The Enemy of My Enemy (1)

"I never dreamed I’d live to enjoy such luxury in my lifetime."

The California sun was rather sharp, but it was softened by the sun oil the attendants had applied to Choi Ki-hyun’s skin.

"That’s why you have to live a long time, Grandfather. Luxury like this is only worth it if you’re around to enjoy it for a long time, right?"

They were at the massive California estate gifted to Guster. Choi Ki-hyun and Yoon-gi were lounging on beach chairs by the pool, enjoying a vacation that defied the seasons. Thanks to California’s climate, which guaranteed warm weather even in winter, Choi Ki-hyun watched his descendants swimming in the pool with a joyful heart, his sunglasses perched on his nose.

It was a grand vacation, bringing along every member of the Choi family who had some free time. Since they had even chartered a private jet to fly all the way to California, Yoon-gi’s relatives were fully realizing what the "power of money" truly meant.

"With the power of Samwoo Group alone, this kind of luxury would have been absolutely impossible."

Choi Ki-hyun gave a wry smile, taking a light sip through a straw from a cocktail bursting with pineapple and carbonation, his expression one of pure satisfaction.

"It was only possible because it’s Samwoo. If it weren’t for you, Grandfather, and Father and Mother, it would have been impossible for me to make these moves."

"You rascal, I’m grateful just to hear you say that."

Choi Ki-hyun looked at Yoon-gi with moist eyes. He was the greatest blessing among all his descendants. He had known Yoon-gi was special from a young age, but he never imagined he would bring the family to such prosperity.

That was what Yoon-gi had told him when he was little. As he felt his grandson’s declaration gradually becoming reality, Choi Ki-hyun projected his own dreams onto Yoon-gi. 'Yes, as I told Yoon-gi before, Samwoo isn’t what’s important. The family is what matters.'

He no longer worried about Samwoo’s somewhat sluggish growth. Yoon-gi would take care of everything.

It was late autumn in 1984. The fact that he could enjoy a vacation he wouldn't have even dreamed of in the past was all because he trusted his grandson, Yoon-gi. 'If possible, I want to watch Yoon-gi’s path for a long time.'

Just as Choi Ki-hyun was having that slightly bittersweet thought, a pitter-patter sound reached them.

"Oppa!"

It was the voice of Yoon-gi’s younger sister, Jung-ah. She squeezed in next to Yoon-gi with a bright smile and grabbed his arm.

"Is it okay not to play with the other kids?"

Yoon-gi rose from his chair to make room for Jung-ah to sit comfortably, but she clung to him even tighter, as if she didn't want to be apart.

"I like being with Oppa better!"

It was music to his ears. Yoon-gi stroked Jung-ah’s hair with a warm smile, and she beamed even brighter, clearly enjoying his touch.

"Every time I see that, I feel like I’ve had my granddaughter stolen away from me!"

Yoon-gi gave a wry smile at Choi Ki-hyun’s remark, which was delivered with a mix of playful regret and deep affection.

"Jung-ah, do you want to go to Grandfather?"

"No!"

It was impossible not to take a little damage from such a firm rejection. As Choi Ki-hyun let out an "Ugh" and made a sad face, Yoon-gi quickly spoke up.

"Jung-ah, do you dislike Grandfather?"

"No, I like him! I like him after Oppa, and then after that!"

She was becoming quite articulate since she would be entering elementary school next year. However, as if she knew exactly how to be adorable, she acted with the innocence of a four or five-year-old.

"After... after? Who is second?"

At her grandfather’s question, Jung-ah answered without a moment’s hesitation.

"Mom!"

"Then, who is fourth?"

"Dad!"

"Hmm, Yoon-gi. Your father is going to be a bit sad."

"Then, shouldn't I just like Father the most?"

It was a fair assessment, but there was bound to be someone who felt it was unfair.

"Waaaaaah!"

Suddenly, Jung-ah burst into loud, wailing tears. Yoon-gi looked flustered and spoke to her in a hurry.

"No, no. Oppa likes you the most in the whole world, Jung-ah."

Jung-ah stopped crying in an instant and looked at Yoon-gi with a slightly suspicious expression.

"Really?"

"Of course."

As Yoon-gi stroked her hair again, she giggled as if she hadn't been crying at all. Even though tears had been streaming down her face and the tear tracks were still visible, the speed at which her mood changed was enough to surprise even the great Yoon-gi.

'Jung-ah, wouldn't she be incredible if she became an entertainer later? Should I try pushing her toward being a child actor?'

Since his fourth uncle was already running an entertainment agency, Yoon-gi thought it wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Seeing how close you two are, I’m worried about the future. What will our Jung-ah do when Oppa gets married later?"

At his grandfather’s teasing remark, Jung-ah shook her head vigorously.

"No! I’m going to marry Oppa!"

It was something younger sisters often said to their older brothers when they were little. But Choi Ki-hyun, feeling a bit mischievous, took it a step further.

"Even though Merrill-unnie is going to marry Yoon-gi?"

For a moment, a look of great distress clouded Jung-ah’s face. Merrill. Merrill adored Jung-ah to pieces. Although she spent most of her time in Korea with Yoon-gi, whenever she had the chance to spend time with Jung-ah, she treated her like her own sister—no, her own daughter. That was why Jung-ah was thrown into such confusion.

"Our Jung-ah, do you want Merrill-unnie to be sad?"

Choi Ki-hyun’s final blow. Thanks to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that, Jung-ah really burst into tears.

"Waaaaaah!!"

It was a full-blown wail. This time, it felt genuine, so Park Yeon-ji, who had been a little distance away, came running over in a hurry.

Even though she was nearly forty, Park Yeon-ji looked stunning in a bold white bikini. She ran over, the sound of her beach sandals clicking against the ground, and hurriedly hugged Jung-ah.

"Father, you’re teasing Jung-ah again, aren't you?"

At the glare of his daughter-in-law, who sighed as she looked at him, Choi Ki-hyun shifted his gaze behind his sunglasses.

"No, that’s... well... it’s fun, isn't it?"

"Please don't do that too much. If you keep it up, you’ll end up in fourth place, Father."

"Hey, surely not..."

"Shall I show you? Jung-ah, who do you like the most, Grandfather?"

Even in the middle of crying, at her mother’s words, Jung-ah shrieked at her grandfather.

"I hate Grandfather the most in the whole world!!"

"Gah!"

Choi Ki-hyun struck a pose as if he were coughing up blood, but Yeon-ji just hugged Jung-ah and walked briskly into the mansion.

"That’s what you get for not knowing when to stop."

At his grandson’s tongue-clicking, Choi Ki-hyun bowed his head, rubbing his index fingers together. "No... you know there’s no fun in life other than this as you get older, don't you..."

If he knew there was an ancestor adding commentary from the side, how happy Choi Ki-hyun would be. Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to hear such things.

"...Well, Jung-ah isn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the type to hold a grudge for long, so she’ll be fine by dinner. Anyway, what happened regarding Geumsan Steel?"

The spot where Yoon-gi and Choi Ki-hyun sat quickly became an important discussion table for deciding the family’s future. The family’s bloodline was all around them. However, Yoon-gi wasn't worried at all. The family’s situation had never once been leaked. That proved that the people of the Choi family were mostly tight-lipped.

Of course, there were those who weren't tight-lipped or were dangerous. But they had all been excluded from this family trip. Naturally, that included one family member who had to be excluded, and Seo Jong-oh. Choi Shi-ra, the eldest aunt, had acknowledged Yoon-gi’s discriminatory treatment after hearing that her husband had insulted her brother, and she aimed to at least get a foot in the door for herself and her children. As for the other members of the Choi family, it went without saying that they were offering absolute loyalty to Yoon-gi for such generous treatment. Thanks to that, there was no problem at all in having this conversation here. Of course, no one was approaching them in the first place, anyway.

"JD said that Chairman Oh Jeong-su of Geumsan Steel expressed quite a bit of dissatisfaction. He supposedly begged to at least be given the Shin-sang Steel portion. But because of JSD’s request, they said they turned everything over to our side this time."

"Not anything else, but he specifically asked for Shin-sang Steel?"

"Yes. Geumsan Steel is a steel company, too, after all. Maybe that’s why he asked for steel?"

"Hmm..."

Yoon-gi fell into thought. 'We acquired 10 subsidiaries this time. A steel company begging for another steel company? Is it simply to increase their size, or is there another reason?'

However, there was no additional evidence to make a judgment in the current situation.

"If Geumsan Steel has another motive, they’ll surely take a new approach. I think if we watch them for a while, we’ll get a sense of how they’ll react."

"I think so, too. By the way, how much profit did you make from Terminator this time? I heard it was no joke."

Terminator 1 had mobilized 1.2 million viewers in Korea alone, and its world box office was currently exceeding $200 million. Under normal circumstances, Terminator 1 should have earned $80 million. But with Yoon-gi’s $25 million investment, the profits had increased exponentially. Experts predicted a final world box office of approximately $250 million. In movies, theaters and distributors split the profits roughly in half, and after deducting production costs, investors take 60 percent. Among the investors, Yoon-gi’s stake was 70 percent. Therefore, Yoon-gi had earned approximately $40 million from Terminator 1.

"I think I earned about 33 billion won."

"Whoa... that’s amazing. From just one movie?"

"Since the distributor in Korea is YK, the actual profit is a bit higher, but compared to the world box office, it’s pocket change, so I excluded it from the calculation."

"True, there aren't that many Korean viewers yet. But the foreign movie market is really huge. You said you invested in other movies, too, so the profits from those must be no joke, right?"

At Choi Ki-hyun’s expectant words, Yoon-gi nodded.

"Of course. I’m still investing in Hollywood right now."

Although they were a small number, the producers who called Yoon-gi the "King of Investment" were gradually increasing. It had reached the point where producers were coming to him, begging him to invest in their movies. A superstition, or perhaps not, had formed that any movie Yoon-gi invested in would be a success.

"Come to think of it, how are the sales of Daehan Ilbo?"

Hearing Yoon-gi’s words, Choi Ki-hyun wore a triumphant smile.

Twenty large screens. Thanks to this, the remaining 10 first-run theaters in Seoul were in a state of absolute madness. In the 1980s, there were only 10 movie theaters in Seoul. Even if you combined all their screens, it didn't exceed 30. Yet, MEV alone had 20 screens, and because it was equipped with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠its own shopping environment, most of the audience was flocking to MEV.

It was only natural that the owners ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the first-run theaters were gathering to come up with countermeasures. But, Chairman Oh Jeong-su of Geumsan Steel was included in their meeting.