章 59: Chapter 59: Only a Fool Would Refuse This
Oh Jeong-seok, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Appointed as Chief Justice during the 5th Republic, he wielded his gavel according to his convictions without bowing to political pressure.
As a result, he was respected by many in the legal profession.
Having finished my greeting, I stood before him. Without inviting me to sit, he simply stared at me. I met his gaze unflinchingly.
It was a long while before his probing gaze finally dropped.
"Have a seat."
"Thank you."
As I sat down, Oh Jeong-seok's wife brought in tea.
"Oh, you're Hyeon-woo's friend? My, how handsome!"
"Thank you."
"Ahem."
At Oh Jeong-seok's forced cough, his wife smiled and left the room.
So the rumors of him being a devoted husband were true.
Oh Jeong-seok watched his wife's retreating figure with a displeased expression before turning his attention back to me and picking up his teacup.
"Drink."
I picked up my teacup with a carefree expression, pretending not to notice his scrutiny.
"The tea has a lovely aroma."
He didn't reply, just continued to observe me while sipping his tea. It seemed he was trying to gauge my psychological state.
Eventually, Oh Jeong-seok set down his cup and broke the silence.
"I hear you're Chairman Cheon's grandson from Pyeongchang-dong."
I followed suit and set down my cup.
"Yes, he's my maternal grandfather."
"And how is Chairman Cheon?"
"He's in good health."
"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it."
His habit of beating around the bush and testing me was getting a bit tiresome. It seemed like he was hoping I'd get nervous.
How long is he going to keep this up?
Just as I was starting to get bored, Oh Jeong-seok threw a curveball.
"Why did you approach Hyeon-woo?"
"Approach? Me?"
He nodded, pushing his glasses up slightly and fixing me with a sharp gaze.
He was watching closely to see if I showed even the slightest sign of being flustered.
"Hyeon-woo and I were classmates in the same department. We just happened to become friends."
"I suppose up to that point it could be seen as pure friendship. But I can't help but think you had some ulterior motive in forming the group."
"Well, I thought it would be nice if we could maintain our friendship for a long time, since we got along so well. It was a natural progression. Besides, Hyeon-woo is the one who's president of the group."
"…Are you saying you had no intentions at all?"
His expression clearly showed he didn't believe that.
I didn't bother trying to deny it with a lie.
"If I had to say I had some intention… I suppose I thought it would be good to maintain long-term relationships with these good friends I made by chance, since once we enter society, even friendships become a matter of give and take."
"But not anymore?"
"No one knows how far Hyeon-woo will go in a few decades. We don't know what will become of the group either. I'm far too busy to deliberately invest time in friends whose futures I can't guarantee. You understand, don't you?"
Oh Jeong-seok seemed to be trying to find something in my expression or words, but there was no need for me to put on an act.
No matter what, the aura I gave off would be far different from that of an ordinary twenty-year-old.
On the contrary, I was observing him.
His habit of constantly fiddling with his glasses seemed to be a long-standing one. Though he seemed adept at controlling his expressions, showing no particular change, he couldn't hide the glint that appeared in his eyes behind his lenses.
"Yes, I know. I found it intriguing how you swiftly removed your uncles. That's why I wanted to meet you. I'm sure you've heard about me from Chairman Cheon?"
"Yes."
"I doubt he had many good things to say."
"Hahaha…"
I answered with an awkward laugh.
Oh Jeong-seok no longer tried to hide his interest.
"That expression makes you look more your age. I didn't have much reason to get involved with Chairman Cheon. We did meet a few times, though."
"There's no need to think of me as an extension of my grandfather. We're different, after all."
It was a somewhat bold response.
Oh Jeong-seok was silent for a while before abruptly changing the subject.
"I hear from Hyeon-woo that you don't plan to take the bar exam anymore."
"That's right. I thought that while the first exam might be manageable, from the second exam onward, it's not something to be approached with a half-hearted attitude. That goes for my friends as well as myself."
At those words, Oh Jeong-seok's face showed a slight smile.
"You're right about that. If you had taken the second exam without any intention of becoming a legal professional, it would have been an insult to the other candidates who prepared diligently."
What followed was a more direct question.
"So what do you plan to do? Follow in Chairman Cheon's footsteps and become a king of the underground economy?"
"If there hadn't been someone like my grandfather, would the companies of that time have been able to do business?"
"I'm not dismissing Chairman Cheon. As someone who lived through that era, I believe he played a necessary role. But it's true that his methods were often too extreme."
"Were there people in that era who weren't extreme? State power, judicial power, money power – everything was extreme."
"Hmm…"
He groaned at the mention of judicial power.
Knowing it better than anyone, he couldn't deny it.
"It's because of those who lived through that extreme period that our current era exists. Where each of us chooses to live in society is up to us. I believe the era that awaits Hyeon-woo and me will be different again."
"It sounds to me like you're saying you'll follow directly in your grandfather's footsteps after all."
I'm not sure if I was imagining the disappointment in his voice.
"It's true that I consider that to be my role. However, I don't intend to stay only in the underground. I think the time has come to step into the light."
My words caused his eyes to change once again.
My smiling face was reflected in his glasses, which he was still fidgeting with.
"The times have changed, so we must change too. Of course, I won't abandon the underground. Where there's light, there's always darkness. If we leave it as no man's land, it would cause even greater chaos."
"Hmm… You're quite ambitious. It'll be interesting to watch."
"I look forward to your guidance."
"What power does an old man relegated to the back room have? I'm just an old man whiling away my time watching the news."
Oh Jeong-seok waved his hand dismissively.
I left Oh Jeong-seok's apartment after our long conversation.
Before getting into the car, I looked up at the floor where Oh Jeong-seok's apartment was located.
Oh Jeong-seok, the Chief Justice, is a man of great ambition. Even if he doesn't care for material wealth, he values his honor above all else. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a desire for power?
People think he's a man who sticks to his principles. But that's not quite the truth.
Oh Jeong-seok makes his move when the IMF crisis hits and everything falls into chaos.
He was someone who had the power to help me.
* * *
Following Kim Mu-hyeok's orders, Han Gyeon-yeong began investigating the Mexican peso.
"It's overvalued, sure, but isn't a devaluation going too far? Ah…"
For now, he had no choice but to trust Kim Mu-hyeok.
Standing in front of Goldman Sachs headquarters, Han Gyeong-yeong took a deep breath.
Even at the doorstep, he hesitated, fiddling with the mobile phone in his hand.
'I trust you, and you just need to trust me.'
Kim Mu-hyeok's voice seemed to eho in his ears.
Han Gyeong-yeong made up his mind and entered the bank, clutching his briefcase tightly.
Guided by an employee, he arrived at the meeting place and sat down. Soon after, a team leader-level employee whom he had met a few times at parties entered.
"Hey, James!"
"Peter! Long time no see."
After exchanging warm greetings, they got down to business.
Han Gyeong-yeong placed the product proposal he had prepared on the table.
Peter, smiling at Han Gyeong-yeong, began to review the documents.
As he turned each page, his eyes grew wider.
"You've prepared well. I'm surprised. You've done a thorough job. I see you in a new light."
"Thanks. So, what do you think? Are you in?"
"No bank would accept a deal like this. Who would agree to such a crazy transaction?"
Han Gyeong-yeong sighed.
'You think I don't know it's insane?'
He was just as bewildered as Peter.
"I think there's a misunderstanding. I'm betting on the Mexican peso falling. Over 5 pesos to the dollar."
"What?"
Peter looked over the documents again, then stared at Han Gyeong-yeong as if he were crazy.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Sigh… So, will you accept it?"
"This isn't something I can decide. What's the transaction amount?"
"Up to 300 million dollars. If you can't accept it here, I'll have to try elsewhere."
Peter's jaw dropped in shock.
"Wait here. I'll call someone."
As Peter left the room, he looked back at Han Gyeong-yeong and shook his head once more.
Left alone, Han Gyeong-yeong's hands were drenched in sweat.
'Only a fool would refuse this. Damn it.'
A moment later, several people entered the room with Peter.
"Hello, I'm Tommy, the financial director."
Tommy, having apparently heard everything, looked at Han Gyeong-yeong with curiosity.
"A product like this takes a long time. We'd have to create Mexican bonds maturing in January next year… Is the maximum transaction amount really 300 million dollars?"
"Yes, I plan to use 300 million dollars as collateral and leverage it to the maximum."
Tommy nodded, a mocking smile flitting across his face.
The employees carefully examined the product proposal for any poisonous clauses.
Eventually, after hearing from his subordinates that there were no issues, Tommy extended his hand with a bright expression.
"We'll take care of it all. No need for you to go to other banks. Dream High Investment… This will be a good deal. Let's meet often."
They shook hands and signed the contract.
The smile never left Tommy's face.
He seemed to be thinking about the performance bonus he would receive from this deal.
After completing all the contracts, Han Gyeong-yeong stood outside, staring at the Goldman Sachs building for a long time before finally walking away.
It had been a day that called for a stiff drink.
* * *
"Kim Mu-hyeok, you bastard!"
I was woken up by a phone call in the early hours.
Han Gyeong-yeong's voice was slurred, probably from drinking too much.
"Hyung… it's dawn here."
"You damn bastard. I did the contract today. It was truly insane. Do you know how much those bastards laughed at me? I learned for the first time that people can make you feel miserable just with their eyes."
"Hahaha."
"Don't laugh. The maturity date is set for the end of January."
"Well done. How much leverage did you pull?"
"30 times."
"As expected, I was right to trust you."
With 300 million dollars, he had bet 9 billion dollars.
Han Gyeong-yeong had exceeded my expectations.
"Sigh… Can't I come back to Korea?"
"Not yet. When you return to Korea later, you'll come back in glory, with everyone singing your praises. Just wait. You've done well."
"300 million dollars… I've blown in one go an amount of money I couldn't touch in my entire lifetime. Shit, it's unbelievable."
He must have struggled a lot, but in the end, Han Gyeong-yeong had followed my words, allowing me to prepare for the future.
"This is just the beginning. Don't get weak now."
After talking with Han Gyeong-yeong for a while longer, I hung up.
Now fully awake, I poured water from the glass beside me and drank it.
'How much has the peso fallen?'
There were still plenty of opportunities to make money.
As I spent time rechecking my plans, the sky outside the window began to brighten.
Time flew by quickly.
I also met with Yoon Jae-ha's father. He too showed more interest in the fact that I had become my grandfather's successor.
If there was a difference from Oh Jeong-seok, it was that he already liked me.
Chairman Song Young-ju finally announced at a press conference that he would completely step down from management. His retirement announcement was broadcast live.
At the end of June, all my friends took the second bar exam.
There would be another chance next year, but it would be best if all four of us passed together this year.
On my way to pick them up at the end of the exam,
While lost in thought, watching the rapidly moving scenery outside, my phone rang in my pocket.
"This is Kim Mu-hyeok."
….
I could hear breathing, but there was no response.
Who could it be?
"This is Kim Mu-hyeok. Please speak."
"Mu-hyeok oppa… It's me, Ji-young."
It was Cheon Ji-young, Cheon Su-han's daughter.
"Oh, Ji-young. It's been a while. Is something wrong?"
I couldn't bring myself to hate this child because of Cheon Su-han.
"Um… Do you have time?"
From her voice, it seemed she had found out what Cheon Su-han had done to me.
"I have plans today, but tomorrow is fine. Where do you want to meet? Do you want to come to the house?"
"Huh? Can I come to the house?"
"Of course. You should drop by occasionally to keep Grandfather company too. He misses you a lot. Let's meet at the house tomorrow afternoon then."
"Okay."
After hanging up, I stared at my phone for a long time.
I had been wondering how to deal with Cheon Ji-young for a while.
Cheon Ji-young was the same before, and she was the same when I came back to life. So I couldn't help but worry.
I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of arrival at our destination.
As I got out of the car, a wave of heat hit me.
Come to think of it, was this summer particularly hot?
I pushed the recent phone call out of my mind as I looked at the faces of my friends emerging from their exams.
The long drinking session with my friends ended with a promise to toast again in September when the results would be announced.
The next day,
Cheon Ji-young came to Pyeongchang-dong.
It wasn't the confident, aegyo-filled face from before.
"Oppa, I'm sorry…"
Before we could even properly greet each other, Cheon Ji-young burst into tears.
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