Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 49

49. 16th. An Uncomfortable Alliance (1)

Having arrived home, we shook off the fatigue of our journey, went grocery shopping, and prepared dinner.

Seon Hae-cheol volunteered to be the head chef, with Park Tae-jin and I assisting him. Claire sat in the living room, anticipating how impressive a meal prepared by three men would be, sipping her tea.

“It’s ready, Claire.”

Wearing an apron, I called Claire to the dining room. She placed her teacup on the saucer and entered the dining room, her eyes widening at the sight of the food on the table.

“You mean… the three of you made all this?”

Kimchi stew was placed in the center, along with spicy pork bulgogi, soy sauce beef bulgogi, grilled tilefish, acorn jelly salad [dotori muk], and gujeolpan [a platter of nine different delicacies], filling the table. Claire was astonished and gaped at the spread.

“My brother and I usually cook for ourselves at home. My uncle is quite skilled too, hehe.”

“But… what is this?”

Claire pointed to the stir-fried chicken gizzards. She seemed intrigued by the dark, bite-sized pieces of chicken gizzard stir-fried with chopped green chili peppers and garlic.

“It’s a special dish I make for friends. It has a great chewy texture.”

It was a dish I had come to enjoy thanks to someone who was like a friend in my past life, and I wanted to offer it to Claire, who was a new friend visiting my home. I wondered what her reaction would be.

“Let’s see…”

Sitting at the table, Claire skillfully picked up a piece of chicken gizzard with her chopsticks and dipped it in sesame oil. She chewed with a puzzled expression, then her eyes widened.

“It’s delicious?”

Like a fish in water, Claire diligently put the chicken gizzards into her mouth with her chopsticks.

Seeing her happy expression, I missed my old friend who had introduced me to this dish. That friend must be working at Shinseong Corning by now.

***

The next morning.

Along with the three of them, I entered Samcheong-dong, greeted my grandfather sitting at the desk in the reception room, and took a seat.

“Yes, did things go well in America?”

“Yes. And I’ve also resolved the task you gave me in the summer. I’ll give you that first, Grandfather.”

I took out a file from my bag, and my grandfather was delighted.

“Isn’t there an American base there? Why buy land that can’t be developed?”

“The US military base is near Pyeongtaek Port. It will be profitable enough, Grandfather.”

“Hmm…”

Seeing my grandfather humming, Claire opened her mouth.

“It may be presumptuous of me to say, but San Diego is also a military city with a port, Chairman [of Haedong Corporation]. Johnny, or Seongmin, must have had that in mind.”

Hearing Claire’s words, my grandfather narrowed his eyes.

“Is what Miss Lawrence says true?”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

I had marked it as land that would rise if history flowed normally, but Claire’s words were also correct, so I readily answered.

“I see. But you’ll have to buy half of that land with your own money.”

“Of course, Grandfather.”

The land in Dodu-ri, Daechu-ri, Hamjeong-ri, and Paengseong-eup would bring great political and economic benefits within 10 years. Considering those benefits, it was a place that could be turned into a farm, just like the land my grandfather had marked.

My grandfather turned his gaze from my confident face and looked at Claire.

“This old man is indebted to you, Miss Lawrence. I look forward to your continued support of our eldest grandson.”

“It’s nothing, Chairman. Rather, Standard has greatly benefited thanks to Seongmin.”

Perhaps surprised by the unexpected answer, my grandfather’s eyes changed as he looked at Claire.

“Seongmin benefited us… what do you mean?”

“Thanks to Seongmin, Standard will earn more than $1 billion, Chairman.”

“O-one billion dollars?”

Seeing the man who was as heavy as a rock stutter, I was afraid he would collapse. It was a considerable amount of money compared to the current cash holdings of Haedong Corporation.

“Yes, what happened was…”

Claire told my grandfather the story of how Standard Capital made money by speculating on the Mexican Peso and handed him a file containing data on investment performance to date.

My grandfather put on his reading glasses and looked at the file, then tapped the desk and laughed heartily.

“Hahaha! Taking advantage of a crisis! Chief Ko, you should see this too!”

Ko Seung-ju also couldn’t close his mouth after looking at the documents he received from my grandfather.

“Amazing. Seongmin, you’ve learned the paper business properly, haha.”

As I bowed my head towards Ko Seung-ju, I heard my grandfather’s voice towards me.

“Hey, you! It’s not luck, it’s divine fortune, hahaha.”

Unlike my grandfather, who was laughing heartily, my eyes widened.

Saying that it was divine fortune was my grandfather’s greatest compliment. To give such a precious compliment?

My grandfather stopped laughing and looked at us with a gentle smile.

“At this point, there shouldn’t be any major problems for our grandson to settle down. But… why did you come all the way to see this old man on the other side of the world?”

“It’s because of the business that the Chairman proposed through Seongmin. Seongmin.”

“Yes, Boss.”

After answering Claire, I took out several thick document envelopes and a file from my bag and placed them in front of my grandfather.

“This is a business we have prepared in collaboration with Triumph, Chairman.”

“Hmm…”

My grandfather opened the file and carefully examined each page through his sharply gleaming eyes behind his glasses.

How much time had passed? My grandfather put down the document with a thud.

“It’s a degenerate age. I never knew it would be this bad…”

My grandfather’s face was stiff as he couldn’t continue speaking.

“It’s not for me to say, but it’s a free-for-all where golden demons are rampant. I don’t know what a knockout is, but those who sold such garbage and the Japs who bought it thinking it was good… they’re all out of their minds.”

Claire blinked at the word ‘Japs’ and quickly said to my grandfather after hearing that the word had the same meaning as ‘JAPS’ [a derogatory term for Japanese people].

“That’s why it’s a great opportunity, Chairman. My father, Henry Royce, who is also on the board of Triumph Capital, has bet everything on this yen appreciation.”

After that, Claire paid the utmost respect to my grandfather, telling him everything from her family story to the expected profits from the yen appreciation betting, taking care to pronounce each word clearly.

While her story filled the room, my grandfather’s expression repeatedly showed surprise and regret.

“I didn’t know there was such a story, Miss Lawrence.”

“I learned from watching Seongmin persuade my father, Chairman. This opportunity will be an unparalleled opportunity for both families.”

While my grandfather and Claire were looking at each other, Seon Hae-cheol stepped in from the side.

“Representative Lawrence is right, Chairman. It’s a great opportunity to give the Japs another blow, not just for the money. You’ve given the Japs a blow with the previous Chairman before, haven’t you?”

My grandfather smiled when he heard Seon Hae-cheol’s words.

“You remember. The time my father and I planned to rip off the Japs… Even though we lost the gold during the war, we exchanged the fields for rice and money to buy cement mines and land, and built warehouses and factories.”

My great-grandfather, who graduated from the Faculty of Law at Tokyo Imperial University, was also the eldest grandson of a wealthy family in Jeolla-do, but he had a good sense of business and had a smooth career.

That great-grandfather and grandfather not only sold food and cloth at high prices to the Japanese who were fleeing to their home country just before liberation, but also helped them escape, scraping together their land documents and gold to the last one.

“I heard that you gave out 5 jeongbo [unit of land measurement] each at the time and received 30% of the yield?”

“That’s right. I took the lead after hearing the news that the government was going to reform the agricultural land. The profit was small, but it was a worthwhile business because it won the hearts of the people. The people who received the land bought goods from our stores and even advertised to the people around them.”

The face of my grandfather in my eyes was brighter than ever. Is it because it was the brightest moment of your life?

I bet everything on that face of my grandfather and opened my mouth.

“This investment is an unparalleled opportunity, Grandfather. But it is also true that the political burden is great. So we need to bring in Shinseong, Taehyun, and Geumgang.”

The three groups are the top three chaebol [large South Korean business conglomerate] groups in this country. To avoid the boomerang that will come back in three years, we have to bring them in so that our family doesn’t take all the blame.

“Hmm… Let’s hear Chief Ko’s opinion and decide.”

My grandfather handed the business plan to Ko Seung-ju again and waited until he closed the document.

“What do you think?”

“If you allow me, I will prepare immediately, Chairman.”

Even Ko Seung-ju, who is always cautious, clearly showed on his face that he did not want to miss this opportunity.

“Chief Ko.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“I’ll take care of bringing in the three houses. You prepare $2 billion.”

My eyes widened at my grandfather’s order. I clearly wrote only $1 billion in the document I gave him at first, but $2 billion?

“Grandfather?”

“Chairman?”

“Mr. Lee?”

We all called him by our respective titles, but the owner of the titles looked at us and laughed.

“This is the first time in Lee Dae-soo’s life that I’ve made such a gamble. If even the big hands across the sea are jumping in, the possibility is high. If it’s a game where the winner takes all, what’s $2 billion, euhehe.”

My grandfather’s laughter was hearty, but it seemed like he was possessed by something. Even when I handed him the documents, I thought he would measure it in many ways even if I told him, but he decided right away. I haven’t even said that the US Federal Reserve has stopped raising interest rates…

My grandfather looked at me with narrowed eyes as I gaped and clicked his tongue.

“What are you going to do if you’re overwhelmed, you rascal? In gambling, momentum is more important than the cards or chips. Besides, isn’t it because it’s a winning game that we’re bringing them in?”

“Grandfather, still…”

My grandfather raised his hand and blocked my mouth with an expression that he didn’t need to hear any more.

“Heo, this rascal? When luck comes in, you have to grab it with all your might. This grandfather is giving you a lesson, so watch and learn, hehe.”

It was a fact that I had already realized, but I wondered if this was the grandfather I knew. To invest another $1 billion in a gamble that I know but you don’t… I felt like I was being crushed by my grandfather’s spirit, which I didn’t know whether it was ambition or madness.

My grandfather straightened his triumphant expression and looked at Claire.

“Thank you for including me in this game, Miss Lawrence. Haedong Corporation will use $1 billion to acquire Triumph’s convertible bonds. I will entrust $1 billion in overseas slush funds to your father. The commission to be paid from the slush funds is 30% of the profits, how about that?”

Claire couldn’t even think of an answer and just blinked her eyes and looked at my grandfather. The size of the investment was huge, but it seemed to have given her quite a shock that she would give half of the 20 percent of the profits that the investment company usually takes.

“Boss.”

Claire took a breath when I called her quietly from the side.

“Of course, Chairman.”

“Good. Please tell your father well. I hope that the two families will join hands and do bigger business in the future.”

My grandfather’s face was full of humanity and fighting spirit. Where is the end of my grandfather’s true self?

###

After sending Lee Seong-min’s party down to the first floor living room, Lee Dae-soo tapped the desk and laughed loudly.

“Hahaha! Now that I see it, there was a lucky charm in our house! He’s a genius among geniuses!”

“Congratulations, Chairman!”

Lee Dae-soo couldn’t stop laughing even after receiving Ko Seung-ju’s congratulations.

“He’s only twenty-five next year, but he made $1 billion in one deal. Seung-ju, what do you think?”

“What can I say, Chairman? Isn’t it something that anyone would be surprised to know?”

“Of course, that’s right. I gave away other people’s money, but if there’s anyone among his peers who has made that much money, tell them to come out. I won’t find him even if I search this country, no, all over the world, euhehe.”

Lee Dae-soo, who was laughing, stopped laughing before he knew it. It was because he couldn’t miss the golden opportunity that his grandson had brought.

“How should we bring in the three houses when we do this project?”

“It would be good to bring in Taehyun Construction, Shinseong Electronics, and Geumgang Electronics and Geumgang Chemical.”

Curiosity arose in Lee Dae-soo’s eyes. He wondered if Ko Seung-ju thought like him, although he had thought about it himself.

“The reason?”

“Even if Taehyun Construction makes money in partnership with Myungjin, the Iraqi receivables are barely covering the interest. Shinseong Electronics is investing all its resources in semiconductors. Geumgang Electronics and Geumgang Chemical each have a 1% stake that your sister-in-law gave to Seongmin.”

Lee Dae-soo smiled with satisfaction at the grounds presented by Ko Seung-ju.

Shinseong and Taehyun, who will sprinkle ashes on the feast, will spend a lot of money as soon as they make money, so it’s not a big problem.

Here, it was perfectly in line with himself to make money for the Geumgang Group, the eldest grandson’s maternal family, which will change its name to GK Group next year, and to increase the eldest grandson’s wealth.

“You had the same idea, hehe.”

“You flatter me, Chairman.”

Ko Seung-ju bowed his head with a humble smile, and Lee Dae-soo took a light breath and said.

“Get Hae-cheol to draw up a quote and let me know. I’ll take care of the rest.”

***

Sitting in front of Seonguiwon’s desk, Jang Ho-geon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lee Soo-han’s stiff face.

“Is it true?”

“Yes, Chairman. Wall Street hedge funds are reportedly converting the dollars they have accumulated into yen. If this continues, the Economic Research Institute has issued a report saying that it will break through 94 yen per dollar and go down.”

“This damn thing.”

Jang Ho-geon’s forehead furrowed and a rough sound came out.

Shinseong Electronics imports various precision parts and materials from Japan and exports finished products made from them to the United States. If the value of the yen against the dollar rises above the current level, it will have to accept losses.

After thinking for a while, Jang Ho-geon exhaled. He felt venom in his eyes as if he had made an important decision.

“Bet on the yen with our surplus funds, my personal cash, and our children’s cash.”

“Ch, Chairman!”

Lee Soo-han was startled. If you bet on the yen, won’t you be at odds with the Japanese business community? Lee Soo-han swallowed hard, but Jang Ho-geon didn’t budge.

“The trend has tilted. The Japanese are weak to the strong and strong to the weak.”

Lee Soo-han realized that Jang Ho-geon had no intention of changing his mind. But…

“There’s no problem with the Chairman’s cash, but even if all three children have cash, it’s only about two or three billion. To mobilize additional funds, you need to get a stock-secured loan.”

“Pull it out of the bank as much as you can without worrying about the government’s eyes. Include Ha-yeon’s money in the betting as well.”

Lee Soo-han’s eyes widened. To include Jang Ha-yeon, who had been neglected because she had no assets to manage?

Lee Soo-han was asking with his eyes if he had decided on a successor, but Jang Ho-geon was also showing on his face that it was not the case.

For Jang Ho-geon, the successor of Shinseong Group was something to be decided later. Much later.