Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 30

10th. After Impact (1)

“Leave them be. They’re doing fine on their own; no need to interfere. Go on now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jang Ho-gun watched Lee Soo-han leave and picked up the phone.

“Nalse, is your information reliable?”

[Of course, Chairman. That fellow’s assets have increased significantly in the past year.]

Jang Ho-gun nodded. The intelligence circulated by former KCIA [Korean Central Intelligence Agency] and NIS [National Intelligence Service] agents was highly reliable and had been reviewed since Jang Byung-ho’s time, leaving no room for doubt.

“Understood.”

Jang Ho-gun ended the call and dialed another number.

“Install listening devices and cameras where the two are meeting. Without Mr. Lee’s knowledge.”

Even though Lee Soo-han was his closest aide, Jang Ho-gun wanted to know for himself whether Lee Sung-min was Jang Ha-yeon’s support, considering potential family members from his wife’s side in the secretary’s office.

Although it was still uncertain, Jang Ho-gun wanted to nurture Lee Sung-min, who had shown promise with his investment in Korea Mobile Telecom.

Wasn’t he the only one who would take care of Jang Ha-yeon without any conditions, in his stead? That kid, Lee Sung-min.

Having sorted out his thoughts, Jang Ho-gun, in a better mood thanks to Jang Ha-yeon, began to process the stacks of approval documents on his desk one by one. Humming to himself for the first time in a while, Jang Ho-gun was reviewing documents when the phone rang, causing him to put down his pen and pick up the receiver.

“Shinseong Group, Jang Ho-”

[Hey, Jang Ho-gun! Did you know or didn’t you?]!

Jang Ho-gun frowned at the ear-splitting shout. His good mood from just moments ago was instantly ruined, to say the least.

“Speak politely, Sister. Are we a couple of toddlers? We’re respectable group chairmen now.”

Jang Ho-gun raised his voice as well, but Jang Ho-kyung’s sharp voice still pierced through the receiver.

[Don’t change the subject! Did you or did you not overturn our department store lease agreement? Huh!]

Jang Ho-gun could only sigh.

What could he do about his only daughter’s spoiled personality, which caused her to shout whenever things didn’t go her way, thanks to her father’s doting?

As the eldest son, Jang Ho-gun had been pushed around by his older sister and younger brother, so he suppressed his anger by exercising the patience he had cultivated over the years.

“Let’s get the facts straight. The building owner changed the tenant; how could I possibly have the power to do that?”

[That stingy old man from Samcheong-dong orchestrated it all? You expect me to believe that? If it wasn’t you, why would the Myeong-dong guys get involved on top of the bank guys…]

Unable to bear any more vulgar language, Jang Ho-gun opened his mouth, which had been closed.

“I’m not on good terms with this administration, Sister. If I had moved the banks and Myeong-dong, would the government have stood still? If I were close to this administration, I would have devoured the Gangnam Terminal all by myself!”

[…Hey!]

Even as the piercing shout assaulted his ears, Jang Ho-gun wasn’t finished speaking.

“Don’t you know why I’m selling the Daegu Commercial Vehicle Plant and building a passenger car plant in Busan? It’s because I’m not on good terms with this administration! With the same amount of money, I could build two or three identical factories in Gunsan or Changwon!”

Only then did the receiver fall silent. Wasn’t he right?

“Think before you speak!”

Bang!

Jang Ho-gun slammed the receiver down hard enough to break it and spat out a curse.

“Son of a bitch!”

The rough curse contained his hatred for Jang Ho-kyung and his resentment towards his father, Jang Byung-ho, who had created the current Jang Ho-kyung before returning to the earth. Wasn’t it because his father had readily handed over cash-rich affiliates that Jang Ho-kyung was running wild?

“Haa…”

He emptied a glass of cold water in one gulp and took a deep breath as he looked at the ringing phone again. There was still one more person left, so he needed to prepare himself.

“Shinseong Group…”

[It’s Ho-min, Brother. How did you manage the re-entry into Korea Hotel?]

Thanks to Jang Ho-min, who cut him off, a furrow appeared on Jang Ho-gun’s forehead.

“Shall I recite the gentleman’s agreement? That cooperation is the only thing we interfere with?”

As Jang Ho-gun brought up the gentleman’s agreement that had been signed at the end of the inheritance dispute, Jang Ho-min’s nonchalant voice came through.

[Ah, my mistake. Anyway, our brother is quite talented. How did you coax Shin Ho-jin and old man Lee Dae-soo? Did you arrange bank loans and take a cut? Hehe.]

Jang Ho-gun barely suppressed his anger, but his expression twisted again. His younger brother, who had been exceptionally skilled at grating on people’s nerves since childhood, was reaching the point of skinning people alive as he got older.

“Are you mocking me right now?”

[No. I’m impressed. Even if the construction is canceled, you still get the hotel… Our brother’s love for his eldest daughter is truly extraordinary, hehe.]

A cracking sound came from the receiver Jang Ho-gun was holding. Veins bulged on the fist gripping the receiver.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Jang Ho-gun also mercilessly stabbed and ridiculed Jang Ho-min’s most painful spot.

“Am I a philanthropist like you? The money you’ve spent digging up and scraping out the seeds you’ve sown with singers and actresses would have built another dock for Shinseong Heavy Industries, hehe.”

[What, what did you say? Are you making fun of our shipyard for being small right now?]

Jang Ho-gun chuckled as he listened to Jang Ho-min’s outburst.

“Why? Did I say something wrong?”

Unlike Jang Ho-kyung, Jang Ho-min, whose shares were intertwined and remained in Shinseong Group, was in charge of Shinseong Heavy Industries’ shipbuilding division, which ranked third among domestic shipbuilders. Unlike his personal life, he had been trying hard to manage his business well, so Jang Ho-min’s voice grew louder.

[Aren’t you going too far by bringing up the past!]

“Bullshit. The past? You’re still sticking your head in every woman’s crotch; how dare you put Ha-yeon on that mouth!”

[We’re both the same! Until you met that woman, I wasn’t any different!]

Jang Ho-gun’s eyes rolled back. How dare he bring up Jang Ha-yeon’s birth mother with that filthy mouth!

“Ha-yeon’s mother was my last woman! If my father and mother hadn’t opposed, she would have been your sister-in-law!”

Jang Ho-gun distorted his face and shouted, and all that could be heard from the receiver was Jang Ho-min’s panting.

Unlike himself, his brother had only looked at that woman since he met Jang Ha-yeon’s biological mother, hadn’t he? Since she had died giving birth to Jang Ha-yeon, he had only looked at Jang Ha-yeon, so Jang Ho-min had nothing to say.

Jang Ho-gun didn’t miss this opportunity and delivered the final blow.

“You’re still sowing seeds everywhere, aren’t you? I heard you’re spreading them evenly among our nephews and nieces… Be careful, little brother. You should avoid having an incestuous relationship between father and son, hehe.”

[Brother, are you done talking…!]

Bang!

Jang Ho-gun slammed the phone down roughly as Jang Ho-min screamed and tried to speak informally. Not only that, but he also pulled out the phone line behind the direct line phone.

Jang Ho-gun sighed and dialed another phone number.

“Ah, Mr. Lee? Prepare to cut off transactions with my sister and Ho-min.”

Lee Soo-han’s voice trembled at the sudden order.

[Ch, Chairman, that’s…]

As Lee Soo-han hesitated, Jang Ho-gun shouted into the receiver.

“Internal transactions are outside the gentleman’s agreement, aren’t they? Even if we divide the financial affiliates’ funds according to our shares, the combined bonds we hold on both sides are well over 1 trillion won! What are you afraid of, Mr. Lee?”

Jang Ho-gun had been contemplating this for a long time, so he had no intention of showing any more mercy. Weren’t his sister and brother the ones who had ruined the Gangnam Terminal project with their excessive greed?

[I’m sorry, Chairman. I will handle it as you instructed.]

Jang Ho-gun hung up the phone after Lee Soo-han’s reply.

The three siblings’ gentleman’s agreement ends in 1996.

When the agreement ends, the blood-related siblings become complete enemies, and a civil war begins where they push each other out using all means, whether it be money or people, until only one person’s nameplate remains.

Jang Ho-gun gritted his teeth as he waited for the time to come.

There was no way he, who had inherited Shinseong Group’s parent company and largest affiliate, would lose.

***

After the Korea Hotel’s consignment management and the hidden big deal behind it were completed, news came that $300 million had been deposited into Standard. Thanks to this, Seon Hae-cheol was reconfirming my decision on the investment plan over the phone.

[300 million dollars, are you really sure about this?]

“Yes. Please do as I said. Invest an additional $50 million in Yahoo, $50 million to acquire America Online, and… where was the place Stanford suggested?”

[Nvidia. It’s a company founded last year, and the founder is… Jensen Huang. He has a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford and used to work at AMD [Advanced Micro Devices].]

I heard that our reputation had improved at Stanford thanks to the Yahoo investment, and Jensen Huang’s investment proposal came through that network. It would be helpful in many ways, so I had to invest.

“Ah, that’s right? Put in $30 million and get 35 percent. Secure the right to maintain equity through additional capital increases, the right to allocate 50 percent of outsourced production volume after listing, and the right to audit accounting. Delegate everything else.”

[Hey! Are you crazy?]

Based on current standards, that’s a crazy thing to say. Even with all sorts of rights attached, wasn’t he saying to throw the money to buy dozens of 35-pyeong [approximately 1240 square feet] Taehyun apartments in Apgujeong [affluent neighborhood in Seoul] into a venture company founded a year ago with an uncertain future? I had to keep the future that would unfold after the new millennium to myself, so I changed the subject.

“The company staff also said to invest if the conditions match after negotiating with them. How can I run a company if I don’t trust the staff, Uncle?”

As a result of Standard Capital’s internal review, it was decided to invest if our conditions and Nvidia’s conditions matched. As the owner, presenting conditions that would be easy for the company staff to negotiate was also a sign that I trusted the insight of the company staff who had identified Nvidia.

[If you couldn’t talk, I wouldn’t hate you. Okay. I’ll make sure to show off a lot while investing in Nvidia. I’ll make the other investments as you said. $20 million will be used for foreign exchange futures, and the rest will be rotated according to the portfolio?]

“Yes, Uncle. Thank you.”

After hanging up the phone and going down to the underground garage, I drove to a cafe in Misari. After arriving in about an hour, I entered the cafe building and waved to Jang Ha-yeon, who was sitting by the window.

“Did you wait long, Sister?”

“No. I just got here. Shall we have lunch first today?”

After ordering the menu, we received our orders and ate. I wanted to enjoy the scenery and have lunch at least once since it was also a restaurant, and is today the day?

We were focused on eating as if we were being chased, but we made eye contact. There has never been such an awkward moment. Damn it.

“Sorry… I’ve gotten into the habit from working.”

“It’s okay. You’re a working person, so it’s natural, right?”

I also lived through such things as part of my daily life. How many times have I eaten so quickly that I’ve been told I drink my meals because of my desire to compete with my skills, even as the son-in-law of a chaebol [large South Korean conglomerate]?

Jang Ha-yeon was also the daughter of a chaebol family, but since she wasn’t Hwang Mi-yeon’s biological daughter, she must have been living under constant pressure, even with the title of manager. As I looked at her, I folded a napkin into a sharp point.

“What are you doing?”

“Just wait a moment.”

Leaning forward, I deliberately dabbed the corner of Jang Ha-yeon’s clean mouth with the end of the napkin in my hand.

“Hey?”

“I wanted to do it.”

Jang Ha-yeon’s face flushed as she listened to my words, and she gulped down a cup full of water. Did I rush things too much?

###

After calming our minds with the newly set table, we drank iced coffee and talked.

“You’re going to cut off transactions with Shinsegi Group?”

“Yeah. I’m going to cut off all the work we gave to your aunt’s side at our hotel. I’m going to switch the maintenance that we entrusted to Shinseong Construction to Shinseong Corporation.”

Perhaps because I stepped in, the butterfly effect blew strongly. I thought the Jang siblings would start fighting fiercely three years after the end of the gentleman’s agreement, but it’s already a mess from now on.

Their discord is an opportunity for me. I quickly turned my head and carefully opened my mouth.

“Sister. Can my family take the transactions that Shinsegi Group was receiving?”

“Huh?”

“You have to find new suppliers anyway. My family is also doing logistics and distribution, and we’re going to have a discount store starting next fall, so I think we can do it.”

If we open the first Haedong Mart in Eunpyeong-gu [district in Seoul], which is starting ground-breaking construction, we will inevitably face competition from Shinsegi, as well as Roel and Geumgang, which will be entering in the future. If we make a deal with Shinseong Group, we can save the money needed for land grabbing and tear Shinseong and Shinsegi apart, so it was a win-win situation.

“Hmm…”

“Pretend you didn’t hear that, Sister. I think I said something unnecessary. I’m sorry.”

Looking at Jang Ha-yeon, who was humming, it seemed like I was only thinking about my own greed. Even though I sincerely apologized for the spilled water, she shook her head.

“It’s not because of that. What are you going to do with luxury goods?”

“Luxury goods?”

Jang Ha-yeon sighed as I blinked at the sudden question.

“If you want to cut ties with your aunt completely, you have to cut everything off… Your department store and affiliate VIP customers and suppliers don’t have anything to use, do they?”

Luxury goods are another means of lobbying. There’s no man who can stand up to pillow talk, and even the most steel-nerved government officials turn their hearts at the appeals of their wives, right?

I smacked my lips for showing a foolish figure in front of someone I liked, but Jang Ha-yeon carefully said as she looked at me, thinking I was angry.

“I know that Haedong Department Store’s management style is the chairman’s will, Sung-min. But if you open a mart next year, you can hand over the cheap stuff to that side and sell luxury goods, right? What about gift certificates?”

I had thought about it too, but I thought it would be too explicit to say that, but she brought it up first… I felt a spark as if I had been struck by Jang Ha-yeon’s consideration.

Haedong Department Store is a low-end department store at best, and a slightly upscale urban outlet at worst.

I understood my grandfather’s wish for anyone to come to the department store without burden, but the company’s top priority was survival, so Jang Ha-yeon was right.

Since my grandfather had decided to open a discount store, he must be thinking about restructuring the distribution sector. I also nodded and said.

“Sister is right. Companies have to make money, and department stores have to make money by fulfilling people’s desires.”

“My father said that too… How did you know?”

Jang Ha-yeon looked at me with wide eyes, but it was one of the things I had heard from Jang Ho-gun every morning for nearly 20 years in my past life. If I were to give it a title, it would be something like ‘The Philosophy and Essence of Business’?

“I’m the top student in the liberal arts at Seoul National University. That’s a piece of cake for me.”

Jang Ha-yeon stuck out her tongue with a sulky expression as I replied shamelessly.

“I graduated at the top of my class too? If this works out, it’s paying back for putting our hotel in Gangnam Terminal, right?”

That personality that hates owing anything was no different in my past life or now. I could only smile contentedly at Jang Ha-yeon’s mind, who always tries to be upright.

“Okay. I’ll buy you everything you want when we renew the main store. No, we can start decorating the new building of the Yeongdeungpo main store in October.”

As I spoke with a bright smile, Jang Ha-yeon’s cheeks gradually turned red, and she opened her mouth to me.

“So, about that… Can I do the consulting for your department store with you?”

Consulting.

I know her abilities well enough, so it would be good to make a mark on my grandfather with this work. It would be foolish to refuse since we can have a legitimate weekday date.

***

The conversation between the two men and women in the Misari cafe was being reported to Jang Ho-gun in real time.

“Are you sure?”

[Yes, Chairman. I confirmed it with a bug under the table.]

A humming sound flowed from Jang Ho-gun’s mouth, but the tone was subtly bright. He couldn’t help but be pleased as a parent since Jang Ha-yeon and Lee Sung-min were creating a good atmosphere.

“Give them plenty of severance pay. Withdraw all the installed bugs and cameras.”

[Yes?]

“There’s no need to observe any further. It shouldn’t leak out to other places.”

[I understand, Chairman.]

After finishing the call, Jang Ho-gun took out an envelope and a faded photo that he had taken out before. It was a photo of Lee Myung-woo and himself wearing suspender pants and holding a wrench with their arms around each other’s shoulders when they were young.

“Thank you, Myung-woo.”

Jang Ho-gun picked up the phone after saying thank you to his old friend who cherished his daughter like his own and had marked her as a daughter-in-law. To repay his friend’s gratitude.