Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Chaebol? Hell, I'll Give It a Shot.
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Chaebol? Screw that, I'll try it myself.
I stared silently at the old man sitting across from me.
This crazy geezer wasn't trying to kill me or take what was mine right now.
He was dangling his daughter and the empire he'd spent his whole life building as bait, hoping to swallow me whole.
At that moment, the cold voice of post-nut clarity whispered in my head.
'Deal.'
My mind raced, cold logic calculating the most efficient path forward.
This was the easiest, fastest, most convenient route.
Snag the massive Taesung empire and all the political and business connections they'd nurtured for decades.
Risk: zero.
Reward: infinite.
All it would cost was swapping out one woman.
The optimal play.
A perfectly logical answer.
Any pure-blooded businessman chasing profit without emotion would accept this deal in a heartbeat.
But at the same time, the 'idiot Kim Cheolsu' inside me opened his mouth.
The pathetic, emotional version of me from back when I had no money or power was screaming at all this rational bullshit.
Post-nut clarity wailed that it was 'inefficient' and full of 'risk,' but idiot Kim Cheolsu's emotions had already made up his mind.
I broke the long silence with a smirk at the old merchant across from me.
It was a shy smile, one I'd never worn before in my life.
"Chairman, I'm actually a pretty family-oriented guy, you know?"
My words carried clear rejection, but Cheon Myeong-hwan didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
If anything, he smiled warmly, like he knew everything already.
"I know. You've got complicated issues with women, but you always sleep at home."
"……"
"Even in the middle of your busy schedule, you never miss events for that kid who's not even your own blood. To me, you're a good husband and a good father."
His words sent chills down my spine.
This sly old fox hadn't just dug into my background—he knew every intimate detail of my family life.
The one sanctuary where I let my guard down was under his surveillance too. The thought made bile rise in my throat.
"As you said, my 'woman' problems are pretty... extremely... insanely serious."
I shot back, twisting his praise into sarcasm.
But Cheon Myeong-hwan just chuckled indulgently, like a grandpa humoring his grandson's tantrum.
"So what if you're a playboy outside the home? Just protect and nurture your family faithfully."
"Is that so?"
"Of course."
He stated it like obvious common sense.
Then he leaned in, whispering a devilish proposal.
"I'm not telling you to completely ditch your current woman."
He paused for a beat.
"Make her your concubine. And you... come climb higher with my Hye-yeon."
Concubine.
The vile, humiliating word slapped my ears.
"You get it, right? This is the easiest, fastest, most perfect way."
Cheon Myeong-hwan appealed to my reason once more.
He was certain I couldn't refuse.
But the man before him wasn't just a cold-blooded businessman chasing profit.
The laughter faded completely from my face, the one that had been cracking jokes moments ago.
My eyes turned icy cold once more.
I stared at him wordlessly for a long stretch.
The moment he furrowed his brow, waiting for my answer, I slowly spoke.
My voice was cool and detached, devoid of anger—which made it all the more chilling.
"Concubine... Sounds good."
Cheon Myeong-hwan's eyes lit up for an instant.
"...Alright, then."
I nodded as if I'd made a huge decision.
Convinced his offer had landed, he flashed a satisfied smile.
"Quick on the uptake. I like that eve—"
As he reached to refill his soju glass like toasting a victory, I raised a hand to stop him.
Then, with a slow, cruel smile, I said,
"Just one tweak to the position."
"...What do you mean?"
"Executive Director Cheon Hye-yeon, your daughter, becomes the 'concubine.'"
I waited for his face to twist in rage, or for him to hurl the soju glass in his hand.
But he didn't budge.
The seasoned merchant, the people trader, simply waited quietly for my next words.
"Even if she gets pregnant with my child and bears it, she wouldn't dare dream of taking the Kim name. She'd live her whole life as a Cheon, as that kind of 'concubine.'"
Silence fell.
The words I'd spat were so insulting, I figured even a human being would show some emotion.
But the old fox's eyes held no anger.
No hatred, no sorrow—nothing.
A merchant's eyes gleamed only with cold calculation of profit and loss.
Right now, he was weighing the value of this proposal that trampled his daughter's and family's honor against Taesung Group's future.
Having finished his mental ledger, he finally spoke softly.
His voice was no different from when he'd been praising the soup moments ago.
"And all you get out of that is the satisfaction of 'revenge'?"
His question left me speechless this time.
He wasn't rejecting my counteroffer.
He was just asking about the value of the terms.
"And what do I get?"
This mad old geezer was seriously considering the deal.
"Shall we make the trade?"
"If the price is right, why not?"
Cheon Myeong-hwan's answer was simple and clear.
Honor, pride, even his daughter's life—everything was just another commodity he could price.
'This guy's fucking hilarious for real.'
I stopped testing or insulting him.
Time for a real deal between equals in the merchant game.
"I'll give you what you want, Chairman."
For the first time, anticipation flickered in Cheon Myeong-hwan's eyes.
"What I want is for you to marry Hye-yeon and elevate Taesung to number one in the business world."
Sounds good.
But that wasn't his real desire.
My sharpened post-nut instincts knew it wasn't some surface-level goal.
"That's not it."
I cut him off sharply.
"……"
For the first time, bewilderment crossed Cheon Myeong-hwan's face.
I peered into his shaken eyes and voiced his deepest desire.
"Taesung. I'll let you keep that name."
My words stopped Cheon Myeong-hwan's breath.
The empire this old trader had built over a lifetime.
What he truly craved wasn't inheritance of money or power.
It was those two words 'Taesung,' infused with everything he was, shining brightest at Korea's pinnacle even after his death.
Etching his name into history forever.
I was offering him that immortal glory.
"I'll swallow Taesung whole and remake it into number one in the business world—hell, beyond that—my way. But the group name stays. People will remember the 'Era of Taesung' forever. Alongside the great founder, Cheon Myeong-hwan."
I poured him one last shot and made my final offer.
"In exchange, hand everything over to me. Your daughter, those 'people' of yours, all of Taesung. And you get enshrined in history as the honorable founder. How's that for a deal?"
Cheon Myeong-hwan silently raised the glass I'd poured.
He stared into it for a moment, weighing the offer's gravity.
Only after draining it did he speak. His voice remained calm.
"Hmm, not a bad proposal... but it feels like I'm taking a loss."
"Take your time thinking it over."
I stood, brushing off my clothes.
"I'm planning to start today, so don't drag it out too long."
My movement made his eyebrow twitch.
"Starting stock buys today?"
"I was gonna wait for it to drop more and scoop it up cheap, but..."
I flashed him a grin.
For the first time, a genuine smile acknowledging him as an equal.
"Plans changed. Taesung's got a scarier old man than I thought."
I tossed a crisp wad of cash on the table.
"For the soup. Keep the change."
Then I walked out of the dingy soup joint without looking back.
Now the ball was back in Cheon Myeong-hwan's court.
Cast aside his pride for honorable history?
Or stake everything against the young monster just getting started—and sink together?
His clock had started ticking right then.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The soup joint fell into heavy silence after Kim Cheolsu left.
Cheon Myeong-hwan mulled over the final proposal from the young monster, staring wordlessly at the empty soup bowl and soju glass.
His chief secretary and bodyguards stood by, though he made no move to get up.
For a brief, very brief moment.
He sank into quiet thought.
'Blue Sky Investment.' Assets around 500 billion won.
Compared to Taesung Group with its dozens of subsidiaries, it was no better than a corner store run by a punk kid.
On paper, this fight was David vs. Goliath.
Rational judgment said Goliath wins, obviously.
But every legend in the world is born from shattering that 'obvious.'
Last night's report on this 'David' flashed through Cheon Myeong-hwan's mind.
Over 10% monthly growth, defying common sense.
Flawless, like a precision machine churning out returns.
A new star now drawing attention not just in Korea, but all the way to Wall Street.
His methods ignored the old rules.
Mocking money and power alike, he made his own game board.
And on that board, he'd toyed perfectly with Goliath Taesung.
'Can I hold out?'
For the first time, Cheon Myeong-hwan admitted he couldn't predict the end of this fight.
Even if he won, half the empire might vanish.
Hell, could he even win?
The old fox finished his contemplation quietly and rose to step outside.
Only cold calculation remained on his face.
Before boarding his car, he murmured a low order to his chief secretary.
"Tell Executive Director Cheon Hye-yeon to come to the chairman's office immediately."
The words from his mouth weren't the affectionate 'Hye-yeon,' but the name of a mere executive—one who'd bear the blame for this war.