The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 183

Dressed in black suits, Jeong-hoon and Eun-soo made their way to the funeral hall.

Kang Cheol-joong was pacing near the entrance, his expression grim.

“Hyung!”

“Oh, you’re here. Let’s go inside.”

“Been busy lately? You look like you’ve aged ten years, hahaha.”

“No.”

Eun-soo tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Kang Cheol-joong didn’t respond in kind.

He simply replied with a curt, dry tone.

*He’s probably just on edge because of the case*, Jeong-hoon thought.

His unfamiliar demeanor was unsettling.

As they entered the funeral hall, Jeong-hoon reflected on the gravity of the situation.

The father of the current Minister of Justice and a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had died in prison.

In an accident too gruesome to describe.

The deceased was found with his limbs torn apart.

Neither the bereaved family nor the government, which managed the prison, wanted the truth to surface.

So, it was announced to the press that he had died of an illness.

Jeong-hoon wondered who was behind Park Soo-gil’s death.

It seemed like someone with a terrifyingly deep-seated grudge had orchestrated it.

Only two forces in this land were capable of wielding such power within the prison.

Aside from the government, there was Jeong-hoon’s Hwashin Distribution and Hainseo’s ‘Sincheong’ [likely a powerful organization or faction].

Not long ago, Kim Ae-wol had disappeared without a trace.

All the power had seemingly fallen into Hainseo’s hands.

With the influence she now possessed, she could have disposed of Park Soo-gil in that manner.

But why?

Was her resentment so profound that she had to tear him limb from limb?

He was a man who had been loyal enough to manipulate a will for her.

They entered the funeral hall.

Wreaths lined up, stretching far outside.

But the attendance was sparse.

His last act was that of a criminal who had instigated murder.

No one wanted to be seen at the funeral of a convicted criminal.

The employees and lawyers of Haesong, who had sworn allegiance to Park Soo-gil, and the scholars of Cheonjihoe [likely a scholarly or political group] were also keeping a low profile.

Feeling a pang of sympathy for the empty mortuary, Jeong-hoon felt a desire to fill the space.

He had the power and resources to fill the entire funeral hall with just one phone call.

“You’ve come?”

Park Hyun-cheol, who had been talking outside the mortuary, noticed them, raised his hand, and greeted them.

Kang Cheol-joong greeted him with an expressionless face.

Jeong-hoon and Eun-soo also offered their greetings beside him.

“Let’s go in. Cheol-joong must be busy, so it’s a wonder he found the time to come.”

Park Hyun-cheol led them into the mortuary.

Dahye, wearing a black mourning dress, greeted them with a composed yet complex expression.

Her grandfather, who had once been close but whose ugly true colors she had come to despise.

Dahye’s expression was conflicted, unable to simply grieve.

And she still didn’t seem to fully grasp the reality of death.

Death was an abstract concept for those in their twenties,

A word that didn’t easily resonate.

The three bowed before the deceased’s portrait and then exchanged bows with the chief mourners.

After stepping outside and taking a seat, a simple table setting was prepared.

Dahye came out.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Of course, we had to come, sunbae [senior/older colleague or friend].”

She offered a faint smile at Eun-soo’s words.

“Cheol-joong, your skin looks terrible. Are you okay? You look very tired.”

Dahye chided Kang Cheol-joong as if she had reverted to her high school days.

“What? Terrible? It’s all because of your boyfriend. Your boyfriend is piling so much work on me to get promoted that I can’t even sleep.”

“What? Hyung, should I start sending everything to Chief Prosecutor Kim Soo-ho from now on?”

“Ah, no, not that, anyway, I’m tired, you punk, hahaha.”

“Okay. I’ll ease up. But what can I do? I think I’ll be sending you something even bigger soon.”

At Jeong-hoon’s words, the prosecutor’s instinct in Kang Cheol-joong reacted sharply.

His eyes sparkled with prosecutorial zeal.

“I’ll take whatever you give me. I’ll fillet it properly, so don’t worry and send it over. Let’s aim to become the youngest chief prosecutor. Hehehe.”

It had been a long time since they had sat down and reminisced about the old days.

It was the first time the four of them had gathered since that day at the Chinese restaurant.

“Eun-soo, what about you? I heard you’re acting.”

“It’s fun. I think it suits me. Well, I am the most handsome in the agency, hehehe.”

“I thought you’d become a novelist since you only read novels throughout high school, but it’s a bit unexpected that you’re acting. Well, it’s a waste to just let that face go to waste. Dahye, how about you? Is the office doing okay?”

“Yeah, but… the rent is the scariest. I’m working hard, but there aren’t many jobs that pay well yet.”

“Sunbae, shouldn’t you quit those kinds of jobs if you want to make money?”

“Haha, that’s true, but anyway, the rent is the scariest. I think this month will be a loss too.”

“Pfft, what’s with worrying about money when you have a chaebol [conglomerate/tycoon] boyfriend?”

“Hey, I’m going to earn it and pay it with my own strength. We’re keeping our finances separate.”

“What? Really? I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be watching you from now on.”

“Hey, you wanna die! … I mean, we’re doing it separately for the time being.”

Dahye snapped at Kang Cheol-joong with a fierce look.

It had been a while since they had witnessed Dahye’s murderous intent.

“Anyway, it’s nice to get together like this and think about the old days.”

“Yeah.”

Dahye gazed at Eun-soo and Jeong-hoon.

“Who would have known that you two would end up like this? The troublemakers of Jungbu Market, as the rumors went.”

“Hmm, not me. I lived quietly.”

Jeong-hoon refuted Dahye’s words.

“Our Jeong-hoon lived quietly. Since middle school.”

Dahye’s eyes crinkled into crescent moons.

She was instantly lost in happy memories.

Jeong-hoon was puzzled.

“Middle school?”

“Ah, never mind!”

She was startled and quickly changed the subject.

Everyone reminisced about the old days.

It would have been more enjoyable if it were a proper reunion, but it was, after all, a funeral hall.

Feeling a sense of regret, Jeong-hoon poured the alcohol in front of him into his mouth.

The bitterness he felt after a long time jolted him back to reality.

He glanced around, searching for a snack to counteract the bitterness.

Just as he was about to reach for the boiled pork in front of him,

He heard a commotion at the entrance and turned his head.

“Huh? That person looks familiar.”

Eun-soo blurted out, oblivious to the situation.

President Gu Han-soo entered the mortuary.

Everyone stood up.

Dahye also hurried inside.

The president himself had come to pay his respects.

It was a situation that could potentially spark political controversy.

And Eun-soo scratched his head, displaying his ignorance.

“Who is it? He looks like a mid-level celebrity, but no. If it’s someone in the entertainment industry, there’s no way I wouldn’t know. Boa taught me a lot of names and faces. Jeong-hoon, who is it?”

Jeong-hoon instinctively wanted to slap Eun-soo on the back of his head, which protruded like a chestnut.

He restrained himself, remembering they were in a funeral hall.

He sat down with a dumbfounded expression and said.

“He’s the president of this country, you ignorant fool! Sit down.”

“Wow, daebak [amazing/incredible]. I’m seeing him for the first time. Really.”

“I’m seeing him this close for the first time too.”

Kang Cheol-joong also wore a curious expression.

The commotion subsided, and they sat down again.

Jeong-hoon was curious about Senior Cheol-joong’s situation.

According to him, he had gathered a considerable amount of evidence of Star Group’s corruption.

But it wasn’t the right time to reveal it yet.

Pressure was mounting through various channels even now.

“Park Hyun-cheol said he’d give the signal.”

Park Hyun-cheol?

Suddenly, Kang Cheol-joong dropped the honorifics.

Jeong-hoon looked at him.

Kang Cheol-joong was avoiding his gaze, turning his head, so it was clearly intentional.

It wasn’t a simple disagreement between the two of them.

Earlier, Minister Park Hyun-cheol had treated Kang Cheol-joong with respect.

What problem existed between the two of them?

He felt a growing sense of unease.

Dahye led President Gu Han-soo to the seat where Jeong-hoon was sitting.

“It’s been a while, Chairman Yoon.”

“How do you do?”

A face he hadn’t seen in some time.

Was it because he was suffering from overwork?

His kind and easygoing expression was the same, but he looked tired and worn.

Jeong-hoon bowed respectfully and greeted him.

“How have you been?”

“Yes.”

Gu Han-soo looked around at them.

“May I ask for an introduction?”

As Jeong-hoon was about to introduce his friends at Gu Han-soo’s request, Eun-soo interjected.

“Nice to meet you, I’m rookie actor Jeong Eun-soo.”

He laughed heartily and accepted Eun-soo’s greeting.

“I’m Kang Cheol-joong, a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.”

“Ah, Prosecutor Kang Cheol-joong. I’ve been following Prosecutor Kang’s activities closely. Please continue to demonstrate your outstanding abilities in the future.”

“Thank you.”

Kang Cheol-joong bowed deeply and expressed his gratitude.

“Chairman Yoon, you have good friends. It’s good to see. Shall we talk for a moment?”

Gu Han-soo suggested that Jeong-hoon move to a quieter place.

He was curious about what the president wanted to discuss.

“As you know, the election is coming up soon. I think you know what the result will be. You have to be careful. I’m just a president with no power now. Be careful of Cheon Seong-han. He’s in hiding after retiring from his position as minister, but the forces that follow him are powerful.”

“Is it a power so strong that even the president can’t do anything about it?”

“…It’s embarrassing, but yes. I definitely thought I had purged them properly, but they were hiding in a deeper and more secretive way. More than half of the generals I thought were my people were in league with them.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chiefs of Staff of each branch of the military are all in league with them.”

“How could this happen…?”

“Over the past five years, it has been most difficult to control the closed-off military. They monopolize information. So I was thoroughly deceived. You have to be careful in the future.”

His expression was filled with regret.

“I understand. Thank you for your advice, Mr. President.”

“And this, it might be helpful.”

Gu Han-soo handed Jeong-hoon a business card with only a phone number written on it.

“Use it when you really need it.”

“Thank you.”

Jeong-hoon received the business card.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

As Gu Han-soo prepared to depart, everyone stood up and bid him farewell.

They accompanied him to the funeral hall entrance and saw him off.

At that moment, a black sedan pulled up nearby.

The door opened, and Chairman Lee Seok emerged.

Hainseo also appeared on the other side.

Gu Han-soo glanced at the people exiting the car and said.

“Be careful of that woman.”

Gu Han-soo pointed to Hainseo, who was entering the funeral hall.

“That woman has a close relationship with the wife of the next presidential candidate. Perhaps the next regime will be the era of Star Group. You have to be careful.”

“I understand. Thank you for your advice.”

“If you hold on, an opportunity will come.”

Gu Han-soo departed, and Jeong-hoon returned to the funeral hall.

In front of the mortuary, Eun-soo and Lee Seok were locked in a fierce stare-down, as if they were about to engage in a deadly fight.

Hainseo entered the mortuary and prepared to pay her respects.

She picked up a chrysanthemum and placed it before Park Soo-gil’s portrait.

Then she bowed her head in silent tribute, before turning her gaze to Park Hyun-cheol.

“I offer my deepest condolences.”

She didn’t bow her head.

Park Hyun-cheol also stared at her without bowing in return.

Sparks seemed to fly inside and outside the mortuary.

Jeong-hoon couldn’t remain idle.

He had to issue a warning.

He couldn’t tolerate Hainseo’s audacity.

He approached Hainseo.

“To come to the funeral of someone you personally disposed of is incredibly vicious.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

Hainseo appeared flustered by Jeong-hoon’s accusation.

Park Hyun-cheol also harbored suspicions but couldn’t be certain, so he looked surprised when Jeong-hoon identified her as the culprit.

“Isn’t that so?”

He glared at Hainseo.

As expected, she returned Jeong-hoon’s glare.

She raised one corner of her mouth in a sneer.

“So what if it is? What are you going to do if I killed him? Ah, Minister of Justice, are you going to arrest me? You have Prosecutor Kang Cheol-joong, whom you cherish so much, outside. Tell that friend to arrest me, then?”

“Lower your voice. What are you doing in the mortuary? It’s not something to be proud of, but he was my father. I can’t tolerate any more insults.”

“Hmph, insults, Park Soo-gil, his very existence is an insult.”

For a fleeting moment, a murderous intent flashed in Hainseo’s eyes.

Her eyebrows twitched.

She retrieved a cigarette from her bag, placed it in her mouth, and lit it.

After taking a deep drag, she puckered her red lips and blew smoke directly into Park Hyun-cheol’s face.

It was a deliberate insult.

Park Hyun-cheol, trembling with rage at her provocation, closed his eyes and attempted to regain his composure. He seemed determined to avoid any further escalation.

Jeong-hoon snatched the thin cigarette from her hand.

“No smoking. Eun-soo’s mother.”

“What are you talking about?”

Hainseo reacted sharply.

She quickly glanced around at the people nearby.

The others who overheard Jeong-hoon’s words were also taken aback.

“I’m holding back a lot right now. But if you continue to commit these unnecessary murders, I can’t hold back any longer.”

“What? What are you going to do?”

Jeong-hoon fixed Hainseo with a piercing stare.

She didn’t avert his gaze.

He decided he had to deliver a clear and forceful warning.

If she underestimated him, she might endanger his loved ones.

“Shall I show you the full extent of my power?”

Hainseo was visibly startled by Jeong-hoon’s intensity and took a step back.

“What? Get away!”

Cash King’s Genius Grandson, Becoming a Chaebol