He was appointed as the Chief Justice during the Fifth Republic, but he wielded the gavel according to his own principles without catering to the regime.
As a result, he was also a person who was respected by many in the legal community.
After finishing the greetings, I stood in front of him, not avoiding his gaze, which he maintained without even inviting me to sit.
His probing gaze finally fell after a long while.
"Sit down."
"Thank you."
As I sat down, Chief Justice Oh Jeong-seok's wife brought in tea.
"Is this Hyun-woo's friend? Hehe, you're handsome."
"Thank you."
"Hmm."
When Oh Jeong-seok cleared his throat, she smiled and left the room.
He was indeed as rumored, a devoted husband.
Oh Jeong-seok, who had been looking at his wife's back with a displeased expression, shifted his gaze back to me and picked up his teacup.
"Go ahead."
I picked up my teacup with a calm face, pretending not to notice.
"The tea smells good."
He drank his tea without responding, continuing to observe me. It seemed he was trying to gauge my psychological state.
Soon, Oh Jeong-seok put down his teacup and began to speak.
"You're the grandson of Chairman Chun from Pyeongchang-dong, right?"
I also put down my teacup.
"Yes, my maternal grandfather."
"Is Chairman Chun well?"
"He is in good health."
"Is that so? That's fortunate."
His roundabout way of questioning and testing me made me feel like he wanted me to be nervous, which I didn't find particularly pleasant.
How long does he plan to keep this up?
Just as I was starting to feel a bit bored, Oh Jeong-seok suddenly threw a direct question.
"Why did you approach Hyun-woo?"
"Approach? Me?"
Nodding, he pushed his glasses up slightly and looked at me with a sharp gaze.
He was checking to see if I was flustered at all.
"Hyun-woo and I are in the same major and just happened to become friends."
"Yes, that could be seen as a pure friendship. But creating a club seems to have some other intention behind it."
"I don't know, it just felt natural to want to spend more time with friends who share the same interests. Hyun-woo is the president of the club, too."
"······So you had no ulterior motives?"
His expression suggested he didn't believe me.
I didn't bother to lie and deny it.
"If I must say, I thought it would be good to maintain long-term friendships with people I met by chance, as in the future, even friendships will be based on mutual benefits. You understand, right?"
Oh Jeong-seok seemed to be searching for something in my expression and words, but there was no need to put on an act.
No matter what, the atmosphere I exuded was far from that of an ordinary twenty-year-old.
I, on the other hand, was observing him.
He kept fidgeting with his glasses, which seemed to be an old habit. His face showed no particular changes, but the glint in his eyes behind the lenses couldn't be hidden.
"Yes, I know. You got rid of your uncles in one fell swoop. It was quite interesting. That's why I wanted to meet you. I assume you've heard from Chairman Chun?"
"Yes."
"Probably not in a good light, I imagine."
"Haha······"
I responded with an awkward laugh.
Oh Jeong-seok no longer tried to hide his interest.
"That face of yours looks a bit like mine. You didn't have to get involved with Chairman Chun. We met a few times, but that's all."
"There's no need to draw a connection. I'm different from my grandfather."
My answer might have seemed a bit bold.
Oh Jeong-seok was silent for a moment before changing the subject.
"Hyun-woo told me you don't plan to take the bar exam anymore."
"Yes, I don't think I can take the second stage with a half-hearted attitude. Neither can my friends."
At this, Oh Jeong-seok showed a slight smile.
"Yes, that's right. If you took the second stage without intending to become a legal professional, it would have been a disgrace to the other candidates who prepared diligently."
Then came a more direct question.
"So, what do you plan to do? Follow in your grandfather's footsteps and become the king of the underground economy?"
"If there were no people like my grandfather back then, could the companies have operated?"
"I'm not belittling Chairman Chun. As someone who lived through that era, I believe he played a role. But his methods were indeed too radical."
"Were there people who weren't radical back then? The state power, judicial power, and money were all radical."
"Hmm······"
He sighed, knowing well the truth of the matter.
"Because of the radical times, we have the era we live in now. Where one lives in society is a personal choice. I believe the era that awaits Hyun-woo and me will be different."
"Ultimately, it sounds like you plan to follow in your grandfather's footsteps."
I couldn't tell if the disappointment in his voice was real.
"It's true that I see it as my responsibility. But I don't plan to stay in the shadows. I think the time has come to step into the light."
His eyes changed again at my words.
My face, reflected in the glasses he fiddled with, wore a smile.
"Times have changed, so we must change too. Of course, we won't abandon the underground. Where there's light, there's darkness. If we leave it unattended, it will only lead to greater chaos."
"Hmm······ You're quite ambitious. It will be interesting to watch you."
"I look forward to your guidance."
"What can an old man like me do? I'm just passing my days watching the news."
Oh Jeong-seok waved his hand.
After a long conversation, I left the apartment of Chief Justice Oh Jeong-seok.
Before getting into the car, I glanced up at the floor where his home was.
Chief Justice Oh Jeong-seok is very ambitious. He may not have material desires, but he values his honor above all else. Perhaps it's more accurate to say he has a strong desire for power?
People think he is a man of principles. But that's not entirely true.
Oh Jeong-seok will move, and it will be right when the IMF crisis hits and everything falls into chaos.
He had the power to help me.
* * *
Han Kyung-young, following Kim Mu-hyuk's orders, began investigating the Mexican peso.
"Sure, it's overvalued, but isn't devaluation going too far? Ah······"
He had no choice but to trust Kim Mu-hyuk.
Standing in front of Goldman Sachs headquarters, Han Kyung-young took a deep breath.
Even at the door, he fidgeted with his phone, hesitating.
'I trust my brother. He just needs to trust me.'
Kim Mu-hyuk's voice seemed to echo in his mind.
Han Kyung-young made up his mind, gripped his briefcase tightly, and entered the bank.
Guided by a staff member to the meeting room, he sat down, and soon a team leader he had met at a few parties entered.
"Hey, James!"
"Peter! Long time no see."
They exchanged greetings and then got down to business.
Han Kyung-young placed the product plan he had prepared on the table.
Peter, who gave him a knowing smile, began to review the documents.
As each page turned, his eyes grew wider.
"You did a lot of preparation. I'm surprised. You did a thorough job. I see you differently now."
"Thanks. So, what do you think? Will you do it?"
"No bank will accept such a deal. Who would take on such a crazy transaction?"
Han Kyung-young sighed.
'Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy?'
He was as bewildered as Peter.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I'm betting on the Mexican peso's depreciation. More than 5 pesos to the dollar."
"What?"
Peter, who had looked through the documents again, stared at Han Kyung-young as if he were insane.
"Are you serious?"
"Ha······ So, will you do it?"
"This isn't something I can decide. What's the transaction amount?"
"Up to 300 million dollars. If you can't do it, I'll have to go elsewhere."
Peter's face turned pale.
"Wait here. I'll bring someone in."
Peter left the room, shaking his head at Han Kyung-young.
Left alone, Han Kyung-young's hands were drenched in sweat.
'It would be foolish not to accept this, damn it.'
After a while, Peter returned with several people.
"Hello, I'm Tommy, the CFO."
It seemed he had heard the story, as Tommy looked at Han Kyung-young with a curious expression.
"Such a product takes a long time. We need to create Mexican bonds with a maturity date of January next year······ Is the transaction amount really up to 300 million dollars?"
"Yes. I plan to use 300 million dollars as collateral and leverage it to the maximum."
Tommy nodded, a smirk appearing on his face.
The staff members carefully examined the product proposal for any poison pills.
After hearing from his subordinates that there were no issues, Tommy extended his hand with a bright smile.
"We'll take it all. You won't have to go to other banks. Dream High Investment······ This will be a great deal. Let's meet often."
They shook hands and signed the contract.
Tommy's smile never left his face.
He was probably thinking about the bonus he would receive from this deal.
After completing all the contracts, Han Kyung-young stepped out and stared at the Goldman Sachs building for a while before moving on.
It was a day that made him crave a strong drink.
* * *
— Kim Mu-hyuk, you bastard!
I was woken up by a phone call in the middle of the night.
Han Kyung-young's tongue was tied from drinking too much.
"Bro······ It's the middle of the night here."
— Damn it. I signed the contract today. It was a crazy move. Do you know how much they mocked me? I learned for the first time that eyes can make a person miserable.
"Haha."
— Don't laugh. I set the maturity date for the end of January.
"Good job. How much leverage did you use?"
— 30 times.
"Of course, I made the right choice to trust you."
He bet 9 billion dollars with 300 million dollars.
Han Kyung-young had exceeded my expectations.
— Ah······ Can I come back to Korea?
"Not yet. When you do come back, everyone will praise you as a hero. Wait. You've worked hard."
— 300 million dollars······ I just burned money I might never touch in my lifetime. Damn, it's unbelievable.
Despite his many doubts, Han Kyung-young's decision to follow my advice allowed me to prepare for the future.
"Now it's just the beginning. Don't get weak already."
After talking with Han Kyung-young for a while, I hung up.
I was now fully awake and poured myself a glass of water.
'How much has the peso depreciated?'
There were still plenty of opportunities to make money.
As I reviewed my plans, the sky outside the window began to brighten.
Time passed quickly.
I also met Yoon Jae-ha's father, who showed more interest in me becoming my grandfather's successor.
The difference from Oh Jeong-seok was that he already seemed to like me.
President Song Young-ju eventually announced at a press conference that he would completely step down from his management role. His resignation was broadcast live.
At the end of June, my friends all took the second stage of the bar exam.
While there would be another chance next year, it would be perfect if all four of them passed this year.
On the day of the exam, I went to pick them up.
As I got out of the car, the heat hit me.
Now that I think about it, this summer was particularly hot.
I looked at my friends' faces as they came out of the exam and erased the recent phone call from my mind.
The long drinking session with my friends ended with a promise to celebrate again when the results were announced in September.
The next day.
Chun Ji-young came to Pyeongchang-dong.
She wasn't the confident and affectionate girl she used to be.
"Brother, I'm sorry······"
Before we could even exchange proper greetings, Chun Ji-young burst into tears.