The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 6 (6/840)
< Fortress (1) >
#6
The Fortress of Old Man Cheon
Cheon Taesan, the living legend of the Myeongdong loan market.
Born to a servant father during the Japanese occupation, he came to Seoul at the age of 12 and worked hard to earn money wherever he could.
After Korea's liberation from Japan in 1945, he quickly bought up enemy properties (敵産家屋) that the Japanese were selling at low prices, amassing a large fortune. After the Korean War, he also bought enemy properties that the government was selling off.
With the capital he had accumulated, he boldly entered the loan market and overcame many life-threatening situations.
And now, he had become a wealthy man with the highest cash mobilization ability in South Korea.
Fortress (鐵甕城).
Whether it was the Third Republic, which seized power through a military coup, or the Fifth Republic, which followed suit, or even to this day... the loan king who had protected his wealth from all the sharp edges of power.
This was the place where he lived, where even the chairmen of large corporations would wait for hours to meet him.
"Have you arrived?"
"Yes, Grandfather."
"Hahaha. Grandfather... It sounds good. Even though we've only met twice, it feels like I'm seeing Misuk again. Sit down."
"Yes."
I sat opposite the sofa where Grandfather was sitting.
"I heard the news. You were the top student in your class, right?"
"Yes."
"Did you study before? Or is it just inexplicable?"
I shook my head silently.
"No. I think the stormy youth I experienced helped me a lot. Grandmother's illness had a significant impact."
"Uahaha! Stormy... I also had a tough youth. Fighting, stealing, hiding, that's how I lived. What did you gain during that stormy period? Was it a meaningless time?"
The conversation continued, not at all like one between a grandfather and grandson. Each time he asked a question, it felt as if a knife was brushing against my neck.
"I made a friend. A friend who will stay by my side until I die."
"Hmm, a friend? You're still young! Too young."
I met Chairman Cheon's piercing gaze head-on.
"From beggars to the president in the Blue House, it's all about people. I believe the path you walk is determined by how many people you can truly trust and rely on. I have made a friend I can trust with my life. So, I can say I have everything."
"Uahaha. I wonder if I'm talking to my young grandson or a seasoned, old politician."
A smile appeared on Chairman Cheon's face, one I had never seen in my previous life.
"Do you want something?"
"It hasn't been two years yet. I'll tell you after the college entrance exam. Please don't forget that you promised to grant me anything."
"Alright. I've never broken a promise in my life. You should feel the weight of a promise."
Chairman Cheon nodded in satisfaction.
"Anyway, this is just a bet between you and me. I want to give a gift to my grandson who has come to his senses... What would you like?"
I didn't answer.
"Do you know what I do? Why have you never asked?"
"Does it matter? No matter what you do, you're still my grandfather, right?"
"Haha, that's true. Let's eat first. An-sung!"
"Yes, Chairman."
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes."
I followed Chairman Cheon to the dining room.
There were about five or six side dishes on the table.
"Eat well."
"I will."
I picked up my chopsticks and followed the old man's lead. During the meal, not a single word was exchanged.
Old Man Cheon never talks during meals. Perhaps it's due to his upbringing, but he said it's an old habit.
After the meal, we returned to the living room.
"I want to give a gift to my grandson... Since you don't have any requests, I'll decide on my own. Secretary Ha!"
Secretary Ha, who had been waiting in the distance, rushed over at the old man's call.
"Did you call, Chairman?"
"What gift should I give to my grandson? I can't get a feel for it since I'm not familiar with it."
"Give him what he wants."
"He doesn't speak."
"Doesn't he mean he knows what he wants and is asking for it? From what I've seen, that's the kind of boy he is."
"What? Hahaha. Secretary Ha, you see something in Muhyuk too?"
Smiling, Old Man Cheon fell silent, lost in thought. After a while, he spoke.
"Secretary Ha, don't you have 4% of Daehyun stock in your name?"
"Yes."
"Transfer it to his name. Pay the taxes properly. Make sure there are no issues with the gift to my grandson."
"Understood."
Daehyun... One of the top ten conglomerates, and a unique one at that. Although it later split into several entities due to conflicts among the founder's children after his death, it is currently the top conglomerate.
Even after the split, it remains a massive company, ranking second and sixth among the conglomerates.
"This should be a sufficient gift for my grandson. You may not understand now, but you will in the future. The weight of the name Daehyun."
I know, I understand. It's not a stock that can be bought with money... 4% means not only financial value but also the power to influence succession battles in the future...
It was an unexpected gift.
"Thank you."
"Can't you speak more casually?"
"......I'm not comfortable yet. Maybe next time, when I'm more at ease..."
I deliberately left the sentence hanging. Although he might be disappointed, Chairman Cheon surprisingly nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Stay in Seoul for a few days. If you want to go anywhere, let Secretary Ha know. I'll inform Busan. Rest well."
"Yes."
Secretary Ha led me to the room where I would be staying. It was the same room I had lived in after entering university... It was exactly as it was.
"Let me know if you need anything."
"Yes."
The door closed, and I was alone.
The smile on Grandfather's face, the extravagant gift, were things that never happened in my previous life.
Daehyun stock... I thought he would just throw some money at me. But to transfer Daehyun stock, which is priceless...
'He really is generous.'
I wondered if I had truly understood Chairman Cheon before.
Life in Seoul was monotonous.
I had breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Grandfather, and during the day, Secretary Ha took me on tours of Seoul.
......I'm not a bumpkin, you know.
We visited department stores, where Secretary Ha bought me watches, shoes, and clothes, doing his best for me over the next few days.
* * *
The day before returning to Busan.
The day I was to meet Cheon Sum and Cheon Sun.
"Father, we have arrived."
First, the eldest son, Cheon Sun, his wife, Lee Suk-kyung, and their children, Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-soo, entered.
'I can endure... I can endure...'
I kept repeating this in my mind.
But the moment I saw Cheon Sum's face, I almost punched him without realizing it.
Then Cheon Sun's family arrived, and the quiet atmosphere of Chairman Cheon's residence became bustling.
During the meal, the entire family, knowing Old Man Cheon's habits, ate in silence. Throughout the meal, the two brothers were busy trying to figure me out.
After the meal, when everyone gathered in the living room:
"Is this Misuk's son?"
"Yes, what's the problem?"
"Isn't that ridiculous? A child who left on a whim, saying he didn't want to live as his father told him, comes back after 17 years with his son, and you expect us to believe it?"
"That's right. I agree with my brother. Where is Misuk? Did you properly investigate?"
Cheon Sum and Cheon Sun, desperately trying to deny me, were once people I found scary and disliked, but now they just seemed ridiculous.
I chuckled inwardly when the brothers were hit with a thunderbolt.
"Misuk? You mention her name?! You, her brothers, never once checked if she was alive or dead, and now you ask if she's really her son? Where is Misuk?"
Chairman Cheon, enraged, shouted. From that moment, the two brothers began to stammer.
"Father, you said you only had two children..."
What a joke. You must have thought it was for the best. Your youngest sister, who had been the apple of your father's eye, was gone, and you must have been overjoyed.
"When did you start listening to me? Did you ever ask where Misuk was? She's dead. She died 15 years ago, when she was so young she couldn't even remember her mother's face. It's been 17 years. If you had really wanted to find her, you could have. Did you think I didn't know? Or did you know and not tell me?"
Sweat began to trickle down their foreheads.
They probably didn't know she was already in her grave. But they asked where Misuk was and why I was here alone...
"Whether you acknowledge it or not, he's my grandson. I don't need your permission. I called you here to get to know him, but seeing your attitude, I don't think it will do any good."
"Father."
"Father, that's not what I meant..."
Chairman Cheon, clearly upset, turned his back on his two sons.
"Muhyuk, go to your room. Sum and Sun, follow me to the study with your wives. The children should go to their rooms."
It was already an uncomfortable situation. When he told me to go to my room, I bowed and left without looking back.
"Yes, Grandfather. I'll go up now. It was nice to meet my uncles. I hope we can meet again with smiles. Goodbye."
Saying words I didn't mean made me feel like my insides were twisting.
"Phew..."
I sighed deeply once I was in my room.
Fortunately, no one noticed the murderous intent I felt when I first saw Sum and Sun.
I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to clear my mind.
The door opened without a knock.
"Hey~"
Turning my head to look, I saw Cheon Ji-won, Cheon Sum's eldest son, entering the room with a sinister smile.
Right, this guy was here.
"You're Misuk's son, right?"
"So what?"
"So what? You're short with your words?"
"You started it."
"I'm 23, and you're 17. Use honorifics."
"I don't want to."
"Such a crazy guy..."
This guy hasn't changed at all.
I turned my head back to the ceiling and waved my hand dismissively.
"Hey, I'm annoyed. Shut up and get out. Turn off the lights when you leave."
He stared at me in silence, probably never having been spoken to like this before.
A spoiled brat. There's no better way to describe Cheon Ji-won. His father is the eldest son of the powerful Cheon Taesan, and his mother is the daughter of the chairman of Ilseong Group. Who would dare to criticize him?
Such an environment only worsened his character.
"Who do you think you are, a nobody, talking to me like that! Hey, get up. Who told you to lie down in front of me? Not getting up?"
"Yes, Brother. We're family, right?"
"What?"
"My lineage is your lineage. Get it? Be either stupid or a complete moron, but choose one."
"Hey! Do you really want to die?"
Ah, this is annoying. Really.
I sat up on the bed.
"What? Why? I'm up. If you have something to say, say it quickly. I'm tired."
"Use honorifics. This is your last warning."
"Sure, sure~ Say what you want, Brother! I'll listen quietly."
"..."
"If you have nothing to say, I want to sleep. Will you leave, Brother?"
"Hahaha! You're driving me crazy. Hey! Forget it. Just take the money and get lost. This isn't a place for someone like you. How much? 100 million? 1 billion?"
I had to suppress my laughter. Didn't he say the same thing before? Back then, I couldn't say a word and just stood there like an idiot.
"Wow! Our brother wants to give me pocket money?"
"What?"
"100 million isn't pocket money?"
Cheon Ji-won laughed bitterly.
"Really, you're crazy. You might end up dead without anyone knowing. You're still young, so you don't understand. In this world, fists come before the law. Don't ignore my warning."
"Sure, sure."
"Ha, did you grow up without parents? Your upbringing is a mess. Ha... That's why you shouldn't talk to a parentless kid."
...This guy is crossing the line.
"Did your grandmother raise you? Or your grandfather? Looking at you, I can tell how those old people are doing."
I grabbed his collar and slammed him against the door.
"Right, I have no parents, so I can't see them. Do you want to get beaten up by a parentless kid?"