The Resignation
***
Seoul Detention Center.
To submit his letter of resignation to Chairman Han Du-hak, Yang Sang-pil arrived at the facility early in the morning. A staff member who recognized the car came rushing out. Yang Sang-pil's expression as he rolled down the window was no different from usual.
"Oh, Director! You're here?"
"It's been a while. How have you been?"
"Of course, thanks to you, Director, we've been doing just fine."
"I'm here to see the Chairman. It's a bit early, but is a visit possible?"
The staff member glanced at his watch before replying.
"By the rules, you'd need a reservation, but since it's the Chairman, we'll make an exception and allow it."
"Thank you."
He had visited this place countless times whenever the Chairman's children caused big or small incidents. Thanks to that, the staff knew Yang Sang-pil well. This was the place where he'd rushed in the dead of night, heart pounding after a frantic call. Ironically, his farewell from Namdo Group was happening not in the chairman's office, but in a detention center.
Yang Sang-pil pulled a yellowish envelope from his inner pocket and handed it to the staff member.
"It's nothing much, but please accept it."
"Pardon? Director, why are you giving this to me? I haven't done anything to deserve this..."
"Thank you for everything up until now."
Yang Sang-pil smiled faintly and firmly placed the envelope in the man's hand.
"Wait... could it be...?"
"You'll learn the details from the news. Could you open the gate for me?"
"Oh right, what am I thinking? I'll open it right away. Please come this way."
Stepping out of the car, Yang Sang-pil picked up a shopping bag and slowly made his way to the visitation room. He sat in the familiar yet uncomfortable space, waiting for Chairman Han Du-hak. His face was complex, as if a whirlwind of thoughts from the past were crossing his mind.
After about five minutes, Han Du-hak appeared. His face looked haggard from the grueling investigation, but the rage from losing his limbs—his key affiliates—burned even brighter.
Locking eyes with Yang, Han Du-hak skipped the greeting and unleashed a barrage of curses, his face flushing red.
"What the hell are you? Have you lost your mind or what? What kind of face are you showing up here with?!"
Just a short while ago, Yang would have bowed his head and endured the tirade for dozens of minutes. But things had changed. To put it precisely, whatever happened to Namdo Group was now completely someone else's problem.
Yang felt no stress, no anger. He waited calmly for the Chairman to finish, then responded in a flat tone.
"Construction and securities have gone to JK Group, distribution to Athena."
He said it as casually as if recounting a neighbor's house fire. Han Du-hak jabbed a finger, raising his voice even higher.
"You think this is someone else's business? Huh? That's why! I told Tae-young to pass on my message—why didn't you stop it? Why'd you just sit there like a good boy?!"
"I received all your instructions."
"Tae-young said you kept saying you'd handle it but did nothing! What kind of secretary general lets things get this bad?!"
Yang stared steadily at the Chairman. Han Du-hak's eyes were half-rolled back; he had no capacity left for objective judgment. Confirming his predictions were spot on, Yang reminded him of the realities.
"The reserves were already poured into expanding the chemical plant. There wasn't time to issue private loans, and attempts to sell real estate failed as well."
"Isn't making the impossible possible your job? You think you can say that to me right now?"
"I'm just stating the facts. It's frustrating from your perspective to have them taken, but the outcome was decided from the start."
Han Du-hak doubted his own ears. Yang wasn't bowing his head like usual. He was even talking back sharply. The creeping displeasure reached the top of his head in no time. He tried to hold back, but he couldn't anymore. Overcome by boiling rage, he grabbed the table between them and hurled it aside with a roar.
"You bastard, what did you just say? Say it again!"
"It was a meticulously planned scheme from the beginning. The moment it was set in motion, victory and defeat were sealed."
"Look at this guy! Spouting shit from that hole of a mouth!"
His face red as autumn leaves, Han Du-hak couldn't control his temper and raised his right hand high. Causing trouble in the detention center would only hurt him. Far from afraid, Yang smiled faintly, as if inviting the blow.
A staff member rushed in with a warning.
"Chairman, we've been very accommodating. If you cause problems here, we can't do anything more for you. Please sit down."
Namdo Group had lost its three prime affiliates just like that. As a result, it no longer met the criteria for a business conglomerate. Starting today, it was demoted from Namdo Group to mere Namdo Inc.
As he barely suppressed his anger, something caught Han's eye: a black shopping bag neatly placed beside Yang.
He had no idea what was inside. He just assumed it was something for him.
"Calm down first and let's talk about something else. Did Tae-young send that?"
"No. Those days are over."
Yang pulled out the nameplate from the shopping bag and set it on the table. He placed the envelope with the resignation letter neatly beside it.
Nameplate and envelope. Han couldn't grasp what it meant. He shook his massive head like a boulder back and forth for a long while before asking.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"It's my resignation. I came one last time to express my gratitude."
Han Du-hak had been lucky. Yang Sang-pil had been the greatest gift to Namdo Group. Even Han couldn't deny that the group had grown thanks to him. The sudden resignation muddled his thoughts. He was a talent coveted by chairmen like Kang Jin-gwang, whom Han gritted his teeth just thinking about. Losing his strategist would turn him into an enemy. If Yang became an enemy, Namdo's remaining limbs wouldn't stay intact—it was obvious.
And there was no replacement. His two sons held positions but were incompetent; it was a miracle they didn't cause accidents. Even combined, they couldn't touch Yang's toes—Han knew that well.
Yang Sang-pil had been the pillar upholding Namdo Group. With no sweet talk left, Han resorted to his usual outburst.
"Sucked all the juice and now you're bailing?"
"To avoid misunderstanding, let me answer precisely: There's nothing left for me to learn at Namdo."
"You... You think you can say that? You bastard, you're making my blood boil!"
He raised his hand again. The staff intervened with a final warning.
"Chairman, if you raise your hand or shout once more, all your visitation rights for the month are revoked. Assault will only add to your sentence. Please keep that in mind."
If beating Yang could keep him, Han wouldn't mind the extra time. That was his honest feeling. He was wronged, furious, frustrated, indignant. His clenched fists trembled, eyes bloodshot from holding back rage.
To somehow change Yang's mind, Han played his desperate card.
"Not even satisfied with the viper, now getting fleeced by some kid... Do you really think you can just quit?"
"I clearly reported the Namdo Chemicals phenol leak incident. Yet you ordered it covered up."
"You know that's standard practice. Everyone does it on a rainy day."
"Because of that, some lost the baby in their womb, others got lifelong disabilities. Do you know about that?"
"That... well... actually..."
Yang pressed the flustered Han.
"I heard you named me as the main culprit in the Seocho-dong phenol leak."
"What? No, come on, what do you take me for?"
"Those two decisions you made. Without them, I would have desperately defended Namdo Construction, Securities, and Distribution."
Han had dumped the fire on his own feet onto Yang to make a dirty deal over Seocho-dong. Yang had learned of it through Min-ho and confirmed it through his own channels.
"For these reasons, I hereby notify you that I can no longer work with Namdo Inc."
He'd thought Yang was clueless, but he knew everything. Unable to hide his shock, Han floundered.
To hold on somehow, he threw out anything.
"No, Sang-pil... That's a misunderstanding. Hear me out."
"No matter what you say, my decision stands."
"Hey! Namdo Chemicals Incheon plant site! I'll put it in your name. That should be enough, right?"
"If it could be solved with money, I would have done it myself."
Han was desperate and earnest. Yang was resolute and unwavering. Their positions clashed starkly. He couldn't let Yang go like this. If persuasion failed, the last card was blackmail. Han had a card to hold him: a past incident stained with dark red blood.
Lowering his head, he spoke in a low voice about a secret to take to the grave.
"Your hands are stained with blood... If I expose that, you'll end up like me, right? You know that?"
"I'm fully aware."
"Shut your mouth and take this quietly! I'll forgive everything."
If Yang had planned this alone, he'd have cowered and surrendered here. But things were different now. Behind Yang stood the massive mountain range that was Min-ho. Min-ho, too, had been a secretary general in his past life. Knowing the group's inner workings, he'd anticipated this and prepared countermeasures in advance.
Yang quietly pulled documents from his bag. They detailed slush funds created through all sorts of dirty tricks, laid out plainly.
"Only you and I know these details exactly. Have you imagined what happens if I leak this to the press?"
Namdo Inc. was already on thin ice. A slush fund scandal would erase it without a trace.
Caught off guard by the counterattack, Han's pupils trembled like aspen leaves. It was a fear he'd never felt before.
Hiding his shaking body, he spoke.
"You bastard... Are you threatening me now?"
"I took only 10% as severance. I think that's more than fair."
"What makes you think you can touch that money?!"
"The moment I touched it, I became your accomplice. If I speak, we share the same fate."
Now Han couldn't speak of it or counter it. Suing would just broadcast his dirty laundry to the world. Min-ho's perfect strategy cornered the opponent once more.
Yang placed the nameplate and resignation where Han could see them clearly, then stood.
He was just a pathetic old man full of greed now, but once he'd been the king Yang served. Out of final respect, Yang bowed.
"I once truly admired you. I wanted to become like you and make Namdo Group Korea's top company."
"Hey... Sang-pil..."
"That said... I'm truly regretful it ended this way. I'll take everything that happened to the grave."
It all started with the phenol leak. If he hadn't been greedy for that minor gain, none of this would have happened. Unable to control his filthy desires, the result was devastating. Min-ho had severed his limbs, and now even his irreplaceable strategist Yang was taken. He'd lost everything—no exaggeration.
Too late for regrets; it was irreversible. As Yang rose, he delivered Min-ho's final warning.
"You can kill me if you want. But if you do, all this data and every secret of Namdo Inc. will be exposed. I wish you well."
No matter how he called out, Yang left like a lover bidding cold farewell, opening the visitation room door.
***
Yeouido, Athena.
In the conference room, Manager Cheon Dong-gwan glanced nervously at his watch before reporting to Min-ho.
"President, sorry to say this, but... what if Yang Sang-pil doesn't come?"
"Why do you think that?"
"Well... Han Du-hak is a vicious bastard. He wouldn't just let his strategist go; he'd grab some weakness and blackmail him, I feel."
Min-ho smiled leisurely.
"I've already read all the moves and given the solutions. He's not that dull, so no worries."
"You've already handled it?"
"If Han Du-hak isn't smarter than me, Yang has no choice but to come."
As Min-ho finished, Yang Sang-pil entered right on cue, carrying a beverage gift set.
Min-ho opened the conference room door and stepped out. Yang bowed politely.
"Yang Sang-pil, starting my first day today. Please take care of me."
His safe arrival meant Min-ho's advice had hit the mark. No need for long words.
"No issues?"
"Handled it just as you advised. Thank you."
"No thanks needed—it's basic. Let me greet you too. Looking forward to working together."
They shook hands and moved into the conference room.
Min-ho distributed the plans, then lifted his head to calmly survey the gathered group.
Choi Jong-hoon, the lawyer. Cheon Dong-gwan, salvaged from Pocheon. Real estate team leader No Jun-hwan. Strategist Yang Sang-pil. The Times President Jo Dong-uk.
He'd handpicked the best to form this team. The foundation was set. Now it was time to draw the big picture for climbing higher.
"Alright, let's start the meeting."