Let's form an alliance.
"Myeong-soo, go to the car first."
I threw the car keys to Myeong-soo. Myeong-soo caught the keys, hesitated for a moment, and then walked to where the car was.
"Where are we going?"
"Let's go to my car."
"Lead the way."
I followed behind Cheon Ji-soo. She got into the driver's seat first, and I followed by opening the passenger door and getting in.
"I didn't think you'd acknowledge me at school."
"What do you mean, we're family."
Bullshit.
You're the worst of them all. I hid my true thoughts and continued the conversation.
"So what's your business? My friend is waiting."
"What's the rush?"
There was curiosity in Cheon Ji-soo's eyes as she glared at me.
"Why are you being so prickly? It's not like I'm going to eat you. I'm still your older sister, there's no need to speak like that."
"Right, sister. What is your business?"
Cheon Ji-soo sighed, seemingly dumbfounded by my behavior of drawing a line between us.
"There's no need for us to be at each other's throats like this, right? I have no interest in what Grandfather does, and whether you learn the business under him or whatever you do, it has nothing to do with me."
"Yeah, I don't care whether you take an interest in Grandfather's work or not either. What I do care about is why you suddenly called me out here and what you want to say."
"......"
Cheon Ji-soo seemed to be contemplating whether to speak or not. She's probably going to propose an alliance. Because she did the same thing in the past.
Even though she stabbed me right in the back after doing so.
"Um... I'm interested in Ilseong Group."
"Right, cheer up! With your skills, you should be able to secure a position. I'll root for you. Is that all you had to say?"
"Hey!"
She shouted loudly, probably because of my continuous sarcasm.
"What!"
I raised my voice in response. I intended to accept her alliance proposal if she made one. This time, I'll use her to my heart's content and then stab her in the back.
No matter how much money one had, I learned in my previous life that you ultimately couldn't beat the conglomerates after the real-name financial system was implemented. To do that, I needed the power of Ilseong Group.
"I told you I'm not interested in Grandfather's wealth. You can take over Grandfather's work. I want to have Ilseong Group. Help me out. Let's form an alliance."
"An alliance?"
"In the end, it's obvious it will be a fight between my older brother and you, right? Looking at the current atmosphere, I think you have a high chance of winning. On top of that, if I leak information about my dad and brother to you, your chances will be even higher. How about it?"
I couldn't help but snort.
"You don't actually think that scoundrel Cheon Ji-won can do anything, do you? Aren't you overestimating him too much just because he's your older brother?"
"...Don't ignore him. He's still the eldest grandson. You're from the mother's side, and Cheon Ji-won is the eldest grandson from the father's side. If he gets the support of Ilseong Group on top of that, even you won't know what could happen. Don't be too confident."
"Ha! Cheon Ji-won? That guy?"
"Hey! Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"
Seeing her face twisted my mood so I kept making sarcastic remarks, but it didn't seem like provoking her any further would do any good.
"Well, okay. Let's say you give me information, what do you want from me? If it's an alliance, there has to be some give and take. What do you want me to do?"
"Move Grandfather to help me out. And... not right away, but maybe in a few years, or maybe a few decades. Just support me then. When Grandfather passes away and you take over his position."
I took my time, pretending to think about it. Cheon Ji-soo waited without saying a single word as she watched me close my eyes and fall into deep thought instead of answering.
"...I don't understand. If Cheon Ji-won becomes the successor, can't you just ask him for support then? You're his younger sister, wouldn't he support you?"
"Hah~ Cheon Ji-won? The moment he becomes Grandfather's successor, he'll try to swallow Ilseong whole. He doesn't even know his place, but he has so much greed that he's more than capable of doing that. Don't I know it."
"But even if I support you, can you really swallow Ilseong Group? I think there's a higher chance of it being unified."
No matter how smart she was and how well she handled her work, in the end, Ilseong Group was Cheon Ji-soo's maternal family. For the Chairman of Ilseong Group, who had already set up a succession structure, there was no reason to break that structure.
If there was any variable, it was just the fact that the Chairman of Ilseong Group cherished his eldest daughter, Cheon Ji-soo's mother, the most. However, the Chairman of Ilseong Group was... A man with no blood or tears.
A man who could abandon his daughter if she became a risk factor to management rights; that was the king of Ilseong Group, Chairman Seo Yong-geon.
"I have no intention of taking everything. I'm not that foolish. But I will take at least half. Because it's my mother's rightful privilege."
"...You have big dreams, sister."
"Anyway, so what do you say? Are you interested?"
"Hmm... Isn't this too much of a loss for you? That makes me feel even more uneasy. I'm the only one gaining something right now, and all you get is a promise, right?"
She must have flinched inside. After the Chairman of Ilseong Group collapsed from a myocardial infarction, she began to make her move in earnest from then on. She rebelled against her uncle, the successor, and eventually got into a fight over shares.
And eventually, with me raising my hand in support after succeeding Grandfather, she managed to take one-third of Ilseong Group's affiliates. The hand she held with me was let go at that moment. The woman who threw me into the abyss along with the brothers Cheon Su-man and Cheon Su-han.
That was exactly who Cheon Ji-soo was.
"You have nothing to lose, right? Let's trust each other as family. Hmm? Can't you trust your sister?"
"Pff, pfft. Hahahaha."
I instinctively burst into laughter at the unexpected 'Can't you trust your sister' remark. Wow, this woman even says things like this?
"Why are you laughing?"
Cheon Ji-soo frowned.
"No, the part about not trusting you was just a bit funny. I'll think about it for now. It's not a problem I can easily decide on."
"What is there to think about? Are you going to miss out on such a good opportunity? You said it yourself, it's a losing business for me."
"Right. It's a losing business for you. But we just had our first real conversation today. How can I trust you and readily hold your hand when you make such a proposal out of the blue?"
Of course, I also want to give her a hard time while dragging things out a bit.
"I'll think about it. I'll give you an answer as soon as possible. Ah! And don't worry, I have no intention of telling anyone else about this. I'm not that much of an idiot either."
Perhaps she hadn't expected me to say I would think about it, as Cheon Ji-soo stared at me wordlessly for a long while. Eventually, she sighed.
"Phew... Alright. Give me an answer as quickly as possible. I can't wait long. If you drag it out, I'll have no choice but to find another way. You know what I mean, right?"
"Yeah, I got it. Then we're done talking, right? I'll contact you later."
As I was about to open the car door and get out, Cheon Ji-soo added to my back.
"Wait a moment. I'll still give you a gift."
I let go of the door handle and looked at her.
"What is it?"
"It seems like Dad is plotting something by moving the Myeon District bosses. I don't know the details, but be careful when you meet the Myeon District bosses."
Talk about being late to the party. I was so dumbfounded that I just stared at Cheon Ji-soo without answering.
"Why? You think it's a lie?"
"No, I just wondered for a moment... if you would actually be of any help."
At that, Cheon Ji-soo distorted her face.
"What are you talking about?"
"I've already met with all the Myeon District bosses, and everything has been sorted out. All of Grandfather's shell accounts have been recovered, and they agreed to report to me once a month."
"What?"
Cheon Ji-soo looked at me with a surprised expression. She can make an expression like that too. I'm really learning a lot of new things about her today.
"I really should think about this for a long time."
"...You subdued the Myeon District bosses?"
"Yeah. It was no big deal."
"...You weren't just an ordinary guy, were you?"
A strange smile spread across Cheon Ji-soo's face. She's probably thinking I'll be very useful.
Hey!
In the past, you jerk, we ate together, drank together, went to the sauna together, huh? We did it all!
You know? Ah...
I guess we didn't go to the sauna. 'I know you better than you know yourself. Look forward to it.
This time...'
I got out of Cheon Ji-soo's car and headed to where my car was. Seeing Myeong-soo reading a law book inside the car made me laugh. I opened the driver's side door, got in, and said.
"Hey! You're studying in the car too?"
"Huh? Hey, Mu-hyeok! Who was that woman earlier? She was freaking pretty. Introduce me. Why are you meeting her all by yourself? You bastard, you nag me to hurry up and study to pass the bar exam, but you're out here meeting women? You cheap bastard."
My ears hurt from the rapid-fire words Myeong-soo poured out as soon as I sat in the car. I spoke with an indifferent expression.
"She's my cousin."
"Huh? Really? Sorry."
Myeong-soo was quick to apologize.
"Don't be fooled by her face. She's a nine-tailed fox with hundreds of snakes slithering inside her. She's a woman I can't walk the same path with."
At that, Myeong-soo quietly turned his eyes back to his law book.
"I'm hungry. Let's go grab something to eat quickly! Let's go, Driver Kim!"
I shook my head and started the engine. The car slowly started moving. After eating with Myeong-soo, I returned home and headed straight to the study where Grandfather was.
Standing in front of the door, I spoke.
"Grandfather. It's Mu-hyeok."
Grandfather's voice could be heard from inside the study.
"Come in."
"Yes."
When I opened the door and entered, Manager Ha was nowhere to be seen, and Grandfather was sitting alone, leaning back in his chair.
"How was your first class? Was it fun?"
"Yes. I greeted my peers and everything."
"Is that so?"
"I met Ji-soo."
"Ji-soo? Ah! You go to the same university, right?"
"Yes, we decided to get food together next time."
"Well done. Get along well with your cousins. Understood?"
"Yes."
Grandfather nodded his head in satisfaction.
"So, what's the matter that you came looking for me as soon as you got home? Speak."
I carefully brought up the topic.
"Um... you told me to manage your secret account, right."
"I did."
"I'd like to send it overseas."
"Overseas?"
"Yes, if you don't plan to use that money right away, I want to make some investments overseas."
Chairman Cheon pulled his back off the chair and leaned forward toward me.
"Hoh, an investment. Are you confident? You remember what I said when I entrusted you with the account, right?"
"Yes, you said this money could be the last if I mess up."
"It wouldn't be bad just to maintain the status quo, so why insist on taking it overseas?"
Even now, moving money overseas wasn't an easy task, but it would become even harder once the real-name financial system was implemented. With Grandfather's current power, he should be able to easily siphon money overseas.
"I think this administration will likely continue to implement policies that are increasingly disadvantageous to you, Grandfather. Even if you aren't the target, you, who make up a pillar of the underground economy, will suffer the most damage. Therefore, I thought it would be necessary to move the funds overseas in advance."
"Hmm..."
"Wouldn't it be an easy task to wash it clean and send it to America using the branches of the large corporations you've lent money to?"
Then, Grandfather, who had been looking at me with an intrigued expression to see what I would say, opened his mouth.
"Yes, it is easy. But your explanation as to why we must do so is still lacking. Siphoning money overseas because of a real-name financial system that hasn't even been implemented yet? Is there a reason we must do that?"
I answered calmly.
"Since you entrusted it to me, you have to trust whatever I do with that money and help me. Isn't that right?"
It was a shameless thing to say, but a frontal assault was sometimes the best method.
"Hahaha! Interesting, very interesting. Even your maternal uncles are always intimidated in front of me and can't speak properly, but you, Mu-hyeok, I wonder if you lack fear or just overflow with spirit. Regardless, it's good to see."
That's right.
I used to be like that. I was always intimidated in front of Grandfather and couldn't even speak properly. He seemed to at least think of me as the successor to follow him, but he was never satisfied.
"Right, what do you need me to do?"
"Please transfer 400 billion won to an American account."
"And?"
"Don't ask me about that money until the year 2000. I'll take care of it."
"Huh? Don't even ask about the 400 billion won?"
"Yes."
After thinking for a long time, Grandfather soon nodded his head.
"Alright. Go ahead and do so. But there is no second chance. Whether you grow that money or blow it all, you just need to return exactly 400 billion won to me. Understood?"
"Yes."
"I'll have Manager Ha get to work and move it nicely and cleanly to America without any problems."
"Thank you, Grandfather."
I never expected to have a conversation like this in Grandfather's study. My changed behavior also changed Grandfather.
Now...
I had to find someone to manage my account. 'Right about now, that person was... running away, crushed by private loans, right?' Grandfather didn't speak about the secret funds anymore.
Instead, he was curious about my college life. When my conversation with Grandfather ended and I came out of the study, Manager Ha entered the house.
"Manager Ha."
"Yes. Young Master."
"Um... please find someone for me."
"Someone?"
Manager Ha stopped with a slightly puzzled expression.
"Please tell me. However, it might take a long time. The more information there is, the faster the search will be."
I searched through my memories as best as I could and explained. Manager Ha took out a notepad and wrote down what I said. A few days later.
Manager Ha gave me the address of the inn where he was staying. He asked me, seemingly puzzled.
"Han Gyeong-yeong? This person had a lot of private debt. That's why I found him without much difficulty. But why are you looking for someone like this..."
"Hahaha. Because he's a useful person. Thank you, Manager Ha."
At those words, Manager Ha asked no further questions.
Han Gyeong-yeong.
The god of stocks who would be called a super ant in the future. But right now, he was just a stock addict crushed by private loans. He would soon become my person and grow my wealth.