The Enemy of My Enemy
"Thank you all so much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this gathering."
With his hair neatly slicked back with pomade, Chairman Oh Jeongsu looked impeccable. Despite his receding hairline, his appearance gave the theater owners sitting before him an impression of refined authority.
"Oh, we’re the ones who should be thanking you. I mean, it’s Geumsan Steel! It’s not just some department manager, but the Chairman himself stepping up to help us. We’d be fools not to jump at the chance."
The speaker was a man in his mid-40s with dark, tanned skin and a prominent mole the size of a 50-won coin on his forehead. He owned a theater closest to the MEV in Gangnam, meaning he had taken the hardest hit from its opening.
"Knowing there are people like President Kim Pan-seok here gives me great confidence. And to the rest of you, thank you again. The reason I asked you all to come today is none other than the issue of MEV."
Eleven men, including Oh Jeongsu, were gathered in a high-end Chinese restaurant. Seated around a large round table, they looked like knights of a round table, but there was an unbridgeable gap between them and Chairman Oh. While the others sat at the table, Oh Jeongsu had positioned himself at the head, separate from the circle. It was a subtle display of power—a way of saying, "I am not like you." Of course, the theater owners, including President Kim, were completely oblivious to this.
"Everyone, you’ve been struggling a lot because of MEV lately, haven't you?"
At Oh Jeongsu’s prompt, a chorus of grievances erupted from around the table.
"You’re telling me! Since that place opened, our attendance has dropped by half!"
"Half? That’s nothing! Ours dropped by 80 percent! I’ve already had to cut my staff's wages in half. At this rate, I’ll have to start cutting into my own pocket, too!"
But the highlight of the complaints was Kim Pan-seok.
"You all have it easy. I sent everyone home on unpaid leave except for one employee. And I even cut that person’s salary in half."
Not a word was mentioned about him cutting his own income, of course. But Oh Jeongsu smiled inwardly. The greedier these men were, the more likely they were to align with his interests.
"Everyone, are you aware of this? The fact that MEV is effectively a subsidiary of YK Group?"
"Wait, what did you say?"
Kim Pan-seok’s mole twitched violently as he stared at Oh Jeongsu with an expression of disbelief.
"President Kim, you seem truly exhausted. I can feel your frustration from here. It pains me to say it, but it is the truth. I’ve verified the information myself, so there is no mistake. Choi Yoon-gi, the real owner of YK Department Store, is the owner of MEV."
"That son of a bitch!"
Starting with Kim Pan-seok’s outburst, raw, colorful profanity began to fly around the table.
"That bastard ruined the country by bringing in all those foreign goods, and now he’s bringing in foreign capital to tear down the very pillars of our nation?"
"Exactly. Who the hell raised that brat? He’s hell-bent on bringing ruin to this country."
"That wretched piece of trash! He should have just stuck to running his department store quietly. Why the hell is he messing with poor, powerless people like us?"
There were only ten men in the room, but the noise they generated was louder than all the other customers in the restaurant combined. The owner of the restaurant even appeared with a troubled expression, but after receiving a thick envelope of cash from Oh Jeongsu and peeking inside, he left with a beaming smile. As the saying goes, anything that can't be solved with money can be solved with more money. People with wealth inevitably hold this belief, and in reality, it almost always works.
"Now, now, everyone. Please, calm down for a moment. Isn't that why I’m here? To help you resolve the situation with MEV?"
As the self-proclaimed savior of the room, Oh Jeongsu’s words caused the theater owners to snap their mouths shut as if they had been struck dumb. They all stared at him. However, among the group, one man who had been listening quietly spoke up cautiously.
"Excuse me... Chairman?"
"Yes, who might you be?"
The man was in his early 30s, quite thin, with front teeth that poked out, making him look like a rabbit.
"My name is Yoon Dae-hoon. I... I introduced myself earlier as having recently inherited my father's theater..."
Oh Jeongsu cut him off.
"Ah, President Yoon. My apologies. I met ten people today, so I couldn't memorize all of them. I’ll make sure to remember you quickly. But what is it?"
"Oh... it’s nothing. I was just wondering, why are you taking an interest in us...?"
It was a sharp observation. Oh Jeongsu’s expression soured internally, but he kept his composure. Or rather, he tried to.
"Now, President Yoon! Why are you trying to ruin the mood? Chairman Oh is offering to help us, and instead of saying, 'Yes, thank you!' you’re throwing a wrench in the works? Do you want your theater to go bankrupt?"
Kim Pan-seok shouted, his veins bulging. Oh Jeongsu cheered inwardly at this.
"No, that’s not it, I..." Yoon Dae-hoon tried to speak, but Kim Pan-seok cut him off again.
"President Yoon, you just inherited that theater from your father, didn't you? If you take away the theater you got from your dad, do you have anything else to your name? Are you just going to let it get destroyed by MEV?"
"No, that’s not what I meant..."
"I don't care what you meant! In this situation, you just need to sit quietly and listen to what Chairman Oh has to say. Do you understand?"
"...Yes."
In the end, Yoon Dae-hoon raised a white flag, and Kim Pan-seok looked at Oh Jeongsu with a look that said, "Did I do well?"
"Ahem! Ahem! It seems we’ve settled that. Sorry for the interruption, but let me continue. I do not want to see the theaters that hold the history of Seoul close their doors. That is why I intend to provide unlimited support to your businesses."
Unlimited! At the mention of such an absurd benefit, the owners' eyes widened.
'Damn it, I didn't want to say this much yet,' Oh Jeongsu thought, clicking his tongue, but he quickly continued.
"In fact, our company, Geumsan Steel, has suffered great losses at the hands of YK."
In an instant, the owners began to denounce YK again, and Oh Jeongsu watched the situation unfold, letting the atmosphere ripen. It was a masterful display. In front of JD or at banquets with other conglomerate heads, Oh Jeongsu was just another ordinary rich man. But here, he was a seasoned executive and a true chaebol. A person’s character changes depending on who they stand before. Thus, Oh Jeongsu had no trouble controlling these men.
'There is one person who looks like a potential liability, but I’ll leave him be for now and deal with him separately.'
Feeling that the young, frail-looking man wouldn't be much of a problem, Oh Jeongsu smiled and opened his mouth again.
"Now, everyone. Please, focus again."
The owners went silent in an instant. Oh Jeongsu had them almost perfectly under his thumb.
"I cannot disclose the details as they are company secrets, but YK is an enemy of Geumsan Steel. And they are your enemy as well. The enemy of my enemy is my friend! That is why Geumsan Steel intends to help you. I am being this honest with you because I want to earn your trust. Everyone, please believe in me!"
All the owners jumped to their feet. Except for one.
"What reason could we have not to believe you! We all trust you, Chairman Oh!"
Kim Pan-seok’s shout started a chain reaction. Everyone began shouting similar things, and finally, they glared at Yoon Dae-hoon until he, too, was forced to stand up.
"Thank you. Then, I will present to you the first method to crush MEV."
A method to crush MEV! The owners’ ears seemed to perk up at the words.
"What is it?" Kim Pan-seok asked, desperate.
Oh Jeongsu whispered with a sinister smile:
"A movement to buy domestic goods in the film industry."
"Chairman, this is the short story I’ve been working on."
In Yoon-gi’s room, Son Min-gwan bowed respectfully and handed over the manuscript.
"Oh, I’ve been looking forward to this. Just a moment."
Yoon-gi showed Son Min-gwan an intrigued expression before quickly flipping through the pages. Son Min-gwan watched him with bated breath, his eyes filled with anxiety. Son Min-gwan, who had come to the YK Department Store construction site as a mystery novelist and somehow ended up as a department head, had initially been confused to learn that Yoon-gi was his secret benefactor. However, being a social type, he had adapted quickly, and Yoon-gi had become his informal literary consultant. Of course, they met in Yoon-gi’s room, as Son Min-gwan didn't yet have the clearance to enter the main study.
"It’s interesting, for starters."
Praise makes even a monkey dance. A smile spread across Son Min-gwan’s face.
"But it’s a bit... unfriendly."
"Ah..."
Yoon-gi didn't wait for Son Min-gwan’s reaction and continued.
"Look here at the mystery trick. I think it needs a more detailed explanation of why it works. You’re well-versed in these tricks because you’re interested in the genre, but the readers are laymen. You don't want to write a book that only a handful of people will understand, do you?"
"Ah, yes! That... that is correct."
"Then, reinforce that part and bring it back to me."
"Understood, Chairman."
Son Min-gwan answered vigorously but didn't leave, lingering in front of Yoon-gi. Yoon-gi, who had been about to focus on a book about business management, turned back.
"Is there something else you wanted to say?"
Son Min-gwan offered an awkward smile and spoke with difficulty.
"Yes. Um... I’m really sorry, but about what you told me last time... that..."
Even though Yoon-gi had granted him permission to visit, the gap between them was immense. Yoon-gi realized what Son Min-gwan was trying to say and nodded with a soft smile.
"The publishing and promotion? Of course. I haven't forgotten. That was the condition I offered when I scouted you, wasn't it? Don't worry, just bring me good writing. I will make sure that good work never gets buried."
Son Min-gwan’s face brightened, and he bowed at a 90-degree angle.
"Thank you. Thank you, Chairman!"
"Don't mention it. You work hard, and you don't look down on me just because I’m young, which is why I trust you with this work. Keep doing what you’re doing. I have high expectations."
A 17-year-old high school student praising a man in his mid-20s. It was a rare sight, but Yoon-gi was one of the few people who could do it so naturally.
"Ah, Chairman. There is one more thing I need to tell you. It’s work-related."
Because it was about work, Son Min-gwan’s tone quickly became professional.
"What is it?"
"This isn't directly related to YK Department Store, but I watch movies quite often to get inspiration for my writing."
"I’ve heard the MEV staff mention you. They say there’s a man who stays in the theater all day on weekends."
Yoon-gi chuckled, and Son Min-gwan blushed slightly but continued.
"It’s a bit embarrassing. Haha... Anyway, I don't just go to MEV; I’ve been visiting other first-run theaters in Seoul that show Korean films. Recently, I’ve seen the owners there shouting 'Down with MEV' and calling for 'Shintoburi'—buying local."