Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 187

187. The Feast Should Be Shared (6)

After concluding the negotiations with Myung Sun-gu, we informed the group’s leadership, including my grandfather, of the results. Soon after, all media outlets, including Dongyang Ilbo, began to cover the story of the semiconductor business big deal.

[Taehyun Group, Acquiring Semiconductor Business with Cattle Sent to North Korea?]

[Taehyun Group, Predicted to be the Biggest Beneficiary of This Administration Through Semiconductor Big Deal]

Myung Sun-gu, looking at the newspaper article in his office, smirked.

“Our Sun-woo will have a hard time, hehe.”

Myung Sun-gu believed that GK Group and Haedong Group had released this article. The more difficulties the semiconductor business deal faced, the harder it would be for his younger brother, Myung Sun-woo, who was leading Taehyun Electronics, and the more Lee Sung-min’s contribution to him would shine.

“I don’t like taking from a young one, but I have to in order to protect my own house.”

If he presented the early semiconductor business sale to his father, Myung Jin-ho, at a crucial moment, the separation of affiliates would proceed smoothly. Wasn’t the reason for participating in the negotiations to secure friendly shares in Taehyun Group’s automotive division rather than the Daewoo Motors split?

Myung Sun-gu, with a bitter smile, looked at the newspaper and made a phone call.

[This is Lee Sung-min from Standard Capital.]

“Ah, Director Lee? I saw the newspaper article. I didn’t know your skills were this good? Haha.”

[Not at all, President Myung Sun-gu. Isn’t this something we’re doing to benefit each other?]

“That’s right. No matter what, I, Haedong Group, and Standard Capital will profit, hehe.”

Myung Sun-gu, who had been chuckling darkly, paused, a realization dawning on him.

“But… are you going to keep calling me President Myung Sun-gu in the future?”

[What do you mean?]

“From now on, call me Uncle instead of President. You may not know it, but I used to drink and go to saunas with your father. Business is separate, but it wouldn’t be right if even the title is so formal, would it?”

Myung Sun-gu liked this guy, Lee Sung-min.

He liked the audacity to hurl harsh words at him, the eldest son of Taehyun Group’s Myung Jin-ho, the insight to read his desire for affiliate separation, and the brains to devise a scheme to fulfill his desires.

‘That guy… would have been perfect as my son-in-law.’

If he had known Lee Sung-min was this good, he would have made a move before that fox-like Jang Ho-gun took the lead… Myung Sun-gu, smacking his lips, said to Lee Sung-min.

“Well, that’s…”

“Ahem, call me Uncle from now on. When my son comes back from studying in the States, meet up often and get close.”

It’s more beneficial to make allies than enemies. Myung Sun-gu was a man who knew that well.

###

“Understood, Uncle.”

After ending the call, I received a question from Sun Hae-chul, who had been watching me.

“What was that? You seemed to be on the phone with Myung Sun-gu, what’s with the Uncle talk?”

“He told me to call him Uncle from now on, haha.”

It wasn’t a bad thing.

Myung Sun-gu was the man who would bring Taehyun Motors to the top 5 automotive companies in the world with his bulldozer-like drive and reintegrate a significant portion of Taehyun Group, wasn’t he?

In this life, he failed to acquire Ado Motors, so who knows what will happen, but he has not only drive but also a fox-like cunning, so if he divides the domestic automotive industry with us, he will rise to a level that can never be ignored in the domestic business world.

Looking at me with a smile, Park Tae-jin also smiled.

“President Myung Sun-gu seems to like Director Lee. Although Director Lee is someone who doesn’t need that, haha.”

“Still, there’s no point in being an enemy, so if he reaches out first, I should take it.”

While I was working with a pleasant feeling, the phone rang.

“This is Lee Sung-min from Standard Capital. Who is this?”

[It’s me. How have you been?]

The only guy who would introduce himself as ‘me’ without any context was Jang Yong-jae. I frowned slightly, then relaxed my expression and replied.

“I’m doing well. What’s up?”

[Want to grab a cup of coffee? I’m at the cafe in the building where your company is.]

Looking at the Vacheron Constantin watch on my wrist, I clicked my tongue and said.

“I have about 30 minutes. See you later.”

Hanging up the phone, I said to Sun Hae-chul.

“I’m going downstairs to grab a cup of coffee.”

“With who?”

“Jang Yong-jae.”

“Jang Yong-jae?”

“Yes. I’ll be right back, so don’t worry.”

I have a rough idea of why this bastard wants to see me. I smiled and left the office.

***

“Long time no see, brother-in-law?”

As I went down to the cafe, greeted him, and sat down, Jang Yong-jae’s eyes narrowed.

“Why? Does it bother you? Well, I understand since my wife isn’t your mother-in-law’s biological daughter… haha.”

Jang Yong-jae took a sip of water as I chuckled and teased him relentlessly. Jang Yong-jae put down the cup and said calmly, looking at me.

“I heard you’re busy these days?”

“Very busy. I’m in charge of consulting for both my paternal and maternal sides.”

I shrugged and acted cocky, and Jang Yong-jae scoffed as if he didn’t want to lose.

“Verrrry busy. But, what are you going to do about not being able to take care of your own rice bowl?”

“My own rice bowl, you say?”

“That’s how things are going. Even if you eat up a lot of Daewoo Group’s heavy industry affiliates, it’ll only benefit your uncle [Lee Myung-jin, Sung-min’s father]. And if you eat up the financial affiliates, will the other groups stand still?”

Jang Yong-jae looked at me and sneered.

According to the news in the political and business circles these days, it seems that it would be better for Jang Ho-kyung to take the Daewoo Group’s financial affiliates, so how great would that be? There’s absolutely no way I’ll get them.

If public funds are injected into Daewoo Group’s financial affiliates, a complete transformation is a given. But I could ruin those three companies even more raggedly than before the transformation and take everything Jang Ho-kyung has.

“Ah, that? I already told my aunt through Vice Chairman Jo. We won’t touch it, so please look kindly on my wife.”

“What?”

Jang Yong-jae’s eyes widened as I hid my true intentions and replied indifferently. He seemed to think I would be greedy for Daewoo Group’s financial affiliates, but he was completely wrong, so how dumbfounded would he be?

“Hey! Is that true?”

“My brother-in-law is dragging in his younger brother and even his sister to ostracize my wife, so I have to ask the other relatives to look kindly on her. Right?”

“You crazy bastard! You’re going to give up the prime assets for the sake of some woman?”

Jang Yong-jae gave me a dumbfounded look, but I shrugged and put on an indifferent expression.

“Honestly, I’m tempted. But if I just raise Haedong Merchant Bank well, I won’t envy anyone. You know that Haedong Merchant Bank is the same as a bank, except it can’t use the bank name, right?”

Haedong Merchant Bank is the most similar to a commercial bank among the chaebol [large South Korean business conglomerate] financial companies. It’s also subject to the Depositor Protection Act and, with its massive capital of trillions of won, it became the sole beneficiary of the government’s deregulation of merchant bank branch openings, right?

If you have enough capital, you can open branches and take deposits and installments like a bank, so there’s no reason to be attached to that bank name.

“One more thing. How many shares does Haedong Securities hold?”

Haedong Securities is also using its financial power, no less than Haedong Merchant Bank, to buy large amounts of shares in major domestic companies and commercial banks. I pointed to myself with my finger and smiled.

“I’m the largest shareholder of those two companies. Also, the largest shareholder with more than 50 percent of the shares.”

Jang Yong-jae’s face turned red when he saw me like that. Nevertheless, I looked at that face and threw out more words to scratch his insides.

“And I’m the largest shareholder of Haedong Corporation? The shareholding ratio of Haedong Corporation that I hold is much higher than the shareholding ratio of Shinseong Corporation that you hold, brother-in-law. What’s so lacking that I would take over someone else’s company while getting cursed at? Right?”

Most of all, even if I don’t eat it now with all my might, Daewoo Group’s financial affiliates will eventually come into my hands. With Shinsegi Group added as interest.

I had no intention of telling that guy my big picture, but Jang Yong-jae’s expression was already distorted enough. He came to make fun of me, but instead, he got a lot of ridicule from me, so how angry would he be?

“It’s not all about having a lot of shares, is it? What if your uncle takes everything except finance?”

Jang Yong-jae, who was trying to plant seeds of anxiety and discord in me and my family, looked pathetic. I looked at Jang Yong-jae and smiled.

“You don’t know my family at all. Everything’s been sorted out?”

###

After Jang Ha-yeon and I returned from our honeymoon, my grandfather, who had completed the merger of Haedong Corporation and Korea Hotel, declared the succession plan, making it clear that Korea Hotel was Jang Ha-yeon’s share.

“We will carry out the separation of affiliates to coincide with the last day of the new millennium. I will step back.”

“Father?”

“Father?”

“Grandfather?”

“Grandfather?”

While all of our family members were surprised and blinking, my grandfather announced the details of the succession plan.

“To your father, I will give the existing construction, steel, cement, heavy industry, 50 percent of Haedong Motors shares, 20 percent of each iron ore and coal mine owned by Haedong Corporation overseas, and 65 percent of liquid assets.”

The mouths of the family members except me were wide open, but my grandfather continued to announce the succession plan.

“Sung-min will inherit Haedong Corporation, the mother of the group, and Haedong Oil and the petrochemical affiliates below, 50 percent of GK Metals shares, and all of the financial affiliate shares held by Haedong Corporation. Know that.”

Lee Myung-jin opposed the decision. For a different reason than ordinary chaebols.

“That doesn’t make sense, Father. How can we take Haedong Motors that Sung-min is raising?”

“Father is right, Grandfather. Hyung [older brother] brought in Haedong Motors with Standard Capital funds…”

My cousins, including Lee Sung-moon, all opposed receiving 50 percent of Haedong Motors shares, but my grandfather said calmly.

“The most useless thing in the world is worrying about Sung-min. Besides, that guy is a liberal arts major, so he doesn’t have the technical skills. If you don’t want the company to go bankrupt, you have to take it, euhehe.”

My grandfather’s separation of affiliates was a very wise measure.

Businesses that compete with technology, such as the automotive business, require unimaginable research and development costs. So it’s good for Lee Myung-jin’s holding company, which will be created by splitting Haedong Corporation, to have a lot of money.

In addition, people who are knowledgeable about technology are desperately needed in the automotive business. So we need to bring in the monster-level engineers, my cousins, into management.

The most important thing is.

Even if 50 percent of Haedong Corporation’s Haedong Motors shares are transferred to Lee Myung-jin, the remaining 50 percent is Standard Capital’s, in other words, my share. My grandfather, who knows all the facts, must have made the decision considering the shareholding structure and each person’s role.

My grandfather, who was laughing heartily, suddenly stopped laughing and let out a short exclamation.

“Ah! I will divide the Haedong Merchant Bank shares under my personal name equally among Sung-moon, Sung-woo, and Sung-ah soon.”

“G, Grandfather?”

The three of them stuttered with blank expressions, but my grandfather smiled.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. In the future, if you want to inherit the stocks your grandfather has, you’ll have to pay a lot of taxes. Sung-min will give you a generous dividend, so prepare well. Isn’t that right, grandson?”

“Of course, Grandfather. Standard will work hard to manage my siblings’ dividends, haha.”

Standard Capital is an investment company established to prosper our family and Haedong Group. The promise I made when I acquired Haedong Motors was not a lie, so I also answered willingly.

###

There was no need to tell Jang Yong-jae about these family matters, but Jang Yong-jae couldn’t hide his bewildered expression just from what he had heard so far.

‘He’s acting up without knowing his place.’

Instead of speaking, I raised the left corner of my mouth, emptied the remaining coffee, and got up from my seat.

“If there’s nothing more to talk about, I’ll go back up, brother-in-law. I’ll pay for the coffee.”

Jang Yong-jae, who came to scratch my insides to the point where there was no need to tell him that Myung Sun-gu and I had become uncle and nephew, was sufficiently knocked down. I smiled and walked to the cashier.

***

Some time later.

Jang Ha-yeon and I went to see Jang Ho-kyung. I had heard about it from Jo Young-chan before, so I thought I should pay my respects.

“How have you been, Aunt? I’m late in greeting you.”

“Late indeed. It’s enough that you came since we’re not idle people. What would you like to drink?”

Jang Ha-yeon and I smiled at Jang Ho-kyung’s warm welcome. We gave up twice because of us, but it seemed that not touching the acquisition of Daewoo Group’s financial affiliates was effective.

‘It’s a company that will eventually come into my hands later anyway, but it’s good to let them enjoy it now.’

We sat down with Jang Ho-kyung and drank the juice that the employee brought.

“It’s fresh juice.”

“I’m a bit picky about my taste. Well, thank you for giving in, but… are you really okay?”

Looking at her eyes, it seemed like she wasn’t worried about us, but rather had other intentions. I let out a hearty laugh and opened my mouth.

“No, Aunt. If we just take good care of the assets we have now, my wife and I won’t have to worry about starving, haha.”

“Worry about starving? Just the cash piled up in the merchant bank and securities company is enough for several generations to live on. Now that I see it, my nephew-in-law seems to be greedy?”

‘Are you or your sons and daughters more greedy? And what about your sexual desire?’

Jang Ho-kyung’s penchant for men was one of the best. In the movie ‘The Taste of Money’, Lady Baek Geum-ok’s reverse rape of Joo Young-jak seems like child’s play, so no further explanation was needed.

Of course, Jang Chae-yoon, the eldest daughter who is half-mixed with this woman’s blood, also had no small amount of sexual desire. Fortunately, she is now married to a male actor she sincerely likes and they are pouring out honey to the point of not being able to live without each other, but her mother and younger brother are nagging her, so it won’t last long.

I, who had been lost in my own thoughts for a while, gave a sheepish smile and said to Jang Ho-kyung.

“My wife and I are busy just taking care of what we’re inheriting now, Aunt. We don’t know much about insurance or cards either. Right?”

“Yes, Aunt. Besides, this guy is not only working for the group, so he won’t be able to pay attention to it.”

Even Jang Ha-yeon stepped up to subtly let her know that I was not just tied to the Haedong Group. Only then did Jang Ho-kyung nod.

“I see. You’ll be busy just digging the well you’re digging now, huhut [a Korean onomatopoeia for chuckling].”

Jang Ho-kyung gave a light laugh and drank orange juice. I smiled as I looked at Jang Ho-kyung.

‘Laugh as much as you want. In six years, you won’t be able to laugh again.’

***

Many things happened after my wife and I visited Jang Ho-kyung.

It was revealed that Jang Ha-yeon was 4 months pregnant, and she was so busy receiving congratulations from her family and group. Nevertheless, she worked hard, so among the group members, there was even a joke that ‘Jang Ha-yeon is doing prenatal education with work.’

Coincidentally.

Not long after Jang Ha-yeon became pregnant, I heard that Yoo Hyun-jung was also pregnant. She was also pregnant with twins, tying with the Sun Hae-chul-Claire couple.

Like the personal affairs of the family and group, business also went smoothly.

After a public opinion war with all their might, Haedong Group and GK Group declared the early sale of GK Semiconductor and obtained everything they wanted from the government and Taehyun Group.

They handed over all of GK Semiconductor’s shares and debts to Taehyun Electronics and received 2 trillion won in cash and Taehyun Electronics’ display business, and through negotiations with the government, they even succeeded in acquiring Dacom [a South Korean telecommunications company].

Of course, Haedong Group also took good care of its own interests.

As a joint major shareholder of GK Metals, Haedong Group acquired Daewoo Metals, and in addition, in a joint venture with GK Group, it acquired a total of 60 percent of Dacom shares, 30 percent each, and shared the profits.

Of course, Haedong Group also took good care of its own interests.

Haedong Corporation expanded its own business by acquiring Daewoo Group’s Seoul Station headquarters, Myanmar gas field, Namsan Hilton Hotel, and Korea Credit Information Service.

In addition, the heavy industry division signed a secret agreement to acquire Daewoo Heavy Industries, which was 100 percent acquired by the Triumph-Standard Consortium, in three years, and prepared to take another leap forward by dividing Daewoo Motors as agreed with Taehyun Motors.

In the meantime, Jang Ho-kyung swallowed Daewoo Group’s financial affiliates at a bargain price and raised a toast. She’s making a fuss now that she’s happy, but it remains to be seen how long it will last.

Now, the only important thing left for me to do is in the US stock market. There are about ten days left until August, so I need to go to the US quickly.