The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 88

#088

“It’s about the Cheonji Association election.”

“I thought so. I’m thinking of running this time too… Let’s have a proper fight.”

“You? That’s going too far.”

“No, I have to win this election and become the head of the Cheonji Association, just like my father.”

“Really? Then let’s have a proper go. But you’ll have to give up the Prosecutor General and Minister positions.”

Han Pan-soo’s expression turned serious.

“Puhahaha, I understand, my friend. Then I’ll step down.”

“Geez, making silly jokes. You must be free these days… Hey, Hyun-cheol, we can somehow make you the Prosecutor General and Minister. But after that, it’s up to your ability. Should we call it divine will?”

“Damn, divine will is made up by the media. What thoughts do those pigs and dogs have!”

Han Pan-soo responded to Park Hyun-cheol’s laughter with a laugh of his own.

“That’s not something a Deputy Chief Prosecutor should say.”

“Really? What’s wrong with this much… Hehehe. Rich chaebol [conglomerate] chairman, why don’t you let me, a Deputy Chief Prosecutor, reminisce for a while?”

“Shall we drink heavily for the first time in a while? Does that damn judge have time?”

“That guy won’t refuse if you call him.”

“Good. Shall we go then?”

Leaving Park Hyun-cheol’s house, they headed to Gangnam, where their hideout was located.

They didn’t prefer room salons like Ten Pro [high-end hostess bars].

It wasn’t just because of the problem of their faces being known, but because they inherently hated associating with lowly people who only had money without roots.

There was no such risk in the secret room where only Cheonji Association members could come.

It was a place where everything was possible and, at the same time, had the best security.

When they arrived, the table was already set with drinks.

As soon as they sat down, they offered each other bomb shots [a mixed drink, typically beer and hard liquor].

Several rounds of drinks went around, and rough hands explored sufficiently smooth skin.

Han Pan-soo asked.

“When is that damn judge coming?”

“He’ll be here soon. He’s probably rushing over.”

Park Hyun-cheol gestured to the women on either side of him, and they discreetly left the room.

“What are you going to do with Yoon Jung-hoon?”

“What else? We have to take care of him.”

Han Pan-soo drew his hand across his neck.

“That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking when and how you’re going to do it.”

Park Hyun-cheol snapped.

“Hehe, if you had done it properly, we wouldn’t have come this far. Have you forgotten? Who is it that Yoon Jung-hoon is still alive because of?”

Han Pan-soo gave Park Hyun-cheol a sarcastic look.

“Ahem, if it weren’t for those pathetic bastards back then, I would have taken care of it properly.”

“I know, we should have used black ops agents; instead, we just made things messy.”

“Then why don’t you show us this time? Besides, didn’t that guy break his promise to divide Ilsong Group? We have to get proper revenge. Who knows, maybe we can even take over the company he owns?”

Han Pan-soo’s eyes sparkled at those words.

Ilsong Group and companies approaching large corporations that Yoon Jung-hoon owned: Shinhwa Shipbuilding & Marine, Heavy Industries, Securities.

There was so much money to be made.

Han Pan-soo moved his lips and smacked his lips.

“We need to take care of it before it gets any bigger, but I’m worried we might get blamed for causing trouble at the beginning of the new administration.”

“Don’t worry about that. The prosecution and the court will push you hard.”

“Really? Then shall we start? We should use black ops agents from the Cheonji Association kids. By the way, what does that person think?”

“Well, he wouldn’t object to taking down Yoon Jung-hoon. We also have to avenge Ilsong.”

“That’s true, but something feels off.”

“What is it?”

“The person who could wipe him out if he wanted to is not doing that….”

“It’s not like he’s watching a talent show….”

“Isn’t it just because he’s annoyed? Or maybe he’s testing us. He might be watching to see who gets rid of him first.”

“Hmm, maybe that’s it!”

Han Pan-soo didn’t show it, but he couldn’t shake off his doubts.

‘Is he trying to bring that guy into the Cheonji Association?’

He closed his eyes and shook his head. A guy without roots.

He wasn’t in a position to associate with them.

He was sure he was wrong.

There was no way that noble-blooded person would have such vulgar and dirty thoughts.

“I’ll take care of it quickly. Look forward to it. I’ll cut off that guy’s head and bring it here.”

“Hehe, it’s chilling just imagining it.”

Park Hyun-cheol emptied the drink in front of him.

At that moment, the door to the secret room opened, and Judge Jo Jae-wook entered.

“Oh, the damn judge is here?”

Park Hyun-cheol raised his hand and greeted him.

“Hey, damn judge? A mere prosecutor doesn’t even stand up when a judge like the sky comes in. Don’t you know what standing is? Stand up!”

“Damn, a mere prosecutor? Our Judge Jo might have to visit the investigation room once.”

“Stop talking nonsense and give me a drink.”

Jo Jae-wook looked around.

There was something he was looking for.

“Where did our pretty girls go?”

“Oh, they’re over there. Don’t worry.”

“Did you call that kid from last time?”

“Yeah, I called her.”

Jo Jae-wook breathed a sigh of relief at those words.

“By the way, what are you going to do with those Ilsong scholarship students?”

“Now that Ilsong is gone, we have to manage them.”

“Yeah. That friend from last time, he’s smart and has a good sense, so he seems good to use as our knife.”

Park Hyun-cheol answered Jo Jae-wook’s question.

“Kang Cheol-joong?”

“I don’t know, how would I know his name? Anyway, raise that guy well. He looks perfect to use a few times and throw away.”

“Of course, we have to. Here, let’s have a drink.”

“No thanks. I don’t drink the wine that men pour! Call them now.”

Jo Jae-wook urged Park Hyun-cheol.

“Ugh, hehehe, hey everyone, come in.”

When he shouted loudly towards the door, the women ran into the room.

Their drinking party, which had stopped for a moment, started again happily.

***

After confirming the acquisition of Apple, Jung-hoon was planning to intensively buy up IT companies in Korea.

He was already keeping an eye on a few.

He was searching for good companies through Lee Byung-seok and Cha Young-mi.

“How about focusing on acquiring game companies?”

“Games?”

Jung-hoon was slightly taken aback by Lee Byung-seok’s suggestion.

It was because he didn’t play games.

“Don’t you like games? These days, online games like poker and Go-Stop [a Korean card game] are also very popular.”

“I don’t have time to play games. Even if I had ten bodies, it wouldn’t be enough.”

Everyone nodded at Jung-hoon’s words.

However.

“These days, Lineage is the best, but StarCraft is *the* game.”

When Eun-soo shouted, Lee Byung-seok and Cha Young-mi all nodded.

They were all immersed in that game.

What that guy was into these days instead of books was games.

He was dating his girlfriend, Scarlett, almost every day at the PC cafe.

“Okay, Eun-soo, you know games well. List your ten favorite games.”

As soon as he said that, game names poured out of Eun-soo’s mouth.

“Mr. Lee Byung-seok, please pick out the companies that made the games Eun-soo mentioned that we can acquire. Even if it’s not an acquisition, investment is fine too. Do you know anyone at Netmobile, NTSoft, Nason and Naver, or Dragon Studio?”

Lee Byung-seok gave a bitter smile at Jung-hoon’s words.

‘Why does he have that expression?’

He was curious about his bitter expression, but he didn’t ask.

“Yes, I know them all. I’m quite close to the founders.”

“Really? What about Dragon Studio?”

“That’s… a bit of a problem.”

Cha Young-mi opened her mouth instead of Lee Byung-seok, who was hesitating.

“That’s where my brother’s idea was stolen.”

“What do you mean?”

“The first game that Dragon Studio released was Byung-seok’s brother’s idea. They released it without permission. It’s so mean, they should at least buy him a drink. But they’re completely ignoring him.”

“Really? We can’t let companies like that go.”

In 2004, Dragon Studio released a military FPS game called Miracle Force, and it became a huge hit.

It is still a small and medium-sized development company with poor treatment, and it has not yet grown significantly, making it perfect for acquisition.

Moreover, Jung-hoon thought it was a good thing that he had a grudge against our precious employee.

“Mr. Lee Byung-seok, please proceed to acquire Dragon Studio.”

“Yes? Me?”

“Of course. You know them. Go and talk to them.”

“Yes.”

Lee Byung-seok reluctantly answered with an unpleasant expression.

***

A few days later, Lee Byung-seok made an appointment with Cheon Ji-hoon of Dragon Studio.

He felt bad just thinking about meeting Cheon Ji-hoon.

That bastard’s rude words and arrogance were already in front of his eyes.

‘If that kind of guy comes under me, I’ll crush him to pieces.’

Lee Byung-seok, who had futile imaginations, knocked on the door of Dragon Studio with his shoulders drooping.

“Oh, Byung-seok!”

‘You unlucky bastard.’

As soon as Lee Byung-seok saw Cheon Ji-hoon, he almost cursed.

He was the epitome of shamelessness.

If he stole an idea, he should apologize or ask for understanding, but he was acting completely innocent like a steel plate.

Lee Byung-seok’s fist was clenched tightly.

Cheon Ji-hoon, who saw Lee Byung-seok, greeted him happily with an exaggerated expression.

He took out his business card and handed it to him.

‘Cheon Ji-hoon, CEO of Dragon Studio.’

“Oh, I don’t have a business card right now.”

“Really? Are you still a regular employee? You should be at least a manager at your age. Too bad. But keep up the good work. You may not be smart, but you have persistence.”

Cheon Ji-hoon said rudely with a smiling face.

“Ha, yeah, I have persistence.”

“I heard the phone call roughly, but it’s an acquisition?”

“Yeah, our company is trying to acquire a good game company, how about you? Do you have any thoughts of selling?”

“Of course. Our goal is to package the company well and sell it for a good price. Is your chairman rich? How old is he?”

“Is he 22 years old? Or 21 years old? Anyway, he’s very young.”

“What? Is he a third-generation chaebol or something? Isn’t this a rich sucker?”

“No, that’s not it….”

Lee Byung-seok mumbled.

“Hey, but if you work under a rich sucker, your life as a developer will be ruined. You have to work hard to build your practical skills as a developer. It’s a big deal if they give you some money. Develop your expertise!”

Cheon Ji-hoon was giving unsolicited advice. His meddling was the best in the world.

“Yeah. Expertise.”

‘Don’t steal ideas, you bastard!’

Lee Byung-seok shouted inwardly.

“How much are you thinking of?”

“I think they’re expecting about 1 billion won.”

Cheon Ji-hoon’s eyes twinkled.

If they’re talking about 1 billion won, they’re looking at about 2 billion won as the acquisition amount.

2 billion won. It was just right for the price of his Dragon Studio.

To be honest, he could sell it for 1 billion won.

His money supply was cut off, and there were no ideas to steal, so he thought it was a good thing.

“Hey, introduce me to your company. What are friends for? I’m going to sell this company and start a new one.”

“How much are you thinking of for the price?”

“3 billion won would be good, but 2.5 billion won is also good.”

“Well, the price difference is a bit big. I’ll tell you about it.”

“Good.”

“Byung-seok, you have kimchi soup on your shirt. Sigh, why do you live like that? I may not be as successful as my friends, but you’re in big trouble.”

“What? It could happen. You’ve always been really good at pointing out other people’s faults. You have black bean sauce on your shirt.”

“What? I didn’t eat black bean noodles for lunch.”

“I’m talking about the old days.”

Lee Byung-seok took revenge timidly, unable to bear it any longer.

“Anyway, you’re so narrow-minded. I’m pointing it out for your own good. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be struggling as a low-level developer, right?”

‘Should I kill that guy today and go to jail?’

Lee Byung-seok felt an unbearable murderous intent, but he suppressed his anger with a deep breath.

“I’ll call the chairman first.”

“Okay. Please take care of it.”

Lee Byung-seok called and reported to Jung-hoon.

When he told him the amount, he said it was good.

He said he was coming to sign the contract now.

“What? Wow, your chairman has great drive.”

“That’s right. He’s a famous person.”

Jung-hoon came in.

“Hello? I’m Cheon Ji-hoon from Dragon Studio.”

“Nice to meet you. I heard you’re selling the company?”

“Yes, I’ll transfer 100 percent of the shares for 2.5 billion won.”

“The price is good. But there’s a condition. Please work with me for six months. If you write a resignation letter, you’ll have to return 1 billion won.”

“Then how much will I be paid during that time?”

“I’ll match your annual salary to 100 million won after tax as an executive.”

Cheon Ji-hoon’s mouth dropped open. An annual salary of 100 million won after tax… It was difficult for even a department head at a large company to receive this much.

“Ahem, I’m busy, but if you want, that’s fine. Let’s write the contract right now.”

Cheon Ji-hoon wanted to write the contract right away.

It was the best treatment.

Although his position was lowered from president to director, he would receive more money.

And the sale price of 2.5 billion won.

It couldn’t be better.

Today is a lucky day.

After making detailed adjustments, he signed the contract.

2.5 billion won was deposited into Cheon Ji-hoon’s account.

The contract was completed.

“When is the new president coming?”

“New president? He’s right here.”

“Oh, are you going to manage it yourself?”

“No. I can’t do it because I don’t know anything. Lee Byung-seok will do it.”

Jung-hoon pointed to Lee Byung-seok, who was standing next to him.

He was startled and widened his eyes.

“Me? Are you talking about me?”

Jung-hoon nodded.

“You’re originally a program developer and have game development experience. You also have good ideas.”

“Even so.”

“Yes, Byung-seok is too soft-hearted to do it.”

Jung-hoon frowned at Cheon Ji-hoon’s words.

“Ahem, even if it’s a game company, the discipline is terrible. Call him again. Byung-seok, you say.”

“Yes?”

Cheon Ji-hoon was flustered. The absurd situation where Byung-seok, whom he had looked down on until just now, was appointed as the new president.

If he wrote a resignation letter, 1 billion won would be lost.

‘Damn it.’

“President Lee Byung-seok is too soft-hearted….”

“Well. Won’t the position make the person?”

“That’s true, but….”

Jung-hoon called Byung-seok, who was out of his mind.

“President Lee Byung-seok. Can you do it well?”

“Yes? That’s… If you’re not confident, I’ll appoint Cheon Ji-hoon as president. Then President Lee Byung-seok will work under him. Being ignored like in the old days.”

“Ah, absolutely not. I… I’ll try it.”

“Good. Then do well. It seems like you can go to Legend Company in the afternoon after being here in the morning.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Jung-hoon saw the sharp energy hidden in Lee Byung-seok’s eyes.

He expected Lee Byung-seok, who seemed like a nice person, to show how thorough and persistent he was.

Most genius programmers have that tendency.

Persistent meticulousness.

Lee Byung-seok was the same.

“Byung-seok… Please take care of me.”

As Cheon Ji-hoon spoke informally, Lee Byung-seok’s eyes blazed.

“Director Cheon, show some respect!”

Cheon Ji-hoon, who was taken aback, stepped back.

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Then report on the ongoing project soon.”

“Yes? Now…?”

“Then you have to do it right now. Director Cheon, be prepared. I’ll show you the skills of a genius programmer.”

Lee Byung-seok’s eyes were burning.

In front of him was Cheon Ji-hoon, trembling like a wet mouse.

“Then I’ll be going. President Lee Byung-seok, use your leadership to take control of the company.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Lee Byung-seok had a face he had never seen before.

It was filled with cruel persistence, meticulousness, and perfectionism.

Strictness that does not tolerate mistakes.

He was looking forward to how he would lead Dragon Studio.

Lee Byung-seok, who came out to see Yoon Jung-hoon off, bowed deeply to Jung-hoon and said.

“I will give my loyalty. Chairman.”

“Why are you doing this? It’s burdensome.”

“Did Young-mi tell you?”

“Ahem, well, she did. She said she had a lot of pent-up feelings for that friend. Don’t misunderstand. I’m buying that company because it’s good. I didn’t buy it for President Lee Byung-seok to vent his anger. And my goal is of course….”

“The world’s best game company, surpassing Blizzard.”

It was a sincerity he had never seen before.

“Yes, that’s it. The world’s best, global number one. Oh, I couldn’t tell you earlier, but there are 5 percent of the shares as stock options.”

It seemed like Lee Byung-seok’s eyes were filled with tears.

He thought it was a mistake.

“Thank you. Chairman.”

Lee Byung-seok bowed as if his forehead was stuck to the floor.

Jung-hoon left him, who was pledging his loyalty, and returned home.

As soon as he entered the house, his grandmother called Jung-hoon.

***

“Elder, it’s Man-ho.”

“Yes, come in.”

“It’s about the young master’s land.”

“Why is that?”

“They’re making a fuss about selling it everywhere. I’m also curious about the young master’s intentions. Whether he’s going to develop it himself. Or sell it. And I’m also curious about the elder’s intentions.”

“Is my opinion important? Jung-hoon’s opinion is important.”

“Yes, I think so too, but he doesn’t say anything.”

“But is the rumor that’s been going around lately true? About moving the capital.”

“Yes, it seems like this president wants to make that area the administrative capital. The plan is already well underway.”

“The Cheonji Association guys won’t stand still. If they move the capital, they’ll lose their power too.”

“Yes. That’s right. Maybe they’ve already planted a lot of their forces there.”

“That’s right. I’ll talk to him about what to do in the future!”

“Yes, Elder.”

Jung-hoon finished work and returned home.

Hyun Jung-ok called Jung-hoon loudly.

“Jung-hoon! Jung-hoon! Come in here for a moment.”

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King Becomes a Chaebol.