Holding Company Shares Passed to the Next Generation (2)
Slither—. Kwon Il-gyun, who had been leaning back against the sofa at an almost vertical angle with an air of supreme arrogance, suddenly bent forward at the waist and met my eyes.
"An opportunity? What kind?"
The way he was already looking for an escape hatch told me he knew he'd done something wrong. His feet must have been itching something fierce.
"Before that, do you admit to committing fraud with the One Two Chicken shares?"
"I don't think it was fraud."
"Then I suppose you have no need to hear about the opportunity I'm offering."
His voice, which had been ready to launch skyward like a pole vaulter, crashed straight back to earth.
"What, aren't you a lawyer? Haven't you already decided it was fraud before coming here?"
"Yes. After reviewing the testimonies of Bae, the editor-in-chief at Geoseong Ilbo, and Reporter Yu Ju-yeon, along with the relevant facts, it's clear that what you did constitutes fraud, President Kwon. Earlier I mentioned the minimum sentence. If this goes to the prosecution, you'll likely spend about seven years in prison."
Suspicion still lingered in Kwon Il-gyun's eyes, but his lips were drying out rapidly, betraying his inner turmoil.
"What if the court rules it wasn't fraud?"
It was a reasonable question. Even lawyers can't predict every verdict with absolute certainty, and judicial outcomes can be influenced by a judge's disposition or public opinion. Still, I could speak with such confidence because I wasn't just any lawyer. The judgment I had already seen left no room for doubt.
[Ruling. The defendant is sentenced to seven years in prison.]
I had no intention of revealing that to him directly. A small push was enough to heighten the tension he was clearly lacking.
"Then I'll assume you'll contest the charges in court and take my leave."
The moment I made a show of rising from the sofa, Kwon Il-gyun's desperate hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.
"W-wait. You said earlier that if I ended up in court over this mess, it would cause trouble for your Central Management Division too."
So now he was offering to listen out of consideration for me? He still hadn't come to his senses.
"I'll make sure President Kwon Il-gyun's crimes don't harm the QS Group. Didn't you see on the news how the Central Management Division's audit team handled the internal corruption case involving Seong-gyun? We even cut down a direct-line family member. Do you really think a collateral branch like yours would be an exception?"
Kwon Il-gyun had surely noticed the franchise exploitation scandal at QS Electronics. He would also know that Seong-gyun had been stripped of his presidency and publicly humiliated because of it. Realizing his position, the fingers of the collateral-line Kwon Il-gyun that had been clutching my wrist flailed like a water strider's legs before dropping away.
"Ah, so… out of respect for your legal judgment as a lawyer, let's say I did commit fraud. What about that opportunity you mentioned? Should we start with the retrial lawsuit over the QS Life Insurance shares?"
Whew. He had finally softened enough to take the bait. Now it was time to mold him into the shape I wanted.
* * *
I leaned back against the sofa, mirroring the posture Kwon Il-gyun had taken moments earlier.
"So, do you still intend to pursue the QS Life Insurance share lawsuit? If you're going to spend eight years in prison, those shares won't do you any good even if you win them."
Kwon Il-gyun nodded quickly at my straightforward logic.
"You're right. What if I withdraw the lawsuit in exchange for the QS Group covering up the fraud case? It would be even better if your Central Management Division's audit team or legal team handled it."
"No. We've already won the QS Life Insurance case. I'm sure you've heard that the autobiography by Lawyer Yu Hwan-il, which was the basis for the retrial, has been halted. Would you like to hear something else as well?"
"What is it?"
I pulled out my phone and played the edited recording of Lawyer Yu Hwan-il admitting that the autobiography had been fabricated. Kwon Il-gyun's expression shifted from confusion to ashen-faced dread as the file neared its end.
"We've also secured testimony from Reporter Yu Ju-yeon that you commissioned the forgery. Once this recording and her testimony are submitted to the court, there's no way we can lose this case."
This assurance, too, was backed not only by my own judgment but by the verdict I had already seen.
[Ruling 1. The plaintiff's claim is dismissed.]
[Ruling 2. All litigation costs shall be borne by the plaintiff.]
Since the plaintiff was Kwon Il-gyun, the court had ruled that none of his statements held merit. Moreover, because he had manipulated evidence and incurred litigation costs, the judgment placed full responsibility on him. And I had one more card prepared: once that ruling came down, I could also file a criminal complaint against him for litigation fraud—a charge that applies specifically when false evidence is submitted to deceive the court. Either way, I could ensure Kwon Il-gyun rotted in prison.
Now fully aware of how cornered he was, Kwon Il-gyun's face turned deathly pale, and his words began to falter.
"Th-then… if I withdraw the lawsuit, would that help you even a little?"
"It would help by removing one annoying matter. Of course, that alone isn't enough for me to cover up your fraud charges."
"Tell me what else would help. Anything."
A complete surrender. Now was the time to play the card I had been saving to maximize the psychological damage.
I took two sheets of A4 paper from my bag. They weren't blank. At the top of each was written:
— Affidavit —
The key clauses, stripped of formalities, were as follows:
- I, Kwon Il-gyun, will not interfere in the management of the QS Group in any way. Should I violate this, I swear to bear all civil and criminal liability for any damages incurred by the QS Group or its affiliates.
- I, Kwon Il-gyun, will dispose of all shares I hold in the QS Group and its affiliates and swear never to acquire said shares through any means for the rest of my life.
Even if Kwon Il-gyun signed, the document wouldn't necessarily carry legal force. Its real power lay in the psychological restraint it would impose, ensuring he never dared to act up again. The moment he signed, the knowledge that breaking it would mean eight years in prison for fraud would be etched deep into his heart.
"If you sign here, one copy stays with you and the other with the Central Management Division. What do you say?"
Even before picking up the pen, Kwon Il-gyun's psychological agitation was obvious. His fingers trembled as he held the paper, and the sweat from his hands was visibly wrinkling the sheets.
"If I sign this, the fraud charges and the retrial lawsuit will all be wiped clean, right? We'll go back to how things were?"
"There's one more thing you'll need to do. Shall we sign first and continue the conversation?"
"What? More? Ho-gyun, we're still family. Blood runs thicker than water, doesn't it? Let's not do this, okay?"
"Didn't you say earlier that we hadn't seen each other in about thirty years? The blood of Chairman Kwon Byung-do flows in my veins. Not Kwon Gap-do's. Are you not going to sign?"
The scholarly Kwon Il-gyun from our first meeting would have flown into a rage at those words. But after taking enough blows, he quietly picked up the pen. His hand shook—whether from nerves or sweat—and he dropped it on the table once before finally signing both copies.
"As I said, keep one copy for yourself."
"So what else do I have to do?"
The way he was pressing me, it seemed he just wanted to get the beating over with. Fine. This one would hurt more.
I turned my head slowly, taking in his office before answering.
"This office is quite nice. You must have put a lot of effort into it."
"Y-yeah. The interior alone cost about two hundred million won."
"You'll need to vacate this office."
"Wh-what did you say?"
Kwon Il-gyun stared at me blankly, his eyes unfocused, as if he truly hadn't anticipated this.
"As long as you're in this company, you might commit another crime like this one, which would only cause headaches for the Central Management Division. So we're planning to incorporate One Two Chicken as the lowest-tier affiliate under QS F&B. Once that happens, there obviously won't be a place for you here anymore."
The affidavit had already crushed his dream of worming his way back into the QS Group. This expulsion order was now destroying his reality.
"You're telling me to leave the company I built?"
"Yes. You understood correctly."
Thud—. Kwon Il-gyun's gaze dropped between his spread knees. He maintained that posture, as if he couldn't bear to look at the office that was no longer his—the one that had cost two hundred million won in interior work alone.
"You're not taking it for free, are you?"
"Of course we'll pay a fair price for your shares. Though it won't be much. We're acquiring One Two Chicken not because it's profitable, but purely to manage group-wide risk."
"How much are you offering?"
In truth, I hadn't fully coordinated the actual payment with QS F&B yet. Then a rather amusing figure came to mind.
"About two hundred million won, perhaps? After the acquisition, we'll also need to buy back the shares you fraudulently sold at a reasonable price to keep you out of prison. That cost makes it unavoidable."
Hearing that his company was worth less than his office interior, Kwon Il-gyun nodded reluctantly.
"Fine. I get it. I was hoping for a bit more, but if we're proceeding with the sale of One Two Chicken, let's handle the details through the working-level negotiations."
"Let's do that."
At my final reply, Kwon Il-gyun's eyes slowly closed. He must have been too battered to stay conscious. Or perhaps it was a silent plea for me to stop hitting him. Either way, I had no more clubs prepared, so I stood up and left the office.
* * *
Several weeks later, Kwon Il-gyun voluntarily withdrew the QS Life Insurance retrial lawsuit. In civil litigation, once the plaintiff withdraws the suit, the matter is closed. I compiled a report on everything that had transpired and sent it up to the Chairman's office in QS Tower.
That night, a message arrived from Chairman Kwon Byung-do.
— Come see me. Not at the company. At home.