The Preparations (1)
Yoon-gi offered a wry smile as he watched Choi Deok-bae lamenting as if the very earth were collapsing beneath him. “No, I’m not joking.” Yoon-gi’s smile deepened. “I’m telling you, I’m not kidding. I really intend to pull this off using my appearance.” At that, Choi Deok-bae’s expression shifted from one of despair to one of deep suspicion.
“Yes, I’m serious.” Hearing Yoon-gi’s confirmation, Choi Deok-bae let out a sharp laugh and continued his explanation. “Currently, luxury goods aren’t very popular in Korea. The biggest reason is that the previous administration suppressed such things as much as possible.”
“However, we have JSD as our ally.”
JSD had been promoted to Chief of the Presidential Security Service just the day before yesterday. The very next day, he had invited Choi Chul-kyu and Yoon-gi to his home, which was proof enough that JSD would not be treating them poorly after his promotion. Furthermore, since it was already guaranteed that relatives of JD and JSD would be taking positions in some of the mini-department stores, it was clear there would be no restrictions on bringing luxury goods into the country.
“That’s true. But while it might be easy to sign contracts for second-hand luxury goods, ultra-high-end brands are incredibly protective of their brand image, so it won’t be easy to secure contracts.”
Yoon-gi sighed as he watched Choi Deok-bae. “I don’t think explaining it will help, so just watch for yourself.” Faced with Yoon-gi’s dismissive head-shaking, Choi Deok-bae could do nothing but feel frustrated to the point of madness.
Today, only Yoon-gi and Choi Chul-kyu were sitting in the conference room. In one sense, it was a private meeting. But in another, it meant that Yoon-gi’s talent pool was narrower than one could imagine. Considering he was only in his first year of middle school, having two close aides and one elite architectural designer was already an impressive feat, but Yoon-gi was keenly feeling the limitations of his reach.
“Didn’t you say you were going to Europe for a while soon? I’m happy you called me here like this, though.” Since they were in a private setting, Choi Chul-kyu spoke informally to Yoon-gi, and Yoon-gi also opened up and spoke comfortably to him.
“Up until now, I haven’t had any major issues with just Secretary Ryu handling things, but I realized I need at least one expert in legal matters.”
“That’s certainly true. Secretary Ryu isn’t a legal expert, and hiring a lawyer every single time is a hassle.” Choi Chul-kyu nodded and offered a light suggestion. “How about signing an exclusive contract with a decent law firm? I think that would be quite helpful.”
Yoon-gi shook his head. “That’s not a bad idea, but hiring a firm that also does business with others carries too much risk. We are, by nature, a group with many secrets, and it’s best not to create any holes in our information. An exclusive contract is something I should only consider after I’m an adult.”
“Then how about asking your grandfather to lend you the Samwoo Group’s legal team?”
“That’s not a bad idea, but I don’t really want to choose that option either. As far as I know, Chief Secretary Lee Seong-won is someone I can’t fully control yet.”
Choi Chul-kyu nodded, seemingly in agreement. “You’re right, that could happen if you use the group’s legal team. Even in my opinion, Chief Secretary Lee is someone who is accumulating his own value in preparation for the day the Chairman passes away.”
He wasn’t a confirmed traitor. However, if Choi Ki-hyun were to pass away, Chief Secretary Lee was the type of person who could take his information and defect to another company if he felt slighted or discarded. Of course, Yoon-gi would treat him appropriately, but it was Yoon-gi’s philosophy that there was no reason to take unnecessary risks at this point, so the Samwoo Group’s legal team was off the table.
“Yoon-gi, if I were to summarize what you want, is it this? First, someone who can act as your secretary at any time like me or Secretary Ryu, and second, someone well-versed in the law. Am I right?” Seeing Choi Chul-kyu hit the nail on the head, Yoon-gi smiled and nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Then what about your eldest uncle-in-law?”
“My eldest aunt’s husband?”
“Yeah. He’s a chief prosecutor right now, but when the administration changed last time, his line collapsed and he got transferred to the provinces. If you talk to him, I’m sure you’ll get a positive response.”
“How old is he?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but he’s in his late 40s, right?” Watching Choi Chul-kyu struggle to recall, Yoon-gi shook his head.
“No. He’s too old.”
“Hmm... is that so?”
“If he were similar in age to my eldest aunt, it might be different, but the age gap is too large, and there’s a high possibility he’d try to pull some nonsense to get a grip on me.”
“Honestly, I can’t deny that. He’s probably gotten used to playing the neighborhood bully while working as a chief prosecutor. How about the way I handle him?”
“I think that’s also dangerous. Ultimately, I have to be the one to carry out the work, and if that happens, the work will be duplicated. Furthermore, I’m planning to take him to Europe soon, so that’s even more out of the question. Besides, you have things to do in Korea, don’t you, Uncle?”
“Hmm...” Choi Chul-kyu fell into thought for a moment before speaking again. “Then what about your second uncle-in-law?”
“My third aunt’s husband?”
“Yeah. As far as I know, he entered the Judicial Research and Training Institute and his grades were good, but the kid is a bit naive...”
“Naive?” The word ‘naive’ actually piqued Yoon-gi’s interest.
“Yeah. Apparently, a law firm told him not to apply for a prosecutor or judge position so they could scout him. He believed that, gave up on becoming a judge or prosecutor, and finished as a lawyer, but...”
“But?”
“The law firm just wiped their hands of him. From what I heard, someone else took his spot, and the poor guy just had his life ruined.”
“Didn’t Grandfather protest?”
“I don’t know the details, but seeing as Father didn’t say anything, it must have been the influence of a group more powerful than ours.”
“Oh, my...”
Samwoo Group certainly had the power to be in the top 100 groups. However, the term ‘top 100’ meant, conversely, that there were at least 90 stronger groups. If it had been his son, not his son-in-law, who had been treated that way, Choi Ki-hyun would have stepped in, but because it was his son-in-law, he had swallowed his burning anger and endured it.
“So, what is he doing now?”
“His personality wasn’t fit for a lawyer anyway—he should have been a prosecutor or judge. At first, because his training institute grades were good, he got into a decent law firm, but got fired. After that, he got into another decent office and got fired again. Now, he’s forced to run a private office, and it seems he can’t even earn pocket money.”
It was a sad story, but a smile began to spread across Yoon-gi’s lips.
“Based on what I’ve heard so far, I like him better. Can we set up an appointment for this evening?”
“He’ll probably be excited to come! But just in case, why don’t you call the eldest uncle-in-law too? Choosing between two is better than meeting just one, right?”
Thinking there was no major harm in it, Yoon-gi nodded, and Choi Chul-kyu went out to the living room and immediately picked up the receiver.
In the home of the president of Samwoo Heavy Industries, where the air conditioner was blasting in the middle of summer, the reactions of the current chief prosecutor Seo Jong-o and the greenhorn lawyer Jo Cheong-woo—who had come to visit the home of his wife’s brother—were as different as their ranks.
“Come to think of it, I heard you’re working as a lawyer these days?” Bored while sitting side-by-side on the sofa in the empty living room, Seo Jong-o struck up a conversation with Jo Cheong-woo.
“Yes? Oh, yes...”
“Is the lawyer work doable?”
“Well... it’s not easy.” Watching Jo Cheong-woo smack his lips, Seo Jong-o smiled inwardly. In fact, Seo Jong-o knew exactly what kind of situation Jo Cheong-woo was in because he had heard it from his wife. Originally, he should have been a judge or prosecutor or joined a top-tier law firm, but he had ended up opening an office in a quiet part of Gyeonggi-do and couldn’t even cover the rent. Of course, his father-in-law was providing some living expenses, but it was clear to anyone that he was in a difficult situation.
“Is that so? Is there a reason?” Even though he clearly knew why it was difficult, Seo Jong-o deliberately asked Jo Cheong-woo as if he didn’t know. He himself had been demoted after the administration changed and was living in the provinces, but he felt a sense of comfort just knowing there was someone more miserable than himself. Especially since they were the only two there, Seo Jong-o felt a clear sense of superiority over Jo Cheong-woo.
“Just... I guess it doesn’t fit my aptitude.” Jo Cheong-woo spoke vaguely, but Seo Jong-o had no intention of ending the conversation.
“That’s why I told you. I said it wouldn’t fit your aptitude, so you should have been a prosecutor or judge. If you had come in as a prosecutor, I would have taken care of you, tsk tsk.” Jo Cheong-woo had only been a lawyer for a year. Seo Jong-o, who had been demoted two years ago, had nothing he could do to help, but since it was an empty promise anyway, Seo Jong-o was enjoying his sense of superiority by rambling on.
“Hahaha...” As Seo Jong-o was feeling satisfied with Jo Cheong-woo’s hollow laughter, Choi Chul-ho emerged from the master bedroom.
“Ah, sorry. I was on a call.” At the appearance of Choi Chul-ho, who boasted a bronze complexion and a healthy, muscular body even in his mid-40s, both Seo Jong-o and Jo Cheong-woo instinctively straightened their postures. The law is far, but the fist is near. This was no different even for legal professionals. However, Seo Jong-o was belittling Choi Chul-ho in his mind.
‘Tsk tsk, he has nothing in his head, so he’s still using his body like that even at his age. I don’t know how a kid like Yoon-gi came out from under a person like that. Was the mother’s side’s genetics strong? Well, they do say brains are inherited from the mother.’
But he couldn’t say such things out loud. Instead, Seo Jong-o began to tease Choi Chul-ho in a subtle, roundabout way.
“Brother-in-law, your body always looks solid whenever I see you. I’m truly envious of your health. I’m always being called by superiors to drink whiskey and whatnot, so when would I have time to exercise?”
It was a boast that he hung out with powerful people drinking whiskey, but Choi Chul-ho just smiled good-naturedly and opened his mouth.
“What can I do? I just work hard with my body. Still, golf is a sport, and it suits my aptitude, so it’s doable. Well, I just play golf, and other people take care of the work.”
It was a statement without any hidden intentions, but Seo Jong-o felt a sense of inferiority even in these words. ‘Hmph, so you’re saying you go around playing golf?’ Seo Jong-o, who had wrinkled his brow inwardly, scratched at Choi Chul-ho’s pride once more.
“By the way, Father-in-law’s love for Yoon-gi these days is truly amazing. At this rate, he might skip over your turn.”
If you thought about it, it was a truly disrespectful remark, but this time too, Choi Chul-ho just laughed it off.
“Then that’s good for me. I was worrying about what to do with the brainy work later anyway, so if my son wants to be a filial son, shouldn’t a father welcome it with both hands? I have a filial son. A filial son. Hahahat!”
Seo Jong-o wrinkled his brow inwardly at the fact that there was zero damage, but outwardly he laughed and continued the conversation for a while longer.
“By the way, Yoon-gi is already waiting in the study. Haven’t you gone in yet?”
Seo Jong-o and Jo Cheong-woo, who had been waiting in the living room until now, were startled and looked toward the study, and at Choi Chul-ho’s urging, they fumbled to open the study door and went inside.
“Did you arrive?”
The scene that greeted them as they opened the door was Yoon-gi sitting in the seat of honor, and the expressions of Seo Jong-o and Jo Cheong-woo diverged sharply.