Chapter 302: Securing 2.8% of Soonyang Corporation

“It cost a bit, but we secured 2.8% of Soonyang Corporation.”

“I was just on the phone with him. The president of the Land Corporation was stuttering. What happened?”

Chairman Lee Hak-jae’s eyes held a mixture of curiosity and concern.

“That man… how should I put it? You could call it pride, or maybe he’s just delusional. He brought his daughter with him.”

“His daughter? President Byun’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Is that bastard crazy? Why would he bring his daughter to a business meeting?”

“He was subtly trying to push her on me. Said he just brought her to say hello, but…”

“The crazy bastard. No matter how eager he is for a son-in-law, how dare someone so beneath you even consider it?”

“In his own mind, he probably thought he had a chance. He’s from a prestigious political family, and his daughter was quite pretty, even if the plastic surgery was obvious. I’m just a third-generation heir, not a second. He probably thought it was worth a shot.”

“So, how much more did you give him?”

“One hundred billion won.”

“Really? President Byun doesn’t know his own worth, his daughter’s worth, or the value of those shares.”

Bread from a supermarket is only worth a thousand won, but on a deserted island after a shipwreck, it’s worth more than a gold bar of the same size.

The war has begun, and brass bowls are turning into weapons. The stock prices of Soonyang’s core affiliates aren’t just a measure of the company’s value; they’re the firepower of a combat unit.

Even if he’d asked for two hundred billion, I would have paid it.

“If he understood that, he wouldn’t have brought his daughter along.”

Chairman Lee Hak-jae chuckled.

“Didn’t you like the girl? You could have just pretended to date her and gotten the shares for free. Then break up with her. Heh heh.”

Ah, the sly thoughts of this old geezer.

“Chairman, imagine the media outlets catching me on a date with his daughter. What would happen? Or maybe President Byun would play the media himself. Saying his daughter and Soonyang’s Jin Do-jun are in a serious relationship, or that they’re getting to know each other with good intentions…”

Just imagining it is terrifying. Seo Min-young would have been hunting me down with fire in her eyes.

“That’s not ideal. If you’re thinking about a political marriage anyway, it’s better not to have rumors of you chasing after every woman.”

“A political marriage?”

“Huh? Isn’t that it? Your girlfriend, the judge, hasn’t it been a while? You two were classmates, right?”

“Yes.”

“You’re both getting up there in age. If marriage isn’t on the table, it’ll probably just end as a fling, won’t it?”

What should I say?

I had considered a political marriage.

If the father and daughter hadn’t awakened the truth hidden deep within my heart today, I might have ended up with the head of a public institution or financial institution holding a significant amount of Soonyang Group shares as my father-in-law.

“Um… Chairman.”

“Yeah?”

“You absolutely cannot be shocked.”

“What is it?”

“Actually… ah, this is…”

“What is it, you old man! Spit it out.”

“Actually, I… I finished getting married today… no, I registered our marriage.”

Announcing a sudden wedding date would be surprising, and an engagement would also be a shock. But saying we’d already registered our marriage was something unbelievable.

“Of course, it’s with Seo Min-young. My judge girlfriend.”

“You… you…”

I gave the still-stammering Chairman Lee a quick bow and left the chairman’s office.

Now that I think about it, I have a million things to do. I don’t have time for this.

* * *

The PI experts were the same.

Their mouths hung open without a blink, speechless.

“So, we need to package this very stylishly. Successful third-generation chaebol registers his marriage at the district office!”

I could only hope they were listening.

“You know how it is in movies? They run hand-in-hand to the district office to register their marriage and then share a passionate kiss…”

Instead of running, we took a taxi, and instead of a passionate kiss, I returned to the office.

“C-Chief of staff. Is it… true?”

“The truth isn’t what matters; the image does. The marriage registration is a fact, so make sure the image is fantastic.”

“Are you perhaps thinking of skipping the wedding ceremony too…?”

“Do you think that’s even possible? Is there a woman on this planet who would give up a pure white wedding dress?”

They seemed relieved, even sighing in relief.

“That’s right. We definitely can’t miss an event like that. The bride’s wedding dress is the finishing touch.”

“Are there any outsiders who know about this?”

The PI experts pulled out their notebooks. They were already getting to work.

“Hmm… we registered it at the Seocho District Office, so the rumors will be spreading like wildfire there. The clerk seemed to recognize me.”

Their faces simultaneously fell, and one of them quickly spoke to a nearby employee.

“Call the head of the Seocho District Office. Tell them Chief Jin’s marriage registration is personal information, and leaking it will result in legal repercussions. And make sure the clerk’s mouth is shut tight.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the employee rushed out, they confirmed a few more details with me.

“How about holding the wedding abroad? We need to create some pictorials… the magazine companies will go crazy.”

This could go on forever.

“Just create an overall plan and let me know. And please, write a good press release for the media. I’ll try to stick to the plan as much as possible.”

“Ah, then we’ll report back within a week.”

As they left, the thought that only the truly difficult tasks remained gave me a headache.

I need to meet my parents and Seo Min-young’s parents.

They’re not likely to object, so nothing major should happen, but registering the marriage before the wedding is still a concern.

I took out my cell phone to let my parents know I’d be home for dinner when it vibrated.

She couldn’t even wait, calling already. That’s just how women are.

“Hey, Min-young.”

— Our marriage registration went through.

What kind of situation is this now?

“Didn’t they say it would take about three days?”

— I filed a complaint with the head of the Seocho District Office. They processed it immediately. We’re officially husband and wife now.

It was like lightning striking. What incredible initiative.

— What’s with the reaction? Aren’t you supposed to be happy?

“You can’t see it, but I’m smiling right now.”

— Okay. I’ll hang up now. See you tonight. Oh, and I’ll be a little late.

If a judge says they’ll be late coming home, it means they won’t be home until after midnight, so there’s plenty of time to tell my parents.

I felt like a delinquent student who’d caused trouble at school.

* * *

“What? Registered your marriage?”

“Hey! Do-jun, you old man!”

My mother and older brother, Sang-joon, started yelling, but my father was different.

“Puhahaha—! Wow, Jin Do-jun, you’re something else!”

Thankfully, my parents weren’t angry, just surprised. My mother was bewildered, but wasn’t she the one who had a secret wedding against her in-laws’ wishes?

My father said blood doesn’t lie, and eventually, my mother smiled, looking embarrassed.

Now, my mother is the one who will be busiest.

A child’s wedding is the biggest event orchestrated by both mothers.

They need to pick an auspicious date and check the marital compatibility. From wedding gifts to the trousseau, there are endless things to prepare, so only my mother was getting flustered.

Since we’d already registered the marriage, she was urging us to set a date quickly.

I know why she’s like this. If rumors of a shotgun wedding start circulating, the whispers within the family will be directed straight at her.

I calmed my mother down.

“Mother, there won’t be that much to prepare on either side. The company will create a comprehensive plan and report it. We have to follow that plan.”

My father and Sang-joon immediately understood what I meant. A top star’s wedding is the ultimate marketing, isn’t it?

Structuring it with a clear concept, like a promotion, is how a star’s wedding is done. Both my father and brother, working in the entertainment industry, naturally accepted that my wedding would be no different from an advertisement for the group and my personal image.

“Have you formally greeted her family?”

“No, the formal introductions haven’t happened yet.”

“Hurry up. You need to greet each other before the meeting between the families.”

“Yes.”

Strangely, no one seemed to care that the younger brother was getting married before the older one. I didn’t particularly mind either. In this day and age, sticking to tradition is outdated.

When my brother and I were alone on the second floor, I spoke first.

“I didn’t expect to get married first. I’m sorry.”

It seemed my apology didn’t even register with Sang-joon.

“Hey! Why are you rushing into marriage? There are so many celebrities who want to meet you; they could fill the Soonyang headquarters and still have leftovers. Why enter a prison when you have a field of flowers?”

You’ve got a point.

That’s how terrifying fate can be.

* * *

A prestigious family that has produced a line of legal professionals.

A talented individual from the law school of the most prestigious university in South Korea, who passed the notoriously difficult bar exam while still in school.

Appointment as a judge, which is impossible without being in the top ranks of the Judicial Research and Training Institute.

Entrance into the Seoul Central District Court, which only the best of the best can enter.

Looking at her credentials alone, she’s a flawless bride.

And….

Sitting politely in front of my parents, answering their questions calmly with a slight smile on her face, she was impeccable. Deceitfully so.

When I went to her house, the situation was the same, but my parents’ expressions were different. They welcomed me as if their dead child had come back to life.

At first, I thought it was because I was from Soonyang, the top chaebol family in Korea, and a young executive who frequently appeared in the media.

But they didn’t seem to have any feelings of sadness about sending their only daughter off to marry; in fact, they looked relieved.

“Now that you’ve even registered your marriage, it’s best to set the date soon, right?”

“Yes. We’ll expedite things as much as possible.”

“Then that’s settled. Shall we have a drink?”

Her father, a former Justice of the Constitutional Court and currently an endowed professor at the law school, my soon-to-be father-in-law, was in high spirits, constantly pouring drinks.

When he was quite drunk, he said with a laugh.

“Son, are you confident you can handle my daughter, Min-young?”

“Dad!”

Seo Min-young glared at him and shouted, but his laughter didn’t stop.

“Well, you’ve already registered your marriage, so it’s game over. Hahaha.”

* * *

“The ceremony will be at the Soonyang Hotel, and the honeymoon will be in Kota Kinabalu. Just the fact that it’s your wedding venue and honeymoon destination, Chief of staff, will cause sales to skyrocket at both places.”

“We plan to control the media to give it a slightly secretive and mirage-like feel. Instead, we’ve contracted with a magazine for a wedding photoshoot. We went with a pure and simple concept, so I believe you’ll like it, sir. However…”

“Go ahead and say it. It’s alright.”

“I’m not sure if the bride will like it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, so it’s natural for her to want a luxurious and extravagant wedding dress.”

They don’t know the bride. When I tried to discuss the wedding ceremony with her, her reaction was different from what I expected.

“Didn’t you say the PI experts are planning it?”

“Yes. But no matter what, the bride is the star of the wedding. I can’t ignore your opinion and do whatever I want.”

“Why did you hire experts? Isn’t this what you hired them for?”

“That’s true.”

“Then we should follow their plan. Even if they tell me to wear rags instead of a wedding dress, I’ll follow it, so tell them to do as they see fit.”

“Are you really okay with that? You were the one who said you wouldn’t let us get away with doing things haphazardly.”

“The experts’ plan isn’t haphazard. It’s fine.”

It seems I’ve found myself a good wife.

When I relayed what Seo Min-young had said to them, their faces lit up.

“This is a relief. If she has that kind of mindset, it’ll make our work much easier. Haha.”

The meeting between the families ended smoothly without any major issues, and the photoshoot also went well.

And the wedding ceremony, where we didn’t receive any congratulatory wreaths or gifts, also ended without a hitch. Though we were both completely drained.