all.”

“You little…!”

Just as the two men’s eyes locked, Jin Seo-yoon stood up abruptly.

“Look at you all. Aren’t you ashamed at your age? You’re all acting like you can’t live without tearing each other apart.”

“What?”

“Hey!”

Ignoring her two older brothers, she grabbed her coat and handbag.

“Go ahead and do whatever you want. I’m going to stay by Father’s side and rub his arm.”

Jin Seo-yoon left without looking back.

She was no longer a player on the field, not even a substitute on the bench. She was just a staff member, so no one stopped their younger sister.

Jin Seo-yoon closing the door was the signal for everyone to fall silent, an awkward stillness filling the room.

Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae broke the silence.

“Vice-chairman, I don’t have anything specific to say, but if you have something to ask, please do.”

The somewhat provocative tone made Jin Young-gi’s eyebrows twitch.

“Why did you hide the fact that Father was unwell? What’s the reason for keeping it quiet between you and Yun-ki?”

“Hyung-nim, that’s a misunderstanding.”

“You shut your mouth. I’m asking Chief of Staff Lee. I have things to discuss with you too, so wait your turn.”

Jin Young-gi yelled when Jin Yun-ki tried to intervene.

“That’s also a misunderstanding. As a hospital board member, Director Jin Yun-ki is in a position where hospital staff would naturally report to him. A high-profile VIP was admitted to the hospital; how could the hospital director not know? We didn’t coordinate our stories, nor was there any reason to.”

“Fine. Then why hide it from me, the eldest son? Is there a reason why I shouldn’t know about Father’s collapse?”

“Well, it was the Chairman’s instruction. I don’t know his exact reasoning.”

“What?”

“He instructed me to remain silent even if there were red flags regarding his health. He said he didn’t want to see his children’s faces when he woke up in the hospital. He said he would tell his children himself, so I simply followed his wishes.”

Lee Hak-jae spoke with an expressionless face and a dry tone.

Since it was the Chairman’s instruction, they couldn’t argue further.

Even seeing the awkward expressions of the second-generation heirs, Lee Hak-jae’s expression remained unchanged. His voice turned businesslike again.

“Just in case, I called Madam in Switzerland, but she only said she knew and hung up. I suggest you contact her.”

Lee Hak-jae said, addressing Jin Young-gi.

Although she detested her husband, her affection for her eldest son was as strong as anyone’s. She believed she needed to be there for Chairman Jin’s passing, whenever that might be.

Jin Young-gi nodded.

“I’ll call her. And… Chief of Staff Lee, could I have a word? I’d like to talk privately.”

At that moment, Jin Dong-gi and Jin Sang-ki’s eyes gleamed.

Lee Hak-jae, not missing their gazes, gave a faint smile.

“Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi, I’d prefer to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings now. Let’s discuss everything here, together.”

Seeing the sharp looks from his two younger brothers, Jin Young-gi sighed briefly.

“Send the wives home, alright? The doctors said he’s past the critical point, so they can come back when Father wakes up. You go home too.”

The daughters-in-law hesitated, glancing at their husbands, who nodded in agreement.

As the daughters-in-law left, Jin Yun-ki stood up as well.

“I’m not interested in what you hyungs want to talk about, so I’ll leave you to it. Do whatever you want. Oh, and when the hospital calls, come running quickly. We’ll all get the same call, so don’t blame me later.”

Once Jin Yun-ki left, only the three brothers and Lee Hak-jae remained. Jin Young-gi glared at Lee Hak-jae with a sour expression as Jin Dong-gi spoke first.

“I’ll ask what Hyung is curious about. I’m extremely curious too.”

Jin Dong-gi’s gaze turned to Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae.

“Chief of Staff, are there any unusual clauses in Father’s will? Regarding the distribution of remaining shares, or a specific person he’s considering as his successor….”

Lee Hak-jae smiled and addressed the three brothers.

“Since you all seem curious, I’ll tell you what I know. First, I’ve never seen the former Chairman’s will. So, I have nothing to say about it. Second, the Chairman doesn’t own any controlling shares of the group. The succession process is complete.”

News that there were no remaining shares brought mixed reactions.

Jin Young-gi’s expression brightened instantly, while Jin Sang-ki’s turned ashen.

He was the third son of Soonyang in name only, possessing nothing more than a few powerless foundations. And that would be his fate forever.

Jin Dong-gi’s expression wasn’t good either.

If things continued this way, he would have no choice but to concede the Chairman’s position to Jin Young-gi.

“A-Are you sure? There aren’t any more shares?” Jin Sang-ki couldn’t easily accept this desperate situation. It was hard to admit that his last sliver of hope had vanished.

Jin Sang-ki couldn’t easily accept this desperate situation. It was hard to admit that his last sliver of hope had vanished.

“We can’t leave behind enough shares to influence the group’s control as ‘inheritance’. How would you even handle the inheritance tax? There might be some leftover shares in the subsidiaries, but the Chairman’s personal lawyer manages those.”

Jin Sang-ki let out a long sigh without realizing it and kicked a nearby chair in frustration.

“So, all that’s left is Father’s personal wealth, is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, but don’t get your hopes up too much. He always said, ‘I owe so many people in my life, I’ll be dividing it among them.'”

Lee Hak-jae was taken aback by Jin Young-gi’s greed.

He had already inherited the core subsidiaries. Despite receiving an immeasurable fortune, he still seemed to be eyeing the meager personal assets… such greed.

“If there are no more questions, I’ll take my leave.”

“Wait a moment.”

It was Jin Dong-gi who stopped Lee Hak-jae from leaving.

“What will you do, Chief of Staff?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking what you plan to do at Soonyang Group after Father is gone.”

Lee Hak-jae had never considered this question. Nor had he specifically thought about the aftermath of Chairman Jin’s death.

“New wine belongs in new bottles. Since both Vice-chairmen have their own aides, I’ll quietly disappear. However….”

Lee Hak-jae spoke politely to the two men.

“Please take good care of the staff who were under my command. They are valuable assets that are hard to come by. Losing them to another company would be a loss for the group.”

“Wouldn’t the group suffer a loss if Chief of Staff Lee himself left? Why not stay for Soonyang’s sake?”

Jin Dong-gi’s suggestion was also unexpected.

What could his real intention be?

The words ‘another company’ echoed in Lee Hak-jae’s mind.

Did he think that someone like him, who knew Soonyang inside and out, would go to another company and spill its dark secrets? If that was the implication, it was an insult.

He had dedicated his entire life to this company, and he had been treated exceptionally well. At the very least, he wouldn’t betray Chairman Jin’s trust.

“One should move to a place that suits their status. If it were the Chairman’s position at Soonyang, I might consider it, but I won’t consider anything else. As I said, I will quietly step away from my current role. Then….”

Lee Hak-jae bowed slightly and left.

A smile naturally formed on his lips as he imagined their slight bewilderment.