Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang shouted at the representatives of the four groups.

"You seem to be laboring under some misunderstanding — I did not gather you here to make a request of you!"

"Not a request?"

When Sunwoo Group's Restructuring Head put on an expression of disbelief, Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang turned his head toward the Sunwoo representative and said,

"Listen carefully. The IMF and the U.S. government have demanded that corporate restructuring be completed within this year. Not the kind of for-show restructuring you people are doing, but high-intensity restructuring! Do you understand?"

Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang glanced at Seong-ho.

Seong-ho caught Jang-chul Hwang's gaze, and for a moment the two exchanged looks across the air, confirming each other's intent.

Having met Seong-ho's eyes, Jang-chul Hwang shouted at the four groups' people again.

"They said that if it isn't carried out, they'll withdraw the funds injected into Korea. Now — do you feel it yet, that Korea is in a situation as precarious as a candle before the wind?"

Jang-chul Hwang rose from his seat, planted both hands on the table, lifted his head, and spoke with a hardened face.

"The summoning of key figures from each group, beginning with the Sunwoo Group chairman, was done to demonstrate the government's will."

"Does that mean you're admitting you conducted the tax investigation with targets already chosen?"

"Yes, I admit it."

Jang-chul Hwang looked askance at the KF Group representative and said,

"We set the targets, and if you don't heed what the government says, we'll detain and imprison you just as you are."

"And what wrong did we commit that—"

"Wrong?"

Jang-chul Hwang twisted the corner of his mouth upward.

"That'll turn up if we go looking. Are you confident that not a single speck of dust would fall if we shook you out? I don't believe you people ran your businesses so lawfully as all that. If you broke even a small law, we'll use that as our hook."

At Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang's words, a Mirae Group representative, his face gone blue, asked,

"Are you... threatening us right…