The Goal Four Years From Now (2)
'I always think this, but he really is a man with no sense of direction.' Even as he thought this to himself, Choi Deok-bae smiled at Choi Cheol-min and lifted his coffee cup. Choi Cheol-ho, who resembled their father, had a burly build, while Choi Cheol-min, who took after both parents, had an average physique. In contrast, Choi Deok-bae looked much like his mother; his features were finer, and his face was quite baby-faced, giving him a softer, almost feminine aesthetic. Though he was thirty—one year younger than Choi Cheol-min—he looked like he was in his early twenties.
Furthermore, because Choi Deok-bae used his appearance as a weapon, he didn't bother with pomade, and he had his suits tailored in softer, more muted colors. As a result, even though he was currently just an assistant manager, he was using his strengths to catch others off guard, slowly planting his flag within Samwoo Chemical. "It wasn't too hard getting here, was it?" At Choi Deok-bae's gentle inquiry, Choi Cheol-min shook his head with a smile. "Hard? Not at all. I'm just here to see my younger brother."
Listening to him, Choi Deok-bae scoffed internally. 'Funny. It's not like we're even that close. Besides, to skip out during work hours again... He hasn't learned a thing even after getting scolded by Father recently.' Choi Cheol-min hadn't been able to plant anyone in the secretary's office, but he had managed to place a housekeeper in their father's home. It had been useless for a while because their father had moved to the eldest brother's house, but thanks to the nephew leaving for the U.S. during school break, he had been able to gather information again. The housekeeper had reported that Choi Ki-hyun had scolded him severely.
The fact that he had come here from Samwoo Corporation during lunch hour meant he must have left well before the break began. Choi Deok-bae lowered his assessment of Choi Cheol-min by another notch. "I'm just grateful that you'd come all this way to see me, brother." It was a remark with a hidden barb, but Choi Cheol-min thought something entirely different. 'Cheol-bae is so friendly toward me; this is going to make things easier.'
Choi Cheol-min took a sip of his ssanghwa-cha, with its floating egg yolk, and dove straight into the main topic. "Actually, I came because I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Let's join forces."
For a moment, Choi Deok-bae had to suppress the urge to frown. Given his personality—he despised incompetence above all else—if anyone other than his brother had said this, he might have snapped at them. "Join forces? What do you mean by that?" Reacting as if he knew nothing, completely contrary to his inner thoughts, Choi Deok-bae watched as Choi Cheol-min began to rattle off his agenda.
"You know that kid, Yoon-gi?"
"What about my nephew?"
"Isn't he... a bit dangerous?"
"Dangerous?"
"Yeah. I looked into it, and that kid is getting an allowance equal to the salary of the president of Jeil Spinning..."
"Wasn't that because his management strategy succeeded? He's quite sharp. Maybe the eldest brother just submitted the strategy to Father under his name."
"That's not all. He's using that money to buy up land in Cheonggyecheon."
"Land in Cheonggyecheon? Well, couldn't that just be a move? There's no reason to leave money sitting in a bank."
"It doesn't end there."
"There's more?"
Choi Deok-bae was having the time of his life listening to his brother. It was rare to get such high-quality intelligence, so naturally, he was ecstatic. He made sure to wear an expression of intense interest, coaxing Choi Cheol-min to spill even more.
"Father personally lent money to Yoon-gi. Using the Cheonggyecheon land as collateral. Does this make any sense? Why should only Yoon-gi get special treatment?"
Choi Cheol-min laid all his cards on the table in front of Choi Deok-bae. His hostility toward Yoon-gi and every piece of high-level intelligence he possessed. Yet, Choi Deok-bae revealed absolutely nothing in return.
"Brother, that's truly incredible. I had no idea about any of that."
At his younger brother's words, Choi Cheol-min looked proud. "I pulled some strings. Anyway, what do you think?"
"About what?"
Choi Cheol-min thumped his chest as if frustrated. "Hey, at this rate, Yoon-gi might just swallow the entire Samwoo Group. That little kid is already stirring up the group; if this continues, our group is going to go under." It was a completely baseless claim, but since Choi Cheol-min prioritized his own emotions, he didn't care at all while he was saying it.
"Hmm... so, what would you like to do, brother?"
"I told you. Let's join forces. He's got a great maternal grandfather, so his starting line is different from ours. But if you and I, and the other brothers, join forces, we can certainly oppose him. You don't want to be calling a kid twenty years younger than you 'Chairman' later on, do you?"
Choi Deok-bae chose to shift the topic slightly instead of giving a yes or no answer. "Then, how exactly should we join forces? I'm just a salaryman with the title of assistant manager."
"Don't worry, I'll talk to Father and give you some leverage. And as we get promoted, we'll naturally gain more power, right? At the critical moment, we'll stab Yoon-gi in the back."
"Hmm, but that feels like such a distant future. Can you tell me again when we actually need to take action? I need concrete plans before I can do anything."
"Got it!"
It was by no means an 'OK,' but Choi Cheol-min mistook his brother's response for consent and beamed with a wide smile.
"Brother, this coffee is really good. I think you found a great place thanks to you. I should bring some clients here later."
"If it's about entertaining clients, ask me anytime. I'm an expert at that sort of thing."
"Thanks, I'll look forward to it."
Thinking he had grown closer to his brother, Choi Cheol-min suddenly sighed.
"Brother, why the sigh?"
"Anyway, what is Yoon-gi trying to do with the money he borrowed from Father? I need to know that to come up with a countermeasure, but the contact I had in the secretary's office disappeared, so I'm in a bind."
At Choi Cheol-min's words, which leaked yet more high-level intelligence, Choi Deok-bae weighed his options for a moment. 'I have a hunch, but should I tell him? Or is there no need?' The scales tipped toward telling him. It wasn't out of an intention to join forces with Choi Cheol-min, but because he wanted to see how Choi Cheol-min would go about opposing his nephew.
"Well, if he bought the land and then borrowed money, wouldn't he be planning to build a building there?"
"Ah!"
It was just a passing comment, but Choi Cheol-min was so grateful he grabbed his brother's hand. "Thank you! Why couldn't I think of that?"
'Because you're an idiot.'
However, Choi Deok-bae didn't show it at all; he smiled and praised Choi Cheol-min instead. "It's probably because you have so much on your mind lately. Don't overdo it, take care of your health. You're the pillar of our group, aren't you?"
"Yes, I should. Anyway, I need to come up with a plan quickly. I'll get going, thanks!"
Watching his brother hurry away, Choi Deok-bae let out a mocking laugh before finishing his coffee. 'If the eldest brother isn't involved, it's certain that Yoon-gi's own ability is extraordinary...'
Choi Deok-bae didn't have a firm ambition to succeed the Samwoo Group. Unlike Choi Cheol-min, Choi Deok-bae, who had studied abroad, had already seen how much wealth the chairman of a subsidiary could enjoy in a massive conglomerate run by a family. Therefore, whoever succeeded the Samwoo Group didn't matter to him, as long as his wealth was guaranteed. Of course, if there was no one more capable than him, he would have to take the group for himself.
'With my nephew running around so hard, I can't just sit idly by as his uncle. Whether I oppose Yoon-gi or eventually earn his recognition, I need to pay attention.'
As he stood up to leave the tea house, Choi Deok-bae looked puzzled when someone grabbed his arm. It was a man in his thirties with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. "What is it?"
"You didn't pay the bill."
It was the moment Choi Deok-bae's previously gentle expression crumpled completely.
* * *
After the break ended, Yoon-gi returned to Korea. While in the U.S., Yoon-gi's English skills had improved to the point where the word 'leaps and bounds' was an understatement, thanks to the Harvard talents he had hired who allowed him to audit seasonal courses. He listened to native pronunciation in lectures and practiced speaking incessantly upon returning to the hotel. Moreover, because he did this with Ryu Geun-tae, Ryu Geun-tae's English skills had also improved significantly. Although it might not seem like much yet, it would act as a massive boon when dealing with foreign companies in the future.
Choi Deok-bae had many questions about Yoon-gi's moves, and since Yoon-gi often answered them to re-verify his own path, their conversations had become frequent lately.
"There are many reasons, but P gets shot and dies in '79, right?"
"After P dies, the power structure undergoes a total upheaval. Even P's daughter, who becomes president in the 2010s, loses her power at this point, doesn't she?"
"So, there's no need to spend effort on the old military faction before '79. Once I start the business in earnest, I'll have to spread bribes in various directions, but is it worth investing in people whose days are numbered?"
"And the policy differences between P and JD are also significant."
"P basically believed that the people had to be suppressed to prevent a revolution, while JD believed that the people had to be given some slack to prevent a revolution. In the end, a revolution happens regardless, but JD's 3S policy will make it easier for me to run the department store business."
"Exactly. I plan to bring in luxury goods and hobby items, especially those trending abroad, so it's better to deal with JD, who is more reasonable."
"Yes, that's right. As I recall, they heavily suppressed things like comics in the 80s. And Lee Jae-ryong only jumps into the game industry in the 90s. I wondered why he didn't do that business in the 80s, and while Lee Jae-ryong was a bit young at the time, I figured JD probably wouldn't have liked that kind of business."
Choi Deok-bae was once again impressed by Yoon-gi's insight. "That's about the size of it."
A short while later, General Colson's voice could be heard from outside. "Yoon-gi, it's time."
Choi Ki-hyun's mansion. However, General Colson was also present today. It was 6:00 PM. Yoon-gi rode in General Colson's car toward the Chosun Hotel. Among the top-tier hotels in Korea in the 70s, the Empire Hotel and the Chosun Hotel were the most prominent; they were heading to the latter.
"We will escort you to your room."
Recognizing the Mercedes, the hotel staff guided General Colson and Yoon-gi to the suite with extremely polite attitudes, and soon, the two waited for the person they had an appointment with.
"Yoon-gi, are you really confident about this?"
"I'm sorry for making such an unreasonable request. But this will truly be a massive opportunity."
"After hearing your story, I did think it sounded plausible, but it's true that I'm worried."
"I will be careful so that you never regret this."
"I'm counting on you. He is someone I have a close relationship with, but he is also someone I find quite intimidating."
"I will keep that in mind."
It was a full 40 minutes later when the person they had an appointment with finally appeared. General Colson stood at attention and gave a precise salute to greet the newcomer.
"Hahaha, how long has it been since I retired? Why are you still acting like that? Just be comfortable."
The person who appeared was an old man who looked to be in his early 70s. However, his thick lips and the scars all over his body revealed the impression of a rigid soldier.
"To me, you are my General forever."
The man General Colson was so intimidated by. The identity of the old man was none other than the former U.S. Army General, General Guster.