[321] Every Last Bullet, Without Leaving a Single One. 1
“Congratulations. CEO and Chairman of Sunyang Electronics and Sunyang Corporation.”
“Must be tough forcing a smile that doesn’t want to come. But hey… can’t exactly turn away a guest who’s come to offer congratulations, can I? How about a cup of tea?”
“Just give me a glass of water.”
“Sure, that’s perfect. Maybe your insides are burning because you’ve had a taste of defeat? Haha.”
Jin Young-jun was basking in the glory of his victory. And with me, whom he considers the loser, standing right in front of him, his joy must have doubled.
“But does it really matter? The world’s richest man, with over 10 trillion won in personal wealth, scrambling to gobble up a few more companies seems a bit foolish, doesn’t it? But… is it true? That your wealth exceeds 10 trillion?”
“Jealous? How about I give you 10 trillion, and you can play at being the world’s richest? In exchange, hand over every single share of Sunyang Group to me. How about it?”
Seeing the look of confusion on his face, I couldn’t help but find it pathetic.
Sunyang is the empire my grandfather built over a lifetime. Power that transcends the law can’t be measured in money. Jin Young-jun doesn’t understand its value, which is why he’s momentarily shaken. Pathetic fool.
“Well, I’m always open to a trade, so let me know if you’re interested. Anyway, shall we talk about something more realistic?”
“Realistic? Is there still something left to discuss with me?”
“Plenty. First, you’ll need to vacate the Sunyang headquarters. This building belongs to Sunyang Construction, and Electronics and Corporation have been using it without paying much rent. You’ll need to move out.”
“What?”
“There’s more. We need to settle the inter-company credit transactions and loans. By my calculations, there’s about 400 billion won owed. You’ll need to sort that out.”
“Hey! That’s just petty…”
He frowned, then smirked again.
“Fine, I’ll vacate. And I’ll settle the accounts cleanly. I get it, you want to vent a little. I understand.”
“Vent? What venting?”
“Never mind. I’ll indulge this little tantrum. Our wealthy youngest, I should stay on your good side, right? So I can borrow some money when I need it?”
“You’re free to delude yourself, but it’s a bit much. I’m actually glad you merged to take over Electronics.”
“Stop it. That doesn’t make you look cool.”
“It’s true, though. Believe it or not, it’s up to you. Think about it. I didn’t do anything except file a lawsuit.”
Jin Young-jun’s expression finally started to harden.
“I didn’t ask shareholders to delegate their voting rights to me, nor did I appeal against the merger’s validity. You, on the other hand, issued statements and even ran ads urging minority shareholders to join the merger, right? But I didn’t meet with a single shareholder.”
He blinked, trying to recall. He doesn’t even grasp the basics of questioning why someone does nothing instead of what they do.
“I was in favor of the merger, so I stayed quiet. My congratulations are sincere, so don’t take my sincerity the wrong way.”
I stood up, leaving him unaware that this was a declaration of war.
“Move out and settle the accounts within a month. Wouldn’t it feel refreshing for you to make a clean start too?”
I flashed a bright smile at him, still lost in thought.
The ruling party’s presidential primary was merely a formality. For a strong presidential candidate, the primary was just part of the campaign leading to the general election, with the outcome predetermined and unlikely to change.
The election committee for the ruling party’s candidate, who had emerged early, boasted a formidable lineup.
However, I avoided contact with them and instead arranged a modest dinner with someone I had never met before.
“Welcome, Prosecutor.”
As I greeted the man cautiously entering the small restaurant, he quickly bowed his head.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hwang Jae-an.”
Watching him bow, I wondered how much he knew.
“And now I’m just a lawyer. It’s been a year since I left the office… Prosecutor is an old title.”
“I know you’re just biding your time for a bigger leap. Haha.”
I probed gently, watching his expression. He seemed a bit surprised, maybe even flustered.
So, the word’s already out.
“Oops, did I get ahead of myself?”
“I’m not sure what you mean… I’ll just take it as a compliment.”
He was clearly moving under the radar for a surprise appointment. This man was set to become the first Minister of Justice, backed by the powerful Chief of Staff.
He was known as a master of planned investigations, with a reputation for being a thorough public prosecutor. I only recently learned he had left the prosecution.
“Did you rent out the restaurant?”
He asked, glancing around the empty interior.
“Yes. I have something to discuss quietly. And while I’m no wine expert, I hear the wine here is excellent. The food’s quite good too.”
His face brightened. As a wine lover, he must be curious about the wine list.
“Why don’t you pick one?”
He opened the wine list and looked surprised. There were no prices listed, and only wines costing several million won per bottle were featured.
If he’s a true connoisseur, he’ll recognize their value.
“This seems a bit much.”
The fact that he recognized their worth at a glance suggested he truly loved wine.
“Prosecutor… I mean, Counselor. Didn’t you see the interview?”
“Huh? Which… Oh, haha.”
He chuckled heartily and set the wine list down.
“I was being silly. Worrying about prices in front of the world’s richest man. Haha.”
At my gesture, the manager approached, and he ordered a wine with a rather long name.
“Thanks to you, my palate will be spoiled today.”
We slowly enjoyed the wine and meal, discussing the election. As we finished, I began to sweeten the conversation.
“I don’t invest unless I’m sure of a win. That’s what sets me apart from my grandfather.”
“Didn’t Chairman Jin also make only sure investments?”
“No. My grandfather would invest first and then create the odds, by any means necessary.”
“That’s quite a difference. I heard you were his favorite, but it’s surprising to hear your approaches differ.”
“So this time, I’m planning to follow my grandfather’s method. Will you help me?”
He tilted his head in curiosity.
“I’m just a lawyer. Can I really help with something even the world’s richest man finds challenging?”
“Of course. There’s something I want to buy with money, but the seller might hesitate.”
“Is there such a thing?”
“Yes. I want to buy the law.”
“The law? What do you mean…?”
“As you know, our family feud has been quite public.”
“Isn’t that fight over? The eldest grandson took over Sunyang’s Electronics and Corporation, and Jin Do-jun got everything else. That’s what I heard.”
“If it were going to end like that, I wouldn’t have started. Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi sought help from the current regime to escape the fight. I plan to drag them back into the fray and end it completely with your help.”
I could almost hear Hwang Jae-an’s mind working.
“The president with six months left in office and Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi have known each other for a long time, haven’t they? It’s just a parting gift before retirement. And I plan to take it back.”
“You’ve secured 60% of Sunyang Group and are the world’s richest man, yet you’re still not satisfied?”
“I take after my grandfather in that regard. If it’s not everything, it’s not enough.”
I spoke to him, still deep in thought.
“Dividing a conglomerate fairly isn’t a political concern. To politicians, conglomerates are just treasure chests. So, who should the next administration use as their treasure chest?”
He looked taken aback by my bluntness.
“Since you’ve brought it up, may I ask what exactly you want?”
The question I’d been waiting for.
“The arrest of Jin Young-jun, the newly appointed chairman of Sunyang Electronics Group.”
“What?”
“Why are you so surprised? It’s not unusual for a conglomerate chairman to stand on the prosecution’s photo line, and court arrests aren’t rare either.”
Whether it was unexpected or he found it absurd, he didn’t react.
“He’ll likely get a suspended sentence by the time it reaches the Supreme Court. He has that much influence. But he needs to remain in custody for at least six months.”
“So, you want to tie his hands and feet, but isn’t the real power his father, Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi?”
“For people like us, real power lies in shares, which he’s already handed over. What’s left is influence, and… I can neutralize that.”
Hwang Jae-an stared at me for a long time before speaking in a slightly stiff voice.
“How much do you know? And how did you find out?”
A question I couldn’t answer truthfully. I’d have to be vague.
“Our information team analyzed the upcoming election and the first cabinet. The ruling party candidate has a good image but lacks the ability to form an administration. The Chief of Staff will have to fill that gap, and you’re closely connected to him, aren’t you?”
“Now I see why Sunyang is Sunyang. Impressive.”
His willingness to discuss this much indicated he was interested in my proposal. Or rather, my money.
“This isn’t something I can decide alone. I’ll need to consult with others.”
“I’ll open the floodgates. You just need to do what you do best.”
“What do I do best?”
“Planned investigations. Isn’t that right?”
He fell silent again. A man with many thoughts. That’s how he got this far.
“You mentioned opening the floodgates… What do you mean?”
“The current president’s brother, known as the all-powerful, the shadow king, and the heart of the administration. Let’s start by changing his clothes. Into prison garb.”
“It’s been a while, Congressman.”
“Oh, our Jin Chief… Let me shake your hand. I knew you were destined for great things, but this is beyond imagination! Truly impressive.”
The congressman, known for his economic expertise and having passed the civil service exam, shook my hand enthusiastically.
“First, let me congratulate you. It seems the springtime of your career is just beginning.”
Representative Choi Seok-hwan waved off the compliment.
“Springtime, you say? I barely scraped through the election… ha ha.”
As a member of the opposition party to the current president, he hadn’t even been nominated in the last general election. Instead, he spent four years in Wisconsin under the guise of studying, mostly playing golf and wasting time. Of course, all expenses came out of my pocket.
However, when the person he served became a strong presidential candidate for the ruling party, he was nominated in a district where winning was a given. This April, he returned to the National Assembly.
Being a close aide to the candidate, as soon as he re-entered the Assembly, ruling party members began lining up behind him, and he quickly became the leader of the largest faction.
“I won’t forget what you’ve done for me, Chief Jin. Those four years of leisure were all thanks to you.”
“Think nothing of it. I’d like to discuss our future plans instead.”
“Say the word, and I’ll do everything in my power to help.”
Looking into Representative Choi’s gleaming eyes, I spoke.
“I’ll take charge of this presidential election. I’ll provide as much funding as needed, so don’t hold back. And I won’t ask for any favors in return from the next administration. However, I would like to receive something in advance this year.”
When I mentioned unlimited funding for the election, Representative Choi beamed. But when I said I wouldn’t ask for anything in return, his smile faded.