The Audience Wants a Role
Ding-dong.
While Kim Seong-ho and Lee Gyeong-eun were watching television, the doorbell rang.
“Who could that be at this hour?”
Lee Gyeong-eun tilted her head and looked at Kim Seong-ho, silently asking whether he was expecting anyone.
Kim Seong-ho followed her gaze toward the entrance where the bell had sounded and shook his head.
“I have no idea. Wait here a moment.”
He rose from his seat and approached the intercom.
“Who is it so late at night?”
When he picked up the intercom and asked who had rung the bell, an unexpected voice came through the receiver.
“It’s me.”
Kim Seong-ho thought briefly about why the owner of that familiar voice had come to their house, then answered.
“Hyung-nim, you’ve come? Please wait a moment.”
He set down the intercom and told Lee Gyeong-eun, who was watching him with curious eyes, who the visitor was.
“Second Hyung-nim is here.”
“Second Oppa?”
At the news that Lee Sang-jong had arrived, Lee Gyeong-eun made a puzzled face and tilted her head. Then she rose from her seat to follow Kim Seong-ho as he walked toward the front door to open it.
Kim Seong-ho answered her question as he paused his steps for a moment.
“I’m not sure. He must have something he wants to say.”
Standing side by side with Lee Gyeong-eun, Kim Seong-ho headed for the entrance while organizing in his mind the reason he had just considered. Among the various possibilities, he found one.
So that’s it.
Kim Seong-ho thought he knew why Lee Sang-jong had come. And the moment he saw Lee Sang-jong’s face, he was certain.
“Hyung-nim. What brings you here in the middle of the night?”
“Did you know?”
To Lee Sang-jong’s abrupt question right at the door, Kim Seong-ho guided him inside as he spoke.
“Please come in first.”
When Kim Seong-ho invited him in, Lee Sang-jong strode into the house without hesitation. Then, to Lee Gyeong-eun who stood to one side looking at him with strange eyes, he said,
“I’m leaving soon, so no need to bring out tea.”
Without waiting for Lee Gyeong-eun’s reply, he turned while still standing in front of the entrance, not fully entering, and asked Kim Seong-ho again.
“Did you know Chang-jong brought a kid?”
“Yes. I knew.”
Lee Sang-jong struck Kim Seong-ho’s chest with his arm. Startled, Lee Gyeong-eun jumped between Lee Sang-jong and Kim Seong-ho.
“Why come over all of a sudden and hit someone!”
When Lee Gyeong-eun shouted at Lee Sang-jong, he frowned and pushed her aside.
“Hit? Who hit him? I just gave him a little shove.”
“Hitting is hitting, isn’t it? Isn’t it?”
Though Lee Sang-jong pushed Lee Gyeong-eun away saying it was noisy, she raised her voice even more and stood up to him.
Kim Seong-ho was grateful that Lee Gyeong-eun was standing up for him, but knowing that calming her excitement was the way to get Lee Sang-jong to leave the house quickly, he first soothed the agitated Lee Gyeong-eun.
“Gyeong-eun. It’s fine. Let’s hear Hyung-nim’s story first.”
Kim Seong-ho patted Lee Gyeong-eun who was blocking the way and moved her to his side by the shoulders. Then he looked at Lee Sang-jong and continued his previous answer.
“I knew because I discussed it with Chang-jong Hyung-nim.”
At the words that he had discussed it with Lee Chang-jong, Lee Sang-jong’s face flushed red.
“And Eldest Hyung-nim? When did Eldest Hyung-nim find out?”
“Right after discussing it with Chang-jong Hyung-nim, I told Eldest Hyung-nim. And then the two of them went into the Chairman’s office.”
“You bastard……”
Lee Sang-jong tried to strike Kim Seong-ho’s chest once more. But seeing Lee Gyeong-eun’s expression that said she would pounce and bite him if he hit Kim Seong-ho, he lowered the hand that had been about to strike. Yet his anger still couldn’t be stopped from rising, and Lee Sang-jong’s face only grew redder.
Kim Seong-ho thought it would be good to calm Lee Sang-jong’s excitement at this point. From observing Lee Sang-jong’s personality since the past life, he knew that the man was nearly at his limit now.
“Hyung-nim. The reason I told you late is because that was better for you.”
“Better for me?”
Lee Sang-jong snorted and shouted at Kim Seong-ho.
“All the other brothers knew the fact and only I didn’t—that was for my sake?”
“I didn’t know either.”
Lee Gyeong-eun, who had been listening from the side, stepped in saying she hadn’t known either. Lee Sang-jong snorted at her appearance.
“You don’t need to know. It’s none of your business.”
“What do you mean it’s none of my business?”
“You……”
Lee Sang-jong stopped the words he was about to say and looked at Lee Gyeong-eun for a moment. Then he looked alternately at Kim Seong-ho and Lee Gyeong-eun and spoke slowly in a voice whose excitement had subsided.
“You two have nothing to do with the succession of the Ilhyeon Group, do you?”
In Lee Gyeong-eun’s eyes at those words was a question. She couldn’t understand what this matter had to do with the group’s succession. But Kim Seong-ho knew why Lee Sang-jong had said that.
As expected, he’s anxious.
The fact that he had been excluded from this matter must have brought anxiety to Lee Sang-jong. If Lee Mun-jong, Lee Chang-jong, and Kim Seong-ho joined hands, he would be completely isolated—that must have been his thought. Looking at Lee Sang-jong’s face where anxiety showed, a smile formed on Kim Seong-ho’s lips.
An audience member who’s been standing one step away from the play is asking to be let into the performance—well then, I should oblige.
In truth, there was no necessary role for Lee Sang-jong in this current play. Together with Lee Jeong-eun, he just needed to sit still and watch how things unfolded. Yet an audience member without a role had come to Kim Seong-ho’s house asking to be included. And seeing such an audience member, an amusing idea floated into Kim Seong-ho’s mind. Kim Seong-ho quickly created a role for the audience member and began speaking to draw the audience, Lee Sang-jong, into the play.
“That’s why I didn’t tell Hyung-nim.”
“That’s why you didn’t tell me?”
“Yes.”
Kim Seong-ho nodded and took Lee Sang-jong’s shoulder.
“Hyung-nim just needs to stay still and watch how the situation unfolds.”
“Just watch? How am I supposed to just watch when the family has become a laughingstock?”
To Lee Sang-jong’s loud voice, Kim Seong-ho spoke with a voice tinged with laughter.
“So what if it has?”
“What?”
“What if the family looks a bit ridiculous? Thanks to that, one of Hyung-nim’s competitors has been cleaned up.”
“What…… do you mean……”
Lee Sang-jong was about to ask what that meant but stopped and opened his mouth. Then he looked at Kim Seong-ho with surprised eyes. Kim Seong-ho showed an even denser smile to such a Lee Sang-jong and said,
“Now Chang-jong Hyung-nim has been completely eliminated from the succession structure. You were just sitting still and a competitor got cleaned up, so isn’t that a good thing for Hyung-nim?”
A smile gradually spread across Lee Sang-jong’s face that had been wearing a surprised expression. Kim Seong-ho watched that and continued speaking.
“And Eldest Hyung-nim has also stepped into this dirty situation, so only Hyung-nim is in a state where nothing has stained his clothes. Now do you understand why I deliberately didn’t tell you?”
“Yeah.”
Lee Sang-jong twitched the corners of his mouth and nodded.
“Yeah. Hearing your explanation, I understand. Then what should I do now?”
“Hyung-nim just needs to stay out of it. If you go near it wanting to see what the muddy water is like, mud might splash on your clean clothes. Just stay still and watch.”
“Just watch?”
Approaching the slightly disappointed Lee Sang-jong, Kim Seong-ho stood shoulder to shoulder with him and led him toward the door as he said,
“Hyung-nim just needs to take charge of Ilhyeon Construction and advance toward the goal of building Ilhyeon Town in Seocho. Then if you really feel you can’t stand it, take the side of the person who’s having the hardest time in this matter.”
“The hardest person? Who’s having the hardest time in this matter?”
Standing in front of the door, Lee Sang-jong looked at Kim Seong-ho with a face asking who that was. Kim Seong-ho gripped the doorknob and answered Lee Sang-jong’s question.
“I don’t know who it is right now, but after some time passes, you’ll be able to tell, won’t you?”
“After time passes?”
“If you stand on the side of the weak then, Hyung-nim’s image will improve greatly.”
“Stand on the side of the weak…… Yeah. That’s a good idea.”
Lee Sang-jong seemed to find Kim Seong-ho’s words plausible as he patted Kim Seong-ho’s shoulder and showed satisfaction. Kim Seong-ho turned the doorknob, opened the front door, and said,
“So for now, go home and rest easy. You’ll have a lot to do going forward.”
“Yeah. I need to return to the company and move busily to proceed with building Ilhyeon Town. You must have a headache because of Doa Motors too, so rest. Gyeong-eun. Sorry for coming so late.”
Unlike when he had come looking for the house, Lee Sang-jong even offered an apology, waved his hand, and left Kim Seong-ho’s house with light steps. Kim Seong-ho stood in front of the door watching Lee Sang-jong’s departing back and smiled silently.
As always, the appearance of a new role made the play even more interesting. This time as well, Kim Seong-ho had a strong feeling that the situation would progress even more interestingly.
Lee Tak-hyeon pressed his temples hard with his thumb and middle finger as he listened to Hwang Do-beom’s report.
“The strike at Doa Motors is intensifying.”
“Why are those bastards so dissatisfied?”
To Chairman Lee Tak-hyeon’s question, Hwang Do-beom answered with a troubled expression.
“It seems to be because news has spread that a German company is showing acquisition intent.”
“So because a foreign company is acquiring it, they’re unhappy with us, a domestic company, and want to go under a foreign company?”
“To summarize…… the Chairman’s words are correct.”
Crash!
Hwang Do-beom squeezed his eyes shut. Unlike the right hand pressing his temples, Lee Tak-hyeon had swept the desk clean with his free left hand. Yet as if his anger wouldn’t subside, Lee Tak-hyeon’s low voice filled the office.
“Crazy bastards. Their own company went bankrupt, and they’re going to choose who helps them? And the German company hasn’t even said what they’ll do, so how are they making such a fuss based only on the company name?”
“Well, the German company is one of the world’s top companies, so……”
Crash!
Lee Tak-hyeon threw the remaining pencil holder on the desk toward the mirror. The mirror shattered into pieces, but Hwang Do-beom didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow as he stood in place and asked Lee Tak-hyeon,
“Chairman, what should we do? The Acquisition Committee is showing signs of distress. They seem worried that if the Doa Motors acquisition falls through, the other merger deals lined up will also become difficult.”
“So? What do those Acquisition Committee bastards or whatever want?”
“They carefully asked whether it might be better to just withdraw at this point.”
“Withdraw?”
The corners of Lee Tak-hyeon’s mouth twisted upward as he removed the hand that had been pressing his temples.
“Just withdraw like this?”
Sensing a crisis in Lee Tak-hyeon’s raised mouth corners, Hwang Do-beom spoke to him in as soft a voice as possible.
“Chairman. The Acquisition Committee says that if we name a company we want instead of Doa Motors, they will help us acquire that instead. With the union being so hardline and the Acquisition Committee feeling burdened, how about withdrawing at this point?”
Bang!
“What I want is Doa Motors.”
Lee Tak-hyeon slammed his fist on the desk. Then, trembling the fist he had slammed down, he said,
“There will be no withdrawing for Ilhyeon. My goal is to unconditionally acquire Doa and make it a global automobile company that goes beyond South Korea.”
Hearing Lee Tak-hyeon’s words, Chief of Staff Hwang Do-beom knew that no matter what situation unfolded, Lee Tak-hyeon would not withdraw. In that case, he thought he should rather persuade Lee Tak-hyeon in another direction.
“Chairman. Then how about we move first?”
“Move first?”
“Yes.”
Hwang Do-beom approached Lee Tak-hyeon as he said,
“The Doa Motors acquisition negotiations haven’t even started yet, but the union moved first, didn’t they? So I was thinking it might be better to start the acquisition negotiations earlier than planned.”
“Meaning settle it first before the situation gets worse?”
“Whether it gets worse or better, I think it would be good for us to make the decision with our own hands. As things stand now, we’ll be dragged around by the union.”
Hwang Do-beom thought that the reason Lee Tak-hyeon was furiously angry wasn’t only because of Doa Motors. He thought it was because he hated having decisions made by outside forces that he was angrily furious. And that thought of Hwang Do-beom’s was correct.
“That’s good. Then tell Director Kim to proceed with the Doa Motors acquisition right away. Whether it becomes porridge or rice, we have to cook it ourselves.”
Lee Tak-hyeon’s face softened considerably. Hwang Do-beom picked up one by one the items that had fallen because Lee Tak-hyeon had swept the desk and placed them back on the desk. After some time passed like that, having confirmed that Lee Tak-hyeon’s anger had subsided a lot, Hwang Do-beom began his second report.
“Chairman. And word has come that the third daughter-in-law is entering the country on this afternoon’s flight.”