Chapter 270: The Serpent’s Head 3
Left alone, Cheon Sang-pil slumped back into his chair, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He picked up the nearly full bottle of whiskey and poured himself another glass, adding a few half-melted ice cubes before giving it a swirl.
“Damn it… talking in trillions… that kid’s out of his mind.”
He downed the strong whiskey like it was water, but the thought of “trillions” wouldn’t leave his mind.
The shadow stocks he managed kept creeping into his thoughts as well.
Of course, those shadow stocks were also in the trillions. Mrs. Lee Pil-ok had been quietly amassing them for nearly twenty years, like a piggy bank slowly filling with coins.
When Cheon Sang-pil first saw the list of shadow stocks under Mrs. Lee’s name, he didn’t think much of it. But once he glimpsed the structure of the Sunyang Group’s controlling shares, he stopped calculating their value based on market prices.
The shares that Chairman Jin had initially distributed to diversify his holdings were unlisted back then, but two decades later, they had transformed into controlling stakes in the group.
These shares, though not traded, were immensely valuable, and the major affiliates’ stocks she had steadily acquired were all blue-chip stocks that had consistently risen.
Cheon Sang-pil had been managing these stocks, buying more whenever Mrs. Lee provided the funds, and diversifying them for over a decade.
He was well-compensated for his efforts.
While playing golf with his successful lawyer friends, he would chuckle inwardly when they bragged about their wealth.
When they pulled their golf bags out of their Lexus or Benz, he opened the trunk of his Grandeur without a hint of envy.
He knew it was wiser to own a dozen apartments in Gangnam than a luxury car, and even wiser to have overseas accounts with dollars worth dozens of times more than those apartments.
But now, the pride he felt in his Gangnam apartments and dollar accounts seemed utterly insignificant.
Instead of Gangnam apartments, he envisioned a mansion in Beverly Hills and a villa in Miami, and instead of a Benz or Lexus, he imagined a private jet from Boeing.
His entire value system had crumbled because of a single word: “trillion.”
The word “兆” also means omen or sign.
How fitting is that?
It’s used as a unit because it’s so vast that it can only be estimated, not precisely measured.
Cheon Sang-pil couldn’t quite grasp the size of a trillion won, but he could vividly imagine what he could achieve with it.
He couldn’t leave the hotel room until he finished the bottle of whiskey.
There was still something he needed to confirm before accepting the young man’s insane proposal.
Mrs. Lee Pil-ok’s eldest and second sons sat in stunned silence, sighing repeatedly. If she were their wife instead of their mother, they might have torn their hair out in frustration.
“Alright, but where on earth did all that money go? Didn’t you handle all your shopping and expenses with company funds? What did you need cash for?”
Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi asked, trying to keep his boiling anger in check and maintain a respectful tone. Normally, he would have snapped at such a question, but given the circumstances, he was being unusually compliant.
“I did it for you, not for myself.”
“So what is it, then?”
“Stocks.”
Jin Young-gi sighed again.
“Don’t you realize that’s useless? No matter how many shares of minor affiliates you gather, it won’t help defend management rights. How many times have I told you?”
“More than 3% of the controlling shares, less than 5%. That’s what I have. Is that still useless?”
The sons were left breathless by the numbers. They had thought she was just an old lady spending money, but despite the trouble she caused, it was a valuable move.
Seeing her sons’ shock, Mrs. Lee Pil-ok regained her composure, looking every bit the matriarch of Sunyang.
“If you hadn’t made that joint voting agreement with Do-jun, I wouldn’t have had to take such risks. I was just anxious.”
Freed from her sons’ reproach, she shifted the blame.
Jin Dong-gi, who had been silent, spoke up.
“Do-jun isn’t the type to compromise. He always sees things through to the end. I know because I’ve been on the receiving end. We need to come up with a plan quickly.”
“Don’t change the subject…”
“I’m not changing the subject. He demanded joint voting rights from me, but did he ask anything of you? No, right? That means he’s planning to make a big move.”
Jin Young-gi shook his head.
“Don’t you know how cunning he is? He’ll demand something soon enough.”
“Stop with the nonsense. Don’t you get it? This is revenge! You noticed it too, right? The car accident… the one where Father and Do-jun almost died!”
As Jin Dong-gi shouted, both Jin Young-gi and Mrs. Lee Pil-ok fell silent, their faces hardening.
“If Do-jun leaks this to the opposition, even Sunyang’s power won’t be able to stop it. They’re in the middle of a war themselves; they won’t show us any mercy.”
Jin Young-gi, seemingly in agreement with his brother, offered no objections. Yeouido was currently consumed with securing a majority, a battle as crucial as life itself.
“So, what? Are you telling me to go to prison as a smuggler? Are you serious…?”
The sons had no time to consider their mother’s trembling indignation.
“Has there been any contact from Do-jun since then?”
Mrs. Lee Pil-ok felt hurt by her sons’ cold demeanor but understood the gravity of the situation.
“I sent someone today. They should be meeting him by now.”
“Who did you send?”
“The person I trust the most. Director Cheon Sang-pil.”
The sons exchanged glances, trying to recall the name, but it didn’t ring a bell.
Their mother’s trust wasn’t the issue. What mattered was how loyal the person was.
There were always more masters who trusted traitors.
The Jin brothers exchanged a look, confirming that there was only one course of action.
“Is Director Cheon Sang-pil someone you trust enough to take responsibility for this mess on your behalf?”
The answer didn’t come easily.
He was undoubtedly trustworthy, quick to handle tasks, and understood what was needed without detailed instructions. He even grasped Mrs. Lee’s true intentions, which she herself wasn’t fully aware of.
But the trust her sons were referring to was whether he could take the fall and go to prison in her place.
Seeing their mother’s hesitation, the sons frowned.
The answer should have come without a moment’s hesitation. Even then, it would take multiple confirmations and promises of compensation to convince someone to take the fall.
Cheon Sang-pil wasn’t the right person for the job.
“How many people know about the art sales besides Cheon Sang-pil?”
“Three or four.”
“And are they more reliable than Cheon Sang-pil?”
It was a pointless question.
The fact that he was sent to negotiate with Jin Do-jun was proof enough of his reliability.
The sons sighed as they watched their mother shake her head. But there was a silver lining—they had dealt with such matters many times before.
The two exchanged a glance and nodded slightly, then simultaneously pulled out their phones.
“There’s a guy named Cheon Sang-pil who worked at the Sunyang Art Foundation. Find out everything about him and dig up something incriminating. Something strong enough to bring him to his knees. Yes, there’s no time. Use all available resources.”
After finishing their identical calls, they turned to their mother.
“Did Cheon Sang-pil manage the shadow stocks too?”
“Yes.”
“Then pack your things and leave the country. Don’t even think about coming back until this blows over. We’ll assign some tight-lipped people to accompany you.”
Mrs. Lee Pil-ok opened her mouth to protest but couldn’t bring herself to voice her complaints. Seeing her sons’ expressions, she realized the situation was dire enough to sacrifice even her trusted Cheon Sang-pil.
“Is this information accurate?”
The deputy floor leader of the opposition party waved the documents I had handed over.
“The truck that left the consulate on the date mentioned in those documents was driven by a consulate employee. Verify the consulate’s log through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They won’t have a satisfactory answer.”
“Chief Jin, if this isn’t solid, I’ll be in trouble.”
“Deputy, would I make a mistake like that? Trust me.”
The deputy floor leader still looked skeptical.
“Chief Jin, be honest. What’s the ultimate target here?”
“Deputy, if you start digging… I guarantee at least the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President’s special advisor on foreign affairs will have to resign. Plus, there will be a massive outcry from the U.S. No matter the final target, it’ll shake one of the pillars of the Blue House.”
The potential impact was too tempting to ignore, and the deputy’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“If you’re uneasy, just have a meal and head back.”
“Just like that? Are you suggesting we bury this?”
“No. We’ll hand it over to a sniper from another faction. There are plenty of lawmakers who would bow their heads to take it.”
The mention of bowing heads seemed to fluster the deputy.
He quickly waved his hands and raised his voice.
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean to imply I don’t trust you. It’s just such a heavy blow that I wanted to double-check. Haha.”
“I understand. Anyway, if you dig into that incident on that date, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be in an uproar. Oh, and there’s even the name of the employee who drove the truck, so if necessary, summon him to testify before the National Assembly.”
Hearing that there was a name seemed to satisfy the deputy floor leader. As he picked up his spoon again, his phone rang.
It was Vice Chairman Jin Dong-gi.
Oh, Grandma, you’ve even called in the cavalry.
“Yes, Uncle.”
“I’m sorry, I’m having dinner with a guest right now, so I can’t leave.”
After ending the call, I hurriedly finished my meal.
Aren’t we partners with shared decision-making rights? I can’t just ignore this.
Attorney Cheon Sang-pil was starting to feel uneasy.
Mrs. Lee Pil-ok, who usually answered her phone immediately, had her phone turned off. Her personal assistant was unreachable as well, and there was no response to any messages.
Could she have sensed the crisis and fled abroad?
Even if that were the case, cutting off all contact seemed extreme. Just as he was pondering this, he realized who was stepping in for Mrs. Lee Pil-ok.
The call from Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi’s office had a somewhat forceful tone.
“So, she left the cleanup to her son and ran off?”
Cheon Sang-pil steeled himself and headed to the Sunyang Group headquarters.
“Have we met before? You look familiar.”
Jin Young-gi’s casual, informal greeting was off-putting, but Cheon was well aware from his days in the group’s legal team that politeness was not a trait found in this family.
“I used to be part of the group’s legal team. We’ve met a few times back then.”
“Ah, I thought you weren’t a stranger. Haha.”
Jin laughed heartily and shook Cheon’s hand.
“I heard you’ve been working hard under my mother. I never got to thank you.”
“It’s nothing. Just doing my job.”
“Straightforward, I like that. Let’s skip the formalities and get to the point.”
“But, about Mrs. Lee…?”
“Oh, just in case, I put her on a plane. No need to worry about her.”
“Of course, I suspected as much.”
“Now, about those stocks you’re managing under borrowed names?”
“Yes.”
“Hand over the list. You spread them around Myeong-dong, right? We need to gather them up and convert them to real names.”
As if he were casually asking for a borrowed dish to be returned.
Cheon Sang-pil frowned.