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 now…?”

“If it sounded like a threat, then it’s a threat; if it sounded like a request, then it’s a request.”

Not denying that it was a threat, Jang-chul Hwang spoke with a still-hardened face.

“You will all have to follow what the government intends to do. Because you won’t have a choice.”

At Jang-chul Hwang’s words, the mouths of the four groups’ representatives — who had been spouting all manner of grievances just moments before — clamped firmly shut.

Because they couldn’t begin to predict the disadvantages they’d face if they failed to follow his word.

“There will be no more listening to your opinions and accommodating you as much as possible. From now on, what will be set before you is only this: whether you will follow us, or whether you’ll watch your companies be dismantled as they are.”

“Companies… dismantled?”

Jang-chul Hwang gestured toward Sunwoo Group with his chin and said,

“Last year you took out a 500 billion won loan from the Korea Development Bank. Bear in mind that, as a first step, we could recall those very funds.”

“That’s… that was a loan received through proper channels! Even for the government, forcibly taking something legitimate—”

“An audit of the Korea Development Bank will reveal that questionable circumstances were mixed into the loan process, and on those grounds the loan will be recalled. Of course, we also plan to examine all the loans made under the previous administration and the one before it. And if problems are found there as well…”

Jang-chul Hwang left it unsaid and stared fixedly at the Sunwoo representative.

The Korea Development Bank was a government-affiliated bank, needless to say, and all the other banks lay under the government’s influence too.

If the government ordered the funds recalled, the banks couldn’t refuse to comply.

And if the funds were recalled that way, Sunwoo Group — which had been expanding its reach through loans — would clearly collapse.

Jang-chul Hwang glared at the crown of the bowing Sunwoo representative’s head and said, clearly and distinctly,

“I’ll tell you in advance, plainly, that what I just said is a threat.”

But even at such a threat, not one person pushed back.

That was how strong Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang’s pressure was — beyond anything any of them had anticipated.

“Haah… let’s leave it here for today.”

Jang-chul Hwang, who had been bracing both hands on the table, raised himself upright.

And looking at the four groups’ representatives seated there, he said,

“At the next session I’ll lay out the government’s plan, so I hope to see you looking different from how you are today.”

It was a declaration that the Big Deal would not be conducted through negotiation among the companies — but no one refuted the Deputy PM’s words.

Because in a situation where one misstep might see their companies dismantled and their owners hauled off to prison, they could no longer press their own greed.

“Well then — everyone return home now, and please convey the government’s will properly to your respective chairmen.”

Having finished, the Deputy PM turned his head, looked at Seong-ho, who had merely been listening quietly, and said,

“Ilhyeon, come with me for a moment to see His Excellency and myself.”

At the Deputy PM’s words, Seong-ho slowly rose from his seat, bowed to the four groups’ representatives, and left the conference room together with Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang.

Only then did the people present realize that Ilhyeon had agreed to the government’s plan.

They came to understand that Ilhyeon had decided to cooperate with the government well in advance, which was why — unlike the other groups — it was Sang-jong Lee, not Tak-hyeon Lee, who had been summoned for questioning.

Cold sweat ran down the backs of the four groups’ representatives present.

Only now did they realize how wrong a choice their stubbornness had been.

Thinking they needed to hurry back and report this fact, they left the conference room in haste.

When Seong-ho arrived at the President’s office in the main building, Dae-sang Kim — unlike last time — was waiting for him seated at the conference table rather than his office desk.

“You’ve come. Come and sit.”

Apparently feeling they were now familiar with each other, Dae-sang Kim welcomed Seong-ho warmly while remaining seated.

Seong-ho smiled at the changed mood, bowed his head in greeting, pulled out a chair, and slowly took his seat.

Dae-sang Kim beamed at Seong-ho and asked Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang,

“How did it go? Did they all get the message?”

“Yes. They all appeared to understand.”

Jang-chul Hwang answered Dae-sang Kim’s question and looked at Seong-ho.

“It’s all thanks to Head Kim.”

Seong-ho waved his hands and shook his head.

“What did I do to deserve any credit? All I did was fall into step with what the government was trying to do.”

“That’s the hardest thing of all. You saw it yourself, didn’t you, Head Kim?”

Perhaps still not free of his displeasure over what had happened moments earlier, Jang-chul Hwang frowned and conveyed the situation to President Dae-sang Kim.

President Dae-sang Kim frowned too as he listened.

“I didn’t think they’d be so reckless. To be unable to set down their greed even in a situation like this.”

“Your Excellency.”

Jang-chul Hwang bowed his head slightly and said,

“Wouldn’t it be good to make an example of someone?”

“An example…”

Even with Seong-ho present, Jang-chul Hwang unhesitatingly floated the suggestion that they ought to make an example that would bring the four groups to their senses.

Dae-sang Kim, receiving the suggestion, spoke just as freely, as if it were no matter at all.

“Certainly seems we’ll need an example. Let’s have a word with the Minister of Justice.”

“Yes. Understood.”

At Dae-sang Kim’s words, Seong-ho understood that the heads of the four groups would not escape legal punishment.

They should have flattened themselves to the ground from the start. They still don’t grasp what kind of situation this is…

Seong-ho clicked his tongue inwardly.

He found the people of the four groups — still thinking things would be the same as during the high-speed growth before the financial crisis — pitiable.

In particular, he found it absurd how, steeped in the pro-business atmosphere that had shifted once the military regime ended and a civilian government took over, they’d completely forgotten the days when the state’s blade gleamed sharp.

Then again, if I hadn’t experienced it ahead of time — if I hadn’t had the diary — I might have been exactly like them.

Seong-ho recalled the contents of the diary and his experience from his former life, and stroked his chest in relief.

Dae-sang Kim looked at Seong-ho, smiled, and said,

“It was thanks to Ilhyeon’s pledge of help that we could push forward so boldly.”

“I only learned from the Chairman that if there’s even some small thing we can do for the country, we ought to help with all our strength.”

“The Chairman truly is remarkable. Impressive.”

Dae-sang Kim recalled Tak-hyeon and spoke with a note of regret.

“If only the Chairman weren’t unwell, we could have done so many things together with him… What a shame it is.”

“As it happens, the Chairman was quite regretful about it too.”

At present, Tak-hyeon had stepped back a pace under the pretext of poor health.

That was why Seong-ho was seated here as Ilhyeon’s representative in this talk with Dae-sang Kim.

Seong-ho knew that Tak-hyeon entrusting this to him and stepping back was not because he trusted him.

In this present situation — no different from walking a tightrope — Seong-ho had merely been placed up on the wire in his stead.

It wasn’t because Seong-ho was the head of restructuring. It was because, should someone fall from the tightrope, it was better for Seong-ho to be hurt than for Mun-jong Lee, the strong candidate for the next chairman’s seat.

But Seong-ho didn’t think being placed up on the tightrope was a purely dangerous thing.

If anything, he resolved to make it an opportunity — to succeed in crossing the wire all the way to the other side and gain something greater.

A crisis can always be turned into an opportunity.

Seong-ho was, if anything, enjoying the current situation.

“Still, it’s thanks to the Chairman sending us such a capable son-in-law that our undertaking could gain momentum. So — what is Ilhyeon’s restructuring plan this time?”

Cooperating actively with the government had earned him the chance to state his plan first, but a chance was no guarantee that it would lead to results.

Yet Seong-ho put forward a proposal well capable of leading straight to results.

“Ilhyeon will choose semiconductors and shipbuilding, and put forward Ilhyeon Power and railways.”

“You’ll put forward Power?”

Dae-sang Kim looked at Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang with startled eyes, as if it were unexpected.

Because Ilhyeon had come forward offering something completely outside what the government had anticipated.

Jang-chul Hwang settled his surprise and asked Seong-ho again,

“That… what you’re putting forward is Power… that is, you mean putting forward the company that holds power-plant-related technology?”

“Yes. I’ll put forward Ilhyeon Power, which holds not only thermal and hydroelectric but also nuclear technology.”

“Even nuclear…”

Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang gaped and stared at Seong-ho.

Seong-ho smiled faintly at Jang-chul Hwang’s astonishment and said to President Dae-sang Kim,

“Building the power plants is carried out by Ilhyeon Construction, but Ilhyeon Power holds all the electric power-generation technology that goes inside them. Going forward, if power plants are to be built, Ilhyeon won’t do the work turnkey — we’ll enter a consortium and take on only the construction. And I’ll also promise that we won’t participate in power-generation technology for the next thirty years.”

“Are you serious? Nuclear power technology is something Ilhyeon obtained with great difficulty… and you’d put that forward?”

Jang-chul Hwang hastily glanced at Dae-sang Kim, then turned back to Seong-ho and said,

“There are no plans for thermal or hydroelectric plant construction within the next ten years. The plan is set to proceed with nuclear power for plants without exception.”

“That’s because there’s strong public sentiment that thermal and hydro destroy nature, and it’s being avoided abroad as well.”

President Dae-sang Kim added to Jang-chul Hwang’s words.

Jang-chul Hwang nodded and spoke again.

“Nuclear power technology is something the government and Ilhyeon created together, joining forces in the seventies. And once a power plant is established, Ilhyeon’s technology can’t help but be used… and you’d give that up? Is this something that’s been discussed with the Chairman?”

So unbelievable did he find it that Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang even went so far as to ask whether Chairman Tak-hyeon Lee knew about it.

President Dae-sang Kim caught Deputy PM Jang-chul Hwang’s slip of the tongue and gave a small wave of his hand toward Jang-chul Hwang.

At Dae-sang Kim’s gesture, Jang-chul Hwang immediately realized his misstep and apologized to Seong-ho.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disregard you, Head Kim, who’s come out as Chairman Lee’s proxy. It’s just that I…”

“I understand. It’s understandable.”

Seong-ho took Jang-chul Hwang’s words lightly, as though they were no matter, and said with a smile,

“I understand your reaction, Deputy PM. Ilhyeon Power is a prize asset, after all. But if, in a situation like this, we clutch our prize assets and covet only what belongs to others, then we’re no different from the other four, are we?”

“Ha-ha.”

Seong-ho turned his head toward President Dae-sang Kim, who had let out a small laugh of disbelief.

“If there’s something to be gained, one must put forward something commensurate in return. That’s why our Ilhyeon means to put forward Power and railways in order to gain semiconductors and shipbuilding.”

“How wonderful it would be if everyone were like Ilhyeon.”

President Dae-sang Kim let out something close to a sigh and instructed Jang-chul Hwang,

“Ilhyeon has made a great resolution, so we should match it. Deputy PM Hwang, please put some strength into this.”

“Yes. I’ll do the very best I can to gather semiconductors and shipbuilding into Ilhyeon.”

Seong-ho smiled faintly at Jang-chul Hwang’s words.

Once the man holding the hilt of the blade and swinging it had said he’d put his strength into it, it wouldn’t end as mere words.

Semiconductors and shipbuilding… this’ll end with better results than last time.

It was something he hadn’t obtained in his former life.

Back then, like the four groups now, he’d clutched what was in his own hands while coveting only what belonged to others, and ended up letting something truly important slip away.

As a result, two semiconductor companies came to exist in Korea, and that caught Ilhyeon by the ankle for a long time to come.

Shipbuilding, too, ended up with two more companies besides Ilhyeon, which led to the laughable situation of Korean firms waging a game of chicken among themselves.

Seong-ho didn’t want that kind of future.

On top of that, nuclear power looked good for the moment, but ten years from now it wouldn’t hold the position it did today, so he was, if anything, satisfied at being able to put forward Ilhyeon Power and get his hands on semiconductors and shipbuilding with ease.

A chicken, too, is tastier when you raise it before you devour it.

Seong-ho smiled, thinking of Ilhyeon growing in the direction he wanted.

(End of Chapter 157)