Not long after Seong-ho left the study, Chief Secretary Do-beom Hwang came in.

Catching sight of the drawing paper on the table and the matched gates, matched homes written on it, Do-beom came up before Tak-hyeon.

Tak-hyeon drew out another cigarette, put it to his lips, and asked, "Have the children all gone?"

"Yes. I confirmed even Mun-jong's departure before coming."

Do-beom took a lighter from his pocket and lit the cigarette for him. Then, carefully, he asked the smoking Tak-hyeon, "Chairman. Shall we try to block the insolvency first?"

"How would you block it?"

Leaning back against the chair with an indifferent look, Tak-hyeon regarded him.

Do-beom reported the plan the secretariat had prepared. "It led to bankruptcy because the note coming due at Muan Bank went unsettled, didn't it? Muan Bank can't be helped, but the problem is the rest of the creditors' debt all bursting at once — so I thought we might gather the creditors and propose holding off on fund recovery for the time being."

"Because they'll listen if we say it?"

"Yes." Do-beom nodded, studied Tak-hyeon's expression, and asked, "I sounded out a few banks on the idea and heard positive things from all of them. What shall we do?"

"Leave it."

Tak-hyeon blew out a long stream of smoke. "There's no need for us to step up and save those fellows. There'll be a world of others willing to save them, us or no."

"Then the 300 billion…"

"Let it sit. Let it sit and there'll come a use for it someday."

Do-beom nodded. Unlike the Dubo Group, Ilhyeon Group wasn't going to collapse straightaway for want of 300 billion. If anything, Tak-hyeon was thinking of using that tied-up 300 billion to make something bigger later.

Do-beom glanced back toward the drawing paper and said, "Then haven't you cornered Mun-jong and Sang-jong too hard? There's no way they'll find a solution in just one day."

"Cornered is where a man learns caution in what he does. Because it's not money they earned, they treat 100 billion, 200 billion far too lightly."

Wearing a…