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CH25 | Heir
🕑 Added 2025-03-17 04:00:05 +0000 UTCThe next day.
A new notice appeared on the Taewoo Group Audit Team bulletin board—this time, issued under the name of the Executive Director.
At first, employees approached it cautiously, wondering if it was related to promotions.
But when they read the content, their shock far outweighed any thoughts of promotion.
"A performance bonus system? What the hell is this?"
"It says if we uncover embezzlement, we’ll receive 10% of the recovered amount as a bonus. It’s not a huge percentage, but still…"
"Haven’t you heard about the Changwon parts factory? The embezzled amount is rumored to be at least 5 billion won.
10% of that is… 500 million won?!"
The Audit Team was usually a quiet place.
Since their job was to audit Taewoo Group’s internal affairs, everything had to be handled discreetly.
But now, one sheet of paper had turned the office into a buzzing hive of whispers.
"It even says whistleblowers will be fully protected. Do you think that's real?"
"Only an idiot would believe that. Whistleblowers always end up ruined."
"But technically, this isn’t exactly ‘whistleblowing,’ right? If we report internal corruption within the Audit Team to the General Manager, that’s just… internal reporting."
"I mean… it is an opportunity to get on the next chairman’s good side."
"And the rewards are insane. If you expose corruption within the Audit Team, you get 30% of the recovered amount plus an automatic top performance rating in your review."
The whispers continued for a while.
But the moment Chief Jung entered the room, they fell silent.
"What the hell is this?! Does he think we’re criminals or something? ‘Internal corruption within the Audit Team’? I can’t let this slide!"
"Chief, please calm down. You already stormed into the director’s office yesterday. You can’t do that again today."
"How the hell am I supposed to calm down when crap like this is posted on our bulletin board?!"
"Sigh… I’ll go handle it today. You know how things turn out when I step in."
"Hmm… If you’re the one handling it…"
Jung took a step back.
He knew exactly how sharp-tongued Deputy Manager Woo could be.
Once Woo sank his teeth into someone, he never let go until his opponent gave up.
That’s why people called him ‘The Viper’.
Meanwhile, in the Executive Director’s office…
‘They should be arriving soon.’
I had deliberately put up the notice about the performance bonus system to stir the pot.
I wanted them to doubt each other.
And I had fully expected Jung to come storming in.
But instead, Woo showed up.
That was unexpected… but actually, this was even better.
"I assume you're here about the performance bonus system?"
"It’s definitely a well-intended system, but it could also trigger division within the Audit Team. Please reconsider."
"So you're saying the strong fortress that is the Audit Team could collapse because of the performance bonus system?"
"The Audit Team must always remain a sturdy fortress. Only then can we protect Taewoo Group."
The Audit Team protects Taewoo Group?
That would be true if it functioned properly.
But right now, it wasn’t functioning properly at all.
The Audit Team wasn't protecting Taewoo Group—it was protecting its own people, the ones committing corruption.
"Taewoo Group won’t crumble just because one fortress falls. And if a fortress collapses, doesn’t that just create an opportunity to build an even stronger one in its place?"
"What exactly do you mean?"
"There are no executives in the Audit Team, correct? The highest position is Deputy Director?"
"Yes. Aside from you, Executive Director, for over ten years, the highest position in the Audit Team has been Deputy Director."
The Audit Team was deliberately structured to have no executive positions.
Since it held immense power, allowing its members to climb too high in rank would give them the authority to control the entire company.
So, to prevent that, the Audit Team was intentionally kept at a lower rank.
Just like how military police operate in the army.
"I plan to make the Audit Team even stronger. The tradition of transferring to another department just to get promoted to an executive position—it's time to end that."
"Are you saying you want to restructure the Audit Team?"
"Wouldn’t you like to see your name on a business card with ‘Director’ written on it, Deputy Manager Woo?"
"Would that even be possible? Other departments would never allow it."
This time, Woo didn’t object.
After all, this was about a chance for promotion—why would he oppose it?
"That’s why there’s a condition."
"And that condition is… the Audit Team must first collapse?"
"Well, something like that. I’m not going to fabricate crimes or anything. Now, you may leave."
Woo left the office, a serious expression on his face.
I could tell just by looking at him—I had planted the seed of doubt exactly where I wanted.
The performance bonus system.
Internal whistleblowing.
Executive promotions.
All of it was part of my plan—to fracture the Audit Team, which had been bound together by corruption.
"Call Deputy Manager Yoon."
I instructed my secretary to bring in Yoon.
A moment later, Yoon entered the office.
His bloodshot eyes told me he had spent the night at the office.
"How’s the progress?"
"I’ve realized that there’s far more to this than I initially thought."
"It seems Captain Kang’s materials were quite helpful."
I had introduced Deputy Manager Yoon to Captain Kang.
Their work was similar.
The only difference was that Yoon conducted audits within the company, while Kang operated externally.
An internal auditor had easier access to internal data.
An external investigator could work without worrying about corporate politics.
So, if Yoon and Kang worked together, they could create a powerful synergy.
"It was incredibly helpful. In just one day, I realized how severe the corruption at the Changwon plant really is."
"How bad is it?"
"The same corruption that took place at the Changwon Parts Plant is happening at the Changwon Factory as well.
Accepting bribes from subcontractors in exchange for contracts is standard practice.
They also deliberately over-purchase parts to receive paybacks.
But the most serious issue is hiring corruption."
Was there any major corporate factory that didn’t have hiring corruption?
No academic qualifications, no certifications—as long as you had money, you could secure a high-paying job.
Of course, people would be willing to open their wallets.
"Is hiring corruption a big issue because of the amount of money involved?"
"It starts at a minimum of 20 million won (≈$15,000). If the applicant doesn’t meet the required academic or skill qualifications, it can go as high as 40 million won (≈$30,000)."
"Even if they only hire 50 people a year this way, that’s over 1 billion won (≈$750,000)."
"The problem isn’t just the money. The people hired through corruption operate like a faction."
"Since they have a weakness that can be exploited, I suppose they’ve become obedient attack dogs."
"Exactly. They act as Executive Director Lee’s personal guards, and they even control the labor union."
"Even the union leaders are on Lee’s side?"
"It appears that Lee distributes half of the bribes he receives from hiring corruption to the union leaders."
Executive Director Lee was truly impressive.
He had even managed to turn the labor union into his personal shield.
But you know what’s even more astonishing?
In my past life, Executive Director Lee wasn’t even on my kill list.
Back then, I had assumed that the factory director was the one responsible for all the corruption at the Changwon plant.
Because that’s what the police and prosecutors had officially announced.
But looking at it now, the factory director was nothing more than a puppet.
Everything had been orchestrated from behind the scenes by Executive Director Lee.
And yet, in my past life, he was never even investigated?
That could only mean one thing—he had used the power of his cousin, one of the four kingpins of the Myeong-dong loan shark market.
But no matter how close they were as blood relatives, there was no way he helped him for free.
Either Lee was paying a portion of the factory’s illicit profits as tribute, or his cousin was controlling him like a puppet.
"I wonder what the Changwon Factory Director was doing while all of this was happening?
After all, he’s one of the founding members of the company."
"Director Park Kwon-heum is a toothless tiger.
They say he spends more time caring for the factory's guard dogs than reviewing documents."
"I should meet him first. Find a reasonable excuse and arrange a meeting."
"If I move, the audit team will find out."
"That’s fine. This meeting isn't about anything else. It’s just pure curiosity on my part. I want to see how much a person can deteriorate."
***
Two Days Later
Factory Director Park Kwon-heum came up to Seoul.
To properly host him, I reserved a table at a renowned hotel’s Chinese restaurant.
I didn’t meet him as the head of the audit division. I met him as the chairman’s grandson.
"I've heard so many stories about you from my grandfather. He told me you even changed my diapers when I was a baby."
"Hoho, the chairman even mentioned that?
Well, he’s not wrong. I changed your dirty diapers, and I even carried you around on my back."
At one point, Park Kwon-heum had stood right beside my grandfather.
And yet, here he was—talking about memories of a childhood I couldn’t even remember.
While he was reminiscing about the past as he looked at my face, I took the time to analyze his detailed profile.
‘Now I understand why my grandfather kept him close.’
Despite everything, Park Kwon-heum still possessed exceptional business acumen.
Like any skill, competence declines if it isn’t used.
He had been a powerless figurehead at the factory for years, so his abilities must have faded significantly.
And yet, even in this diminished state, he was still highly capable.
So why?
Why would someone as competent as him turn a blind eye to someone like Executive Director Lee?
"I should have paid my respects when I was in Changwon, but an unexpected incident came up, and I couldn’t find the time."
"You mean Factory Director Seo’s case?
That man was far too greedy. He should have known when to stop."
"Then why didn’t you stop him?"
"…… Would he have listened even if I had?"
There wasn’t the slightest trace of enthusiasm in Director Park’s voice.
But I had heard stories about him from my grandfather before.
He was once one of the most passionate people in the company— the man who built Changwon Factory from nothing but rice paddies and farmland.
According to my grandfather, he had once been filled with ambition.
But the man sitting before me now?
All that remained was an empty shell.
"Director, after joining the audit team, I found something strange about Changwon Factory."
"So, you think you can change it? Don’t waste your time on something impossible."
"Why do you say that?"
"Unless you become chairman, it won’t make a difference."
There was definitely something going on.
The story of how Director Park had become a mere husk of his former self intrigued me even more.
And I had one suspect in mind.
"Is this because of my grandfather?"
"Do you think the chairman doesn’t know what’s happening at Changwon Factory? This all happened because of his indifference."
So my grandfather was the problem after all.
He had unmatched skill when it came to growing the company, but his management abilities had always been lacking.
"Why doesn’t he care about Changwon Factory?"
"That’s an old story now… Almost ten years old, I’d say. Back then, the chairman was determined to build the Changwon Factory. But do you think building a factory is cheap?
The banks refused to lend him money, and it’s not like the group had cash lying around."
"So he turned to loan sharks?"
"You wouldn’t be wrong to say that Changwon Factory was built with money from the Myeong-dong loan sharks."
Now the pieces fit together.
That explained why Executive Director Lee, who was cousins with a major loan shark,
held such absolute control over the factory.
"So until the factory's debt is fully repaid, even my grandfather can't do anything about it?"
"I suggested paying it off more than once.
But whenever money came in, the chairman used it to build new factories or open overseas branches."
Director Park’s resignation to his fate—
it all led back to my grandfather.
To him, Changwon Factory was like a child,
and that child had been snatched away by loan sharks.
How could he have any motivation left?
Just the fact that he remained at the factory was something to be grateful for.
Comments
Rch_ii
Then cut the whole factory off
