Active Appeal 1
For over a decade, I had been a servant to the Jin Yang Group, frequently visiting this mansion. Yet, the only places I was ever allowed were the living room and the kitchen.
The study, along with the bedrooms, was strictly off-limits.
Although the official office of the group was on the 27th floor of the Sunyang Group headquarters, all major decisions were made here in this study.
This room was reserved for family members, the heads of subsidiaries, and the real power players of the group.
Now, I had earned the right to enter this space—not as Yoon Hyun-woo, the chief assistant, but as the grandson.
I stepped into the study and took in the surroundings.
It resembled a conference room. In front of the chairman’s large desk was a table that could seat over a dozen people. The chairman’s children and the group’s key figures were already seated. This was expected.
While they might be here to celebrate a birthday, it was only natural that they would discuss current issues.
What surprised me was seeing Jin Young-jun, the eldest grandson, sitting in my father’s place.
It made sense for my father to be absent. He was, after all, the black sheep of the family.
But Jin Young-jun was only twenty, a college student preparing to study abroad. Compared to the others, he was still a child. His presence here signified that the succession plan was already set.
Reincarnating into a chaebol family was a divine opportunity, but was I already too late?
Could a ten-year age gap be insurmountable?
As I stood there, lost in thought with my head bowed, everyone misunderstood my demeanor. They thought I was terrified.
“Do-jun, lift your head. Brothers grow by fighting with each other. Haha.”
Jin Young-jun laughed heartily, trying to act like the elder brother.
“Be quiet! This isn’t a place for you to speak. Didn’t I tell you to just listen?”
Jin Young-ki, my uncle and the vice chairman, shouted, making Young-jun scratch his head.
Chairman Jin pulled me closer.
“Do-jun.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Kneel beside me until I tell you to stand. That’s your punishment.”
Is this a punishment or a lesson?
For ten-year-old Jin Do-jun, it might be a punishment, but for forty-year-old Yoon Hyun-woo, it’s a lesson in management.
I needed to catch every word of the strategies these empire builders of Sunyang were discussing.
I knelt quietly beside my grandfather.
“Everyone, share your thoughts. What do you think will happen?”
The meeting, paused because of me, resumed.
“You know how stubborn he is, right? Even though it’s the end of his term, he won’t back down. He’ll likely confront it head-on.”
“Head-on confrontation?”
“With a strong crackdown.”
“Isn’t it already a strong crackdown? Are you suggesting military intervention?”
“Yes.”
What is this?
End of term? Crackdown? Military?
Are they discussing national affairs, not company management?
“We need to consider other directions. Over a million people gathered nationwide today. If the military is deployed, it might not be a million but two million.”
“Not afraid of guns and knives?”
“Right now, the flames of anger are burning. If they were dying down, they might fear guns and knives, but military intervention would be like pouring oil on the fire. The current regime must know this.”
“So? What are you suggesting? That we prepare for the regime to fall? Do you think the next president will come from the opposition?”
“There’s a possibility…”
Bang!
Chairman Jin slammed the table, silencing the executive who was speaking.
“Is that possible? Of course, it is. Or maybe not. Do you think I’m wasting my precious time listening to such pointless talk?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
At the chairman’s rebuke, everyone lowered their heads.
“Just tell me who we should align with. Vice Chairman!”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Start with you. Who is it?”
Despite being father and son, they addressed each other by their company titles in this formal setting.
Perhaps due to the weight of his position, my uncle Jin Young-ki hesitated to answer.
In his mid-forties, Jin Young-ki, and his son Jin Young-jun.
The two who framed me and even ordered my murder.
Now that I’ve returned to the past, I won’t let that happen again. But it could happen to someone else.
I was curious about the answer from Jin Young-ki, whom I once respected.
What kind of insight does he have?
“The regime isn’t collapsing, and the successor is certain. There have been constant protests during the seven years of this regime. I think it’s just a bit more intense now.”
The eldest son’s statement was quickly agreed upon by the second son, Jin Dong-ki, and the third son, Jin Sang-ki.
“I think so too.”
“I agree as well…”
As the princes echoed the same opinion, the executives also leaned towards the current regime’s continuation.
Something felt off.
In three days, the president would make an emergency announcement.
A declaration of surrender, wasn’t it?
The people would win.
By now, even the Blue House should have some idea of the outcome.
For a group like Sunyang, they must have numerous connections in the Blue House, so how could they not know?
Was it that Sunyang Group didn’t have many political connections back then?
I continued to listen to their meeting, setting aside my doubts.
But there wasn’t a single word about company management. They only debated who to align with.
In a way, it was pathetic.
No matter how chaotic the times, this wasn’t the discussion I wanted. I expected high-level conversations about adapting to change and predicting how the demands for democratization would transform the world—something beyond the thoughts of ordinary employees.
But they were foaming at the mouth, as if the group’s survival depended on aligning with the strongest.
It was both pathetic and bitter.
Was this the corporate landscape of the 1980s?
In the end, the meeting concluded with the erroneous prediction that the current regime would continue.
“Alright. Everyone, leave. And keep your ears open for information.”
With Chairman Jin’s words, everyone left the study.
“Now, stand up.”
His voice was gentle, like a grandfather’s.
I tried to stand quickly, but it was impossible. My legs had stiffened, and I slowly stretched them before finally standing. Chairman Jin looked at me with pride, the warm gaze of an ordinary grandfather.
He pulled me close and spoke.
“Well done, our Do-jun.”
“Yes?”
“It was quite a long time, but you didn’t frown or show any sign of discomfort. Even an adult would have shifted around with stiff legs… but you stayed upright.”
I hadn’t even noticed the pain in my legs while listening to their opinions. I hadn’t realized how much time had passed.
“But I’m curious about one thing. How did you change so much?”
The original Jin Do-jun must have been no different from his brother, Sang-jun.
Timid and subdued under powerless, oppressed parents, he must have shown only a passive side.
For such a child to resort to violence to protect what’s his, it must have been surprising and intriguing.
In truth, it’s not that I’ve changed—I’m a different person. But I can’t exactly say that.
“Me?”
“Yes. The last time I saw you was during the New Year, wasn’t it? It’s only been half a year, but you seem like a different person. I wondered if you were really my grandson. Haha.”
I pondered what response would be appropriate, gauging Chairman Jin’s reaction. There was only one suitable answer.
“I’m not going to hold back anymore.”
“What?”
“Father and Mother always held back, so I did too. But I can’t anymore. I’m angry.”
Damn, if only I could shed a tear at times like this…
But there’s no way tears would come!
Yet, perhaps my composed words made me seem even more admirable.
Chairman Jin embraced me silently.
He seemed to empathize with the struggles of my past and found it pitiable.
This was the moment to deliver another shock. A surprise that would leave him speechless.
“Grandfather.”
“Yes, go on. Whatever it is.”
“Make friends with all three.”
“What do you mean? Make friends with all three?”
“What you mentioned earlier. The next president.”
”…?!”
The look of pity in his eyes changed.
He had given me a punishment, yet I had listened to the entire conversation. And I had synthesized all the information to come up with a clever idea. It must have been astonishing.
“The president is the most powerful person in our country. When you don’t know who it will be, wouldn’t it be better to befriend all three? They’re all powerful enough to become president, so why only make friends with one?”
I spoke in the most childlike manner possible, avoiding difficult words.
“To be friends with all of them…”
“Isn’t it possible?”
“Of course, it’s possible. The more friends, the better. Haha.”
Chairman Jin hugged me tightly, bursting into a satisfied laugh.
Should I leave it at this for today?
In a few days, when the June 29 Declaration is announced, I can subtly hint at who they should really align with, and he’ll be astonished once more.
I need to make him a grandfather who is utterly captivated by his ten-year-old grandson’s brilliance.
It’s not too late yet.
“Do-jun, do you want to go play outside now? Grandfather has some work to do.”
I left the study, basking in Chairman Jin’s affectionate gaze.
Left alone in the study, Chairman Jin fell into deep thought.
Eventually, he picked up the phone and made a call.
“Deliver five each to YS and DJ immediately.”
“Yes. Tell them it’s for their hard work in the current situation, and throw in some appropriate compliments.”
“Just send ten for now. Don’t forget to wish them well in resolving the turbulent political situation.”
After hanging up, Chairman Jin chuckled to himself.
For a ten-year-old grandson to say something so remarkable.
He had been thinking in extremes.
When asked to predict an uncertain future, everyone offered uncertain answers. They could only manage speculative responses like whether the current regime would surrender or hold out.
If the question had been about how to prepare for an uncertain future, surely someone would have suggested diversifying and hedging their bets.
These were people capable of such thought.
But who would have guessed that a ten-year-old grandson would come up with such a clever answer?
Why had he only just noticed this sharpness?
Chairman Jin quietly called for his eldest grandson, Jin Young-jun.
He wanted to see the potential of the boy who would one day become the third chairman of the Sunyang Group.
Jin Young-jun rushed over at his grandfather’s call, a hint of nervousness on his face.
“Young-jun.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Ah, right now, I’m your grandfather.”
“Oh, yes, Grandfather.”
Young-jun’s face flushed with embarrassment. He knew he had to clearly distinguish between business and family, but pleasing his grandfather, who was known for his unpredictable whims, was no easy task.
“You listened today, but you must have thought about it, right? Let me see your answer. I’ll be the judge.”
The current regime had about six months left. It was a clear lame-duck period, with citizens pouring into the streets daily, demanding the end of dictatorship and the repeal of martial law. Moreover, the Olympics, a global event, was set to take place next year.
What would happen during this chaotic time? That was the question, and he had to write his answer.
“Well, um…”
He had seen countless students throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, fleeing from tear gas.
The police always dispersed the protesters.
The power imbalance was overwhelming. Protests happened daily, and they were dispersed daily.
University students couldn’t possibly defeat the authorities.
Having organized his thoughts, Jin Young-jun carefully began to fill out his answer.
“I think the protests have reached their peak. If the president deploys more police… even some military forces, I believe things will quiet down.”
“So, the current regime will continue?”
“Yes. Naturally, the president’s friend and successor will likely become the next president.”
“Then I should trust your words and align myself with him, right?”
“What?”
Jin Young-jun felt a cold sweat trickle down his neck.
His grandfather was smiling gently, suggesting he would entrust the group’s future to his prediction.
Of course, that wasn’t true. This was a test.
If he puffed out his chest with confidence and his prediction was wrong, he’d be reminded of it forever. But if he backed down now, he’d only seem indecisive.
Chairman Jin watched his grandson’s troubled expression and clicked his tongue inwardly.