Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: The Auction Closes
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Lee Dae-hyuk's completely unexpected statement left Lee Dae-hwan and Lee Sun-ah speechless.
“…….”
“…….”
The two glared at Lee Dae-hyuk.
Even as their sharp gazes pierced him, Lee Dae-hyuk's expression showed no sign of disturbance.
“I'll give you the next 24 hours. I'll sell the stocks and the video to whoever offers the highest price.”
Lee Dae-hwan spat out a harsh curse at his brazen reply.
“You bastard… what the hell do you think you're doing?”
“Let's not get worked up for no reason. I'm just letting you know the auction deadline. Every auction has an end time, right?”
Lee Dae-hwan could only clamp his mouth shut at Lee Dae-hyuk's words.
Lee Sun-ah was the same.
She merely watched him without saying a word.
Right now, grasping the situation took priority over exchanging a few words.
Did he sense his sister's gaze?
Lee Dae-hyuk glanced at her and stood up from his seat.
“Looks like we won't be able to enjoy a nice meal together after all, so I'll head out first. Please enjoy your food.”
With that, Lee Dae-hyuk left his seat.
Lee Dae-hwan and Lee Dae-cheol called out to him simultaneously as he headed for the door.
“Lee Dae-hyuk!”
“Dae-hyuk!”
Screech-!
But Lee Dae-hyuk didn't stop walking.
Thud-!!!
He opened the door and walked right out.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Even after Lee Dae-hyuk left, the three siblings remained silent for a long while.
Each was gripped by their own thoughts.
Lee Dae-hwan felt a burning sense of betrayal toward Lee Sun-ah.
Lee Dae-cheol felt bitterness at Lee Dae-hyuk's hostility.
In contrast, Lee Sun-ah had a smile playing on her lips, as if she found something amusing.
Irritated by his younger sister's attitude, Lee Dae-hwan spoke in a scolding tone.
“Having fun right now?”
“It's not fun so much as fascinating.”
“Fascinating?”
Lee Dae-hwan's anger deepened at Lee Sun-ah's response.
“You find this fascinating?”
“I always thought of you as a massive mountain, oppa. A huge, unshakable one. But it turns out you're just the hill behind the neighborhood. One anyone can climb.”
Screech-!!!
Having said her piece, Lee Sun-ah stood up from her seat.
“Don't take it too personally. This is just fair competition. Let's keep things amicable.”
“So you're going to hand money over to Dae-hyuk?”
“I'll make a reasonable offer too. If it doesn't work out, oh well. But I've gained something bigger than money from this—confidence that I can compete too. That's enough for me.”
Lee Sun-ah laid bare her ambitions without reservation.
'The daughter of a chaebol family must give up the successor position. Even if she has the same or greater abilities as her son.'
She had heard words like these since childhood.
But she was a successful businesswoman who had developed Daehan Cosmetics' hit product, the bamboo charcoal mud pack, and exported ten million units to China.
From development to sales, she had demonstrated her outstanding abilities, yet the Daehan Group successor role remained Lee Dae-hwan's.
“Oppa, let's make this fair from now on.”
Pat pat-!!
Lee Sun-ah lightly patted Lee Dae-hwan's shoulder before leaving the room.
In the end,
only Lee Dae-hwan and Lee Dae-cheol remained in the room.
“…….”
“Hyung.”
Lee Dae-cheol called out to Lee Dae-hwan.
Overwhelmed by despair, Lee Dae-hwan motioned with his hand without opening his mouth.
“Quietly leave.”
“…….”
Lee Dae-cheol stood up without a word.
He was perceptive enough to know he shouldn't speak to Lee Dae-hwan right now.
Thud thud thud-!
Screech-! Thud-!
Once the door closed and he was alone, Lee Dae-hwan furrowed his brow.
From what had been said, it was clear Kim Hyun-seung's video had leaked to Lee Dae-hyuk.
'In the end, I'm the only one who can buy this.'
He called it an auction, but Lee Dae-hyuk was blackmailing him.
'He wants to squeeze money out of me.'
Tremble-!!!
His clenched fist shook.
Not just Lee Dae-hyuk—even Lee Sun-ah had bared her teeth.
At this rate, who knew what Lee Dae-cheol might do.
'I can't keep making more enemies.'
He had to eliminate Lee Dae-hyuk somehow.
But first…
'I need to secure that video.'
Lee Dae-hwan squeezed his eyes shut.
***
After the meeting with Lee Dae-hyuk.
Lee Dae-hwan was meeting with his mother.
In Park Ji-sook's study.
“…….”
Park Ji-sook stared at her eldest son standing before her, unable to speak for a long time.
Finally, she broke the silence.
“How pathetic.”
“What do you mean?”
At Lee Dae-hwan's retort, Park Ji-sook clutched her forehead.
Once again, following their last meeting, her son was disappointing her.
'Was he always this incompetent?'
Perhaps she had raised him wrong.
Regret stirred in her chest, but Park Ji-sook's expression remained utterly composed.
Unfortunately, she had fully assessed her son's capabilities.
Rather than dwelling on his shortcomings now, helping him came first.
“Sun-ah came to borrow money.”
“…You heard?”
Lee Dae-hwan bowed his head deeply.
His face flushed at the thought that his mother had seen his weakness.
Watching her son's pitiful state, Park Ji-sook spoke in a bitter tone.
“You got played by Dae-hyuk?”
“I'm sorry.”
“I didn't call you here to hear pointless apologies.”
Lee Dae-hwan shut his mouth at Park Ji-sook's words.
He felt ashamed and embarrassed.
But Park Ji-sook took her silent son's hand.
“I'll lend you 5 billion won.”
“Mother?”
“Sun-ah can probably scrape together 300 or 400 million at most. She's clever, but not the type to stash away pocket money.”
“It's fine. I'll use my own money…”
Lee Dae-hwan tried to wave it off.
But Park Ji-sook gripped his hand tighter.
“……!!”
Lee Dae-hwan couldn't pull away.
It wasn't just the hand.
It was Park Ji-sook's razor-sharp gaze.
“I'll handle Dae-hyuk. Once he's gone, all that money will be ours. It's worth 'investing' 5 billion—no, even 10 billion.”
“…Understood.”
Lee Dae-hwan grasped her intent.
She planned to dispose of Lee Dae-hyuk.
“America is a vast, wonderful country. But it's also one where unfortunate incidents happen all too often.”
Lee Dae-hwan nodded at Park Ji-sook's words.
“An unfortunate event will happen soon.”
.
.
.
Once her eldest son left, Park Ji-sook called her security team leader, Kim Chan-wook.
“Team leader, I need an employee to send on a business trip to America.”
- Understood.
Kim Chan-wook asked no further questions.
He already knew who Park Ji-sook wanted handled.
He just needed to prepare thoroughly.
“This time, it has to be someone reliable.”
- What kind of cleanup do you want?
At Kim Chan-wook's question, Park Ji-sook stared blankly into space.
“…….”
It was as if Lee Dae-hyuk and his mother stood hazily before her.
Gazing at the phantoms, Park Ji-sook issued a firm order.
“The most miserable… and painful way.”
- Understood.
Click-!!!
Having given her final command, Park Ji-sook set down her phone.
Now she could wait at ease for news of Lee Dae-hyuk.
News that he had died as miserably as that woman.
***
That night.
While doing push-ups, Lee Dae-hyuk received two messages.
One was from Lee Dae-hwan.
His offer: 5 billion won.
Lee Sun-ah's offer: 4 billion won.
A mere 1 billion won difference, but an auction was an auction.
'Pushing for 10 billion would have been too much, huh?'
Lee Dae-hyuk swallowed his disappointment.
No matter how chaebol they were, they lacked significant influence within the group.
Demanding 10 billion would likely provoke a counterattack.
If Lee Dae-hwan came at him desperately in this situation, it would be exhausting.
He decided to be satisfied with extracting travel expenses(?) for his U.S. stay.
Lee Dae-hyuk resumed his push-ups with a satisfied smile.
“One… two… three….”
***
The next day.
At the high-end lounge Cheonmi.
In the VIP room, Lee Dae-hyuk and Lee Dae-hwan sat facing each other.
On the table sat a bottle of sake and two glasses—no sashimi, dishes, or side dishes.
Lee Dae-hwan's glass was full of sake.
But he wasn't drinking; he was staring intently at his half-brother.
“I sent the money to the account you texted.”
“I've confirmed receipt. Thank you.”
“I got the stocks. But there's one thing I haven't received yet?”
He had summoned Lee Dae-hyuk here for his own video.
“Hand it over.”
Instead of replying to Lee Dae-hwan's curt demand, Lee Dae-hyuk poured sake into his empty glass.
Now was the time for some solid bluffing.
“If I give you the USB with the original video, will you believe it's the real deal?”
“What?”
“Haven't you considered this?”
“…….”
“That even if I hand over the original, I might have made copies? And if you corner me, I could use those to blackmail you later…”
“Are you scamming me?”
Lee Dae-hwan spat the words as if chewing them after hearing Lee Dae-hyuk out.
It sounded like he had no intention of giving the original video.
“You bastard. There is no original video, is there?”
His voice dripped with rage, but Lee Dae-hyuk remained calm.
“I'm just explaining the situation accurately.”
Truth be told, there was no need for bluffing.
He already had Lee Dae-hwan by the throat anyway.
“Even if I gave you the video, I figured you wouldn't trust it… But since I've taken the money, how about this?”
“…….”
Lee Dae-hwan felt choked with fury.
But he couldn't easily counter.
Just as Lee Dae-hyuk said, even if he got a USB labeled 'original,' he wouldn't trust him.
Grit-!!!
Feeling toyed with, Lee Dae-hwan suppressed his anger and waited for Lee Dae-hyuk's next words.
Heh heh-!!
Lee Dae-hyuk let out a short scoff and looked at his brother.
“For example, a verbal agreement like this: 'I, Lee Dae-hwan, will not harm Lee Dae-hyuk. In return, Lee Dae-hyuk will not release the video.' How's that?”
Lee Dae-hwan growled at Lee Dae-hyuk's proposal.
“I could kill you right here today.”
He had that much power.
Of course, Lee Dae-hyuk knew it too.
Yet Lee Dae-hwan's threat didn't faze Lee Dae-hyuk in the slightest.
Those with much to lose never take risky gambles.
They have to protect what they have.
“If you kill me, you'll lose a ton, hyung. But if we keep running parallel like this, you won't lose anything.”
“You're saying you'll keep holding my weakness?”
“Exactly. That way, we both stay peaceful, right?”
Unlike before, Lee Dae-hyuk was speaking politely to Lee Dae-hwan.
Lee Dae-hwan clearly wasn't his match.
'No need to provoke pointless mind games…'
“You filthy-blooded bastard. Did you learn this crap from your dead whore of a mother?”
…or so he thought.
“…….”
Lee Dae-hyuk's eyes twitched at Lee Dae-hwan's vile insult.
Lee Dae-hwan had touched what he absolutely shouldn't.
“Lee Dae-hwan— no, you pathetic Lee Dae-hwan, who only picks the dirtiest tricks. Is crawling to Sejin Group as a lapdog because you can't fight, something your mom taught you?”
“What?”
“No, even your mom would be ashamed. Raising a fool who can't even stand up to his little brother.”
Crash-!!!
Lee Dae-hwan flipped the table and shot to his feet.
But.
“You're begging to di—.”
'Huh?'
He couldn't finish his sentence.
It was Lee Dae-hyuk's eyes staring back at him.
Sharp, chilling, like a fierce blade poised to strike.
'Wh-what the hell's wrong with this guy's eyes?'
Had his eyes gone feral?
Lee Dae-hyuk's gaze was no longer human—it was that of a carnivore.
The eyes of a predator whose body burned to tear into its prey.
Feeling instinctive fear, Lee Dae-hwan shut his mouth.
“…….”
“Looks like you're scared.”
Lee Dae-hyuk burst into mocking laughter.
Seeing him overwhelmed by just a glare, unable to continue, Lee Dae-hyuk felt pity.
No matter how much he rampaged with his apparent power, Lee Dae-hwan was a flower in a greenhouse.
Without the Daehan Group backing, a flower Lee Dae-hyuk could uproot anytime.
What was the point in wasting energy on such a thing?
Swish-!!
Standing up, Lee Dae-hyuk flashed a grin.
“Don't worry about the video. I don't need dirty tricks to beat someone like you. And if you want to beat me, stop playing childish games and focus on doing your job properly.”
Was it Lee Dae-hyuk's advice?
Lee Dae-hwan's face twisted.
“The price for 5 billion will be steep. Like your mom, you'll lose everyone precious to you.”
“……!!”
Lee Dae-hyuk's face hardened slightly at the threat.
He was referring to Yoon Tae-ho and Kim Mi-jin.
Sensing Lee Dae-hyuk's agitation, Lee Dae-hwan grinned brightly.
“Look forward to it.”
“…….”
Staring fixedly at his arrogant face, Lee Dae-hyuk spat.
“Try it.”
“What?”
“Kill whoever you want. But you'll pay the full price for it.”
Lee Dae-hyuk glared at Lee Dae-hwan as if he could devour him whole.
In the end.
“…Out of my way!”
Overpowered by Lee Dae-hyuk's presence, Lee Dae-hwan shoved him roughly and stormed out of the room.
Bang-!!!
Watching him fling the door open noisily, Lee Dae-hyuk sneered.
'Well, the winner was decided long ago, wasn't it?'
Come to think of it, he was grateful.
Where else in the world could he find a brother footing 5 billion won for his U.S. trip expenses?
“I'll spend it wisely and well. Thank you, hyung.”
Lee Dae-hyuk offered his heartfelt thanks to his brother.