Since it was Sunday, Seok-won woke up a little later than usual. Dressed in a gray cashmere cardigan, he stepped into the garden with a coffee mug in one hand.
"The weather's really warming up."
Spring was fast approaching. The bare tree branches were now adorned with budding flowers—perhaps due to Gyeongchip (경칩), the seasonal mark when hibernating frogs awaken.
As he sipped his coffee, basking in the sunlight, Seok-won leisurely scanned the garden filled with fresh, green shoots. Then, something caught his eye, and he stopped in his tracks.
There, crouched low to the ground with its belly pressed against the earth, was Makdung-i—a chubby mackerel tabby, the youngest of the three kittens from the calico cat that had all but settled in as a house pet.
"What's that little rascal up to?"
Following its gaze, Seok-won spotted a sparrow perched on a pine tree branch a short distance away.
The bird chirped obliviously, while below, Makdung-i fixated on it with intense focus.
"No way… is he trying to hunt that sparrow?"
Seok-won murmured, mildly amused.
Given that Makdung-i had grown much bigger than his mother—his voracious appetite making him more than a little... plump—it was hard to imagine him catching such an agile bird.
'Can he even climb that tree?'
Curious, Seok-won held his breath and watched as the tabby stealthily crept forward. His tail flicked, his hind legs tensed—ready to pounce.
"Meow!"
And at that very moment—
Flap, flap, flap!
Chirp! Chirp!
With an almost taunting flutter of wings, the sparrow soared effortlessly into the sky.
Makdung-i, now staring at the empty branch, seemed utterly dumbfounded.
That was the last straw—Seok-won finally burst into laughter.
"Ha! I knew it."
"Meow..."
Chuckling, he crouched down beside the sulking tabby and gently scratched its head.
"With hunting skills like that, you're never gonna make it. Guess you'll have to live off the food we give you forever."
"Meow."
"Right? Even you know our food's the best, huh? Look at you—so well-fed, your fur's practically glowing."
Makdung-i flopped onto his back, exposing his belly for more attention. Seok-won shook his head with a low chuckle.
"What are you doing over there?"
A deep voice called out from behind. Turning around, Seok-won saw his older brother, Park Jin-hyung, president of Daeheung Textile, walking up the stone pathway in the garden. He was dressed in a long coat.
"Hyung, you're here?"
"Yeah. Where's Father?"
"Inside."
It wasn't the usual monthly family dinner, but their father had summoned them to the main house.
Seok-won had originally planned to go to Taereung for clay shooting—a new hobby he had recently taken up—but he had been told to stay home today. It seemed his brother was in the same situation.
"Alright, let's head in together."
"Sure."
After giving Makdung-i a thorough petting, Seok-won set him down in the garden and walked toward the main house entrance alongside Park Jin-hyung.
The two brothers enjoyed a delicious lunch of thickly sliced steamed red snapper, personally prepared by Madam Jo Deok-rye. Afterward, they followed Chairman Park Tae-hong to the study.
Seated on a plush leather sofa, the chairman sat in the middle while Seok-won and Jin-hyung faced each other from opposite sides.
Once Gunsan-daek had brought in tea and quietly exited, closing the door behind her, Chairman Park habitually pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and lit it.
Then, looking at his two sons, he spoke in a heavy voice.
"I'm sure you both have an idea why I called you here today."
"Is it because of the 15th general election next month?"
"That's right."
At Jin-hyung's calm response, the chairman gave a small nod.
"With only about a month left until the election, we need to provide campaign funds before it's too late. What are your thoughts?"
Jin-hyung responded immediately, as if he had been waiting for the question.
"There's no need to overthink it—channeling slush funds to Gongjeongdang (the Justice Party) is the most beneficial move."
"And why do you think so?"
"Because the tide has already shifted in Gongjeongdang's favor."
Jin-hyung spoke with unwavering confidence. Seeing this, Chairman Park folded his arms, signaling for him to elaborate.
"Even if the opposition unites for the election, defeating the ruling party won't be easy. Now that the opposition has split into two factions, we don't even need to open the ballot boxes to know how this will turn out."
Hearing his son's logical reasoning, the chairman nodded slightly before turning to Seok-won.
"And what about you?"
"I agree with Hyung. Gongjeongdang is headed for a landslide victory."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
Watching his father hold the cigarette in his hand, Seok-won calmly added,
"Not only has Kim Jae-chun, a major opposition leader, broken away to form the New Era National Assembly, leaving Minpyeongdang (Democratic Peace Party) an empty shell, but an even bigger issue is the resulting flood of opposition candidates."
Already knowing the election outcome from his previous life, Seok-won spoke with certainty.
"If we look at the capital region, where the general election will be decided, Minpyeongdang and New Era National Assembly candidates are running against each other in nearly every district. That means the opposition vote will inevitably split."
"...."
"In opposition-leaning areas, the two opposition parties will end up competing against each other, increasing the chances of a Gongjeongdang candidate winning. Conversely, in ruling-party strongholds, Gongjeongdang will have an even greater advantage."
Jin-hyung leaned forward, further cementing his stance.
"With regional dynamics being so clear-cut, if Gongjeongdang sweeps the capital region as Seok-won says, they'll easily secure a majority."
"A classic fisherman's gain situation… If that happens, the Blue House will regain its footing after the defeat in the recent local elections, eliminating concerns of early lame-duck status."
"Not just that. A general election victory would pave the way for them to retain power in next year's presidential election."
At his eldest son's remark, Chairman Park nodded gravely.
"If the opposition remains divided like this, reclaiming power will be nearly impossible."
Both agreed that the ruling party, Gongjeongdang, would dominate both the general and presidential elections.
However, despite the seemingly favorable conditions, Seok-won knew that Gongjeongdang would ultimately fail to capitalize on its advantage. A series of internal conflicts and successive crises would eventually lead to their collapse in the presidential race—a future he alone was aware of.
Still, he remained silent.
"From the moment the IMF foreign exchange crisis hits, their election loss will be all but guaranteed."
No matter how much the regional dynamics had revived, there was no way the people of South Korea would cast their votes for the administration that had plunged the country into the worst national crisis—IMF.
Chairman Park Tae-hong stubbed out his nearly burned-down cigarette in the crystal ashtray on the table and spoke.
"Then there's no need to fund the opposition. This time, we'll concentrate all the election funds on the ruling party."
"If we're thinking long-term, beyond the presidential election, it's better to pledge our allegiance early and make our stance clear."
At the chairman's words, Park Jin-hyung nodded slightly in agreement.
Seeing how they had already decided to go all-in on Gongjeongdang (the ruling Justice Party), convinced of its victory, Seok-won quickly intervened.
"I see things a little differently."
"What?"
Chairman Park narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Seok-won.
"What are you talking about? Didn't you also say Gongjeongdang would win the election?"
Jin-hyung also looked at him with a puzzled expression. Seok-won carefully chose his words.
"There's a saying: 'Anything in excess brings trouble.' It's true that the current situation favors the ruling party, but there's still more than a year until the presidential election. Who knows what might happen in that time?"
As memories of future events surfaced, Seok-won murmured internally.
"At this point, no one in South Korea could have even imagined the worst national crisis—the IMF financial meltdown—was on its way."
In reality, before the crisis hit, most people weren't even aware of the term IMF.
Of course, after the fact, it became an unforgettable, painful, and shameful word for every South Korean.
"Well… I suppose that's true."
Jin-hyung replied, looking unconvinced.
"But when the outcome is this obvious, is there any point in wasting money on a losing side?"
"Even if the ruling party wins the general election, the opposition will still secure at least several dozen seats. That means they'll hold significant power."
"So what? The ruling party will still control the government. What can the opposition even do?"
Jin-hyung dismissed the thought, but Seok-won's expression remained serious.
"Like I said before, just because they're the opposition now doesn't mean they'll always be the opposition. There hasn't been a power shift since the military regime, but I believe that could change at any time."
"...."
"Even in last year's local elections, the ruling party suffered a crushing defeat, yet in just one year, the political climate has completely reversed. Who's to say the winds won't shift again by next year?"
Jin-hyung couldn't refute that. Though he furrowed his brows, he remained silent.
Seok-won turned to Chairman Park, seated in the middle, and tried to persuade him further.
"If they never received our support in the first place, it wouldn't be an issue. But if we suddenly cut them off after backing them before, they'll take it even harder. The opposition will be expecting our support, and if we ignore them now, they'll undoubtedly hold a grudge."
At this, Chairman Park wrinkled his nose slightly and muttered, displeased.
"That's true… There's nothing more dangerous than hearing a politician say they feel betrayed."
Having witnessed firsthand how even the largest conglomerates could be dismantled overnight if they fell out of favor with the military regime, Chairman Park's expression hardened.
"On the other hand, help received in difficult times is remembered even more deeply."
"So, are you suggesting we distribute the election funds evenly between both parties again?"
"Yes."
At that, Park Jin-hyung interjected with a troubled expression.
"Seok-won, you make a valid point, but the amount of slush funds we've set aside is limited. If we try to support all three opposition parties, the amount we give to the ruling party will shrink too much, and we could end up alienating them."
The political landscape was fragmented, with not only Minpyeongdang and Saesidae National Assembly but also a newly formed conservative opposition party—New Democratic Alliance, led by Oh Seung-kwon, who had split from Gongjeongdang after an internal power struggle.
"Minpyeongdang is losing influence by the day. This election will likely be their last as a viable party, so there's no need to concern ourselves with them. We should only focus on Saesidae National Assembly and New Democratic Alliance."
"Even so, it's still a heavy financial burden."
"I know the Mido Department Store Gangnam branch construction is tightening our finances, but we have to think long-term and invest wisely."
Their conversation remained at an impasse—Jin-hyung, cautious of financial strain, and Seok-won, armed with knowledge of the future.
Neither could easily concede, as both had valid concerns.
Chairman Park Tae-hong leaned back in his seat, stroking his chin thoughtfully. After a long pause, he finally made his decision.
"Seok-won's right. There's no need to leave behind any lingering resentment. Especially when dealing with politicians—people who hold grudges. It's never wise to create unnecessary friction over money. Wouldn't you agree?"
His gaze shifted toward his eldest son.
Jin-hyung, though still hesitant, softened his stance.
"The problem isn't just finding clean money—it's making sure it doesn't come back to haunt us. But I agree, it's best to avoid bad blood with politicians whenever possible."
"Good. We have some funds from the Daeheung Venture Capital shares that Mido Department Store recently transferred to Seok-won. If we launder part of that money properly, we can secure the necessary amount without much difficulty."
Chairman Park reached for his teacup but, realizing the tea had gone cold, set it back down.
"We'll follow Seok-won's suggestion. Distribute the election funds evenly between the ruling and opposition parties."
"Understood."
"Yes."
Seok-won let out a quiet sigh of relief, satisfied that he had prevented a costly mistake—one that could have led to wasting money on a doomed administration.
Neither of them knew yet that today's decision would become the critical turning point that would allow Daeheung Group to flourish under the harsh realities of the IMF era.