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CH28 | Heir
🕑 Added 2025-03-18 03:30:01 +0000 UTCIt was almost time to leave work, so I headed to the parking lot.
A former special forces driver, personally recruited by Captain Kang, was waiting for me.
“I need to see Captain Kang. Please take me to his office.”
“I’ll drive you comfortably.”
As the driver pulled the car out of the parking lot, two vehicles that had been on standby followed closely behind us.
They, too, were former special forces personnel recruited by Captain Kang for security.
Additionally, more than 30 security personnel were on standby, ready to deploy at any moment.
“We've arrived. Please wait a moment.”
The vehicles trailing us came to a stop first.
Only after they scanned the surroundings to ensure safety was I allowed to step out.
After undergoing strict procedures, I was finally able to enter Captain Kang’s office, which resembled a war zone.
“There’s a lot of equipment I haven’t seen before.”
“These are tools for information warfare.”
“How’s the response to the leaflets we distributed? Are we getting any reactions?”
“Thanks to the provocative wording on the flyers, responses are coming in quickly.”
Captain Kang had also recruited experts in psychological warfare.
Even I found their propaganda slogans compelling.
“Just getting a reaction isn’t enough. We need to win the strike vote.”
“That’s why we’ve initiated the next operation.”
“What kind of operation?”
“It’s called the ‘Divide and Conquer’ strategy.”
“If it’s a divide-and-conquer tactic, the opposing faction would be Executive Director Lee’s group, right?”
“Yes. Currently, the only faction within Taewoo Motors is Executive Director Lee’s. Because of that, they’ve been able to sway public opinion with just a small number of people.”
“So, you’re planning to create a rival faction to oppose them.”
Divide-and-conquer was a common strategy in politics.
North vs. South, Gyeongsang vs. Jeolla, and on a larger scale, democracy vs. communism.
It was the fastest way to secure a solid support base.
“We’re establishing a new faction led by Chief Bae, a former union executive. By framing the other side as the enemy, we’re fostering a strong sense of unity, allowing for rapid expansion.”
“This method may be necessary given the time constraints, but the repercussions will be significant.”
“That’s true. Since this strategy relies on labeling the other side as the enemy, reconciliation becomes impossible. The division and distrust will persist until one side suffers a devastating defeat.”
Divide-and-conquer was by no means an ideal strategy.
It hindered collaboration and communication, inevitably lowering overall performance.
However, it was the only viable way to completely eliminate Executive Director Lee’s influence at Taewoo Motors.
“If this operation fails, Taewoo Motors will struggle for years. We must succeed at all costs.”
“That’s why we’re opting for even more aggressive measures.”
“Hearing you say ‘aggressive measures’ makes me nervous. What exactly are you planning?”
“We have defined the ideology of the opposing faction as loyalty to Taewoo Motors and the chairman. By spreading the narrative that Executive Director Lee’s faction is hindering the company's growth and attacking the chairman, we can quickly secure support for the opposition and ensure victory in the strike vote.”
“So, you’re planning to use my grandfather’s name.”
To the employees of Taewoo Group, my grandfather’s presence was immense.
Even in private gatherings over drinks, no one dared to speak ill of him.
If those employees were told that they needed to fight Executive Director Lee’s faction to protect the chairman, they would undoubtedly join the cause.
“We have to use every advantage we can. Speaking of which, consider reporting a few union executives to the police.”
“That’s entirely feasible. I’ll hand over the executive accused of assaulting union members and another who sold company products to an auto shop. There’s sufficient evidence, so once the police get involved, an arrest investigation will likely proceed immediately.”
“If you pass the materials to the prosecutor in the Dol-Ai team, they’ll take care of it. No one is going to risk their relationship with the Myeong-dong loan market just to protect a few union executives.”
It was a brilliant tactic to incite internal discord within Executive Director Lee’s faction.
The union had gone so far as to call for a strike to protect Lee, but if they realized that Lee himself wasn’t making any moves to protect them in return, their cohesion would weaken.
“I’ll proceed accordingly. Also, we need funds to establish the opposing faction. Even if we share the same goals, a true faction can’t form without personal interactions over drinks and conversations.”
“That kind of funding is absolutely necessary. However, rather than handing out cash directly, cover their drinking expenses instead. When people receive large sums of money, they tend to get other ideas.”
“I’ll ensure the support is provided discreetly.”
“Feel free to spend as much as necessary, even if it reaches the hundreds of millions of won for meals and drinks.”
The military certainly produced an abundance of capable individuals.
During the era of military rule, the military was at the heart of power, so it was only natural.
But now that the military regime was over, it was up to me to recruit those talented people.
“Oh, and I’ll be personally visiting the Changwon factory soon.”
“Wouldn’t it be a bit dangerous for you to go there yourself?”
“If we want to secure an overwhelming victory in the vote, we need a powerful rallying figure. I may not compare to my grandfather, but I should be able to serve as a focal point to some extent.”
“Just shaking hands with key figures in the opposition faction will have a significant impact on public sentiment.”
Winning the vote was important, but more than that, I needed to take action for the future of Taewoo Motors.
To reunite the company after the divisions caused by this divide-and-conquer strategy, a strong leader was required.
As the future chairman, I had to step up myself to mend the rift as quickly as possible.
Of course, that was assuming we won the vote first.
***
Executive Director Lee was not one to sit back and take the hits.
For him, the strike vote was not the most important battle—the real fight was the executive board meeting.
Regardless of whether the strike succeeded, if he could secure enough votes in the board meeting to protect his position, he would ultimately win.
That’s why he gathered the presidents of the affiliated companies with whom he had a close relationship.
And, of course, the meeting took place in Myeong-dong, where he could flaunt his influence.
“It’s truly an honor to host you all here today. I should have arranged gatherings like this more often, but living in Changwon has made it difficult.”
“I hear you've been going through a rough time lately, Lee. The young master seems to be full of energy and unable to contain his enthusiasm.”
Park Jin-hoon, the president of Taewoo Electronics, spoke as he patted Lee on the shoulder.
Park was one of the most influential executives in Taewoo Group.
In Taewoo Group, power among executives was determined by the size of their respective subsidiaries, ranked in the order of automobiles, electronics, shipbuilding, construction, and heavy industries.
The presidents who supported Executive Director Lee were all part of Park’s faction.
And they were also his lifeline for survival within the group.
“There hasn’t been a single quiet day lately. These kinds of leaflets are even circulating around the factory.”
“Haha, this is getting out of hand. It’s as if we’re waging a war.”
“No matter how hot-blooded the young master may be, he has crossed the line. I’m worried this might lead Myeong-dong to sever ties with Taewoo Group.”
Lee subtly brought up the Myeong-dong private loan market.
Taewoo Motors wasn’t the only subsidiary that needed factories—electronics, construction, and other divisions that required capital often turned to the Myeong-dong loan market to fund their projects.
In overseas ventures, delayed payments from buyers were common.
In such cases, subsidiaries would frequently borrow short-term loans from private lenders to pay subcontractors before settling the debt once payments were received.
“Tsk, tsk. The young master may be academically brilliant, but he still has a long way to go in learning how the world works.”
“That’s not something one can learn from books, is it? It takes time, experience, and guidance from seasoned leaders like you.”
“Don’t worry. I heard the chairman won’t be attending the upcoming executive board meeting. Isn’t that as good as leaving his grandson’s education in our hands? We’ll make sure to give the future chairman a proper lesson.”
At Park’s words, a smile spread across Lee’s face.
The underlying message was clear—they intended to mold him to fit their interests.
“I trust only you, gentlemen. Now, shall we bring out the drinks?”
“Tonight, let’s drink without restraint. Since Lee came all the way to Seoul, it would be rude not to indulge.”
“I’ll show you exactly how Myeong-dong treats its guests.”
Lee let out a hearty laugh as he spoke.
Park’s faction accounted for about 25% of the executive board.
It wasn’t even half, but the remaining 75% were as good as neutral.
And since all the executives understood the power of the Myeong-dong loan market, they would likely follow Park’s lead.
In other words, securing Park’s support meant securing victory.
As for the president of Taewoo Motors, he would remain passive, simply following Chairman Kim’s directives, so there was no need to worry.
Lee already considered the battle won.
The strike vote was held.
Union executives rushed to Executive Director Lee’s office to report the situation.
“It seems the young master’s visit a few days ago had a significant impact. Many union members are voting against the strike.”
“So many fools… Why don’t they realize that no matter how loyal they are to the king, it’s the local magistrate who holds their fate in his hands?”
“Exactly. Besides, even if the young master inherits Taewoo Group, it’ll take at least ten years. What do they plan to do until then?”
“Even if he does become chairman in ten years, what difference would it make? As long as they can’t repay the money borrowed from Myeong-dong, the Changwon plant will always be in my grasp.”
Executive Director Lee never considered himself the true owner of the Changwon plant.
He believed that above the plant’s owner stood Myeong-dong, and he was merely its appointed overseer.
Even an owner cannot simply get rid of a watchdog.
And yet, the owner’s grandson dared to try and cut him out.
“We’re diligently compiling a list of those who took the lead in forming the opposition faction.”
“They’re the ones we’ll soon ‘persuade’ to submit their resignations. Corporate life is all about knowing which side to take, isn’t it? This is the perfect chance to show them what happens to those who choose the wrong one.”
“I, for one, will hold on tightly to your side, Executive Director.”
“Haven’t I been taking good care of you? Switching allegiances now won’t even get you the scraps.”
“Absolutely. I’m very satisfied with my current position.”
The union leadership was already addicted to the taste of money.
Lee hadn’t shared his illicit earnings with them out of kindness—he had done so to ensure their unwavering loyalty.
As they laughed in satisfaction, another union executive came rushing in with the final results of the vote.
“The strike vote has been rejected—51% voted against it.”
“Well, that was expected. Now, the ball is in the executive board’s court.”
Lee remained composed, exuding confidence.
He planned to fully expose what Min-jae Kim had done to prevent the strike, and he had no doubt that the executive board would make sure Kim would never dare challenge them again.
