Chapter 256: A Glimpse into the Future

However, there were also things he could say out loud.

“If our esteemed uncle doesn’t agree, the board meeting next week might not happen, right?”

“Agree? So you think I’m an accomplice in this? A younger brother being led around by his eldest brother? Is that what you think?”

“I hope so.”

“I feel a bit bad about this time, but I’m one to lead, not to follow.”

“Hmm… So the board meeting is definitely happening.”

“Yes. And the outcome won’t change. After the board meeting, no one at Soonyang Group will follow your orders.”

His confident words brought a bitter smile to my face.

“I thought I hadn’t done anything to offend you, Uncle, but I guess that was just wishful thinking on my part.”

“When you, as a grandson, inherited group shares, you became the black sheep of the family. If you had just received a bankbook or a house deed like the other grandsons, I would have placed you in an important position within the group. Your talent is too good to just let it rot.”

His words were filled with sincerity.

“You’ll allow me to be a smart nephew, but not a competitor. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Compete?”

Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi’s face flushed instantly.

“That word is something I might acknowledge if it were you 30 years from now. Right now, no matter how talented you are, you’re just a helpless child. Management isn’t about numbers. You have a long way to go before you understand the true meaning of that.”

“How much longer do I need to learn?”

“I already told you. Learn for another 30 years.”

I scratched my head, feigning embarrassment.

“This is… awkward. I was planning to finish learning in about three years. Wouldn’t thirty be the age to start using what I’ve learned?”

“Well, that’s your problem. Have you asked everything you needed to? Then be on your way. Oh, and someone else will be using your office starting next week. Since you’re here, you might as well pack up your things and tidy up.”

Vice-chairman Jin Dong-gi gestured towards the door.

I bowed to him, leaving one last remark before departing.

“Make sure you watch the news tonight. You’ll hear my answer.”

He scoffed at the mention of news.

“Are you going to denounce your uncle for taking your assets? If it’s you, reporters will swarm like bees. It would certainly be a hot news item. But… no. Do as you please. If that’s what it takes to ease your anger, then so be it.”

“Do you really think I’d appear on the news just to vent my anger?”

As I greeted him with a smile, I could sense his slight bewilderment.

My second uncle would probably be skipping dinner tonight.

* * *

“He’s a prosecutor from the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office, Criminal Division. He was originally from the Special Investigation Department, but he was demoted to the Criminal Division for his reckless behavior. He’s likely to be transferred to the provinces in the next reshuffle, so he’s toying with the idea of resigning.”

Vice President Jang Do-hyung handed over a personnel file while explaining.

“Who introduced him?”

“My high school senior, who’s a lawyer now, had him under his wing back in his Special Investigation days. Recently, he’s visited several times, confiding that he’s seriously considering opening his own law firm.”

“He’s the type to charge headfirst, it seems.”

Looking at the cases the person in the personnel file had handled, I could understand why his superiors must have had a headache.

But he wasn’t just motivated by a simple sense of justice.

The cases he touched were all significant. He clearly understood that taking on big cases was the path to success, even if he failed.

“But he hasn’t had any successful cases. They all fizzled out, only adding to his bad reputation.”

“Did you give him a hint of what’s to come?”

“Yes. He thinks it’s the perfect case to leave the Prosecutor’s Office with.”

The car weaved through the narrow streets of Gangbuk in Seoul. To shake off the eyes and ears my uncles had placed on me, driving around the busy city a few times was the best approach.

After losing the tail, we headed to a secluded Korean barbecue restaurant in northern Gyeonggi.

The name included ‘Garden,’ which confirmed it was an old establishment, and with an open garden, there was no need to worry about anyone secretly taking photos.

Opening the door to the private room where our ‘sniper’ was waiting, the two men sitting inside jumped to their feet.

The older man was likely the lawyer who was a friend of Vice President Jang Do-hyung, and the nervous-looking man was probably the ‘sniper’ I needed.

“Oh my, it’s an honor to meet such a renowned figure. Heh heh.”

I didn’t even glance at the middle-aged man who was fumbling for his business card. Instead, I addressed Vice President Jang Do-hyung.

“Vice President, I need to discuss something important, so please have your meal in another room. We can exchange greetings later.”

“Ah, yes.”

The lawyer, who had been in the middle of taking out his business card, hastily left at Jang Do-hyung’s prompting glance. He seemed weighed down by the lost opportunity to associate with a chaebol family.

“Let’s sit down, Prosecutor.”

“Ah, yes.”

The man, nearing his mid-thirties, didn’t seem particularly anxious or nervous.

It was clear his mind was at peace.

“I heard you’ll be leaving the prosecutor’s office soon.”

I said, pouring soju into the glass in front of him.

“Ah, yes. That’s how it is.”

“That organization doesn’t tolerate those who stand out. I hear it’s even worse than the military.”

“Mr. Jin Do-jun… or, how should I address you…?”

“It’s fine. Aren’t we university juniors? Feel free to speak comfortably.”

He slapped his forehead.

“Ah, right. I forgot. You’re from our department, aren’t you? It’s not common for a third-generation chaebol to be a law school graduate, so it slipped my mind.”

“I’m not used to it either. I only enrolled, I never really studied properly… Heh heh.”

As expected, in our country, academic ties, especially university ties, are paramount. Regional ties blur class distinctions and high school ties aren’t as welcoming to those who consider themselves superior because admission is by random draw.

But universities, where people of similar backgrounds gather, foster stronger bonds than anywhere else.

This man, who had seemed uncomfortable just moments ago, suddenly looked at ease thanks to the connection of being a university junior.

“Still, our junior is truly impressive. Most of those chaebol kids just rely on their families and loaf around. And you even had incredible grades, right?”

He started by expressing his negative feelings towards chaebols, likely due to his experience of having investigations into corporate corruption shut down by higher-ups.

“We don’t have enough time to just reminisce. Let’s postpone drinking soju and talking about our alma mater until after this is over.”

He put down the glass he was holding.

“You seem to be in a hurry.”

“Yes. It needs to hit the news tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Mobilizing reporters is just a phone call away. The script is also ready; we just need an actor.”

“Hasn’t the casting been finalized? I came here with the assurance of a hefty guarantee.”

He said with a frown, but I just smiled.

“As the director, I need to assess your acting skills.”

I slid a stack of documents towards him.

“Take a look at the script first. The audition will follow…”

The prosecutor, a candidate for the lead role, quickly opened the documents.

He read through them carefully, page by page, sometimes his eyes gleaming, sometimes reaching for water as if frustrated.

By the time the charcoal fire, onto which no meat had been placed, had cooled, he closed the documents.

“Someone’s missing.”

“Figuring out who that someone is, is the prosecutor’s job.”

“I have to find out?”

Judging by how he already grasped where the script was headed, his mind was sharp.

“No. Because it’s a story that ends without knowing who the culprit is.”

He gestured with the cigarette between his fingers, seeking permission.

“By all means.”

I nodded, and he took a deep drag.

“Hundreds of billions of won in overseas slush funds are a problem, but embezzling money under the guise of acquiring non-existent foreign companies… the severity of the crime is atrocious.”

Even though he was about to leave the prosecutor’s office, he seemed genuinely enraged, as if his sense of justice had been ignited.

“Embezzlement, breach of trust, fleeing with assets overseas… Over 5 billion won carries a minimum sentence of 10 years…”

“Even a life sentence is possible. Moreover, the statute of limitations is 10 years, so we still have 3 years left.”

“You didn’t just goof off in law school. You know your stuff.”

“I had to look through the law books while organizing these materials, it’s been a while. I’ve forgotten most of it. Haha.”

The prosecutor didn’t seem to have the余裕 to laugh along. He knew his role was to stir the pot, not to see this crime through to the end.

Like the charcoal on the table, which had lost its heat without ever grilling any meat.

“Sunbae-nim. If I expose this, it’ll be difficult to handle the aftermath, right? No matter how I look at it, the owner of this money is definitely someone from Soonyang Group… You can’t get this level of detail without inside information.”

I saw the curiosity in his eyes. He couldn’t be unaware of the truth that knowing too much can be dangerous, yet curiosity was a powerful enough emotion to make him forget the risks.

“I’ll take care of the ending. You just light the fuse. And pointless speculation makes things uncomfortable for both of us. Someone of your caliber, why are you acting like this?”

“It’s not that, but if it fizzles out, I’m done for…”

He, who had been so comfortable calling me ‘junior,’ stammered, unable to hide his unease.

“Didn’t you come here prepared? Didn’t you hear that your future would be taken care of?”

“Ah, of course, I did, but…”

“Then make a decision now! Don’t waste my time by hesitating!”

As I raised my voice, his posture clearly shifted, becoming more submissive.

Those who have wielded power are sensitive to the demeanor of those with even greater power. He immediately started watching my every move.

“I don’t know how much government employees get for severance, but are you worried about your future when you’re being compensated enough to not worry about money for the rest of your life?”

“Alright. I’ll trust my junior and use my prosecutor ID one last time.”

He declared confidently, gathering the documents.

“What parts should I emphasize during the press conference…?”

“Sunbae-nim. Trust the lead actor. This isn’t my first rodeo, and I know the key points better than anyone.”

Seeing his clear confidence, I smiled and picked up the soju bottle.

“Please do a good job, Sunbae-nim.”

He smiled and offered his glass, and I politely filled it with both hands, like a dutiful junior.

* * *

“Make sure everything is ready for the evening news without any hiccups.”

“Reporters are already on standby, and the news desk has agreed to actively cooperate. It’s guaranteed to be at least two minutes long, and I even heard they’re considering putting it as the lead story.”

Back in the car heading to Seoul, Vice President Jang Do-hyung calmly reported on the preparations for the day.

“The meeting with the Prosecutor General should be fine, right?”

“Yes. He hesitated at first, not knowing what it was about, but when I said it was about delivering a message from the late Chairman, he readily agreed.”

“Good work.”

Jang Do-hyung glanced at me before pulling out a piece of paper.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a list I obtained in advance, as it seems the Chief of Staff is trying to derail the board meeting.”

I had a feeling what kind of list it was.

“The people who will be appointed as the Vice-chairman’s right-hand men during the board meeting.”

The organizational chart of Soonyang Financial Group’s new CEO and executives was laid out clearly.

“Yes. There are some guys on there that I find particularly irritating.”

“There’s a good side to this whole affair. We can clearly distinguish who’s who, so let’s clean house while we’re at it.”

“Yes. Dismiss them all…”

“No.”

I shook my head briefly.

“Simply dismissing them isn’t enough. We need to disgrace them to the point where everyone will frown upon them. Transfer them all to local branches or customer service centers, and task the audit team to find even the smallest of their wrongdoings. Even if they resign, we won’t let them leave gracefully.”

Jang Do-hyung nodded vigorously at my determined expression.