Eve of the Storm
Thanks to Min-ho's ingenuity, all the three major dailies' plans to take down The Times had gone up in smoke. As public opinion shifted in unexpected ways, they—as always—fought back with even more sensational articles, just like throwing gasoline on the fire. Their negative campaign flopped too. The public turned away from them, and sales figures dropped noticeably as proof. To top it all off, advertisers started pulling out one by one. They'd boldly gone after the lion's prey, but failure meant facing nothing but the beast's furious roar. The ones who'd been anxiously hemming and hawing switched tactics overnight to survive. They ended up running special features singing the praises of JK Group and Chairman Kang Jin-gwang.
Too late, they slathered on the flattery with their filthy tongues, wagging their tails while clenching their asses—but the river had already been crossed.
The three managing editors of the major dailies sat huddled in a basement teahouse in Chungmuro, sipping ssanghwacha and knocking their empty heads together. Han Gil-seong, managing editor of Seyoung Shinmun, whined to Choi, the Minkuk Ilbo managing editor sitting across from him.
"This is chaos like no other. 'Five minutes to total disaster' fits perfectly."
"I just came back from the president's office, enduring all sorts of humiliations at my age."
"If it's not meant to be, you break your nose falling on your back. How did we end up in this mess?"
"At the worst possible moment, that damn taxi driver has to crash right there. Tsk tsk."
Far from reflecting, they were pinning the blame for the fiasco on some powerless cab driver.
Lee Hun-seung, managing editor of Dongyoung Ilbo, chimed in from the corner. "By the way, Han. Is it true that Chairman Kang saved that guy's life? I can't buy it."
"If his luck aligned, it's entirely possible."
"The real shocker was that money-grubbing old man not even demanding compensation—instead buying the guy a new taxi. Doesn't that stink?"
The old hyenas' noses were still sharp. But there was nothing they could do.
Han shook his head. "Does it even matter if it's true or not? The public already sees Chairman Kang as the benevolent boss. We'd better lie low for a while."
"Better to play it safe and scratch their itch than run some contrarian piece that backfires."
"Life throws curveballs like this. We'll weather this storm too."
"Couldn't agree more. No word from JK yet, so they might just let it slide at this point."
Han tapped his cigarette into the ashtray and continued. "If that hot-tempered Chairman Kang were swinging his iron rod, we'd have heard by now."
"The silence means he's pleased enough to let it go, right?"
"Exactly. Even if we've been writing that lip-service drivel, you know it's all reported back."
They'd completely misread the room. Chairman Kang had already loosed an arrow straight at their hearts—it just hadn't landed yet. They figured the friendly coverage had smoothed things over.
Han smirked smugly. "Water under the bridge. But The Times is stealing our rice bowl. Don't we need to push back a bit?"
"Once things quiet down, we'll find an angle and ramp it up again."
"Got any... brilliant ideas?"
Choi from Minkuk Ilbo dipped his head and whispered their next scheme. No need to hear the details—it was just more dirty scheming. Han nodded, grinning with satisfaction.
"That'll do it. Brilliant idea."
"Even with JK Group backing it, The Times won't stand a chance against this. They'll throw up their hands."
They couldn't even imagine the massive storm barreling toward them.
***
JK Group chairman's office.
Chairman Kang began the day as usual, reviewing reports like always. The only change since the incident was his noticeably brighter expression. Gone was the chain-smoking, perpetually scowling old man.
He took off his glasses for a moment, a deeply satisfied smile spreading across his face as he asked Butler Moon, "When I stepped into the lobby, the employees' gazes felt different. What do you think?"
"I watched their faces closely too. Before, they just bowed out of formality. Today, there was real respect in their eyes."
"I wondered if I was imagining it... but hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."
The biggest winner from the accident was Chairman Kang himself. Crowds swarmed him everywhere he went—autograph hounds and handshake seekers without end. It was heartwarming, but Butler Moon focused on the shadows first, as always.
"Chairman, forgive me, but there's something I need to say."
"You look troubled."
"I fully support responding to people's requests. But we can't ignore security risks."
"Keep a proper distance?"
"Yes. Even low odds can be fatal. Please keep that in mind."
No matter the bodyguards, frequent contact with crowds carried unknowns. Chairman Kang smiled warmly at the advice.
"I'm riding my grandson's fame wave. It'll fizzle out in days—no need to worry."
"Understood."
"Speaking of which, strike while the iron's hot. What's the status on our PR model?"
"The PR team submitted a compiled report this morning."
Butler Moon handed over the prepared file. Chairman Kang's face soured at the first page.
"We need someone young and fresh, but this guy's too lightweight. As JK's face to the world, we need some gravitas."
"What about Seo Jae-mi? He's topping the comedian popularity charts."
"That mole on his face, and he's too chubby and lazy-looking. Not for me."
The group's image couldn't be too frivolous or too stuffy. They couldn't just grab anyone in a rush either.
"Next are female celebs. We can lean softer, less aggressive."
Chairman Kang tilted his head, unimpressed again. "I like Kang Du-sim, but she feels distant from JK Telecom. I'd prefer someone younger."
"Next is Lee Hee-ae. She won Acting Grand Prize last year and her star's rising fast."
"Hee-ae's a knockout beauty. Someone that stunning might distract from the message."
"Next up: actors. Males on the left, females on the right."
"Let's table this and discuss with the execs this afternoon. Any word from Min-ho?"
Min-ho occupied one corner of Chairman Kang's mind. He'd delegated full authority, but no moves yet. As grandfather, he worried inwardly; as chairman, he eagerly anticipated what was coming.
Butler Moon flipped open his notepad. "A call came from Soseonjae in Samcheong-dong this morning."
"Recite it word for word."
"The entire Soseonjae is reserved in President Yang Sang-pil's name from Athena Distribution."
"Sang-pil's move means... Min-ho's orders. A full shutdown screams high stakes... What the hell's that kid scheming?"
"Reservation for six."
Chairman Kang tallied the three dailies' presidents and editors. Inviting them all would make an even number. Excluding Min-ho left five at the meetup. It didn't add up.
"If he called the presidents and editors, the numbers wouldn't match. He wouldn't tolerate even one no-show..."
"So I checked through the secretary's office."
"Five... No obvious suspects. Who?"
Butler Moon answered cautiously. "Three from Solhan Paper, including the president, and two ink company presidents."
Totally unexpected. Chairman Kang went speechless. His cigarette smoldered at an angle in the ashtray.
"No way... You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Only one possibility. He's cornering the paper and ink suppliers to choke the three dailies."
Not just a jab—an audacious haymaker from behind. Chairman Kang threw his head back in booming laughter. Butler Moon dashed out for a glass of water. As expected, the guffaws turned to coughs. He patted the chairman's back gently and handed over the water.
"It's great to see you laugh, sir, but I'm worried about your health."
Expelling the last chuckles, he told Butler Moon, "Min-ho's gonna be the death of me. My sides hurt from laughing."
"Any follow-up measures?"
"Those guys probably barely remember Min-ho from when he was a kid."
"Yes, sir. I'll handle it."
"Tell them this: 'Words from Min-ho's mouth are words from mine.'"
"Understood. I'll relay it exactly."
***
On the drive to Samcheong-dong, Lawyer Choi gripped the wheel, face taut with tension. Min-ho, glancing over, broke the ice first.
"What's got you so worried this time?"
"I haven't said a word."
"I can tell from your breathing. Spill it."
"Truth is... I have full faith in you, young master."
"Skip the preview."
Choi checked the side mirror, changed lanes, then replied. "I have no clue how to reel in those paper and ink company presidents."
"Their main clients are the three dailies. Grabbing your hand means ditching them. Do we even have leverage that big?"
"Exactly. Without game-changing terms, it'll be tough."
"Offering feels weak; threats lack solid hooks."
"If talks fail, we need a plan for the backlash."
Sound advice. Failure would unite the dailies in a frenzy. Realistic, but to Min-ho—with his plan locked in—it was just needless worry.
"They'll grab my hand to survive. I'll make sure of it."
"Zero chance of failure?"
"Yep. Reject me, and they die. They're next door eating. Be out soon."
At the rendezvous, Min-ho headed into the main building where the five presidents awaited.