Chapter 57: Could That Be Chairman Jin’s Gift? To That Young Brat?

“W-wait, could that money Chairman Jin gave away actually be for him? For that little punk?”

Everyone knew that Chairman Jin gifted small amounts of stock or cash to his grandchildren once they became adults.

Some criticized him, saying he manipulated even his own bloodline with money, while others praised it as wise, noting that he’d halt the gifts if they didn’t show ability.

So for Chairman Jin to have already gifted him hundreds of millions, everyone was bound to be astonished.

“The gifting is true, but it’s different from the norm. Ten years ago, he gifted Jin Do-jun a ranch. But as fate would have it, this ranch was located in what is now Bundang New City.”

“Ah….”

“He got lucky. Land worth tens of millions soared to tens of billions of won.”

It actually felt like a relief. For someone like Chairman Jin, a gift of tens of millions of won for a grandson wasn’t really evidence of special affection.

“The place he entrusted that money to was Miracle Investment. Its CEO, Oh Se-hyun, was Jin Do-jun’s father’s classmate from his studies abroad.”

“Is there anything else? Based on what you’ve reported so far, he’s just a lucky kid.”

“A notable point is that he’s the only grandchild who freely goes in and out of the study. During school breaks, he even stayed at Chairman Jin’s house. It signifies special affection.”

“Special affection, huh….”

“Yes, sir. I believe there are two reasons. First, he treated his son, Jin Yun-ki, like a discarded child for a long time, so he felt sorry, and that affection shifted to his grandson, Jin Do-jun. Second, the kid has incredible luck. Chairman Jin has occasionally said in interviews that you can’t beat someone who holds money-drawing luck in both hands.”

“Isn’t it common for a grandfather to favor the youngest?”

Chairman Hong tried to downplay the significance, but Hong So-young shook her head emphatically.

“No, Grandpa.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve heard that even Young-joon has a hard time entering the study freely. It’s not just an ordinary study. It’s the control tower of Soonyang Group. He meets the other grandchildren in the living room. But a private meeting in the study? That’s like saying they have a private meeting in the Soonyang Group chairman’s office.”

“That’s correct. Even Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki practically can’t have a private meeting. He’s always known to be with Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae. So far, Lee Hak-jae is the only person known to be able to meet privately with Chairman Jin at any time.”

No one dared to open their mouth.

At the very least, it was hard to deny that Chairman Jin’s affection for Jin Do-jun was exceptional.

The first to break the silence was Hong So-young’s father, President Hong.

“How about that kid Jin Do-jun, with women or entertainment? He’s at that age where he could be living it up….”

He just hasn’t had the chance to cause trouble yet. Now that he’s an adult, if he indulges in alcohol and women like the young scions of chaebol families inevitably do, Chairman Jin’s affection will fade.

“He’s the model student himself, so far. Actually, I don’t think it’s easy for him to get into that kind of scene. He doesn’t have friends who would drag him into it. At the private high school where the third generation naturally meet, Jin Do-jun only focused on studying and doesn’t have any friends.”

“It doesn’t seem like that kid will be living it up.”

Chairman Hong, who had been quiet, got up with some effort.

“The fact that he frequents an investment firm in Yeouido means that even though he’s young, he knows the fun of making money. There’s nothing more fun than making money. He might enjoy it to a certain extent, but he won’t get completely lost in it.”

Chairman Hong glanced around the conference room as he moved.

“It’s unusual, but don’t get too hung up on it. Considering Chairman Jin’s age, he doesn’t have the luxury to think about his grandchildren. Keep a close eye on his second son, Jin Dong-ki, and his daughter, Jin Seo-yoon. Those two are wolves. The moment the tiger dies, they’ll bare their fangs.”

Chairman Hong spoke to the man who had just given the briefing.

“Just in case, keep an eye on that kid Jin Do-jun too. He might be using Chairman Jin’s insider information to play the stock market.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“And So-young.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“Casually check with that fellow who’s going to be your husband. What kind of position does that kid Jin Do-jun hold within the family?”

“I understand.”

As Hong So-young nodded, Chairman Hong said to everyone.

“An opportunity like this won’t come again. Don’t loosen your grip until everything Chairman Jin owns is in Jin Young-jun’s hands.”

* * *

I drove past Jayuro to the Unification Observatory. I went into the observatory’s rest area with Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk and drank coffee while observing the cars tailing us.

“How is it? Did they follow us?”

“Yes, sir. Just like before, they aren’t getting out of the car.”

“Are you sure it’s surveillance?”

“It’s the same vehicle I saw at the Chairman’s residence. I’m sure of it.”

If they’re deploying people to monitor the house, my uncle is the most likely culprit. Has he begun to initiate his plan to seize the group?

“Have people been assigned to tail my uncle’s family as well? I mean, my older brother Young-joon or Kyung-joon?”

“I don’t know about that. Shall I check?”

“Yes, please do.”

If they’re coming at me like this, I need to prepare as well. Something I hadn’t considered yet: securing people who can handle the dirty work, like my own limbs.

Could Kim Yoon-suk in front of me become that kind of person?

Assistant Manager Kim cautiously opened his mouth, perhaps noticing my glances.

“Um, Young Master.”

“Come on, what’s with the ‘Young Master’….”

“Then what should I call you… ?”

Damn it, there’s no suitable title. Just calling me Do-jun feels a bit off, and if he calls me Do-jun, it implies we should speak casually.

I need to avoid casual speech. Words are the most definitive rule for establishing a superior-subordinate relationship.

“I guess so. Let’s go with Young Master for now.”

“Yes, Young Master. It’s just that, if you have any work you need done, please tell me. All I do is go to Yeouido, and at this rate, I think I’ll get fired.”

There’s no way he’d get fired, but he’s probably feeling insecure. The other members of the strategic team are on standby 24 hours a day, running all sorts of errands, even fetching cigarettes.

Compared to that, Kim Yoon-suk has a cushy job. He only works for an hour a day.

“You won’t be fired unless I tell them to. Excuse me for a moment. I need to use the restroom.”

After visiting the restroom, I withdrew some money from the ATM at the rest area entrance. Would ten million won be enough?

Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk’s eyes widened at the sight of the money envelope on the table.

“T-this is….”

“Use it when you need it. Let’s go.”

“Y-Young Master!”

Leaving the flustered Assistant Manager Kim behind, I walked out of the rest area. He grabbed the envelope and hurriedly followed me.

I gripped the steering wheel and started the engine, but Assistant Manager Kim didn’t move.

“Young Master. You need to tell me what you want me to do with this money.”

I don’t know if it’s the right move, but I need hands. Instead of finding good hands, I should nurture the hands I have.

“Assistant Manager Kim.”

“Yes.”

“People who only do what they’re told are a dime a dozen. Smart people with good degrees are lining up to get into Soonyang.”

I didn’t miss the slight flinch in his hand gripping the door handle.

“We are the ones who choose, and those in line are the ones struggling to be chosen.”

“Are you saying I need to beat the smart people from good universities?”

Trying to be subtle has only led to saying something off-topic. I need to be direct.

“Since you joined Soonyang, have you ever decided what to do on your own, even once?”

“….”

“Assistant Manager Kim, become someone who makes their own decisions. The first step is choosing what you will do. First, choose the task, and then choose the people you need for that task. The money I gave you is a tool to win over the people you need.”

Assistant Manager Kim said nothing.

“Oh, and I don’t need a receipt.”

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror and then stepped on the gas. Judging by the lack of questions, he understood.

* * *

As expected, once the grace period for avoiding bankruptcy ended, Ajin Group entered court receivership.

Chairman Song Hyun-chang still hadn’t given up his last hope of preventing the company from being taken over, even applying for a composition with creditors, but he couldn’t reverse the downward trend.

“We absolutely must save Ajin Special Steel.”

“What are you talking about? The place with the biggest deficit is Special Steel. How can we save that?”

“Ajin Special Steel was established to develop Ajin Automobile’s independent platform and engine. Domestic steel companies say there’s not enough demand, so no one pays attention to it. If we liquidate this, we’ll still have to rely on imports.”

They liquidated 14 subsidiaries, and the unions of all Ajin Group subsidiaries declared no strikes and a wage freeze. They demonstrated drastic self-rescue measures, but the creditor banks didn’t stop their merciless cuts.

“Look here, Chairman Song. Right now, we need to put out the fire that’s right in front of us. The future of the Korean automotive industry? Leave that to Daehyun Automobile. The separate sale of debt-ridden Ajin Special Steel is a core self-rescue measure to save Ajin Automobile!”

Chairman Song Hyun-chang, painfully realizing that court receivership meant losing management control, could only pray that Miracle would acquire them.

“Chairman Song, we need to establish a solid image before the full-scale acquisition battle begins. You are an automotive expert. However, this mess happened because you took some unreasonable risks to keep other major chaebols in check. If you only focus on automobiles, there won’t be a problem. We’ll shift the media’s focus with this.”

Oh Se-hyun meticulously outlined the path Song Hyun-chang needed to take in the remaining time.

“Before that, CEO Oh, what about taking care of our people who have already been let go? I know the slush funds have already gone to Miracle Investment, haven’t they?”

Oh Se-hyun felt a mixture of pity and understanding. He understood the heart of the eldest brother who wanted to look after his comrades who had come this far together.

But the priorities were wrong.

“Chairman Song, we’re in the middle of a war. Dividing the spoils is something to think about after we’ve won.”

“They no longer have the ability to participate in the war. They’re casualties who have been moved to the rear.”

“Wounded soldiers with severed limbs need to show their wounds and fuel more animosity towards the enemy. Tell them this: if they want to get their share of the spoils, they need to show results.”

Chairman Song couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

“CEO Oh, does that mean if we lose the acquisition battle, you won’t return the slush funds? Am I misunderstanding?”

“No. You understand perfectly. If Miracle fails to acquire Ajin Automobile, I’ll consider the 270 billion won in slush funds as war expenses.”

Song Hyun-chang was speechless at Oh Se-hyun’s firm conclusion.

In this desperate situation, he briefly forgot that there wasn’t a single person in the world to trust. That money, which was incomparable to the profits he would gain as the CEO of Ajin Automobile for five years, was now about to disappear.

“Listen here, CEO Oh.”

Oh Se-hyun raised his hand and stopped Song Hyun-chang from speaking.

“Do you want a feast of money? Then do your best so that I, no, we at Miracle, can become the controlling shareholder of Ajin Automobile. And as a word of caution… the money laundering is perfect. Make sure those old-timers who were kicked out don’t get any funny ideas.”

Oh Se-hyun left after delivering his final warning.

“At most, it’s two months. Right now, the creditor banks are using every means possible to hand it over to Daehyun as quickly as possible. Dig into your personal assets and hurry to build your image as an automotive expert.”