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CH102 | Heir
🕑 Added 2025-04-11 02:41:30 +0000 UTCAttending a funeral and speaking ill of the bereaved is something one should never do.
Yet, Chairman Lee's grandson was an incredibly unpleasant person.
To rid myself of the filthy feeling, I went to the restroom and repeatedly washed my hands with soap.
“Here’s a towel.”
A man with a scar on his face handed me a towel.
I had seen him by Chairman Lee’s side many times, and I had heard the chairman call him Mr. Park.
“You must be deeply saddened. I know how much Chairman Lee cherished you. He treated you almost like a successor.”
“My name is Park Dong-ha. You can just call me Team Leader Park if you’d like.”
His voice was dry and cracked.
It seemed he was struggling to accept the death of Chairman Lee, whom he had followed like a father.
“I doubt you were just waiting to hand me a towel. What do you need?”
“There are many suspicious aspects surrounding Chairman Lee’s death.”
“Weren’t you by his side 24/7? If anyone knows what happened, it should be you.”
“I had stepped away briefly to handle something in Myeong-dong, and that’s when the incident occurred. His grandson, Lee Young-han, told me it was a heart attack due to old age, but Chairman Lee’s health checkup this year showed no issues with his heart.”
When someone important is lost, it’s easy for the mind to spiral.
One could assume Team Leader Park was simply weaving a conspiracy theory because he couldn’t accept Chairman Lee’s passing.
However, having met Chairman Lee’s grandson, Lee Young-han, in person, I found his cold, snake-like eyes and icy hands unsettling.
Park’s words intrigued me.
“So, you suspect Lee Young-han?”
“Chairman Lee never thought highly of him. That’s why he never entrusted him with anything related to Myeong-dong. Instead, he left him with a few buildings so he could survive off their rent.”
“Now that Chairman Lee is gone, all his wealth belongs to Lee Young-han, doesn’t it?”
“Not all of it. More than half of the assets are under borrowed names, and only Chairman Lee and I had access to them.”
It was understandable why Team Leader Park was suspicious.
But this wasn’t something I could involve myself in directly.
“I have no reason to get involved in a family dispute. If solid evidence comes to light, I may be able to help, but until then, I can’t make a move.”
“I’ll bring you proof soon.”
“If your suspicions turn out to be true, won’t you be in danger as well? Wouldn’t he want to take everything Chairman Lee built in Myeong-dong?”
“Chairman Lee had nearly succeeded in uniting Myeong-dong’s factions under one rule. But after his passing, about half of them have started following Lee Young-han. However, those who were loyal to Chairman Lee still support me.”
The Gwanghwamun Bear never became the true ruler of Myeong-dong in the end.
He had been just one step away.
Most private lenders had already pledged allegiance to him, and he had been suppressing rival factions with sheer financial power.
What should I do about my promise to him?
I had sworn to make the Gwanghwamun Bear the ruler of Myeong-dong.
Now that he was gone, wouldn’t it only be right to at least ensure his successor took that throne?
But then… who exactly was his successor?
Lee Young-han? Or Team Leader Park?
Until I knew who the rightful successor was, I wouldn't make a move.
Of course, my instincts leaned toward Team Leader Park, but there was no evidence against Lee Young-han.
Besides, I had already checked his detailed profile.
Exchanging greetings with him had given me a natural opportunity to learn more about him.
I read through every detail, but there was nothing suggesting he was responsible for Chairman Lee’s death.
"If you need help with business matters, I can assist. But I won’t help anyone become the ruler of Myeong-dong—not until I know Chairman Lee’s true intentions."
"I have no intention of burdening you, Director. I will prove myself as the rightful successor on my own."
I double-checked Team Leader Park’s profile as well.
As expected, there was no mention of anything linking him to Chairman Lee’s death either.
"My grandfather must be waiting for me. I should get going. Next time, I hope you’ll have something more concrete."
"I’ll come to you once I secure solid evidence."
After spending quite some time in the restroom, I finally stepped outside.
The planning director was scanning the area, seemingly looking for me. When he spotted me, he quickly rushed over.
"The Chairman is looking for you."
"I got held up with some… important business. Where is he?"
"He’s with Chairman Jang of Hyundai Group."
"Chairman Jang came to the funeral? I thought he was in North Korea. He must have returned to Korea already."
Following the planning director’s lead, I walked into the room.
There, my grandfather and Chairman Jang were sharing a drink.
"My apologies for being late."
"You little brat, do you think elders should have to wait for you? You’re still young, but for old men like us, time is more precious than gold."
"Aren’t you being too harsh on your grandson in front of me? It’s not every day you find a grandson like Director Kim. If I could, I’d take him in as my own grandson."
"Ha! You wish! How dare you try to steal my grandson? Hahaha!"
Two titans of industry were joking at my expense.
Even after living through two lifetimes, I felt a lump in my throat.
"Allow me to pour you both a drink."
"Of course, you should pour! After all, you practically swindled and sold off Taewoo Shipbuilding. You should be pouring hundreds of drinks, not just one!"
"The sale of Taewoo Shipbuilding had nothing to do with me. Taewoo Group sold it to a Wall Street investment firm, which then resold it to Hyundai Group."
"Do you think I’d fall for such an obvious trick? But hey, the fool who got played is the one to blame, so I won’t hold you accountable."
Chairman Jang was testing me.
I kept my expression neutral as I poured his drink.
"Chairman Kim, I have many concerns these days."
"Oh? A man with so many worries sure has time to herd cattle all the way to North Korea?"
"What choice do I have? If I disappear, your grandson will tear Hyundai Group apart. Right now, he doesn’t dare because I’m still around, but the moment I follow the Gwanghwamun Bear to the afterlife, he’ll seize control and shake everything to its core."
Chairman Jang valued me even more than my own grandfather did.
That thought sent a chill down my spine.
Once Chairman Jang passed away, a full-blown power struggle would erupt within Hyundai Group.
And when that time came, I had already planned to manipulate the chaos to my advantage.
"You’re still strong. Stay with us for another 10 or 20 years and continue guiding Korea’s economy alongside my grandfather."
"Then how about this? In exchange for selling Taewoo Shipbuilding at a good price, promise me one thing—when I’m gone, support my eldest son to lead Hyundai Group."
"How could I possibly take sides in Hyundai Group’s succession battle?"
"So you're refusing, then. In that case, can you at least promise not to interfere in the succession battle?"
I looked at my grandfather, silently asking for help.
But he merely observed from a distance, as if watching a fire on the other side of the river.
"I promise. If a succession battle arises within Hyundai Group, I will not get involved."
"Good, that's enough. As long as you don’t stir things up, everything will follow its natural course."
What exactly did Chairman Jang mean by natural course?
I already knew the future—Hyundai Group would eventually fracture into several parts.
And I knew that the eldest son, whom Chairman Jang was trying to put on the throne, would ultimately be pushed aside by his younger brother.
"I won’t interfere in the succession battle, but I have no choice but to continue competing with Hyundai Group in good faith."
"Of course, competition is necessary. If Chairman Kim wants to push for globalization as much as he claims, then he must compete fairly with domestic companies. Our Hyundai Group can only grow stronger because of rivals like Taewoo."
Chairman Jang downed his drink in one smooth gulp.
Only then did my grandfather finally end his silent observation and join the conversation.
"Listening to you, it almost sounds like my grandson is some kind of remarkable figure."
"He is remarkable. Everyone who matters knows that Taewoo Group survived the foreign exchange crisis thanks to your grandson."
"That wasn’t just because of him. It was the result of the hard work of every single Taewoo Group employee."
"More importantly, what are you planning to do about your grandson’s marriage? I heard he was introduced to the eldest daughter of CL Group, but there haven’t been any updates since."
How did the conversation take this turn?
Now, not only my grandfather but also Chairman Jang was taking an interest in my marriage.
"The boy refuses, so what can I do? No matter how much I pester him about wanting great-grandchildren, he won’t listen."
"Hahaha. Honestly, I would’ve liked to arrange a marriage between him and my granddaughter, but we’ve already given up on that idea. He’s the type who would swallow Hyundai Group whole the moment he had the chance."
"Managing Taewoo Group is more than enough for me. I have no ambitions toward Hyundai Group."
"You can’t escape your bloodline. Do you know what kind of man your grandfather is? He built Taewoo Group by acquiring hundreds of companies."
Well, he wasn’t exactly wrong.
Lately, I had been enjoying the thrill of acquiring companies myself.
But that didn’t mean I had any intention of taking over Hyundai Group entirely.
"If you're just going to spend time with your grandson, I think I'll take my leave."
"Oh, come now. It’s been so long since we last met. Let’s drink the night away."
My grandfather and Chairman Jang raised their glasses.
Taking advantage of the moment, I naturally slipped away from the table.
Leaving the funeral, I headed to Captain Kang’s office.
Dimon had established a separate office when he started an external consulting firm, making it a rather quiet space.
"Sir, have you been drinking? Let me get you some honey water."
"No need for that. I have a favor to ask."
Captain Kang was always busy.
When Dimon was acquiring companies, Kang would dig up their weaknesses.
When labor strikes occurred, he monitored the union leaders.
Since he always completed his tasks at 120%, I could entrust him with many responsibilities.
"Just give the order, and I’ll get it done."
"I just came from Chairman Lee’s funeral in Gwanghwamun. But his death seems suspicious."
"Do you want me to uncover the truth behind Lee Sun-il’s death?"
"That’s not our job. We shouldn’t take on someone else’s work."
Unraveling Chairman Lee’s death was Park’s responsibility.
I had no intention of getting involved in the fight between Park and Lee Young-han.
My only concern was Myeong-dong.
"Keep track of Myeong-dong’s movements. Find out which faction is in control and whether any external funds are flowing in. Pay special attention to any money coming from Japan."
"I’ve already placed a few people in Myeong-dong. Plus, I have close juniors working there, so I’ll gather information through them."
"Don’t stir up unnecessary trouble in Myeong-dong. Approach things as discreetly as possible. It’s fine even if you don’t find anything."
"Understood."
My plan was to make the successor of the Gwanghwamun Bear the ruler of Myeong-dong.
But since I still didn’t know who that successor was, my priority was simply ensuring that Myeong-dong was running smoothly.
TL/n -
Hyunjae = Hyundai
