Chapter 81: Example Title

The pounding in Chairman Hong’s chest subsided, his trembling legs finally steadying as he slowly stood.

The expression on his face as he left the side room was as cheerful as when he had entered.

This wasn’t a forced smile; it was genuine, heartfelt amusement.

Alone in the side room, Chairman Hong had been reminded of Taejong Yi Bang-won, the king who eradicated his in-laws.

Yi Bang-won had mercilessly killed his wife’s four brothers from the Yeoheung Min clan and exiled Kim Han-ro, the father-in-law of Grand Prince Yangnyeong, after stripping him of his titles. Furthermore, after designating Sejong as the Crown Prince, he had even annihilated the Cheongsong Sim clan, the family of Sejong’s wife.

However, the families that were destroyed were all related to the heir apparent.

By distancing himself from the Hong family, his in-laws, Chairman Jin implicitly revealed his intention to make Jin Young-jun his successor.

The old man didn’t have many days left—neither did Chairman Jin.

But the young man’s future was bright—both for Hong So-young and Jin Young-jun.

Chairman Jin was extremely wary of outside influence on Soonyang Group, but time wasn’t on his side.

Realizing that Hanseong Ilbo would naturally become a pillar of Soonyang Group once Chairman Jin Yang-cheol was gone, Chairman Hong could now smile, completely forgetting the humiliation he had just endured.

The wedding concluded without a hitch.

The newlyweds departed for their honeymoon amidst everyone’s blessings, and the Hanseong Ilbo family and guests quickly left Chairman Jin’s mansion.

The remaining Jin family members celebrated the first wedding of the third generation with a boisterous drinking party at Yeongbin Gwan.

Now, the marriages of the rest of the third generation would follow in earnest.

Facing his thirteen grandchildren, including his grandsons-in-law, Chairman Jin grinned and began to speak.

“If any of you don’t want an arranged marriage, speak up now. I’ll excuse you.”

Some faces brightened at Chairman Jin’s words, but not a single person stepped forward.

Even if Chairman Jin was sincere, the parents were not. They desperately wanted to forge connections with families that had even a little power and money, leaving their children no choice but to be mindful of their parents’ wishes.

“No one? Good. In that case, Hye-kyung and Soo-kyung, prepare to get married within the year. You need to get married before you turn thirty. Can’t have people calling you old maids, can we?”

Satisfied that none of his grandchildren wanted a love marriage, he nodded and stood up. His mind was already filled with a list of potential marriage candidates.

“It’s a celebratory day, so forget about the headaches and eat and drink your fill. I’m going back to the main building to rest.”

Chairman Jin returned to the main building, and the remaining family members, like ordinary people, offered congratulatory drinks to Jin Young-ki, the host.

When Jin Yun-ki went to the restroom with a cigarette in his mouth, someone approached him.

“President, the Chairman is looking for you. He asked me to tell you to come quietly, avoiding the others’ eyes.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s in his study.”

The study…

He wasn’t being summoned to see his son. If it was the study, it was company business.

The last time Jin Yun-ki had entered the study was over twenty years ago, when he was choosing his study abroad location.

Being called for official business after twenty years made him suddenly feel tense.

He splashed cold water on his face to alleviate some of the alcohol’s effects and relaxed himself by looking at his reflection in the mirror.

Thanks to his son, he was enjoying the golden years of his life. That was enough. He didn’t expect anything from his father. He had learned through life that expectations always brought disappointment.

Especially his father, who was a person who brought not just disappointment, but despair.

Jin Yun-ki emptied his mind and headed to the study.

Chairman Jin, with a steaming teacup in front of him, stared at his youngest son for a long while.

“You wanted to say something…”

“You said your business was doing well. Is that true?”

“Yes. It’s a sector less affected by the financial crisis.”

“Still, it can’t be easy to attract film investors, can it?”

“It’s not easy, but it’s not like I’m in a position to complain. Other industries aren’t just dealing with difficulty; they’re fighting for survival.”

“I could help you, you know?”

Jin Yun-ki chuckled as he observed his father’s expression.

“Don’t try to probe me. I’m not young enough to fall for your tricks anymore. Haha.”

“You rascal!”

Chairman Jin seemed amused rather than offended by his son’s bold remark, a smile gracing his lips.

“You seem to have something to say. Please, speak your mind.”

“Alright. I’ll get straight to the point. I’ll give you Soonyang Medical Foundation and Soonyang Human Resources Development Center.”

Jin Yun-ki’s smile vanished.

The hospital under the Soonyang Medical Foundation was among the top three. Its massive grounds meant it paid over a billion won in property taxes alone. It was an enormous inheritance.

However, the Soonyang Human Resources Development Center was unclear.

Although it was an independent corporation, its sole purpose was to provide various training programs, including for high school graduates, university graduates, new executives, and management, as well as handle human resource development for the group.

Of course, to appear as an independent corporation, it offered external HR consulting and training programs to generate revenue, but the amount wasn’t enough to cover the losses. It barely made a profit by receiving training fees from Soonyang Group subsidiaries.

It lacked several aspects of a true corporation.

Jin Yun-ki couldn’t understand why his father was offering him such a thing.

“Why the look? Isn’t it enough?”

“It’s far from enough.”

He answered his father’s question immediately.

Since he had no expectations, he would accept whatever was given. However, one thing bothered him.

It was his son.

“What did you say?”

Chairman Jin’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting such an answer from his son.

“You never even glanced at the company, but now that you’re about to give up, you’re getting greedy?”

“That’s right. Shouldn’t I at least play the role of a father?”

“A father’s role? Are you talking about Do-jun?”

Jin Yun-ki simply nodded.

Chairman Jin looked at his son with a pitiful gaze and said,

“If you want to be a proper father, start by learning to recognize the value of things, you idiot.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ask Do-jun. Ask him what value the hospital and the HR development center I’m giving you hold. That boy would welcome it with open arms.”

Jin Yun-ki could only blink, not understanding the value Chairman Jin was talking about.

“Take good care of what I’m giving you and pass it on to Do-jun at the appropriate time. And I’ll take care of Do-jun separately. Of course, I won’t just give it away; I plan to sell it to him cheaply…”

“Sell it? You’re going to take money even from your grandson?”

The words “take care of” seemed meaningless.

Sell to his grandson? He clearly adored his grandson, so had he misunderstood? Or was Do-jun already in a position to confidently make deals with his grandfather?

Jin Yun-ki looked displeased, but Chairman Jin didn’t elaborate.

“Just know this. Do-jun understands these things far better than you do.”

Chairman Jin waved his hand, signaling that he was finished speaking.

As Jin Yun-ki was about to leave the study, his father added one more thing.

“There are many eyes watching and ears listening. It’s best if only you know about this for now.”

Jin Yun-ki turned back and bowed deeply. Then, he remembered something he had forgotten to say.

“Thank you, Father.”

* * *

From the international terminal at Gimpo Airport, Hong So-young felt the power and prestige of Soonyang Group.

From the moment she stepped out of the honeymoon limousine until she boarded the plane, she didn’t have to stop even once.

She keenly felt the meaning of the phrase, “VIPs don’t wait.”

Hanseong Ilbo was a significant family, but not to this extent.

She was surprised once more when she boarded the first-class cabin.

She and Jin Young-jun were the only passengers.

“Young-jun, is this a chartered flight?”

“No. We only chartered the first-class and business class sections. Our six secretaries are in business class.”

It was a luxurious lifestyle that neither her father nor her grandfather had enjoyed. Inside the plane, with four stewardesses serving just the two of them, Hong So-young realized that she had become a member of Korea’s top chaebol family.

Jin Young-jun’s wandering eyes towards the beautiful stewardesses didn’t bother her in the slightest; she was that satisfied.

After the in-flight meal, Hong So-young spoke to Jin Young-jun.

“Could you take a look at this now that you’re done eating?”

Jin Young-jun opened the file Hong So-young handed him.

“What’s this?”

“Just take a look.”

As Jin Young-jun examined the file Hong So-young had confidently given him, his face grew increasingly grim.

The movements of his entire family, except for himself and his father, were documented in detail.

To gather such meticulous information would require almost 24-hour surveillance.

“As expected, the people we need to keep the closest eye on are President Jin Dong-ki and Jin Do-jun. President Jin Dong-ki is frequently meeting with executives from our subsidiaries, and Jin Do-jun, in particular, is now working closely with the president of Miracle Investment…”

“This bitch has lost it…”

His words were low and muttered through clenched teeth, but Hong So-young heard them clearly. Bitch!

“Y-Young-jun.”

Hong So-young turned pale as she watched Jin Young-jun tear the file apart.

“Weren’t you just supposed to get a general idea of what the youngest is up to? You’ve been tailing our entire family?”

“W-Well, that’s…”

“What do you think you are? Where do you get off acting like the lady of the house already? Huh? Damn, this is disgusting.”

As crude words spilled from Jin Young-jun’s mouth, the waiting stewardesses began to disappear. They knew better than to witness the private affairs of a VIP.

“I agreed to ensure you wouldn’t have to bow your head to anyone. In return, you agreed not to interfere in my private life, right? That applies to my entire family. How dare you spy on the elders of our family?”

Jin Young-jun abruptly stood up.

“You newspaper brat, you should be grateful you’re even in this family. Your only job is to produce a son to carry on my lineage. If you ever pull a stunt like this again without my permission, you’ll spend the rest of your life in the back chambers. Remember that.”

A chill ran down Hong So-young’s spine with every word Jin Young-jun spoke.

“Hey! Secretary Choi!”

At Jin Young-jun’s shout, a man from business class pulled back the partition curtain and rushed over.

“Yes, Director.”

“Arrange a separate hotel for me when we arrive. And keep a close watch on that bitch. Let her do some shopping, but make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. Got it?”

“Yes, Director.”

As the secretary retreated, Jin Young-jun moved to the window seat on the opposite side from Hong So-young.

Putting on an eye mask and fully reclining his seat, Jin Young-jun bit his lip to suppress a grin.

Initially, he was furious, but now he thought it was for the best. This provided the perfect excuse to enjoy his ten-day honeymoon completely freely.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt she deserved it, but it was a win-win situation for him.

He had thoroughly crushed his soon-to-be wife’s spirit on their wedding day, and he could enjoy himself with the hot young thing he had met yesterday. He had planned to call her in two or three days, but he changed his mind. He could call her as soon as they arrived.

Unaware of Jin Young-jun’s thoughts, Hong So-young could only watch her husband in silence.

She was finally realizing what kind of person the heir of a family that had never bowed to anyone was.

Those not of their bloodline were no different from the appliances in their home. Just tools to be used according to their purpose.

Hong So-young understood that she was now in a position where she had to constantly prove her worth to her husband, whom she had married today. And she had to do it carefully, without ever upsetting him.

Tears threatened to spill, but she clenched her teeth, thinking of the Soonyang Group that would one day be in her hands.