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Chapter 38




The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 38 (38/840)
< Chairman Cheon and Cheon Su-man >
#38
Chairman Cheon and Cheon Su-man.
“Going above ground... Is that really possible?”
Even as I spoke with conviction, they did not erase their doubtful looks.
It was understandable that they did not believe me.
After all, the relevant laws were not yet properly established, and anyone could engage in private lending.
However, after the IMF crisis, the underground economy would be brought to the surface under the pretext of legalizing the private lending market.
I planned to take my grandfather’s business above ground at that time.
“Yes, it’s possible. Just wait and see.”
In response to my words, Kim Ho-shik, the double-edged sword, stood up and bowed, saying,
“Then I will follow you, young master. In a few years, my daughter will be old enough to understand things. Being called a company president sounds better than being called a loan shark, doesn’t it?”
I nodded.
However, No Ik-seon remained silent, seemingly reconsidering, and did not answer.
“Then I will wait for your answer, Mr. No.”
With that, I left the place.
In the car, as I moved away from the office, I twisted my lips into a small smile.
If No Ik-seon did not intend to follow, I would just proceed with the original plan.
* * *
At the time when Kim Mu-hyuk was meeting with the Myeongdong bosses.
Chairman Cheon was having a conversation with Cheon Su-man in his study.
“So, you’re busy these days because of the real-name financial system?”
“Yes.”
Chairman Cheon, nodding as if he understood, continued to observe Cheon Su-man’s face.
“Have you visited Su-han?”
“I can’t go often, but I’ve visited him twice. When do you plan to get him out? He looks really bad.”
Chairman Cheon frowned uncomfortably.
“It’s difficult right now. He can only come out next year, so tell him to bear with it.”
Cheon Su-man nodded, thinking to himself.
‘He plans to get Su-han out next year.’
Although he didn’t have much loyalty to his brother, it was inconvenient to have Cheon Su-han, who had been like a limb, locked up.
Cheon Su-man began to think about how to get Cheon Su-han out as soon as possible.
The conversation between father and son paused for a moment.
Chairman Cheon looked at the deep-in-thought Cheon Su-man with a displeased expression.
“Are you still following the politicians around? Haven’t you learned from Su-han’s example? Why don’t you listen when I tell you to keep a proper distance?”
“Sigh... How can I do private lending without the protection of politicians? You can do it because you have a long-standing relationship with them, but I can’t. What will happen when you pass away?”
Chairman Cheon looked at Cheon Su-man in surprise.
This was the first time the son, who had never raised his voice to him, was speaking up at the age of fifty.
“You brat!”
As Chairman Cheon’s voice grew louder, Cheon Su-man, who had momentarily defied him, looked around nervously.
However, he did not completely shut his mouth.
“I have to think about what happens after you.”
“Why do you worry about that? Do you think I’ll die easily? Do you want me to die soon?”
“No... Why would I say such a thing? I want my children to bring in at least half of the family’s wealth. That’s why I’m preparing now to do everything. You don’t care about Ji-su and Ji-wan, do you?”
“Why wouldn’t I care about my grandchildren? And why are you so obsessed with the family’s wealth? What do you lack?”
“It’s just a matter of the family’s wealth to you, but it’s important to me.”
“What?”
Cheon Su-man spoke with a choked-up expression.
“I’m just your son outside. The son of Chairman Cheon, the blood of Chairman Cheon. I don’t have a name. That’s why I want to pass the family name to Ji-wan and Ji-su.”
Chairman Cheon looked at Cheon Su-man with a sympathetic gaze, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Cheon Su-man became even more assertive and shouted,
“Look at it now. You don’t even look for Ji-wan and Ji-su, but you always have Mu-hyuk around, don’t you?”
“... Didn’t Mi-suk leave home to marry a man you opposed?”
“You drove her away, and now you pretend to care. Tsk...”
Chairman Cheon, sighing, removed his sympathetic expression.
“You might be right.”
“I have always followed your words. I even married the person you told me to. But in the end, you always have Mu-hyuk around, don’t you?”
Cheon Su-man’s face was flushed with anger.
“What rumors are circulating in Myeongdong? They say Mu-hyuk is your successor. Does that even make sense? I’m the eldest son, Cheon Su-man! And you’re saying a Kim, not a Cheon, will be the successor?”
Chairman Cheon, who had been listening, laughed bitterly.
“Have I ever told you to succeed me? Why do you think you’re my natural successor? I’ve never said such a thing to you.”
Cheon Su-man’s expression twisted.
“What...”
“Yes, the rumors in Myeongdong are true. I plan to have Mu-hyuk succeed me. I will give you enough to live comfortably, but all my power, money, and people will go to Mu-hyuk.”
“Father!”
“What’s the problem? I’m giving you what’s mine.”
Finally, Cheon Su-man, overwhelmed with anger, began to speak the words he had been holding back.
“You’ve always been like this. Whenever I or Su-han make a small mistake, you get angry, but you’re endlessly lenient with Mi-suk. If you’re going to be like this, why did you even have us?”
“What?”
Chairman Cheon, taken aback, opened his mouth wide.
Cheon Su-man, not shrinking back as usual, shot back at Chairman Cheon.
“You shouldn’t treat me like this. No, you shouldn’t treat us brothers like this. I’m the eldest son of the Cheon family. Ji-wan is the eldest grandson. And you’re making Mu-hyuk the successor? A mere twenty-year-old?”
“I said I’ll give you enough. You won’t lack anything.”
“I don’t need money. I need everything you have.”
Cheon Su-man revealed his raw ambition.
Chairman Cheon, looking at his burning eyes, was speechless.
“I will never let that happen. Never...”
With that, Cheon Su-man turned and left the study.
The door to Chairman Cheon’s study slammed shut.
Seeing the secretary, Ha, standing in front of the door, Cheon Su-man asked,
“... Secretary Ha, do you think the same?”
Ha did not answer and bowed his head.
After staring at the back of Ha’s head for a while, Cheon Su-man left without saying another word.
When Ha entered the study, he quietly observed Chairman Cheon’s expression.
The iron-blooded loan king stood by the window, looking at Cheon Su-man’s car as it drove away from the mansion, with a regretful look on his face.
After a long silence, Chairman Cheon suddenly asked Ha,
“... Am I thinking wrong?”
Ha did not answer.
Chairman Cheon, who had been pressing his forehead with his palm, finally spoke after a long time.
“Sigh... Finish the stock transfer by next month. Make sure they can’t say anything. Be careful not to let the rumors spread, and pay all the taxes without any issues. Handle it perfectly so there’s no trouble later.”
“Yes.”
“And, keep an eye on them...”
Chairman Cheon stopped speaking and closed his mouth.
“... Forget the surveillance. What about Mu-hyuk?”
“He’s meeting with the Myeongdong bosses.”
“Alone?”
“He said he would meet them alone, so I didn’t go with him. Mr. Cheon also came to see him. My job is to assist you, and the young master is next.”
Chairman Cheon nodded heavily.
“Is there anyone to introduce to Mu-hyuk? He shouldn’t be going out alone anymore.”
“He’s coming to Korea next month.”
“Can he be trusted?”
“Yes. But, winning his heart is not something I can do.”
“That’s right, that’s something Mu-hyuk has to do. I understand. Is there anything else to report?”
“No.”
“Go.”
After Ha left, Chairman Cheon, alone in the study, muttered to himself,
“I hope Mu-hyuk doesn’t get devoured by his uncles...”
Chairman Cheon, who knew better than anyone that family meant nothing in the face of money.
* * *
Han Kyung-yeong, having settled his life in Korea, left for the United States to prepare for the preliminary work.
I was living a normal life while attending university.
“Hey! Mu-hyuk!”
“What?”
“Why didn’t you answer even after I called you for a while? What were you thinking about?”
“Sorry, did you call me?”
Myeong, who had been glaring at me, sighed and said,
“I plan to take the first stage of the bar exam next year as practice. I don’t expect to pass this time, but I need to see how the exam works.”
I nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll take the exam with you then.”
“What? You’re taking it too? Why?”
“Just, I don’t want you to be nervous alone.”
“Idiot. You’re just going to make me feel bad if you pass and I don’t.”
“Haha.”
“Stop laughing. Are you really going to take it with me?”
I nodded.
At first, I had no intention of taking the bar exam. I thought the time spent in the training institute was a waste.
But my thoughts have changed a bit now...
“Yeah, I’ll only take the first stage. If I take the second stage, my grandfather might say something, so I’ll just pass the first stage and let others brag about it. My grandmother will do the same.”
“Tsk, you’re assuming you’ll pass, aren’t you? What a lucky bastard.”
At that moment, we heard someone calling us.
“Mu-hyuk, Myeong!”
We stopped and turned around to see two men and one woman waving at us.
They were one of the reasons I chose to study law.
“Where are you two going?”
The tallest and most active of the three, Oh Hyun-woo, spoke first.
Oh Hyun-woo was the eldest son of a prestigious legal family. His grandfather, Oh Jeong-seok, had served as the Chief Justice and was respected by legal professionals.
He was the one who was considered for the position of Prosecutor General before I died.
“Just going to eat. Are you guys hungry? Want to join us, Mu-hyuk?”
I nodded, and Myeong smiled.
“Mu-hyuk is buying. This guy will even take off his underwear!”
The other three burst into laughter.
“Why are you laughing? Is what I said funny?”
Han Min-kyung, the only girl, laughed and said,
“Can’t you fix your dialect, Myeong? Mu-hyuk is a complete Seoulite.”
“Tsk, don’t talk about my dialect!”
Han Min-kyung laughed and waved her hands.
“I’m not teasing you. I just find it cute.”
“Stop it. What are we going to eat?”
Yoon Jae-ha, who had been quiet, naturally changed the topic.
Yoon Jae-ha was the son of Yoon Hyung-min, the head of one of the top three law firms in Korea.
The five of us drove our own cars to a family restaurant.
We parked our cars and gathered in front of the restaurant.
“Isn’t Mu-hyuk pushing himself too hard?”
In the 1990s, family restaurants had a high-end image and were quite expensive compared to other restaurants.
“The most useless worry in the world is worrying about Mu-hyuk. Let’s just go in.”
Myeong led the way, pushing the others’ backs as they entered the restaurant.
‘Anyone would think he’s the one paying.’
Well, it’s not entirely wrong.
I clicked my tongue and followed Myeong into the restaurant.
The ceiling was lit with orange lamps, and the deep green walls were adorned with small picture frames. The interior looked quite vintage to me.
After ordering what we wanted, Myeong brought up the bar exam we had been discussing.
“Are you guys preparing for the bar exam? Mu-hyuk and I are planning to take the first stage in February next year. I’m just doing it for practice, but Mu-hyuk, that guy, is so good that he’ll probably pass on the first try. It gives me a relative sense of deprivation.”
“What, Mu-hyuk is taking the bar exam?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to me.
I smiled and said,
“Yeah, I’m thinking of taking it as practice. What about you guys?”
Then Oh Hyun-woo and Yoon Jae-ha also said they would take the exam.
Han Min-kyung, with a slightly bitter expression, shrugged.
“I’m planning to skip next year. I can’t focus on studying like you guys.”
She was the only one with a less fortunate family background and was doing several tutoring jobs while attending school.
That’s why, after passing the bar exam and becoming a lawyer, she entered the legal profession and joined politics in her 30s. By her 40s, she became the leader of the ruling party.
Just as the atmosphere was about to turn heavy, Myeong changed the topic.
“What did you guys do during the break? I went to Busan with Mu-hyuk. But this guy left me alone and went to Seoul by himself. Damn brat.”
“I’ve never been to Busan...”
Min-kyung’s words prompted Myeong to respond immediately.
“Let’s go together during the winter break this year. What do you think?”
At that moment, my phone rang.
“Hold on.”
I stood up and went outside to take the call.
“This is Kim Mu-hyuk.”
— It’s No Ik-seon, young master.
It was a call from No Ik-seon, who had not yet responded to my proposal.
< Chairman Cheon and Cheon Su-man > End