Try Experiencing Failure
“I hope YK Department Store will purchase the Famicom units at the same price that Daehan Group bought them for.”
It was the first proposal Jung Taeryong could think of while he was completely devoid of any mental composure. He couldn't do anything about the advertising costs already lost or the operating deficits, but if he could at least resolve the inventory, he might be able to sway his grandfather’s heart by half. He believed that if he surrendered the wealth he had accumulated so far to the company, he could at least hold onto his position as an executive director and find a new opportunity in the near future. This deal was the most important step for that.
However, Ryu Geuntae’s reaction was naturally indifferent.
“I don’t really see a reason to do that... Even if you were selling them at a bargain, it would be a situation that requires thought, but to ask us to buy them at the original purchase price? Is there any reason for us to do so?”
It was a de facto, firm refusal. Because of this, Jung Taeryong had no choice but to grit his teeth inwardly and decide to make a second proposal.
“I expected you to say that. In that case, I would like to make a second proposal.”
“And what is that?”
“I hope YK Department Store will hire me.”
“Pardon?”
As Ryu Geuntae wore an extremely puzzled expression, Jung Taeryong continued.
“The reason I served Choi Yoon-gi—no, Major Shareholder Choi Yoon-gi—today is precisely for this. Please let me work at YK Department Store.”
“What on earth is that supposed to mean...”
Ryu Geuntae looked flabbergasted at the unimaginable request, but Jung Taeryong kept a serious expression.
“You know everything, don’t you? What I did in Japan. And I already know the fact that it was Major Shareholder Choi Yoon-gi who manipulated President Ryu Geuntae in Japan. In fact, I was dancing in the palm of your hand. As a result, I am currently in danger of being ousted from Daehan Group for at least the next 10 years.”
Jung Taeryong sighed once, then looked at Yoon-gi and began to make his request in more detail.
“Now that my grandfather, the Chairman, has abandoned me, I have no intention of remaining loyal to Daehan Group anymore. So I thought, ‘I’d rather go to YK Department Store.’”
Jung Taeryong knelt before Yoon-gi. Truly, it was a knee he didn’t want to bend, but since it was a necessary step to collapse YK Department Store from the inside, Jung Taeryong bent his knees and waist as if throwing everything away.
“I am much more competent than you think. If you hire me, I will provide all the information I have on Daehan Group. You might not be aware, but since there are many personnel within Daehan Group currently under my influence, I have not only the existing information I know but also plenty of new information. I don’t think it will be a deal where you lose out.”
“If you want to come to YK Department Store even at the cost of betraying your family, what exactly is it that you want?”
To Ryu Geuntae’s incredulous question, Jung Taeryong answered without hesitation.
“Give me the power to inherit Daehan Group. So that I can be the next in line after my grandfather... That is all I want. I can never watch the others inherit Daehan Group. Even if it were my father...”
The moment he defected to YK Department Store, it was a given that he would be excommunicated from Daehan Group. But Jung Taeryong planned to secretly contact his grandfather once he was inside YK Department Store. He would promise to collapse YK Department Store from the inside within a few years. If that succeeded? Jung Taeryong thought he would gain trust that would more than cover this failure.
‘If I explain that I didn’t join YK Department Store out of sincerity but to tear it down, Grandfather will surely help me in step. If I have Grandfather’s support, collapsing it from the inside won’t be difficult.’
Jung Taeryong looked at Yoon-gi again, trusting in his value as the eldest grandson of Daehan Group. However, Yoon-gi’s expression was filled only with mockery.
“If you have one single advantage, it seems to be your ‘groundless confidence.’”
Upon hearing those words, Jung Taeryong felt his blood turn cold in an instant.
“Listening to you, it sounds like you think it’s a given that we would recruit you. Why should we do that? There is absolutely no desperate reason for us to recruit you.”
“*Cough!*”
Since it wasn’t a wrong statement, Jung Taeryong let out an involuntary cough and glared at Yoon-gi.
“Well, someone else might recruit you. The fact that you are the eldest grandson of Daehan Group might be a merit-worthy qualification. But I will never, ever recruit you. Do you know why?”
“...?”
At Jung Taeryong’s distorted but question-filled expression, Yoon-gi smiled and continued.
“If you’ve read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, you know, right? Cao Cao forgave Zhang Liao, an enemy general who had caused him great harm, but did not forgive Lü Bu, another enemy general. What do you think is the difference?”
Yoon-gi’s words followed immediately.
“It is the difference in spontaneity. Lü Bu attacked Cao Cao of his own volition, but Zhang Liao attacked Cao Cao following Lü Bu’s orders. It’s the same for me. I might forgive Daehan Group and have business exchanges, but I will never recruit you. Because you are just trash with nothing but inferiority and zero ability.”
Finally, Jung Taeryong had become a being 100 percent—no, 140 percent—identical to his self from 10 years ago.
‘If I’m going to fall alone, I’ll at least take you down with me!!!’
However, he didn’t go berserk or anything right there in front of them. He hadn’t acted rashly when he killed Lee Jaeseo 10 years ago, either. It was just a murder disguised as an accident. Jung Taeryong suppressed his inner thoughts and stood up.
“...I understand. It seems I’ve wasted the time of busy people for no reason. I am truly sorry. I’ve already paid for the meal, so please enjoy it and have a good time...”
Jung Taeryong retreated quietly. Yoon-gi and Ryu Geuntae stayed in the room a little longer before heading out. They had confirmed with the clerk that Jung Taeryong had truly left, but that was all. Yoon-gi, who had no intention of recruiting Jung Taeryong from the start, got into the car with Ryu Geuntae.
Shortly after the vehicle pulled out of the restaurant—‘later than expected’—the driver’s eyes caught a large truck speeding directly toward the side of their car.
“You have a very excellent grandson, don’t you?”
JSD’s voice was filled with rage and heavy sarcasm.
“I am... sorry. I really... have nothing to say...”
The seventy-year-old man bowed his head with a weak expression. It was a sight never seen from Jung Gangpil in normal times, but even the chairman of a massive conglomerate within the top 30 in the business world was just a mayfly in front of JSD. Let alone in front of an enraged JSD, what more was there to say?
“Words can change, so take a look.”
As JSD played the video, a properly edited clip appeared. It was filmed from the rooftop of a slightly tall building. The restaurant where Yoon-gi and Jung Taeryong met and the surrounding area were clearly revealed, and Yoon-gi and Ryu Geuntae were seen getting into the car. Then, someone in an alley some distance from the restaurant was filmed looking toward the restaurant with an anxious expression. A moment later, a photo of Jung Taeryong taken with a telephoto lens appeared for a few seconds, followed by a view of the entire area again. And then, the truck, charging fiercely toward the vehicle that Yoon-gi and Ryu Geuntae would have been in if things had gone as planned.
The truck totaled the vehicle and attempted to flee, but it was met with concentrated fire by U.S. soldiers who appeared out of nowhere, and eventually, the truck driver was apprehended. As if he had foreseen that this situation would occur, the driver of Yoon-gi’s vehicle jumped out without delay before the collision. In the end, there were no casualties, but there was no one in this room who didn’t know what this video meant.
“I listened to the Chairman and pressured YK Department Store. You understand what this means, right?”
“...”
Jung Gangpil, who had no excuse even if he had ten mouths, just bowed his head deeply.
“I asked if you understood.”
“Huk...! Yes, I understand very well. I am truly... truly sorry.”
“I was also well aware of the news that the Chairman’s eldest grandson was persistently obstructing YK Department Store’s external investments. You know very well what this means, too, don’t you?”
“Ugh...”
Jung Gangpil felt his heart ache and let out a groan. Obstruction of YK’s investments. This would have been no problem if it hadn’t been caught. But Jung Taeryong was caught. There were numerous military figures benefiting from YK Department Store. Allowing YK Department Store to earn foreign currency had a justification, so it was an act that didn’t cross the line. However, interfering with the activities of YK Department Store itself was a clear act of betrayal against the military. It wouldn’t have been a problem if it hadn’t been discovered. But Jung Taeryong had revealed his betrayal to the whole world in the worst possible way by inciting an incident, and this had incurred JSD’s wrath.
The only reason JSD was suppressing his anger and meeting only with Jung Gangpil right now was solely because of Ryu Geuntae’s request. Because Ryu Geuntae had pleaded that it would look better to call Jung Gangpil separately while discussing the fate of the nation, he had arranged this meeting.
“Did you order this, Chairman?”
The moment he heard that, Jung Gangpil prostrated himself on the floor, pressing his forehead firmly against the ground.
“Absolutely not! How could that be!”
Of course, he had watched his grandson obstruct YK Department Store. But Jung Gangpil had never ordered such an incitement, so he couldn’t help but tremble like an aspen leaf.
‘If he hadn’t caused this incident, it could have passed quietly...!’
Jung Gangpil began to curse his grandson while gritting his teeth inwardly. It was a level of incompetence he couldn’t even imagine. He couldn’t have been more resentful of himself for having allowed it through his near-tacit approval.
“So, how are you going to resolve this?”
“I will apologize to President Ryu Geuntae right now...”
“If everything could be solved with words, why would wars break out in the world? And the act your grandson committed is not such a simple action. Do you know what kind of person Choi Yoon-gi is?”
“Pardon? That is, the eldest grandson of Samwoo Group and the actual owner of YK Group...”
To Jung Gangpil, who had only lifted his head with a puzzled expression, JSD shook his head while clicking his tongue.
“No. He is the grandson-in-law of former U.S. General Guster.”
“Huk!”
If Jung Gangpil had two hearts, one of them might have burst. Jung Gangpil’s complexion turned blue, as if he were someone about to stop breathing.
“Your grandson tried to kill such a person. It’s fortunate that President Ryu Geuntae had planted watchers around your eldest grandson and grasped this in advance... And General Guster is someone who can exert sufficient influence on the U.S. military and the United States. If they apply diplomatic pressure based on this incident, how much damage will our Republic of Korea suffer? And how many more North Korean puppets will infiltrate the Republic of Korea that has suffered such great damage? The more I think about such a situation, the less I can sleep.”
At JSD’s words, which flowed like a clear stream, Jung Gangpil’s body trembled even more.
“P-please. Chief of Security, please, just this once, spare me. I really didn’t know. And my grandson wouldn’t have known such facts when he committed the act. It was just impulsive...”
“You want to be forgiven because it was impulsive?”
“No, no! So please calm down and tell me what I must do!”
In the sight of Jung Gangpil, who was even clinging to JSD’s pant leg and begging, the image of the Chairman of Daehan Group was nowhere to be found. There was only a desperate struggle to protect his life and the lives of his family.
“Are you truly reflecting?”
“Yes. I am reflecting. I will apologize. Please, I beg you!”
“In that case, I have one proposal.”
JSD recalled Ryu Geuntae’s message and continued.