The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 60 (60/840)
< You've done enough. >
#60
You've done enough.
As soon as she saw my face, Jeong-yeong burst into tears.
I thought it would be best to help her compose herself before meeting Grandfather, so I took her outside the house.
"Brother, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Her tears poured out the moment our eyes met, and I hesitated.
Seeing how much she had suffered, Jeong-yeong looked much thinner, and I struggled to find the right words.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."
Her repeated apologies, even as she cried, erased the faint discomfort I had felt.
Placing my hand on her head, I could feel her trembling.
Looking directly into her tear-streaked eyes, I said,
"It happened before you were even born. It would be a lie to say I wasn't uncomfortable meeting you again. But I know it's not your fault. Don't apologize. Cry it out now and forget it. I want you to treat me like you did when we first met."
Before I finished speaking, Jeong-yeong began to sob uncontrollably.
What could this child have done wrong?
I suppressed a bitter smile.
"Grandfather will be more stressed than I am. Visit him often. You don't need to worry about my feelings."
It took a while for Jeong-yeong to calm down.
Once she stopped crying, she kept avoiding my gaze.
"Your eyes are puffy. You look like a panda. A panda."
Even when I made a joke, she didn't respond much.
It seems she needs some time.
After all, she's 17, a first-year high school student. She's still going through adolescence.
If I were in her position, would I have had the courage to come and apologize?
"This is boring. Wipe your tears and let's go in. Grandfather is waiting."
I took Jeong-yeong back inside the house.
When Grandfather saw Jeong-yeong's face, he stood up from his seat.
"Grandfather."
Jeong-yeong started to sob again.
Worried that Grandfather might notice, I moved Jeong-yeong to the back and went up to my room on the second floor.
Sitting on the bed, I asked Ma Gwang-jae, who had followed me in,
"What about Cheon Su-man? Are you still keeping an eye on him?"
"He's been reported to be staying at home. There's been no change yet."
"He's not the type to stay idle. Let me know immediately if there's even a minor movement."
"Understood."
I looked towards the door.
What are they talking about?
I believe Jeong-yeong is not at fault, but her father is a different story.
"Is Cheon Su-han being properly managed?"
"I heard that Park Sang is handling it thoroughly."
I have no intention of forgiving Cheon Su-han for Jeong-yeong's sake.
I don't know what they're talking about, but I plan to completely break Cheon Su-han's spirit.
Even if he was just a puppet of Cheon Su-man, he still turned a blind eye to my parents' deaths.
"Set up a dinner meeting with Park Dong-su. Find a quiet place where we can have a drink and talk."
A little later, Ma Gwang-jae, who had gone out, knocked on the door, saying Grandfather was calling.
When I entered the study, Grandfather looked relieved after talking with Jeong-yeong. His eyes were slightly red, as if he had been crying.
Jeong-yeong's eyes were even more swollen.
She shouldn't look this bad even if she had eaten ramen and gone to bed.
"Mu-hyuk, thank you."
Grandfather's words hit me deeply.
"There's nothing to thank me for. She's my sister too."
Seeing Grandfather's changed demeanor and Jeong-yeong's actions towards me, I made this decision.
Of course, Cheon Ji-won and Cheon Ji-su are not included in this.
That evening.
Grandfather seemed to have found his smile again after a long time.
Warmth returned to the once silent house.
After dinner, I left to meet Park Dong-su.
It was quite late when I entered a shabby pojangmacha in Yeongdeungpo. There were no other customers, and only Park Dong-su and Lee Sang-geun were waiting for me.
"How did you find this place?"
As I entered, Park Dong-su stood up.
"Hey! Dong-sang."
Park Dong-su greeted me with a raised hand, and Lee Sang-geun bowed deeply in contrast.
I smiled at their familiar behavior.
"It's been a while."
Ma Gwang-jae stood behind me without sitting down.
"It took us a long time to have a proper drink together. Right, Dong-su hyung?"
Park Dong-su's lips twitched, seemingly pleased with the term "hyung."
He was an easy person to understand.
"Is the Yeongdeungpo takeover complete?"
"Of course. There was no major conflict. A little intimidation, and they crawled to the bottom. It was surprisingly easy."
I nodded slightly.
"Taking over Geumseong Construction from Cho Hyun-gu must have been a big deal. Gangsters are quick to recognize the power behind someone. Don't even look at the south of the Han River yet. Start by absorbing the small forces in the western area. And don't get involved with the Chinese in Garibong-dong yet."
"Understood."
"How's the company doing, Lee Sang-gu?"
"I'm starting to get confused about whether I'm a lawyer or a company employee. Haha."
Just because the gangsters own the company doesn't mean all employees are gangsters.
Since the company is a legal front, having a lawyer like Lee Sang-geun is necessary.
"Keep recruiting reliable people. Don't worry about salaries or bonuses, and be aggressive in your recruitment."
"Understood. But we should start bidding for construction projects soon."
"I'll talk to Daehyun Construction and let you know. Bear with it a little longer. And don't push too hard to achieve results."
"Yes. We can't rely solely on Daehyun, so the employees are trying to secure projects elsewhere."
The previous government announced large-scale new town developments and redevelopment areas, so the current government is relatively lukewarm about new town developments.
"There won't be any major new town development plans soon. By the way, isn't Bongcheon-dong in Yeongdeungpo being redeveloped?"
Lee Sang-geun answered my question.
"Actually, I wanted to talk about that. Another organization is already involved. Should we get involved too?"
Looking at Park Dong-su, he shrugged.
"I told him to talk to Dong-sang and decide. Personally, I'd like to do it."
"Then go for it. Can you handle it?"
"Dong-sang! I'm Park Dong-su. Don't you trust me?"
Impressed by Park Dong-su's confident words, I poured soju into his glass.
"Let's have a drink."
I was pleased to see his proactive attitude without needing to be told.
After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation turned to Cheon Su-han.
"How's the prison situation?"
"He's completely isolated. I've mobilized people to cut off all communication, even from our own people. He's probably living in a state where he can't even die. I told the guy in the same cell to prevent him from committing suicide."
Park Dong-su's words brought a cold smile to my lips.
"Right. Make sure he doesn't die or get hurt. No, make sure he can't even commit suicide. Thoroughly break his spirit."
"Scary guy. Hyung, have I ever wronged you? If so, let me know anytime."
"Not yet."
Park Dong-su shook his head, looking exasperated.
"Is everything okay in Busan?"
"Yeah. Su-hyung is handling it well. He calls me every day, and he's doing a good job. He's under me, so if he eats a territory, he can eat it anytime."
"Still, don't trust him too much and keep an eye on him."
"Understood."
Busan is an important area.
Since the Japanese yakuza's influence can spread from Busan to Seoul, if I can keep Busan within my sphere of influence, my plans will be smoother.
"Is that all for business? The drink is losing its taste. Take a drink and thank me."
"Haha, understood."
We continued drinking for a long time, reminiscing about old stories from Busan.
When I returned home late at night, Jeong-yeong was waiting for me in the dark living room, with only a desk lamp on.
"Didn't you sleep?"
"I was waiting for you."
"We could have talked tomorrow. You didn't know when I'd be back."
"Did you drink?"
I must have shown signs of having had a few drinks.
I chuckled.
"A little. Does it smell?"
"No, but your face looks like it."
"Sit down. How's Grandfather?"
Sitting across from her, Jeong-yeong lowered her head.
"He said he was going to bed."
"You were waiting to talk to me?"
"Uh-huh."
"Speak. If you say sorry again, I'll get angry."
Jeong-yeong flinched slightly.
Silent and with her head down, I spoke for her.
"Alright. You've done enough. But don't ask me to forgive your father. I don't want to hate you too."
"Uh-huh..."
"Is there anything you want to do? You're a high school student now."
I asked casually, but a memory came to mind.
Jeong-yeong had once told me she wanted to do music.
It was a dream she couldn't pursue due to Grandfather and Cheon Su-han's opposition.
"Still... I just vaguely think I want to do something related to music. Is it too late?"
"Is that so? But isn't that a field that requires talent? Do you have that kind of talent?"
"No! I've been told I have a good voice!"
Realizing what she said, Jeong-yeong quickly closed her mouth.
Tapping into her pride, her old self emerged.
Jeong-yeong, with her strong self-esteem and positive attitude, suited this side of her.
"Is that so? Then you should try. What's the problem? If you want to, do it."
"But... because of Grandfather? Even so, you should do what you want. Just try it. If you worry about Grandfather's opposition, you won't do anything."
Jeong-yeong didn't answer but kept fidgeting with the ends of her long hair, as if deep in thought.
"I'll support you later. We'll deal with it when the time comes. You're still a student. You can try anything you want."
"Brother, you're only twenty-one... You talk like you've lived a long time. It's funny."
I didn't answer, just smiled.
That night, I talked with Jeong-yeong until dawn.
I deliberately avoided talking about her parents, but this was the first time we had talked for so long alone, even considering my previous life.
The next day, Jeong-yeong went home early after breakfast.
Grandfather's worried face seemed to have eased a bit because of Jeong-yeong.
While sitting in the living room talking with Grandfather, a news flash came on the TV.
It reported that Kim Il-sung had died.
It was a sudden announcement while preparations for the North-South talks were underway.
Time passed, and the sweltering summer was coming to an end. It was September, the day of the second exam results announcement.
I went to Myeong-su's house to wait for the results together.
When the phone call with the passing notification came, Myeong-su stood up, raised his hands, and shouted,
"Damn! I passed! I did it! I, Myeong-su, did it!"
Then he hugged me tightly.
"Mu-hyuk! My friend Mu-hyuk! Life is unpredictable. I never thought I'd become a prosecutor. Thanks to you. Thank you."
The other three also received calls confirming their passing.
The university called too, saying it was the first time four second-year law students had passed the second exam simultaneously.
All I did was form a study group and bring about small changes, but this accelerated their bar exam preparation.
I couldn't predict how this small change would create a butterfly effect in the future.