Chapter 336

“My name is Moon Ji-Hyuk. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me,” said a man in his forties with an exceptionally polished appearance.

Do-Jun was already familiar with Ji-Hyuk. As the eldest son of the SG Group, he frequently appeared on television. Though he hadn’t expected him to reach out so suddenly, he had always assumed that a meeting like this would happen sooner or later.

“Would you like some coffee?” He offered.

“Oh, I’d be grateful for a cup of coffee, Supervisor Lee.”

There was no doubt that Ji-Hyuk had come because he wanted something. Do-Jun had never interacted directly with him before, which meant he must have gathered information from somewhere, most likely from someone close by.

Do-Jun tore open two packs of instant coffee, poured them into glass cups, and stirred.

“Thank you,” Ji-Hyuk said.

“No, I should’ve prepared something better for you.”

“I actually like instant coffee. Especially the ones in the yellow package,”[1] Ji-Hyuk said, then sipped cautiously as if worried about burning his mouth.

Do-Jun simply waited for him to get to the point. He already had a rough idea of what this was about. There was usually only one reason why a member of a chaebol family, with no prior connection, would seek him out.

Ji-Hyuk finally got to the point and said, “To put it bluntly, Supervisor Lee, I’d like to borrow your strength.”

“You speak as if you already know about me.”

“I was lucky enough to hear a bit from my father. I don’t know all the details, but one thing is certain: he trusts you absolutely and unconditionally.”

What Ji-Hyuk sensed from Gwang-Ho was a mix of apprehension and deep respect toward Do-Jun, and he intended to use that to his advantage. The only thing he was unsure about was how much Do-Jun actually knew about the internal matters at play.

“So, I’d like to make a request—to lay the groundwork for something. You could also see it as a proposal. I promise it won’t be a bad deal for you. In fact, it may very well be the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“The opportunity of a lifetime...? Meaning it’ll never come again? Then I suppose I should take it.”

Ji-Hyuk hesitated for a moment, slightly taken aback by how easily Do-Jun seemed to accept it. Gwang-Ho had said Do-Jun possessed an ability beyond his comprehension. Yet, looking at him now, he didn’t seem all that extraordinary.

“Have you, by any chance, heard anything from the Chairman or the Chief of the Hunter’s Bureau regarding National Trading?”

“I can’t say that I have.”

What? Father didn’t tell him?

Ji-Hyuk was surprised.

That worked out even better. He cleared his throat and straightened his posture. If someone had approached him with an offer to take over a company as large as National Trading, he would never have stayed silent. Money always prompted a reaction.

With those thoughts, he said, “I’d like to offer you a stake in National Trading. I’ll make sure you receive a fair share—enough that you could leave civil service immediately and live comfortably for the rest of your life. In return—”

National Trading was a publicly traded company with about eight subsidiaries. The largest among them was National Smithy, along with construction businesses tied to Fissure zones, mana stone trading, and leisure industries. From what Do-Jun remembered, the major shareholders were Young-Chul, the Chief of the Hunter’s Bureau, and Gwang-Ho, the chairman of the SG Group.

“That’s strange,” Do-Jun interjected.

“Excuse me?”

“Are you even in a position to be discussing National Trading’s shares? As far as I know, you have influence over SG Trading, not National Trading.”

Ji-Hyuk was caught slightly off guard as he had assumed Do-Jun wouldn’t be well-versed in corporate matters, but he managed to play it cool. “That’s true—for now. As you said, my shares are in SG Trading, not National Trading. But with your help, it wouldn’t be difficult to shake things up at National Trading.”

National Trading held a key position in the Hunter industry, particularly through its Smithy division. It was only natural to covet a stake in the rapidly expanding Hunter economy.

“I’ll inform the Chairman that you’ve agreed to support me. All you need to say is, ‘That’s correct. I did.’ That will finalize the succession structure within the group, securing my position as the next Chairman of SG Group.”

The “help” that Ji-Hyuk mentioned was obvious—it all came down to control.

For a moment, Do-Jun thought of Ae-Kyung. By lineage, she was also in line for succession, but since she had solidified her path as a Hunter, she had completely lost interest in corporate affairs. As for who would inherit Gwang-Ho’s position in the future, Do-Jun had no interest in that. But now, he was a little curious. What were Ji-Hyuk’s values?

“Are you considering a merger?” Do-Jun asked him.

“Well, as a business, a monopoly is always preferable.”

“But isn’t National Trading significantly larger than SG Trading, maybe even too large? And that gap will only widen over time. Advisory firms with voting rights will likely raise concerns about the merger ratio. How do you plan to handle opposition from National Trading’s shareholders?” Do-Jun genuinely sounded as if he didn’t understand the logic behind Ji-Hyuk’s plan.

Ji-Hyuk had expected a simple, ‘I will gladly accept those shares,’ and for the conversation to end quickly. Instead, this was turning into a full-blown business discussion. He let out a small laugh. This wasn’t the kind of question an ordinary civil servant would ask.

Did he work at a brokerage firm before or something? Well, it doesn’t matter.

He dismissed the thought.

Ji-Hyuk said, “As you pointed out, National Trading’s stock is high because of its subsidiaries. To proceed, we’d need to split the company. If we separate the Smithy division, the valuation will be more comparable to SG Trading.”

If they divided the subsidiaries, National Trading’s stock value would drop. That would indeed make a merger viable.

Do-Jun ran his fingers over his lips before speaking again. “Do you think the Hunter’s Bureau and other shareholders will approve the split? If I were a shareholder, I’d vote against it. Not to mention, since Chairman Moon is a major shareholder, anyone would see this as a blatant attempt to manipulate stock prices in favor of SG Group.”

By this point, the coffee in their cups had gone cold, even though neither of them had sipped much of it.

Do-Jun idly tapped his fingers on the table and continued his questioning. “I won’t even bring up the retail investors who’ll get caught in the crossfire. But they will undoubtedly raise concerns. And if this becomes a major issue, everyone involved could end up being summoned by prosecutors. How do you plan to handle that?”

That was something Ji-Hyuk had to consider. There was a strong possibility that even bribes would be exchanged throughout the process. But was this really something he needed to discuss with the civil servant in front of him? Ji-Hyuk felt a twinge of doubt. And yet, the way Do-Jun looked at him made it clear: he wasn’t going to let him evade the question.

How did it get to this point?

Ji-Hyuk wondered, feeling a familiar sensation he had felt before somewhere.

“The world will condemn you for this. Some people will turn their backs on you, possibly including the government. The invisible privileges SG Group enjoys now could disappear overnight. What’s your opinion on that, Vice Chairman Moon?” Do-Jun asked, resting his chin on his hand, his gaze locked onto Ji-Hyuk with a faint smile playing on his lips.

And in that instant, Ji-Hyuk realized that Do-Jun was testing him. His gaze was that of someone looking down from above, fixed on him as if silently asking, “Are you truly fit to be Chairman?”

Ji-Hyuk swallowed dryly, and all he could do was stare at his now cold coffee.

***

A few days later, Ji-Hyuk once again went to Gwang-Ho’s residence. At the entrance, a security guard verified his identity before bowing respectfully. The moment he stepped inside the mansion, the once-quiet house suddenly became lively. Shortly after, Gwang-Ho came rushing out in a fluster.

“Sir...?” Ji-Hyuk said in surprise.

“Oh... Come in,” Gwang-Ho said glumly.

Why does he look so disappointed?

Feeling confused, Ji-Hyuk followed the butler into the house.

As Jung-Sook set down the tea, she looked at her sulking husband and said, “Just wait a little. She’s probably having breakfast before coming.”

“

Hmph

.”

“Sir...? Are you feeling unwell?” Ji-Hyuk asked.

“It’s nothing. More importantly, how did it go?”

Ji-Hyuk could only smile wryly. He had spoken so confidently, asking Gwang-Ho to trust him, but in the end, he had nothing to show.

“It didn’t go well, did it?” Gwang-Ho asked knowingly.

“No, sir.”

“I see. How did the conversation go?”

“I offered a portion of National Trading’s shares.”

“How does someone offer shares they don’t even own?”

“That’s exactly what Supervisor Lee said. So I...” Ji-Hyuk trailed off, wondering if he should actually say it out loud.

As he debated, biting his lip, Gwang-Ho said bluntly, “So you brought up the succession issue.”

“That’s right... I said that once I solidify myself as the successor, I would take control of National Trading.” Ji-Hyuk agreed.

“And what did Supervisor Lee say?”

“He asked if I was considering a merger. I said yes.” Ji-Hyuk recalled the scene that had felt more like an interrogation than a conversation. “Then, the topic of business separation came up. Of course, I was the one who brought it up first. But Supervisor Lee took a negative stance... No, rather, he asked a question: would the Hunter’s Bureau and the shareholders oppose it?”

“He made it clear that it wouldn’t look good. He said it would appear as if SG Group was intentionally lowering the stock price to assert its control. And...” A bitter smile formed on Ji-Hyuk’s lips. “He said that this would tarnish SG Group’s image.”

Gwang-Ho had been listening in silence, but he suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

“Those are the kinds of questions a chairman should ask,” he said.

“Yes...”

“Supervisor Lee wasn’t the one being tested—it was you and me.”

Well, Do-Jun was the man who already had the Hunter’s Bureau in the palm of his hand. If he wanted, he could do the same with SG Group at any time.

“I’ve disappointed you. I’m sorry,” Ji-Hyuk bowed his head.

“No need. What disappointment? It turned out exactly as I expected. If I couldn’t win him over, how could I expect you to?”

Gwang-Ho clicked his tongue inwardly. If only Do-Jun were the type to take bribes and had a love for money, things might have been different. Then he would’ve simply been another powerful but money-hungry Hunter. No matter how strong someone was, if they bowed in front of wealth, there wasn’t much to think about in the first place.

However, Do-Jun was a man whose inner thoughts were impossible to gauge. Gwang-Ho even had the absurd thought that Do-Jun seemed like he had lived for a few thousand years. Of course, he knew that was impossible.

Just then, the doorbell rang, causing Gwang-Ho to rush to the front door.

“Gwempa!” Byeol called out

“Oho! My granddaughter is finally here.

Hahaha

!”

Ji-Hyuk followed the sound of voices and stepped toward the entrance. The little girl, Byeol, was already lifted high into Gwang-Ho’s arms. With Byeol riding on his shoulders, Gwang-Ho returned to the living room with the happiest expression in the world.

“Put me down now! It’s scawy!” Byeol exclaimed.

“

Hahaha

. Alright. Shoooooom.” Gwang-Ho lifted Byeol off his shoulders, mimicking the sound of an airplane before setting her down on the sofa.

Ji-Hyuk recalled his father’s words from his last visit.

“Playing with Byeol? That is simply a means to earn his goodwill. I’m telling you this now to avoid any misunderstandings. Don’t go spreading nonsense.”

Ji-Hyuk let out a dry chuckle, muttering under his breath, “I don’t think there’s any misunderstanding to be had here...”

No matter how he looked at it, the expression on Gwang-Ho’s face was pure, unfiltered happiness.

1. TMI: The yellow package instant coffee that Ji-Hyuk mentions is called “Maxim Mocha Gold.” It’s insaaaanely good! ☜