A Slice of Pie 3
For the first time, I realized just how cramped our house was.
I understood why the board members of the medical foundation came to greet the new chairman for the New Year. Even the directors of the five regional medical centers made sense.
But the department heads? That was overkill. With those who traveled from the provinces, the number was nearing a hundred.
With over thirty medical departments, it seemed like every important department head had shown up. Only those doctors uninterested in climbing the career ladder stayed away.
Even my father looked visibly flustered. Soon, people from the film industry would arrive, and then it would be utter chaos.
We couldn’t just turn them away at the door, so I quickly called my aunt.
“Auntie, can you clear a banquet hall at the Gangnam hotel on short notice? For about a hundred people… They’ll arrive in about thirty minutes. We’ll need food and drinks, too.”
Her cheerful voice was reassuring.
“Father, please welcome the board members and directors inside. I’ve arranged for the doctors to have a meal at the hotel. They’re all alumni or colleagues, so they can enjoy a drink together.”
“Good thinking.”
This was one of those times when my past experience came in handy. How many formal events had I organized before? Even when unexpected things happened, everything had to run smoothly. My quick thinking hadn’t failed me yet.
Once the doctors left, my father took a moment to catch his breath and then entertained the guests. He didn’t forget the important task I had emphasized.
He quickly gathered the directors to confirm the identities of the VIP patients and the secret patients in the exclusive VVIP rooms, of which there were only twenty per hospital.
These were people we needed to visit and personally greet for the New Year, if not today. People always appreciate those who check in on them when they’re unwell.
The arrival of the film industry figures further brightened the New Year atmosphere. The foundation board members and hospital directors, thrilled to meet stars they’d only seen on screen, exchanged business cards and promised to visit whenever they felt unwell.
By the afternoon, after a whirlwind of guests, only our family remained.
With a slight buzz from the alcohol, my father quietly called me out to the garden.
“The cold air really sobers you up.”
“Are you about to say something so important that you need to be completely sober?”
He glanced at me and gave me a playful nudge.
“You really are perceptive…”
My father recounted everything that had happened in the study earlier, leaving nothing out. As soon as he finished, my thoughts turned to my aunt.
Would she really hand over half of her shares as promised?
And then, a word that piqued my interest.
“Finance?”
“Yes. What do you think? Do you believe your grandfather will give you the finance division?”
“Yes.”
I answered confidently, adding a little more.
“If my uncles don’t interfere, it will naturally come to me. But sorting out the subsidiary shares will take some time, and who knows what might happen in the meantime?”
“What do you mean?”
“Auntie is the only one who’s been secured. My two uncles only have control over personnel decisions. But no one can predict Grandfather’s whims, so anything could change.”
My father took a deep breath of the cold winter air, lost in thought.
Finally, he said,
“Don’t try to handle everything on your own. If you need help, just ask. If push comes to shove, I’ll even grab my brothers by the collar.”
“I think my uncles might be the ones grabbing your collar first, Father. Haha.”
But first, let’s start with Auntie…
On the second day of the New Year, Mayor Choi Chang-jae adjusted his attire in front of the study door and knocked quietly.
There was no response, but he gently opened the door and entered.
“Oh, Mayor Choi, welcome. You didn’t have to trouble yourself with a New Year’s visit. Haha.”
Mayor Choi, tense and nervous, found himself shaking hands with Chairman Jin, who greeted him with a broad smile.
But the title that came from his mouth—Mayor Choi, not son-in-law Choi—stuck in his mind.
“I’m sorry, Father-in-law. I should have come sooner, but I’m very late.”
“You’re a busy public servant. No need to worry about it.”
From Chairman Jin’s tone, Mayor Choi realized how he was perceived.
He was not the son-in-law of the Sunyang family but merely the Mayor of Seoul. Mayor Choi suddenly stood up from his chair and knelt on the study floor.
“Father-in-law, I’m sorry. Please give me one more chance. I was momentarily drunk on power and lost my senses. Please forgive me.”
Chairman Jin looked at the prostrate Mayor Choi and, with a low but firm voice, said just one thing.
“It’s over. Stand up.”
It’s over…!
The words came from Chairman Jin’s mouth. There was no turning back. This was final.
Mayor Choi remained frozen, still kneeling. He had lost the title of son-in-law to Chairman Jin, but he couldn’t discard the title of politician Choi Chang-jae.
To maintain this title, he knew he had to part ways cleanly with Chairman Jin. If the old man decided, his life could turn into a living hell.
“Please forgive me!”
Though asking for another chance was futile, he had to convey his desire for forgiveness.
Mayor Choi opened the gift bundle that Jin Do-jun had advised him to bring. This was his only hope for forgiveness.
“I’ve canceled the New Town project promised to Daehyun Group. If you give me another chance, I’ll draft a new New Town plan.”
He hoped his intention to create and offer the project according to Chairman Jin’s desired location and scale was clear.
“I said stand up.”
Mayor Choi slowly rose and sat back in the chair.
“What do you want to say? Keep it brief so this old man can understand.”
“I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“That won’t change anything.”
“I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“The divorce will proceed. Seo-yoon isn’t reluctantly following my wishes. It’s her decision. No matter what, you can’t be part of our family.”
“I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“Haha, this man…”
Chairman Jin chuckled at Mayor Choi, who kept repeating the same words like a madman with his head bowed.
Such a small-minded man.
No matter how powerful Sunyang is, in times like these, a man who charges in with determination and ambition reaps the biggest rewards.
Isn’t a single watermelon better than a few strawberries?
Chairman Jin left him with a final piece of advice, which was also a warning.
“Forget everything you’ve seen and heard in this family over the past 20 years. Become a complete stranger. Then I’ll treat you as one. Do you understand?”
To Mayor Choi, the notion of being a complete stranger had never sounded so welcoming.
A stranger has no regrets, no anger, no expectations.
If he kept his mouth shut, at least his path wouldn’t be blocked. No one meddles in a stranger’s life.
He’s still the Mayor of Seoul. There’s plenty of time left in his term. It won’t be too difficult to solidify his political base during that time.
“I’ll forget everything.”
“I’m glad you understand. You may leave. We won’t be seeing each other again.”
“Father-in-law… I mean, Chairman. I’m still the Mayor of Seoul. Can’t I meet you as the Mayor?”
“Why would you say something so presumptuous? Even when the Blue House calls, I only show my face once after the election. Do I look that idle? Do you think I’d meet with the Mayor of Seoul directly? You know where to contact if you want to discuss business, don’t you?”
Each matter is different. Typically, you can meet with the head of Sunyang Construction’s planning office or the group’s strategy office.
For the Mayor of Seoul, the limit is a senior executive or vice president of Sunyang Group.
“I’m sorry. I was out of line.”
“Please leave.”
As Mayor Choi stood up, he cautiously spoke. It was his final request.
“And… if you could consider our past relationship…”
“Did you forget we’re strangers? There’s no past between us.”
Seeing Chairman Jin cut him off so coldly, any last shred of hope vanished.
The family’s cornerstone law firm would have to close. If not immediately, one significant source of income would disappear.
With the collapse of the family’s mainstay, he was the only hope and beacon. To support the entire family, he would have to take on many ventures and responsibilities.
The family, accustomed to a life of abundance, would need him to work tirelessly to ensure they could maintain even a basic standard of living.
“I heard from Father. Congratulations, Auntie. You’ve become the chairwoman of Sunyang Department Store Group. Haha.”
“Congratulations, President Jin. Or should I call you Chairwoman now?”
My aunt greeted me and CEO Oh Se-hyun with a bright smile.
It seemed she no longer cared about her husband’s situation and had resumed her hotel lifestyle. She was as glamorous as ever.
“Oh, chairwoman? Please, don’t say that. It’s overwhelming. Anyway, thank you. It’s all thanks to you, Mr. Oh.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t do much…”
“No, really. Our Do-jun learned from you and grew up so well. I trust him completely.”
She tapped my shoulder and settled into a wide sofa. Her posture in the central seat had changed, becoming more confident and dignified.
“The reason I wanted to meet is to propose a collaboration. I hope we can work together.”
Oh Se-hyun met my eyes and nodded.
“Working with Sunyang Department Store Group is a great opportunity for me.”
My aunt handed over a thick file.
“Please take a look at this. It’s the debt our department store group owes to Sunyang Group after the separation. Our executives believe it’s challenging to manage until the large discount store chain becomes profitable.”
Oh Se-hyun quickly grabbed the file and, after a long look, let out a deep sigh.
“Securing sites for the chain and construction costs are no small matter. The projected sales targets for the hotel and department store are a bit ambitious. Expecting such sales in this economic climate is a bit…”
Under pressure from above, the subordinates likely inflated the numbers. If the department stores and hotels fail to generate revenue, the debt will only grow, and the interest will become unmanageable.
Aunt seemed unfazed by Oh Se-hyun’s negative assessment, as if she had anticipated it.
“Isn’t opening four discount stores by next year a bit too ambitious? It will only increase the financial burden.”
“This is the first project I’m undertaking since taking charge. We can’t delay the launch of the hypermarket chain. It’s a matter of proving my capability within the group. If there’s even a hint of postponement or abandonment, the entire plan for the spin-off will be as good as dead. That’s not an option.”
While Oh Se-hyun and Aunt discussed the practicalities, I caught a glimpse of Aunt’s true intentions.
She wanted to change the creditor.
The eldest brother, who considers every brick of the Sunyang Group his own, and the second brother, who believes only he is fit to be chairman, are both eager to claw back their sister’s share.
Aunt wanted to avoid their claws and bring in an outsider, Miracle. She cautiously revealed her true intentions.
“So, I have a proposal for you, Mr. Oh.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Could Dae-A Construction take on the hypermarket chain project?”
Wow, she’s really pulling out all the stops with this idea.
Her determination to seize this opportunity and solidify her position is unmistakable.