Chapter 89: A Blessing in Disguise
Min-ho had made a clever choice, easing Chairman Kang's worries while securing funds at the same time. The Times' circulation was surging, along with investments pouring in—it was advancing with unstoppable momentum on every front. Just when everything seemed perfect, an unexpected explosion erupted from an unforeseen quarter: Korea's three major dailies, Seyoung Shinmun, Minkuk Ilbo, and Dongyoung Ilbo.
Their guts weren't just twisted—they were mangled in fury. They hadn't paid the slightest attention when the struggling Yeonggwang Ilbo was acquired by Athena. It was the arrogance of major media outlets dismissing a small player: "What could a minor paper possibly do?" But once it rebranded as The Times, the landscape shifted dramatically. It scooped all the exclusives, its influence skyrocketing as a result. To make matters worse, public opinion—which they had once dominated—was now being steered by The Times. The tail was wagging the dog, and the head was glancing nervously at the tail's every move. Their pride as Korea's "big three" dailies was not just wounded—it was crumpled beyond recognition.
Ads were dwindling, and circulation kept plummeting. They couldn't just sit idly by while The Times ran rampant. The chief editorial writers of Seyoung Shinmun, Minkuk Ilbo, and Dongyoung Ilbo gathered in a dingy alleyway restaurant in Jongno-gu to plot their conspiracy.
Seyoung Shinmun's Han Gil-seong, the chief editorial writer, drained his glass and spoke first. "I tried to handle it alone at first, but given the opponent, I realized I needed the help of you two."
Minkuk Ilbo's Choi, the chief editorial writer, nodded. "To take on a tiger, hyenas like us have no choice but to band together. I've been agonizing over it myself."
Dongyoung Ilbo's Lee chimed in. "If we sit here, The Times will snatch everything from us. This came at just the right moment—I was racking my brains too."
If Seyoung Shinmun attacked Chairman Kang alone, it risked a fatal counterblow from such a formidable foe. Han had summoned them for a simple reason: with the firepower of all three dailies concentrated at once, even Chairman Kang couldn't withstand it.
Han Gil-seong slammed The Times onto the table like a gauntlet and got to the point. "As you can see from The Times, it's all JK Group ads. You know the rest without me saying it."
"I had the same thought. There must be some compelling reason behind it."
"That's why I'm proposing we pool our firepower for once."
The two couldn't help but feign shock at the suggestion of sinking their teeth into JK Group's Kang Jin-gwang. Considering the chairman's temperament, it wasn't a wise move. Yet neither Minkuk nor Dongyoung Ilbo could outright reject it. Letting The Times grow unchecked would weaken their own influence inevitably.
As the two pondered, chopsticks idle in hand, Han Gil-seong drove the wedge home. "Chairman Kang is just a sideshow. What we need to target is Athena's president, who owns The Times."
"True enough... I've poked around about Athena's president, but came up empty."
"If we shake JK Group and force them to reveal their ties to The Times, Athena's boss will have no choice but to show their face. Even if not, it doesn't matter."
Han continued with a sleazy grin. "Once a bomb drops inside, they'll scramble to contain it. The Times will suffer for a while. Their advertisers won't sit still after taking a hit."
It was a petty, dirty tactic—but devastatingly effective. Strike anywhere to create a crack, then burrow in like rats. No company had survived their assaults unscathed so far. The attackers held the initiative; they could punch wherever they pleased. The targets, blind to the next blow, could only huddle defensively.
Their ultimate goal was to expose Min-ho to the world and roast him alive. Trust in The Times would naturally erode, letting them reclaim their lost status—or so they believed.
Minkuk Ilbo's Choi pressed on. "But has Athena's true owner ever actually shown their face?"
"Once, during the Yeonggwang Ilbo acquisition battle."
"And yet no one knows who they are? That strains credulity."
"Some reporters said they wore sunglasses that day and looked quite young."
"Given Chairman Kang's kids' ages, that's impossible."
"That's the puzzle for me too. But now that we've got our pens ready, it'll only be a matter of time before they surface."
The three raised their glasses like the Peach Garden Oath and burst into loud laughter.
The next day, the big three unleashed a carpet bombing on JK Group and Chairman Kang.
***
JK Group Chairman's Office.
[Ordinary Folks Driven to the Brink by Loan Sharks]
[Usurers Busted: Up to 500% Interest Plus Beatings]
[JK Group's Kang Jin-gwang Known as Major Myeong-dong Loan Shark in the Past...]
The pen is mightier than the sword, at times. The big three bared their fangs at Chairman Kang's throat. As expected, they chose petty, underhanded methods: blistering negativity on the loan shark market paired with dredging up his past.
Illegal loan sharking deserved eradication, of course. But Chairman Kang had lent to businesses, not individuals—the articles were blatant lies. Truth mattered little to the public. Mere association with loan sharks tainted JK Group's image.
Affiliates like JK Construction, JK Mutual Savings Bank, and JK Credit Info took minimal hits. But JK Group's core—JK Telecom—faced devastation. With its main customers the pager-wielding youth (the so-called Orange Tribe), the damage was catastrophic. The stock market deemed it bad news; JK Telecom plunged over 5%.
Caught off guard, Chairman Kang hurled his newspaper aside, his displeasure boiling over. "These beggarly scoundrels have finally shown their true grit!"
Now, only two paths lay ahead: stuff their maws with money, or silence them by any means necessary.
Frowning deeply at the surprise assault, he turned to Butler Moon. "An unforeseen crisis... What do you make of it?"
Moon pondered calmly before offering two options. "First, buy them off with money. Give them all the funds and ads they want, and they'll quiet down."
"Negotiate with those who've got a blade to my throat? Utterly unacceptable."
"Second, legal action. The articles are false, so our odds of winning are high."
If the enemy played dirty, Chairman Kang would match them. But Moon's suggestions weren't perfect solutions. Dissatisfied, he shook his head. "Even if we win in court, it'll drag on—and by then, the house will be ashes with nothing left but the frame."
In media lawsuits, the victim often ended up weaker. Trials demanded time and effort; even victory and compensation left "loan shark" seared in public minds. A win that felt like defeat—irony incarnate.
"If 'JK' conjures negative words first in people's heads, that's disastrous... Recovery would take ages, plain as day."
"I'll pull all ads from the big three immediately and direct the legal team to respond."
"Do that for now... It won't hurt much."
"And as a last resort, I'll meet them myself..."
Chairman Kang cut him off, raising his cigarette hand as an idea struck. "No need for the extra trouble."
"Pardon, Chairman? I don't follow."
Gazing at Seyoung Shinmun, he smiled faintly. "Don't you see why they've made me their prey?"
"Perhaps to check our explosive growth."
"Those beggars' twisted bowels aren't aimed at me."
Stunned by the insight, Butler Moon blurted, "You mean Young Master Min-ho?"
"Exactly. He's stealing all their scoops and swaying opinion—they have no choice. They can't hit Min-ho directly since he's in hiding, identity unknown, so the arrows circle back to me."
Chairman Kang's analysis was spot-on. The big three had no reason to risk their necks attacking JK Group or him outright. Their real targets were The Times and Min-ho; this was mere expedience.
He held an ace up his sleeve—one the editorial writers hadn't considered: his vast, secret wealth. No one knew the vault's contents, but unleashing it would end this farce in a flash.
"If they've come at us with everything, we must oblige. But first, one thing to confirm."
With the house ablaze, he was thawing his frozen hands in the flames. Crisis was opportunity. He wouldn't squander it.
What he wanted to verify was Min-ho's response. Without hesitation, he made his bold call.
"Min-ho takes after me perfectly, but unlike my brute-force ways, he handles things with finesse—you know that."
"Chairman... Are you saying you'll test the young master?"
Chairman Kang was no ordinary man. He nodded. "To sit in this chair, he must navigate crises like this with ease, mustn't he?"
Business and crises were inseparable. He resolved to turn this into a test.
"True, but things are heading south fast."
"No worries—summon Min-ho. That boy surely has a plan. We'll watch a few days, then I move. No harm in waiting."
"Understood. I'll call him right away."