Before Winter Ends 4
“Chairman, please, don’t get worked up. It might just be a baseless rumor… nothing came of it. The group hasn’t shown any signs of movement.”
Despite not being responsible for the situation, Son Hoon-jae was sweating bullets, trying to explain himself in the face of the unexpected reaction.
Chairman Jin calmed himself and spoke evenly.
“Enough. You can leave now. I’ll handle it. Oh, and if you ever leave the company, drop by sometimes to keep me company.”
“Of course, Chairman. I’ll be sure to visit.”
As Son Hoon-jae left, Chairman Jin called out to his waiting secretary.
“Get Lee Hak-jae in here, now!”
The hospital was in an uproar as the chairman, who was supposedly on his deathbed, erupted in anger.
Doctors rushed in, trying to calm him down, checking his blood pressure, and setting up an IV.
Lying in bed, trying to suppress his anger, Chairman Jin shouted as soon as Lee Hak-jae arrived.
“Did you know about this?”
“Chairman, please, calm down…”
“Did you know? That those two were trying to mess with the shares?”
“Oh, that…”
Lee Hak-jae’s nonchalant response made Chairman Jin’s eyes narrow.
“Oh, that…? Are you out of your mind?”
“Chairman, the group’s structure is too solid to be shaken by the antics of two vice-chairmen. Please, don’t be too upset… I’ll explain.”
Though Lee Hak-jae spoke calmly, Chairman Jin’s anger didn’t subside easily.
“What? So you knew all along?”
“They confided their plan to me and even asked for my help.”
“Then why? Why didn’t you say a word to me?”
“It was an impractical, meaningless plan. I had no intention of helping them, so I didn’t see the need to report it.”
Lee Hak-jae tried to soothe the fuming chairman.
“Your heart isn’t in the best condition, and I was worried that hearing about this would only make it worse.”
Finally, Chairman Jin slumped onto the sofa, breathing heavily.
The medical staff, drawn by the commotion, approached again but retreated quietly under the chairman’s fierce gaze.
After catching his breath, Chairman Jin took a sip of water offered by Lee Hak-jae and asked.
“So, what were those fools plotting?”
“They thought the current complex structure was a weakness and wanted to transition to a solid holding company structure.”
“But there’s more to it, right?”
“They wanted to neutralize Miracle and Do-jun’s shares.”
“With the two of them holding about 55% of the holding company shares?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Fools. If it were that easy, we would’ve switched to a holding company long ago. And what else?”
“They also wanted to involve Director Jin Sang-ki.”
“Sang-ki?”
“Yes.”
Chairman Jin suddenly ground his teeth.
“Those bastards. Just because I said I’d pass on my wealth to Sang-ki, they’re eyeing that too.”
Bringing in the third son for money? Even Lee Hak-jae hadn’t anticipated that. It seemed a bit far-fetched, but no one knew the greed of the two sons better than Chairman Jin.
The idea of using shares as bait to swallow the foundation seemed like the eldest son’s plan to take over the entire group.
“So? What did you say?”
“I told them I’d think about it and left. I didn’t see the need to discuss it further.”
“Good job.”
With that, the two fell into silence.
It was Chairman Jin who broke it.
“But what’s your true intention?”
“Sorry?”
“Are you really planning to retire after I’m gone? You’re still in your prime.”
“Then you should take responsibility, Chairman. Haha.”
Chairman Jin glared at the laughing Lee Hak-jae.
“You! I offered to tie up a few subsidiaries for you to manage, even suggested splitting them off entirely for you, but you refused outright. How else can I take responsibility?”
“What can I do? Under your leadership, I’ve done things ordinary people can’t even imagine, and everyone bows and watches their step around me. After doing such things, it’s hard to become an ordinary manager. It’s a unique position, but without you, that position disappears too. So stepping down is the right choice for me.”
“Like a prime minister refusing to become a minister?”
“Something like that. Haha.”
Lee Hak-jae laughed heartily in front of the regretful Chairman Jin.
“Chairman, don’t worry. I know what you want. I’ll keep an eye on things to ensure Do-jun isn’t harmed.”
“Once I’m gone, they’ll give him a hard time.”
“They might try to keep him in check, but they won’t dare to openly mistreat him.”
Chairman Jin understood the implication.
Lee Hak-jae had been the one to carry out all sorts of shady dealings. But compared to the succession process, those were minor. He knew all the details of the schemes used to avoid massive inheritance taxes.
Since he executed these actions, he’d be legally responsible if issues arose. But his silence could also be a switch that leads to mutual destruction.
Because of this, Lee Hak-jae was confident the two vice-chairmen couldn’t touch him, but Chairman Jin still looked uneasy.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden entrance of Jin Sang-ki.
“Oh, Mr. Lee, you’re here too.”
Lee Hak-jae could tell from his expression that this wasn’t just a courtesy visit. His face was a mix of tension, excitement, and frustration.
Chairman Jin’s expression had already turned disapproving.
“Mr. Lee, could you give us a moment? I have something to discuss with my father.”
“Oh, of course. I was just about to leave.”
As Lee Hak-jae turned to go, Chairman Jin stopped him.
“Stay. Judging by his face, he’s not here to check on my health. If it’s not a personal matter, it’s business. Mr. Lee, you’re someone who can hear about business matters.”
“Father, what are you saying?”
“Am I wrong? You’re here about the inheritance, aren’t you?”
Caught off guard, Jin Sang-ki couldn’t respond.
“Go on, tell me. What brings you here in such a hurry?”
Lee Hak-jae had seen this scene countless times—grown children complaining and throwing tantrums.
But seeing an unchanging child in front of a frail man whose life could end at any moment was exasperating.
What was more surprising was Chairman Jin’s attitude.
He referred to the inheritance issue as if it were a business matter. What, then, was personal to this man?
“Father, I’m really sorry. It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with the inheritance. I just wanted to confirm something.”
“Then speak.”
Jin Sang-ki glanced at Lee Hak-jae before speaking.
“The lawyers came by today… They said all you have is some buildings, land, and a bit of cash. How many personal lawyers do you have?”
“They came today?”
“Yes.”
“Wasn’t it three?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
As soon as he heard “three,” Jin Sang-ki’s face twisted. He had hoped for more, but that was all there was…
“That’s all of them. Why, is it less than you expected?”
Though the words poured oil on the fire, Jin Sang-ki gritted his teeth and held back.
He refused to believe it. There had to be more. Now wasn’t the time to vent but to work on getting more.
“No, no. It can’t be. It’s just that, for your personal assets, it seemed a bit modest, so I wanted to check.”
“What? Modest? You fool! Buildings, land, and three billion in cash is modest? People work their whole lives and can’t gather that much, and I’ve arranged for you to receive it as rent. With that, you’d be considered wealthy anywhere. Add the foundation, and you’re a tycoon. Do you think words are just words?!”
At Chairman Jin’s outburst, Jin Sang-ki quickly waved his hands.
“Oh, Father, that’s not what I meant. I just wanted to confirm…”
“Quiet. It’s written all over your face, so don’t…”
Lee Hak-jae couldn’t hear their conversation.
Three billion? If he only gave three billion, where’s the rest?
Lee Hak-jae, who managed offshore accounts and domestic accounts under false names, had handed all the data to Chairman Jin, but its whereabouts were unknown.
Surely, he wouldn’t still be holding onto it… Is it with Jin Do-jun?
If Jin Do-jun had that enormous sum, it would be like giving him another set of wings.
How much does the foundation distribute in scholarships to political and business circles each year?
That money needs to be untraceable, and the two vice-chairmen haven’t secured enough slush funds yet.
If Jin Do-jun starts distributing scholarships first, it would signal that he’s the real successor.
Lee Hak-jae was intensely curious about how Jin Do-jun would use that money.
“Why haven’t we heard from him?”
“Maybe he turned us down? Didn’t like our offer?”
Jin Young-gi and Jin Dong-gi were fuming at Lee Hak-jae’s silence.
“What’s better than the president of the electronics division? Should we offer him the chairman of the entire group?”
Jin Young-gi wasn’t wrong.
They had made the best offer they could think of, and it was Lee Hak-jae who had refused.
“Even if it takes time, let’s handle this ourselves. Remember what Lee Hak-jae said? He claimed the guys under him were top-notch and asked us to take them in. Let’s bring them over, scoop up some sharp minds from a law firm that knows taxes and stocks inside out, and get started. We could even let them run the show.”
“Isn’t that a bit risky? What if the guys Lee Hak-jae had with him turn out to be spies? He’d catch on in no time,” Jin Dong-ki said, his voice tinged with unease. But Jin Young-ki just shook his head.
“And if he does? What then? Once his father passes, that guy’s just another unemployed man. No one’s going to pledge loyalty to someone who’s lost their power.”
“But what if he gets upset? He knows all our group’s secrets. Lee Hak-jae could cause a lot of trouble if he wanted to.”
Jin Dong-ki still couldn’t shake his anxiety, but Jin Young-ki just chuckled softly.
“That’s why you never make it. How can you be so timid?”
“Don’t brush it off. If he decides to retaliate, we could be in serious trouble.”
“What did you learn from Father, anyway?”
“What do you mean?”
“Crush them so they can’t get back up, and when they’re utterly defeated, extend a hand. Don’t you get it?”
“You want to take down Lee Hak-jae?”
“Exactly. Even if it’s not for this, leaving him alone will only cause problems down the line. We need to deal with those who were loyal to Father. Other old-timers might be satisfied with a hefty retirement package, but not Lee Hak-jae. He needs to be crushed.”
“How?”
“He’s got dirt on his hands a mile high. We need to shake it all off.”
Jin Dong-ki exclaimed in shock, “What are you talking about? We could get hurt too!”
But Jin Young-ki remained unfazed.
“Want to bet? Once Father’s gone, I’m the head of Sunyang. I’m the eldest son. The blade stops at Lee Hak-jae. The sharp edge won’t touch us.”
Jin Young-ki was firmly convinced that without Chairman Jin and the Sunyang Group backing him, Lee Hak-jae was just another civilian.