Max-Level Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 86
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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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86. Flashy Apology, Modest Sincerity
I turned off Vision Sharing with the Grim Reaper.
‘That’s our Father for you!’
I couldn’t help but smile.
A man who could step back and call for humanity when everyone else was shouting about business!
That was our Father.
‘Certainly, Wookwang Hospital alone would have difficulty accommodating all the injured.’
I tried to recall what the past Taeseong Chemical fire accident was like.
But unfortunately, the Taeseong Group Report didn’t contain any passages related to that.
‘Grandfather immediately held an emergency press conference to make a public apology, and established the Taeseong Foundation by donating 3 billion won of his personal wealth.’
That was as far as the content written in the Taeseong Group Report went.
But Wookwang Group’s report had a bit more to say about this.
‘Grandfather, who stepped down from his chairman position, directly operated the Taeseong Foundation and greatly damaged his health while running around trying to help the victims’ families?’
It was said that rather than putting all his effort into preventing Taeseong Construction and Taeseong Chemical from being spun off as independent companies, Grandfather focused on caring for the victims’ families.
‘How will Chairman Kim of Wookwang respond?’
The Grim Reaper appeared smoothly.
[Tsk, I missed the whole drama series. There’s nothing but boring programs to watch at this hour.]
He was making all this fuss just to watch television programs.
‘Even if we eavesdrop on meetings all night, it probably won’t make much difference anyway. What comes next will be working-level meetings.’
In-depth discussions about specific strategies were about to begin.
Listening to that would only give me a headache.
What I’m interested in is strategic direction, not field operations that I can’t do anything about anyway.
[Hey, what’s this about now?]
The Grim Reaper cried out in great indignation.
When I turned my head, I saw Chairman Kim Woo-gwang, the head of Wookwang Group, on the television screen along with large subtitles.
【Wookwang Group Chairman Kim Woo-gwang’s Emergency Press Conference Announcement】
At this hour?
It was late at night, not long before the national anthem would play, and soon it would be time for the nighttime curfew.
The television screen showed an auditorium that appeared to be at Wookwang Group headquarters.
Chairman Kim of Wookwang stepped up to the podium bearing the Wookwang logo and turned on the microphone.
-Dear fellow citizens, regarding the unfortunate accident that occurred today at the Wookwang Chemical factory, I, Kim Woo-gwang, bow my head and offer my sincere apologies.
It was Chairman Kim’s apology to the nation regarding the Wookwang Chemical fire accident.
As Chairman Kim bowed his head, camera flashes went off chaotically with clicking sounds.
When the television screen showed another part of the auditorium, the presidents and executives of Wookwang Group’s affiliated companies were lined up in the auditorium, bowing 90 degrees at the waist.
-We apologize!
-We are deeply sorry for causing concern to our fellow citizens!
It was Wookwang’s apology.
Chairman Kim read through the prepared apology statement word by word, clearly and distinctly.
-Once again, we bow our heads and deeply apologize to all victims and families of Wookwang Chemical, as well as to our fellow citizens. We at Wookwang will do our utmost to handle the accident aftermath, and we will work to clearly determine the cause of the fire accident, as well as promise sincere compensation for the victims and bereaved families.
The presidents and executives of Wookwang’s affiliated companies shouted loudly.
-Wookwang will take responsibility!
-This will never happen again!
With that, the television caption changed.
【Wookwang’s Apology to the Nation: Sincere Apology and Promise to Determine Cause】
-We at Wookwang will continue to prioritize safety above all else and be reborn as a Wookwang Chemical that earns customer trust. No matter what losses the company may face, we will keep our promises to our customers.
Chairman Kim of Wookwang looked straight at the television screen.
-To fundamentally resolve the anxiety of all customers and citizens who love Wookwang Chemical, and to restore market trust, we will be reborn as a completely new company.
There wasn’t a single word about contributing private assets.
-We will devote all of our company’s capabilities so that you can trust and use our Wookwang Chemical products.
There was also no mention of compensation for the bereaved families.
-Furthermore, by prioritizing safety and social values above all else, we promise to become a company that contributes to the nation’s economic development.
There wasn’t a single word mentioned about establishing the Wookwang Foundation.
-Finally, once again, I bow my head and deeply apologize to all those who suffered damage from this Wookwang Chemical fire accident and to the people of the nation.
With that, Wookwang’s public apology press conference ended.
I was left completely speechless.
‘Huh, he didn’t even mention resigning from his chairman position as a form of self-reflection?’
This is what they call a major corporation’s public apology statement?
This is the position and decision of a corporate chairman who caused nearly two hundred casualties?
‘Wookwang…’
Chairman Kim of Wookwang chose a completely different path from Grandfather, who was the chairman of Taeseong Group.
‘Will the Blue House just sit back and watch this?’
There must have been pressure from the Blue House for Chairman Kim to make this public apology so late at night.
What exactly happened?
The owner of the Blue House I glimpsed at Hyeonmu Hotel didn’t seem like someone who would let this slide so easily.
‘Is this really the end of it? Is this the privilege of being a major corporation?’
* * *
It was strange.
I had expected that when dawn broke, there would be a flood of scathing criticism about last night’s public apology.
But the media was busy packaging Wookwang in a positive light.
【Wookwang Group Chairman’s Heartfelt Apology Gets Through!】
【A Sorrowful Promise! Wookwang Takes Responsibility to Investigate the Cause of Wookwang Chemical’s Fire Accident!】
【Fire Accident Site Being Quickly Cleaned Up Under Chairman Kim Woo-gwang’s Leadership!】
It was enough to make me curse involuntarily.
“These damn media hacks! Just how much money did they take?”
It wasn’t just the newspapers.
The broadcasts also poured out well-packaged news about the Wookwang fire.
-Chairman Kim Woo-gwang has set up a joint memorial altar for the victims of the Wookwang Chemical fire accident!
-We conducted an in-depth investigation into the continuous processions of mourning taking place everywhere!
-We’ll see you in detail on the nine o’clock news!
Chairman Kim of Wookwang didn’t even show his face at the joint memorial altar for the Wookwang Chemical victims.
The news cameras showed funeral wreaths sent from various affiliated companies of Wookwang Group densely filling the Wookwang Hospital corridor.
Ruling party lawmakers and opposition party members who visited the joint memorial altar quickly thrust their faces in front of the microphones.
-To think so many people died and were injured, it’s a devastating feeling.
-This is a time when we must all join forces to ensure such devastating tragedies never happen again.
It was the greed of political figures who wanted to say even one more word to get their faces stamped on camera.
Click.
[Why are you turning off the television! It’s almost time for the daily drama series!]
‘Because I can’t stand the sight of it.’
[You just need to not watch the news. The daily drama series is innocent. You can’t watch missed broadcasts again!]
No matter what the Grim Reaper said, I didn’t budge with my arms crossed.
Then Mother peeked her head out from the kitchen.
“Jeong-hyeok, let’s eat dinner.”
I’m not in the mood.
“Tomorrow morning you need to go to Taeseong Hospital with Mother.”
Taeseong Hospital?
Oh, right!
Tomorrow is the day we’re supposed to deliver the donation for the Taeseong family patients.
* * *
Mother and I headed to Taeseong Hospital in Uncle Cheol-gu’s jeep.
Uncle Cheol-gu’s colorful bruises had faded quite a bit by now.
“Are you still busy catching spies these days?”
“Of course. I catch all the spies in this country! Don’t you know? Hahaha, I’m officially returning to work tomorrow!”
The KCIA had given him quite a long vacation after he was water-tortured in the Seobinggo torture room.
It seems his vacation is ending and he’s returning to work.
Uncle Cheol-gu smoothly turned the steering wheel.
“Mrs. Kang, why are you so nervous? Is this your first time getting a health checkup?”
“Of course, this is my first time since I was born. I’m nervous as hell.”
The voice of Landlady Grandmother sitting in the passenger seat trembled unusually.
“Look at my age. What if some serious illness suddenly shows up?”
“Oh my, Mrs. Kang. Even worrying is your fate. Don’t you know why we get health checkups? It’s to catch serious illnesses before they develop. Don’t you know the saying about preventing with a hoe what you’d need a rake for?”
Smack!
Landlady Grandmother struck Uncle Cheol-gu’s head with the handbag she was holding.
“Why are you bringing up phlegm here, damn it! I’m already worried sick because my cough won’t stop these days!”
That rake probably wasn’t the same as that phlegm.
We arrived at Taeseong Hospital.
Mother’s eyes widened when she saw the people camping out in front of the hospital lobby.
“Oh my, why are there so many people in front of the hospital like that?”
Surely Director Song of Taeseong Hospital didn’t gather the medical staff, did he?
Right now there must be many patients brought to Taeseong Hospital from the Wookwang Chemical fire accident.
Making my slight concern seem pointless, most of the people camping out in front of the hospital were not medical staff.
“Director Song.”
“Young Master, Madam, have you arrived?”
Director Song greeted us from a corner of the main gate with an extremely tired face.
So I asked.
“What are all these people doing here?”
“They’re the bereaved families and guardians of the Wookwang Chemical fire accident.”
Now that I looked, the things they were holding were quite ominous.
Not only eggs and tangerines, but there were even water ladles.
Director Song wiped his cold sweat.
“Well, today is the last day of Wookwang’s joint funeral service. After the joint funeral ended, word spread that people from Wookwang were coming to this hospital for condolence visits.”
* * *
As we entered Taeseong Hospital, there really was a large placard hanging there.
<Taeseong Executives Participate in Helping Taeseong Family Patients!>
At the top of the donation list written in large letters visible even from a distance, Grandfather’s name was written, and right next to it was my name.
A wall poster was attached next to the placard.
<The Taeseong Family Patient Support Event was organized at the suggestion of Young Master Cha Jeong-hyeok. Taeseong subsidiary executives who joined in the spirit of ‘Taeseong is one family!’······.>
The wall poster detailed the reasons and process behind this placard being put up, as well as information about the families selected as patient families and hospital expense support.
It was clearly a text that only stated facts, but my face burned hot the entire time I read it.
“The reason we brought Young Master here today is to hold a modest event for the Taeseong Family Patient Support.”
In the corner where the placard and wall poster were attached, there was a platform decorated with flowers and wreaths, and the words <Taeseong Family Patient Support> decorated with colored ribbons and balloons were hung.
This was displayed in the lobby for all people coming and going to Taeseong Hospital to see.
“I was just trying to quietly provide hospital expense support. I had no intention of making such a big fuss.”
For me, it was something I did with the intention of helping with hospital expenses after learning about Kim Gap-yong’s situation.
“It was Young Master who asked us to hang such a large placard in the hospital lobby.”
Well, I did that to show consideration for Taeseong executives so their good intentions for good deeds would be visible.
For them, honor was directly connected to dignity and pride.
I had only done what I learned from the teachings at the Year-End Night.
“Thanks to Young Master this time, twenty-five Taeseong patient families will receive support for surgery and hospital expenses.”
So that’s why there were quite a few suited people gathered in addition to those wearing Taeseong Construction work uniforms.
“From the aspect of raising company loyalty, and from the aspect of enhancing pride. It’s right to arrange such an event, even if small, and show that we haven’t forgotten the hard work for Taeseong.”
There was nothing wrong with Director Song’s words.
Just as I had tried to save face for Taeseong executives who opened their wallets with good hearts for good deeds, Director Song also seemed to want to make me look good for planning this event.
“Hey, kid. Were you secretly doing such good deeds behind the scenes?”
Uncle Cheol-gu placed his hand on my shoulder and grinned mischievously.
“Don’t tell me this was also accomplished by stuffing sincerity into a doctor’s medical gown?”
Pride spread across Uncle Cheol-gu’s smile.
Then Kim Gap-yong and the former Taeseong Chemical employees, all uniformly dressed in ‘Taeseong Construction’ work uniforms, spotted us and came running over in a group.
“Young Master, you’ve arrived?”
The people who had sacrificed their bodies to save Kim Gap-yong and their colleagues from Factory No. 6 were smiling innocently.
Though they had now changed into work uniforms labeled Taeseong Construction, the overlock name tags pinned to their chests remained the same.
‘Perhaps it was because these people risked their lives to save their colleagues that the Taeseong Chemical fire accident deaths were limited to just 23?’
The same type of fire accident had occurred, but the Wookwang Chemical fire accident ultimately claimed 56 lives.
“Thanks to Young Master solving the hospital bill problem, our Team Leader Kim is so excited these days that he’s digging with enthusiasm.”
“Don’t even mention it. He goes out to the site from early dawn to work, and supervises night work while getting drenched in evening dew.”
“Well, of course he would, since his daughter’s surgery was a complete, total, absolute success! He says he’ll bury his bones at Taeseong.”
Kim Gap-yong and his wife bowed deeply at the waist.
“We heard from Director Song. Young Master planned this event saying you would help Taeseong family patients, right?”
It was a voice filled with emotion.
“Thanks to you, our daughter was able to receive surgery safely. After settling all the overdue hospital bills…”
“Thank you, Young Master. We’re truly grateful.”
But there was one familiar person swaggering over from that direction.
“Hey, Kim Gap-yong. When are you going to pay back my money?”
It was Bulgwang-dong Gasoline.
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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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