Chapter 236: Even Though We Share the Same Blood, Sang-joon is Very Different From His Younger Brother

“Even though we share the same blood, our Sang-joon is quite different from his younger brother. That one is full of dark and selfish desires, you see. Heh heh.”

When Grandpa pointed at me and chuckled, I remained silent. This was their time.

Chuckling, Grandpa stood up from the sofa. He opened a drawer next to the bed, took out an envelope, and subtly placed it on the table.

“This is your share, prepared for you.”

I hadn’t expected this. Naturally, Hyung Sang-joon was even more surprised. His eyes were wide as he stared blankly, unable to say a word.

“Don’t make that face. It’s not just for you.”

Grandpa chuckled, looking at both of us.

“I plan to give something to all of you cousins. The ones who already visited have each taken an envelope. Do-jun, you don’t get one.”

“No, that’s a bit… At the very least, shouldn’t you give me a gift certificate or something?”

Grandpa said to Hyung Sang-joon.

“See? That’s how greedy that one is.”

But a startled Hyung Sang-joon didn’t seem to hear anything, still just staring at the envelope.

“Sang-joon.”

“Yes? Ah… Yes.”

“I hear your office and studio apartment are in Gangnam?”

“Yes.”

“When I said I’d give you a house, I wasn’t just saying it. This is the sales contract for a house I got in Gangnam. It’s in your name, and I’ve cleanly taken care of the gift tax so my grandson can live in a nice place. The furniture to fill it, this one will take care of.”

I stuck out my lip when Grandpa pointed at me.

“Come on, since you’re giving it, why not fill the inside too….”

“You idiot. Don’t say things you don’t know. A gift should seem a little lacking. There needs to be some lingering desire to maintain the relationship to get more.”

“Your excuses are quite plausible….”

“Quiet, you idiot. So? You’re not thinking of getting your older brother a gift now that he has a house? Especially since you have so much money?”

The jokes Grandpa and I were exchanging didn’t seem to reach Hyung Sang-joon.

With bloodshot eyes, he bowed his head to Grandpa.

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

“No. No need to thank me.”

It was time to leave them alone.

Even though they were grandfather and grandson, they had only exchanged greetings at family gatherings. They had never shared any real connection until now.

Both of them knew this was a time that would never come again.

“Then please continue your conversation. I have some work, so I’ll head out first.”

Hyung Sang-joon looked flustered, but Grandpa, holding his hand tightly, nodded.

* * *

“Chief of staff Lee, I’m confirming once more, you’re certain there aren’t any shares under Father’s name?”

“Chief of staff. Is there any possibility of unaccounted shares? I’m talking about shares Father managed personally.”

Chief of staff Lee Hak-jae felt the burning gazes of the two vice-chairmen were truly burdensome. What in the world were they worried about?

“Soonyang Group shares are all over the Myeong-dong private loan market. It’s all under borrowed names. Unless we track all of that down, there aren’t any within my knowledge. Besides, if the Chairman is managing something privately, there’s no way for me to know, right?”

“Chief of staff, I’m not asking for confirmation, but about the possibility.”

“I don’t think so. There’s no reason for the Chairman to manage shares under borrowed names, taking on various risks. You two know that well, don’t you?”

The two men exchanged a look, feeling a sting of guilt at Chief of staff Lee Hak-jae’s words.

They established corporations that were practically their personal property and engaged in the practice of funneling work from the subsidiaries they managed.

With the money gathered this way, they constantly bought up shares. Under borrowed names, of course.

Reliable executives, their families, or close associates were the owners of these borrowed names, but they were always uneasy. They could sell everything off and disappear at any time.

“Well… if that’s the case, that’s a relief.”

Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi said with a reluctant expression.

“Do you know specifically about the personal assets Father is giving to Sang-ki?”

Lee Hak-jae couldn’t help but frown, no matter how hard he tried to restrain himself.

Where on earth did that guy’s greed end?

“As I’ve already mentioned, I don’t know about the Chairman’s personal assets. He entrusted them to his personal lawyers. Oh, you know he has several personal lawyers, right? He even managed things by distributing them all.”

Jin Dong-gi, who was relatively quick-witted, realized that Chief of staff Lee Hak-jae was uncomfortable and cut off Jin Young-gi.

“Didn’t we already say everything? Instead of repeating ourselves, let’s discuss our thoughts. Wouldn’t that make things easier for Chief of staff Lee?”

Jin Dong-gi picked up the teacup in front of him, subtly gauging Lee Hak-jae’s expression before speaking cautiously.

“Frankly, if Father isn’t around, our group will become noisy, and unexpected things could happen, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Please be specific. What kind of noisy things are you referring to?”

“The shares. Soonyang has a web-like governance structure, doesn’t it? Even if a single thin thread of that web is cut, unpleasant things will happen.”

“And?”

Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi flared up as Chief of staff Lee Hak-jae’s expression and tone clearly showed displeasure.

“Hey! What’s with you? Is there something we can’t say right now?”

“Hyung-nim!”

At Jin Dong-gi’s shout, Jin Young-gi grunted once and closed his mouth again.

“Chief of staff Lee. We’re asking you to consider our position as well.”

“Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi. How about getting straight to the point? Judging by your beating around the bush, I can tell it’s a difficult topic, but it would be better to state the conclusion first.”

“Alright. We want to reorganize the holding company.”

“The holding company?”

“Yes. We want to gather all the scattered shares and bind them together with a strong rope instead of a spiderweb.”

“That won’t be easy. If you touch it carelessly, the fragile spiderweb might break. Furthermore, tax issues could arise in the process. It’s close to gambling.”

“That’s why we’re talking to you, Chief of staff. No one but you can direct this operation.”

Among the people the two brothers employed, they gathered those known for their intelligence and instructed them on this task, but they couldn’t even properly grasp the governance structure and gave up.

The only conclusion was that to analyze a diagram more complex than a semiconductor circuit and denser than a spiderweb, it would take the person who created the structure.

“Is it really necessary? It’s because of this system that you two are vice-chairmen. Is there really a need to take the risk and change it…?”

Lee Hak-jae saw right through their intentions but wanted to hear directly from their mouths how far they wanted to go.

“Don’t you know? First, we need to get rid of Miracle! If Miracle sides with that Do-jun… No, I’m certain of it. Those bastards intend to use Do-jun as a front to gradually take over our Soonyang.”

Jin Young-gi shouted.

“Even if that isn’t the case, it’s not desirable to have an investment firm holding 23% of the shares hanging around like that,”

Jin Dong-gi chimed in.

“That’s also true… Alright. Let’s assume we create a separate, safe holding company. What kind of shareholding structure are you hoping for in that holding company?”

The two men exchanged glances for a moment, then Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Dong-gi and I would have 55%, Sang-ki 5%, around 10% for the executives. The rest would be distributed among the subsidiaries. That’s what we’re thinking for now.”

Their intention was for the two of them to hold all the power. It wasn’t 55% including the third son, Jin Sang-ki.

This meant they didn’t even trust their third brother. Even if Jin Sang-ki had other intentions, the group’s control would remain unshaken.

“We plan to increase the shareholdings of the executives, but we’re thinking of replacing them. Aren’t they all from Father’s generation? We’re thinking of replacing them with new executives.”

Jin Dong-gi even mentioned a generational shift.

“What about Do-jun, even putting Miracle aside? That child also has 10% of the shares. Are you thinking of excluding him entirely?”

As Lee Hak-jae prodded at a point they were reluctant to discuss, the two vice-chairmen’s expressions hardened.

“We’re thinking of giving Do-jun a couple of financial subsidiaries. It suits his aptitude too… If that’s not enough, we could add some subsidiary shares. He’s just a kid anyway, isn’t he? It’s not easy for him to participate in group management.”

“People will laugh. Among the big companies these days, is it even plausible for someone in their twenties to threaten the group’s management rights? Do-jun is at the age to diligently take management classes, not to be responsible for subsidiaries.”

It would be better if they honestly said they wanted to own the company. Do-jun had already proven his capabilities.

What else did they have to offer besides being blood relatives of Chairman Jin?

Jin Dong-gi spoke urgently as Lee Hak-jae showed a displeased expression.

“We’ll give you a position that won’t leave you feeling slighted, Chief of staff. Join us.”

“Oh really? What kind of position do you think would satisfy me?”

Although his voice was dry, he at least seemed to show interest. Jin Dong-gi grinned and said.

“We’ll give you the position of CEO overseeing Soonyang Electronics. Isn’t that the core of Soonyang?”

Knowing they couldn’t buy Lee Hak-jae with money, the two men offered him a position.

But CEO positions could be replaced overnight. Even if they were replaced quietly, two years would be enough. Lee Hak-jae was well aware of this.

They expected Chief of staff Lee Hak-jae to demand about five years of job security, and they had even agreed to accept that much.

“Of course, all of this will be done without the Chairman’s knowledge, right?”

“Is there a need to inform him? With the little time he has left, wouldn’t it be more comfortable for him to believe everything is going according to his wishes?”

In fact, even if Chairman Jin knew his two sons’ intentions, there was nothing he could do. The remaining time was far too short to take back the shares.

The new holding company depended entirely on Lee Hak-jae’s decision.

If he refused, they would proceed with their own strength, even if it took time.

“It seems like a matter I need to think about. The Chairman is still watching me. I can’t bring myself to go against his wishes while looking at his face.”

Wasn’t that a request to wait until his father passed away?

Smiles spread across the two men’s faces.

“Of course. Now that Chief of staff Lee understands our intentions… my mind feels much lighter. Haha.”

Jin Dong-gi also jumped up and grabbed Lee Hak-jae’s hand.

“Thank you, Chief of staff. This is all for the sake of making Soonyang safer. We will never forget this.”

Lee Hak-jae subtly pulled his hand away from Jin Dong-gi’s.

“I understand your intentions well, and I’ve also conveyed my thoughts, so I’ll take my leave. Goodbye.”

Lee Hak-jae quietly left the room.

As soon as he was out of sight, the smiles on the two men’s faces vanished in an instant.

“That bastard really thinks he’s something. If I had my way….”

“Enough. He’s at least the guardian knight of Soonyang. And a loyal subject of Father’s.”

“Do you think he’s being genuine?”

Jin Young-gi still had an expression of disbelief. On the other hand, Jin Dong-gi was much more relaxed.

“He said he would step down once Father passes away. That probably isn’t what he truly wants. He’s still in his prime. The position of head of Soonyang Electronics would make his heart race, wouldn’t it? And we need his help. Think about Father’s personal assets that Sang-ki’s foundation will receive. We need to secure that first. It will be at least hundreds of billions, right?”

“I think it’s more than that. It’s not just cash, there’s real estate too. That’s the more valuable asset.”

The two men looked at each other and began to laugh.

Some insignificant shares to hand out and an enormous amount of money to pocket. The thought of that money made them unable to stop laughing.