Despite my cold gaze, a smile hung on the corners of my mouth.
Park Dong-su looked at me with a slightly disgusted expression.
"I'll give you a call."
"Under no circumstances should you hurt them. When you threaten, create a situation where they can feel the fear that ‘I might die at any moment.’ As an expert, you must know this better than I do. I trust you."
"That's something our kids are good at. Don't worry. It's scarier to mess with the atmosphere so they can't even sleep properly. It can drive a person to death."
I nodded slightly and then turned my gaze to Lee Sang-geun.
"How's the company?"
"There were no issues with the registration. The problem is... after the construction project in Cheongju is finished, it will be difficult to get more projects from that area."
"There's nothing we can do about that. Don't worry about the construction. Just get subcontracting work from Daehyun Construction. For now, stay away from illegal activities and focus on Geumsung Construction."
"Understood."
While I was talking with Lee Sang-geun about the construction company, Park Dong-su was listening, alternating his gaze between us.
I looked at him with a slight smile.
"Mr. Park, start with Yeongdeungpo. I understand there's no large organization there, but I'm not sure how things have changed over time. Can you handle it?"
"I have to."
"If there's a funding issue, give me a call. No matter how much it is, I'll provide it, but under no circumstances should you get involved with drugs or anything like that."
"I won't. Don't worry."
As I finished speaking and stood up, Park Dong-su grabbed me.
"Leaving already? Let's have a drink today."
"I'll be a bit busy for a while. Let's have makgeolli together next time."
Park Dong-su, who had pouted, saw me off with a regretful look.
"Chang, next time we must have a drink."
"Sure."
The car door closed, and the car, driven by Manager Ma, slowly started moving.
The Geumsung Construction building gradually disappeared from view outside the window.
"That guy really hasn't changed."
"Hasn't he?"
"Yes, he's exactly the same as the first time I met him. He gets serious when talking about work, but he's still a people person."
Perhaps because of the smile on my face, Manager Ma, who rarely showed emotion, also slightly curved his lips into a smile.
I asked, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere in the car.
"How's the progress on the Cheonsuwan side?"
"I understand that Mr. Ha is preparing for it."
"Mr. Ha is reliable, so let's wait and see. But keep an eye on things just in case."
"Understood."
* * *
Cheonsuwan glared at Mr. Ha with a bewildered look.
"What is this?"
"Divorce papers. Just sign them."
"Ha... Are you crazy?!"
Cheonsuwan finally shouted, throwing the papers.
Despite the rough throw, the papers fluttered and fell to the ground weakly.
Mr. Ha, as always, didn't blink. He picked up the papers and extended them again.
"This is Chairman's order. Sign them."
"Wh-Why?"
Cheonsuwan looked at the papers with a hopeless expression.
"Why is Father doing this to me? Telling me to divorce? Is it because I showed greed for Ilseong Group?"
Mr. Ha didn't answer his question.
He just delivered the message he had to.
"Chairman will take back everything he gave you. Quickly settle your affairs and prepare to leave the country."
"What?"
Cheonsuwan was even more surprised when he received the divorce papers, staring blankly at Mr. Ha.
"No, why? Because of that bastard Muhyuk? Is he more important than his own son? He gave a few buildings to his grandson and told him to fend for himself, and now he's kicking me out? Did that bastard tell him to? Is Father, damn it, losing his mind?!"
Mr. Ha's face stiffened slightly.
But Cheonsuwan, who seemed extremely angry, didn't notice the change in his expression and continued shouting.
"This is wrong! Does he think I'm a fool just because I've been quiet? Do you think I'll be quietly kicked out like this?!"
"If you still trust the Cheongpung Association, I suggest you give up that thought. We've already warned them. This is the Chairman's final consideration for you."
Cheongpung Association.
Cheonsuwan finally looked at Mr. Ha.
Realizing something was wrong from Mr. Ha's stiff expression, Cheonsuwan asked in a trembling voice.
"What's the reason? Why is the Cheongpung Association involved here?"
"You know, don't you?"
"What, what?!"
"Did you really think Chairman would never find out?"
"What are you talking about?!"
In response to Cheonsuwan's brazen reaction, Mr. Ha's voice, which had stiffened even more, finally rose.
"Why did you do it? What harm did Miss Misuk do to you? She left everything behind and cut ties with you. Why did you have to find her and kill her?"
Cheonsuwan's face turned as white as a sheet.
Mr. Ha's intense reaction, despite his usual stoic demeanor, clearly showed how he felt about Cheon Misuk.
And the reason he was friendly with Kim Muhyuk.
"Min-hoon, I need to see Father."
"He said he doesn't want to see you. If you go to his house, he said he would sever the last ties of kinship. Sign the papers. I'll take care of the asset settlement. Talk to your wife and children, and leave for Australia next week."
After a moment.
In the end, Cheonsuwan signed the divorce papers and sent Mr. Ha off.
As soon as Mr. Ha left, Cheonsuwan started making a phone call.
When the other person answered, he spoke in a hurried voice.
"This is Cheon Min-dong. Is the Elder there...?"
— Don't contact him.
The call abruptly ended.
Cheonsuwan's face, which had been looking hopeless, now twisted in a mess.
"Am I going to die alone like this?"
Cheonsuwan muttered like a madman and continued making calls. But the responses he received were not much different wherever he called.
* * *
"Has Cheon Su-man left the country?"
"Yes, I confirmed at the airport."
Chairman Cheon looked at Mr. Ha as if he had returned to his usual self after the shock.
"Did he go quietly?"
"He didn't put up much resistance."
"Given his character, he probably won't take it lying down. Keep an eye on him just in case. What about Su-han?"
"He's being transferred to Yeongdeungpo Prison this week."
Chairman Cheon nodded slightly and frowned.
"Still, make sure they can survive. What about Ji-sun and Ji-sun's mother?"
"Since Ji-sun's maternal family is in ruins, she and her mother are staying in their original home. All support is continuing."
"Good, keep supporting them. When Su-han is released, send him abroad immediately. To a place other than Australia where Su-man is."
"Understood."
Chairman Cheon changed the subject.
"What about Muhyuk?"
"He's reviewing the loan documents. I'm not sure what criteria he's using, but he's spending most of his time on that."
"Hmm... How much have you given him?"
"I've handed over everything outside the top 20 in the business world. All the debts managed by Mr. Cheon have been transferred."
"It will take him quite a while to review them. Understood. Keep an eye on him for now, and if he needs advice, teach him well."
"Understood."
* * *
"Mr. Cheon Su-man has left the country."
I looked up from the loan documents I was reviewing and glanced at Manager Ma.
"He's in Australia. I've made sure he has the conditions to settle there comfortably."
"That's what I expected. Grandfather can't be too harsh on his blood. Just keep an eye on him for now. I don't think Mr. Ha will let him cause any trouble."
"Understood."
I looked back at the loan documents spread out in front of me. They filled the large table and more.
"There are more than I thought."
Manager Ma didn't respond, but I continued talking to myself.
"There are more bad debts to recover than I expected. Many of them will likely cause problems in the future."
Despite my eyes feeling heavy from the continuous review, I didn't stop.
This was the entirety of the loan market in our country.
Reviewing the loan documents with the knowledge of the future was a tedious task for my eyes, but it was quite interesting.
Time passed, and it had been a few weeks since Cheon Su-man left the country.
I visited Grandfather's study after a long time.
"Grandfather, it's Muhyuk."
"Come in."
Grandfather greeted me as if he had been waiting for me.
"The loan classification work is complete."
At my words, Grandfather's expressionless face changed. It was the face of Chairman Cheon I knew from the past.
"You finished quickly. Tell me about it."
"Most of the debts are likely to become bad debts. I plan to recover most of them."
Taking out a loan meant the financial condition was poor.
Most of the debts would likely become worthless before the IMF support.
Chairman Cheon let out a hollow laugh, seemingly surprised.
"Most of them?"
"Yes."
While I couldn't determine the scale of the loans to the top 20 companies, I could gauge the size of Grandfather's assets from the debts I had reviewed over the past few weeks.
"I plan to recover as much as possible."
"Do you intend to get out of the loan business?"
"No, but when problems arise later, it will be difficult to recover the money. I plan to clean it up in advance."
The foreign exchange crisis wasn't a sudden disaster.
It was a case where long-standing issues finally collapsed.
This was an era of borrowing to expand businesses.
My plan to recover most of the debts might sound unreasonable.
Chairman Cheon seemed to be thinking about my words, tapping his fingers on the desk.
After a moment, he asked Mr. Ha, who was standing beside him.
"What do you think?"
"I agree with what Young Master said, but our business isn't just about paperwork. We should proceed slowly, taking that into account."
Hearing his answer, Chairman Cheon closed his eyes for a moment, as if thinking.
Surprisingly, his deliberation was brief.
"Do as you wish. If you need help, talk to Mr. Ha."
"Thank you, Grandfather."
"Good. What do you plan to do with the recovered funds?"
I smiled and said.
"I plan to lend more to solid companies. I'll eliminate the potential for problems and deal with recognized debts."
After the IMF, the influence of the creditor group would become a powerful force controlling the necks of companies.