The London Symphony Concert Hall is bustling. Despite it being a day without rehearsals, many orchestra members have gathered together.
The reason was simple: it was the day the legendary maestro, the empress Karas, was giving guidance.
Though she had retired many years ago, her fame had not diminished, and instead, it had only grown stronger over the years.
Even great masters were said to have been in awe of her conducting.
Moreover, she was renowned for her extraordinary skills in instrument guidance.
Even Maestro Spencer couldn’t contain his curiosity and had taken a seat early in the morning.
“Nice to meet you, everyone.”
As Karas appeared, the members held their breath. Her mere walk exuded elegance, and her refined gaze overflowed with a charisma that contrasted with its warm feeling.
“I never expected so many of you to come out to receive guidance from me. Though I have been retired for a long time and still have many shortcomings as a conductor, I will do my best to help you all today.”
The faces of the members were filled with excitement and anticipation. Indeed, receiving guidance from Karas was an unparalleled honor for any musician.
For instance, there was a story that the famous genius pianist Kalzeman, who was secluding himself in Austria, had offered a large sum to receive her guidance but was flatly rejected.
The sound of various instruments playing different pieces reached the ceiling of the concert hall.
Since it was individual practice, it was understandable, but it was hard to distinguish each instrument’s sound, making it seem like dissonance.
Certainly, it was rare for so many people to have individual practice in one place. But then.
“Michael, your right-hand holding the bow is shaking. Don’t try to get rid of a habit that has been there for a long time. Sublimate it and make it your own, and you’ll have no shortcomings.”
Maestro Karas, as if she had countless ears, could catch every single melody of the individual instruments.
“Emanuel, the depth of your string sound is good. But too rich a tone is never a good thing. Try playing the strings like this once?”
Starting with the principal cellist,
“The concertmaster is showing flawless performance.”
“You’re too kind.”
“But how about trying to play the opening like this?”
Even up to the concertmaster, Dmitri. Karas was guiding all the members’ performances like a ghost.
In the eyes of the members filled with excitement and anticipation, disbelief and tension began to flow.
Moreover, the members commonly thought while receiving Karas’s guidance. It felt like.
They were receiving guidance from Hyun.
Beep beep beep beep.
The sound of the machine indicating vital signs, the parameters of life, filled the bedroom.
Chairman Wang was lying in bed as if in a deep sleep. An old man with white hair tied in a ponytail looked down at Chairman Wang with piercing eyes.
“How long are you going to sleep, you rascal.”
The old man’s voice was filled with bitterness.
“The tiger cub has finally shown its claws. What to do.”
“Sir, excuse me, but may I ask you a question?”
“A question?”
“Yes, are you really Teacher Deok-soo?”
The old man’s eyes narrowed like a flounder and scrutinized me as if picking lice.
It was a different kind of shrewd gaze than Kim Nam-chun’s. It was to the point where it felt like he was reading my mind.
“I told you, the name Deok-soo is long gone. Now I’m just an old man without a name. It has been fifty years since I first met Son-ga. But to think that the disciple would try to go before the master.”
“Chairman Son told me to find Teacher Deok-soo.”
“Me?”
Teacher Deok-soo looked at me with puzzled eyes.
“What would you use an old man without a name for?”
“Pardon?”
“Do I look like I have power or authority to you?”
He was a large old man with a physique like a wrestling champion, but he seemed far from power; his attire and hairstyle made him look like a hermit from the mountains. Then,
“Still, I can’t ignore the fact that my disciple desperately sought me. Son-ga was quick to learn from a young age. He was so adept at applying what he learned that if you taught him one thing, he knew ten. And now, to think that such a person has been betrayed by his own child and lies bedridden.”
“Betrayed by his child?”
“Don’t you already know everything and are just pretending not to? Son-ga must have anticipated this and made some preparations.”
Preparations?
What did he mean? But Teacher Deok-soo didn’t seem inclined to explain.
Teacher Deok-soo looked at the bedridden Chairman Wang with a wistful gaze and then turned to me.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“Staying here won’t make the bedridden disciple suddenly get up. It’s best to take care of things quickly. That way, the disciple can regain his strength. They say a fox acts like a king in a den without a tiger. In this case, the tiger cub trampled on its father. As a master, there’s only one thing I can do.”
Teacher Deok-soo’s eyes gleamed.
“I have to go tiger hunting.”
“Damn it.”
Son Kang-wook’s face turned red with anger, like an enraged tiger. It was because of Lawyer Wang’s warning to him.
Wasn’t it as if ashes were sprinkled on a done meal? He hadn’t imagined that his father would transfer shares to a third party.
“We’ve arrived, sir.”
At the secretary’s words, Son Kang-wook raised his head. Outside the car window, the Seoul Detention Center came into view.
“It’s been a while, hyung!”
Son Kang-wook stood up with a faint smile as Son Il-sun, dressed in a pre-trial detainee’s uniform, entered the meeting room.
There was no sign of emotion in Son Il-sun’s expression.
“The pre-trial detainee uniform suits you better than I thought. The convicted detainee uniform will probably suit you well too. How’s life in the detention center?”
“It’s not too bad.”
“As the top dog among the top dogs, I guess it would be. Even the head of the detention center is wary of you. You’ll likely have a comfortable life even after being transferred to the Seoul Southern Correctional Institution. The warden there also seems quite intimidated by you, and I’ll make sure to send plenty of provisions. Your precious Hong-won hasn’t visited you once, has he? Hahaha.”
Despite the clear provocation, there was no change in Son Il-sun’s eyes. He was as calm as an old monk who had practiced asceticism for a long time, making even Son Kang-wook lick his dry lips.
The spacious meeting room was devoid of guards and lawyers. Only Son Kang-wook and Son Il-sun sat facing each other.
“Hyung, I’ll get straight to the point. If things continue as they are, Jeil Group will fall under my control. I trust you know what I’ll do with Jeil Group.”
“You’ll break it up and sell it to foreign capital. You have no affection for Jeil Group. You must have realized that holding onto it for too long could be toxic.”
“That’s why I’m afraid of you, hyung. You see through everything even from the detention center. If you agree to relinquish management rights and shares of Jeil Electronics and Jeil Trading, I won’t touch Jeil Group anymore. I can’t further tarnish our father’s noble legacy.”
“Jeil Electronics and Jeil Trading? That’s like saying you’ll take the heart of Jeil Group.”
Son Il-sun responded leisurely.
“You don’t have many options, do you?”
“Why do you think I don’t?”
“Hyung, bluffing won’t work anymore. Even our father is now a toothless tiger. What’s left? No matter what you do here, Jeil Group is already in my hands. It’s time to give up.”
At that moment, Son Il-sun burst into hearty laughter. His laughter was so loud that it echoed through the meeting room.
How much time passed? Suddenly, Son Il-sun’s eyes gleamed fiercely. So fierce that even Son Kang-wook, who resembled a tiger, swallowed hard.
“Kang-wook, I’ve never liked you. You’re too different inside and out. I felt more kinship with our third brother, Hong-won, who grew up as a troublemaker. But not with you.”
“Isn’t that mutual?”
“You only know one thing and not the other. You think our father, the founder of Jeil Group, is a toothless tiger? Do you think I’m sitting here in a pre-trial uniform because I can’t do anything?”
Was it a bluff? But Son Il-sun’s eyes shone so brightly that it seemed he might devour Son Kang-wook at any moment.
Son Il-sun stood up and spoke firmly.
“Do as you please.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s see how far a trapped man can go—!”
Leaving the flabbergasted Son Kang-wook behind, Son Il-sun walked away with a hearty laugh.
“They say you’re good at playing the violin?”
Teacher Deok-soo looked at me with curious eyes.
“I’m not that good.”
“Come on, I don’t watch much TV, but I know your face well. If you’ve won awards in international competitions, you’re good. Humility is not always a virtue. And Son-ga praised you so much that I almost thought you were his grandson.”
“Chairman Son?”
Teacher Deok-soo, sitting in the passenger seat, stared at me intently. His gaze was so intense it felt like the scorching summer sun.
“From a physiognomic perspective, you seem to have a knack for business too. You’ve also blossomed artistically, so having too many talents can be a concern. If you had only a talent for business, I could have taken you as my last disciple and made you my masterpiece.”
“Sir, excuse me, but is Gwangyang Baek Whale also your disciple?”
“Baek Whale? That rascal was expelled for being cunning while learning from me. He was so obsessed with money that he dedicated his life to it. As punishment, I made him live with my name for twenty years. By now, it should be enough. He must have had a hard time with all the scoundrels looking for Teacher Deok-soo for twenty years. Imagine how tough it must have been for someone who loved money so much to suddenly disappear from the stock market. Haha.”
The car was heading towards the headquarters of Jeil Group in Seocho-dong. Teacher Deok-soo had abruptly told me to drive to Jeil Group’s headquarters. I ended up playing the role of a chauffeur.
“Sir, why are we heading to Jeil Group’s headquarters? There’s nothing we can solve by going there now.”
“Haha, my disciple said you were as good as a national champion at seeing ahead on the Go board, but you seem clueless. My disciple knew this would happen years ago. Son Kang-wook’s potential was evident. He was so good at hiding his true intentions that he was like a snake in a tiger’s skin.”
At that moment, the car arrived at Jeil Group’s headquarters.
Teacher Deok-soo walked confidently into the lobby. I found myself following him closely.
“How can I help you?”
A security guard stationed in the lobby blocked Teacher Deok-soo. Though his eyes were sharp, his white hair and hermit-like appearance made him look like a sage from the mountains.
Then,
“Do I need a reason to come to my own company?”
“Pardon?”
“Which floor is the chairman’s office on?”
What was going on? As the security guard furrowed his brows and approached Teacher Deok-soo, elderly executives came running out from beyond the lobby.
I recognized many of them. They were senior executives who had served Chairman Wang faithfully. Even Son Il-sun had treated them with respect.
Then, the foremost executive bowed respectfully to Teacher Deok-soo.
“Welcome, Chairman.”
What?
