Chairman Who Does It All on His Own 40
Han Suyeong.
The spoiled degenerate of Johwa Group.
The illegitimate son and hidden youngest child of Han Gangho, the legendary chairman of Johwa Group, whose name had gone down in the history of South Korea’s business world.
Do Jaehyun’s answer, delivered after facing the excited voice of Director Cheon Subeom and the fervent gaze of Director Kang Inmuk head-on, was not the kind of reply they had wanted.
“...I’m sorry.”
Do Jaehyun had just turned the faint spark of hope that he might uncover Han Suyeong, the chairman’s precious weak spot, into smoke in an instant.
You bastards. Even you can’t do anything about it. Go on, then. Have yourselves a hard time.
Jeong Taeyang hid his impish expression behind a whiskey glass and blew out cigarette smoke with obvious delight.
“Sorry... what do you mean by that?”
“...?”
At Director Cheon Subeom’s question, Director Kang Inmuk pressed Do Jaehyun for an answer by saying nothing at all, his silence heavier than words.
“I looked into it from several angles, asked around, and tried to reason it out, but...”
Do Jaehyun trailed off with an apologetic look.
“I think there are only two possibilities.”
“Go on.”
“First, he may have come to harm. And...”
“Do Jaehyun.”
Director Kang Inmuk cut him off before he could go any farther.
“No need to beat around the bush. Say it plainly, exactly as you see it. What do you mean, come to harm? Is it the worst-case scenario I’m thinking of?”
“...I’m not sure what you consider the worst case, but yes, probably. Unfortunately, Director Han Suyeong may have been killed by someone. If not that, then someone may have deliberately locked him away.”
“...Damn it. To think someone would dare lay a hand on the Johwa Group owner’s family... What kind of rotten bastard has the guts...”
“Director Kang Inmuk. Please calm down for a moment.”
Grinding his teeth, trying to swallow his rage, Kang Inmuk was soothed by Cheon Subeom, who stepped in again.
“Jaehyun. You said there were two possibilities. What’s the other one?”
“This one I can be a little more specific about. It’s also the more hopeful explanation for Johwa Group. But if I’m wrong, an innocent man could end up suffering, so I’m being careful.”
“...I see. I understand.”
Cheon Subeom agreed with me and, at the same time, slipped Kang Inmuk a quick signal with his eyes, even pressing his palm lightly downward toward the floor.
Anyone could see what that meant: keep your emotions under control, and don’t interrupt.
“Johwa Group is one of the country’s leading enterprises. We settle matters through law and business, not violence. So please, speak freely without worrying. Even if you have a suspect in mind, we won’t go recklessly branding him a criminal and acting on your testimony alone.”
“Understood. Then I’ll tell you.”
I took a moment to steady my breathing, then met Kang Inmuk’s eyes, then Cheon Subeom’s, and finally Jeong Taeyang’s, one by one. In Cheon Subeom’s gaze, there was curiosity and ambition; in Kang Inmuk’s, anger and loyalty burned bright.
By contrast, Jeong Taeyang’s eyes, despite the serious expression on his face, were impossible to hide. Unlike the other two, they were full of excitement and amusement, like a rascal digging a trap and enjoying the game.
“I thought about who would benefit most if Director Han Suyeong’s whereabouts were secured. And when I followed that line of reasoning, the party most likely to be behind his disappearance was... the remnants of the Kim Hasa Faction.”
I paused again on purpose, right at the climax.
“That’s my assessment.”
“And what’s the basis for that?”
“About half of the Kim Hasa Faction’s power collapsed under Kim Museong, who has emerged as the next boss of the Baekho Faction. In the middle of all that, our Taeyang Faction also took several of the Kim Hasa Faction’s businesses.”
“Hey, idiot! Why would you say that?”
Jeong Taeyang shouted in a way that sounded genuinely startled.
“Boss, it’s not as if that’s going to stay secret much longer anyway. We’re not going to shut down our business.”
“Ugh...”
“The first chairman of the Kim Hasa Faction and its current boss are both in school... I mean, in prison. That leaves them only two choices: the organization falls apart, or the foxes fight each other for the throne in a place where there are no tigers left.”
“Of course they’d fight. Whether the number two wins or the number three wins, whoever comes out on top won’t let go of such a tempting prize as the Kim Hasa Faction.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what Director Cheon Subeom said. Even if the Kim Hasa Faction is in tatters, if you consider what remains of their power, their businesses, and their funds, there’s still considerable value there. They were a giant force that once divided Seoul into three. If I were one of their executives, I’d gamble my life for supremacy too, just as Director Cheon Subeom said.”
“Hmm... I can follow that much.”
“Yes. So someone aiming for the Kim Hasa Faction’s next crown likely reached out to Director Han Suyeong. With the Kim Hasa Faction’s half-broken strength, there’s no way to stop the Taeyang Faction, much less the rising Kim Museong, the next boss of the Baekho Faction. More importantly, if they can get their hands on Director Han Suyeong alone, then whether by choice or by force, it would be easy to take over the Kim Hasa Faction with Johwa Group’s backing. And if Johwa’s interests lined up with theirs, then neither the Baekho Faction nor the Taeyang Faction would be able to stand against a Kim Hasa Faction propped up by Johwa Group.”
After my words ended, silence filled the room for several seconds.
“Ah!”
“Hmm...”
“Oh?”
Then Director Cheon Subeom, Director Kang Inmuk, and Jeong Taeyang each gave voice to their own reactions. Cheon Subeom and Kang Inmuk sounded like they were processing the situation and worrying over it, while Jeong Taeyang sounded exactly like a mischievous brat in front of something very entertaining.
“Now that’s something...”
As expected, Jeong Taeyang was the first to break the silence.
“I should’ve been the one saying it, but hearing it through Jaehyun doesn’t make it any less unpleasant.”
“What do you mean, Chairman Jeong?”
As if he had been waiting for that, Director Cheon Subeom raised a question at Jeong Taeyang’s remark.
“What Jaehyun said isn’t wrong, logically. It concerns Director Han Suyeong’s whereabouts. That means someone’s had the nerve to make Johwa Group their enemy. In that case, either the risk they’re taking is huge enough to justify it, or they’re desperate. But what exactly feels unpleasant to you?”
“Could be the Baekho Faction.”
“But Kim Baekho is missing too.”
“Then there’d be someone inside the Baekho Faction who benefits the most from Kim Baekho disappearing. For example, Kim Museong, who’s currently taking over the Baekho Faction at speed.”
Jeong Taeyang deftly dragged Kim Museong of the Red Dog Faction into the board I had designed. The best outcome had been to use Johwa Group to wipe out the Kim Hasa Faction’s remnants, but if we pushed too hard and insisted that the Kim Hasa Faction had to be the culprit, the whole thing could go sideways.
But if Jeong Taeyang, who had understood my intention, backed me up, then the matter changed completely.
When you persuade someone, if you present only one option, they end up standing at a fork between refusal and acceptance. But if you present two options, A and B, they start weighing which one to choose and erase refusal from their minds.
I named the Kim Hasa Faction, and Jeong Taeyang named Kim Museong of the Red Dog Faction as the culprit behind Director Han Suyeong’s disappearance, while concealing the existence of Shin Gilwoo and me.
“That’s just your opinion, Jeong Taeyang.”
Director Kang Inmuk cut into the conversation.
“Director Han Suyeong and the Baekho Faction’s boss, Kim Baekho, disappeared at the same time. Kim Baekho knows Johwa Group well. Unless the man’s insane, he has no reason to make us his enemy. From his relationship with Director Han Suyeong alone, Kim Baekho already stands to gain plenty.”
“Not bad for a man who’s using his head. So what exactly are you trying to say?”
“Aren’t the Taeyang Faction, the Baekho Faction, and the Kim Hasa Faction all at each other’s throats? Honestly, does it make sense that some guy like Kim Museong, who used to just manage funds and prostitution under the Baekho Faction, would bare his teeth at Johwa Group? Wouldn’t it be far more advantageous for him to keep his tail low and stay on good terms with Director Han Suyeong?”
“Maybe not. What if Kim Museong is the one behind everything? What if he swallowed up the Baekho Faction from the inside first, wiped out the Kim Hasa Faction, and then took Director Han Suyeong hostage to do God knows what?”
At Jeong Taeyang’s reply, Director Kang Inmuk sneered at him with a smile deep enough to carve a dimple into his cheek.
“Your thoughts are obvious, Jeong Taeyang. You don’t want to think about the possibility that Kim Museong grows, unifies the Baekho and Kim Hasa Factions, and then stands against your Taeyang Faction. In that case, the best move would be to crush the sprout while it’s still young. But if you move the Taeyang Faction against the Baekho Faction now, you won’t have a reason strong enough to justify it, and there’s no real profit in it either. So you want to borrow Johwa’s blade and use it to eliminate Kim Museong, don’t you?”
“Our Director Kang has been reading a lot of detective novels lately, huh? Maybe you should try writing one.”
Jeong Taeyang chuckled and lifted his whiskey glass.
“Want a drink, Director Kang? If we’re at it, we can use our school days as conversation.”
“...Jeong Taeyang. Do I still look to you like that back-alley thug, Kang Inmuk?”
“You do look like a thug in a suit...”
Without a word, Director Kang Inmuk picked up his whiskey glass and tightened his grip so hard it looked ready to shatter. The way things were going, if Jeong Taeyang said one more thing, he might actually hurl the glass into his face.
But...
“Shall I pour?”
Jeong Taeyang didn’t so much as blink at the threat. He lifted the whiskey bottle instead, as if to say that if Kang threw the glass, he’d smash the bastard’s head in with the bottle.
Clap, clap.
“Looks like we’ve reached a conclusion.”
In the atmosphere tense enough to snap, it was Director Cheon Subeom who clapped and took control of the room.
“Pour me a drink as well.”
He filled his own glass, took the whiskey bottle from Jeong Taeyang, and topped off Director Kang Inmuk’s glass and mine as well.
“Johwa Group will deal with both the Kim Hasa Faction and Kim Museong of the Red Dog Faction. That’s all right with you, Chairman Jeong?”
“No, that’s a little difficult.”
“And if it’s difficult, you’ll still do it?”
Director Kang Inmuk sharpened his tone at Jeong Taeyang.
“It’s business. This is business, Inmuk. If you were me and a piece of cake was about to roll into your mouth within a year, would you just sit back if some other bastard tried to snatch it midway?”
“And if I didn’t sit back?”
“Gentlemen, please calm down for a moment.”
Director Cheon Subeom raised his whiskey glass high.
“Taeyang Faction, you can come along too. Johwa Group has no interest in an organization’s internal profits. But Director Han Suyeong’s safety is different. You can do as you like with the Kim Hasa Faction, the Baekho Faction, or the Taeyang Faction. So I’d also ask Chairman Jeong Taeyang for your cooperation on our side.”
“Okay, deal.”
“Glad to hear it. That all right with you, Director Kang?”
“...Jeong Taeyang. When this business with Young Master Han Suyeong is over, let’s meet privately once.”
“Any time.”
All our glasses met in the air.
“Ah, and Director Cheon, there’s something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“What did you mean earlier when you said, ‘glad to hear it’?”
“Why, do you want to hear it?”
“Director Kang, just a moment...”
Cheon Subeom hurried to stop Kang Inmuk, but it was already too late. Kang Inmuk had pressed the intercom button.
A moment later.
The sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs rang out in a racket, and the door to the fourth-floor reception room where we were standing flew open so violently it seemed ready to break off its hinges. Dozens of broad-shouldered men in black suits, each wearing a Johwa Group badge, poured into the room.
They bowed their heads toward Director Kang Inmuk, hiding aluminum baseball bats and steel pipes behind their backs.
“You called for us, Chief.”
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