We'll Handle It Ourselves
After work, In-hyuk drove with Tae Ju-ha, the two of them heading somewhere together. Even though they were husband and wife, an awkward silence hung between them.
In that quiet, In-hyuk methodically reviewed every plan he had executed so far.
It had already been more than six months since his return to the past and his new life in this younger body.
In that time he had prevented both Tae Ju-ha’s death and his own, recruited Go Mi-ah and Charybdis, blackmailed key figures through the Ghost Link, secured a major stake in TN SOFT via Norman McGrath, and even begun tracing the organization that had killed him. Significant progress on every front.
“Um…”
While his mind continued to turn, Tae Ju-ha spoke cautiously.
“What is it?”
“You looked so serious while driving that I wondered what you were thinking. Are there problems at work?”
He had been so absorbed he hadn’t even noticed her watching him.
She, on the other hand, had clearly sensed the heavy atmosphere and grown concerned.
“No, it’s nothing. I was simply thinking about other matters.”
“Nothing’s wrong?”
Problems had overflowed in both his past life and this one. He saw no point in elaborating.
“Not particularly.”
In-hyuk turned the wheel and stopped in front of the All Seasons Hotel near Gwanghwamun Station. He handed the car to the valet and entered the building with Tae Ju-ha.
When they reached the top-floor restaurant, Tae Shin Group security personnel stood lining the corridor.
In-hyuk’s steps faltered.
…Baek Si-hwan?
The first time he had seen the man since the publication party for KQ Group Chairman Kang Cheon-gyu’s autobiography.
Was he pulled in on extra duty because of Chairman Tae Geon-seung’s outing, the same as last time?
Originally, Baek Si-hwan would not join the chairman’s personal security detail for several more years.
At that moment Song Tae-ho, the chairman’s secretary and bodyguard, guided them forward.
“He is waiting inside.”
In-hyuk swiftly crushed the murderous impulse that flared inside him and stepped into the room with Tae Ju-ha.
Tae Geon-seung rose to greet them. Today’s meeting was the appointment In-hyuk had set while on his way to the Andong orphanage.
“You’re here.”
“I’m sorry we’re a little late. We came straight from the office. But we could have eaten at home—why ask us to meet outside?” Tae Ju-ha asked as she took her seat beside In-hyuk.
Tae Geon-seung studied the couple with an unreadable expression.
“At home you can’t eat properly because you’re too busy watching your father’s mood. And it’s not as if you visit often.”
“Ah…”
It was an undeniable truth, so Tae Ju-ha remained silent.
The chairman’s gaze shifted to In-hyuk.
“How have you been, Kang son-in-law? Any lingering effects from that car accident?”
He was referring to the injuries sustained in Andong.
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“Good. And work? I hear the stock operations team’s performance has been making waves.”
“If the current trend continues, it should provide meaningful support to Tae Shin Asset Management’s second-half revenue.”
In-hyuk’s existing clients had already reaped substantial profits. With the new M&A and PEF division established as its own headquarters, those accounts had naturally migrated to him.
“Today I called you simply to eat together, so there’s no need to discuss work in detail.”
The unexpected remark left In-hyuk faintly puzzled.
They summoned the waiter, ordered, and the food soon arrived.
“…Let’s eat first. We can talk afterward.”
The three of them sliced meat and ate in silence.
All the while In-hyuk’s suspicion deepened at Tae Geon-seung’s markedly different attitude.
What is he after? He isn’t the sort to show goodwill merely because we are son-in-law and granddaughter.
Even blood relations were weighed on a scale first. If he judged something worthless, he discarded it without hesitation.
When the meal ended, the plates were cleared and coffee and tea were served.
Tae Geon-seung took a careful sip of the steaming tea, then spoke.
“How long do you intend to remain in that house? For the future, shouldn’t you consider moving soon?”
The abrupt question made both In-hyuk and Tae Ju-ha tilt their heads.
Tae Ju-ha glanced at In-hyuk before asking, “Moving? So suddenly?”
The house had separate rooms and was not small; they had felt no discomfort.
“If you are going to have and raise a child, won’t the current place feel cramped?”
“Cough—!”
In-hyuk, sipping his coffee beside her, nearly choked.
This time Tae Geon-seung looked at them with a puzzled frown.
“Why? Have you not thought about children yet? There is no great problem on your side, Kang son-in-law, but Ju-ha will turn thirty-two next year.”
Tae Ju-ha’s face filled with embarrassment.
Watching her, In-hyuk cleared his throat to regain composure.
“Ahem. Chairman. We will handle that matter ourselves.”
“Is work too busy?”
“That is part of it… We have no plans at present.”
At In-hyuk’s answer, Tae Geon-seung’s eyes grew heavier.
“Honestly, I know your marriage stemmed from your mother’s schemes. It must be complicated in many ways.”
Anyone but a fool could see it.
In-hyuk gave another small cough and listened as the chairman continued.
“Yet I believe the two of you suit each other quite well. If you continue living together, feelings may yet grow.”
The words carried the weight of gentle counsel.
The quiet Tae Ju-ha finally spoke.
“Chairman, that is…”
But she could not finish and her voice faded.
In-hyuk stepped in with a short reply.
“We will handle it ourselves.”
Because of the decisive tone, Tae Geon-seung stared at him intently.
A brief silence fell, then a sigh escaped the old chairman.
“I hope those words carry a positive meaning.”
“…”
In-hyuk offered no reply.
“If you have finished eating, let us rise.”
Remarkably, he had not touched on any business matters beyond the initial greeting.
The three of them left the restaurant and descended.
Tae Geon-seung said nothing further. He climbed into the car already waiting in front of the hotel.
In-hyuk simply watched as Baek Si-hwan entered another vehicle and drove away.
“Shall we go?” Tae Ju-ha asked when their own car arrived from valet service.
“Yes, let’s.”
The two of them headed home together.
A few days later, inside Executive Director Oh Kang-gu’s office at Tae Shin Asset Management.
“Are you really certain we can leave things as they are?”
Managing Director Yang Chan-woo, another executive, asked while staring at the article displayed on his tablet.
Oh Kang-gu, reading the same piece, swallowed a low groan.
“Already past three hundred billion… Was Kang In-hyuk’s ability truly at this level?”
“It seemed too unusual, so I looked into it.”
“And?”
At the suspicious reply, Yang Chan-woo sighed and explained.
“It appears one of the A2 clients Kang In-hyuk handled in the stock operations team had far greater assets than the surface rating suggested.”
The tablet screen switched to the client’s profile.
Oh Kang-gu’s eyes widened.
“Jang Hyung-cheol? Not A2 but S1 grade…? Is this confirmed?”
“A single client invested more than fifty billion won. If that is purely personal capital and not corporate funds, the real asset scale must be at least two hundred billion won.”
An S1 rating required at least five billion won in personal investment. Even the largest stock operations team had only a handful of such clients.
Moreover, no client had ever exceeded ten billion won before.
Yet such a client had fallen into Kang In-hyuk’s hands.
“Was this client originally under Kang In-hyuk?”
“Well…”
When Yang Chan-woo trailed off, Oh Kang-gu’s eyes sharpened like blades.
“Is there a problem?”
“Originally it was a black client managed by Team 1. The Team 1 leader tossed it to Team 3, and they accepted it.”
“Team 1—Team Leader Chu In-ho? They didn’t even assess the client’s true asset size?”
The executive overseeing stock operations belonged to Chairman Tae Geon-seung’s faction. Yet Team 1, despite generating the highest revenue, had been brought into Oh Kang-gu’s own line.
In that structure, a client capable of delivering massive profit had been stolen by the representative’s husband.
It was only natural they felt aggrieved.
“The client kept filing complaints, and once Team 3 began generating returns, the account was quietly passed along.”
For now everything remained conjecture.
Oh Kang-gu frowned and tapped the tablet screen with his finger. On top of that, Representative Tae Ju-ha’s stake had risen another three percent at Chairman Tae Geon-seung’s direction, reaching 5.34 percent and greatly increasing her influence.
They knew perfectly well that Tae Ju-ha did not view them kindly. If her power continued to grow, an all-out war was inevitable.
And only one side could survive it.
“We need a concrete plan.”
“The quickest methods would be either creating problems with the funds already committed to the private equity vehicle or ensuring Kang In-hyuk fails in his investments.”
The worry deepened.
Then something occurred to Oh Kang-gu.
“Is it difficult to learn where those investments are directed? Now that I think of it, Director Bong Joo-hyung mentioned he would recruit staff from that side.”
Bong Joo-hyung was another of Oh Kang-gu’s people, like Yang Chan-woo.
“He receives periodic reports now that the division has been established. However, Kang In-hyuk appears to be watching his surroundings closely; internally, no information about the PEF investment targets has been shared yet.”
“Meaning he intends to run it alone?”
“Unlike M&A, PEF does not require a large team. The likelihood is high.”
“…This is becoming a headache. Is there no one close to Kang In-hyuk we can recruit?”
The question revealed there was no immediate workable method.
“Given the circumstances, he seems to be operating almost solo… For now I will instruct Director Bong to maintain contact with the surrounding staff. If we uncover anything, a solution should present itself.”
“Use any means necessary to find out—”
Vrrr—
At that moment Oh Kang-gu’s phone, resting on the table, vibrated with an incoming message.
After reading the screen, his expression turned to stone.
Yang Chan-woo, sensing the sudden shift in mood, asked carefully.
“…What is it?”
“Director Yang. Have you heard of AMK Partners?”
Yang Chan-woo thought briefly before answering.
“I’ve heard the name. They recently opened a Korean branch and are investing across multiple sectors. Why do you ask?”
“Executive Director Jeon Jun-seok wants us to investigate them in detail. I had heard of them, but only to the extent you just described.”
Jeon Jun-seok, former Representative Director of Tae Shin Asset Management and now an executive at Tae Shin Life, still wielded considerable influence over them.
“Since it is a foreign investment firm, gathering detailed information will take some time.”
“Two days. When the report is ready, I will deliver it. Hand it over then.”
“Understood.”
Yang Chan-woo bowed and left the office.