Chapter 82: It All Depends on the Elder Brother

President Shim picked up a stack of documents.

“These are the resignation letters from Taeseong Chemical employees, so they’re not Woo Gwang’s property. I’ll be taking these.”

“Take those and get lost, already.”

“What, I don’t even get time to pack my nameplate? Is Woo Gwang in the habit of kicking out even the employees who need to clean out their desks like this?”

President Shim perched on the edge of the desk.

“Then you won’t have time to pack up your nameplate either, will you? How about preparing yours in advance?”

“Nonsense!”

“We both know it’s not nonsense. Can Woo Gwang Construction really cover a promissory note for fifteen billion won?”

“……”

President Kim of Woo Gwang Construction fell silent.

He was forcing himself to appear calm, but it was clear he was struggling to hide his frustration.

“What are you trying to say?”

“What’s there for me to say when I’m already on my way out? I just feel a sense of solidarity, that’s all.”

“Shim Woncheol.”

“You have to look for a way to survive ahead of time. Just look at me.”

President Shim spread his arms and shrugged his shoulders in a showy manner.

“Who would have guessed I’d be kicked out of the president’s seat at Taeseong Chemical overnight?”

“Hmph.”

“Taeseong has already fired two affiliate presidents in just two weeks. The chairman took away the rice bowls from his own younger brother and most trusted subordinate, just to hand them over to his son.”

President Shim of Taeseong Chemical and President Cha of Taeseong Construction had both been replaced.

President Kim of Woo Gwang Construction had a complicated expression.

“Well then, I’ll be going. Wishing you a Happy New Year.”

President Shim gave a small smile and waved his hand.

Then, without hesitation, he lifted himself from the desk, took my hand, and walked out.

In one hand, he held the stack of resignation letters from the Taeseong Chemical employees.

“Wait. If you want to take your nameplate, you may as well take it.”

“No thanks. Do you think I’ll see anything pleasant if I go into the president’s office now? You can hold onto my nameplate for me. I’ll be back for it soon.”

He was planning to take back Taeseong Chemical before long.

---

President Shim took my hand and led me out of the secretary’s office.

His face looked fresh and relieved.

“President Shim, you’re wearing the expression of a villain right now.”

“Was it that obvious?”

President Shim didn’t deny it.

“You were deliberately provoking President Kim of Woo Gwang Construction, weren’t you?”

“I was just returning the favor.”

President Shim glanced back at the closed door and clicked his tongue.

“Thanks to President Kim filling him with nonsense, the once-close relationship between the chairman and his younger brother has completely unraveled.”

He was referring to my great-uncle, the former president of Taeseong Construction.

“I just wanted to see how close the Woo Gwang brothers truly are.”

With just a few light words, President Shim planted seeds of suspicion in President Kim’s heart.

He’d made him doubt his brother’s intentions, and his own future.

‘Right after Chairman Kim specifically named Woo Gwang Construction as the issuer for Taeseong Chemical’s promissory note, too. He’s just fueled President Kim’s anxieties and frustrations to the brim.’

President Shim quickly tucked the stack of documents he was holding into his briefcase.

“Oh, what about that thing you said earlier—money laundering!”

“Right here.”

“And the applications for those who want to transfer to Taeseong Construction?”

“Those are here too.”

President Shim discreetly opened the stack he’d gathered earlier to show me.

The cover clearly read , but some different documents had been slipped inside.

“There’s nothing to worry about. All the documents I left in the president’s office are just for show—the contents are nothing but useless scraps.”

“Junk documents? Don’t tell me you left things like Taeseong Chemical’s shampoo formulas or research reports in there…”

“Yes, I deliberately picked only failed experiments to lay out for them to see.”

President Shim grinned.

“The moment I heard that the president of Woo Gwang Construction had arrived, I had Detective Lee load all the important documents into my car’s trunk.”

As expected from President Shim! Thorough as always!

“Shall we get going, then? We’d better hurry if we don’t want to be late for dinner.”

President Shim lifted the corners of his mouth.

“I can’t squeeze Woo Gwang on my own. I’ll need the cooperation of the chairman and the other Taeseong affiliate presidents.”

Whoosh.

The Grim Reaper rose from the floor like a wisp of smoke.

[Inside that president’s office, the Woo Gwang affiliate presidents are going wild with excitement. Want to see?]

‘Forget it.’

What’s the point in peeking?

Now that the death countdown and orange arrow over the Taeseong Chemical people’s heads had vanished, there was no reason to bother.

It was all over now.

[What about that sly-looking guy? The president of Woo Gwang Construction. How about tailing him and catching his tail?]

‘Drop it. We’ve already won the subway Line 2 contract and taken over Taeseong Chemical. There’s no need to worry about him anymore.’

[Is that so.]

The Grim Reaper glanced toward the president’s office door.

[Then as you wish.]

---

President Kim of Woo Gwang Construction got in the car and slammed the back door so hard it nearly broke.

Thud!

He tossed Shim Woncheol’s nameplate onto the back seat and let out a quiet curse.

“They’re so thrilled to get Taeseong Chemical for free, they’re calling off affiliate inspections and letting the company go to hell.”

“Well, it is a big occasion. Coming up with fifteen billion won to purchase Taeseong Chemical shares would’ve been a real headache, but settling it with a promissory note is so much easier.”

“Who’s responsible for that promissory note? Woo Gwang Construction is stuck with it!”

Unable to hold back, President Kim shouted.

Secretary Choi glanced at his boss through the rearview mirror.

“Well, the chairman trusts and values you the most, sir…”

“Nonsense! The elder brother trusts and values me the most? Then he wouldn’t treat me like this!”

Bang!

President Kim punched the leather seat in frustration.

“Even if we sell all of Woo Gwang Construction’s land, we couldn’t come up with fifteen billion! And that bastard Shim Woncheol treats us like a fifty-billion-won company!”

“He did undervalue us quite a bit. Fifty billion is a bit much.”

“So I complained to my brother, and what does he say? He says Cha Taeseong grew a ten-billion-won company into a three-hundred-billion-won company in just seven years, but I couldn’t even grow a company to one hundred and fifty billion in thirty years! How pathetic is that!”

That was the source of President Kim’s anger.

“I asked if he really intended to bankrupt Woo Gwang Construction and toss out a fifteen-billion-won promissory note, if his goal from the start was to swallow up Taeseong Chemical and get rid of me. And he says, ‘Is there any reason not to?’ Damn it!”

Bang!

“He says it all depends on me? If I want to keep Woo Gwang Construction, I have to prove my abilities? That I have to show my worth, demonstrate my value, and prove that Woo Gwang Construction is worth more than fifteen billion?”

Bang!

“He knows damn well how hard I’ve worked and sacrificed to grow this company, and yet he humiliates me like this? Right in front of the affiliate presidents? Is he treating me like a dog or a pig?”

President Kim ground his teeth.

He panted for a while, furious, breathing heavily.

Secretary Choi, hands on the wheel, couldn’t even take a deep breath and shrank his neck as far as possible.

How much time passed?

“Secretary Choi, just hypothetically. What would happen if there were a fire at Taeseong Chemical right now?”

“Pr-President!”

Secretary Choi was appalled.

“We’re just coming back from finalizing the Taeseong Chemical acquisition. The situation is different now. Please don’t say such things.”

“Why not? What’s different?”

President Kim’s eyes were bloodshot.

“If a major fire broke out at Taeseong Chemical, there’d be huge property and human losses. The media would go wild, and the Blue House would be furious. What would happen then?”

“That was a trap we planned to bring down Chairman Cha, wasn’t it? But now that the merger is complete, even if there’s an accident at the chemical plant, Cha Taeseong can’t be touched anymore!”

President Kim just snickered.

Secretary Choi’s voice began to tremble.

“Sir, if we go ahead with this, the loss to Woo Gwang would be enormous. Maybe even enough to draw the wrath of the Blue House…”

“Exactly. And in that case, would the elder brother be able to keep his spot as group head?”

Secretary Choi swallowed dryly.

But President Kim was relentless.

“The nephew’s only in his thirties. He’s much too young to become the next group head.”

“Sir, if there’s a fire at Taeseong Chemical, it’ll be wiped out in an instant. And I hear Woo Gwang Securities is also involved? The losses would be catastrophic!”

“If we don’t take at least that much of a loss! How else could I ever hope to sit in the group head’s seat?”

President Kim’s gaze darkened.

“The elder brother is willing to discard Woo Gwang Construction just to get Taeseong Chemical. If Woo Gwang Construction goes bankrupt, I’ll end up like Cha Yunseong.”

President Kim glanced at the nameplate that read .

He remembered President Shim’s advice.

-You have to look for a way to survive ahead of time. Just look at me. Who would have guessed I’d be kicked out of the president’s seat at Taeseong Chemical overnight?

-Taeseong has already fired two affiliate presidents in just two weeks. The chairman took away the rice bowls from his own younger brother and most trusted subordinate, just to hand them over to his son.

The lesson was close by, not far away.

“It’s not just someone else’s problem.”

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

“If it were the elder brother, he’d strip me bare and hand everything over to his nephew.”

Cha Taeseong was said to have done the same, despite cherishing his own younger brother.

If it were his own elder brother, he’d be even more ruthless.

He certainly wouldn’t look after his younger brother’s family and nephew.

“The fact that they want to issue the promissory note in Woo Gwang Construction’s name shows he’s already decided to get rid of me.”

Secretary Choi, fidgeting nervously, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Sir, perhaps you could have a drink with your brother and talk openly, just the two of you?”

“There’s no such loyalty between us.”

“Then, how about first checking who’s being put in the president’s seat at Taeseong—no, Woo Gwang Chemical, and then making your move?”

“President of Woo Gwang Chemical, huh. If he’s going to hand over that position and all the shares to my child… then I wouldn’t have any complaints.”

At last, President Kim allowed himself to lean back in the leather seat.

“In the end, it all depends on what the elder brother decides.”

President Kim crossed his legs.

“That loan shark you stuck with the Taeseong Chemical workers.”

“You mean Gasoline from Bulgwang-dong?”

“Yeah, him. He’s supposed to be a pro at arson, right?”

“They don’t call him Gasoline from Bulgwang-dong for nothing. He’s famous for sneaking into the homes and workplaces of those who don’t repay him, setting fires without leaving a trace. People say his arson is an art form.”

---

When we arrived at Grandpa’s house, it was just about dinner time.

All the presidents and executives of Taeseong’s affiliates had gone home, leaving only the immediate family.

Compared to the morning, our dinner table was much smaller and simpler.

“Junghyuk, did you enjoy the tour of Taeseong Chemical’s factory?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“President Shim, you must be exhausted. I know you’re busy preparing for the Taeseong Chemical handover.”

“Chairman, actually, I have something to report regarding the Taeseong Chemical acquisition.”

President Shim’s lips barely moved to speak, when Secretary Kim appeared in the dining room with a pale face.

“Chairman, breaking international news! Indian Airlines Flight 855 to Dubai has crashed into the Arabian Sea, and all passengers are presumed dead!”

Secretary Kim added urgently,

“It’s the very plane that Master Sungjun was scheduled to board.”

“······!”

All the family members’ shocked eyes turned to Father.

“No way… is this really the thing I dreamed about…?”

“Oh my god!”

“Heavens, what in the world is going on?”

Father, however, went pale for another reason and quickly questioned Secretary Kim.

“Were there any Korean passengers on board?”

“The identities haven’t been confirmed yet, but it seems there were Korean passengers.”

“Don’t tell me… Kyungseok…!”

Lee Kyungseok. That was the secretary’s name.

Father pressed his forehead with his hand.

“Kyungseok bought a round-trip ticket for Indian Airlines Flight 855. The one departing at 9:30 a.m. on January 1st.”

A heavy silence fell.

“Secretary Kim, did you receive any telegram from Kyungseok saying he was coming home?”

“No, sir.”

“What about a status report?”

“I’ve been sending repeated telegrams urging him to return immediately, but there’s been no reply.”

“Is he really proceeding with the schedule on his own…”

Father wiped his face dry.

Secretary Kim continued the report.

“They say the crash has turned the Middle East upside down because of one particular passenger.”

“Who is it?”

“Muhammad bin Buti Al Hamed, sir.”

Pfft!

I couldn’t help but spit out my water.

‘What? What’s Mansour’s father-in-law doing there?’

Just then, the Grim Reaper popped up, looking pleased with himself.

[That’s it. The King of the Underworld said he’d gift you a very special fated connection.]

So this is the start of the thread linking me to someone I could never have met otherwise—a heavyweight specially chosen by the King of the Underworld.