Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Royal Family 11-3
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The first-floor lobby was eerily quiet.
The first thing that caught the eye was that all the front glass on the first floor had turned opaque.
Security personnel were blocking the entrance doors, controlling access to outsiders.
In the midst of it all, Vice Chairman Kang Heon stood at the center of the lobby.
With over twenty executives trailing behind him like a massive tail.
- Ding.
The cheerful elevator chime rang out as they stepped off, and gazes shot toward Ji-hyeok from all directions.
Taesung headquarters' lobby had a mezzanine structure.
Aside from the front entrance, three sides were open corridors, allowing employees to look down at the first-floor lobby from the railings.
The stares aimed at Ji-hyeok right now came from the smartphones held by employees lined up along the second-floor railings.
Of course, none of the footage they were capturing would ever leak outside Taesung.
They knew Taesung too well.
Those were undoubtedly employees sent by executives who had heard Vice Chairman Kang Heon had appeared, tasked with live-streaming the situation.
- Click, clack.
Ji-hyeok confirmed the surroundings and started walking, followed by the crisp sound of Han Ji-young's high heels behind him.
A regular employee walking with two managers trailing him.
The sight itself was rare, but people only watched Ji-hyeok drawing closer to Vice Chairman Kang Heon step by step.
Finally arriving before Vice Chairman Kang Heon, Ji-hyeok gave a light bow.
"You've arrived?"
But that was the moment.
- Whoosh!
The papers Vice Chairman Kang Heon threw hit Ji-hyeok's face and scattered everywhere.
"You dog bastard! Here's the resignation you wanted. Quit right here."
"Why should I? Wasn't it you who broke the promise, Vice Chairman?"
"Think you're the only four in the Anti-Corruption Division? That's why I'm telling you to stop!"
"Then why come here instead of going to them?"
At that point,
Dong-hwi, who had gathered the scattered resignation letters one by one, approached Ji-hyeok's side and whispered,
"Bro, twelve sheets?"
Hearing that, Ji-hyeok let out a smirk.
"What lingering attachment makes you refuse to write your resignation?"
"I said stop!"
"Do you believe staying in that position will protect your three sons?"
Vice Chairman Kang Heon's gaunt cheeks trembled visibly.
His rage was plain to see.
Then, suddenly, Vice Chairman Kang Heon's gaze lifted to the ceiling.
"You worm! An Chi-hyeon! Come out now! Don't hide—face me!"
Kang Heon's shout bordered on a scream.
It was so forceful that it echoed through the vast lobby.
At the sound, the security guards hurriedly checked the sealed doors, fearing any leak outside.
As Kang Heon's outburst ended, Ji-hyeok's low voice followed.
"Even after coming this far, you lack the courage to call your brother directly, it seems. Why An Chi-hyeon? You should call the Chairman."
"You... you..."
"You said no one could send your three sons to prison? I guarantee it: none of them will leave jail within five years."
"You think it'll go your way?"
"Haven't you already confirmed it? Taesung's will has reached the prosecutors—even those who bowed to you. Asking them to strictly punish the crime of coveting Taesung's assets."
"What... then what more do you want from me? Tell me! Speak!"
"Still trying to negotiate? Then here's my answer: you'll never see your three sons before your deathbed."
As Ji-hyeok finished speaking, the rigidly upright Vice Chairman Kang Heon slowly crumpled.
He had sunk to the floor.
In that instant, the faces of the employees hanging over the second-floor railings filming turned ashen.
Symbolism...
Vice Chairman Kang Heon, seen as Chairman Kang Wook's brother and the king of the financial sector, had knelt before Seo Ji-hyeok, Taesung's typhoon.
Seeing it through phone cameras amplified the symbolism even more.
And that was the moment.
Words that stunned everyone spilled from Kang Heon's mouth.
"I lost. I, Kang Heon, have lost to Kang Ji-hyeok, son of Kang Woo-young. Satisfied? Now are you satisfied?!"
It was clearly a desperate outburst.
But unlike his earlier roar, this one carried a note of pathos.
So even though it was a shout, it sounded like a final death cry.
As his words ended, gasps of shock erupted from everyone filming the scene.
"Gasp!"
"Hmmm..."
"Whoa!"
Some were so startled they dropped their phones.
If those on-site were like this, the shock for those watching via phone from afar must have been indescribable.
The crown prince had appeared.
Taesung's legitimate heir, the son of Kang Woo-young.
Doubts of authenticity?
Who could question words from Kang Heon's own mouth?
Especially in this situation...
Having shocked everyone, Kang Heon reached into his inner pocket and tossed a single sheet of paper at Ji-hyeok's feet.
Dong-hwi, standing behind Ji-hyeok, rushed forward to check it.
It was Vice Chairman Kang Heon's resignation.
Ji-hyeok confirmed the resignation and slowly bowed toward Kang Heon slumped on the floor.
"Thank you deeply for your efforts for Taesung all this time. The received resignation will be formally reported to the Chairman. If I know him, he'll surely express his gratitude for the financial division executives' dedication to Taesung."
"Then... my sons..."
"Have them return everything they took from Taesung. Then we'll revisit their crimes."
"Yes... so it ends like this. After all..."
Mumbling words unclear to whom they were directed, Kang Heon tried to rise slowly. Surrounding executives rushed to support him.
Standing, Kang Heon stared at Ji-hyeok for a moment before slowly turning away.
He walked toward the entrance without another word.
Ji-hyeok remained rooted until Kang Heon boarded the car waiting at the entrance and vanished.
"Let's go."
Only after Kang Heon's car disappeared from sight did Ji-hyeok turn.
Dong-hwi and Han Ji-young, following him, parted to his sides, clearing a path.
As Ji-hyeok walked ahead, the two naturally trailed behind.
But then,
Employees who had been hiding here and there watching stepped forward.
And bowed to Ji-hyeok.
One, two, three...
Eventually, every employee on the first and second floors bowed to Ji-hyeok.
They kept bowing, barely breathing, until Ji-hyeok boarded the elevator and left, then picked up their phones again.
"Director, did you hear?"
"Yes, Executive Director. Yes, you heard right."
"President, yes. Yes. Understood. Yes..."
"Yes. He definitely said Kang Woo-young. Yes."
It was pandemonium.
As soon as Ji-hyeok vanished, they pressed phones to their ears and hurried on with calls.
But that was the moment.
An emergency message from the Chairman's Secretariat arrived to all Taesung Group managing directors and above.
Including Kang Jin-young, Kang Seon-young, and Kang Mi-young.
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Returning to the Special Division, Oh Tae-hyung Executive Director awaited him.
His expression was somewhat heavy.
"Ji-hyeok, a call from the Vice Chairman's office. They say bring the financial division resignations up."
"Yes, understood."
Ji-hyeok had submitted the initial batch of resignations from Vice Chairman Kang Heon directly to Executive Director Oh Tae-hyung upon arriving at work.
What Oh Tae-hyung was handing over now was that very file.
And the sight of Oh Tae-hyung passing the resignation file to Ji-hyeok was, in truth, highly symbolic.
Of course, it had been anticipated.
Once Ji-hyeok's true identity was revealed, hierarchies would shift—and they had prepared for that moment.
Now it had arrived.
But Oh Tae-hyung was human too.
So deep down, a trace of bitterness lingered as he handed the file to Ji-hyeok.
But then,
Taking the file, Ji-hyeok bowed deeply to Oh Tae-hyung.
"You've shown me what a truly respectable superior looks like. Thank you. I won't forget."
Raising his head to meet Oh Tae-hyung's eyes, a warm smile spread across his face.
It was a trust beyond words.
Ji-hyeok returned the smile, then turned.
Han Ji-young, who had gathered the resignations Kang Heon had scattered in the first-floor lobby moments ago, now placed them into the file and handed it to him.
"Have a safe trip."
"Thanks."
With the two files in hand, Ji-hyeok left the Special Division.
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Vice Chairman An Chi-hyeon's office was slightly smaller than Vice Chairman Kang Heon's.
But the difference was the abundance of books.
"Sit."
"Yes."
"Curious face. Wondering if I read all those books?"
"I assume you have. They don't smell new."
"Wrong. Honestly, I've only read about half. The rest are used books I bought to look impressive."
"Then your intent worked."
"Indeed. Those the resignations?"
"Yes. Resignations from all 145 financial division executives."
Ji-hyeok handed over the two files.
Of course, he could have combined them, but precisely speaking, the two files were different.
The thin one with thirteen sheets was the resignation An Chi-hyeon Vice Chairman and Chairman Kang Wook actually wanted to receive.
The thick one was just a bonus.
As Ji-hyeok handed them over, Vice Chairman An Chi-hyeon pulled a white envelope marked "Resignation" from his inner pocket and placed it atop the files.
"First, thank you. For cleaning up the financial division. That was my clear misjudgment."
"Wasn't it an unavoidable choice at the time?"
"That's an excuse. Ever thought about how people view Taesung? As Korea's representative enterprise, Taesung must prepare for the next ten, twenty years. That's only natural. Saying 'circumstances changed' is just an excuse. I should have foreseen this back then."
Ji-hyeok nodded.
How many at Taesung could speak like An Chi-hyeon now?
Excluding the number of resignations on the desk, among Taesung's 1,800 executives, how many truly envisioned the company ten or twenty years ahead? He wondered.
And honestly, Ji-hyeok himself couldn't answer that.
He hadn't faced that question yet.
First, he needed to reach a position where he could ask it of himself.
"Reporting this to the Chairman will be my final duty. The Group will be without a Vice Chairman for a while. The only words I have for you are 'good luck.'"
"That's more than enough."
"Personally... I truly liked Woo-young. Sharp mind. Great perspective on the world. I assure you, if you'd seen him alive, you'd remember him as a fine father."
"He still is to me."
"Then I'm relieved. Now go."
"Yes."
Rising, Ji-hyeok bowed deeply to Vice Chairman An Chi-hyeon, just as he had to Executive Director Oh Tae-hyung.
It was respect for a man who had devoted his life to Taesung.
And soon after, black sedans began pouring into Taesung headquarters.
Naturally, including the cars of Kang Jin-young, Kang Seon-young, and Kang Mi-young.