The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 59 (59/840)
< It would be foolish not to accept this. >
#59
It would be foolish not to accept this.
Chief Justice Oh Jeong-seok.
Appointed as Chief Justice during the Fifth Republic, he wielded the gavel according to his own principles without catering to the government.
As a result, he was also a person who was respected by many in the legal community.
After finishing the formalities, I stood in front of him, not avoiding his gaze, even though he didn’t invite me to sit.
His probing gaze lingered for a long time.
"Sit down."
"Thank you."
As I sat down, Chief Justice Oh Jeong-seok’s wife brought in tea.
"Is this Hyun-woo’s friend? Haha, you’re handsome."
"Thank you."
"Hmm."
When Chief Justice 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 watching his wife’s retreating back with a displeased look, turned 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 mental state.
After a while, Oh Jeong-seok put down his teacup and began to speak.
"You’re the grandson of Chairman Cheon from Pyeongchang-dong, right?"
I also put down my teacup.
"Yes, he’s my maternal grandfather."
"Is Chairman Cheon well?"
"He’s 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 particularly enjoy.
How long does he plan to keep this up?
Just as I was starting to feel a bit bored, Oh Jeong-seok suddenly asked 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, checking if I was flustered.
"I just happened to become friends with Hyun-woo, who is in the same major, and we naturally became closer."
"Yes, that could be seen as a pure friendship. But creating a club suggests there was some intention behind it."
"Well, it just felt nice to have a group of friends who got along well, and I thought it would be good to keep meeting. Hyun-woo is the president of the club, too."
"·····So you had no intention at all?"
His expression suggested he didn’t believe me.
I didn’t bother to lie and deny it.
"If I must say, I thought that after entering society, it’s better to maintain good friendships that formed by chance, as people often consider gains and losses when making friends."
"Is that not the case now?"
"Who knows where Hyun-woo will be in a few decades? It’s hard to predict the future of the club or the friends, and I’m quite busy. You understand, right?"
Oh Jeong-seok seemed to be trying to read something from my expression and words, but there was no need to put on a particular expression.
No matter what, the aura I gave off was far from that of an ordinary twenty-year-old.
I, on the other hand, was observing him.
He seemed to have a habit of fidgeting with his glasses. His face didn’t show much change, but the glint in his eyes behind the lenses couldn’t be hidden.
"Right, I heard. You got rid of your uncles in one fell swoop. It was quite interesting. That’s why I wanted to meet you. I’m sure Chairman Cheon told you about me?"
"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 really need to get involved with Chairman Cheon. You met a few times, right?"
"There’s no need to connect the dots. 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. The same goes for my friends."
At this, Oh Jeong-seok’s face showed a slight smile.
"Yes, that’s right. If you had no intention of becoming a legal professional, taking the second stage would have been a disgrace to those who prepared diligently."
He then asked a more direct question.
"So, what do you plan to do? Do you intend to follow in Chairman Cheon’s footsteps and become the king of the underground economy?"
"If there were no one like my grandfather, would the companies of that time have been able to operate?"
"I’m not belittling Chairman Cheon. As someone who lived through that era, I believe he played a role. But his methods were too extreme."
"Were there people who weren’t extreme in that era? The state power, judicial power, and money were all extreme."
"Hmm·····"
He sighed at the mention of judicial power, knowing it all too well and unable to deny it.
"Because of the people who lived through those extreme times, this era exists. 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.
"Indeed, I see it as my responsibility. But I don’t plan to stay in the underground. I believe the time has come to come out into the light."
His eyes changed again at my words.
My face, smiling as I fidgeted with my glasses, was reflected in his glasses.
"Times have changed, so we must change too. Of course, we won’t abandon the underground. Where there is light, there is darkness. If we leave it unattended, it will cause greater chaos."
"Hmm····· You’re quite ambitious. It will be interesting to watch."
"I look forward to your advice."
"What can an old man in the back room do? I’m just an old man who spends his days watching the news."
Oh Jeong-seok waved his hand.
The long conversation ended, and I left Chief Justice Oh Jeong-sek’s apartment.
Before getting into the car, I looked up at the floor where Oh Jeong-sek’s home was.
Chief Justice Oh Jeong-sek is very ambitious. He may not be materialistic, but he values his reputation above all else. Perhaps it’s more accurate to call it a desire for power?
People think he is a man of principles, but that’s not entirely true.
Oh Jeong-sek will move when the IMF crisis hits and everything falls into chaos.
He is someone who has the power to help me.
* * *
Han Kyung-young, following Kim Mu-hyuk’s orders, began investigating the Mexican peso.
"Overvalued, but isn’t devaluation too extreme? Huh······"
For now, he had no choice but to trust Kim Mu-hyuk.
Standing in front of Goldman Sachs headquarters, Han Kyung-young took a deep breath.
At the door, he hesitated, fidgeting with his phone.
'I trust my brother. He trusts me.'
He heard Kim Mu-hyuk’s voice in his head.
Han Kyung-young steeled himself, clutched his briefcase, and entered the bank.
Guided by a staff member, he arrived at the meeting room and sat down. Soon, a team leader he had met at a few parties entered.
"Hey, James!"
"Peter! Long time no see."
They greeted each other warmly and began the meeting.
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 trade?"
Han Kyung-young sighed.
'How could I not know it’s crazy?'
He felt as absurd as Peter did.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I’m betting on the Mexican peso depreciating. At least 5 pesos to the dollar."
"What?"
Peter, who looked through the documents again, stared at Han Kyung-young as if he were insane.
"Are you serious?"
"Ha····· So, will you do it?"
"That’s not my decision. What’s the trade amount?"
"Up to 300 million dollars. If you can’t do it, I’ll have to go elsewhere."
Peter’s mouth dropped open in shock.
"Wait. I’ll get someone."
Peter left the room, shaking his head at Han Kyung-young.
Alone, Han Kyung-young’s hands were drenched in sweat.
'It would be foolish not to accept this, damn it.'
A few moments later, Peter returned with several people.
"Hello, I’m Tommy, the CFO."
Tommy, who seemed to have heard the story, 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 of January next year····· Is the trade amount up to 300 million dollars?"
"Yes. I plan to use 300 million dollars as collateral and leverage to the maximum."
Tommy nodded, a smirk appearing on his face.
"We’ll take it all. We’ll save you the trouble of going to other banks. Dream High Investment····· This will be a good deal. Let’s meet often."
They shook hands and signed the contract.
Tommy’s face was beaming, likely thinking about the performance bonus he would receive from this deal.
After completing all the contracts, Han Kyung-young left the Goldman Sachs building, staring at it 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 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 really crazy. Do you know how much they mocked me? I learned for the first time that someone can make you feel miserable with just their eyes.
"Haha."
— Don’t laugh. The maturity is set for the end of January.
"Good job. How much leverage did you use?"
— 30 times.
"Of course, I made the right choice in trusting you."
He bet 900 million dollars with 300 million dollars.
Han Kyung-young had exceeded my expectations.
— Huh····· Can I come back to Korea?
"Not yet. When you return to Korea, everyone will praise you as a hero. Wait. Good job."
— 300 million dollars····· I burned money I might never see in my lifetime. Damn, it’s unbelievable.
Despite his struggles, 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.
Fully awake, I drank some water from a glass next to me.
'How much has the peso depreciated?'
There were still plenty of opportunities to make money.
As I reviewed my plans, the sky outside 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.
Unlike Oh Jeong-sek, he was already fond of me.
President Song Young-ju 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.
Although there would be another chance next year, it would be perfect if all four of them passed this year.
I went to pick them up as the exam ended.
Lost in thought, looking out the window at the fast-moving scenery, my phone rang.
"Kim Mu-hyuk here."
— ······
I could hear his breathing, but he didn’t speak.
Who is it?
"Kim Mu-hyuk here. Speak up."
— Mu-hyuk oppa····· It’s Ji-young.
Chun Su-han’s daughter, Chun Ji-young.
"Hey, Ji-young. Long time no see. What’s up?"
I couldn’t hate this child because of Chun Su-han.
— Do you····· have time?
From her voice, it seemed she had found out what Chun Su-han had done to me.
"I have plans today, but I’m free tomorrow. Where do you want to meet? Do you want to come to my place?"
— Really? I can come to your place?
"Of course. I visit sometimes to keep my grandfather company. He misses you a lot. Let’s meet at my place tomorrow afternoon."
— Okay.
After hanging up, I stared at my phone for a while.
I had been thinking about how to handle Chun Ji-young for some time.
She was the same as before, both in the past and in this new life, so I couldn’t help but worry.
The sound of my destination being reached finally snapped me out of my thoughts.
Stepping out of the car, the heat hit me.
Now that I think about it, this summer was particularly hot.
As I looked at my friends’ faces after their exam, I pushed the recent phone call out of 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.
"Oppa, I’m sorry·····"
Chun Ji-young burst into tears before we could even properly greet each other.