Jinhyuk Park’s maternal grandmother pulled him close and spoke.
“Jinhyuk. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come in. Hurry up and come eat with grandma.”
“Yes.”
Dressed elegantly in her traditional hanbok, Jinhyuk Park’s maternal grandmother practically hugged her grandson as she led him into the house.
If the house in Pyeongchang-dong had a luxurious atmosphere, the house in Seongbuk-dong exuded an old-world charm.
Every decoration in the house looked as though it had been there for far longer than just a day or two.
As they entered, Jinhyuk Park’s maternal grandmother said,
“Grandfather is waiting for you. Let’s hurry. You have no idea how happy Onsanddaek was when she heard you were coming. Why has it been so long since your last visit? We were so worried, thinking you might have gone back to the United States.”
“Did you miss me a lot?”
“Of course. I missed you. How could I not miss such an adorable child?”
Even though she was happy, Jinhyuk could see sadness welling in her eyes like tears.
Seeing her like that, Jinhyuk felt a pang in his heart.
Just as Onsanddaek had held his hand and grieved for him, his grandmother, too, looked at him with deep concern.
When Jinhyuk reached the kitchen, a large, imposing old man sat at the table, waiting for him.
The old man glared at Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk felt a sense of pressure from this old man that he’d never felt even from Junman Park.
‘Damn. Why did I even come here?’
Seeing the man who was his maternal grandfather, Jinhyuk began to regret coming to Seongbuk-dong.
Whether the old man would greet him kindly or scold him, he couldn’t tell, but the aura he gave off made it clear he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
If he made any careless moves in front of him, it felt like he’d only end up losing out.
And above his head, floated a number.
[1.5 trillion]
Other than Junman Park, this was the largest number Jinhyuk had ever seen above anyone’s head.
“Hello. Have you been well?”
“Yes. Sit down. Let’s eat.”
Jinhyuk hesitated for a moment, glanced around awkwardly, and then took a seat at the table.
His grandmother sat beside him, placing side dishes on top of his rice as she spoke.
“So, you’re coming back from Pyeongchang-dong?”
“Yes. I went to see my father and told him I wanted to start working in earnest.”
“Really? That’s wonderful. Dear, Jinhyuk said he wants to start working in earnest now. Doesn’t he seem all grown up?”
Despite her question, Jinhyuk Park’s maternal grandfather didn’t answer.
Other than the moment he sat down, he didn’t even glance at Jinhyuk, acting as if he had no interest in him at all.
Jinhyuk quietly ate his meal while glancing at his grandfather.
He hadn’t come here expecting much, so even if he received no help, it didn’t matter.
Still, hoping that things might turn out well, he kept an eye on his grandfather.
However, his maternal grandfather gave no reaction, silently eating his meal.
Instead, the reaction came from somewhere else.
“So, what is it that you said you want to do? Since you liked art, did you say you wanted to do something in the arts? Do we even have an affiliate in the arts?”
Jinhyuk’s aunt, Sunmyung Lee, currently the chairwoman of Dongjeong Industries, entered, bringing with her a young man about Jinhyuk’s age.
Noticing how much the man, who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, resembled Sunmyung Lee, Jinhyuk realized,
‘Must be my maternal cousin.’
They greeted the grandparents first, then acknowledged Jinhyuk.
“Hey, it’s been a while.”
“Yeah. It has been.”
With brief greetings, their attention returned to their bowls.
Both Sunmyung Lee and her son had pitiful numbers floating above their heads, so Jinhyuk paid them no mind.
[370,000]
That was the figure floating above Sunmyung Lee’s head.
It wasn’t as abysmal as the 50 floating above Seyoung Oh’s head, but it was still unimpressive, especially considering her position as chairwoman of Dongjeong Industries.
Her son showed a similar number.
Since his eyes were telling him they held no value for him, Jinhyuk decided there was no point in taking an interest and focused on his meal.
Sunmyung Lee frowned as Jinhyuk ignored both her and her son and sat down.
She brought up the earlier topic once more.
“So, are you planning to go to the gallery where Director Oh works? That would be fitting. The son of a first wife, living under a stepmother. Not so bad. Your late mother would be pleased from above.”
“Hey, how can you talk like that?”
“What, did I say anything wrong? If the two get along, isn’t that fine? Besides, I’ve heard Director Oh really dotes on Jinhyuk… Isn’t that right? There are rumors everywhere, about the warm-hearted stepmother who takes in her wild stepson.”
As Jinhyuk put a spoonful of rice in his mouth, he cursed inwardly.
‘That damned… Why is everyone so eager to tear me apart? Damn.’
Although Sunmyung Lee’s snide remarks made his blood boil, he kept his cool, mindful of his grandparents’ presence, and responded with a calm smile.
“Yes, she’s good to me. But this time, I’m planning to work somewhere else.”
“Oh? Somewhere else?”
“I’m going to take charge of DS Construction’s restructuring.”
The atmosphere at the table froze instantly at Jinhyuk’s words.
Even his grandfather, who until now hadn’t so much as looked at him, stopped with his spoon in mid-air and stared at Jinhyuk.
“Where? You’re going to be in charge of restructuring DS Construction?”
For the first time since greeting him, Jinhyuk Park’s maternal grandfather, Jongmu Lee, addressed him directly.
“Yes. I’ve been given a heavy responsibility.”
“So, your father sent you here because of that?”
Until just now, Jongmu Lee had sat expressionless, regardless of whether Jinhyuk came or ate.
But as soon as DS Construction was mentioned, his expression turned icy, a hint of anger in his face.
Jinhyuk felt his instincts warning him in the presence of Jongmu Lee.
But it wasn’t a situation where he could do much.
If this were a business meeting, he could crack a joke, but this was a family gathering.
He couldn’t decide on his attitude easily in such a setting.
“Why are you getting angry at the boy who’s come for the first time in a while? It’s fine, eat up. Do you really think he knew what was going on? His father probably just told him to come, so he did. Why raise your voice at the child?”
“Ugh~.”
Fortunately, Jinhyuk had his grandmother beside him, protecting him.
She raised her voice, loud enough to quiet her husband, then patted Jinhyuk’s head.
“It’s all right. Grandpa’s just loud, so don’t be scared.”
Jinhyuk nodded at her words and put on an innocent expression.
Watching this, Sunmyung Lee scoffed.
“Hmph. Mom, you just don’t understand. It’s all Chairman Park’s scheme to send Jinhyuk here. Do you know what DS Construction’s situation is like right now? Its debt ratio is over 1,000%. Just the accounts receivable they can’t collect from the Middle East, how much is that?”
“800 billion.”
“Right, 800 billion. And the amount tied up in Iraq alone is what, 700 billion?”
“680 billion.”
“Whether it’s 680 or 700 billion, it’s basically unrecoverable. Restructuring? Please. DS Construction doesn’t need restructuring, it needs to be dissolved.”
Chatting back and forth with her son, Sunmyung Lee shot glances at her father, Jongmu Lee, as if curious what he was thinking.
Jongmu Lee set his spoon down, wiped his mouth, and addressed Jinhyuk.
“Did Chairman Park send you here asking for help?”
“No, he just told me to come pay my respects.”
“Hmph. Same difference.”
Annoyed at Sunmyung Lee’s constant interjections, Jongmu Lee turned and scolded her.
“Can’t you see I’m talking here?”
Only then did Sunmyung Lee seem cowed.
Jongmu Lee turned back to Jinhyuk.
“What was Chairman Park thinking, putting you in that position?”
“I volunteered, and told him myself.”
“You did? Why are you taking that seat?”
Jongmu Lee looked puzzled, and Jinhyuk recited what he’d told Junman Park, short and simple.
“I think it’s time I proved myself and earned recognition. That way, I can be acknowledged as a rightful successor to DS Group. That’s why, out of all the affiliates, I chose construction, where I can show my abilities best.”
“You think construction is where you can show your abilities best?”
Both Jongmu Lee and Sunmyung Lee’s faces changed rapidly at Jinhyuk’s words.
Jongmu Lee looked intrigued, while Sunmyung Lee’s face filled with concern.
Eventually, Sunmyung Lee couldn’t hold back and spoke to her father.
“Dad. Isn’t this just Chairman Park trying to hand over DS Construction to us? He can’t handle it, so he’s trying to use someone else.”
“I’ve already refused that.”
“Exactly. Since you refused, now he’s sending Jinhyuk to try and persuade you again.”
“Haven’t you been listening? Jinhyuk volunteered to take on DS Construction.”
“That’s just talk… Anyway, I’m firmly against it. Acquiring DS Construction is out of the question. DS Construction is a swamp.”
“I think the same. Forget about that and look into where the fourth new city development will happen, and start acquiring land. It’s a major project. Whoever claims it first could change the whole industry.”
Jinhyuk listened in silence.
From their conversation, he learned that Junman Park had lost interest in DS Construction and had even offered it to Dongjeong Industries.
He also learned that the mountain of debt and uncollected funds continued to grow.
‘Ah, damn. This is really twisted.’
When he’d sensed something off in Pyeongchang-dong, he’d tried to reassure himself, but the more he listened, the less hope he saw.
They called it restructuring, but it sounded more like liquidation might be in the cards.
‘Damn it. Still, this is DS Group’s affiliate. No way would they just shut it down. I’ll keep it afloat, somehow.’
Jinhyuk pushed aside his anxiety.
If this were an independent company, facing such massive debts and a bleak future, bankruptcy or reorganization might be unavoidable. But with DS as its strong backer, he didn’t believe DS Construction would face such a fate.
And he’d also picked up useful information.
‘Fourth new city? Could that really change the industry?’
It wasn’t something he could use immediately, but he stored it away for later.
He looked at Jongmu Lee and Sunmyung Lee and spoke.
“Once again, this has nothing to do with my father. I made the proposal myself, and today, I’m here purely to pay my respects. Please don’t read too much into my actions.”
“Don’t read into your actions? You think we don’t know how you’ve lived your life? After living like a total mess, now you want us to believe this is your idea? Your father’s behind this. Let me make it clear—there’s nothing for you in Dongjeong Industries. So don’t even think about drooling over it.”
With venom, Sunmyung Lee snapped and tried to get up from her seat.
But Jongmu Lee’s next words pinned her in place.
“That’s not for you to decide.”
“Dad. Are you planning to hand Dongjeong Industries over to the Park family?”
“You’re thinking nonsense. Does your son bear the Lee surname?”
“Still, it’s been over twenty years since my sister died.”
“Just because she died young doesn’t mean she’s not my daughter.”
“I work myself to the bone at that company.”
“You’ve never done anything helpful for the company. If there’s one thing I regret in life, it’s dragging you from the kitchen into the business. The losses you’ve caused are beyond words. Are you even aware of that?”
Sunmyung Lee was on the verge of tears.
Clutching her son Hyunwook Kim’s shoulder for support, she glared daggers at Jinhyuk.
As if he were the source of all her troubles, resentment in her eyes stabbed at Jinhyuk like needles.
‘What, did I do something? Why is everyone trying to tear me apart? Ah… I knew this family would be difficult, but this is worse than I thought. Even getting a spoonful of rice here is tough.’
Jinhyuk let out a deep sigh.
“I have no greed for Dongjeong Industries…”
“You have your share. Though it’s your mother’s, since she’s gone, it passes to you. Don’t say unnecessary things.”
“Father.”
“Don’t you have any strange ideas either. Just run the company properly. Sitting in the chair doesn’t make Dongjeong Industries yours. I think of all my children the same. If I’d had even one more child, you wouldn’t be sitting in that seat.”
At Jongmu Lee’s cold words, Sunmyung Lee’s eyes grew bloodshot.
Witnessing this unexpected scene, Jinhyuk was seized by a sudden sense of unease.