Max-Level Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 22
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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22. Loyalty, Loyalty!
I held out Secretary Kim’s business card.
“For exactly one week. I want Taeseong to not lay a finger on Uncle Cheol-gu and protect him thoroughly.”
It was the demand of a winner who had won the bet.
‘Getting Uncle Cheol-gu out of the KCIA was solved with Secretary Kim’s service, but protection is another matter.’
The Death Countdown was still glowing above Uncle Cheol-gu’s head.
It was the Grim Reaper’s handiwork.
[4 days]
Even though we got him out of the Seobinggo Torture Room, it’s still like that.
It means the threat of death hasn’t completely disappeared yet.
‘Uncle Cheol-gu won’t be able to die a natural death because of the Wookwang Construction Bribery Ledger.’
I can’t just ignore this man either!
At first, I intended to just give life-saving advice to repay Mother’s life debt, but the situation has changed now.
Because I’m using Uncle’s ledger to conduct negotiations.
‘The money at stake is huge, and the problem at stake is big too. Uncle Cheol-gu’s active cooperation is absolutely necessary for this matter.’
It was a problem involving internal corruption worth 2 billion won within the Taeseong Group.
It’s also the reason I’m helping Uncle even using my business card.
I intend to properly make my mark with this opportunity.
“Please keep the business card. It would be a waste to use it so pointlessly.”
Secretary Kim didn’t take the business card back.
“I said it was a bribe from the beginning. So it won’t be too late to use this after the negotiations fall through.”
Instead, he put the business card back into my pocket.
“What if Chairman Cha’s patience wears thin and he tells you to bring Uncle Cheol-gu right away?”
“To prevent such an unfortunate incident, we’ll have to hurry and bring the bribe even faster.”
“What if they capture Uncle Cheol-gu’s family and stage a hostage situation?”
“We must block it at the source. I heard that Kang Ok-bun, Park Cheol-gu’s mother, is currently holding out in front of the KCIA saying she must meet her son. We’ll escort her to a safe place as well.”
I like it.
“Please escort her here courteously so that grandmother won’t be startled. You mustn’t drag her here roughly like a kidnapping.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
At Secretary Kim’s signal, two of the Taeseong Group security guards immediately left.
Uncle Cheol-gu looked quite grateful.
“Mr. Park Cheol-gu will also need treatment. I’ll contact Taeseong Hospital to arrange for a house call. Of course, this is also a service.”
“I haven’t even paid for the business card, yet the service is too generous? You’re not feeling bitter about this losing business, are you?”
“Young Master also handed over the account book first. Since we’ve already opened the floodgates for this credit transaction, this time I’ll trust Young Master.”
Budding goodwill in the exchange of credit transactions!
This much was enough for Secretary Kim to show loyalty to me and win my favor.
‘Actually, there’s a reason why Secretary Kim is backing down so obediently.’
It’s not just because he wants to look good to me.
Unlike Woo-gwang, who tried to kill Uncle Cheol-gu to silence him, Taeseong is in a position where they absolutely must make Uncle Cheol-gu talk.
Uncle Cheol-gu is a tough man who didn’t open his mouth even after being dragged away by the KCIA.
What if Uncle Cheol-gu keeps his mouth shut until the end?
All the important information not recorded in the account book would be lost.
“It won’t be too late for me to personally put a blade to Mr. Park Cheol-gu after negotiations with Young Master fall through.”
That’s probably why Uncle Cheol-gu’s Journey to Underworld Countdown is still continuing.
Woo-gwang tries to kill him, Taeseong tries to make him talk.
This is the fate of a shrimp caught in the fight between whales called Woo-gwang and Taeseong.
“I promise you. You won’t regret this choice you’re making now.”
I extended my hand.
Secretary Kim grasped my hand in return.
We shook hands.
“Mr. Park Cheol-gu, remember this clearly.”
Secretary Kim’s voice was cold.
“Who do you think saved your life? Live your entire life being grateful to our Young Master Jeong-hyeok.”
It was a warning to properly repay the debt of his life.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Extorting money from a kid isn’t my style.”
But Uncle Cheol-gu snorted with bold defiance.
“I don’t know about other things, but you can’t try to skip out on a life debt. I’m not such a rotten bastard.”
“I certainly hope so.”
Secretary Kim bowed politely toward me.
“Young Master, then I’ll come visit you again as soon as possible once the bribe is prepared.”
Secretary Kim left.
The Taeseong Group security guards followed behind him.
* * *
Uncle Cheol-gu groaned and sprawled out on the living room floor.
“Ugh, my whole body aches. I really thought I was going to die.”
Thanks to cranking up the oil boiler, his back must have been nice and warm.
“Thank you, little kid. My vow to repay this life debt is sincere.”
“It’s fine. I’ve repaid the life debt to my mother too.”
Uncle saved our mother first.
Without asking questions, without demanding any other compensation.
“That wasn’t such a big deal. But it’s certain that I really came back from the dead thanks to you. I thought I was really going to die this time.”
Uncle Cheol-gu thumped his chest.
“I don’t know how Man Park Cheol-gu ended up owing a life debt to a seven-year-old kid, but I, Park Cheol-gu! I’m someone who keeps his vows even if it kills me!”
Then he immediately burst into hearty laughter.
“Wow, no matter how much I think about it, I really don’t get it. Little kid, what the hell did you pull? How did you get me out of the KCIA? What kind of power does a little kid like you have?”
“Did you forget already? The courage of the powerless is just recklessness, so if you have no power, you should bring in someone with power.”
“······.”
Uncle Cheol-gu blinked his eyes.
“To hit the center of a target, where did I say you should aim?”
“Above the target?”
“Since Wooguang moved the KCIA higher-ups to drag you away, Uncle, we had no choice but to move Taeseong on this side to get you out.”
“······.”
Uncle Cheol-gu let out a hollow laugh.
“Easy to say. Would that even work?”
“It did work though?
“······.”
“That’s why Uncle is here right now. Isn’t it?”
“Huh······.”
Uncle Cheol-gu’s mouth fell wide open.
For a moment he gaped like a goldfish, his finger pointing at me trembling several times,
“You really got me out that way?”
“Yes.”
“What did Taeseong trust about you?”
“They wouldn’t have trusted a seven-year-old kid, would they? They trusted the documents you had prepared.”
“······!”
Uncle Cheol-gu’s eyes widened.
“D-d-don’t tell me······!”
“So you didn’t even know I had taken those until now?”
Uncle Cheol-gu smacked his forehead.
“This is driving me crazy. Why do you have those?”
“Just know that Uncle is alive until now thanks to me taking those.”
“······.”
Uncle Cheol-gu closed his mouth.
“If irrefutable evidence had come out when Uncle was dragged away, Taeseong couldn’t have easily gotten you out either.”
“Ahem!”
“It really almost became a huge disaster. Why do you think the saying ‘kill to silence’ exists?”
Seeing this state of affairs made me sigh involuntarily.
“What exactly have you been doing all this time? You didn’t even make copies, didn’t go around threatening politicians, didn’t ask the media to watch your back, and didn’t properly strike a blow against Wooguang either.”
“Ahem!”
“I told you to prepare for when Uncle might run into trouble. Don’t tell me you didn’t even move? I heard Wooguang forcibly demolished the Guro-dong Shantytown and even set it on fire.”
“Ahem! I did my best to stop Wooguang too······.”
Uncle Cheol-gu scratched the back of his head.
“Taeseong is Wooguang’s rival company, right? So I tried to go to Taeseong first!”
“And then?”
“But I have no connections with Taeseong. It didn’t seem like they’d easily believe what I said, so I was determined to get something absolutely certain······.”
Just then, the door to the Small Room where Mother and the Real Estate Agent had gone opened with a click.
‘Damn! This was the most important part!’
I couldn’t help but glare at the intruder.
“As expected, Madam has an amazing Discerning Eye! You’ve picked out only the good properties! What an excellent choice··· Huh!”
The Real Estate Agent came out with a very satisfied expression but was startled when he saw Uncle and me.
I was glaring at him, and Uncle Cheol-gu with his bear-like build had his eyes open menacingly, all bloodied up.
The Real Estate Agent immediately offered his farewell greeting.
“Please continue to patronize Myeongdong’s Best Real Estate Agency! Loyalty, loyalty!”
The Real Estate Agent left without looking back.
Uncle Cheol-gu also saluted me and laughed playfully.
“Me too, loyalty, loyalty!”
“What’s with all this sudden loyalty talk···, oh my, Cheol-gu!”
Mother was coming out of the room when she stopped and was startled.
“How did you get hurt like this?”
“······.”
He couldn’t say that a KCIA Agent was dragged to the KCIA, tortured, and came out.
There’s no way to explain it, huh?
“Well, uh, that is, I got beaten up by my workplace senior.”
“Good heavens, workplace bullying!”
It wasn’t wrong.
A KCIA Senior Agent had beaten him up brutally.
“By the way, how did you know to find Our House?”
“The little one’s invitation······?”
It wasn’t wrong.
I was the one who asked Secretary Kim to get Uncle Cheol-gu out and bring him here.
Mother turned to look at me.
“Invitation? Suddenly? How? For what?”
“······Housewarming?”
“······.”
Why? What? Why!
We moved and a guest came, so it’s a housewarming!
When answers get awkward, changing the subject is definitely the best.
Grumble! Growl!
Just then, a sound like a train whistle came.
It was the sound coming from Uncle Cheol-gu’s stomach.
Perfect timing! How lucky!
Uncle Cheol-gu smiled awkwardly with his bear-like build and rubbed his stomach.
“Actually, I’ve been starving for five straight meals······.”
“My goodness, you’ve been starving for five whole meals?”
Mother covered her mouth with both hands.
“Did the lady kick you out without even giving you food? You got rejected at another blind date for talking about spies, didn’t you?”
“Ahem, that’s not it, I was held at work until now, all night long······.”
“My goodness, forced overtime too!”
It wasn’t wrong.
Not letting people sleep or eat to torment them into confessing was the KCIA’s specialty.
But it was enough of an answer to make Mother extremely angry.
“What kind of damn workplace is that? Even if it’s year-end! Even if you work people like dogs, you should at least feed them while making them work! Even salt field slaves aren’t treated that way!”
Now that’s really strange.
Low pay, no vacation, no weekends, no leaving on time – even when worked to the bone, people would just say ‘that’s how all workplaces are.’
But when it came to making people work without feeding them, everyone without exception couldn’t contain their anger.
“You came at the right time, Cheol-gu! Including the meals you missed, eat six bowls each!”
Mother, filled with a sense of mission, practically pushed Uncle Cheol-gu into the kitchen.
The Taeseong Hotel Restaurant Japanese Team, who had been preparing dinner, turned around with puzzled expressions.
Mother spoke in a voice filled with anger.
“This person has been starved for five straight meals because his workplace doesn’t even feed him and works him all night!”
“······!”
The chef brigade all looked at Uncle Cheol-gu with shocked expressions.
The bear-like man, covered in bruises all over his body, scratched the back of his head with an innocent smile.
“Anything is fine, is there something I can eat right now? Even just a lump of stale rice······.”
“······!”
The Taeseong Hotel Restaurant Japanese Team Head Chef spoke with burning eyes and determination.
“We don’t deal with stale rice. But if it’s sushi, as much as you want!”
“Ooh!”
“How about salmon sushi first?”
“Oooooh!”
Uncle Cheol-gu let out a roar and rushed over to start devouring the salmon sushi.
He looked exactly like a grizzly bear hunting in an Alaska tributary.
The plates emptied at an incredible speed!
Mother watched this scene with pitying eyes.
“That senior at his workplace is really too much. How can they beat someone up and work them like this?”
“······!”
The veteran Japanese team, who had been leisurely preparing the meal, began to exude a solemn atmosphere.
The sashimi placed on the sushi became larger, and the tempura and udon toppings became more generous.
“The Taeseong Hotel Kitchen is always recruiting strong kitchen assistants with good stamina, so if you’re ever interested, please contact us anytime. We don’t starve people, don’t beat them, and let them sleep well!”
I whispered quietly in Uncle Cheol-gu’s ear.
“Come see me after you finish eating.”
I half-pulled out a neatly folded paper from under the table.
It was a page cut from the Wookwang Construction Bribery Ledger.
“Cough! Cough! Gack!”
Uncle Cheol-gu immediately recognized what this was.
I quietly pushed the water glass toward Uncle and whispered.
“Let’s properly handle this first before the Taeseong Group Chairman comes running with a knife to kill you, Uncle.”
Uncle Cheol-gu nodded his head repeatedly.
【Since Wookwang Construction’s available funds are woefully insufficient, the funding needed for lobbying was provided not by Wooguang but by Taeseong’s······.】
The content that follows in the next part goes like this.
【······The question is who provided it. Who could it be? I have suspicions, but no evidence?】
【I’ll leave the following pages blank for now to record evidence as I obtain it.】
This was the reason I deliberately cut out and removed the three pages.
‘But I already know what content should go in these blank pages!’
So is there a problem? Of course not!
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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