The Times' Bombshell Exclusive
*** The Times. They'd tied up Namdo Group's arms and legs. All that remained was the exclusive on the preferential allocation in the Su-seo district.
By channeling public attention in one direction, it would be easy to get their hands on Namdo Construction and Securities.
Yeouido was buzzing busier than ever. Unlike other places where people hurried home after work, the lights at The Times—bracing for the exclusive—burned through the night.
At Min-ho's summons, President Jo Dong-uk grabbed his briefing materials and rushed up to the floor above.
"I've brought all the reports on tomorrow's exclusive."
"No worries about loose lips, right?"
"Of course not. Here's the report."
Min-ho dove into the final review. President Jo launched into his briefing as if he'd been waiting.
"As you can see, the Ministry of Construction initially announced that preferential allocation was absolutely impossible."
"Minister Kim Dae-geun stated it officially."
"The units promised to the homeless suddenly slipped away elsewhere."
"The key is hard evidence and witness testimonies. Have we secured those?"
"Yes. We can't just swing wildly or we'll face backlash, so I've made sure that's airtight."
The dream of most ordinary folks wasn't to become chaebol tycoons. Heaven forbid they even dream of that. All they wanted was a cozy home where they could stretch out and sleep soundly. That single dream kept them grinding away in cramped Seoul.
Those who fancied themselves the upper crust seemed dead set against letting commoners into the sacred precincts of Gangnam. They wielded their superior power to crush ordinary dreams and kicked away the ladder they'd left behind.
"Is this the full list of those implicated in the preferential scandal so far?"
"More keep surfacing. Confirmed so far: twenty lawmakers from both parties, local tax officials, Economic Planning Board staff, even military generals."
"What about Han Du-hak, chairman of Namdo Group, and his connection to Minister Kim Dae-geun?"
"We've confirmed lobbying through slush accounts."
Min-ho scrutinized each article meticulously. Beside him, Lawyer Choi pored over them, conducting a legal review.
"We can add follow-ups as more comes in. How far have we dug on the college entrance scandals?"
"Korea University as you mentioned, plus Inseong, Goseong, and two others—five in total."
"Running the allocation story with the admissions scandals at the end might dilute it a bit, but bundling them will amplify the impact."
"Tomorrow, the whole country will be in an uproar."
"Proceed with printing the inaugural special edition as is."
"Understood."
President Jo's face was a mix of emotions. Excitement for the scoop, but gnawing worry he couldn't ignore.
The Times' first targets were lawmakers, government ministries, and ministers. Even with his passionate heart, his cool head faced reality squarely.
After the briefing, he lingered awkwardly before voicing a concern cautiously.
"Sir, forgive me, but I have one worry."
"Speak up."
"Given the targets, we should brace for retaliation of some kind."
Exposing the powerful was like baring your throat for a news outlet. Expect tighter regulations, prosecutorial probes, even tax audits.
President Jo's fears weren't unfounded, but he didn't know one thing: Chairman Kang Jin-gwang had Min-ho's back solidly.
Unlike Jo's anxious expression, Min-ho smiled leisurely.
"Do I strike you as the type to leap off a cliff without looking?"
"Not at all, sir."
"Don't sweat it. To hit every corner of the country, we need to start printing now. Hurry."
"Got it."
President Jo left after the briefing. As Lawyer Choi reviewed the documents from his chair, he offered his take.
"Young master, President Jo has a point."
"I know. That's how brazen they are—they climbed that high."
"I'll prepare legal countermeasures just in case."
Min-ho shook his head, countering.
"Legal battles just waste time. Even a win leaves The Times with nothing."
"Worst case, they shut us down. As your lawyer, I say we need defenses."
"Hold their weaknesses, and they can't touch us. Relax."
Glancing at his watch, Min-ho stood, grabbing his coat.
"The dice are rolled. By dawn tomorrow, the world's getting noisy."
***
To boost The Times' influence, Min-ho had meticulously planned nationwide reach. Beyond Daejeon, Daegu, Busan, Jeonju, Gwangju, Gangwon, and Seoul, he'd built printing plants in major cities.
The big three dailies, swimming in profits, had failed at simultaneous national distribution. Min-ho achieved the unprecedented.
The inaugural special edition crammed the hottest topics: Su-seo district preferential land sales and college admissions corruption.
Delivered nationwide before dawn, The Times' exclusive was more than enough to rock Korea.
[Ministry of Construction's Su-seo Land Scandal Unravels]
[Minister Kim Dae-geun and Namdo Chairman Han Du-hak's Dark Ties]
[Korea University Admissions Fraud Betrays 1 Million Students]
The world exploded.
No internet didn't mean rumors spread slow. With focus on papers and TV, the scoop spread like wildfire nationwide.
Newsstands en route to work had stacks of papers, but The Times sold out without a single copy left.
"Boss, got any Times?"
"Sold out ages ago!"
The first to feel the heat were the broadcasters. They scrapped prepared news and aired The Times' scoop.
On the flip side, fury boiled among those Min-ho had once richly bribed via car fleets: the big three dailies. Caught off-guard, they'd lost the exclusive to upstart The Times.
All eyes were on The Times.
Se-yeong Paper's chief editorial writer Han Gil-seong urgently called Min-guk Ilbo's Choi.
"Choi, you see what Times did?"
"Was just calling you. This is a mess."
"What's your plan?"
"Report up first, then play it by ear."
With their own ties to the corrupt elite, they couldn't move rashly. But sitting idle meant missing the story. The big three editorial chiefs were frozen in an unimaginable bind.
One man faced a nuclear blast head-on: Minister Kim Dae-geun.
Unlike usual, noise clamored outside. He scratched his tousled hair, parting the curtains.
A horde of reporters swarmed the front gate.
"What the... What's going on? Honey, turn on the news."
Not long ago, he'd knelt in his underwear before Chairman Kang Jin-gwang to save his skin. Now another bomb dropped.
"Honey, what's this?"
Minister Kim staggered to the living room, doubting his eyes at the TV.
[Minister Kim Dae-geun of Construction faces land allocation favoritism allegations...]
[The Times reports he took backroom cash from Namdo Chairman Han Du-hak.]
"Damn it! How'd they sniff this out?!"
He flung the remote in rage, but nothing changed.
Meanwhile, Min-ho rose at dawn as usual and started jogging with Lawyer Choi.
"Young master, busy day ahead. Early to the office?"
"Rushing changes nothing. Let's switch up the route today. Follow me."
"Yes, sir. Why the main road suddenly?"
Min-ho wanted to witness the impact firsthand. Sprinting along the boulevard, he eyed the newsstands.
Everywhere, complete sell-outs as predicted.
"Young master, unlike the others, The Times sold every copy."
Min-ho smiled contentedly at the crowds. Unable to buy The Times, strangers clustered around copies, unleashing sharp criticism.
"The rich always want more—what's a little extra land to them?"
"Executions for scum like that."
"Han Du-hak looks like a wild boar—no filthy trick beyond him."
"Right on plan. Time to head in and prep for work."
"Yes, sir."
Back home, Min-ho first left a voice message for Yang Sang-pil.
Less than a minute after hanging up, the phone rang.
"Yang Sang-pil speaking."
"Seen the news?"
"Watching now. As you said, the fallout won't settle easily."
"No regrets on your choice?"
"Never regretted it once. Just say the word—I'll do everything from here."
Markets opened in an hour. Namdo Group's affiliates, battered by scandals, would plummet.
Namdo Construction and Securities were as good as JK Group's now.
Chairman Kang's trust in Min-ho would solidify further.
But Min-ho aimed for more than trust and gains—two birds with one stone again.
"Sounds like trust. Feels good. Truth is, I don't fully trust you yet either."
Min-ho didn't 100% trust Yang Sang-pil. From his spot, betrayal was always possible.
Gifts unwrapped weren't anyone's until in your pocket.
Prodding Yang elicited the expected response.
"What'll make you trust me?"
"Construction and securities will flip soon."
"Papers are ready. I'll send them once complete."
"One more thing."
"Anything."
Min-ho flipped open his notebook, revealing his true intent.
"On Namdo Distribution."
"Planning a JK takeover?"
"No. Athena's grabbing it. Gotta make a profit somewhere."
"Got it. I'll prep on Namdo Distribution too."
"First, one more task."
"Name it."
Eyes on the TV, Min-ho grinned.
"Share structure, shareholder list, all issued convertible bonds. Check and hand over."
"Understood. I'll call back."
Why did Min-ho want Namdo Distribution?
The answer was simple: another "first."
Korea's inaugural mega-mart, opening in '93, would bear Min-ho's mark.
Min-ho rode in the back of the car gifted by Chairman Kang, heading to Yeouido.