The Rival's Tears and a Mountain of Cash
I'm the famous only daughter of the Hansung family. There was a good reason I'd posed such an absurd question to Jeong Haewon.
Jeong Haewon, granddaughter of the Hyundai Group. In the future, she inherits hotels and duty-free shops from Chairman Jeong Munju, rising to become the de facto CEO who seizes control of Hyundai's entire distribution and tourism empire.
Outwardly, she was a demure and quiet girl back then, but inside, she was sharper and more calculating than anyone. She expanded the hotels she'd received from her grandfather into Japan and Europe, while aggressively growing the duty-free business around airports and ports, transforming it into a massive distribution network linking Asia's key hubs. She even made the list of the world's 100 most influential women.
That formidable Jeong Haewon was now standing before me, her eyes brimming with tears as if she might burst into sobs at any moment.
"Th-that's..."
Was the question too tough for a kid? I'd figured someone who would later be hailed as the queen of Korea's hotels could handle it easily.
"Wh-what's Hyundai Steel? No, how do you even know about that?"
Just moments ago, Jeong Haewon had been sitting ramrod straight, every inch the proud granddaughter of Hyundai Group. Her chin was held high with haughty grace, her gaze shimmering with an untouchable air of nobility.
But now, that magnificent Jeong Haewon was stuttering like a malfunctioning AI robot in response to my question. Her pupils were utterly vacant.
"St-steel? That's... my uncle's company? First quarter?"
The dignity of a chaebol heiress came crashing down. Her eyes went wide, freezing her in place like a rabbit caught in headlights.
Well, after losing a real showdown like that, a kid had only one option left.
"Waaahhh!"
She burst into loud wails and toddled straight into her grandfather's arms, burying her face there.
"Grandpaaaa!"
"Huh? Haewon, my dear, why are you crying? Which little punk dared make my Haewon cry!"
Sigh. I'd accidentally sparked a scene at such an important event.
"Waaahhh!"
Jeong Haewon's sobs filled the lobby. And I was a celebrity to begin with. The one and only granddaughter born into the all-boys Hansung family, the cherished only daughter whom Chairman Han Seongcheol—known in business circles as the Tiger—loved more than the apple of his eye.
Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over my head. An old man leaning on a cane was glaring down at me with icy eyes.
"Was it you who made our Haewon cry?"
I tilted my head. "No. I didn't make Haewon unnie cry."
"What? Are you playing word games with me now?"
"It's true. It just happened while we were playing."
"..."
A little girl not even reaching his waist was talking back like this—it must have been hard for the old man to keep barking at me. His wrinkled eyes twitched, his lips flapping silently as words failed him. He couldn't just bully me without losing face as an elder, but backing down meant ignoring his granddaughter's tears.
He cleared his throat loudly and tapped the floor with his cane. Tok!
"I don't know whose granddaughter you are, but your family education is a total mess."
Hey, she was the one who picked the fight first...
I never dreamed I'd come face-to-face with that old man like this. Jeong Munju, the founding chairman of Hyundai Group—the towering figure who'd built it to its current heights.
If my grandfather was called the Tiger, then Chairman Jeong Munju was the Iron Blood. He'd laid Hyundai's foundations in steel and heavy industry, erecting massive furnaces amid the waves of industrialization to forge steel that propped up the nation's key sectors. They said there wasn't a shipyard, construction site, railway, or bridge without Hyundai steel.
Later, Hyundai expanded into automobiles, building car frames from the steel they knew best. They held 50% domestic market share—half the cars on Korea's roads were Hyundai-made.
In truth, Hansung and Hyundai overlapped in many areas, especially steel and shipbuilding. So when Hansung suddenly pushed into food, it was no wonder Jeong Munju was curious.
Just as he opened his mouth to say more, a low, firm voice rang out from afar.
"Which damn bastard is messing with our Seoyeon!"
Hansung Group's Chairman Han Seongcheol—my grandfather—had arrived at the perfect moment.
Hansung and Hyundai had clashed. Or more precisely, Grandfather and Chairman Jeong Munju.
"You senile old coot, what did you just call our Seoyeon? Family education a mess? What the hell did you eat wrong, you dementia-ridden fossil?"
Grandfather casually draped an arm around my shoulders, subtly pulling me behind his broad back.
"Gah! What does that ramen-crazed demon know? Are you denying that the brat who made our Haewon cry is your granddaughter?"
"Hmph! Word is, your smug little miss got thoroughly schooled by our cute, adorable Seoyeon, who wouldn't hurt a fly. If you've got time for that, teach her something useful. Even without this old man, our Seoyeon is way smarter than your precious sons' daughters, y'see."
"Oh ho, so after getting crushed by us in steel, you're playing house in food to shake things up?"
"Heh heh heh, looks like this senile fool hasn't heard the news. How hot Hansung Food is running right now. If you're jealous, just say so."
A crowd gathered, whispering and pointing fingers.
I covered my face with both hands in embarrassment. Was this supposed to turn into an emotional showdown?
No. When it came to bragging about granddaughters, age, gender, and position meant nothing. In the end, these two weren't fighting as corporate titans—they were just ordinary old men growling over their grandkids.
Chairman Jeong Munju's nostrils flared. He wanted to retort, but his granddaughter was the one who'd run from the challenge.
Grandfather shrugged with a victorious grin.
"See? Wasn't even a tough question. How can someone from Hyundai not know their own group's business? Can't call that an heir."
"Gah! Our Haewon is only six! Already..."
"Oh? Anyone'd think our Seoyeon was older. Tsk tsk tsk."
"..."
I tugged at Grandfather's sleeve. If this dragged on, we might end up on the front page of every newspaper.
"Grandpa, Grandpa. People are staring..."
"Our granddaughter's worrying about this old man. Heh heh, while that old coot's is too busy with her own mess. See? Different from the start. Kuh hah hah hah!"
No sooner had Grandfather finished than Chairman Jeong Munju's face flushed red.
The Korea Federation of Businessmen was packed with industry heavyweights, not a spare inch to stand.
"That's the girl, Seoyeon?"
"Yeah. The one who supposedly flattened Hyundai's Jeong Munju, huh?"
"Jeong Haewon? Isn't she the granddaughter that old man's always bragging about?"
"Doesn't matter. There's always someone better. She met her match."
People gossiped as they passed, tossing in comments. Grandfather snorted and looked at me with utter adoration.
"Our Seoyeon's washing away this old man's long-held grudge clean."
"Dad, you like that so much?"
My third uncle, Han Suhyeok, had appeared at some point and muttered beside us.
"Of course! You all have no idea how much that old coot tormented me. Calling all the time about his granddaughter this and that... Hmph! He yapped away with that worthless girl. Tsk tsk tsk~"
I shrank at Grandfather's booming laugh.
"Our granddaughter!"
He plopped me on his lap, heedless of the crowd. If anything, he showed me off like a priceless treasure fit for the world to see.
Quietly, he added, "Even at kindergarten later, give that old coot another smackdown. This grandpa believes in you, Seoyeon. Kuh hah ha!"
"..."
I sneaked a glance at Han Suhyeok. He met my eyes, and we both shook our heads.
Grandfather had long lost his reason, sunk deep in granddaughter mania.
A few days later, even after the business gathering ended, the mansion echoed with Grandfather's humming.
"Baby, what on earth happened there?"
"Don't ask..."
My reflection in the mirror was ghostly pale, beyond words. Throughout the event, Grandfather had dragged me around, bragging nonstop. I'd spent the whole time with my head down, hiding my flushed face.
The nanny sympathized and offered sweet cookies.
"Aigoo, you must've had it rough, baby. No wonder Chairman-nim dotes on you so."
I bit into a cookie and chugged a glass of milk. They said lots of milk at my age makes you a pretty girl later. Sigh... The nanny must've had dreams of turning me into a model.
"By the way, baby, didn't you say you were going somewhere with Chairman-nim today?"
"Oh, right! Grandpa said he's giving me a present."
"Really? He doesn't usually say things like that..."
True, Grandfather ignored others' milestones. Birthdays, enrollments, even company anniversaries—his secretaries handled them, and he'd barely show his face. Gifts were always generic potted plants or congratulatory wreaths from his office, never something he'd picked out personally with heart.
What could it be?
Curious, I hurried my preparations and stepped outside. There waited Woo Shijang, shouldering a large paper bag, with Grandfather.
"Here you are?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
We drove to a bank in Seoul—not a branch, but the head office. The bank president rushed out barefoot to greet us, bowing low.
"You've arrived?"
"Yep. All set?"
"We prepared it in advance and waited."
"Good. Lead on."
"This way."
We followed the president through a staff-only passage, not the public entrance.
"Grandpa, where are we?"
"Tsk tsk, you'll see. Don't be too shocked, my granddaughter."
Why'd he say that? Because there, on a massive table, towered a mountain of cash—piles upon piles of bills. I couldn't close my mouth.
And Grandfather told me it was all mine.
King Sejong money stacked like a mountain.
"This is part of the money from the Hansung Jjapaghetti you developed, Seoyeon. Did this grandpa ever break a promise? I said I'd give you your share of the sales from Hansung Jjapaghetti."
"Grandpa, so this is all my money?"
"Yup. Go on, touch it to make sure it's real."
Good lord. I'd heard Hansung Jjapaghetti was selling well, but I never imagined this well.
I screamed internally.
Wh-what the hell is this amount?