Chapter 82: An Unexpected Inheritance

“Hmm.”

“What is it? Grandpa said you’d welcome this with open arms. Don’t tell me you don’t know either?”

My father scrutinized my expression, trying to decipher any hidden meaning.

“Ah, no. It’s more that he mentioned selling something off cheaply. I just have no idea what he intends to give me.”

“Then can’t you at least tell me what you do know? I’m dying of curiosity here.”

“My guess is he’s giving me people.”

“People?”

“Yes. Soonyang Hospital is famous for its VIP clientele, isn’t it? High-ranking officials and politicians are careful about their health information getting out, so they seek out Soonyang Hospital for its perfect confidentiality. And there are many celebrities too.”

“Ah…!”

A soft exclamation escaped his lips.

“Now, anyone seeking special treatment or fast-tracked appointments will contact Father. It’s a natural way to build connections. Father can take care of directors or leading actors from his movie productions at Soonyang Hospital.”

“Then what about the Human Resources Development Center? Are those people too?”

“Of course. All promotion candidates receive training at the Development Center’s institute. While the Development Center’s evaluation doesn’t guarantee a promotion, it has a significant impact on failing to get one.”

It’s a well-known fact that Soonyang Group’s personnel management is thorough. Unlike other companies where the training institute is just a break, sometimes even feeling like a vacation with a lingering scent of the reserves, it’s not the same here.

But Soonyang’s training institute was relentless, filled with grueling hours of education, seminars, discussions, exams, and evaluations, almost as rigorous as the Judicial Research and Training Institute.

“Since everyone aiming for a core position in the group goes through the Development Center…”

“There will be a flood of calls to the Development Center’s president, your father, asking him to put in a good word, and that all becomes a network.”

“So, he’ll be building both internal and external connections for the group.”

“Yes. It’s a favor to quickly establish Father’s own people, given his late start.”

“It’s not about making your people, it’s about making his people.”

Even as my father spoke quietly, he began to look at me with a sense of wonder.

“How on earth do you figure this out? Your grandfather connecting the hospital and training center to networking, and you grasping it instantly… I’m speechless.”

Anyone who’s ever received a paycheck from Soonyang Group understands the potential of the training institute. For a seemingly insignificant promotion to assistant manager, they’d endure sleepless nights for ten whole days in a four-person room with two bunk beds.

It’s even worse for middle-aged department heads. They’re crammed into two-person rooms and have to endure a demonic two-week schedule.

If their stamina gives out, their chances for an executive promotion vanish, so they grit their teeth and bear it. But enduring it isn’t the end.

If the Human Resources Development Center’s final evaluation is C or below, an executive position is out of the question, and they have to decide whether to remain a department head until retirement or submit their resignation and leave.

In situations like this, what if the chairman of the Development Center were to make a single phone call? Or even if the head of the training institute gave a discreet instruction? They could take a big step towards an executive position.

No matter how low you value the Human Resources Development Center, it’s a key position that allows you to spend time sharing drinks with executive candidates who will hold major positions within Soonyang Group.

Only those who receive a salary from Soonyang know all this.

It’s only natural that my father, who’s never sighed at the numbers printed on his pay stub, wouldn’t know these things.

“It’s probably because he’s not interested. But could we perhaps find out the ownership structure of the Human Resources Development Center? And its assets?”

“You want me to look into the current situation?”

“Yes. It doesn’t seem to be just about a network of connections. If that were all, he wouldn’t have told us to keep it a secret for the time being. Isn’t there something the uncles might object to?”

“There’s another secret hidden within the instruction to keep it a secret?”

“Grandfather is a man of many secrets, after all. Hehe.”

My father let out a short sigh at my laughter.

“Hah. How is it that you’re more like your grandfather than I am?”

“Talent sometimes skips a generation, you know.”

My father sighed once more and stood up.

“Doing my duty as a father properly isn’t easy.”

* * *

“How was the wedding?”

“It’s not like I’m the one getting married. More importantly, how did it go?”

There’s something more important than a wedding. And that’s Dae-ah Construction.

“The arranged marriages of the chaebols are always a source of curiosity.”

“A marriage after seeing each other a couple of times, is that even a marriage? It’s a contract.”

“Oh, so you won’t have an arranged marriage? The cliché of a chaebol heir marrying a common but resilient Candy?”

“I’ll marry whoever is necessary. Whatever that may be. Uncle, why do you keep changing the subject? What about Dae-ah Construction’s stock?”

“Son, when you get older, you become curious about young people’s dating and marriage. We’re past that.”

Oh Se-hyun grinned and pulled out a memo of the stock status.

“These bastards must be panicking. As soon as we bought 5% and filed as a major shareholder, they contacted us. Wanting to meet.”

The stock market was completely frozen. In a market stuck at rock bottom, buying up the stock of a company on the verge of bankruptcy would understandably make the company nervous.

Moreover, the one who bought the practically worthless stock was Miracle Investment, the giant investment firm that swallowed Ajin Group, so they must be terrified. Especially if they have skeletons in their closet.

“We should meet, right?”

“Of course.”

“How do you think they’ll play it?”

Oh Se-hyun winked.

“Leave it to me. How many guys have I seen in my investment career who embezzled company funds and ran? Do you know what happens to those guys?”

“They’re either in jail or living as ex-convicts?”

“Bingo!”

Oh Se-hyun snapped his fingers and picked up his bag.

“Alright, let’s go. Time for a showdown.”

* * *

Dae-ah Construction’s main building in Yeongdeungpo felt colder than the winter weather outside.

Inside the building, employees who weren’t even getting paid faithfully showed up to keep their desks warm.

They couldn’t possibly be unaware that the company was about to collapse, but they clung to a nonexistent shred of hope and came to work.

When they woke up in the morning, they had nowhere else to go but this building.

The unpaid wages also propelled their steps forward.

The expectation, however slight, of receiving at least a portion of it.

Their minds told them hundreds of times that there was no hope, but the futile hope still lingering in a corner of their hearts tortured the employees of this building.

People come first.

Another family.

In twenty years, no one will believe such nonsense, but not now. The tail end of the concept of a job for life still lingered.

“What will happen to these people?”

“You have to be their savior. Give them their back pay and a special bonus to cheer them up. Right?”

Oh Se-hyun patted my back once and knocked on the president’s office door at Dae-ah Construction.

“Welcome. I am Kang Mu-jin, executive director of Dae-ah Construction.”

“Oh Se-hyun.”

Well, look at this. The owner isn’t in the president’s office, and the butler is sitting here?

Are they seriously trying to pull something?

“Frankly, we were taken aback. For you to suddenly buy up shares in our Dae-ah. It doesn’t seem like our company is the kind that a large investment firm like Miracle Investment would be interested in… Could you tell us the reason?”

“There’s only one reason an investment firm buys stocks. Because it’s profitable.”

Executive Director Kang Mu-jin subtly licked his dry lips.

“Honestly, I don’t know how you think it’ll be profitable, but don’t you read the papers? The news? You might suffer losses if you get involved with a failing company like Dae-ah Construction.”

“Who invests in stocks these days anyway? It’s a surefire way to end up broke. Money should be kept in the bank. The interest rates are quite high.”

A middle-aged man sitting next to Executive Director Kang chimed in.

“Are you higher up than the executive director?”

Oh Se-hyun scowled and suddenly spoke informally.

“Excuse me? What did you say?”

“The major shareholder is speaking. Unless you’re the top dog here, get out. It’s already annoying having to talk to an executive director instead of the CEO after calling in a major shareholder who owns over 5% of the stock. How dare you interrupt! Don’t you know what a shareholder is? They’re the owner of this company. Your attitude in welcoming the owner is completely wrong.”

It was incredibly rude, but Executive Director Kang didn’t get angry; instead, he jumped up and bowed deeply.

“Please understand. The president is currently running around trying to secure funding to save the company. He’s even meeting with loan officers from small credit unions.”

“I was rude. I apologize.”

At Executive Director Kang’s signal, the middle-aged man also stood up and bowed.

“If you understand, then why don’t you all give us some space? I’d like to have a quiet word.”

Executive Director Kang gestured with his chin towards the men sitting on the sofas in the president’s office. They all bowed their heads and hurried out.

“Now, please tell us. Why are you suddenly buying our company’s stock?”

Executive Director Kang even wore a smile, regaining his composure.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to start with why you wanted to meet with me?”

This was the first time I’d seen this side of Oh Se-hyun.

He’s usually polite and tries to keep a sense of humor, often making corny jokes, but now he’s rude and aggressive.

I guessed it was because he was certain that Dae-ah Construction’s management was embezzling company funds.

He goes hard on those with weaknesses.

There are plenty of people around me who hide their teeth and claws, so I need to make sure I don’t give them any leverage. Otherwise, I’ll end up just like Executive Director Kang.

“The reason we asked to meet with you, CEO Oh, is precisely to ask that. You must have a specific goal in mind. Please speak frankly. It is the duty of the management to listen to what the shareholders want.”

Words flowed smoothly from his oily tongue.

His slick expression, his constantly shifting eyes.

My suspicion was turning into certainty.

“I already said it, didn’t I? To make money. Isn’t that what investors do?”

“Then you’ll have to sell the stock at a higher price than you bought it for, but isn’t that impossible?”

“It seems like someone might buy it back at a good price… don’t you think?”

Oh Se-hyun grinned and began to stare at Executive Director Kang’s face.

“Ah, I see. Well, I suppose that’s a possibility.”

Executive Director Kang also returned Oh Se-hyun’s smile, pushing it further.

“Then shall we look into it for you? There are still quite a few people who believe in Dae-ah Construction’s revival. They’re preparing to buy up large quantities of our company’s stock.”

“If you’d go to such lengths, then coming here today was worthwhile. Could you perhaps find them quickly?”

“We will do our best to expedite the process.”

In the end, these guys will either quickly try to take back their scheme before we can disrupt it, or they’ll stall for time.

“It seems like we’ve said all we need to say, so I’ll get going.”

As Oh Se-hyun got up from the sofa, Executive Director Kang also stood and extended his hand.

“I’m glad the shareholder is satisfied. We will find a suitable buyer as quickly as possible to line CEO Oh’s pockets.”

“Yes. Please take swift action. By tomorrow.”

Executive Director Kang dropped the hand he was holding.

“CEO Oh, by tomorrow is a bit difficult.”

Executive Director Kang was flustered by Oh Se-hyun’s sudden demand, but Oh Se-hyun didn’t listen to his excuses.

“I will demand an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting the day after tomorrow morning. Hurry if you want to prevent it. Then, goodbye…”

Oh Se-hyun quickly left Dae-ah Construction as if there was nothing more to hear.

As soon as he got into the car waiting outside the building, Oh Se-hyun clenched his fist.

“It’s confirmed. These bastards.”

“Let’s move in tomorrow. We need to demand access to the accounting books and check Dae-ah Construction’s assets first.”

Oh Se-hyun looked at me and flicked his tongue.

“You’re fast as always. You’ve learned everything, haven’t you?”

“Goodness, I’m still a long way from being ready to leave the training wheels, Master.”

After a burst of laughter, the two of us simultaneously pulled out our cell phones.