Title: A Delicate Balance
As soon as the news broke that Chairman Joo Gwang-sik was injecting a personal fortune of one hundred billion won into Daehyeon Card, the banks holding Daehyeon Card’s bonds also decided to provide an emergency fund of the same amount. This move certainly gave Chairman Joo a moment to breathe.
He wasn’t the type to sell off a card company just to save a billion won. The fact that he even considered selling despite having such an easy solution suggested there was another scheme at play.
“The banks have reached a dramatic agreement,” said Vice President Jang Do-hyeong, who had rushed out to verify the news, even sharing some hard-to-confirm rumors.
“Initially, he boasted about resolving it easily, but kept delaying with excuses until the creditors’ final warning forced him to use his own money.”
“Surely, his boasting didn’t mean he was planning to sell the company?”
“He claimed he would pull funds from Daehyeon Motors.”
Would Chairman Joo Tae-sik of Daehyeon Motors really help his brother? It was harder to believe than the tale of a greedy brother helping his kind sibling.
Pondering why Chairman Joo made such bold claims, I decided not to dwell on the family dynamics or why they tried to involve Miracle.
Now was the perfect time for expansion. Last year, LG Card reached a milestone as the first in the country to surpass ten million customers, marking the peak of its external growth. However, it was now crying out for help. The ease of issuing cards without credit checks, even to the unemployed and high school students, had led to a crisis of bad debts, pushing the company to the brink of bankruptcy and forcing it to request public funds.
With the government and creditors debating a massive two trillion won bailout, the card market was simultaneously collapsing and rebuilding. Fortunately, Sunyang Card had already positioned itself for the reconstruction phase. Just as it had not coveted Daehyeon Card, it would watch LG Card’s troubles from a distance.
In a few years, Shinhan Bank would invest a staggering seven trillion won to acquire the company. There was no need to mobilize such a fortune now. Even a fraction of that amount could make a significant impact in the troubled card market.
In these chaotic times, it’s wise to proceed cautiously, step by step, without arrogance.
The greatest turmoil was in the political arena. With the general election approaching next year, the political landscape was in upheaval. The president had founded a new party in an attempt at reform, while the remaining faction became a fiercer opposition than the existing one.
The ruling party started as a tiny third party in the National Assembly, and in a minority government, the opposition was determined to win the 17th general election by any means necessary. They began pressuring the president and the ruling party by bringing up the issue of presidential campaign funds, unaware that it could backfire on them.
Illegal campaign funds were a major concern. I, too, had contributed to such funds. While other conglomerates had loyalists willing to take the fall for election law violations, I had no such loyalists. If the media mentioned my name and decisive evidence emerged, I would be the one standing in front of the prosecutor’s office.
I had no one to take my place, nor did I want to engage in such actions. Noah’s Ark was built before the rain, during sunny days, and there’s a saying, “Better safe than sorry.”
I quietly summoned Executive Director Woo Byung-jun to my home.
“There’s something I need you to verify.”
“Please, go ahead, sir.”
“Regarding the campaign funds I prepared and delivered during the last presidential election, I want you to trace them.”
“Why the sudden interest…?”
“The political scene is starting to get dirty with negative tactics, isn’t it? Especially with the opposition talking about a special investigation into campaign funds. I want to ensure no trace of me is found. If you find any, erase them.”
Woo Byung-jun blinked a few times before asking, “Does ‘erase’ include people?”
Erase people? The enormity of the suggestion left me speechless for a moment. Seeing my reaction, Woo Byung-jun smiled slightly.
“It seems you misunderstood. Perhaps you’ve watched too many movies…”
“What do you mean by ‘erase’?”
“Erase them from Korea. Send them abroad until the issue blows over. Did you think I meant silencing them permanently?”
“Sorry, I guess I’ve watched too many movies. Haha.”
I tried to laugh off the awkwardness, but it wasn’t easy. Woo Byung-jun, however, seemed unfazed.
“You said the funds couldn’t be traced, right? Because they were cycled through the U.S.?”
“Yes.”
“So, you just want me to check if they can be traced?”
“Exactly. Just take a look.”
“You were confident they couldn’t be traced, but are you worried?”
“Just in case.”
“Understood. I’ll look into it. But…”
Woo Byung-jun looked me straight in the eye and spoke slowly.
“Who saw the cash back then? Especially the person who brought it to the office?”
“I told you, it was someone trustworthy. There’s no issue there.”
“With the election approaching, parties will fight tooth and nail. They’ll use every resource available, including the prosecution and police. If they target you, they’ll start with those around you. If they pressure your associates, loyalty and trust can shatter like a wine glass. That’s human nature.”
This man must have seen many betrayals. He views everything negatively first. But he didn’t realize the contradiction in his words.
“The person who handled the money at the office was you, Executive Director. Should I view you with suspicion too?”
He didn’t answer immediately, seemingly taken aback. After a long silence, he nodded.
“You’re right. I advised you not to trust even those who’ve been with you for a long time, yet I didn’t show you my trust.”
“That’s not exactly what I meant. Trust in you will solidify over time. I’m not in a hurry.”
He fell silent again, a man whose thoughts were hard to read.
“It seems we need to shorten that time. In fact, I’ve grown fond of you.”
With a faint smile, he took out his phone from his pocket. After fiddling with it, he showed me his contact list.
“This is Director Lee Hak-jae’s number. I’ll delete it.”
Before I could say anything, he erased it.
“And this is Chairman Jin’s number. I’ll delete it too.”
“E-Executive Director, that… that…”
It was too late. He had already erased both numbers.
“I don’t answer calls from numbers not saved in my phone. How’s that?”
He might remember such important numbers, or he could check them at the office. It wasn’t a big deal. But this man was trying to show a symbolic gesture to earn my trust. He was demonstrating his commitment to following only my orders.
He had indeed shortened the time needed to build trust. Was it my turn to respond?
“The person who arranged the funds was Miracle’s CEO, Oh Se-hyun. And the person who brought it to the office was an employee.”
Woo Byung-jun smiled again.
“I’m well aware of your relationship with CEO Oh. He’s trustworthy. But the employees…”
“I’ll send them to the U.S. this week. Under the guise of training, they’ll go to Miracle’s headquarters in New York. They’ll be pleased. Once the election is over and things calm down, we’ll bring them back.”
“With such swift and thorough action, there’s no need to worry. But just in case, I’ll trace the funds as you instructed.”
Woo Byung-jun quietly stood up.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“May I ask one more thing?”
“What is it?”
“Earlier, when you mentioned erasing people, did you mean… permanently?”
Could it be that silencing people for good was a reality?
“Is there someone you need to get rid of?”
His knack for catching me off guard was remarkable. As I shook my head with a wry smile, Woo Byung-jun laughed and left.
“Just go already. It’s not like you’re emigrating. Why come all the way here?”
“Look at all this luggage! It looks like you’re emigrating. How many bags does someone need for a three-month trip?”
“My wife packed them. She plans to stay longer.”
As December arrived, Oh Se-hyun eagerly packed his bags. Even his father took time out of his busy schedule to see him off at the airport.
He considered Oh Se-hyun a friend who had looked after his son for ten years. Seeing such a friend off at the airport was only natural.
“Anyway, settle in well. I’ll be there soon.”
“You’re coming to Kota Kinabalu? Do you even have time for a vacation? You can’t even take a proper break.”
“I’m shooting a program there. The resort begged me to promote it. They even offered to cover production costs, so it’ll be scheduled next year. Thanks to that, I get to be involved.”
“That’s great. Bring some famous people. I’ll treat you all to a grand time. Haha.”
The two exchanged light-hearted banter, avoiding any words that might hint at a farewell. They knew that after a few months, it wouldn’t feel like a goodbye.
Just like parents tearfully sending off a daughter to marriage, only to realize after the wedding and honeymoon that it wasn’t a farewell at all.
They understood this well. So did I.
When I went to the military in a past life, my mother cried her eyes out, but frequent leaves made her forget I was even a soldier.
“When you get to Kota Kinabalu, make sure to exercise. The resort’s fitness center is top-notch.”
“Stop nagging. The fresh air and sunshine will keep me healthy without exercise.”
Oh Se-hyun playfully nudged my side.
“If you just stop sending emails, you’ll be healthier. Don’t stress over unnecessary things, got it?”
“I’ll send you reports every day. Hehe.”
“You’re such a brat.”
My father said to Oh Se-hyun, who was beaming at me.
“Go on, get inside. Your wife is waiting.”
“Hey, watch your language! She’s your sister-in-law, not just ‘your wife.’ You’re two years younger, remember!”
My father chuckled as he playfully pushed Oh Se-hyun away.
As Se-hyun headed into the departure gate, he kept turning back to wave. I barely held back tears as his figure disappeared from view. If my father hadn’t been there, I might have burst into tears.
“Let’s go. By the way, do you need to head to the office?”
“No, not today. I think I’ll go home for dinner. I’ll invite Sang-jun too. It’s been a while since our family had a nice, cozy evening together.”
“Finally growing up, are you? Seeing Se-hyun leave makes you want to be a good son, huh? Haha.”
Just as my father was about to put his arm around my shoulder, his phone rang loudly.
“Huh? What’s this about?”
“Who is it?”
“The director of the medical center. Maybe another VIP has been admitted?”
He answered the call, looking puzzled, and covered one ear to hear better over the airport noise.
“Yes, Director. This is Jin Yoon-gi.”
He strained to hear, and then his face suddenly went pale. The phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.