Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Expected Answer Sheet

Secretary Kim said.

“I understood why the Young Master called this an expected answer sheet. I sincerely thank you.”

Secretary Kim politely greeted.

“Young Master Seong-jun will also be very happy. In various meanings······.”

“Secretary Kim, I wish you’d keep this note a secret too.”

Secretary Kim felt regretful.

No, why?

“Then at least to the chairman slightly······.”

“No.”

No, so why are you regretting not being able to inform, why!

I shook my head.

“This time too, I wish you’d leave it as an anonymous sponsor.”

“Young Master, the chairman gives generous rewards to those who achieved merit. Not only this Subway Line 2 route map, but even sending invitations to the big shots all······.”

“Enough.”

I raised both hands and stopped.

“As I am now, I need more time and foundation. If uselessly attracting gazes, only the range of movement narrows.”

I haven’t obtained what I want yet.

Just seven years old, and the situation where even the hands and feet under me are not proper.

‘Now Father has to receive attention more than me. It’s the time for Father to properly solidify the foundation. That’s more advantageous for me too.’

Father has a foundation that is extremely poor and meager compared to the other siblings.

Leaving aside wandering only the provinces and foreign countries for several years, because the Taeseong Chemicals that Grandfather was trying to take care of is also about to be given up.

There are overflowing reasons to be ignored by the siblings.

‘The world is survival of the fittest. The fight that blood splatters as fiercely as political strife is exactly the management rights fight of chaebol families. Once a fight attaches, they don’t spare parents or siblings.’

Power originally doesn’t divide even between parents and children.

Have I seen that appearance for a day or two.

If there were no chaebol family and political world people, the back alley fixers and cleaners would all have starved to death.

Who’s leftovers did those guys eat and live.

‘Biting from the weak guy is the basic of a fight. To drop even one competitor first.’

Am I showing too sensitive a reaction with uncles and aunts I haven’t even met yet?

‘No. There’s nothing bad about a solid foundation. Money and power are better the more there is.’

The strong can bestow mercy, but the weak’s fate is decided by the strong’s mercy.

For that reason, I’m thinking of focusing on solidifying Father’s foundation for the time being.

‘No, why has this gentleman been so unfair since earlier? I’m saying it’s fine?’

Ha. This.

“Young Master, why is there the saying an awl in a bag. The Young Master’s true value will eventually be revealed no matter how much trying to hide.”

That’s something to think about when that time comes.

“I Kim Young-geol, whenever, will definitely add one strength to receiving the price for the Young Master’s this sacrifice and effort for Taeseong. I promise.”

I’m a man who doesn’t refuse goodwill.

“Good. Anyway, there was a matter I wanted to secretly request to Secretary Kim.”

“Yes, as much as you like. I’ll help the Young Master sincerely.”

This is very reassuring!

To think the man who takes charge of and handles even the secret and dirty matters of the Taeseong family will actively help me.

It seems the matter will become very easy.

‘If it’s Secretary Kim, establishing one investment company where my traces don’t stick would be as easy as eating cold porridge?’

Father receiving attention, and solidifying the foundation is of course important.

But there’s no need to not take care of my share and ignore it?

Whenever time is available, whenever opportunity arises, I take care of my share myself little by little.

“Uhu hut!”

Ah, what’s urgent now is not that.

“Secretary Kim. That note, shouldn’t it be conveyed to Father as early as possible?”

“Yes.”

I smiled and waved my hand.

“Go quickly. It doesn’t seem the time for Father to familiarize with the note will be that generous.”

“Yes, Young Master. I’ll handle the urgent matter first and come back.”

Secretary Kim hurriedly returned.

* * *

The underworld messenger hovered near Father.

On the terrace, Father smoked cigarettes in a row alone.

Crumple.

Father crumpled the note.

“Without entering and coming out of people, an expected answer sheet kind of thing······.”

If thinking it’s nonsense, he should have crumpled and thrown it in the trash can long ago.

“Amazing. What kind of human being draws out this kind of thing?”

It was already the fourth repeated hollow laugh.

“······A genius?”

Father stroked his chin.

Knock knock knock.

Secretary Kim knocked on the terrace glass window.

“Young Master, it seems you have to enter now. It seems the Young Master’s turn is not far.”

As a result of the visible power lining up, entering the room in order could also be easily confirmed.

“Give the note here.”

“Hmm?”

Secretary Kim stuffed the note into his mouth and swallowed it down with a gulp at once.

Whether Father looked with a bewildered expression or not.

Secretary Kim bent his waist 90 degrees and politely saw off.

“I’ll see off only up to here. Have a safe trip. I’ll wish for luck.”

Just as the Taeseong Group security guards’ entry to the banquet hall was not permitted at the year-end night, the only person who could enter the Hyunmu Hotel bar was Father.

Father soon turned his body and headed to the Hyunmu Hotel bar.

* * *

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction who was pacing anxiously in front of the room discovered Father and was delighted.

“President Cha, come this way quickly. Now our turn soon! Where are you wandering around so fearlessly?”

“I smoked a cigarette a bit and came.”

Actually, time was taken chewing on the content after reading the note.

Ah, of course I also smoked.

With chain smoking, dry.

“You were also actually trembling a lot? Hoo, that’s the same for me too.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction rubbed his hands.

“When would I have met His Excellency separately. I only occasionally saw from a distance at event places like groundbreaking ceremonies or opening ceremonies, co-attending a drinking place is also my first time.”

On the outer side of the document that President Oh of Hyunmu Construction was holding, the title <​Year-end Night Sponsor List and Sponsorship Money> was clearly written.

Of course, shit-colored.

“For me, I’ll hand over the year-end night sponsorship list. Why on earth were you called here?”

“Well. I don’t know well either.”

“If because of the Subway Line 2 construction, there seems no reason to call you. Rather, if calling Chairman Cha, that might be different. Hmm.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction stuck close to Father and lowered his voice.

“Do you know how many people have been chased out until now? Roughly twenty people, no, about thirty people?”

“As many as thirty people?”

“Be careful. It’s common to be chased out mercilessly not even a few minutes after entering.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction deeply sighed.

“If I knew it would be like this, I should have urged the employees and drawn up expected question sheets in advance. So that answers that won’t be caught······.”

Then the room door opened with a bang and two people tumbled out as if pushed.

Crash!

“Aigo!”

The vice minister and vice minister assistant of the Ministry of Construction.

The Blue House security chief threw the four document bags he brought out.

The eyes looking down at the chased out people were very cold.

Soon the Blue House security chief turned his eyes this way.

“President Oh of Hyunmu Construction, come in.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction tightly held the year-end night sponsorship list and entered the room.

Now the only person not called here was only Father.

“Seong-jun!”

“······Father?”

Grandfather walked over this way hurriedly holding something wrapped in a golden cloth.

He volunteered as reinforcements to help his son.

Grandfather approached the Blue House security operations section chief and held out the golden cloth.

“It’s the highest grade deodeokju. Just in time good liquor came in so I brought it thinking of treating famous liquor to His Excellency.”

Grandfather also slightly stuck in a thick envelope.

The Blue House security operations section chief who received and put away the envelope slightly tipped.

“Before hearing the sound of trying to assassinate His Excellency, take back the liquor you brought. I can’t overlook this.”

“It can’t be helped. I can’t bother you. Understood.”

“Thank you for understanding, Chairman Cha.”

“Then you all divide and drink this. It’s the highest grade deodeokju that’s hard to obtain in the market. Always a lot of hardship serving His Excellency.”

Grandfather gave the deodeokju to the Blue House security operations section chief.

At the operations section chief’s gaze, the Blue House security guards who were about to forcibly drag Grandfather stepped back.

Grandfather approached Father and whispered small.

“Seong-jun, remember. If you don’t know, honestly report that you don’t know. It’s better than pretending to know pretentiously without knowing.”

“Yes.”

“If it’s a matter that has to go to prison, pass it on. That Yun-seong guy caused the Taeseong Construction problems, so he has to take responsibility too.”

It was the purpose that Grandfather came all the way here, and the opportunity for advice obtained in exchange for sincerity.

“You didn’t know anything because you went to the Middle East. Yun-seong also already promised. Understood?”

Grandfather swallowed dry saliva.

“If it really seems it won’t do, call me loudly. If I also prostrate and request, His Excellency might once······.”

Then the room door opened with a bang.

“Sorry! I’ll correct! From next time I’ll do my best······ Ugh!”

Not even 1 minute after entering the room.

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction was chased out pale.

The Blue House security chief grabbed President Oh of Hyunmu Construction’s arm and dragged him out.

The eyes of the Blue House security chief looking at Grandfather were cold like ice.

“Chairman Cha of Taeseong Group, you have to distinguish when to intervene and when not to. Drag out!”

The Blue House security chief crooked his finger toward Father.

“Next. Taeseong’s··· you there. Young guy.”

* * *

Inside the room was filled with cigarette smoke no different from a raccoon hole.

The sealed room was faintly lit by incandescent lighting.

“Up to there.”

The Blue House security chief stretched his arm and blocked in front of Father.

“The distance permitted to you is up to here. Step back. Further back.”

Father stood at the room entrance and looked around the surroundings.

The person sitting on the upper seat sofa was of course the President, on the right sofa the Seoul Mayor, on the left sofa the Blue House chief of staff sat, but the only person who received a drink glass was only Mayor Gu.

The remaining ministers who entered first were all pushed toward the wall without even receiving a drink glass.

On the table, three subway route maps were unfolded side by side, and in the tin trash can next to the President, documents were stuffed full.

Among them, the document bundle titled <​Year-end Night Sponsor List and Sponsorship Money> was also included.

Tap tap.

The President tapped the Subway Line 2 route map with his fingertips.

“The Subway Line 2 route map that Taeseong drew. Similar to what Mayor Gu drew.”

The President flicked the Subway Line 2 route map drawn with a red sign pen with his fingertips.

Taeseong’s Subway Line 2 route map fluttered and fell to the floor.

“Did you bribe high-ranking city hall officials and divert national secrets?”

The President’s voice was cold.

“I think the probability of extracting the answer sheet with bribery and improper solicitation is higher than the probability of the same route map coming out under the sky. What do you think?”

Tsk tsk, I knew it would be like this!

Anyway, among gentlemen who sat in high positions, there’s no great person who doesn’t catch suspicion disease?

Since he’s a figure who wielded absolute power for a long time, I hoped perhaps, but as expected!

‘It exactly hit expected question number 1? Anyway, I was eagerly waiting when he’d ask this!’

This somehow luck is good from the start!

But the one who immediately reacted to the President’s remark was not Father but Mayor Gu.

Mayor Gu was startled and stood up abruptly.

“No, Your Excellency! No way!”

The words bribery and improper solicitation that came out of the President’s mouth.

Such words are usually used in pairs.

Because if there’s a giver, there’s also a receiver.

“The proposal to draw the Subway Line 2 route map was my impulsive whim!”

Even if not directly receiving bribes and solicitations, the responsibility according to not properly managing national secrets and leaking outside can’t be avoided.

This was exactly the reason Mayor Gu was desperately defending Father.

But he pointed wrong.

If really suspecting bribery and improper solicitation, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency would have stepped forward.

What the President wants to confirm directly from Father would be separate.

So he would be watching Father without even looking at the Mayor Gu side.

“I asked what you think. Answer.”

“I’m innocent.”

“Is the excuse ending with that?”

“Excuse is done to cover the crime committed. I’ll prove innocence with results.”

The President tilted his head crookedly.

“How?”

“I’ll directly show the reason why the same route map has to be drawn even without mobilizing bribery and corruption.”

Only then did the corner of the President’s mouth slightly rise up.