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CH21 | Heir
🕑 Added 2025-03-15 03:40:01 +0000 UTCChairman Kim Tae-joong summoned his chief secretary.
Knowing exactly why he had been called, Chief Secretary Kim entered the room with his head bowed.
But instead of angry shouting, he was met with a long sigh.
"Sigh… What the hell is that boy thinking? Seo Wootae isn't someone who should go down like this."
"Young Master Min-jae seems to have been determined to take action."
Chief Secretary Kim had already reported the situation to the chairman.
He had kept quiet about the bar fight incident, but he had detailed how Kim Min-jae was planning to oust Factory Manager Seo Wootae—and the chairman had tacitly approved of it.
"How much time could he have possibly spent with Seo Wootae to hold such a deep grudge that he'd go as far as holding a press conference?"
"Young Master Min-jae holds Taewoo Group in the highest regard. Seeing someone like Seo Wootae exploit the company for personal gain infuriated him. Since this is his first experience in the corporate world, I believe his emotions are even more intense."
"Tsk, tsk… He’s still too young. There are times when you need to turn a blind eye, even when you know the truth."
"That may be true, but Seo Wootae crossed the line. He didn't just exploit the company—he created a fake firm to embezzle company funds."
"Then he should have handled it quietly using the audit team."
No business owner likes seeing their company’s name dragged through the media.
Some even go to extreme lengths to hide information—even when it benefits the company.
Chairman Kim Tae-joong wasn’t that extreme, but like most corporate leaders, he wasn’t fond of the press.
"I need to hear from Min-jae myself."
"Shall I call him to Seoul immediately?"
"Yes. And make sure the media doesn’t blow this out of proportion—apply the necessary pressure."
"Young Master Min-jae personally held a press conference. The story is already too sensational. While we may not be able to keep it out of the newspapers entirely, I’ll make sure it appears in a less conspicuous section."
"Do that. How does he expect to inherit Taewoo Group when he’s running around like a reckless fool? Tsk, tsk."
Chairman Kim Tae-joong had never once worried about his grandson before.
Who would’ve thought that the grandson who graduated early from university and joined Taewoo Group right away would end up causing this kind of trouble?
* * *
I received a call from the chief secretary while on the train.
Since I had anticipated that my grandfather would summon me the moment the news broke, I had boarded the train in advance.
When I arrived at Seoul Station, a car from the secretary’s office was already waiting.
Like a criminal being escorted to the police station, I was hauled straight to Taewoo Group’s headquarters, where I stood face to face with my grandfather.
"What the hell happened? Explain why you had to go this far."
"A thief broke into our house, so I reported it. I also took some extra measures to ensure the thief would be properly punished."
"You call that an explanation?! And listen—when you're handling rice cakes, it's only natural that some crumbs stick to your hands."
"If it were just crumbs, I wouldn’t have gone this far. He wasn’t just getting crumbs—he was stealing the whole damn cake."
My grandfather’s face turned red with anger.
In all my years, I had never seen him this furious.
"Fine. Let's say, for argument’s sake, that a thief broke in. Then you should have dealt with it using the audit team. Do you even realize how much damage this kind of media coverage could do to the company?"
"It’s one step back for two steps forward. Sure, there might be short-term consequences, but this was necessary for Taewoo Group’s future."
"Tsk, tsk… How can someone so narrow-minded expect to inherit Taewoo Group? Running a company sometimes means knowing when to let things slide."
Something boiled up inside me.
"Let things slide…?"
That one sentence was enough to bring down Taewoo Group.
Hearing those words from my grandfather's mouth, I felt a surge of resentment from my past life.
"That kind of practice only worked during the military regime era. Taewoo Group, a company striving for globalization, cannot afford such outdated management styles."
"I understand how you feel, but there are unavoidable compromises necessary to run a company smoothly."
So now that yelling didn’t work, he was trying to soothe me instead?
My grandfather’s tone softened, and he forced a gentle smile as he continued.
"Of course, I’m not saying that Factory Manager Seo did the right thing. But holding a press conference and turning him over to the police was excessive. He dedicated decades of his life to this company. It doesn’t set a good precedent for the other executives either."
"If they haven't committed any crimes, they have no reason to feel threatened."
"When running a company, some level of corruption—whether big or small—is inevitable. You can't just purge everyone over it."
"Maybe not everyone, but those who cross the line will be dealt with. Whether it’s one person or dozens, people like that have no place in Taewoo Group."
My grandfather let out a heavy sigh.
"Sigh… Are you trying to become some kind of executioner? I want you to inherit and grow Taewoo Group—not become a ruthless enforcer."
"You are the founder of Taewoo Group. If we were to compare this to history, you would be Taejo Yi Seong-gye. My late father should have been like Yi Bang-won—he should have severed these corrupt traditions. But he passed away before he had the chance."
"So now you're saying that you’ll be Yi Bang-won?"
"For the sake of Taewoo Group's future, I am willing to do far worse than just being an executioner."
I gritted my teeth.
I had endured twenty years in my past life with the sole determination to rebuild Taewoo Group.
Even after returning, I had endured another five years.
Twenty-five years of resentment burned within me.
Seeing my expression, my grandfather let out another deep sigh.
"Haah… So you're planning to purge the meritorious subjects, just like Yi Bang-won did?"
"Not because they are meritorious subjects, but because they are rotten. If any of them are corrupt, they will be cut down along with the rest."
"…And what if I oppose this to the very end?"
"Then I will walk away from everything."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I will cut all ties with Taewoo Group. Just as you built this company from the ground up, I will build my own. I have no interest in running a corporation that reeks of corruption."
BANG!
Did I go too far with my words?
Despite his old age, my grandfather slammed his desk with surprising force.
"Are you saying you'll abandon Taewoo Group so easily?! Everything you have today exists because of this company!"
"That’s exactly why I wanted to join Taewoo Group as soon as possible and start working. But since you say I’m not needed, I have no choice but to leave."
"If that’s the case, I will cut off all support for you from now on."
Whenever a chaebol heir causes trouble, there’s always one classic threat they hear:
'I’ll cut off your support.'
But such threats held no power over me.
Not because I owned an investment firm handling trillions of won, but because I was different from other chaebol heirs.
"Grandfather, have I ever lived extravagantly? Yes, I lived in the house you provided and used the allowance you gave me during my university years, and I’m grateful for that. But have I ever indulged in luxury or reckless entertainment?"
"…So you’re saying it wouldn’t matter if I cut you off?"
"I don’t mean to brag, but some investment firms on Wall Street have already offered me an annual salary of 1 billion won. You started Taewoo Group with just 5 million won, didn’t you? I have the confidence to do the same. If I work on Wall Street for just two years, I can establish my foundation without anyone’s help."
A threat for a threat.
If he was threatening to cut me off, I would use my confidence in succeeding without him as my own weapon.
"So you're truly willing to abandon Taewoo Group?"
"If we appoint the meritorious executives as professional managers, there shouldn’t be a problem, should there?"
"You insolent brat! Do you really have to take it this far? A simple ‘I’m sorry, I’ll do better’ would have sufficed!"
"Grandfather, I love you more than anyone, and I cherish Taewoo Group. But how can you expect me to sit back and do nothing while parasites are leeching off of it?"
I spoke with fervor.
It was as if I were coughing up blood as I poured out my true feelings.
Seeing my determination, my grandfather took a step back.
"Then what exactly do you want?"
"Appoint me as the head of the Group's Audit Team. I will cut out all the rot."
"Fine. I’ll assign you as the Chief of the Group Audit Team. It's a vice president-level position within our subsidiaries. Do as you see fit. But promise me this—never again say you’ll abandon Taewoo Group. As long as you swear that, I won’t stop you."
"Why would I abandon Taewoo Group? You built this company, after all."
"Tsk, you brat! This won’t be easy. Even though you're my grandson, the power those executives hold is far greater than you think."
"I will reshape Taewoo Group’s structure. So you can focus on global expansion without worrying about internal problems."
"Taewoo Group is about to become very noisy."
Wrinkles deepened on my grandfather’s forehead.
I felt a pang of sympathy, but if the group collapsed in the upcoming foreign exchange crisis, he would be facing far worse than just a few more wrinkles.
So, I couldn’t stop now.
***
Seoul Station Area – Hotel Suite Room
Inside the luxurious suite, Team Leader Han Jung-hoon was waiting for me, holding a thick stack of contracts.
"We've also signed additional contracts with Japanese banks. If these derivatives are triggered, several banks might collapse."
"At the very least, we won’t be the ones taking the losses."
"Ah! I saw you on the news earlier. As expected from our CEO, you handled things in a bold and dramatic fashion."
"You saw it? Just put on a little show."
Han Jung-hoon was one of the few people I truly trusted.
Technically, since he was running my investment firm, I should call him President Han instead of Team Leader Han, but old habits die hard.
"But do you really need to be this invested in Taewoo Group? I mean, sure, it’s a massive conglomerate, but your own investment firm is nothing to scoff at either."
"What can I say? My grandfather built this company. If I want to salvage it, I have no choice but to tear it apart and rebuild it."
"So… are you planning to go to war with the founding executives?"
"I’ve already waged war against an entire country alongside Quantum Fund. What’s a few executives in comparison?"
I recalled my grandfather’s warning.
He had said that the founding executives were more powerful than I realized.
But if we were talking about hidden power, I had plenty of that too.
"A storm of blood will soon hit Taewoo Group."
"And who will be the ones bleeding?"
"The executives, of course. After all, they have no idea that I’m wearing armor made of money and wielding a sword forged from cash."
"If they don’t know, they’ll have to learn the hard way."
"Honestly, I’d love to join in. You’re having all the fun by yourself, and I’m incredibly jealous."
Han Jung-hoon smacked his lips as if he were genuinely disappointed.
Of course, considering that he had once worked for Taewoo Securities, he must have a few old bosses he’d love to take down.
I handed him a can of beer as encouragement.
After a light cheers, we both took a refreshing gulp.
Just then—
Bzzzt! Bzzzt!
Both Han Jung-hoon’s and my phones started ringing and buzzing nonstop.
I instinctively reached for the remote and turned on the TV.
It was prime time for dramas, but the broadcast had been interrupted for breaking news.
[Breaking News: Great Hanshin Earthquake Strikes Kobe – Magnitude 7.3]
