Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: A Father's Concern
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“Good morning.”
My steps felt unusually light on my way to work today.
The perceptive Secretary Kim quickly followed me into my office, her eyes fixed on my lips with a curious expression.
“Was your business resolved successfully?”
“You could say that.”
I couldn't tell her the specifics just yet.
For one, the ballistic missile development project itself was classified, and I also had requests from the Ministry of Defense and the National Intelligence Service.
At least, not until Jaewoo was officially selected as the developer. So, until she signed the confidentiality agreement, I unfortunately had to keep my mouth shut.
“I’ll be stopping by the Chairman’s office this morning, so please have a car ready.”
Of course, Chairman Jin was an exception.
It was only natural, as even the government couldn't keep the head of the company potentially in charge of the project in the dark.
“Yes, understood.”
Secretary Kim didn't ask any more questions.
She was likely aware that if the NIS was involved, secret matters were discussed, and she intended to respect that.
A veteran secretary truly is different.
“Chairman Han?”
Before heading to the main office, I tried calling Chairman Han Myung-ho.
Perhaps he was upset that I hadn't contacted him, using my busy schedule as an excuse, because his tone over the phone was quite businesslike.
-What’s this? You, calling me first. I went to the trouble of securing some properties for you, and now you're telling me you're too busy? What am I supposed to do?
“I apologize. I’ve been so swamped lately I could use ten of me.”
-You think I don't know that? Anyway, when are we going to get started again? The real estate market is starting to heat up, and we could miss out on some great deals if we’re not careful.
“I’m sorry, but we’ll have to postpone the auction for a while. I might have to go on a business trip soon. Instead, I’ll take you to a great fishing spot as soon as I get back.”
-A fishing spot?
At those words, Chairman Han’s attitude changed instantly.
Since his only hobby is fishing, he was hooked.
Finally, after setting a precise date and time, I was able to get to the main point.
“It’s about something else. If my father happens to ask if I’ve borrowed money from you, please tell him yes.”
-But it’s true that you did borrow money.
“Of course. I’m just asking you to remain silent about what it was used for.”
-…
Silence followed for a moment.
Did he think he had some leverage now?
As I expected, his tone became a little mischievous.
-I don't know what you're plotting, but I'll do it. On one condition.
“What…”
-If we’re going fishing, let's go to the sea. I actually have something I want to discuss with you while looking at the ocean.
“Let’s do that.”
I had a feeling I was getting myself into something else.
Well, I’d find out what that was later. For now, I was just relieved to have secured his cooperation.
“Understood. Then, I’ll see you when I get back.”
*****
Screech!
Late that afternoon, I finished my meeting and hurried to the group’s headquarters.
This was a time when corporate headquarters were rushing to relocate to Gangnam, and the once-spacious Gangnam-daero was now severely congested.
“Is the Chairman in?”
“Yes, Senior Managing Director. He’s been waiting for you.”
The attitude of the chairman’s secretarial staff was markedly different from before.
The same went for the executives I passed.
Before, they tried so hard to avoid eye contact, but now, it felt like they were anxious to get a word in with me, no matter what.
“I’m he—”
After a brief knock, I entered the Chairman’s office to find a guest already there.
He looked to be in his late fifties.
What was strange was the unusually surprised look on his face at my appearance. It seemed a secret conversation had been taking place.
“Ah, your son has arrived. I’ll be on my way, then.”
“No, please continue your conversation. I can come back in a moment.”
“It’s fine, come in.”
Chairman Jin stopped me as I was turning to leave.
The middle-aged man then walked past me and out of the room. As I watched him go, Chairman Jin raised his voice again.
“What are you doing? You’re here, so have a seat.”
“Who was that gentleman?”
I asked as I settled onto the sofa.
As if he had expected the question, Chairman Jin replied with a stoic expression.
“That was Dr. Kim Tae-soo, the director of Jaewoo General Hospital.”
“What was the hospital director doing here all of a sudden? Are you feeling unwell, by any chance?”
“He wasn't here because I'm sick, but to deliver the results of the health check-up I had a while ago.”
He said it nonchalantly.
Given his lack of further comment on the results, it seemed there were no particular issues, but his complexion didn’t look very good.
“As I reported over the phone yesterday, I met with the Minister of Defense and the NIS Director.”
I set aside my fleeting suspicion and handed him the report.
Was he nervous, too?
His hand trembled noticeably as he reviewed the document.
“…”
“Yes, I spoke with the Minister of Defense after your call yesterday. My goodness… so many things came up that I knew nothing about, it was rather embarrassing. What’s all this about a ballistic missile?”
“I apologize for that. Everything happened so suddenly that I didn’t have the time to give you a heads-up. But… are you really alright?”
I was referring to Chairman Jin's hand, which was shaking to an alarming degree.
It was too severe to be a simple tremor.
But Chairman Jin himself acted as if it were nothing.
“Ah, this hand? I’ve been feeling a bit fatigued lately, I suppose it’s because of that. In fact, that’s why I had the unscheduled check-up.”
“And you’re sure there’s nothing wrong?”
Chairman Jin stared at me as I pressed the question.
The faint smile that appeared on his lips suggested he found my concern for his health unfamiliar.
“Dr. Kim Tae-soo just left after informing me that there were no issues, so there’s no need to worry.”
The word “worry” stuck in my ear.
Come to think of it, why was I so concerned about him?
This went beyond the feeling of him being my friend’s father. Sometimes, I found myself under the illusion that I had truly become Hyun-seung.
“I’m not worried. You’ll still be ordering everyone around even when you’re ninety, Father.”
It wasn’t just an empty platitude; it was the truth.
I remembered rushing to his funeral after hearing the news around the time I had just been appointed director of the ADD.
His death could be called a peaceful passing. He had been perfectly fine the day before, only to close his eyes in his sleep the next morning.
“What are you, a shaman?”
“Not a shaman, but I might have a bit of a sixth sense.”
“Nonsense.”
It didn’t seem like he disliked hearing it, as he let out a dry laugh.
Still, could a person’s hand shake that much if they were in normal health?
Something about that seemed suspicious.
“Anyway, according to the Minister of Defense, you secretly purchased ballistic missile technology from the Russian military. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Where did you get that kind of money?”
Chairman Jin looked at me with suspicion in his eyes.
It would have been a flustering moment if I hadn’t prepared for it.
But since I had already coordinated my story with Chairman Han Myung-ho, I had nothing to fear.
“I borrowed it from Chairman Han Myung-ho.”
“Who?”
Chairman Jin looked at me, dumbfounded.
But for now, I had no choice but to use him as an excuse.
After all, the cost of the technology wasn’t a small sum.
It would be impossible to deceive Chairman Jin, who was well aware of my financial assets.
The fact that I had borrowed from a loan shark of all people seemed to bother him, as Chairman Jin narrowed his eyes.
“Tsk, tsk. Even if you two have gotten closer, why borrow from Chairman Han of all people… What did you put up as collateral?”
“There was no collateral.”
“What do you mean? A man like Chairman Han lent you money without any collateral?”
He asked again, a look of surprise on his face.
Indeed, it was hard to believe that a loan shark, so meticulous with numbers, would lend money without collateral.
“Actually, he owed me a bit of a favor recently. It’s difficult to explain the details right now, but that’s all you need to know.”
“What on earth could that man owe you for…? Anyway, how much did you borrow?”
“Around a hundred billion won.”
I used the figure of one hundred billion won because I had actually borrowed that much from Chairman Han in the past.
Although that money had been invested in an auction, Chairman Jin didn’t know the finer details.
Besides, I had already coordinated with Chairman Han for a situation like this, so it wouldn’t matter if he called to confirm.
“A hundred billion?”
“Even Chairman Han was surprised when he first heard the amount.”
“Of course he was. Do you have any idea that a hundred billion is an amount that major corporations borrow?”
“Of course.”
“Haha, I can’t tell if you’re bold or just have no sense of numbers. Anyway, there’s no way the Russian government would sell ballistic missile technology for a mere hundred billion won.”
“The money went to the military, not the government, so it’s not a small amount.”
“…”
“As you know, to Russian generals on the verge of unemployment, a hundred billion won is quite a large sum.”
“True, it’s a different story if it’s the military. Those guys would sell portable anti-tank missile technology for just a few million dollars. But what if the Russian government finds out? Once the actual missile appears, they’ll clearly recognize their own technology.”
“I have countermeasures for that, so you don’t need to worry.”
Chairman Jin watched me, overly confident, for a long moment.
He took a sip of the water his secretary had brought, let out a few dry coughs, and then continued.
“So, when did you agree to pay it back?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. It was a deal with Chairman Han that had separate conditions attached…”
“Still, you should repay what you owe as soon as possible.”
“…”
The mood was turning strange.
Was he actually thinking of giving me that much money?
“Why? Are you going to pay it back for me, Father?”
“It wasn’t borrowed for personal reasons. If it was used for company business, then of course it should be paid. The problem is, the method of acquiring the technology can’t be officially disclosed, so the company can’t pay for it through official channels right now… For now, I’ll give you the money from my slush fund and personal accounts, so pay it back.”
“…”
Now that he was actually offering the money, I felt a pang of guilt.
But if I refused, he would surely become suspicious about the technology acquisition cost again.
It seemed the right choice was to set aside my guilty conscience for the moment.
Still, it was surprising that he had a hundred billion won in cash.
He couldn't have raised that much money from the defense companies with their strict accounting. It must have been sourced from the construction division.
So that’s why he was so desperate to hold onto the construction business.
Cough!
Just then, Chairman Jin let out another dry cough.
His hand, searching for a tissue, looked unusually gaunt today.
Seeing him look so different from just a few days ago made me feel uneasy.
“Why don’t you get a more thorough examination?”
“I told you not to worry. I had a lung ailment when I was younger, and its effects are starting to show now that I’m older.”
He waved his hand dismissively and handed me a large manila envelope.
Had he been planning to give me the money from the start?
The envelope was stuffed with bearer bonds in billion-won denominations.
“It’s best to repay Chairman Han Myung-ho’s money as soon as possible.”
“Even though you’re close, are you that afraid of his money?”
“It’s not about fear, it’s about not losing trust. That way, you can receive help when you’re truly in a desperate situation.”
“…”
That was something I often told my subordinates before my regression.
Don’t lose trust.
It might not seem like much now, but it will surely come back to you later.
I’d been wondering why he was starting to feel less like a stranger, and perhaps this was the reason.
Though we shared not a drop of blood, it was like looking at another version of myself.
"Cough!"
“…”