Max-Level Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 26

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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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26. As You Wish

Chairman Cha stroked the Wookwang Construction Bribery Ledger with a satisfied expression.

Unlike his furious demeanor just moments before, this time a warm breeze seemed to blow from his eyes to the corners of his mouth.

“If it weren’t for our precious grandson, this would have been quite troublesome. Do those Japanese bastards ever budge for ordinary money?”

“With this level of weakness, we can put a tight leash on them. Right now, the Japanese Mainland has an atmosphere that won’t tolerate corruption among high-ranking public officials due to the Lockheed Gate.”

“Excellent! Those detestable bastards will have no choice but to cooperate obediently this time!”

He was about to secure a construction project worth 180 billion won thanks to his seven-year-old grandson.

“Once we secure this Subway Line 2 construction project, I plan to generously repay this favor.”

“Chairman, speaking of which.”

Secretary Kim seized the moment and spoke up.

“I would like you to give the Young Master about 100 million won worth of Taeseong Stocks.”

“What?”

Chairman Cha blinked his eyes.

* * *

High-ranking public officials in Seoul City experienced something chilling from the morning.

Approval Documents placed on their office desks.

It was because of a single sheet of paper slipped in among them.

【This is a record of bribes that Wookwang Construction gave you. Please check it.】

What year, what month, what day, what time, where the bribe was received, how much was received, how it was received.

Those details were meticulously recorded.

【We hope you will support Taeseong in the Subway Line 2 construction bidding. That is, if His Excellency does not wish to receive this paper.】

Crumple!

One hundred out of one hundred.

There wasn’t a single person who didn’t immediately crumple up the paper after reading it.

The current Government has made eradicating corruption among high-ranking public officials its banner.

What they receive secretly behind the scenes can be hushed up, but if a paper with an accurate record of bribes is delivered to His Excellency, they absolutely cannot escape that blade.

“Damn it! Who the hell is it! Who snuck into my office and…!”

One hundred out of one hundred.

There wasn’t a single person who didn’t swallow their words.

What’s important now isn’t which bastard delivered this paper.

It’s that I have no choice but to comply with the blackmail from whoever sent this paper.

I feel cold sweat trickling down my spine.

“Ahem!”

One hundred out of one hundred.

There wasn’t a single person who didn’t quickly tear the paper into small pieces while looking around, then burn it in the metal trash can.

Because if this were discovered by someone else, it would just increase the number of people using it as blackmail material.

“Wooguang, those bastards!”

So they made a separate bribery ledger?

And then let it fall into someone else’s hands?

Thanks to that, I’m in a very difficult situation.

“Just wait and see. I’ll make sure to pay back this debt in full!”

Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and so on.

High-ranking government officials harbored their anger toward Wooguang.

* * *

Meanwhile, something similar was happening at the National Assembly.

They too discovered papers on their way to work.

However, their case was somewhat different from the high-ranking government officials.

Instead of being delivered tucked into approval documents,

“Gasp!”

One assemblyman ripped off a paper that was stuck to the wall of the National Assembly corridor.

It was a record of bribes from Wookwang Construction written under his name.

“Which damn brat displayed this in a place where everyone can see it like an exhibition…!”

What assemblymen valued most was public attention.

Because they were people who maintained power through elections.

For that reason, the aftermath was also slightly different from what the high-ranking government officials received.

【Please support Taeseong in the Subway Line 2 construction bid. That is, if you don’t want this paper to be revealed through newspapers and broadcasting.】

The assemblyman quickly looked around his surroundings.

From early morning, only janitors were diligently sweeping and cleaning the corridors and stairs.

The assemblyman crumpled up the paper and shoved it into his mouth, chewing frantically.

He had to destroy the evidence of his disgrace immediately, even if it meant doing this.

“Damn it!”

Some assemblymen in the National Assembly corridors, some at their office doors, some on the main gate stairs.

The assemblymen who discovered the papers displayed so brazenly rushed to tear them up and destroy them.

Naturally, the assemblymen burst out with the same curses as the high-ranking officials.

Their anger over failing to properly safeguard the bribery ledger was directed at Woo-gwang.

* * *

Similar incidents occurred at newspaper companies and broadcasting stations as well.

One reporter received a paper while he was taking an urgent dump.

Seeing the paper slipped under the restroom stall, the reporter’s eyes widened.

“Who’s there!”

But he couldn’t rush out without wiping himself!

He couldn’t open the restroom door to identify the culprit while his pants were down!

“Woo-gwang, these bastards really!”

Naturally, the ending of the papers sent to media personnel was slightly different.

【Taeseong will win the Subway Line 2 construction bid. Please support us with favorable articles and news. That is, if you don’t want to become targets of media suppression. Of course, having your advertisements cut off would be a bonus if you ignore this.】

The reporter ground his teeth.

While tearing up the paper and flushing it down the toilet water.

* * *

Knock knock.

Someone was knocking on the Taeseong Hotel suite room door from early morning.

Yoshimoto, a high-ranking official from the Japan Transportation Bureau, got up from the sofa and opened the door.

“I didn’t order room service?”

“Excuse me. I’m Kim Yeong-geol, Chief Secretary of Taeseong Group.”

Secretary Kim was smiling coldly at the door.

Yoshimoto frowned deeply.

“How rude. I have no intention of talking with you.”

“Since I’m already being rude, I suppose I should commit one more act of rudeness.”

Secretary Kim thrust a piece of paper right in front of Yoshimoto’s eyes.

It was paper with bribes from Wookwang Construction meticulously recorded.

Yoshimoto snatched the paper from Secretary Kim’s hand.

“Your intentions are extremely impure and deeply unpleasant! Are you threatening me right now? Hmph, from now on, you’ll never be able to meet me under the name of Taeseong…!”

“If this gets delivered to the Japanese Prime Minister, yes, you probably won’t have any occasion to meet with Taeseong in the future. Because you’ll be purged.”

“…!”

“Yes, so it is indeed a threat.”

Yoshimoto’s eyes shook violently as if an earthquake had struck.

“The Japanese Government has been turned completely upside down lately because of the Lockheed Gate, hasn’t it?”

Lockheed Gate.

Japan’s greatest political funding scandal in history.

Lockheed had scattered bribes in all directions to high-ranking government officials in various countries to sell aircraft.

Eventually, government heads and high-ranking officials from Japan, West Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and other countries were purged all at once, and regimes changed instantly.

“The Current Japanese Prime Minister was arrested on bribery charges, wasn’t he?”

“Mmm.”

“Of course, several related high-ranking officials were also purged, and I heard the Liberal Democratic Party failed to secure a majority of seats and is suffering humiliation.”

“Look here, why are you suddenly bringing up the Lockheed incident…”

“You took money too, didn’t you. From Lockheed lobbyists. Didn’t you?”

“…”

Yoshimoto couldn’t answer.

The paper in his hands only crumpled further.

“If they punished all the high-ranking officials who took bribes, the Japanese Government’s functions would fall into complete paralysis, right? Thanks to that, your neck is barely still attached.”

“…”

“I know full well that you’ve been carefully protecting yourself, holding your breath and reading the room, then came over to Korea using the Korea-Japan Technical Agreement as an excuse.”

“…”

“What do you think will happen if bribery charges for money you took in Korea get added on top of this?”

“…”

“What? Do you think Taeseong is too small a company to have influence with Japanese Media? Unfortunately, Japanese Broadcasting Stations and Newspapers would be delighted to tear you apart.”

Secretary Kim smiled coldly.

“You’ve gotten quite a lot of bad press from the media. How about it? Still not in the mood to talk?”

“L-let’s go inside first······!”

“Then excuse me.”

Secretary Kim walked past Yoshimoto and strode into the Suite Room.

Yoshimoto bit his lips so hard that the paper he was clutching trembled along with him.

Thud.

Secretary Kim sat down in the head seat of the Reception Room sofa where Yoshimoto had been sitting.

He extended his hand, gesturing for Yoshimoto to take a seat.

“Please sit. Carrying out threats can wait until after negotiations fall through.”

“What do you want?”

“Technology sharing for Japan’s underground facility civil engineering methods.”

Secretary Kim leaned forward and made direct eye contact.

Through his Silver-rimmed Glasses, an eerily cold gaze flashed.

“Is that difficult?”

Yoshimoto let out a long sigh.

“What would be difficult about it? I came to Korea as Japan’s representative to resolve that issue according to the Korea-Japan Technology Agreement.”

Yoshimoto extended his hand.

“Our Japan Transportation Bureau would like to work with Taeseong, not Woo-gwang. What are Taeseong’s intentions?”

“Gladly. We will accept your country’s proposal.”

Secretary Kim took Yoshimoto’s hand.

* * *

The Bedroom was soft, and the Blanket was cozy.

Thanks to sleeping with the Oil Boiler running at full blast, the room was filled with warm heat.

I stretched lazily.

“Yaaawn.”

“My son, did you sleep well?”

“Yes. What about you, Mother?”

“Mother slept well and feels good too. If you go to the living room, there’ll be something that will surprise you!”

“Let’s go quickly!”

I held Mother’s hand and went down the stairs.

“Wow, it’s a Christmas tree!”

“Little kid, are you awake?”

Uncle Cheol-gu was organizing the Christmas tree, and the Taeseong Group Security Guards were moving wooden crates.

It was a crate full of tree decorations.

“We happened to find something like this in the basement. We thought we’d get into the Christmas spirit while we’re at it.”

I had thought that rich people’s basements had all sorts of things.

But I never expected there would even be Christmas tree decorations.

“Jeong-hyeok, would you like to decorate the tree together with the uncles?”

“Yes! What about you, Mother?”

“Mother is going to go into the kitchen to help prepare breakfast.”

That doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Our Mother has no talent for cooking.

If I left things as they were, I had an ominous premonition that some terrible hybrid dish would be born.

And with so many people who would have to share that food.

Burning with a sense of mission, I tugged at Mother’s skirt.

“Mother, let’s make it together too. I’ve never made anything like this before.”

Of course, this was a lie.

I used to make Christmas trees every year for young Kang-woo.

“Ah, that’s right. I see. Mother didn’t think that far ahead.”

Oops.

For poor people like us, a Christmas tree was a luxury.

We couldn’t even afford to bring proper furniture into our small room in the shack.

“Hey, we can make it together even now. I don’t remember when I was little, so I wouldn’t know even if you said such things.”

I placed a large, sparkling gold ball in Mother’s hand.

After all, I have a preference for big chunks of gold.

A hearty response came from the kitchen.

“Yes, Jeong-hyeok’s Mother. I’ll take care of preparing breakfast myself. Don’t make the child feel left out and hurry up and help him.”

It was the Landlady Grandmother.

“Thanks to Jeong-hyeok’s Mother, our Cheol-gu came back safely. I’m so grateful for that, I want to serve you a meal with all my heart. You understand my feelings, right?”

The Landlady Grandmother winked at me with one eye.

Mother crouched down to match my eye level.

“Then shall we make a tree together with Mother?”

“Yes!”

I was happy.

What is this feeling?

This is the sweet time I could finally enjoy after 45 years.

A corner of my heart felt ticklish.

“Oh? It’s snowing!”

“It’s heavy snow.”

I was excited.

“Mother, it’s snowing outside! Let’s go out quickly! Hurry!”

“Alright, alright. I understand. Wait a moment. Put on your coat and scarf first.”

“Quickly! They say if you make a wish while catching the first snow, it comes true!”

I ran to the entrance and hurriedly put on my sneakers.

Before I knew it, the Taeseong Group uncles had brought Mother’s coat and mine.

They were new clothes that came in a Taeseong Department Store paper bag.

“I’m going to wish for our Father to come back so we can all spend Christmas together!”

Since Chairman Cha personally promised, he’ll definitely bring him back, even if he has to kidnap Father.

I ran outside like a puppy.

“Mother made a wish too, right?”

I asked casually.

This is the real reason I came to Busan.

After all, customized service is the best.

“Yes. Mother made the exact same wish as Jeong-hyeok…”

At that moment, the Taeseong Group Bodyguard who had been standing guard opened the Main Gate with a clank.

Without ringing the doorbell, and without any ID Card check or identity verification.

Step by step.

He was a Man with impressive height and long legs, wearing a Black Long Coat and Gray Scarf, far more handsome than most celebrities.

Carried on the cold wind, the scent of heavy, refined, and luxurious Men’s Cologne seemed to spread subtly.

He saw us and stopped walking abruptly.

“Su-jin.”

“Ah…!”

Mother covered her mouth with both hands.

“Senior Seong-jun…!”

It was Father.

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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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