The Moneybag
Min-ho asked President Ham, who was dangling helplessly in midair, one more time. “I have a proposal for you. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m giving you a choice. What do you say?”
President Ham had no choice anyway. He nodded desperately, signaling his agreement.
“That’s good enough. Let him down now.”
Without Min-ho’s order, Lawyer Choi probably wouldn’t have lowered him. Choi shot him a murderous glare as a warning. “The moment your mouth mentions the president’s name again... you’ll be held accountable for it.”
“Y-yes... I understand...”
Lawyer Choi finally set President Ham down. Unable to breathe properly for so long, he clutched his throat and rolled on the ground, coughing violently for a while.
Lawyer Choi knew exactly what President Ham was doing in this factory. But he’d had no choice but to turn a blind eye because Kang Du-seong hadn’t given any other instructions.
President Ham was still grimacing, catching his breath. Choi didn’t care—he grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and yanked him to his feet.
“He’s the grandson of the chairman and the son of President Kang Du-seong. Show some respect.”
“Y-yes, of course, Lawyer.”
He hurriedly brushed the dirt off his clothes, flashing a servile smile as he instantly adopted a deferential posture. He’d trash-talked Chairman Kang thinking Min-ho was just some newbie, but it turned out Min-ho was royalty. President Ham stood there like a criminal, head bowed low, barely holding his trembling legs with both hands.
President Ham was the typical type who fawned over the powerful and bullied the weak. His help was needed for this plan, and an excuse to keep him quiet was essential. Never imagining Min-ho was from the royal family, he’d spilled everything without reservation—and now it had backfired spectacularly on him.
“I’m sorry. I’ve committed a grave sin.”
“We gave you a way to eat and survive, President Ham. You can’t act like that.”
“I’ll make sure it never happens again.”
“Here’s the deal—if you do your job well, I’ll pretend this never happened. Just listen to me.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll do anything you say.”
Having a grip on President Ham’s weakness meant perfect silence. Min-ho revealed the real reason for his visit.
“I have some business here, but Grandpa can’t know about it. You get what I mean?”
“You want me to keep my mouth shut?”
“Exactly. You’re pretty sharp.”
President Ham cautiously lifted his head to gauge the mood before speaking carefully. “What can I help you with?”
“Cheon Dong-gwan—is he here?”
“Pardon? Oh, yes. Section Chief Cheon works here.”
“I’m going to work with him. You just block your eyes, ears, and mouth during that time. That’s my only condition. Deal?”
“Don’t worry. You can count on me.”
“If you screw up, you’re on your own.”
“It’ll never happen.”
“Bring Cheon Dong-gwan. Right now.”
“B-but... why Section Chief Cheon all of a sudden...”
Lawyer Choi, who’d been watching quietly, grabbed President Ham by the scruff again. “The young master asks the questions. If you understand, move.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll fetch Section Chief Cheon right away.”
Like a Thompson’s gazelle that had miraculously survived a crocodile’s jaws, President Ham bolted madly toward the factory.
Lawyer Choi cautiously spoke to Min-ho, who was watching him go. “I’m sorry you saw me lose my temper.”
“No. I actually like it better this way.”
“What do you mean...?”
“It shows how much you trust and believe in Father. You wouldn’t act like that otherwise.”
Lawyer Choi still couldn’t fully trust the bat-like President Ham. He voiced a concern cautiously. “President Ham has a loose tongue. He’s not someone reliable.”
“He’s not that stupid. With the weakness I have on him—not to mention it’s me—he’ll keep his mouth shut to stay alive.”
“If any issues arise later, I’ll handle it.”
“You worked hard for that judicial exam—why risk losing your license? I’ve prepared for everything, so don’t worry.”
No sooner had Min-ho finished than President Ham came rushing back, clutching Section Chief Cheon’s sleeve. Unlike the pale-faced president, Cheon Dong-gwan limped forward as if his leg hurt, dragging it awkwardly.
“Young master, I’ve brought Section Chief Cheon.”
“Go inside the factory and make sure no one comes out.”
“Yes, yes, got it.”
President Ham scurried back into the factory like a beaten dog.
Min-ho stared at Cheon Dong-gwan for a long moment. There was no hope or will in his face—just the weary expression of someone barely clinging to life, day by day.
“You’re Cheon Dong-gwan, right?”
“Yes, that’s me. But... who might you be?”
“I’ll explain that later. I noticed your leg seems uncomfortable when you came over. Are you hurt?”
“It’s nothing. I bumped into some machinery rushing here.”
It was an obvious lie anyone could see through. Min-ho knelt on one knee and rolled up Cheon’s pant leg.
“No need for that, sir.”
“Just checking the injury. Hold still.”
Under the rolled-up pants, his shin was covered in deep purple bruises. It was obvious who’d done it, without asking.
“Lawyer, go inside and stop the work. Check if anyone’s hurt.”
“Understood.”
“Send anyone who needs it to the hospital.”
“Yes, young master. I’ll check right away.”
Cheon Dong-gwan, clueless about what was happening, racked his brain staring at Min-ho. No matter how hard he thought, they’d never met. A total stranger—and royalty at that—why had he come looking for him? He’d only guessed Min-ho’s status from being called “young master.”
“Um... young master— are you the chairman’s grandson?”
“Sorry for the late introduction. I’m Kang Min-ho.”
“It’s unbelievable that someone of your stature would come to this wretched place, let alone seek me out.”
“Yeah. I have a proposal for you.”
“There’s nothing I can do to help you, no matter how I think about it.”
“That’s why I’m here—because there is. Let’s move somewhere else first.”
You never knew who might overhear. Min-ho shifted to the back seat of the car before starting the conversation.
“Straight to the point—I’ll ask one thing. Answer honestly.”
“Of course. You probably know everything anyway; no point hiding it.”
“Can you tell me your total debt?”
Cheon Dong-gwan sighed deeply, head bowed as if weights hung from his ankles, and murmured softly. “I checked when I got last month’s pay. It’s still a little over 200 million won.”
“If you had a chance to pay it all off at once, would you take it?”
“Pardon? What do you mean? Settle that huge amount all at once?”
“I’ll handle the debt for you. In return, you work with me for a few months. It’s your choice. What do you say?”
Cheon Dong-gwan was a Zainichi Korean who’d worked in trade. Shuttling tirelessly between Korea and Japan, he’d grasped market flows and risen to become president of a solid company in just five years.
No one stops upon reaching a goal—especially not an ambitious entrepreneur. Cheon expanded to Hong Kong, Europe, America, and even Uruguay in South America.
Fast success breeds overconfidence, blinding one to potential risks. As his ambitions grew, so did his deals—and the biggest one of his life closed.
A confident businessman wouldn’t let a golden opportunity slip. But there was one problem: lack of funds. Success here meant a life of endless fortune. Burning with ambition, he knocked on Kang Jin-gwang’s door in Myeong-dong and boldly borrowed nearly 200 million won.
His desires reached the heavens, and it seemed God was greatly displeased. The price was a horrific punishment.
The ship carrying all of Cheon’s assets ran aground in a typhoon at the worst possible moment and sank into the unfathomable depths. Everything he’d built—and his future—vanished in an instant.
With no way to repay, he was chased until he ended up here. Min-ho, who knew this story inside out, had long decided to use Cheon Dong-gwan.
Min-ho continued questioning to confirm if he could still do the job.
“I heard there was an incident once.”
“Yes... I’m ashamed, but... it was too hard, so it happened.”
“Your family’s here too, right?”
“Yes, we live together in that wooden shack over there. But... what can I possibly help you with?”
“You think I’d ask you to do something bad?”
“No, not at all. It’s just... I can’t believe you’d wipe out all my debt.”
Min-ho placed a large prepared bag on Cheon’s lap.
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
“Curious? Open it.”
Feeling the familiar heavy weight, Cheon unzipped it with trembling hands. Inside was 40 million won in cash—an enormous sum.
“You speak Japanese, right?”
“Born and raised in Nagoya, so I’m actually better at Japanese than Korean.”
“Stocks?”
“Did a bit when I was younger. If I’d held on, I wouldn’t be suffering like this.”
“Perfect. Take this bag and go to Japan.”
“Pardon? Me? Alone, without you?”
“Yes. Quietly take it and cross over to Japan.”
Cheon Dong-gwan dangled precariously on the edge of the cliff. To him now, 40 million won was an astronomical amount. His heart began to race. For a fleeting moment, a dark thought crossed his mind—if he just shut his eyes and fled, he could escape this hellish factory life.
But he couldn’t. Kang Jin-gwang’s reach was everywhere, and as head of the family, he couldn’t abandon them.
What did Min-ho trust to hand over such a huge sum? Min-ho wasn’t one to overlook that.
“I’ve already got collateral. Touch a single won, and... well, you can imagine the rest.”
Cheon loved his family more than anything. Min-ho knew he wasn’t the type to trade 40 million for them.
“What exactly do you mean by collateral?”
“Your wife and son at home.”
“If I were to get any funny ideas...”
“Better hope that doesn’t happen—and it won’t.”
“What do I need to do?”
Instead of answering, Min-ho handed him a notebook densely filled with instructions for what to do in Japan.
“Just follow what’s written here. The Japanese economy is about to collapse.”