The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 69

#069

Thick cigarette smoke and women’s laughter filled the air.

Lee Hyeong-jung bowed deeply at the door of the secret room.

“Come in.”

He gestured to the women, and they scurried out.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, what’s the reaction?”

“The loan business registration was rejected, and he’s quite angry. I told him I’d handle it.”

“Is that so? Then we can approve it now. That will make him trust you more, right?”

“If I step in and solve it, I think I can take over the president’s position.”

“Is that incompetent still the president?”

“Yes, he’s not suited for this at all. I don’t understand how he’s holding on.”

“You said it, didn’t you? This industry is where you have to be ruthless.”

“Yes, you must use any means necessary to make money.”

Song Yun-ho nodded at those words.

“Ruthlessness… In the end, it’s greed.”

With that thought, Song Yun-ho pondered.

‘In the end, it’s money, greed. You have to take everything.’

After a while, the door opened, and a man with a haggard look was dragged in.

“I’m sorry. I’ll deposit it tomorrow.”

“It was due yesterday.”

“Well, didn’t your side give the wrong account number? It’s not my fault.”

“I don’t know about that. As promised, I’ll take the company that was collateral.”

The haggard man’s face contorted.

He jumped up and glared at Song Yun-ho.

“What is this? You deliberately didn’t receive the money. You guys all planned this, didn’t you? It’s the company I built with my blood and sweat, my youth!”

“If you’re not happy, you can go to court. File a lawsuit. Won’t the court make a fair judgment?”

“You son of a bitch, you’ll be cursed…”

His sharp tone made Lee Hyeong-jung uncomfortable.

He jumped up and hit the man’s head with the tambourine in front of him.

Then, he turned to Song Yun-ho.

He slightly bowed his head, asking for permission.

Song Yun-ho nodded with a satisfied smile.

Lee Hyeong-jung grabbed the cold, silver microphone and repeatedly struck the man’s head.

“Hey, watch your tone. He’s like a god. You should be grateful just to meet him. At least he listened to your grievances.”

– Thwack

“Ugh…”

The man, bleeding profusely on the floor, couldn’t say anything.

Only faint groans were heard.

Song Yun-ho watched the scene with satisfaction.

He had obtained a good sword [loyal enforcer].

“Come, have a drink.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re ruthless. I have a lot to learn.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“What are you sorry for? People pay to watch fights, and I got a free show. I’m in a good mood today. I got a profitable company, a good sword, and a sword dance. Show it to me often in the future.”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyeong-jung answered briefly and raised his glass.

He glanced at the young master’s face.

A cold smile flashed across his face.

***

Kang Sang-cheol, under Yoon Jeong-hoon’s secret orders,

Entertained Financial Supervisory Service employees through various channels.

He sat next to them in illegal gambling dens and even lost money.

He also had drinks with them to become acquainted.

As the young master instructed, he acted a bit like a pushover.

It wasn’t difficult anyway. He was a kind-hearted pushover himself.

So, the public officials with some power liked him very much.

There was no reason to dislike him.

He lost money for them, bought them drinks, and occasionally sent them to Hong Kong for… entertainment.

“Young Master, it’s Sang-cheol.”

“I’ve made many friends with the Financial Supervisory Service staff as you said.”

“Good job. The staff level is low, but they’re important. Nothing gets done without their signatures. And they’re the friends who will rise up someday.”

“Ah, I see. I don’t know much about that… ahem.”

“You don’t need to know. Just keep meeting them and staying close.”

“Understood.”

Jeong-hoon hung up and went back into the cafe. He went to Lee Hyeong-jung, who was waiting for him.

He took a sip of the cold iced Americano on the table.

The caffeine flowed through his body.

“How did it go?”

“They said the approval will be out by the middle of next week.”

“Good job. You’re handling things quite quickly.”

“It’s nothing. It was easy to handle because you supported me.”

Jeong-hoon took out a credit card from his pocket.

“This is a gift. Think of it as a corporate card and use it for whatever you need. You can use this for entertainment too.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Hyeong-jung jumped up and expressed his gratitude.

Jeong-hoon looked at him and thought.

The man who was the president of a company in his past life is now bowing to him.

That person had killed him.

Complex emotions intertwined.

“Just a moment.”

Jeong-hoon answered the phone that rang. It was Yoo Min-cheol. He deliberately answered it on speakerphone.

He had to leak information to Lee Hyeong-jung.

“Young Master, it’s me.”

“Yes. Chairman Rio Tinto is sending his daughter as an agent.”

“Why? Is there a problem with the contract?”

“No. I don’t think so. The chairman’s health suddenly deteriorated. He said we could postpone the schedule, but he wants to sign the contract quickly.”

“Isn’t it something anyone would covet?”

“That’s right. Hehehe.”

Yoo Min-cheol laughed pleasantly.

“Then, please take care. President Yoo. Oh, are you still checking the abandoned mine these days?”

“Yes, please be careful. You’ll hit the jackpot soon, so it would be a disaster if you got hurt.”

“Understood. Thank you, President.”

Hanging up, Jeong-hoon thought about Yoo Min-cheol.

A 10 percent shareholder and president.

How much money will he make from this deal?

A life that was difficult due to internal whistleblowing.

He, who had sought to rebuild himself in a dilapidated mining company, will soon hit the jackpot.

Yet, he is faithfully doing what he has to do.

He was a trustworthy person.

Jeong-hoon was pleased that those who were loyal to him were making money.

If he bragged to Lee Hyeong-jung, the news would be conveyed to someone.

And he would definitely be jealous.

“We are selling some of our Shinhwa Development shares to Rio Tinto this time. They say they’re buying 39 percent for 1 trillion won [approximately $750 million USD].”

Lee Hyeong-jung’s eyes shook violently at the amount of 1 trillion won.

It was an amount he had never even touched.

“Amazing, Young Master. How did you acquire such… skills?”

“I was lucky. I just did some good things and stumbled upon it.”

People are more jealous of what they get by luck than what they achieve with their skills.

Jeong-hoon wanted this good news to be widely known.

That included the person who hired Lee Hyeong-jung.

“Young Master, you were born with luck.”

“I guess so. No matter how good your skills are, you can never beat a lucky person. Luck is the best.”

Jeong-hoon smiled brightly, and Lee Hyeong-jung gave a bitter smile.

Because he remembered the past when he had no luck at all.

“Young Master. But what kind of company is Rio Tinto?”

“It’s a mining company. One of the world’s top three mining companies. They are very interested in our vanadium mine in Goesan.”

Vanadium, a rare resource of the future along with lithium. It’s a decent price now.

But as its uses increase, it will rise even further in the future.

“That’s right. Since the Shinhwa Development president received stock options of 10 percent… Hooo.”

Even Jeong-hoon was surprised at how big the amount was.

“Is it about 250 billion won [approximately $187 million USD]? Young Master.”

Lee Hyeong-jung calculated the value of Yoo Min-cheol’s shares.

“It’ll be about that much. Then go in and do your work. I’ll sit here for a while and then leave.”

Lee Hyeong-jung got up from his seat, bowed, and went out of the cafe.

The afternoon of September was still hot.

The two hundred billion won of Shinhwa Development President Yoo Min-cheol flickered before his eyes.

If he worked as the president of Shinhwa Lending and received stock options, he could receive at least billions, or even hundreds of billions.

But he had made a different choice.

‘I should have chosen Yoon Jeong-hoon instead of Song Yun-ho.’

He realized that his choice was wrong.

Regret washed over him like a wave.

***

“Father, it’s Yun-ho.”

“Come in.”

Song Cheol-ho, who was sitting in his study, looked at his son.

He wondered if he knew why he had sent him to the loan business.

“Is the work difficult?”

“It’s not difficult. I’m learning a lot.”

“What are you learning?”

“I’m learning about greed.”

It was a satisfactory answer.

“Learning about greed… Didn’t you have any greed until now?”

“I grew up under Father without lacking anything. I had everything I wanted. So, I wasn’t greedy.”

“That’s right. Do you have greed now?”

“Yes. There’s something I want to have.”

“What do you have to do?”

“I have to become more ruthless and cruel.”

Song Cheol-ho nodded.

It was worth sending his son to the loan business, which was full of bottom-of-the-barrel lives.

That place was full of all kinds of ugly greed.

You have to become more ugly and greedy than them to lead Cheonjihoe [likely a criminal organization].

“How cruel have you become?”

“I’ve driven bottom-of-the-barrel lives into the abyss. I took the bodies of those who couldn’t repay their debts and swallowed up companies.”

“Didn’t you feel sorry for them?”

“I would have felt sorry for them in the past. But I changed my mind. I think it’s a fair price for those who didn’t repay their debts.”

“Good job.”

He felt good hearing his father’s praise for the first time in a while.

Song Yun-ho told his father about the next target.

“Yoon Jeong-hoon is trying to enter the loan business. I’ll take it from him.”

Song Cheol-ho’s eyes changed.

“Son, you have to make sure he can’t have it before you take it. You have to make him kneel before you win the war.”

Realizing his mistake, he bowed his head.

“Understood.”

Hearing his son’s unsure voice,

Song Cheol-ho frowned.

“You didn’t just let him enter the loan business, did you?”

“…”

“You incompetent fool. Were you careless? Or did you want to compete with Yoon Jeong-hoon and win?”

Sweat formed on Song Yun-ho’s face at Song Cheol-ho’s scolding.

“I’m sorry. I was short-sighted. Instead, I’ll take everything he has. Father.”

“…I understand. Take everything he has. Money, status, and your woman too.”

Thinking of Park Da-hye, Song Yun-ho’s eyes blazed.

“Understood.”

He bit his lip tightly.

Yoon Jeong-hoon must be sent to hell.

“When will the Japanese funds come in?”

“They’ll come in around November. We’ll start advertising the loan business to coincide with that. According to Japanese experts, it seems quite profitable.”

Funds from the Nagoya branch of the Yamaguchi-gumi system [a major Yakuza organization] in Japan will come in November. They planned to set up a joint venture with a Korean-Japanese as president to enter the loan business. Japan would provide the capital, and Ilsong would provide the manpower and location.

“Yes, we have to hurry. It’s a third financial sector different from the private loans so far. A new market is opening.”

“Understood. I’ll hurry as much as possible.”

“Preemption! It’s easier for the one who takes it first to expand. Keep that in mind.”

“Understood, Father.”

“By the way, what is that Yoon Jeong-hoon doing these days?”

“He says he’s selling Shinhwa Development shares to Rio Tinto.”

“Rio Tinto? Are you talking about the Australian mining company?”

“Yes, he says he’s selling Shinhwa Development shares to them.”

Hearing Song Yun-ho’s words, his eyebrows twitched.

It was definitely that abandoned mine.

It wasn’t a mine owned by Ilsong.

It was rented for drug manufacturing.

He could have taken it if he wanted to.

Yoon Jeong-hoon bought a company with a mine and mining rights that were no different from ruins.

At first, he laughed at him.

But, those ruins became money.

A company he bought for 2 billion won…

-Bang, bang, bang

He repeatedly slammed his desk with his palm.

That was the only place to blame his foolishness.

He envied Yoon Jeong-hoon’s luck.

“How much… does he say he’s selling the shares for?”

“He said he’s selling 39 percent for 1 trillion won.”

– Crash

The glass in Song Cheol-ho’s hand shattered.

“Ah, Father, are you okay?”

He looked at his son with blazing eyes.

“Take everything from Yoon Jeong-hoon, without leaving anything behind.”

Song Cheol-ho’s face blazed like a flame.

***

Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving] had passed.

During the holiday, Grandma was lying in her room.

He asked why, but she didn’t answer.

She was always sick only during Chuseok.

The Shinhwa Lending project he had been preparing was almost complete.

He was checking the details for a perfect ending.

Kang Sang-cheol’s role was more important than he thought.

He didn’t fit in with the private loan business.

The private loan business is about squeezing debtors like dried squid.

But he liked to socialize with people.

His nature was to drink, gamble, and get along with people.

He met with advertising managers, selected personable employees, and mediated conflicts.

He was a person without enemies.

He recognized people’s skills and tried to keep capable people close.

That’s why he recommended Lee Hyeong-jung.

It was clearly his mistake.

Jeong-hoon appointed Lee Hyeong-jung as president.

All he did was lend money to customers and extract high interest rates, just like in the old days.

Unlike Kang Sang-cheol, Lee Hyeong-jung was very capable.

He sucked blood like a vampire until the end.

He was a person who would grow more as a private moneylender in the back alleys of Myeongdong than as the president of a legitimate loan company.

Shinhwa Lending became a registered company with the Financial Supervisory Service before Chuseok.

In the meantime, Kang Sang-cheol entertained and built relationships with the staff.

Lee Hyeong-jung was still busy conveying information about Yoon Jeong-hoon and Shinhwa Lending to Song Yun-ho.

Knowing that already, Jeong-hoon selectively provided him with important information.

He prepared a new office in Myeongdong.

It was obvious that Kang Sang-cheol’s office would not be able to accommodate the flood of customers.

He was preparing a clean interior on the first floor nearby, like a commercial bank.

He had to start the high-interest loan business in earnest.

It was true that he was worried about the social criticism that would come in a few years.

But if he left this unclaimed land alone, Japanese funds would surely occupy Myeongdong.

Someone has to touch it.

So, he decided to preempt it.

“When does the TV commercial start?”

“It starts next week.”

Kang Sang-cheol reported the upcoming schedule.

These were matters that Lee Hyeong-jung didn’t know.

At best, he thinks he’s expanding the loan business next to Kang Sang-cheol’s office.

It will open next week. A formally registered loan company will appear with a large-scale TV commercial.

He must not give Japanese funds a chance to enter.

And finally, a week passed.

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King Becomes a Tycoon.