Chapter 60: Did You Talk to Him? What’s Your Impression?

“Did you talk to him? What’s your impression?”

Jin Young-jun approached Hong So-young, who wore a slightly displeased expression.

“He’s polite.”

“That’s all?”

“He doesn’t act like a pampered rich kid. Was he always like that?”

“Of course. When he was younger, our family looked down on him. He was always timid and insecure.”

“I see. Anyway, he seems like someone who doesn’t reveal his true feelings.”

“It’s fine. I plan to use Do-jun as my right-hand man, so there’s no need to be wary of him.”

Jin Young-jun casually offered his arm.

“Let’s go. There are still many people we need to greet.”

Hong So-young linked her arm with his, her wariness of Jin Do-jun not entirely gone. However, if he truly became her fiancé’s right-hand man, it would be more than welcome.

“Oh, right, I promised to give him a generous allowance, is that alright with you?”

“It’s natural for an older sister-in-law to give her youngest cousin some pocket money.”

Jin Young-jun said it as if it were nothing, but Hong So-young’s thoughts differed. She believed that nothing revealed a person’s true nature more than how they spent money.

* * *

When I went to the restroom, someone approached me as if they had been waiting.

“Young Master.”

“Assistant Manager Kim. I told you to rest today. There was no need for you to come to a family event.”

I said with a smile, but Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk looked a little stiff.

“Do you have some time? There’s something I need to tell you.”

Seeing his expression, I didn’t object. I noticed his cautiousness and wariness as he lowered his voice, glancing around.

“You know my car, right? It’s in the garage. Wait for me there. I’ll be right behind you.”

Assistant Manager Kim quietly disappeared, and after looking around Yeongbin Gwan once more, I headed to the garage.

Squeezing into my car amidst the tightly packed vehicles, I saw Assistant Manager Kim turn his head from the driver’s seat.

“What’s going on?”

“Please wait a moment. Chief Shin will explain.”

“Chief Shin?”

“Yes. He’s our strategy team leader… I think I mentioned him before. Don’t you remember?”

“Ah….”

Just then, the back door opened, and a man slipped inside.

“Greetings. I’m Team Leader Shin Seok-ho.”

His face seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place him.

“Sorry to bother you.”

“It’s fine. But have we met somewhere before?”

“You don’t remember. We met once at the Yangpyeong villa. I drove you home early in the morning.”

“Ah! You’re that person.”

He was the one Jin Young-jun had kicked. I had thrown out bait then, but there was no reaction, so I had forgotten about him.

“Since we don’t have much time, I’ll get straight to the point. You may or may not know, but I lead the so-called ‘Third Generation’ dedicated team.”

As a team leader, he wouldn’t oversee everything. He probably only managed the third-generation members in Korea. Cousins studying abroad would be managed by the branch offices in their respective countries.

“Someone has been tailing us for about a month.”

“All of you?”

“Yes. They don’t seem to be tracking every single move, just the general whereabouts.”

“Is Young-jun hyung included in that?”

“Yes. They’re tailing everyone without exception.”

Is my uncle checking up on his own son? That’s a bit much. If it’s not my uncle, then who?

“Have you figured out who’s behind it?”

“No. Our team doesn’t have the manpower for that. We’re not experts enough to trace them.”

True, their team members were mostly just executive assistants, so it would be impossible for them to track anyone.

I looked at Team Leader Shin for a moment before asking what I was curious about.

“But why are you telling me this? According to procedure….”

“I know the procedure. We report to the head of the strategy office, which then goes up to Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae. And then the intelligence team or Soonyang Security agents would be mobilized.”

“You know it well. So why?”

Team Leader Shin Seok-ho’s eyes flickered slightly before he spoke.

“To be honest, I want to grab onto a lifeline.”

“A lifeline? Are you talking about the kind of lifeline I think you are?”

“Yes. Our strategy team… has no future and nowhere to rely on. It’s rare for anyone to last even a year.”

“Even if you endure for years like Team Leader, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel….”

A look of embarrassment crossed Shin Seok-ho’s face.

“But why me? I’m the youngest in the company and can’t say a word. I don’t even know if I’ll be involved in the group’s affairs. How can I be your lifeline?”

“You extended a hand to me, didn’t you?”

He clearly remembered that day. But it took too long to take the bait. Is he slow to judge? Or is he just cautious? I need to learn more about this person.

“Are you just grabbing on without thinking? Frankly, wasn’t I the only one who offered a hand? Am I your only lifeline, is that why?”

I asked a difficult question, but he answered without hesitation.

“You’re the only hand, but I’m grabbing it because it’s trustworthy. If it were an untrustworthy hand, I would have scoffed and ignored it. Among Chairman Jin’s grandchildren, no one manages themselves as thoroughly, is as diligent, or as sensible as you, Young Master.”

“Does the entire strategy team follow your lead, Team Leader Shin?”

“No. Our team has a high turnover rate anyway. It’s mostly menial tasks, so many people quit. That’s why I only chose people who I believe will stay with me for a long time. Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk is one of them.”

I met their gazes and pondered for a moment. There was no reason to refuse, considering they could monitor my cousins’ every move.

The important thing was to make them essential, unlike how they were now.

“Team Leader Shin, Assistant Manager Kim. Listen to me carefully.”

As I spoke, the two of them swallowed hard, their eyes shining.

“It’s not that the two of you grabbed the hand I offered first. It’s that the strategy team pleaded with me to be their shelter, and I agreed. Do you understand?”

The words lead to the same result, but the order is different. Team Leader Shin, quick to grasp this difference, nodded.

“Yes. Of course.”

“Don’t answer so readily. It’s not that I offered my hand and you took it. This difference is significant.”

“I understand perfectly. It means you can take away the roof sheltering us anytime, Young Master, right?”

Is it because he’s been reading people’s expressions for so long? Or is he just quick-witted?

“We will follow your expectations and the line you draw. If we fall behind even a little, you can cut the line without any resentment.”

Their eyes were so earnest that I needed to temper their expectations. A more realistic mindset would be more effective for work.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not asking for loyalty. This is just a transaction. The strategy team does what I need, and I pay the price. That price could be a bright future or it could be money.”

“Is that because you’re not yet a part of Soonyang Group?”

“No. I still don’t have high expectations or much trust in either of you. So, it’s just a transaction. If you want more than that from me, show me something that can change my mind. That’s all you need to do.”

I’ve never received anyone’s loyalty before. But I know that nothing is more dangerous than the loyalty of a fool or an incompetent person.

The two of them didn’t get the answer they wanted, but their expressions brightened, as if just seizing this opportunity was a stroke of luck.

I even have an immediate opportunity to test their capabilities.

“Assistant Manager Kim.”

I omitted the honorific ‘nim’. They were now my first employees to command as I pleased.

“Yes.”

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be taking taxis. Tail the guys who are tailing me. Don’t be too hasty, take your time. Even if it takes a long time, it’s fine.”

“Yes.”

“And Team Leader Shin.”

“Yes.”

“Send all strategy team reports to me first. Any red lines I draw shouldn’t be reported to those above.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Before ending the conversation, I gave them a small reward.

“Don’t worry about money and don’t skimp on the activity expenses. If you personally need money, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about financial issues.”

Indeed, all of humanity’s worries stem from money. The two men’s expressions couldn’t be brighter.

Sometimes, cousins’ engagement ceremonies can be helpful. I gained quite a bit today. I discovered a woman to be wary of, and I reluctantly acquired eyes and hands to act on my behalf.

* * *

Even as the sale of Ajin Automobile was being decided, large corporations were collapsing.

Jinro Group, the household name for soju, filed for composition, and Samlip Food, the face of sliced bread, went bankrupt. Daenong, the parent company of Midopa Department Store, one of the top four department stores in Korea, also crumbled, and rumors of bankruptcy began to spread about Haitai, led by manager Kim Eung-ryong and Sun Dong-yeol.

Even with these clear warning signs flashing brightly, the presidential candidates were tearing each other apart to get into the Blue House, and Daehyun Group was doing everything in its power to expand.

As my grandfather said, they had begun their counterattack.

Daehyun waited patiently, and as soon as we submitted our letter of intent to acquire Ajin Group, they used all the media outlets to push the keywords of national wealth outflow and foreign speculative capital.

This level of offense was expected, so we didn’t react much.

We only have one chance to land a decisive blow. We need to hold back and then reverse the situation with a single strike.

The killer card that will sway public opinion and change the minds of the reviewers before the acquisition review begins is still in our hands.

But plans are just plans. How easy would life be if everything went as planned?

“Another suspicion has been raised regarding Miracle Investment, which submitted the letter of intent to acquire Ajin Group. It has been revealed that the source of Miracle Investment’s funds is Japan. It’s a situation where we cannot rule out the possibility of Ajin Automobile becoming a bridgehead for Japanese automakers to enter the Korean market.”

My phone rang as soon as the top story appeared on TV news.

“Yes, I saw it too.”

– We need to hold a press conference to refute this. This is a fatal blow. If they play the anti-Japanese sentiment card, there’s no way out.

Urgency was evident in Oh Se-hyun’s voice. What could be more potent than anti-Japanese sentiment when it comes to national interest and the outflow of national wealth?

“Is there any basis for this news? They’re not just writing a novel, are they?”

– SoftBank. SoftBank is a listed company and a prominent company in Japan, so it wouldn’t have been difficult for them to find out that we had invested in it.

“There’s no point in requesting a correction, right?”

– It’ll take until next year to get a result.

“Let’s wait and see how the follow-up reports play out for a day. We’ll decide on a rebuttal press conference after that.”

– Maybe Chairman Jin’s power….

“It’s difficult. Daehyun is controlling the board right now.”

We can’t ask for help for something like this. We can only reach out for help when something like the Soonyang Group is at stake.

I could hear Oh Se-hyun’s disappointed sigh on the other end of the phone.

“Uncle, if the follow-up reports keep pouring in, let’s go public with Chairman Song. We’ll use the Ajin Group union leaders as backup too.”

– Hey, that’s our last hidden card….

“I don’t think we can wait for the hidden card. Let’s go for it.”

A chill ran down my spine as I ended the call.

Korean chaebols are truly terrifying.

To think that the news from a public broadcasting station would be aired on national television as written by a chaebol group without even checking the facts.

What’s even more terrifying is that this went on for two days without stopping.

Eventually, Miracle Investment prepared a press conference, but the uneasy feeling remained, as it felt like giving Daehyun another chance to counterattack.

Isn’t Daehyun skilled at this kind of dogfight?

* * *

“The rumors about Japanese funds flowing in are completely unfounded. While our Miracle Investment has invested in Japan, it was a short-term investment, and we withdrew after making a profit. In fact, we earned Japanese Yen.”

“But isn’t that earned Yen still American capital?”

“We are pouring that very Yen into saving Ajin Automobile now.”

The reporters tore into Oh Se-hyun like he was their sworn enemy.