Chapter 600: Moral Laws in Family Relationships (5)

Amazing Things All Around

was the show that Han Yoo-Sik's second child Han Joon-Hee appeared on as a regular panelist, and it was being filmed inside Studio 2 in MBS' new building.

Amazing Things All Around

was a program where professors, experts, and celebrities discussed solutions to everyday problems. It aired every Wednesday at 11 p.m. and was quite popular, with viewership ratings reaching 13%.

New actress Yoo So-Min from Hoop Entertainment's Actor Division 2 was also a panelist on the show.

Through the busy staff, I spotted Han Joon-Hee, who had finished her makeup. She was heading toward her seat in the front row but changed direction and walked straight toward me.

I was planning to meet her anyway, so it worked out better this way.

Han Joon-He approached and glared at me as she spoke. "Jung Yoon-Ho. What are you doing here? Oh~ Did you come to negotiate about Mirinae shares or something? Wake up. I'm not giving you a single share."

"I didn't come to negotiate. I came to warn you. So step away from Mirinae while I'm still asking nicely. If you do, I'll make sure you can keep appearing on this show."

Though I didn't expect her to let go of her greed, I still wanted to give her the chance.

But as expected, Han Joon-Hee scoffed. "Who do you think you are, telling me whether I can stay on the show? Do you even know that my husband's company, Hyunsung Furniture, is the main sponsor?"

Hyunsung Furniture was ranked among the top three furniture companies, generating hundreds of billions in annual revenue, and its president, Lee Hyung-Doo, was sponsoring the show for his wife.

I warned, "Are you really not going to regret this?"

"You're the one who should regret it! And don't you remember what I warned you about? If I see you around my father again, I'll make sure your actors never appear on TV again."

Han Joon-Hee was just as unreasonable as ever.

Just then, PD Jang Sung-Ho from

Amazing Things All Around

noticed us and came over, greeting us cheerfully.

"Oh~ Professor Han. Do you know Chief Jung?"

Han Joon-Hee turned to Jang Sung-Ho.

Seeing her twisted expression, Jang Sung-Ho realized he had made a mistake. "

Hahaha

... I guess you two aren't exactly on friendly terms."

Han Joon-Hee glared and said, "PD Jang. You remember we were supposed to renew the sponsorship contract with my husband's company today, right?"

Jang Sung-Ho flinched and answered. "Ah, yes. We were going to renew it after today's shoot."

"That might be difficult now."

Jang Sung-Ho's face turned pale. "Pardon?"

Hyunsung Furniture was known to cover about twenty percent of the show's total production cost to support his wife's TV career.

Now that the renewal was in jeopardy, Jang Sung-Ho looked flustered and hurried to ask, "Wait, why the sudden change?"

Han Joon-Hee folded her arms and glanced at me. "I'd rather not say too much... but if we don't see anyone from Chief Jung's company around here, I'll consider renewing. You're good at reading the room, right, PD Jang? You get what I'm saying?"

This kind of thing was common in the sponsorship world of broadcasting. Sponsors often pressured PDs to exclude rival actors by threatening to pull their support.

But it was time to show her just how meaningless they really were and to demonstrate what a different class truly looked like.

'

The entertainment industry is my home ground, Han Joon-Hee.

'

As Han Joon-Hee stood there smugly with arms crossed, I smirked at her and then turned to the flustered Jang Sung-Ho.

"Mr. Jang. Would it be alright if I filled in the sponsorship gap?"

Jang Sung-Ho's troubled expression shifted dramatically. "Really?"

"Yes. If it's just about covering the production cost, that's something I can handle."

"Of course. Where is it?"

"Just a moment."

I immediately called Jin Ah-Ram, the acting president of Jinseong Hotel & Resort. When I put the call on speakerphone, Jin Ah-Ram answered right away.

-Yes, Mr. Jung. What is it?

"Do you happen to watch the show

Amazing Things All Around

that airs on Wednesday nights?"

-I'm usually too busy, but my mother enjoys it.

"Would it be possible to ask for sponsorship for

Amazing Things All Around?

The show averages a 13% viewership rating and is mainly watched by viewers in their forties and up. Since that overlaps with the hotel's clientele, I think it could be quite effective for hotel promotion. What do you think?"

Jin Ah-Ram responded in a cheerful voice.

-Wow~ You're already looking out for Jinseong Hotel?

"Partly. Since you're acting president, it's the least I can do for you."

-Then, in return, could Mr. Lee Tae-Poong appear on the show? Just for three weeks after the movie premiere.

She wanted three appearances timed with the release of

Jiri Mountain

. No matter how close we are, three times was a bit much.

"I'll give you two."

-Deal! Then just send the sponsorship proposal via fax. You can address it directly to me.

"Thank you."

-Anytime. I'm busy, so I'll contact you later~

Jin Ah-Ram hung up with a very friendly attitude. Thanks to that, Jang Sung-Ho stared at me with wide eyes.

"What was that? Was that real? Did you just talk directly to Acting President Jin Ah-Ram? Seriously?"

He was so shocked he kept asking.

"Do you think I'd joke about something like this with you, Mr. Jang? Send the fax. Miss Jin is quick to respond."

"Ah, got it. And you're really getting Lee Tae-Poong to appear too?"

"Yes. Starting from next week's recording, for two consecutive weeks. But please keep the shoot within four hours."

"Don't worry. I'll definitely wrap it up within four hours. Wow~

Hahaha.

A sponsorship from Jinseong Hotel and even Lee Tae-Poong. Maybe rolling around in the mud yesterday was worth it.

Hahaha

."

Jang Sung-Hoe almost lost a sponsorship, but he ended up with an even bigger one. He looked totally revitalized now.

On the other hand, Han Joon-Hee had a dazed look as if she couldn't believe I secured such a major sponsorship so easily.

But I had no intention of stopping there.

"Mr. Jang, don't you want a sponsorship from Jinseong Foods too?"

Jang Sung-Ho gulped. "Wait, seriously, you can get that too?"

"Of course."

"When it comes to sponsorships, the more the better!"

I called President Jin Sung-Joon of Jinseong Foods as well. Jin Sung-Joon gladly promised to sponsor products from THE Best, which would launch in early February, along with all of Jinseong Foods' products.

On MBS'

Amazing Things All Around,

they featured cooking tips and easy recipes using ready-made products. They mostly used CK Foods, but when I suggested inserting Jinseong Foods, he immediately agreed.

-It's a win-win. Thank you, Mr. Jung.

"Not at all. I'll be in touch again."

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

-Sure.

After securing a direct advertising sponsorship from the president of Jinseong Foods, Jang Sung-Ho came up so close it felt uncomfortable.

"C-Chief Jung. What can I do for you, huh?"

Now it was time for Han Joon-Hee to pay the price for toying with me using half-baked power.

Color drained from Han Joon-Hee's face, only to rush back in a furious flush.

I looked at her and said, "Mr. Jang. Don't you think Mrs. Han here has already appeared enough on

Amazing Things All Around

?"

Jang Sung-Ho instantly caught on and grinned. "

Hmm

. True, that's fair.

Hmm

... It's a new year, so maybe it's time to bring in some fresh faces."

The flustered Han Joon-Hee snapped back. "PD Jang! What are you trying to pull?"

Jang Sung-Ho glanced at Han Joon-Hee. "Oh? You're still here? I thought you'd left already. Maybe your hearing isn't what it used to be."

Apparently still bitter about being threatened earlier, Jang Sung-Ho was openly rude.

Han Joon-Hee trembled and said, "P-PD Jang. Don't you know how important I am to this show?"

Jang Sung-Ho laughed incredulously. "I guess there's some misunderstanding because we tried to appease you with sponsorships. Listen, Mrs. Han. Viewership ratings aren't great when you're on. Viewer comments aren't good either. In short, you're a dud. A total dud."

"What, what did you say?"

"Mrs. Han, you never talk about what viewers want to hear. You only talk about what you want to talk about. No one would miss you if you stopped appearing."

Han Joon-Hee furiously shouted, "PD Jang. So this is how you're going to play it? Fine. I'll talk directly to the CP. Who do you think you are? You're just some lowly PD! You think you have the right to decide whether I appear or not?"

Hearing Han Joon-Hee speak to him in contempt, Jang Sung-Ho could no longer hold back.

"Fuck! I tried to hold it in, but you're unbelievably clueless. Hey, Professor Han. Do you think I kept quiet because I couldn't get angry? You said you'd contact the CP, huh? Go ahead. I'll bring this up at the PD meeting and make sure you never set foot in our station again. Seriously, are you a professor or a broadcaster?"

"What... What did you say?"

"You still don't get it, do you? Let me put it plainly. You're nothing. We were just being polite because you brought in sponsorships. Got it?"

In truth, PDs held significant power in a broadcasting station, especially those in charge of popular shows. Even CPs and department heads couldn't push them around easily because it was the PDs who were responsible for the viewership ratings every week.

Of course, sponsorships were necessary to fund production, which was why they tried to stay on good terms with sponsors. But now that someone had angered a PD like that, it was inevitable that harsh words would follow.

Jang Sung-Ho was so furious that he threatened to ban her from appearing on the network entirely. Only then did Han Joon-Hee realize how serious things were.

"P-PD Jang, are you really going to do this?"

"

Ugh,

I can't even stand looking at your face. Get out right now!"

Jang Sung-Ho shouted loud enough for everyone on set to hear and drove Han Joon-Hee away. As all the staff turned to look at her, Han Joon-Hee couldn't bear the humiliation and turned to flee.

Jang Sung-Ho stood there, huffing with rage. I quickly bowed to him and went after Han Joon-Hee.

I still hadn't heard the answer I wanted.

***

"Wait!" I called out.

Han Joon-Hee, who had been storming off, came to a halt in the hallway. "Why are you calling me!?"

"Let me say this one more time. Stay away from Mirinae's shares. Otherwise, next time, your husband's company will suffer."

"W-what are you trying to do?" Han Joon-Hee asked.

Her voice trembled, perhaps because she realized I was in direct contact with the presidents of Jinseong Inc.

'

I should've done this sooner.

'

"Oh, nothing serious. I was just planning to ask Jinseong to stop buying from Hyunsung Furniture. If the entire company pulls out, it would be quite a blow, wouldn't it? Don't you think so?"

Han Joon-Hee's confidence faltered even more. The venom in her eyes when she looked at me had completely vanished. Realizing that her husband's backers might take a serious hit, she now focused solely on reading the room.

Seeing Han Joon-Hee like that only made me sigh.

Even though Han Yoo-Sik had left KBC, his connections were still deeply rooted there. And since he used to be the executive director, there were plenty of PDs and CPs in MBS and SBC who would still do him favors.

In other words, the influence of her father, whom she had discarded, was dozens of times stronger than her husband's within the broadcasting world. Yet, she didn't realize that.

'

So this is what they mean when they say someone is throwing away their own fortune.

'

Terrified by my threat, Han Joon-Hee nodded. "F-Fine, I'll completely stay away from Mirinae. Happy now?"

"And do not contact Mr. Han Yoo-Sik or Mrs. Lee Ah-Eun ever again. Let the two of them live in peace. Understood?"

"Okay, so just don't mess with my husband's company. Please. Okay?"

"As long as you keep your promise, I won't have any reason to bother with your side. Do you think I have time to waste like you do?"

Han Joon-Hee flushed bright red and responded. "Fine..."

"Then off you go."

Han Joon-Hee trembled as she turned sharply.

Click, clack.

The sound of her powerless footsteps echoed down the hallway—someone who had abandoned the ties of heaven itself for her own gain, even discarding her parents.

Having wrapped up things with Han Joon-Hee, I called Choi Yung-Ho again.

"Mr. Choi."

-Yes. How did it go?

"I've taken care of the first and second."

-Fast and efficient, just as expected of you.

"Do you happen to have more information on the third?"

Since I was lacking information to deal with the third target, Han Joon-Sik, I asked for more.

Then, Choi Yung-Ho spoke.

-Chief Jung. How about letting me handle Attorney Han Joon-Sik? I'll take care of it today.

I hesitated for a moment. Nevertheless, I had no choice but to agree. I didn't want to drag this matter out any longer.

"Understood, but no one must get hurt."

When I asked him not to use fists, Choi Yung-Ho let out a hearty laugh.

-Trust me. I'll show you what a bank can do with this opportunity.

Choi Yung-Ho hung up after saying he would meet me in the lobby of Han Joon-Sik's law firm in thirty minutes.

After ending the call, I left the broadcasting station and headed to Han Joon-Sik's law firm.

***

When I arrived at the first-floor lobby of Sincere Law Firm located in Gangnam, Bank President Choi Yung-Ho, Executive Director Jang Ki-Ho, and six aides in suits were already waiting for me. Among them was also Hong Joon-Ho, the deputy president of legal affairs and a former chief judge.

"Now that Chief Jung is here, let's introduce everyone. This is Deputy President Hong Joon-Ho, and this is..."

After a brief introduction to the executives of Daeheung Savings Bank, we took the elevator up to the tenth floor.

Ding.

As the door to the tenth floor opened, Han Joon-Sik and a group of lawyers were already waiting to greet us. It wasn't just because of Choi Yung-Ho's status but also because of Hong Joon-Ho, who was their direct superior in legal affairs.

"You're here, sunbae-nim."

The lawyers of Sincere Law Firm bowed in unison. In the legal world, seniority carried significant weight. Especially for someone who had served as a chief judge, their reputation and connections meant even non-colleagues couldn't treat them lightly.

"Yes. Good work, everyone," Hong Joon-Ho said, acknowledging their greeting. "But I don't see Representative Woo Chan-Joong."

Han Joon-Sik and the other lawyers of the Sincere Law Firm raised their heads and straightened their postures.

Then Han Joon-Sik replied, "He stepped out briefly for a client meeting but should be back soon."

Sincere Law Firm was founded by Woo Chan-Joong, a former chief prosecutor of the Southern District, and Han Joon-Sik was one of its three representative attorneys.

It was then that Han Joon-Sik noticed me standing behind Choi Yung-Ho. "You... What are you doing here?"

At that moment, Choi Yung-Ho spoke sternly, cutting Han Joon-Sik down to size. "How dare you speak informally to my guest? Attorney Han, what do you think you are doing right now?"

Clenching his teeth, Han Joon-Sik replied, "I... I'm sorry. That was disrespectful of me."

"I'm glad you're aware. Now, lead the way."

"Yes. This way, please."

Han Joon-Sik led us to the meeting room, with Choi Yung-Ho at the front. The people from Daeheung Savings Bank took their seats in the meeting room.

Pretending not to notice me, Han Joon-Sik addressed Choi Yung-Ho. "I was surprised by your sudden request to see me. What's this about?"

Choi Yung-Ho had mentioned that he had met Han Joon-Sik a few times before. In the banking business, they ended up meeting all sorts of people due to the nature of the work. And since law firms often handled civil litigation, there had been many cases where they worked with Daeheung Savings Bank, the top firm in its sector. So, even though the visit was unexpected, they were willing to meet.

Choi Yung-Ho's expression hardened. "Attorney Han. I heard you've been plotting to siphon off your parents' assets. Is that true?"

Only then did Han Joon-Sik realize why Choi Yung-Ho had come.

After glancing at me briefly, he shamelessly replied to Choi Yung-Ho, "It's not true."

"Not true?"

"No. Whatever Chief Jung may have said, it's not true. And even if it were, it's not something that concerns you, sir."

Seeing Han Joon-Sik lie brazenly, Choi Yung-Ho gave him a look of disbelief. Then his eyes turned sharp.

"Fine. It's unprofessional to bring up personal matters. So let's handle this professionally, shall we?"

"Excuse me?"

"That company you've been eyeing, Mirinae—you do know I'm directly handling its rehabilitation, right?"

Han Joon-Sik frowned. As a lawyer, he obviously knew Daeheung Savings Bank was managing Mirinae's rehabilitation. But he clearly hadn't expected the bank president to be personally involved.

"I... I didn't know."

Choi Yung-Ho spoke without wasting words. "Now you know, and that's enough. I won't repeat myself. Back off."

Han Joon-Sik trembled as he looked at me again.

Then, he opened his mouth with great effort. "I... I can't do that. That's something between me and my father."

"You can't?"

"No."

Choi Yung-Ho took a deep breath, then spoke slowly. "I tried to handle this professionally, but you refused... Then there's no choice."

And in that moment, just as he said he would, Choi Yung-Ho began to demonstrate the unimaginable power of a bank.

I thought, '

Holy crap, this is insane...

'