Chapter 153: Give and Take, Part 1
“Hey, have you heard the rumors?”
“About Do-jun?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve heard the women buzzing about him. They say he’s handsome, well-mannered, never caused trouble, and got into Seoul National University. The perfect son-in-law material…”
Jin Dong-gi wasn’t exactly thrilled about his brother’s invitation to dinner. But since it was about his eldest nephew, Young-jun, it wasn’t easy to refuse outright.
“The S/S season collection for department store VIPs has shattered sales records. The industry is in an uproar. Daehyun Department Store can’t even think of starting.”
“All because of Do-jun?”
“Exactly. The wives of the wealthy have been spending money like water to get on his good side.”
Jin Dong-gi had no interest in continuing a conversation that seemed more suited to gossiping women.
“You said you wanted to talk about Young-jun, but all you’re doing is talking about Do-jun.”
“The Do-jun issue is going to take a while, so I thought I’d start with it.”
“What about Young-jun?”
“That’s a quick one. Let’s get it over with.”
“Alright. Our Young-jun… He’s been in exile long enough. Let him go.”
“Exile?”
Jin Dong-gi scoffed.
“He’s been sneaking off to Seoul on his own. You know better than I do what he’s been up to there. And in Geoje? Last year, he brought five or six supermodel finalists to Geoje for some pointless event under the guise of cheering up the staff. You know what happened after that. You were the one who had to keep it from reaching Father.”
“So, you want to keep him tied up?”
“If I let him loose and he causes trouble in Seoul, I’ll be in a bind too.”
“Letting him go will also free my daughter-in-law. I’m asking for her sake.”
Jin Dong-gi’s face lit up for a moment.
“What? Is she pregnant?”
But Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi’s expression was bitter.
“If she were, I wouldn’t be asking. I’d be demanding.”
“Then what?”
“You might not know, but Lee Sang-soo is about to be arrested.”
“Lee Sang-soo? Who’s that?”
“The president of New Data Technology.”
The company that shook the nation from last year to early this year. He remembered.
“Oh… But why him?”
“Billions vanished in an instant. Countless people were left with nothing, even with children in tow.”
“Those fools. They lost their minds over money and even gambled away their deposits. But arresting the company president because the stock price plummeted?”
Jin Dong-gi clicked his tongue in disdain.
“The election is around the corner. The ruling party needs to manage votes. Both parties do, so they’re making him the scapegoat to appease those who lost money.”
“That’s one thing, but why bring it up?”
“They’re thinking of dragging a few more people into the investigation.”
“Who?”
“Oh Se-hyun, Do-jun, and our only sister.”
“What?”
Jin Dong-gi was dumbfounded by his brother’s smile. What was he playing at? It was obvious nothing substantial would come of it, and it would all fizzle out.
“Let’s just give it a nudge and see what comes out. Who knows? We might find a trace of the American money source.”
“Do you really think that’s possible? Our New York branch has been digging for months with no results.”
“That’s why I said ‘maybe.’ There’s more. If the media exposes Seo-yoon’s misuse of company funds and she ends up at the prosecutor’s office, it’ll hurt our duty-free shop bid.”
“Duty-free shop? At Incheon Airport?”
“Yes. We’ve invested a lot there. Let’s see how they handle it.”
Watching his brother’s sly smile, Jin Dong-gi still wasn’t convinced.
“If the prosecution moves, do you think Father will stay quiet? Even if their names are just on the witness list, the chief prosecutor will call to report.”
“So?”
“What? You don’t get it? The prosecution won’t move.”
“Just because they report, you think the prosecution will cover it up? They can’t.”
“What are you saying?”
“Hansung Ilbo is going to break the story.”
This was too big a move for a simple probe. Once the media got involved, it would be hard to contain.
“Do you know the current situation? The group’s shares are being transferred. It’s almost the endgame. Soon, Sunyang Group will be in our hands. Why stir up trouble now?”
“Because, as you said, it’s almost in our hands.”
“Stop playing games.”
“I’ve had people in Myeong-dong and Yeouido look into it. No matter how angry Father gets, it’s irreversible now. It’s like a car speeding down the highway. Slam the brakes, and you’ll cause a massive accident.”
“You seem confident.”
“I wouldn’t have brought it up if I wasn’t.”
Jin Dong-gi thought for a moment before standing up.
“Then you handle it. I’m out. But I’ll send Young-jun to Seoul. I’ll take his resignation and send him, so find him a suitable position.”
“Alright. That’s enough.”
“Anyway, I’m staying out of whatever Hansung Ilbo does. I’m only responsible for bringing Young-jun to Seoul.”
As Jin Dong-gi left, Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi gritted his teeth and muttered.
“Sly bastard. Thinks he can stay clean on his own?”
Articles filled with suspicions about Lee Sang-soo flooded the media, and the myth of the venture was exposed as an illusion.
As Oh Se-hyun predicted, the scapegoating had begun, with the election looming.
The intensity of the articles increased daily. Suspicions turned into certainties, and certainties into concrete facts, revealing even Lee Sang-soo’s private life.
He was quickly painted as a notorious con artist, but the prosecution focused on embezzlement. There was never any fraud charge, so the prosecution had to make a move.
The media concluded that Lee Sang-soo was a con artist of the highest order, and the nation had been duped. The final act was his indictment for embezzlement. No one questioned this strange turn of events.
All that was needed was someone to take the fall and go to prison.
“This seems odd, doesn’t it?”
“What does?”
“Take a look at this article.”
Oh Se-hyun snatched the newspaper I handed him. After reading a particular article, he frowned.
“This is a direct attack.”
“Doesn’t it look that way? It’s obviously about Aunt, isn’t it?”
“The daughter of a leading Korean conglomerate founder, managing a department store, investing through a shell company… huge losses… Anyone in the know would catch on.”
“I was unsure at first, but since it’s Hansung Ilbo, I have a guess. What do you think?”
“Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi?”
“Yes.”
Oh Se-hyun tossed the newspaper aside.
“Is he selling out his own sister?”
“He’s not the type to just hand over the department store. He’ll keep shaking things up whenever he gets the chance.”
“President Jin Seo-yoon, or rather, Vice Chairman. What do we do? We can’t just let this slide.”
“We have to stop it. If Aunt ends up on the prosecutor’s photo line, it’ll be a disaster. The duty-free shop license is just around the corner.”
“Alright. Let’s make sure no other newspapers run in-depth articles.”
“Yes. I’ll go see Aunt.”
Aunt was already in the midst of a battle.
“Stop it right now. Does my brother think I don’t know about the shell companies he uses as piggy banks? Should I expose them and see who gets humiliated first?”
Aunt glanced at me and gestured, but she didn’t hang up the phone.
“If it’s a money fight, my brother will get hurt much worse. Let’s see who screams first!”
After slamming the phone down, Aunt fumed for a while.
I poured a glass of water and handed it to her.
“Uncle?”
Aunt gulped down the water and nodded slightly.
“You saw the article?”
“Yes. Don’t worry too much. We’re working on silencing other newspapers. Hansung Ilbo will eventually stop shouting on its own.”
Aunt didn’t look reassured.
“It won’t end there. Hansung Ilbo will toss the ball, and the prosecution will spike it.”
“We can deploy quite a few defenders. At this point, we must avoid Aunt appearing on the photo line.”
“I understand. I have my own connections.”
I cautiously asked Aunt, who was biting her lip.
“Do you know anything about Uncle’s shell companies?”
“I know some things, but I don’t have evidence. I never thought of holding onto any traces. But if my brother’s going to play like this, I can’t just sit back.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“When we were just estranged siblings, I let it slide. But if he’s drawing a sword, I have to draw mine too, don’t I?”
Seeing the small smile on Aunt’s lips, I had a hunch about who her sword might be. Someone who could influence the prosecution—Mayor Choi Chang-jae, perhaps?
Could it be that they haven’t severed their crucial ties yet?
Now, I was more intrigued than worried. If the family started clashing, maybe a few useful handles would fall out.
But…
I momentarily forgot that I was part of this family too. And the person who reminded me was my father.
When I rushed to his office after an urgent call, he couldn’t hide his tense expression.
“Take a look at this. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
The document my father handed me was a summons for a witness appearance.
Well, well! Look at this!
Was I the target, not Aunt? Or was it Miracle?
“Father, just a moment.”
I immediately called Oh Se-hyun, and his frustration came through the phone loud and clear.
It was certain. They intended to cast a wide net and catch as many as possible.
“The housekeeper was startled and contacted me. So I brought it here before your mother saw it.”
“You did well. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing? It’s a summons.”
“It’s just a witness appearance, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter if I don’t go.”
It’s only natural for my father to be this worried. After all, it’s about his son.
“Tell me everything. I know you’re thinking of handling this on your own, so don’t try to dodge the issue!”
“I need to check things out myself to understand what’s going on. Uncle Sehyun will probably look into it, so let’s wait for him to confirm.”
“Really?”
Judging by his expression, I knew he wasn’t going to let this go easily.
“Let’s go. We’ll ask him, just like you said.”
With that, my father whisked me off to Yeouido.
No matter how much I tried to signal him to stop, it was useless.
“That illustrious Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi threw a spark at Hanseong Daily and baited the prosecutors. He’s causing a ruckus trying to snatch the department store.”
“What?”
“Look at them tearing into him the moment Chairman Jin stepped down. It’s impressive, really.”
Oh Se-hyun was talking excitedly, like a class president tattling to the teacher.
“Are you sure? Did the eldest brother start this?”
“It’s just a hunch. There’s no hard evidence for this kind of thing. If it’s not the eldest, then it’s the second brother. Who else could it be? This isn’t the second brother’s style, is it?”
My father’s expression grew increasingly stern.
“That… damn it…!”
He seemed convinced it was my uncle’s doing as well.
“Father, please calm down. This is just a probe. It’s likely just meant to scare Aunt or me a little.”
It was no use.
When it comes to threats against their children, parents don’t think rationally, no matter how strong the adversary.
“Whether it’s the prosecutors or anyone else, don’t make a move. Refuse to appear and wait it out. This is getting ridiculous…”
Before I could stop him, my father stormed out.
“Uncle! How could you tell him everything?”
Even as I shouted, Oh Se-hyun just smiled back at me.