The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 142

#142

“Ah, ah, mic test.”

Tiny beads of sweat gathered on his forehead, trickling down his cheeks.

Chairman Gu Changhoon, wiping his sweat with a white handkerchief, opened his mouth hesitantly.

“Ahem, ahem, today, through this venue, I would like to inform you of the merger between Shinhwa Telecom and AR Plus.”

“What is the reason for this sudden merger?”

“To move beyond 3G communication and advance to 4G and 5G, economies of scale are crucial. In that regard, I thought it would be good to increase the size of the company.”

As the press conference was in full swing, Madam Hyun Jung-ok sat down next to him.

The reporters looked puzzled and soon directed their questions at her.

“Are you here on behalf of your grandson, Chairman Yoon Jeonghoon?”

“No.”

Hyun Jung-ok replied briefly, gesturing to a familiar man among the reporters raising their hands.

“Ask your question.”

“Madam Hyun, it’s Park Seonghoon from Munhwa Ilbo. How have you been?”

“Thanks to you, I’m doing well. Are you still driving that car?”

“No, thanks to you, I’ve switched to a German car.”

Hyun Jung-ok smiled at his words.

“If you’re not representing Shinhwa Group, why are you here?”

Hyun Jung-ok looked at Gu Changhoon.

With a determined look on his face, Gu Changhoon gently took Hyun Jung-ok’s hand.

“Ahem, ahem, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you all.”

He paused, nervous.

He drank the water in front of him and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Finally, he opened his mouth.

“We’re getting married.”

Silence.

It was complete silence.

“Uh… so, you mean the Chairman of AR Group and the Chairman of Mirae Financial Group, Hyun Jung-ok, are getting married? Hahaha, that’s how you’re expressing the merger, right? Hahaha.”

Faced with the surreal situation, reporter Park Seonghoon tried to defuse the situation with laughter.

“No. Gu Changhoon and Hyun Jung-ok have decided to tie the knot. We will not be having a separate wedding ceremony. This event today is to announce our marriage and serve as our wedding reception.”

“How did you two…”

The grandmother eagerly began to tell their love story.

However, even the reporters who initially showed curiosity grew bored after 10 minutes of her story.

To change the atmosphere, the grandmother slowly ran her hand through her hair.

When there was no reaction, she continued to touch her hair.

The dazzling diamond sparkling between her fingers caught Jeonghoon’s eye.

‘Does Grandma want to show off her diamond? No, she probably wants to show off that she’s loved, right?’

Jeonghoon looked at her face, full of smiles.

He felt proud.

He had changed her life.

She had been spending her old age alone and lonely.

In her twilight years, she was remarrying a Korean conglomerate elder [a high-ranking executive in a large corporation].

Of course, she had more money.

He felt proud of himself for bringing happiness to her life.

She kept touching her hair until the reporters noticed.

She was like a child.

“Isn’t Grandma cute?”

Dahye said, leaning on Jeonghoon.

Jeonghoon nodded and gently held her hand.

Her sweet, warm touch was conveyed.

This moment was a happy one for everyone.

The reporters lacked discernment.

“Oh, that shining diamond, could it be the Angel’s…”

Jeonghoon exclaimed.

Finally, the fist-sized diamond sparkling between her fingers caught the reporters’ attention.

“Could that ring be the Angel’s Tear?”

Gu Changhoon, puffing out his chest, said heartily.

“Hahaha, it might be my last gift, so I splurged a bit.”

Chairman Gu Changhoon, who had trillions of won [Korean currency, approximately billions of USD] in assets, presented his grandmother with a 10 billion won [approximately millions of USD] diamond ring, contrary to his usual frugal ways.

The Angel’s Tear, with its subtle pink hue.

It was a ring with a legend that an angel, moved by devoted love, shed tears that turned into a pink diamond.

They had occasionally seen weddings of conglomerate heirs, but this was the first wedding of two tycoons [wealthy and powerful businesspeople].

Even Jeonghoon was curious.

How did these two build such a great wall so quickly?

He hoped that the two, who bickered but looked good together, would be happy.

The merger between Shinhwa Telecom and AR Plus faded from people’s interest.

The couple of the century monopolized people’s attention. Their romance was the talk of the town every day.

The legendary pink diamond, the Angel’s Tear, reappeared after decades.

It was natural that the romance of the century attracted more public attention than the merger of companies opening a new world.

***

Jeonghoon and Dahye visited the beach after a long time.

Chairman Gu Changhoon and his grandmother had been nagging so much that they wanted to see the sunset at the beach, so they went camping on the west coast.

It was the first trip for the four of them.

They had considered booking a special hotel, but they wanted to have a different experience.

They set up camp at a secluded campsite near Taean Peninsula, known for its beautiful sunsets.

Of course, they had booked the entire site, so they were the only ones there.

Ji Hyunbok and Kwak Hyunsoo were guarding them nearby, and Park Changsoo’s Hwashin Distribution employees were waiting in the distance, out of sight.

They unloaded their luggage and checked the number of tents.

There were three prepared.

Jeonghoon, Dahye, and the two elderly newlyweds.

Hmm… it definitely wasn’t going to be easy.

Jeonghoon lit the dry firewood in the barbecue grill.

It emitted white smoke.

But it only emitted smoke and soon went out.

He tried several times, but it was difficult because it was his first time.

Chairman Gu Changhoon approached, his eyes sparkling.

He could see the aura of an expert from the conglomerate chairman.

“Was it 60 years ago that I last lit a fire in the stove?”

He said to himself, moving the position of the firewood here and there before lighting a match and setting it ablaze.

He thought it would go out, but it miraculously blazed up.

“I used to be good at lighting fires.”

“You’re good at it, Chairman.”

“Hmm, I may not be able to pull weeds, but I can light a fire.”

For once, his shoulders were puffed up with pride.

As time passed and all the dry firewood turned into red-glowing charcoal, Jeonghoon placed thickly sliced ​​pork belly on the grill.

People’s attention was focused on the barbecue grill.

– Sizzle

Juice filled the meat, and as the color turned golden brown, he flipped it once.

The oil from the meat dripped, and flames flared up.

And after a while, the fire went out, and it was grilled even more golden brown by the subtle heat of the charcoal.

He cut it into bite-sized pieces and placed them on his grandmother and Chairman Gu’s plates.

Then, he picked up a piece of meat with tongs.

Dahye, with her mouth open, was waiting.

He put it in her mouth, and she chewed it like a baby bird.

With crescent eyes, she raised both thumbs up.

-Cough

His heart almost stopped.

He grilled the prepared pork belly and distributed it to the people.

Jeonghoon took a plate of meat.

And he went to the two people who were far away, looking only at the sea in lonely silence.

He had to bring them food separately because they adamantly refused to eat together.

They were annoying people anyway.

“Eat up.”

“Thank you, Boss. I don’t know if we’re just causing trouble. Hehehe.”

Ji Hyunbok joked.

Kwak Hyunsoo silently nodded and put it in his mouth.

His eyes widened.

“You’re a genius at grilling meat too. There’s nothing the boss can’t do.”

Jeonghoon recalled his memories of working at a barbecue restaurant.

Sales soared a month after he started working.

Customers looked only for him for no reason, and Jeonghoon had to grill meat until he was sick of it.

While grilling meat for customers, Jeonghoon dreamed of the day he would grill meat for his family.

He thought it was just a vain hope, but he never imagined this day would come.

Seeing the satisfied expressions on people’s faces, he felt it was a good idea to go camping.

***

“Jeonghoon-ah.”

It was when he was dozing off in the tent.

He woke up to Dahye’s whispering voice.

Dahye was stroking his hair in front of him.

With her eyes gently lowered, she stared at Jeonghoon’s face.

In the early evening, the tent was covered with a variety of red colors that covered the sky.

He naturally reached up and stroked her warm cheeks.

Her blinking eyes slowly closed.

As he gently pulled her, her red lips drew closer.

The lips that had been shy with each other became one.

The lips, which had been arguing at the entrance for a while, opened, and hot breaths were connected to each other.

Like jazz music, they shared each other’s flesh slowly but intensely.

“Ahem, ahem.”

He heard a sound from outside the tent.

Dahye’s big eyes widened.

“Jeonghoon-ah, we’re going to the beach.”

Grandma shouted loudly.

The footsteps of her and Chairman Gu Changhoon faded away.

She calmed her surprised heart.

Jeonghoon grabbed her flushed cheeks with both hands.

Jeonghoon, who had lightly kissed her, looked at Dahye.

She, and he… wanted it, but.

“Shall we go see the sunset?”

Jeonghoon spat out with difficulty.

If not now, he absolutely couldn’t stand it.

“Y-yes.”

He looked at her, who bit her lip slightly with a disappointed expression.

Jeonghoon took Dahye’s hand and came out of the tent.

The sunset, as beautiful as it was, dyed the sea and sky.

The two walked along the beach in silence.

After holding hands tightly and walking for a while, Dahye opened her mouth.

“Jeonghoon-ah, I was going to become a prosecutor, but I changed my career path.”

“To what?”

“I’m going to be a lawyer.”

“A lawyer?”

“Yeah, I have to take Haesong [a top law firm in Korea].”

“What? Really?”

Law Firm Haesong, represented by Dahye’s grandfather, Park Soogil.

It was Korea’s number one law firm.

He couldn’t help but be surprised by her words that she would go there.

“Is there a reason why you suddenly changed?”

At Jeonghoon’s question, Dahye looked at Jeonghoon.

“It’s because of you. It seems like you’re going to need lawyers the most in the future. I think Shinhwa Group’s legal team is very lacking right now.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“The prosecution will be fine because Dad and Cheoljoong are there.”

“How are you getting along with your dad?”

When Jeonghoon asked Dahye, she frowned and shook her head.

“Me being at your house… I think it’s good and worrying at the same time.”

“Ah…”

Jeonghoon understood Chief Prosecutor Park Hyuncheol’s feelings.

He was safe from enemies, but he was in danger from Jeonghoon.

He couldn’t help but feel ambivalent.

The inevitable fate of a parent with a daughter.

Jeonghoon stroked Dahye’s hair with a pitiful expression.

She leaned on his shoulder.

Her unforgettable scent tickled the tip of his nose.

Dahye’s phone rang.

“My daughter, what are you doing?”

“Ah, Dad…”

Dahye looked at Jeonghoon.

He nodded.

There was no need to lie.

“Ah, I came camping with Jeonghoon, Grandma, and Grandpa.”

“What? Camping… just the two of you?”

Park Hyuncheol asked urgently. He still doesn’t listen to the end.

“It’s not just the two of us, it’s four of us. Grandpa and Grandma came together. Don’t imagine strange things!”

“Ahem, ahem. No, what kind of imagination did I have? Where are you?”

“Why?”

“I’m just curious.”

“It’s Mokpo here. It’s incredibly far from Seoul.”

“Ah, it’s very far, but today is Friday, so… I understand. Dahye, hang up. Have fun.”

Dahye’s face was full of anxiety.

Jeonghoon, who had been eavesdropping on the call, felt the same way.

“No way.”

“Hehe, yeah, no way…”

Even though tomorrow is Saturday…

“It’s definitely not going to be.”

Dahye shouted.

Jeonghoon also prayed that it wouldn’t be.

They went to a nearby seafood restaurant for dinner.

Everyone came back and watched the firewood.

Looking at the flames burning here and there, he thought about the past.

Grandma, Chairman Gu, Dahye, and Ji Hyunbok and Kwak Hyunsoo.

They are all living different lives than in their previous lives.

Now their faces looked more peaceful and happy than ever.

Late at night.

It was when he was about to fall asleep.

It was the sound of a branch breaking.

He sharpened his senses and pricked up his ears.

It was definitely the sound of someone’s footsteps.

Two cautious footsteps were approaching the tent.

Jeonghoon slowly got up.

He pressed his body close to the tent entrance.

The zipper of the tent slowly went down, and black hair appeared before his eyes.

Just as he was about to throw a punch

“Dad.”

He had to quickly pull his fist back.

When he went outside, Park Hyuncheol was lying on his back.

“How did you know… I clearly said it was Mokpo…”

Dahye muttered to herself.

“Ahem, I’m the Prosecutor General of Korea. Don’t underestimate my intelligence. I can find out everything with one phone call. I tracked your location, but your phones were too close together. Ahem.”

Dahye frowned.

“Jeonghoon-ah.”

“Hyung [term used by a male to address an older male he is close to].”

It was Kang Cheoljoong.

Chief Prosecutor Park Hyuncheol had also brought Kang Cheoljoong.

He takes him everywhere these days.

He was confused whether he was a prosecutor or Park Hyuncheol’s secretary.

It is the law of the Murim world [a world of martial arts and chivalry, often used metaphorically] that you cannot live under the same sky as your parents’ enemy….

He was a little worried about the conflict that would erupt someday.

“Grandma!”

Cheoljoong hugged his grandmother tightly.

“Congratulations. That person made me work so hard that I couldn’t even go to the wedding.”

“It’s okay. It’s good to see your face is bright.”

After Grandma and Cheoljoong finished talking, everyone went back to their tents to sleep.

Dahye grumbled with a disappointed expression and went into her tent.

Jeonghoon also had to clean up now.

Jeonghoon, Cheoljoong, and Park Hyuncheol looked at each other in silence.

After sighing, Jeonghoon, who had lowered his head, went into the tent and made space.

The two followed and lay down.

It was a tragic moment when three men had to lie down in a two-person tent.

Suddenly, a question popped into Jeonghoon’s head.

“But how did Dahye know?”

Was he coming to his tent?

As he thought about it, deep anger surged again.

He suppressed his anger with the sound of crashing waves and fell asleep.

***

There were no special events after the camping trip in March.

Mahnho Uncle was appointed as the chairman of Mirae Financial Group.

He had been handling his grandmother’s work for the past few decades, and he led the company without any problems.

Shinhwa Motors was about to announce a new car soon.

KP Group was also innovating the telecommunications market and had exceeded 60 percent market share.

Everything was going well from the beginning of 2006.

Jeonghoon went to Shinhwa High School after receiving a call from his grandmother.

She, who was tending the garden, was wearing thin work pants that a rural farmer would wear and had a towel wrapped around her face.

Of course, Chairman Changhoon, who was wearing the same style, was by her side.

“Ah, I told you not to pull that one out?”

The two were still bickering.

“Grandma, I’m here.”

“Jeonghoon is here.”

“Ah, you’re here. Let’s go inside now.”

“It’s been 5 minutes since I came out to pull weeds, you old man. You stay here and pull weeds.”

“Ahem.”

Chairman Gu Changhoon, who was about to go inside to rest, lowered his head.

Jeonghoon left him behind and entered the chairman’s office.

Sitting on the sofa, I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

Then, he rummaged through the waistband around his waist and handed Jeonghoon a key and a piece of paper with numbers written on it.

“Here it is. The lucky key to open the vault full of treasures and the account number and password for the Piggy Bank.”

“Yes?”

A key and an account number?

‘So, he’s giving me two things.’

A sudden windfall.

No matter how much money you have, the more you have, the more enjoyable it is.

Jeonghoon’s lips stretched long.

The moment he grabbed the lucky key, the smell of enormous money tickled Jeonghoon’s nose.

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King, Becomes a Chaebol [a wealthy and powerful businessperson].