» The Youngest Son of Sunyang
Chaebol's Youngest Son - Chapter 274
[274] Filial Sons... 2
Seeing my mother's joy, I could gauge the depth of the resentment she had harbored throughout her life.
Perhaps feeling conscious of having revealed too much emotion, my mother subtly glanced at my father before standing up.
"I'll go in and rest for a bit."
As Mother left the living room, Father began to ask sensitive questions. It seemed Mother had intentionally excused herself.
"How is your grandmother doing now?"
"She worried about the investigation expanding, so she's already left the country."
"Is it that serious? Your older uncles can't cover it up?"
It was something he would eventually find out anyway, so I told him honestly.
"I'm preventing them from covering it up."
"Why?"
Father's expression hardened, but he didn't seem angry.
"If Grandmother stays in Korea, it will be difficult for me."
"Because it's hard to face her?"
"No. She constantly incites people, wanting to kick me out of the group. So far, she's only incited my uncles, but she'll broaden her scope to include executive directors and other senior managers. Since they would find it hard to ignore Grandmother's words, unpleasant rumors about me would circulate."
"So? You absolutely intend to make your grandmother a criminal?"
"There will be no appearance before prosecutors, no standing in court, and certainly no... jail time. She was always abroad during Grandfather's lifetime, wasn't she? I see it as an extension of that lifestyle."
"But it's different if she can't return home whenever she wants. That's exile."
"It's a luxurious exile. That's what I want."
I was nervous, wondering if he would get angry, but Father only wore a troubled expression.
My father was caught between his mother and his son.
I had put him in an awkward position.
"I'm sorry, Father."
"It's fine. That's enough."
Father remained silent for a while. He simply stared at me, then slowly opened his mouth.
"No matter what happens, let's make sure your grandmother, who is over eighty, doesn't go to prison. Just promise me that."
"Yes. I'll also make sure she doesn't have to flee from one country to another in Europe."
Father patted my shoulder once and then went into the room where Mother was.
Father had taken my side, his son's, not his mother's.
There's no parent who can truly win against their child.
* * *
"Lee Sehyun? Who is Lee Sehyun?"
"She's President Jin Yoonki's wife. Jin Dojun's mother..."
"What? My sister-in-law?"
"Yes. The transfer of nominee shares to her real name has been completed, with all related transaction taxes paid."
"That damn bastard. Of all people..."
Vice Chairman Jin Younggi felt more dumbfounded than angry. Of all people, his youngest sister-in-law.
If his mother found out, she might collapse.
"Assemble the entire legal team. The nominee shares belonged to Mother, so find the illegality in the gift process and have the real-name conversion nullified."
"Yes, Vice Chairman."
Chief of Staff Hyeok Baek bowed his head and left.
Jin Dojun's stated purpose wasn't a lie. The nominee shares were a bonus; making Grandmother pay for all the humiliations she had inflicted was truly what that bastard wanted.
What could be more infuriating than having the daughter-in-law you hate most take all your inheritance?
Jin Younggi was so frustrated, he almost wanted to open that boy's head to see what kind of mind could devise such a cruel way to twist people's insides.
- Vice Chairman. It's the opposition party leader on the phone.
Jin Younggi shook off his thoughts of Jin Dojun due to his secretary's voice through the intercom.
"Leader. You must be busy; I apologize for calling unannounced."
- Not at all. I was actually about to call you, Vice Chairman, to confirm something.
"Yes."
- We received a tip from Sunyang Group, but is it reliable?
"It seems my childish young nephew picked up some misinformation somewhere. He probably thought it would help the opposition party, so he passed it on, I apologize..."
- Hmm? No? Ah, it wasn't cultural relics smuggling, but rather high-value artworks, we confirmed with the New York Consulate General. A few officials confessed to the facts. But then, an unexpected name came up, which made us want to verify it. Your mother's name is...
Jin Younggi felt a burning sensation in his stomach. This was urgent.
"Leader. Let's not discuss this over the phone. Why don't we meet for a meal and talk? We need to correct misinformation and clear up any misunderstandings."
- Shall we do that then? I'll check my schedule and call you right away.
Jin Younggi threw his receiver after ending the call.
"Bloodsucking bastards!"
His head throbbed, imagining how much those Yeouido guys would extort, now that they held a weakness, and a very big one at that, in their hands.
# # #
I observed the opposition party leader's expression after he ended his call. The corners of his mouth turned up, indicating satisfaction.
"What did he say, Leader?"
The floor leader couldn't suppress his curiosity.
"Our Team Leader Jin's tip seems accurate. Vice Chairman Jin Younggi wants to meet immediately."
The party leader stared at me intently and said,
"Team Leader Jin, you seemed to already know that Ms. Lee was involved, didn't you?"
"I only vaguely surmised a very small possibility."
"Oh, I don't think so?"
The party leader chuckled and raised his glass.
"It seems we're getting entangled in Sunyang Group's family affairs. What should we do?"
"Think of it as advantageous. The opposition party isn't in a position to be considerate of anyone's circumstances, are we?"
He stopped smiling.
"You don't want anything?"
"You wouldn't move according to my wishes anyway, and aren't we only able to move forward if our directions align? I believe what is advantageous for the opposition party will coincide with what I want."
"They said you were the bloodline the late Chairman Jin cherished most, but you're truly extraordinary. Haha."
"You flatter me."
"This is a tough choice, truly... The esteemed Chairman's eldest son, or the youngest grandson whom the Chairman cherished most..."
He had already made his decision, pretending to deliberate. It was a transparent tactic of a seasoned politician, but I had to play along.
"Oh, by the way, your child had surgery some time ago, didn't they? The hospital said it went well; how are they doing?"
"Ah, thanks to the consideration of my father, Director Jin Yoonki, they're recovering well. I was so preoccupied with the election that I couldn't even thank him properly. Please be sure to tell your father that I am grateful."
"Isn't that what the hospital is supposed to do? Anyway, I'll pass on the message to my father. And please tell me if you ever need anything. I'll make sure a VIP room at Sunyang Medical Center is available."
I had made my point, and all that was left was to say what the old man wanted to hear.
"I know very well that politics and economics are inseparable, but politicians and businessmen are like lovers who can separate at any time. There needs to be that push and pull, occasionally complaining or pretending to be upset, so the other party doesn't let down their guard."
"What if they truly break up?"
The party leader worried about his relationship with Vice Chairman Jin Younggi completely souring.
"Wouldn't an attractive person always find new connections? Who knows? A younger, more capable partner might appear."
The party leader laughed and gulped down his drink.
"I like to have my cake and eat it too, though..."
Greedy old man. He never knows how to give anything up.
"That's a matter of ability, not choice."
"Do you know what kind of ability allows one to have both? You're young and handsome, so you must be good at romance. Please tell me, hehe."
"You shouldn't be too stubborn, of course. Otherwise, you risk losing both."
I drank a glass of water and wiped my mouth with a tissue. It was a signal that the meal was over and all conversations were done.
"I'll give you one more piece of information. They might make a move in the United States. If that happens, there will be no way to hide it, and neither I nor Vice Chairman Jin Younggi will be able to do anything. Sunyang Group's power is only 'for domestic use,' after all."
It was bound to happen anyway, so I offered advice to make good use of it.
"We shouldn't let someone else snatch the benefits of our hard work. Thank you for the meal, Team Leader Jin Dojun."
The opposition party leader bowed slightly, as if he understood perfectly.
* * *
With the sons gathered in the ownerless house, only the staff were busy. They earnestly hoped that one of the sons would live in this house.
Though unlikely, if the house were to be sold, they could all be fired. They set the table with even greater devotion than when the Chairman was alive.
"Those opposition bastards aren't answering my calls. The party leader I was supposed to meet even lied that he went down to his constituency."
"It means those guys aren't going to miss this opportunity."
Jin Yoonki didn't avert his gaze from his two older brothers, who were glaring at him.
"Stop Dojun. You wouldn't want Mother to live abroad, would you?"
"Give Mother's shares back too. She should be able to do as she pleases with them."
At his two brothers' commanding voices, Jin Yoonki said,
"Is Dojun the type to listen to me? And my wife doesn't listen to me either. It's just like how your wives aren't docile to your words. We're at an age where we live under our wives' watchful eyes, aren't we?"
"I'm not in the mood for your jokes right now. Listen to me!"
Jin Donggi shouted at Jin Yoonki, who was speaking so nonchalantly.
"It's not a joke. And do something about Mother's cell phone. You should at least make it possible to contact her."
Jin Younggi flinched at Jin Yoonki's complaint. He had completely cut off Mother's access to secure the shares, and now he wondered if Jin Yoonki had caught on.
"You and your sister-in-law have become greedy now, haven't you? It seems you're reluctant to let go of the shares you've acquired."
"Think of it as holding onto Dojun's. That's why I can't do anything rash. Did you call me just to talk about this? It's a waste of time. You should settle it with Dojun."
Jin Yoonki spoke firmly to his two brothers.
"Let me ask you one thing. What if Dojun says he'll give up all the shares on the condition that Mother can never return to Korea? What will you do then?"
Jin Younggi's eyes changed at Jin Yoonki's words.
"Are you sure that's what Dojun wants?"
Jin Yoonki scoffed at his eldest brother's reaction.
"If you want the shares more than Mother, then you two have no right to order me around. Don't you agree? If you had said that you'd give up the shares you took if only Mother could return home, I would have persuaded Dojun to prevent any trouble."
Jin Younggi, looking embarrassed, fell silent.
"Don't drag Mother into this. Isn't this an inheritance fight anyway? A battle where the winner takes the spoils. From what I see, Dojun seems to have won."
Jin Donggi, who had been listening quietly to Jin Yoonki's words, spoke up.
"It's not over yet. A long legal battle awaits. You know this isn't a fight over who is legally right, right? The side that hires good lawyers and picks good judges wins. You wouldn't be unaware that we're better at both than Dojun, would you?"
"Don't delude yourselves. The person holding Dojun's shares is my wife. Do you think I'd just watch it burn from afar? If you drag this to court, it becomes my fight."
The two brothers' faces hardened at their younger brother's attitude, but there was still one card they hadn't played.
The two exchanged glances, and Jin Donggi played his card.
"We'll give this house to Dojun."
"What?"
"Doesn't this house have a special meaning for Dojun? Especially this study, it's like Mount Sinai to him, isn't it? Because it's where he was chosen by Father. Don't you think?"
"You want to exchange this house for shares? That's ridiculous. Are you the owner of this house?"
Jin Yoonki's voice lost its force.
After Father passed away, this house became Mother's property. If he gave her the shares, Mother would undoubtedly hand over the house.
"I didn't ask for the shares. If Dojun receives this house, he'll have to give something up, won't he? He'll decide what that is, so just pass on the message."
Jin Yoonki knew how much his son cherished this house.
The meticulously prepared food by the staff at Chairman Jin's Residence was ultimately eaten by them.
Because all the owner's sons had left with angry expressions.