The turbulent times ended as suddenly as a lightning strike.
“Early this morning, the court issued an arrest warrant for Assemblyman Lee Sang-il. He was transformed from a witness to a suspect just 11 hours after appearing before the prosecution. The political world is on edge, closely watching the prosecution’s unusually swift investigation.”
“Is that your doing?” my father asked, pointing at the TV.
“Yes. I see this as my last chance. I’m going to use the illegalities in the merger process to oust Young-jun and take control of the entire Sunyang Group.”
“I wondered why you weren’t actively blocking the merger. So this was your plan all along.”
“The shares have all gone to Young-jun, and he led the merger. It’s risky, but worth a shot. I plan to end this battle within the year.”
“The turbulent times end as suddenly as a lightning strike…” my father murmured, taking a deep drag from his cigarette.
“The end may come swiftly, but the preparation took a long time.”
“I know. That’s why you can end it like a lightning strike. So, what do you need from me?”
“When things get noisy on their side, I’m going to reveal everything I have to the world.”
“You want me to spread the word?”
Conversations with my father were easy; he grasped the essence of a statement instantly. If he hadn’t taken a wrong turn, he would have been my greatest rival.
“Yes. Other media might cover it, but it’ll probably just be a short news piece. Your channel is the only one that can handle a longer segment.”
“I’ll have to adjust the programming.”
I spoke cautiously to my father, who seemed unfazed.
“My associates will bring some dirt on the big house. You’ll need to leak that too.”
“A scandal, huh? Got it.”
He stubbed out his cigarette and patted my shoulder.
“Make sure you win. For your grandfather, who must be watching with amusement from above.”
“What do you mean? Why is Assemblyman Lee Sang-il dragging us into this?”
Vice Chairman Jin Young-ki couldn’t believe Chief Baek Jun-hyuk’s report.
“Chief Baek, wasn’t Lee Sang-il taken in because of the savings bank issue? And the accounts under borrowed names were related to that, right?”
Jin Young-jun frowned deeply. He disliked having to report such trivial matters to his retired father.
Couldn’t they just report to him directly? Or better yet, handle it at a lower level so he wouldn’t have to hear about it at all?
“The prosecution is covering up the savings bank bribery case, settling it for 700 million. They’ve painted a picture that the source is Sunyang.”
“Is Lee Sang-il just going to take it? What’s the Blue House doing?”
“The prosecutor general is blocking it with all his might, and the ruling party’s reform candidate camp has signaled that they’re using Lee Sang-il as a scapegoat to distance themselves from the current regime. So the prosecution and the court are free to beat him up.”
Jin Young-jun snapped at Chief Baek Jun-hyuk.
“Chief Baek, what does this have to do with Sunyang?”
Chief Baek was incredulous. Did he still not see the bigger picture?
“Young-jun.”
Jin Young-ki quietly silenced his son.
“Go back to the company. I’ll handle this.”
Once his son, with his swollen face, left, Jin Young-ki quickly asked.
“This is Do-jun’s doing, isn’t it?”
“Almost certainly. During the merger process. Wasn’t it Assemblyman Lee Sang-il who moved the National Pension Service? The prosecution is using the savings bank, which had many victims, as a pretext to tie him up.”
“Then the prosecution’s target is…”
“It’s aimed at Young-jun, Vice Chairman.”
Baek Jun-hyuk read the thoughts in Vice Chairman Jin Young-ki’s eyes. This wasn’t the first time. It was an old, but always effective, method.
Baek Jun-hyuk spoke in a low but firm voice.
“I’ll prepare a backup just in case, but it won’t be me. I have no intention of ending up in a wheelchair in Young-jun’s place.”
“You, you…! Why did I…?”
“With this level of pressure, the prosecution won’t be satisfied with just a subsidiary president. You know that, don’t you?”
Caught off guard, Jin Young-ki couldn’t say a word.
“Vice Chairman, Lee Hak-jae told me something. He said I’d be sacrificed. And he offered me a position, on the condition that I leave your side.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t betray you. And Vice Chairman.”
Baek Jun-hyuk looked steadily at Jin Young-ki.
“I’ll accept being sacrificed, but I won’t do time.”
Baek Jun-hyuk bowed to the flustered Jin Young-ki.
“I’ll keep monitoring the prosecution’s situation and report back. This will likely be my last task. Then.”
“Establishing discipline among public officials, eradicating corruption, distancing from conglomerates for economic democratization. Isn’t it a triple win?”
“That Jin Do-jun, he’s young but not ordinary. They say he’s a genius investor, and he’s just like his grandfather. He plans well.”
“With the regime change, it’s not a bad idea to change the owner of Sunyang. That guy is treated like a hero by the public, so it would look good for him to take the helm of Sunyang Group.”
Lawyer Hwang Jae-an and Assemblyman Choi Seok-hwan chatted amiably in the detention center’s visiting room, as if Assemblyman Lee Sang-il wasn’t even there.
Watching them, Assemblyman Lee Sang-il let out a deep sigh, and Lawyer Hwang Jae-an turned to him.
“Assemblyman, we’ll cut it to two years. If we drag it out through three trials, you’ll only have to endure about a year. You’re planning to retire anyway, right? Think of it as sacrificing for the last time…”
“Who are you? What are you doing here?”
When Assemblyman Lee Sang-il shouted, Assemblyman Choi Seok-hwan intervened.
“Oh, brother. He’s going to be the next Minister of Justice in the new administration. You can trust what he says.”
“Minister of Justice? You’re all counting your chickens before they hatch.”
Assemblyman Lee Sang-il spoke sarcastically, but he knew there was no doubt about the election victory, which only made him feel bitter.
“Assemblyman, even your VIP brother has accepted it. If we don’t put on a show like this, we might lose the regime. Isn’t it better for the ruling party to stay in power? If the opposition takes over, many will get hurt.”
Lawyer Hwang’s polite demeanor was more of a command. Refusing would mean exposing all the corruption he committed, trusting his brother.
“Brother, let’s go with this. We’ll only touch the Minister of Health and Welfare, the chairman of the National Pension Service, and the head of the fund management. Everyone has agreed, so please follow quietly. Making a fuss won’t change anything. Didn’t you also pocket a hefty sum during the Sunyang Corporation merger?”
“The minister too…?”
“Yes. After this is over, Jin Do-jun promised a hefty reward. You saw the news, right? He’s the guy who wields over 100 trillion in cash. When he says ‘a hefty reward,’ it’s on a different scale than other conglomerates.”
Even his presidential brother had turned his back. This wasn’t politics; it was a fight over someone else’s fortune. The problem was that this ‘someone else’ was a force that could sway Korean politics.
After a long moment of contemplation, Assemblyman Lee Sang-il finally spoke.
“Tell the prosecution to prepare the documents and come. I’ll just sign and be done with it.”
As soon as Lee Sang-il declared his surrender, the two men’s faces lit up. Watching them, Lee Sang-il couldn’t help but wonder how much money those two had pocketed from Jin Do-jun.
“The arrest of Assemblyman Lee Sang-il is reportedly related to the recent merger between Sunyang Corporation and Sunyang Ad Media. The case, which went to court, had numerous issues, and it’s estimated that the reckless decision by the National Pension Service resulted in losses of 7 trillion won for minority shareholders. In simple terms, it means public funds were used to protect the management rights of a conglomerate. The prosecution is…”
Jin Young-jun turned off the TV and threw the remote in frustration.
The news was constantly buzzing about the Sunyang Corporation merger, and his name was frequently mentioned.
His father, who had promised to handle it, was nowhere to be found, and every call he made in his frustration was met with avoidance.
Seething with anger, he couldn’t sit still when his wife, Hong So-young, walked in.
Her visit was unexpected, as she had already left the house and was staying at a hotel run by Hanseong Ilbo.
“Why are you here?”
“I didn’t want to come either, but I felt uneasy leaving it all to the lawyer.”
He could guess why his wife had come to the company at the mention of a lawyer.
“What’s there to be uneasy about? Divorce is just paperwork for the lawyer to handle.”
Hong So-young tossed an envelope at him.
“I’m taking the kids. Sunyang might be out of reach, but I want Hanseong Ilbo. It’s hard for a divorcee to become a newspaper president, so I’ll give the position to my son. You’re going to be kicked out of Sunyang anyway.”
“What? You think you can just…”
“Calm down and check the envelope. And don’t say anything else, just stamp it.”
Inside the envelope were not just divorce papers. Several photos spilled out.
His face twisted as he looked at the photos. Pictures of him with his arm around a woman’s waist entering a hotel, and another of him in the backseat of a car, intimately involved with a young woman.
“You’ve been digging into my past too? So what? We’re separated.”
“That’s just a part of it. There are plenty of proofs of your affairs with celebrities over the years. Seeing those photos made me realize you’re no match for Do-jun.”
“Who, who gave you these…? Was it Do-jun?”
“I’ll send the lawyer tomorrow, so just stamp the papers. You don’t even know who your subordinates are loyal to… tsk tsk.”
Hong So-young clicked her tongue in disdain and stood up, leaving him behind.
Jin Young-jun stared at the photo again, replaying the words of the woman who had vanished. The image, clearly a capture from a car’s black box footage, hinted at the identity of the man his wife had mentioned.
“Shin Seok-ho… that bastard…”
He slammed the intercom button and shouted, “Get Shin Seok-ho in here, now.”
Within minutes, Team Leader Shin Seok-ho rushed in.
“You called for me, Chairman?”
Jin Young-jun flung the photo in his face.
“Did you do this? Huh?”
Shin Seok-ho calmly gathered the scattered photos from the floor and placed them on the table.
“I just handed in resignation letters for my entire team to HR. It’s been a pleasure, but I’ve had enough.”
“What? What did you just say?”
Jin Young-jun’s hands began to tremble with rage.
“I have ten years’ worth of data. Don’t even think about retaliating against my team out of spite. I can make sure you can’t show your face in Korea. Goodbye.”
Jin Young-jun could only watch in stunned silence as Shin Seok-ho smirked and walked out. It felt unreal.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
Vice Chairman Jin Young-gi was surprised by his younger brother’s late-night visit. Wasn’t he the one who had stayed out of this mess, merely observing from a distance?
“I have something to discuss with you.”
“If it’s about Do-jun, just leave. I have nothing to say to you.”
“I won’t take long.”
Jin Young-gi gestured for his brother to sit, and they settled on the sofa.
“Alright, what is it?”
“I’d like you to stay out of this.”
“What?”
“Do-jun asked me to expose your, your wife’s, and Young-jun’s private lives.”
“What? You, you can’t be serious…”
“Your wife traveling abroad with young men, you inviting young women over… and Young-jun, well, there’s no need to elaborate.”
“This… this is outrageous…”
It wasn’t shame that boiled up inside him, but anger. Were they really willing to stoop so low?
“I have a lot of evidence. But I can’t bring myself to broadcast it or write a single article.”
“So what? Are you telling me to surrender to your son?”
“No. You should do everything you can to protect yourself. I’m not here to dictate that.”
“Then what is it? What’s your real motive for threatening to expose everything?”
“The prosecution avoids arresting two family members at once. Spouses, siblings, parent and child…”
Jin Young-gi realized his brother’s intention. He was here to block the last desperate option.
“Don’t even think about turning yourself in to the prosecution in Young-jun’s place. If you do, I’ll make sure your grandson can’t even attend school. Do whatever else you want.”
Jin Young-gi was at a loss for words. He didn’t have the courage to use his last resort.