Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 95

95. 28th. One Shot, Multi Kill (4)

30 minutes later.

The fax machine whirred, spitting out paper with its distinctive mechanical sound. Once the noise subsided, the person in charge neatly tore off the pages, compiled them into a report, and handed it to Jang Yong-jae.

“Good work.”

Jang Yong-jae accepted the documents and examined their contents.

“…My dead father remarried a Filipino housekeeper?”

The content was so outlandish that Jang Yong-jae chuckled in disbelief, muttering to himself.

The following details were even more absurd. His stepmother and Jane Leonhardt were locked in a legal battle over the inheritance of the late Ron Hancock, the founder of Hancock Prospecting?

After reviewing the documents, Jang Yong-jae clapped his hands twice.

“Everyone, let’s go to the conference room.”

Jang Yong-jae instructed a junior employee to make copies, then entered the conference room and sat at the head of the table. The employees who followed frowned at the outrageous content of the documents distributed by the junior employee.

“This is a bit…unconventional, but it’s information that just arrived from Australia. We spent millions of dollars to obtain it, so let’s make good use of it.”

As Jang Yong-jae began, the staff swallowed nervously.

The combined annual salaries of everyone in this room wouldn’t amount to a tenth of that money. Was this a bad omen, suggesting that everyone sitting here could lose their jobs?

Jang Yong-jae waved his hand, noticing the tense atmosphere.

“Relax, and let’s brainstorm a good approach. How can we use this information to acquire Hancock’s shares?”

At Jang Yong-jae’s request, one of the staff raised his hand.

“Speak.”

“A pearl necklace seems to be a key item. Since the person in question likes pearls, giving it as a gift would help create a more amicable atmosphere.”

“That’s an obvious preliminary step. More importantly, how can we effectively leverage the relationship between Jane Leonhardt and her stepmother?”

“I’m sorry, Director.”

The staff member quietly lowered his head at Jang Yong-jae’s sharp tone. Other staff members offered their opinions, but Jang Yong-jae remained unsatisfied.

“I’ve heard that you are the most outstanding people in the trading division of Shinseong Corporation. Let’s find a novel approach. Didn’t the Chairman say that a deal moves hearts?”

As Jang Yong-jae’s voice rose in frustration, one staff member’s eyes widened.

“Hearts, Director!”

“What about hearts?”

“I have a request to make beforehand, Director.”

“What is it?”

“I hope you’ll hear me out until the end.”

Seeing the tense expression on the staff member’s face, Jang Yong-jae nodded. Hadn’t he learned from his father that a leader should accept the opinions of his team, whether they are pleasant or unpleasant?

“Alright.”

“Thank you, Director. Currently, there’s no way we can directly help Jane Leonhardt with her lawsuit. We can’t exactly hire a hitman to take care of the stepmother, either.”

Jang Yong-jae’s eyes narrowed momentarily at the extreme suggestion, but he exercised patience and composed himself.

“Continue.”

“Yes. So, I think it’s better to approach this by comforting Jane Leonhardt’s emotional wounds.”

“Comfort, huh…”

As Jang Yong-jae’s voice softened, the staff member’s eyes hardened, and he got straight to the point.

“Yes. A friend of mine who graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in psychology said that things like flowers or paintings are good for healing emotional wounds.”

“Is that so?”

Jang Yong-jae’s eyes lit up at those words. Who knew such a novel idea would emerge?

Seeing Jang Yong-jae’s brightened expression, the staff member composed himself and continued his report.

“Yes. It’s a type of psychological treatment. I think the negotiations will go smoothly if you personally hand her a gift and offer words of comfort when proposing the acquisition.”

“Me?”

Jang Yong-jae asked, his voice rising in surprise, but the staff member said in a firm voice.

“Yes. I think it’s definitely possible with your handsome looks and manners, Director.”

“Hmm…”

Stripping away the flattery, it was a proposal to use himself to get close to her, but Jang Yong-jae made a light humming sound.

Realistically, it made no sense for a foreigner to intervene in a lawsuit between locals. So, the best approach was to comfort the person they needed to approach, offer good terms, and secure the shares.

“Alright. Proceed as planned. But.”

Jang Yong-jae continued where he left off.

“Maintain strict security. Don’t even tell the secretary’s office.”

“But, without the approval of the secretary’s office…”

Seeing the flustered staff member, Jang Yong-jae waved his hand.

“If we pass it to the secretary’s office, they’ll take all the credit. We’ll just end up with a bonus. Do you just want to end up with money?”

At Jang Yong-jae’s words, the staff members’ eyes lit up. Wasn’t he implying he would favor them? As a close aide to the next successor.

Jang Yong-jae smiled, seeing their excited faces.

“I want to go a long way with you all here. So, do as I say. I’ll talk to the Chairman.”

Although he wasn’t going to take all of them, Jang Yong-jae didn’t want to give the credit for this project to the secretary’s office, or more precisely, to Lee Soo-han. Hadn’t he cut off all the connections his maternal family had made to ensure his smooth career?

Although he didn’t completely trust his maternal family, the connections they had made had been devastated by Lee Soo-han’s purge, so now he had to create his own close aides to support him. Jang Yong-jae was preparing to enter the National Assembly in the long term through this project.

The people gathered there weren’t clueless either, and they all answered loudly.

“Yes, Director.”

“Prepare thoroughly from now on. As soon as the preparations are complete, I will go to Perth myself.”

Jang Yong-jae’s face was etched with the determination to succeed.

***

A few days later.

I was having lunch with Jang Yong-jae at a gomtang [beef bone soup] restaurant after receiving his call. We each had a bowl of gomtang and were diligently spooning soup, picking up slices of boiled meat and radish kimchi with our chopsticks and putting them in our mouths.

“Eat slowly, Director Lee. No one’s chasing you, man.”

“I have to get back to work quickly. The stock market is still moving, Director Jang.”

I raised my head, which had been lowered to eat, and replied to Jang Yong-jae, then diligently ate the rice grains in the gomtang with pieces of meat.

Unlike the Japanese stock market, the Korean stock market doesn’t have a lunch break like the American stock market. Because of this, most stockbrokers gulp down their meals or have lunch with hot dogs, sandwiches, coffee, or juice.

I didn’t have to do that, but I deliberately ate quickly. It was to put that quick-witted Jang Yong-jae off guard.

“Why go through all that trouble? Why not set up an office at Haedong Merchant Bank and work there?”

“I’m only twenty-six, and it’s suffocating to be stuck in a company already. I want to do whatever I want while I’m young.”

Jang Yong-jae clicked his tongue at my nonchalant reply and resumed eating.

After finishing all the solids, we picked up the gomtang bowls with both hands and emptied them, drinking the broth.

“Hoo, that was good.”

As I put down the gomtang bowl, Jang Yong-jae chuckled.

“Is it that good?”

“Of course. I can’t find this taste anywhere else.”

“Well, restaurants in Yeouido [Seoul’s financial district] can’t replicate this taste. Haha.”

We exchanged meaningless words and went to a nearby cafe for coffee.

“Things have been going well since I met you.”

At Jang Yong-jae’s casual remark after putting down his coffee, I blinked, pretending not to understand.

“What are you talking about?”

“Things have been going smoothly since I met you and figured out how to raise funds. The information also came together quickly. You’re like a lucky charm!”

Jang Yong-jae looked at me with a pleasant expression, chuckling. He was a sharp guy, but he seemed to think the whole world revolved around him, and he was even throwing compliments my way, so he must have been in a good mood.

Seeing that, I was sure of how Jang Yong-jae was preparing. I also smiled, satisfied that things were going according to my plan.

“Really? Congratulations, hyung [older brother/friend].”

“Just wait a little longer. I’ll fly to Australia soon and bring the contract to your company, hehe.”

“By the way, did you tell Director Lee in the secretary’s office?”

The moment Jang Yong-jae, who had been chuckling, received my question, his expression soured.

“Director Lee, why bring up something that would ruin a good day? Why bring up Director Lee?”

“No, to do business in hyung’s group, you need the final review from the secretary’s office, right? So…”

As I deliberately spoke in a subdued voice and trailed off, Jang Yong-jae waved his hand.

“That’s enough. Director Lee is my father’s man, not my man. I’m going to handle this myself.”

Hearing those words, I cheered inwardly. The plan would have been ruined if Lee Soo-han had seen it, but this guy was still out of his mind because he hadn’t been ruined enough, just like in my memory.

Looking at him, I deliberately widened my eyes and opened my mouth.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m a director now, so I have to do it right. I’ll talk to my father about it, so it’s okay, hehe.”

Jang Yong-jae wore a confident smile, and I returned it with a smile. He was faithfully following the script I had written, so I should pay for the coffee, right?

***

Jang Yong-jae watched Lee Seong-min, who he had parted ways with in front of the cafe, take a taxi back to Yeouido and made a humming sound.

“That guy… he’s a good guy to have around…”

Lee Seong-min had been steadily achieving results in the department store and discount store business, and now he was being scouted by Seon Hae-cheol, the ‘man who sank Japan,’ and was even receiving special training.

There’s no more reliable aide to an owner than a chief of staff who combines both management and investment sense. Jang Yong-jae was confident that he would be the next chairman, but he couldn’t be sure that he could find a chief of staff like Lee Seong-min.

“You stupid bitch…”

Jang Yong-jae cursed his foolish younger sister for missing out on Lee Seong-min. If she had just won him over, his path would have been much easier, but she had messed up her behavior and missed him!

To make matters worse, she was now hooking up with some stallion or dog in the legal world and coming back exhausted every night, which was not only pathetic but disgusting. She should hide what she needs to hide, what a mess!

“What can I do but dig a well if I’m frustrated, damn it.”

Jang Yong-jae sighed with a curse and made a phone call.

“Yes, Father. This is Yong-jae.”

[What’s going on, Yong-jae?]

These days, there was nothing as enjoyable for Jang Yong-jae as calling his father, who was in the National Assembly, ‘Father.’ He wasn’t Hong Gil-dong [a Korean Robin Hood figure], but he had to call him ‘Chairman’ except for breakfast and dinner, so it felt like all the past grievances had been washed away.

“I have something to tell you in person, Father.”

[…Alright. I’ll keep 5 o’clock open, so come then.]

Jang Yong-jae returned to the company, did his work, and then entered the National Assembly at the appointed time and revealed his intentions to Jang Ho-geon.

“You’re going to handle it with your team?”

“Yes, Father.”

Jang Ho-geon made a humming sound as he looked at his son, who wanted to handle this Australian project without the final approval of the secretary’s office.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I… I want to prepare for independence.”

“Independence?”

As Jang Ho-geon’s eyes narrowed, Jang Yong-jae opened his mouth with a calm look.

“Father, you acquired Daehan Semiconductor and created Shinseong Electronics’ semiconductor business. I want to carry out a resource development project with my own strength, like Father’s son.”

“Hmm…”

As Jang Ho-geon only made a humming sound without saying anything, Jang Yong-jae began to persuade him.

“The Australian project team is a team that Father and Director Lee have put a lot of effort into. It’s a team composed of the best of the best in Shinseong Group. The fact that I’m going to solve this with the Australian project team means that I’m going to trust Father and Director Lee, Father.”

Jang Ho-geon couldn’t ignore his eldest son. It was a team he had put together with the best of the best to gain an advantage in the upcoming civil war [internal power struggle], and his son was saying that he would trust him and Lee Soo-han, wasn’t he?

Moreover, he couldn’t resist that look in his eyes, which seemed desperate for the first time. It was the same look he had when he invested his own money to acquire Daehan Semiconductor despite Jang Byeong-ho’s opposition in his youth.

Jang Ho-geon, who had been closing his eyes and leaning his head against the chair, opened his eyes and raised his head.

“Alright. You revived the spark for this project, so it would be good for you to finish it. I won’t hold you responsible even if you fail, so do as you wish.”

Jang Ho-geon decided to give his son a ‘chance.’ He was also responsible for the automobile business, so he wanted his son to receive the fruits of success and the bitter cup of failure, a ‘chance.’

“Instead, you must not forget this project, whether you succeed or fail. Keep it in mind and learn from it.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Jang Ho-geon had mixed feelings as he looked at Jang Yong-jae’s face, which had turned bright. Wasn’t Jang Byeong-ho’s feelings when Daehan Semiconductor, which he had acquired, was absorbed into Shinseong Electronics just before bankruptcy, the same as his own now?

As Jang Yong-jae closed the door and left, Jang Ho-geon made a phone call.

“Is that you, Soo-han?”

[Yes, Chairman.]

“Let’s have Yong-jae take charge of this Australian project.”

[Ch, Chairman?]

Hearing Lee Soo-han’s flustered voice, Jang Ho-geon gave a bitter smile.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. He revived what I gave up because of the Yeongdeungpo redevelopment [a major real estate project in Seoul], so I’m giving him a chance. Like me in my youth.”

[…Are you talking about Daehan Semiconductor?]

Hearing Lee Soo-han’s voice, which had calmed down, Jang Ho-geon nodded as if he had him in front of him.

“That’s right. I was full of enthusiasm and had unfounded confidence that I could do anything. The reason I can calmly talk to you about that past that I want to erase is because I have calluses on the wounds of that past.”

[…Are you saying that Yong-jae also needs to develop calluses?]

“That’s exactly it. It would be good if the Australian project succeeds, but even if it fails, it will give him calluses.”

Jang Ho-geon believed that his son needed to develop calluses in preparation for the time when he would become the next owner of this office. Even if he failed, he would be re-challenging a project that had been abandoned, and it wouldn’t be a big loss, so it would be a good experience, except for the fact that people would point fingers and treat the company as private property.

[I understand, Chairman.]

“Thank you for understanding.”

Jang Ho-geon ended the call with those words.

Now, all that was left was to watch whether his son would grow rapidly while tasting the sweetness of success, or whether he would grow slowly and steadily while developing calluses even if he tasted the bitter cup of failure.