Chapter 44: The M&A Lawyer

“The Prosecutor General should be someone your older brother, who will become the Chairman of Soonyang, nurtures. They want me to be a lawyer specializing in mergers and acquisitions.”

“M&A? Who?”

“Grandfather.”

Jin Young-jun’s cheeks twitched as he suppressed a laugh.

“Really? Grandfather said that?”

“Yes. He didn’t go into detail, but… since I’m going to law school, he said being a lawyer would be better than being a judge or prosecutor.”

“So, what about you? Do you want to be a lawyer too, Do-jun?”

Sparkling eyes, a face full of anticipation.

I knew what those eyes and that face wanted.

Among my blood relatives, he was the most useful cousin. Even Chairman Jin nodded in approval of him, and he had a proven intellect, consistently ranking at the top in nationally recognized exams.

Moreover, making me, a potential competitor, his subordinate or close aide was a strategic move with two advantages.

I could give him the answer he wanted right now, but one shouldn’t hand over what someone desires so easily.

“I’m not sure yet. Honestly, I’m not very interested in being a judge… Being a prosecutor or a lawyer seems more fun… Well, I’ll go to law school and think about it slowly.”

“Yeah, life is long. Take your time. You’re only graduating high school; there’s no need to make a hasty decision. If you don’t want to look at boring law books, tell your older brother. I’ll create the most comfortable position for you in Soonyang Group. Haha.”

Jin Young-jun had improved significantly.

He didn’t even flinch, revealing an inner strength that showed composure. Had his long life abroad, enduring hardships, matured him a little?

“That sounds like the best option. I’m sick of studying now. Hehe.”

“Is that so? Good. This older brother will have to entertain our model student brother. Once today’s gathering ends, stick right by my side. I’ll teach you step-by-step how wonderful the world is and how enjoyable life can be.”

Jin Young-jun patted my back, winked, and disappeared.

Yeah, live it up. Enjoy the good life to your heart’s content.

Because those fond memories of this good life will be all you have left.

I had to force my hardened face to soften. It was my uncle.

“Hey, you ignorant fool! How did you get that score? Huh?”

“If only my kids had done even half as well as you in their studies, Do-jun.”

My aunt wore a disappointed expression. Where did my aunt’s three sons study again? I didn’t even know the name of the country, let alone the university.

“Now my in-laws even have a direct junior colleague. Do-jun, if you have any questions while studying, feel free to ask this uncle. I’ll help you.”

“Direct junior colleague? Did you graduate from Seoul National University? You haven’t even seen the front gate of Seoul National University!”

“Did I mention university? I was talking about the Judicial Research and Training Institute!”

My uncle bristled at my aunt’s goading of his university complex, but he was in a losing battle of words.

“That’s great, Do-jun. From now on, consider your uncle your tutor. Anyway, he lost the election, so he’s just playing around now!”

Sparks flew from my aunt’s eyes as she glared at my uncle, who shut his mouth. My uncle had been soundly defeated in the 15th National Assembly election held in April.

Oblivious to his own inability to keep up with his ambition and greed, he had thrown his hat into the ring in a Seoul constituency. The Democratic Justice Party had tossed him a stronghold of the opposition party as if doing a favor, and Grandfather was furious.

Even though it was a region the ruling party had given up on, and he went all out despite Grandfather’s disapproval, the result was exactly as expected.

My aunt secretly siphoned money from the department store and poured it in, but it wasn’t enough.

“Uncle, will you challenge Seoul again next time?”

“Of course. I can’t end my career as a two-term assemblyman. After serving three terms in the National Assembly, I need to enter the cabinet.”

When I calculated the age he’d be when his dream came true, he’d be well over sixty. My uncle’s maximum potential was a ministerial position.

“Do-jun.”

My uncle’s subtly expectant voice suddenly called out to me. It was obvious what he wanted without hearing more.

“Right now, Grandfather is in a great mood because of you. There will be a by-election soon….”

“Ah, yes.”

“Huh?”

My aunt’s eyes widened in surprise at my immediate nod before he even finished speaking.

“You should wear the assemblyman’s badge again in the by-election. I’ll ask Grandfather for Election funds.”

The corners of their mouths reached their ears.

“You’re so smart. You catch on so quickly. Haha.”

Should I push it further now and reel them in?

“If Grandfather doesn’t provide Election funds, I should help out. Uncle, you’re my direct senior, after all.”

The mouths that had been reaching their ears dropped open.

“Y-you? With what money?”

“Don’t you remember? The money from selling the Bundang ranch before? It’s untouched in the bank. The interest should be quite a lot too.”

“Ah…!”

The time is approaching when a tout will be needed.

Although the National Assembly building is assessed to have rock-bottom credibility and be full of trash, the nation’s most important policies are decided right there.

My uncle absolutely must return to the National Assembly. He needs to go back and become a tout who recruits assemblymen who will support me.

“D-Do-jun.”

My uncle, overwhelmed with emotion, spread his arms wide, but I had no intention of being embraced by that guy. A tout should bow before the boss, how dare he…!

* * *

Around the time the year-end gathering was ending, Jin Young-jun and his biological younger brother Jin Kyung-jun grabbed my hand and quietly left the hotel.

Jin Kyung-jun was five years older than me. He was currently on leave from his studies in the US but was easier to find in Koreatown than at school. He would likely stay in the US until Chairman Jin passed away and Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki seized power.

“Where are we going?”

“Just follow us. I told Uncle we’d have a light drink with you today.”

Jin Kyung-jun also winked and smiled.

“You’re still a virgin, right? This older brother lost his virginity on his high school entrance ceremony day. Is today the day our Do-jun becomes a man? Hehe.”

My body may be a virgin, but my mind is a slut, you bastard.

Contrary to my thoughts, I began to feel slightly nervous.

Women….

My mind was that of a middle-aged man who got scared just hearing his wife’s shower, but my body reacted strongly to even the sight of a woman’s calves.

This bizarre imbalance. To be honest, I wanted to relax today and try to find some balance.

Jin Young-jun drove a foreign luxury sedan towards Yangpyeong.

It was a place I had never been before. The Yangpyeong villa belonged to Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki and was only used by his family.

Of course, if you looked at the registry of this villa, it would definitely list one of Soonyang’s subsidiaries as the nominal owner.

“Do-jun, this is your first time here, right?”

“Yes.”

“This is a place where only my friends and male cousins occasionally gather. My father hardly ever comes here.”

“You can hang out here when you want to be alone. It’s quiet and nice.”

The two brothers seemed already excited, their voices raised and their laughter constant.

A young man standing at the villa’s entrance ran over, opened the car door, and bowed.

“Are the girls all here?”

“Yes. But, um….”

“What?”

“Jung Hee-sun said she can’t make it today…. She suddenly has a night shoot….”

Slap!

Without the slightest hesitation, Jin Young-jun’s hand flew up.

As the young man stumbled, Jin Young-jun’s foot followed.

“You bastard. Didn’t I say today was an important day? You should have grabbed that bitch by the hair and dragged her here, or kidnapped her, but brought her no matter what!”

“Damn it! I flew all the way from America hoping to see that pretty girl’s naked body, and it’s ruined?”

Even Jin Kyung-jun frowned and kicked the ground hard.

Jung Hee-sun, the rising star of the weekend drama currently breaking viewership records. I should have been surprised to hear that actress’s name, but the events unfolding before my eyes evoked more anger than surprise.

It even felt like I was watching a play of my past self on a stage.

The shame, humiliation, and anger at myself for doing such menial tasks were worse than the pain of being hit.

The young man being kicked right now was probably even feeling the fear of losing his job.

The feeling from the distant past, which I thought had completely disappeared, was vividly alive right now.

“Hey, damn it! What the hell are you doing!”

I shouted, my fists clenched and trembling, and Jin Young-jun’s foot stopped moving.

“Didn’t you come here to celebrate with me today? Damn it, you’re killing my mood. Should I just go back?”

The brothers were momentarily stunned by my unexpected reaction, but the more experienced and older Jin Young-jun quickly recovered.

“Wow, amazing! This older brother forgot. Our Do-jun has quite the temper, huh? Hey! Kyung-jun. Don’t you remember? He broke Kang-joon’s leg just for touching his toy!”

Jin Young-jun mimed snapping something in half with a grin.

“You should thank Do-jun for keeping you in one piece today. Go on. Come back tomorrow afternoon and return those girls.”

As the young man laboriously got up and bowed his head, opening the door to his car, I spoke.

“Hey. Wait in the car. I won’t be long. I have to leave after a little while, so give me a ride.”

The man nodded and got into the car.

“Why? Let’s relax and have fun until tomorrow afternoon before we go.”

Jin Kyung-jun put his hand on my shoulder, and Jin Young-jun pointed at the young man.

“That guy will have to sleep in his car. Once Do-jun goes inside, he won’t want to come out. Hahaha.”

That won’t happen. I thank the heavens that I followed you here. An opportunity has arisen to make one of Jin Young-jun’s loyal servants my own.

“Oh, oppa! It’s been so long!”

Half a dozen young women rushed towards the two cousins and clung to them. In particular, two of them were familiar faces from TV dramas and music programs, advertisement models creating the image for Soonyang Group products.

“You crazy bitch. It hasn’t even been a month since we rolled around in the same room when you flew to London. What do you mean it’s been so long? It’s only been a month.”

“That was abroad. It’s been over a year since I saw your face in Korea.”

Whether it was complaining, acting cute… or playing business, the competition to link arms with Jin Young-jun was fierce.

“Today, you need to impress our youngest brother. He’s the future Prosecutor General, so he might arrest all of you for prostitution. Hehe.”

“Next year, he’ll be a student at Seoul National University’s law school. So, he’s still a high school student. If you guys deflower our little brother, it’s statutory rape. Oh, right, he’s still a virgin? If you help him lose his cherry… who knows? You might become the Prosecutor General’s mistress. Hahaha.”

Jin Kyung-jun, who also seemed to have a lot of experience, was too casually fondling the chests of the girls clinging to him.

“Alright, let’s have a drink first.”

Liquor and food were already laid out on the dining table. As soon as we sat down at the table laden with soju, whiskey, beer, and wine, Jin Young-jun handed me a beer glass.

“Let’s start with something weak.”

I accepted the glass he offered and chugged it down in one go.

“Oh ho! This high schooler can drink well?”

Slightly surprised, Jin Young-jun looked at me. I held out my glass. Jin Kyung-jun seemed more interested in women than alcohol and had gone upstairs to the second floor with two of them.

“Hyung, whether I become a prosecutor or a lawyer, what kind of presence would you like me to be to you?”

After a few drinks, I spoke in a slightly serious tone. In his eyes, I probably looked like a high school senior trying to act like an adult.

“Lee Hak-jae is by Grandfather’s side, and our father also has two guys like Lee Hak-jae. But Do-jun, those guys are all outsiders. We’re brothers. Even if we’re cousins, cousins are brothers.”

“Between brothers?”

“Exactly.”

What was he trying to say?

“If there’s one thing I realized while living at the European branch, it’s that no matter how loyal the subordinates seem, they never truly open their hearts. They all have their own agendas.”

That guy blames others for his inability to trust people.

“Well, I understand. There’s a deep divide between the one who gives money and the one who receives it. But brothers are different. We don’t give and take; we share.”

The original Jin Do-jun might have believed those words. But I, as Yoon Hyun-woo, know that those words are a blatant lie.

I still haven’t forgotten how he sent his own brother, Jin Kyung-jun, to prison because he didn’t want to share.