Chapter 272: Who Are These People?

“Who are all those people today?”

It was the first question Cheon Sang-pil asked as soon as he entered the studio apartment, his fear palpable.

“They’re staff who handle sensitive matters. They’re good at what they do, so you don’t need to worry about your family.”

“By the way, where did my family go?”

His face was etched with fear, a stark contrast to the nonchalant demeanor he had shown earlier, suggesting it was all an act.

“They’ve gone to Bali, Indonesia. I’ve arranged for them to relax at a seaside resort for a few days, so rest assured. One of my trusted staff went with them to ensure they have everything they need locally.”

“Th-Then, what about me…?”

“Once our business here is concluded, you can go wherever you wish. I’ll send your family to meet you there.”

Cheon Sang-pil’s expression shifted abruptly, and he shouted,

“Don’t tell me you’ve taken my family hostage?!”

Had he watched too many movies? Or was his uncle’s threat truly that terrifying?

“Do you think I’m some kind of mob boss? Hostages, really… You’re being relocated for your safety, in case of unforeseen circumstances. Your flight probably hasn’t even arrived at the airport yet. Should we turn the car around?”

“Ah, no. I think I misspoke.”

“Given the situation, it’s natural to have all sorts of thoughts racing through your head, but please, calm down.”

I offered him a glass of whiskey, which he downed without a pause.

“Could you tell me what kind of conversation you had with the Vice-chairman?”

“Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi… that bastard started by threatening me outright.”

Cheon Sang-pil launched into a furious recounting of their conversation.

A man who possessed both money and power, and wouldn’t hesitate to use it. This time, he had used his power.

When his story ended, I spoke.

“Now, Attorney Cheon, what will you do?”

“Pardon?”

“Decide. Starting with what you’ll do with the shares. Everything.”

He remained silent. When the silence finally broke, he asked me,

“Why don’t you suggest something, Chief of staff? I’ll decide after hearing your proposal.”

Slander, threats, fear, safety, and greed.

These were the tangled threads preventing him from clear thought.

Unable to determine the correct course of action, he sought a reference point from me.

“I’ve already leaked information to the opposition party. This matter will likely surface within two days at most. Before that happens, I suggest you liquidate everything and leave the country.”

“Liquidate… you mean the shares?”

“Yes. Can the beneficial ownership transfer be done within two days?”

“Yes, but….”

The reason he hesitated was singular.

Money. No, in this case, it wasn’t solely about money.

The price of a lifetime of loyalty, the betrayal from the shattered faith in the old lady, the fear instilled by his uncle’s threats.

Without compensation for all of this, he would naturally hesitate to relinquish what he held.

“Let’s do this. If you side with me, I’ll give you $100 million right now as a down payment. Use that to settle down wherever you want. Surely you don’t think that’s not enough for initial settling costs?”

“Ah, no, it’s more than enough.”

“The rest will come once the insurance money is processed. Have you decided? Even if I break my promise later, you’ll still be a multi-billionaire. Do you need more time to consider?”

On one side, three years in prison and living expenses; on the other, at least a hundred billion won.

Cheon Sang-pil wasn’t stupid. The immediate offer of cash would certainly expedite his decision.

He opened the bag he had brought and dumped out all the thick folders of documents, then opened his laptop.

“Let’s look at the current share status first. I need to check the offshore accounts.”

While he shuffled through the documents he had thrown down, I picked up the phone.

“Uncle, I need to access the Labuan funds now. Please make arrangements.”

I quickly hung up before Oh Se-hyun’s shout could erupt. There were many calls to make.

“Vice President Jang, I need you to come to my studio apartment in Yeouido urgently.”

I also instructed Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk to be on standby starting now.

After ending the calls, I confirmed with Cheon Sang-pil once more.

“The beneficial ownership transfer of the shares will start tomorrow morning, correct?”

“Yes. Under the Chief of staff’s name….”

“No. The owner of those shares is someone else. I’ll give you the details and bring the necessary documents in the morning.”

These were the shares the old lady had desperately accumulated.

I wasn’t entitled to them.

* * *

Slap-!

Slap-!

Following the series of slaps, Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi’s roar erupted.

“You incompetent bastards! How did you let him get away?!”

Apparently, slaps weren’t enough to quell his anger, as punches and kicks followed.

Chief of Staff Baek Jun-hyuk, completely frozen, frowned at the violence.

“Oh? You’re frowning? Do you think this has nothing to do with you? What exactly are you good for?!”

Just as Jin Young-gi’s hand flew towards Chief Secretary Baek, he had no choice but to squeeze his eyes shut.

But he only felt a light touch on his cheek, and he opened his eyes.

“Do better. Huh? Just try to do better!”

“I apologize, Vice-chairman.”

As Chief Secretary Baek bowed deeply, Jin Young-gi said in a composed voice.

“Bring that guy back quickly. And just in case, deploy personnel at the airport.”

The staff hurried out, and Jin Dong-gi, having received the call, appeared.

“He bolted?”

“Yeah. Seems a spoiler has entered the scene.”

“Do-jun’s people?”

“Who else? Do-jun is the only one who needs to protect that guy right now. Since he’s the biggest accomplice to your mother’s crimes.”

Despite losing an important figure, Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi was overflowing with composure.

“Well, it doesn’t matter if he flees abroad. Since he’s facing criminal charges, we can just assume he’s on the run.”

“The shares are the bigger issue, the guy’s whereabouts aren’t that important, are they?”

“I’ve already informed the guys working in Myeong-dong. They’ll contact me as soon as Cheon Sang-pil shows up.”

Jin Young-gi glanced disapprovingly at his worried brother.

“Cheon Sang-pil won’t side with Do-jun right away either. He knows his lifeline is tied to those shares. He won’t hand them over immediately. He’ll hold onto them until he figures out his escape route while following the news. We still have time.”

Looking at his brother, who kept questioning everything, Jin Young-gi said,

“Now, let’s review what you’ve done. How did your meeting with Do-jun go?”

“I’m not sure if he knows about the nominee stocks or not. But he’s filled with hatred for our mother. How she mistreated his wife, the truck accident… But what really ignited him seems to be her blatant attempts to kick him out of the group. Either way, it must have been a burden having the mistress of Soonyang badmouthing him everywhere.”

Jin Dong-gi recounted the details of his conversation with Jin Do-jun over drinks.

As the story concluded, Jin Young-gi’s eyes gleamed.

“He doesn’t know about the nominee stocks?”

“I’m not sure. You know how cunning he is.”

“Perhaps he orchestrated all of this with the nominee stocks as his target.”

“We need to consider that possibility.”

Jin Young-gi, who had been pacing the room, suddenly smiled.

“Hey, if we play this right, we might end this surprisingly easily.”

“What do you mean?”

“We just do what Do-jun wants and bury this whole thing. Then Cheon Sang-pil won’t have any reason to corner him. What do you think?”

“What?”

“Think about it. Isn’t what Do-jun wants our mother to live in exile? Frankly, spending her remaining years touring a few European villas wouldn’t be so bad for her, would it? And how much longer will she even live?”

“Are you even serious right now?! When people get old, they want to live in their homeland. Does spending her remaining years in a foreign country, unfamiliar with the water and food, make any sense?”

Jin Dong-gi burst out, but Jin Young-gi just smirked.

“Unfamiliar? Don’t you know how our mother pretends to be a French aristocrat? It’s been ages since she touched soybean paste stew or kimchi stew. Europe might feel more like home to her. When Father was alive, she lived in Switzerland for seven years. You worry too much.”

He couldn’t think of a retort. Looking back, his mother had always loathed this land.

“So, if Mother stays abroad, everything ends. Isn’t this the definition of a win-win? We secure the shares, Mother lives comfortably, Do-jun gets his revenge, Cheon Sang-pil continues his normal life, and the Soonyang Art Foundation continues to run smoothly. Why make a fuss?”

Jin Young-gi was frustrated by his brother’s still furrowed brow.

“Hey! Stop pretending to be a saint. Honestly, you’re just annoyed by Mother’s nagging, aren’t you?”

“So? Should I go to Do-jun and tell him we’ll keep his grandmother from ever stepping on Korean soil again, so he should shut his mouth? What if he knows about the nominee stocks? And what if his real goal is those shares?”

“Then we crush him. That’s why we need to find out what his true intentions are.”

Jin Dong-gi was always uneasy about this side of his brother. No, perhaps ‘afraid’ was the more accurate word. He became utterly ruthless to get what he wanted.

When focused on a target, his mind worked at lightning speed.

Jin Dong-gi, who considered himself rational, could never imitate that.

“I can’t do it. I talked tough to Do-jun. How can I change my tune now? I said we’d do this properly, do I have to go back to sucking up to him?”

“Ugh, that pride of yours… Fine, I’ll do it. We need to hurry to stop the opposition party’s exposé.”

Without hesitation, Jin Young-gi picked up the receiver.

* * *

I didn’t answer the first time the phone rang.

I hadn’t expected him to be this direct, and I was caught off guard.

But when it rang a second time, I answered without delay. Having already revealed hostility through my second uncle, things couldn’t get much worse.

“Yes, Uncle.”

-Oh, it’s our Do-jun. Are you very busy?

What was this about?

I had expected an angry outburst, but his tone was as gentle as if he were asking after my well-being.

Was he suppressing his anger? Or was he trying to coax me?

“No, Uncle. What is it?”

-I won’t demand you hand over that Cheon Sang-pil fellow you’re harboring. Let’s just meet.

Why wouldn’t he press the issue of me taking Cheon Sang-pil?

When I hesitated, unable to answer, his voice softened further.

-Perhaps we can resolve this situation very cleanly. Don’t be too afraid, just come.

“Understood, Uncle. Then I’ll visit you early tomorrow morning.”

It was also a way to buy time. Keeping him occupied while my people moved in the morning wasn’t a bad idea.

-Alright. Let’s have breakfast together. Come to the house.

“No, the house is a bit uncomfortable. I’ll arrange a place at the Soonyang Hotel. Would that be alright?”

-Fine. I’ll be there by 8 o’clock.

“Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As I ended the call, the gazes of Cheon Sang-pil, Jang Do-hyung, Kim Yoon-suk, and Executive Director Woo Byung-joon all focused on me.

“That was Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi. You don’t need to worry about it.”

But Cheon Sang-pil’s eyes were wavering. I could see his concern that I might be making some sort of deal with Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi and hand him back over.

“Attorney Cheon, please proceed with the beneficial ownership transfer as quickly as possible tomorrow morning. Nothing has changed.”

“Very well. I trust you. Besides, I don’t really have a choice. But who should the shares be registered under?”

“Lee Seo-hyun. I’ll prepare the relevant documents.”

Everyone just blinked. It seemed they didn’t recognize the name.

“Ah, that’s my mother.”

The daughter-in-law the old lady hated most would, by tomorrow, become the daughter-in-law the old lady loved most.

Because she was the daughter-in-law who inherited her entire fortune.