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CH279 | GSI
🕑 Added 2025-04-04 05:34:31 +0000 UTCSummoned urgently, Woo Ho-geun hurriedly stepped out of the elevator with Manager Oh Sang-hyun, making his way toward the chairman’s office with brisk strides.
“So, you’re saying that during a parliamentary questioning session, a first-term lawmaker from the New Era People’s Council raised suspicions about Donghae Mutual Credit Union’s illegal loans?”
His face twisted in frustration as he asked, and Oh Sang-hyun, keeping pace beside him, responded immediately.
“They claimed that a shell company in Hong Kong was given an illegal loan of 32 billion won to fund the acquisition of Mido Department Store shares. The lawmaker demanded an immediate investigation into Donghae Mutual Credit Union and those involved.”
“Damn it!”
A curse escaped Woo Ho-geun’s lips as his face contorted in anger.
The fact that they knew the exact amount meant this wasn’t just baseless suspicion—it was a well-supported accusation backed by concrete evidence.
“Who the hell ran their mouth?”
His sharp eyes gleamed dangerously as he demanded an answer.
“This only just broke, so we haven’t identified the source yet.”
At Oh Sang-hyun’s response, Woo Ho-geun clenched his teeth.
“I don’t care what it takes—find out who it was.”
“Yes, sir.”
Oh Sang-hyun, recognizing the unrelenting resolve in his superior’s voice, stiffened his expression and nodded firmly.
Upon entering the antechamber, Woo Ho-geun ignored the secretarial staff who quickly rose to greet him and strode straight toward the heavy wooden door at the back.
He paused for a brief moment.
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his tie and buttoned his jacket properly before raising a hand to knock lightly.
Then, gripping the handle, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Father—”
Whoosh! Crash!
The moment he set foot in the carpeted office, a coffee cup flew across the room and shattered against the wall.
“You worthless bastard! I trusted you, and you went behind my back to pull this stunt?!”
Chairman Woo Yong-gap’s furious roar echoed through the office.
Woo Ho-geun froze mid-step, lifting his head to take in the scene.
Seated around the office, flanking the enraged chairman, were Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol and several key executives of the group.
Among them, President Kwon Seung-seop of Donghae Mutual Credit Union sat with a face drained of all color, looking utterly restless.
Realizing that his father had already uncovered everything, Woo Ho-geun bit his lip tightly.
“You told me you secured a foreign investor—when in reality, you were funneling money out of the credit union in secret?!”
As Woo Yong-gap furiously pounded the sofa’s armrest with his palm, Woo Ho-geun met his father’s glare head-on and answered firmly.
“It was an unavoidable decision to solidify our advantage in the battle for shares and secure full control over Mido Department Store.”
At his son’s unrepentant response, Woo Yong-gap let out a sharp exhale, utterly dumbfounded.
“You caused this mess, and yet you have the audacity to hold your head high?!”
“If we back down now, everything we’ve poured into this will be for nothing. We can’t let that happen.”
Rather than lowering his head, Woo Ho-geun pushed back even harder.
Watching this exchange, Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol let out a small sigh and shook his head, while the gathered executives failed to hide their astonishment.
No matter how ambitious he was, no one had expected him to be this brazen, especially after dragging the situation into complete disaster.
For Woo Yong-gap, the shock was even greater. His face turned an alarming shade of red, so much so that those present feared he might collapse on the spot.
“I must have been out of my damn mind to trust a reckless fool like you with anything!”
His body trembled with a mix of fury and disappointment.
Remembering the chairman’s recent close call due to high blood pressure, Jeon Hae-cheol quickly stepped in to calm him down.
“Chairman, please, this isn’t good for your blood pressure.”
But Woo Yong-gap, now even more agitated, raised his voice.
“How the hell am I supposed to calm down after seeing what this idiot has done?!”
“The doctor warned that another episode could be serious. You need to be careful.”
“If I have to keep watching that fool make a mess of things, I’d rather just drop dead already!”
With that, Woo Yong-gap shot a vicious glare at Woo Ho-geun, who still stood by the door.
Seeing his boss boiling with rage, Jeon Hae-cheol was deeply concerned but could no longer find the words to intervene.
“So tell me, how exactly do you plan to clean up this pile of crap you left behind?”
Woo Yong-gap’s eyes burned as he demanded an answer.
“I don’t know how the opposition lawmaker found out about the loan, but since the companies involved are all foreign-based, a proper investigation will be difficult.”
“That may be true for the offshore shell companies, but what about the credit union? One look at the records, and anyone can see it was a reckless loan.”
Just as his father pointed out, stalling for time wasn’t a real solution—it was just a temporary patch.
At that moment, Woo Ho-geun glanced sideways at Kwon Seung-seop, the president of Donghae Mutual Credit Union, before responding in a dry tone.
“If we frame this as an internal mishap—an error in the loan approval process or even the independent wrongdoing of a rogue employee—then we might be able to contain the fallout.”
At the blatant declaration that he was being made the scapegoat, President Kwon Seung-seop’s face turned deathly pale.
“W-What do you mean…? I was just following orders from you, Executive Director.”
His voice trembled as he protested, but Woo Ho-geun met his gaze with cold indifference.
“I’m sorry, but for the sake of the group, you’ll have to take the fall. In return, we’ll put together an elite defense team to ensure your sentence is as light as possible. So don’t worry too much.”
“What? No, this doesn’t make any sense! How can I be the only one—”
Realizing he was being forced to bear all the blame, Kwon Seung-seop broke out in a cold sweat and turned desperately toward Chairman Woo Yong-gap, grasping at straws.
“C-Chairman…”
But Woo Yong-gap remained silent for a moment, his expression grim. Then, in a low, measured voice, he spoke.
“You’ll have to make some sacrifices.”
At those words, Kwon Seung-seop’s face twisted in despair, as if the sky had just come crashing down.
It was Woo Ho-geun who had orchestrated this entire scheme—he should have been the one to take responsibility and face the consequences. But not a single executive in the room dared to say it out loud.
Even Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol could only press his lips together bitterly as he watched Kwon Seung-seop sink into resignation.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside. Moments later, a frantic knock came at the door, followed by a secretary hurriedly stepping inside, looking visibly flustered.
“What is it now?”
Irritated, Woo Yong-gap snapped at him.
The secretary cast a quick, uneasy glance at Woo Ho-geun before hesitantly opening his mouth.
“W-Well… The prosecutors from the Southern District Office are here.”
“The Southern District Office?”
Woo Yong-gap’s brow furrowed deeply as he glared at the secretary, who continued nervously.
“Yes, sir.”
“What the hell are they doing here?”
“T-They brought a warrant.”
“What?!”
At the exact moment Woo Yong-gap’s eyebrows shot up in shock, the door burst open, and three men strode in without waiting for permission.
“It looks like you’re in the middle of a meeting, but I’m afraid we’ll have to interrupt.”
“Who the hell are you?”
Woo Ho-geun’s eyes burned with hostility as he growled at the intruders.
The man in front, wearing a dark suit and rimmed glasses, calmly pulled out a prosecutor’s ID and held it up.
“We’re from the Financial Investigations Division 1 of the Southern District Prosecutors’ Office.”
“……!”
The man fixed Woo Ho-geun with a cold, unwavering stare before continuing.
“I’m sure you already know exactly why we’re here.”
With that, he reached into his inner pocket, pulled out a warrant, and unfolded it in front of him.
“We are placing you under arrest for stock manipulation involving Boseong Communications. You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say from this moment on can and will be used against you in court. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you… Though, considering your wealth, I’m sure you’ll assemble a top-tier legal team with plenty of connections.”
He spoke with a sarcastic smirk as he watched Woo Ho-geun’s face stiffen.
“I was listening to the radio on the way here, and it sounds like you’ll be facing additional charges soon. If that happens, slipping out with a suspended sentence won’t be so easy.”
Woo Ho-geun glared at him furiously, but the man had seen this kind of reaction too many times before to be fazed. With a flick of his fingers, he signaled the investigators behind him.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Arrest the suspect.”
“Yes, sir.”
Two burly investigators stepped forward and firmly grabbed Woo Ho-geun by the arms.
“Let go of me! Do you even know who I am?! You’re all dead men!”
He thrashed violently in resistance, but it was useless against their iron grip.
“Calm down, sir.”
“If you keep struggling, you’re going to get hurt.”
The seasoned investigators, their bodies hardened by years of physical training, swiftly subdued him, forcing his arms behind his back before locking cold steel handcuffs around his wrists.
“Father! Don’t just stand there—do something! Damn it, tell them to let me go!”
Woo Ho-geun finally resorted to cursing and screaming, but despite his outburst, he was dragged out of the room, his feet barely touching the ground.
“Father! Fath—”
“God, what a racket.”
The lead investigator dug a finger into his ear and muttered under his breath.
The sight of Woo Ho-geun being hauled away, kicking and screaming, was nothing short of disgraceful. It was almost painful to watch.
“That fool is finally going to bring the company down.”
Woo Yong-gap slumped back into the sofa, covering his face with his palm as he let out a deep sigh.
All because of his incompetent son.
What a mess.
As darkness clouded his vision, Woo Yong-gap clenched his teeth in silent fury.
* * *
A few days later
[Donghae Mutual Credit Union’s 32 Billion Won Illegal Loan Confirmed
The First Division of Financial Investigations at the Southern District Prosecutors’ Office announced that the illegal loan allegations surrounding Donghae Mutual Credit Union—first raised during a parliamentary interpellation session—have been confirmed as true.
In connection with the case, the prosecution has arrested and is currently investigating five individuals, including President Kwon Seung-seop, on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that this incident was carried out under the instructions of Woo Ho-geun, the eldest son of Woo Yong-gap, chairman of Donghae Group...
A fresh morning newspaper, featuring a bold headline about the Donghae Mutual Credit Union scandal, lay open on the table.
Sitting with his eldest son, Park Jin-hyung, the president of Daehung Textile, on one side and his chief secretary, Gil Seong-ho, on the other, Chairman Park Tae-hong silently studied Seok-won before finally asking:
“Was this your doing as well?”
Both Park Jin-hyung and Gil Seong-ho turned their eyes toward Seok-won, just as curious.
Feeling their gaze, Seok-won simply shrugged lightly.
“I had the stock manipulation in mind, but this… was unexpected. Honestly, I didn’t think Woo Ho-geun would be this stupid.”
At that, Gil Seong-ho adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and asked,
“Are you saying that the revelation of Donghae Mutual Credit Union’s illegal loans in parliament was merely a coincidence?”
Seok-won responded with nothing more than a faint smile.
Seeing that, Chairman Park Tae-hong let out a soft exclamation, while both Park Jin-hyung and Gil Seong-ho struggled to conceal their surprise.
“With the Financial Supervisory Service corruption scandal, the stock manipulation case, and now the mutual credit union fiasco, Donghae Peregrine Securities is deeply entangled. On top of that, this latest incident ties directly to the funds used for acquiring shares in Mido Department Store. There’s no way they can continue their hostile M&A any further.”
Seok-won spoke casually, brushing off their reactions.
“They have enough problems of their own right now. They won’t have the luxury to go after someone else’s assets.”
Chairman Park Tae-hong nodded slightly, his tone noticeably more relaxed.
Park Jin-hyung chimed in,
“That’s right. Especially since this scandal involves the funds used to acquire Mido Department Store’s shares, their position has become even more precarious.”
“Indeed, you’re absolutely right.”
Gil Seong-ho also smiled, visibly relieved.
“This means the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting that Donghae Group demanded will end up fizzling out, just as the young master predicted.”
“Of course,” Chairman Park Tae-hong replied, now looking at Seok-won with satisfaction and pride.
“So, with this, the fight against Donghae Group is finally over.”
But Seok-won smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth in amusement.
“No, not yet. The damages we suffered in this battle for shares are too great to just let it slide.”
“Hm?”
Chairman Park and the other two men looked at him curiously.
“They were the aggressors in this fight, which means they owe us compensation—with interest.”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
Intrigued, Chairman Park Tae-hong leaned forward.
“They won’t willingly pay up, of course. But I’ll make sure they have no choice. That’s precisely why I bought stakes in Donghae Oil.”
Seok-won grinned.
It was now Donghae Group’s turn to take the beating.
