Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 146

146. 43rd. Reunion

Arriving in Samcheong-dong, Jang Hayeon and I informed Grandfather, who was sitting at his desk in the study, about the deals related to the acquisition of the Korea Hotel.

“How is it, Grandfather?”

“If Byeong-ho had lived longer, that man’s last chief secretary would have been Director Jung. Tell Director Jung to come with a comfortable heart, heh heh.”

“Thank you, Grandfather. And… what about Executive Director Park Tae-gon? I heard he went to Tokyo two years ago.”

I couldn’t tell Jang Hayeon about my trip to Tokyo. Grandfather narrowed his eyes as if squeezing out his memories and made a humming sound.

“Hmm… Tae-jin told me after his business trip to Tokyo the year before last that he’s a solid and honest friend. He also said he’s good with numbers, so I’ll tell Director Cho.”

I knew Grandfather would match Cho Young-chan with Park Tae-gon. Solidity, honesty, and a sense of numbers are all necessary elements for finance more than any other industry, aren’t they?

“Then… what do you think about our marriage?”

“Is there any reason to oppose it? Our daughter-in-law is so pleasing to me. I should put aside my personal feelings now, euhehe.”

Seeing Grandfather laughing heartily, it seemed like no other magnanimous person could follow him. Taking the opportunity, I asked something important, hoping for Grandfather’s broad generosity.

“Would it be okay if we registered our marriage first and had the wedding later?”

“You’re going to set up house first?”

Grandfather’s eyebrows twitched, and Jang Hayeon’s eyes widened.

I quickly grabbed Jang Hayeon’s hand tightly. In this family, shouldn’t I protect her? Just like she protected me at Sungui Hospital.

“You two wouldn’t have done something without thinking. Tell me the reason.”

“I wish we could have a wedding that’s the envy of everyone, but given the current situation, I think it would be better to postpone it for a few months, Grandfather.”

“Hmm… I’d like to hear what our daughter-in-law thinks.”

At Grandfather’s question, who was humming, Jang Hayeon opened her mouth.

“I also think that’s the right thing to do, Grandfather. Even if we only register our marriage, we’ll be recognized as a couple. Since the situation is what it is, I hope we can have the ceremony when the atmosphere is better.”

[Let’s have the ceremony in a few months. I told my father too, but the whole country is in a mourning atmosphere, and it wouldn’t look good if only we were celebrating.]

A smile spread across my face as I remembered what she had said on the way in the car. Jang Hayeon would be the only woman among the *chaebol* [Korean family-owned conglomerate] families in Korea to register her marriage first and have the ceremony later for the sake of the family and group’s image.

Grandfather nodded after looking at us for a long time.

“I understand. But let’s have you two combine households after Tae-jin gets married. Is that okay?”

Of course. Park Tae-jin also needs to find a house and prepare his trousseau to marry Yoo Hyun-jung.

“We will do that, Grandfather.”

“Okay. You’ve worked hard for the youth business for five years. Go back and get some rest, hehe.”

With Grandfather’s encouragement, we both left the main house in Samcheong-dong. Now that I’ve bought some time, I need to make the wedding the best ever.

***

While Lee Sung-min and Jang Hayeon were meeting Lee Dae-soo to report on their marriage, Lee Soo-han was facing Park Tae-gon, whom he would send to Lee Dae-soo.

“D, Director…”

“I’m sorry, Executive Director Park.”

Park Tae-gon couldn’t say anything to Lee Soo-han, who looked distressed. To become a wedding gift for the heirs of a *chaebol* family, like a slave in the Joseon Dynasty [Korean kingdom lasting for approximately five centuries, from 1392 to 1897]!

He was even more frustrated by the fact that his appointment to SH Asset Development was intertwined with the acquisition of Jang Yong-jae, Jang Soo-yeon, and Jang Min-jae’s shares in Shinseong Corporation.

“I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this…”

Lee Soo-han, who was apologizing to Park Tae-gon, couldn’t continue. Wasn’t it his own greed that had twisted someone’s life? And he couldn’t even take responsibility.

Park Tae-gon opened his mouth calmly to Lee Soo-han.

“No, Director. Thanks to you, I was able to see a wider world, and I sincerely thank you for that.”

Nevertheless, Park Tae-gon had no intention of resenting Lee Soo-han. If he hadn’t caught Lee Soo-han’s eye, wouldn’t he have been destined to spend his whole life buried in ledgers in the accounting department before retiring?

“I’m sorry and grateful that you think so. Executive Director Jang, Director Lee, and Chairman Lee of the Haedong Group will definitely recognize you. Take a good rest for a while after the handover. Go ahead.”

“Thank you, Director.”

Park Tae-gon bowed to Lee Soo-han and went out to the outdoor smoking area to smoke.

“Hoo-oo-.”

Park Tae-gon, who was pathetically exhaling cigarette smoke, heard the ringtone and took out his cell phone.

“This is Park Tae-gon, Executive Director of Shinseong Group. Who is this?”

###

Calling Park Tae-gon from the office, I smiled bitterly at the low tone of his voice, but spoke calmly.

“This is Lee Sung-min from Standard Capital. Would it be okay to meet on Sunday evening?”

[…I received the message. What business does the eldest grandson of Haedong Group have with me?]

I could feel displeasure in Park Tae-gon’s stiff voice, but I understood it well enough. He was being sold off like a wedding gift for the children of the owner’s family, not like a slave?

But.

Since I couldn’t tell the future like a fortune teller, the only way to bring Park Tae-gon, who would be abandoned by Shinseong Group, was through my marriage with Jang Hayeon. Because Park Tae-gon was so upright and principled.

I took a light breath, snapped out of my thoughts, and continued the call.

“We should resolve misunderstandings in person. I’d like to have a meal and clear up any resentment.”

After giving him the address and ending the call, Seon Hae-cheol asked me.

“What are you going to do with Park Tae-gon, bringing him to your house?”

“We have to make him our man. Where’s the mask…”

Rumaging through the drawer, I found the mask I had used in Japan during the yen carry trade [borrowing in Japanese yen at low interest rates to invest in higher-yielding assets] two years ago and took it out. Seon Hae-cheol and Park Tae-jin’s eyes widened as they watched me take out a wet wipe and wipe the mask.

“You, by any chance?”

“D, Director?”

“I’ll use this mask today. Hehe.”

Seon Hae-cheol swallowed hard as he looked at me laughing softly.

“Are you going to tell him that Standard Capital is your company?”

“I should just tell him that I’m a director at Standard Capital for now. I’ll tell him I’m the owner much later.”

While Seon Hae-cheol sighed in relief after hearing my answer, Park Tae-jin nodded.

“Executive Director Park Tae-gon will believe that the director was ‘John Davidson’ during the yen carry trade. If you just package the circumstances of the profits the director made from the Hong Kong investment well.”

“I was thinking the same thing, hehe.”

Park Tae-jin’s idea was exactly what I was thinking. Seon Hae-cheol shook his head as he watched us smile at each other.

“Who raised these kids like this…”

***

After shopping at Hi-Mart Yeongdeungpo, Park Tae-jin, Seon Hae-cheol, and I finished preparing dinner and took off our aprons and hung them next to the refrigerator.

“Is this enough?”

“Enough? It looks like a feast, Director, haha.”

“I’m going to feed him until he bursts, hehe.”

Looking at the table full of braised short ribs, *gujeolpan* [a platter of nine different delicacies], zucchini pancakes, and other dishes, I was already full.

Among the three of us who were pleased, Seon Hae-cheol pointed to one of the dishes and asked.

“Why did you make that again?”

I smiled as I looked at the stir-fried chicken gizzard that Seon Hae-cheol’s fingertip was pointing to.

“It’s a special dish for someone I want to be friends with. I gave it to Claire too.”

It’s stir-fried chicken gizzard that I got hooked on thanks to Park Tae-gon in my past life. If that dish is missing from the first meal I serve Park Tae-gon with my own hands in this life, it wouldn’t be right, would it?

We went to the living room to drink pre-dinner tea and heard the doorbell. I put down my teacup and answered the intercom.

“Who is it?”

[It’s Park Tae-gon.]

As soon as the answer was finished, I pressed the button to open the gate. A few minutes later, Park Tae-gon opened the door and entered the house.

“Welcome, Executive Director Park Tae-gon.”

“I couldn’t come empty-handed, so I prepared this. I think it would be good to have with the meal.”

I received the envelope that Park Tae-gon handed me and saw that it contained Chateau Lionnat wine. I laughed when I saw it.

“Hehe.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

I shook my head as I looked at Park Tae-gon, who was wondering.

“No, Executive Director Park. I really like the alcohol, but it’s not a good match for the table that Director Park, CEO Seon, and I have prepared today, haha.”

What’s with the wine when it’s all Korean food? I took Park Tae-gon to the living room.

“It’s been a while, Executive Director Park.”

“It’s been a while, Executive Director Park Tae-gon.”

Seon Hae-cheol and Park Tae-jin, who saw the two of us, got up and greeted Park Tae-gon, and the four of us headed to the dining room.

“That’s why the wine wasn’t a good match.”

Park Tae-gon smiled awkwardly as he looked at the Korean food on the table. His eyes stopped at the stir-fried chicken gizzard as he looked at the food.

“That is…?”

“It’s a special dish that’s only served to special guests. I gave it to CEO Lawrence of the headquarters, and he liked it. Right, Uncle?”

When I asked without paying attention to Park Tae-gon, who was sending a dubious look, Seon Hae-cheol smiled.

“Was it? These days, when I go to New York, he makes such a fuss about wanting me to make that for him that I’m having a hard time, hehe.”

I smiled as I looked at the surprised Park Tae-gon.

“Just because you’re a *chaebol* doesn’t mean you’re always being elegant and cutting things with a knife, Executive Director Park. You must be hungry, so please take a seat.”

After seating Park Tae-gon, I took out a bottle of Jinro soju [Korean distilled spirit] that I had put in the freezer and opened the lid. Park Tae-gon smiled strangely at the sight.

“Chaebols also drink soju.”

“It’s spicy and sweet, so it tastes pretty good.”

With a smile, I poured soju for Seon Hae-cheol, Park Tae-gon, and Park Tae-jin, and after receiving the soju that Seon Hae-cheol poured, I made a toast. After eating and emptying our glasses a few times, we started to get excited.

“It was really close during the business trip to Japan. Isn’t that right, Executive Director Park?”

At Seon Hae-cheol’s question, who put down his glass with a light clatter, Park Tae-gon smiled and nodded.

“That’s right. If it hadn’t been for that friend John Davidson at that time, neither I, the CEO, nor Director Park would have seen each other in this position.”

Even though he was smiling with his mouth, there was a shadow on Park Tae-gon’s face. Park Tae-gon, who emptied his glass, asked Seon Hae-cheol.

“I don’t know if he’s still resting. With that ability at that age, he’d be a talent that anyone would covet…”

“That friend is working at our company now. Executive Director Park.”

Park Tae-gon’s eyes widened at Seon Hae-cheol’s answer.

“Really?”

“Yes. He’s flying high, haha.”

Park Tae-jin and I let out a hollow laugh at Seon Hae-cheol’s pretentious appearance as he laughed heartily. The man who told us at the company that we had become con men was the first to commit fraud in this position.

“Uncle, can I go wash my hands for a second?”

“Oh, sure. Go ahead and come back quickly.”

I left the dining room and went up to my room on the second floor.

“I wonder what kind of reaction he’ll show when he sees me… Hehe.”

I chuckled softly, changed into the clothes I wore during the yen carry trade, put on the mask I brought from the company, and went downstairs.

***

While Lee Sung-min was going up, Park Tae-gon was talking to Seon Hae-cheol about ‘John Davidson’.

“I, is that true?”

“Why would I lie to Executive Director Park? The money that friend has earned for our company while working there is enormous, haha.”

Seon Hae-cheol laughed heartily and emptied his soju. Isn’t that right? Lee Sung-min has already earned trillions of won for Standard Capital through various businesses.

Park Tae-gon, who was dumbfounded as he faced Seon Hae-cheol, saw a familiar mask appear behind Seon Hae-cheol and his eyes widened.

“Y, you?”

###

“Y, you?”

Park Tae-gon’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. I calmly sat down in my seat, took off the chin part of the mask, and said.

“It’s been a while, Executive Director Park Tae-gon. The eel rice bowl we ate in Kobe on the last day was delicious… I want to go eat it together, haha.”

“Heo, heh…”

Park Tae-gon only let out a hollow laugh from his gaping mouth as I smiled, recalling the memories of the day before the Great Hanshin Earthquake [devastating earthquake in Japan in 1995]. I should take off this stuffy mask since the shock therapy is enough.

As soon as I took off the mask, Park Tae-gon’s eyes widened once again as he looked at me.

“D, Director Lee is… John Davidson?”

“Yes. I was that John Davidson back then. ‘Lee’ was missing back then, haha.”

“A, are you really that John Davidson?”

“Of course. I even wore this mask back then and shouted ‘Stone Age’ while toasting. At that time, Executive Director Park and Director Park Tae-jin explained to the other group members what ‘Stone Age’ was, right? Hehe.”

After that, I rattled off the things that happened in Japan during the yen carry trade to Park Tae-gon. After finishing the story, Park Tae-gon asked.

“Why did you hide your identity, Director Lee? You know how much the chairman cherishes Director Lee, don’t you?”

“I know. I know how much my father-in-law cherishes me. But.”

I stopped talking and poured the glass I filled myself in one gulp.

“I don’t know if he’ll let me go even if I become a threat to Shinseong Group.”

“A threat?”

“I’m a son-in-law who doesn’t have a drop of blood mixed in. Executive Director Lee Soo-han must have told you that my father-in-law also declared war when he allowed me and my wife to marry, right?”

Park Tae-gon couldn’t say anything to me, who was asking with a bitter smile. He even seemed to be showing a startled look, so he must have heard the story that Jang Ho-geon told us through Lee Soo-han.

“He’s trying to pass on the tens of trillions of Shinseong Group to his sons and daughter with only hundreds of millions of won, but he gave my wife Korea Hotel after receiving 1 trillion won. Korea Hotel has grown enough to receive that much value, but which of his daughters or sons has contributed as much to Shinseong as my wife?”

I emptied my glass and sighed, raising my voice a little as if I was angry.

“My father-in-law and Director Lee must be wary of me in secret. Even if I paid the inheritance tax, I still have about 1.8 trillion won left from the money I received from the Hong Kong investment.”

“O, one trillion eight hundred billion won?”

The money of 1.8 trillion won would be a warm spring day in this time of economic ice age for any group. Seon Hae-cheol said to Park Tae-gon, whose mouth was wide open at the fact that the money was my personal property.

“Standard entrusted 100 million dollars to Haedong Securities’ Hong Kong investment entirely to catch our Director Lee, Executive Director Park. There’s no one on Wall Street who has ripped off Japan at Director Lee’s age, so they gave him a case where he could make a lot of money, haha.”

Park Tae-jin chuckled at Seon Hae-cheol’s brazen lie, and Park Tae-gon nodded as he looked at Seon Hae-cheol. With the ability I’ve shown so far, Standard would have enough reason to covet me, so how could it not be…?

After emptying another glass of alcohol each, Park Tae-gon filled my glass and opened his mouth.

“Why did you choose me? There must be many other people.”

“It’s because I trust you as a person, Executive Director Park Tae-gon.”

I received the soju bottle from Park Tae-gon and said as I filled his glass.

“You graduated from high school in a poor rural village by studying while farming, and during your college years, you paid for your siblings’ tuition and even packed their lunches with all sorts of part-time jobs, and you even obtained a CPA license while in school, right?”

“H, how did you know that?”

Park Tae-gon looked at me stuttering, but I had already investigated his resume because of Park Tae-jin and Seon Hae-cheol. While the two were nodding with subtle smiles, I continued to rattle off Park Tae-gon’s resume.

“After graduating, you served as an accounting officer and tried to reduce waste. You did the same at Shinseong Group. That’s why I recruited Executive Director Park Tae-gon, believing that he would do his best to protect customers’ money.”

Was it because of such solidity and honesty that Park Tae-gon in his past life saved Shinseong Card from the credit card crisis with his unique risk management skills while working in the Shinseong Group’s secretariat?

In other words, Park Tae-gon was Shinseong Group’s Iker Casillas or Gianluigi Buffon [famous soccer goalkeepers], and in order to bring in such Park Tae-gon, I didn’t object when Jang Hayeon gave 1 trillion won to acquire Korea Hotel.

It’s something that only I know now, but I wanted to throw Shinseong Group, which would abandon Park Tae-gon, into the gutter and grow Haedong Group’s financial sector with Park Tae-gon to be the best in Korea and beyond.

I detonated today’s highlight to Park Tae-gon, who was looking dazed.

“On the day Executive Director Park Tae-gon comes to our group, I will entrust him with the highest risk management responsibility for the entire financial sector of Haedong Group. The position will be vice president for the time being, but I promise a promotion when the financial sector grows.”

Grandfather and Cho Young-chan both agreed to Park Tae-gon’s promotion, so this ultra-fast promotion was possible. Isn’t the most necessary thing for Haedong Group, which will grow in the future, people?

Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin of Haedong Securities will also be promoted to managing director and executive director next year, and others are also scheduled to be promoted, so there was no reason to oppose it.

“D, Director?”

Park Tae-gon’s eyes widened as he couldn’t believe that he was the target of the ultra-fast promotion, but I had a lot to say to him.

“Whether you like it or not, Shinseong Group handed over Korea Hotel and Executive Director Park Tae-gon because of 1 trillion won. On the contrary, our Haedong Group paid 1 trillion won as a transfer fee, using Korea Hotel as an excuse to recruit Executive Director Park Tae-gon.”

Park Tae-gon was looking at me like I was crazy, but I was serious.

The acquisition of Korea Hotel and the 50 percent stake in SH Asset Development attached to Korea Hotel were ultimately a ploy to recruit Park Tae-gon.

“I want to make Haedong Group a company where anyone can succeed and wants to succeed with Executive Director. Please.”

Park Tae-gon’s eyes, which were facing me, shook as I asked, telling him the reason why he worked so hard at the company that his body would break. I also stared into his eyes.

Park Tae-gon, who had been silent for a while, sent a corrected look and grabbed my hand.

“I look forward to working with you, Director Lee Sung-min.”