Chapter 269: The Snake’s Head, Part 2
The sly demeanor of Mr. Snake was gone, replaced by a sharp, calculating expression that matched his piercing gaze.
“Are you trying to buy me with money? I must humbly admit, I’m not worth that much. I’m just a lawyer offering legal advice to Mrs. Lee through the Sunyang Arts Foundation.”
“How much do you get paid?”
“What?”
“How much do you earn as my grandmother’s legal advisor?”
“You don’t need to know.”
His voice rose slightly, clearly irked by the blunt and somewhat crude question.
“Stop poking around and just say what you want. Do two men really need to spend the night in a hotel room for this?”
I needed to make my position clear to him. To handle my grandmother’s orders, I had to make it unmistakably clear that I was willing to grovel if necessary.
“Excuse me for a moment. I need to make a quick call.”
Ignoring his frown, I turned on the speakerphone.
As the call connected, a deep, resonant voice came through.
“Hello?”
“Good evening, Chief. This is Jin Do-jun from Sunyang.”
The voice on the other end immediately brightened with recognition.
“Ah, if it isn’t Jin! It’s been a while.”
“How have you been, Chief?”
“Not well, I’m afraid. Life in the opposition is tough. The harassment is relentless.”
“But you were promoted after the general election, weren’t you? Congratulations on becoming the Deputy Floor Leader.”
The mention of the opposition party’s Deputy Floor Leader left Director Cheon Sang-pil visibly unsettled.
“Chief, I have a gift for you. Consider it a congratulatory present for your promotion.”
“Oh, there’s no need for gifts. The orchid you sent was more than enough.”
“This gift might be more to your liking.”
“What could it be? You have me intrigued.”
“During a recent trip to New York, I noticed some suspicious activities at the Korean Consulate.”
“The Consulate?”
“Yes. It seems some consulate staff might be involved in smuggling our national treasures.”
“What? Smuggling? Are you serious?”
“Yes, it’s blatant smuggling. As you know, diplomatic pouches aren’t subject to customs inspections. They seem to be exploiting that.”
“Those lunatics! They need to be dealt with!”
The voice on the speakerphone was livid. Cheon Sang-pil was already pale.
“Calm down, Chief. I’d like to discuss this matter further over dinner tomorrow.”
“Of course. I’ll clear my schedule, no matter what. I look forward to hearing more.”
“Alright, then…”
As I ended the call, Cheon Sang-pil erupted.
“What on earth are you doing? National treasures? What is this about?”
“Smuggling national treasures is more explosive than art smuggling. The outcome will be the same. The consulate’s smuggling of national treasures is unfounded, but they did smuggle high-value artworks. It’s all the same in the end.”
“Stop this immediately. If you continue like this, you won’t get anything you want!”
“Mr. Cheon, how have you survived by my grandmother’s side with that brain of yours?”
“What? You little…!”
“Do you still not understand what I want?”
He fell silent, glaring at me for a moment before letting out a sigh.
“Damn it… You’re not going to stop, are you?”
At his resigned sigh, I pressed the intercom.
“Bring the prepared drinks, please.”
A hotel staff member brought in Balvenie whiskey, glasses, and ice, setting them on the table.
“Since it seems we’ve finished talking, let’s have a drink.”
Cheon Sang-pil downed several glasses of the whiskey, each costing a hefty 350,000 won. The warmth of the alcohol seemed to calm him, and he spoke in a more composed voice.
“If you’re not going to stop, why did you meet with me? You could have just gone ahead with your plan.”
“Not stopping is part of getting what I want. But there’s something specific I’m after.”
“Enough with the word games.”
“My grandmother, Mrs. Lee Pil-ok’s entire legacy.”
Cheon Sang-pil poured himself another drink.
“Be realistic. Mrs. Lee has two sons who are vice-chairmen. They won’t sit idly by. They’ll do whatever it takes to cover this up.”
“I agree. The boundary for our family is the prosecutor’s office. They might be summoned, but they’ll never stand trial. It’s always the closest aides who face the court.”
“That’s because they need to exert influence from the outside. Whether it’s a suspended sentence or medical bail…”
He suddenly stopped talking.
He’s quick-witted and sharp. He’s already pieced together what’s to come.
The person who drafted the secret contract was Cheon Sang-pil himself, and my grandmother, who claims not to understand English, simply signed where her trusted lawyer instructed. She believed the contract was for a gallery exhibition in New York, not for secretly selling the paintings.
The one who sold all the paintings was Cheon Sang-pil, and Mrs. Lee Pil-ok only found out now.
Finally, she collapsed from the shock of betrayal by a trusted aide and was hospitalized.
Isn’t it a meticulously crafted scenario?
“You orchestrated the diversion of the foundation’s artworks, didn’t you? So, who do you think the blame will fall on? The most suitable target is you, Director Cheon.”
The more he drank, the clearer his mind became—not because of the expensive liquor, but due to the unavoidable danger looming over him.
Watching him, I asked, “What do you think it is?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The incredible self-sacrifice of those who consider themselves the closest aides. Or should I call it their willingness to take the fall? Why would someone who merely draws a salary from Sunyang Group ruin their life to take the blame?”
“A kid like you wouldn’t understand, even if you were reborn. Life experience will teach you the reason…”
“Pfft…!”
Hearing such words when I’ve already learned the reason through life and death was too much. I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
“Apologies. I was reminded of the past…”
I bowed slightly to him, his face twisted in a frown.
If you live and die, or rather, before you die, you’ll realize it’s just a pathetic slave mentality.
“Let’s cut the nonsense. Tell me what’s possible. Taking everything from Mrs. Lee is impossible. Let’s find a reasonable compromise.”
“There is no compromise. I will take everything from my grandmother, and if she doesn’t end up in prison, someone else will. For a very long time. I want both.”
He shook his head in disbelief, and I added one more thing.
“Especially the shares held under borrowed names. I must have them.”
Cheon Sang-pil seemed less shocked by the mention of the shares and more relieved.
“So that’s it! The shares!”
His expression changed, as if he had gained the upper hand.
“If that’s the case, the conversation changes. I don’t know how you found out about the shares, but those shares will end up with the two vice-chairmen. You know your family goes crazy over shares, right?”
“Of course. That’s why I’m pressuring my grandmother to get them.”
“Knowing that, you’re still doing this? Once you get the shares, the vice-chairmen will handle everything. Sure, someone might go to jail, but not me. I’m essential for converting those shares to real names. Hahaha.”
It’s absurd.
To think everything is resolved with just this, satisfied with such a meager outcome. Why can’t he see that one more step in thought changes everything?
“Director Cheon, there’s no one loyal enough to go to jail except you. Maybe for the chairman of Sunyang, but not for an old woman. No one will go. They won’t even guarantee a position as a subsidiary president.”
“That’s not your concern. The money is a decent reward.”
Cheon Sang-pil emptied his glass with a satisfied expression.
I confirmed there would be no negotiation and knew what I wanted.
All that was left was to devise a plan.
And that plan had become simple. Since I wouldn’t stop, all I needed was to find a suitable scapegoat to bear the burden.
Cheon Sang-pil, having emptied his glass, smacked his lips and stood up.
“Thanks for the good drink. I’d love to take the whole bottle, but I’ll save that for another time.”
“But there’s one thing you haven’t answered. Could you tell me before you leave?”
Though Cheon Sang-pil thought he had ruined my plan, my calm demeanor seemed to keep him from leaving the room easily.
“What do you want to know?”
“The number you truly desire, even if you don’t realize it.”
“Enough already. It’s pathetic.”
“Why is talking about money pathetic? Is there anyone who doesn’t like money?”
“I have the shares under borrowed names. Do you know their value? If I wanted, I could have taken them for myself. But I didn’t because I’m not swayed by money.”
“Shares aren’t money. And you dare to take shares under borrowed names? You didn’t because it’s impossible. You just managed them because taking them would risk your life. Don’t pretend to be a loyalist. It’s disgusting.”
The truth always cuts deep.
Perhaps due to the pain, Cheon Sang-pil’s face contorted.
“If I hand over the documents to the opposition tomorrow, there’s no turning back. And if this blows up, there will be a massive windfall.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you know, as the one who drafted the secret contract? Insurance money.”
“In-insurance…?”
“When a secret deal is exposed, it’s a breach of contract, right? Then you can claim the insurance. A whopping 1.8 billion dollars! At the current exchange rate, that’s over 2 trillion won.”
He swallowed hard.
“I only need to recover my principal. 600 million dollars. That leaves 1.2 billion dollars. How about it? Doesn’t that number suit your deepest desires, even if you don’t realize it?”
1.3 trillion won.
Faced with the overwhelming figure, Cheon Sang-pil stood frozen, forgetting his intention to leave the hotel room.
“You may not have the power to hold onto the shares, but I do. I can transfer all the shares under borrowed names to myself without anyone noticing, and I assure you, I won’t meet an untimely end. Your safety will be guaranteed as well. Oh, and the $1.2 billion can be tucked away in an offshore account, right? You know how to handle that, I’m sure. You may not be able to swallow the shares, but you can certainly swallow the money, can’t you?”
Even I, who had only been sipping coffee until now, poured myself a drink and downed it in one go.
As the sharp aroma coursed down my throat, a warm flush spread through my body.
“Today, we celebrate separately, but next time, let’s toast together. I’ll raise my glass to the shares, and you to the moment you hold $1.3 trillion.”
Leaving Cheon Sang-pil still standing dazed in the hotel room, I made my exit. Whether he would join me in wielding the knife I offered was yet to be seen, but I had no doubt he would accept my proposal.
Anyone who could turn down $1.3 trillion would have already rejected all the dirty dealings under his grandmother and severed ties with Sunyang.
Right now, his mind must be a tangled mess of thoughts, but as time passes, only one clear, simple number will remain.
Numbers are the unerring language of truth.
And the allure of $1.3 trillion is a truth so sweet, no one can doubt it.