Chairman Jang vs Chairman Choi (3)
Chairman Jang felt as though he were floating on air the moment he got into his car after leaving the hospital.
There wasn't a single tonic or restorative elixir on the market that he hadn't tried over the years. Just the ingredients that went into those remedies had cost him well over several tens of billions of won.
Yet all they had ever delivered was a marginal improvement—nothing remotely like the effects of the wine Young-hoon had given him.
That day he had drunk only five or six soju glasses' worth, and even that modest amount had produced results so astonishing he could scarcely believe it.
And although that rascal Choi had stolen two glasses from him, he still had nearly a full bottle of the wine left.
If he sipped a little each time his energy waned... heh heh heh heh—a chuckle escaped him before he could stop it.
The truth was, ever since drinking Young-hoon's wine, vitality had been pouring out of his body like a spring. Judging by how it turned into a tyrant every single night, he had more or less expected today's comprehensive checkup to come back glowing.
But seventeen years? His body was seventeen years younger.
What could be more delightful, more thrilling than that? He simply couldn't contain the laughter bubbling up on its own.
Secretary Byun, seated in the passenger seat, glanced over at his chuckling boss and ventured a remark.
"You seem to have received good news at the hospital, Chairman."
"Good news? You could say that. Heh heh heh heh... Byun, how's the search for that luxury villa I asked you to look into coming along?"
"Yes, sir. I was actually about to report on it. There's a newly built luxury villa in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam. The price is steep, so one unit remains unsold. I intend to secure it. It's a 100-pyeong unit—about 3,300 square feet—fully furnished and turnkey. You could move in with nothing but the clothes on your back."
"Is that so? What's the asking price?"
"4.6 billion won. If we purchase it and transfer it to Mr. Kim Young-hoon, I estimate the total cost—registration fees and transfer tax included—will come to somewhere between 6.5 and 7 billion won."
"Is that all it takes? Then find me one more."
For a moment, Secretary Byun simply could not comprehend the order. A home for Young-hoon to live in would cost no less than 7 billion won—and yet the Chairman, who had obtained a single bottle of health-restoring wine, was throwing around money like this. It made no sense to him at all.
But a secretary was, in the end, only a secretary. When told to jump, he jumped. The rest was his master's responsibility to bear.
"Understood, sir. Although—Chairman, I understand one villa, but why would you need a second one...?"
"Your job is to work hard at what I tell you, nothing more. Don't go poking your nose into things that don't concern you. And get me a call through to Director Lee. Connect him to my line."
A little later, Secretary Byun handed his phone to Chairman Jang, the line already connected to Lee Ki-jin, Young-hoon's cousin brother-in-law.
"Ah, Director Lee. It's been a while."
Chairman Jang's voice was honey-smooth, warm as could be—a world apart from how he'd spoken to Secretary Byun just moments before.
"That rascal's giving you that hard a time, is he?"
"And yet that bastard hasn't bothered to contact me even once?"
Secretary Byun, listening to the exchange from the passenger seat, leaned in to help.
"That's not so, Chairman. While you were having your checkup, he called me more than ten times. He asked to be notified the moment it was over."
"Director Lee, are you listening? I'm on my way to your office right now. Don't go anywhere—stay put."
"Is there anywhere I can't go? Wait there. I'll be there in thirty, forty minutes."
Chairman Jang instructed his driver and had the car turned toward Ki-jin's firm.
"Heh hehm. Looks like that rascal Choi has ants in his pants. Give him a call."
Secretary Byun dialed Chairman Choi, and the moment the line connected, he passed the phone to Chairman Jang.
The instant Chairman Jang answered, he was greeted by a torrent of Chairman Choi's furious bellowing, and his brow furrowed.
"You idiot, I was at the hospital."
"You fool, do I look like a man with nothing to do? You snap your fingers and I'm supposed to come running? And it's the younger brother who pays his respects to the elder, not the other way around. Where on earth did you learn your manners?"
Chairman Choi's tail tucked between his legs at once. Puffed up with triumph at the sight, Chairman Jang spoke with unmistakable swagger.
"I was right, wasn't I? Feeling the effects?"
"I'm on my way to see Director Lee right now. If you've got any sense, come along. You know where his office is, don't you?"
Hanging up, Chairman Jang muttered to himself with an air of total satisfaction.
"Heh heh. That rascal Choi has completely rolled over. This time, I'm going to drill some proper discipline into him once and for all."
Meanwhile, at Director Lee Ki-jin's securities firm, the sudden news of Chairman Jang's visit threw the entire staff—the president included—into an uproar.
Men of Chairman Jang's stature summoned people to them. They never, ever came in person. And now he was on his way to see Director Lee Ki-jin of all people—chaos was inevitable.
When Chairman Choi had visited last Friday, the office had gone on high alert for a full blown emergency, and now today it was Chairman Jang coming. The president and the entire executive team were standing at the company's front gate, waiting for the great man's arrival.
When Ki-jin had first announced that he'd secured Chairman Jang's funds, President Jung Ki-ho had been beside himself with delight. The promised 300 billion won had landed in their accounts just last Friday, exactly as agreed.
With that kind of capital to manage, he was confident he could generate returns without limit. He'd even promised Director Lee a generous 2 percent performance bonus.
He couldn't say for certain why Chairman Jang was visiting today, but perhaps—just perhaps—it was to deposit additional funds. An involuntary smile of joy spread across his face.
"Director Lee, he wouldn't be playing a prank on us, would he? Chairman Jang, I mean."
"I doubt it. He called me just now to say he's on his way. That's not a man who jokes about such things."
Sure enough, a moment later a luxury foreign sedan came gliding through the company's front gate. Ki-jin leaned over and whispered quickly to the president standing beside him.
"That's Chairman Jang's car."
The executives lined up before the gate straightened their postures and waited for the vehicle to come to a stop.
A moment later, Secretary Byun stepped out and opened the rear door. Chairman Jang emerged at a leisurely pace, casting a puzzled look over the ranks of men assembled there.
"Why is everyone out here? Don't tell me you're all this idle? Is there really that little work to do?"
Chairman Jang radiated charisma like a blast furnace. In that instant, President Jung Ki-ho stepped forward as the company's representative and bowed.
"Welcome, Chairman. I'm Jung Ki-ho, the president. I believe I've had the honor of greeting you once before."
"Ah~ right, President Jung. Must have been what, several years ago now? Weren't you an executive vice president back then?"
"That's correct, Chairman. I've since been promoted to president. This is hardly the place—please, allow me to escort you to my office."
"Is that so? Fine, lead the way."
A little later, having moved to the VIP reception room, the party sipped tea and exchanged pleasantries. With a titan like Chairman Jang gracing their offices, not the slightest lapse in hospitality could be tolerated.
In the middle of the conversation, Chairman Jang tossed off a remark to Ki-jin as if it were nothing at all.
"And by the way... Director Lee, Chairman Choi will be arriving here shortly. He promised to call me before he gets in, so you go down and bring him up yourself. Don't have the whole place scurrying around making a fuss."
At those words, the executives seated in the reception room very nearly lost their minds.
Last Friday, Chairman Choi's visit had turned the entire office upside down and ground work to a halt for the better part of an hour. And now, with Chairman Jang already a handful to host, Chairman Choi was on his way too?
Two of South Korea's legendary Cash Kings were about to gather under one roof. If additional deposits came from both men, it would be a windfall greater than winning the lottery—a hundred times over.
Before long, the call came from Chairman Choi, and President Jung Ki-ho and Ki-jin went down to escort him up. The moment Chairman Choi made his appearance, Chairman Jang shot him a brusque question.
"What are you doing here?"
"Am I not allowed to come? Did you buy this building? What's with all this owner-of-the-house act?"
"That's right, you fool! I am the owner here. What are you going to do about it?"
Ki-jin knew he had to break up the two old men's juvenile squabble. If a stray spark flew his way, he was the one who'd end up burned—thoroughly and completely.
"Chairmen, please, compose yourselves. This is rather... embarrassing."
"Hmph. I'm holding my tongue out of respect for Director Lee here."
And once again, it was Chairman Choi who folded first.