Tools for a Purpose 1
Once his pounding heart had calmed and his shaky legs steadied, Chairman Hong slowly rose to his feet.
As he exited the private room, his face was adorned with the same smile he had when he entered. It wasn’t a mask; it was a genuine smile.
Sitting alone in the room, Chairman Hong had thought of King Taejong Yi Bang-won, who had eradicated his wife’s family to secure his throne. Yi Bang-won had executed his wife’s four brothers and exiled the father-in-law of Crown Prince Yangnyeong. Even after appointing Sejong as the crown prince, he wiped out Sejong’s in-laws, the Cheongsong Shim clan.
But all those families were in-laws to the future king.
By distancing himself from the Hong family, Chairman Jin was essentially signaling that he saw Jin Young-jun as his successor.
The old man didn’t have many days left, neither did Chairman Hong nor Chairman Jin. But the young had a long future ahead—both Hong So-young and Jin Young-jun.
Though Chairman Jin was wary of outsiders meddling in the Sunyang Group, time was not on his side. Realizing that once Chairman Jin was gone, the Hansung Ilbo would naturally become a part of the Sunyang Group, Chairman Hong could forget the recent humiliation and smile.
The wedding concluded smoothly.
The couple left for their honeymoon amidst everyone’s congratulations, and the guests from Hansung Ilbo quickly departed from Chairman Jin’s estate.
The remaining Jin family celebrated the first marriage of the third generation with a lively gathering at the guesthouse.
More marriages among the third generation were sure to follow.
With thirteen grandchildren, including those from his daughters, Chairman Jin smiled and spoke.
“If any of you don’t want an arranged marriage, speak up now. I’ll take you off the list.”
Some faces brightened at Chairman Jin’s words, but no one stepped forward. Even if Chairman Jin was sincere, the parents had different ideas. They wanted to connect with families of power and wealth, so the children couldn’t ignore their parents’ wishes.
“No one? Good. Then Hye-kyung and Soo-kyung, prepare to get married this year. You should marry before you turn thirty. You don’t want to be called old maids, do you?”
Satisfied that none of his grandchildren wanted a love marriage, Chairman Jin nodded and stood up. He already had a list of potential marriage candidates in his mind.
“It’s a celebration, so forget your worries and eat and drink to your heart’s content. I’m going to rest now.”
Chairman Jin returned to the main house, and the rest of the family, like any other guests, offered congratulatory drinks to Jin Young-ki, the host.
When Jin Yoon-ki went to the restroom with a cigarette in his mouth, someone approached him.
“Sir, the chairman is asking for you. He said to come quietly, away from others’ eyes.”
“Where is he?”
“He’s in the study.”
The study…
He wasn’t being called to see his father’s face. If it was the study, it was about business.
The last time Jin Yoon-ki had been in the study was twenty years ago when he was choosing a place to study abroad.
Being summoned for business after twenty years made him suddenly nervous.
To shake off the effects of the alcohol, he washed his face with cold water and looked at his reflection in the mirror to calm himself.
Thanks to his son, he was living the golden years of his life. That was enough. He expected nothing from his father. Life had taught him that expectations only led to disappointment.
Especially with his father, who had given him not just disappointment but despair.
Jin Yoon-ki emptied his mind and headed to the study.
Chairman Jin sat with a steaming cup of tea in front of him, silently observing his youngest son for a while.
“Is there something you want to say…?”
“You said things were going well, but is that true?”
“Yes. We’re less affected by the financial crisis.”
“But it can’t be easy to gather investors for films, can it?”
“It’s not easy, but it’s not the time to complain. In other fields, it’s not about easy or hard; it’s about survival.”
“I could help you, you know.”
Jin Yoon-ki glanced at his father’s expression and chuckled.
“Don’t try to test me. I’m not young enough to fall for your words anymore. Haha.”
“Oh, really!”
Chairman Jin smiled, not offended by his son’s bold words.
“It seems you have something to say. Go ahead.”
“Alright. I’ll be brief. I’m giving you the Sunyang Medical Foundation and the Sunyang Human Resources Development Center.”
Jin Yoon-ki’s smile vanished.
The hospital under the Sunyang Medical Foundation was one of the top three. The property tax alone was over a billion won due to the vast hospital grounds. It was an enormous inheritance.
But he couldn’t grasp the value of the Sunyang Human Resources Development Center.
Though it was an independent corporation, its role was limited to training new high school and college graduates, new executives, and conducting various educational and human resource development programs for the group. It barely broke even by providing education services to Sunyang Group affiliates.
It was hardly a business.
Jin Yoon-ki couldn’t understand why his father wanted to pass this on to him.
“Why the face? Is it not enough?”
“It’s far from enough.”
He answered his father’s question immediately.
With no expectations, he would take what was given. But there was one thing that weighed on his mind.
His son.
“What?”
Chairman Jin’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting such a response from his son.
“You never looked at the company, but now that you’re about to give it up, you’re getting greedy?”
“That’s right. I have to do my duty as a father, don’t I?”
“Duty as a father? Are you talking about Do-jun?”
Jin Yoon-ki only nodded.
Chairman Jin looked at his son with a hint of disdain and said, “If you want to be a good father, start by recognizing the value of things, you fool.”
“What?”
“Ask Do-jun. He’ll welcome the hospital and the development center with open arms.”
Jin Yoon-ki blinked, not understanding the value his father was talking about.
“Take good care of what I’m giving you and pass it on to Do-jun at the right time. And I’ll take care of Do-jun separately. Of course, I plan to sell it to him cheaply, not just give it away…”
“Sell? You’re planning to charge your grandson?”
The word “take care” seemed meaningless.
Doing business with his grandson? Wasn’t Do-jun his favorite? Did he misunderstand? Or was Do-jun already in a position to negotiate with his grandfather?
Jin Yoon-ki showed his displeasure, but Chairman Jin didn’t offer further explanation.
“Just know that. Do-jun understands these things much better than you do.”
Chairman Jin waved his hand, indicating he had said all he needed to.
As Jin Yoon-ki was about to leave the study, he added one last thing.
“There are many eyes watching and ears listening. It’s best if you keep this to yourself for now.”
Jin Yoon-ki turned and bowed his head. Then he remembered something he had forgotten to say.
“Thank you, Father.”
From the moment she stood in front of the international terminal at Gimpo Airport, Hong So-young felt the power and prestige of the Sunyang Group.
From the honeymoon limousine to boarding the plane, she never had to stop once.
She felt the weight of the phrase “VIPs don’t wait.”
The Hansung Ilbo was a prestigious family, but not to this extent.
She was surprised again when she boarded first class.
She and Jin Young-jun were the only passengers.
“Young-jun, is this a private jet?”
“No, we just chartered the first and business class. Our six personal assistants are in business class.”
It was a luxurious life her father and grandfather never experienced. Sitting in a plane with four flight attendants serving just the two of them, Hong So-young realized she was now part of Korea’s most prominent conglomerate family.
She was so satisfied that she didn’t even mind Jin Young-jun’s wandering eyes toward the beautiful flight attendants.
After finishing her in-flight meal, Hong So-young turned to Jin Young-jun.
“Would you take a look at this when you’re done eating?”
Jin Young-jun opened the file Hong So-young handed him.
“What is this?”
“Just take a look.”
As he examined the file, Jin Young-jun’s expression grew increasingly stern.
It contained detailed accounts of the entire family’s activities, excluding himself and his father.
To compile such detailed information, they must have been under constant surveillance.
“As expected, the ones to watch are President Jin Dong-ki and Jin Do-jun. President Jin Dong-ki frequently meets with affiliate executives, and Jin Do-jun is now actively…”
“This crazy woman…”
Though his words were low, Hong So-young heard them clearly. Crazy woman!
“Y-Young-jun.”
Watching him tear the file to shreds, Hong So-young turned pale.
“Weren’t you just supposed to find out what the youngest was up to? You had our entire family followed?”
“Well, I…”
“Who do you think you are? Acting like the lady of the house? Damn, this is disgusting.”
As harsh words spilled from Jin Young-jun’s mouth, the flight attendants discreetly disappeared. It’s best not to witness a VIP’s private moments to avoid future trouble.
“I promised you wouldn’t have to bow to anyone. In return, you agreed not to interfere in my personal life. That applies to my entire family. How dare you spy on our elders?”
Jin Young-jun stood up abruptly.
“You should be grateful to be part of our family and live quietly. Your only job is to give me a son to carry on my name. If you ever pull a stunt like this again without my permission, you’ll be stuck in the back room for the rest of your life. Remember that.”
Each word from Jin Young-jun sent chills down her spine.
“Hey! Secretary Choi!”
At Jin Young-jun’s shout, a man from the business class section pulled back the curtain and hurried over.
“Yes, Director.”
“When we arrive, we’ll be staying separately, so book a hotel for me first. And keep a close eye on her. Let her shop a bit, but make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. Got it?”
“Yes, Director.”
Once the secretary stepped away, Jin Young-jun moved to the window seat opposite Hong So-young.
With an eye mask on and his seat fully reclined, Jin Young-jun bit his lip to suppress a laugh that was threatening to escape.
Initially, he was furious, but now he saw it as a blessing in disguise. This was the perfect excuse to enjoy a completely free ten-day honeymoon.
The more he thought about it, the more satisfied he felt. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
From day one, he had already put his future wife in her place, and now he could freely enjoy the company of the stunning young woman he met yesterday. He had planned to call her in a few days, but now he decided he could summon her as soon as they arrived.
Unaware of Jin Young-jun’s thoughts, Hong So-young could only watch her husband in silence.
For the first time, she realized what kind of person the heir to a family that had never bowed to anyone truly was.
To them, anyone not sharing their blood was no different from a household appliance—just a tool to be used as needed.
Hong So-young understood that she would have to constantly prove her usefulness to the husband she had just vowed to spend her life with, all while being careful not to upset him.
Though tears threatened to fall, she gritted her teeth, thinking of the day when the Sunyang Group would be in her hands.