Max-Level Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 30
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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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30. Grandfather’s Generous Promise
Grandfather burst into hearty laughter.
“What? Take Taeseong Chemical away from Woo-gwang? Do you think this is some child’s game of stealing toys from friends?”
“What if I could do it?”
“Business isn’t something so simple.”
“So hypothetically speaking. If that 30 billion won shackle wasn’t there, would you allow Mother and Father’s marriage?”
“Hmm, then I wouldn’t particularly have a reason to oppose this marriage.”
Great!
“But the problem is that it’s not as easy as it sounds. You’re still young, so you don’t understand how complex and difficult the money, people, and interests involved in business can be.”
A 30 billion won business.
In 21st century terms, that’s about a 1.5 trillion won company, so how heavy those shackles must be.
Grandfather stroked my head.
“Someday when you grow up a bit more, you’ll come to understand. Will you forgive this old grandfather a little then?”
“No matter how complex and difficult it is, it’s still something people do in the end.”
Grandfather’s hand that was stroking my head paused.
“If you have the courage and will to solve it, nothing is impossible.”
I took Grandfather’s hand.
I gently patted the back of Grandfather’s hand.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
It was a small encouragement I was offering.
“Trust us once. Me, and Father too.”
This was a small comfort I was offering.
‘I’ve already made a complete plan to swallow up Taeseong Chemical!’
Grandfather looked at me with strange eyes.
He gazed down quietly at his own hand that I was patting.
A wrinkled large hand and a small chubby hand like a young fern.
The size, complexion, and thickness were all different, but still, we resembled each other somewhere.
“I trust him. Why wouldn’t I trust my own son? I trusted him, so all this time he’s only been wandering around outside…”
Grandfather muttered quietly to himself before stubbornly pressing his lips shut.
Instead, he placed his other hand on top of mine.
It was warm.
“This old man should get going now.”
“Since you came all this way, didn’t you say you’d play with me?”
I decided to use the privilege of being a child again.
Since I made our Father wear that expression, I as his son should help ease it so there’s less resentment left behind.
No matter how close family is, or rather, because we’re family, more delicate aftercare is needed.
“Make a snowman with me. I’ve never made a snowman before. Please?”
Of course, this was a lie.
Our Kang-woo used to make snowmen quite well since he was little.
“Do that with your Father. Isn’t it too precious to give away your first snowman to this old man?”
“What’s precious about it? I can make one with Grandfather, then make another with Father.”
“Ahem!”
“Are you busy? Then let’s just make one together. Please? Still no good?”
“Ahem! Well… just one then.”
Grandfather glanced at the snowy field.
“This old man may not know much else, but I’m pretty good at rolling things. I roll snow well, roll money well, roll business well, and roll my subordinates around pretty well too.”
Grandfather rolled up his sleeves.
Then Secretary Kim rushed over with a serious expression and pulled down Grandfather’s sleeves.
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“I’m not so frail that I’d catch a cold from something like this.”
Secretary Kim pulled out leather gloves.
“At least wear gloves.”
“I’m fine without gloves!”
I shook my head too.
“If Grandfather doesn’t wear gloves, I won’t wear them either. If Grandfather rolls up his sleeves, I’ll roll mine up too. Because I’m Grandfather’s grandson.”
“Ahem! I’m fine, but our precious grandson can’t catch a cold. Secretary Kim, gloves!”
“Here they are.”
Grandfather and I put on gloves side by side and entered the snowy field.
* * *
While the grandfather and grandson were happily making snowmen together.
Secretary Kim and Director Go stood side by side under the eaves, watching them.
Director Go, a muscular giant, crossed his arms with a pleased expression.
“It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen the Chairman enjoying himself like that.”
Secretary Kim agreed.
“Yes, he looks very happy.”
“The vitality and energy that children bring is truly amazing. Just watching them makes you smile naturally, doesn’t it?”
“Well…”
This time Secretary Kim didn’t agree.
“The Chairman making that expression is probably because his partner is Young Master Jeong-hyeok.”
Director Go looked at Secretary Kim with fresh eyes.
“That’s not like Kim Yeong-geol to say.”
“You’ll understand if you keep watching.”
The gaze that should have been coldly sharp behind his silver-rimmed glasses was unusually soft today.
Watching Secretary Kim like this, Director Go made a strange expression.
“That much?”
“He’s a very special person.”
“Hmm.”
* * *
Grandfather dusted off his hands.
“Grandfather should stop now.”
“We only made seven snowmen though? Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, me, and Uncle and Uncle. You said there’s also Aunt, right?”
“Make the rest with your father. Good grief, do you know how many snowballs this grandfather has rolled?”
“Seven bodies and seven heads, so only fourteen total?”
“Well now, I thought you were only rolling two, but you’ve been rolling fourteen?”
Grandfather also dusted off my clothes for me.
Before I knew it, my gloves were wet, my clothes were wet, my sneakers were wet, and my hair was wet.
Thanks to that, I shivered every time the cold winter wind blew.
“This won’t do. My precious brat can’t catch a cold. Go inside now.”
“It’s okay if I get a little wet.”
“We can make snowmen again next time. Grandfather should get going now.”
“Then promise!”
I held out my pinky finger.
Normally I only deal with thumbprints instead of pinky promises, and I trust documents more than words.
But I’ll consider this a privilege of being a child.
“Next time you’ll make family snowmen with us and tell me stories about Father’s childhood too?”
“Ask your father about that. I’ve talked so much my throat is dry!”
Grandfather had a relieved expression on his face.
Not a forced smile, but a face that was sweating and laughing with genuine pleasure.
Only then did I smile brightly too.
“Thank you so much for the Christmas presents too, Grandfather.”
“Then you should hurry inside and unwrap your presents. Secretary Kim!”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Grandfather scooped me up and carried me out of the snow field.
Secretary Kim wiped me down with a large bath towel he had prepared.
Director Go took care of Grandfather.
“Go inside and drink some hot honey water first. Your stomach needs to be warm so you don’t get an upset stomach.”
“Are you just leaving like this? Don’t you need this?”
I pulled out my coin purse from my pocket.
He gave me this thing, saying I always stuff important property into my pockets.
It was a bribe offered to me by the quick-witted security guard, self-proclaimed number two, Security Team leader Yoo Jong-tae who claims to be my right-hand man.
I took out the rough paper I had folded neatly.
It was in perfect condition without a single drop of water on it.
“Oh my! I was completely entranced by my grandson’s antics. Secretary Kim!”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Grandfather handed the documents I had given him to Secretary Kim.
“We should also give the bribe we brought.”
“Here it is, Young Master.”
Secretary Kim handed me a document envelope.
“It’s 1% of Taeseong Construction shares.”
“Grandfather, aren’t you lowballing this too much?”
Taeseong Construction’s stock price had been dirt cheap recently due to incompetent management by the president and executives.
“It may seem small now, but if we successfully win the Subway Line 2 construction project, it will rise significantly soon.”
“A 10 million won First Prize Housing Lottery is also only worth 100 won before it wins.”
Whatever happened later, at current market prices, 1% of Taeseong Construction stocks wasn’t worth 100 million won.
“So you’re basically saying you’ll rip me off?”
“Taeseong Construction is your Father’s share. So it would be much more valuable than stocks from other subsidiaries, right?”
So it’s a limited-time price, is that it?
“You’re going to act generous by giving me what should go to my Father?”
“Originally, in companies, the major shareholder is king. If it’s stocks received from Grandfather, even your Father won’t be able to touch you, right?”
Grandfather said shamelessly.
I clicked my tongue.
This isn’t my style.
“I have absolutely no desire to steal my Father’s rice bowl. So I’ll take something from a different company instead of this.”
I pushed back the document envelope containing Taeseong Construction stocks.
But Grandfather didn’t take it.
“That won’t do. No matter how precious my Grandson is, I can’t take away my child’s rice bowl to give to you.”
He was saying the other subsidiaries belonged to his other children.
“Whether under borrowed names or not, if I transfer 100 million won worth of shares from other Taeseong Group subsidiaries to one person, the entire group would be turned upside down. So it was an impossible request from the beginning.”
Did he think I wouldn’t know that?
“I shouldn’t put Grandfather in a difficult position. Then I’ll take something from a different company instead of Taeseong.”
“Another company? Are you thinking Taeseong Chemical might fall to your share?”
There’s no use testing me like that.
Taeseong Chemical is the company I’ll prepare as Mother’s dowry.
I need to take care of my own share myself.
‘My share will be much bigger than that. Soon there will be dinosaur-sized deals coming up that could turn this entire country upside down because of the oil shock.’
Grandfather subtly made a threat.
“If I were to give you Taeseong Chemical, then not only your Uncle and Youngest Uncle but also your Aunt wouldn’t stay quiet. Your mother and father would be in great trouble.”
“Then not Taeseong Chemical either.”
I also decided to subtly provoke Grandfather.
“Something like a new company or a failed company. Those aren’t expensive, right?”
“Oh ho, you want me to buy an unlisted company or one suitable for mergers and acquisitions? That’s a commonly used gift method.”
Even though I deliberately spoke unclearly, he understood perfectly!
Grandfather finally nodded readily.
“Good. I can grant that request. Instead of Taeseong Construction Stocks, let’s buy you another company!”
Excellent!
This is exactly what I was waiting for!
The reason I presented Bribe conditions that required Negotiation from the start was because I wanted to make a deal with Grandfather and definitely secure this promise.
“You’re promising this, right?”
“Of course. Grandfather has that much capability.”
Great! This is exactly it!
“So about that.”
I smiled brightly and pulled out a neatly folded new Paper from my Coin Purse and held it out.
“Please write that promise down here.”
“······.”
“I trust documents more than words, and signed and sealed papers more than pinky promises.”
“······.”
Grandfather looked back at Secretary Kim.
“As expected of my grandson. You see? Blood doesn’t lie, I tell you.”
His face looked somehow delighted.
Secretary Kim nodded with a pleased expression, while Director Go turned pale and gaped with his mouth wide open.
Regardless of that.
“That company should be transferred completely, entirely, all of it, to me?”
“So you’re saying 100% of the shares are yours, so don’t touch it? What’s the big deal, how much could an unlisted company or a failed company be worth? I could make you one right now today if I wanted to.”
“If needed, you’ll sincerely, all together, unconditionally help me, right?”
“You want full cooperation with all my heart and strength? Of course. I never take company matters lightly. If you want to properly nurture even one thing, you have to put effort into it.”
A satisfying answer.
I took out the Montblanc Fountain Pen from my coat pocket and placed it in Grandfather’s hand.
“Write that down too.”
“······.”
Grandfather looked back at Secretary Kim.
“As expected, he’s my brat. So adorable I could die. Yes, at seven years old, this is how you should be.”
Director Go finally dropped the bath towel he was holding.
“Chairman, is this really okay?”
“What’s wrong with it? Gifting an unlisted company? Pursuing mergers and acquisitions? You think I can’t even arrange that much as a present?”
Grandfather wrote it down without hesitation.
He finished with a proper signature and seal, then handed me the written agreement, no, the promissory note.
‘Wow!’
Of course, it was shining about a hundred times brighter than the documents in this mansion.
It was documents that poured out such brilliant light that it couldn’t be compared to something like an incandescent light bulb, so bright it seemed like it would blind my eyes.
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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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