The Double-Edged Sword, Part 2
Jin Young-ki furrowed his brow as Oh Se-hyun spoke deliberately, emphasizing each word to show he wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.
“Are you trying to play games with me?”
“No one’s perfect. Mistakes happen, especially in large corporations like ours, where a single misstep can be catastrophic. Imagine if the National Tax Service decided to latch onto one of those mistakes. Wouldn’t that be terrifying?”
Jin Young-ki studied Oh Se-hyun’s brazen demeanor for a moment before a sly smile crept onto his face.
“I thought all of Yoon-gi’s friends were just average… Seems I was way off. Yoon-gi, you, all of you—you’re something else.”
In an instant, Jin Young-ki shifted his tone, exuding the confidence befitting the vice chairman of Sunyang.
“Alright, let’s skip the small stuff like stock shares and think bigger. Bring all the companies Miracle has acquired under Sunyang’s umbrella. I’m willing to pay whatever it takes.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Do you even know the market value of our HW Group?”
Oh Se-hyun couldn’t help but snap back at Jin Young-ki’s arrogance, though it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
“Aren’t you the expert in these matters, Mr. Oh? Let’s talk mergers and acquisitions. We’ll evaluate the company value objectively and pay accordingly.”
“Let’s address the smaller issues first. Stop the Financial Supervisory Service from scrutinizing Miracle under a microscope. Then we can end this here.”
“What do you mean by ‘end this’?”
“We couldn’t just sit idly by, so we did some digging. Seems you’ve been involved in some illegal currency trading.”
Jin Young-ki’s eyebrow twitched, but he quickly regained his composure.
“That’s hardly a big deal. In our country, that’s a minor infraction. Don’t you sometimes make illegal U-turns while driving, Mr. Oh? It’s like that.”
“Sure, I make illegal U-turns occasionally, but not while drunk. This is more like drunk driving and crossing the center line.”
“Drunk? What are you talking about?”
“The dollars from your currency trading ended up in a gambling den. We’re currently identifying who was involved. Oh, and since the account is linked to a Sunyang subsidiary, you can’t just feign ignorance.”
Oh Se-hyun watched Jin Young-ki closely, not mentioning his wife’s name, curious about his reaction to the word “gambling.” But it was not what he expected. Jin Young-ki’s expression was blank, as if he hadn’t heard the word at all.
“By the end of today, I need to hear that the Financial Supervisory Service’s investigation is officially closed. If not, tomorrow’s headlines will be all about a drunk driver’s illegal U-turn.”
“Did you just say gambling? Overseas gambling?”
“Yes, that’s the crux of the drunk driving analogy. And I think you know who the driver is without me having to say it.”
As Jin Young-ki’s demeanor turned icy, Oh Se-hyun placed his business card on the table and stood up.
“My phone number is on there. You have until today. Remember that.”
Leaving the vice chairman’s office, Oh Se-hyun frowned.
“Does he really not know his wife’s caught up in gambling?”
Left alone, Vice Chairman Jin Young-ki pondered Oh Se-hyun’s words, struggling to grasp the situation. The problem was that there wasn’t just one suspicious account.
The siphoned dollars were being used not only in the U.S. but in several countries, buying villas, luxury homes, and land or buildings with potential value.
Sure, some of it was for personal entertainment, but gambling?
If Oh Se-hyun was making such a big deal, it wasn’t just a few spins of the roulette or pulls of the slot machine. Worry crept in.
“Call Manager Choi. Tell him to bring all the foreign exchange account records.”
After shouting into the intercom, Jin Young-ki paced the room.
When Manager Choi entered with a thick file, Jin Young-ki immediately barked at him.
“Are you hiding something from me?”
“What? I’m not sure what you mean…”
Startled by the sudden accusation, Manager Choi was taken aback.
“Is there anything suspicious about the money that’s been withdrawn from the accounts? Anything you haven’t reported to me?”
From Manager Choi’s surprised expression, Jin Young-ki realized he might have overreacted. Unless it was a significant issue, he hadn’t been briefed separately.
“Again, is there anything unusual about the large withdrawals? Based on your judgment?”
Understanding the question easily, as someone who had spent a lifetime dealing with numbers, Manager Choi quickly flipped through the file and handed over a few pages.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a list of transactions made by your wife. I’ve highlighted the ones that might be what you’re looking for. When I asked her about them, she said not to worry…”
Jin Young-ki quickly scanned the final total, almost doubting his eyes.
“Three hundred billion?”
Manager Choi, unsure how to respond to the vice chairman’s reaction, stood awkwardly, realizing the gravity of the situation.
“Are you sure? My wife spent this?”
“Yes. Mostly withdrawn in the U.S., with some transactions in Morocco.”
As Jin Young-ki gestured for him to leave, Manager Choi hurried out, suspecting there would be trouble at the vice chairman’s home that night. He even sent a friendly text to his colleagues, advising them to delay any urgent approvals.
Jin Young-ki’s anger at his wife’s reckless spending was overshadowed by the urgency of Oh Se-hyun’s warning.
He quickly summoned his chief secretary and took action.
“Tell the strategic PR team that if any media outlet dares to publish even a single unfavorable article, I’ll personally hold them accountable.”
Sensing trouble at home, the chief secretary swiftly organized a meeting, knowing that only by mobilizing all the company’s connections could they prevent a storm.
Alone again, Jin Young-ki managed to calm himself.
“Oh Se-hyun, you bastard…”
A slight smirk appeared on his lips. No matter how much Oh Se-hyun tried to play the part of a rising tycoon, Sunyang held the reins in Korea.
He intended to make it clear that no media outlet would dare publish an article without Sunyang’s approval.
As if to prove Sunyang’s power, the next day’s newspapers and TV news made no mention of gambling, overseas accounts, or foreign currency outflows.
Jin Young-ki confirmed the media’s stance once more and felt at ease. Now, he would make Oh Se-hyun pay for his audacity. How dare he…!
He urged the Financial Supervisory Service to expedite their investigation. As soon as they found a useful lead, he would unleash the National Tax Service to thoroughly audit Miracle.
Once they were begging for mercy, he would resume M&A negotiations.
With some of his worries alleviated, Jin Young-ki planned to start putting his house in order. Before dealing with his troublesome wife and son, he decided to enjoy his current sense of relief by hosting a drinking party with his executives.
But that evening, as he was enjoying the company of some charming women, the urgent expression on his chief secretary’s face signaled that something had gone awry.
“What is it?”
“Vice Chairman, you should take a look at this…”
The paper the chief secretary handed over was a printout of an online article. As soon as Jin Young-ki read the first sentence, his face darkened.
“The National Gambling Scandal”
“This article appeared in this morning’s edition of the ‘Korea Time Journal,’ the most influential Korean media outlet in the U.S.”
“This just broke?”
“Yes. If they’re referring to S Group’s Ms. P…”
“I know, damn it! No need to confirm!”
“I’m sorry.”
The chief secretary retreated, bowing as he backed away.
The executives at the table exchanged glances, unable to speak as they stared at their plates.
As a chilling silence settled over the gathering, Jin Young-ki slowly spoke.
“What are you all doing?”
The executives snapped to attention.
“You all know what’s going on, right? Do you want to keep sitting here drinking? We need a plan!”
“Ah! Yes, sorry.”
As the executives hurriedly stood up, Jin Young-ki issued a final warning.
“This article needs to be contained in the U.S. It must not reach Korea. And recall all the heads of our U.S. subsidiaries. What are they doing with the money if they can’t even prevent an article like this?”
Left alone in the now-empty room, Jin Young-ki fiddled with his phone.
He hesitated, debating whether to call Oh Se-hyun.
“You don’t seem like someone who lacks drinking buddies…”
Oh Se-hyun quipped as he sat across from Jin Young-ki.
“How many morning papers did you manage to sway?”
“Just a couple for now.”
“For now?”
“By the day after tomorrow, every media outlet will have picked it up. Ah, except for Hanseong Ilbo.”
Jin Young-ki poured a drink for Oh Se-hyun.
“Shall we see this through to the end?”
“Isn’t it the same for both of us? You were the one who started this, Vice Chairman.”
Veins began to bulge on Jin Young-ki’s forehead. Oh Se-hyun wouldn’t dare act like this without some kind of backup. What could it be?
“This… it’s getting hard for me to stop now. If word gets out that I’ve been stepped on by President Oh, I won’t be able to show my face at the Federation of Korean Industries meetings.”
“Is it wise for a businessman to suffer losses just to save face?”
“President Oh, you can say that because you’re still running a small shop. Once your company grows three or four times its current size, you’ll realize that reputation is everything.”
Jin Young-ki drained his glass and stood up.
“The National Tax Service won’t be enough to bring you down, right? Take good care of your company. One day, you’ll be part of the Sunyang Group.”
“Stop worrying about me and just pay for the drinks. I’m broke.”
Jin Young-ki shot a glare at Oh Se-hyun, who was still joking around, and then left.
“He’s the type who can’t see anything when he’s riled up. It’s fascinating how people with the same blood can be so different…”
Oh Se-hyun thought of Jin Do-jun as he began to clear the plates from the table.
By tomorrow, they would see just how bold Vice Chairman Jin Young-ki really was.
In the conference room, a dozen people stood at attention, silently hoping Vice Chairman Jin Young-ki wouldn’t show up. But their hopes were in vain.
As soon as the vice chairman entered, he flung the newspaper he was holding across the room.
“What the hell are you people doing? You knew the article was coming out and couldn’t stop it? Is it because it wasn’t your wives’ business, so you didn’t care?”
They braced themselves for at least an hour of the vice chairman’s harsh words. That’s what their salaries were for.
But it didn’t even last a minute.
A staff member from the secretary’s office burst into the room, panting heavily.