Chapter 315: An Offer They Can’t Refuse

“Chief, did I hear that right? That Hong So-young from Hanseong Ilbo?”

“Yeah. You know how those chaebols are… they’re technically married but live separate lives; everyone knows it. To the husband, a wife is just a seed-bearer to produce a son to inherit the company. To the woman, a chaebol husband is just an aura that lets her be called ‘Madam.'”

Reporters in the social affairs department wore troubled expressions as their chief gnashed his teeth.

This wasn’t just insubordination; it was treason. The backlash would be immense.

“Don’t sweat it. I’ll take responsibility.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘take responsibility’? Chief, are you… seriously?”

A salaryman only dares to challenge their superior when they’ve already made up their mind.

“Are you quitting the company? Did you get a job offer?”

One of the reporters lowered his voice as he asked.

“I’m starting a new job next April. You guys can rely on me now too. I’ll get you transferred to the political desk before I leave.”

Chief Jo’s words and smile widened the reporters’ eyes.

“Y-Yeouido?”

“Yeah. Park, the chief editor, and I got the nod. I’ll be here for maybe another month, tops. Heh.”

“Wow, congratulations, Chief! This is fantastic news!”

“Is that why you met with Chairman Hong? Wait, no? If that were the case, there’d be no reason to dig into Hong So-young.”

The reporters were curious about Chief Jo’s sponsor, but he kept it to himself. The time wasn’t right yet.

“You’ll find out eventually. Anyway, get your focus right. Even if you drag Hong So-young around by her hair, you won’t face any consequences. Got it?”

***

“I thought our deal ended yesterday… Is there something else you wanted to say?”

“As I get older, I find shaking hands easier than fighting.”

Park Man-seong, the chief editor of Hanseong Ilbo, who had suddenly appeared, offered a hearty laugh like a friendly neighborhood grandpa.

“Aren’t we shaking hands already? Or was that just my imagination?”

“It takes two hands to clap.”

It takes two hands to clap…

I pondered the true meaning behind his smiling words.

Chief Editor Park wanted to avoid a fight, and I was the one he needed to extend another hand to.

This man was no pushover.

“Chief Editor, you must be busy. Is this going to be possible?”

“Isn’t family business more important than family? This isn’t something to be stubborn about.”

“If the deal goes well, I have no reason to refuse.”

“Then I’ll proceed assuming you’ve agreed.”

Watching his retreating figure, I felt it again. A sharp old man.

***

“What’s this guy on about now?!”

Chairman Hong of Hanseong Ilbo, who hadn’t been seen all day, was taken aback by Chief Editor Park’s sudden appearance and bizarre statement.

“Take a moment and think it over. Has Hanseong Ilbo ever sided with the loser?”

“So? You think Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi is fighting a losing battle?”

“It’s been that way from the start. When Chairman Jin Yang-cheol put his youngest grandson forward, the outcome was probably already decided. It’s a battle between the side clinging to the last fortress after losing everything else and the side besieging that fortress, launching attacks day after day. Jin Do-jun has the advantage.”

“This is about my daughter! My in-laws!”

“So?”

“What?”

Chairman Hong was speechless at Chief Editor Park’s nonchalant response. Even if it was someone else’s family matter, one couldn’t speak so casually about it.

“Do you really think So-young will act as the eldest daughter-in-law of a ruined family? The moment Jin Do-jun takes over Soonyang, she’ll hand over the divorce papers. Don’t you know your own daughter’s nature, Chairman?”

It was hard to argue with that. He married off his daughter to Jin Young-jun when he knew he was a terrible person, solely because he was Chairman Jin’s eldest grandson.

His daughter, whose goal was to be the mistress of Soonyang Group, would never willingly play the role of the eldest daughter-in-law of a fallen family.

“Hanseong Ilbo is a family business passed down for three generations. It survived the Japanese occupation, the war, and even when soldiers crossed the Han River twice, thanks to skillful maneuvering. Compared to that, your family affairs are nothing.”

Chairman Hong, who had been pacing silently for a while, finally spoke to Chief Editor Park.

“So, you think the outcome is already decided.”

“Their capabilities are different. One was the eldest son who inherited the most, the other was the youngest who inherited the least. But look at them now. No one knows the true scale of Jin Do-jun’s HW, Soonyang, and Miracle. The firepower is already decisive.”

Having seen that Chairman Hong was wavering, Chief Editor Park brought up the most practical point.

“Think about when Jin Do-jun takes over Soonyang. We could wither and die. Especially with this administration pushing for general programming channels; it might become impossible to secure advertising slots.”

Chairman Hong sighed at the thought of the general programming channels.

The media’s lifeline isn’t the readers or the government, but the advertisers.

Even now, the sheer amount of advertising money Jin Do-jun was throwing around made his stomach churn just watching it. If the same situation continued with the general programming channel, massive losses were inevitable.

“But why are you suddenly saying all this? You and Chief Jo are acting a bit strange…”

“Jin Do-jun offered me a position.”

“I knew it! So that’s it.”

He concluded that Chief Editor Park was a step above Chief Jo. Park, aiming to seize both options in a moment of choice, was someone Chief Jo, who only calculated personal gain, couldn’t keep up with.

“If I reject your proposal, what will you do? Will you side with him?”

“You wouldn’t refuse, would you? Or would you?”

It was difficult for Chairman Hong to shake his head at Chief Editor Park’s smiling face.

***

“Oh, my dear in-law, you look radiant! Was our last meeting at the wedding? I’ve been too neglectful.”

“You’re too kind, Chairman. As your subordinate, I should have contacted you more often…”

“Nonsense, nonsense. You’re the busiest person in Korea; how could you possibly have time to worry about an old man like me? It’s alright.”

Was it because he was a journalist? Or because he was meeting an advertiser in a position of power? He was the kind of person who could smile regardless of who he was with.

“By the way, did you see the top story in this morning’s paper? I made sure they put some serious effort into it…”

Korean companies need to change to survive in the international market. They should no longer work for the benefit of the owner but for the benefit of the shareholders. To achieve this, they should be willing to hand over the CEO position to anyone with the ability, even if they are a foreigner.

It was almost embarrassing how blatant his attempt at reconciliation was.

“A very insightful piece, indeed. Haha.”

I could also offer some equally awkward praise with a smile.

For a while, we simply ate, praising each other in awkward harmony. As the article showed, we had already extended and clasped hands. There was no need for further discussion.

The old man simply wanted to hear confirmation from me, hence this meeting.

“But Chairman, is today’s article alright? I imagine your older brother must be furious?”

“What can I do? Maintaining good relations with our in-laws is proving difficult. But carrying the burden of being a father outweighs just being a relative by marriage. Protecting Hanseong Ilbo takes priority over maintaining a good relationship with my in-laws.”

“That’s right. The family business comes first.”

Chairman Hong cautiously broached the topic, watching my reaction.

“So, what do you say? Will you help this old man nurture the family business he inherited?”

He was waiting for the words he wanted to hear to come from my mouth.

“What power do I have? If we fulfill our duty as the press, the people will recognize us, and the readers will reward us. Then Hanseong Ilbo will be eternal. Ah, I’ll subscribe. And I’ll instruct related subsidiaries as well. Tell each department to subscribe to a copy.”

Chairman Hong’s face flushed red.

These weren’t the words he wanted to hear; they were words that turned his stomach. Even for someone who had lived with a fake smile, it must have been hard to hide his emotions.

“This doesn’t feel like a time for jokes…”

“I’m not joking. What else do you expect me to do?”

“Are you serious?”

I smiled at his glare.

“One of the things I learned from my grandfather is to clearly distinguish between friend and foe. If they’re a friend, make sure they don’t go hungry, feed them three square meals a day. If they’re a foe, set fire to their granary so they can’t sleep worrying about their next meal.”

“Am I your enemy? After you saw this morning’s paper?”

It was clear that the article was written with his pride bent. It was a declaration of surrender, a signal of reconciliation, but I was ignoring it, rubbing salt in his wounded ego.

How painful must it be? That glare was understandable.

“I appreciate the article, but your daughter is my sister-in-law. She’s the wife of the person I’m trying to bring down. This isn’t a relationship that can be changed with a friendly article.”

“I’m abandoning my own daughter to protect my family business! Don’t you understand that?”

“It’s not about abandoning your daughter; it’s about pulling her out of a failing family by marriage. And in exchange, you want to acquire me to take her place. Isn’t that right?”

If he still didn’t understand the situation, he needed to hear harsher words. I spelled out our future relationship to the speechless man.

“If Hanseong Ilbo and Soonyang are no longer related by marriage, then you and I are just strangers. If it weren’t for business, we wouldn’t have this opportunity to sit down and smile at each other. Ah, though we are meeting for business, it’s a bit ambiguous since we’re somewhat entangled.”

His tightly closed lips parted slightly, and a faint sigh escaped.

He realized that as long as his daughter didn’t divorce, all talk of being allies was meaningless.

And the moment his daughter divorced, it wouldn’t be an alliance, but a master-servant relationship.

Advertiser and media outlet, the strong and the weak, the giver and the receiver—only that hierarchical relationship would exist.

“Perhaps you’re still young… You’re underestimating the power of Hanseong Ilbo.”

I knew it wasn’t a threat to break off negotiations. It was a desperate attempt to maintain a slightly more equal footing.

“You’re holding onto your last shred of pride because you don’t yet know the full extent of my power. The unlimited funds at my disposal, the Soonyang subsidiaries I control, and HW Group. With this power, should I try to mobilize every media outlet in South Korea except Hanseong Ilbo? Hanseong Ilbo would be isolated in an instant.”

Articles that aren’t picked up by other media are just a collection of words without impact. Only a series of articles with a similar tone can move public opinion and the hearts of the people.

Hanseong Ilbo shouting about an exclusive report alone won’t gain trust. That’s why independent media struggles.

His eyes widened at the mention of unlimited funds.

I had revealed the owner of Miracle Investment in New York, and Chairman Hong understood.

“Divorce is inevitable anyway. That means Hanseong Ilbo and Soonyang won’t be related by marriage. Do you still need anything else?”

“If that’s the case, then I need nothing. But there’s something you need to know, Chairman.”

“What is it?”

“Do your own work. It’s a song kindergarteners sing.”

I put down my utensils and stood up.

“This isn’t something someone else can tell you. Contact me when you understand.”

As I left the restaurant and got into my car, my phone rang.

It was Chairman Hong. The old-timer was sharp.

“Yes, Chairman?”

He had called first but seemed hesitant to speak. I remained silent, holding the phone. The necessary words were his to say.

– …Please, take care of our Hanseong Ilbo…

***