Second Sister's Countdown
The inside of Hwaryeong Construction was a frozen hellscape of ruthless intrigue. Sisters at each other's throats, vying like beasts for dominance. From above, Cha Seon-mi lurked, ready to devour any sliver of shares she glimpsed. From below, Cha So-eun—that utterly untrustworthy bitch—gaped her jaws, waiting for the moment to strike. Normally, two against one would team up against the strongest, but she'd sooner let her wrist dangle severed than grasp So-eun's hand. The girl was a straight-up psycho.
"Hoo..."
If the internals were this bad, the externals were worse. Cha Do-yeon... Who would've thought this wastrel would become her biggest obstacle? No matter how she looked at it, the guy felt utterly transformed overnight. Rumors said his womanizing ways hadn't changed, but something was off.
Why the hell is he suddenly meddling in group affairs?
He'd always been a simpleton: give him pocket money monthly, let him screw around with women, and that was that. She'd even floated the idea before, offering a few thousand a month in exchange for his shares, fully expecting him to bite. But it hit her like lightning from a clear sky. And the recent performance report he'd announced? Straight out of some unbelievable fantasy. The tiniest affiliate, barely a blip in the group before, posting 7.4 trillion won in operating profit from investments! She suspected accounting fraud at first, but no one would brazenly announce faked numbers like that—especially not after getting booted from the group, with no real need to inflate.
"Haa..."
It started with that Bitcoin fiasco; she couldn't read him at all. Just when she tried focusing on her own battles, she sensed he'd pull some new trick—
Rrring!
"!"
As she pinched her brow, the office phone blared obnoxiously. Another shrill ring pierced her thoughts while she racked her brain. A bad feeling kept her from picking up right away. Pressing her warm forehead, she took three deep breaths before finally lifting the receiver.
"Yeah, speak. ...Huh? Uh-huh. ...And? ..........What?!"
No amount of breath control could stop her voice from rising. Bam! The news made her veins throb just hearing it; she slammed the receiver down, trembling with rage. Anxiety gnawed at her; she tapped her index finger on the desk before snatching it up again and barking at her secretary.
"Get the car ready now!"
*
The explanatory session before the auction for the stalled theme park construction bid. She'd normally send a proxy, but stepping inside, there he was—that damn face.
"Oh, you came?"
Cha Do-yeon. He lounged in a chair, arm casually draped over the back, as if he'd expected her to rush over.
"Miss Cha Hwa-ryeon, long time no see."
With the traitor bitch right beside him. U Mi-ae, who'd stabbed her straight in the back, stood brazenly at his side, fussing over his collar like it was nothing.
They were deliberately grinding her nerves, but with all the eyes on them, she swallowed her fury.
"I'll make this quick with questions and leave. ...Why the hell are you here?"
"Huh? Why do you think I'm at a construction bid explanatory session?"
"Ha! The guy who lived fat off plastic card commissions is suddenly jumping into construction?"
A massive theme park in the city center. Long-planned to boost tourism in entertainment-scarce Korea. Rumors swirled it could be a jackpot if completed. Featuring a globally famous foreign mouse mascot as the main theme, with hefty city subsidies—it was win-win: profit for the builder, more attractions and tourists for Seoul. But reality wasn't a fairy tale. The previous contractor went bankrupt. Blinded by "guaranteed success," they'd overextended to win the bid and crashed hard. The site sat abandoned for ages. Word was, the delay in breaking ground had been fatal. Anyway, with the firm bust, they were auctioning it off fast to a new constructor. A high-profile Seoul city project, so public bidding.
She'd pegged it as easy honey, but Cha Do-yeon had the gall to show up caked in dirt.
"Who knows? I'm here to invest, not build. I know a construction firm with killer management."
Several suited men sat in the back row. They stood and bowed 90 degrees to her—not underlings, then. Her subordinate whispered, "Competing construction company CEOs."
Competing firms...?!
It clicked. The full picture hit like a blow to the back of her head. She'd weathered his attacks before, but this was the first time her little brother bared his teeth head-on.
"...You're trying to push me out by dragging in other firms? Against immovable industry #1, Hwaryeong Construction?"
The prior short-selling and fake stock tips could be chalked up to her misjudgment—a "defense" measure. Cha Do-yeon had always guarded his tiny slice; she never expected him to move so sharply, revealing ambition right in her face. Overtly attacking to oust her.
Heh.
She flinched. Even now, that leisurely smirk. He'd always grinned like an idiot before, no hidden depths behind the mask. This cocky little brother strutting before her was a total stranger.
"Y'know, I thought you'd given up, sis."
"Given up on what...?"
"I warned you before, right? No money, so skip this auction."
Then, as if just remembering, "Ah!" He added, "Saw the financials come out—looks like you swept internal issues under the rug in a hurry?"
"!!!"
—? Info she absolutely couldn't leak, dropped casually in front of everyone. Her embezzlement cover-up, publicly dragged out.
"Wh-what bullshit is that?!"
"What's wrong? Just family joking around."
Grinning wider on purpose, "No way the CEO'd fudge accounting herself. Get caught dipping into company funds, and it's game over—straight to the slammer. Right?"
Gulp!
He knew. The fallout from the short-selling failure. That she'd cooked the books to hide it. Her little brother was choking her neck for sure. Gone was the loose, empty-headed personality; now he pressed until she couldn't breathe. Daring to toy with her in his palm.
"Driv-driver! Start the car now!"
"? Not staying for the session?"
"I just came to check the intruder! Proxy's set—don't worry about this!"
Position was bad; she bolted. If her accounting fraud went public to recoup losses, it was over.
Grind!
Fine, time for a lesson. Business in Korea wasn't just about who shoved whose ass harder.
*
"You know why I squeezed this meeting on short notice, right, Mayor?"
"......"
The man before her was Seoul's mayor. In Korea, only the president outranked him in power. If Seoul's heart stopped, the nation flatlined. He wielded massive authority—like picking contractors or awarding auctions.
"Simple. Award us the stalled theme park bid. Tip us the opponent's amount or just a bit higher."
"......"
"Yeah, business as usual. With Hwaryeong Construction's proven track record as #1, no one bats an eye."
The mayor dragged his feet needlessly. A puppet dancing to Hwaryeong Group's tune forever, now wasting time. But she knew his "hesitation"—slipping a small envelope from her chest.
"Don't take it."
"!"
As she offered the "pocket money" envelope, he blocked her. Uncharacteristically cautious eyes signaling clear refusal.
"...You won't take it?"
"No. And this time, I can't deliver on Miss Cha Hwa-ryeon's expectations either."
"Why the sudden change?"
She bared her teeth like she'd bite; he looked away, loosening his shirt collar as if flushed by her glare.
"Th-this theme park is a real investment in Korea's future. We got flak for the shoddy prior firm, so this time we'll scrutinize plans and bids for feasibility."
"Suddenly playing by the book?"
Arms crossed in disbelief, "If it's by the book, shouldn't Seoul beg Hwaryeong Construction, yearly #1, instead?"
Sweat beaded on the mayor at her jab. He paced like a dog needing to piss, then murmured sideways.
"Heard your liquidity's... bone-dry."
"!"
She swallowed hard. Who the hell was spreading it? The uncomfortable truth again. Seeing her bite her nails, the mayor added confidently.
"You know this isn't pocket change. Last firm laid foundations then tanked on cashflow. This time, I want a solid-capital player."
"You mean that flash-in-the-pan Cha Do-yeon and his ragtag firms?!"
"......"
"Come on, Mayor! Be straight with me. You were tight with Dad—now swayed by rumors to screw Hwaryeong Construction?"
The mayor averted his eyes. Their family usually had him crawling; this wasn't his style. He held firm to the end.
"Can't promise the bid, but for old times, I'll call the banks for you."
"Forget it!"
She shot up. Hwaryeong heir pride scratched raw, she glared in tatters.
"I'll remember today forever!"
"......"
Even giving him a last grab, he ignored her. Staring at the curtained, wall-like window, she snapped—thud! Kicked the door open and stormed out. Heels clacking like they'd snap, sprinting the hall.
Why the fuck is everyone suddenly screwing me!?
It made no sense. Cha Do-yeon changed in months, now even the mayor flipped. No big balls, drooling over bribes and girls—yet he defied her. Term almost up, and in this crunch for cash and connections.
......No way?
As she burst out, suspicion hit. Frowning hard at the receding city hall.
* * *
"She's gone."
"Y-yes..."
He pocketed the phone game he'd been tapping away at. Emerging from the pre-arranged hidden lounge, the mayor mopped sweat with a handkerchief. Heater off, yet he complained of inner heat.
"Really... this okay?"
"What about?"
"Well... Cha Hwa-ryeon's retaliation scares me. You know her temper, being siblings."
He chuckled at that. Approaching the man who trembled at "Hwaryeong," he brushed his shoulders and gripped them.
"You saw our estimated asset report on Hwaryeong Construction, right?"
"......"
"Sis is a tiger with no teeth left."
Casually cracking a melon candy from the desk and popping it in, "Just wait out the clock with me. From today, Mayor, hand the bid 'fair and square' to a healthy firm."
"Th-that's it?"
"Yep. Judge which constructor fits best."
He meant it. Not corrupt lobbying like his sisters and dad—no, just do the mayor's job. Fair play. That alone, and all plans slid smooth.
"Come on, don't bow so low."
"......"
"Nail this, and ride clean sponsorship from the new 'Hwaryeong' to the next term."
Shh, offering a business handshake. Grip! The mayor seized it fast. A fresh lifeline reached for him.
Thus, corrupt bids were blocked at the source. With endless backroom handshakes, Cha Hwa-ryeon's downfall countdown began.