Chapter 57: Could That Money Really Be From Chairman Jin?
by xennovel“W-Wait, could that money Chairman Jin gifted really be for that young whippersnapper?”
It was common knowledge, even among ordinary people, that Chairman Jin gifted small amounts of stock or cash to his grandchildren once they became adults.
Some criticized it, saying he even manipulated blood ties with money, while others praised it as wise since he’d stop the gifts if they didn’t show ability.
For Chairman Jin to have already gifted hundreds of millions, if not billions, was astonishing to everyone.
“The gifting is true, but it’s different from the norm. Ten years ago, he gifted a ranch for Jin Do-jun. But unfortunately, that ranch’s location is now Bundang New City.”
“Ah….”
“He got lucky. Land worth tens of millions soared to tens of billions.”
It felt more like a stroke of luck. For someone like Chairman Jin, a gift of tens of millions for a grandchild wouldn’t be seen as a sign of special affection.
“The place where that money was entrusted was Miracle Investment. The CEO of this investment firm, Oh Se-hyun, was a classmate of Jin Do-jun’s father during their studies abroad.”
“Is there anything else? Based on what you’ve reported so far, he’s just a lucky kid.”
“A unique point is that he’s the only one among the grandchildren who frequents 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 his affection shifted to his grandson, Jin Do-jun. Second, the boy has incredible luck. Chairman Jin occasionally mentioned in interviews that you can’t beat someone who holds fortune in both hands.”
“Isn’t it common for a grandfather to favor the youngest?”
When Chairman Hong tried to downplay the significance, Hong So-young vigorously shook her head.
“No, Grandpa.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve heard that even Young-joon has difficulty entering the study carelessly. It’s not just any study. It’s the control tower of the Soonyang Group. The other grandchildren just meet him in the living room. But a private meeting in the study? That’s like having a private meeting in the Soonyang Group chairman’s office.”
“That’s correct. Even Vice-chairman Jin Young-gi practically can’t have a private meeting. He’s always known to be with Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae. So far, Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae is the only person known to be able to meet privately with Chairman Jin at any time.”
No one opened 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.
“What about that kid, Jin Do-jun, and women or entertainment? He’s at that age where he might be indulging….”
He just hasn’t had the chance to cause trouble yet. Now that he’s an adult, if he indulges in the drinking and women that young men from chaebol families inevitably experience, Chairman Jin’s affection will diminish.
“He’s still the model student himself. Actually, I don’t think it’ll be easy for him to get involved in entertainment. He doesn’t have any friends who would pull him into that. Jin Do-jun only studied at the private high school where the third generation naturally meet, so he doesn’t have friends.”
“It doesn’t seem like that kid will be living lavishly.”
Chairman Hong, who had been silent, got up with difficulty.
“Going in and out of an investment firm in Yeouido means he understands the fun of making money, even though he’s young. There’s nothing more fun than making money. He might enjoy it to a certain extent, but he won’t be completely absorbed by it.”
Chairman Hong glanced around the conference room and moved his feet.
“It’s unusual, but don’t get too hung up on it. Considering Chairman Jin’s age, he doesn’t have the time to think about his grandchildren. Check Jin Dong-gi, the second son, and his daughter, Jin Seo-yoon, thoroughly. Those are wolves. As soon as the tiger dies, they’ll bare their teeth.”
Chairman Hong spoke to the man who had just briefed them.
“Just in case, keep an eye on that kid Jin Do-jun too. He might be playing the stock market using Chairman Jin’s insider information.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“And So-young.”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
“Casually ask the guy who’s going to be your husband about it. What kind of position does that kid Jin Do-jun have in their family?”
“Okay.”
Hong So-young nodded, and Chairman Hong said to everyone.
“This kind of opportunity won’t come again. Don’t let your guard down until everything Chairman Jin owns falls into 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. As expected, they’re not getting out of the car.”
“Are you sure it’s surveillance?”
“It’s the same car I saw at the chairman’s residence. I’m certain.”
If they’re deploying people to monitor the house, my uncle is the most likely culprit. Is he slowly starting his move to seize control of the group?
“By any chance, are the people from my uncle’s house, I mean, Older Brother Young-joon or Kyung-joon, also being followed?”
“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 before me become such a person?
Assistant Manager Kim cautiously opened his mouth, noticing my sidelong glance.
“Um, Young Master.”
“Hey, what’s with the ‘Young Master’….”
“Then what should I call you…?”
Damn it, there’s no suitable title. Just calling me Do-jun-ssi feels off, and calling me Do-jun implies a casual relationship.
I need to avoid speaking informally. Language is the most definitive rule for defining hierarchical relationships.
“I see your point. Let’s go with Young Master for now.”
“Yes, Young Master. It’s just that, if you have anything you need, 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 uneasy. The other employees in the strategy team are on standby 24 hours a day, handling all sorts of odd jobs, even running errands for cigarettes.
Compared to that, Kim Yoon-suk has a cushy job. He only works for an hour a day.
“There’s no chance of that happening unless I tell them to fire you. Excuse me for a moment. I’m going to 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 exited the rest area. He hurriedly followed me, clutching the envelope.
I grabbed the steering wheel and started the engine, but Assistant Manager Kim couldn’t leave.
“Young Master. You need to tell me what you want me to do with this money.”
I’m not sure if it’s the right move, but I need capable hands. Rather than finding good hands, I should nurture the hands I already have.
“Assistant Manager Kim.”
“Yes.”
“People who only do what they’re told can be found anywhere. People with good education and brains are lining up to join Soonyang.”
I didn’t miss the twitch in his hand gripping the steering wheel.
“We are the ones who choose, and those lining up are the ones desperately trying to be chosen.”
“Are you saying I need to beat those smart people from good universities?”
This is going nowhere by trying to be subtle. I need to be direct.
“Since joining Soonyang, have you ever decided what to do on your own, even once?”
“…….”
“Assistant Manager Kim, become someone who chooses their own decisions. The first step is choosing what to do. First, choose what you will do, and then choose the people you need for that task. The money I gave you is a tool to gain the favor of the people you need.”
Assistant Manager Kim said nothing.
“Oh, and I don’t need receipts.”
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror and then stepped on the accelerator. Judging by the lack of questions, he understood.
* * *
As expected, Ajin Group entered court receivership after the moratorium period ended.
Chairman Song Hyun-chang hadn’t given up his last hope of preventing the company from being taken over and even applied for a composition with creditors, but he couldn’t reverse the inevitable trend.
“We absolutely must save Ajin Special Steel.”
“What are you talking about? Special Steel is the one with the biggest deficit. How can we save that?”
“Ajin Special Steel was established to develop independent platforms and engines for automobiles. Domestic steelmakers won’t even consider it because of low demand. If we liquidate it, we’ll still have to rely on imports.”
They liquidated 14 subsidiaries, and all the labor unions of Ajin Group’s subsidiaries declared a no-strike, wage freeze. They showed a painful self-rescue plan, but the creditor banks didn’t stop their merciless cuts.
“Look here, Chairman Song. Right now, we need to put out the immediate fire. The future of the Korean automotive industry? Leave that to Daewoo Motors. The separate sale of debt-ridden Ajin Special Steel is a core self-rescue measure to save Ajin Automobile!”
Chairman Song Hyun-chang, acutely aware that court receivership meant losing management control, could only pray for Miracle’s acquisition.
“Chairman Song, we need to build a solid image before the full-scale takeover battle begins. You are an automotive expert. However, you took some unreasonable risks to keep other large conglomerates in check, and that’s what caused this mess. If you only focus on automobiles, there won’t be any problems. 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 happened to taking care of our people who were already laid off? I know the slush funds have already gone to Miracle Investment, right?”
Oh Se-hyun felt a mix of pity and understanding. He didn’t fail to grasp the heart of an eldest brother who wanted to take care of his comrades who had gone through thick and thin together and were now being laid off.
But the priorities were wrong.
“Chairman Song, we are in the middle of a war. Dividing the spoils of war is something to consider after we’ve won.”
“They no longer have any chance of participating in the war. They’re the wounded who have been transferred to the rear.”
“Wounded soldiers with severed limbs need to show their scars and further fuel the animosity towards the enemy. Tell them this. If they want to get the spoils of war, they need to show results.”
Chairman Song couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.
“CEO Oh, does this mean you won’t return the slush funds if we lose the takeover battle? Am I misunderstanding?”
“No. You understand correctly. If Miracle fails to acquire Ajin Automobile, I will consider the 270 billion won in slush funds as war expenses.”
Song Hyun-chang was speechless at Oh Se-hyun’s resolute conclusion.
In this urgent situation, he temporarily forgot that there wasn’t a single trustworthy person in the world. The money, which was incomparable to the profits he earned as the CEO of Ajin Automobile for five years, was now about to disappear.
“Hey, CEO Oh.”
Oh Se-hyun raised his hand and stopped Song Hyun-chang from speaking.
“Do you want a feast? 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 fogeys who were laid off don’t get any other ideas.”
Oh Se-hyun left a final warning and stood up.
“At most two months. Right now, the creditor banks are using every means possible to hand it over to Daehyun as quickly as possible. Use your personal assets to accelerate building your image as an automotive expert.”