The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 138

138. Crisis and Opportunity (1)

Jeong Hyun-woo’s plan was as follows:

Chief of Staff Hong Won-ik would support Jeong Min-young to succeed Chairman Jeong Woo-sun. Then, he would receive the promised affiliate and grow it into another Daewoon Group.

This development was inspired by the LX Group, which was divided into several groups after the founder’s death.

Jeong Hyun-woo’s plan didn’t end there.

He also had a Plan B: if his youngest uncle, Jeong Min-young, failed to properly manage Daewoon Group or made a critical mistake, he would acquire Daewoon Group’s shares and either become the chairman or effectively act as the chairman.

However, Chief of Staff Hong Won-ik’s unexpected words and actions began to shake everything.

“So, you’re saying Chief Hong was severely reprimanded by Grandfather?”

The person on the phone with Jeong Hyun-woo was Jeong Min-young. He replied in a gloomy voice.

“There’s even talk that he’ll be forced to resign soon.”

The regular personnel reshuffle in January was just around the corner.

‘If Chief Hong gets cut off here, my youngest uncle’s power will be reduced by half.’

That wasn’t all.

Choi Kyung-min, whom he had planted, might also be reassigned to a regional post.

‘That would be a problem.’

Jeong Hyun-woo didn’t want to lose Daewoon Group.

‘It’s not about the money.’

Daewoon Group was a company that symbolized his identity.

“What on earth did he do to end up like this?”

“I don’t know the details either.”

“Isn’t Chief Hong telling you?”

“We’re not close enough to share such stories.”

The two had boarded the same ship at Jeong Hyun-woo’s suggestion, but they weren’t on familiar terms. Besides, it was even more difficult to ask about such things.

Jeong Hyun-woo sighed briefly.

“Haa… I understand. I’ll find out myself.”

Surprised, Jeong Min-young raised his voice.

“You’re not going to call Father, are you?”

Jeong Hyun-woo frowned and retorted.

“Do you think I’m an idiot? Would I call Grandfather?”

Asking Chairman Jeong Woo-sun, who was angry, about this matter would be foolish.

Jeong Min-young nodded slowly and replied.

“Then you mean you’re going to call Chief Hong.”

Jeong Hyun-woo took a deep breath and raised his voice.

“Uncle!”

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“Straighten your shoulders!”

Jeong Min-young’s eyes widened at his nephew’s shout.

“Hyun-woo.”

“If you get discouraged by something like this, you can’t become the chairman of Daewoon Group. Act like Grandfather, talk like Grandfather. Do you know what I mean?”

A sharp rebuke from his nephew.

Jeong Min-young was jolted back to his senses.

“I’m sorry. I showed you a pathetic side.”

Jeong Hyun-woo said in a dry voice.

“Act like nothing’s wrong. No, you need to act confidently, especially in times like these.”

Jeong Min-young nodded at his words.

“I understand. I will.”

“Try it once.”

“Try it once?”

“Try speaking confidently.”

At Jeong Hyun-woo’s urging, Jeong Min-young took a deep breath. Then, he slightly raised his voice.

“I understand. I’ll speak confidently!”

Only after confirming that his voice had strength did Jeong Hyun-woo lower his voice.

“Uncle, don’t forget that spirit. Never lose to your eldest brother.”

He urged him once more before hanging up the phone.

Click.

“Hoo… I don’t know what happened between Chief Hong and Grandfather.”

He could only guess at two possibilities.

The first possibility was Chief of Staff Hong Won-ik’s direct advice. As the chief of staff, he could have given advice that displeased Chairman Jeong Woo-sun at any time.

‘But would Grandfather fire Chief Hong, one of his close aides, just for giving direct advice?’

He thought this was unlikely.

‘It’s probably the second one.’

The second was Chief of Staff Hong Won-ik’s personal corruption. This could be financial or a private matter, such as an affair with a subordinate.

Either way, it would be fatal for a retainer of a *chaebol* [a large South Korean business conglomerate] family like Hong Won-ik.

‘Unless it’s something very minor, Grandfather won’t forgive it.’

He took a deep breath and picked up the phone.

Drrr. Drrr.

After dialing a few numbers, the signal started to ring.

Beep. Beep.

Soon, Chief of Staff Hong Won-ik answered the phone.

“Hello.”

“Chief, it’s me.”

Hong Won-ik sighed deeply after realizing that the caller was Jeong Hyun-woo.

“Haa… I knew you’d call.”

Jeong Hyun-woo asked in a firm voice.

“I heard from my uncle. What’s going on?”

The first person to tell him about Hong Won-ik was Choi Kyung-min. However, he subtly hid Choi Kyung-min’s existence and put Jeong Min-young in the forefront.

Hong Won-ik replied sadly.

“A salaryman crossed the line.”

Jeong Hyun-woo clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Tsk, is it embezzlement after all?’

He wondered if he should have given Hong Won-ik more financial support.

But if his embezzlement wasn’t a recent event but had been accumulating since the past, then support wouldn’t have helped.

“Can’t you tell me what happened?”

Hong Won-ik felt like he had sand in his mouth.

“Yes, you need to know.”

Jeong Hyun-woo narrowed his brows.

‘I need to know? Was Chief Hong and I that close? Or is it something related to me?’

The first thing he could think of was the Gangnam building that Chairman Jeong Woo-sun had given him as a gift.

He might have embezzled about 30% of the purchase cost when buying that building.

Next was the Daewoon Electronics stock that Chairman Jeong Woo-sun had transferred to him.

He could have inflated the costs or amounts incurred during the transfer process to embezzle cash.

‘Either way, it’s not good.’

Just as he narrowed his brows,

Hong Won-ik lowered his voice and began to speak.

“Hyun-woo, the Chairman found out about you.”

Jeong Hyun-woo raised his eyebrows at his words.

“Grandfather found out about me?”

Hong Won-ik’s voice lacked strength.

“It was like trying to cover the sky with the palm of your hand anyway.”

Even if they blocked domestic media with the power of the Blue House, it was a fact that would eventually be known.

The problem was that he thought he could hide it from Jeong Woo-sun’s eyes and ears just by Hong Won-ik’s silence.

“Grandfather asked Chief if he knew about my affairs, is that it?”

“It was wrong for a salaryman to presumptuously try to get involved in the politics of a *chaebol* family.”

The mistake Hong Won-ik was talking about wasn’t embezzlement or fraud. It was getting involved in this game according to Jeong Hyun-woo’s wishes; he thought that itself was a mistake.

“Chief.”

“How far did he tell you?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Then?”

Jeong Hyun-woo said in a dry voice.

“It’s not your fault, Chief.”

“Are you comforting me?”

“No.”

“If it’s not comfort, do you want to say it’s your fault?”

Jeong Hyun-woo nodded and replied.

“It’s my fault.”

“Why is it your fault?”

“Because I made you move.”

Hong Won-ik’s voice was low.

“Hyun-woo.”

“But Chief.”

“Let’s talk about me first.”

Jeong Hyun-woo could tell that Hong Won-ik had a lot to say.

“I understand. Go ahead first.”

Hong Won-ik said.

“I’m not cut out for this kind of fight. I was only good at writing reports, managing the Chairman’s schedule, and holding an umbrella next to him when it rained.”

Jeong Hyun-woo didn’t think so.

“If that’s all you thought about, you shouldn’t have become the Chief of Staff.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Chief of Staff is the Chairman’s closest aide. It’s a position where you can’t help but get involved in internal politics.”

Hong Won-ik asked him.

“Are you saying that it’s not wrong to have engaged in politics because I stood in a position where I couldn’t help but do internal politics?”

Jeong Hyun-woo asked a question instead of answering.

“Don’t you think so, Chief?”

“Hehehe, you…”

Jeong Hyun-woo’s audacity was hard to deal with.

“When the Chairman asks a question, just accepting that question can be politics.”

“I’ve never answered with ulterior motives.”

“Even if you didn’t answer with ulterior motives, ulterior motives are bound to be involved. Because people can’t be perfect.”

Hong Won-ik was speechless.

‘Hyun-woo is right about that.’

No matter how hard he tried to maintain balance, it was never easy to do so.

In the end, he gave up on maintaining balance and leaned towards Jeong Hyun-woo.

“Anyway, thanks to getting involved in the *chaebol* family’s fight, I’m leaving the company early.”

Jeong Hyun-woo raised his eyebrows and asked.

“Why are you quitting the company, Chief?”

“Do you think an owner would just let it go if a company employee knew about company matters and didn’t report them?”

Jeong Hyun-woo answered his question.

“Depending on the severity of the matter, I think they might.”

“But I don’t think that’s the case this time.”

Hong Won-ik wasn’t hired by Jeong Hyun-woo but by Daewoon Group.

The person the Daewoon Group Chief of Staff had to take care of first was Jeong Woo-sun, the chairman of Daewoon Group.

However, he had prioritized Jeong Hyun-woo and proceeded with his work.

‘It was foolish.’

Because he had learned a huge secret, he couldn’t help but want to use it.

“Chief.”

“It’s not something that will work even if you stop me.”

Chairman Jeong Woo-sun’s heart was already coldly hardened.

‘It’s not a problem I can do anything about.’

Yesterday evening, he had no choice but to leave the chairman’s office with his head bowed.

“I’ll call him.”

“Hyun-woo.”

“My problem isn’t a Daewoon Group problem but a Jeong family problem. You’re not a butler of the Jeong family. It’s unacceptable for you to leave the company because of my affairs.”

Hong Won-ik didn’t think so.

“I was the one who was in charge of supporting you from the start.”

“That’s what Grandfather did wrong.”

“The Chairman?”

“He treated Daewoon Group employees like servants.”

Jeong Hyun-woo’s voice was sharp.

“Hyun-woo, if you call the Chairman now, you’ll end up fighting.”

“Even if we fight, I have to say what I need to say.”

“Don’t do that.”

“No, I have to say what I need to say.”

Hong Won-ik tried to stop Jeong Hyun-woo.

“It’s something that can end with just me.”

“It won’t end with just you, Chief.”

“…”

Jeong Hyun-woo strained his voice.

“If you step down here, my youngest uncle will also step down. Think about this again. Who benefits the most from your resignation?”

The one who benefits the most from his resignation.

“Are you saying that Min-seok planned this?”

“Even if my eldest uncle didn’t plan it, could he have no involvement at all?”

Hong Won-ik narrowed his brows.

‘If it’s Min-seok, he might have known about Hyun-woo’s affairs.’

He couldn’t assume that all the employees working in the secretary’s office were his people.

It was highly likely that some were Jeong Min-young’s people, and some were Jeong Min-seok’s people.

‘Even if only one or two of the things I instructed last time reached Min-seok’s ears…’

This could have happened.

“Even if Min-seok is involved, what can we do now that things have already turned out this way?”

“I can reverse it if I step in.”

“Hyun-woo.”

“Please trust me.”

Hong Won-ik thought that Chairman Jeong Woo-sun’s mind was already made up.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ll end up getting hated too if you try to protect me.”

“Chief, do you think I have a reason to fear Grandfather?”

Jeong Hyun-woo was already a billionaire with assets of billions of dollars.

Even comparing simple amounts, he was richer than Chairman Jeong Woo-sun.

“I can’t persuade you with my skills.”

“Chief, just wait and do nothing. I’ll call Grandfather.”

Jeong Hyun-woo clenched his fist tightly after hanging up the phone with Hong Won-ik.

“The other side drew their sword first!”

While talking to Hong Won-ik, he felt certain that Vice President Jeong Min-seok’s side had moved.

‘If they’ve moved, we can’t just sit back and take it.’

Jeong Hyun-woo wanted to use this incident in reverse.

* * *

22 hours ago.

Chairman Jeong Woo-sun frowned at Vice President Jeong Min-seok’s report.

“What are you talking about? Hyun-woo became a *chaebol* in America?”

Vice President Jeong Min-seok handed the report forward and replied.

“I also thought it was nonsense at first. But after checking through the US branch, that wasn’t the case.”

Chairman Jeong Woo-sun didn’t even read the report he handed over.

“Min-seok, are you dreaming? Hyun-woo is a *chaebol*…”

He was worried that something might be wrong with his son’s mind.

“Father, please take a look at the report. I’m already over forty, aren’t I? I’m not seeing things or saying strange things.”

Chairman Jeong Woo-sun sighed deeply at his son’s request.

“Hoo…”

He very carefully unfolded the report. As if opening Pandora’s box.

Ssssk.

As soon as he turned the first page, a photo immediately caught his eye.

“Hmm.”

The main character in the photo was Jeong Hyun-woo. And below the photo was a scraped article written by an American reporter.

“This article isn’t fabricated, is it?”

Jeong Min-seok replied in a firm voice.

“What kind of skills do I have to fabricate this? And what benefit would I get from fabricating it?”

The second page of the report contained an article about Charlie Jeong, an MIT graduate, achieving great success.

And below that was confirmation that Charlie Jeong was Jeong Hyun-woo’s American name, and that there was only one student named Charlie Jeong at MIT.

“Hmm.”

Chairman Jeong Woo-sun could only groan repeatedly. His grandson’s success seemed somewhat shocking to him.

‘Maybe he takes after his father.’

Jeong Min-hyuk, Jeong Hyun-woo’s father, had the most outstanding talent among his brothers.

“Min-seok.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I’ll check this content, so you stay quiet.”

Vice President Jeong Min-seok immediately bowed his head.

“I understand.”

He knew which direction his father’s surprise would flow.

‘Now Father’s arrow will be aimed at Chief Hong.’

It could be said that Chief of Staff Hong Won-ik was responsible for Chairman Jeong Woo-sun not knowing anything until now.

“I’ll step down.”

“…”

Vice President Jeong Min-seok smiled with satisfaction after leaving the chairman’s office.

‘It worked perfectly.’

Originally, he wanted to recruit Jeong Hyun-woo in the United States. He even tried to send Han Jin-ye, the second daughter of Jeong In-hae, to Boston for that purpose.

However, after meeting Jang Seong-jo, the head of Daewoon Group’s public relations team, his thinking completely changed.

Jang Seong-jo suggested that since it was difficult to recruit Jeong Hyun-woo, they should use this incident in a different direction. And that plan was aimed at Hong Won-ik, who could be said to be Jeong Hyun-woo’s close aide.

‘If Chief Hong gets cut off here, Hyun-woo’s power will be greatly reduced. It was beneficial for us that Chief Jang and Chief Hong didn’t have a good relationship.’

Starting with the donation incident that Jeong Hyun-woo carried out in Busan earlier this year, Public Relations Director Jang Seong-jo had been criticized by Hong Won-ik several times.

He felt severe stress each time, and eventually developed animosity towards Chief of Staff Hong Won-ik.

Public Relations Director Jang Seong-jo wanted to push out Chief of Staff Hong Won-ik through this incident.