Chapter 171: The Blueprint
***
JK Mutual Savings Bank. Kang Du-seong sat lost in deep thought, his face etched with gravity.
What the hell is Min-ho thinking...? It was clear now that Min-ho was the true owner of Athena, but Du-seong still couldn't fathom his intentions.
He couldn't wrap his head around how Min-ho had amassed the funds to take over such a massive enterprise. The back of his head throbbed, and his mouth tasted bitterly metallic, as if he'd chewed raw mugwort. But he couldn't cling to suspicions forever. What mattered was facing reality head-on, not emotions.
Du-seong steadied himself, shoving his feelings aside to assess the situation as objectively as possible. With Chairman Kang's protection backing Min-ho, the odds were undeniably stacked against him.
What puzzled Du-seong most was Min-ho's endgame. If all he wanted was to grow Athena, he wouldn't have bothered chopping off Aunt Myeong-seon's arms and legs... He must want that throne, so he's nipping threats in the bud.
Du-seong held two cards: the slush funds managed by JK Mutual Savings Bank and Jeong Dong-gyun, his information broker and chief secretary. Funds and intel. With those two, he wasn't at a disadvantage even in a head-on clash.
As he grimaced and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, the phone rang.
"Kang Du-seong speaking."
"President, this is Chief Secretary Jeong Dong-gyun. I'm calling with a report."
"Perfect timing. I've been mulling things over. Spill it."
"Young Master Min-ho visited Soseonjae yesterday."
There was only one usual reason to go to Soseonjae. Min-ho and booze were inseparable, so Du-seong smirked preemptively. Looks like he's throwing parties again now that he's got some cash... Probably drank himself stupid like old times. I can picture it.
"Sorry, sir, but according to the report, the young master didn't drink."
"What? What do you mean? Min-ho turning down booze?"
"More importantly, it's who he met."
That left only one other possibility. Having guessed wrong again, Du-seong chuckled. "If not booze, who else but President Gu? She's the spitting image of my mother— a real knockout."
"No, sir, not her either."
"Not booze... not Gu Eun-chae? Then who the hell did he meet there?"
"I was shocked too. He met Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Yuk Dong-heon."
Du-seong shot up from his chair at the unbelievable news. "What? Say that again!"
"Minister Yuk Dong-heon."
"Min-ho met Minister Yuk?"
"Yes. A one-on-one meeting."
There was no obvious reason for those two to cross paths. Du-seong racked his brain for connections, but nothing clicked.
"What business could Min-ho have with Minister Yuk? Father didn't send him over some government policy, did he?"
"Nothing like that. I'd have reported it immediately if so."
"Give me more details."
"That's everything in the report."
Du-seong hurled his pen across the desk, raising his voice. "You call yourself chief secretary? Why are your reports always so goddamn vague? Don't we need specifics? Am I wrong?"
"I'm sorry. All reports go through Executive Director Moon first, so I have no other way."
Frustrated, Du-seong bellowed at the top of his lungs. "If you can't get it through channels, bribe someone! You think we won't both go down with this ship if we sit on our asses?"
"That's why I have a proposal."
"This better not be bullshit, or you're done."
Swallowing hard under Du-seong's threat, Chief Secretary Jeong laid out his idea. "Let's turn President Gu Eun-chae to our side."
"Flip Gu to our camp... Not bad. But that fox won't be easy to lure. Got a plan?"
Jeong flashed a sly grin. "There was that suspicious death at Soseonjae, right? We use reopening the investigation as bait."
"Promise her influence to force a reinvestigation if she becomes a national merit contributor?"
"Exactly. Offer her pull, and she'll spill everything."
"Excellent. She'll bite on that. Just in case, pack plenty of apple crates too."
"Understood. I'll report back after."
***
JK Group Headquarters. The war without gunfire had begun.
Believing the throne was rightfully his, Du-seong opted for caution, hunkering down like a reed, gripping the seat with both hands in full preparation.
Unlike Du-seong, who fixated on the tip of the iceberg, Min-ho was already a step ahead. Through President Gu Eun-chae, he'd grasped the alliance between Du-seong and Chief Secretary Jeong.
Upon arriving at headquarters, Min-ho grabbed the receiver and dialed. "Moon Sang-oh speaking."
"Could you come down to the parking lot for a sec?"
"Yes, sir."
Sensing something off from Min-ho's unusual request, Butler Moon hurried to the lot, panting as he worried something had happened to the young master.
"Young master, is something wrong?"
"Nothing at all. Just some things I wanted to discuss after so long."
"Glad to hear it. This way, please."
Butler Moon glanced around slowly before leading him behind the building.
Gauging Min-ho's intent, the butler cautiously spoke. "Something the chairman mustn't know?"
"You could say that. First, a few questions."
"Yes. I'll answer honestly anything I know."
"About the security team Grandfather assigned to me. What's the exact reporting chain?"
Chairman Kang, uneasy without eyes on his grandson since the taxi incident, had secretly attached the team. Knowing his grandfather's concern, Min-ho had never brought it up—until now, when he needed the details.
"You... knew?"
"You thought I wouldn't? Or were you hoping I did?"
"You never mentioned it, so I assumed you didn't. If it's upset you, I apologize. It was the chairman's order..."
"I'm not bringing it up for an apology, Butler Moon. I want the reporting structure."
It was an out-of-left-field question. The butler pondered its meaning but drew a blank.
"I'll answer. Security reports to me first, then the chairman. Relevant matters go to the chief secretary's office."
"So Chief Secretary Jeong knows some of my movements?"
"Yes. Not everything, but parts."
Now realizing the point, Butler Moon asked urgently, "Did President Gu Eun-chae tell you something about Chief Secretary Jeong?"
"I own the media company. Can't reveal sources."
"President Gu Eun-chae isn't fully trustworthy."
"Mind sharing why?"
"Yeouido rumors start at Soseonjae. Basing big decisions on hearsay from there is risky."
The butler's prudent view had merit, but this intel was solidly grounded. Min-ho just didn't say so.
"What if there's solid evidence backing it? Still untrustworthy?"
"Evidence meaning... directly from the parties involved?"
"We'll circle back to that. First, the conclusion."
Toward the tense butler, Min-ho said, "Father and Chief Secretary Jeong have teamed up."
It was a tragedy born of the warped reporting chain. As the group grew, Chairman Kang had chosen the astute then-Chief Secretary Moon Sang-oh as his shadow, rather than keeping secretaries at his side. With the post vacant, Jeong Dong-gyun was appointed successor.
That's where trouble brewed. The chief secretary's office answered solely to the chairman's commands, relayed through Butler Moon. Jeong's position was inevitably ambiguous: omnipotent within the group on paper, yet forever subservient to Moon's directives years later. Employees mockingly called him a puppet or figurehead secretary.
To top it off, he couldn't challenge Moon under the chairman's protection. Resentments simmered and hardened over time.
Powerless or not, the chief secretary's office was the nexus of all group intelligence. Even a toothless tiger had sharp claws.
Jeong joining Du-seong meant leaks galore. Worst case, Min-ho could be in danger.
Butler Moon's forehead bulged with veins in fury. Grinding his teeth to stay composed, he said, "It was bound to blow eventually. I'll handle it."
"You mean silence him?"
"If necessary, I'm prepared for anything."
"I think it's too soon."
"Leaving it festers the wound. Better excise it quickly."
It was an uncharacteristically emotional response from the butler. Min-ho continued calmly. "Shouldn't we verify first? I could be getting played by my source. Better consider all angles."
"My apologies. I lost control for a moment."
"This time, let's try a different approach."
"What kind?"
"Turn it against them. Feed them false info deliberately. After confirmation, of course."
Assuming Min-ho's intel was legit, it was the optimal play. "Father won't react emotionally like Aunt. He knows one swing of the sword is all he gets."
"Do you have a plan in motion, young master?"
"You really don't know? Or testing me?"
"Honestly, both."
"Negotiations went well. That's all for now."
"Understood."
Pondering, Butler Moon spoke. "Then... I won't report to the chairman for a while."
"Grandfather's enjoying expanding affiliates lately. No need to worry him. I'll handle it."
"Call on me for anything."
This was small potatoes. Min-ho already had the board set and in full view.
"Anyone in the chief secretary's office we can count on, no matter what?"
"Deputy Secretary General Baek Jung-hyeon."
"Second-in-command after Jeong—perfect fit."
"You mean... attach him to Jeong?"
"Exactly. Route reports through Baek from now on."
"Got it."
Curious about Min-ho's countermove, the butler asked last, "Young master, do you have a response ready?"
With one trillion won in cash, the financial real-name system, and Athena Asset Management's launch all prepped, everything was set.
"Of course. The blueprint's complete. Speaking of, I need to tell Grandfather something. Let's head to the chairman's office."