“Lawyer, nice to meet you―!”
Son Kangwook stood up with a faint smile.
“It’s been a while, President Son.”
“After being called Executive Director my whole life, it feels strange to be addressed as President now. Hahaha.”
“What is the reason you called me here?”
The lawyer, with his full head of white hair, had been King Chairman’s exclusive lawyer for many years and knew more about Jeil Group’s secrets than anyone else.
Although he wasn’t officially part of Jeil Group’s legal team, the public referred to him as King Chairman’s exclusive lawyer, and he was treated with respect accordingly.
No executive in Jeil Group dared to treat him carelessly.
“You still dislike long-winded stories, Lawyer Wang. I’ll get straight to the point. It’s about my father’s inheritance.”
“That’s strange. The chairman hasn’t passed away yet, so why are you talking about inheritance?”
“As you know, my father’s health isn’t good, and Jeil Group’s financial situation isn’t great either. My older brother is in custody. To protect the group in such a situation, it’s best to clarify the share distribution. However, my father is very secretive, and only you, Lawyer Wang, know how the shares are allocated.”
The old lawyer replied with unwavering eyes.
“Even if I know that, I have no obligation to tell President Son.”
“And that’s why I like you, Lawyer Wang. You never bow your head to anyone. But there’s the legal right of inheritance. If my father doesn’t recover from his illness, a dispute over the inheritance rights will arise, and Jeil Group will naturally fall into my hands. Even if my father left a will to pass everything to my brother, you know the law, right?”
“I know. Even if it’s stated in the will, the inheritance can be equally divided among the direct descendants through legal disputes. But it seems President Son knows one thing but not the other.”
A look of confusion spread across Son Kangwook’s face.
“What do you mean?”
“The shares your father holds are already minor within Jeil Group.”
“……!”
He couldn’t understand. Chairman Son Jangwon of Jeil Group had never transferred his management rights to anyone.
He had run the company with an iron fist.
Could it be that he had already transferred all the shares to his eldest son, Son Ilseon?
At that moment, the old lawyer seemed to read Son Kangwook’s thoughts and spoke up.
“Rest assured. The chairman wouldn’t transfer his shares to his eldest son while he’s alive.”
“Then did he transfer them to a third party?”
“That’s correct. Under the legal right of inheritance, gifts to others are only included if they were given within a year. But the chairman has been gradually transferring his shares to third parties for a long time, probably anticipating this situation. For several years, someone else has been representing the chairman in management and at general meetings with the transferred shares.”
Son Kangwook felt as if cold water had been poured over his head. All his investigations had led him to believe that all the shares were still with his father.
It was only natural. Chairman Son Jangwon of Jeil Group wouldn’t let anyone take what was his.
“President Son Kangwook, I have one thing to say.”
His mind was filled with thoughts. The old lawyer looked at Son Kangwook and calmly said,
“The reason I accepted your invitation today and told you this is simple. If you’re thinking about inheritance, I hope you won’t do anything futile to the chairman who is bedridden. It’s already out of your hands.”
What on earth.
His mind felt tangled like a ball of yarn.
The man sitting in front of him, Gwangyang Baekgorae, also known as Teacher Deoksu, had no acquaintance with Chairman Wang.
“Are you really saying you’ve never met Chairman Son?”
“You young folks are so suspicious. How many times do I have to say no?”
“Really?”
Teacher Deoksu looked annoyed with his flounder-like eyes.
He had asked several times, but the answer was the same. Only then could he accept it.
Damn it!
He had barked up the wrong tree. The Deoksu Teacher mentioned by Chairman Wang and Gwangyang Baekgorae were not the same person.
He wondered if he was being lied to, but it wasn’t the case. Somehow, he had become better at reading people’s moods than when he was a prosecutor.
At that moment.
“Could it be.”
Teacher Deoksu scratched his head and said.
“Are you talking about my master?”
“What?”
“If it’s my master, he might have met Chairman Son. But isn’t there any tea or snacks here?”
At his words, a housekeeper brought out a tray of snacks. Teacher Deoksu took a big bite of a biscuit and showed a pleased expression.
Despite his sharp eyes, he seemed like an eccentric person.
“Master?”
“I’m talking about my master. You were curious about the meeting between Teacher Deoksu and Chairman Son, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then you should have sought out my master. You really barked up the wrong tree. Although I’m called Teacher Deoksu, it’s just a borrowed name from my master.”
What?
“The reason I, who was Gwangyang Baekgorae, started living as Teacher Deoksu is because of my master. My master told me to live under his name for exactly twenty years. So I was called Teacher Deoksu instead of Baekgorae.”
“So, your master’s name is Teacher Deoksu?”
“That’s right. Normally, I wouldn’t have told you this, but since the promised twenty years have passed and Elder Kim Namcheon asked me to cooperate with you, I’m telling you.”
Teacher Deoksu continued to eat the biscuit as he spoke.
“So don’t look for information in the wrong place and go find my master. He’s not easy to find because he’s always here and there. Even though he’s old, he’s healthier and more active than me. He’s probably living as a recluse in some nameless mountain even now.”
“Where is your master?”
“I told you.”
At that moment, Teacher Deoksu put down the biscuit.
“I don’t know either.”
The maestro’s fingertips pointed to the sky.
Spencer’s sharp eyes scanned the members, who responded by creating beautiful melodies.
Even though it was just a rehearsal, it was as thrilling as the actual performance.
A lone audience member in the seats smiled faintly.
“It was a wonderful performance, Maestro.”
“You’re flattering me.”
After the rehearsal, Spencer welcomed a guest. Unlike usual, his expression was tense.
It was understandable. The person in front of him was none other than the legendary maestro, Empress Karas.
“I heard you’re looking for a guest conductor.”
“Because of my injured shoulder.”
“May I fill that vacant spot?”
Spencer’s eyes widened. He couldn’t have imagined that Empress Karas would apply as a guest conductor.
After all, she was welcomed with open arms by any orchestra worldwide.
“I don’t understand why Maestro Karas would choose us. Knowing that you were attending today’s rehearsal made not only me but all the members nervous. Your reputation is sky-high. Why a guest conductor?”
“I’ve been on the path to retirement for a long time. All the major orchestras around the world have their own chief conductors. I felt it wouldn’t be polite to take over those positions. Then I noticed the London Symphony was looking for a guest conductor.”
“Not only us, but New York and Chicago are also looking for guest conductors. May I ask why you chose the London Symphony?”
Empress Karas’s return alone would excite classical music fans worldwide. But Spencer was known for his prudence.
“The first reason would be because of you, Maestro Spencer. Many maestros have made a name for themselves since I retired. Among them, I think Spencer, the heart of the London Symphony, is the most maestro-like.”
“You’re flattering me.”
“The second reason is because of a certain child.”
“A child?”
“A child who breathed new life into me is with the London Symphony. That child will soon join the London Symphony. I chose to act first rather than wait for that moment.”
Only then did Spencer nod in understanding.
Of course, meeting that child would bring inspiration and vitality that other musicians couldn’t provide.
The Empress must have been drawn to that child, which led her here.
“I want to be part of the audience of strings with you, Maestro Spencer, in the remaining years.”
Achoo―!
He rubbed his nose. While drinking coffee, he tried to untangle the mess of thoughts in his head. To think there was another Teacher Deoksu. But.
‘He doesn’t know.’
It was like another game of hide and seek had begun.
Moreover, wasn’t he here and there, as Teacher Deoksu had said? It was surprising that an elderly man moved so vigorously.
Furthermore, he was someone who had raised Chairman Wang and Gwangyang Baekgorae.
“Can such a person really exist?”
It would be impossible if it wasn’t a novel. He wanted to find clues, but Gwangyang Baekgorae seemed to know nothing more.
Of course, the fact that Gwangyang Baekgorae had been given the name Teacher Deoksu was proof that he wanted to hide his whereabouts.
An eccentric.
A person who couldn’t be explained by ordinary terms.
It was unlikely he could be found even if he searched all over South Korea. He had hidden his very existence. Even newspaper ads wouldn’t help.
“Let’s go to Pyeongchang-dong.”
In the end, the answer lay with Chairman Wang. Director Kim Sang-guk also seemed unable to find more information about Teacher Deoksu. The same went for Elder Kim Namcheon.
The only option left was for Chairman Wang to recover.
“Hoo.”
Standing in front of the grand mansion in Pyeongchang-dong, he felt suffocated. He hadn’t been able to do anything with the clue Chairman Wang had left him.
At that moment.
“Young man.”
A hearty voice came from behind.
“Yes?”
“Are you about to enter this mansion?”
“Yes, but.”
An old man with a full head of white hair tied back in a ponytail.
But he had an impressive physique. He was as tall and robust as Son Kangwook, with a straight posture that didn’t seem like that of an old man.
And what about his eyes? If Son Kangwook resembled a tiger, the old man had the piercing gaze of a dragon.
“Then let’s go in together.”
To the grand mansion in Pyeongchang-dong?
“Do you have an appointment? This isn’t a place you can visit casually.”
“Hey, does a master need an appointment to visit his disciple? And this cheeky disciple fell ill before his master. I’m here to give him a good scolding if he doesn’t get up soon.”
At that moment, his throat gulped loudly.
“Teacher Deoksu?”
