The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 107

#107

During the solemn trial, the defendant, looking wronged, shouted.

“Defendant, be quiet.”

Judge Jo Jae-wook, his face contorted, banged the gavel.

‘Damn it, I can’t understand a word they’re saying.’

He couldn’t come to his senses.

The AR card he believed was his had been transferred to the Shinhwa Group.

For 1 won.

‘Ha, where did it all go wrong?’

Not possessing it wasn’t the problem.

He needed to take it to contribute to the organization’s funds.

Born of a noble lineage, he aimed to seize immense economic power starting with the credit card company, thereby wielding absolute power within the Cheonji Association.

He couldn’t rival His Majesty’s Star Group, but aside from that, he had no competitors.

With his formidable rival, Park Hyun-cheol, out of his mind, now was the perfect time.

“Judge! Judge!”

He was so lost in thought that he couldn’t hear his lawyer calling him.

‘This is no time for this. I need to take action quickly.’

Jo Jae-wook abruptly stood up.

“The court is adjourned. We’ll reconvene in two weeks.”

“But, Your Honor, you can’t just suddenly do that…”

“Why? Do you object?”

“No, sir.”

The courtroom.

An invisible law governs this space.

This place where the law manifests.

‘I am the god of this place.’

Everything is decided by the judge’s words.

No one, not even the master of the Cheonji Association, is above him.

“Everyone, please submit well-prepared briefs. Especially, please, no typos… That’s just basic. And Prosecutor Yoon, Attorney Park, do it properly. Back in my day, if you wrote briefs like that, you’d be called into the judge’s chambers. Do better!”

Jo Jae-wook, his face twisted, spewed out nagging words in an irritated voice.

He left the courtroom, creating a cold draft.

He returned to his office.

Park Hyun-cheol, the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, was waiting.

Jo Jae-wook examined his face.

It was a nonchalant and indifferent expression.

“What happened?”

Park Hyun-cheol asked.

“I don’t know, me neither. I was waiting to take a bigger bite, trusting only Lee Hee-do’s words.”

“Hahaha, tried to take a big bite and ended up losing big. What are we going to do now…”

“You’re talking like it’s someone else’s problem. Are you not concerned at all? Well, thanks to your reliable father, you don’t need to worry like me.”

Park Hyun-cheol’s cheek twitched.

He usually avoided talking about his father, who was a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The reason was unknown.

The former head of the Cheonji Association and the king of all Supreme Court justices in Korea.

Park Soo-gil.

He was clearly the object of envy for all legal professionals, but.

Not at all for him.

“Why is the story of our great Chief Justice Park Soo-gil coming up here?”

A murderous glint flashed in Park Hyun-cheol’s eyes.

A different aura than usual.

“Ahem, I apologize if I offended you.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d be careful. As you said, even if we’re both from noble families, you and I are on different levels, aren’t we? Please respect the small difference between you and me.”

Jo Jae-wook bit his lip.

His family, a wealthy landlord family and at the center of power for generations, could not be compared to Park Hyun-cheol’s family, which still holds immense wealth today, and his own insignificant family.

A topic that only made each other feel bad. Jo Jae-wook changed the subject.

“What’s going on?”

“His Majesty has summoned us.”

“When?”

“Now.”

Jo Jae-wook’s lips moved involuntarily.

He clearly seemed to be cursing inwardly.

“What do you think will happen?”

“You fucking judge. Don’t be scared! What’s the worst that could happen? Hahaha.”

“Crazy bastard.”

Jo Jae-wook picked up his suit jacket from the hanger.

The road to the Star Group was always tense, but today, fear preceded him even more.

A harsh scolding awaited him.

‘Don’t be nervous, Jo Jae-wook. You have to survive today.’

With an indifferent expression, Park Hyun-cheol and Jo Jae-wook, his lips tightly pressed, left the room.

***

The sofa, desk, furniture, everything in the room was black.

Black, symbolizing elegant and mysterious power.

And golden dragon patterns were engraved everywhere.

Chairman Lee Seok, standing by the window, was looking at Gyeongbokgung Palace spread out before him.

The place where he should be.

He calmed his anger while looking at the place he would one day return to.

The two people he had summoned entered.

“We greet His Majesty.”

Park Hyun-cheol and Jo Jae-wook bowed their heads and knelt before the president’s office.

“Did you see the article yesterday?”

“We are sorry, Your Majesty.”

“What happened? Wasn’t the goal the AR card?”

Jo Jae-wook desperately made excuses.

“…There was a way to see a slightly larger profit… That’s what I did. But there is still a chance, Your Majesty!”

Lee Seok looked down at Jo Jae-wook, who was bowing his head.

He sighed and turned his head to look at Park Hyun-cheol.

“What do you think, Old Man Park?”

“I think it would be good to hear Judge Jo’s opinion first. The AR Group’s financial affiliates are already in trouble, but if we do well, we may be able to acquire other affiliates, Your Majesty.”

Lee Seok showed interest in Park Hyun-cheol’s words.

Chairman Lee Seok sat on the sofa and leaned back.

He looked at Jo Jae-wook’s mouth.

“Then let’s hear it. What good plan have you prepared?”

“The method is to secure profits by investing in short selling and use the proceeds to acquire affiliates.”

“Is that so?”

Lee Seok looked at Jo Jae-wook.

‘For a judge, he’s quite clever.’

He actively used his outstanding mind, which had allowed him to pass the bar exam with excellent grades, to make money.

His unusual obsession with money was stronger than imagined.

“What do you think, Old Man Park?”

Lee Seok, having heard Jo Jae-wook’s opinion, was curious about Park Hyun-cheol’s position.

“I think we should wait. Yoon Jeong-hoon is involved. It may be his trap.”

“A trap? What kind of trap could he set?”

Lee Seok’s face was full of ridicule.

“Already… No, Your Majesty.”

Park Hyun-cheol swallowed his words.

There was no need to provoke His Majesty’s pride with unnecessary words.

The plan to capture him at Park Hyun-cheol’s house last time had failed miserably.

Thirty percent of his bodyguards had disappeared.

But he thinks he let Yoon Jeong-hoon go.

‘Stupid and arrogant crazy bastard.’

Defeat does not exist for him.

The king of this land who knows no failure.

“I gave him a chance, but he kicked it away like this and is provoking me again.”

“Your Majesty, the stock price has started to fall. If we push it a little further, we can definitely drive them into bankruptcy. How about bankrupting them and then taking over the entire AR Group?”

Jo Jae-wook stimulated Lee Seok’s greed.

Lee Seok’s eyes sparkled.

Whether they are kings or nobles with good bloodlines, they are all crazy about money.

“Good. Get up, Old Man Jo.”

Lee Seok brought Jo Jae-wook to his side.

He enjoyed the cool, expansive view together.

“Isn’t it beautiful? Old Man Jo!”

Lee Seok pointed to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

“Please help me return home as soon as possible.”

“I am sorry. I will do my best, Your Majesty!”

“Good. I will not consider failure. Bring the AR Group under my feet.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then we should be able to have at least a few affiliates, right?”

Jo Jae-wook’s greedy eyes sparkled at Lee Seok’s words.

And then.

“If you fail…”

Lee Seok looked at him with a curious smile.

“Judge Jo, if you fail, you can fly like a bird.”

Lee Seok’s mouth stretched wide.

“Your, Your Majesty!”

“Why are you so surprised? Feel free to jump down like a bird. Who knows? Maybe you can really fly through the sky like a bird. Ah, if you don’t like that, I can peel your flesh until you die.”

He flinched and took a step back.

“…I will do my best.”

“Well, do whatever you want, just don’t fail.”

“Yes.”

His voice, answering, was full of tension and fear.

Park Hyun-cheol was relieved.

It was a plan that he was not involved in, so he could not gain more, but he had nothing to lose.

He just had to watch.

This plan was just Jo Jae-wook’s plan, unrelated to him.

***

The stock price contains people’s expectations for the company.

The continuous decline in the AR Group’s stock price meant that there was little interest or expectation.

There was only a boring decline.

Of course, there was one day when it closed higher, saying it was an excessive decline.

However, the next day, it returned all of the previous day’s gains and fell even further than usual.

Meanwhile, short selling was continuously increasing.

The AR Group’s short selling balance, which was 10 billion, was rapidly accumulating to exceed 100 billion.

A company that was failing no matter who looked at it.

Betting on the stock price decline was the most rational choice.

“Chairman, it looks like we’ll hit 100 billion today.”

When Hwang Seok said in a dry voice, Kang Sang-cheol expressed doubt.

“But I’m curious, short selling has a fixed profit and unlimited losses, so why do people do it?”

“It’s the thrill. Everyone has a destructive instinct hidden inside. They get a great pleasure enough to bear the enormous risk.”

“Ha, those guys’ pleasure is alcohol and hehehe.”

Hwang Seok shook his head, looking at Kang Sang-cheol, who was naturally imagining entertainment.

Kang Sang-cheol sneered at him for making such an expression.

“Anyway, this guy always pretends to be abstinent, but when he goes, he’s the one who has the most fun.”

Hwang Seok, looking embarrassed, bowed his head and reviewed the data again.

“How much do you think they’ll put in?”

When Jeong-hoon asked,

“I think they’ll put in up to 500 billion.”

Jeong-hoon shook his head at Hwang Seok’s answer.

“No. They’ll put in 1 trillion, or even more.”

“Yes? If something goes wrong, if the AR stock price rises…”

Jeong-hoon was happy just imagining it.

If the stock price only rises.

“Let’s watch. What will happen.”

The corners of his lips were completely raised.

Jeong-hoon left the office.

He went to the parking lot and checked the trunk of his Bugatti Chiron.

It was full of congratulatory roses that suited her.

He called Da-hye at home and told her to get ready to go out.

She was flustered and insisted on eating dinner at home.

Inevitably, he decided to eat at home as she said.

Jeong-hoon was curious about her cooking skills.

The taste of the food that his grandmother had carefully prepared came to mind.

‘She’ll be better than Grandma, right?’

A cold wind ran down his spine, and he felt a chilling fear.

‘That can’t be. Absolutely.’

***

She came out wearing an ivory-colored warm dress.

She smiled brightly when she saw Jeong-hoon.

As soon as she opened the door, she hugged him tightly.

“I missed you.”

“We saw each other this morning…”

“Still.”

Hugging Jeong-hoon, she held him tightly with both arms.

A short kiss followed.

Jeong-hoon looked down at her in his arms.

Looking into her lake-like eyes, he whispered.

“Congratulations.”

Da-hye’s pupils trembled.

“For what?”

“You passed the bar exam.”

“How did you know?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know that?”

“Hing, I was going to surprise you today.”

Jeong-hoon was satisfied.

He succeeded in surprising her.

When he opened the trunk, it was full of red roses.

“Thank you.”

She was teary-eyed.

“Why is only that one white?”

In the middle of the trunk covered in red, a single white rose was shining.

“I wonder?”

Da-hye reached out and took it out.

And a box connected to a single white rose came into view.

Da-hye took out the box with sparkling eyes.

“Thank you.”

“Open it. It was really hard to get.”

When Da-hye opened the box, a transparent yellow jewel was shining.

“What is it? I’ve never seen it before…”

“It’s nothing special, it’s a diamond.”

“What? There’s a yellow diamond? And this size…”

A large yellow diamond from Tiffany & Co., famous for its jewelry, was embedded in the center.

The ‘Ribbon Rosette’ necklace, sublimated into art.

It was the necklace that Audrey Hepburn wore when promoting the movie ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’.

Da-hye looked at Jeong-hoon once and at the diamond once, unable to come to her senses.

Da-hye looked at Jeong-hoon.

Her eyes were filled with love that anyone could see.

It was her emotion for the sincerity, not the money.

Jeong-hoon took out the necklace from the box.

He put the necklace, which had been talked about as a jewel sublimated into art, around Da-hye’s neck.

It was dazzling… beautiful.

***

Jeong-hoon’s Bugatti Chiron ran along Banpo-daero [a major street in Seoul].

It attracted everyone’s attention.

Da-hye was touching the necklace here and there.

And she started to get a little nervous as she looked around.

“Hey, Jeong-hoon, where are we going?”

“Huh?… I think I should say hello.”

“Don’t tell me?”

‘What should I say?’

Jeong-hoon forgot the excuse he had prepared at her hardened face.

He didn’t think she would hate it that much.

The relationship between Park Hyun-cheol and Park Da-hye was as good as severed.

But.

From Jeong-hoon’s point of view, he cannot abandon Park Hyun-cheol.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and a strong candidate for Prosecutor General.

And he can also become the Minister of Justice.

He has been a powerful force in the Cheonji Association until now, but…

Isn’t it possible?

He worried, but there were one or two things that bothered him.

Brother Cheol-joong too.

Me too.

And Da-hye too.

A reckless and impossible plan.

Even Grandma is against it, but.

I can’t help it.

Park Hyun-cheol’s power is needed to bring down the Cheonji Association.

He had to find a way to subdue him.

“You mean, saying hello means you’re talking about Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park Hyun-cheol?”

Da-hye didn’t say father.

Her voice was full of strength.

It is clear that she is nervous.

“Yeah, you’ll have to face him when you enter the Judicial Research and Training Institute. I hope we’re not in an uncomfortable relationship.”

‘Did I push too hard?’

“Sorry, I didn’t know you would go this far…”

“He’s my father, but he tried to kill you. But…”

She turned her head silently and looked at Jeong-hoon.

“I think there’s a reason why you’re doing this. I know you’re trying to create a happier world than now. If not, there’s no reason to see someone who tried to kill you again.”

“No. It’s not such a grand dream. I just want you, Grandma, Brother Cheol-joong, and the people around Eun-soo to be happy.”

He looked at Da-hye.

Her deep eyes seemed to see through Jeong-hoon’s heart.

“I often think that I wish it would be like you said. I still lack the ability, though.”

Da-hye held Jeong-hoon’s hand tightly.

Her warm hand melted Jeong-hoon’s heart, which had been frozen cold.

It was a heart that had cooled down while cutting off the things that were in the way.

“Whew, I’m nervous to meet the Deputy Chief Prosecutor…”

Da-hye said, deliberately joking.

“I didn’t say I was going in advance.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s inevitable as you said, Jeong-hoon. And your dream is my dream. Now I can’t just be a quiet judge.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Originally, being a judge was my dream. You make judgments. But my mind has changed. I’m going to be a prosecutor. A prosecutor who is a swordsman for you!”

‘Oh, if this happens, Da-hye will be like she used to be.’

A thrilling electricity flowed through his body.

Her memories, which he had carefully watched in the newspaper before the regression, flooded into his head.

Park Da-hye, the crazy X prosecutor at the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office.

She was obsessed with dismantling gangs, arresting politicians, and arresting chaebols [large family-owned conglomerates, similar to Japanese zaibatsu].

Park Da-hye, the crazy prosecutor who formed a two-horse team with Kang Cheol-joong.

‘Don’t tell me she’s going to be that crazy Park Da-hye I saw in the newspaper in the old days?’

While he was lost in fearful thoughts, Jeong-hoon’s Bugatti Chiron spewed out its unique exhaust sound and entered the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

Naturally, people’s attention was drawn, and everyone’s mouth dropped open as they got out of the car.

It was because an unbelievably handsome man and a beautiful woman got out of the car.

Jeong-hoon, ignoring the people’s attention, held Da-hye’s hand tightly and walked.

The main building of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, boasting its immense authority, was getting closer.

‘She’s nervous.’

Her hands were full of sweat.

A father and daughter, but a seriously estranged relationship.

‘What will happen?’

He wondered if they would start a probing battle with light jabs or start a bloody all-out war from the beginning.

More important than that!

He had to make sure that he could find a glimmer of possibility in Park Hyun-cheol.

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King, Becoming a Chaebol.