Chapter 127: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

A black luxury sedan entered the parking lot of Chairman Cha's mansion in Pyeongchang-dong.

Getting out of the car were the eldest son and his wife.

The eldest daughter-in-law grumbled.

"Looks like we're the first ones here. We should've arrived last."

"Come on. Who cares who arrives first?"

The eldest daughter-in-law glared sideways at her husband.

"Don't you have any sense of dignity?"

"Why should I put on airs in front of my siblings?"

"Isn't it because you act like this that I keep getting looked down on by my sisters-in-law!"

"So it's wrong to arrive first now?"

"Ugh, you're driving me crazy!"

The eldest daughter-in-law thumped her chest with her fist.

At that moment, another car entered the parking lot.

Clack.

It was the youngest brother and his wife.

Cha Dae-jun grinned as he spotted his younger brother and his wife.

He raised his hand over his head and waved it back and forth.

"Hey, Sung-jun, over here!"

"Brother Dae-jun, sister-in-law, you've arrived as well?"

"Wow, our beautiful sister-in-law looks even more gorgeous than usual today... kuk!"

The eldest daughter-in-law jabbed her husband in the ribs with her elbow.

"Aren't you going to keep up appearances as the eldest?"

"What, did I say something wrong?"

"Sucking up should be the sister-in-law's job. Why are you rubbing your hands together like an idiot? Seriously, you're so annoying!"

The eldest daughter-in-law gave her husband a withering look, then turned away without even greeting the youngest sister-in-law.

She slammed the parking lot door behind her.

Just like that, the eldest daughter-in-law went in by herself.

Cha Dae-jun scratched the back of his head and laughed.

"Sung-jun, hope you understand. Sister-in-law, she doesn't mean anything bad by it."

Before the youngest couple could reply, Cha Dae-jun chuckled and draped an arm around his brother's shoulder.

"Sung-jun, I hear the subway construction and the terminal work are in full swing lately. No trouble?"

"It's going well."

"You're working hard."

With his arm still around his brother, he walked in step with him.

Though he listened obediently to his older brother, Sung-jun did not let go of his wife's hand.

Seeing that, Cha Dae-jun smiled softly.

"I heard the express bus traffic is crazy these days? Must be tough to manage construction with all those crowds coming and going. Any big issues?"

"The Taesung Construction folks have been handling things really well, so there’s no need to worry."

"Good, keep at it. I know you'll do great."

His voice was full of warmth.

"And how about you, brother? I heard you've been busy splitting off heavy equipment into 'Taesung Heavy Industries.'"

"Yeah, I've been busy..."

Cha Dae-jun laughed, sounding troubled.

"There's constant noise inside and out. I guess I'm just not cut out to be a businessman."

"Don't say that. You're doing plenty well enough already."

"Everything I touch ends up in the red. The car repair service I bundled with Wookwang Oil ended up losing a lot of money, too."

Cha Dae-jun scratched his cheek with a finger.

"People have a lot of complaints. Some even say I should just stop trying new things."

"Who said that?"

"They say I take after our uncle. Now that I think about it, it might be true."

The uncle Cha Dae-jun was referring to was Cha Yoon-seong, former president of Taesung Construction.

The former president was clueless, thoughtless, and lacked any business acumen, running every affiliate he touched into the red.

Cleaning up after him had always fallen to his older brother, Chairman Cha.

"Our father's life... After Uncle, now I'm another burden for Dad."

"Burden?"

Cha Sung-jun grabbed his brother's hand tightly.

"You're the pillar of our family and the next head of the group."

"Sung-jun."

"Father always said, in business, sometimes you start small and grow big, sometimes you start big and lose it all."

"......"

"It hasn't been long since the oil shock, right? Things will get better."

A few years ago, when the oil crisis hit, the hardest hit were heavy industries based on oil.

Naturally, Taesung Motors and Heavy Equipment had suffered the most.

"If we merge Wookwang Motors and Heavy Equipment this time, won't it give us some breathing room?"

"That would be nice. Thanks for saying so."

Cha Dae-jun squeezed his brother's shoulder and smiled.

"If you finish the subway and Gangnam Seoul Express Bus Terminal projects successfully, Taesung Construction will stand tall as the best construction company in the country, right?"

Cha Dae-jun patted his brother's shoulder.

"I'm looking forward to that day. Grow up fast and help this big brother out, will you?"

"I'll have to work even harder."

"By the way, I heard a rumor at the drinking table yesterday."

Cha Dae-jun whispered quietly into his brother's ear.

"Sung-jun, have you ever heard of JH Investment Company?"

"Does such a company exist?"

Cha Sung-jun tilted his head.

"I spent a few years in the Middle East, so I'm out of the loop. Which chaebol group started that?"

"I don't know yet."

Cha Dae-jun's voice dropped even lower.

"Rumor has it they're sweeping through all the major banks at a terrifying pace, securing investment deals."

"Hmm."

"The problem is, the people boasting that monstrous sales ability are all former Taesung Construction executives."

Cha Sung-jun's eyebrows lifted slightly.

Cha Dae-jun gave his brother's shoulder another small pat.

"Just thought I'd ask in case you had any idea. Did you make an enemy somewhere?"

At the word "enemy," a memory suddenly surfaced.

The broken engagement.

"If it's not out of spite, there's no reason to gather all the former Taesung Construction execs and cause such a fuss."

Cha Sung-jun kept his lips tightly sealed instead of answering.

Chairman Kim of Wookwang had said it himself.

-Taesung, thanks to your son, you're going to ruin your business.

-You'll definitely regret what happened today.

He realized he was squeezing his wife's hand tightly.

Noticing the same thing, his wife looked up at him apologetically.

So Cha Sung-jun forced a big, easy smile, as if it was nothing.

"It's just that the former executives are making a splash elsewhere. It's not like they're doing anything hostile to Taesung."

"Is that so?"

"I'll look into it myself."

Just then, another luxury sedan entered the parking lot.

It was the second son and his wife.

"Everyone's gathered here instead of going in?"

Cha Gi-jun smiled with narrowed eyes.

"What do you all have to talk about? It's just a family dinner, but from afar, it looks like you're plotting something."

The second daughter-in-law noticed the youngest couple still holding hands.

Her gaze turned cold.

"Sister-in-law, you said you'd prove yourself with results at Taesung Chemical, right? I'll look forward to it."

Her tone was sharp.

"I'm curious if you can get back Taesung Chemical, the one Sung-jun so carelessly abandoned, without even having achieved anything yet?"

"Indeed. I wonder who Father will hand Taesung Chemical to? I'm curious about that, too."

The second couple looked at each other and smirked.

Cha Gi-jun spread his arms, and his wife linked hers through his.

"I hear you're working on a deal with GM in America, right?"

"I'm trying."

"Hmm."

Everyone knew GM was the number one in the global auto industry.

Even so, Cha Gi-jun smiled meaningfully.

"I'll be rooting for you. Good luck."

Cha Dae-jun realized that smile really meant "in the red."

At that, his arm, which was around the youngest's shoulder, lost its strength.

The youngest quickly grabbed his older brother's arm before it could drop.

"Brothers, instead of hanging around here, why don't we all head inside?"

Cha Dae-jun stared at his brother's hand, firmly gripping his arm.

It had become more like a helping hand than a casual arm around the shoulders, but it didn't matter.

"You rascal. Yeah, let's go. Father must be waiting."

Cha Dae-jun chuckled, leaning his weight onto his youngest brother's shoulder.

It felt reassuring.

---

"I think it'd be best for Junghyuk to stay here."

Grandfather brought me to the study.

"Secretary Kim, could you watch over Junghyuk for a bit?"

"Of course."

Secretary Kim had a file tucked under his arm.

It was at just the right height for me to see the title.

'Oh! Wookwang Motors and Wookwang Shipbuilding!'

I was practically drooling.

Secretary Kim winked at me.

He tapped the file under his arm a couple of times as a bonus.

'As expected of Secretary Kim! How did he know I'd be curious and bring me top-secret documents?'

I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

Secretary Kim was grinning, too.

Grandfather, on the other hand, looked troubled and let out a deep sigh.

"You heard what Grandma said earlier, right? She said childhood innocence must be protected."

Grandfather tried to sound dignified, like, 'It's not right to flip the dinner table in front of the kid.'

"Junghyuk, remember what I promised? That I’d take care of persuading the family and Taesung Group's executives."

"Yes."

"I'm planning a major announcement to the family about that today."

Oh?

"There's going to be a lot of pushback."

If they find out that the Wookwang affiliates, which they thought they'd just snatch up, are being handed to me?

Those greedy children aren't going to take that lying down.

"This is business. If it were a family matter, it'd be different. But when it comes to shares and management rights, my children have to watch my mood."

Grandfather was confident.

"Junghyuk, I'll use this opportunity to give you a good excuse to wield control more easily."

An excuse?

Grandfather smiled slyly.

So, I couldn't help but let out a little laugh, too.

"Are you going to bring in my investment company?"

"How did you know that?"

"It's something we've already agreed on. Sounds good!"

I nodded in agreement.

"Perfect. This way, we can make good use of this for handing over Wookwang shares to the president's cronies as well."

"Wait, that too?"

"Of course, you won't mention that I'm the head of the investment company, right?"

"Naturally! Let me repeat: I don't want to put an eight-year-old boy on the front lines of business. The world is too harsh for that—I can't bear it!"

"Please do that."

I grinned.

"But Taesung Chemical is—"

"Of course, it's yours."

"Aww, I'm bringing Taesung Chemical as my mom's dowry, remember?"

"How is your mom, who doesn't have a penny to her name and never even visited her own family, supposed to come up with 15 billion won to buy that stake?"

Grandfather clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

"Do you think Taesung Chemical is some stray dog's name? I have no intention of just handing over a company to a daughter-in-law who has never managed anything before."

"But you always say rewards should match merit, right?"

"That's obviously your achievement!"

"Exactly."

"Hmm?"

"Only you, President Shim, and Secretary Kim know the truth. So, even if my mom takes the credit, no one else will ever know."

"What?"

I grinned.

"Let my mom be the one to sign all three contracts. Please make it in her name."

Why not give some credit to my mother?

It's not for anyone else—it's to restore my mom's pride.

Secretary Kim looked concerned.

"Young master, won't you regret this?"

"Why would I?"

I smiled.

"It's a son's job to look out for his mother."

Even if I can’t be her background, I can at least be her sponsor!

Let her enjoy the benefits of having a capable son!

"Honestly, it's not like I can claim the credit in front of everyone anyway."

"That's..."

"No one's going to believe an eight-year-old did all this."

Grandfather looked very conflicted.

He opened and closed his mouth several times before clamping his lips shut.

"Anyway, you weren't going to put my name out front for Taesung anyway."

"That's true, but..."

"But my mom is different."

"Are you going to put her on the front lines of management?"

"The other daughters-in-law all got a Taesung affiliate each. Why can't she?"

"Your mother has never had management training."

"Just appoint a professional manager for her. The important thing is, 'My mom reclaimed Taesung Chemical!'"

My goal was simple.

"Let the youngest daughter-in-law stand tall. Okay?"

"Ugh."

"It's a skill to have a capable patron, isn't it? Right?"

"Uuugh!"

"If you actually want to keep watching her get picked on because of Taesung Chemical..."

"Fine, fine! Taesung Chemical will go to your mother!"

Grandfather slapped his desk.

The moment he gave permission, he turned to Secretary Kim.

"Send your mother an anonymous note from a Taesung benefactor!"

"Yes, sir."

Secretary Kim zipped his lips as if to say he'd keep it secret.

That's Secretary Kim for you!

No need for further words.

"Piece of cake, right?"

"......"

Grandfather grumbled as he dug through his desk drawer and pulled out the Taesung Chemical acquisition contract.

Meanwhile, I scribbled a note and handed it to Secretary Kim.

Tap.

'Hey, Guardian Spirit.'

[I'm in the middle of a weekend drama...]

'Grandfather's gathering the family for a major announcement, and Grandma is planning to turn over the dinner table to keep the daughters-in-law in line.'

[I like my dramas over-the-top.]

The grim reaper who had gotten hooked on Korean dramas rubbed his hands together, eyes sparkling.

[Where should I go?]

'The dining room, of course.'

I rubbed my hands together and grinned as well.

'I bet my mom is dying of embarrassment after getting caught barking up the wrong tree.'

Let's see who was barking up the wrong tree—bring it on!