Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: The King of Cash
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Then it hit me.
The woman I'd helped at the department store two days ago.
But what in the world was this situation?
The woman's appearance and aura were so drastically different from before that it was hard to believe she was the same person.
“How did you...”
“You’re late, Chairman Han. I saw you’d arrived, but I was waiting to see when you'd come over and say hello.”
Just as I was about to respond to the woman, Chairman Lee Yong-moon happened to greet the old man first.
His posture was uncharacteristically deferential.
And he wasn't the only one.
Most of the people flocking over were trying desperately to get noticed by the old man.
“Hello, Chairman Han.”
My father—no, Chairman Jin Hyun-pil—hurried over, his humility just as excessive.
Just who was this old man?
As time went on, I grew more and more curious about their identities.
“Hyun-pil, my boy, are you still too busy sailing that yacht of yours?”
“Not at all, sir. I got rid of that quite a while ago.”
Watching Chairman Jin squirm felt strangely unsettling.
Regardless of the truth, he was still my father, at least in name.
It felt like watching the father you thought was the strongest man in the world crumple like a tin can in front of a neighborhood thug.
“Why’d you get rid of it?”
“Why else? I had to pay off a debt I owed my son.”
Chairman Jin said, glancing my way.
Instantly, the old man's gaze fixed on me, scanning me from head to toe.
“What kind of debt did you owe your son that you had to sell your yacht?”
“Something like that happened. Anyway, since you two have met now, I hope you'll look after my son.”
“Why are you entrusting your son to me?”
The old man said with a glare.
His eyes fixed on me again, and he continued in an intrigued tone.
“They say it's a small world... I never imagined my daughter would cross paths with your son, Hyun-pil.”
“What?”
Chairman Jin looked back and forth between me and the woman, as if asking what he meant.
Ignoring him, the old man whispered something to the woman before pulling a business card from his pocket and holding it out to me.
“I hear my Hee-jin owes you a debt. I'd like to have a meal with you sometime soon. No, better yet, can you spare some time after the event?”
“...”
In an instant, everyone's eyes turned to me.
As if that wasn't flustering enough, Chairman Lee Yong-moon placed a hand on my back and spoke in a self-deprecating tone.
“It seems we'll have to postpone our meeting.”
“...”
It all felt surreal.
To see the great Chairman Lee Yong-moon act so deferential toward someone...
*Tsk*, this was starting to feel strange.
“I'm sorry, but I have a prior engagement with Chairman Lee Yong-moon today, so that will be difficult. Besides, this gift is more than enough of a reward for helping your daughter. You really don't need to go out of your way.”
“That gift was from my daughter. I want to thank you in my own way.”
“But... if you insist, I should be free next Monday. If that's all right with you, I can come see you then.”
”...”
The old man's gaze was incredibly intense.
Feeling awkward, I was about to lower my head slightly when Chairman Lee Yong-moon spoke up again.
“It's not polite to keep refusing when an elder insists like that.”
“...”
With the other party in my prior engagement yielding, I had no reason to refuse any longer.
I nodded and glanced at the old man, who finally broke into a satisfied smile.
“Then we'll see each other at my house after the event. My Hee-jin will give you the address.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the woman standing beside him approached me.
She handed me a slip of paper from her wallet, her eyes meeting mine with a bright smile.
“I'm sorry about this. I didn't mean to impose on you like this... It shouldn't be too hard to find.”
With that, the woman turned and walked away.
The stares from those around me were becoming unbearable.
“You, with Chairman Han... how...”
Chairman Jin, who had been watching the whole time, approached with his mouth agape, but just then, a government official intercepted him.
“Chairman Jin Hyun-pil, we need to do a quick rehearsal for your keynote address at today's event.”
“Just a moment. No, that's...”
Chairman Jin's face was filled with bewilderment as he was led away.
It wasn't like I could explain a situation I didn't understand myself.
I shrugged and was about to look at the note the woman had given me when I heard Chairman Kim Pan-woo's voice from a distance.
“Chairman Han!”
He, who had been keeping a low profile the entire time, was now following the old man.
The old man paused and turned back to him. After a brief exchange, a sharp rebuke suddenly burst from the old man's lips.
“Does Wooyoung Heavy Industries even have any collateral left?”
“Please, don't say that... I'm begging you. You're the only one I can turn to now.”
It sounded like they were talking about money.
“Do I look like a philanthropist? Secure some collateral and then come see me.”
The conversation was going exactly as I'd expected.
With this, I could finally make a rough guess as to the old man's identity.
Perhaps some kind of creditor for corporations?
And judging by how all the bigwigs in the business world were fawning over him, a very powerful one at that.
Damn. I'd been wondering how the dying Wooyoung Group managed to survive the IMF crisis. It looked like it was thanks to that old man's help.
“Do you have any idea who that man is?”
Just as the event was about to begin, Chairman Lee Yong-moon tapped me on the arm and spoke.
A wide smile was spread across his face.
“He seems to be a big player in the corporate private lending market, am I wrong?”
“So you knew who he was and still turned him down?”
“No, it was just a guess. And even if I had known who he was, nothing would have changed. A promise is meant to be kept, and it was only right to honor my prior engagement with you, Chairman.”
“...”
Chairman Lee Yong-moon stared at me blankly for a moment.
Then he let out a short laugh and fixed his gaze on the old man, who was still talking with Kim Pan-woo.
“That man is Chairman Han Myung-ho. One of this country's top three real estate titans, with the ability to mobilize vast amounts of cash. He probably moves hundreds of billions of won a day. In fact, my own father once received help from Chairman Han.”
Moving hundreds of billions a day was a truly staggering amount of liquidity.
But what did that have to do with me?
When I shrugged to show my lack of interest, Chairman Lee Yong-moon looked at me, dumbfounded.
“A corporate private lender like Chairman Han Myung-ho is different from loan sharks or banks. They can be ruthless in times like these, but that man invests based on his convictions, regardless of the circumstances. My point is, it doesn't hurt to know him.”
“Yes, I'll keep that in mind.”
Despite my answer, I still wasn't interested.
No matter how I thought about it, I just couldn't picture a future where I'd need to take out a private loan.
Anyway, his insistence, even after I'd tried to politely decline, was a bit surprising.
Had I wounded his pride?
The look in his eyes as he turned away seemed to suggest as much.
***
“Is this the place?”
After the event, I went to the old man's house to keep the promise that had been forced upon me.
His mansion, located not far from my own home, screamed, ‘I am the king of cash in this country.’
*Woof woof!*
When I rang the bell, I was met by the charge of massive Dobermans.
Three of them, no less.
As I stood there having the random thought that with dogs like these, who needed a security system, the woman from before suddenly opened the gate.
“You're here.”
In that short time, she had taken on yet another aura.
Before, she was like a vibrant rose; now, she had the feel of a delicate bellflower.
She was like a chameleon. It was amazing how she could change her vibe every time we met.
“Is there something on my face?”
She touched her face, seemingly uncomfortable with my stare.
How rude of me.
I waved my hands dismissively to break the awkwardness, and her expression brightened.
“I take it you didn't have trouble finding the place? My husband was supposed to come and pick you up, but something urgent came up just a little while ago, and he had to leave.”
“I appreciate the thought, but my home is nearby, so that really wasn't necessary.”
“That's a relief. Please, come in. My father is waiting.”
Seeing her up close... wait, was her name Hee-jin? Anyway, I could see the traces of time on her face.
Though covered by makeup, the wrinkles around her eyes were visible whenever she smiled.
My guess that she was in her late thirties didn't seem to be wrong. If so, she was aging quite gracefully.
“Welcome.”
“Thank you for having me.”
Chairman Han Myung-ho was in the middle of tending to his garden.
A tea table was set up on the wide deck, as if he intended for us to talk there, and a tarp had been installed beforehand to block the sun.
“Have a seat.”
Chairman Han sat down first and watched me carefully, a teacup in his hand.
It felt like being a piece of beef on display in a butcher's showcase.
Sensing he had gone too far, Hee-jin, who was sitting beside him, finally chided him.
“Father, how can you stare at him so intently? You're making him uncomfortable.”
“Hm, was I? My apologies. I have a habit of observing people's physiognomy.”
“It's quite all right. So, what does mine look like?”
“...”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Chairman Han looked flustered.
After a moment, he let out a dry laugh and said something unexpected.
“That's the thing... I can't quite tell. To be honest, I felt it when I first saw you, too. There's something unique about you.”
“Unique in what way?”
“Well, it's a bit difficult to describe.”
“...”
He continued to stare at my face as he spoke.
I tried to act nonchalant and lift my teacup, but thankfully, the topic of conversation shifted.
“By the way, where did my son-in-law go? How can he not even show his face when we have a guest?”
“He went out to meet with Chairman Kim Pan-woo of Wooyoung Heavy Industries.”
“Tsk, tsk. That Kim Pan-woo, I wonder when he'll ever come to his senses. Since it's come to this, tell him to make sure he secures solid collateral. And don't forget to make it clear that this is the last time.”
From the context, it seemed the woman's husband also helped with the family business.
Then again, with a father-in-law who was the country's top real estate tycoon and king of cash, why would he look elsewhere?
Anyway, it sounded like Kim Pan-woo had succeeded in getting the old man's help after all.
For Chairman Han Myung-ho's sake, I couldn't just let it be.
“It definitely won't be the last time.”
“Hm?”