Chapter 49: A Day of Matchmaking

“Clear your schedule for tomorrow.”

“Pardon? But Father, we’re scheduled to finalize the Hando Steel acquisition documents tomorrow.”

“Acquiring something bigger and more important might come up. Hando Steel will just become another Soonyang Group company, but this could be entirely your company.”

Jin Young-jun understood the implication when his father differentiated between Soonyang and himself.

“Is this about meeting potential marriage partners?”

“That’s right. Lunch, dinner, and tea in between tomorrow.”

“What? Are you serious? Three in one day?”

“Shouldn’t you see them before the wedding? Whoever you choose will be beneficial to you.”

“Is this Grandfather’s directive?”

“Grandfather chose the three. And I like the Daeil Bank president’s daughter. You’ll like her too.”

“Even so, this is a bit much. It’s like finding a mate for a pet. Deciding in a single day is…”

“Nonsense. I told you, you’re just meeting them before the wedding. You’ll grow attached after living together.”

Jin Young-jun had to accept it, though it was bitter. This wasn’t a marriage he could choose. It wasn’t about marrying someone he loved, but someone necessary for dominating Soonyang Group.

“But Father, why do you favor Daeil Bank?”

“Daeil Bank is useful right now. How much longer do you think your grandfather will live? Your uncles won’t sit still once he’s gone. They’ll bare their teeth and try to snatch a few subsidiaries. We need to secure more shares from now to prepare for that. It costs a lot.”

“So, it’s not about finding a daughter-in-law, but securing collateral for a massive loan.”

“Everyone makes the most advantageous choice for themselves; that’s what marriage is. Do you know who the best brides are for common people? Teachers.”

Jin Young-ki didn’t shout or act rashly. There were three candidates. It would be a disaster if his son didn’t choose the bank president’s daughter. He needed to persuade him gently.

“They have steady salaries as civil servants, pensions after retirement, and school breaks. What’s not to like? Men prefer female teachers to make their lives easier. Everyone’s calculating.”

“Isn’t the bank president’s daughter the one Father favors?”

“Once I take control of all of Soonyang, where will it go? It’ll all be yours.”

“Like you, I also have siblings, Father.”

His father’s desire to prevent his siblings from taking anything was precisely Jin Young-jun’s future.

“When the time comes, you should marry your son to a bank president’s daughter too. Haha.”

His father laughed heartily, but it didn’t sound like a joke to Jin Young-jun.

He, too, would soon have to watch out for his younger siblings, just like his father. Fortunately, it was just his younger sister and brother. It seemed like it would be an easy fight.

* * *

“You work in Hong Kong?”

“Yes.”

Jin Young-jun’s eyebrows twitched.

The only thing this woman had going for her was that her father was a bank president.

She wore luxury brands, her expensive jewelry sparkled, and her hair, styled in Cheongdam-dong, looked nice, but that was it.

Among the numerous female employees in the group’s headquarters, she wouldn’t stand out at all. She had such ordinary looks.

Yet, this woman dared to look at the heir of Soonyang Group with disinterest, answering him as if he were a nuisance.

He would have slapped her and walked out in the past, but he wasn’t that immature anymore.

“Shall we order? Since it’s lunchtime, should we keep it light? The panini here is excellent.”

He offered the menu with as much patience as possible, but she didn’t even glance at it. She addressed the floor manager standing beside the table.

“Just a coffee, please.”

Jin Young-jun barely restrained himself from slamming the menu on her head.

When the floor manager looked at him, he handed over the menu, saying,

“I’m fine.”

She looked at Jin Young-jun’s already stiff face and said,

“I live with my boyfriend in Hong Kong.”

“Cohabitating?”

“Yes. So…”

“I’ll be the one to reject this match. Is that okay with you?”

Jin Young-jun abruptly stood up.

“The coffee here isn’t great. Let’s go. Oh, and let’s say we ate before parting ways. Make sure you tell your father that the matchmaking atmosphere wasn’t bad today.”

Jin Young-jun left the Soonyang Hotel restaurant, watching her bite her lip.

He had two and a half hours before meeting the second woman at three o’clock. Wondering how to kill time, he pulled out his phone.

“Yeah, it’s me. Hurry up and take a taxi to the Soonyang Hotel. I have some free time.”

Jin Young-jun went up to the special suite he used like a second home. He was almost grateful to the bank president’s daughter for giving him the chance to unwind.

* * *

Maybe it was because he’d released all his sexual urges through intense sex, but the appearance of the woman he met in the afternoon didn’t seem that important.

The niece of the chairman of a chaebol ranked around 40th was acting as if she’d get married tomorrow if he just asked.

He politely played along and sent her off, then waited for the last one.

“I’m Hong So-young.”

When he met the last candidate, the eldest granddaughter of the Hanseong Ilbo chairman, he quickly ordered dinner. He was starving because he hadn’t eaten properly at lunch.

It was the newspaper with the largest circulation among domestic media outlets, a newspaper that maintained its lead by starting online services early.

In a way, the prospective groom was the biggest advertising client. However, Hong So-young showed no signs of being intimidated or nervous in front of Jin Young-jun, the heir of Soonyang Group.

Jin Young-jun observed Hong So-young carefully while waiting for the food.

Her body was meticulously maintained, and her expensive attire was striking. Her somewhat fierce impression was a flaw, but she was above average.

Jin Young-jun tried his best to be polite and start various conversations, but she didn’t seem to be listening. He felt oddly pleased that this woman also seemed to have been dragged there against her will.

Since the woman his father wanted was out of the question, and the others had rejected him, he felt relieved, thinking that the topic of marriage wouldn’t come up for a while.

After the meal, Hong So-young sipped her coffee and then bluntly stated,

“Since we’re skipping the getting-to-know-each-other part, can I just tell you my marriage conditions?”

“Go ahead. What are your thoughts?”

He figured this woman was going to set outrageous conditions to break off the engagement.

“I won’t interfere with your private life. I’ve already heard all the rumors about you… Since old habits die hard, I assume you won’t be able to give up women?”

“Excuse me?”

Jin Young-jun almost spilled his coffee.

He never imagined he’d hear such absurd things.

“I don’t care if you’re playing around with celebrities or keeping a mistress. Whether it’s affairs or just for fun, I’ll pretend I didn’t see or hear anything as long as you’re discreet. But…!”

Hong So-young’s eyes narrowed, making her look fiercer.

“If you have a child with another woman, we’re divorcing that day. And of course, I’ll demand an astronomical alimony. Understood?”

“No children with other women?”

“Only the children born between you and me will be your successors. You’re not thinking of disregarding such a basic condition, are you?”

She wasn’t wrong, but her behavior was certainly unusual. Jin Young-jun’s curiosity was piqued, and he wanted to see how this conversation would end.

“Then what about you? Are you just going to play the role of a virtuous wife even if I’m out there with other women?”

Hong So-young’s expression softened, and she smiled slightly.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, I have a low libido. Maybe three or four times a year? I’ll take care of it then.”

“Are you suggesting you’ll be with other men…?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“This is… surprising. I can’t tell if you’re being honest or just bold… But Ms. Hong So-young, why do you want to marry me?”

The smile vanished from Hong So-young’s face.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. It doesn’t have to be you specifically. Of course, I’m more inclined because it’s Soonyang Group, the number one chaebol…”

“You’d be okay with another family?”

“As long as they’re not below our family’s standing.”

Hong So-young sighed briefly and continued.

“Isn’t this an arranged marriage anyway? It’s literally a political strategy, a contract to achieve mutual benefits and goals. There’s no need to struggle to create a normal family, right?”

“Then what’s your goal?”

“I don’t want to bow down to anyone. To do that, I need to make my husband the chairman, and my children the chairman too.”

Jin Young-jun liked this thoroughly calculating woman. In particular, her audacity in seemingly not caring if he enjoyed himself with other women was an exceptional advantage.

* * *

“What? Cohabitating?”

“I’m not lying because I dislike her. You can verify it yourself. An investigation at the Hong Kong branch will confirm it within a day.”

Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki immediately picked up the receiver.

“Mr. President, I apologize that my inadequate son troubled your daughter.”

Jin Young-ki’s expression was burning with anger, but his tone was gentle.

“Ah, well… she gave some ridiculous reason. She said she has someone she loves and is already cohabitating, an impossible lie! I hope this incident won’t cause any inconvenience.”

Putting down the receiver, Vice-chairman Jin glared at Jin Young-jun and said,

“The bank president will handle the cohabitation issue. You just focus on wedding preparations. You’re not thinking of bringing up her past, are you? Compared to your past, her cohabitation is nothing.”

“Father, it’s not that I don’t want to get married. I like the Hanseong Ilbo granddaughter.”

“What? Hanseong Ilbo?”

“Yes. Think about it. A bank president is a temporary position that can change with the regime. But Hanseong Ilbo has the power to change the regime itself. Doesn’t that sound good? You can use Kyung-joon if necessary.”

“Hmm…”

Jin Young-ki considered his second son’s age. Twenty-six. Not a young age.

“This year will be busy. We need to get Hye-kyung married off before Kyung-joon.”

Three weddings in one year. It was going to be very busy.

* * *

“Assistant Manager Kim, please investigate these two people.”

Kim Yoon-suk didn’t even look at the note I handed him.

“Should I request assistance from the group’s information team? Or…?”

“Can you handle it on your own?”

“If it’s just basic information, I can manage it myself.”

“Then please do so.”

Assistant Manager Kim, who was about to bow and turn around, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Should I exclude this information from Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae’s report?”

I couldn’t tell if he was testing me or trying to show his loyalty was solely to me.

“That’s for you to decide. You don’t need to confirm everything with me.”

Loyalty can’t be obtained through force or requests. It must be a genuine feeling from the heart. Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk had only been by my side for a short time.

It was still too early to tell.

I rushed to school because there was a class I absolutely couldn’t miss.

“I’m thinking of replacing this semester’s assignments with a new method…”

The professor distributed pre-printed materials.

“What I’ve handed out are cases that have caused social controversy. Especially those with many opinions that they conflict with constitutional values. I want you to delve into those cases and present new perspectives. The deadline is the end of the semester.”

This was just an introduction to constitutional law class. This method was more appropriate for upperclassmen, not overwhelming for freshmen.

“Since you’re freshmen, it will be difficult to proceed individually, so you’ll work in groups of five. The group list is on the last page. Please work well with your group members. Now, let’s begin the class.”

Like the other students, I quickly flipped through the handout.

When I found my name, I saw a familiar name.

Seo Min-young.

Surprised, I raised my head and looked around the lecture hall.

And my eyes met with Seo Min-young’s.