It seemed his contemplation was getting long, so I stepped away for a moment. Coming out of the Chairman's office, it was once again a bare and ordinary office without a single decent potted plant.
Hah...
This layout really is hard to get used to. I could feel the working employees sneaking glances at me. I managed my expression and conversed with Section Chief Ma in a low voice.
"If this matter wraps up well, we will start constructing a building on the plot in Daechi District. I will give the construction rights to Daehyun Construction and have Geukseong Construction go in under them as a subcontractor, so Section Chief Ma, please contact Geukseong Construction separately. As for Daehyun, I will go see Chairman Song. Please set up an appointment."
"Understood."
As I was organizing what to do next, the Financial Director came out looking like he was dying.
"Please go in. I will draft the documents and come back. Will you be alright without a lawyer?"
"I will call one right now."
The Financial Director hurriedly disappeared somewhere. I called Yoon Jae-ha's father, whose number I had received a while ago. It was a direct line that not just anyone could get. — This is Yoon Hyeong-min.
"Father, it is Kim Mu-hyeok. It has been a while since I last greeted you. Have you been doing well?" — Mu-hyeok?
What is going on? You probably did not call just to say hello.
"I am currently at the Hyeonbo Group headquarters, and I need a lawyer. One who is well-versed in corporate transactions." — I know Chairman Cheon has his own lawyers he works with.
"How could I do business with someone else when I have you? Grandfather and I are separate. I ask this favor of you. It seems we will be seeing each other often in the future, so please send someone capable in your eyes." — Hahaha.
I felt this last time, but you really are a fun fellow. My son sure made a good friend. Understood, I will send you an ace.
The Yoon & Jang Joint Law Office, where Yoon Jae-ha's father Yoon Hyeong-min serves as co-representative. It was a law office, not a law firm. However, they were number one in the law firm industry.
Because of their principle to take on any case as long as the pay was high, they were known as the best yet worst company in the Republic of Korea. 'But they are worth the high price.' Even other law firms hesitated to fight them in court.
They did whatever it took for their client's victory. Fabricating evidence, bribing witnesses, lobbying, bribery... Persistently and tenaciously, they brought victory by any means necessary.
This was a time when such a side was not yet revealed to society. It was probably only known secretly within the industry. But for now, getting the help of a lawyer who handles things properly was enough for me.
I went back into the Chairman's office and sat down. Chairman Jang, looking exhausted, did not even give me a glance. An uncomfortable silence continued for a while.
"I heard you drove out your maternal uncles and took that seat, but your actions are an exact copy of Chairman Cheon."
I was just thinking that perhaps Chairman Jang had nothing to say, when a sharp voice rang out.
"I will take that as a compliment."
He probably said it to be sarcastic, but it did not hurt me at all. Seeing that I seemed completely unaffected, Chairman Jang ground his teeth and added as if throwing a curse.
"Do not be too arrogant. You never know when that will become a boomerang and choke your neck."
To hear such words from Chairman Jang of all people. I held back a scoff. He probably does not know that his management would cause the foreign exchange crisis in Korea.
The end for the absolute king of political-business collusion was downfall. I am not a good person. I had no intention of stopping this person to do something.
However, I had no intention of letting him run away to a foreign country like last time. I hid my true thoughts and spoke with a smiling face.
"I will keep that in mind."
Perhaps because the answer he got back was dry even after provoking me, Chairman Jang soon gave up and shut his mouth. Around the time the silence was becoming boring, the lawyer arrived.
"Hello, I am Lee Byeong-ju."
A man who looked to be in his late thirties came in and greeted me. His appearance was somewhat ordinary and even seemed easygoing. He did not seem like a lawyer from the Yoon & Jang law firm, which was vicious beyond just being tenacious.
"You are the lawyer the father sent, right?"
"Yes, I am working at Yoon & Jang."
"I look forward to working with you. We will be seeing each other often, so let's introduce ourselves properly later."
"Understood."
Lee Byeong-ju took a seat next to me. True to being a lawyer of Yoon & Jang, who bow to no one except their clients, he did not even offer a greeting to Chairman Jang sitting in front of him.
"Ahem."
Feeling awkward, Chairman Jang let out a fake cough, but Lee Byeong-ju remained completely unfazed.
"What do you need me to do?"
"We will be receiving land in exchange for handing over bonds and stocks. One is an unregistered piece of land, and it is a bit complicated because it requires the process of transferring ownership. The other is a plot of land of about 1,000 pyeong in Daechi District. This one is owned by Hyeonbo Construction, but it will be easier than the other."
It was a brief explanation, but Lee Byeong-ju spoke with a voice full of confidence.
"That is an easy job."
It seemed Yoon Hyeong-min had sent a proper person. A little later, the Financial Director who had stepped out came back in with another man. The Financial Director introduced him.
"This is our group's legal director."
The two briefly exchanged names and went into the paperwork. It was really boring, but since I had to sign, I had no choice but to endure and wait. Taking over two hours, all transactions ended with signing the completed contracts.
"I will execute the transaction on your behalf."
I nodded and stood up from my seat at Lee Byeong-ju's words that he would handle the tasks of handing over the stocks and transferring the names.
"Then I leave it in your capable hands, Lawyer Lee Byeong-ju."
"Yes, Boss."
I left the rundown commercial building with Section Chief Ma. I opened the car door, got in, and spoke.
"Let's go to Chairman Song."
I intended to finish everything today so that construction could start right away. Upon arriving at Chairman Song's house, a secretary I had seen often came out and guided Section Chief Ma and me. The face of Chairman Song, whom I was seeing after a long time, looked very haggard.
Perhaps it was because he had retired from the forefront of management due to the regime's coercion rather than his own will, but he seemed to have suffered a lot emotionally.
"Chairman, it has been a while. I have been distant lately. I apologize."
"Haha, yes. Welcome. Take a seat."
Although he had a smile on his face, the shadow on his face, having rolled around and worked in the field for decades, was darker.
"Your face looks very haggard. Have you been paying attention to your health?"
"Hahaha, I am still perfectly fine, so do not worry. More importantly, what brings you here today?"
"As expected of the Chairman's insight."
"Don't flatter me. Do I not know you? I told you so many times to meet my granddaughter at least once, but you kept avoiding it. You must have a reason for suddenly visiting."
At first, I met Chairman Song frequently to seek advice. No, rather than seeking advice, it might be more accurate to say I listened to stories of how he had lived.
"Hahaha..."
I tried to get out of it with an awkward laugh, but Chairman Song narrowed his eyes and glared at me.
"She is 19 years old now. She's all grown up. Do not say she is young. I called her today, so at least see her face before you go."
Hah...
It ends up like this in the end.
"I will only see her face."
"That stubbornness of yours is exactly like that Cheon guy... Tsk."
He spoke as if scolding me, but still, the shadow on his face disappeared a little.
"Right. Now tell me. What is your business?"
"You know that I acquired Geukseong Construction, right?"
Chairman Song nodded without replying.
"While organizing the Hyeonbo Group bonds this time, I received land in Daechi District instead of money. I would like to build a building there, but it is still too big of a project for Geukseong to handle alone."
"Hah, Daechi District? Chairman Jang gave that up?"
I told him about the negotiation and threat process that occurred at the Hyeonbo Group. Chairman Song burst into hearty laughter, saying it was to be expected.
"Hahaha! I should have seen that guy Chairman Jang's face. He lost not to Cheon Tae-san, but to his grandson? Hahahahaha!"
Chairman Song asked with an amused face.
"So you want Daehyun to handle the construction?"
"Yes, even if Geukseong Construction participates in the actual construction, I would like Daehyun to be the main contractor. That land is quite complicated for putting up a building."
"Have you ever seen a fox like a bear like this. You are basically telling us to handle changing the land's designated use ourselves."
I could have directly lobbied to change the land's designated use. But having Daehyun Construction do it was definitely faster. The construction needed to be done quickly.
All construction had to be finished by early 1998 at the latest, so it was too tight for Geukseong Construction to swallow alone.
"I am in a bit of a hurry. I also want to shorten the construction period. I ask this favor of you."
"You brat, I am a man who has stepped down from the company now. What power do I have? You should go see the boss of Daehyun Construction."
Chairman Song played hard to get once.
"He is too stiff."
"What? Then am I soft?"
"I am saying you are not a stiff person. Besides, it is not like I have known you for just a day or two..."
I casually smiled off Chairman Song's glare, which seemed to say I was being cheeky.
"You cheeky brat. In exchange, you are meeting my granddaughter today. Then I will do it."
"Understood."
Chairman Song called his secretary and then summoned the boss of Daehyun Construction to his house. I chatted with Chairman Song, and upon seeing the boss of Daehyun Construction arrive, I stepped outside. I fell deep in thought on the bench in the garden where I had sat when I first visited.
'What happened to Daehyun during the IMF crisis again...' As I closed my eyes and recalled my memories, I felt the sunlight shining down on my face being blocked. When I lifted my head, a young woman I had never seen before was standing and looking at me.
"Hello."
Was she about Ji-young's age?
"Hello. Are you perhaps Chairman Song's granddaughter?"
"Yes, I am Song Hyeon-ji."
I stood up from the chair I was sitting on.
"Nice to meet you, I am Kim Mu-hyeok."
She was someone I had never seen before in the past. Was there a woman named Song Hyeon-ji in Chairman Song's family?
"I heard you said you didn't want to meet me? I've never been treated like this before."
I was a little flustered by her straightforward remark and lost my words.
"Grandfather told me to meet you so much that I agreed, but I heard you kept saying no, that you didn't want to."
"Hahaha..."
Chairman Song, how could you tell the kid that exactly as it is...
"I refused because I thought you were too young."
"If anyone heard, they would think you're over thirty. I heard you're twenty-two? When you were in your third year of high school, I was in my third year of middle school."
A laugh escaped me at her easygoing and unreserved demeanor, which was unusual for someone from the best conglomerate family in the Republic of Korea. At that, she also laughed along. Her smiling face was pretty.
"I apologize if you were offended. Even if the age difference isn't big, I think two minors meeting is different from an adult meeting a minor."
"Wow! How old-fashioned. In my family, there are lots of cases where they grab kids from a young age and say, 'You guys have to marry when you grow up,' so it's nothing new, but I guess you are different? But why do you keep using formal speech?"
"Since it is our first meeting..."
"Oppa, is this perhaps your first time dating?"
I have even been married before.
"No, it is not."
"You are still using formal speech. I am going to speak casually."
This was a first for me.
"Alright, speak casually. I will too."
"Now you seem a bit like you are in your twenties. Do you know you're a bit behind the times?"
"That is the first time I am hearing that from someone."
Song Hyeon-ji chattered away without resting. She was no different from any kid her age. I chimed in and continued the conversation.
"What did you hear from Chairman Song?"
"About you?"
"Yeah. What did he say?"
"Just, the person with the most money in our country?"
I ended up bursting into a chuckle, saying "Pfft."
"Why. Is that not a compliment?"
Song Hyeon-ji tilting her head was cute.
"No... Do you not have any pretense?"
"Pretense? Why put on a pretense when we both know everything. It is not like we are ordinary people. But acting ordinary despite that would be fake. Right?"
I nodded without realizing it.
"Anyway, we met now, so we are good, right?"
"Wow, that is funny. Oppa, I am not the type of person who gets treated like this wherever I go."
"Hahaha."
It was quite a pleasant conversation. No matter how much I thought about it, Song Hyeon-ji of the Daehyun Group family was not in my memories. I did not know what kind of secret existed, but she was a likable person.
"Just what did the Chairman say to you?"
"Ah, seriously! I was not going to go as far as telling you this."
Song Hyeon-ji leaned in close as if she was sharing a secret story. My heart started to beat rapidly.
"Actually..."
< I heard you said you didn't want to meet me? > End