The expression on Jeong-eun's face, furious only moments ago, changed.

"Ilhyeon Card?"

She took a step toward Seong-ho and, to be sure of it, put the question to him.

"The Ilhyeon Card president's seat is vacant?"

"It would be more accurate to say that no one has yet taken the seat at Ilhyeon Card, which was newly reorganized when it acquired Sinjeong Card a little while ago."

"You acquired Sinjeong Card? Was Sinjeong Group in trouble?"

Jeong-eun asked with a face that said this was the first she'd heard of it. Ordinarily it was the sort of talk she'd have had no interest in and no wish to know—all this about acquisitions and restructuring stirred nothing in her. But today was different.

"If you acquired Sinjeong Card and merged it with our Ilhyeon Card… doesn't that mean the company's grown bigger?"

"Yes. By the raw numbers, combining the two brought the customer count past 8 million. And we're proceeding in parallel with folding firms like Ilhyeon Capital and Ilhyeon Installment Finance into Ilhyeon Card. We also have plans to acquire a few more capital firms currently on the market."

"You're folding Capital and Installment Finance into Ilhyeon Card too? Then…"

She worked her mind quickly. The thought struck her that, under the sub-group Tak-hyeon was envisioning, Ilhyeon Card might well take the head of the financial arm.

"I'll do it."

Jeong-eun thought that if she took Ilhyeon Card in hand, life insurance and general insurance—the whole train of financial affiliates—might come dragging along behind it. And even if not, with Ilhyeon Card grown to such an enormous scale, unlike in the past, she even felt that alone would be more than enough.

She coveted Ilhyeon Card, and, going so far as to raise her hand toward Tak-hyeon, she said forcefully,

"Father—no, Chairman. Me. I'll take on Ilhyeon Card."

Tak-hyeon showed a moment's hesitation.

"Ilhyeon Card… Ilhyeon Card is rather too big a thing for you to handle… How about Ilhyeon Paper instead?"

"Ilhyeon Paper? What would I do running a paper mill?"

Jeong-eun shook her head hard at Tak-hyeon's words.