Five-Day Funeral 5
I struggled to maintain a calm demeanor, as if I already knew everything. It would be disastrous if the Chief Prosecutor sensed that he had said something he shouldn’t have.
“He’s a bit like that, isn’t he? He can’t let go of things easily. But I understand, in a way. It’s a position he’s held for a long time, so it’s natural to have some attachment.”
Thankfully, it seemed he hadn’t noticed anything amiss.
“Still, it must be a bit of a burden for you, Chief Prosecutor. It’s not like you have no connection with him…”
I gauged Kim Seok-hwi, the Chief Prosecutor’s reaction, and he didn’t seem too troubled.
“I’m just here to wrap things up. The Ministry of Justice is the one wielding the sword, so they’ll be the ones in a tight spot.”
The uncles’ plan was clear: the Ministry of Justice would tighten the noose, and the Chief Prosecutor would seal the coffin.
Of course, before the nails are hammered in, they’ll get what they want and then let him out again.
I already knew what they wanted: a redistribution of shares.
Clever bastards! They’ve thought this through.
Using the prosecution to catch Lee Hak-jae, who in turn becomes a tool to catch me…
“Is there something bothering you?”
The Chief Prosecutor’s eyes changed as he noticed my hardened expression. He seemed worried he might have said something he shouldn’t have.
“No, it’s just that thinking about how much my grandfather valued Director Lee Hak-jae…”
It’s best to end the conversation here. The longer it goes on, the more likely unnecessary things will come out.
“Well then, Chief Prosecutor, I’ll contact you again after the funeral. We’ll proceed as we used to, at the usual place.”
“Oh dear, I hope I haven’t kept you too long…”
“Not at all. By the way, you left the keys with our staff in the parking lot, right?”
“Yes.”
The Chief Prosecutor stood up, seemingly eager to check the money in the trunk.
“Please, go ahead. I’ll leave shortly after.”
Once Kim Seok-hwi, the Chief Prosecutor, left, I quickly took out my phone.
But I couldn’t inform Director Lee Hak-jae.
I needed to think more and turn the situation to my advantage rather than making a hasty decision.
I headed back to my grandfather’s house.
I needed to see the person involved, talk, think, and plan.
Day and night, mourners flooded in, and the house was so brightly lit that it was hard to tell if it was day or night.
In the guesthouse, important figures dined or had a drink, while the makeshift tables in the yard were occupied by those grabbing a quick bite.
People who noticed me bowed their heads in greeting, but I could sense a shift in the tide from their expressions.
Even though they were clearly executives from the financial sector, they weren’t making a fuss like before. They must be expecting that I’ll be cast aside now that my grandfather, who supported me, has passed away.
“Where have you been? Haven’t seen you around for a while.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Of all people, Director Lee Hak-jae appeared, patting my shoulder.
“Oh, Director. I had some matters to attend to.”
“Miracle?”
”…Yes.”
“Well, the stock market’s been volatile lately. Must be because of the president’s impeachment?”
“Yes, it’s a temporary phenomenon, but I went to steady the team leaders and managers who were getting anxious.”
“Steady them? How?”
“Whether the impeachment motion passes or not, it’s only a matter of time before things return to normal. Even if it passes, the Constitutional Court will dismiss it.”
“How can you be so sure? Politics is unpredictable. No one knows how it will twist and turn.”
Seeing him unaware of the sword aimed at his neck gave me a strange feeling. How would someone who had always been protected by the fortress of Sunyang and my grandfather react when the tables were turned?
“Insight helps in predicting such things accurately. Heh.”
“You’re not even pretending to be humble anymore.”
Lee Hak-jae looked at me intently.
“But while you were away, the chairman’s burial site was changed. Didn’t see that coming with your insight?”
“What? What do you mean…?”
“They changed it to the Sunyang Museum in Gunsan. The madam insisted, and the children agreed. The reasoning is plausible, after all. Gunsan is where Sunyang started. To rest there peacefully… Of course, your father opposed it, but what could he do? The widow and the eldest and second sons pushed for it.”
“Damn it!”
A curse slipped out.
This was basically saying they wanted to send him far away and forget about it.
My fingers trembled as I clenched my fist. Just as I was about to rush inside, Director Lee grabbed my arm.
“Don’t. There’s nothing you can do.”
“Let go of me.”
“Funerals are for the widow and children. A grandson can’t change anything. Making a fuss will only exhaust you.”
He tightened his grip on my arm.
“Endure it. If you have enough power later to move the chairman’s grave, this will be nothing. Even if you place him in the main building of Sunyang Group, no one will dare say a word. Save your strength for that time.”
I unclenched my fist. Director Lee’s words were painfully true.
Tears I had held back suddenly poured out.
I had promised to visit him every day, but now I couldn’t even keep that promise.
On the fifth day, we bid farewell to my grandfather on his final journey. The procession left the house, stopped briefly at Sunyang’s main building, and then headed to Gunsan.
As is often the case, the burial ceremony was a sea of tears. Even my usually stoic aunt was teary-eyed, but I gritted my teeth and held back.
This wasn’t the place for my tears. I would save them for when I moved him to the front yard of the Sunyang Art Museum in Yongin.
After sending my grandfather off, I stayed home for two days.
“What? I thought you’d be a wreck from grief, but you seem fine.”
Oh Se-hyun, who came in with coffee, looked relieved to see me poring over my notes.
“I’ve been home, sorting out my thoughts.”
“What thoughts?”
“Various ones. By the way, have you found out anything?”
“Nothing. The prosecution is quiet. I checked all the prosecutors’ offices in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, and there’s no investigation related to Sunyang. Same with the people.”
“Uncle, I’ve found something.”
“What? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
He shouted, but his face was full of curiosity.
“There wasn’t a chance to tell you, was there?”
It was amusing to see someone who had fled to Southeast Asia to avoid such matters now showing interest, but Oh Se-hyun was the only one I could discuss this with.
“The uncles’ target is Director Lee Hak-jae.”
“What?”
“Interesting, right? They’re moving the Chief Prosecutor and key positions in the Ministry of Justice to go after someone who wants to retire quietly.”
“But why? Director Lee isn’t trying to build his own faction or coveting Sunyang’s subsidiaries.”
“They don’t like him staying put. It’s a request to join their side.”
“Stay loyal to Sunyang until you die? Are they crazy?”
Perhaps because he felt a kinship with Director Lee, Oh Se-hyun was outraged as if it were his own problem.
“Not to Sunyang, but to the two sons. They instructed him to nullify my shares and Miracle’s shares, but Director Lee refused.”
When I explained about the holding company conversion and the offer of the CEO position at Sunyang Electronics, Oh Se-hyun’s anger turned to concern.
“Can Director Lee withstand it? He’s been involved in a lot of dirty work.”
“It’ll be tough. Even if they only dig into embezzlement, breach of trust, or bribery, it’s a life sentence. Especially since they can tie it to a congressman, it’s a gold mine. With the impeachment situation and the upcoming general election, Director Lee is a powder keg. If the prosecution starts to manipulate this, the fallout will be enormous.”
“But what if Lee Hak-jae decides not to go down alone? If he decides to drag Sunyang down with him, wouldn’t that backfire?”
“No, the only one Director Lee can drag down is my grandfather. But my grandfather has passed away. It’s a scapegoat. In our country, no one would dare tarnish the honor of a deceased grandfather.”
Oh Se-hyun frowned at my calm tone.
“What are you thinking? Did you warn Director Lee that the prosecution is targeting him?”
“No. I’m pretending not to know.”
“What?”
“Let’s just watch. Let’s see how far the prosecution pushes Director Lee to the edge. It’d be even better if they push him right off.”
Oh Se-hyun’s eyes sparkled.
“You plan to swoop in at the dramatic moment, don’t you?”
“Yes. The prosecution can only go after Director Lee because his backing is gone. We’ll be his backing.”
“HW Group?”
“If he’s hanging by a thread, about to fall, and we throw him a lifeline, he has no choice but to grab it. He’ll take the HW Group chairman position he once refused, grateful to me and grinding his teeth at my two uncles.”
Oh Se-hyun’s mouth fell open.
“Wow… You’ve gotten even more cunning in the few months I haven’t seen you. To think of something like that.”
“A sturdy shield to protect HW Group and my shares, and a sharp spear to attack my uncles. Isn’t he the perfect person for the job?”
“More than capable. Still, you’re quite ruthless. Watching someone sink into the mire without lifting a finger. Heh.”
“I’m not there yet. I need to become even more ruthless and strong. My grandfather endured all sorts of humiliation because I lacked power. I need to grow stronger quickly so he can rest in peace. With Director Lee’s help, it’ll be faster.”
Oh Se-hyun sighed deeply as he looked at me, eyes full of determination.
“Looks like getting back quickly is out of the question, huh?”
“Don’t worry, Uncle’s in a rush, so it’ll wrap up soon. Make sure you stay to see Director Lee Hak-jae take over as chairman of HW Group.”
“Manager Jang, what brings you here? What wind blew you in to contact me first?”
“How have you been? I regret not being able to pay my respects at the chairman’s funeral.”
“It’s fine. We had a flood of high-ranking officials come by. A chief prosecutor wouldn’t have stood out. Let’s just say you were there. Haha.”
Lee Hak-jae chuckled warmly but stopped abruptly. Manager Jang’s expression was anything but casual.
He seemed tense, maybe even a bit wary. It was clear he wanted to discuss something serious.
“Is something wrong? You don’t look well. Is it a financial issue…?”
“Oh, no, Director. I wouldn’t dare contact you first over money. You’ve done so much for me since I was just a junior prosecutor. I owe you a debt I can never repay.”
Manager Jang quickly waved his hands in denial.
“Then what is it?”
“I’m sorry to bring this up, but… the Ministry of Justice’s central office is making moves.”
“The Ministry of Justice?”
“Yes, as you know, prosecutors dispatched to the Ministry are the frontrunners for promotion. They have followers embedded throughout the district offices.”
“Spare me the obvious! Who’s leading this charge?”
“It seems the heads of the Prosecution Bureau and the Criminal Planning Division are at the center. They’re mobilizing the district office lines to sharpen their knives…”
“The key players are on the move.”
“Yes.”
“Who’s the target? Who are they planning to sacrifice? Surely not our Sunyang?”
“Well…”
Manager Jang hesitated, bowing his head, unable to speak clearly. Director Lee Hak-jae felt his heart sink.
“Me?”
Manager Jang gave the slightest nod.
Director Lee Hak-jae’s fingertips began to tremble ever so slightly.