"Hmm... First, please prepare and hand it over within a week. I won't report to Grandfather. I've helped you enough to establish yourself, so why are you being greedy? It would be better if you lived according to your position, wouldn't it? Okay?"
"..."
No Eikseon blushed and couldn't answer.
I clicked my tongue and added.
"Grandfather is still in good health. Whatever schemes you have with your uncles, Grandfather knows everything. Be careful. I'm saying this out of concern. Throughout history, those who bite the hand that feeds them end up dead. I'll see you in a week."
I bowed and turned around, but Mr. No didn't react at all.
When I opened the door and went out, sure enough, Manager Ha was standing there.
He smiled brightly at me and said.
"Manager Ha, let's go."
"It seems the conversation went well, young master."
"Yes, thanks to you."
After that, I visited the other presidents over the course of a week.
Ma Jeok, Shin Sung-il.
A boy who had been sponsored by Grandfather since he was young, having come from a background of being a market trader.
Perhaps because of this, he was the president among the Myeongdong presidents who had the highest respect and loyalty to Grandfather.
"Welcome, young master."
His reaction was completely different from the others from the first meeting.
In a warm atmosphere, the handover of the ledger and the nominal bank accounts was completed, and after sending Manager Ha out, I asked about the slush fund account.
"Ah, did he also ask you to collect that? Please wait a moment."
Ma Jeok opened a safe hidden behind a picture frame and handed me the account.
'This guy didn't have a hidden agenda? But why did he team up with Cheon Su-man and Cheon Su-han in my previous life?'
I had questions, but I couldn't press him about future events.
I bowed to Ma Jeok and left.
Shin Sung-il, who had followed me to the entrance of the office, bowed his head.
"Young master, I'll see you next time."
"Um, yes, see you next time. But, Mr. Shin, the extreme respect is a bit burdensome. From now on, you can speak more casually."
"Hahaha, no, if I speak too casually, my dialect will come out, and people will misunderstand. I'll just serve you at this level."
"Okay, if that's more comfortable for you, do it that way."
I thought I needed to observe Mr. Shin more and left the place.
Finally, I visited the office of Mange.
Mange, Yoo Ji-gang.
The one with the longest experience among the four Myeongdong presidents.
A person who always carried a hammer in his pocket.
Though somewhat short, he was a figure not to be underestimated.
He didn't even greet us as we entered, just sitting in his chair and doing his work.
Manager Ha showed his discomfort but didn't step forward.
"Mr. Yoo?"
"Wait a moment. I'll finish what I'm doing and hand over the ledger. Sit and wait."
He said this without even looking at us.
'What a brat.'
I sent a look to Manager Ha not to step forward and sat on the sofa.
Thirty minutes passed.
Just as my patience was about to run out, Mange got up from his chair and approached.
"Sorry. I had to clean up the ledger to report to the chairman, so it took some time. You're not upset, right? Manager Ha, young master?"
He said something that wasn't even an apology, sat in the seat of honor, crossed his legs, and put a cigarette in his mouth.
After lighting the cigarette and taking a puff, he said.
"Check the ledger. There shouldn't be any problems, but if there are any mistakes, let me know."
He spoke so casually that I missed the chance to get angry.
I could sense his experience behind the nickname Mange.
"Then I'll take a look."
While I was checking the ledger, Yoo Ji-gang puffed out cigarette smoke and spoke to Manager Ha.
"Manager Ha, you've been working hard lately, haven't you? Taking care of the young master's diapers. With your experience, you shouldn't have to do such things, it must be tough. The chairman is being too harsh. If it gets too hard, send him to me. I'll treat him kindly from A to Z."
"Sir, he's the chairman's grandson. Be careful what you say."
"No, it's not the Joseon era. Just calling him young master is enough. What more do you want? That's for the chairman's loyal servant, Manager Ha, to do, not me. I've been in this business for a long time."
When the conversation with Manager Ha ended, he turned to me, who was checking the ledger.
"Young master, can you understand? Just hand it over to Manager Ha? Don't waste time. Can you see it?"
His words, thrown out one by one, felt like thorns.
"Wait."
I checked the ledger while holding back my anger.
There was nothing wrong with the ledger.
It was unsettling that all the Myeongdong presidents had no issues with their ledgers, but the urgent matter was the account, so I smiled and said.
"There's nothing wrong with the ledger. Please give me the account as well."
"Account? What account?"
"The nominal account you manage, right?"
"Huh? You want that? Why?"
"The chairman asked me to collect it."
Frowning, Mange blew cigarette smoke in my face.
"Huh, the chairman asked me to collect it, so you should give it to me? Shouldn't the chairman come himself? Isn't that the proper thing to do? Since the chairman entrusted it to me, he should come and take it back himself. Right, young master?"
At this, Manager Ha's cold voice was heard.
"Are you serious, Mr. Yoo?"
Yoo Ji-gang replied with a sardonic smile.
"Why would I make a joke when I'm eating expensive food? So, I'm serious. Why?"
"..."
Manager Ha seemed to be angry and tried to stand up.
I raised my hand to stop him.
Manager Ha, who had been glaring at Mange, turned to look at me.
"Manager Ha, please step outside for a moment."
"Young master!"
"Just a moment. We need to resolve this through conversation. Go outside and calm down."
"Hmm... I understand."
He glanced at Yoo Ji-gang before leaving.
"Mr. Yoo. Now, stop playing games and hand over the account. And the slush fund account that the chairman entrusted to you in secret."
"Knowing about the slush fund account, it seems the chairman is really grooming you. But what's the point? It's the same as before. Tell the chairman to come himself. Then I'll give it to you."
"Mr. Yoo!"
"Why are you shouting? Hey! I've been wiping the chairman's ass since before you were born, watching out for the sharp-eyed agents in Myeongdong. You're not someone who can give orders like that. Be satisfied with being treated as a young master. The only person who can order me is the chairman!"
The others don't even order me around, so who are you to tell me what to do? A punk who hasn't even grown up yet!"
Yoo Ji-gang, who had just put out his cigarette, took out a hammer from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"This hammer is the history of Myeongdong and a witness to the loan market. Don't act tough in front of me, punk."
"Ha... So you want to go all the way?"
"Hahaha. All the way? Hey, just because you're the chairman's blood, don't think you're on the same level as me. Do you want to die together? If that's what you want, just say it. I'll tell the chairman."
What gives him the confidence to say such things?
All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind.
His attitude was too extreme.
Just because he's allied with the Cheon brothers, he can't defy Grandfather like this, can he?
'There must be something I don't know. Anyway...'
I could confront him, but I decided to take a step back for now.
"Mr. Yoo. I'll come back tomorrow. If it's the same tomorrow, I won't let it go."
"Haha, is that a threat? A threat is like this!"
Yoo Ji-gang, with a fierce look, picked up the hammer and swung it.
The dark hammer aimed for my head.
I didn't dodge and glared at him.
The hammer, which was flying through the air, stopped just before hitting my head.
Yoo Ji-gang laughed and put the hammer away.
"Still, you have some guts for being the chairman's blood. You have better eyes than the other two presidents. Get out. Tell the chairman to come himself. Then we can end this amicably."
As I stood up silently, Yoo Ji-gang slumped back into his chair and picked up a pack of cigarettes.
I reached out and grabbed the cigarette he was about to take.
"If you're not going to hit me, why did you take it out?"
Seeing his expression stiffen, I bared my teeth in a