Shake the Foundation
"Could it be an instruction to shake up Seth?" Choi Chul-kyu offered an answer that was close to the mark.
"Exactly."
"But, honestly, I'm not sure how to shake them. It's certain that this information reveals Seth's dark history, but I haven't yet found a suitable way to utilize it."
Im Si-chan and his team had been working under Seth, handling tasks that couldn't be done under the company's name. There were things that made one wonder, 'Even this?', and others that would make any observer gasp in disbelief, but that was as far as it went. Without evidence, there was no way to prove it, and without a way to prove it, there was no way to use it. Even if they brought this information to Seth, they would deny it 100 percent, and even if they reported it to the police, it would be Im Si-chan's team that got punished, not Seth. Because there was no proof that Seth had ordered it. Furthermore, even if there were evidence of Seth's involvement, Seth had connections to the power elite, making punishment unlikely. The higher-ups would intervene to force a settlement, and YK would likely just lose favor with the powerful for being a nuisance.
'If we combined the power of Samwoo and YK, we might be able to go toe-to-toe with Seth, but then we'd likely be devoured by other tigers.'
Choi Chul-kyu knew that Yoon-gi would never make such a choice, so he was quite curious about what instructions Yoon-gi would give.
"Currently, it's highly likely that the second son, Park Ki-ho, will inherit management rights for Seth."
"That's true. Based on the data Manager Im brought, Park Ki-ho's name is mentioned much more often than Park Ki-soo's."
Although Im Si-chan had only met one person above his own rank, he had experienced meeting others. After all, there were too many tasks for the higher-ups to handle regarding specific mission assignments or information delivery. Naturally, he had met many people of equal or lower rank, and they had also met with Im Si-chan's subordinates. When people meet, conversation is inevitable. As the walls between them crumbled, they shared much, and Im Si-chan's team reported everything without missing a detail.
"On top of that, seeing Park Ki-soo struggling in Japan makes it even more certain. The eldest son languishing in Japan, the second son steadily achieving results in Korea. Anyone would consider Park Ki-ho the successor."
When Yoon-gi placed the stock market data he had received in advance through Ryu Geun-tae on the table, Choi Chul-kyu was able to grasp Yoon-gi's intentions after reviewing it.
"In that case..., are you trying to drive a wedge between Park Ki-soo and Park Ki-ho?"
"That's exactly it."
"But even if we help, Park Ki-ho's regime is too solid. Park Ki-soo won't be able to win."
Yoon-gi shook his head.
"It's not a fight to make one of them win in the first place."
Choi Chul-kyu could clearly understand Yoon-gi's intent.
"The weakening of Seth. That's the goal."
"You've finally given the correct answer. That's right. If we push Park Ki-soo, Seth will be noisy with discord for a while. We just need to plan for Seth's weakening during that time."
"If Park Ki-soo gets stronger..., then this data will also become meaningful."
Yoon-gi looked satisfied.
"Exactly. The instructions given to Im Si-chan's team were fundamentally from Park Ki-ho or his close associates. If we use this as a smear campaign, it will deal a huge blow to Park Ki-ho's image. Because Park Ki-soo, who is also part of Seth, will guarantee the credibility of the information."
"Even without evidence, just having relatives fighting each other over such content will have a huge effect. Besides, since it's all true, the other side will have a hard time doing anything other than denying it."
"While that negative image of Seth is being formed, we will gradually expand our business sectors. Targeting Seth's core industries, that is."
"In the end, it's a corporate war with Seth."
"You could say that. Actually, it's a gain for me. As YK's scale grows, I'm bound to be revealed eventually. I might be able to hide it to some extent through my grandfather or father, but eventually, someone will notice. If that's going to happen, I might as well get a Goliath-sized reward."
"A Goliath named Seth, huh..."
Choi Chul-kyu licked his lips, perhaps because they were dry, and opened his mouth again.
"It's a bit of a shame it's not heavy industry or chemicals. YK Department Store has impressive sales, but considering the scale of the company, those sectors are truly massive."
"For now, focus on Seth. There will be times when I give instructions regarding those sectors."
"So you have thoughts on that front, too?"
Choi Chul-kyu's eyes sparkled, but Yoon-gi just smiled without answering.
'It's still a distant future, so I can't let him count his chickens before they hatch.'
Choi Chul-kyu, who had been waiting for an answer, finally opened his mouth again with a disappointed expression when none came.
"By the way, what kind of support can we give Park Ki-soo? Are you planning to invest in Seth Holdings under YK's name?"
"No, YK shouldn't be revealed from the start. And according to President Seo Jong-hoon, I've already received advice that it's difficult to do big business in Japan without legitimacy. That means even if we invest funds under YK's name, it will be hard for Park Ki-soo to make a leap."
"Then, what are you planning to do? Is there a way to grant Park Ki-soo legitimacy without even borrowing YK's power?"
Yoon-gi smiled and nodded.
"Yes. I have a lackey in Japan."
***
Yoon-gi only found out recently, but Choi Deok-bae has a very special ability. It is that if he has made contact with a person even once, he can move quickly to where that person is. Of course, whether he helps or not depends on Choi Deok-bae's mood, but since Yoon-gi hadn't disappointed Choi Deok-bae recently, Choi Deok-bae readily told Yoon-gi where Watanabe was.
Yoon-gi immediately headed to Japan with Choi Chul-kyu and Jo Cheong-woo. When he called for the assembly before leaving, Jo Cheong-woo's face turned pale, but his complexion returned to normal once he realized there were no stacks of books on the desk.
"Ah, this time there's a lot to look at when we get back."
In the end, although his face was just as pale, Choi Chul-kyu had managed his mental state appropriately, so Jo Cheong-woo's expression had relaxed quite a bit by the time they arrived in Tokyo.
"Chairman, you've arrived."
At a hotel in Tokyo. Yoon-gi, who met Seo Jong-hoon there, first entered the guest room with everyone.
"Have you been well?"
"Yes, thanks to you, I'm doing well. I was actually feeling guilty, thinking I was just traveling and getting paid, so I will perform my duties thoroughly this time."
After finishing his words, Seo Jong-hoon talked with Choi Chul-kyu for a moment, then focused back on Yoon-gi immediately after.
"That aside, you mentioned last time that you were thinking of doing business in Japan; is this related to that?"
"Rather than business, there's someone I need to give a proper push."
"Someone you need to give a proper push...? Who is that?"
"Have you ever heard of Seth Holdings?"
Seo Jong-hoon shook his head.
"I've never heard of it at all... Is it related to Seth, by any chance?"
"I suspected as much, and I was right. Yes, that's correct. It's a Japanese company where Seth's eldest son holds actual power."
"Hmm, a Korean company entering Japan..."
A company that isn't very famous even in the future couldn't possibly be famous in 1980s Japan. It's not easy to make a name for oneself among companies that have expanded as much as possible due to the bubble economy.
"But I remember giving you separate advice; have you taken that into account? In Japan, it's hard to succeed without legitimacy beyond connections. At the very least, you need a connection that has legitimacy."
"Of course I have one."
"Did you have such a connection in Japan?"
Seo Jong-hoon looked puzzled, thinking that if Yoon-gi had such a connection, he wouldn't have hired him.
"You know. That buck-toothed guy."
"Pardon? That guy?"
Yoon-gi continued toward Seo Jong-hoon, who had a horrified expression.
"You don't need to be like that. Didn't you see his expression back then? He won't be able to cause us any more trouble."
"But that doesn't mean he'll help us. The grudge of the Japanese is truly..., remarkable."
"That grudge only works against people of equal standing. Don't worry. Dealing with that guy isn't a difficult task."
"But do you know where that guy is?"
"Of course. You haven't forgotten who I am, have you?"
Although he showed some displeasure with a 'humph' sound toward Choi Deok-bae, who was puffing out his chest, Yoon-gi didn't go as far as to provoke Choi Deok-bae's temper. Because right now, the most important thing was Choi Deok-bae's assistance.
"Then, shall we go?"
"Do you know where he is right now?"
"Of course."
Seo Jong-hoon and Choi Chul-kyu reacted with great surprise to Yoon-gi's behavior.
Yoon-gi headed to the Hermès Flagship Store in Tokyo, with Jo Cheong-woo, who was following him most comfortably, trailing last. It was a retail store that maximized the Hermès brand, a type of store that didn't exist in 1980s Korea. However, in Japan, where the bubble was in full swing, quite a few flagship stores already existed, which was enough to show the extent of Japan's capital expansion.
'Ah, did he think Watanabe might be here?'
Seo Jong-hoon thought that Yoon-gi might have just guessed, but to his surprise, Watanabe was actually inside the store, and he couldn't help but drop his jaw.
"Whoa!"
The one who made the sound wasn't Seo Jong-hoon, but none other than Watanabe. Watanabe opened his mouth even wider than Seo Jong-hoon had, and stopped moving as if he had frozen.
"Mr. Watanabe?"
The store clerk, seeing Watanabe frozen, was flustered and spoke to him from the side, but Watanabe didn't react to the clerk at all. On the other hand, Yoon-gi began to approach Watanabe slowly. Other than the sound of footsteps, there was absolutely no other sound in the store. When eight steps remained, Watanabe suddenly came to his senses and began to stumble backward.
"Ugh..., ahhh..."
Before they parted, Watanabe had shown intense hostility toward Yoon-gi. However, Yoon-gi inferred the situation that must have occurred in the meantime. Watanabe's background wasn't Watanabe's own power, but someone else's. But that power had almost been annihilated? What would happen to Watanabe in that situation was plain to see. Therefore, Yoon-gi naturally raised the stakes in a gambling match he was sure to win, and those stakes returned doubled.
"Watanabe."
Yoon-gi's low voice. With a thud, Watanabe fell on his butt.
"Ugh..., ughhh...!"
Yoon-gi slowly extended his fist toward Watanabe. When the fist reached almost in front of his eyes, Watanabe squeezed his eyes shut, but the reality that occurred for Watanabe wasn't a punch to the face, but a voice that felt familiar.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to get up?"