Max-Level Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 46

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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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46. Year-End Night (1)

The Year-End Night event held at Hyeonmu Hotel.

A charity bazaar and fundraising event to help underprivileged neighbors during the year-end holidays.

Our car came to a smooth stop in front of the main entrance of Hyeonmu Hotel.

Click.

Father got out first and extended his hand to escort Mother.

Father and Mother stood side by side.

They were a picture-perfect beautiful pair.

I also dressed up in a Young Master suit matching Father’s concept and stood together with them.

Father, who even took my hand, smiled confidently.

“Let’s go in.”

It was a gathering of major figures from political and business circles and prominent social leaders from all walks of life that you’d only see on the news.

In the hall, musicians had gathered to perform ensemble pieces.

A guest singer was leading the atmosphere by singing.

Staff members moved around between people carrying champagne on trays.

‘Was Year-End Night this kind of event?’

I had only heard about it, but this was my first time actually coming to see it.

This was an event that people from the shadows like us weren’t even allowed to enter.

No matter how much money we had, even though they all came crawling to us on their knees when they needed money.

The upper class never let us into their circle.

‘Now that I’m actually here, it’s nothing special.’

Compared to Namsan Leech’s flashy and insane parties, this wasn’t particularly impressive.

‘But it’s interesting to see the younger versions of people I knew. All these gentlemen who were once influential are being treated like youngsters here.’

People gathered in small groups drinking champagne.

Mixed in with light greetings, high-level information was casually exchanged.

From urban development plans to stocks that were rising and falling these days, as well as diplomatic situations and foreign company updates could be heard here and there.

“Young Master, have you arrived?”

Secretary Kim, who had been attending to Grandfather, spotted me and approached.

I looked up at Father.

“I’ll go to the restroom. I’ll ask Secretary Kim, so Father, please go ahead with Mother first.”

“Alright.”

I took Secretary Kim’s hand.

I had something to ask him separately.

“Have the guests I invited separately arrived?”

“Not yet.”

“Then when Horse Head comes later, casually let him know. Tell him that people from Korea Racing Association, officials from Ttukseom Seoul Race Track, and even the bank branch manager stationed at the racetrack are attending today.”

“May I ask the reason?”

“Horse Head promised to cooperate obediently with Taeseong, but he didn’t promise not to cause trouble in other ways.”

Horse Head is a man who aims to advance into the racetrack.

“If you tell him that he needs to stay in their good graces here to have any chance of getting private loans into the racetrack, he’ll behave himself.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, about the people who received the letters. How are they reacting?”

“It seems they’re exchanging information with each other.”

Secretary Kim slightly raised one corner of his mouth.

“There’s nothing to worry about. We’ve deployed several of our assemblymen as decoys to muddy the discussion points and sway public opinion.”

“Good.”

Only then did I return to Father’s side.

I could hear whispered conversations from here and there.

But the words weren’t clearly audible, drowned out by the music and laughter.

‘Hey, Guardian Spirit.’

[Sound Sharing or Vision Sharing?]

‘Do I have to teach you every little thing? Just go around the hall and pick out useful conversations or situations to send me.’

[…That’s difficult. Understood.]

The Grim Reaper smoothly disappeared.

Swaying like smoke, he slipped between people.

* * *

Suddenly my vision brightened sharply.

It was Vision Sharing.

Three people with unpleasant expressions whispered in very low voices.

“A few days ago, I received a very unpleasant letter. It was tucked between payment documents.”

“Yours was in payment documents? I tore off a paper that was stuck on the wall of the National Assembly corridor.”

“That must have been nerve-wracking. I received mine in the restroom and felt dizzy.”

The eyes looking at each other became strange.

They had vaguely suspected that they had shared Wooguang’s bribes among themselves.

Thanks to their conversation, that suspicion solidified into certainty.

“To think Wooguang would only amount to this much.”

It was a displeased voice.

“The problem is whose hands it fell into. Could it be Taeseong?”

“Taeseong?”

At the voice that suddenly joined their conversation, the three people who had been talking secretly were startled.

When they turned around, it was an assemblyman from the opposition party.

“Assemblyman Choi!”

“I’ve been hearing talk about letters and Taeseong from earlier. I wondered if you might be talking about this.”

Assemblyman Choi took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his chest.

The three people who had been talking about threatening letters couldn’t hide their surprised expressions.

It was the paper they had torn up and destroyed as soon as they saw it.

“How could you think to bring such a thing out in front of people?”

“And not burn it immediately. You have quite the nerve.”

“Nerve? What’s the big deal about this?”

Assemblyman Choi unfolded the paper to show them.

【Taeseong is superior to Wooguang in every aspect. Taeseong will definitely win this Subway Line 2 construction project. We hope Assemblyman Choi will also watch over us to ensure fair bidding competition.】

People’s expressions became strange.

The paper that opposition Assemblyman Choi received had quite different content from what they had received.

Assemblyman Choi pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

“As it turns out, quite a lot of people received the same letter. Even Chairman Cha of Taeseong received a similar letter…”

“The same letter?”

“And even Chairman Cha of Taeseong?”

Assemblyman Choi chuckled.

“It seems Taeseong has a remarkable patron backing them. They even sent me a letter asking me to support Taeseong.”

“Who is this patron backing Taeseong?”

“Well, I don’t know either. Chairman Cha of Taeseong was bragging so much about it. I’m curious about their identity too. Hahaha. I’d like to receive some patronage myself.”

Those who had received the threatening letters looked at each other.

The brief exchange of glances contained countless meanings.

“Excuse us for a moment.”

They left Assemblyman Choi behind and pushed through the crowd to find Grandfather.

The decoy I had called hadn’t even arrived yet, but the decoy Secretary Kim had mobilized was working brilliantly.

“Chairman Cha!”

They found Grandfather surrounded by people in the center of the hall.

“Is it true that someone is backing Taeseong Construction?

“Of course. Living this long, I get to experience all kinds of support. I don’t know who it is, but it’s very reassuring.”

Grandfather laughed heartily.

They quickly read the paper that Grandfather was proudly showing off.

【Is there any reason for Taeseong to lose to Wooguang? As long as I’m backing you, there’s no way Taeseong won’t win the subway construction contract. Let’s work together to make this historic project a success. I will actively support Taeseong.】

They looked at each other with shaken eyes.

Grandfather moistened his lips with a sip of champagne and spoke confidently.

“Having received such expectations, I have no choice but to live up to them. Our Taeseong must definitely win this Subway Line 2 construction contract.”

Grandfather held up three fingers.

“The investment money that came into Taeseong Construction is 3 billion in cash alone.”

“3 billion?”

“Have investors already started flocking to you?”

People’s eyes changed.

Having investors meant there was the smell of money.

The murmuring grew louder.

“Promissory notes would be one thing, but is there an investor capable of mobilizing 3 billion in cash at once?”

“Could it be foreign loans they’ve secured?”

“I hear that oil money is overflowing in the Middle East, and Taeseong Construction is actively expanding into the Middle East and winning construction contracts.”

“That makes sense. Even major banks in Korea can’t easily move that kind of huge sum.”

Thanks to the Grim Reaper, I could clearly hear even the small whispers.

People were starting to pay attention to Father.

“Come to think of it, I often hear that Taeseong Group’s Youngest Son has been winning major construction projects in the Middle East.”

“Last time, he was invited as an honored guest to the Saudi Royal Family. Samhwang Oil, who went to Saudi Arabia to negotiate oil prices, was so surprised they rubbed their eyes and looked again.”

“I heard he’s exceptionally handsome too, and apparently very capable as well. I wondered why someone who had been in the Middle East for so long returned home. It must have been because of the loan.”

Before long, it was being taken for granted that Taeseong Group’s backer was someone from the Middle East.

It wasn’t a bad misunderstanding—rather, it was a welcome one.

Soon the giants of the previous era would also make their entrance.

Everyone would witness with their own eyes that Taeseong Group was receiving massive financial backing.

“Father, shouldn’t we also try to make some connections in the Middle East and secure some loans?”

“That guy is about your age, right? Try building a friendship with him. Business originally starts from personal connections. You push and pull each other up together.”

“Yes, then I’ll go over for a moment.”

There would be even more annoying flies buzzing around in the future.

But the atmosphere wasn’t bad.

* * *

I cut off Vision Sharing with the Grim Reaper.

‘Everyone’s very interested in the Subway Construction and oil money.’

The bidding for Subway Line 2 construction was less than a month away.

Depending on whether Taeseong or Wooguang won the subway construction contract, their financial situations would change accordingly.

As someone said, business originally starts from personal connections, and they would profit from information flowing from wherever they had connections.

‘Just the high-level information exchanged at gatherings like this could fill their pockets nicely, and if they found out where the subway stations would be built, they could make enormous profits from price differences.’

That’s why people were particularly flocking around Grandfather and Father.

It was to get even one more piece of information about the Subway Line 2 construction.

Before long, quite a few young people had gradually gathered around Father.

“Seong-jun, it’s been a while. How many years has it been since you went to the military?”

“Why are you so busy all by yourself? Have you been well?”

Naturally, Mother and I, standing next to Father, also received attention.

“Who is this? This incredibly beautiful woman here?”

“And who is this little Young Master? He looks somehow exactly like you when you were young…”

They stopped talking mid-sentence and closed their mouths.

Their expressions clearly showed their incredulous suspicions.

Father calmly introduced us.

“Say hello. My wife Lee Su-jin, and my son Cha Jeong-hyeok.”

“I’m Lee Su-jin.”

“Hello, I’m Cha Jeong-hyeok.”

When we greeted them, everyone couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

“What?”

“Wait, Seong-jun! You right now…!”

“What about the marriage arrangement with Woo-gwang? What is all this…!”

Grandfather chuckled heartily.

“These are Seong-jun’s friends. Please take good care of our Daughter-in-law and Jeong-hyeok.”

The Taeseong Group Chairman had made his declaration.

The sound of people drawing in their breath flowed through the crowd that had gathered nearby.

Gazes scrutinizing us began to cling to us in droves.

They were persistent, heated, sharp, and cynical stares.

“Chairman Cha, this is the first time I’m hearing that you married off your youngest son.”

“That’s how it happened.”

The gazes watching us rapidly multiplied.

The quiet murmuring grew louder and louder.

“Then what about Woo-gwang…”

That’s when it happened.

“Woo-gwang has arrived.”

“The Wookwang Group Chairman’s family and the Woogwang Affiliates presidents are coming.”

The murmuring of the people gathered in the Hall suddenly stopped.

Shortly after, the Wookwang Construction President and Wookwang Group Chairman, along with a group of people, arrived at the Hall.

Walking at the very front was a man leaning on a Walking Cane and limping heavily.

‘So it’s Kim Woo-gwang, the Wookwang Group Chairman.’

When I was running errands under Master, Chairman Kim of Wookwang Group was usually sitting in a wheelchair.

But now he appeared much more vigorous, leaning on a walking cane.

Whether then or now, his characteristically cold and sharp eyes seemed unchanged.

“······.”

Before long, the sound of the musicians’ ensemble grew quieter, and the guest singer’s song ended.

People stared intently at their entrance.

Several people who had received threatening letters immediately had menacing looks in their eyes.

From somewhere came the sound of grinding teeth.

The Wookwang Construction President couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

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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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