The Legacy of Holding Company Shares (1)
Just moments ago, Kwon Il-gyun's sullen face brightened instantly when he saw the sender's name pop up in the messenger app notification. Yu Ju-yeon♥
He was glad he hadn't deleted the contact with that heart attached, the one he'd saved after a late-night drinking session on his way home. Even though they hadn't known each other long, their relationship wasn't shallow. It didn't make sense for contact to suddenly stop like this.
Reading the message that arrived only strengthened that thought.
- Can we talk for a bit?
Hopeful that she might explain what had happened over the past few days face-to-face, or perhaps even discuss the halt in publishing Yu Hwan-il's autobiography, Kwon Il-gyun quickly replied.
- Sure. Our usual café?
- No. Let's meet in front of the One Two Chicken company building. I'll be there in an hour.
The follow-up message from Yu Ju-yeon carried a slightly ominous tone, but what did it matter? They could always move to another location after meeting at the company.
* * *
And so, an hour later, the uneasy feeling Kwon Il-gyun had sensed amplified a thousandfold. His hopes collapsed like a Jenga tower struck at the base by an axe.
Yu Ju-yeon, who had just stepped out of her car, looked utterly haggard, with dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't even bothered with makeup, showing her bare face for the first time in front of him. Her expression was twisted with such fury that it seemed she might lunge forward and bite his head off at any moment.
At this point, Kwon Il-gyun could hardly believe the woman walking toward him was the same Yu Ju-yeon he knew.
Her first action upon seeing him was enough to leave him stunned.
Whoosh.
Yu Ju-yeon hurled the A4 papers she was holding straight at his face. Kwon Il-gyun, still frozen in confusion about how to respond, glanced down at the sheets that had fallen to the ground. They were the stock option contract for One Two Chicken that he had given her.
Back when she'd first received it, Yu Ju-yeon had been thrilled at the prospect of buying shares at a low price before the company went public.
Shifting his gaze from the papers on the ground back to her face, Kwon Il-gyun slipped his hands into his pockets and asked with a crooked stance.
"What the hell? Why are you acting like this?"
"What? That One Two Chicken is going to list on KOSDAQ soon? You fraud!"
Kwon Il-gyun's face twisted at Yu Ju-yeon's outburst. In truth, One Two Chicken had no plans to go public anytime soon. While any company president would want to list, One Two Chicken would need at least several more years to meet the requirements. And honestly, they weren't even making serious efforts to meet those requirements.
Kwon Il-gyun rubbed his forehead with the hand he'd pulled from his pocket, then shot her a glare.
"Since when do you talk down to me? Listing a company doesn't always work out. Are you doing this for money? How much do you want? I'll give it to you. Just tell me about your father's autobiography. Why was the publication suddenly stopped?"
Yu Ju-yeon met his gaze with an even more venomous look.
"Money? I don't need it. I was the one who halted the publication, and if necessary, I'll testify in court that the parts I ghostwrote aren't true."
Crack.
Kwon Il-gyun's face crumpled like a watermelon hit by a stone. He couldn't tolerate anyone touching the QS Life Insurance share lawsuit—the one thing that could overturn the humiliating life he'd lived as the eldest grandson in one fell swoop.
Then he dug into the deep wound in Yu Ju-yeon's heart, crossing a point of no return.
"A woman who sold out her own father for money is now pretending to be clean? Why are you doing this? Is it about the amount? Tell me. How much do you want?"
Tears welled up in Yu Ju-yeon's eyes at those words, and her fists clenched as if trying to hold back her rage. But the effort was futile.
Smack.
The next moment, Yu Ju-yeon's palm struck Kwon Il-gyun's cheek.
"You bastard."
Leaving only that short curse, Yu Ju-yeon turned and walked away from the One Two Chicken headquarters. Scattered papers on the ground, a woman turning her back in tears, a slapped cheek and profanity—the perfect conditions to draw everyone's attention. And of all places, right in front of his own company, where passing employees were deliberately averting their eyes.
Sigh.
He'd thought meeting Yu Ju-yeon might give him some clue about what was going on, but instead, he'd only been humiliated. And how had she figured out that One Two Chicken wasn't preparing for an IPO?
As Kwon Il-gyun sighed and gathered the papers from the ground to return to his office, another disaster awaited him.
* * *
After dropping Yu Ju-yeon off in front of the One Two Chicken headquarters, I planned a little surprise for Kwon Il-gyun. Rather than appearing together with Yu Ju-yeon, it would be more entertaining to show up after he'd been thoroughly beaten by her.
So after she got out, I drove a bit further and parked in a nearby paid lot, watching Kwon Il-gyun's retreating figure before heading into the One Two Chicken headquarters.
Unlike the tightly organized QS Group, when I asked the lobby reception desk for the president's office, they immediately told me it was on the top floor. Kwon Il-gyun must have wanted to imitate Chairman Kwon Byung-do's office at the top of QS Tower.
After getting off the elevator and walking a few more steps, a woman who appeared to be Kwon Il-gyun's secretary came out to greet me. She looked as if she might recognize me from photos in the news.
"How can I help you? You don't seem to be one of our employees."
"I'm here to see President Kwon Il-gyun. I'm his cousin."
"Ah, yes. But the president isn't in his office right now."
I already knew that. I'd seen him getting hit with papers outside before coming in.
"He'll be back soon."
At my words, the secretary hesitated for a moment with wide eyes, as if I'd stolen her line, then continued.
"W-well, would you like to wait in the president's office? I'll send him a message that his cousin has arrived."
Come on. I came up early on purpose to surprise him, knowing he was outside. Telling him in advance would ruin the fun.
"No need. There's no need to send a message."
After that, I entered the office Kwon Il-gyun used. Wow, it was extravagant. Even though it was a single office, it took up almost an entire floor. The desk over there looked larger than a king-size bed. The walls were lined with artworks that must have cost tens of millions of won at auction—pieces so abstract you couldn't tell what they depicted. In the corner, there was even an old LP player that looked like it might not work, probably because he'd seen somewhere that such things created a sophisticated atmosphere.
The sofa I was about to sit on was so polished from excessive leather treatment that I wondered if I'd even be able to stay seated on it.
With such pride as the eldest grandson of the QS Group, he must be comforting himself by pretending to be the chairman in this manner.
While I was looking around Kwon Il-gyun's office, I heard the female secretary's voice from outside again.
"Sir, the president—"
And it was immediately cut off by Kwon Il-gyun's voice.
"It's fine. Later."
Bang.
Kwon Il-gyun burst through the office door and shouted at the back of my head.
"Who the hell are you?"
The secretary, who had rushed in with loud footsteps, quickly explained the situation to Kwon Il-gyun.
"He said he was your cousin, so I let him wait inside."
"Who gave you permission!"
"I-I'm sorry."
This was getting out of hand. At this rate, the poor secretary would get blamed for nothing. I stood up from the sofa, offered a light smile, and looked at Kwon Il-gyun.
"Hello, President Kwon Il-gyun. I'm from the Audit Team at the Central Management Division of QS Group."
The Central Management Division's Audit Team. The weight those words carried was considerable. Kwon Il-gyun, who had been so full of himself, glanced around nervously and whispered to the secretary.
"Wait outside."
"Yes, sir."
Once the secretary hurried out of the office even faster than she'd entered, Kwon Il-gyun sank into the sofa diagonally across from me, leaning back with his waist stretched out.
"Ho-gyun? How many years has it been since we last saw each other? About thirty years?"
"I'm not even thirty yet."
Snicker.
Kwon Il-gyun let out a derisive laugh and continued with an arrogant tone.
"Ha, you little punk. I saw it in the news, but you got into the Central Management Division in your twenties? And as team leader? You've done well for yourself. Your father's connections must be pretty good, huh?"
This guy still had no idea what I was holding. If he thought about what he'd done, he wouldn't be acting so cocky.
First, I needed to draw a clear line.
"President Kwon Il-gyun, your company is One Two Chicken here. The QS Group I belong to is our family's company. There's no place for a collateral branch like you."
"What? This bastard—does your father's side not teach basic manners? Can't you speak properly to your elder?"
"There's only one person in this room speaking informally and using profanity right now, and it's not me. Show some respect, President Kwon Il-gyun."
That seemingly insignificant remark must have landed like a heavy counterpunch, because Kwon Il-gyun's entire face, which had only been red on one cheek, flushed a mottled red and blue. After muttering for a while as if chewing phlegm in his mouth, he spat out another line.
"So why did you come all the way here? If it's about the QS Life Insurance share lawsuit, I'll talk to the lawyers in court, so just leave."
"Of course, I do need to discuss that as well, but that's not the only reason I'm here. As I mentioned, I'm not the lawyer handling that lawsuit—I'm here as the Audit Team Leader from the Central Management Division."
As I paused, Kwon Il-gyun snapped again.
"Why did you come, then?"
If he wanted to know the results of my work over the past few days so badly, I'd tell him.
"I heard you've been committing fraud. On quite a large scale, too. Spreading lies that One Two Chicken would list on KOSDAQ and selling unlisted shares at ridiculous prices? I heard even the editor-in-chief of Geoseong Ilbo was involved. Quite bold of you."
Kwon Il-gyun paused for a beat, trying to appear relaxed, then forced a laugh as he replied.
"Does the Central Management Division of QS Group even audit other people's companies?"
"Even if it's something done by a collateral branch of our group family, it could harm the group's image, so we've broadened our scope."
Pfft.
Kwon Il-gyun's face flushed again as if it might burst. It was amusing how he reacted every time the word "collateral" came up.
"So? Are you going to sue me for fraud with that? We're going to list."
"If a fraud complaint is filed, the amount exceeds 500 million won, making it subject to aggravated punishment under the Special Economic Crimes Act. In that case, the minimum sentence is three years in prison. If someone from our family gets involved in something like that, it would be troublesome for the Central Management Division as well. So I'm giving you an opportunity, President Kwon Il-gyun."
For the first time since I'd entered this office, Kwon Il-gyun's gaze softened ever so slightly.