Chapter 321: Congratulations

“Congratulations on becoming the CEO and Chairman of both Soonyang Electronics and Soonyang Corporation.”

It must be tough forcing out a smile. Well… I can’t mistreat a guest who’s come to offer congratulations. Would you like a drink?

“Just water.”

“Sure, that’s perfect. Did the water burn going down? Heh.”

Jin Young-jun was reveling in his victory. Especially since I, the perceived loser, had shown up in person, his joy must have doubled.

“But it doesn’t matter, does it? The world’s richest man, with personal assets exceeding 100 trillion won, trying so hard to gobble up a few more companies is foolish. By the way… is it real? Your assets exceeding 100 trillion won?”

“Envious? Then I’ll give you 100 trillion won to play the world’s richest man. In return, give me all your Soonyang Group shares. How about it?”

Looking at his bewildered expression, I just felt pity.

Soonyang is the power my grandfather built over a lifetime. Power that transcends the law, its worth immeasurable in mere money. Jin Young-jun, failing to grasp its value, was momentarily shaken. What a pathetic fool.

“Well, I’m always willing to make a deal, so let me know if you’re interested. Anyway, shall we talk about practical matters?”

“Practical? Do we still have things to discuss?”

“Plenty. First, you’ll need to vacate this Soonyang headquarters. This building belongs to Soonyang Construction, and Electronics, Logistics, and other affiliates have been using it practically rent-free. You’ll need to move out, won’t you?”

“What?”

“There’s more. All those inter-affiliate credit transactions and loans need to be settled, right? After doing the math, it looks like you owe about 400 billion won. Settle that up.”

“Hey! That’s so petty….”

He frowned as he spoke, then sneered again.

“Fine, I’ll clear out. And I’ll settle the accounts neatly. I guess you want to vent your frustration this way. I understand.”

“Vent frustration? What frustration?”

“Alright, I’ll indulge these little complaints. I need to stay on the good side of our rich youngest brother, so I can borrow some money when I need it, right?”

“You’re free to delude yourself, but that’s a bit much. I’m actually glad you merged to take over Electronics, Hyung-nim.”

“Stop it. You don’t look cool by saying that.”

“It’s the truth… believe it or not. Think about it. I didn’t do anything except file lawsuits.”

Jin Young-jun’s expression finally started to stiffen.

“I didn’t ask shareholders to delegate their voting rights, nor did I appeal for the injustice of the merger. You, Hyung-nim, even released a statement appealing to minority shareholders to join the merger and ran advertisements. But I didn’t meet with a single shareholder.”

He blinked, trying to recall. He doesn’t even grasp the basics of suspecting why the opponent is doing nothing, rather than what they are doing.

“I was also in favor of the merger, so I stayed quiet. My congratulations are also sincere, so don’t take my sincerity the wrong way.”

Leaving him there, oblivious to my declaration of war, I stood up.

“Move out and settle the accounts within a month. Wouldn’t it be refreshing for you too, Hyung-nim, to make a clean start?”

I gave a bright smile to him, still lost in thought.

* * *

The Democratic Justice Party’s presidential candidate primary was just a formality. For a strong presidential contender, the primary was merely part of the election campaign leading to the actual election. The outcome was predetermined, and it wouldn’t be wrong.

The election campaign committee for the Democratic Justice Party candidate, whose victory was already apparent, boasted a formidable lineup.

However, I avoided contact with them and prepared a quiet dinner meeting with someone I had never met before.

“Welcome, Chief Prosecutor.”

As I greeted the man cautiously entering the small restaurant, he hurriedly bowed his head.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Hwang Jae-an.”

Looking at his bowed head, I wondered, how much does he know?

“And now, I’m just a mere lawyer. It’s been a year since I left the Prosecutor’s Office… Chief Prosecutor is a title from the past.”

“We all know you’re just lying low for a bigger leap forward. Haha.”

I probed subtly, observing his expression. He seemed a little surprised, perhaps even flustered.

So, the discussions have already taken place.

“Oh, have I gotten ahead of myself?”

“I’m not sure what you mean… I’ll just take that as a compliment.”

It was clear they were operating discreetly for the surprise announcement. This man, recommended by the influential Chief of Staff, was slated to become the next Minister of Justice.

Known as a staunch public security prosecutor and a master of targeted investigations, his ambition for power was evident. I only learned recently that he had left the Prosecutor’s Office.

“Did you rent out the entire restaurant?”

He asked, looking around the empty interior.

“Yes. I have something to discuss privately. And while I don’t know much about wine, I heard this place has a good selection. The food is quite good too.”

His expression brightened. As a wine enthusiast, he would be curious about the wine list.

“Please, take a look.”

Opening the wine list, he looked surprised. The prices weren’t listed, and it only featured wines costing millions of won per bottle.

If he was a true connoisseur, he would recognize the value.

“This seems a bit excessive.”

Judging by his immediate recognition of the value from just the list, he truly seemed to enjoy wine.

“Chief Prosecutor… I mean, Attorney. Did you not see the interview?”

“Pardon? Which… Ah, ha ha.”

He burst into a hearty laugh and put down the wine list.

“I had a silly thought. Worrying about prices in front of the world’s wealthiest man. Haha.”

At my gesture, the manager approached, and he ordered a wine with a rather long name.

“Thanks to you, my palate will be indulged today.”

We slowly enjoyed the wine and our meal, discussing the upcoming election. As the meal neared its end, I began to offer him some sweet words.

“I don’t invest unless a clear chance of winning is apparent. That’s the difference between me and my grandfather.”

“Didn’t Chairman Jin only make sure investments?”

“No. Grandfather invested first and then created the odds of winning. By any means necessary.”

“That’s a significant difference. I heard you were Chairman Jin’s favorite, but it’s surprising your tendencies are different.”

“So, this time I intend to follow my grandfather’s method. Would you be willing to help?”

He tilted his head.

“I’m just a lawyer. How could I be of assistance in something even the world’s wealthiest man might find difficult?”

“Of course, you can. There’s something I want to buy with money, but the seller might be hesitant.”

“What could that be?”

“The law.”

“The law? What exactly…”

“As you may know, our family feud has been quite noisy.”

“Isn’t that feud over? The eldest grandson got the electronics and logistics affiliates of Soonyang, and Mr. Jin Do-jun got the rest. That’s what I understand.”

“If I intended to end it like that, I wouldn’t have started it in the first place. Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi sought the current administration’s help to escape the fight. I intend to drag them back into the arena and, with your help, Attorney, finish it completely.”

I could almost hear Attorney Hwang Jae-an’s mind working.

“President, with only six months left in his term, has a long-standing relationship with Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi, hasn’t he? Offering a parting gift, nothing more. And I plan to reverse that.”

“You control 60% of Soonyang Group and have the world’s largest personal fortune. Aren’t you satisfied yet?”

“In that regard, I take after my grandfather. It’s all or nothing for me.”

I spoke to him, who was lost in thought again.

“Dividing a chaebol group fairly might not be in the political sphere’s interest. Politicians view chaebols as their vaults. So, which vault would the next administration prefer to use?”

He looked taken aback by my blatant words.

“Since you brought it up, may I ask one thing? What exactly is it that you want?”

This was the question I was waiting for.

“The arrest of Jin Young-jun, the chairman of Soonyang Electronics Group.”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you so surprised? It’s not uncommon for chaebol chairmen to stand at the prosecutor’s office photo line, and quite a few have been jailed in court.”

Whether he was taken aback by my unexpected words or simply found them absurd, he remained speechless.

“If it goes all the way to the Supreme Court, he’ll likely get a suspended sentence. They have that kind of power. I simply need him detained during that period. At least six months.”

“So, your aim is to tie his hands and feet, but isn’t the real power his father, Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi?”

“For people like us, real power lies in shares, which he’s already given away. What remains is influence… and I can neutralize that.”

Attorney Hwang stared at me for a while before speaking in a slightly stiff tone.

“How much do you know? And how did you find out?”

This was a difficult question to answer truthfully. I needed to deflect.

“Our intelligence team analyzed this presidential election and the upcoming cabinet. The Democratic Justice Party candidate only has a good image but lacks the ability to form an administration. The Chief of Staff will have to fill in those gaps, and you, Attorney Hwang, have deep ties with that Chief of Staff, don’t you?”

“I see why Soonyang is Soonyang. Impressive.”

His willingness to discuss this far meant he was interested in my proposal. Or rather, in my money.

“This isn’t a matter I can decide alone. It requires consultation.”

“I’ll start paving the way. You can focus on what you do best.”

“What I do best?”

“Targeted investigations. Isn’t that right?”

He fell silent again. A thoughtful man. That’s how he climbed so high.

“You mentioned paving the way… what does that entail?”

“The man called ‘Mr. Everything,’ the de facto ruler, the close confidant – the current president’s older brother. Let’s start by changing his clothes. To prison garb.”

* * *

“It’s been a while, Assemblyman.”

“Oh, our Chief Jin… Let me hold your hand. I knew you were lucky, but I never imagined it would be on this scale! Truly amazing.”

The assemblyman, a graduate of the higher civil service exam and an expert in economics, spoke with exaggerated gestures, shaking my hand.

“First, let me offer my congratulations. It’s the beginning of your spring.”

Assemblyman Choi Seok-hwan waved his hand dismissively.

“Spring days? Nonsense, I barely got elected… haha.”

As an opposition party member to the current president, he wasn’t nominated in the last general election. He spent four years in Wisconsin, USA, under the guise of studying abroad, mostly playing golf. Of course, all expenses were paid from my pocket.

However, when the person he served became the strong presidential candidate for the ruling party, he received a nomination in a constituency where victory was guaranteed and, this April, re-entered the National Assembly.

As a close aide to the candidate, the moment he entered the National Assembly, ruling party members began currying favor, lining up behind him, making him the head of the largest faction.

“I won’t forget your kindness, Chief Jin. I practically lived a life of luxury for four years thanks to you during my time as an idle person.”

“Don’t mention it. Rather, I’d like to discuss matters for the future.”

“Name it. I’ll go to any lengths to help.”

I looked into Assemblyman Choi’s sparkling eyes and said,

“I’ll take responsibility for this presidential election. I’ll provide as much funding as you need, so don’t hold back. And I won’t ask for any favors in return for the election funds from the next administration. Instead, I’d like to receive that favor this year.”

Assemblyman Choi smiled brightly at the offer of unlimited election funds, but his smile vanished when I said I wouldn’t ask for anything in return.