Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 13

13. 3rd. Commencing Action (6)

Park Tae-jin and I were waiting for a man at an old Korean diner in Jongno.

“Uncle, when is he coming?”

Park Tae-jin looked at the watch on his wrist.

“He’ll be here soon.”

“I’m curious. I wonder how great a world-class investor will be.”

“Triumph Capital’s assets under management are similar to Korea’s GDP [Gross Domestic Product, a measure of a country’s economic output]. When my brother was at headquarters, he was in charge of $30 billion, so there’s no need to say more, haha.”

The man with $30 billion is none other than Sun Hae-cheol.

As the head of the Korean branch of the American Triumph Capital, he reached the heart of Wall Street among Asians. He is one of the three talents nurtured by my grandfather and a close friend of my late father.

Today’s meeting is to gauge whether Sun Hae-cheol is someone who can help me expand overseas and protect me until the war breaks out, rather than investing in Korea Mobile Telecom. I know the acquisition strategy for Korea Mobile Telecom better than him.

As I was wondering if Sun Hae-cheol would meet my expectations, I heard a familiar voice.

“Yo! Did you find the place okay?”

“Uncle!”

‘He’s still the same.’

A neatly groomed hairstyle.

Sharp eyes that even glasses can’t hide.

A prominent nose.

A bear-like but reliable physique.

And even a mustache and beard.

If he took off his glasses, he would look like a gangster or a Yakuza [Japanese organized crime syndicate] boss, but with his glasses on, he was a dignified gentleman.

“Wow~ Our Seong-min, you’re all better! You rascal!”

I felt like I was going to suffocate in his massive embrace.

“Keheuk, keheuk!”

When I coughed from being suffocated, he hurriedly released me and grabbed my shoulders, looking at me.

“What’s wrong? Is your bone not healed?”

“I can’t breathe, Uncle.”

After breaking the hug, we sat down and had a meal.

It may seem ridiculous to others, but not all *chaebols* [South Korean family-owned conglomerates] eat a 12-course royal meal every day. Rather, our family and some *chaebols* routinely eat simple and plain meals for health management.

So, the three of us didn’t leave a single grain of rice and emptied our rice bowls, side dish bowls, and earthenware pots. Then, we finished our meal with a shot of *soju* [Korean distilled rice liquor].

“Now that we’ve eaten… shall we talk about it? Korea Mobile Telecom.”

Sun Hae-cheol’s eyes turned sharp. What is the level of a senior executive at a global investment firm? Can he propose an investment strategy as I know it?

Before starting the conversation, I called the owner who was sitting at the counter.

“Boss, please clear the place.”

“Alright. You gave me 200 [presumably 200,000 Korean won] for renting this tiny diner for two hours, so I have to step aside. Honey!”

The owner shouted loudly towards the kitchen and took a plump middle-aged woman who came out of the kitchen out of the restaurant.

I think it was a good idea to rent out the small restaurant. Who would think that we would be talking about stock investments in such a shabby restaurant?

After seeing that the door was closed, I turned my head and asked Sun Hae-cheol.

“Uncle, what do you think of Korea Mobile Telecom?”

“Korea Mobile Telecom?”

“Yes. I’m trading it these days.”

Sun Hae-cheol answered casually as if it was nothing.

“It’s good. If the privatization announcement comes out at the end of the year, it’ll be a jackpot.”

“Uncle?”

He answered as if it was nothing, but it was very high-level information. Isn’t the privatization of Korea Mobile Telecom supposed to be officially announced around October or November?

“We also have straws plugged in here and there. Aren’t the public officials overworked and suffering from low wages? Not to mention the gold badges [referring to high-ranking officials], hehe.”

Triumph’s power seems to be considerable in Korea as well. As soon as the stock market opened, it was a huge money lender that held more than 5 percent of the shares of major domestic conglomerate affiliates such as Shinseong Electronics, Shinseong Corporation, Taehyun Motors, Taehyun Heavy Industries, Kumgang Electronics, Kumgang Chemical, Sekyung Energy, and Daeju Corporation, as well as all commercial banks.

“Triumph is amazing.”

I didn’t hide my admiration, but Sun Hae-cheol waved his hand.

“It’s nothing. It’s the smallest among the overseas branches. Let’s stop bragging about the company here… If you have money, save as much as you can until November. The maximum buying range is 110,000 won?”

“Uncle?”

“Hyung?”

Both Park Tae-jin and I were so surprised that our voices rose. He’s talking about the buying strategy that I know as if he’s reading my palm?

The Korea Mobile Telecom box range that I remember is a minimum of 80,000 won, usually 90,000 won, and a maximum of 120,000 won. If the trading volume suddenly increases, the price may rise, but he knows not only the price but also the timing accurately?

I know because I came back against the river of death, but if he’s someone who handles this kind of high-level information, he’s the perfect person to work with my plan.

“Thank you, Uncle.”

“Thank you to the Chairman, Myung-woo, and your sister-in-law. I wouldn’t have been able to get this far without the Chairman and Myung-woo. Got it? Hehe.”

Although there is a connection with my grandfather and father, Sun Hae-cheol’s help was beyond words. Isn’t he the person who will make my first step easy and secretive?

“Yes. I’ll definitely repay you if things go well.”

“I’d appreciate it if you did.”

Sun Hae-cheol smiled and whistled when he saw the clock pointing to 7.

“Let’s finish the first round here. It’s time for drinks, so let’s go all out?”

“Okay.”

There’s no reason to refuse. Sun Hae-cheol is also a precious family member and comrade to me.

***

Several days after going to a charcoal grill restaurant with Sun Hae-cheol for the second round, grilling beef, and drinking 10 bottles of *soju*.

“Yes, Hyung. Uncle, you said you’re coming home today? I’ll be right in.”

After finishing class and coming outside, I hung up the phone with Park Tae-jin, put my phone in my bag, and opened the driver’s seat door of the Peugeot 604.

The car left as a means of transportation, not for racing, was this car. There were also large sedans from the German Big 3 at home, but the reason I drive this car is because of the special meaning it holds.

This car, which Ado Motors assembled by importing Peugeot’s partnership, in fact, parts, was a treasure passed down from grandfather to father, and from father to me. What more can I say since it’s the first domestically produced car?

I drove the car home and smiled when I saw Park Tae-jin, who was wearing an apron, coming out of the kitchen.

“Are you busy?”

“Isn’t it a meal we’re having together for the first time in a while, haha.”

The reason we’re having a meal together for the first time in a while was because we invited Sun Hae-cheol.

I was sorry for bringing up stock stories at the first meeting after opening my eyes, and I wanted to show him that this house was still full of life, as he hadn’t been to our house once since my parents passed away.

I put my bag on the sofa, took the apron from Park Tae-jin, and prepared vegetables, meat, and wine.

The beef was 1++ Korean beef from my grandfather’s Hoengseong farm, and all the vegetables were organically grown on our family farm, so it was good for the body and tasted the best.

Park Tae-jin lit the barbecue grill, and I prepared the food, and it was already 7 p.m.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

“I think he’s here?”

“It seems like he came right on time, haha.”

Park Tae-jin, who went to the front door, came up to the garden, stepping on the stone steps with Sun Hae-cheol.

“Haven’t you had dinner yet?”

“I told you to come as soon as you’re done? I took a taxi as soon as I left the office and came across the Han River bridge, hehe.”

“The fire is up, so shall we put the meat on first? Haha.”

We ate about three pounds of beef and a basket of vegetables as a garnish for nearly two hours outside without rice, and then we came inside and were drinking whiskey as a mouthwash with the record player on.

“I miss you two today. I used to dance excitedly when my father played the guitar and my mother sang.”

“It wasn’t a coincidence that your father and sister-in-law met. They were both people with great artistic sense. Well, the chairman is good at saxophone, and Myung-jin is good at drums, so how could it not be, haha.”

Following Sun Hae-cheol, who was laughing out loud, Park Tae-jin also joined in the old stories.

“The late big boss and madam met at the university song festival. They both met while hiding their identities, but the chairman and young master’s maternal grandfathers found out about it and got them married, hoho.”

“Your sister-in-law’s family was also very unique. Who would have known that the rigid Kumgang Group would allow their eldest daughter’s love marriage? Haha.”

Although the Confucian family tradition is strict, Honorary Chairman Oh Ja-hyun, the maternal grandfather, raised his only daughter, my mother, like a precious jade.

In addition, my father was the ‘best son among best sons’ among the *chaebol* men of the same age. A handsome face, a tall physique, a graduate of Seoul National University’s business administration department, and wasn’t he the ‘eldest son of Haedong Group Chairman Lee Dae-soo’? My maternal grandfather also liked him, so he wouldn’t have opposed their relationship and even got them married.

Among the three of us who were soaked in the old stories, Sun Hae-cheol looked at me and said kindly.

“If you do better in the future, they will be happy too. Well… isn’t it more than enough just for what you’ve done now? Haha.”

“Uncle, really. What’s so great about investing in stocks…”

I was embarrassed and stroked the back of my head, and then I heard Sun Hae-cheol’s nagging.

“You rascal, are you trying to fool me? I wouldn’t have said anything if that was the case, hehe.”

“What… do you mean?”

“I heard it from Seung-joo Hyung. I heard that you suggested withdrawing the group’s slush fund this time?”

Is that the three people that my grandfather personally raised at the end? If Go Seung-joo told Sun Hae-cheol about the group’s internal affairs, it seemed that Sun Hae-cheol’s relationship with our family was not ordinary.

I couldn’t tell a shallow lie to such a person, to a person I would be working with in the future, so I nodded.

“Yes. After the presidential election last year, I thought about why it didn’t work when I told my grandfather and told him.”

Sun Hae-cheol smiled and said to me, who answered calmly and drank whiskey.

“You can forgive a commander who failed in battle, but you can’t forgive a commander who failed in guarding. If you had given up like that, it would have looked like you failed to guard.”

Sun Hae-cheol’s words hit me hard.

In my previous life, didn’t I fail to guard in the battle with my grandfather? If I had thought more carefully and persuaded my grandfather, my life would have been different.

“It wasn’t something Douglas MacArthur should have said. I don’t want to look like that person, hoho.”

Unlike my previous life, I succeeded in guarding this time, so I shrugged my shoulders while looking at Sun Hae-cheol and asked Park Tae-jin.

“What do you think, Hyung?”

“If you keep doing well in the future, there will be no retreat like 1.4 [likely a reference to a historical military retreat in Korea], haha.”

Park Tae-jin gave an answer worthy of an officer and laughed out loud, but I couldn’t laugh.

In my previous life, I was the worst commander who ruined the battle because I failed to guard, and even ruined the war and killed Park Tae-jin.

I didn’t want to lose again. To do that, I have to reveal the reason why I created this place today.

I emptied the whiskey glass in my hand in one gulp and put the glass down.

“Uncle. Hyung. Shall we… start something?”

Sun Hae-cheol’s expression changed at the suggestion I threw in a heavy voice.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean, Young Master?”

Park Tae-jin, who was also asking, seemed quite curious. I smiled at the two of them.

“Wait a minute.”

I met Sun Hae-cheol through the Korea Mobile Telecom investment for this moment. To show Sun Hae-cheol and Park Tae-jin the plan I made by squeezing out all my memories after going back against the river of death, and to invite the two of them as partners in that plan.

***

I got up from the sofa and brought the notebook containing the plan I made from the room, leaving the eyes of the two people behind.

“What is it?”

“Look at this, Uncle.”

Sun Hae-cheol looked at me with an unbelievable expression after looking at the notebook.

“You’re going to do this?”

“Yes.”

It’s unbelievable. Isn’t it a plan to take my money out of this country through Triumph Capital and create my, our investment company in Wall Street, the heart of the world’s finance?

Not only that.

From including Sun Hae-cheol and Park Tae-jin in the shareholder composition to the companies listed as investment targets such as Microsoft, Costco, and Disney, they are attracting attention even in the current United States.

If Sun Hae-cheol, who has experienced the international financial market with his whole body, he will realize that this plan is not just full of enthusiasm.

Sun Hae-cheol looked at me with a blank expression and drank the whiskey in one gulp.

“You’re not drunk, are you? Right?”

“I’m perfectly fine, Uncle.”

When I straightened my back and answered, Sun Hae-cheol looked at me with an absurd expression, and Park Tae-jin’s face also hardened.

“What is it, Hyung?”

“You have to see it too. You’re Seong-min’s guardian now, right?”

It was a good action. Park Tae-jin is also a person needed to promote this plan, and he’s a person I want to take care of.

When Sun Hae-cheol handed over the unfolded notebook as it was, Park Tae-jin, who received it and saw it, also looked at me with a surprised expression.

“Young Master?”

“What’s wrong, Hyung?”

“Is that why you asked me to get the data like that?”

Then why would I have asked you to scrape together as much overseas company data in English as possible?

If I, who was only devoted to university studies at this time, had made this plan without seeing anything, it would have been strange, so it was to create an alibi. Perhaps because of that alibi, Park Tae-jin couldn’t hide his admiration.

“Yes. I don’t want to be content with just what I inherited. I want to achieve it with my own strength.”

It is almost impossible to overthrow Shinseong Group with the current Haedong Group. In addition, this narrow Republic of Korea is a difficult land to make money in all aspects such as information and market size. So I have to go outside this country, if possible, to the United States.

In other words, the notebook I showed the two of you was the plan itself to create our Hispania [reference to a historical region, implying building a new power base]. A plan to create Hispania to support the victory in the war with Shinseong.

I answered calmly and asked Sun Hae-cheol.

“Uncle, can you handle it by the end of the year?”

“I’m worried because the amount is a bit large… but I can handle about 30 billion by the end of the year. Your uncle will use his power, hehe.”

My mouth dropped open when I saw Sun Hae-cheol smiling.

Can he send about 37 million dollars at the current exchange rate to a newly established company by the end of the year?

“Still, if 20 billion is used to buy Korea Mobile Telecom and 30 billion is sent to the United States, then the buildings near Myeongdong Station and in Gangnam, the land in the provinces, and the shares of Haedong Group and Kumgang Group are all that’s left. Are you okay with that?”

Park Tae-jin’s face was full of worry, but I waved my hand.

“It’s okay. If Hyung and I can run in the world-class financial market, I’m okay with eating ramen until then.”

If I just set up a company, Park Tae-jin will be different from the past I know. He’s a person with potential, so if he experiences the world-class financial market with his whole body, he will become a much bigger person.

“Please pick the best people possible, Uncle. Even if those people leave because they want to, I won’t be the one to send them away.”

“Call. If you put the money in, I’ll go to New York and take care of it right away, haha.”

Sun Hae-cheol stopped laughing and picked up the whiskey bottle.

“Park Tae-jin, empty your glass quickly.”

“Yes?”

“Quickly?”

At Sun Hae-cheol’s urging, Park Tae-jin emptied his whiskey glass in one gulp and made a short sound of swallowing.

“Our prospective owner will fill it, hehe.”

Perhaps it was because he joined an adventure that no one knew about, Sun Hae-cheol couldn’t hide his excitement. Even though it may seem perfect, is it thrilling just to share secrets with his best friend’s son?

“Okay, hehe.”

I laughed lowly, received the alcohol from Sun Hae-cheol, took the whiskey bottle, and filled his and Park Tae-jin’s glasses with alcohol.

“Cheers!”

We shouted a short toast and clinked our glasses with a clinking sound.