The Real Patient 2
“Chairman, have you not heard the test results?”
“Hmm? I did. They just came by.”
“But…?”
It wasn’t the kind of situation where you could ask why he was smiling about a brain tumor surgery, so all I could do was trail off.
“They said it’s a simple surgery, so there’s no need to worry, right? Fortunately, it was caught early, so we should be celebrating.”
“Well, yes, that’s true.”
“Mr. Lee, don’t make that face. Let’s start planning our next steps.”
The chairman pulled the still-bewildered Mr. Lee closer.
“The doctor recommended Professor Jang Jun-hyuk from Myungin University Hospital. Let’s meet him and set a date for the surgery.”
“Yes, I’ll meet him personally.”
“And tell the others outside that it’s just an additional procedure.”
“They might be quite shocked if we say it’s an additional surgery.”
“When people are shocked and flustered, they tend to make mistakes.”
I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of mistakes the chairman was referring to, but it seemed he was hoping someone would hastily start buying stocks.
“Do-jun, you should stay here a bit longer. We should at least see our benefactor, Kim Yoon-seok, wake up, don’t you think?”
“Of course. I understand.”
Once the chairman heads back to Seoul, my uncles will go with him, so I’ll have a chance to see my father. I should also come up with a plausible excuse for my perfectly healthy condition.
The 27th floor of the Sunyang Hotel in Gangnam is a place where Jin Seo-yoon sleeps more often than at home. Oh Se-hyun felt the plush carpet under his shoes as he followed the staff to the room.
He wasn’t sure why she wanted to meet so late, but he had things to discuss anyway, so he came to the hotel without much fuss.
Upon entering, he was taken aback by the interior, which was nothing like the royal suites that had left him in awe before.
It wasn’t more extravagant than a typical royal suite. At first glance, it seemed modest and simple, but upon closer inspection, it was filled with multi-million-dollar furniture and items that were works of art.
A piece by Alighiero Boetti worth a billion won hung prominently, and a two-hundred-million-won table by Maria Pergay was used as a side table.
Additionally, a small mobile hanging from the ceiling was a thirty-billion-won piece by Alexander Calder. The value of the art decorating this room alone would easily amount to several hundred billion won.
As Oh Se-hyun stood speechless, Jin Seo-yoon emerged from the bedroom in a dress, lightly bowing her head.
“You’re here? I hope it’s not too much trouble at this late hour.”
“Not at all. It’s not even midnight yet. But where’s Mayor Choi? I should at least congratulate him on his election…”
“He’s in meetings with the party, working on the Seoul city appointments. We appreciate your efforts, Mr. Oh. I’ll thank you on his behalf.”
Oh Se-hyun hesitated to sit on the sofa in the living room that Jin Seo-yoon gestured to, feeling the weight of sitting on a multi-million-dollar leather sofa.
“Are you going out somewhere at this late hour?”
She was wearing makeup, and her dress wasn’t something one would wear casually at home.
“I just got a call. My father was in an accident. A car accident…”
He was at a loss for words. Not only was the news sudden, but Jin Seo-yoon’s expression made it seem like it was just a minor fender bender.
“Is the chairman okay…?”
“They said he’s been moved to the ICU after surgery. Even if I rush over, I won’t be able to see him right away.”
Unbelievable.
Though he didn’t say it out loud, that was all he could think. How could she remain so composed after hearing her father was in a coma?
“Should I be making a fuss?”
Jin Seo-yoon seemed to read his thoughts from his expression and smiled slightly.
“No, not at all. Making a fuss won’t improve the chairman’s condition.”
“This is how we live. If my father passes away, worry comes before grief. I haven’t secured much of the Sunyang shares yet.”
“Being born into the Jin family means you have to erase any semblance of a normal life or emotions. I understand.”
“You really do get it.”
As Jin Seo-yoon took a sip of wine, Oh Se-hyun spoke.
“Since you’re being candid, I’ll be straightforward too. It seems Chairman Jin is eyeing the DMC project in Mapo. He wants us to step aside.”
“My father?”
Jin Seo-yoon didn’t seem surprised at all.
“Yes. He conveyed that intention to Do-jun.”
“Heh.”
She tried to suppress her laughter, but it slipped through her lips.
“Why are you laughing? Did you already suspect this?”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry. Haha.”
She couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer and burst into giggles.
“I’m sorry. It’s just amusing to think about you worrying over nothing.”
“Why do you say it’s nothing?”
“My father has no such intentions. He’s even considering making his grandson the successor. Would he take away what he’s given to him? Don’t worry.”
The art pieces in this room were astonishing, and the daughter who showed no concern for her comatose father was surprising, but the idea of making Do-jun a successor was the most shocking of all.
Oh Se-hyun could only sit there, dumbfounded.
“The accident happened in Gongju, Chungnam. Do-jun was with him, of course.”
“What? Do-jun? Was he hurt badly too?”
Startled, Oh Se-hyun jumped to his feet, and Jin Seo-yoon frowned.
“Mr. Oh, save the human emotions for later. We don’t have time for that now.”
She couldn’t wait for Oh Se-hyun to calm down.
“If my father and Do-jun never wake up, what will you do, Mr. Oh?”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean, what will I do? This is ridiculous…”
“Calm down. I’m making a proposal.”
“How can you say that now?”
Even though Do-jun wasn’t related by blood, he was worried about how badly he might be hurt. Isn’t that human nature?
Her father was injured, yet this woman was talking about proposals and such nonsense, and he couldn’t suppress his rising irritation.
“If it’s a proposal to share the captaincy of the great ship Sunyang, which has lost its captain, isn’t it something that can be discussed in any situation?”
But Jin Seo-yoon remained unfazed by Oh Se-hyun’s human reaction.
“If my father passes away without completing the succession of shares, Yoon-gi and I will each inherit 11% of the shares. That’s 22% combined. Of course, in terms of total controlling shares, it might be 15%, maybe less, since my two older brothers already hold some.”
Calculating shares at a time like this. It was clear again that, as Do-jun said, she was the real deal, and her husband was just a figurehead.
“But Sunyang Motors, now HW Motors, holds a controlling 17% stake. Combined, that’s at least 30%. With 30%, it’s enough to become the group chairman.”
“So? Go on.”
It wasn’t that he was interested in the shares. He just wanted to see how far this woman would go.
“Help me, and if I become the captain of Sunyang, I’ll give you more than ten excellent subsidiaries. If you attach those companies to HW Group, you’ll become the head of a top 20 conglomerate in Korea.”
“Let me play along. You’ve miscalculated.”
“What do you mean?”
Jin Seo-yoon’s eyes widened at Oh Se-hyun’s sudden change in demeanor.
“Yoon-gi is my close friend. He’s closer to me than to a sister he barely has any familial affection for. If we join forces, your shares are insignificant. It should be the other way around. Help me or Yoon-gi become the captain of Sunyang. I’ll give you ten, no, fifteen excellent subsidiaries. That’s the correct calculation.”
Jin Seo-yoon was at a loss for words. Based on the shares, Oh Se-hyun’s calculation was correct.
But she couldn’t nod in agreement!
“You’re not ordinary. Since you’re playing hardball, I’ll reveal my hidden card. If my father passes away, my mother will inherit a significant portion of the shares. She won’t add them to Yoon-gi’s. She can’t even stand to look at him now.”
She knew that Chairman Jin’s attitude towards his youngest had changed, and that it was because of Jin Do-jun.
The chairman’s position was so significant that she had forgotten.
“Is the mother still not accepting her son?”
Oh Se-hyun shook his head.
It was time to stop talking about unrealistic family matters and focus on Jin Do-jun.
“Finish what you were saying earlier. You mentioned Do-jun as a successor?”
“There’s something like that. Maybe the formalities weren’t completed due to the accident, but my father definitely recognizes Do-jun as one of the successors, if not the only one.”
Jin Seo-yoon raised her eyebrows, a look of disdain crossing her face.
“If Do-jun becomes one of the successors, he’ll be even stronger. He’ll secure at least 10% of the shares. So, Do-jun, I, and Mr. Oh can join forces to take over Sunyang. We can think about dividing the spoils later.”
“If Do-jun becomes one of the successors, there’s even less reason to join forces with you, Ms. Jin. You don’t have any shares.”
“Do you think a twenty-something-year-old can inherit Sunyang and keep it? He can’t, because he doesn’t have the real power of Sunyang.”
Real power. Oh Se-hyun knew what that meant. It was the driving force that controlled the country.
“You’re talking about Sunyang’s vast network.”
“You’re quick. Yes, that’s right. If my father makes a call, the Prime Minister comes running. Do you think the Prime Minister would come if a twenty-something made that call?”
“Without an official announcement or acknowledgment from the chairman, I doubt even the prime minister would rush over just because Mr. Jin called.”
Oh Se-hyun extended his hand toward her. No matter how much the world changes, in this country, it’s still rare for a man to bow to a woman.
Feeling he could no longer delay, Oh Se-hyun lightly tapped the table and stood up.
“It seems we have different interests, so there’s no point in continuing this conversation. I’m more concerned about Do-jun than who’s captaining the Sunyang ship, so I need to leave.”
“Well, I’m heading down too, so why don’t we go together? We can continue talking in the car.”
“No, I’ll go separately. It’s torture to keep discussing something I’m not interested in.”
Oh Se-hyun’s firm refusal made Jin Seo-yoon’s expression twist with a hint of irritation, just as someone approached to whisper in her ear.
“What? Seoul?”
“Yes.”
Jin Seo-yoon’s eyes widened, and she bit her lip.
“Looks like you’ll have to go alone. My father is being moved to Seoul. Oh, and Do-jun is at Gongju Medical Center, so you should hurry.”
It was hard to grasp what it meant for Chairman Jin to be moved to Seoul.
Was his condition worsening, or was he improving?
“Mr. Oh, I hope we can meet again soon. The Mapo DMC is no longer the big issue. Sunyang Group is now at the eye of the storm. I trust you understand what I’m saying.”
It meant Chairman Jin’s condition was critical.
Oh Se-hyun could only hope that Do-jun was safe. He resolved to persuade him to carve his own path, away from these entanglements.
After all, Jin Do-jun had the potential to captain a ship far greater than Sunyang Group.