The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 85

#085

Kim Su-ho’s shoulders bounced at the thought of a celebratory drink, picturing Kang Sang-cheol cheering with sparklers.

Kang Sang-cheol possessed a natural charisma that lifted people’s spirits.

Isn’t there always that one person who makes everything more fun?

The more Kim Su-ho drank and spent time with him, the more Kang Sang-cheol felt like an old, familiar friend.

That was his particular talent.

It was clearly a cultivated form of hospitality.

But looking back, Kang Sang-cheol had also shared his own worries and offered insightful advice, just like a true friend.

Kim Su-ho was reminded of the friends who had understood his youthful anxieties back in his immature days.

It felt like reconnecting with a long-lost companion.

He was eager to enjoy a good time drinking with Kang Sang-cheol, but the young master’s words snapped him back to reality.

The “boss” Yoon Jeong-hoon mentioned was undoubtedly Song Ji-ho, the chairman of Ilsong Group.

“Are you talking about Song Ji-ho?”

“Yes, we need to arrest him immediately.”

“I had the chief and deputy chief prosecutors arrested yesterday. Shouldn’t we allow some time to pass before proceeding?”

“Allow some time to pass…? Prosecutor Kim Su-ho!”

Jeong-hoon suddenly shouted, as if reprimanding him.

“Why are you suddenly like this, young master?”

He flinched, instinctively drawing back.

“Are you suggesting we should take our time when dealing with criminals?”

In that instant, clarity returned.

It felt like a sharp blow to the head.

He had been intimidated by the power wielded by conglomerate heirs, elite lawyers, and influential figures in society.

If an ordinary person committed assault, would he hesitate to make an arrest?

No. He would arrest them first and then conduct the investigation.

Would he delay dealing with a criminal caught red-handed?

Absolutely not.

Kim Su-ho looked at Yoon Jeong-hoon with renewed understanding.

“I had lost sight of my duty. They are simply criminals, and they should be treated equally under the law. I was wrong to be swayed by their influence. I apologize, young master.”

“You can’t afford to give them time. The more time you give them, the harder it will be to apprehend them. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Kim Su-ho bowed to him sincerely.

Jeong-hoon had reminded him of the oath he had taken as a rookie prosecutor.

‘A courageous prosecutor who dispels the darkness of injustice.’

He had given him a renewed sense of purpose.

“Forget everything you heard today and enjoy yourself with Director Kang.”

“Yes, young master.”

Jeong-hoon turned away from Prosecutor Kim Su-ho, who was still bowing, and headed outside.

Jeong-hoon still had much to accomplish.

***

Song Ji-ho was desperate.

His corrupt dealings were being exposed in the news every day.

He was still being referred to as the second-generation heir of a major conglomerate, but his true nature would soon be revealed.

The only way for him to survive was to flee Korea as quickly as possible.

The company was already collapsing.

It was beyond saving.

The stock price was plummeting daily, and the listing of the unlisted company was indefinitely delayed.

He was powerless to stop it.

He had attempted to strike at the Shinhwa Group to demonstrate his value to the Cheonji Association [a shadowy organization].

He had hoped to secure funds from the Cheonji Association members by leveraging his influence.

But it had resulted in complete annihilation.

The gang members were crippled, and Lee Man-shik had vanished without a trace.

All the mid-level executives of the organization had disappeared.

According to the surviving low-level gang members, dozens of drums filled with concrete had been dumped into the sea.

Without them, the core of the organization’s reconstruction, he was helpless.

He had lost everything.

He felt utterly miserable.

The best he could do was to gather whatever he could convert into cash, whether it was physical currency or valuables.

With the looming threat of his overseas accounts being frozen, he could only rely on cash and gold.

And his best option was to head to Incheon and smuggle himself to Southeast Asia.

He desperately wanted to live.

Even with only one functioning leg, he craved survival, even if it meant wallowing in filth.

But then…

He felt a sudden chill as he reached for the handle of his study door.

‘Why is no one home?’

Overcome by a chilling premonition, he turned the handle.

His fears were confirmed; someone was inside.

“Hey, Song Ji-ho!”

Yoon Jeong-hoon was sitting in his chair, calmly waiting.

“What is this? You’ve resorted to acting like a common gangster!”

Song Ji-ho’s voice trembled weakly.

Jeong-hoon scrutinized Song Ji-ho.

The beads of sweat on his forehead and his trembling fingertips betrayed his terror.

He was clearly experiencing the fear of death.

Jeong-hoon slowly rose to his feet.

Song Ji-ho flinched and stumbled backward, collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Sitting on the floor, Song Ji-ho felt all his strength abandon him, leaving him listless.

He was utterly defeated.

He had no power to resist, no money to bribe his way out.

All he possessed were worthless shares and a paltry sum of cash.

“D-don’t come any closer! Get away from me!”

“Is that how you planned to take over Ilsong, with that kind of pathetic courage?”

“……”

He remained silent, paralyzed by fear.

He was overwhelmed by a terror that choked off his ability to speak.

“Killing you won’t bring my parents back to life, but…”

“S-save me!”

“Even if I spare you, you won’t be able to live in peace. The Cheonji Association is already hunting you. Farewell!”

“Please, I’ll transfer all my shares to you! With that, you can have all of Ilsong!”

“What? What am I supposed to do with a company on the verge of bankruptcy?”

“Still… I’ll transfer it for a trillion won! I’ll sign the contract right now!”

“Hmph, you fool.”

“A hundred billion! I’ll give you all my shares for a hundred billion won! Please, just spare my life!”

“A hundred billion… that’s worth considering.”

Jeong-hoon produced a contract from his pocket and handed it to him.

He watched as Song Ji-ho frantically signed it.

He had acquired all the shares of Ilsong Holdings, the holding company of Ilsong Group.

With this, he secured control over the entire Ilsong Group.

“Thank you… but how are you going to survive from now on? The Cheonji Association is after you.”

“……. They wouldn’t dare to touch me, the son of the former leader.”

‘You fool. You’re the top priority they need to eliminate.’

Jeong-hoon smiled wryly at Song Ji-ho’s naivete.

But that was probably the only thing keeping him going.

“Ilsong Group is collapsing, but I’ll try to revive it. I’m going to demolish that main building. I intend to build a new empire there.”

“Yes, do as you please! Ilsong and I have nothing to do with each other anymore. I’ll live quietly with the money I have.”

“Well, will that be possible?”

“You said you’d save me!”

“Of course, I’m not going to kill you, so I have to save you. But you still have to be punished.”

Jeong-hoon, showing a sliver of mercy, only threw a few punches at Song Ji-ho, who had repeatedly tried to kill him.

He grabbed him by the collar and unleashed the pent-up anger he had been suppressing with a powerful uppercut.

He repeatedly struck his face.

Around Song Ji-ho, who lay unconscious on the floor, a pool of blood and scattered white teeth began to form.

Kwak Hyun-soo handed him a towel.

Wiping the blood from his hands, he opened the door and stepped outside.

Prosecutor Kim Su-ho was waiting.

“Young master, I’ll take care of the rest.”

“It’s a shame, but I’ll have to leave it to the judgment of the law.”

“Don’t worry. It will be at least a death sentence.”

Prosecutor Kim Su-ho entered the room.

And soon after, prosecutors swarmed into the house and began a thorough search and seizure.

“Let’s go, young master.”

“Yes, uncle.”

Jeong-hoon got into the car.

He felt refreshed and relieved.

He had finally achieved proper revenge for the first time today.

“Young master, is your hand alright?”

Kwak Hyun-soo asked hesitantly.

He was concerned about the injury he had sustained that day.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“I’m sorry. I lost my composure and…”

“It’s alright, but I think it’s time for you to tell me everything now.”

Kwak Hyun-soo, lost in thought for a moment, finally began to speak.

“I understand. That day, I was the leader of the counter-terrorism team of the Intelligence Command, and I infiltrated North Korea with my team members…”

According to Kwak Hyun-soo, the joint operation of the Intelligence Command and the black ops of the National Security Planning Agency [the predecessor of the National Intelligence Service], was betrayed by someone.

The operation’s objective was to extract a high-ranking figure from North Korea.

All the Intelligence Command team members and National Intelligence Service team members were annihilated.

Only he and Lee Man-shik survived. Fortunately, the high-ranking figure escaped, and the operation was deemed successful.

However, Kwak Hyun-soo was tormented by guilt over the loss of his team members. In particular, he was determined to find the traitor who had secretly sold out the operation to the enemy. According to Lee Man-shik, the culprit was Minister of National Defense Cheon Seong-han.

“Wow, I can’t believe it. A minister selling secrets.”

“Yes, young master. And it seems like Ms. Young-mi’s younger brother is also involved.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Ms. Young-mi’s younger brother worked in the computer division of the Ministry of National Defense, specializing in computers. It appears his death was not an accident, but a murder. Director Kwak Dong-shik is secretly investigating the matter right now. It seems to be connected to Cheon Seong-han.”

“Is he also a member of the Cheonji Association?”

“It seems so.”

“But why did you vehemently deny it that day? You insisted he would never do such a thing?”

“That’s because he is the leader of the anti-Cheonji Association, to which Director Kwak and I belong.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“It seems he’s a double agent. It appears he’s a figurehead created by the Cheonji Association to control the anti-Cheonji Association forces.”

“Hmm… I guess it’s best to pretend we don’t know for now.”

“Yes, I told Director Kwak the same thing.”

“We need to clean up Ilsong and then strike at the Hanho Group. We’ll consider our next move after that.”

“Yes, young master.”

Jeong-hoon didn’t outwardly show it, but he felt a chilling fear at Kwak Hyun-soo’s words.

He was disgusted by their meticulousness in planting spies to manipulate and control the forces that opposed them.

But he quickly regained his composure.

Looking out the window, he clenched his teeth.

‘I’ll wipe them all out. You Cheonji Association trash!’

***

Jeong-hoon handed over all the corruption data related to Song Ji-ho to Prosecutor Kim Su-ho.

Kim Su-ho, who had already brought down Song Cheol-ho, had become a prominent figure.

He was the first prosecutor to have successfully prosecuted two prosecutors and two conglomerate chairmen.

Kim Su-ho did his utmost to bring him to justice and presented irrefutable evidence.

And the court sentenced Song Ji-ho to death.

The power of the Cheonji Association proved utterly ineffective.

There was no reason for the Cheonji Association to intervene on behalf of someone who had nothing left.

They were, in fact, already coveting Ilsong.

He watched the scene with a mixture of satisfaction and lingering bitterness.

Some time after Song Ji-ho’s first trial, Han Pan-soo of the Hanho Group contacted him.

“Hey, if you signed a contract, you have to honor it, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. You have to honor it. But I already possess all the shares of Ilsong, Chairman.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? You only own 30 percent, right?”

“I acquired all 70 percent from Song Ji-ho. For a hundred billion won. Hehehe.”

“That’s irrelevant. Keep your promise. I’ll acquire the company you mentioned earlier at the current market price.”

‘What is this? He only brings up the contract when it’s disadvantageous to him? He’s the kind of guy who wouldn’t have given me anything if it had been advantageous to him.’

Jeong-hoon was disgusted by his hypocrisy in invoking the contract.

“Chairman, you’re utterly disgusting.”

Han Pan-soo slammed his fist on the armrest of the sofa upon hearing those words.

“You bastard! Your arrogance knows no bounds. You don’t want to leave here alive, do you? I didn’t want to flaunt my power, but…”

Han Pan-soo shouted loudly.

“Come in!”

Jeong-hoon turned his head towards the door with a bitter smile.

Jeong-hoon imagined his flustered face.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Pfft, Chairman. Who do you think is coming from behind that door?”

Han Pan-soo’s face crumpled.

‘What? I had more than 10 escorts.’

Han Pan-soo’s cheeks twitched.

That couldn’t be possible.

They were all martial arts specialists and elite agents.

The door slowly creaked open.

And Kwak Hyun-soo stepped inside.

In his hand, he clutched the hair of the team leader in charge of Han Pan-soo’s security.

He dragged the bodyguard in like a grim reaper.

As Kwak Hyun-soo slammed him down, he regained consciousness and scrambled out of the room without looking back.

“Chairman, let’s talk about the contract.”

“You bastard! A guy who runs a company throws away promises like trash…”

“Hey, old man. I admit that Hanho Group is slightly better than Ilsong Group.”

“Hanho can’t even be compared to a gangster-like Ilsong.”

“What? Technology theft from Samyoung Glass, bankruptcy of Cheonwoo Foods, a subcontractor, patent extortion from Youngil Electronics… Should I continue listing them, Chairman?”

Han Pan-soo’s face turned crimson.

His burning face was fueled by anger rather than shame.

If he had possessed any sense of shame, he wouldn’t have engaged in such reprehensible acts.

“It’s all for the greater good! You wouldn’t understand; it’s a national decision for the country and the common people, for the sake of the national economy!”

“What a load of bullshit!”

“Y-you bastard!”

Han Pan-soo’s neck stiffened rapidly at Jeong-hoon’s words and actions.

No one had ever dared to speak to him so rudely before.

“Okay, Chairman. Let’s wrap this up. I’m taking all of Ilsong. There’s no legal or moral impediment. I’m the largest shareholder, so don’t bother calling a temporary shareholders’ meeting or anything of that nature. And if you bring up the contract and pursue legal action, I’ll countersue. Let’s not embarrass each other over one useless group.”

“What? A useless group? Do you truly not know? Are you feigning ignorance? How much gold and silver treasure is hidden within Ilsong’s unlisted companies!”

‘The vast gold and silver treasure is in the form of real estate and securities.’

Jeong-hoon was well aware of it.

If you calculated the countless real estate holdings listed on the books at outdated prices or official land values at current market prices, it would easily amount to trillions of won as a base. The same applied to the stocks. Everything was listed at face value.

“Chairman, stop fixating on other people’s possessions. That’s the key to living a long life.”

Han Pan-soo desperately wanted to punch Yoon Jeong-hoon in the face, who was smirking mockingly before him.

He thought it might be possible if he had received special forces training.

-Ugh

But he was unable to move due to the immense pressure exerted on his shoulder.

“Chairman, if you had thrown a punch, five of your teeth would have been knocked out. The young master is showing considerable restraint. You’re not old enough to require dentures just yet.”

Kwak Hyun-soo said indifferently, increasing the pressure on his shoulder.

“Ugh, you bastards! I won’t forget what happened today! I will definitely punish you, Yoon Jeong-hoon! I will!”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Jeong-hoon rose from his seat.

Fulfillment of the contract? Neither of them had any intention of honoring the agreement.

It was a winner-takes-all scenario.

Therefore, neither Han Pan-soo of Hanho Group nor Jeong-hoon had included a penalty clause to address the failure to divide the profits equally.

Hanho Group had lost, and everything had been seized by Yoon Jeong-hoon.

***

It was the day the new president was elected in a dramatic upset and took the oath of office.

Gu Han-soo, the President of the Republic of Korea, was sworn in as the elected official in Yeouido [a district in Seoul, South Korea].

At that time, Yoon Jeong-hoon and Mrs. Hyun Jeong-ok, along with many others, entered the headquarters of Ilsong Holdings.

They were overcome with emotion as they surveyed the broken windows and the holes in the walls scattered throughout the building.

“Jeong-hoon, I truly never imagined you would accomplish this.”

“It’s nothing, Grandma.”

“No, it’s such a monumental achievement. To accomplish it so effortlessly, you’re truly remarkable.”

“It’s all thanks to Grandma’s support. Thanks to Chairman Park and the chairmen of Myeongdong [a district in Seoul, South Korea], and the unwavering support of our Shinhwa family. I could never have done it alone.”

“No, young master! It’s all thanks to you, young master!”

Kang Sang-cheol showered Jeong-hoon with words of praise and blessing.

“Okay, everyone, please evacuate the building. We’ll begin shortly.”

Everyone exited the building.

Pedestrians in the surrounding area were being managed by the police.

The targets were both the headquarters building of Ilsong Holdings and the adjacent old building owned by Ilsong.

The countdown commenced.

Cash King’s Genius Grandson, Becoming a Chaebol [a large South Korean business conglomerate].