Caught in the Act 2
Vice President Jang Do-hyung casually dropped a subtle comment.
“Well, it seems all that fuss we made in the meeting earlier was for nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The insurance payouts from Sunyang Fire and Sunyang Life due to the recent typhoon will be around five to six billion won.”
What’s he getting at?
“And?”
“Fifty billion from the company, five hundred billion from you personally. Compared to that, the insurance payout is a drop in the bucket, isn’t it?”
“So, you’re saying the executives’ meeting over such a small amount was pointless?”
Seeing my smile fade, Jang Do-hyung’s face stiffened.
“Vice President Jang.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Have I ever misused company funds?”
“What? No, of course not.”
“I’m committed to my role as a major shareholder of Sunyang Financial Group. I don’t hold any official position, so I don’t take a salary or carry a company credit card. You know that, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“And none of my personal wealth, aside from my shares in Sunyang, comes from the group.”
“I apologize. I misspoke.”
Though he quickly bowed his head in apology, I wasn’t about to let it go. I needed to make things clear whenever I had the chance, to prevent any misunderstandings or complacency.
“I’ve never commented on management performance. Today, I made it clear, didn’t I? Don’t haggle over insurance payouts; just pay generously.”
“……”
“I act this way to maintain integrity with the company’s employees. I’m trying not to repeat the mistakes of other chaebols who are criticized.”
Jang Do-hyung’s face turned red, and he remained silent.
“But it’s surprising that you, Vice President Jang, can’t distinguish between personal and company funds. How could I possibly use company money as my own?”
“I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking… I was out of line.”
He stood up abruptly, bowing deeply, so I decided to end it there.
“Please, sit down. It’s unsettling to hear this from someone who knows better. I won’t bring it up again, but make sure any executives with the wrong idea understand my stance.”
“Understood.”
I can’t always play the nice guy. Gradually, I need to make everyone fear me.
President Jo Dae-ho is certainly efficient and effective.
In just two days, praise for HW Motors’ service started popping up all over the internet, spreading rapidly.
The speed of this spread wasn’t natural. They must have used a PR agency.
When the first customer who received a free vehicle replacement posted a long message of praise and gratitude online, the spread accelerated. The main buyers of the
As a result, the harsh criticism and mockery of the
Those who had been disparaging the car as a mere sports car in appearance but with the performance of a compact were now being silenced by supporters of
The car quickly climbed the real-time search rankings, and as more people received their vehicles, even the mainstream media had to take notice.
Though it didn’t make the top story on the 9 PM news, it was covered prominently.
“Wow, this is like getting free advertising. It’s more effective than our World Cup ads. With the main news praising us, our stock price is soaring.”
President Jo Dae-ho couldn’t hide his delight.
“How are sales?”
“Inquiries are through the roof, and actual sales are slightly up. But other models are benefiting more. The
“That’s good to hear.”
“The problem is, owners of other flooded cars are calling in, demanding replacements for cars they’ve driven for years. Ha.”
“They see an opportunity. It doesn’t cost anything to try their luck.”
There are always people like that, causing a fuss wherever they go.
“We can’t miss this opportunity, so we’re rushing new car development. We’re trying to move up the timeline to release next year.”
“Yes. I’m sure you’ll handle it well, President.”
Jo Dae-ho smiled broadly.
“Speaking of which, I’m thinking of moving forward with what we discussed last time. The acquisition of a foreign car company.”
“Start whenever you’re ready. I’ll handle the funding.”
Jo Dae-ho’s smile widened into a grin.
“We’ve shortlisted some companies. We’re already in initial contact. Take a look.”
He slid a few sheets of paper across the table. They contained the names and profiles of car companies.
“Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Pagani… These are Italian makers.”
“Yeah. Ideally, I’d love to have Lamborghini, Ferrari, or Porsche, but they’re not for sale. These are the ones within reach.”
“I own an Alfa Romeo myself. A Spider, a two-seater. It’s small but ridiculously expensive.”
“What? You have a two-seater? I thought you weren’t into cars.”
“I’ve been collecting since I got my license. You need to drive different cars to have informed opinions. I wanted to understand what an average person feels about them.”
“You said ‘different cars.’ How many do you have?”
Jo Dae-ho’s curiosity was piqued.
“Thirteen? Fourteen? Something like that. Ferrari, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin, Bentley, Maserati… I have a mix of supercars and sedans.”
As I listed my collection, Jo Dae-ho’s jaw dropped.
“Most are direct imports, so they cost a fortune.”
“Why haven’t I seen them? Do you drive them all?”
“No. I only ride in the BMW sedan my driver takes me in. I’m not much for driving myself.”
“What? So they just sit there? You don’t drive them?”
“No. I drive them for a day or two when I first get them. But it’s like putting pearls on a pig. There’s nowhere to really drive them, and I’m not great at it.”
Jo Dae-ho sighed in disbelief.
“Oh, would you like to take them apart for research?”
“What?”
“It could be useful for the research lab, right? Oh, have you already taken them apart?”
“Why would we take apart supercars? We’d do that with competitor models. But… are you serious about what you just said?”
“About what?”
“Can we really take your cars to the lab and examine them?”
“Yes. They’re just sitting in the garage. Most have less than 5,000 kilometers on them, so they’re practically new.”
Jo Dae-ho’s expression changed as if he’d found a wallet on the street.
“The lab guys hit the jackpot. Playing with toys worth tens of billions.”
“Tell them not to get too excited. It’s not free.”
“What? You mean we have to buy them?”
“No. Just make sure they submit thorough reports. If they don’t, tell them I’ll deduct the car’s value from their salaries.”
Before I’d even finished speaking, Jo Dae-ho picked up the phone, his voice excited as if he were planning a grand party. After a long conversation, he calmed down.
“Having a responsible third-generation chaebol around is quite handy.”
“So hurry up and acquire a car company. That way, I won’t have to spend my own money.”
“Oh, right, let’s get back to what we were discussing.”
“Yes.”
“Even if it’s not a full acquisition, we’ll partner with a company that promises to transfer the technology we want. There are many ways to do it—equity investment, royalties, or technology transfer fees.”
“Anything’s fine. The goal is to secure technology.”
“Right. We’ll keep all channels open and proceed.”
Ideally, I wanted a 100% acquisition. A Korean company acquiring an Italian maker would be a strategic move to prepare for the upcoming mergers and acquisitions in the automotive industry.
“An anonymous donor who contributed a staggering 500 billion won to the Disaster Relief Fund has been revealed as Jin Do-jun of Sunyang Group, making headlines.”
“Jin Do-jun has long been known as Korea’s George Soros, a financial genius. His donation has sparked curiosity about the extent of his wealth.”
“Jin Do-jun’s donation is the largest ever, nearly ten times the amount given by major corporations. Civic groups are praising it as a true example of noblesse oblige. Sunyang Group reported that he politely declined interviews, stating, ‘I just did what was needed when it was needed. It’s not something to boast about,’ expressing his discomfort with the publicity.”
Vice President Jang Do-hyung handled the matter smoothly.
The newspapers, internet, and even broadcast stations were buzzing with my story.
“What’s this about being uncomfortable with the publicity? This is all going according to your script. You sly fox.”
“Hey! Why are you giving my son a hard time? He did a good thing.”
“Don’t be fooled. You don’t really know what your proud son is like.”
My father and CEO Oh Se-hyun were laughing heartily over drinks.
“It’s a win-win. Why should there be only one goal? Sometimes you can hit two birds with one stone.”
I smiled at Oh Se-hyun and replied, “Think of it as laying the groundwork. It’s part of a long-term plan.”
“See? I told you. This is all part of a carefully orchestrated plan!”
My father pretended not to hear Oh Se-hyun and sat next to me.
“Whatever your goal is, I’m not interested, Do-jun.”
“Yes?”
“Shall we talk about our business?”
It was rare for my father to speak in such a subtle tone. And wasn’t his expression more like that of a salesman?
“The company has given me quite the mission,” he said.
“What kind of mission?”
Without a word, he pointed a finger at me.
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Unlike other third-generation chaebols who make headlines for all the wrong reasons, you end up in the business section. Others fill the social pages with scandals, but you? You make the news for good reasons.”
“Are you saying…?”
“Exactly. Let’s do an interview. Our network is launching a new variety show…”
The mere mention of “variety show” almost made me twitch.
“Oh no, I can’t do that. A variety show?”
“It’s not just any variety show. It’s infotainment—entertainment with information. You don’t have to be funny; just think of it as an interview.”
“Wow… Someone’s really getting a free ride thanks to their son. I even turned down a national broadcast interview, and now I’m supposed to do an exclusive for a cable channel with ratings as low as the national anthem’s?”
At Oh Se-hyun’s jab, my father glared.
“You’ll be the first guest on the first episode. The production director is convinced you’ll pull in at least a 2%, maybe even 5% viewership. They’re desperate to get you on board. Do me a favor, help your father out, and save a program.”
“Do you really think I can carry the first episode? Why not get Bae Yong-joon or Choi Ji-woo? They’re causing a sensation in Japan with ‘Winter Sonata.’ With your influence, they’d come running with just a snap of your fingers. Why settle for me?”
“They’re tied up with their Japan schedules. They won’t be back for a while.”
I tried to escape, but it was impossible. Instead of a drink, my father held my wrist firmly, refusing to let go.