The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 55

#055

Union Leader Son Hyung-soo looked out the window.

Darkness had already fallen.

Even with a large number of union members, it would be difficult to stop the hired thugs.

Especially at night, they would likely use all sorts of weapons to cause mayhem.

Yoon Jung-hoon was right.

‘It’s night. If things go wrong, there could even be fatalities. Those guys… they’re not your typical hired thugs.’

He pondered Jung-hoon’s words once more.

Turning his head, he addressed the people waiting for his instructions.

“Radio the front gate.”

“Yes. What should we say?”

“Everyone retreat to the rear. Disperse over the mountain.”

“Suddenly, sir?”

“Trust me and follow my lead. One step back, two steps forward, a strategic move for the future. Please understand.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Fortunately, there was little resistance due to the trust he had built up over time.

However, Park Min-soo, one of the representatives, strongly opposed.

“We absolutely cannot back down. If we end the strike like this, layoffs are only a matter of time.”

“Hoo.”

Son Hyung-soo sighed deeply.

‘How on earth did he figure this out?’

He recalled the text message he received from Yoon Jung-hoon last night.

‘Park Min-soo will object. 100 million won was sent from International Consulting to his cousin Park Jun-soo’s account.’

“Min-soo, Park Jun-soo is your cousin, right?”

“Yes, how do you know my cousin’s name?”

Park Min-soo was flustered.

“Is it because of the 100 million won you received from International Consulting?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

He denied it loudly and vehemently.

“You were trying to sell out your brothers for money?”

Son Hyung-soo’s anger echoed throughout the office.

“What are you saying? I really don’t know anything!”

Park Min-soo denied it once more, so Son Hyung-soo showed the text message to the others.

Everyone around him gasped briefly and then glared at him with fierce eyes.

“You son of a bitch, you fucking bastard, you sold out your comrades, you piece of shit?”

“You bastard!”

The colleagues hurled insults at him, and he hurriedly ran away.

“Radio the front gate. All union members are to disperse via the mountain trail behind the factory.”

“Yes.”

The strike was called off without achieving anything.

It was a failed strike.

He worried about the stinging gazes of his colleagues.

He had no choice but to place all his hopes on Yoon Jung-hoon, a single ray of hope.

Meanwhile, inside a tour bus waiting in front of the main gate.

The International Consulting hired thugs rechecked their prepared weapons.

Steel cables, pipes, aluminum baseball bats. They gripped various blunt instruments in their hands, steeling themselves.

Late at night, someone slammed a steel cable on the ground, causing sparks to fly.

The darkness made the brief, intense sparks even more prominent.

They were preparing for the impending clash—no, the merciless slaughter—with tense hearts.

“Team Leader, the union members are retreating to the rear.”

“What?”

“It’s true. They’re all pulling back now.”

“Wait.”

He went outside to confirm.

The main gate, which had been full of union members, was indeed empty.

Something was wrong.

He shouted urgently into the radio.

They had to create a clash and provoke a violent situation, even now.

“Everyone get out and rush into the factory. Beat up anyone you see.”

“Yes.”

Hundreds of burly men with weapons in their hands quickly passed through the factory’s main gate.

They searched the vast factory grounds, spanning tens of thousands of square feet, but couldn’t find a single rat.

Team Leader Jo of International Consulting couldn’t understand it.

He was sure they were a militant union.

He expected them to rush in at the slightest spark.

He never imagined they would run away like that.

This was a big problem.

The reporters who had prepared to film the violent situation,

The police who were ready to arrest the union members.

Everything had gone to waste.

‘Who on earth made them retreat?’

It was the best situation for them, but the worst for him.

He was very curious about who was manipulating them.

He looked up at the distant mountain.

He saw countless glittering lights crossing the mountain ridge.

For a moment, he thought there was a forest fire.

All the union members were leaving the factory through the back mountain.

The empty factory echoed only with the footsteps of the burly men.

***

An office decorated in white tones.

It looked like a mental hospital in some ways, but in others, it had a clean and bright atmosphere.

Large green plants were placed throughout to ease the tense atmosphere.

Jung-hoon was quite surprised by Cha Young-mi’s talent.

Cha Young-mi was wearing colorless clothes without makeup today as well.

She had her hair tied back and was looking at the computer.

“Harlequin [Cha Young-mi’s hacker alias], how on earth did you do that?”

“What? The hacking yesterday? That’s my specialty, so it was a piece of cake. I can get into any place I want. Yesterday, I was going to play around with the numbers in the accounts. It was fun getting into the bank after a long time.”

Cha Young-mi said excitedly.

“No, not that. The interior design. Unlike your appearance, your sense is sophisticated.”

Lee Byung-seok burst out laughing at those words, and soon after, he had to let out a painful scream.

Cha Young-mi, who had stood up from her seat, explained to Jung-hoon using unfamiliar interior design terms.

“Ah, yes, thank you for your hard work.”

He answered casually and turned on the TV.

The news was unusually reporting on the unconditional withdrawal of the strike by Daehan Heavy Industries.

According to the news anchor, the citizens of Changwon were reacting favorably to the union for avoiding a clash by withdrawing the strike. The news anchor also added positive comments. It was an unintended reaction.

The screen showed the union members crossing the mountain in the dark and dispersing.

‘It’s done.’

Son Hyung-soo had called off the strike.

He had acted on his trust in Jung-hoon.

Not completely yet, but he had trusted and followed him.

He sensed that Son Hyung-soo would soon become a great strength to him.

He thought about his future.

He would become an independent member of the National Assembly in the near future.

He vowed to be his strength so that his wings would not be broken by unfair events.

It was time to fasten the second button of the Daehan Heavy Industries acquisition battle [referring to the next stage of the acquisition process].

“Cha Young-mi.”

“Yes.”

“Where are the executives of Daehan Heavy Industries right now?”

Cha Young-mi, who was excited, tapped on the keyboard.

“Let’s see… they used the company credit card at the Shilla Hotel….”

After searching the credit card statements, she infiltrated the hotel server.

And after checking the CCTV, she finally came to a conclusion.

“They’re in room 1902 of the Shilla Hotel.”

He felt a chill at her amazing skills.

“Can you find out everything like that if you want to?”

“Well, something like that.”

Cha Young-mi said casually.

Her abilities seemed even more special today.

He thought it was fortunate that he had her by his side.

As he was about to leave the office, Jung-hoon’s phone rang.

It was Kwak Hyun-soo.

“Yes, Chun Jin-hyuk…? I understand.”

He said that Chun Jin-hyuk was causing a disturbance at the nursing hospital again.

He was an enemy, but he had outstanding abilities.

It was obvious that he would die if he was abandoned.

He didn’t think he would become his own even if he kept him.

Anyway, he thought he should meet him once.

As he was about to leave the office, he turned around and looked at Cha Young-mi.

“Harlequin, what do you think it would be like to work with a psycho?”

“What? A ‘psycho’? As long as he’s good-looking, I don’t care.”

Cha Young-mi seemed to care a lot about a man’s face.

But…

When Jung-hoon looked at Lee Byung-seok, Lee Byung-seok hurriedly hid his face behind the monitor.

Yes, people want what they don’t have.

***

President Han Sang-cheol, Vice President Cha Jong-soo, and CFO Kwon Jae-ho of Daehan Heavy Industries were gathered in one room.

They had troubled expressions.

They had come down to the public corporation as semi-parachute appointments [political appointments] and were only wasting their salaries.

A position they had barely obtained before retirement by being as loyal as dogs to the regime.

As long as they did whatever the business told them to do from below, there were no problems.

A company that exclusively supplied generator turbines to Korea Electric Power Corporation.

It was a company that ran well on its own. It was a place where they could relax and retire. It was a place where they could make a big score one last time.

It was a place where subsidiaries and suppliers automatically offered kickbacks.

But suddenly, embezzlement allegations surfaced.

A lightning-fast prosecution investigation.

In the afternoon, prosecutors raided the office and conducted a search and seizure.

It was a situation right before the sale.

He thought that the government, as the seller, would never do anything to lower the value of the company.

He couldn’t figure out who was doing this.

“Hey, Vice President Cha. This is like a bolt from the blue.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“CFO.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

Choi Sang-cheol lowered his voice and asked.

“No one knows about that, right?”

“Yes. No one knows about that.”

Choi Sang-cheol breathed a sigh of relief after hearing CFO Kwon Jae-ho’s words.

The secret slush fund of 20 billion won [approximately $15 million USD] that the three of them had desperately created.

It was money being held through a paper company in Macau.

It was when he went on a business trip to Vietnam last year.

He had prepared the 20 billion won secretly demanded from the ordering company entirely in dollars.

It was something only the three of them knew.

But as the regime changed, the person in charge who requested the rebate and that entire line were purged at once.

They had to give the money, but there was no one to receive it.

It was money that they couldn’t take back with them.

It was ownerless money that wouldn’t be a problem if only the three of them knew and agreed.

He remembered his grandfather’s advice that ownerless money should be taken first.

So he went to Macau, established a paper company, and was holding it there.

They had agreed to distribute it fairly.

Fortunately, that money wasn’t the problem.

Choi Sang-cheol shook his head, lost in thought.

He was more frustrated because he didn’t know the reason.

At that time, Choi Sang-cheol’s phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

“President Choi Sang-cheol.”

“Yes. Who is this?”

“That doesn’t matter, and the CFO and Vice President are there too, right? Put it on speaker mode.”

At the other party’s imposing tone, he unknowingly switched the phone to speaker mode.

“Well, you all know your sins well, right? I’ll bury that for you. Instead, just stay inside for three months. Then I’ll get you acquitted. How about it?”

“What are you talking about? How can we believe your words?”

Choi Sang-cheol answered first as president.

“You’re President Choi, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Let’s see, your daughter and son are currently working as regular employees at Daehan Heavy Industries. Their entrance scores… are a bit lacking. And, even so, playing around with your friend’s wife… I’ll stop here because there are other people present.”

Choi Sang-cheol’s face turned red.

His lips trembled in embarrassment.

“Next is Vice President Cha Jong-soo’s data….”

“I’ll do it. Please, just let me get out acquitted.”

“As expected, you’re quick-witted. Hahaha. CFO Kwon Jae-ho, you agree too, right?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Everyone was desperate.

They didn’t want to reveal their shameful secrets.

It was obvious that they would be socially buried if everything was revealed.

“Then, I’ll keep that in mind. Don’t run away and just show up when the prosecution calls you. Got it?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Then, please take care of it.”

It was when he was about to hang up.

“Ah, President Choi, I didn’t hear your answer.”

“Ah, I understand. I’ll do as you say.”

Only then did the call end.

Everyone’s hearts sank.

“I can’t even guess who it is. It seems like an intelligence agency.”

“Now that it’s come to this, there’s nothing we can do.”

“We just have to hold out for three months, right.”

Each of them hoped that the man’s words would be kept.

But they also knew.

That perhaps, the moment they went in, they would be cut off and unable to do anything.

They were afraid of the thought that they might have to rot in prison for several years like that.

They had no power.

They were just puppet dolls, minor actors who could only be sacrificed for the desired scene.

***

The road to the Shilla Hotel was frustratingly congested.

Jung-hoon asked Kwak Hyun-soo about Chun Jin-hyuk.

“Chun Jin-hyuk, can he work with us?”

“Well, I don’t know because I’ve never worked with an enemy.”

It was a firm tone. Meaning he doesn’t work with enemies.

“You must think I’m meddling unnecessarily.”

“That’s not it. I didn’t want to see someone die in front of my eyes either.”

“Hmm, I saved someone who fell into the water… and now I’m in a situation where I have to pack up the bundle [prepare to deal with the consequences], so I’m also in a difficult situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious if we don’t take him in?”

“That’s true.”

Kwak Hyun-soo hadn’t thought that far.

“I think I’ll have to meet him in person.”

“It’s dangerous. He’s in such an unstable mental state that you don’t know what he’ll do.”

“Well, that kind of threat.”

He remembered the day he knocked Chun Jin-hyuk unconscious in one blow. He knew it wouldn’t be a threat.

“It won’t be easy even if you meet him. It’s best not to expect too much.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do if it doesn’t work out. But shouldn’t we try at least once?”

Jung-hoon’s car entered the Shilla Hotel. Kwak Hyun-soo parked the car at the entrance.

Jung-hoon took the elevator up and stood in front of room 1902, taking a brief deep breath.

Could he persuade them?

Of course. He could.

He believed that the secret they were mistaken in thinking only they knew would become his powerful weapon.

He rang the bell, and a gloomy voice was heard.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Yoon Jung-hoon.”

“Who?”

He pushed the opening door.

He strode inside without permission.

Kwak Hyun-soo followed behind Jung-hoon.

They looked at Jung-hoon, faltering at the threatening visit.

“Are you the one who called earlier?”

“No. But you’ve already been threatened.”

It was a flustered atmosphere.

“Where are you from?”

“Let’s just say I’m someone interested in Daehan Heavy Industries.”

“What’s your business?”

President Choi Sang-cheol asked cautiously.

“Please help me acquire it. Then I’ll get rid of all those guys’ threats.”

“How can we believe that? How can we believe you if you come in out of the blue and tell us to believe you?”

“There’s nothing I can do if you can’t believe me. Then let’s all be buried by our families and society.”

It was when Jung-hoon was about to get up from his seat.

Choi Sang-cheol grabbed him.

“Ahem, don’t get up so hastily and let’s talk a little more.”

“I’m a bit impatient.”

“But is there anything we can do to help? After all, the acquisition battle is something decided from above.”

“That’s right! Just use your influence to make it decided from above.”

“What power do we have with our strings cut?”

“Still, you’re still in contact with those people, aren’t you? And where does power come from if not from people? It comes from money.”

The expressions of those who heard Jung-hoon’s words froze for a moment.

There was nothing wrong with his words.

They had offered alcohol and money to get this position.

Money is power.

And most of the lines are still alive.

“We don’t have money. But how….”

“I have a lot of money.”

CFO Kwon Jae-ho, who had been quietly looking at Jung-hoon from the side.

He finally had an expression that recognized him.

“Are you perhaps Yoon Jung-hoon? Yoon Jung-hoon, the only grandson of the Cash King [a well-known, wealthy figure]?”

Jung-hoon didn’t answer.

He gave him a smile.

“Ah, and I’ll leave the 20 billion won Macau slush fund for you if I acquire it.”

The three people were simultaneously shocked to hear those words.

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King Becomes a Tycoon.