Chapter 71: The Prime Minister’s Messenger

Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae opened the chairman’s office door, and someone stepped inside.

Chairman Jin, who had been sitting on the reception sofa, started to rise as the door opened but then settled back down.

“The Prime Minister sends a lackey? He’s getting bold.”

The messenger, who had been walking in slowly, quickly scurried to the side and bowed deeply at Chairman Jin’s displeased remark.

“It’s a misunderstanding, Chairman. Given the current political climate, there are many eyes watching, so I had no choice. He specifically instructed me to convey his apologies.”

“Alright, I understand. Have a seat.”

Vice Minister Kim Seong-soo repeatedly bowed his head as he sat on the sofa.

“You know why I asked to meet the Prime Minister, don’t you?”

“Of course, Chairman.”

“I heard the IMF approved a $55.5 billion bailout. That fellow, whether his name is Kang-di or Kang-da, promised it yesterday, didn’t he?”

Vice Minister Kim Seong-soo didn’t answer, only blinking his eyes.

“You… don’t know?”

“Chairman, it’s not that… It’s just, how did you know? It happened yesterday, no, early this morning….”

“Don’t ask who my eyes and ears are. Just answer. Is it true?”

“Yes, it is.”

“How much is coming in the first tranche?”

“$5.6 billion. It’s scheduled for immediate injection.”

“I don’t know where that money is supposed to go, but Soonyang Group will take $1.5 billion. Fair enough?”

Vice Minister Kim Seong-soo looked troubled, his hands placed respectfully on his knees.

“Chairman, that’s… a bit difficult. We’ve decided to release it to commercial banks first. Exporters are lined up with letters of credit. We need to get their finances flowing first to prevent a chain of bankruptcies.”

“Saving the corner stores first, are we?”

“Yes.”

“Get out.”

“Ch-Chairman.”

Vice Minister Kim perched precariously on the edge of the sofa, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.

“Do you take me for a fool? The election is just around the corner, isn’t it? I can practically hear the votes dropping when you talk about supporting the chaebols. So, you want to announce support for small and medium-sized businesses first, don’t you think I know your game plan?”

“N-No, sir.”

“These bastards, I’ve been too lenient… When you need campaign funds, you come running to my pockets, but when I need something, you fill someone else’s? Whose twisted logic is that?”

Chairman Jin’s direct hit left Vice Minister Kim speechless once again.

“Vice Minister Kim, when is the second round of funding?”

Lee Hak-jae, who had been silently observing, interjected to give the embarrassed Kim some breathing room.

“The end of December. Right after Christmas.”

“The amount?”

“$2 billion.”

Chairman Jin slammed his hand on the sofa armrest.

“Give me that much, then. Is that settled?”

As if he had said all he needed to say, Chairman Jin stood up.

“Chairman.”

“What? Still have something to say?”

“How can I promise you that?”

“Then why did you come? I dealt with you because I assumed the Prime Minister gave you that much authority. If someone without authority had dared to drone on in front of me, your career as a public servant would be over. Think carefully before you speak.”

This was the moment a public servant felt the most humiliated and demeaned.

Someone without authority.

In an organization where a person’s rank was determined by their authority, to be called someone without authority meant you were not worth the time of day.

“Chairman, this isn’t something I can promise on my own authority. Not even the Prime Minister… no, not even the President can promise that. It’s only possible if the ruling party wins the election and retains power. If the opposition party takes power, it’s just empty words.”

“Then win! I gave you money to win! If you can’t win even after throwing that money around? Half the people blindly vote for number one, how can you not win?”

The election battle remained neck and neck, with no clear change in momentum. No one could predict the outcome.

Unable to answer and unsure of what to do, Vice Minister Kim Seong-soo turned his gaze to Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae as if seeking help.

When Lee Hak-jae nodded slightly, he mustered the courage to speak.

“Yes, Chairman. We will definitely win and repay your kindness.”

“Stop sucking up and leave. Make sure that $2 billion ends up in my pocket.”

As Vice Minister Kim bowed repeatedly and quietly retreated, Chairman Jin let out a sigh.

“If the Prime Minister is being cautious, the game is over.”

“The intelligence team reports it’s a close race, but the opposition party is slightly ahead.”

“What about that stubborn old man who’s spoiling everything? Have you met with him?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“He insists he will not step down.”

“He’s throwing a wrench in the works. Why doesn’t he realize that running as an independent and taking votes from number one won’t work? It’s not like he’ll get another chance. Is he stupid?”

“People on the campaign trail aren’t thinking straight. When they see their supporters, they become convinced they’ll be the next president.”

The two men exchanged a look of pity.

“By the way, why don’t you give that Kim fellow something?”

“I already put a box in his car trunk.”

“Good. He’s just going back and forth getting cursed out. He needs something to show for it to keep his spirits up.”

As the atmosphere in the chairman’s office calmed down, Lee Hak-jae cautiously spoke.

“Chairman, could you tell me who the owner of Miracle is? I’d like to meet them and ask for their cooperation.”

“Forget it. I’ll handle that. You go visit the opposition party’s camp. Drop off some Bacchus and give them a hint. Tell them if they prioritize giving us the $2 billion, the Federation of Korean Industries will actively cooperate with the next administration.”

Lee Hak-jae bowed his head once and left the chairman’s office.

Left alone in his office, Chairman Jin picked up a piece of paper on his desk.

“17.7 percent, huh….”

The maximum share that could be given to Soonyang Automobile.

17.7% of influence. Not even receiving $1 billion, just providing the exchange service.

Of course, he says they’ll put it back into Soonyang Group after the merger, but he already knows that won’t happen.

What’s in his hand is something he intends to keep, not return.

It wasn’t a waste. If he were to divide it equally among his five children, he could give 20%. Even though it’s going to his grandson, bypassing his son, the grandson is more than qualified.

However, a worry weighed heavily on Chairman Jin’s mind.

There were many times when looking at his grandson felt like looking in a mirror.

He wouldn’t let go of anything he got his hands on and enjoyed taking things from others.

17.7% was clearly not the end, but just the beginning.

If his grandson, who valued calculation over blood ties, set his sights on Soonyang Group, his other children and grandchildren would likely become penniless and be driven out.

Of course, he would make Soonyang Group an even bigger and more magnificent castle, but the grandson would never share the qualifications to enter that castle.

Chairman Jin shook his head.

“…Still, he’s a good kid when it comes to taking care of his father.”

At a young age, he was thoughtful enough to make his father’s dream a reality.

He had to shake off his worries.

Shouldn’t he be more concerned about the group than about his son right now?

Even if he lost it, he wanted to take comfort in the fact that his grandson, not someone else, was the plunderer.

* * *

“Alright, these are the more financially sound ones. If they can get through this crisis, they should be fine.”

I took the list Oh Se-hyun handed me and scanned the names.

“Based purely on accounting, which one has the highest potential?”

“Definitely the one at the top of the list. Their technology is good, so their profit margin is high. You’re not thinking of taking over based on size, are you?”

“No, of course not.”

The name at the top of the list: Dae-ah Construction!

Ranked 5th in construction contracts.

My heart desired to take over Daehyun Construction, but as the second-largest conglomerate in the business world, capable of weathering the IMF crisis through restructuring, I gave up on that idea early on.

“Automobile and construction… they go well together, don’t they? Hehe.”

“Isn’t construction the first step towards becoming a major conglomerate?”

“But will Dae-ah Construction collapse? They have some retained earnings, and they’ve secured many overseas contracts.”

“Uncle, you still don’t believe me? Right now, in our country, only Soonyang and Daehyun can weather this crisis on their own. The rest are like lamps flickering in the wind.”

“Even so, Dae-ah Construction can survive with just a little government support!”

I didn’t argue with Oh Se-hyun’s pessimistic opinion.

There’s no reason to covet a company that isn’t this solid. And there’s no need to explicitly reveal my greed.

The Republic of Korea after the 1997 IMF crisis would become an era of the survival of the fittest. Until now, it was a world where carnivores coexisted with herbivores in a savanna where it was difficult for carnivores to hide.

But from now on, it’s the jungle era where a few carnivores bare their ruthless fangs and roar.

Having decided to become the king of that jungle, only unrestrained actions remained.

“We’ll see.”

Leaving only those words, I got up from my seat.

I needed to finalize the merger issue with my grandfather.

I left the Yeouido office and got into the car.

“Assistant Manager Kim, let’s go to the chairman’s residence.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kim Yoon-suk increased the speed. With the surge in gas prices, traffic had decreased significantly, making driving easier.

“Young master, based on the information we’ve gathered and what Team Leader Shin Seok-ho has compiled, Hanseong Ilbo is on our tail.”

“Hanseong Ilbo, the family we might be related to through marriage?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

This was an absurd outcome. I had only been thinking about internal enemies, and already an outsider was appearing, drooling.

“Actually, we identified it a bit earlier, but we were cautious about reporting it because they might become your in-laws.”

“Is that so?”

“Moreover, we understand the chairman is already aware. The intelligence team and security reported it to him, and he instructed them to pretend not to know. That’s why we were confident.”

Already aware but pretending not to know!

What was his intention?

Does he think Hanseong Ilbo is so insignificant that there’s no need to worry about their meddling? Or is he being cautious because they might become family through marriage?

I need to learn these subtle decisions of my grandfather.

Gathering small pieces of information to make judgments and utilize them—that’s strategy and tactics.

Just as I was thinking about subtly probing my grandfather, the car entered the mansion grounds.

Before getting out of the car, I took out the Hanseong Ilbo corporate card.

“Use this for the strategy team’s dinner tonight. Don’t worry about the cost, go all out, even at a hostess bar.”

It’s a truly pleasant feeling to spend other people’s money.

* * *

“How is it? That should be enough.”

Numbers were densely written on a piece of paper. It was the share distribution of Soonyang Group’s subsidiaries.

The final sum was 17.7.

Combining 17.7% of Soonyang Group with the eight companies of Ajin Group.

And the merged company would be mine.

Why 17.7%? I didn’t ask for the reason or the basis. There was only one question to ask.

“Grandfather, is this number a transaction? Or an inheritance?”

His eyebrows twitched, but he soon burst into laughter.

“Aigo, you rascal! Where does your greed end? Hehehe.”

When my grandfather’s hearty laughter finally stopped, I received the answer. The answer I wanted.

“It’s a transaction. Inheritance? Why would I give you an inheritance? I’ll only give it to my children. You get it from your parents.”

“My father isn’t a chaebol like you, Grandfather, so it’s a bit hard to expect….”

“That’s your fate. Euhehe.”

Perhaps he would share a little with my father as well.

That would be a thank you, too.

“This is my second but last offer. Quickly put your seal on it and hand over the $1 billion.”

Seeing the glint in my grandfather’s eyes, he seemed to be in a hurry.

I gave up on the idea of pushing and pulling for further negotiation.

Bringing up anything else here could hurt his feelings.

Even a wide lake ripples with a small stone.

Deep affection is like thin ice that can crack with a single instance of hurt feelings.

I couldn’t make a mistake that would break the ice.

“Yes. I will prepare $1 billion at an exchange rate of 1,600 won.”

My clear answer seemed to surprise him.

“Why are you so surprised? I’ve always been on your side, Grandfather. Since you’re making concessions like this, I won’t be greedy anymore.”

Instead of a happy expression, my grandfather looked suspicious.

“What other scheme do you have? Do I look so easily fooled by your sweet talk?”

His ability to read people is truly amazing.