“You’re late, aren’t you?”

Seong-ho took off his shoes and greeted Min-yeong Oh, who had come out to meet him.

“Why did you come out? I’d have found my own way in. Is everyone here?”

“Of course. Everyone’s waiting for you, Kim. Come on in.”

Min-yeong Oh confirmed that Seong-ho had changed into slippers, then turned and went back inside first.

Seong-ho followed her in and joined the weekly family dinner held at Pyeongchang-dong.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“It’s fine.”

When Seong-ho bowed his head to the people seated at the table, Tak-hyeon said it was fine and picked up his spoon.

“All right, now that everyone’s here, let’s eat.”

Tak-hyeon took the first taste of soup with his spoon, and one by one the others followed, beginning the weekend meal at Pyeongchang-dong.

After a stretch of silent eating passed, people began finishing their meals one by one and setting their spoons back down on the table.

And the moment the meal ended, the talk began.

“How’s Gyeong-eun doing?”

Mun-jong, having just finished eating, wiped his mouth and asked Seong-ho, who sat at the far end of the table.

Seong-ho, who had just finished a glass of water, swallowed and answered.

“She’s recovered a great deal. The doctor says her recovery is faster than expected and her discharge date might even be moved up.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief.”

Just as Mun-jong finished speaking, Sang-jong glanced at Jeong-eun and said to Seong-ho,

“Head Kim. When you go into the Blue House this time, why don’t you pick up a card company for us?”

“A card company?”

“That’s right.”

Sang-jong’s mouth twitched at the corner as he jerked his chin toward Jeong-eun.

“We need to get Ilhyeon Card’s subscriber count up to 10 million, don’t we? Isn’t acquiring a card company the easiest and fastest way to make that happen? So think of it as helping out—go into the Blue House and pick one up for her.”

Sang-jong said this while watching for Tak-hyeon’s reaction.

Seong-ho looked back and forth between Sang-jong, whose mouth kept twitching, Tak-hyeon, who showed no reaction at all, and Jeong-eun, whose face had gone red, and scoffed inwardly.

He’s being so obvious about it.

Seong-ho knew exactly why Sang-jong had brought up the card company at this gathering.

He was striking first, just in case Seong-ho might acquire a card company and help Jeong-eun with it.

And everyone at the table knew Sang-jong’s real intention too.

Clack!

Jeong-eun, her face red, set her chopsticks down on the table loudly and shouted.

“Brother! Have you lost your mind? Do I look like someone who can’t do her job without help?”

“Young miss, your father is right here—why are you acting like this at the dinner table?”

When Min-yeong Oh stepped in, Jeong-eun’s anger shifted from Sang-jong to her.

“You think I don’t know what you and Sister are up to? Sticking close to Mother in hopes some scraps might fall your way—you think I don’t know that?”

“Young miss!”

Startled at Jeong-eun’s words, Min-yeong Oh glanced anxiously at Suk-ja.

She was thinking it would be a disaster if Suk-ja found out she was harboring such intentions by staying close to her.

But Suk-ja’s reaction to Jeong-eun’s words was unexpected.

“So does that mean you don’t even want scraps, since you never stay by my side?”

“Mother!”

“Whether she stays by my side hoping for scraps or not, what business is it of yours? Are you worried that if your brother’s wife doesn’t eat them, you might want to?”

“Mother. I’m your daughter.”

“So what if you’re my daughter?”

Suk-ja slammed her chopsticks on the table even harder than Jeong-eun had a moment before, and shouted,

“Don’t you dare eye any scraps when you never even stay by my side!”

Having said this, Suk-ja looked back and forth between Jeong-eun and Hyeon-ju Bang, who sat there quietly.

“This conversation’s gone in a strange direction…”

Seeing the arrow now pointed at his own wife, Min-yeong Oh, Sang-jong tried to redirect it back toward Jeong-eun.

“In any case, even if Head Kim picks up a card company and hands it to Ilhyeon Card, just remember that it won’t mean you achieved the 10 million subscribers Father ordered through your own effort.”

“I’m not an idiot, I know that already!”

Jeong-eun, her face flushed deep red, shouted and spoke loudly.

“I’m not coveting another card company, and I have no intention of doing that. Since everyone’s gathered here, let me say this now—don’t even think about picking up another card company. I’m going to hit 10 million subscribers with Ilhyeon Card alone, no matter what.”

“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard? If it’s handed to you, just be grateful and take it. Why put your pride on the line like that?”

Sang-jong said this to Jeong-eun in a mocking tone.

Jeong-eun, her flushed face now deeply furrowed, said,

“I have a way to hit 10 million even without that, so worry about yourself, Brother. Didn’t you hit someone again not long ago?”

“Hey!”

Startled by the sudden accusation, Sang-jong pointed a finger at Jeong-eun.

Then he hurriedly checked Tak-hyeon’s expression.

Jeong-eun snorted and said,

“Hmph! It’s not like it’s the first or second time you’ve hit someone when you drink. Rumors are all over Gangnam. I heard some bars close up when word gets out that the president of Ilhyeon Construction is coming?”

“What are you talking about! Don’t say such nonsense.”

“Isn’t it true? Didn’t you beat someone up just a few days ago? Did I hear it wrong and get it mixed up?”

At Jeong-eun’s words, Sang-jong could say nothing.

Because he really had caused a disturbance at a bar just a few days earlier.

Seeing Sang-jong unable to say anything, Jeong-eun scoffed and turned to Tak-hyeon.

“Father. Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan of my own. I can secure 10 million subscribers on my own strength, without acquiring another card company. Not only that, I’ll double the revenue within three years.”

“Double?”

Tak-hyeon, who had been silent, reacted to the word “double.”

At Tak-hyeon’s reaction, Jeong-eun spoke in an even more excited voice.

“Yes. Double. I’ll show you results within three years at most, two years if I move quickly.”

“You mean you’ve thought of a way to grow the company?”

“Yes. I thought of it myself, without anyone’s help.”

Jeong-eun placed her hand on her chest again, emphasizing that she had thought of it herself.

Beside Jeong-eun, Yeong-su Cha glanced at Seong-ho with a look of quiet apology.

Seong-ho gave a slight nod to show it was fine.

Jeong-eun was presenting Seong-ho’s own idea—which she’d heard through Yeong-su Cha’s mouth—as her own before Tak-hyeon, but this was exactly what Seong-ho had anticipated from the start.

“I’m planning to launch an aggressive marketing campaign starting this very month.”

“And you’re certain there’s something concrete to gain from this aggressive marketing?”

“Yes. I’ve already run the numbers. That’s why I could confidently say I’ll double revenue within three years.”

Tak-hyeon nodded.

“I told you to raise the subscriber count to 10 million, and you’ve come back with an answer of doubling revenue within three years? Fine. Let’s see you try it.”

At Tak-hyeon’s words, Jeong-eun’s flushed face brightened into a glow.

“Trust me. I won’t make you regret entrusting Ilhyeon Card to me.”

“All right.”

Tak-hyeon finished speaking and rose from his seat.

Seeing the housekeeper returning to the table with tea just then, he said to Suk-ja,

“I’ll have my tea in the study, so have it brought there.”

“All right.”

“Bring two cups.”

“Two cups?”

Just as Suk-ja was about to ask why two cups, Tak-hyeon gestured to Seong-ho.

“Come with me to the study, we’ll talk there.”

“Yes.”

Seong-ho answered and rose from his seat.

He followed Tak-hyeon, who had already turned to leave, toward the study.

Gyeong-eun’s siblings, still seated at the table, watched Seong-ho go with envious eyes.

Once in the study, Tak-hyeon asked Seong-ho, who sat down on the sofa following him,

“Did you feed her that idea?”

Seated on the sofa, Seong-ho knew exactly what Tak-hyeon’s question referred to.

“Didn’t she say she thought of it herself, my sister-in-law?”

Seong-ho then received tea from the housekeeper, who had followed in with the cups.

He set one cup before Tak-hyeon first, then placed the other before himself.

Tak-hyeon looked at him quietly for a moment, then gave a short laugh.

“Right. Whatever the case, since she says she thought of it herself, then it’s Jeong-eun’s own method. And since she’ll be the one carrying it out too, all the credit goes to Jeong-eun. Likewise, any fault will be Jeong-eun’s responsibility to bear…”

Having said this, Tak-hyeon looked at Seong-ho.

Without changing his expression at all, Seong-ho said to Tak-hyeon,

“Chairman, this tea has a wonderful aroma. Mother mentioned she’d gotten some good tea recently—this must be it. Please, have some.”

Tak-hyeon gave a low laugh and reached for his teacup.

He lifted the cup, savored the aroma, and then tasted the tea.

Seong-ho waited until Tak-hyeon had finished tasting it before bringing his own cup to his lips, and after tasting it, let out an exclamation of admiration.

“The taste is as good as the aroma. I should ask Mother for some tea leaves to take home when we leave, so Gyeong-eun can try it too.”

Tak-hyeon set his cup down first and watched Seong-ho, who kept savoring the tea.

After Seong-ho had spent a while savoring his tea and finally set down his half-empty cup, Tak-hyeon brought up the real reason he’d called Seong-ho to the study.

“Now tell me. What’s your plan for the Blue House meeting the day after tomorrow?”

Seong-ho smacked his lips as if reluctant to leave the tea unfinished, then answered.

“There’s not much of a plan to speak of.”

“Not much of a plan to speak of?”

“No. Whatever happens, the meeting the day after tomorrow will likely be too consumed with fighting for any real discussion to take place anyway.”

Tak-hyeon narrowed his eyes.

Seong-ho, still seemingly unable to tear his eyes from his teacup, continued.

“Among the companies attending together, only ours and KF Group were founded by the previous chairmen. The other three were all built up directly by their founders, companies deeply marked by the hand of the founder-chairman. Would companies like that be willing to put their own assets on the table?”

At Seong-ho’s words, the corner of Tak-hyeon’s mouth curled up.

Because the meaning had come through exactly.

“It’s the same for us and KF Group. Though the previous chairman raised the company’s name, it was during your generation, Chairman, and KF Group’s chairman’s generation, that the group’s scale entered its true expansion phase. Would a group that grew its scale that way be willing to give up an affiliate?”

“They wouldn’t.”

At Tak-hyeon’s agreement, Seong-ho lifted his gaze from the teacup.

He raised his head to look at Tak-hyeon and said,

“That’s likely why everyone I meet, even people within the Headquarters, keeps asking me ‘what will you bring back?’ This is probably happening at every other group gathering for this meeting too. With everyone present fixated only on what they can take from the others, there’s no way the meeting can proceed normally.”

“Ha ha ha.”

Tak-hyeon burst into laughter.

“That’s right. You’re right. No one’s going to give up a company they built with their own hands.”

Having laughed heartily once, Tak-hyeon gradually let his laughter fade and continued,

“They’ll all be interested only in what they can take from the others, and completely uninterested in what they’ll give up themselves. Just as you say, the meeting the day after tomorrow won’t run smoothly. But… that’s going to upset the government people, and that’ll become another problem. The ones who’ve just seized power, at the height of their strength, are bound to want to wield it.”

“That’s true. So my plan for the day after tomorrow is to simply stay quiet.”

“You’ll stay quiet?”

“Yes. I plan to decide nothing, just sit and listen, and come back.”

Tak-hyeon wondered for a moment if Seong-ho was joking.

Because he’d never imagined that, after anticipating the entire situation, the course of action Seong-ho would settle on would be to simply sit and listen.

But Seong-ho’s expression showed he was in earnest, and he smacked his lips again and reached for the still half-full teacup.

Tak-hyeon watched Seong-ho silently as he lifted the cup once more to taste it, and a smile came to his lips.

The news that the representatives of the five major groups would gather at the Blue House had dominated the headlines for days.

Great interest was shown in how the landscape of the business world might shift if the industrial reorganization the new government had promised were to actually take place.

—No, that’s not right.

On television, an agitated economist shook his head and spoke.

—The best outcome for the automobile industry is for it to consolidate around Sunwoo Group.

A director of a well-known economic research institute objected loudly, matching the economist’s volume.

—What are you talking about? Who acquired Doa Motors? Ilhyeon acquired it. It’s only right that the automobile industry reorganize around Ilhyeon.

—Just because Ilhyeon acquired Doa Motors, do you think it follows that Ilhyeon should acquire Sunwoo Motors as well? Absolutely not. It’s only right for the industry to consolidate around whichever company is most competitive.

—Are you saying Sunwoo is more competitive than Ilhyeon?

—Isn’t it, though?

If not for the fact that they were on air, the two looked ready to come to blows at any moment.

And this kind of scene wasn’t confined to broadcasts discussing industrial reorganization.

At the Blue House, where the group representatives had gathered, a fierce battle of wills was already underway.

(End of Chapter 150)