Chapter 126 : Can't Be an Aristocrat
Can't Be an Aristocrat
Taeshin Asset Management CEO's Office.
There, the voices of Tae Ju-ha and Tae Seok-hyun, who were in the middle of a conversation, grew louder.
"Didn't I say you're the only one who can help me right now? Besides, I'm your father! If you don't step up, who will?"
Sitting across from him, Tae Ju-ha could only sigh inwardly. While doing so, she glanced over at her stepmother, Lee Sun-hye, who was sitting beside Tae Seok-hyun in a dignified posture. From the very beginning until now, she hadn't said a word. She just sat quietly, only watching to see how Tae Ju-ha would react to Tae Seok-hyun's urging.
"I understand your position, Father. But as I said earlier, how could I possibly make a request to Grandfather? He's not someone who would listen to me."
The reason the two of them had sought out Tae Ju-ha was precisely for Tae Seok-hyun's recovery. And not just through anyone, but by asking her to speak directly with Chairman Tae Gun-seung. Of course, it was odd for a father to ask his daughter—his own child, at that—to persuade his own father. But for Tae Seok-hyun, now isolated within Taeshin Group, Tae Ju-ha was his only remaining hope.
"Are you really going to do this? Who do you think helped you become so successful in the first place! Even that guy, In-hyuk—it's because I introduced you to him that things went this well!"
Tae Ju-ha, caught off guard, cautiously opened her mouth.
"That's true. You were the one who arranged for me to marry him. And thanks to that, this company is enjoying profits bigger than expected."
"Exactly! Isn't it all thanks to me? So—"
"No, that's not it. The company is doing well not because I got married, but because In-hyuk has done so well. The one Grandfather trusts is not me, but In-hyuk. So, shouldn't you have gone to him instead of bringing this up to me?"
"That's..."
It was Kang In-hyuk who ousted Tae Seok-hyun from the CEO position at Taeshin Electronics. Naturally, for Tae Seok-hyun, In-hyuk was as much an uncomfortable presence as Chairman Tae Gun-seung.
"In any case, I can't go to Grandfather about you."
"Tae Ju-ha!"
At that moment, Lee Sun-hye, who had remained silent, finally opened her mouth for the first time. Startled by her sudden outburst, Tae Ju-ha stared straight at her. As their eyes met, Lee Sun-hye let out a long sigh.
"We fully understand if we fell short as your family. But surely there are limits. What if your father fails to reclaim his position like this? And if the chairman's seat goes to your uncle's son next? What do you think will happen to you then?"
It wasn't concern or worry. She was threatening her by bringing up Tae Seok-ho. Of course, it wasn't exactly wrong. And Tae Ju-ha herself had worried about that point as well.
Knock, knock—
Just then, with the sound of a knock, Heo Yu-rim's voice was heard.
"CEO. Kang In-hyuk from the MP Division is here. Shall I have him wait?"
There was no schedule for Kang In-hyuk to visit the CEO's office today, so Tae Ju-ha was slightly taken aback.
"We've finished our conversation, so let him in."
With the response, the door opened.
As In-hyuk entered, he spotted Tae Seok-hyun and Lee Sun-hye.
"Oh, Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, you're here. Have you been well?"
It was a very ordinary and friendly greeting, but for the two, it was anything but.
"Hmm... not particularly well."
They couldn't have been. In-hyuk asked even as he clearly knew this.
"It would be nice if you two could just relax for a bit. Or maybe the two of you could travel together. When I went to Switzerland and Monaco this time, it was actually pretty nice."
It was an obviously mocking suggestion packed with nuance. But Tae Seok-hyun only exhaled through his nose, suppressing his anger.
"What happened at Taeshin Electronics was just to handle the recovery. You know, when running a company, inevitable events happen, don't they?"
"It's hard to call a loss of over 800 billion won 'inevitable'."
"I'm only human. I only tried to make the business a success..."
"That kickback you tried to get through the contract with the Chinese company, right?"
Instantly, Tae Seok-hyun's face hardened. That particular issue hadn't been made public during the meeting.
Tae Ju-ha, too, looked at In-hyuk by the door with a startled expression.
"How did you..."
"I obtained further testimony from an associate of Swentech detained by Interpol. The actual production costs were significantly cheaper than what was contracted. Even if the contract hadn't been a scam, problems would have arisen."
Lower unit costs meant there was no way the products would have been sound.
"But..."
"Do you think the chairman isn't aware of this?"
Whatever Tae Seok-hyun was about to argue died in his throat.
In-hyuk, with a cold look, stared right at him and spoke on.
"I think the chairman turned a blind eye to you just once. But instead of staying quiet, you came to your daughter and made things difficult for her."
"Mm..."
"Is there anything more you'd like to say?"
"We'll be leaving now."
"You! Are you really just going to...!"
"Ssst—!"
Lee Sun-hye tried to say something more, but Tae Seok-hyun silenced her and headed toward the door.
"We won't go far."
"......"
In-hyuk stepped aside so they could leave. Then, watching their backs as they exited—without even bothering to close the door—he turned to Tae Ju-ha.
"I don't think there was anything on today's agenda... So what brings you here?"
"Secretary Heo asked me."
Just then, Heo Yu-rim, who had accompanied Tae Seok-hyun and Lee Sun-hye to the elevator, returned and met Tae Ju-ha's eyes.
"Secretary Heo?"
"Ah... I heard the noise from outside and thought the CEO was in trouble."
Heo Yu-rim's voice grew progressively smaller.
Tae Ju-ha seemed to understand why, and offered a bittersweet, sorrowful smile.
"I'm fine now. Please go and continue with your work."
Bowing her head, Heo Yu-rim retreated.
In the meantime, In-hyuk took the seat Tae Seok-hyun had occupied.
"Aren't you going back, In-hyuk?"
She clearly thought he would.
In-hyuk met her gaze, looking right into her eyes.
"Since I'm here, I actually have something to tell you."
"What is it? Are you planning another major move?"
Not long ago, he had brought in the semiconductor production deal between Taeshin Semiconductors and Taiwan's SolarView through AMK Partners. Given the number of companies involved, the process was complicated, and the profit for Taeshin Asset Management wasn't even substantial. Nevertheless, since it was expanding international business, the staff in charge of the field welcomed it. Beyond that, In-hyuk continued to bring in minor M&A cases, investments, bonds, stocks, and other subcontracts connected to AMK Partners, raising overall profits. From the perspective of Taeshin Asset Management, it was certainly a good thing. However, Tae Ju-ha worried about the increasing burden on In-hyuk.
"Soon, the joint venture between Greenbyte Labs and AMK Velion will be established."
Tae Ju-ha looked surprised.
"It's already gotten to that point?"
"The plant site is Sedona, Arizona, America. Acquisition, investment plans, all the documents are complete, and I'll need to go over there soon to finalize it."
"Has the name of the joint venture been decided?"
"It's Velbyte Technology. A name combining Greenbyte Labs and AMK Velion."
Nodding at In-hyuk's explanation, she said,
"That's great. Since the recent research was successful, there'll probably be big headlines soon."
Greenbyte had already managed to reduce power consumption by 60% in their development.
It was a technology that kept output the same with much lower power required.
As long as there were no setbacks in production, they'd practically secured tremendous sales in advance.
"It's all thanks to your full support for the investment."
Tae Ju-ha became a bit embarrassed.
"It was you, In-hyuk, who pushed things through forcefully. We didn't even know such a company existed. But how did you know to invest in them from the start? Did you know it would work out?"
It was something everyone was curious about. Also, no one had managed to uncover In-hyuk's information channels for investment.
"If I told you that, wouldn't I be giving away all my secrets?"
"I guess that was a pretty obvious question."
"But I've more than contributed to the company, haven't I?"
"But I wonder how long that'll last... Ah!"
Suddenly, she remembered the earlier conversation about divorce that had been cut off. Tae Ju-ha realized too late and covered her mouth with her hand. Of course, In-hyuk also knew exactly what she was thinking.
"I still have a lot left to do here, so let's put that on hold for a while."
"Are you really sure you'll be okay?"
Because talk about the next successor within Taeshin Group hadn't stopped.
Meanwhile, Tae Seok-ho was quickly making contact with presidents, CEOs, and executives across every affiliate company.
Of course, there were shares entrusted to Tae Ju-ha for checks and balances, but because that was not publicly disclosed, it didn't have any immediate impact.
For now, Tae Gun-seung and In-hyuk, who was swiftly establishing himself, were the only real threats to Tae Seok-ho.
"I can handle it. As long as Chairman Kang doesn't keep bothering me."
Bzzz— Bzzz—
At that moment, In-hyuk's phone vibrated. An unknown number popped up on the screen.
"... Who is it?"
"I'm fine, go ahead and answer it."
"Excuse me, then."
As he pressed the call button, a coarse voice came through the line.
[You finally picked up. How about having dinner with me this evening? Are you free?]
At the same time, In-hyuk frowned deeply.
The caller was none other than Kang Cheon-gyu.
"... I'm busy."
[No matter how busy you are, you can spare time for a meal. I'll come nearby on your schedule. Or you can come to me.]
As In-hyuk kept declining, Kang Cheon-gyu shamelessly proposed alternatives. Though that hadn't really been different before...
'Was he always like this?'
KQ Group's Kang Cheon-gyu, like Taeshin's Chairman Tae Gun-seung, was notorious for being a stubborn lone wolf.
Always dignified, he never let even his son's issues slide easily in business.
Yet, the Kang Cheon-gyu In-hyuk had been seeing recently was acting more like a child whining for someone to become his successor.
"I'll go to you. But I can't spare much time. And I'm not going to repeat myself."
[I understand. I'll set the time and place and send you the details.]
When the call ended, from across the desk, Tae Ju-ha cautiously asked,
"Was that... Chairman Kang?"
"Yes. I can't be an aristocrat."
Just seconds ago, they'd been talking about him, and then he'd called.
In-hyuk glanced around, half-suspicious that Kang Cheon-gyu might have planted a bug or camera somewhere.
"With Chairman Kang's situation, it's no wonder he would want someone like you."
Back when Tae Ju-ha first heard that In-hyuk was Chairman Kang Cheon-gyu's biological child, her first worry was that he'd leave immediately.
"I have no interest. Anyway, as I said earlier, I'm planning to leave the country soon, so I'll organize my work accordingly."
"Take care."
Exchanging farewells, In-hyuk left the CEO's office immediately.