“Yooha’s boyfriend?”
Son Kangwook looked at me with a curious expression.
“Wow, you’re much more handsome in person than on TV. Now I understand why our cold niece likes you so much. You’re way cooler than most idols.”
Son Kangwook approached me and offered a handshake with his thick hand. Contrary to my expectations, he was quite gentle.
“Hello, I’m Kang Hyun.”
“Oh, look at me. I’m Son Kangwook, Yooha’s uncle.”
He was completely different from my first impression of him. The aura of a general heading into battle was gone, and with his innocent smile, he seemed more like a strong farmer from the countryside.
“Mr. Kang Hyun, it seems my sister-in-law hasn’t arrived at the art gallery yet. If you have time, could you give me a tour of the gallery?”
“A tour of the gallery?”
“Even though I’m Yooha’s uncle, this is my first visit here. Hahaha.”
Son Kangwook showed an embarrassed expression. In retrospect, the number of times the owners of the Jeil Group visited the gallery was very few. Only powerful figures like Chairman Wang or Son Ilseon dared to visit.
“Alright. I’ll guide you.”
They say even a dog can recite poetry if it stays in a school for three years. I’ve been working on music in the studio provided by the Jeil Gallery for several years now.
By now, I’m so familiar with the gallery that I can walk around it with my eyes closed. I probably know the history of most of the artworks better than Kim Mihyun.
“The Shadow in the Storm, it’s a very profound and wonderful piece. I wish I could buy it right now. Do you know how much it costs, Mr. Kang Hyun?”
He certainly has an eye for art. It’s a piece by David Hawkins, showing the extremes of 20th-century contemporary art. Its price is among the highest in the gallery. If I’m not mistaken.
“I believe it’s around 3 billion won.”
Well, contemporary art is priced by what people are willing to pay. For example, the value of the artwork will continue to rise over time. There’s no better investment. At that moment,
“What!?”
“Yes?”
“Is it really that expensive? I thought it was only a few hundred thousand won. It’s not made of gold, but it’s more expensive than most buildings! If it weren’t for you, Mr. Kang Hyun, I would have thought it was a joke!”
Son Kangwook’s eyes widened in surprise. It seemed he really didn’t know the price.
I couldn’t understand it. If he was from a conglomerate family, he would have studied art as part of their social activities from a young age.
“Haha, I didn’t like art since I was young.”
Just then, Son Kangwook added, as if he had read my mind.
He kept looking at “The Shadow in the Storm” with a curious expression, muttering to himself, “3 billion?” “Is it really 3 billion?” and let out a hollow laugh.
It was understandable. To an ordinary person with no interest in art, it could seem that way. But Son Kangwook was a second-generation chaebol.
“Executive Director.”
At that moment, someone who seemed to be his secretary ran up and whispered something in his ear. Son Kangwook nodded and turned back to me with that innocent smile.
“Mr. Kang Hyun, it seems we have to end our meeting here. My sister-in-law has arrived at the gallery. She’s not someone who shows her face easily, so if I’m late, I’ll probably be turned away. Thank you so much for guiding me, despite your busy schedule.”
“No problem. I had a great time as well.”
“Hahaha, then let’s meet again next time.”
Son Kangwook gave a short bow and turned around. At that moment, his gait changed again.
“It’s been a long time.”
A heavy atmosphere lingered. Director Im Hyera knew that the person sitting in front of her was the most dangerous individual in the Jeil Group.
“I didn’t expect Executive Director Son Kangwook to visit the gallery suddenly. If you had informed me in advance, I would have come to greet you.”
“Sister-in-law, are you still calling me by my title so coldly? It’s my first time at the gallery, and there are so many expensive artworks. I guess there are ‘real’ ones stored underground, unlike the ‘fakes’ on the ground?”
Director Im Hyera’s brows furrowed. Son Kangwook was one of those who knew the most secrets within the Jeil Group. In some ways, he was even more cunning than Chairman Son Jangwon, his father.
“Sister-in-law, I’ll get straight to the point. Hand over the circumstantial evidence related to the Jeil Electronics accounting fraud to the prosecution.”
“What are you talking about!”
“Do you think I don’t know that the Jeil Foundation is secretly covering up the accounting fraud of Jeil Electronics? The Jeil Gallery and the Jeil Foundation are practically connected, so you, the owner, must know best.”
The glint in Son Kangwook’s eyes resembled that of a tiger. His firmly closed lips and deep eyes beneath thick eyebrows exuded boldness.
Even someone who didn’t know how to read faces would describe him as a tiger虎 because of his imposing presence.
“Executive Director Son Kangwook, even if there is such evidence, do you think I would hand it over?”
“Why not?”
“What?”
Son Kangwook gulped down hot coffee and started speaking.
“It’s disgustingly hot.”
“What are you trying to do right now?”
“If you don’t hand over the circumstantial evidence related to the accounting fraud, I will expose all the corruption within the Jeil Foundation and the gallery. It would be like burning down your own house to catch a flea, but if you continue to be so uncooperative, I will have no choice. Let me list some of the corrupt practices of the Jeil Foundation and the gallery.”
As time passed, Director Im Hyera’s eyes widened. She never imagined that Son Kangwook knew so many secrets about the Jeil Foundation. Only then did she understand why her husband, Son Ilseon, was so wary of Son Kangwook.
“Even if you hand over the circumstantial evidence related to the accounting fraud, your capable brother-in-law will be in detention for at most a month. I think that’s a very cheap way to resolve this. I’ll give you three days. If you don’t make a decision within that time or try any funny business, I’ll take the initiative.”
Son Kangwook smiled and stood up. He even joked that there was no need to see him off.
Director Im Hyera could only sit there like a stone Buddha. As Son Kangwook walked away, he muttered to himself.
“Everything will be over in a month.”
“Did Son Kangwook visit the Jeil Gallery?”
Grandfather’s face showed a serious expression. It seemed like a major incident had occurred just because Son Kangwook visited the gallery.
“What’s wrong, Grandfather?”
Grandfather hesitated for a moment but eventually spoke with parched lips.
“Hyun, do you know why Chairman Son chose Son Ilseon as his successor?”
“Isn’t it because he was the most capable among his children?”
“No. Among Chairman Son’s children, the most capable one was none other than the second son, Son Kangwook. In fact, Chairman Son had secretly considered Son Kangwook as the successor of the Jeil Group when his children were young.”
It was the first time I heard this. I couldn’t believe that Chairman Wang had considered Son Kangwook, not Son Ilseon, as the successor. But since it was Grandfather, who was close friends with Chairman Wang, it had to be true.
“But Chairman Son noticed the hidden nature of Son Kangwook and decisively kept his distance.”
“Hidden nature?”
“Unlike President Son Ilseon, Son Kangwook is a man with great ambition. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. While President Son Ilseon focuses on expanding the Jeil Group, Son Kangwook is the type of man who would sell the Jeil Group to realize his ambition.”
I finally understood Chairman Wang’s choice. The Jeil Group was his life’s work. The Jeil Group was Chairman Wang, and Chairman Wang was the Jeil Group.
While Son Ilseon was expanding the Jeil Group globally, Son Kangwook would sell the Jeil Group to fulfill his ambition. Making Son Kangwook the successor would be like entrusting a cat with a fish.
“It must have been Son Kangwook who reported Jeil Electronics to the prosecution. I’m worried. If Chairman Son were healthy, he could have prevented this.”
Grandfather had spent half his life with Chairman Wang. His face was full of concern for Chairman Wang.
“Right after Chairman Son collapsed, Son Kangwook began to reveal his ambition as if he had been waiting for this moment.”
There were several suspicious parts. As Grandfather said, Son Ilseon was arrested right after Chairman Wang collapsed.
No matter how powerful the prosecution was, it wouldn’t have been easy to arrest a key figure of the Jeil Group so quickly. It was as if they were following a prepared script.
“Kang Hyun, we have arrived.”
With the help of Mr. Kim, the driver, I arrived at the Pyeongchang-dong mansion. I didn’t drive my car because I had a lot to think about.
“In this life too, I’m deeply entangled with the Jeil Group.”
In my past life, I struggled to become a scholarship student of the Jeil Group. Back then, I pursued only material desires and power, becoming a dog of the Jeil Group.
But this time was different. This life was entangled in a complex relationship. Not only because of my connection with Chairman Wang but also because of my relationship with Son Yooha, I couldn’t just sit still.
“The future could change.”
Just seeing that Grandfather’s life had been extended was proof of that.
In my past life, there was no such upheaval in the Jeil Group. If there had been, I, who was interested in becoming a scholarship student of the Jeil Group since university, would have remembered it.
“Kang Hyun?”
The housekeeper of the Pyeongchang-dong mansion looked at me with surprised eyes. But she didn’t block my way. The bodyguards were the same. In a way, I visited the Pyeongchang-dong mansion more often than Chairman Wang’s children.
“I’m here to see the chairman.”
“But the chairman is still unconscious.”
“It’s okay. Can I see him for a moment?”
I had already contacted Director Im Hyera. The housekeeper also got permission from Director Im Hyera and led me to Chairman Wang’s bedroom.
Beep beep beep beep.
The sound of machines checking vital signs, directly linked to life, echoed in the bedroom.
Chairman Wang was lying with his eyes closed as if he were in a deep sleep. It seemed like he might wake up and scold someone at any moment.
“Grandfather.”
I called out, but there was no answer. Son Yooha, who was abroad, must be very worried too. I came to the Pyeongchang-dong mansion to find a clue, but there was none near Chairman Wang. However, my suspicion was turning into certainty.
“It was Son Kangwook.”
His meticulous actions made it clear who the culprit was. There was no way that the crafty Kim Namcheon would join hands with Son Kangwook for no reason.
It was then.
Huh?
Chairman Wang’s finger moved. As if he had been waiting for me.
