Chapter 115: A Light Jab to Start
“What? What do you mean by that? Do you really have a way?”
“There is a way, but it’s not easy. You’ll have to get your hands dirty.”
At the mention of blood, my uncle-in-law’s eyes gleamed with confidence.
“Wasn’t I once the prosecutor’s office’s enforcer? I’m not afraid of a little blood.”
“Do-jun, if this is some crazy idea, just drop it.”
Oh Se-hyun shook his head with a worried expression. It was hard to tell if he was genuinely concerned or just playing along, but I ignored it.
Now was the time to subtly nudge my aunt and uncle-in-law.
Isn’t it perfect to use someone blinded by greed?
“Think of someone your grandfather disapproves of, someone who can take a hit without harming Sunyang Group, someone whose past behavior makes them deserving of it. Pick one.”
To avoid damaging Sunyang Group, we should steer clear of the second generation. That leaves the third generation.
Isn’t the third generation of chaebols often criticized by society?
“By those criteria, it has to be Young-jun. He’s been more careful since getting married, but he was the family’s biggest embarrassment. Scandals with celebrities, drunk driving, assault… he’s been in every kind of trouble.”
“Then if Young-jun bleeds, it should be fine. He’s the eldest grandson of Sunyang Group and the mayor’s nephew, but for a just and fair Seoul, we might have to make a tough decision… something like that, right?”
My uncle-in-law hesitated to answer.
If it were his own nephew, he might not have thought twice. But meddling with his wife’s family meant risking crossing a point of no return.
Isn’t he like a goose that lays golden eggs every day?
The decision isn’t really up to my uncle-in-law; it’s my aunt who holds the power.
“But, is it okay? I mean, is there a way? Young-jun’s been behaving lately. We can’t just dig into his private life. Even if he gets into trouble with a celebrity, the mayor can’t say much.”
“You’ll have to figure that out, uncle-in-law. I’m just saying that if you were to cut ties with a family member, you could overcome the handicap of being a chaebol’s son-in-law.”
It’s more than overcoming a handicap; it’s something to be praised for, yet he still can’t speak.
There’s no point in discussing this further with him. The real strategist here is my aunt.
After a long pause, my uncle-in-law finally spoke.
“I’ll think about it more. But Mr. Oh, what do you think? Can you help me?”
Oh Se-hyun cleared his throat a few times, seemingly uncomfortable with the hopeful look in my uncle-in-law’s eyes.
“As you know, I’m an investor. There are many ways to invest, but they all have one thing in common: finding hidden value. If I discover your value in four years, I’ll invest without you having to ask.”
“By then, it might be too late.”
Oh Se-hyun suggested he’d consider it in four years, while my uncle-in-law seemed to think there’d be no opportunity if he didn’t act now.
And what do I think?
Isn’t it impossible for someone like my uncle-in-law to overturn the grand tide of history?
That’s about it.
“Welcome, my dear nephew. You look more like your mom every day. You’re just too cute.”
My aunt playfully tapped my backside and offered me a drink.
“Want some?”
When I shook my head, she chuckled.
“I heard you’re not hurt, right?”
“No, but I don’t know the taste of alcohol, so it’d be a waste to drink something expensive.”
“You’re so particular. Anyway, have a seat.”
Though she’s still living in a hotel, with her husband as the mayor, that lifestyle will soon end. If the reporters catch wind of it, it’ll be the talk of the town, so she’ll have to move back home.
“I heard you said something interesting to your uncle-in-law.”
“Oh, that? He seemed eager to shed the chaebol son-in-law label, so I just mentioned it.”
“You’re quite sly, aren’t you? Did you know your uncle-in-law is easily swayed?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t play dumb. Is it because your father, I mean, your grandfather, named you as the third batter that you’re getting ambitious?”
Everyone’s in a frenzy.
With just 10% of the group’s shares in my hands, I’d be a strong ally, so they’re all eager to win me over.
“Do you see me that way too, Aunt?”
“Do I? Oh, your uncles have already been here, haven’t they?”
She bit her lip.
“Yes.”
“Care to tell me what they said?”
“I’m more curious about what you think, Aunt, not what others said.”
“I don’t have much right now, so I haven’t thought about it. Mr. Oh said that without anything, you can’t even join the game.”
“Then why did you want to see me? I thought you’d have something to say, like my uncles.”
“I’m a bit easily swayed too. Haha.”
Her hearty laughter filled the room.
“Let’s talk about the third batter later. Once I’ve gathered my stakes. But can you really go through with it?”
“Can you handle it? If so, I’ll come up with an idea.”
“Young-jun?”
I nodded.
“You don’t like Young-jun, do you? Why?”
“I just can’t stand his arrogance. He thinks he’s all that just because he was born first. And he always tries to put others down.”
“That’s true about him.”
My aunt pondered for a moment before speaking again.
“Even if Young-jun gets into trouble, Father won’t be too angry. I’ll handle it.”
They believe that no matter what they do, it will end with just a scolding.
In this family, they don’t fear the stern judgment of the law. They can always evade it. Instead, they fear my grandfather’s judgment.
My aunt seems to think that since Jin Young-jun is the grandson, the eldest, it will end with just a reprimand.
Will it really end that simply?
“Then I’ll trust you and get started, Aunt.”
“With what?”
“Tell Uncle-in-law to add just one word when announcing the Digital Media City project.”
“One word?”
“Yes. Don’t just mention Sangam-dong, but also include parts of Susaek-dong.”
“Susaek-dong?”
“Yes. After that, I’ve got it all planned out, so don’t worry.”
My aunt smiled as she looked at me.
“You’ve already thought it all through, haven’t you?”
“Not entirely, just the rough outline.”
“No wonder Father is so taken with you.”
“It’s just because I’m the youngest.”
I tried to be modest, but it was no use. My aunt started looking at me with the same eyes as my uncles.
“Do-jun.”
“Yes.”
“When I gain power, if you add what you’ll have to mine, I’ll give you half. Think it over. Your uncles probably won’t even offer you half of half.”
“What power do you have, Aunt?”
“When your uncle-in-law sits in the chair with the phoenix engraved on it.”
“Even if he becomes president, he can’t control Sunyang Group, can he?”
“With the National Tax Service, the National Intelligence Service, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the Fair Trade Commission in hand, you can’t control Sunyang Group, but you can control people.”
“By people, you mean my uncles.”
“If I shake off all the dust and mud on their hands, I’ll be the only one left. The shareholders will see there’s no one else to choose but me.”
My aunt clenched her fist.
“Support me as a shareholder, and I’ll give you half.”
One offers to make me the second-in-command. Another offers to buy me out. The last offers half…
Such a variety of proposals.
Wait, there’s one more person?
Ah, Jin Sang-gi, the third son, is just the eldest’s lackey.
“Aunt, it seems like a matter for ten years down the line, so let’s take it slow. And if Grandfather changes his mind, I might just end up as the youngest.”
Feigning humility, my aunt said something unexpected.
“Then we should hurry, before Father changes his mind.”
At his inauguration, my uncle-in-law mimicked a president.
He declared that to overcome the current economic crisis, Seoul would do everything possible and minimize the fiscal deficit to lighten the burden on its citizens.
And he didn’t forget to lay the groundwork in advance.
He announced that Seoul would utilize its public land to 200% capacity to lay the foundation for economic revitalization.
Savvy construction companies quickly realized this was the signal to break the current recession and flocked to the mayor’s office.
But the opportunity won’t go to them.
That opportunity is in my hands.
“You rascal, not even half?”
“That’s too much, Grandfather. If I give you half, what will I live on? Sunyang Construction can survive without this, but our Dae-ah Construction will go under without it. You know how much we’ve invested in this.”
Now free of bandages and wearing a cap that looks like something a roasted chestnut vendor might wear—no, in this era, it’s just called a flat cap—Grandfather grumbled in his old-fashioned way.
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch. I’ve heard rumors that Dae-hyun Group has thoroughly buttered up your uncle-in-law. You might get stabbed in the back if you’re not careful.”
“You boasted you’d prevent that, so you should handle it, Grandfather. I’ll give you 30%.”
“Don’t just talk about making money through construction. You’re not the type to sit idly by, nor is Oh Se-hyun. Be honest. Did you buy up land in Sangam-dong and its surroundings? You’ll make a fortune from that alone.”
“No, we didn’t engage in land speculation. Isn’t the mayor my uncle-in-law? We can’t have people suspecting that Mr. Oh, who’s friends with Father, leaked development information. Besides, this is our first project after acquiring Dae-ah Construction. We wanted to avoid any unsavory incidents from the start.”
“Well done. Haha.”
Grandfather laughed, slapping his knee.
“Alright, let’s settle for 30%. But remember, you owe me one. I gave you a 20% discount, after all.”
This was supposed to be a negotiation. But in his grandfather’s mind, it was more of a concession, a debt to be repaid.
Such unreasonable demands were the norm for a conglomerate.
“How much did you borrow from the other subsidiaries?”
“Around 20 billion won.”
“That’s all they gave you?”
“They’re all in a tough spot, trying to handle it without the subsidiary presidents finding out. Even this money was given at great risk.”
“Those cowards… What good is their courage if it’s this small? Even when I take responsibility, this is all they can muster. Tsk tsk.”
680 billion won.
Jin Young-jun felt a surge of irritation as he realized how far he was from his target amount.
He hadn’t aimed too high, just five times the amount, but it was still disappointing.
“Get the contractors to sweep through Suseong-dong. Be discreet. If word gets out, those stubborn fools won’t sell their houses.”
“I’ll handle it well. And isn’t this the toughest time since Dangun? The market’s at rock bottom, so if we offer a bit more, they’ll sell.”
“For the ones who hold out till the end, offer up to twice the market price. Keeping this quiet is key.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jin Young-jun couldn’t shake off the disappointment.
Opportunities like this didn’t come easily.
He was tempted to pull a big move in the Myeongdong loan market, but he held back.
News traveled fast, and if things went awry, it would reach his father or grandfather.
“Three trillion won…”
Thinking about the money soon to come made him smile.
It was a secret he hadn’t shared with anyone.
The only one who knew was Jin Do-jun. If he gave him a cut, he’d be thrilled and stick close by.
He’d make money and gain control over Jin Do-jun, whom his father worried about—a win-win situation.