Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Family Dinner
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Lee Dae-hyuk was thoroughly enjoying his time at the company.
It was a pleasure to engage in productive discussions rather than debates aimed at tearing someone down.
But he knew all too well that even playtime had to come to an end.
‘Once the Jin Soo-young shoot is wrapped up, I’ll wrap up my company life too.’
As he headed home from work, Lee Dae-hyuk laid out his future plans.
He had already built a connection with Nam Sung-il, the president of Daehan Construction.
Even without showing up to the office himself, he could keep Park Joo-seung and Cha Woo-jin in check through him and hold Seojin Construction at bay.
That meant there was one thing he needed to do first.
‘I should report to Father.’
Lee Dae-hyuk pulled his phone from his jacket pocket.
There were only three numbers saved in it.
Lee Myung-guk was number three.
Number one was Yoon Tae-ho, and two was Kim Mi-jin.
‘Father... Guess I really have become Lee Dae-hyuk for real.’
Lee Dae-hyuk found it amusing how he was unconsciously thinking of Lee Myung-guk not as ‘Chairman’ but as ‘Father.’
What could he do about it?
Right now, the man felt like his real father.
‘Yeah. Let’s call him.’
If he reached out first, Lee Myung-guk would be at least a little pleased.
Just as Lee Dae-hyuk was about to press three,
His phone suddenly vibrated.
Vrrrrm-!
‘Who’s this?’
It wasn’t a saved number.
But it gave him a bad feeling.
It meant it was a number the original ‘Lee Dae-hyuk’ knew.
After a brief hesitation, Lee Dae-hyuk answered.
“Hello.”
- Is that Dae-hyuk?
“……!!! ”
Just four words, but cold sweat beaded on the bridge of Lee Dae-hyuk’s nose.
Instinctively, he feared this ‘woman.’
‘The woman I fear...’
Park Ji-sook.
Lee Myung-guk’s wife and one of the main perpetrators who had abused him.
“…….”
Lee Dae-hyuk swallowed the rising instinctive fear amid the silence.
He wasn’t that little kid anymore.
“What is it?”
Lee Dae-hyuk shot back in a cold tone.
Did she sense the anger in his voice?
Park Ji-sook fell silent on the other end.
“If there’s nothing special, I’ll hang up.”
- We should meet.
Lee Dae-hyuk laughed at Park Ji-sook’s words that broke the silence.
He wasn’t afraid.
She was someone he had to face eventually.
“I’m going to be busy soon. So if you want to see me, Madam, make it on my schedule.”
- On your schedule? Fine. I will. When’s good for you?
“I have time this evening.”
- Then come home. Let’s have dinner with the Chairman.
Lee Dae-hyuk’s expression hardened at Park Ji-sook’s words.
Calling him home was a declaration of war.
No need to cower or back down.
With a sneer, Lee Dae-hyuk replied.
“Yes. I’ll head over now.”
***
In front of Lee Myung-guk’s mansion.
Yoon Tae-ho, who had come with Lee Dae-hyuk, felt a lump in his throat.
Knowing the history between Lee Dae-hyuk, Park Ji-sook, and those siblings, his heart wasn’t at ease.
“Am I walking to my death? It’s just dinner. Why are you so tense?”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Just... I’m sorry for everything.”
No matter how much Lee Dae-hyuk had changed, to Yoon Tae-ho, he was still just a pitiful kid.
A kid he had to protect.
Maybe it was because he had kids of his own?
It left a bitter taste watching that child head off to meet his ‘abuser.’
But Lee Dae-hyuk just smiled leisurely.
He knew what Yoon Tae-ho was worried about.
“Manager, do you still see me as a kid?”
“Yes.”
Lee Dae-hyuk barely held back a laugh at Yoon Tae-ho’s honest answer.
‘Being treated like a kid doesn’t feel half bad.’
The wound of betrayal from his trusted master and little brother.
It felt like Yoon Tae-ho’s endless affection was healing that pain.
Deep and painful as it was, that wound would heal someday too.
But for now, he had to go alone.
“I’ll be back after dinner.”
Lee Dae-hyuk turned and pressed the doorbell at the gate.
Ding-dong-!
“It’s Dae-hyuk.”
As soon as he announced himself through the intercom, the gate opened as if they’d been waiting.
Creak-!
Step-step-!
The moment the door opened, Lee Dae-hyuk strode right into the house.
‘He’s like a kid heading off to be sold by the riverside.’
Yoon Tae-ho sighed, watching Lee Dae-hyuk’s retreating back.
He didn’t want to see the barely—no, impressively—recovered Lee Dae-hyuk get hurt again.
But Yoon Tae-ho didn’t know.
The one who needed worrying wasn’t Lee Dae-hyuk, but Park Ji-sook.
***
“It’s been forever since the three of us sat down for a meal like this, hasn’t it?”
Park Ji-sook smiled brightly, looking back and forth between Lee Myung-guk and Lee Dae-hyuk.
Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were icy.
Was it because of her gaze?
Despite the appetizing spread of pork bulgogi, doenjang jjigae, japchae, and more, Lee Dae-hyuk had no appetite.
Lee Myung-guk’s face was bitter too.
He did feel sorry toward Park Ji-sook.
Even if it was a political marriage without love, she had been an excellent comrade, and he couldn’t imagine the betrayal she must have felt—as the sinner he was.
But he was angry at her behavior that humiliated him like this.
“You knew Dae-hyuk was coming. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Do I have to announce it every time my son comes for a meal?”
Park Ji-sook shrugged, and Lee Myung-guk shut his mouth.
He didn’t want to fight in front of innocent Lee Dae-hyuk.
“…….”
All Lee Myung-guk could do right now was suppress his anger and pick up his spoon.
“It’s delicious.”
After a bite of nabak kimchi and rice, Lee Myung-guk praised his wife’s cooking.
Lee Dae-hyuk felt the same.
‘Even in a chaebol family, someone who cooks this well? Amazing.’
Women from chaebol families, like Yoo Jae-man’s wife, never got their hands wet.
Instead of cooking or housework, they battled other conglomerates for more shares and money.
But Park Ji-sook wasn’t your typical chaebol wife.
Before being a woman, she wanted to be the perfect partner and the ‘manager’ of Daehan Group.
To manage Daehan Group, she had to keep Chairman Lee Myung-guk in top condition at all times.
That’s why she even got certifications as a Korean cuisine chef and nutritionist.
“I know your tastes better than anyone in the world.”
“Yeah. You do.”
“But I’m not the one you love most in the world.”
Lee Myung-guk’s face stiffened at Park Ji-sook’s sudden counterattack.
Meanwhile, Lee Dae-hyuk leisurely ate while watching her.
“Should I give you two some space?”
“Dae-hyuk. Don’t you feel sorry toward me at all?”
Lee Dae-hyuk barely suppressed a scoff at Park Ji-sook’s retort.
Cooking aside, she sure acted like a chaebol wife.
The type who thought the whole world revolved around them.
Gulp-!
After swallowing the pork bulgogi in his mouth, Lee Dae-hyuk fixed Park Ji-sook with a cold stare.
“Sorry...? No one feels guilt just for being born into the world. And you invite someone for dinner just to make them uncomfortable... Your manners are truly lacking.”
Park Ji-sook’s eyes twitched at Lee Dae-hyuk’s response.
“Manners?”
“Our relationship isn’t particularly friendly, is it, Madam? So we should at least keep up appearances.”
Lee Dae-hyuk beamed as he jabbed at her.
‘……!!!’
Park Ji-sook’s face flushed at his reply.
Not from humiliation, but surprise.
‘Is this really the Lee Dae-hyuk I know?’
She had gathered some info on him through her subordinates.
From her perspective, who knew Lee Dae-hyuk’s true nature well, this was a nonstop shock.
Working at Daehan Construction, he’d set up an investment firm and turned a profit.
He’d pinned down her idiot little brother, and even had infamous underworld gangster Kim Min-gyu as a subordinate.
Deeds unimaginable for the weakling Lee Dae-hyuk she knew.
‘This guy who was itching to die—why the sudden change?’
Park Ji-sook was a cold strategist.
To eliminate someone, you had to scout them thoroughly.
That’s why she invited him to dinner.
The info from her subordinates wasn’t enough for an accurate judgment.
And Lee Dae-hyuk’s transformation exceeded her expectations.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
A smile spread across Park Ji-sook’s lips.
She didn’t know the reason, but Lee Dae-hyuk had grown strong.
Which meant crushing him would be all the more enjoyable.
Seeing her smile, Lee Dae-hyuk smiled back.
“You’ll be seeing a lot more of me from now on.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Please do.”
Park Ji-sook and Lee Dae-hyuk’s gazes clashed in the air.
Their mouths smiled, but their eyes were sharp as daggers aimed at each other.
Then Lee Dae-hyuk’s next words flew like a dagger and struck home.
“Father. I’ve set up a small investment company.”
“I know.”
Lee Myung-guk wasn’t surprised.
He’d already been informed.
But what came next even shocked him.
“Would you invest in our company?”
“…….”
Lee Myung-guk couldn’t continue for a moment.
Not help, but invest.
Deep down, he wanted to pour in as much as needed.
But right now, he had to assess Lee Dae-hyuk coldly.
“Invest... I’m a businessman. I only invest where there’s profit.”
Lee Dae-hyuk could read Lee Myung-guk’s intent.
It meant prove your ability.
Understanding, Lee Dae-hyuk spoke of the company’s assets.
“Our company already holds 29.77 billion won in assets.”
“What?”
“……!!! ”
Lee Myung-guk and Park Ji-sook’s eyes widened simultaneously at Lee Dae-hyuk’s words.
29.77 billion won.
A massive sum even chaebols couldn’t move lightly.
How did Lee Dae-hyuk have such a fortune?
“How did that happen?”
“I earned it.”
As he answered Lee Myung-guk’s question, Lee Dae-hyuk smiled at Park Ji-sook with his eyes.
“If it’s pure money-making ability, I’m the best in this family.”
Neither Park Ji-sook nor Lee Myung-guk refuted Lee Dae-hyuk’s assertion.
If he’d truly earned 29.77 billion ‘purely,’ it was no small feat.
None of them had made nearly 30 billion on their own power.
But Park Ji-sook couldn’t take his word at face value.
“How are we supposed to believe you?”
“Shall I send the financial statements? Or a bank statement copy?”
“…….”
Park Ji-sook had no retort.
Unless Lee Dae-hyuk was crazy, he wouldn’t lie so easily exposed.
As Park Ji-sook stayed silent, Lee Dae-hyuk calculated the future.
Both Lee Myung-guk and Park Ji-sook would investigate his company.
Soon, they’d learn about the massive assets the investment firm ‘Punch’ would soon hold.
Then Park Ji-sook and her kids would try to check him.
‘Better to rip the bandage off now.’
Punch was still small, so no leverage against him yet.
But as time passed, Punch would grow, and inevitably break some laws somehow.
Better to take the hit now than later.
At the same time, asking Lee Myung-guk for investment wasn’t a bad calculation.
‘The more seed money now, the better.’
Plus, he hadn’t used his chaebol son status till now.
When needed, even ‘daddy’s chance’ had its use.
No, this investment was a chance for Lee Myung-guk, not him.
“It’s a company full of top talent. Invest, and I guarantee 100% returns.”
“What makes you so confident?”
For Lee Myung-guk’s question, Lee Dae-hyuk thought of the ‘reason’ he’d love most.
If he were Lee Myung-guk, this is what he’d want to hear from his beloved son.
“Because I’m the son who inherited your abilities, Father.”
“……!!!”