Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Year-end Night (1)

The year-end night event held at the Hyunmu Hotel.

A charity bazaar and sponsorship event to help underprivileged neighbors welcoming the year-end and new year.

The car we rode in stopped gently in front of the Hyunmu Hotel main gate.

Thud.

Father got out first and held out his hand to escort Mother.

Father and Mother stood side by side.

It was a pair as beautiful as a painting.

I also dressed in a young master suit of the same concept as Father and stood together.

Father who even held my hand smiled confidently.

“Let’s go in.”

It was a place where major figures from the political and business worlds that one would see on the news and prominent social leaders from all walks of life gathered in large numbers.

In the hall, performers gathered and played an ensemble.

An invited singer sang and led the atmosphere.

Employees went around among people with champagne on trays.

‘Was the year-end night this kind of event?’

I only heard of it in words, it was also my first time coming like this.

Because this was an event where entry was not permitted from the start for shadow figures like us.

No matter how much money there is, when money is needed everyone crawls on their knees to us and struggles.

High society figures never put us inside their fence.

‘Upon actually coming, there’s nothing special.’

Compared to the flashy and crazy party of the Namsan Leech, this is not that great either.

‘But seeing the young days of the people I knew is interesting. The gentlemen who all had one skill are being treated as rookies here now.’

People gathered in threes and fives and drank champagne.

Mixed in the lightly exchanging greeting greetings, high-level information went without a care.

From urban development plans to stocks rising and falling these days, of course diplomatic situations and foreign company statuses were heard here and there.

“Young Master, you’ve come?”

Secretary Kim who was attending next to Grandfather discovered me and approached this way.

I looked up at Father.

“I’ll go to the bathroom. I’ll request Secretary Kim, so Dad go first with Mom.”

“Yes.”

I held Secretary Kim’s hand.

Because there were words to ask separately.

“Have the guests I invited separately arrived?”

“Not yet.”

“Then later when Horse Head comes, subtly inform me. That today here, Korea Racing Authority people and Ttukseom Seoul Racecourse related persons as well as the bank branch manager who entered the racecourse are also attending.”

“May I ask the reason?”

“Horse Head promised to obediently cooperate with Taeseong, but it wasn’t that he wouldn’t cause a mess in another meaning.”

Horse Head is a man whose goal is to advance even to the racecourse.

“If I tell him that if he doesn’t fall out of favor here, there might be an opportunity to push a loan window into the racecourse, he’ll conduct himself on his own.”

“Understood.”

“By the way, the people we circulated letters to. How is the reaction?”

“It seems they’re exchanging information with each other.”

Secretary Kim faintly raised one corner of his mouth.

“No need to worry. We’ve put in a few of our assemblymen as shills to blur the point and are moving public opinion.”

“Good.”

I returned to Father’s side only then.

Whispering sounds were heard small from here and there.

But buried in the music sound and laughter, the words weren’t heard cleanly.

‘Hey, guardian deity.’

[Sound sharing or field of view sharing?]

‘Do I have to teach even that one by one? Just go around the hall and pick and send only usable conversations or situations.’

[······Difficult. Understood.]

The underworld messenger disappeared smoothly.

Swaying like smoke and digging among people.

* * *

Instantly the eyes became brightly bright.

It was field of view sharing.

Three people with bad expressions whispered in very small sounds.

“A few days ago I received a very unpleasant letter. It was inserted between payment documents.”

“That side was payment documents? I peeled off the paper stuck on the National Assembly corridor wall.”

“It must have been dizzying. I received it in the bathroom and it was dizzy.”

The eyes looking at each other became peculiar.

They had vaguely guessed that they divided and ate U-gwang’s bribes amicably.

Thanks to exchanging words, the guess hardened into conviction.

“To think U-gwang is only this much.”

It was an unsatisfactory voice.

“The problem is whose hands it entered. Surely Taeseong?”

“Taeseong?”

At the voice that suddenly intervened in the conversation, the three people who were secretly exchanging words were startled.

Looking back, it was an opposition party assemblyman.

“Assemblyman Choi!”

“Since earlier, sounds of the letter this and that, Taeseong this and that were heard. I wondered if it was talking about this.”

Assemblyman Choi took out one neatly folded paper from his bosom.

The three people who were talking about the threatening letter couldn’t hide their surprised expressions.

It was the paper they tore up immediately upon seeing and got rid of.

“H, how could you think of bringing such a thing out in front of people?”

“Without immediately burning it. Your guts are also good.”

“Guts? What’s so important about this.”

Assemblyman Choi unfolded the paper and showed it.

Taeseong is above U-gwang in all aspects. This Subway Line 2 construction, Taeseong will definitely win it. Please watch so that it becomes a fair bidding competition, Assemblyman Choi.

People’s expressions became peculiar.

Because the paper that opposition party Assemblyman Choi received was quite different in content from what they received.

Assemblyman Choi pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

“Upon knowing, there are quite a few people who received the same letter. Even Chairman Cha of Taeseong said he received a similar letter······.”

“The same letter?”

“Moreover, even Chairman Cha of Taeseong?”

Assemblyman Choi snickered.

“It seems a great sponsor attached behind Taeseong. To the extent of sending even me this kind of letter and requesting to push Taeseong.”

“Who is the sponsor that attached to Taeseong?”

“Well, I don’t know either. Chairman Cha of Taeseong boasted so much. I’m also curious about that identity. Hahaha. I also wish I received some sponsorship.”

The ones who received the threatening letter looked at each other.

In the short time exchanging gazes, numerous meanings were included.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

They left Assemblyman Choi and headed through people looking for Grandfather.

The shill I called hadn’t even arrived yet, but the shill that Secretary Kim mobilized was in full activity.

“Chairman Cha!”

They discovered Grandfather surrounded by people in the center of the hall.

“Is it true that there’s a person sponsoring Taeseong Construction?”

“Of course. Living, I receive even this kind of sponsorship. Whoever it is, this is very reassuring.”

Grandfather laughed heartily.

They quickly read the paper that Grandfather was holding out as if showing off.

Is there a reason for Taeseong to be pushed by U-gwang? As long as I’m holding from behind, there’s no way Taeseong won’t win the subway construction. Let’s succeed in the great construction that will remain in history together. I will actively sponsor Taeseong.

They looked at each other with shaking eyes.

Grandfather moistened the corner of his mouth with one sip of champagne and said confidently.

“Having received this kind of expectation, there’s no reason not to respond. This Subway Line 2 construction, our Taeseong must definitely win it.”

Grandfather raised three fingers.

“The investment money that entered under Taeseong Construction is 3 billion in cash alone.”

“3 billion?”

“Have investors already attached?”

People’s eyes changed.

That an investor attached was the sound of money smell blowing.

The murmuring sound grew larger.

“If it’s a bill, I don’t know. Was there an investor who could mobilize 3 billion in cash at once?”

“Perhaps they pulled a loan from abroad?”

“I hear that in the Middle East oil money is overflowing, and Taeseong Construction is actively bringing in construction orders after advancing to the Middle East.”

“Makes sense. Domestically, even ordinary banks can’t easily move such a large sum.”

Thanks to the underworld messenger, even the small murmuring in whispers was heard cleanly.

People began to pay attention to Father before they knew it.

“Come to think of it, the sound that the youngest son of Taeseong Group brought in thick construction works in the Middle East is often heard.”

“Last time he was invited as a distinguished guest to the Saudi royal family. Samhwang Oil who went to Saudi to negotiate oil prices was surprised seeing that and rubbed their eyes and looked again, I hear.”

“They say he looks exceptionally handsome, and his skill is also outstanding. I wondered why a person who was out in the Middle East for a long time returned. It seems it was because of the loan.”

Before they knew it, Taeseong Group’s sponsor was being confirmed as a Middle East side figure.

Not a bad, rather welcome misunderstanding.

Soon the previous era’s big shots will also enter.

Everyone will clearly witness with both eyes that Taeseong Group receives a large sum sponsorship.

“Father, this time can’t we also somehow pull a connection to the Middle East and pull a loan?”

“That friend is about your age, right? Build friendship. Business originally starts from acquaintance. Pushing and pulling each other and going up together.”

“Yes, then I’ll go for a bit.”

The flies that are already twisting a lot are scheduled to become more from now on.

The atmosphere going around is not bad.

* * *

I cut off the field of view sharing with the underworld messenger.

‘Everyone has a lot of interest in the subway construction and oil money.’

The Subway Line 2 construction bidding has less than a month left.

Depending on who between Taeseong and U-gwang wins the subway construction, those guys’ pocket situations will also change.

As someone said, business originally starts from acquaintance, and they’ll take gains from information flowing from where they pull connections.

‘With just the high-level information exchanging in a place like this, one can earn pocket thickly, and if one knows only where the subway station enters, they’ll see enormous capital gains.’

For that reason, people are gathering particularly near our Grandfather and Father.

To obtain even one more information regarding the Subway Line 2 construction.

Before they knew it, quite a few young people were also gathering sneakily near Father.

“Seong-jun, it’s been a long time. How many years has it been since you went to the army?”

“Why are you so busy alone? Have you been well in the meantime?”

Naturally, me and Mother standing next to Father also received interest.

“Who is it? This tremendous beauty here?”

“Who is this little young master again? The appearance is somehow exactly the same as when you were young······.”

They stopped talking midway.

The question of surely was all revealed on their expressions.

Father calmly introduced us.

“Greet. My wife Lee Su-jin, and my son Cha Jeong-hyeok.”

“I’m Lee Su-jin.”

“Hello, I’m Cha Jeong-hyeok.”

When we greeted, everyone couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

“What?”

“Wait, Seong-jun! You now······!”

“What about the marriage with U-gwang? What is all this······!”

Grandfather laughed heartily.

“They’re Seong-jun’s friends. Please take good care of our daughter-in-law and Jeong-hyeok.”

The head of Taeseong Group publicly declared.

Among the people gathered nearby, the sound of inhaling breath flowed out.

Gazes scanning us began to stick a lot.

Persistent, hot, sharp, cynical gazes.

“Chairman Cha, it seems this is the first time hearing the talk that you married the youngest son.”

“It became so.”

The gazes watching this side increased sharply.

The small murmuring sound gradually grew larger.

“Then what about with U-gwang······.”

It was then.

“U-gwang has arrived.”

“The U-gwang Group head family and the U-gwang affiliate presidents are coming.”

The murmuring of the people gathered in the hall stopped for a moment.

A moment later, a group of people including the president of U-gwang Construction and the head of U-gwang Group arrived at the hall.

The one walking at the very front was a man limping greatly while leaning on a cane.

‘It’s Kim U-gwang, the head of U-gwang Group.’

When I was running errands under the master, Chairman Kim of U-gwang Group was usually sitting in a wheelchair.

But now he’s leaning on a cane in a much more vigorous appearance.

Whether then or now, the characteristic cold and sharp gaze seemed the same.

“······.”

Before they knew it, the ensemble sound of the performers became smaller, and the invited singer’s song also ended.

People watched their entrance blankly.

Some people who had received the threatening letter immediately had fierce eyes.

Somewhere, the sound of grinding teeth was also heard.

The president of U-gwang Construction couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.