Who Wants to Buy a Bomb? Part 1
“Just what exactly do you do around here? You’re the CEO, and yet you’re just sitting there with your eyes wide open while rumors about selling the company are flying around? Is that how a president should act?”
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
Jin Young-ki, the vice chairman, glared disapprovingly at Min-seop Lee, who was bowing his head repeatedly, and then turned to Jun-hyuk Baek, the chief of staff.
“Stop the press immediately. Get those online articles taken down and make sure no one else picks up the story.”
“Yes, Vice Chairman.”
Jun-hyuk Baek sprang to his feet and rushed out. It was still early in the morning, so the news hadn’t spread widely yet. The sooner they acted, the easier it would be to contain the situation.
“President Lee.”
Unlike his brother, Jin Dong-ki maintained a calm demeanor.
“Seeing Baek run out like that, doesn’t it give you any ideas?”
“What? What do you mean…?”
President Lee looked at Vice Chairman Jin Dong-ki with anxious eyes.
“If it were me, I’d be holding a press conference right now to deny the rumors about selling Sunyang Card. But you seem pretty relaxed.”
“If you don’t want to see the stock prices plummet, you better get a handle on this right now! What are you doing?”
Under the scolding of the two vice chairmen, President Lee hurriedly ran out.
Yang Woo-chan, the president of Sunyang Life, and Ko In-kyu, the president of Sunyang Securities, remained seated, feeling uneasy under the sharp scrutiny of the vice chairmen.
“President Yang. President Ko.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
Both men turned their attention to Vice Chairman Jin Dong-ki.
“If we assume Sunyang Card is being sold, do we just need to secure the shares held by your two companies?”
“Sunyang Electronics and Sunyang Heavy Industries hold some shares in our life insurance company, so it depends on who the buyer is.”
“Calculate the minimum amount based on the current stock market. Also, determine the maximum based on the stock prices from the past three months.”
“Dong-ki, are you…?”
“Brother, Do-jun will definitely sell it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“A card company isn’t a corner store. Do you think he made this decision on his own? He must have discussed it with Oh Se-hyun from Miracle. They’ll sell the card company and use the proceeds to invest elsewhere or acquire a company Miracle needs.”
Everyone groaned at Jin Dong-ki’s assessment.
After a moment of silence, Jin Young-ki spoke up.
“You two, calculate the acquisition amount. President Yang.”
“Yes.”
“Meet with Executive Director Jang Do-hyung. Find out why things have come to this and what Do-jun is really thinking.”
“Understood, Vice Chairman.”
“Well, it looks like you’ll have your hands full cleaning up after our young nephew’s mess.”
Once the two presidents left to handle the situation, only the brothers remained.
Jin Dong-ki pulled a cigarette from his pocket and waved it at his brother.
“Didn’t quit?”
“Started again.”
“Why?”
“Just happened. You okay with it?”
Jin Young-ki frowned and waved his hand dismissively. As Jin Dong-ki lit his cigarette, Jin Young-ki pressed the intercom.
“Bring an ashtray.”
Jin Dong-ki exhaled a long stream of smoke and chuckled wryly.
“Do-jun, who never caused a stir until he graduated college, is making up for lost time all at once.”
“This is way beyond women or booze. He’s trying to sell off the company. It’s so outrageous, I’m speechless.”
“What are you going to do? You can’t just sit back and watch. Are you going to acquire it?”
“What about you?”
“I’ll crunch the numbers. We don’t have the funds to acquire a card company right now.”
“Stay out of it. I’ll handle it.”
Jin Dong-ki was annoyed by his brother’s authoritative tone and stubbed out his cigarette.
“It’s our nephew’s mess. If the numbers add up, there’s no reason for me to back off.”
“If we split, it’ll only benefit that brat Do-jun.”
“Do you think we’re the only ones eyeing this? Daehyun Group and others who haven’t entered the card business yet will swarm like bees. The financial sector will be watching too. This isn’t a fight that’ll end just because we come to an agreement.”
Jin Dong-ki stood firm, showing he wouldn’t back down. He planned to crunch the numbers quickly and then try to persuade Do-jun, the eye of the storm.
He still had Jin Yoon-ki, who was favorably disposed towards him.
Jin Young-ki watched his unyielding brother’s retreating figure with clenched teeth.
Chairman Jin sat with his eyes closed, clutching the back of his neck for a long time.
Chief of Staff Lee Hak-jae, who had been watching anxiously, spoke up cautiously.
“Chairman, are you alright? Shall I call the doctor?”
“Leave it. It’s not my body that’s aching, it’s my head.”
Chairman Jin gulped down some cold water and sat up straight in his chair.
“Is this something that brat leaked, or did the reporters make it up?”
“It was leaked. Executive Director Jang Do-hyung had drinks with some reporters last night. It’s certain.”
“Did Jang egg Do-jun on?”
“Impossible. You know what kind of kid Do-jun is. Jang Do-hyung is probably just a puppet for Do-jun by now.”
“True… Who could manipulate that brat? If anything, Do-jun’s the one with a knack for persuasion.”
That’s why it’s even more of a headache.
He’s a grandson who has never once disappointed him. There must be a reason for this, but calling him in to ask isn’t easy.
Handing over the reins means not interfering anymore.
Playing the role of a retired king only stirs up confusion. It’s best to let the new king settle in, even if things creak a bit.
“What should we do?”
“What do you mean, what should we do?”
“We could rearrange the card company’s shares before it’s too late.”
Chairman Jin’s gaze turned to one of pity as he looked at Lee Hak-jae.
“If it were that easy to rearrange, wouldn’t that mean the succession plan was flawed?”
“No, sir. I still have Do-jun’s seal. Even if we don’t move all the shares, transferring just a small portion would make a sale impossible.”
Chairman Jin let out a dry laugh.
“Pfft! You still don’t know Do-jun, do you?”
“Sir?”
“Check with the district office. Do you think Do-jun would just sit back and let you hold onto his seal? He would’ve changed it by now.”
“Surely not…?”
Lee Hak-jae stood there, mouth agape, as Chairman Jin clicked his tongue.
“That kid… He’s meticulous. He’s not one to leave his things with others or hand them over. So it’s strange. Why would he try to sell off a prime company right after receiving it? It’s odd.”
Chairman Jin kept tilting his head in puzzlement, and Lee Hak-jae spoke up cautiously.
“Could it be a big deal with Daehyun Group?”
“Daehyun?”
“Yes. The newspaper article suggested Daehyun would welcome it. And that’s not wrong. If Sunyang Card is up for grabs, Daehyun will jump in with all their resources.”
“It’s not Daehyun. Don’t worry.”
“You shouldn’t dismiss it so easily, Chairman. Could Do-jun be thinking about Miracle too? If Daehyun Motors dangles one of its subsidiaries as bait, handing over the card company would be a natural move…”
“No. Don’t you know Chairman Joo of Daehyun is on his last legs? I hear he doesn’t even recognize people anymore. When that old man passes, his kids will start a full-blown inheritance battle. Why would they waste their resources elsewhere? They’ll need every penny to buy back their own shares.”
“Ah…”
Lee Hak-jae felt like slapping his knee. The second-generation inheritance battle.
It’s no different in their family or Daehyun’s.
In fact, Daehyun might be worse. Besides the children, there are also Chairman Joo Young-il’s siblings and nephews, who were key figures in the company’s founding.
Daehyun Group was built by over twenty men who dedicated their lives to it.
The only way to secure more is through shares. They need a massive amount of resources, so they can’t afford to look elsewhere.
With no risk of an external takeover, Lee Hak-jae felt a bit relieved.
“Chairman, why not invite Do-jun for lunch? Casually ask him about it. It’s not like you’re interfering in management, and there’s no need to be overly cautious.”
“Right? Having a meal together is no big deal…”
Chairman Jin picked up the phone as if he’d been waiting for this suggestion.
“Do-jun? Come over to the house right away. Ah, no. It’s been a while, so let’s meet outside. The weather’s chilly, so how about we have some warm soup for lunch?”
“How is it? The taste of this sundae soup hasn’t changed in over 30 years. It’s nice to know some things remain constant over time, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
He must have seen the article, but he keeps talking about other things.
“Young folks can’t appreciate this deep flavor.”
“I said it’s good. Everyone loves a good restaurant, young or old.”
“Why are you raising your voice?”
“Grandfather, don’t worry. I’ll keep Sunyang Group steady for the next 30 years, just like this soup.”
“Really?”
The old man, who had been sipping the broth and exclaiming how refreshing it was, put down his spoon.
“Yes. It will only grow, not shrink. Honestly, you’re worried right now, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“You’re wondering if this brat is really going to sell the card company.”
“Is the article fiction?”
His grandfather’s voice was low.
“No. I leaked it. And you probably already know.”
“Who? Your uncles?”
“Yes.”
His grandfather picked up his chopsticks again and put some radish kimchi in his mouth.
“It’s well-fermented, this one. Haha.”
After swallowing the kimchi, his grandfather’s expression softened.
“I’ve never liked credit cards, which are no different from loan sharks. But remember, money doesn’t come with a name tag, whether it’s earned through loans or fees. That money could end up strangling you. I’ve heard credit card companies make quite a bit.”
“Since they make so much, Uncle will pay a hefty price, right? Isn’t that so?”
The grandfather shook his head in disbelief.
“I can’t figure you out at all… Ah, well.”
“The cow that left home will return with a herd of cows.”
“May it get caught and leave nothing but bones. Just to teach you a lesson. Ha ha.”
As if.
The runaway cow would return with a treasure chest full of shares in the Sunyang Group.
“Are you just going to sit back and watch?”
Jin Dong-ki tossed a newspaper onto his brother’s desk.
“Why are you barging in here all of a sudden?”
Jin Yoon-ki opened the paper, searching for the reason behind his brother’s stern expression. When he saw the headline about the rumored sale of Sunyang Card, his face hardened too.
“Is this true? Or just fiction?”
“It’s something Do-jun’s been spreading around. Can’t you see?”
“Why would Do-jun do that?”
“You’ll have to ask Do-jun. And then tell me what he says.”
“What are you talking about? Speak clearly!”
Seeing his usually calm brother so agitated, Jin Dong-ki flinched but realized his brother understood the gravity of the situation.
“No matter how smart Do-jun is, he’s still a kid. The card business carries risks, so he’s uneasy. That’s why he’s trying to offload it.”
“According to the article, to Dae-hyun?”
Jin Yoon-ki held the newspaper up high.
“No. Isn’t it a message to me and Young-ki? A threat that if we don’t buy it at a high price, he’ll sell it elsewhere.”
Jin Yoon-ki clutched the newspaper, silent.
When he finally spoke, his words were unexpected.
“Alright. I’ll meet with Do-jun. Whatever he says, I’ll let you know. How about dinner tonight? Are you free?”
“What?”
“No, make time. Let’s have dinner and a drink.”
“Hey! All of a sudden…?”
Jin Yoon-ki raised a hand to silence Jin Dong-ki and pulled out his phone.
“Young-ki, I know you’re busy, but make time for dinner. I’ll handle the card company issue, so be there. Dong-ki will be there too. I’ll book the Japanese restaurant at the Sunyang Hotel. Eight o’clock.”
After hanging up, Jin Yoon-ki looked at Jin Dong-ki.
“You heard, right? Eight o’clock. Don’t be late.”
It was abrupt, but unavoidable. He couldn’t miss it or be late. Who knows what his brothers might discuss in his absence?
“Alright. See you at dinner.”
As Jin Dong-ki left in a huff, Jin Yoon-ki exhaled a long sigh, tension releasing from his body.
“Whew—acting really should be left to the professionals. It’s harder than I thought.”
He recited the lines his son had written for him. The premiere was set for tonight at eight. Would it be a hit?