The Five-Day Funeral, Part 3
“Chief Prosecutor, I know you’re busy with official duties, so thank you for coming.”
“Not at all. This is a place I should be.”
“Did you have any trouble getting here?”
“As I was coming in, I noticed there wasn’t a single reporter around. It seems you’ve been quite thorough.”
Chief Prosecutor Kim Seok-hwi of the Seoul High Prosecutor’s Office found it curious that only a handful of police officers were managing the parking at the funeral of a giant in the Korean economy. He suspected the Sunyang Group had a hand in it.
“It’s not so much our doing as it is the current political turmoil. All the reporters with cameras slung over their shoulders are camped out in Yeouido. No media outlet has the bandwidth to cover this.”
“Ah, I see. Things are about to explode over there too…”
As he conversed with the two vice-chairmen who had quietly called him aside, the Chief Prosecutor tried to calm his racing heart.
Chairman Jin had once summoned him to his study for a brief conversation, after which he was promoted to Chief Prosecutor. He had hoped for another call that might lead to becoming the Prosecutor General, but that opportunity vanished forever.
He had come simply to pay his respects, having set aside his expectations, but being summoned by Chairman Jin’s successors reignited his excitement.
“Chief Prosecutor.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
Kim Seok-hwi perked up his ears.
“With our father, the pillar of the group, gone, we’re facing tough times.”
“What do you mean? With both of you standing firm, aren’t there now two pillars? That should make things more stable.”
“There are two pillars, but the single foundation stone is weak. We need to plant two solid foundation stones, and we desperately need your help.”
Sensing the politeness in Jin Dong-gi’s demeanor, the Chief Prosecutor quickly caught on. There was clearly a problem with the two sons taking control of the Sunyang Group.
If it were a legal issue, they would seek a large law firm or a high-ranking legal official who could offer preferential treatment. They would pay a hefty sum to a senior legal figure, have them retire from public office, and use them as a dedicated lawyer. That’s the ABC of how conglomerates handle legal issues, isn’t it?
If it’s not a legal issue, it means they need the power he currently holds as Chief Prosecutor. Either way, it’s an opportunity he can’t afford to miss.
“Just tell me what you need. I owe the late Chairman more than a few favors. Of course, I’ll help.”
The Chief Prosecutor’s bright smile faded when he saw the expressions on the two vice-chairmen’s faces. They were glaring at him with furrowed brows.
Startled, the Chief Prosecutor quickly retraced his words to find his mistake. He realized he had used the wrong word.
“Oh dear, I misspoke. I said ‘help,’ but please don’t misunderstand. It’s something I must do.”
The mention of obligation eased their expressions.
“Your words are reassuring.”
As Jin Young-gi nodded, his brother continued.
“We want to remove the foundation stone our father used and set our own, but someone is in the way. They’re sitting firmly on the old stone and won’t budge.”
“Really, is that so?”
“Yes. Ideally, we’d like to just sweep them away, but… they were someone our father valued highly, and we must maintain some decorum. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to just stand by.”
Jin Young-gi added another point.
“Etiquette and respect are important, but if they prevent the pillars of Sunyang Group from settling, what then? If Sunyang wavers, won’t the Korean economy waver too?”
The Chief Prosecutor found it absurd that they would invoke the national economy for what was essentially solidifying corporate control, but he knew he had to play along to seize the opportunity. And he had to do it sincerely.
“Of course. If the leader wavers, the rest are bound to be in disarray. Sunyang’s management must be firmly established.”
The Chief Prosecutor realized what they wanted.
“Who is it? I’ll lend my strength to remove them.”
At his words, the two brothers exchanged glances and spoke.
“It might be a bit burdensome. It’s Director Lee Hak-jae.”
“What? Director Lee…?”
Kim Seok-hwi’s eyes widened. This wasn’t just some old executive. Until recently, Lee Hak-jae had been the one pulling the strings on behalf of Chairman Jin.
Director Lee’s influence was far-reaching. If he learned someone was plotting against him, he wouldn’t sit idly by.
Seeing the Chief Prosecutor’s face harden, the brothers spoke.
“Wow, even the Chief Prosecutor of Seoul, who can supposedly bring down a flying bird, seems tense. Director Lee must be quite something.”
“He’s just a kite with a broken string. Without Sunyang’s cover, he’s just an unemployed middle-aged man.”
Jin Young-gi spoke nonchalantly, but the Chief Prosecutor’s expression didn’t brighten.
The moment he ordered an investigation into Lee Hak-jae, it would reach the director’s ears. He’d then receive a furious call from the Prosecutor General, and that was a daunting prospect.
Jin Dong-gi needed to ease the Chief Prosecutor’s mind. The wheels were already in motion, and he couldn’t afford to be lenient with each individual.
“Chief Prosecutor.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know about hyenas?”
“Hyenas? The ones that eat rotten meat…?”
“That’s a misconception. Hyenas can eat rotten meat, but they’re actually pack hunters.”
“Is that so?”
The Chief Prosecutor felt a bit offended, wondering if he was being compared to a hyena.
“Have you ever seen a pack of hyenas hunt an old lion?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“An old lion, chased away by younger males, isn’t much of a threat. But because it’s a lion, other predators fear it. Hyenas, however, are very clever. The bravest among them approaches and gives it a nudge.”
What was this? Was Jin Dong-gi comparing him to a brave hyena?
“But the old lion only roars loudly and doesn’t attack the hyena that nudged it. In its eyes, it sees dozens of hyenas. All it can do is threaten them to prevent a simultaneous attack. It can’t even guarantee a one-on-one fight.”
The Chief Prosecutor understood the story wasn’t about hyenas but about the old lion.
“The hyena pack realizes the old lion is powerless and not a threat. All that’s left is for the lion to be mercilessly torn apart by the hyenas.”
“Are you asking me to be the bravest hyena?”
“Of course not. How could we ask that of you, Chief Prosecutor? The Ministry of Justice’s Criminal Planning Division will handle it. You just need to signal the other hyenas to attack simultaneously.”
The Chief Prosecutor’s expression brightened. At least he wouldn’t be the one charging at the front. Even if the Sunyang heirs demanded it, he had bought himself time to assess the situation.
If Lee Hak-jae was not just an old lion but still had sharp teeth and claws, he could simply back off.
The Chief Prosecutor’s face lit up again.
“No problem. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. I hope I haven’t taken up too much of your time. I’m sure there are many mourners waiting.”
“Let them wait. You’re more important, Chief Prosecutor. Haha.”
Jin Dong-gi’s flattery was echoed by Jin Young-gi.
“Our mother brought back some paintings from Europe. Among them is a piece by a French artist who’s quite popular these days. We’ve placed it in your car. You can hang it at home or sell it back to the Sunyang Art Foundation.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have gone to such trouble…”
“It’s nothing. I’m no art expert, but it looks quite valuable.”
The painting itself wasn’t important. The fact that it could be resold was. What good was a painted canvas at home compared to a stack of cash?
The Chief Prosecutor, seemingly forgetting he was at a funeral, left with a constant smile.
“Do you think he’ll do well?”
“Who can you trust? We need to mobilize everyone we can.”
The brothers, looking weary, massaged their temples.
“Let’s go down. We have more meetings.”
“Who’s next?”
“Branch managers from the national banks. They’re holding our shares, which will become worthless. We need to prepare them.”
The two brothers, dragging their tired bodies, headed downstairs.
“Here’s today’s list.”
Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-seok approached and discreetly handed me a note.
“Anything special?”
“I’ve marked it on the memo. It seems there’s a painting in the car trunk.”
“A painting?”
“Yes. It’s definitely a large frame. They said it’s well-packed in a box and cloth.”
“What about money?”
“So far, none. It’s all paintings.”
A new method of money laundering.
They give a painting and buy it back. Since the painting’s origin is unknown, there’s no need to record who sold it. But the money paid for the painting can be accounted for as a purchase expense.
A new way to write off bribes as expenses.
“Anything unusual?”
“The longest private conversations were all with people from the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution.”
“The prosecution?”
“Yes.”
That’s odd.
With the president’s impeachment, the political landscape is unpredictable. Naturally, they should be talking to politicians.
But the prosecution?
Unless the prosecution is targeting our group…
Could it be me?
Could they be using the prosecution to remove me from the group, as my grandmother has been urging? Was that what the conversation in the chairman’s study was about?
Even if the prosecution investigates me, they won’t find anything.
But the prosecution can easily fabricate charges or dismiss existing ones, can’t they?
“Don’t let your guard down just because it’s your grandfather’s funeral. They’re using it as a cover to plot something.”
I realized I needed to come up with a plan of my own if I didn’t want to regret it later.
“Mr. Kim, get a car ready without drawing attention. I’m heading home now.”
“Understood.”
Without asking any questions, Mr. Kim hurried off.
I compared the names on the note Mr. Kim had given me with the ones in my grandfather’s notebook, compiling a list of matches.
The most pressing task was to find out if the prosecutors at the funeral today had received a target list from my uncles.
If my face was on that list, it might be tough to fight back. But I needed to make sure the prosecutors themselves would tear it up.
After organizing my thoughts, I instructed Mr. Kim Yoon-seok, who was waiting in the living room, to prepare some money.
“Get 2 billion won as quickly as possible.”
“How should we divide it?”
“Split it into 100 million won each.”
“Got it.”
Sensing the urgency, Mr. Kim dashed out.
A short while later, Oh Se-hyun walked in, grumbling.
“Why meet in person when a call would do? Aren’t you busy?”
“I’m busy, but some people are making me even busier.”
Seeing the seriousness on my face, Oh Se-hyun’s expression turned grave.
“What’s going on?”
I explained everything that had happened today in detail and handed him the list from the note.
Oh Se-hyun began examining it closely.