Chapter 238: Whispers of Succession
by xennovel“C-Chairman! Please, calm down. It might have just been a baseless rumor… and it seems it ended as just that. The group hasn’t shown any unusual activity.”
Faced with the unexpected reaction, Son Hoon-jae, despite not being the culprit, stammered excuses, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Chairman Jin, regaining a semblance of composure, spoke calmly.
“Alright, you can leave now. I’ll handle it. Oh, and once you leave the company, come by occasionally to keep me company.”
“Of course, Chairman. I will visit you again.”
As President Son Hoon-jae retreated, Chairman Jin bellowed at the secretary waiting outside.
“Get Lee Hak-jae in here, now!”
The chairman, supposedly with his death date looming, flew into a rage, threatening to throw the hospital into chaos.
Startled by the outburst, the doctors rushed in, attempting to lay Chairman Jin back onto the bed, checking his blood pressure, and fussing with his IV drip.
Lying in bed, simmering with anger, Chairman Jin erupted again the moment Lee Hak-jae hurried in.
“Did you know about this?”
“Chairman, please remain still….”
“Did you know? About those two plotting to manipulate the shares!”
“Ah, that….”
The nonchalant response from Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae made Chairman Jin’s eyes narrow.
“‘Ah, that…’? Is this friend of mine in his right mind?”
“Chairman, Soonyang’s governance structure isn’t so fragile that it can be shaken by the Vice-chairmen’s little games. Please, don’t be so angry… allow me to explain.”
Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae spoke calmly, but Chairman Jin’s anger didn’t subside easily.
“What? Are you saying you already knew?”
“The two of them confided their plan in me and even asked for my assistance.”
“Then why? Why didn’t you say a word to me about it!”
“It’s an impractical and pointless plan. I had no intention of helping them. Therefore, I didn’t even feel the need to report it.”
Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae tried to calm the fuming Chairman Jin.
“Your heart isn’t in the best condition, and I worried that hearing such unpleasant news would only worsen it.”
Only then did Chairman Jin slump onto the sofa, gasping for breath.
The loud noises emanating from the hospital room once again brought medical staff rushing in, but they retreated silently under Chairman Jin’s fierce glare.
After catching his breath for a while, Chairman Jin took a sip of water offered by Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae and asked.
“So, what exactly are those bastards plotting?”
“They believe the current complex structure is a weakness and want to transition to a solid holding company structure.”
“There must be an ulterior motive, right?”
“Their intention is to neutralize Miracle and Do-jun’s shares.”
“And the two of them would hold about 55% of the holding company’s shares?”
“Yes, you’re exactly right.”
“Those crazy bastards. If it were that easy, we would have abandoned the complex structure and created a holding company long ago. What else?”
“They also expressed their intention to involve Director Jin Sang-ki.”
“Sang-ki?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, Chairman Jin ground his teeth.
“Those little shits. Just because I said I’d leave some property to Sang-ki, they’re already eyeing that too.”
Involving the third son for money? This was something Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae hadn’t anticipated. It was a somewhat harsh assumption, but Chairman Jin knew his two sons’ greed better than anyone.
He even wondered if using the shares as bait to seize the foundation was the eldest son’s idea, wanting to control all of Soonyang.
“So? What did you say to them?”
“I told them I’d think about it and left. I didn’t feel the need to offer any further explanation.”
“Good job.”
With this, the two men fell silent for a while.
It was Chairman Jin who broke the silence.
“But what is your true intention?”
“Excuse me?”
“Once I’m gone, are you really planning to retire? Someone as capable as you?”
“Then you’ll have to take responsibility for me, Chairman. Haha.”
Chairman Jin glared at Lee Hak-jae, who was chuckling nonchalantly.
“This friend…! I offered you control of a few affiliates, shuffled around. I even said I’d separate some so they’d be entirely yours, but you flatly refused. How else can I take responsibility?”
“Ah, what can I do? Under your guidance, Chairman, I’ve handled things that ordinary people can’t even imagine, and everyone bows their heads and watches my every move. After doing only this kind of work, it’s difficult to transform into an ordinary manager. It’s a one-of-a-kind position, but once you’re gone, Chairman, that position disappears too. So, it’s right for me to step down as well.”
“You can’t go from being a Prime Minister to just a Minister?”
“Something like that. Haha.”
Lee Hak-jae let out a hearty laugh in front of Chairman Jin, who wore a worried expression.
“Chairman, please don’t worry. Do you think I wouldn’t know what you desire? I will continue to watch over Do-jun to ensure he comes to no harm.”
“Once I’m gone, they’ll likely mistreat him severely.”
“They might try to keep him in check, but they won’t be able to openly persecute him.”
Chairman Jin understood the meaning of his words perfectly.
It was Lee Hak-jae who orchestrated and executed all sorts of illicit activities. However, these pale in comparison to the group’s succession process. Lee Hak-jae knows the details of every shortcut and illegal method employed to avoid the enormous inheritance tax.
As the executor of these actions, he would bear legal responsibility if issues arose. However, his silence could also be the switch that triggers everyone’s downfall.
Because of this, Lee Hak-jae firmly believed the two Vice-chairmen couldn’t touch him, but Chairman Jin still looked uneasy.
Their conversation was cut short.
Because Jin Sang-ki suddenly burst through the door.
“Oh, Chief of Staff is here too.”
The moment Chief of Staff Lee saw his expression, he knew it wasn’t a simple courtesy visit. His face was etched with tension, excitement, and even a hint of disappointment.
The astute Chairman Jin’s expression had already soured.
“Chief of Staff, could you excuse us for a moment? There are some things I’d like to discuss privately with my father.”
“Ah, of course. I was about to leave anyway.”
Chairman Jin stopped Chief of Staff Lee as he turned to leave.
“You stay. Judging by this one’s face, he’s not here to check on my health. If it’s not about family, then it’s business. Chief of Staff, you’re cleared to hear official matters.”
“Father, what are you talking about?”
“Am I wrong? You’re here about the inheritance, aren’t you?”
Caught off guard, Jin Sang-ki couldn’t respond.
“Alright, tell me. What other grievances have brought you here?”
Children of his age complaining and whining about their dissatisfaction was a sight Chief of Staff Lee had witnessed countless times.
But seeing a son unchanged in the face of his frail father, whose life force could extinguish at any moment, was truly astounding.
Even more surprising was Chairman Jin’s attitude.
He referred to even the inheritance matters as official business, as if it were company affairs. What, then, constituted a personal matter for this man?
“Ah, Father, I’m truly sorry. It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with the inheritance. I just wanted to clarify something.”
“Then speak.”
Jin Sang-ki glanced at Lee Hak-jae before speaking.
“The lawyers visited today… and they said it was just buildings, land, and a little cash. Do you have any personal lawyers aside from them?”
“They came today?”
“Yes.”
“Weren’t there three of them?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Hearing the word ‘three’, Jin Sang-ki’s expression began to twist. Could it really be all that he was getting?
“Those are all of them. Why? Is it less than you expected?”
It was like pouring oil on a raging fire, but Jin Sang-ki gritted his teeth and held back.
He refused to believe it. There had to be more. This wasn’t the time to vent his frustration, but to strategize how to get more.
“Ah, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just that your personal assets seemed too meager for someone like you, so I wanted to confirm.”
“What? Meager? You little brat! Buildings, land, and 30 billion won in cash is meager? I’m giving you enough to live like a millionaire just from the rent! And adding the foundation makes you a chaebol! Are you implying I’m a liar?!”
Jin Sang-ki frantically waved his hands at Chairman Jin’s booming voice.
“No, Father! That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to confirm….”
“Enough. It’s written all over your face!”
Lee Hak-jae was no longer listening to their conversation.
Thirty billion won? If that’s all he gave, where’s the rest of the money?
Lee Hak-jae was the one who managed the offshore accounts and the domestic nominee accounts. He had handed all that information over to Chairman Jin, but its whereabouts were now unknown.
Surely he wasn’t still holding onto it…? Could it be Jin Do-jun?
If Jin Do-jun had gotten his hands on that immense fortune, it would be like giving him another set of wings.
How much was Soonyang’s scholarship fund, distributed annually to political circles?
That money had to be untraceable, but the two Vice-chairmen hadn’t yet secured enough slush funds.
If Jin Do-jun distributed the scholarship funds first, it would be a clear signal that he was the de facto successor.
Lee Hak-jae found himself intensely curious about how Jin Do-jun would use that money.
* * *
“Why hasn’t that kid contacted us?”
“Seems like he rejected us? Our offer wasn’t good enough for him?”
Jin Young-gi and Jin Dong-gi seethed with frustration at Lee Hak-jae’s silence.
“What could be better than the president of Electronics? Should we just hand him the Soonyang Group chairmanship?”
Jin Young-gi’s words weren’t entirely wrong.
They had made the best offer they could think of, and Lee Hak-jae had simply refused.
“Even if it takes time, let’s do it ourselves. Didn’t Lee Hak-jae say so? That the guys under him are talented, asking us to take them in? Let’s bring them over, along with some sharp minds from law firms specializing in tax and stocks. We can either oversee it ourselves or entrust it to them entirely.”
“Isn’t it a bit risky? What if the guys Lee Hak-jae had planted are spies? Lee Hak-jae would know immediately, wouldn’t he?”
Jin Dong-gi spoke anxiously, but Jin Young-gi shook his head.
“What’s he going to do if he knows? Once Father passes, he’s just an unemployed bum. No one will pledge loyalty to a powerless man.”
“What if he gets offended? He knows all our group’s secrets inside and out. Lee Hak-jae could easily throw a wrench in our plans.”
He still seemed unable to shake off his anxiety. But Jin Young-gi just smirked.
“That’s why you’re not cut out for this. Why is your nerve so small?”
“Don’t dismiss it. If he gets upset and decides to retaliate, we’ll be hurt badly too.”
“What did you even learn from Father?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You crush them completely so they can never rise again. And when they’re utterly defeated and have given up, that’s when you casually offer a helping hand… Don’t you know that?”
“You want to crush Lee Hak-jae?”
“Exactly. Even if it’s not this time, leaving him alone is asking for trouble down the road. We need to clean out those loyal to Father. Other old-timers would be grateful for a generous severance package, but not Lee Hak-jae. He needs to be crushed.”
“How?”
“His hands are filthy. We need to expose all that dirt.”
Jin Dong-gi exclaimed in shock.
“What are you saying? We’ll get hurt too!”
But Jin Young-gi remained confident.
“Wanna bet? Once Father’s gone, I am Soonyang. I’m the eldest son. The blade will only touch Lee Hak-jae. The sharp edge stops before us.”
Jin Young-gi firmly believed that Lee Hak-jae, stripped of Chairman Jin and the Soonyang Group’s backing, was nothing more than a commoner.