“Even your father never laid a finger on what’s mine. Sure, he fought over others’ stuff, but he never coveted or desired what belonged to me.”
“Chairman…”
Joo Kwang-sik stammered, his face flushed, but his eyes remained calm.
“Just because my young grandson owns it doesn’t mean the Sunyang name is erased. I’m warning you, if you so much as touch the Sunyang card, you’ll find out just how formidable an old man’s resolve can be. Remember that.”
“Chairman, please, let’s calm down…”
Joo Tae-sik, the eldest son, tried to intervene, but the grandfather was immovable.
“Consider yourself lucky we’re in a funeral hall, or I’d be raising my voice.”
Joo Tae-sik’s anger turned towards his brother.
“What on earth did you do, huh?”
“It’s a misunderstanding, brother. I just asked about the company’s status, that’s all.”
Watching Joo Kwang-sik squirm, the grandfather turned away without hesitation. He didn’t miss the brief smile that flickered across his grandfather’s face as he turned.
“Let’s go. Lead the way.”
“Yes, sir.”
As they exited the funeral hall, the attendants were already holding the car doors open.
“Are there still a lot of reporters outside?”
“Yes, even more have gathered.”
“Is that so? Good. Roll down all the windows so the reporters can get their photos.”
“Grandfather! Isn’t this enough already?”
It’s maddening. He doesn’t understand the concept of moderation. Once he sets his mind on something, he goes all out, no matter what.
“There’s no such thing as enough in this world. It’s only when you stop that it seems that way. Satisfaction is just a fancy word for giving up. Remember that.”
Well… he always leaves me speechless.
I shrugged my shoulders and got into the car.
As we approached the temple entrance, my grandfather nudged me in the ribs.
“Smile, you fool. Your picture will be plastered all over the country tomorrow. Do you want that handsome face of yours to look grumpy?”
“Isn’t it inappropriate to smile when leaving a funeral?”
“Is that so? Anyway, try to leave a good impression.”
The sound of camera shutters was deafening as we finally drove away from the temple.
“By the way, Grandfather.”
“What is it?”
I waited until the car picked up speed before speaking.
“Why did you do that to Chairman Joo Kwang-sik? Were you helping him?”
“Help him? Why would I do that?”
“Well, by saying what you did, you made it clear to Chairman Joo Tae-sik that Joo Kwang-sik wasn’t up to anything. Wasn’t that helping him?”
“You caught on quickly.”
“So why? They’ll find out eventually. It was just a way to put a nail in the coffin, wasn’t it?”
My grandfather chuckled.
“Not every action needs a concrete purpose, you know. I just felt like it. Helping Joo Kwang-sik will stir things up at Daehyun Group. I can’t stand it when their house is too quiet. Ha ha.”
He seizes every opportunity to shake up the competition, even if there’s no clear goal. He’s retired and passed on most of his assets, but some things never change. That’s my grandfather for you.
The next day, I rushed to my grandfather’s house before dawn to accompany him to Chairman Joo’s funeral.
He was already poring over the morning papers.
“How does it look? Not too shabby, right?”
The front page was still dominated by the late Chairman Joo Young-il’s funeral, but there were articles about me as well.
“A new dark horse in the Sunyang Group?”
“At 24, Jin Do-jun takes on Sunyang Group’s financial future.”
“Jin Do-jun, Korea’s richest 20-something, finally steps into the spotlight.”
These were the more reserved headlines.
The sports papers, however, had plastered my photo across the front page with sensational titles.
“The man who has it all: wealth, looks, brains.”
“Top 10 in the national college entrance exam, Seoul National University law graduate, making a grand debut in the business world.”
“The 0.001% man, inheriting the genes of Sunyang Group’s Chairman Jin Yang-cheol and Korea’s beauty icon Lee Seo-hyun, Jin Do-jun.”
“Korea’s top eligible bachelor, Jin Do-jun, finally revealed.”
Journalists are truly something else. How can they write such cringe-worthy lines and still put their names on them?
“I made it clear yesterday. If they didn’t feature my grandson’s photo properly, I’d pull all our ads. Ha ha. These guys… they got the message loud and clear.”
It’s not persuasion; it’s a threat. Pulling ads is like cutting off their livelihood.
I didn’t say it out loud, but he seemed to read my expression.
“Advertising is a weapon. Not using a weapon you have is foolish, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t say a word, so why are you explaining? Ha ha.”
“Your face says it all.”
At that moment, Chief Lee Hak-jae entered the study.
“It’s time to leave, Chairman.”
Noticing me, he gestured to the newspaper.
“You look better in person. What a shame, right?”
“I’m grateful it turned out this well. Are you coming with us today, Chief?”
“Yes, I’ll be driving today. You don’t need to come.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“No, I have an important meeting today. It’s better if you sit this one out.”
My grandfather, ready to leave, waved his hand dismissively.
“Alright. Have a safe trip.”
I thought to myself that it would have been nice to know in advance, but I didn’t say it. After all, I had committed to a three-year mourning period, so I couldn’t complain about a morning greeting.
Once my grandfather left, I headed straight to the Sunyang headquarters. Even early in the morning, many employees were already briskly entering the building.
“Chief, how about using the private elevator in the underground parking lot instead of the main entrance today?”
The Sunyang Security staff member at the wheel spoke cautiously.
“Because of the articles?”
“Yes. By now, every employee knows your face. It might be uncomfortable for you…”
“Let’s do that. To Sunyang employees, I’m just a spoiled brat who got lucky with his parents, right?”
“It’s not that bad…”
“Even I feel that way about my cousins, so imagine how the average person must feel. No matter what I do, I’m just a guy who climbed to the top on a staircase made of money.”
The driver chuckled and steered the car into the underground parking lot.
“What brings you here so early… Oh, and congratulations… is that the right word?”
Vice President Jang Do-hyung, whom I met in the private elevator, pointed to my photo in the newspaper with a smile.
“I’m dying of embarrassment. Please, stop. Ha ha.”
“Looks like it’ll be hard for you to move around freely now.”
“I don’t mind. If it helps with work, I’m even willing to appear on TV variety shows.”
“The more you’re known, the more it helps. Your face is your business card. And this article strongly suggests you’re a trusted heir of Chairman Jin. From now on, everyone will see you as one of Sunyang’s successors.”
We chatted about various things as we entered the office on the 24th floor.
“Chairman Joo Kwang-sik called me out and shared some interesting stories.”
When I recounted the events at the funeral to Vice President Jang, his eyes widened.
“Does that mean another bidder has appeared?”
“Is that what you think?”
“Isn’t it?”
“He seems to have a different agenda. But whatever his purpose, there’s something we can leverage, don’t you think?”
Jang tilted his head slightly.
“Didn’t we decide to handle the card company internally?”
“That’s right.”
“Ah… you mean to use him as a pacemaker.”
“Yes. It’s unlikely, but if the two vice-chairmen were to join forces, it would be a disaster. As long as my uncles believe a strong external competitor has emerged, that’s enough.”
“What if Chairman Joo Kwang-sik offers the best terms?”
“He might wave an attractive contract in front of us, but he won’t sign it. He doesn’t seem to have any intention of acquiring it. We need to use that to our advantage.”
Jang let out a low, frustrated sigh as he rummaged through his bag and pulled out some documents.
“Well, with a new player in the game, the old rules are useless now.”
“What’s that?”
“A proposal from Vice Chairman Jin Dong-ki’s side.”
“Anything unusual?”
“It’s just the beginning, so it’s quite standard. We need to add something special to this standard to counter it.”
“Let’s keep it simple. Final acquisition price, interest rate, and collateral. Use Sunyang Heavy Industries and Sunyang Construction stocks as collateral. For any shortfall, propose issuing convertible bonds from Sunyang Heavy Industries.”
Jang let out a small groan of frustration.
“It’s like we’re wrapping it up nicely for them to take…”
“I told you, trust me. As long as we offer good terms, we can raise the acquisition price and interest rate.”
“But that money isn’t coming in right now, is it? You know that, right?”
I understood why Jang kept expressing his concerns.
In the voyage of corporate management, you never know when you’ll hit a storm. You always need to be prepared for crises, and losing one of the best safety nets is unsettling.
He’s the second-in-command, after all. He’d be the first to bear the brunt of any management failures.
Of course, all the responsibility ultimately falls on me, but I’m the owner of Sunyang Financial Group. It’s the steward, not the owner, who gets ousted.
Moreover, he’s seen me swiftly dismiss executives. He can’t be sure he won’t face the same fate.
Standing on the front lines of management, constantly anxious, is like living in hell. To make the most of him, I needed to pull him out of that anxiety.
“Vice President.”
“Yes.”
“I receive our financial group’s cash flow reports every morning, right?”
“Yes, I always email them to you.”
“So, I have a real-time grasp of our company’s financial situation. As long as there’s no error.”
“There are no errors; it’s accurate.”
“If the financial situation worsens, I’ll secure the funds. I’ll cover the gap left by Sunyang Card. Don’t worry.”
Jang Do-hyung’s expression turned stony.
“I’m aware of your capabilities, but do you really think I’ll be reassured just by your words?”
“So, you don’t trust me. Ha ha.”
“This isn’t a laughing matter. No matter how much of a financial genius you are, there are limits. How can an individual cover the operating profits of a leading domestic card company? If it were Miracle’s funds, I’d be at ease, but…”
“I can’t just siphon off money from someone else’s investment firm.”
“Exactly.”
Is he being meticulous? Or just overly cautious?
It seems he’s become more careful since his sudden promotion to vice president at such a young age.
“Last year, Sunyang Card’s net profit was around 125 billion won, right?”
“Yes.”
“If you’re uneasy, just say the word. I’ll deposit 200 billion won into the company account. Would that put your mind at ease?”
Jang Do-hyung’s expression grew even more rigid, but for entirely different reasons. He remained silent for a moment.
“I’m relieved because you’re not one to make empty promises. I’ll do my best to ensure we don’t run short on funds.”
Even if he doesn’t trust my vision for the future, he trusts the wealth I possess.
After all, that’s a more rational judgment.
Money is an undeniable truth, isn’t it?
“Wow! Our youngest has become a superstar overnight, yet still remains diligent.”
There are only a few people who would enter my office without knocking.
Jin Young-jun is one of them. After all, he’s the legitimate heir of Sunyang.