Chapter 33: More Inheritance Awaits - A Shocking Revelation
While buying the house and all the shopping he'd done up to now, he'd spent well over 20 billion won. Yet there hadn't been any significant change to his overall assets.
Still 6 trillion in the bank account.
On top of that, there was 1 trillion tied up in deposit products. Adding it all up made exactly 7 trillion, unchanged from the start. It was inevitable, really. 7 trillion was such an enormous sum that the unit below it—34 billion—had barely been touched.
With this much, will I ever spend it all?
Impossible. If not for the house, he wouldn't have even spent half of half of that 34 billion. Things might change now that he planned to buy a few more buildings, but still.
"Phew."
Shin Jaewoo let out a deep sigh. He'd just heard something utterly unimaginable.
He recalled the moment of that phone call from moments ago.
"This is Lee Jinmyeong, who contacted you around this time last year regarding your grandfather's inheritance. The final deposit should have been completed today—please check and give me a call at your convenience."
He'd hesitated to call back, feeling a strange weight. "Phew." But he dialed anyway.
The signal barely rang a couple times.
He picked up!
The other side had answered. As Shin Jaewoo paused, wondering what to say—
"Hello?"
A surprisingly ordinary greeting came from the other end first. The voice sounded a bit flustered, though.
A woman?
Lee Jinmyeong—the name had made him assume a man. But the voice through his smartphone was clearly female.
"Hel...lo?"
Since she'd answered, Shin Jaewoo found his voice. "Um... is this Lee Jinmyeong's number?"
It might not be. He asked cautiously.
A chuckle-like sound came from the other side in response.
"No, it's not. I'll pass the phone to my brother. And I'm... Lee Jinshil. Is this Shin Jaewoo himself?"
Lee Jinshil. Same surname, and from her words, probably Lee Jinmyeong's younger sister. The number was already saved, so that fit, but her knowing his name confirmed it. He flinched when she said it, but the call had started.
"...Yes, that's me."
They weren't face-to-face, but oddly, Shin Jaewoo felt like she was smiling at him. A subtle amusement, as if she knew something he didn't.
Phew. Just my paranoia.
He had little information. He didn't even know how much she knew about him. That uncertainty bred these delusions.
"This is Lee Jinmyeong."
And there it was—the voice exactly as he'd imagined. Restrained, like a soldier's precise tone.
"...I'm Shin Jaewoo."
"Yes, Mr. Shin. We've finally connected."
Come to think of it, this wasn't an entirely new voice. They'd spoken once before.
Right—the one who first told me about Grandpa's death...
He'd momentarily forgotten. When Lee Jinshil's voice came on, he'd even confused her for Lee Jinmyeong.
Lee Jinmyeong brought it up too.
"I apologize for not following up after last year's call. I should have kept you updated more regularly."
That first contact was last April—April 1st, no less. Absurdly suspicious timing.
As Shin Jaewoo caught his breath—
"As per your request back then, we've liquidated all of the late gentleman's assets cleanly, with no issues remaining."
"...Yes. I received them fine."
He knew that without being told. Panta Bank had confirmed it too. Inheritance taxes and fees were all settled.
"Thank you for verifying."
Was the call just for that? With sums this massive, it made sense for Lee Jinmyeong to double-check.
But that was his concern.
Thirsty people dig their own wells.
If he was curious, he had to ask. "Um."
"...Yes. Please feel free to ask anything. I'll answer whatever I can."
No telling how much Lee Jinmyeong knew or how honest he'd be. But Shin Jaewoo started with his biggest worry.
"My grandfather... did he have any other family besides me?"
The dramas and novels were full of it—chaebol inheritance wars over every last penny. He'd gotten 7 trillion won. Precisely, 7 trillion 340 billion after taxes and fees.
Even half that drama...
A fight would be normal.
"Other family besides you, Mr. Shin?"
Lee Jinmyeong trailed off. Something tricky? Shin Jaewoo tensed.
"Of course, there are other relatives besides you."
His heart pounded.
"But no need for major concern. There are no other direct family members besides you."
"You mean...?"
"Nieces and nephews."
Nieces and nephews. He couldn't relax even then. A chaebol with over 10 trillion in assets—nieces might be closer than a grandson he'd never met.
But the next words melted the tension, replaced by absurdity.
"However, even those nieces and nephews don't know much about the gentleman. He'd cut ties with his brothers too."
"Huh?"
In summary: Cut off from his son—my dad—and his brothers and nephews?
Two takeaways. One: Grandpa wasn't your average guy. Two: Lee Jinmyeong was closer to him than expected.
Knows the family tree that well.
Maybe investigated after death. But the respectful "late gentleman" felt personal.
Lee Jinmyeong. This man had been very close to Grandpa.
Still suspicious, though. No guarantee he's telling the full truth.
But some was likely honest. Starting with basics. "Phew. I've never heard anything about him till now. Not even his name."
"Ah..." Lee Jinmyeong sounded regretful, then apologized self-deprecatingly.
"I'm sorry. I should have mentioned that earlier..."
Not really his fault to apologize. He might've said it; Shin Jaewoo just hadn't listened closely, not believing it then.
"No, it's fine. So... can you tell me about Grandpa?"
"First, his name: in Korean, Go Shin Yujae; in America, Daniel Shin."
"Daniel..."
He murmured the name. First time hearing it. Daniel Shin in the US, Shin Yujae in Korea.
Dad was Samuel.
That much from his aunt. But only yesterday. Before, he hadn't known his dad's American name either.
Lee Jinmyeong continued.
"As you know, he amassed considerable wealth. Many are connected, but I can assure you no one will contest your inheritance."
Firmly stated. Can I relax now? Or keep doubting?
But the next words blew away all worry.
"More importantly, the reason I asked you to call is something else."
"Huh?"
Not just deposit confirmation? It was a weak reason anyway. But there was more to discuss.
"As you know, the gentleman's wealth and status surpass anyone's. With that much, what you see isn't all there is."
"You mean...?"
Shin Jaewoo echoed blankly. He had a hunch what was coming.
No way...
One possibility kept surfacing.
Lee Jinmyeong confirmed it.
"Beyond what was deposited to you, the gentleman actually has more inheritance."
"!"
More? A week since inheritance. Unimaginable. That massive sum...
Wasn't the end. There's more?