The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 57 (57/840)
< I plan to recover most of it. >
#57
I plan to recover most of it.
Despite my cold gaze, a smile hung on my lips.
Park Dong-su looked at me with a slightly pale expression.
"I'll make the call."
"You mustn't hurt them. When you threaten, create a situation where they feel the fear that 'I might die at any moment.' As an expert, you know this better than I do, right? I trust you."
"Our kids are good at that too. Don't worry. It's scarier to create an atmosphere that keeps them from sleeping properly than to beat them up. It can drive them to their death."
I nodded slightly and turned my gaze to Lee Sang-geun.
"How's the company?"
"There were no issues with the takeover. The problem is... after the construction project in Cheongju is finished, it will be hard to get more projects there."
"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 Geumseong 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 don't think there are any major organizations there, but I'm not sure how things have changed over time. Can you handle it?"
"I'll do it."
"Don't worry about the funds. Absorb them if you can. Some of Jo Hyun-gu's subordinates have already joined, right?"
Park Dong-su nodded.
"I retired the big shots and accepted the young ones. I'll try to resolve things through dialogue rather than war."
"Understood. If you need money, just let me know. I'll give you whatever you need, but don't touch drugs or anything like that."
"I won't. Don't worry."
As I stood up, Park Dong-su grabbed me.
"Leaving already? Let's have a drink today."
"I'll be busy for a while. Let's have makgeolli or something next time."
Park Dong-su, who had pouted, saw me off with a regretful look.
"Chun, let's definitely have a drink next time."
"Sure."
The car door closed, and the car, driven by Manager Ma, slowly started moving.
The Geumseong Construction building gradually disappeared from view.
"That guy really hasn't changed, has he?"
"Really?"
"Yes, he's just like the first time I met him. He's serious when talking about work, but he's still a people person."
Perhaps because of the smile on my lips, Manager Ma, who rarely showed emotion, also smiled slightly.
I asked, trying to lighten the mood in the car.
"How's the Chunsuwan side progressing?"
"Manager Ha is preparing for it."
"Manager Ha is reliable, so let's wait and see. But keep an eye on it, just in case."
"Understood."
* * *
Chun Suwan stared at Manager Ha with a bewildered look.
"What is this?"
"Divorce papers. Just sign them."
"Ha... Are you crazy?!"
Chun Suwan finally shouted and threw the papers.
Despite the rough throw, the papers fluttered to the ground weakly.
Manager Ha, as always, didn't flinch. He picked up the papers and offered them again.
"It's Chairman's order. Sign them."
"Wh-Why?"
Chun Suwan looked at the papers with a hopeless expression.
"Why is Father doing this to me? Telling me to divorce? Is it because I showed interest in Ilseong Group?"
Manager Ha didn't answer his question.
He just relayed the message he had to.
"Chairman will take back everything he gave you. Quickly settle your affairs and prepare to leave the country."
"What?"
Chun Suwan was even more surprised when he received the divorce papers and stared blankly at Manager Ha.
"No, why? Because of that Muhyuk? Is he more important than his own son? He gave a few buildings to his eldest grandson and told him to fend for himself, and now he's chasing me away? Did that kid tell him to? Is Father senile or something?!"
Manager Ha's face stiffened slightly.
But Chun Suwan, clearly very angry, didn't notice and continued shouting.
"This is unacceptable! Does he think I'm a fool because I've been quiet? I won't be chased away quietly like this!"
"If you're counting on the Cheongpung Association, I suggest you give up. We've already warned them. This is Chairman's final consideration."
Cheongpung Association.
Chun Suwan finally looked at Manager Ha's face.
Realizing something was wrong from Manager Ha's stiff expression, Chun Suwan asked in a trembling voice.
"Why? Why is the Cheongpung Association involved here?"
"You know why."
"What, what?!"
"Do you really think Chairman would never find out?"
"What are you talking about?!"
Chun Suwan's brazen reaction made Manager Ha's face even stiffer, and his voice finally rose.
"Why did you do it? What harm did Miss Misuk do to you? She left everything behind and went away, saying she wanted to cut ties. Why did you have to find her and kill her?"
Chun Suwan's face turned as white as a sheet.
Manager Ha's intense reaction, despite his usual stoic demeanor, revealed how he felt about Chun Misuk.
It also explained why he was friendly with Kim Muhyuk.
"Min-hoon, I need to see Father."
"He doesn't want to see you. If you go to his house, he said he'll cut all ties with you. Sign the papers. I'll handle the asset settlement. Talk to Lady Samo, Do-ryeon, and Ji-soo, and leave for Australia next week after settling your affairs."
After staring at Manager Ha with a hopeless look for a while, Chun Suwan finally started shouting again.
"Father, and you too! Always Misuk, Misuk! Did you really think Father wouldn't find Misuk again after cutting ties? No! Look at now. The moment he found Misuk's son, I became a nobody. In the end, he said he would give the successor to that guy!"
Chun Suwan's hollow cries didn't reach Manager Ha.
As Manager Ha looked at him coldly, Chun Suwan became even more agitated.
"Don't look at me like that! I'm Chun Suwan, the son of Chun Tae-san! You, a mere servant, have no right to look at me like that!"
"Sign the divorce papers."
"No. It's not me. I didn't kill her, I didn't!"
In the end, Chun Suwan stared at the ceiling, muttering to himself.
"It was unavoidable..."
A moment later.
Chun Suwan finally signed the divorce papers and sent Manager Ha out.
As soon as Manager Ha left, Chun Suwan started making a call.
When the other party answered, he spoke urgently.
"This is Chun Suwan from Myeongdong. Is the Elder there...?"
ā Don't contact him.
The call was abruptly cut off.
Chun Suwan's face, which had been staring at the phone in despair, twisted in anger.
"Am I going to die alone like this?"
Chun Suwan muttered like a madman and continued making calls. But the responses he received were not much different.
* * *
"Has Suwan left the country?"
"Yes, I confirmed at the airport."
Chairman Chun, who seemed to have recovered from the shock, looked at Manager Ha as usual.
"Did he go quietly?"
"He didn't put up much resistance."
"Given his character, he won't just sit there and take it. Keep an eye on him. What about Suhan?"
"He's being transferred to Yeongdeungpo Prison this week."
Chairman Chun, who had nodded lightly, frowned.
"Still, make sure they can survive. What about Ji-soo and Ji-won?"
"When I saw them at the airport, they didn't react much. But Ji-soo's eyes were not good."
"Did they go to their maternal relatives? Seo Yong-geun, that guy, is trying to match me now that he's grown up."
"Ji-soo and Lady Samo went to the Seo family's main house. I heard Ji-won is living in a separate house."
At the mention of Ji-won, Chairman Chun's frown deepened.
"That guy still hasn't come to his senses. Leave him be. What about Ji-yeong and her mother?"
"Ji-yeong's maternal relatives are already in disarray, so she's staying in her original home. We're still providing support."
"Good, keep supporting her. When Suhan gets out, send him abroad immediately, but to a different place from where Suwan is, like Australia."
"Understood."
Chairman Chun changed the topic.
"They're settled now. 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 ranking, including the debts managed by Mr. Chun."
"It will take him a while to review. Understood. Keep an eye on him for now, and if he needs advice, teach him well."
"Understood."
* * *
"Mr. Chun Suwan has left the country."
I looked up from the loan documents I was reviewing and at Manager Ma.
"He's in Australia. We've provided him with enough resources to settle there."
"That's expected. Grandfather can't be too harsh with family. Just keep an eye on him for now. I don't think he'll cause problems, as Manager Ha is likely watching him too."
"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 expected."
Manager Ma didn't respond, but I continued talking to myself.
"There are more bad debts to recover than I thought. Many of them could become problematic later."
My eyes were blurry from reviewing the documents, but I didn't stop.
This was the entirety of the loan market in our country.
Reviewing the loan documents with my knowledge of the future was a tedious but interesting task.
Several weeks had passed since Chun Suwan left the country.
I visited Grandfather's study for the first time in a while.
"Grandfather, it's Muhyuk."
"Come in."
Grandfather greeted me as if he had been waiting.
"The loan classification is complete."
Grandfather's expressionless face changed. It was the face of the Chairman Chun I knew from before.
"You finished quickly. Tell me about it."
"Most of the loans are likely to become bad debts. I plan to recover most of them."
Taking out a loan meant the borrower's financial condition was poor.
Most of the loans would likely become worthless before the IMF support.
Chairman Chun let out a hollow laugh, surprised.
"Most of them?"
"Yes."
While I couldn't know the scale of the loans to the top 20 companies, I had a sense of Grandfather's wealth from the debts I had reviewed over the past few weeks.
"I plan to recover as much as possible."
"Do you plan to get out of the loan business?"
"No, but if there are problems later, it will be hard to recover the money. I want 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.
Saying I would recover most of the loans right away might sound absurd.
Chairman Chun tapped his desk, thinking about what I said.
After a moment, he asked Manager Ha.
"What do you think?"
"I agree with Do-ryeon's point, but our business isn't just about documents. We need to proceed carefully, considering that."
Chairman Chun closed his eyes and thought for a moment.
Surprisingly, his deliberation was short.
"Do as you wish. If you need help, talk to Manager Ha."
"Thank you, Grandfather."
"Good. What do you plan to do with the recovered funds?"
I smiled and said,
"I plan to lend to quality companies. I'll eliminate potential problems and deal with recognized debts."
After the IMF, the influence of the creditor group would be a powerful force controlling companies.