Seyoung Oh briefly watched Hisoo Hyun’s retreating back as he slowly walked away, then went inside.
The woman, who had come with a face full of dissatisfaction, sat on the sofa to Jinhyuk Park’s right without waiting for him to invite her.
She placed her bag on the seat next to her and shot a sharp remark at Jinhyuk.
“With the Chairman away, you’re openly forming a faction. Does the Chairman know you’re doing this?”
“A faction? We’re just old colleagues who used to work together catching up. Calling it a faction seems too harsh.”
“You expect me to believe that? You think I don’t know you’re plotting something while the Chairman is gone?”
“Why are you so angry? Is it that you didn’t like the painting you saw outside?”
At Jinhyuk’s words, Seyoung Oh, who had been frowning since she entered the office, froze.
“What do you mean by that? Why are you suddenly talking about a painting?”
“When do you plan to get rid of that painting outside? We can’t just leave it hanging there forever, can we?”
“Get rid of it? Me? Why should I get rid of it?”
Though she was saying why him, her eyes wavered.
Seeing her feign ignorance, Jinhyuk laughed.
“You’re not saying that out of ignorance, are you? There are only the two of us here—you and me. Do you intend to keep up that act even when we’re alone?”
“What have I done that you’re talking like this?”
She avoided his gaze as she spoke.
She turned her head and half-lowered her eyes toward the floor.
Jinhyuk fixed his gaze on her and said.
“Please hang the genuine article as soon as possible. Keeping a fake hanging there makes the whole place feel cheap.”
“A fake? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Are you really saying you don’t know? If you keep this up, I can’t continue this conversation.”
“I have nothing to say.”
Seyoung Oh made to rise from her seat.
She grabbed the bag she had placed beside her and said.
“I came because you said you had something to say, but from now on, if there’s something, you come to me. I’m still your mother after all—who ever heard of a child ordering their parent around? And as for the painting outside, I have nothing to do with it, so handle it however you want.”
Seyoung Oh stood up.
She looked Jinhyuk up and down, then turned around.
Just as she was about to take a step, Jinhyuk spoke to the back of her head.
“I hear Hansung Group has been having a tough time lately?”
Seyoung Oh stopped in her tracks, slowly turned her head, and looked back at Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk sat leisurely, crossed his legs, and rubbed his hands together.
“I take it you’ve been using a lot of their money? Word has reached my ears that Hansung Group is struggling because you used their funds for West Air first. Pouring water into a bottomless pit like that—of course Hansung Group would be strained.”
Seyoung Oh frowned at Jinhyuk’s seemingly calm remark.
“Are you saying Hansung’s trouble is because of West Air? Can you really say that with your own mouth?”
“It sounds like you’re implying the trouble is because of me.”
“Then isn’t it? You put pressure on the government and blocked all the products coming out of Hansung, didn’t you? Even perfectly fine products have been slapped with sales suspensions because of you—do you think Hansung can stay afloat like that?”
“Why are you saying this? We issued sales suspensions because there were issues—surely you don’t think we’d suspend sales on perfectly good products?”
“You really have a loose mouth, don’t you? You bastard. Just you wait and see how long you can hold your head up…”
As Seyoung Oh lost her temper, pointing a finger at Jinhyuk and shouting, Jinhyuk cut her off.
“I’ll help you. With Hansung Group.”
Seyoung Oh froze with her finger still raised.
“What?”
“You heard me, so why pretend you didn’t? I said I’ll help you.”
“Help me with what?”
“I’ll help with the difficulties you’re having. That’s what I mean. Why? Don’t you like my help?”
Seyoung Oh stood like a statue, her arm still clutching the bag.
She understood what Jinhyuk was implying.
But she couldn’t answer immediately, because she didn’t know why he was offering help.
“First, have a seat. You’re not planning to keep talking while standing, are you?”
At Jinhyuk’s words, Seyoung Oh reluctantly sat down.
But she still held the bag in her arm.
It was clear she hadn’t let down her guard yet, still uncertain of Jinhyuk’s true intentions.
Jinhyuk spoke to her with a relaxed expression.
“I hear Hansung has been putting in a lot of effort lately to restore its lost trust. They’re pouring resources into new drug development and trying to re-enter the biosimilar field. If they had acquired our DS Biologics, things would have gone smoothly, but since they didn’t, it feels like things are going in circles.”
“What’s your point?”
“I also hear you’re short on cash? I won’t say it’s because of you, Director, but isn’t it a case of adding insult to injury? You helped someone out when you were already struggling, and now you don’t even know when that help will be repaid… They say you can’t even collect the money.”
“Are you mocking me? Why are you saying this to me?”
Jinhyuk unclasped his hands and extended them toward Seyoung Oh.
“I said I’ll help you. I’ll make sure DS Pharmaceutical acquires Hansung Group’s Anseong Factory.”
At Jinhyuk’s words, Seyoung Oh’s expression drastically changed.
Hansung Group had been suffering since the Pitaflu incident.
Once they fell out of favor with the government, one issue after another was raised against them, and they spent a long time just trying to explain themselves.
And while Seyoung Oh’s father, Joongheon Oh, the supreme leader of Hansung Group, was going through his trial, Hansung Group lost its business direction.
There’s a saying in business that a month idling in the air costs a year in losses; Hansung Group lost more than three years’ worth of time due to the three-month-long trial.
After many twists and turns, Joongheon Oh was released on probation, but outside, his daughter was waiting for him.
As soon as Joongheon Oh was out, Seyoung Oh opened her hands, and Joongheon Oh, unable to refuse his daughter’s plea, ended up funneling funds into West Air through Seyoung Oh.
But that choice ended up tying Hansung’s hands.
It was help given when Hansung itself wasn’t in a good state.
And the money that had been sucked in showed no sign of coming back.
Time passed, and eventually Hansung found itself needing to pay off maturing bonds.
That led to the decision to sell the Anseong Factory.
Among Hansung’s many factories, it was the most useful and the best asset to put on the market for quick cash.
It was a desperate measure to put up an attractive asset and quickly raise funds.
But contrary to Hansung’s expectations, no bites came for the property.
Because the market as a whole was under capital pressure, and as the season turned to winter, companies had all curled up tight.
With Paris Flu possibly resurging, companies were busy hoarding funds rather than spending them, fearing a harsh winter.
“Really?”
“You know where I’ve been, don’t you? If I talk to President Kyung, we can start acquisition negotiations right now. It’s not like DS Pharmaceutical isn’t already struggling to handle its production volume.”
Pitaflu, biosimilars, and new drugs—DS Pharmaceutical was the busiest company in South Korea.
Seyoung Oh knew this well, so she spoke with eager anticipation.
“Then, aside from the Anseong Factory, maybe some work…”
“Please don’t bring such matters to me… What do you think? Are you interested or not? Just tell me that.”
Seyoung Oh gave up on expecting anything else.
Because if she could sell even just the Anseong Factory, Hansung could catch its breath.
But she set aside her anticipation and looked at Jinhyuk with a face full of doubt.
“Then why are you telling me this? Shouldn’t you be discussing Hansung’s affairs with Hansung?”
“Surely you don’t think I’d acquire the Anseong Factory with no conditions attached?”
Jinhyuk answered her question with a question.
Upon hearing that, Seyoung Oh actually felt relieved.
After all, it would have been stranger for him to offer help with no strings attached between them.
“Fine. Let’s talk properly now.”
Seyoung Oh put the bag she was holding back down on the seat beside her.
She had dropped her suspicions and was ready to have a serious conversation.
“If DS Pharmaceutical acquires the Anseong Factory, what do I have to give you in return?”
“It’s simple. I want to own some of West Air’s shares.”
“What are you talking about?”
Seyoung Oh’s face flushed with confusion at Jinhyuk’s words.
Until now, Jinhyuk had watched West Air from a distance, as if it were a fire on the other side of a river.
He had treated its daily struggles as someone else’s story, so his sudden desire to get involved in West Air left Seyoung Oh unable to grasp his intentions.
“I’ve become interested in West Air. Transfer some of your shares to me, Director Oh. Of course, I’ll pay you the market price.”
“My shares? How much do you want?”
“About 20 billion won?”
“What? 20 billion?”
Seyoung Oh screamed in surprise at Jinhyuk’s words.
“Are you saying you have 20 billion? No, I suppose you’d have that much. But still, that’s too much.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It’s unlisted… and on top of that, the price has dropped a lot on the over-the-counter market due to various issues lately… If you take 20 billion won worth, there will be problems.”
“Still, I need to take at least that much for it to mean anything, don’t I? If I’m going to dip my foot in, shouldn’t I go in past my ankle to my calf? I can’t just dip my toes in. Besides, if I buy your shares, you’ll have that much cash on hand, won’t you?”
At Jinhyuk’s words, Seyoung Oh’s eyes began to dart quickly.
If she transferred the shares as Jinhyuk said, she would get 20 billion won.
She could then inject that money back into West Air, and if that happened, after the government support, she would buy some breathing room.
And even after selling 20 billion won worth, she would still have a significant amount of shares left.
She didn’t think Jinhyuk could do anything to West Air with that.
“Fine. I’ll do it. But before that, I want you to tell me the reason. Why are you doing this?”
“The reason I’m doing this—do you mean the reason I’m helping?”
“Yes. You’ve been looking at me like a stranger. Suddenly offering help makes me suspicious.”
“That’s understandable.”
Jinhyuk said this and stroked his chin.
Anyone sitting in front of him would have thought the same.
Seyoung Oh swallowed dryly as she watched Jinhyuk.
Regret washed over her that she had said something unnecessary.
If Jinhyuk changed his mind and withdrew the acquisition of the Anseong Factory and the share purchase, Hansung Group and West Air would have no way to avoid their difficulties.
Seyoung Oh wanted to slap her own mouth.
Whether he knew her feelings or not, Jinhyuk answered with a relaxed attitude.
“I have no intention of improving my relationship with you, Director. You probably feel the same. But that doesn’t mean I want to just let a tempting opportunity pass me by because of you.”
“Tempting opportunity?”
“The Anseong Factory. If Hansung were in good shape, it wouldn’t be the kind of asset put up for sale. Isn’t that right?”
Seyoung Oh nodded in agreement.
“And West Air. Anyone involved knows the significance behind West Air’s establishment. But as soon as it was founded, things went awry by coincidence, and now it’s struggling. However, didn’t the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recently buy ABS, giving it some breathing room? If that’s the case, a better future awaits. I’m not an outsider—how could I just stand by and watch?”
“You’re right. West Air is not a place that will go down like this. Many people around are helping, so it will rise in the end. After the Chicken Game, there’s always a monopoly waiting. If the LCC industry restructures because of this situation, West Air could become the third national carrier… or even acquire a national carrier.”
Seyoung Oh inadvertently blurted out what was on her mind.
She had let her guard down, feeling that Jinhyuk understood her.
Jinhyuk smiled at her and said.
“So, do you intend to make the deal?”
“Yes, I’ll do it. If anything, I should be the one proposing it—there’s no reason not to.”
“Good decision. Now, please take care of that thing outside.”
“Yes, I’ll handle that too. Don’t worry.”
Initially, Seyoung Oh had jumped up, denying it.
But as everything fell into place, she relented and admitted that the painting outside was a fake.
“What do you plan to do with it?”
When Jinhyuk asked casually, Seyoung Oh answered easily without a second thought.
“I’ll ask Seo-eun’s in-laws to take care of it again.”
“Don’t you think you rely on them too much?”
“Since I’m taking Seo-eun with me, it’s the least I can do.”
“And what are you planning to give Seo-eun in return?”
“What other compensation do I need? Just the fact that she can receive DS’s help in her political career from now on is a huge benefit… Oh, right. I hear you’ve been seeing a young lady?”
“Yes, I’ve been meeting someone quite often lately.”
“Is there a young lady you like? Want me to introduce someone? I’ve heard people are even asking me to set them up.”
Just five minutes ago, Seyoung Oh had been charging at him with murder in her eyes.
Now she was trying to show the image of an infinitely loving mother.
Jinhyuk found her ridiculous.
She didn’t even realize she was stepping into a mud pit, thinking Jinhyuk was helping her—it was pitiful.
‘I wonder if Sang-hyuk is the one to pity for having a mother like this, or if it’s this woman who should be pitied for relying on Sang-hyuk.’
Unaware of Jinhyuk’s true thoughts, Seyoung Oh began listing off eligible young ladies she could introduce.
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