Chapter 64: A Tenth of the Effort

I hurled the remote at the TV, but the screen remained unscathed. It was as if the television itself was mocking me.

“From this moment forward, I don’t want to see the name Soonyang anywhere near me.”

In the conference room, the presidents and executives began to feel uneasy about the Soonyang Electronics cell phones in their pockets. It was a relief they were switched off.

“Did none of you know about this? Didn’t Song Hyun-chang or Oh Se-hyun have people keeping tabs on him?”

“We haven’t detected any unusual movements until last night.”

“Are you blind? What do you mean you didn’t see anything!”

Someone muttered under their breath, but Chairman Joo’s roar was the only response.

“Do you think three people could come to such an agreement with just a few phone calls? They must have met dozens of times. What exactly are you lot good for?”

Chairman Joo, who had been fuming for a while, realized that he couldn’t just keep losing his temper and calmed down.

“We’ll consider not knowing about their sneak attack as a lesson learned. Now, let’s hear what each of you thinks we can do to recover from this.”

No one dared to speak easily.

This wasn’t like buying a single item at an auction. How easy would it be if we could just bid the highest price and win?

If one trillion wasn’t enough, we could offer two or three trillion.

But the bidding documents clearly included a very important section called ‘non-price factors’.

Especially the acquisition of a top-tier conglomerate like Ajin Group is an extension of highly political maneuvering.

You need the support of the Blue House, the economic ministries, and the National Assembly to pull it off.

A merger between Soonyang and Ajin has a plausible justification and looks good on paper. Wouldn’t Daehyun swallowing them whole inevitably lead to tens of thousands of job losses?

The presidential election is the day after tomorrow. How much of a burden would generating tens of thousands of unemployed people be for the ruling party’s candidate?

“Not only are you blind, but now you’re all mute? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Chairman Joo Young-il scanned the main conference room once, then let out a defeated laugh as he looked at the presidents with their heads bowed.

“I’m giving you two hours. Find every possible way to reverse this. Mobilize all your connections, even your distant relatives, and start an all-out lobbying effort. Pressure everyone, from low-level government employees to bank clerks.”

Chairman Joo also took out his cell phone and left the conference room.

First, the Blue House!

* * *

“Father, this can’t be happening.”

“Have a seat. Want some tea?”

Chairman Jin looked at his eldest son with displeasure as he burst into his study without knocking and started shouting.

“Abandoning the automobile business? What on earth are we lacking that makes you do this…?”

Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki’s forehead veins throbbed as he struggled to hold back the words he really wanted to say.

The automobile division, forever stuck in last place, bleeding red ink—fine, get rid of it. But to learn about such a crucial group decision through the TV!

He was the eldest son of the founder and the group’s vice-chairman. If he were younger, he’d have nothing to say, but he was already in his mid-fifties. How long would he be treated like a useless fixture?

“We’re not lacking anything, so I threw it away. We’re dumping all the automobile division’s losses along with it, getting rid of the whole mess….”

“Father!”

Jin Young-ki finally exploded at his father’s nonchalant words. He couldn’t hold back the words he should have.

“How could you not give me a single word of warning? This is a major issue concerning the restructuring of the group’s subsidiaries, yet I had to find out through the TV? Is that all I am to you? I’m ashamed to even mention my title as vice-chairman!”

Chairman Jin silently watched his eldest son rant and rave for a while.

“President Jo Dae-ho has always brought all approval documents to me. Yet, that same man announced this massive deal, the merger of Soonyang Automobile, himself. How much do you think he laughed while getting my approvals all this time… Doesn’t he think I’m just a scarecrow?”

The louder his son’s voice became, the colder Chairman Jin’s expression grew.

If Jin Young-ki had calmed down even slightly, he would have sensed the change in Chairman Jin. But his outburst had clouded his judgment.

“Are you done? Is there more?”

“Huh?”

Chairman Jin’s icy voice pierced his ears, and only then did he realize he’d gone too far.

“If you’ve aired your grievances and anger, we should move on to the next thing.”

“……?”

Jin Young-ki couldn’t fathom what the ‘next thing’ was.

“What is it? Is all you can do is get angry?”

The smirk on his face was clearly mocking. Jin Young-ki’s clenched fist trembled.

“Father!”

“Enough with that, you idiot!”

Chairman Jin slammed his hand on the desk, and Jin Young-ki’s fist slowly unclenched.

“What? You’re ashamed of your title as Vice-chairman? And what was that? A scarecrow?”

“F-Father….”

“If you’re ashamed of being the Vice-chairman of Soonyang Group, then give it up. The entire nation would fight like rabid dogs to get their hands on that title you’re so ashamed of. The only thing you’ve done is be born as my eldest son. You don’t understand the value of a title you got by pure luck.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Yes, it is! You received the title of Vice-chairman when you were over forty. If you weren’t my son? If you had clawed your way up from the bottom to get that title, you wouldn’t have a single second of doubt. No… could you even have held a director’s position?”

Jin Young-ki couldn’t bring himself to retort, but he seethed with intense humiliation.

“One of the things you said makes sense. Scarecrow. There couldn’t be a more fitting word.”

“This is… too much.”

“Too much? Me? Don’t you act like a scarecrow yourself? Just like you’re doing right now.”

Chairman Jin’s voice softened slightly, perhaps feeling a bit sorry for his eldest son’s miserable expression.

“Young-ki, I understand why you were furious when you learned about this through the TV. But it’s already been released to the press. You know there’s no turning back. So, you should have been thinking about what will happen next, what additional preparations need to be made, and what real benefits Soonyang can gain from this merger. That’s what a vice-chairman should be doing.”

Chairman Jin’s low, advising tone made him seem like a father trying to teach his still inadequate son, despite his age.

“Young-ki.”

“Yes, sir.”

Chairman Jin approached Jin Young-ki, who still couldn’t lift his bowed head, and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“If you put in even a tenth of the effort others do, that seat will be yours.”

Chairman Jin pointed towards the executive chair.

“Don’t be impatient. Focus all your energy on thinking about Soonyang’s future, making it bigger, and protecting it. That’s all you need to do.”

Chairman Jin felt a sense of self-disgust as he comforted his grown son, even at his age of over seventy, while the son kept his head lowered.

* * *

“It was two days ago.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Jin Do-jun was in Oh Se-hyun’s car that evening, followed shortly by Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae and President Jo Dae-ho. Jin Do-jun left before the other two arrived.”

President Jin Dong-ki, who oversaw Soonyang Group’s heavy industries and chemical divisions, listened intently to his aides’ report.

“So, my older brother definitely wasn’t there?”

“Yes. We confirmed he rushed to the Chairman’s residence immediately after the TV announcement.”

“Didn’t you hear anything else?”

“There were some loud voices in the study, but we don’t know the exact content. I apologize.”

“No, how could you know that unless you had a bug? It’s alright.”

“I really wish we had planted a bug.”

“Don’t even think about it. Don’t you know how cautious the old man is? Security personnel come and go, searching the study about every three days. We’re finished if we get caught.”

President Jin Dong-ki chuckled wryly at the regretful comment from one of his aides.

“It’s obvious. With his personality, he would have whined to the old man. Isn’t that all he’s good for? Haha.”

After a bout of laughter, another aide cautiously spoke.

“President, it’s clear that Oh Se-hyun proposed the merger first, but why did the Chairman accept so readily? Especially so suddenly, within a single day.”

“It could be a script Father wrote from the beginning. Oh Se-hyun has been showing his colors since the acquisition of Hando Steel. Miracle might be the old man’s hidden vault.”

An unresolved question was posed to Jin Dong-ki, who was slowly shifting in his swivel chair.

“President, are you saying that kid Jin Do-jun is the Chairman’s treasurer?”

“Oh Se-hyun is probably the treasurer. Maybe Do-jun is learning the ropes from Oh Se-hyun.”

“Either way, he’s impressive. To receive that much favor from the Chairman among the third generation…”

“If he were just over thirty, he’d be a threat to me. It’s fortunate he’s the youngest, and it’s also fortunate that the eldest, Young-joon, is an idiot.”

Jin Dong-ki stopped the slight movements of his swivel chair and leaned forward on his desk.

“Keep a close watch on Do-jun. He’s already going back and forth between Oh Se-hyun and our old man, acting as a messenger. He probably knew about this merger from the start. In the worst-case scenario….”

President Jin Dong-ki trailed off, and his aides swallowed hard.

“Surely not the succession…?”

“No. I’m sure it’s not that. The old man has doted on him since he was young, but he didn’t stop him from going to law school. With his grades, getting the top spot in Seoul National University’s business department would have been a given. But it’s law school. Why would he do that?”

Everyone just blinked at Jin Dong-ki’s question. They were aides, but how could they know the intricate details of the family’s affairs?

“If you need a lawyer or prosecutor, you can just buy one with money. I heard Do-jun doesn’t even attend school properly. What Father wanted was a flower to show off. A boast about his smart grandson, how well he studies.”

“Ah….”

“That’s all he expects from Do-jun. A polish to make the family’s image shine. If he intended to entrust the group to him, he would have definitely sent him to the business administration department. He’d need to learn the industry jargon, wouldn’t he?”

“But why entrust it to Miracle’s Oh Se-hyun? If he’s just for show?”

“Because he’s useful. He might have discovered his talent. A talent for handling money, making money. He might even take over Soonyang Group’s financial sector. Soonyang Life, Soonyang Fire & Marine Insurance, Soonyang Capital, and even the credit card business.”

Jin Dong-ki shook his head slightly as his aides’ expressions stiffened.

“Don’t worry about it too early. This battle will be over quickly, like a lightning strike. For now, we just need to build our reputation steadily without making mistakes. Stepping out unnecessarily will backfire. Like Hanseong Ilbo. Heh.”

Jin Dong-ki’s laughter eased the tension on his aides’ faces.

“That’s right. Following someone before they’re even married?”

“They’re probably just excited because she’s marrying our family’s eldest grandson, without knowing their place. They’re just advertising earners who don’t know their limits.”

“Should we subtly inform the Chairman about this?”

“Does he not know something that I know? Leave it be.”

President Jin Dong-ki lowered his voice again.

“And the Soonyang Automobile stock price is falling now, right?”

“Yes. The smart ones are already selling off their shares.”

“Buy them all back when it hits rock bottom. There won’t be a spin-off. Father isn’t the type to give away something he’s nurtured. Once things settle, the stock price will rise, and it will strengthen our control over the group. Make sure to secure them without fail.”

“Yes, President.”

As his aides stood up, President Jin Dong-ki snapped his fingers.

“Oh, and quickly arrange a dinner with President Jo Dae-ho. Don’t forget to mention that I wanted to treat him to a meal since he’s leaving after all his hard work.”

The second son, Jin Dong-ki, maintained his unwavering belief that the path he was forging from the ground up was absolutely correct.