“You’re twenty this year?”
Kim Nam-cheon looked at him with a peculiar gaze, as if he were admiring a treasure.
“Yes, sir.”
“Hmm, no matter how I look at you, your eyes are not ordinary. You look like a young lad, but the spark in your eyes rivals that of old men. Are you harboring an old man within you?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a joke.”
He felt a sharp pang in his chest as if pricked by a needle. It was no exaggeration to say he harbored an old man within him, given the sum of his past lives.
At that moment, Kim Nam-cheon sipped from his teacup and then turned his gaze to his grandfather.
“Dong-yul, I’ve heard so much about your grandson from various sources. If time permits, I’d like to have a more in-depth conversation with him. Is that alright with you?”
“Of course, sir.”
Grandfather nodded briefly. Kim Nam-cheon’s gaze continued to scrutinize him like a snake.
It was hard to believe such a sharp gaze belonged to a man nearing a hundred years old.
He wanted to head straight to Seoul right away, but it was impossible.
“Your name is Kang Hyun, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What do you think about the conversation I had with your grandfather just now? If Chairman Son Il-sun takes control of the Jeil Group, it’s said that within ten years, the South Korean media will fall under the Jeil Group’s influence.”
What should he say? He thought about pretending not to know, but for some reason, he didn’t want to. The more he talked to Kim Nam-cheon, the more he felt he could gain some unknown insight.
“It’s possible.”
Grandfather’s eyes widened. However, Kim Nam-cheon smiled broadly, as if expecting the answer.
“Can you explain why you think so?”
“It’s exactly as you said. Chairman Son Il-sun’s management philosophy is different from that of Chairman Son Jang-won. Think of it in terms of royal authority. Chairman Son Jang-won, as the founding chairman of the Jeil Group, has both legitimacy and immense power. On the other hand, Chairman Son Il-sun has many things to worry about, starting with his siblings and the founding members of the group. Chairman Son Jang-won absorbed his enemies with tolerance, while Chairman Son Il-sun is someone who would cut them down without hesitation.”
This was the evaluation of Chairman Son Il-sun he had seen and felt in his past life.
Didn’t he maintain a management philosophy distinctly different from that of Wang Chairman? Without being so cold and sharp, he wouldn’t have survived in a warzone without gunfire.
“Sir, may I also ask you something?”
“Oh, is there something you’re curious about?”
“Yes, sir.”
He was quite curious about Kim Nam-cheon’s insight. During the Japanese occupation, he was called a collaborator, and during the military regime, he was labeled an opportunist.
Some might see him as a parasite thriving everywhere like a bat, but it also meant he had an exceptionally keen eye for the future.
“What do you think are the chances of Son Jang-won’s second son, Son Kang-wook, defeating his elder brother, Son Il-sun?”
“Heh, you ask an interesting question.”
Kim Nam-cheon’s face showed signs of interest. It seemed he hadn’t expected such a question from him.
Grandfather swallowed his saliva and watched the conversation carefully. Kim Nam-cheon answered without hesitation.
“Thirty percent.”
“……!”
He couldn’t help but be surprised. Chairman Son Il-sun, whom he had faced in his past life, was a standout figure among the masters of management. Some even said Chairman Son Il-sun was a genius surpassing Wang Chairman.
Without a doubt, without such prowess, he wouldn’t have been able to turn South Korea into Jeil Republic. To predict a 30% chance of victory against such a figure as Chairman Son Il-sun…
“Son Kang-wook is a hidden dragon lurking beneath the surface. But since Chairman Son Jang-won suddenly took to his sickbed, he must have had many thoughts. If time passes and Son Il-sun takes control of the Jeil Group, he would likely try to eliminate him immediately.”
“Are you saying Chairman Son Il-sun is wary of Son Kang-wook?”
“Of course. The person Son Il-sun finds most bothersome in Jeil Group is his younger brother, Son Kang-wook.”
In his past life’s memories, there was no information about Son Kang-wook. That was because by the time he became a scholarship student of the Jeil Group, Chairman Son Il-sun had already become the head of the Jeil Group.
The figure of Son Kang-wook had been erased from the history of the Jeil Group as if with an eraser.
However, if it was true that Chairman Son Il-sun was extremely wary of Son Kang-wook, then it made sense.
How much time had passed? The outside was already growing dark.
“Dong-yul, come visit often. The older I get, the more I long for friends to converse with.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you said your name was Kang Hyun?”
As Kim Nam-cheon personally saw them off, he added.
“Let’s meet often too.”
They were on their way back to Seoul from Daegu. While driving down the highway at dusk, Grandfather glanced at him.
“Kim Nam-cheon seems to have taken quite a liking to you, Hyun.”
“To me?”
“Yes, he usually isn’t such a talkative person. Especially, he never reveals his thoughts without reason. But didn’t he answer your questions without hesitation?”
Just thinking about Kim Nam-cheon’s gaze made him feel as if he were squirming like a squid on a gas stove.
He suddenly became curious about the relationship between Grandfather and Kim Nam-cheon. No matter how much he thought about it, there seemed to be no connection between them.
“Grandfather, have you known him for a long time?”
“How could I not? When I moved to Seoul in my youth, he was already one of the wealthiest men in Joseon. Many people criticized him, calling him a traitor to the nation. But there was one thing that most people didn’t know.”
“Something they didn’t know?”
Grandfather nodded briefly.
“Kim Nam-cheon not only funded the independence movement but also continuously provided political funds for the sake of Korea’s democracy. It was peculiar. While walking such a tightrope, he managed to grow his wealth continuously. One day, I asked him out of curiosity. Why did he act as a double agent between the Japanese and the independence activists? If the Japanese had found out, he wouldn’t have survived. His answer was quite remarkable.”
Gulp.
“He said he took out insurance in advance in case of liberation. On one hand, it seems like typical opportunism, but on the other hand, it shows he had an exceptional vision for the future. It’s no exaggeration that both the wealthy tycoons and seasoned politicians feared him.”
It was an even more astonishing story than the image of Kim Nam-cheon he had known. Indeed, such secrets were not even mentioned in Kim Nam-cheon’s autobiography.
As Grandfather said, Kim Nam-cheon had an extraordinary vision for the future. Then,
“There’s one more reason why Chairman Son needs to recover quickly.”
“One more reason?”
“Yes, Kim Nam-cheon is very interested in you. While you were in the restroom, he asked me again.”
Asked what?
“He asked how I’d feel about you marrying his great-granddaughter.”
Thirty percent.
Kim Nam-cheon had said that Son Kang-wook had a thirty percent chance of defeating Son Il-sun.
The reason Kim Nam-cheon didn’t ally with Son Il-sun was simple. Son Il-sun, who was even more cunning than Wang Chairman, was not a trustworthy partner.
‘What kind of person is he?’
He couldn’t help but be curious. There was virtually no information about Son Kang-wook.
Even now, he was just holding the position of executive director at Jeil Trading, without much presence. But to think that Son Il-sun was wary of him to this extent…
[The stock price of the Jeil Group is fluctuating greatly day by day. Additionally, it has been reported to the prosecution that Jeil Electronics is involved in fraudulent accounting. Jeil Electronics Chairman Son Il-sun voluntarily appeared at the prosecution this afternoon, and experts predict another wave in the stock market. We will now connect to the reporter at the prosecution site.]
The news was constantly reporting on the Jeil Group.
The image of Chairman Son Il-sun, dressed in a suit and appearing before the prosecution, was continuously being broadcasted. The stock price must be plummeting like a storm.
“Mr. Kim, please purchase all stocks related to the Jeil Group.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, especially the stocks of Jeil Electronics that are being thrown out in a panic as soon as the market opens. Don’t worry about the price, just buy them.”
Manager Kim Sang-guk seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.
To an outsider, it might seem like madness. If Chairman Son Il-sun’s arrest was confirmed and the fraudulent accounting allegations proved true, the stock price of Jeil Electronics would plummet day by day.
But he already knew the future wouldn’t turn out that way. Now was the opportunity.
“Then, I’ll get back to my music work.”
Manager Kim Sang-guk nodded and got up from his seat.
Turning off the noisy TV, he sat back in front of the synthesizer in his studio.
There was no need to think much. There was nothing more he could do regarding the Jeil Group.
How much time had passed? Just as the staff was filling up the musical notes on the staff paper.
He saw the silhouettes of people moving busily beyond the studio. It was so busy that he could feel the hustle outside.
‘Who could it be?’
Wasn’t it a day when the gallery wasn’t open? The Jeil Gallery should have been quiet for a while.
In the midst of Jeil Electronics’ fraudulent accounting allegations being reported, it was obvious that the prosecution would investigate the Jeil Group’s financial sources first. It was a well-known secret that the Jeil Gallery and the Jeil Foundation were connected.
When he opened the door and stepped out, he saw Kim Mi-hyun, an employee of the gallery, moving quickly.
Several black sedans had already arrived outside the gallery.
They didn’t seem like vehicles from the prosecution. But who would visit Director Im Hyera amid the storm hitting the Jeil Group?
Then,
“Excuse me.”
A voice unexpectedly came from behind him. Turning his head, his eyes widened. But he quickly masked his expression and stepped aside.
It was a procession of people in black suits. But the most striking was the man at the forefront.
Wasn’t his presence imposing? The term “stalwart” seemed fitting. His broad shoulders and piercing eyes were striking. Even his gait resembled that of a general.
Though he wore a gentle smile, no one could fathom his true intentions. He had never shown his face in Pyeongchang-dong. It was Son Jang-won’s second son, Son Kang-wook, whom he had only seen in photos until now.
At that moment,
Step.
Son Kang-wook stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.
