Money Begets Money (2)
“Collateral?”
“Yes.” Yoon-gi nodded and continued, “I want to borrow money from Grandfather using the land I own in Cheonggyecheon and my dividend rights from Microsoft as collateral. If I fail to pay it back, you can take the land and the dividend rights.”
“It seems you haven’t been studying in vain.”
“I’m using money you worked hard to earn for my education, so naturally, I have to make it effective.”
Choi Ki-hyun thanked the heavens that his ten-year-old grandson was studying management instead of the multiplication, division, and fractions that other third-graders were learning. ‘Even if Samwoo doesn’t reach the pinnacle in my generation, God has left me a glimmer of hope.’
Unaware of the existence of Choi Deok-bae, who was slowly floating around the room, Choi Ki-hyun nodded.
“Very well. In that case, I will lend it to you.”
“Thank you, Grandfather!”
“Not with Samwoo Group’s money, but with my own personal funds.”
“That is……”
Before Yoon-gi could finish, Choi Ki-hyun continued.
“I am saying I will be your investor. Not as the head of Samwoo Group, but as Choi Ki-hyun.”
Hearing his grandfather’s words, Yoon-gi was deeply moved.
“Grandfather!”
The declaration that he would trust him as one human being to another. Feeling that his abilities were truly being recognized, Yoon-gi shed tears without realizing it and embraced his grandfather.
“You rascal, why are you crying? On such a good day. Heh heh heh.”
Now that the necessary capital had been secured, there was no longer any reason for Choi Ki-hyun or Choi Yoon-gi to discuss business. Grandfather and grandson. For a week, the two spent a truly harmonious vacation together.
“Can’t you stay just one more day?” Choi Ki-hyun asked, looking at the window of the car departing for the airport with a look of regret.
“I’ll come back as soon as vacation ends. I have things I need to do.”
“Yes, I suppose so... but I’m so sad I can’t take my hand off the window.”
“Please think of it as an investment for our future, Grandfather.”
“Ugh... it’s an investment I really don’t want to make. But I have to. Yes! I have to!”
Finally, Choi Ki-hyun took his hand off the window. A moment later, watching the rear window of the car heading toward the airport, Choi Ki-hyun sighed.
‘I don’t ask for much, I just hope I live long enough to see my great-grandchild.’
Smacking his lips, Choi Ki-hyun’s expression shifted to that of a cold-headed businessman the moment he entered the main gate of the mansion. The expression he wore when Yoon-gi was around was reserved only for Yoon-gi. Even when his other grandchildren were born, he never once wore the expression he had when looking at Yoon-gi. Seeing the change in Choi Ki-hyun’s face, his second son, Choi Cheol-min, chewed on the inside of his lip.
‘Damn it, he doesn’t even look at me.’
Choi Cheol-min had visited the mansion every day for a week. However, in that entire week, he hadn’t been able to share a single conversation with Choi Ki-hyun. Of course, he could exchange a word or two in passing, but he couldn’t have a proper dialogue. It was inevitable, as his father was glued to his eldest grandson every moment. Furthermore, Choi Cheol-min was furious after confirming one fact through a mole he had planted in the Chairman’s secretariat. Of course, he couldn’t actually show his anger because the lion that was Choi Ki-hyun was standing right in front of him with his jaws wide open, but his insides boiled when he thought of the special treatment his father was giving his nephew.
“Father, there is something I would like to discuss with you today.”
Choi Ki-hyun, who was about to enter his room, clicked his tongue inwardly at his second son’s request.
‘He really hasn’t missed a single day in a week.’
Regardless, since Yoon-gi wasn’t there, Choi Ki-hyun nodded.
“Follow me.”
The atmosphere in the study where Choi Ki-hyun sat was enough to make a frostbite chill settle in.
“Father, so, that is……”
“I’ll give you five minutes.”
At that single sentence, Choi Cheol-min’s anger erupted.
“Father, isn’t this really too much?”
“What exactly is too much?”
Choi Cheol-min, his fists trembling, snapped at his father.
“Yoon-gi was with you for a whole week. And yet, for me, it’s only five minutes... Am I even your son?”
“You foolish boy……”
Unlike Choi Cheol-min’s volcanic behavior, Choi Ki-hyun’s reaction was ice-cold.
“Why do you call me foolish? Even if it wasn’t Seoul National University, I graduated from Korea University with my own merit!”
“This isn’t about your academic background!”
Choi Cheol-min flinched at his father’s shout.
“You have been coming here during ‘working hours’ for the past week. Do you not understand what that implies?”
“Ugh……!”
“I placed you as an assistant manager at Samwoo Products just as you wanted. Even though I am the Chairman of Samwoo Products!”
Choi Ki-hyun’s words didn’t end there.
“I already know you want to be the successor to Samwoo Group, and that is only natural. But do you think you are working hard enough to deserve the position of successor?”
“Th-that is because I still lack experience……”
Watching his second son make desperate excuses, Choi Ki-hyun raised his voice even higher.
“If you lack experience, you should be working! Is it normal to come here during working hours for a whole week and spend most of your time waiting? Do other employees do that? Even so, I haven’t said a word to you. What on earth are you doing at Samwoo Products that you can afford to do nothing for an entire week?”
“Th-that is……”
Choi Cheol-min couldn’t say a word. He didn’t want to accept his father’s words, and he wanted to make excuses. But he couldn’t.
“Do you think you can become the Chairman of Samwoo Products just by sitting still? Not a chance! Rather than handing over the company to an incompetent child and letting it go under, I will give it to a capable one!”
“F-Father!”
Choi Cheol-min hurriedly looked up. Something that absolutely must not happen. Choi Cheol-min had a baseless hope that he would inherit Samwoo Group if he just stayed put.
‘My older brother has no interest in management, no ability, and no academic background. But I graduated from Korea University’s Department of Business Administration and have much better ability than him. If I just butter up my brother, the others won’t be a problem at all.’
Although the obstacle named Choi Yoon-gi had appeared out of nowhere, because there was an age gap of well over ten years, Choi Cheol-min had no doubt that he would be the true successor to Samwoo Group.
“This is really too much!”
Choi Cheol-min’s resentment exploded once again.
“You insolent boy!”
“You haven’t given me any proper support, so why are you deceiving me like this now?”
“I didn’t give you support?”
“Isn’t that the case!”
“What do you mean I didn’t give you support! Did I tell you to earn your own tuition, did I not send you to study abroad, or did I force you into a marriage you didn’t want?”
Starting from the third son, Choi Cheol-kyu, he had interfered somewhat with marriages, but Choi Cheol-min belonged to the category of someone who had benefited greatly by being sandwiched between Choi Cheol-ho and Choi Cheol-kyu. He had been born into a future chaebol family and had gained immense freedom. However, Choi Cheol-min didn’t think so at all.
“If Father had sent me to marry into a decent family……”
“Hah! You’re talking nonsense. I clearly told you. I said I would find a child from a decent family if you wanted. But you were the one who insisted on marrying a woman who was a mere entertainer. Are you trying to shift that responsibility onto me?”
At the shouting of his son, who lacked even logic, Choi Ki-hyun’s heart grew colder and colder.
“B-but!”
“What else do you have to say?”
“It’s clear that there is discrimination!”
“What kind of discrimination are you talking about?”
“Yoon-gi... did you think I wouldn’t know that you invested a huge amount of money in that kid Yoon-gi?”
In an instant, Choi Ki-hyun’s atmosphere shifted from a raging frost to a chilling cold.
“You... did you plant your mole in the secretariat?”
Choi Cheol-min’s greatest weakness, ‘experience,’ held him back. Within Samwoo Group, lines were already beginning to form regarding who would be the successor, and the same was true for the secretariat. However, Choi Cheol-min had made a massive mistake. He had confessed that he had his own eyes and ears in the secretariat.
“F-Father, that’s not what I meant……”
“Enough.”
Choi Ki-hyun didn’t get angry; instead, he sat down. However, that appearance was more of a burden and a terror to Choi Cheol-min.
“Take this.”
Choi Ki-hyun threw a notebook and a pencil that had been on his desk toward Choi Cheol-min. Choi Cheol-min was startled but reflexively caught the notebook and opened it, but there was nothing written in it.
“Th-this is……”
“Write down the amount of support you want.”
His father’s cold voice. It was certainly terrifying, but Choi Cheol-min felt as if he had grasped hope.
‘Yes, I’ll take this opportunity to get a hefty amount of funding and start my own personal business just like Yoon-gi. I won’t start as an assistant manager at Samwoo Products, but as the president of my own company.’
He didn’t know the exact details, but Choi Cheol-min knew that Choi Yoon-gi was doing some kind of business. With the money he got through Jeil Textiles. And he believed that through those results, he was buying his father’s favor. Therefore, the number Choi Cheol-min was writing on the paper had an endless string of zeros.
1,000,000,000₩
“Are you asking for 1 billion won?”
“Yes. If you give me 1 billion won, I will definitely show you success.”
“It’s not like I can’t give it to you.”
Watching his father nod coolly, Choi Cheol-min thought it was a good thing he had been assertive.
“The interest rate is 17.4 percent annually.”
“Yes……?”
“Why are you so surprised? When Yoon-gi borrowed money from me, he promised that much interest. Naturally, you must pay the same interest.”
“W-wait a minute. You mean you didn’t just give me the money?”
Choi Ki-hyun scoffed.
“Puhah! How do you see me? There isn’t a single thing I’ve supported Yoon-gi with without a plan. And you will also need to provide collateral. Yoon-gi entrusted me with collateral worth more than the money I lent him. Do you have anything like that right now?”
Choi Cheol-min, his mouth agape, regained his composure after a moment and spoke with difficulty.
“B-but Jeil Textiles……”
“That was a successful investment, so I am giving a reward. Haven’t you also submitted management strategies to me before? Even though they failed. If you’re dissatisfied, submit a management strategy again. Though if you fail this time, you will even be stripped of your position as an assistant manager at Samwoo Products.”
“Th-that’s... that’s ridiculous……”
Watching his son, who was dumbfounded, Choi Ki-hyun clicked his tongue.
“Did management look easy from the outside? Or did it look easy playing at management from the inside? You have no idea how much risk Cheol-ho or Yoon-gi take to work.”
“Ughhh……”
“Get out! Study more! Learn more! Verify more! You are nothing but a greedy nuisance!”
“Uuuugh……”
Feeling as if he had been stripped bare, Choi Cheol-min shed tears and ran out of the study. Of course, there was no reflection on his part, and Choi Ki-hyun knew that too. However, rather than feeling sorry for his second son, Choi Ki-hyun was thinking about something entirely different.
‘I need to conduct a full-scale re-inspection of the secretariat. How dare they? I’m still alive and kicking, and they’re already picking sides?’
Hotel room. Choi Deok-bae’s figure popped out from the floor and stood in front of Yoon-gi.
“What, do you transform if I shout ‘Evolve’?”
It was Choi Deok-bae’s remark as he smacked his lips, but Yoon-gi went straight to the point.
“How was it?”
As Choi Deok-bae recounted the conversation that had taken place in Choi Ki-hyun’s study, Yoon-gi nodded.
“I thought so. Even during the time he was waiting at the mansion, he didn’t study or grasp the status of the company; he just watched TV or read the newspaper. Or he was just spacing out.”
“It’s only natural. When there’s a golden fruit hanging right in front of your eyes, it would be strange if your eyes didn’t turn. I was prepared for this from the beginning, and I consider everyone except for Grandfather, my parents, my sister, and those who follow me sincerely to be my enemies.”
“That won’t happen to me.”
Yoon-gi shook his head.
“No.”
“Money, you see.”
Yoon-gi curled his index finger and thumb to make a money shape.
“It’s earned from people who have purchasing power.”