Chapter 274: Consequences and Schemes

Seeing my mother’s happiness, I could finally grasp the magnitude of the resentment she had harbored her whole life.

Perhaps feeling self-conscious about her open display of emotion, she subtly glanced at my father before getting up.

“I’ll go inside and rest for a bit,” she announced.

As soon as my mother left the living room, my father began firing off sensitive questions. It seemed my mother had intentionally given us space.

“How is your grandmother now?”

“Worried about the investigation expanding, she’s already left for overseas.”

“Is it that serious? Can’t your uncles handle it?”

Since he would find out eventually, I decided to be honest.

“I’m the one making sure they can’t.”

“Why?”

My father’s expression turned serious, but he didn’t seem angry.

“It’s difficult for me when Grandmother is in Korea.”

“Because you have to face her?”

“No. She keeps instigating people to push me out of the group. Until now, it’s only been my uncles, but she’ll widen her net to include CEOs and executives. They’ll find it hard to ignore her words, and all sorts of negative rumors about me will circulate.”

“So? You absolutely have to make your grandmother a criminal?”

“She won’t be appearing at the prosecutor’s office, in court, or… going to prison. She’s always spent her time overseas, even when Grandfather was alive. Just think of it as an extension of that life.”

“But not being able to return home whenever she wants is different. That’s exile.”

“A luxurious exile. It’s what I want.”

I was on edge, worried he might get angry, but my father only looked troubled.

A father caught between his parents and his child.

I had put him in this awkward position.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“It’s fine. Drop it.”

My father was silent for a while. He just stared at me before slowly speaking.

“No matter what happens, make sure your grandmother, who’s over eighty, doesn’t end up in prison. Just promise me that.”

“Yes. And I’ll make sure she doesn’t have to run from country to country in Europe either.”

My father patted my shoulder once and went into the room where my mother was.

My father sided with his son, not his mother.

Parents can’t win against their children.

* * *

“Lee Seo-hyun? Who is Lee Seo-hyun?”

“She’s President Jin Yun-ki’s wife. Jin Do-jun’s mother….”

“What? My sister-in-law?”

“Yes. All related transaction taxes have been paid, and the beneficial ownership transfer is complete.”

“That damned son of a bitch. Of all people….”

Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi was more dumbfounded than angry. His youngest sister-in-law, of all people.

His mother might faint if she found out.

“Assemble the entire legal team. The nominee stocks belonged to Mother, so find any illegality in the gifting process and nullify the beneficial ownership transfer.”

“Yes, Vice-chairman.”

Chief of Staff Baek Jun-hyuk bowed and left.

Jin Do-jun’s stated objective wasn’t a lie. The nominee stocks were a bonus; making his grandmother pay for the humiliation she had inflicted was what that bastard truly wanted.

What could be more infuriating than your most hated daughter-in-law taking your entire inheritance?

Jin Young-gi was dying to crack open that guy’s head to see what kind of monster could devise such a cruel scheme.

– Vice-chairman, the leader of the opposition party is on the line.

Jin Young-gi shook off his thoughts about Jin Do-jun thanks to the secretary’s voice over the intercom.

“Leader, I apologize for contacting you while you’re busy.”

– Not at all. I was actually about to call you to confirm something.

“Yes?”

– A source from Soonyang Group contacted us with something. Is it credible?

“My immature young nephew must have picked up some misinformation. It seems he passed it on thinking it might help the opposition party. I apologize….”

– Oh? That’s not it. Ah, it’s about high-priced artwork, not the smuggling of cultural assets. We confirmed it with the Korean Consulate General in New York. Some officials have confessed. But there’s an unexpected name that came up, and I wanted to verify it. Your mother’s name….”

Jin Young-gi felt a burning sensation in his gut. This was urgent.

“Leader, instead of discussing this over the phone, why don’t we talk over a meal? We need to correct any misinformation and clear up misunderstandings.”

– Shall we? Then I’ll check my schedule and get back to you.

Jin Young-gi slammed the receiver down after ending the call.

“Those leech-like bastards!”

His head throbbed at the thought of how much those Yeouido vultures would try to extract, now that they had a significant weakness—a very significant one—to exploit.

# # #

I observed the opposition party leader’s expression after the call. The slight upturn of his lips suggested satisfaction.

“What did he say, Leader?”

The floor leader couldn’t contain his curiosity.

“It seems our Director Jin’s information was accurate. Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi wants to meet immediately.”

The party leader stared intently at me as he spoke.

“Director Jin seems to have already known about Madam Lee’s involvement. Isn’t that right?”

“I only had a slight suspicion.”

“Oh, I don’t think so?”

The party leader chuckled as he raised his glass.

“It seems we’ve gotten caught up in a Soonyang Group family matter. What should we do?”

“Focus on what benefits us. This isn’t the time for the opposition party to worry about anyone else’s situation, is it?”

His smile faded.

“You don’t want anything?”

“It’s unlikely you’d move according to my wishes, and we only move forward when our paths align. I believe what benefits the opposition party will also align with my desires.”

“To think, the youngest grandson whom Chairman Jin cherished the most is no ordinary person. Haha.”

“You flatter me.”

“This is a tough choice… the eldest son of the respected chairman, or the chairman’s beloved youngest grandson….”

He had already made his decision but was pretending to deliberate. It was a typical tactic of a seasoned politician, but I had to play along.

“Speaking of which, your child had surgery recently, didn’t they? The hospital said it went well. How are they?”

“Ah, thanks to Chairman of the Board Jin Yun-ki’s consideration, they are recovering well. I was too preoccupied with the election to even offer my thanks. Please convey my gratitude to your father.”

“Isn’t that what a hospital is for? Regardless, I will pass it on to your father. And please, don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything. We’ll keep a VIP room vacant at Soonyang Medical Center.”

He had made his gesture, and now it was time to give that old fox the answer he wanted.

“I’m well aware that politics and economics are inextricably linked. However, politicians and businesspeople are like lovers who can part ways at any time. Sometimes, a little tantrum or feigned pique is necessary to keep the other party from becoming complacent.”

“What if you really break up?”

The party leader was worried about completely severing ties with Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi.

“Attractive people always find new connections, don’t they? Who knows? A younger, more capable partner might appear.”

The party leader laughed and downed his drink.

“I like having it both ways….”

A greedy old geezer. He doesn’t know how to give up anything.

“That’s a matter of ability, not choice.”

“Do you know what ability it takes to have it both ways? You’re young and handsome; you must be good at dating. Tell me, please. Hehe.”

“It’s best not to overreach. You might end up losing everything.”

I took a sip of water and wiped my mouth with a tissue, signaling that the meal was over and the conversation had concluded.

“I’ll give you one more piece of information. They might make a move in the US. If that happens, there will be no way to hide it, and neither Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi nor I will be able to intervene. Soonyang Group’s power is ‘domestic-only’.”

Since it was bound to explode anyway, I gave him advice on how to use it.

“I need to prevent working for nothing. Thank you for the meal, Director Jin Do-jun.”

The opposition party leader nodded slightly, as if he understood perfectly.

* * *

Since the owner wasn’t home, only the staff bustled around the house. They desperately hoped one of the sons would decide to live there.

Though unlikely, they could all be out of a job if the house were sold. They prepared the dining table with even more care than when the Chairman was alive.

“The opposition bastards aren’t answering my calls. The party leader I was supposed to meet even gave me some bull about going down to his constituency.”

“Those guys aren’t going to let this opportunity pass.”

Jin Yun-ki didn’t avoid the gazes of his two older brothers, who were glaring at him.

“Do-jun, stop this. You don’t want your mother living abroad either, do you?”

“Return Mother’s shares too. We need to let her decide what to do with them.”

Jin Yun-ki responded to his two older brothers’ commanding tone.

“Is Do-jun the kind of guy who listens to me? And his mother doesn’t listen to me either. It’s the same as how our wives don’t blindly obey you two. We’re at an age where we have to be mindful of our wives.”

“I’m not in the mood for your jokes. Listen to me!”

Jin Dong-gi yelled at Jin Yun-ki, who was speaking nonchalantly.

“It’s not a joke. And do something about Mother’s cell phone. She needs to be able to make contact.”

Jin Young-gi flinched at Jin Yun-ki’s complaint. He had completely cut off their mother to secure the shares, and he wondered if his younger brother had caught on.

“You and your wife have become greedy, haven’t you? You must not want to part with the shares you’ve acquired?”

“Think of it as holding Do-jun’s shares. That’s why I can’t act carelessly. Did you call me here just to talk about this? It’s a waste of time. Settle the share issue with Do-jun.”

Jin Yun-ki spoke firmly to his two older brothers.

“Let me ask you one thing. What if Do-jun says he’ll give up all the shares on the condition that Mother can never return home? What would you do?”

Jin Young-gi’s eyes changed at Jin Yun-ki’s words.

“Is that definitely what Do-jun wants?”

Jin Yun-ki scoffed at his eldest brother’s reaction.

“If you want the shares more than you want Mother back, you have no right to tell me what to do. Don’t you agree? If you had said you’d give up the acquired shares to bring Mother home, I would have persuaded Do-jun to avoid any trouble.”

A sheepish Jin Young-gi fell silent.

“Don’t involve Mother. Isn’t this just a fight over inheritance? A fight where the winner takes the spoils. From my perspective, it looks like Do-jun has won.”

Jin Dong-gi, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“It’s not over yet. A long legal battle awaits. You know it’s not about who’s legally right, right? The side with the better lawyers and the better-connected judges wins. And we’re better at both than Do-jun, aren’t we?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. The person holding Do-jun’s shares is my wife. Do you think I’ll stand by and watch? If you drag this into court, it becomes my fight.”

His two older brothers’ faces hardened at their younger brother’s attitude, but they still had one card left to play.

The two men exchanged a look, and Jin Dong-gi played their card.

“We’ll give this house to Do-jun.”

“What?”

“Doesn’t this house hold special meaning for Do-jun? Especially this study; it’s like his Mount Sinai. It’s where he was chosen by Father. Isn’t that right?”

“You’re offering this house in exchange for the shares? That’s ridiculous. Are you the owner of this house?”

Jin Yun-ki’s voice lost its strength.

After their father passed away, this house belongs to their mother. If they offered the shares, their mother would undoubtedly give up the house.

“We didn’t say we wanted the shares. If Do-jun gets this house, he’ll have to give something up in return, right? He can decide what that is. Just pass on the message.”

Jin Yun-ki knew how much his son treasured this house.

The staff of the Chairman Jin’s residence had prepared the food with great care, but in the end, they were the ones who ate it.

All the owner’s sons had left with angry expressions.