Byeong-jin stared at the smiling Seong-ho in disbelief.

"You find this funny right now?"

"Should I cry instead?"

Seong-ho took the newspaper from Byeong-jin's hand and began reading aloud from it.

"Ilhyeon Heavy Industries is facing suspicions of money laundering. Views are emerging within the industry that Ilhyeon Heavy Industries' execution of tens of billions of won on work bordering on the impossible may in fact constitute money laundering. An industry source stated that the venture Ilhyeon Heavy Industries is attempting has no feasibility, and that no company anywhere in the world has ever done it or even attempted it. As a result, suspicions are arising in some quarters that this may be an attempt to siphon funds out before the company is wound up."

Amused, Seong-ho turned to the next page.

"The claim of an order worth hundreds of billions of won from a foreign shipping company is riddled with suspicion from the outset. A price far below the industry average, and a production period far short of the average, make clear this is no ordinary order. The industry view is that even the crane being brought over from Sweden — a wholly useless object, acquired at a cost of tens of billions of won — is strange in itself. This is—"

Byeong-jin's face twisted as though listening was physically painful.

"You find this article entertaining?"

"I do."

Seong-ho folded the paper and handed it to Jeong-cheol Choi.

Then the smile left his face, and he asked,

"So? Who is it?"

Byeong-jin's face hardened.

"President Jeong-eun Lee met with Vice President Song a few days ago."

Seong-ho tilted his head, surprised.

"Not Sang-jong? Jeong-eun moved first?"

Seong-ho had expected that the person approaching Yeong-bae Song would be Sang-jong.

He had more room to maneuver than the other siblings, so if anyone moved, it stood to reason he would be the one to make contact with the Vice President.

And Yeong-bae Song seemed to know it too, because word had it he was trying to reach Sang-jong.

"Weren't they saying, right up until recently, that he was trying to make…