Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 119

119. 35th. Secrets Revealed to Each Other (1)

The meeting, which started at 7 PM, continued for two hours without a clear resolution. The only decision made was to exchange Haedong Merchant Bank’s Ado Motors bonds for 5 percent of Ado Motors’ stock.

“You’ve all worked hard. You may leave.”

Everyone left with grim expressions, but Sun Hae-cheol and I remained in our seats.

“Didn’t you hear me? Your grandfather is in a bad mood today, so go back.”

For the first time, I saw concern and regret on my grandfather’s face. Why was he so attached to the car company that caused the death of his beloved eldest son and his wife? The business alliance with our group wasn’t significant enough to warrant such attachment…

Leaving my curiosity behind, I exchanged a glance with Sun Hae-cheol, nodded, and said to my grandfather,

“I have something to tell you, Grandfather.”

“Still you? If it’s something I don’t like, you’ll be in trouble.”

My grandfather seemed genuinely upset. He was even showing irritation, which was unusual for him.

Although I didn’t know the exact reason, I was confident I could dispel the negative emotions on my grandfather’s face.

If I revealed my identity and took the lead in this acquisition, bearing the losses, Haedong Group could acquire 50 percent of Ado Motors’ shares without any damage.

I took out a box of herbal medicine from my bag, approached my grandfather, and offered it to him.

“What is this?”

“It’s an herbal успокоительное [a Russian word for ‘sedative’], Grandfather.”

“What? Herbal успокоительное?”

Thump!

Raising his voice, my grandfather pushed his chair back and stood up. As tall as I was, he glared at me from just a hand’s breadth away.

“Are you making fun of your grandfather right now? Are you acting up because you think you’ve grown the family fortune?”

My grandfather looked genuinely scary for the first time. I felt nauseous at his intimidating presence, which others had experienced once or twice, but I didn’t avoid his gaze and looked straight at him.

“I’m not making fun of you, nor am I acting up, Grandfather. I’m giving this to you because you might be surprised by what I’m about to say.”

“What? Surprised? Me?”

My grandfather’s face grew increasingly fierce, but I didn’t flinch and replied,

“Yes. I’m going to give you the answer to the one thing you’re most curious about regarding me. We can talk about the Ado Motors acquisition after that.”

My grandfather stared at me with a dumbfounded expression, his eyes wavering for a moment.

Four years ago, in the early days of Standard Capital’s founding, Go Seung-ju had directly asked me about the 30 billion won I sent from Haedong Merchant Bank to Triumph Capital.

Go Seung-ju couldn’t have done that alone. Surely, my grandfather and Jo Young-chan also knew about the money transfer. They couldn’t have not investigated where the money went or looked into Standard Capital. Eyes never lie. Looking at my grandfather’s eyes, I became even more certain.

My grandfather ended our staring contest and moved back to his chair in front of the desk.

“Sit over there.”

“The herbal medicine…”

Before I could finish my sentence, my grandfather’s eyebrows shot up. Despite that, I couldn’t relax and didn’t move, so my grandfather looked at me and sighed.

“Do I have to do this at my age…”

Muttering quietly, my grandfather rolled up his left sleeve to his armpit and flexed his bicep. Seeing his larger and more solid arm muscles than mine, Sun Hae-cheol and I gaped.

“Did you see that? This old man does thirty sets of two hundred 근 [geun – Korean unit of weight, approximately 600 grams or 1.3 pounds] weightlifting every day. Stop talking nonsense and sit down.”

“Yes…”

As I turned around, pouting, Sun Hae-cheol subtly raised and lowered the corners of his mouth. I sat in the chair so that I could face my grandfather, who straightened his clothes.

“Tell me. What is that answer?”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

I took a breath and composed myself. I had always thought this day would come, but why was I so nervous…

Having prepared myself, I looked straight at my grandfather and said,

“Standard Capital is my company. Out of the total assets under management, 10 billion dollars and 91 percent of the company’s stock are my assets.”

Even though I only told him the most basic facts, my grandfather’s mouth dropped open.

“What, what did you say? It’s not just that you have a foot in the door, but it’s entirely your company?”

“Yes. Whether it’s the shareholding ratio or the size of assets under management, it’s definitely my company. But.”

I revealed something that I had never told anyone before, here and now.

“From now on, Standard Capital will be a company that manages the funds of our family and our group, Grandfather.”

“So… are you saying you’ll grow the family fortune by managing money?”

“Yes, Grandfather. I will work hard to grow our family and the Haedong Group.”

What I just said was not nonsense.

It was the foundation of the blueprint for the revenge and ambition that I truly sought.

I had to use that vast amount of money to attract the best talent and lead industry trends, swallowing Shinseong Group with Haedong Group so that the Jang family could taste utter despair and the public’s comparisons.

Even I was getting goosebumps. Was it because I didn’t know how my grandfather would react to my delusional plan, or was it because I felt relieved and even a little eerie after finally revealing what I had been holding in for years?

“This is a gift and a promise from me, the eldest grandson of this family, to you, Grandfather. I will definitely make it happen, Grandfather.”

“Heo…”

An exclamation escaped from my grandfather’s gaping mouth. Even the hand resting on the desk was trembling slightly.

“Heo he he he he… Euhahaha!”

Before I knew it, my grandfather’s hand stopped, and a hearty laugh erupted. The laughter turned into a chillingly terrifying sound. Both Sun Hae-cheol and I swallowed hard and waited for my grandfather to stop laughing.

Thump!

My grandfather slammed the desk with his palm and wiped away the dew forming in his eyes.

“Indeed, you are worthy of being my eldest grandson! Yes! The eldest grandson of our family must have such ambition!”

My grandfather’s pleased expression and applause were like those of a famous actor who would leave behind an ad-libbed applause line a decade later. Sun Hae-cheol and I stared at my grandfather with wide eyes.

“Grandfather?”

“Chairman?”

“If anyone else had said that, I would have killed them on the spot. But aren’t you the one who turned 30 billion won of your own money and 300 million dollars I gave you into 10 billion dollars in four years? Euhahaha.”

It was as I expected. My grandfather believed in me because of the skills I had shown so far. Seeing my grandfather laughing heartily, Sun Hae-cheol and I let out small sighs of relief.

“I’ve lived for over seventy years, and I’ve never been so happy. This old man had some idea, but you’re so excellent that I want to give you 100 points out of 100, euhahaha.”

Instead of being surprised, my grandfather was beaming and laughing heartily. He truly deserved the title of a quirky figure in the business world.

***

After that, I told my grandfather about the investments I had made since the founding of Standard Capital and the connections I had built. Each time, my grandfather showed a side of himself that I had never seen before, either exclaiming with his mouth rounded or laughing heartily.

“Hae-cheol, you have a good nephew. Euhahaha.”

“That’s right, Chairman. Thanks to him, Claire and I got married late in life, so I’m grateful, haha.”

My grandfather, who had been looking at Sun Hae-cheol with a warm expression, stopped laughing and said to me,

“Don’t tell anyone what you just said. Not your uncles, not your cousins, not even the people sitting at this table.”

“Grandfather?”

Seeing my surprised expression, my grandfather said calmly,

“People are easily lazy and prone to weakness. But didn’t you say with your own mouth that you would make Standard Capital a treasure trove for our family and the Haedong Group? That’s enough.”

“But still…”

“The time will come when we have to tell them, but not now. You need to recoup your investments, don’t you? At least for the time being, it’s best if only you, Representative Sun, Tae-jin, and this old man know.”

My grandfather was right.

Humans become lazy when they have too much leeway, and they become weak when they have someone to rely on. Also, isn’t it human nature to see repeated favors as rights?

I nodded at my grandfather’s request, which was typical of him, as he pursued a constantly striving human ideal and hated being indebted to others.

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Alright. Still, you’ve missed out on billions of dollars in opportunities to grow the family fortune. Aren’t you sorry?”

“Money is a means, not an end. I’m an investor, but my bigger goal is to become a good businessman who can succeed you, Grandfather.”

I answered with sincerity, but my grandfather shook his head at me.

“You’re wrong. You shouldn’t succeed me.”

“Yes?”

Seeing my surprised expression, my grandfather said calmly,

“The times this old man has lived through and the times you will live through are different, Seong-min. Those times were uglier and dirtier than anything you can imagine now. I didn’t want to get too mixed up in that muddy water, so I grew the company as much as the soldiers and politicians told me to, and I threw money at them as much as they wanted.”

“Grandfather…”

“There were countless times when I couldn’t help the people I wanted to help with my money. At best, I could only donate to the parish office. Thanks to that, the Gangnam Terminal construction went smoothly, so I helped Chairman Shin…”

Only now did I realize that our family had a foothold in the Catholic community. My grandfather relieved the pain of not being able to help people like Shin Ho-jin because of the regime’s scrutiny through donations, and thanks to that, finding the water vein at Gangnam Terminal was easily resolved.

Nevertheless, it was the first time my grandfather’s expression looked so bitter and lonely. The weak side of someone who had seemed so strong and resilient… Sun Hae-cheol and I listened to my grandfather’s words with solemn expressions.

“But now the world has changed. There are no more people threatening with guns and swords, so you can do as you please. Moreover, this old man only has about ten years left, but you have to live as long as I have, don’t you?”

My grandfather wore a gentle smile and continued to say what he wanted to say to me.

“You can learn what you need from this old man. If the conditions are right, I’ll lend you my power and my people. But you have to run your own business in your own way. Even if I divide the Haedong Group between you and your uncle, it’s up to you to grow it.”

My grandfather gave me a gift but also gave me homework. ‘My own management,’ a homework that would not end until I finished my revenge and retired from the front lines.

But that homework was enjoyable to do. He said he would help me with my homework with his power and people if the conditions were right, didn’t he? I smiled and replied,

“I understand, Grandfather.”

“Then let’s discuss the problem at hand. With your abilities, you should be able to acquire Ado Motors, right? Hehe.”

A strange feeling of disappointment washed over me at my grandfather’s sinister laughter. Was he already treating his grandson’s money as his own? Seeing my slightly sulky face, my grandfather laughed heartily.

“What do you take this old man for, you rascal? Do you think I’m an old geezer who steals from his grandson’s pockets?”

“No, Grandfather! How could I? Hehe.”

Seeing me grin, my grandfather smirked.

“As I said before, I’ll lend you my power and my people if the conditions are right. Let’s talk about whether the conditions are right, hehe.”

My grandfather’s skill in manipulating people was superb. I subtly gauged the situation and sat back down.

“Ado Motors acquisition, how are you going to do it? It’ll be a problem whether you do it or not.”

It was then that Sun Hae-cheol raised his hand and opened his mouth.

“May I speak first, Chairman?”

“Speak, Representative Sun.”

“Standard Capital has prepared 2 billion dollars. It’s all Seong-min’s money.”

“So… are you saying you’ll step up too?”

“Yes, Grandfather. Representative Sun has also agreed to help.”

Seeing me answer after receiving Sun Hae-cheol’s cue, my grandfather made a humming sound.

“Hmm… how much of the shares are you planning to acquire?”

“100 percent.”

“100 percent?”

“Yes. If you give your approval, Grandfather, I will work with my uncle to put Haedong’s name on Ado Motors and grow it into a solid company.”

My grandfather, his eyes wide, stared at me with a stern face.

“You rascal, growing it or whatever is a problem for later. If you use the people’s precious money to save it, you’ll have to give at least 3 trillion won [approximately 2.5 billion USD] to acquire all those shares, is that true?”

“Overwhelming dominance. Isn’t that your management philosophy, Grandfather?”

“But the amount is too large. It’s not an easy decision to make.”

“The acquisition is just the beginning, Grandfather. We’ll have to put in more money, let alone make a profit.”

My grandfather opened his mouth with a dumbfounded expression.

“What? You’re saying you’ll not only reinvest everything you earn but also make additional investments?”

“Ado Motors is a company that our family will water and fertilize to grow. If there are other shareholders, won’t they even tell us what to do? It’s not like we’re going to ruin the company, so we need to take it private to avoid seeing dirty things.”

Other guys go public to grow their businesses comfortably, but our family has to delist even the companies we’ll acquire in the future to grow our businesses comfortably. Perhaps it was because of this management style that defied common sense that my grandfather swallowed hard and continued to ask questions.

“What about the rest? I’m talking about Ado Group’s affiliates.”

“I hope that we can use public funds to tie up all the shares of only the worthwhile affiliates to Ado Motors. Then, Haedong Corporation and Standard will acquire 50 percent of the Ado Motors stock packaged in that way.”

“Euhahaha, I’ve never seen such a ruthless guy!”

My grandfather laughed heartily, banging on the desk.

I feel sorry for using the people’s blood money recklessly, but the jobs our family will create in the country with the money we’ll pour in, and the taxes the company will pay as it grows, will more than compensate for it.

Above all, it’s a merger and acquisition that perfectly matches my grandfather’s management philosophy of emphasizing overwhelming dominance. How enjoyable would it be to do that against Ado Group, the 8th largest conglomerate in the business world?

The laughter faded from my grandfather’s lips. After taking a sip of tea, my grandfather looked at me with an admirable gaze.

“It seems that your words about making Standard Capital a treasure trove are not empty words.”

“Of course, Grandfather. If we grow the company with the money we earn diligently, we’ll also grow our family and group, and it will also be a minimal atonement for using public funds.”

Sun Hae-cheol also matched my tune from the side to make this deal happen.

“If it’s Seong-min that I’ve seen so far, he’ll be able to do it, Chairman. If this guy provides the money, sets the strategy, and Myung-jin and Myung-jin’s children develop the technology, there’s nothing we can’t do, haha.”

“You’re right, Representative Sun. To think that the picture Seong-min’s father gave up on by going first would be realized like this…”

My grandfather took a sip of tea and composed himself. Perhaps it was because of his longing for his father that he wiped away the moisture forming in his eyes and said to me,

“Since our eldest grandson is going to step up this much, this old man will have to delay the announcement date of the acquisition bid as much as possible. Right?”

“Yes, Grandfather. Don’t worry, even if I cut off a piece of my flesh, it’ll heal quickly, hehe.”

“You, could it be?”

Sun Hae-cheol’s eyes widened as he looked at my grandfather and me. Had he figured out my and my grandfather’s plan? I ignored his gaze and said to my grandfather,

“Grandfather, can I use a piece of paper?”

“Yes. Write as much as you want.”

I received the paper and pen that my grandfather handed me and sat down to write down the plan. It was a bonus that Sun Hae-cheol looked at me with an absurd expression.