Chapter 91
While every day was busy, Chungsik Park was more vigorous than ever. He did have a “silent confrontation” (p!ssing match) regarding the final authority over fiscal policy with Daehwan Cho, the Director of Accounting. However, the recent personnel changes cemented Chungsik’s position as Jeonil’s second-in-command. He was the major stockholder for over thirty firms, had given birth to the Jeonil Bank, and Jeonil owned enough land to stretch from Seoul to Busan. He was nicknamed the Financial President of Korea now.
“Please don’t say such things.”
Chungsik Park shook his head.
“How could a foreign girl do so much? You were the one who did everything.”
Hwan Cho realized his mistake right after saying so, as Chungsik Park’s smile disappeared in an instant.
“I’m sorry. Will drinking this as punishment be OK?”
Hwan Cho poured soju into a water glass, filling it half way, and slammed it down before Chungsik Park could stop him. (EN: Soju is a clear, colorless distilled alcoholic beverage of Korean origin. It is usually consumed neat, and its alcohol content varies from about 16.8% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV). Most brands of soju are made in South Korea. While soju is traditionally made from the grains of rice, wheat, or barley, modern producers often replace rice with other starches, such as potato and sweet potato. This liquor features in the drinking culture of Korea.) (EN: And it’s harsh. And the hangovers are deadly. ^_^)
“I will have a large drink, too.”
“Don’t say that. This is punishment for me saying too much.”
However, Chungsik Park still drank it, as he had not suffered from hangovers recently.
“Our CEO is the best there is, despite her young age and beauty hiding it. Ilsung’s CEO is also a woman.”
“Yes, do I need to drink another shot for punishment?”
“No.”
“Then, don’t be so angry. How can I live when the “Unofficial” Financial President’s face is like that?”
“It’s an exaggeration. You know that I’m not rich, my personal worth is less than your fingernail.”
“You can’t fool me. If you wanted money, you would have remained in Kim and Park. I saw what happened today. That old man from Daehyeon, and Ilsung’s young girl could not say anything in front of you. That was a treat.”
Chungsik Park smiled and checked his wristwatch. Hwan Cho began to speak faster.
“I’m holding you back. I’ll get to the point.”
“Please.”
“Hansil Confectionary. That’s yours, right?”
While Hwan Cho sounded indifferent, Chungsik Park knew what he was thinking. He remained silent, as he was at an advantage and he needed only to wait for the opponent to speak, to crush him.
“Aren’t you going to talk?”
“What more can I say?”
“Put Jeonil’s shares in Hansil on the market, and I will take care of the rest. I will give you 100 billion won.” (EN: Approximately $150,000,000 in 2021 dollars.)
Chungsik Park did not flinch at the astronomical amount.
“I would have done so if it was my property, and not Jeonil’s, but what more can I say? Why does Hansil matter so much to you?”
“You’ve become cunning. I know that it’s your work.”
Jamie had ordered a while ago to gain certain subsidiaries no matter what, and Hansil had been one of the smallest subsidiaries in the Hansil Group. Hansil Foods was the bigger company, but…
Hansil Confectionary manages Hansil Group’s owner shares. Things will get intense. Chungsik Park took a drink. (EN: Yep, Sun sneaked in to buy up the Hansil Chaebol without anyone noticing until it was too late. ^_^)
“I need to go back to the firm since it’s late.”
“I can give you ten times more.”
“As you said, I don’t want money.”
“Everyone likes money, and how can you be sure that you will remain in Jeonil next year? Prepare a retirement fund.”
“Thank you for your advice. I will take your leave.”
“Hey, hey!”
Chungsik Park smiled as Hansil’s president had been too late. Daehyun had offered 200 billion won. He did not envy anyone of any Chaebol, as everyone with money had to bow to him. Chungsik Park went back to his car.
“Hansil’s secretaries placed something in your trunk.”
The driver spoke, and Chungsik Park’s tone was mild.
“I heard that you’re a smart one…”
“Yes.”
“You should know better.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Since this is your first day, I’ll forget this. Remove what’s in the trunk.”
Chungsik Park turned on his cell phone as he leaned back in the seat.
<I am coming back to the firm and I may be late.>
<Let’s reschedule the account meeting for tomorrow morning. Will you go home?>
<Yes. I will see you at the firm tomorrow.>
Chungsik Park saw that it was eleven in the night, and Jamie had told him that he had to come back since the account meeting could not be delayed, a few hours ago. She had refused an invitation from the Blue House due to an account meeting last month.
‘Is she seeing someone? No, she won’t be that stupid. Only one thing would delay the meeting.’
Composed of five foreign investment firms, Jeonil Investments owned Jeonil Group. All the funding had come from them, and Chungsik Park had never met them even now. He didn’t even know their names…
He shuddered thinking of them, as they remained in the shadows after having devoured the Korean economy using the IMF crisis. Chungsik Park had once been desperate to know their identities once, and had pressured Jamie, but not now.
‘No news is good news, and them saying nothing means I am doing what they want.’
It seemed that they would never show themselves, and Chungsik Park was sure that their manipulation from the shadows would go on. It meant his position, as one of Jeonil’s public faces, was necessary, thus safe.
**
It was past eleven o’clock at night when we entered Seoul. While the dungeon schedule was delayed, I had things to do at the Jeonil Group.
Yeonhee stopped the car at the street, and I got out with a short goodbye since we had already spoken about the schedule for further dungeon explorations. There were not many people, and the buildings were also dark. Only a few firms with foreign investment teams had their lights on.
I saw Jamie with her face shadowed by her hood in front of the building’s heater, and she had been waiting for me since the time I texted her.
The young guard at the lobby did not recognize me at first, and he hurriedly nodded when I looked at him. Jamie had turned around and saw that she looked at me from top to bottom.
“This is the first time I saw you in a suit.”
She spoke as she followed me.
“You’ve just come back to Korea? Aren’t you tired?”
She had been chattery but became silent in the elevator. I had hidden the Fool’s Dagger in my coat, but she noticed I was hiding something dangerous. She froze and could not hide her anxiety fully. She let out a gasp on seeing the dagger as I took it out.
“It’s only a collector’s item.”
She smiled awkwardly, and we entered the office in silence. I placed the dagger on the safe and turned on the heater. Jamie looked at the arrows stuck on the target and other weapons on display, then finally at the bloodied bandages in the wastebasket. She just stood at the door with a haunted face and only came in when I waved at her.
“It will become warm soon.”
We could not take our coats off yet, and Jamie glanced at my badge. It seemed the item I got from the warehouse, which had belonged to the First Evil, looked like a badge used to identify an organization, but she could not ask due to fright.
“Do you drink mixed coffee?”
“Yes.”
I spoke as I made a cup.
“I have been in New York, and we both have been busy. I read about Jeonil from the newspaper.”
“Korean reporters don’t know anything yet.”
“That’s why I called you here. To hear directly from you.”
As the country suffered during the Asian Financial Crisis, the large conglomerates and Chaebols created slush funds and reorganized their management system, so certain firms acted as holding firms. For instance, the Ilsung Group circulated their working capital out of their holding companies, so Ilsung Dreamland owned the entire group, and Daehyun Elevator with Hansil Confectionary acted like that. The holding company’s shares were owned by the top of each group and would be at the center of management right successions. That was how groups could be ruled with so few shares.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Jamie looked confident now.