“Excuse me, should we load the things here?”

The moving staff came into the room where Seong-ho and Gyeong-eun were.

Seong-ho, who’d been sitting on the sofa, rose and told them to load everything in the room. Then he came out with Gyeong-eun and went down to the first floor.

“Ugh, all this dust. Gacheon. Once all the boxes are out, open up the cabinets too and wipe every bit of dust away.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Suk-ja stood in the living room, pinching her nose, her face full of irritation. She watched the moving staff carrying boxes down from the second floor with a look of displeasure.

“Mom, why are you out here?”

Gyeong-eun came over to her.

Still pinching her nose and watching the movers, Suk-ja frowned deeper and turned to her. “Why do you think I’m out here? A house full of strangers I don’t know, and the lady of the house is supposed to just sit inside?”

Used to Suk-ja’s irritability, Gyeong-eun asked with an unbothered face, watching the movers carry the boxes. “What are you keeping an eye out for?”

“Couldn’t those people slip something into their pockets besides the moving boxes? That’s what I’m watching for. Driver Kim. Watch them closely. Make sure nothing else goes missing.”

Suk-ja shouted at the driver standing beside the movers, keeping an eye on them.

The driver turned his head toward her and answered. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll keep my eyes wide open.”

“With you watching me, they could stuff their pockets and then some. Don’t look at me, look at them.”

Suk-ja waved a hand, telling him to turn his head. At her gesture, the driver hurriedly turned to watch the moving staff again.

Watching this, Gyeong-eun grabbed Suk-ja’s arm with an aghast expression. “Mom, why would you say something like that? What if they hear you?”

“So what if they hear?”

Gyeong-eun, flustered at her answer, pulled at her arm. “Mom, go back inside. Please. Go inside.”

“Let go.”

Suk-ja shook off her arm and didn’t budge an inch. Then, as if she didn’t care whether anyone heard, she spoke even louder.

“People naturally get greedy when they see things bigger than what they’re used to. That’s human nature — that’s what people without any are like. So you think they won’t get greedy too? You think they won’t slip something into their pockets the moment the owner’s not looking? That’s exactly why I have to stand here and watch with my eyes wide open.”

At Suk-ja’s words, Gyeong-eun shut her eyes tight.

Just then, Sang-jong and his wife came into the living room where Suk-ja and the others were.

“Oh my, you’re still here.”

Gyeong-eun turned and greeted Min-yeong.

“Sister, you’re here?”

“And Kim’s here too… Mother-in-law, we’ve arrived.”

Min-yeong greeted Seong-ho lightly, then came over to Suk-ja and linked arms with her in greeting.

Still watching the movers, Suk-ja glanced sideways at Min-yeong and said coldly, “Why come so early? The move isn’t even finished — with you all here too, won’t it just get more crowded and complicated?”

“We thought it might, so we haven’t unpacked yet. We’ll do that once things settle down.”

Min-yeong smiled warmly at Suk-ja, then turned to Gyeong-eun. “Where did you say you’re moving to, sister-in-law?”

“Apgujeong-dong. We’re buying an apartment there.”

“Apgujeong-dong?”

Min-yeong frowned slightly and cocked her head.

Suk-ja glanced at Gyeong-eun, snorted, and explained to Min-yeong in detail where Gyeong-eun was moving. “You know the Apgujeong-dong apartments your father-in-law built years ago? They’re moving into one of those.”

“Ah, there?”

Min-yeong, seeming to recall it now, nodded and turned to Sang-jong. “Didn’t you used to say that place wasn’t much — a neighborhood full of nouveau riche?”

“It isn’t much. Developed overnight, full of nobodies who happen to have money in their pockets. Why go there of all places?”

Sang-jong shook his head as if he couldn’t understand and said to Seong-ho, “Since old times, only the area inside Seoul’s Four Great Gates counted as proper Seoul. And the standard for good feng shui is having water to the south — you want to live with the river over your head? Why move into a place developed in the ’70s where any old dog and cow ends up living?”

“There’s still a lot of development coming to the Gangnam side, so I want to keep an eye on it there. We’ll move back up once we have.”

“Right. In the Joseon era, the area below the Han River was where water-carriers built shacks and lived. Not a place to settle long-term. Come back up as soon as you can.”

At Sang-jong’s words, Seong-ho answered with only a faint smile of acknowledgment.

While they’d been talking, all of Seong-ho and Gyeong-eun’s belongings had been carried out of the Pyeongchang-dong house.

“Ma’am, we’re all done.”

A moving staffer came over to Gyeong-eun and told her everything had been loaded onto the truck.

Gyeong-eun glanced at Seong-ho, and he told the movers to head off in her place. Then he offered a final greeting to the family gathered there.

“We’ll be on our way, then.”

“All right. We’ll see you at a meal sometime.”

Min-yeong offered a warm goodbye, but Suk-ja cut in curtly. “There’s no rule you absolutely have to come, so don’t bother if you’re busy. No one’s going to miss seeing your face…”

“Mom!”

At Suk-ja’s words, Gyeong-eun cried out and clutched Seong-ho’s arm.

“I’ll be there every Sunday without fail, so greet us warmly each time. If you don’t, I won’t come on Sundays either.”

Suk-ja waved a hand without answering and turned away. “I need to go rest now. Your father left for the company at dawn for some urgent matter, so there’s no need to say goodbye to him.”

As if she didn’t even want to watch Gyeong-eun leave the Pyeongchang-dong house, Suk-ja went into the master bedroom first.

Watching her retreating back, Min-yeong called out loudly. “Mother-in-law, we’ll see the young miss off and then unpack later. Please go rest. I’ll let you know when we bring our things in.”

Suk-ja went into the bedroom without answering.

Once Suk-ja was out of sight, Min-yeong took hold of Gyeong-eun and steered her toward the door. “Come on, let’s go. Best to head off early if you want to unpack. Don’t worry about things here — now that we’ve moved in, I’ll handle everything.”

Min-yeong pushed at her back as if she were already the lady of the house, seeing Gyeong-eun off.

Gyeong-eun found Min-yeong’s manner strange but didn’t think much of it. After all, she was the one leaving, and Min-yeong was the one moving in.

Pushed along by Min-yeong, Gyeong-eun left the house, with Seong-ho and Sang-jong following behind.

“Young miss, hurry along.”

Seeming displeased with Gyeong-eun’s pace, Min-yeong took her arm and started walking ahead. Gyeong-eun had no choice but to be half-dragged across the yard by Min-yeong’s hand.

Seong-ho tried to follow Gyeong-eun’s quickened steps across the yard. Just then, he heard Sang-jong calling him.

“Seong-ho.”

At the call, Seong-ho turned his head, and Sang-jong fell into step beside him. Slowing his pace slightly, Sang-jong spoke to him in a domineering tone.

“You ought to tell me what to do before you go.”

Sang-jong spoke as if he were reclaiming something he’d left in safekeeping. He even held out a hand, pressing Seong-ho further.

“Tell me how to act in front of Father before you leave. That’ll set my mind at ease.”

Seong-ho held back a laugh at Sang-jong’s absurd demand.

Right. This is exactly who he is.

Sang-jong had been grateful enough when Seong-ho first showed him the chance to return to the company. But now he was acting like a man who, having been fished out of the water, demanded his bundle back on top of it. And not as a request, either — with the domineering air of someone who thought it was simply owed to him.

Seong-ho smiled lightly at Sang-jong’s manner and spoke in a slightly lowered voice. “How does the current situation look to you, Brother?”

At the question, Sang-jong frowned. “Did I ask so I could hear your questions back at me? Just tell me what to do.”

Having said, in effect, that he didn’t even want to bother thinking about it, Sang-jong pressed him.

Seong-ho found this thoroughly satisfying.

Right. Don’t ever start thinking for yourself. I’ll tell you everything you need to know.

Sang-jong’s overbearing manner held no fear for him at all. If anything, watching him grow ever more accustomed to Seong-ho’s guidance only made him look like a stray dog slowly being tamed by a gentle hand. And in time, once the wildness had drained fully out of him, that stray would surely wag its tail and stretch its neck the moment it caught sight of Seong-ho, drooling as it waited for whatever scrap he chose to toss.

Looking at Sang-jong — every bit the tamed stray — Seong-ho smiled quietly and tossed him another scrap.

“View the current situation more negatively than anyone else.”

“Negatively?”

“Yes. Whoever says something optimistic, wherever it comes from, keep a negative view and criticize it. Especially anything the government says is fine — condemn it strongly.”

“Do I really have to?”

Sang-jong cocked his head, sounding unconvinced. “Isn’t the market overreacting? Doa Motors is a big company, sure, but it’s not like the whole country’s about to shake.”

“Dear, what are you doing?”

Just as Sang-jong was about to press further, Min-yeong — already out past the gate — called back to him, still not out.

“The truck with the boxes already left. The young miss is in the car, about to leave too. Why aren’t you coming?”

At Min-yeong’s words, Sang-jong couldn’t finish what he’d meant to say.

Seong-ho took hold of Sang-jong’s arm gently, seeing him still uneasy, and said, “Brother. Don’t forget — the situation right now is worse than it looks. Why do you think Father went to the company today, of all days, even with his youngest daughter moving out?”

At Seong-ho’s last words, Sang-jong’s face brightened at last, as if it all made sense now.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way. Brother, I’ll see you Sunday.”

“Right. Take care on the road.”

The domineering manner from a moment ago had vanished without a trace, and Sang-jong even saw Seong-ho off with a word to travel safely.

Before getting into the car, Seong-ho stood for a moment and looked back at Chairman Tak-hyeon’s Pyeongchang-dong residence.

The next time I come back, it’ll be to take this house over.

Leaving Pyeongchang-dong, Seong-ho carried with him the intention of returning someday. And when he returned, he thought, it would be the moment he held both Pyeongchang-dong and Ilhyeon Group in his hand.

His resolve set, Seong-ho got into the car, and he and Gyeong-eun left Pyeongchang-dong behind, heading for Apgujeong-dong.

The press kept insisting everything was fine, but the situation was steadily worsening.

With Doa Motors in a state of deferred insolvency, awaiting the creditors’ decision, the chain of corporate bankruptcies showed no sign of stopping. Construction firms familiar to everyone fell one after another. Following Padopa Department Store, other well-known department stores kept collapsing too. Travel agencies, and even securities firms, went under, and the crisis spread across the whole of Korea.

While the entire country trembled under crisis, a wave from outside — its height beyond measure — was bearing down on Asia.

“There’s word out of Wall Street that the currency crisis that struck Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia is now about to hit Hong Kong and our country as well.”

Deputy Head Gyeong-deuk Lee spoke with a grim expression.

“The problem is that Japan’s financial sector is falling in line with this trend.”

“Have Japanese financial firms started pulling their funds?”

At Seong-ho’s question, Deputy Head Yong-nam Mun answered this time. “Yes. Japanese financial firms have begun calling in loans in earnest. And because of it, Dongeun Distribution and Bujin Construction have already declared bankruptcy. They said there was simply no way to repay the Japanese lenders.”

“I’d go bankrupt too, in their position. Borrowed at 1,000 won, and now they’re being told to repay at 2,000…”

Deputy Head Gyeong-deuk Lee shook his head at Yong-nam’s words.

The exchange rate had more than doubled compared to when the loans were taken out. Setting aside interest, with the principal itself doubled, companies unable to repay were choosing bankruptcy instead.

Yong-nam wore a troubled expression and said, “At this rate, the chain of bankruptcies could get even worse. And in the end…”

Yong-nam couldn’t bring himself to say what he was thinking and let his words trail off.

But Seong-ho, as if it were nothing, finished the thought for him.

“Korea will go insolvent.”

At his words, the faces of the Restructuring Headquarters staff present turned white. A company going bankrupt was common enough, but a country going insolvent was not. And they knew all too well, from other examples, what came after a country went under.

The thought of Korea itself going insolvent left the Restructuring Headquarters staff feeling a pressure so heavy they could hardly breathe properly. Because more than anyone else in the country, the staff of Ilhyeon Group’s Restructuring Headquarters understood just how seriously this situation was unfolding — too seriously to dismiss such talk as a joke.

Seong-ho looked around at his staff, pale-faced and breathing hard, and smiled quietly to himself.

Just as a crisis for some becomes an opportunity for others, Seong-ho was thinking that this crisis, too, was an opportunity for him.

(End of Chapter 91)