Chapter 247: Adversaries in the Wake

I forced myself to maintain a composed expression, as if the information was already known to me. The last thing I needed was for the Chief Prosecutor to think he’d said something out of line.

“That’s just how he is,” I said. “He doesn’t give up easily. And in a way, I understand. It’s a position he’s held for so long; it’s only natural he’d be reluctant to let go.”

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to catch on.

“Still, this must be a bit awkward for you, Chief Prosecutor. It’s not like you have no history with him.”

I glanced at Chief Prosecutor Kim Seok-hwi, but he didn’t seem particularly troubled.

“For me, it’s just about tying up loose ends. The Ministry of Justice has drawn its sword; they’ll be the ones facing the real difficulty.”

My uncles’ plan was taking shape: the Ministry of Justice would strangle him, and the Chief Prosecutor would nail the coffin shut.

Of course, before hammering in the final nail, they’d extract whatever they wanted, then maybe offer a way out.

I already knew what they desired: a restructuring of shares.

Look at these guys! They’ve put some thought into this.

They’ll use the prosecution to target Lee Hak-jae, and Lee Hak-jae will become a tool to target me….

“Is something bothering you?”

Chief Prosecutor’s gaze sharpened as he noticed my stiff expression. He seemed worried he might have said something inappropriate.

“No. I was just thinking about my grandfather and how much he cared for Chief of Staff Lee.”

It was time to end the conversation. The longer it dragged on, the more unnecessary details might surface.

“Well then, Chief Prosecutor, I’ll reach out again after the funeral. We’ll handle things at the usual place from now on.”

“Oh dear, I hope I haven’t kept you, a busy man, for too long.”

“Not at all. Oh, and you left your keys with our employee in the parking lot, correct?”

“Yes.”

The Chief Prosecutor, likely eager to confirm the cash in the trunk, stood up immediately.

“Then, please go ahead. I’ll be out in a moment.”

As Chief Prosecutor Kim Seok-hwi left, I quickly pulled out my phone.

But I couldn’t bring myself to inform Chief of Staff Lee.

Instead of making hasty decisions, I needed to think more carefully and shift the situation to my advantage.

I headed back to my grandfather’s house.

I needed to talk face-to-face, think things through, and formulate a plan.

* * *

Day and night, mourners streamed in, and the mansion, ablaze with lights, was in a perpetual state of brightness.

Important figures dined or shared drinks in the Yeongbin Gwan, while the makeshift tables in the courtyard were occupied by those grabbing a quick bite.

People who recognized me bowed in greeting, but I could sense a shift in the prevailing sentiment in their expressions.

Even executives from the financial affiliates, who used to fawn over me, were now reserved. With my grandfather, my solid support, gone, they clearly expected me to fall.

“Where have you been? Haven’t seen you around for a while.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae had appeared, tapping me on the shoulder.

“Ah, Chief of Staff. I had some business to take care of,” I replied.

“Miracle?”

“…Yes.”

“The stock market has been turbulent lately. Must be due to the President’s impeachment.”

“Indeed. It’s a temporary phenomenon, but I heard some team leaders and managers were getting anxious, so I went to provide some reassurance.”

“Reassurance? How so?”

“Whether the impeachment motion passes or fails, things will normalize eventually. Even if it passes, the Constitutional Court will overturn it.”

“What makes you so sure? Politics is a living thing. No one knows how it will move.”

Seeing him so oblivious, with the blade aimed squarely at his neck, gave me a strange feeling. He’d been protected by Soonyang and Grandfather’s formidable walls, used to stabbing others. What would he be like when the tables turned?

“Insight helps in accurately predicting these things. Heh.”

“Looks like you’ve completely shed that pretense of modesty.”

Lee Hak-jae said, studying me intently.

“By the way, while you were away, they changed Chairman’s burial site. Your insight didn’t predict that, did it?”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about…?”

“They changed it to the Soonyang Museum in Gunsan. Madam insisted, and the children agreed. The justification sounds reasonable—Gunsan is where Soonyang started. A peaceful final resting place… Of course, your father objected, but what could he do? The widow, the eldest son, and the second son pushed it through.”

“Goddamn it!”

The curse word slipped out before I could stop it.

Wasn’t this just a way to send him far away and forget about him?

My fingertips trembled, and I clenched my fists. As I was about to rush inside, Chief of Staff Lee grabbed my arm.

“Don’t. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Let go of me.”

“Funerals are for the widow and children. As a grandson, your interference won’t change anything. Grandsons must abide by the decisions of their elders. Making noise will only make things harder for you.”

He tightened his grip on my arm.

“Bear with it. Endure. Later, when you have the power to relocate Chairman’s grave, this will be nothing. If you decide to place Chairman at the Soonyang Group headquarters, no one will dare utter a word. Save your strength for that time.”

I unclenched my fists. Chief of Staff Lee’s words were undeniably true.

Tears I had been holding back finally burst forth.

I had promised to pay my respects daily, but even that had been taken away.

* * *

On the fifth day, I bid farewell to my grandfather on his final journey. The funeral procession left the house, briefly stopped at the Soonyang headquarters, and then headed to Gunsan.

As expected, the graveside service was a sea of tears. Even my step-grandmother, who had never shown an ounce of affection, teared up, but I gritted my teeth and held back.

This was not the place for my tears. I would shed the tears I was holding back when we relocated his grave from this Gunsan location to the front yard of the Soonyang Art Museum in Yongin.

After seeing Grandfather off, I stayed inside the house for two days.

“What’s this? I thought you’d be a broken mess, unable to cope with grief, but you look perfectly fine?”

Oh Se-hyun, who had brought coffee, looked relieved as he saw me meticulously reviewing notes.

“I was at home sorting through my thoughts.”

“What kind of thoughts?”

“Various things. By the way, have you found anything out…?”

“Nothing. The prosecution is quiet. I checked all the district prosecutors’ offices in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province; there are no investigations related to Soonyang, nor any individuals.”

“Uncle, I’ve found something out.”

“What? Hey! Why are you telling me this now?!”

He barked, but his face was full of curiosity.

“I haven’t had a chance to tell you, have I?”

It was ironic that someone who disliked this kind of thing so much he’d fled to Southeast Asia was showing such interest. But right now, Oh Se-hyun was the only person I could discuss my thoughts with.

“My uncles’ target is Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae.”

“What?”

“Funny, isn’t it? They mobilized the Chief Prosecutor and key figures in the Ministry of Justice to take down someone who was planning to quietly retire without making waves.”

“But why? It’s not like Chief of Staff Lee is trying to build his own faction or coveting Soonyang’s affiliates.”

“They don’t like him being neutral. They want him to be on their side.”

“To pledge allegiance to Soonyang until his dying breath? Are they insane?”

Perhaps because he felt a sense of kinship with Lee Hak-jae, he was expressing anger as if it were his own problem.

“Not Soonyang, but the two sons. Their goal is to turn my shares and Miracle’s shares into scraps of paper. They ordered him to do it, but Chief of Staff Lee refused.”

After I told him about the holding company conversion and the offer for the CEO position at Soonyang Electronics, Oh Se-hyun’s anger faded, replaced by worry.

“Can Chief of Staff Lee withstand this? He’s had his hands dirty with a lot of shady dealings.”

“It’ll be tough. Just digging into embezzlement, misappropriation, or bribery could land him a life sentence. Especially if they can link him to National Assembly members, it’s a goldmine. With the impeachment situation and the upcoming general election, Chief of Staff Lee is a powder keg’s detonator. If the prosecution starts to handle this, the backlash will be enormous.”

“Hey, but what if Lee Hak-jae doesn’t want to go down alone? What if he grabs Soonyang’s ankles and tries to take them down with him? That’d be a reversal of the wind.”

“No. The only ankles Chief of Staff Lee can grab belong to Grandfather, not Soonyang. But Grandfather is gone. He’s on his own. In our country, there’s no one bold enough to tarnish the reputation of a deceased grandfather.”

Oh Se-hyun frowned, seemingly disturbed by my calm tone.

“What are you thinking right now? Did you even warn Chief of Staff Lee that the prosecution is targeting him?”

“No. I have to play dumb.”

“What?”

“Let’s just watch and see how far the prosecution will drive Chief of Staff Lee to the edge. It’d be even better if they pushed him right off the cliff.”

Oh Se-hyun’s eyes lit up.

“Since you need him, you wouldn’t be thinking of abandoning him… You’re planning a dramatic entrance at the critical moment, aren’t you?”

“Yes. The prosecution can target Chief of Staff Lee because his support has vanished. We’ll become his support.”

“HW Group?”

“If someone’s dangling from a cliff, about to fall, and you lower a rope, wouldn’t they grab it? He’ll take the chairmanship of HW Group, which he vehemently refused before. He’ll be grateful to me, and absolutely furious with my two uncles.”

Oh Se-hyun’s jaw dropped.

“Wow… you’ve become even more cunning in just a few months. You’ve thought all of this through.”

“A sturdy shield to protect HW Group and my shares, and a sharp spear to attack my two uncles. Isn’t he the perfect man to play both roles?”

“Definitely. Anyway, you’re ruthless. Knowing he’s about to fall into a swamp and just watching. Haha.”

“I still have a long way to go. I need to become even more ruthless and stronger. Because I lack power, Grandfather had to endure all kinds of humiliation. I need to gain power quickly so he can finally rest in peace. Chief of Staff Lee’s help will accelerate that.”

Seeing the intense look in my eyes, Oh Se-hyun sighed deeply.

“Looks like I won’t be going back anytime soon.”

“Things will wrap up quickly since my uncles are in a hurry. Stick around to see Chief of Staff Lee take the chairman position at HW Group.”

* * *

“Director Jang. What’s the occasion? What wind blew you in to contact me first?”

“Have you been well? I couldn’t even pay my respects at the Chairman’s funeral.”

“It’s fine. High-ranking officials came in droves. A senior prosecutor like you wouldn’t even be noticed. Let’s just say you were there. Haha.”

Lee Hak-jae chuckled good-naturedly but stopped abruptly. Director Jang’s expression was serious.

He seemed tense and cautious. He must have wanted to meet to discuss something difficult.

“Is something wrong? You don’t look well. Are you having financial troubles…?”

“Ah, no, sir. How could I be so shameless as to contact you about money? The favors you’ve done for me since I was a junior prosecutor are debts I can never repay.”

Director Jang waved his hands in a flurry.

“Then?”

“I hesitate to bring this up… but the star players in the Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Ministry of Justice line are making moves.”

“The Ministry of Justice?”

“Yes. As you know, the prosecutors dispatched to the Ministry of Justice are the frontrunners destined for success, right? So, the prosecutors who follow them are embedded throughout the district offices.”

“Skip the backstory! Who is it? Who’s the hatchet man?”

“It seems to be the Chief of the Prosecutor’s Office in the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Chief of the Criminal Planning Division. They’re mobilizing their district office connections and sharpening their knives….”

“The key players are moving.”

“Yes.”

“The target? Who are they making a sacrifice? Don’t tell me it’s our Soonyang?”

“That’s….”

As he lowered his head, unable to speak properly, Lee Hak-jae’s heart plummeted.

“Me?”

Director Jang gave the slightest of nods.

The tips of Lee Hak-jae’s fingers began to tremble imperceptibly.