The Taeil Group’s headquarters was in chaos as Joo Yeong-Jin, the head of the Daehyun Group, had suddenly visited without giving any notice. The directors on the first floor recognized him and rushed towards him, but Joo Yeong-Jin didn’t even look at them. The atmosphere between the people he was accompanied with was serious.
Even if it wasn’t necessarily because of that, Joo Yeong-Jin wasn’t someone the Taeil Directors could talk to. The same applied to his entourage as most of them were executives of the Daehyun Group. All of their faces were rigid, and their serious atmosphere overwhelmed the floor. Until they disappeared into the elevator, all that the employees in the Taeil Group could do was urgently contact their chairman’s secretary.
“Why are you saying that now? Are you out of your mind?!”
The chief secretary became dizzy after receiving the call. He had to prepare to greet the head of Daehyun in an orderly manner, but he didn’t have the time.. He was about to say something to the secretaries, but stopped and ran into the chairman’s office without knocking on the door.
“Sir! Chairman Joo of the Daehyun Group is here. He’s on his way up here!”
“What?”
Although the chairman wasn’t close with Joo Yeong-Jin as much as he was with the deceased founder of Daehyun, he still had a deep connection with him privately. However, there were countless barriers between the Taeil and Daehyun Groups in public.
Kim Tae-Hyung hurriedly got up as he had an inkling that Joo Yeong-Jin’s unexpected visit that came without notice was a sign of bad news. Then, Joo Yeong-Jin and his entourage poured into the office like a flood.
“Mr. Kim!” Joo Yeong-Jin’s voice was fierce. Kim Tae-il blinked in bewilderment, and each face of the personnel accompanied by Joo Yeong-Jin caught his attention. They were top executives, so they could even hold an emergency board meeting with Daehyun at his office.
Did they already have a meeting? What’s going on…
“What has brought you here, sir?” Kim Tae-il tried his best to keep his voice calm.
“Tell me, Mr. Kim. Have I ever disappointed or bothered you?”
Kim Tae-il’s face immediately darkened as he got a hunch that something serious had happened, and it seemed to be such a big big deal that even Daehyun was taking it with importance.
“No, no. I haven’t heard anything yet. What is going on?”
“You are such a pococurante. How could you do this to me?” Joo Yeong-Jin scolded Kim Tae-il sharply.
“Calm down first, and tell me everything.” However, Kim Tae-il’s voice was shaking. He was extremely confused and pent-up.
Joo Yeong-Jin asked, “Is Taeil our group’s affiliate?”
“No.”
“Are you in my family?”
Kim Tae-il shook his head. “No, but I was pretty close with the deceased former…”
“I know that he treated you like a younger brother in his lifetime. That’s why the Taeil group could grow this much, and it is also the reason why I have respected you. But that’s it. You can’t catch up with us. You shouldn’t.”
“W… what the heck is going on…” Kim Tae-il slurred the end of his sentence and glanced over Joo Yeong-Jin’s shoulder. Then, he saw a face that shouldn’t have come here in person.
“Hello.”
A new figure had appeared from the elevator. Joo Yeong-Jin and the Daehyun executives were busy erasing their angry expressions, greeting the man who had just arrived and apologizing to him.
He was Park Choong-Sik from the Jeon-il Group. When Kim Tae-il saw Park Choong-Sik’s stiffened face, he was no longer curious about the cause of the situation. It was over. His world became dark, and he felt like he could hear the sound of his business collapsing. The chief secretary saw Kim Tae-il’s precarious state, and hurriedly put him on the couch. Only then did people pay attention to him.
Soon after, only Kim Tae-il and Park Choong-Sik remained in the office.
“Mr. Joo doesn’t know many details yet. He only knows that our chairman is very upset because of your business,” Park Choong-Sik said.
Even the Jeon-il Group’s CEO this time?
Kim Tae-il tried his best to put his old brain to work, but he still couldn’t understand. No matter what had happened in Taeil Group’s affiliates, the problem couldn’t be serious to the point where Jeon-il Group’s female CEO would get mad.
Then, Park Choong-Sik mentioned a random name.
“Do you have a grandson named Choi Yeong-Soo?”
Kim Tae-il loved Choi Yeong-Soo the most out of his grandchildren as his mother had caused so many troubles when she was young. In fact, he had spent most of his life worrying and caring about her.
The atmosphere in the car going down to Buan County was horribly cold. Kim Tae-il’s eldest daughter couldn’t say a single word, and her husband remained in a rigid posture as he couldn’t even lean his back against the seat.
“You guys.”
When Kim Tae-il opened his mouth, the couple responded immediately.
“Get your stuff packed up by tomorrow. I’m not sure when I will want to see your faces again. You don’t need to stop by during the holidays.”
“I know you are mad, but do you really have to do this?” his daughter raised her voice.
He ignored her and merely said, “Choi.”
His son-in-law responded immediately, “Yes, sir. I will do as you say. I have no excuses for raising such an impolite kid. I’m sorry.”
“What’s wrong with you? The Jeon-il Group is too big to care about kid stuff, Dad. It won’t be as bad as you think,” the daughter said.
“Stop it. You don’t even know what is happening in the world,” Kim Tae-il replied in a dying voice as he had already used all his energy.
“I guess there should be one to blame, and the Daehyun Group would be the one. Don’t you think so?”
“But… Daehyun has nothing to do with this situation… Right?”
“What do you mean? Do you think Taeil Group is big enough to be on people’s lips? So it would have been nice if you had cracked down on your family.”
Kim Tae-il remembered the conversation that he had with Park Choong-Sik.
As he reflected on his life in his latter years, he realized luck was the decisive factor in the success of life. Even people with great talents were bound to obey fortunate ones if they themselves weren’t lucky enough. He was lucky to have a friendship with the deceased Chairman Joo of Daehyun Group as he could establish his firm up to this point with his support. However, the child of his eldest daughter was the ill fortune that would offset his luck. Kim Tae-il didn’t know when he would be buried in the graveyard, but he had a hunch that the day would come soon. He thought when people died, they went on their last journey with nothing. He had run out of luck.
“Choi.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The situation is worse because it’s a problem that is considered ‘kids stuff.’ We could have prevented this in advance, but we failed. Just know that we won’t be able to live as affluent as we have so far. Live quietly from now on.”
“I’m sorry. But sir, who is the guy who fought against Yeong-Soo? I only know he is a guest of Jeon-il’s CEO, but I don’t know anything about his identity.”
“I’m sure he is an important guest, seeing that Director Park was uncomfortable telling me any of the details.”
Kim Tae-il closed his mouth after saying that, and the silent car arrived at the resort. He had visited there to deal with Taeil Food’s business, one of his group’s affiliates. The first impression he felt when he first saw the huge barrier surrounding the resort had remained the same. The public comments weren’t bad, but his opinion was different. The wall that separated the resort from the world seemed to be designed to show off the Jeon-il Group’s power.
Kim Tae-il got out of the car with the help of his son-in-law. Unlike the excited tourists, his family looked the unhappiest they had ever been. Yeong-Soo, who had been waiting for them in the parking lot, saw their devastated faces.
“G…grandpa. Please, listen to me.”
“You… you… bastard!” Kim Tae-il gasped.
“…What?” His grandson looked confused.
Kim Tae-il snapped, “Do you know what you have done?!”
Kim Tae-il raised his cane high.
Slam, slam. Slam!
***
A dreamlike three-day break passed quickly, and we were in the midst of tourists leaving the resort like an ebb.
“Ah, I want to stay longer.”
Like other tourists, Woo Yeon-Hee thought that the reason why the resort didn’t accept reservations during this next time period was that there were some internal safety renovations going on.
I smiled. “Hey, it’s not over yet. Go back to Seoul and rest more. You should see your family, too.”
“Are you going to be okay?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yes, you should properly get some rest.”
She looked at me curiously. “What about you? Aren’t you going with me?”
“I have stuff to complete here, so I’ll see you again in Seoul when I get back.”
I sent Woo Yeon-Hee up first and moved to a small tourist hotel in Byeonsan Peninsula. I finally had some time of my own.
On the next day, Korea was still quiet even when the figures who controlled the world were entering the resort. The media coverage had been restricted, and their entry and movements were under tight security.
Jonathan’s message arrived that night.
「Everyone is present.」
The image of Jonathan ridiculing people popped up in my mind. All of them claimed that they would never attend, but not a single person actually missed the conference. The Rothschilds had set a counterfire, but they had quailed and accepted the invitation first.
***
Those who were unlikely to attend also came.
“Oh, you came, too?”
“What about you?”
Every time a new member arrived, uncomfortable whispers and gazes filled the space. Things were worse among the group who had agreed not to attend the meeting.
Anyway, the fact that everyone had accepted the invitation meant the world’s rule had now been reorganized based on the Korean capital. Well, no one could be blamed as the trend had completely changed since the subprime crisis. Therefore, they had no choice but to open their wallets to the exploitation of the tax collector, the International Funds for Nature.
At first, the members resented Isaac Rothschild. They knew it wasn’t only his fault, but they also needed a target to blame. However, the resentment turned into sympathy as he approached Na Seon-Hu’s group first while relying on an electric wheelchair. He couldn’t be more miserable and servile than that.
But that’s the reality.
Stanley smoked while looking at Isaac from afar.
It’s time to get used to the new order. Damn it. To an Asian…
The cigarette tasted more bitter than usual. Stanley had to put a fake smile on his face like Isaac when ran into Na Seon-Hu’s group, but it didn’t work out well. When he thought about it, there was no one like Na Seon-Hu in human history. Starting at the age of twelve, the Korean built his Great Empire over a period of ten years. His influence on the world was unbelievable, and his empire could stand in comparison with any glorious empire in history.
In just ten years without a family background? Ha!
Then, Isaac approached Stanley who was smiling bitterly.
Zing-
Of course, with the sound of the electric motor.
“Stanley.”
“Isaac.”
Stanley followed Isaac’s gaze and turned his head. Eliza Moore, the new chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, was at the center of the group. He used to be a board member of the Jonathan Group, but Na Seon-Hu had put him at the top as soon as he reaped the stake in the Federal Reserve from the Rothschild family.
“He is the Colombian alumni with you, right?”
It had been more than twenty years. Stanley shrugged while looking at the members, who used to talk shit about Eliza and his business style, smiling in front of Eliza.
“Yes.”
“Then, I can ask you a favor.”
“What do you mean by a favor?” Stanley asked warily.
Issac calmly replied, “Introduce me to him.”
Stanley wanted to refuse as Isaac was a Rothschild but suppressed his instinct.
***
Stanley couldn’t sleep that night because he had a lot on his mind. When the sun rose, he would face Na Seon-Hu in person, who was commonly referred to as the Korean capital.
Would I be able to smile in front of him?
Not only did the Goldsteins and Rothschild collapse, but Stanley’s family also suffered a lot from him. He had never fought against his enemy directly, but Na Seon-Hu had destroyed the walls of the joined forces to expand his own empire, and his family’s warehouse that was protected under those forces had been plundered.
Anyway, people would kneel in front of the emperor and cross themselves with the blade of the sword given by the emperor. It was obvious that this meeting would be exactly like that.
It was one o’clock in the afternoon, and Stanley moved to the conference room.
What the heck is this?
The seating arrangement was strange. He didn’t expect a round table, but this was beyond his expectations. The Bilderberg Club meeting structure was the same as the cathedral’s, but Na Seon-Hu’s seating arrangement was divided based on hierarchy. There was a huge gap between the line where his group’s people sat and the others. Stanley looked around for his nameplate like others except for the people in Na Seon-Hu’s group.
Phew!
Stanley sighed in relief as he found his nameplate in the middle row. He exchanged glances with members sitting next to him, then closed his lips. There wasn’t even a little murmur. He focused only on the closed door behind the podium.
Squeak-
Everyone rose when the door opened, and Na Seon-Hu was coming out. A huge breathtaking silence filled the room. He wasn’t a young Asian boy like he was in the picture anymore. His eyes looking at each of the participants weren’t like those chasing after money. Despite the solemn atmosphere, Stanley somehow couldn’t suppress his excitement. What he had been thinking about was right.
Fuck. Those are the eyes of a conqueror!