[089] Who’s the Real Master of the House? 2
“So, what do you want from me? What exactly are you expecting me to do?”
Jin Dong-ki’s frustration was palpable, his previously polite tone now tinged with irritation.
“Isn’t the fight over Sunyang enough with just you and me? What if someone else is gearing up to join the fray, someone we don’t even know about? And what if that someone is being backed by Father? It’s unsettling, isn’t it?”
“Got it. Just get to the point.”
“Let’s ask Father. Find out who he’s backing and why.”
“That’s always been your problem, hasn’t it? Running to Father at the first sign of trouble, whining like a child. Aren’t you tired of it?”
Jin Dong-ki no longer used formal speech with his older brother, as he might have in their younger days.
Despite the harsh words, Jin Young-ki didn’t feel offended. For the first time in a long while, it felt like they were brothers, not rivals.
“If I go alone, sure, it might seem like whining. But if we both go, asking for updates on the business and offering our help to ensure the success of the Daehan Construction acquisition and the massive project? That’s not whining; that’s business talk. Don’t you think?”
Jin Dong-ki considered the potential outcome of following his brother’s suggestion and felt it might not end badly. However, thorough preparation was essential. Without it, they risked nothing but a scolding from their father.
“If we don’t want it to look like whining, we need to be well-informed. How about we share what we know, just between us brothers?”
Jin Young-ki gestured to his brother. “You first.”
“Alright. First off, it’s not Yoon-ki. I’ve talked to him. All he wants is to leave something for his son, Do-jun. He’s got ambitions for him.”
“Yoon-ki? That’s surprising.”
“He’s a father too, after all. But he confided in me. If he were after Sunyang Group, he wouldn’t have said that. He just wants a fair share.”
Jin Dong-ki ruled out the youngest brother as a contender in the power struggle, suggesting another possibility instead.
“Father dotes on Do-jun, and Do-jun hasn’t let him down. I think Do-jun might be a strong candidate.”
Jin Young-ki shook his head. “No, Do-jun’s future is already set.”
“How so?”
“He’s being groomed as a financial expert, focusing on investment and M&A.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, he’s diligently learning under Oh Se-hyun.”
Both brothers fell silent. With Yoon-ki and Do-jun out of the picture, no other candidates came to mind. The third brother, Jin Sang-ki, had long since bowed out, and their sister had no interest in the fray.
Could there be a hidden child somewhere?
As wild thoughts crossed their minds, they shook their heads. They had no choice but to confirm things before it was too late. Even if it meant facing their father’s wrath.
“Well, well, my eldest and second sons.”
Chairman Jin looked at his sons with a wry smile.
“Shouldn’t a successor of Sunyang be able to tell if the person they’re dealing with is holding a knife or a rose?”
The unexpected words from their father left the two sons bewildered.
“A knife, you say?”
“Don’t you remember? Just a few months ago, someone came with a billion dollars, exchanged it for our currency, and took off with the exchange fees. That was Sunyang Motors. Including the group shares they held. I’ve never seen such daylight robbery in my life.”
The two sons were dumbfounded. This was not what they had expected.
“Are you sure Miracle has nothing to do with you, Father?”
“Why? Because I didn’t get angry about being robbed?”
“No, it’s just… if there’s no connection, wasn’t it an unfair deal? Why did you accept such terms?”
“And if I hadn’t?”
The second son quickly closed his mouth under his father’s piercing gaze. They needed to be more composed. It was a time when foreign hot money transactions were in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars daily. They couldn’t have lasted even ten days, let alone two weeks, without facing a financial crisis.
“Sorry, I misspoke.”
“People tend to forget the hard times once a crisis is over.”
The word “ordinary” struck a chord. How could someone ordinary inherit Sunyang?
“So, Miracle is the one who robbed us of Sunyang?”
“We got through the IMF crisis by giving up the car division and some group shares. Don’t be too upset.”
But the sons’ doubts lingered.
“Father, didn’t you send away all the executives, including the president of Sunyang Motors? It’s not like we lost the people too, right?”
“And the Daehan Construction acquisition? If they’re robbers, why help them?”
Chairman Jin clicked his tongue at their questions.
“Before questioning me, why not try to understand my thoughts? Isn’t it a bit odd for you to question my decisions? Tsk, tsk.”
The two sons quickly waved their hands.
“Oh, don’t misunderstand, Father. We’re not questioning you. We’re just trying to understand.”
“What was it called? That giant wooden horse during the war… with soldiers hidden inside…”
“The Trojan Horse, you mean?”
“Yes, the Trojan Horse.”
“So, sending our people with them was…?”
“Of course. We need to get them back, don’t we?”
The two sons couldn’t lift their heads in shame. Hearing their father’s plan, they realized they were nothing more than whining sons in their fifties.
They had only been relieved to have survived the crisis, never thinking about reclaiming what was lost. In fact, they were somewhat relieved to be rid of the troublesome car division.
But not all questions were answered. Daehan Construction and Jin Do-jun remained. They just couldn’t bring themselves to ask.
Watching his sons, Chairman Jin spoke again.
“Miracle is using me right now. They’ll use my power and connections to swallow Daehan Construction and push through big projects. They’ll grow tremendously.”
Jin Dong-ki listened intently, his eyes gleaming. All his questions were answered, but he didn’t want to show it. He was curious about what his brother thought. There was no need to reveal his thoughts prematurely.
“Once Daehan Construction grows, it’ll become part of Ajin Group, and then we’ll absorb Ajin Group. We lost the car division, but we’ll get Ajin Group and Daehan Construction as interest. Don’t you think?”
Finally, Jin Young-ki’s expression brightened. He had been in the dark, but now he saw the whole picture.
“I don’t know when that will be, but you two will have to handle it.”
“Understood, Father.”
Jin Young-ki answered confidently, but Jin Dong-ki remained silent, contemplating his father’s unspoken thoughts. His father always seemed to reveal everything while keeping something hidden. There was more to be said.
Finally, Jin Dong-ki spoke.
“We need to reclaim Ajin Group and Daehan Construction, but they won’t belong to Sunyang.”
“What?”
Chairman Jin’s eyes changed at his son’s unexpected words, but Jin Dong-ki remained calm.
“Since the car division is already separated, why not give it to Yoon-ki? Of course, taking Ajin Group first is the priority.”
“Yoon-ki?”
Jin Young-ki was also taken aback.
“Strictly speaking, it would be for Do-jun. Honestly, among our children, isn’t Do-jun the most talented? Yoon-ki’s lack of ambition might have prevented Do-jun from getting opportunities, and that’s always bothered me.”
Jin Young-ki’s eyebrows twitched. Wasn’t this a direct slight against his own son, Jin Young-jun, the eldest grandson of the family? But in front of their father, he could only bite his lip and hold back.
“Do-jun, huh…”
Chairman Jin looked between his sons. One was holding back anger, the other pretending to care.
Once a person’s standards rise, they never seem to lower again.
Jin Young-ki, as the eldest, had always held a special place in his heart, while Jin Dong-ki, though the second son, was appreciated for his quiet, efficient handling of matters.
But hearing his second son’s suggestion to favor Do-jun, he had to suppress a sigh.
Who was he to favor whom?
These sons, who would let a young nephew take the company from under their noses, were in no position to talk.
“Dong-ki.”
“Yes.”
“Where did you learn to act like you’re doing someone a favor with what’s not yours?”
As his father’s voice grew harsher, Jin Dong-ki quickly bowed his head.
“I’m sorry. I overstepped. I just thought it was a shame to waste Do-jun’s potential…”
“Enough. You’ve heard what you wanted, so you can leave now. Remember my words and think about how to reclaim what was lost.”
“Yes.”
As the two sons rose to leave, their father added one last thing.
“At the end of this month, Ajin Group will announce its second founding. Make sure to attend, congratulate Oh Se-hyun, and encourage President Cho Dae-ho, who will be working hard abroad. And watch closely as our Sunyang Motors passes into someone else’s hands. Understood?”
The two sons nodded at their father’s words and left.
Alone, Chairman Jin let out a long sigh and muttered quietly.
“Protecting my grandson from these wolf-like sons isn’t easy. Who knew I’d be living with lies in my old age…”
The grand auditorium of the Ajin Group headquarters, where the declaration of the company’s second founding and the inauguration of its subsidiary CEOs was taking place, was filled with a solemn atmosphere rather than one of excitement.
This was because the company had only just emerged from a critical state, akin to a patient who had received a life-saving transfusion and was now barely out of intensive care. It was too soon to celebrate survival.
Chairman Song Hyun-chang stepped onto the stage where the subsidiary presidents were seated.
“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed employees, and honored guests who have graced us with your presence today, I extend my heartfelt thanks.
Once, I was the one who led Ajin into crisis, and now I stand before you again.”
Overcome with emotion, Chairman Song paused, unable to continue for a moment.
He then expressed his gratitude to the employees who had endured the hardships alongside him and laid out a vision for the future.
“We must become a company where corporate value continuously increases, where both tangible and intangible assets are unparalleled, where employee satisfaction and social contribution are at their peak. We must strive for infinite growth, not just short-term expansion, but based on accumulated intrinsic value.”
“With a passion that dreams and prepares for the future, challenging the impossible, and realizing dreams with creative thinking and indomitable will. This is the eternal youthful spirit we must reclaim.”
As Chairman Song concluded his speech, Jo Dae-ho, the CEO of the newly merged automotive division, took the stage to deliver his own address.
Towards the end of his speech, which was not much different from Chairman Song’s, President Jo raised his hand to point at a large banner covering the stage wall.
“From today, we leave behind the names Ajin and Sunyang. The newly born name, H.W, will take their place and endure forever.”
“Do-jun, are you going to keep it a secret?”
In the chairman’s office, Oh Se-hyun watched the event unfold on TV with a relaxed demeanor. Upon seeing the name HW appear on the screen, he asked again.
“It’s the global era, isn’t it? We should drop the Korean and go with English.”
“Who said otherwise? But what does it mean?”
“We’ll think of a fitting meaning as we go along. It just looks good, doesn’t it? Haha.”
Laughter erupted, and today, it was impossible to hold it back.
HW Group.
How impressive it looked.