Chairman Tak-hyeon of the Ilhyeon Group summoned the presidents of the group's major affiliates.

The item on the agenda for the emergency presidents' meeting was the Dubo Steel investment that Sang-jong, President of Ilhyeon Construction, had brought in.

Gyeong-eun attended the presidents' meeting as well. Now that Ilhyeon Hotel too was counted among Ilhyeon Group's proper major affiliates, she attended as the hotel's head.

Home again, Gyeong-eun told Seong-ho what had gone on at the meeting that day. "I think my brothers have lost their minds. They decided to raise the Dubo Steel investment all the way to 300 billion."

"Not 200 billion, but 300?"

"Yes. That's why Dad convened the presidents' meeting. He said the scale was too large for Ilhyeon Construction to handle on its own, so each affiliate would have to help."

Gyeong-eun shook her head and sat in a chair on one side of the room. Looking at Seong-ho, seated across from her, she said, "Just as you said, I opposed it — but my opposing did no good at all."

"Eldest brother must have turned to approval."

Gyeong-eun looked with wonder at Seong-ho — who knew so well despite not having attended the meeting — and nodded. "Yes. And raising it to 300 billion wasn't second brother's idea either; it was eldest brother's proposal."

She shook her head as if she couldn't understand it. "Why on earth would eldest brother suddenly do that? Until just recently he was clearly in the opposing camp."

Knowing that the reason Mun-jong had changed his stance was himself, Seong-ho only smiled without a word.

It was true that Mun-jong stood furthest ahead in the succession. But it was no more than a gap that could be overturned at any moment. Because Sang-jong could seize the lead behind him at any time, Mun-jong could never help but be on edge. And so he'd taken Seong-ho's idea, added his own on top, and approved at the raised figure of 300 billion.

Had a little more time passed and Mun-jong been pulling clearly ahead in the succession, he wouldn't have accepted my…