» The Youngest Son of Sunyang
Reborn Rich - Chapter 226
[226] Unfinished Business 1
As I supported my staggering father, the attendants, including Assistant Manager Kim Yoonseok, who had been following us, rushed over. I entrusted my father to them and picked up the phone that had fallen to the airport floor.
"Hospital Director. This is Jin Dojun. What's happened?"
- Ah, Dojun. What about your father?
A trembling voice. I could guess what had happened in an instant.
Calming my pounding heart, I spoke.
"He's currently too shocked to speak on the phone. Please tell me. Has something happened to Grandfather...?"
- Th-that... well....
My stomach churned as the Hospital Director hesitated. Eager to hear what had happened, I raised my voice.
"Director!"
- Ah... Chairman Jin has collapsed....
My eyes squeezed shut and my teeth clenched involuntarily.
- Fortunately, he was with Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae, so we brought him to the hospital immediately. But Chief Lee ordered confidentiality.
"He ordered a gag order?"
- Yes. But I thought the Chairman of the Board should know, which is why I contacted you.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae was with him, and he had taken the measures I wanted.
"How is Grandfather's condition?"
- He's fine. He's currently resting, so....
Just because they said "fine" didn't mean I could rest easy.
Once an elder starts to collapse, there might not be a next time. It wouldn't be strange if the second time meant death.
"Understood, Director. Please ensure the hospital staff keep quiet.... Thank you for contacting my father..."
- No, it's only natural.
As soon as I finished the call, I spoke to the attendants who were all looking at me.
"Let's go to Sunyang Hospital. As quickly as possible."
"Yes."
Assistant Manager Kim Yoonseok took out his mobile phone and arranged for a car to be ready.
"What did he say? Is Grandfather alright?"
My father, pale with shock, managed to speak.
"Yes. He's resting now, so please don't worry."
"Phew... That's a relief. Let's go quickly."
My father started to walk ahead with quick, almost running steps.
* * *
As we crossed the hospital lobby, the Hospital Director and four section chiefs rushed over, bowing deeply.
"What about Father? Is he in the VIP ward?"
"Yes. However, visits are difficult. He's in a deep sleep, so you'll have to wait a little while."
Seeing my father barraging questions in the middle of the lobby, the embarrassed Hospital Director, and the fidgeting section chiefs, it seemed the gag order would be utterly useless.
After all, there wasn't a single hospital employee passing by who didn't know my father and me. Just by looking at the expressions on our faces, anyone could guess that something major had happened to our family.
"Let's not do this here; let's move somewhere quieter. There are too many eyes watching."
As soon as I spoke, the Hospital Director led my father to the VIP ward.
"Is Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae still at the hospital?"
"He left a little while ago. It seems he went to the company."
My father had a mountain of questions he wanted to ask, but he held back. Checking on Grandfather's condition came first.
Grandfather was sleeping in the hospital room, hooked up to an oxygen mask.
We all watched him silently for a few minutes before stepping outside. The two burly men guarding the entrance to the room also couldn't hide their tension.
It was only after sitting in the Hospital Director's office and having a cup of tea that my father finally spoke.
"Can he be discharged once he wakes up?"
My father couldn't bring himself to ask if his life was in danger, so he spoke in a roundabout way. But the doctors, including the Hospital Director, couldn't meet my father's eyes.
"He needs to remain hospitalized. For the time being.... No, you should consider discharge difficult."
"Does that mean he is critically ill?"
The Hospital Director cast a glance at the doctor sitting beside him.
"Uh, um. It's a cerebrovascular disease. Meaning, blood flow isn't smooth."
"A stroke?"
"That's right. It's due to his heart having weakened significantly. Considering the Chairman's age, it's a natural aging phenomenon."
"What's the reason discharge is difficult?"
The Hospital Director answered my cautious question.
"If something like this happens again, no one can guarantee anything. If he collapses again, treatment must be completed within three hours. After that, the 'golden hour' will continue to shorten. Such incidents will become more frequent, and the intervals between them will grow shorter."
"I'm sorry to say this, but it's a natural aging phenomenon."
Even doctors cannot defy the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Now, only one question remained.
My father slowly opened his mouth.
"Ugh... How much longer...?"
It seemed to be a difficult question for the doctors to answer, as they merely exchanged glances.
The Hospital Director received glances from the other doctors, and it was a question he had to answer.
"We cannot determine that definitively. If something like this happens again, no one can guarantee anything. Please understand that we can only promise to do our best."
Grandfather's death could no longer be postponed.
It was utterly unacceptable, yet I had to accept it. And as the thought struck me that his day was not far off, the tears I had been holding back burst forth.
* * *
Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae, returning to the hospital, was a little surprised to find Jin Yoonki, but then he remembered that Jin Yoonki was the Chairman of the Board, the head of this hospital.
"Chief Lee."
"Oh. When did you arrive?"
"A while ago. What exactly happened?"
Lee Hakjae was the one present when Chairman Jin collapsed, and he was in control of the situation. Jin Yoonki had no intention of excluding him simply because he was the son.
"Well, I spend hours talking to him every day, don't I? He collapsed while we were strolling in the garden together. By the way, you've heard the doctors' opinions, right?"
"Yes."
"It's not something I should say, but we must prepare now. There's no possibility of the Chairman returning to full health, to normal."
"Yes. I'm prepared for that. But, Chief Lee."
"Yes."
"Why did you issue a gag order? I was about to contact my older brothers but delayed for a moment..."
"It was the Chairman's instruction. He always said he wouldn't go to the afterlife in one go. He said even if the grim reaper appeared before his eyes, he'd chase him away once and regain his senses. He earnestly insisted that he would finish all his remaining tasks and then go to meet the grim reaper himself."
Jin Yoonki was dumbfounded. An elder past eighty could pass away from a minor accident, like slipping on ice.
One shouldn't gamble on such slim chances of recovery.
Lee Hakjae, seeming to guess Jin Yoonki's thoughts from his expression, smiled and said.
"Trust the Chairman. I know him better than you do. He said there are still things left to do, so he won't pass away until he finishes them."
"Even so, I must contact my older brothers and sister. Father has collapsed; we can't hide it, can we?"
Lee Hakjae waved his hand dismissively.
"Let's wait. Didn't the doctors say he was fine? He'll wake up soon. It won't be too late to contact them then, under the Chairman's direct instruction. I'll bear your siblings' resentment."
Jin Yoonki recalled the doctor's words that his father was merely sleeping. Concluding that he wouldn't pass away like this, he decided to follow Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae's advice.
And so, everyone waited for Chairman Jin to wake up.
* * *
It wasn't until dawn that Grandfather woke up.
We, who had been waiting anxiously, rushed to the hospital room, but Grandfather only looked for Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae.
My father and I waited restlessly outside the room, but the conversation between the two of them seemed endless.
After a long while, Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae emerged from the room and stopped us.
"Go home for today. He said he doesn't want to see anyone. He said he'll sleep a bit more and then contact us, so please respect the Chairman's wishes."
"What are you talking about? I'll just see him for a moment and then leave..."
"Stop it."
As I reached for the hospital room door, my father grabbed my wrist.
"He knows you're here. If he still tells you to go back, it means he wants to be alone. Let's be quiet and go home for now."
"Yes, Dojun. He's not going to pass away today or tomorrow. The doctors said the more rest he gets, the better. It might be frustrating, but we have to wait for now."
Seeing the eyes of my father and Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae, I couldn't be stubborn any longer.
"The nation's top medical team is on standby 24 hours a day, so don't worry and go home. I'll also go back after taking care of a few of the Chairman's instructions."
"Understood. Then I'll wait at the hospital until Grandfather calls for me."
"Don't make me say it twice. The Chairman told everyone to go home. And if you linger around the hospital, the doctors will get nervous and on edge. For now, go home. If the Chairman asks for you, you'll be contacted immediately."
Under Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae's stern gaze, I could no longer be stubborn.
Chief Lee said he would meet with hospital officials and then left, and I, too, escorted my father out of the hospital.
It was only in the car on the way home that I noticed my father's eyes were moist.
"Are you alright?"
Of course, he couldn't be, but no other words of comfort came to mind.
"Dojun."
"Yes."
"When I received the call that my father had collapsed. I thought it had all been erased from my memory. But it wasn't."
"What memory are you referring to?"
"The ten years of my youth. The years when my father was disappointed in me, and I resented him. We've restored our father-son relationship over the past decade, and there are many good memories... I don't know why only the memories of my regrets come to mind."
I couldn't say anything, only tightly held my father's hand.
"Dojun."
"Yes."
"From now on, don't think of anything else; just focus on being the adorable youngest grandson. Forget about all those complicated things like succession and shares, and just act like a child. Your father is asking you this."
"Yes. I'll try my best to ensure Grandfather has at least a few more happy memories."
I gave the answer he wanted, but it wouldn't be easy. Because just as complicated as my mind was, Grandfather's would be too.
And my grandfather would undoubtedly remain dedicated to his position as Chairman Jin Yangcheol of Sunyang Group until his very last breath.
* * *
Thinking about when I would be able to see Grandfather, I couldn't sleep a wink until morning. Not knowing if the hospital would call, I didn't go to work and spent an entire day at home.
The phone rang past 10 PM. It was Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae's call.
"Yes, Chief."
- The Chairman is looking for you. Don't bring any attendants; come quietly and alone. And don't tell your father, either. You understand what I mean, right?
"Yes."
- Come through the VIP ward's underground parking lot. You know the private entrance, right?
"Yes. I'll leave now."
As soon as I ended the call, I grabbed my car keys and headed for the parking lot. For the first time, I regretted giving away all my fast sports cars.
Ignoring several traffic light violations and speed cameras, I sped towards the hospital.
In the VIP ward's underground parking lot, one of Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae's subordinates was already waiting for me.
"Give me the keys and go up. He's waiting."
"Thank you."
I handed over the car keys and immediately got into the elevator. Why was the elevator so sluggish today...? I tapped my foot impatiently.
As I opened the door to the hospital room and stepped inside, the utterly unexpected sight left me speechless.
"G-Grandfather. What are you doing right now?"
Grandfather was wearing a suit, a coat over it, and even a fedora.
"What's all the fuss about? I'm dressed up because I have somewhere to go."
The Hospital Director and several doctors were also in the room. I wondered if he had stubbornly insisted on being discharged.
"It's fine. These people have also given their permission."
"How can it be fine? You can't be discharged yet. Please lie down a bit longer."
"Quiet. How dare you treat me like a patient on his deathbed?"
"Grandfather!"
"You rascal. There's no time. Can't you hurry and follow me?"
Grandfather's wavering eyes, and Chief of Staff Lee Hakjae nodding behind him. I, too, gave in.
Grandfather's sharp retort, especially his declaration that "there's no time," pierced deep into me.