“Are you eyeing your grandfather’s position too?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m eyeing it. More like hoping that one day I might be able to sit there.”
“One day? When’s that supposed to be?”
“I don’t know. But I have a strong advantage, so I can afford to be patient.”
“Advantage? You mean your age?”
“Yes. Whether it’s ten years from now or twenty, if I prepare slowly, it should be possible eventually.”
“You sure know how to talk big, just like your uncle. Ha ha.”
The old man chuckled and turned to my grandfather.
“Ten years, my foot! You look like you’d jump at the chance to sit in the Sunyang Group chairman’s office tomorrow.”
His words seemed to pierce right through me, as if he could see into my soul.
Yet, he wasn’t exactly hitting the mark, so he wasn’t some fortune teller or face reader.
Why did Grandfather insist on meeting this old man?
“Do-jun.”
“Yes?”
Grandfather blinked once.
“I have some things to discuss with this stubborn old man. Could you wait outside?”
“Of course, Grandfather.”
My knees were starting to ache from kneeling, so it was a relief.
I quietly stood up, bowed my head, and stepped outside.
“You didn’t come all this way just to show off your grandson, did you? What’s this about?”
“I’m here to ask a favor for that boy.”
The old man’s expression hardened.
“Are you unwell?”
“They say I’ve used up my time. It’s beyond repair now. I don’t have much left.”
Chairman Jin poked his left chest with his finger.
“Brother!”
“Don’t make a fuss.”
Chairman Jin quietly lifted his teacup.
“I have no intention of delaying the inevitable. I’ve lived enough and have no regrets.”
The old man bit his lip, unable to say anything.
“You, on the other hand, are living in a place with fresh air and clean water, eating well. You’ll be fine for another ten years. Just look after that boy during that time.”
The two old men couldn’t meet each other’s eyes until they finished their tea.
Finally, the old man spoke.
“Is that boy going to inherit the group?”
“Why ask when you already know? The best man will take it.”
“Still as stubborn as ever. You only gave your grandson a measly 10%. How’s he supposed to fight in a world full of ruthless people?”
“It’s not just 10%. I gave him more. Or rather, he took more.”
“What did he take?”
“My shares. Ha ha.”
“What are you talking about? Can’t you explain it in a way I can understand?”
“He took Sunyang Motors, and now he’s taken Sunyang Card. You’ve heard of Miracle Investment and HW Group, the former Ajin Group, right?”
“Yes. But what’s that got to do with anything?”
“Those two companies belong to that boy.”
“What? How…?”
“I don’t know the details myself. Anyway, I gave him a bit of pasture, and he turned it into a thriving business. Just the visible scale alone makes it one of the top 20 groups in the country, and the investments in the U.S. are beyond my reckoning. Of course, I did give him some shares when I handed over Sunyang Motors. But everything he has, he built on his own.”
As Chairman Jin finished his explanation, the old man’s lips curled into a smile.
“You really do care for that boy.”
“It’s the truth!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! With Young-gi and Dong-gi glaring at him, you set up a company for him and secretly gave him everything. Your favoritism is over the top. Isn’t it too much?”
Chairman Jin chuckled at the old man’s reaction.
“You don’t believe me? I didn’t either. When he came to me at twenty, clutching a fistful of dollars, demanding the car company, you should’ve seen my face…”
Chairman Jin recounted the events from his grandson’s childhood to the acquisition of Sunyang Card, calmly but in detail.
The old man displayed a range of expressions as he listened to Chairman Jin’s story. He frowned, he marveled, but mostly, he just listened in a daze.
When Chairman Jin’s long story ended, the old man shouted.
“Bring us another pot of tea, full to the brim!”
Once the teapot was refilled, the old man closed his mouth again and drank the tea as if it were water.
“If he’s that sharp, I don’t need to look after him. Honestly, among your sons, Dong-gi is somewhat capable, but he’s not as good as that boy. Leave him be, and he’ll take it all…”
“It’s the time of leaving him be that worries me. If he were thirty, I wouldn’t be so concerned.”
“Why? Are you afraid your sons will devour him before he grows up?”
Chairman Jin didn’t answer easily and sipped his tea.
“Just help him. For ten years.”
Chairman Jin finally answered after a long pause, and the old man scrutinized him closely.
All he saw was a frail old man waiting for death, worried about his grandson, not the powerful business magnate who once controlled the nation’s economy.
After a long sigh, the old man slowly spoke.
“I’ll help if he behaves. But if he starts acting like a wannabe tycoon, I’ll make sure he doesn’t come near my home.”
Chairman Jin’s tense face finally relaxed after hearing the old man’s promise.
“Your wife said she’d prepare a meal. Is it ready yet? I’m starving.”
“Even when you’re practicing for the afterlife, your appetite remains the same.”
“Doesn’t your wife make the best beef soup? Just thinking about it makes me hungry.”
“What can we do? Today’s breakfast is seaweed soup. Ha ha.”
Perhaps due to the hearty breakfast, Grandfather fell asleep as soon as he got in the car. I was dying to know who that old man was, but I had to wait until he woke up.
After nearly two hours of peaceful sleep, Grandfather finally opened his eyes, and I gently asked about the old man’s identity.
“His name is Joo Byung-hae, a key figure in Sunyang Group’s success.”
Joo Byung-hae? The name didn’t ring a bell. If Grandfather called him a key figure, he must have at least been the president of a major subsidiary, yet the name was unfamiliar.
“When was he with Sunyang Group?”
“He wasn’t just with us. We met after the war when we started a textile factory in Daegu. Did we have the technology? The machinery? He went to Japan, bought used machines, and even brought back Japanese technicians to operate them.”
That makes him more than a key figure; he’s practically a founding member.
“He was an incredible partner. I’d make plans, and he’d push them through. Even when I hesitated, unsure of my decisions, he’d insist we start and see it through. He was brilliant. If he’d stayed with me, he might have taken the chairman’s seat long ago.”
“Why is he living like that now? Since when…?”
Honestly, my first thought was that Grandfather might have pushed him out.
As the group grew, Joo Byung-hae’s influence would have increased, and he might have demanded a share of the success. Grandfather wouldn’t have accepted that.
But my guess was wrong.
“It’s been over twenty years. He turned his back on me when you were very young.”
What does he mean by that? Turned his back?
Grandfather’s face briefly contorted as if recalling a painful memory. How painful must it have been?
“It was when the new military regime took power and wielded their guns and knives. Military regimes are always the same. They start by targeting the wealthy.”
Isn’t Sunyang the company that thrived by aligning with that regime?
“Everyone was cautious. If they asked for money, they gave it. If they were told to build a factory in a specific area, they drove the stakes without hesitation.”
“Did he resist the new military regime?”
“No. Why would he? Joo Byung-hae was a businessman to the core. As long as he could extract more profit than the money he handed over to the regime, that was enough for him.”
“Then, regardless of the political climate…”
“No, you’re right. Do you know Dongmyung Group?”
How could I not?
It was the dominant number one in the business world until the mid-70s.
It vanished without a trace, ostensibly donated to the state, as soon as the new military regime took over.
“Yes, I’ve heard bits and pieces.”
“Joo Byung-hae was very close to Chairman Kang of Dongmyung Group. He followed him around, calling him brother, and received a lot of help. Thanks to him, I got some help too.”
Regardless of the cause, a rival company disappeared. Would that have been enough to drive a wedge between them?
“The business world was on its knees. No one dared to step forward. Helping Chairman Kang would have meant becoming the next company to be ‘donated.’”
Twenty years ago, the government could still topple a company. That shows how small companies were back then. But now, it’s impossible. The conglomerates have grown too large for any regime to handle.
“Did Joo Byung-hae try to save him?”
“No. No matter how close they were, he couldn’t risk going down with him. Joo Byung-hae suggested we lay low and stay quiet. Later, he said, we could take care of Chairman Kang’s retirement and fulfill our obligations without being criticized.”
“Then why…?”
Grandfather continued with a bitter smile.
“I didn’t stay quiet. I immediately started aligning with the new military regime. Corporate donations weren’t cash, were they? What would the government do with a company in its hands?”
I understood immediately. Of course, Grandfather wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.
“Out of the six subsidiaries of Dongmyung Group, I practically snatched up Dongmyung Industries, Dongmyung Heavy Industries, Dongmyung Development, and Dongmyung Foods. Thanks to that, our Sunyang’s heavy industry sector grew tremendously.”
Ah, so that’s how it happened.
The picture was becoming clearer, albeit faintly.
“When Byung-hae found out, he was absolutely furious. He was jumping up and down, saying that even if business ethics were thrown out the window, we should at least uphold human decency. He couldn’t believe I would do something that would metaphorically kill Chairman Kang twice. It was the first time I’d seen him that angry. It was also the last time he got mad at me.”
I can understand why Byung-hae was so enraged.
It’s like watching your house go up for auction, only for a close friend to swoop in and buy it for a steal. It’s hard to avoid criticism in such a situation.
“So, is that when he started living like this?”
“Yes.”
“Considering how things ended, you two seem as close as brothers.”
“Oh, don’t even get me started. For about five years, he wouldn’t even let me near his doorstep. But as he got older, what could he do? He started to miss the past and the people in it, and he softened up. We’ve been like friends, like brothers, for a long time now.”
That leaves just one question.
Why was it so important for me to pay my respects to this old man?
“Even if I’m not around, visit him often as if you’re visiting me.”
“Yes, I’ll treat him like a great-uncle.”
“Good. If you ever run into trouble, ask for his help or advice. He’ll give you an answer unless it’s something truly out of the ordinary.”
“He must be a wise man.”
“He’s wise, indeed. That’s why I always discuss group matters with him and seek his opinion.”
Another figure like Director Lee Hak-jae.
But there’s something he lacks compared to Director Lee. I wanted to find out just how significant that difference was.
“Are there many people in the group who remember him?”
Grandfather’s eyes twinkled as he smiled.
“Plenty. Anyone who’s made a name for themselves in the group learned under him. They never miss a chance to visit him with gifts during the holidays. If they can’t make it, they at least call.”
I see.
Even if he’s retired, if he still holds influence, playing the dutiful grandson isn’t such a difficult task, is it?