Chapter 132: Reward

I offered George, the original author, words of encouragement rather than a direct answer. Gatflix recognized this as the "desired answer" required to complete the quest. Before leaving the country, I opened the Gatflix window on the app to check the reward.

**[Would you like to receive your reward?]**

The reward for this quest was $500,000. Today's exchange rate was 1,350 won per dollar. The reward amounted to approximately 670 million won. Since this had been the easiest quest to complete so far, the reward felt even more surreal.

'The amount jumps significantly when I receive it in dollars.'

However, there was one problem. Naturally, carrying that much cash in dollars would make it difficult to board a plane. Even if I properly declared it to customs during the departure process, I would certainly be interrogated about where I obtained such a large sum of money, regardless of being a First Class passenger.

'There are also limits on depositing cash obtained overseas. It’s risky to receive the reward carelessly.'

Therefore, I decided to claim the Gatflix reward after returning home comfortably in First Class. Upon my return, I went straight to Vice Manager Jo at Min-guk Bank without delay. I asked him to handle the exchange and deposit of the dollars packed in my heavy bag.

"Writer, with this much USD, there seems to be no reason to exchange it all right now."

"Hmm, it seems you have a different opinion, Vice Manager Jo."

Vice Manager Jo Daepal, who was well-versed in exchange rates from his years of banking experience, believed that although the dollar at 1,350 won might temporarily dip, there could be positive news following this year's presidential election in the United States.

"If Brandon, the current leading candidate, succeeds in his re-election, the dollar will rise higher than it is now."

As a candidate interested in the recovery of the US domestic economy and resolving national debt, Brandon would likely reform trade systems with major allies in a direction even more favorable to the US if he served a second term. Vice Manager Jo’s view was that the exchange rate could skyrocket temporarily if that happened.

"In that case, I will do as you suggested regarding the dollars."

"Yes. We will keep it as won-denominated dollar holdings for now, and then exchange it to Korean won when favorable news occurs and the rate rises further."

"Yes, thank you as always, Vice Manager Jo."

He truly showed the side of a veteran banker who understood the formula of money making more money. I handed Vice Manager Jo a bottle of whiskey I had bought in advance at the duty-free shop.

"This is a gift from my business trip for you, since you always work so hard for me."

"Oh my, isn't this Balvenie? And the 25-year-old at that!"

It was a bottle of Balvenie 25-year-old Rare Marriages, purchased at a 25% discount at the duty-free shop. It was an expensive liquor costing roughly 1,000,000 won. It wasn't just the price; it was hard to find in Korea, and one had to be lucky to find it even in American duty-free shops.

"Oh my, this precious and brilliant thing... oh my!"

Vice Manager Jo, a lover of fine spirits, grinned from ear to ear. Seeing that, I felt satisfied that I had prepared the gift. It is said that one must know how to give as much as they earn to sustain success for a long time. Compared to the wealth I had built thanks to Vice Manager Jo’s financial management, this gift was barely a drop in the bucket.

"Haha, just keep doing what you've been doing. I'll be going now."

"Shall I drive you? Or perhaps we could have dinner together?"

"No, I'm going straight home to rest."

I insisted that Vice Manager Jo stay in his seat despite his offer to see me out and left Min-guk Bank. I drove along the familiar roads and returned to my sweet home. I unpacked the luggage I had used during my stay in the US and immediately lay down on the bed.

"Regardless of First Class or whatever, my own bed is the best."

While lying in bed to release the tension and fatigue from the trip, I fell asleep without realizing it. Perhaps it was the jet lag. I felt like I had lied down around noon, but in the blink of an eye, it was evening. I was still sleepy, but I was incredibly hungry. I had decided on the menu before I even returned to the country.

"I wanted this more than anything else."

The dinner menu was, of course, ramen. There was no need to think about it. I made it my way—with less water and firm noodles. When I paired the hot ramen with the green onion kimchi Im Seong-hee had made for me...

"Whew, whew."

Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, and the thrilling spiciness and saltiness almost brought tears to my eyes. Only after heating up one bowl of instant rice and mixing it into the salty ramen broth could I pat my stomach with a satisfied face.

I thought about resting for just one more day, but then my phone vibrated. *Vrrrrt.* A call came in from Seo Sun-ae.

— Writer, I heard you returned to the country.

"Yes, I arrived this morning. Phew. I assume everything went well while I was gone?"

— There wasn't anything major for you to worry about. I figured you would be busy, so I waited until after work to contact you.

"I see. You called at the perfect time."

I adjusted my grip on the phone and made a request to Seo Sun-ae to implement the ideas I had been thinking about while in the US.

"Can you gather all the executives, staff, and writers affiliated with our Gatmedia soon?"

— Of course, that's possible. But for what reason are you calling the entire staff?

"It's regarding the future restructuring direction of Gatmedia. I'll explain the details when I get to the office."

The date for the all-staff meeting, relayed through Seo Sun-ae, was set for three days later at 2:00 PM. With my stomach full, I decided to enjoy my short but sweet vacation.

***

The next day.

The 9:00 AM news desks of all three major broadcasting stations delivered the same breaking news.

[At 7:00 AM this morning, Chairman Jeon Young-hoon, the founder of CL Group, passed away after failing to overcome a long illness. The cause of death was complications such as bile duct obstruction and liver failure, which worsened suddenly due to the liver cancer he had been suffering from for a long time...]

Jeon Young-hoon, the founder and chairman of CL Group, the third-largest conglomerate in South Korea, had died.

The news of the passing of a giant who had left a great mark on Korean history was delivered to the citizens of South Korea through the 9:00 AM news bulletin.

Major figures from the political and business worlds who heard the news visited Chairman Jeon Young-hoon’s funeral parlor early in the morning.

The deceased's funeral proceedings took place amidst a mix of snow and rain, as if announcing the full-scale beginning of the midwinter cold wave.

A public memorial altar for Chairman Jeon Young-hoon was set up in front of the CL Mulsan building located in Jongno.

Thousands of mourners, including CL Group employees, placed white chrysanthemums before the portrait of Chairman Jeon Young-hoon.

During the funeral period, news reports continued with forecasts from experts in various fields regarding the death of Chairman Jeon Young-hoon and who would sit as the next leader of CL Group.

On the last day of the three-day funeral.

The one standing at the very front of the funeral procession, holding the portrait of Chairman Jeon Young-hoon, was his eldest grandson and CEO of CL Media, Jeon Young-jun.

Behind Jeon Young-jun stood his younger sister, CL Media Managing Director Jeon Minjeong, and the uncles of the Jeon family, including CL Distribution Vice President Jeon Il-hoon and CL Food CEO Jeon Gyeong-hoon.

None of them used an umbrella in the freezing weather, facing the cold winter rain and wind with sorrowful faces as they continued the procession.

As if to show he represented them all, Jeon Young-jun did not hide his grief over losing his father until the end of the funeral proceedings.

Unlike the stoic and determined faces typically shown by the eldest grandsons of conglomerate families during funerals, his sorrowful, heavy tears left a deep impression on the people of South Korea.

'Even for a chaebol, the grief of losing a parent is no different from ours.'

Experts pointed to CL Media CEO Jeon Young-jun and CL Distribution Vice President Jeon Il-hoon as the leading candidates for the next head of CL Group.

It was clear that regardless of which of the two succeeded the leadership, a great wind of change would blow through the business world.

After the funeral ended and the deceased was laid to rest in the family burial ground owned by the group, Jeon Young-jun, some relatives, and major executives of the group gathered in the drawing room of Jeon Young-jun's residence in Hannam-dong.

Even though it was nearly 9:00 PM, none of them had taken off their funeral clothes yet.

Jeon Young-jun’s face had settled into a cold expression.

Breaking the silence not with the sorrowful and emotional voice seen on the news, but with a cool and dry tone, CEO Jeon Young-jun spoke.

"So, what is the status of my uncle's shares?"

By "uncle," he meant Vice President Jeon Il-hoon, the younger brother of Chairman Jeon Young-hoon.

"Yes. Currently, the distribution shares held by Vice President Jeon Il-hoon and all his close associates total 53%, giving them an overwhelming lead in the distribution sector."

"And the shares we have secured?"

"Even if we pull in as much as possible from foreign and minority shareholders, it seems difficult to exceed 45%. Most of the held shares are also monopolized through the holding company, making them equally difficult to extract."

In modern times, conglomerates were treated like dynasties.

However, to claim the legitimacy of the eldest son's succession, shares were necessary. To become the head of the group, one had to be the major shareholder of core stakes.

Although CL Group had currently become a leader in the media industry through CL Media, the essence of the group was rooted in CL Distribution, founded by Chairman Jeon Young-hoon.

Thus, the major shareholder of CL Distribution was bound to become the head of the group.

Jeon Young-jun held significantly fewer shares compared to his uncle, Vice President Jeon Il-hoon. Even if he combined all his shares in media and other affiliates, it was insufficient to overtake Jeon Il-hoon’s distribution stakes.

The trouble had started when the previous chairman, according to his firm will, divided the distribution shares equally among his eldest son Jeon Young-hoon and the second and third brothers, Jeon Il-hoon and Jeon Gyeong-hoon.

In that process, Jeon Il-hoon and Jeon Gyeong-hoon, wary of CL Media’s upward trend, joined hands. Because their shares were combined, the eldest grandson Jeon Young-jun’s stakes fell behind.

Still, he had no intention of just sitting back and watching his uncle inherit the throne.

"I will spare no support in securing distribution shares, so make sure to secure as many as possible by any means necessary."

"Yes. We will ensure the acquisition of 45% of the shares no matter what."

"And, it is also important to recover the stock price on the media side."

Although CL Media boasted the highest market capitalization among those in the South Korean media industry, its stock price had been on a downward trend recently due to consecutive box office failures and poor performance.

Unlike in the past, the decline was caused by the domestic market share of external OTT platforms and the steady growth of other broadcasting stations. However, since Jeon Young-jun and Jeon Minjeong monopolized the media stakes, the influence of those media shares had to grow for Jeon Young-jun to have the power to defeat his two uncles.

"It seems the media side has been managed in an overly soft manner until now. I won't say it twice."

Jeon Young-jun spoke in a determined voice while looking at Kim Gil-tae, the Strategic Planning Director.

"The CL Media Secretarial Office will henceforth be integrated and operated with the Strategic Planning Department. I'm giving you the steering wheel, so produce results regardless of the means or methods."

"Yes. If you trust me with this, I will not disappoint you."

Jeon Minjeong, Jeon Young-jun’s closest ally who was sitting right next to him, also nodded and spoke to Planning Director Kim Gil-tae.

"It would also be good to play a strong hand by threatening to pull all investments and advertisements if anyone tries to block our path or shows even a slightly passive attitude."

Hearing that, Jeon Young-jun also nodded as if in agreement, adding weight to Jeon Minjeong’s words.

"It’s a bit of an old-fashioned method, but given the situation, it’s right to respond with clear and powerful means."

It remained to be seen how the storm triggered by the chairman’s death would affect the Korean media industry, but it was certain that more than one or two places would be caught up in this sudden gale.

What was clear was that the tip of CL’s blade would first target the small branches that had grown thick before anyone realized it.