Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Loyalty in the Face of Temptation
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Jin Seol-hwa's departure for the United States had arrived.
She'd stayed in Korea longer than expected.
Her main role was as CEO of Selig.
She'd come to check on the situation here and ended up caught up in all sorts of events.
"Chairman Kim Do-jun, I'll see you again at the DJ Group's launch ceremony."
She no longer called me president—she called me chairman now.
By the next time we met, I'd probably be the chairman of the group.
"Yes. Take care of yourself, Seol-hwa. Come on, Seol-young, say goodbye to your sister."
Seol-young's face fell at the news that her only family was heading to the other side of the world. Tears were on the verge of spilling out.
Jin Seol-hwa gently patted her sad little sister's back.
"Seol-young, your sister will come back to Korea as soon as she wraps up work in the US, so can you hang in there until then?"
"Ugh... Yeah..."
"Good. You've got Uncle Do-jun here, and all these sisters too, so if anything tough comes up, don't hesitate to tell them. They'll all roll up their sleeves to help."
Instead of using a civilian airport, she left the same way she'd arrived—on a private jet bound for the US. Seol-young stared endlessly at the plane until it shrank to a dot in the distant sky.
In the end, it happened.
"Waaah!"
"Oh dear, Seol-young!"
I wiped away the torrent of chicken-shit tears with my sleeve and pulled her into a hug. As long as Jin Seol-hwa didn't step down as Selig's CEO, she'd have to globe-trot between countries.
Selig was currently running at full throttle.
After their leukemia and ALS treatments, they were developing new drugs or something like that.
That's why she was rushing off to prepare.
'I need to take good care of her for a while.'
Once I took the chairman's seat at DJ Group, I'd be several times busier than now.
Which meant less time with Seol-young.
I knew it was unavoidable, but I hadn't forgotten the promise I'd made when we first met. I wouldn't let her live lonely and isolated anymore.
Blood or no blood, I wanted to be more than family to her.
"Seol-young, how about chicken for dinner tonight?"
"!"
The word "chicken" stopped her tears cold.
It felt weird to say it, but her favorite food was no different from any Korean's.
Chicken!
I had no idea whose tastes she'd inherited, but she preferred original over soy or spicy-sauced varieties.
"Chicken party tonight!"
"...For real?"
"You bet. Chicken, pizza, and that trendy frozen pork belly thing..."
Im Yun-ah chimed in from the side.
"Sir, frozen pork belly."
Pork prices had skyrocketed compared to the past.
"R-right! Chicken and our pork belly. Haha!"
Even after curing her leukemia, she needed to watch her health.
But days like today called for letting her eat what she wanted to ease the stress.
"Alright, let's go!"
We hopped into the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and sped to the mart.
Seol-young, who'd been holding back her cravings, now beamed with a sunflower-like smile.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ April brought some major events.
Two big ones: a visit from Jack Ryden, the US Armed Services Committee Chairman, and the wedding of Jin-seong, the so-called president of internet broadcasting.
"This is driving me crazy. Absolutely crazy!"
Everything else could wait, but I had to attend those two in person.
Jin Seol-hwa in the US had told me Jack Ryden—who was both a senator and committee chairman—kept requesting to meet me.
That's how he'd learned who the true owner of Selig was.
"So they know I'm Selig's patron."
Sitting at my computer desk, we had a video call over our direct line and talked at length. Chatting like this brought back memories from the early days.
There'd been a certain romance to it back then.
"Yes. Once you take the top seat at DJ Group, the whole world will know. DJ Investment in the Philippines won't stay hidden either."
"Fair enough."
"So, isn't it about time we got to work on that?"
The moment had finally arrived.
Here were the companies I owned:
Selig, the US pharma company.
DJ Investment.
Starlight.
Mirae Distribution.
Handong Medical Center.
Bi-gang Systems.
South Energy and affiliates—eight in total.
I'd recently acquired one more.
Running a massive group meant getting tangled in all sorts of power struggles. From intellectual property to HR and labor management, the legal team would be swamped.
So I'd brought in a law firm.
What we were doing now fell under the legal team's duties.
"Changing the company names."
"Yes. We're taking companies run by other groups and need to unify them."
The final decisions were:
Selig → DJ Pharma
DJ Investment → DJ Investment
Starlight → DJ Software
Mirae Distribution → DJ Distribution
Handong Medical Center → DJ Medical Center
Bi-gang Systems → DJ Systems
South Energy → DJ Energy
Starlight Law Firm → DJ Law Firm
Luckily, the group name came from my own initials, so renaming was a quick process. Investment stayed the same, and the rest got the DJ prefix.
"Chairman, things might get noisy for a bit. If you ask when our group is most vulnerable right now, it's this moment."
"What do you mean? Vulnerable how?"
Our finances were unmatched.
Salaries were higher than average, and welfare was top-notch.
A company like ours facing a crisis?
"They'll come soon. With sweet carrots in hand."
"Carrots?"
"Yes. Once we launch as a group, everyone will think it's too late. And it's April now—peak job-hopping season."
"!"
"So we need to tighten internal unity. Visit each affiliate, Chairman, and give them praise. Subordinates feel their worth when the top boss notices them."
"Got it. I'd overlooked that."
It hit hard.
Why hadn't I thought of it?
Could I claim my companies offered the best pay and benefits worldwide?
No way.
Even looking at major US firms, they had unbeatable prestige and public perception. Just working there earned you respect, salary aside.
In contrast, the soon-to-launch DJ Group had no track record yet.
'This is more serious than I thought...'
I needed to act fast.
Great companies need great people underneath. The idea of my talent getting poached made my blood boil.
These were the people I'd hired!
"No way. Starting tomorrow, I'll make the rounds. Actually, every day!"
"Wise choice. The chairman has to set the example to keep things from stagnating."
Thank goodness I had her.
Otherwise, I'd still be jerking off to fantasies etched in my brain.
But...
The situation had already spiraled out of control.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Park Seong-ho had been swamped lately.
His best friend Do-jun had been through a lot recently.
He was filling in the gaps for his busy friend.
'Finish today's schedule here, then lunch meeting with the financial institution?'
The DJ Group was about to go public.
Park Seong-ho had already been told he'd become HQ department head upon launch.
Bzzz!
His smartphone vibrated.
The job offers had started trickling in days ago.
Dozens in a short time.
[Hello, Park Seong-ho, Korea Branch Manager. We are the nation's top pharma company...]
[HT Group here. We promise industry-leading treatment. If you join us, Park Seong-ho Manager, we'll offer a director-level position and a salary...]
Not just from Korea's top groups—overseas offers flooded in too.
[Shinophem. We'd love to meet—when are you free...?]
[Takeshi Pharma. If you join our Japanese company, we'll handle settlement support, housing, visas, and family comforts. We'll even cover your kids' schooling for free...]
"......"
Job offers should feel flattering.
But he felt hollow.
No matter the offer, he wouldn't betray. Do-jun's help had gotten him here—he'd take that loyalty to the grave.
Takeshi Pharma grated especially.
So many mentions of "children," but Park Seong-ho had been dumped by his girlfriend months ago.
These bastards wrote novels without even checking basic info.
"Fucking pricks... Haven't even married, and they talk about kids..."
He'd heard about his ex by chance.
Her sister's condition was dire; they'd half-given up. But she'd been admitted to Handong Medical Center or something. A secret no one knew: Park Seong-ho had arranged it.
He might resent the girlfriend who left him, but his ex's sister was innocent.
So he'd reached out after ages.
Told her to transfer to Handong Medical Center.
Swallowed his pride for his sister's sake, to get Selig's direct support.
'Sorry, Do-jun...'
When he later confessed, Do-jun praised him and comforted him.
Best not to make enemies in life.
"Sigh..."
The weather was still chilly in April.
"Gotta work hard. To repay Do-jun's favors, at least..."
Even as others clocked out, he grabbed the wheel himself.
James, Selig's security chief, offered to drive, but he refused flat-out.
The boss sets the example, and the underlings follow.
The ancestors' sayings held true.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "For real?"
An exclamation slipped out.
I'd visited the affiliates anxiously, but only three had quit.
And even those were for personal reasons.
No one jumped to rivals.
Business is business, bosses or employees.
Everyone works to make money.
Personal sentiments are a luxury in a company.
Yet thousands—tens of thousands, probably—had turned down poaching attempts.
"Hahaha, congratulations in advance on becoming chairman."
Mirae Distribution—no, DJ Distribution's president, Im Seok-hyun, offered heartfelt congrats.
He showed bold ambition for a fresh start in our new home.
It was subtly touching.
"Thank you. For believing in me..."
He'd gotten offers too—even ten times his salary from China.
"Heh, thank me? I'm the grateful one. Got 'president' stamped on my business card in this one life."
"I-is that so?"
"Of course. My wife's been looking at me like I hung the moon lately."
"Hahaha!"
With the rear secure, I could charge ahead.
I toured each department.
Employees stood, bowing deeply with expressions brimming with respect.
"Congratulations in advance on your inauguration as chairman!"
Oh man, I can't take it.
It made a man's heart pound fiercely.
These loyal retainers deserved fat bonuses.
"Generous quarterly bonuses for everyone. Thank you all."
"Woooaaah!"
Like fanatics, the staff roared.
This is why people splurge on cash, I realized anew.