Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 28

28. 9th. We Must Break Through (1)

After parting ways with Jang Ha-yeon, I arrived at a cathedral in Seoul.

“I hope this is the right place…”

During the groundbreaking ceremony, I had asked Park Tae-jin for a favor.

[Hyung, please find this person for me.]

[Who are you looking for?]

[He’s a retired priest.]

[…I understand.]

I hope Tae-jin hyung found the right person…

With a mix of anticipation and worry, I entered the main hall and made the sign of the cross before the statue of Jesus hanging in the front. My family had been Catholic since my great-grandfather’s time, so it was a reflex.

“What brings you here, brother?”

Turning around at the voice from behind, I saw a nun facing me with a benevolent face.

“Ah… I’ve come to see Father Im Su-woong, John the Apostle.”

“May I ask the purpose of your visit?”

“Actually, I am…”

I told her everything, from my family being Catholic for four generations since my great-grandfather to the story of the Gangnam Terminal. The nun nodded.

“So, you are the grandson of Marco.”

Marco is my grandfather’s Catholic baptismal name. Why does this nun, whom I’m meeting for the first time, speak as if she knows me well? Our family’s parish registry is at Myeongdong Cathedral, not this one… Unable to shake off the uneasy feeling, I asked the nun.

“Do you perhaps know my grandfather?”

“Thanks to Marco… Ah…”

The nun, who had been speaking in a welcoming voice, covered her mouth with a look of embarrassment as if she had made a big mistake. I was curious, but that wasn’t the urgent matter right now, so I waved my hand and gave her a friendly smile.

“It’s okay if it’s difficult to reveal, Sister. Is the priest here?”

The reason I came to this cathedral today was to meet Father Im Su-woong, John the Apostle. Of course, it wouldn’t suit my personality to ask for help empty-handed, so I had already offered to donate 500 million won [approximately $375,000 USD] to the diocesan office as a token of appreciation if he helped with this matter. But…

“How unfortunate… He’s been away since yesterday.”

“When do you expect him to return? My family elders are busy, so I’ve come here shamelessly, but this is a time-sensitive matter, Sister.”

“Well, it varies each time…”

The nun trailed off with a troubled expression.

That’s probably true. The work he does is completely unpredictable, so it can be over in a day or two if it’s fast, but if it’s late, there’s no telling when it will end.

Nodding, I took out my notebook and tore off a piece of paper with my phone number written on it with a Waterman fountain pen.

“This is my phone number. Please contact me when the priest returns.”

It was obvious that there would be no point in staying any longer. The nun also had a troubled look on her face…

“I’m in your care, Sister.”

I bowed to the nun and left the cathedral. My heart was pounding, but since there was nothing more I could do, I had to go to the construction site. That man has been smoking a lot of cigarettes lately, and my aunt and cousins are worried…

***

Around the time Lee Sung-min went to the cathedral and came back empty-handed.

Lee Myung-jin was in the office made of temporary buildings at the Gangnam Terminal construction site, looking at a map on the table with several people. On the enlarged cadastral map [a map showing the boundaries and ownership of land parcels] of the construction site, dozens of X marks were drawn.

“This is driving me crazy. We’ve spent over 500 million won to find a water vein, and we still haven’t found it.”

“We’re sorry, President.”

The executives standing next to him bowed their heads with expressions of having committed a deadly sin to Lee Myung-jin, who sighed.

I felt like I was flying when I held the groundbreaking ceremony and took the first shovel, but what a bolt from the blue from the first step? Spending over 500 million won just to find one water vein!

Lee Myung-jin waved his hand at them.

“We don’t have X-ray vision. We have to keep drilling until it bursts. When is the ordered pipe arriving?”

“It will arrive in an hour. We will resume drilling at that time, President.”

Lee Myung-jin nodded at the drilling manager’s stiff response to his question.

“Don’t be impatient if it doesn’t come out, and drill carefully. You know the ground here is soft, right?”

“Yes, President.”

The Gangnam Terminal construction was such an important project that it made Lee Myung-jin more prickly than other construction projects.

Thanks to winning the construction bid, he received 250 billion won [approximately $187 million USD] in slush funds from Lee Dae-soo, but it was also the first turnkey project [a project where one company handles all aspects from design to completion] in the history of Haedong Construction, where everything from design, construction, and supervision had to be resolved within the bid price. In other words, the more the construction period is shortened and unnecessary waste is reduced, the more profits increase, but the opposite results in a deficit.

Nevertheless, Lee Myung-jin’s belief that turnkey projects would become the trend in the overseas construction market was the reason why he won the Gangnam Terminal project in a turnkey manner. Since the first button had to be buttoned well [a Korean idiom meaning to start something correctly], there should be no defects, the construction period should be shortened, and profits should be made, so he couldn’t help but be sensitive.

“In addition, two more subway lines may pass under Line 3. If we make a mistake, we could end up like the Seongsu Bridge collapse [a major bridge collapse in Seoul in 1994], so be careful, very careful.”

“The drilling team is working with special care, President. Please don’t worry.”

Lee Myung-jin emphasized safety again, then went outside and lit a cigarette.

It’s a habit that comes out when things don’t work out, but since the water vein was blocked, he smoked a pack a day, and the worried nagging of his fox-like wife and rabbit-like children [a Korean idiom describing family members] never stopped.

“It’s frustrating, damn it.”

He lit the Dupont lighter and exhaled smoke.

Even at the Iraq oil pipeline construction site, which was close to a battlefield, he didn’t smoke a single cigarette. Not being able to find a water vein and smoking a cigarette… He had no face to show his dead brother, let alone his nephew who created this opportunity.

***

Driving to the site, I sighed when I saw Lee Myung-jin smoking a cigarette.

I came just in case, but it seems like he’s having a hard time. The man who only smokes when he’s stuck while working is holding a cigarette in his mouth, so it was like seeing my past life as a chain smoker.

“Are you okay, Uncle?”

“President, are you okay?”

“Yeah, well, haha.”

Lee Myung-jin smiled bitterly at me and Park Tae-jin, then put the cigarette back in his mouth.

“Hoo-, this is the first time I’ve done a construction like this. It’s hard because water doesn’t come out. I’ve already spent over 500 million won, but I still can’t find a water vein.”

I knew this would happen, so I was going to bring him in even if I had to pay a special donation with my own money, but I couldn’t force a man who was away to come… I felt sorry for him.

“You couldn’t move on to the next stage.”

“That’s right. The ground here is soft and the subway is passing by, so the work has become difficult… I have to keep drilling, what else can I do?”

I forgot. Lines 7 and 9 will pass under here! If we start construction rashly, I couldn’t even guess how many people would be hurt, let alone Haedong Construction going bankrupt.

“How about going back slowly when you’re in a hurry? [a Korean proverb meaning to take your time and be careful] Later, more subway lines may pass under this land, so I think it’s better to build it strong.”

I said it just in case, and Lee Myung-jin nodded.

“That’s right. I reflected it in the design when I entered the bidding, and I heard that Hojin hyung [hyung is a Korean term used by males to address older brothers or close male friends/mentors] also liked it. If something goes wrong, people will get hurt and the group will go bankrupt, so we have to be careful. Nephew, don’t worry, haha.”

He’s really a smart man when it comes to work. He even thought about that… Wait a minute? Hojin hyung? Lee Myung-jin calling Shin Ho-jin affectionately seemed like they weren’t just ordinary acquaintances.

“Uncle, do you know Chairman Shin?”

“Of course, I do. He was a senior to my deceased brother and often frequented Samcheong-dong [a neighborhood in Seoul] after starting the company. He’s a man who cuts off friendship and work like a knife, but he’s a true person.”

Come to think of it, Shin Ho-jin also graduated from Seoul National University’s business administration department like my deceased father. I knew from my grandfather that our family wasn’t just an ordinary business partner, but I didn’t know that my father and Lee Myung-jin were on such close terms.

Lee Myung-jin stopped smiling and looked at me.

“But, why are you asking about hyung?”

“Ah, no. My grandfather told me about him a while ago. Why he went bankrupt.”

“My father?”

Perhaps because of the work of someone he was close to, a ripple appeared on Lee Myung-jin’s face. I watched his expression and carefully continued to speak.

“Yes. There were many people from Yeongnam [a region in Korea], whether they were from the ruling party or business leaders, during the Fourth Republic [a period of authoritarian rule in South Korea]. So, my grandfather told me that they destroyed Chairman Shin and the Yooshin Group. And…”

After telling him that my grandfather and great-grandfather didn’t accept the Gangnam Terminal land that they tried to pass on to our family instead of debt, Lee Myung-jin’s face was filled with bitterness.

“…My grandfather or father would have done that. If hyung hadn’t founded the Yooshin Group, they would have wanted to bring him in as a manager of our group. Poor man.”

Lee Myung-jin, who spat out those words, rubbed the cigarette butt he dropped on the ground with his work shoes.

“Anyway, we need to include the Korea Hotel to start my grandfather and father’s long-cherished project… Considering what that man suffered from the Jang family, I don’t know if he’ll allow it.”

That’s right. Everyone will laugh when the priest comes back quickly.

***

A few days later.

Standing in front of the gate of a mansion, I rang the doorbell.

[Who is it?]

As I heard the soft voice, I quickly opened my mouth.

“This is Lee Sung-min from Haedong Group. Is Chairman Shin Ho-jin here?”

[…Are you Myung-woo’s son?]

“Yes. My father’s name is Lee Myung-woo.”

[Come in quickly.]

With a buzzing sound, the gate opened, and I passed through the gate and entered the building through the garden.

“You’ve grown a lot, haha.”

I didn’t know how the man in the short-sleeved suit knew my father, but I answered politely as I came to ask for a favor.

“Yes, but… Are you Chairman Shin Ho-jin?”

“Chairman, what are you talking about? I was a senior and junior who was like a brother to your father, so call me Uncle comfortably, haha.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

Suddenly, I had one more uncle, but I answered carefully. Shouldn’t I ask him to put the Korea Hotel in the Gangnam Terminal? Shin Ho-jin, the Korea Hotel of the Jang family who tried to steal the Gangnam Terminal, which is the only foothold for him to stand up again.

Even if I thought about it, it was shameless, but I had to put the Korea Hotel in the Gangnam Terminal for the sake of our family’s business, no matter what the cost.

Unlike Shin Ho-jin, who was smiling casually, I went inside with tension and drank the coffee that the housekeeper brought.

“You look just like your father. You also look like your sister-in-law.”

Shin Ho-jin, who took a sip of coffee, looked at me with a soft gaze. I didn’t feel comfortable having to make such a brazen request to such a man.

“What brings you here? I heard that Myung-jin is having a hard time because of finding a water vein these days. Is it going well?”

“It’s not easy, but I think we’ll find it.”

Of course, it was a lie, but Shin Ho-jin’s face brightened.

“How do you say you’re finding it?”

“He said he couldn’t tell me. He said it was confidential, haha.”

How can I say that? Only I should know.

“Your uncle must be sulking because Haedong Construction was selected through open bidding, haha.”

The atmosphere didn’t seem bad as he even made a playful joke… Should I bring it up?

“I have a favor to ask, Uncle.”

“Tell me.”

“I would like Haedong to pay the hotel lease deposit and entrust the management of the Korea Hotel. I also want to have our department store enter. My grandfather told me to tell you.”

“Hmm…”

A groan escaped from Shin Ho-jin’s mouth. Wasn’t it a difficult thing to do or not to do?

“You must know. That the Jang siblings tried to eat the Gangnam Terminal.”

How could I not know? It was something that happened in my past life, and Ko Seung-joo confirmed it to me again when I returned from the United States earlier this year and entered Samcheong-dong.

“Yes. The chairman said that it would be better for people who have acquaintances and are from the same hometown to join hands.”

Shin Ho-jin took a sip of coffee with a stiff face.

“If the chairman pays the penalty, I can kick out Jang Ho-kyung at any time. But it would be difficult to entrust the management of the Korea Hotel.”

If I were Shin Ho-jin, I would want to grind up the Bum Shin Sung Group. Aren’t they the ones who tried to steal even the only foothold for him to stand up again, saying that a guy with 99 things is trying to fill one more? [a Korean proverb]

Still, I had to solve all the tasks that my grandfather gave me. This test is a test where even one answer is missing is a failing grade.

I moistened my dry mouth with coffee and said.

“Uncle, would you like to make a bet with me?”

“A bet?”

“Yes. A bet.”

Shin Ho-jin looked at me and smiled.

“I only played poker with your father and lost every time, but blood can’t be deceived. What kind of bet should we make?”

“If a hot spring bursts in the Gangnam Terminal, please approve the entrusted management of the Korea Hotel. If a hot spring doesn’t burst, I’ll give up cleanly.”

Shin Ho-jin stared at me intently and opened his mouth.

“The entrusted management of the Korea Hotel is definitely not going to happen. Whether it’s a hot spring or plain water, you have to find a water vein. If you want to make a bet, the conditions must be right?”

“Of course, it should be. So.”

I stopped talking and took out a piece of paper from my bag and handed it over.

“What is this?”

“If hot spring water doesn’t burst, I will hand over all of my shares in Haedong Group and 320,000 shares of Korea Mobile Telecom, Uncle.”

Seeing Shin Ho-jin’s hand holding the contract trembling, I looked at him with a firm gaze and said.

“You used to play poker with my father often, right? I’m all in here.”

Shin Ho-jin put down the contract and glared at me.

“Why are you so obsessed with the Jang guys? Why are you doing this when you don’t have to?”

My reason for living is to hold hands with the person I love and trample on all the other Jang guys, Uncle. What can I do if I want to take revenge while only giving that woman pleasure and joy?

I wanted to say that, but I started lying.

“I went to the cathedral a while ago. I made a confession to the priest. I asked him what I should do if there was a person I hated to death…”

I was talking while thinking of Jang Yong-jae and Jang Su-yeon, but Shin Ho-jin raised his hand and blocked my mouth.

“You must have heard that whoever strikes your right cheek, turn the other cheek as well [a biblical reference].”

“…Yes.”

It was a commonplace saying, but Shin Ho-jin soon sighed.

“It was 16 years ago. One day, when I was going bankrupt, I drank with your father. I got drunk and complained. I said, what’s my sin, why should only I suffer when I’m not the only one like that.”

How sad would he have been? He founded a company at a young age and grew rapidly in three years, but he was trampled on and crushed because his father-in-law was a pro-dictatorial figure.

To me, who worked like a dog and died at the hands of my wife and brother-in-law, Shin Ho-jin’s Arabian Nights [a reference to a story of great success and then sudden downfall] didn’t feel like someone else’s business.

Even in the midst of swallowing the anger that came to mind, Shin Ho-jin’s story continued to be heard.

“At that time, Myung-woo said. The same words you heard.”

“……..”

“If I had only heard those words, I would have resented your father… Then he said that I would definitely be rewarded someday.”

Shin Ho-jin’s expression had already changed to calm.

“After that, I went to give the Gangnam Terminal land to your deceased great-grandfather and Chairman Lee Dae-soo to repay the money I owed them. But the two of them said that I didn’t have to repay the debt. Rather, they gave me boiled pork and makgeolli [Korean rice wine]. It was really delicious… Haha.”

Shin Ho-jin, who was laughing while reminiscing, stopped laughing.

“I’ll accept the bet. Instead…”

I hoped that it would be a condition that I could handle and only looked at his mouth. Seeing me nervous, Shin Ho-jin waved his hand.

“I don’t need the group shares. If I receive that, I won’t have the face to see Myung-woo later. I’ll keep it a secret because the chairman shouldn’t know.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

I got up from the sofa and bowed deeply, but Shin Ho-jin still seemed untrustworthy.

“It would be good if hot spring water came out, but it won’t be easy. If it’s a hot spring that bursts easily, why would people look for it, haha.”

We’ll have to dig to know if it will come out or not, Uncle.

***

A few days later.

I was buying shares of Korea Mobile Telecom when I received a phone call.

“Yes, this is Lee Sung-min from Haedong Group…”

[Are you John the Apostle?]

It was the voice of that nun.

“Yes, Sister. This is John.”

[The priest has returned.]