[035] It’s Mine 2.
“That’s enough. He’s fine. Everyone, please leave.”
The secretaries released President Jo Dae-ho’s arm and bowed their heads.
“Oh, and prepare some coffee, please.”
Chairman Song spoke toward the closing door.
After seating President Jo Dae-ho on the sofa, Chairman Song offered an awkward smile.
“Sorry about this. I’ve been a bit out of it lately.”
“No need to apologize, Chairman. I read the papers too. It’s my fault for dropping by unannounced.”
“When was the last time we saw each other?”
“Two years ago, at the Automobile Association dinner.”
“Ah, right. When they were squeezing donations out of us.”
The tension in their faces eased.
“How have you been? I heard you stepped down from the car company.”
“I’m keeping busy at a packaging plant.”
“A packaging plant?”
He’d heard Jo had been sidelined, but he hadn’t expected him to be exiled like this.
Chairman Song frowned.
“Chairman Jin is too much. You had a position in the group… it’s harsh.”
Reaching the top of Sunyang Motors meant dedicating one’s life to Sunyang. He hadn’t ruined the company, yet he was cast out to an obscure corner shop over a bruised ego.
Chairman Song once again saw the ruthless side of Chairman Jin.
“So, what brings you here suddenly? It’s about this, isn’t it?”
Chairman Song shook the newspaper, and President Jo nodded.
“Is this Chairman Jin’s doing?”
“Probably.”
“Why? To swallow up Ajin Motors?”
“Could be.”
With the media, Yeouido, and the Blue House all turning their backs, Chairman Jin’s influence was more than enough.
“Why the sudden greed?”
“Fighting and winning is not only hard but time-consuming. He’s choosing the path of winning without fighting, as he always has.”
Chairman Song looked intently at President Jo.
“So, why did you come? You didn’t bring an imperial edict, did you? Are you switching sides?”
“Isn’t it obvious why a salaryman would drop by on a day like this? I thought today would be the best day to ask for a job.”
“We’re not planning to hire any experienced staff… what to do?”
Chairman Song fanned himself with the newspaper.
“When things are urgent, you even resort to loan sharks. Hiring someone unplanned isn’t that hard, is it?”
“You’ve grown quite bold, our President Jo. Haha.”
“When you’re starving, pride and dignity disappear. It’s embarrassing, but true.”
“Experienced hires need to have something valuable. What do you have, President Jo?”
“I laid the cement for Sunyang Motors’ factory. I signed the joint venture agreement for the assembly line technology.”
“If that’s all, it’s disappointing. We have plenty of engineers.”
“Under Chairman Jin’s orders, I’ve gotten my hands dirty with dirt, blood, and even worse. If I clean it all up and throw it back at him… Sunyang Group will be too busy cleaning up for a year.”
“Looks like you’re planning to wash off the glue smell from the packaging plant with this opportunity.”
President Jo rubbed his hands together with a gentle smile.
“Does my resume look good enough to you?”
“The resume is fine, but I’m not sure if there’s a position you’ll like.”
“Since the president of Ajin Motors is your right-hand man… I’d be grateful for a vice president position. A salary on par with Sunyang Motors’ president would be satisfactory.”
As Chairman Song stood up from the sofa, President Jo quickly followed suit.
“Are you going back to your hometown, President Jo?”
“I’ll pay my respects to my ancestors.”
“Then let’s talk again after you return. Take a restful break.”
Jo Dae-ho bowed and left the chairman’s office with a smile.
Left alone, Chairman Song sank into his chair with a long sigh.
He lit a cigarette for the first time in a while. He had a lot to think about.
“I never liked that bastard… still can’t warm up to him.”
Muttering to himself, Chairman Song called for all the automotive executives through his secretary.
The executives rushed in, and after hearing Chairman Song’s explanation, they initially fumed, but once they calmed down, opinions varied.
“If it’s Sunyang, they’ll push with financial power. We should start buying shares to defend our management rights.”
“Where will we get the funds to buy shares?”
“We’ll look into getting the maximum loans using our shares as collateral.”
“Yes, let’s secure bank loans and some quick cash, then shake up the stock market. If the stock price rises, Sunyang will hesitate.”
There were many opinions, but no strong solution. Even if they ended the bloody fight, they couldn’t be sure of the outcome.
Chairman Song posed a more difficult question to the executives.
“Look at the media now. This is just the beginning. They’ll come after me next, questioning my ethics. A summons from the prosecution is inevitable.”
No one is spotless. A corporate chairman in a professional management system has lived covered in dust.
A prosecutor could easily indict with just a puff of breath.
“Why so silent? Are you okay with the company being protected while I get arrested?”
“Of course not, Chairman.”
All the executives shook their heads vigorously. Seeing this, Chairman Song smirked and dropped another piece of information.
“I know your sincerity, so that’s enough. Actually, I called you here for another reason. Jo Dae-ho was here. Remember him? The former president of Sunyang Motors?”
“Why would Jo Dae-ho…?”
“He asked for a position. Said he’d be grateful for a vice president role at Ajin Motors.”
Vice president. It’s a double-edged sword. Either a strong candidate for the next president or just a figurehead.
But the vice president role Jo Dae-ho mentioned is just a figurehead position to pocket some money.
The executives welcomed the news with open arms.
“That’s a relief. Jo Dae-ho was Sunyang’s loyal dog and Chairman Jin’s close aide. He knows all of Sunyang’s secrets. If Jo Dae-ho joins us, Sunyang won’t dare act recklessly.”
“If we start digging up dirt on each other, Sunyang’s dirt will far exceed ours, and they’ll retreat.”
With a way to stop the opponent’s attack, everyone seemed relieved. Once the attack stopped, they could quickly solidify their management rights by releasing funds.
“You just called Jo Dae-ho Sunyang’s loyal dog, right? Dogs don’t change masters. Why do you think Jo Dae-ho is on our side?”
At Chairman Song’s words, all the executives fell silent again.
It was the Trojans who brought the horse left by the Greeks into their city.
“Why so quiet, Do-jun?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
My perceptive grandfather had already noticed my unease.
“Are you already going through puberty?”
“What?”
“Are you hiding things from your grandpa now? That’s disappointing, haha.”
They say as you age, you feel slighted by the smallest things. Though he was smiling, there was a hint of darkness.
Since it had come to this, I decided to ask casually.
“Today’s newspaper… it was quite loud…”
“Ajin Motors?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Does something seem off?”
“Well… it’s just that whenever our Sunyang Group was in the papers, you’d always get angry, asking who was behind it.”
“That’s right. You remember.”
“Yes.”
Chairman Jin took my hand and sat me beside him, slowly imparting his wisdom.
“Do-jun, how do newspapers make money?”
“Through ads, right?”
Grandfather snapped his fingers.
“Yes, that’s what everyone thinks. But newspapers make money by selling words.”
“Words? Articles?”
“Exactly. Do you know how many characters are on a newspaper page?”
“No.”
“About five thousand. They turn each of those characters into money.”
Damn, I asked one question and now I’m stuck listening to things I already know. But I had to pretend to be fascinated, eyes sparkling.
“That’s interesting.”
“On the surface, articles that seem unrelated to money, like those about Seoul’s traffic jams, justify road expansion projects in the area. Who profits from such articles?”
“The construction companies doing the roadwork?”
“Exactly. You’re sharp. Haha.”
Grandfather, pleased with my quick wit, patted my head. He then spent a long time explaining how to read the true nature of articles through various examples.
When would he finally address my curiosity?
“So, who benefits from the Ajin Motors article?”
“A competitor who wants Ajin Motors to falter.”
“Daehyun Motors… or you, Grandpa?”
Once again, Chairman Jin’s hand patted my head.
From that touch, I was certain the article targeting Ajin Motors was my grandfather’s doing.
Damn it.
I never thought Grandpa would target the company I had my eyes on first.
My mind was a whirl.
Is there a way to let it slip into Grandpa’s hands and then back into mine? If possible, it would be like blowing my nose without using my hands…
Wait!
Could this be something that happened in my past life that I don’t remember?
Ajin was definitely swallowed by Daehyun Motors.
If that’s the case, Grandpa’s current scheme is bound to fail.
When uncertain about how things will unfold, I need to find a way to steer them toward what I know as quickly as possible.
With plenty of money, even ancestral rites are handled with cash.
The so-called “holiday syndrome” that Korean daughters-in-law complain about is hard to find in this household.
A few chefs and a dozen assistant cooks took over the kitchen, preparing all the food for the ancestral rites.
While the household members chatted, the rites concluded with a few bows.
Breakfast was divided between two large tables. At one table sat the chairman, his children, their spouses, and in-laws. The grandchildren occupied the other.
I took a seat as close as possible to the adults’ table, straining my ears to catch their conversation.
“By the way, Yoongi, I heard your movie premiered yesterday. How did it go? How are the opening numbers?”
Everyone was curious, but it was the second son who cautiously broke the silence, wary of Chairman Jin’s reaction.
“Oh, Dong-ki hyung. Not bad. One theater was packed, and the other was… about half full.”
“Wow! That’s impressive for your first film. Would you call it a success?”
“It’s just the first day. You never know until the run is over.”
Despite his words, my father’s face betrayed a smile he couldn’t quite hide. It seemed he wasn’t too worried about taking a loss.
Amusingly, Chairman Jin seemed to share the sentiment, quietly continuing his meal without comment.
Just then, a voice cut through the pleasant atmosphere.
“Hey, sister-in-law, could you get me some more soup?”
Dong-ki’s wife handed her bowl to my mother, expecting her to serve.
That woman always tried to boss my mother around. Ever since Chairman Jin showed favoritism towards me, everyone had been more cautious, but she remained defiant.
I suspected it was due to some complex. Despite being the only daughter of a wealthy landowner in Gangnam, her looks were… less than ideal. Consumed by inferiority and jealousy, she was relentless.
My father’s face twitched. Perhaps he was finally stepping up as a husband. A man needs to work outside to find the strength to protect his family.
But before he could speak, an unexpected voice intervened.
“Second daughter-in-law, could you get me some more soup?”
“What?”
“Are you deaf, young lady? I said, get me some soup!”
At Chairman Jin’s stern command, the second daughter-in-law turned pale and jumped to her feet. The grandfather was already holding out his bowl.
She hurried to the kitchen and returned with the soup, her trembling hands spilling some along the way.
As the grandfather resumed eating, the house fell into an icy silence, broken only by the sound of his spoon.
In that single moment, everything was set right.
It was a moment of recognition for my father as a proper son and my mother as a true daughter-in-law.
I was overwhelmed with gratitude, almost to the point of tears, but I knew I had to outmaneuver my grandfather.
I felt a twinge—no, an overwhelming sense of guilt—but I was determined to protect what was mine, marked with my claim.
Grandfather, I’m sorry.