The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 96

#096

I parked the car in the parking lot of Sugeumjae, an upscale Korean restaurant located on the outskirts of Jungbu City.

I got out of the car and took a deep breath.

The rather chilly autumn air filled my lungs.

Cheol-jung, returning to Jungbu City after a long absence, felt a strange mix of emotions.

Thinking he should visit his mother since he’d come all this way, Cheol-jung took out his phone, then hesitated and put it back in his pocket.

He wanted to surprise her.

He was also planning to buy a hundred red roses, her favorite.

Cheol-jung felt an unexpected surge of excitement, stirred by the nostalgic atmosphere of his hometown.

“Mr. Park Hyun-cheol, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.”

A man in a neat suit led Cheol-jung deeper into the restaurant.

“Senior, it’s Cheol-jung.”

“Oh, come on in!”

When he opened the door and stepped inside, Park Hyun-cheol greeted Cheol-jung with exaggerated warmth.

His awkward friendliness felt unfamiliar and unsettling, but Cheol-jung didn’t betray his discomfort.

“I arrived a little early and ordered food in advance.”

“I’m sorry, Senior. I should have arrived first and taken care of the arrangements.”

“Hahaha, can that happen every time? There are days like this.”

Kang Cheol-jung rose from his seat and bowed deeply once more.

Park Hyun-cheol seemed to enjoy the excessive flattery.

“Heh, you’re okay. Sit down. Here, have a glass.”

Park Hyun-cheol poured soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] into Cheol-jung’s glass until it overflowed.

“Have a drink.”

Cheol-jung turned his head and emptied the glass in one gulp.

A distinctly bitter taste burned in his throat.

But he didn’t show it.

“Thank you. Let me offer you a drink.”

“Okay.”

As Cheol-jung filled his glass, Park Hyun-cheol grabbed the kettle and refilled Kang Cheol-jung’s glass again.

“You have to have another drink.”

Cheol-jung drained the glass completely.

But Park Hyun-cheol’s glass remained untouched.

He picked up the kettle and filled Kang Cheol-jung’s glass yet again.

Cheol-jung felt uneasy about the unfamiliar, intensely bitter sensation, but he dismissed it.

Even if he was dealing with Cheonjihoe [a secret society or gang], he was still a prosecutor of the Republic of Korea.

And he was confident in his fighting skills.

He had learned them the hard way from Jeong-hoon.

“Okay, this is the last glass.”

“Yes, Senior.”

As Cheol-jung emptied his glass, Park Hyun-cheol gave a grim smile.

“As expected, you’re a big guy, so you don’t even flinch after drinking three glasses.”

“Yes?”

“No, you’re a good drinker. Now, let’s eat some food. I ordered the most expensive meal in this place. It’s the last supper, so you have to eat something expensive!”

‘The last supper?’

The phrase grated on Cheol-jung’s nerves.

Cheol-jung looked up sharply at Park Hyun-cheol.

“What are you talking about, Senior?”

Park Hyun-cheol’s face was flushed red.

The coldness in his voice grew more pronounced.

“What senior… you son of a bitch! Stop pretending now!”

“Yes? What do you mean, pretending?”

Kang Cheol-jung felt a jolt of surprise.

He hadn’t expected his true identity to be exposed so easily.

He swallowed nervously.

But then an unexpected name came from Park Hyun-cheol’s mouth.

“Were you trying to get revenge because of Kang Do-hyun?”

“You know my father?”

“Heh, you can drop the act now. We all know each other. Tsk. I told them to get rid of Kang Do-hyun… I’m sorry. I didn’t handle the job cleanly enough, so he’s still alive.”

“You… crazy bastard.”

Cheol-jung’s eyes burned red with fury.

The reason he had decided to play along and become Park Hyun-cheol’s dog was to infiltrate the heart of Cheonjihoe.

He hadn’t intended to become a pawn of the enemy who had tried to kill his father.

He reached out to grab the glass in front of him, intending to smash it in Park Hyun-cheol’s face.

But he couldn’t muster any strength in his body.

Not even a little.

-Thump

He was already lying on the floor.

Only Park Hyun-cheol’s feet were visible.

He couldn’t summon any strength at all.

All he could do was blink.

“Ha, you son of a bitch. The Korea Bank deal went down the drain because of you. You told Yoon Jeong-hoon the acquisition price? Die, you son of a bitch!”

-Pow

Park Hyun-cheol, holding a kettle in one hand, slammed it down on Cheol-jung’s head, who was lying helpless on the floor.

The kettle shattered with a sickening thud.

A torrent of blood gushed from his head.

It was excruciatingly painful. But Cheol-jung couldn’t move, couldn’t even groan.

He could only blink.

“Hoo, you’re going to die anyway. Experience how terrifying I am before you go. That way, you won’t come back as a ghost.”

Park Hyun-cheol took off his watch and unbuttoned his shirt.

He looked down at Kang Cheol-jung, who lay broken on the floor, and smiled cruelly.

Soon, only muffled, brutal sounds echoed in the room.

***

“Ugh.”

Jeong-hoon woke up with a jolt.

He instinctively checked his teeth.

Fortunately, they were all still there.

‘A dream of losing a tooth….’

He’d had a disturbing dream to start the day.

“Young master, breakfast is ready.”

Jeong-hoon went to the kitchen and sat down to the breakfast prepared by the housekeeper.

He didn’t feel like eating because of the unsettling dream.

“Young master, is the food not to your liking today? You’re not eating much.”

“No. I had a dream about losing a tooth, so I don’t have much of an appetite today.”

“Yes?”

It was as Jeong-hoon finished preparing for work and was about to leave the house.

“Young master, this might be a silly thing to say, but a dream about losing a tooth is often considered an ominous dream. Please be careful today. Pay close attention to the people around you.”

Housekeeper Go Seong-daek wore a worried expression.

“Yes? That’s just superstition.”

“Still, there’s no harm in being cautious.”

“Then I’ll be extra careful today. Don’t worry too much.”

As he left the house, he pondered her words.

Will I fail in the Korea Bank acquisition battle?

The amount at stake was more than 300 billion won [approximately $250 million USD].

And he had lobbied in various places, though he wasn’t sure if it would be enough.

He was secretly hopeful… It would be a shame, but it couldn’t be helped.

It was better than people getting hurt.

He went into the office and reviewed the reports that had come in that morning.

The ships for Rio Tinto, ordered by Shinhwa Mipo Shipbuilding, were being built on schedule.

Shinhwa Shipbuilding & Marine was also progressing smoothly with both orders and construction.

Park Chang-soo was consolidating the organization and preparing to take over Gangnam [a wealthy district in Seoul].

There were no major problems after checking everything.

He still felt uneasy all morning because of Housekeeper Go Seong-daek’s warning.

Jeong-hoon finished his morning work and went to a luxury hotel.

He tried to relieve his anxiety by indulging in a course meal.

Thanks to the delicious food, the anxiety began to fade.

Jeong-hoon, who returned to the office, found the afternoon dragging on.

The candidate for the acquisition of Korea Bank would be announced at 3 p.m., so there was nothing to do until then.

Just in case, he called the people around him to ask how they were doing, but there was nothing unusual to report.

Everyone at the company was fine too.

Thinking he was fortunate, he leaned back completely in his chair.

The phone rang.

‘Why do I feel so chilly?’

He felt a sudden sense of dread at the sound of the ringing phone.

It was Kwak Hyun-soo.

“Prosecutor Kang Cheol-jung went to Sugeumjae in Jungbu City. He’s meeting a man named Prosecutor Park Hyun-cheol, and the atmosphere seems strange. Park Chang-soo reported it a little while ago.”

“What do you mean the atmosphere is strange?”

“The movements of the Sugeumjae employees are unusual.”

“Is that so?”

He immediately thought of the restaurant being a front for Cheonjihoe members.

Park Hyun-cheol!

The tape recorder given by Section Chief Kang Do-hyun, Cheol-jung’s father.

The tape recorder he had given himself before losing consciousness immediately after the accident.

Park Hyun-cheol was the central figure in that damning recording.

“Did you say Park Hyun-cheol?”

“Yes, he’s the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.”

“Are they both there now?”

“That’s what they say.”

It felt ominous.

Section Chief Kang Do-hyun had met Park Hyun-cheol at Sugeumjae and had an accident shortly afterward.

And now Cheol-jung was meeting Park Hyun-cheol there.

“Tell Park Chang-soo to go inside and check. If they resist inside, wipe them all out.”

“I understand.”

“Where are you now, sir? I think I should go there myself.”

“I just arrived at the underground parking lot. Come down.”

Jeong-hoon rushed down urgently.

He didn’t even have time to wait for the elevator, so he ran down to the underground parking lot in one breath.

He sped towards Jungbu City, cutting in and running traffic lights.

The cars that filled the road cautiously gave way to the Rolls-Royce, allowing him to travel faster than others.

He covered the distance that usually took an hour and a half in just one hour.

As soon as he parked the car in the parking lot, he ran into Sugeumjae.

Employees with bloody noses and bruised faces were kneeling on the floor.

Park Chang-soo approached.

“Prosecutor Park Hyun-cheol has disappeared… And the young prosecutor who was with him…”

“Where is he?”

“That’s… he’s in the hospital now.”

“Is he okay? Yes?”

Jeong-hoon asked in a loud voice, unable to control his anxiety.

“When we arrived, he was unconscious and lying on the floor. His head was badly injured and he had lost a lot of blood… We rushed him to the hospital, but…”

“Which hospital?”

Jeong-hoon ran to the hospital and burst into the emergency room.

“Where is the patient Kang Cheol-jung?”

Before he could hear the answer, a bed caught his eye.

A white cloth covered the person’s head.

‘Could it be, Senior Cheol-jung?’

It couldn’t be.

It would never be.

He wasn’t a man who would give up so easily.

He couldn’t believe that he would disappear so meaninglessly.

He had only just realized his true feelings.

He had been secretly excited about the prospect of crushing Cheonjihoe with him. But…

Suddenly, without even a proper fight.

Jeong-hoon couldn’t accept that he was gone.

“Oh, no!”

He whispered to himself.

The moisture that filled Jeong-hoon’s red eyes finally overflowed.

It was a sadness that he couldn’t hold back, no matter how hard he tried.

If he could turn back time and save him,

If he could go back to the time when he hadn’t made the wrong choice,

He would bet everything to save him.

He couldn’t bring himself to take a step.

He was lying coldly beneath the white cloth.

He mustered up the courage for him, who would be so alone.

He took a step forward.

Thinking that he should at least hold his hand…

He took another step forward.

And.

“What are you doing?”

A voice that he thought he would never hear again echoed in his ear.

He whipped his head around.

‘Is it a ghost?’

Cheol-jung was blinking, a large bandage wrapped around his head.

He was smiling, grinning at Jeong-hoon’s hideous face, streaked with tears and snot.

“You… crazy bastard!”

A thunderous shout erupted from Jeong-hoon’s mouth and…

“Hey, you son of a bitch, where are you going to your heavenly senior [euphemism for death]?”

Kang Cheol-jung retorted, not backing down.

Jeong-hoon’s fist trembled.

Kang Cheol-jung, seeing his reaction, stepped back warily.

“Hey, why are you doing this? I’m a patient! I was really hurt badly. Stop it!”

“You’re dead, you son of a bitch.”

It didn’t take long for his reddened eyes to blaze with anger.

Jeong-hoon lunged forward to grab Cheol-jung.

Kang Cheol-jung, startled, turned and bolted.

***

“What happened?”

At Jeong-hoon’s question, Kang Cheol-jung sighed deeply.

“What else, I failed to go undercover. Damn it!”

“I almost died. Did Grandma know?”

“Yeah, only Grandma told me.”

“Really, I’m really disappointed in Grandma for not stopping me!”

“No, she did try to stop me. Grandma told me that the Cheonjihoe guys were trying to get rid of my father. And that my father was also planning to kill you.”

“That’s… Uncle was deceived too.”

“How do you know that?”

“That’s… I was the one who pulled Uncle out of the car at the end.”

“What? You? Ha, I’m too ashamed to even look you in the eye.”

Kang Cheol-jung sighed heavily.

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend], but weren’t you caught a little too easily?”

“That’s true… Hey, those people were nice, they bought me expensive alcohol. It’s a shame.”

“How’s your injury?”

“It’s okay, it’s just a big cut.”

“Then let’s go eat. Let’s think about what to do in the future.”

“Okay. What should we do with Park Hyun-cheol?”

“We can’t let him get away with this. We have to make him pay!”

Jeong-hoon bit his lip.

The time was coming to punish Park Hyun-cheol, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

Jeong-hoon hid Cheol-jung in his house in Jungbu City.

It was safe to stay there because Grandma was there during the weekdays.

Cheonjihoe would be searching for him, now that he had disappeared.

Jeong-hoon planned to take down Park Hyun-cheol with Cheol-jung by his side.

When he told Grandma about it, her expression hardened rapidly.

Grandma suddenly asked about Da-hye’s well-being.

Jeong-hoon replied briefly that she was fine.

***

Jeong-hoon, who returned to Seoul, waited for the announcement of the acquisition candidate with his team.

Korea Bank.

A bank with assets of 70 trillion won [approximately $58 billion USD] had become insolvent.

A ridiculous situation had occurred where a bank that had been perfectly healthy until last year had suddenly gone bankrupt.

To prepare for this acquisition, he had acquired a savings bank and established a loan company in advance.

‘Korea Bank’

It was essential for a full-fledged leap into becoming a comprehensive financial group.

The phone rang as soon as it passed 3 p.m.

Hwang Seok’s excited voice came over the phone.

“Congratulations, Chairman. Mirae Financial Group has been selected as the successful bidder.”

‘It’s done.’

Jeong-hoon clenched his fists.

And he spoke with a bright expression.

“Our Mirae Financial Group has acquired Korea Bank.”

-Kyaak

Cha Young-mi shrieked with joy and

Lee Byung-seok also applauded and cheered.

Cheon Jin-hyuk still congratulated him with his signature awkward Joker smile.

Mirae Financial Group, under Grandma’s leadership, would dominate Korean finance.

And Shinhwa Empire Holdings would dominate Korean and global manufacturing, from heavy industry to high-tech sectors.

Jeong-hoon held two powerful forces, finance and industry, in his hands.

It was time to put them to work.

The phone rang again.

It was Steve Chen.

The proposal he had made to him a few days ago came to mind.

‘Will he accept it?’

He hoped he wouldn’t be greedy and would accept the offer.

Now that he had become a target of Cheonjihoe,

He would inevitably have his company stolen from him. He might even lose his life.

According to Steve, the video service was still in beta testing.

He himself lacked confidence in its success.

‘Will the video service be popular with the public?’

Of course.

It had been my only friend in my past life.

But, I’m not just going to use it for that.

Because YouTube is a much more powerful tool than Steve thinks.

Images create much more powerful and loyal supporters than text ever could.

Jeong-hoon wanted to use YouTube properly and effectively.

Hoping that Steve Chen wouldn’t make the wrong choice, he answered the phone.

“Hi, Steve Chen.”

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King Becomes a Tycoon.