The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 15

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Detective Kang Do-hyun was baffled by Prosecutor Park’s reaction.

He’d sent the information expecting praise and encouragement, thinking he was doing well.

Instead, he was met with a furious outburst.

Detective Kang didn’t know how to process this. He stood there, bewildered, phone in hand.

He could still hear Prosecutor Park Hyun-chul’s cursing echoing in his ear.

“Are you deliberately trying to anger me? What exactly are you doing? Are you even working? How do you plan to deal with that newspaper article?”

Detective Kang thought Prosecutor Park was overreacting.

He tried to calm him down.

“Prosecutor, what’s wrong? It’s just a small article in the newspaper.”

“You, you clueless idiot…”

The call abruptly ended.

“Hoo, hoo.”

Prosecutor Park Hyun-chul took a deep breath and looked at his phone on the floor.

He picked it up, now in two pieces: the phone and the battery.

He’d lost his temper and thrown it, but thankfully it hadn’t broken. He reconnected the battery and turned the power back on.

He tried to calm his explosive emotions with deep breaths.

He had to stop acting like he did when he was just a senior prosecutor.

Now promoted to deputy chief prosecutor, he felt the need to project authority befitting his new position.

“This is Park Hyun-chul.”

“…”

Having heard the barrage of curses, Kang Do-hyun remained silent, feeling offended.

‘Does this bastard think he’s my equal just because I called him?’ Park Hyun-chul’s mood darkened at the silence.

However, Kang was a useful tool who would soon come in handy. He figured he could deal with him later.

For now, he would be patient.

“I was too agitated. I apologize.”

Kang’s heart softened slightly at Park Hyun-chul’s apology.

“It’s okay.”

“Tell me about the situation.”

“Yes, yesterday, the *Joongbu Ilbo* newspaper published a feel-good article about the chairman of Joongbu High School. As you know, Chairman Choi Jae-won is making donations left and right to improve his chances of getting nominated [for a political position or award]…”

Park Hyun-chul interrupted.

“Forget that. Only talk about Yoon Jung-hoon.”

“Yes?… Yes. Chairman Choi personally selected scholarship students, and Jung-hoon is one of them.”

He was bothered by Park saying “Jung-hoon.” Until now, he had been saying “Yoon Jung-hoon.”

“Hmm, Jung-hoon… Then call *Joongbu Ilbo* now and tell them to take down the article.”

“Yes? What do you mean? It’s just a heartwarming article about awarding scholarships.”

“Detective Kang, I don’t repeat myself. Do as I instruct. Okay?”

“Ah, yes, I understand.”

Kang Do-hyun, feeling a chill at his cold tone, replied.

“Then take action and report back.”

“Yes, Prosecutor.”

“Again, say Deputy Chief Prosecutor.”

“Yes, Deputy Chief Prosecutor.”

*Why is he so twisted?*

Kang Do-hyun couldn’t understand Park Hyun-chul’s mood.

He was unpleasant, but after all, the prosecution commanded the police, and Park was his reliable sponsor on the fast track to promotion.

Kang Do-hyun had no choice but to play along.

While looking up the *Joongbu Ilbo* phone number, Kang Do-hyun thought of Lee Pan-soo, the head of the social affairs department at *Joongbu Ilbo*, who was his high school classmate.

More than a reporter, Lee was a guy who liked alcohol and gambling and was good at talking—half reporter, half con artist.

Still, he was a good friend who occasionally provided decent information.

He took out his phone and dialed his number.

“Yo, cop, what’s up?”

“Cop my ass, you trash journalist.”

Kang Do-hyun vented his anger on Lee Pan-soo for no reason and spoke bluntly.

“Hey, take down that Chairman Choi article from yesterday.”

“What? No way.”

“Hey, just take it down.”

“No way, man. More than half of our company executives got paid to run that. The other half went to a room salon [a type of Korean hostess bar].”

“Ah, damn it… Still, can you say something, huh?”

Kang Do-hyun subtly informed Pan-soo that it was a request from the deputy chief prosecutor in Seoul.

“Really? But is Chairman Choi in trouble with the prosecutor? Why is such an order coming from Seoul?”

“No, it’s because of Jung-hoon in that photo.”

“What? Yoon Jung-hoon? That guy seemed like something… He looked manly, and there was something in his eyes.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know because I interviewed him. Hey, a deputy chief prosecutor is making moves because of one high school student? That guy is amazing, truly amazing.”

“I don’t understand it either. Anyway, please.”

“Heh, okay. But what’s going on? A cop is asking a trash journalist for a favor. Wait, I’ll say something.”

“Okay, thanks, trash… I mean, reporter Lee. Hehehe.”

“You’re full of it… Let’s settle on one, whether it’s trash journalist or reporter. Wait, I’ll call you back.”

“Okay, call me right away, it’s urgent… Thanks.”

Kang Do-hyun waited anxiously for the call.

He had a mountain of pending paperwork and receipts to organize, but he couldn’t concentrate at all.

He kept checking the slow-moving clock.

Fortunately, the phone rang in less than 10 minutes.

“It’s not working. Hey, my eardrums are buzzing from all the cursing. Soju [Korean distilled spirit] won’t cut it, buy me whiskey!”

“Really not working? Did you tell them that story too?”

“Of course, I did. Even the prosecutor general wouldn’t be able to do it. Ugh, my ears just hurt, buy me whiskey for sure.”

“Okay. Anyway, thanks, trash journalist.”

“You crazy… 끊어 [cut it off], cop.”

“Hoo…”

Kang Do-hyun sighed deeply.

*Why are they going so far for Jung-hoon?*

He still couldn’t understand.

It was really nothing; no one would pay attention to it.

He wasn’t even the main subject of the article, but they were so desperate to take it down…

He thought about calling himself, but if a current police officer asked to take down an article, it would become a big problem.

It was obvious that an article about media oppression would come out tomorrow.

After much thought, Kang Do-hyun picked up the phone.

***

“Prosecutor.”

“What’s the result?”

It was a businesslike voice.

“They say they can’t take down the article. It’s a promise with Chairman Choi…”

“What? Can’t take it down?”

Park Hyun-chul’s face turned red, but his voice sank coldly.

“I told them indirectly that it was a request from the prosecution… Have the prosecutors of the Republic of Korea become everyone’s punching bag, huh?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What can I do if your skills are so limited? It’s my fault for overestimating you, Detective. Then.”

Park Hyun-chul didn’t want to hear Detective Kang’s pathetic voice, so he hung up without waiting for a response.

*Can’t even handle that one thing, tsk tsk…*

Anyway, there wasn’t a single person who worked to his liking.

*Do these guys even know who the deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is?*

Park Hyun-chul picked up the phone.

“Hey, it’s me. Get Choi Jae-won, the chairman of Joongbu City, file and run [bring the file immediately].”

“Yes, *sunbaenim* [senior colleague/mentor].”

The person answered politely, without asking any questions.

And in less than 10 minutes, a man in his late 30s rushed in.

Park Hyun-chul smiled contentedly at the sight of him with sweat on his forehead.

*That’s how you should work.*

“Here it is.”

“Good job. Go back to your work.”

Park Hyun-chul opened the black approval file, checked Choi Jae-won’s documents, and smiled sinisterly.

He picked up the phone.

“Connect me to the president of *Joongbu Ilbo*.”

“Yes, Prosecutor.”

“Connected.”

“Hello? This is Park Hyun-chul, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office.”

He emphasized the words “Deputy Chief.”

“This is Kim Soo-han, President of *Joongbu Ilbo*.”

“Did you hear about the request to take down the article?”

Park Hyun-chul asked directly.

“Yes.”

“Has your opinion not changed?”

“Yes…”

Kim Soo-han, as the owner of a media company, was trying to protect the pride of the press.

“Huh, huh, you have no intention of taking down the article?”

Park Hyun-chul asked again in a relaxed voice.

“Yes. And this is media oppression. The decision to take it down or not is made by those below. Even if I’m the president, I can’t decide as I please.”

“I understand. Then I can say that the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office illegally requested the deletion of the article tomorrow.”

“It doesn’t have to go that far…”

There was no need to escalate.

He thought if he stopped here, it would pass without any problems.

After all, he didn’t have a strong sense of duty either.

It was just to avoid being easily pushed around.

“Do as you please, but it’s best not to go home today.”

“Yes? Is that a threat?”

“A threat? You’re working tirelessly to protect the justice of the press day and night, so I should also work for the justice of the president’s family.”

“Explain yourself.”

“Ah, with that girl younger than your daughter… Hehehe, enjoy yourself as justly as you always do. I’ll tell your wife.”

Park Hyun-chul’s hearty laughter was heard.

Kim Soo-han’s hand holding the phone began to tremble.

It was a fact that no one in the company knew—a secret rendezvous with his secretary.

He wondered how Park knew that, and he became increasingly terrified.

He wondered how much of his weaknesses Park knew.

“Ahem, President. Don’t think I only know that.”

“…Just deleting the article is enough?”

“That’s what it was at first, but now you have to recall all the newspapers too.”

“How can I do that…?”

“Then there’s nothing I can do. I’ll take care of the rest. Then, please work hard for the sake of media justice…”

“No! Prosecutor!”

Kim Soo-han hurriedly cut off Park Hyun-chul’s words.

An involuntary polite tone popped out of his mouth.

“I’ll take action right now. Please…”

“…I’ll see what you do. Then.”

“Prosecutor, Prosecutor!”

Kim Soo-han, who was staring blankly at the disconnected phone, came to his senses.

He had to fix it quickly.

He pressed the intercom.

“Yes, President.”

“Right now, recall all the newspapers that went out today. Take down all the articles on the internet too.”

The secretary general was flustered by the cold voice.

“Yes?”

“Recall all the newspapers right now!”

It was Kim Soo-han’s urgent voice, different from usual.

“I understand. I’ll do my best.”

The secretary general, who hung up the phone, hurriedly started making calls.

***

The noisy machine sounds were so loud that you couldn’t even hear the person next to you.

A middle-aged man stood at the entrance of a huge factory, over 5 meters high, looking inside with a satisfied smile.

When the heavy machine turns with a rough sound, money turns.

Kim Man-ho couldn’t help but laugh as he imagined the money flowing.

Kim Sang-sik of Future Heavy Industries was struggling with financial difficulties due to excessive technology development.

It had already been 5 years since he had come to see Madam Hyun Jung-ok.

According to Madam Hyun Jung-ok’s policy, he investigated Kim Sang-sik’s reputation along with the collateral.

Fortunately, his reputation and credit among the people around him were good.

She didn’t care about the interest rate for people with good credit, sincerity, and promising futures.

She usually lent money with a condition of receiving 1% more than the interest rate of the secondary financial sector.

A low interest rate that was embarrassing to call a private loan.

Instead, she received stocks.

It wasn’t just once or twice that it became a lot of money.

The name investor was more suitable.

Perhaps she was the first angel investor in Korea?

Kim Sang-sik’s case was the same.

Madam invested in the loaned funds to help him breathe.

If it wasn’t for Madam at that time, he would have been torn to pieces.

“*Hyungnim* [older brother/close male friend]!”

“Oh, you came?”

“You should have called.”

“What call? I watched for a bit, so I’m going to leave now.”

“You’ve come all the way here; you should have a drink of soju.”

“Should I?”

“Didn’t you come to get a drink?”

“Khahahahaha.”

The two men, who exchanged greetings in a loud voice as if they were fighting because of the noisy factory sounds, laughed heartily.

“Let’s go to my office first.”

They moved to a small president’s office inside the factory—a small and simple office compared to the factory’s size.

It reflected Kim Sang-sik’s simplicity as president.

“Call me in advance, *Hyungnim*. I almost had an accident coming in a hurry.”

“Okay, I’ll call you. By the way, is business going well?”

“How does it look? Is it going well?”

“Do I know just by looking? Still, the machine was running non-stop.”

“Yes, I don’t have enough people. Hehehe.”

“You have to row when the tide comes in. You know?”

“Of course. Didn’t the elder [referring to Madam Hyun Jung-ok] come? I prepared precious pine mushrooms to give to the elder.”

President Kim Sang-sik looked disappointed.

“Ahem, the elder is busy these days.”

“Yes? He was organizing his work. What is it?”

His eyes sparkled.

“There’s something going on.”

“Ah, how is the search for his grandson going?”

Kim Man-ho shook his head.

“Is it easy to find? It was like a kidnapping.”

“Well, he must be alive somewhere. I have to believe that.”

“I guess that’s why he’s pouring billions of won into it now.”

Kim Man-ho nodded.

“Okay, what’s for snacks today?”

“How about *jeon-eo* [gizzard shad]? It’s the season for savory ones these days.”

Kim Man-ho smacked his lips.

“Hehehe, *jeon-eo* that makes even a runaway daughter-in-law come back. Let’s go quickly.”

Kim Sang-sik’s suggestion made his butt shake.

At that time, the phone rang in the president’s office.

“Just a moment, *Hyungnim*.”

While Kim Sang-sik was answering the phone, Kim Man-ho picked up the newspaper neatly placed on the table.

As he slowly turned the pages, his eyes were fixed on a photo on the social page.

It was definitely a face he knew.

It was familiar—very familiar.

As Kim Man-ho began to read the article, it suddenly clicked.

*Could it be…?*

“Hey, I can’t today. I had an urgent appointment. Sorry, see you next time.”

He hurriedly packed his bags and stood up.

“Ah, *Hyungnim*, what’s wrong? What’s wrong?”

“No, do what you were doing. I’m leaving.”

Kim Man-ho left the room without even saying goodbye properly.

Man-ho shouted at the man smoking next to the black sedan.

“Hyun-soo, let’s go! Let’s go to the elder quickly!”

Kim Man-ho, who hurriedly got into the car, urged.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Kim Man-ho, who took a deep breath for a moment, calmed down his excitement.

“Ah, right. It’s not something that can be done by rushing. Hoo, let’s go slowly and quickly.”

“Pfft, slowly and safely—what’s slowly and quickly?”

Kwak Hyun-soo pointed out Kim Man-ho’s mistake, but it was strange that there was no reaction.

Kwak Hyun-soo looked at Man-ho through the rearview mirror.

He was looking at the newspaper without moving.

He folded the newspaper and shouted urgently.

“Hyun-soo, stop the car—now!”

Genius Grandson of Cash King Becomes a Tycoon