In the chairman's office, where the Ilhyeon family had all gathered around Tak-hyeon, only Seong-ho sat among them belonging to no camp at all.

Tak-hyeon looked around at his children seated before him and slowly began. "The reason I called you here from morning is none other than—" He turned his head to look at Sang-jong, still frowning as if the drink hadn't yet worn off, and said, "Sang-jong came with an important matter, and I gathered you to make it known to you."

Mun-jong looked at Sang-jong with disbelief. Whatever important matter Sang-jong had brought, he thought, how important could it possibly be?

But Sang-jong spoke wearing a triumphant expression. "I've brought something truly important, so you'd all better listen well."

"Chairman. This fellow may just have been talking nonsense after drinking." Not knowing what Sang-jong had said but suspicious first as a matter of course, Mun-jong studied Tak-hyeon's expression. And seeing not a trace of doubt on Tak-hyeon's face, he realized Sang-jong's matter was real.

What on earth is it, that…

To the puzzled Mun-jong, Tak-hyeon put it simply. "Last evening, Chairman Jeong of the Dubo Group met with Sang-jong, it seems."

"Chairman Jeong?"

"Yes. And at that meeting he urged Sang-jong to invest in Dubo Steel."

"What?"

At the wholly unexpected words, Mun-jong looked at Tak-hyeon with a startled expression. And not only Mun-jong. Every one of Tak-hyeon's children present looked between Tak-hyeon and Sang-jong, unable to hide their surprise.

Only Seong-ho, who had already lived through this in that former life, kept a natural expression as he sat.

Chairman Tak-hyeon nodded at the anticipated reaction and said, "The investment figure was 1,000 billion won, for a 5% stake, they say he offered."

"And I turned it down and came away. Me." Sang-jong cut in with an excited voice, as if about to spin a tale of his own valor. "1,000 billion for a 5% stake is far too little, isn't it? A 5% stake — who's supposed to make do with a crumb like that?"

"So you demanded more?"

At Mun-jong's question, Sang-jong nodded with an…