At my question, Yoo Seongjin checked the loan-related docunts he had brought and asked with a surprised face.
“I knew about it. But wasn’t this sothing you ordered, Boss?”
I nodded. Of course Chunha Group could not possibly be unaware of the illegal loans.
If they were unaware, then they would have no excuse even if their rice bowl was taken away.
Even as I nodded, I observed Kang Junwoo, but his expression showed not the slightest change.
“I received a report from the director in charge of loan sharking. Since you ordered us not to block Noh Ikseon’s expansion into Gangnam last ti, I thought naturally this was sothing you instructed.”
“That business I did order, yes, but this one is not. If you noticed sothing strange, why didn’t you ask ?”
“Because I thought Noh Ikseon was your man. I didn’t expect he’d move behind your back.”
Yoo Seongjin answered with a rather puzzled face. His reaction was understandable.
Since I hadn’t said otherwise, he would have assud it was my order.
“I suppose you could have thought that way. Still, we left the loan sharking in Myeongdong to the bosses there, and transferred the rest of the small loan sharking to Chunha Group. Do you really think I would start it up again without saying a word to Chairman Yu? Everyone seems to trust too much.”
The Myeongdong loan shark market was gradually disappearing with the implentation of the Money Lending Business Act.
It was an era when ordinary citizens could easily borrow small sums from licensed lending companies.
Even more easily, so people would issue multiple credit cards, use cash services, and juggle paynts to get by.
But many still could not access the formal system. Those people eventually stepped into illegal loans, knowing full well the interest rates were outrageous.
Illegal loans were monsters feeding on people’s tears of blood.
I hated that. Even aside from it, there were plenty of ways to make money.
So I pushed for the Money Lending Business Act to pass quickly, and decided to dominate the licensed lending sector.
I left the citizen-focused lending to the Myeongdong bosses, and the corporate loans to Taesan Finance under Chairman Ha Myeonghun.
“I’ve heard so of the subordinates are voicing complaints. That bastard Snake said even though he’s handling all the lucrative corporate loan sharking in Gangnam, he’s still dissatisfied and claims his own rice bowl is being stolen.”
“It’s natural there would be complaints. Everyone knows lending to companies is where the money is. That’s why I gave all the other loan sharking businesses to Chairman Yu.”
“For that, I’m grateful.”
All the loan-related businesses outside the licensed sector had been handed over to Chunha Group.
“In any case, the matter with President Noh Ikseon is my mistake. I apologize, Chairman Yu. Please understand.”
I slightly lowered my head in regret. Yoo Seongjin bowed even deeper than .
“······No, it’s fine.”
Seeing his flustered expression, I let a small smile slip.
“Would it be right to simply let a mistake pass? I’ll transfer all those bonds to you, Chairman Yu. And I’ll also hand over all of President Noh’s businesses.”
“What? You’ll hand those over to us?”
Yoo Seongjin’s eyes widened in disbelief. I shrugged and continued.
“In return, you’ll need to give us half the business profits. That’s acceptable, isn’t it?”
“W-wait a mont. I’ll call in the director in charge of loan sharking.”
Chairman Yu nodded toward Kang Junwoo seated in front of him.
At the signal, Kang Junwoo stood, bowed, and opened the chairman’s office door.
I watched his back with a cold gaze as he left.
Yoo Seongjin, focused on the docunts in front of him, seed not to notice my eyes. As he remained imrsed in the papers, I asked him:
“Does Director Kang oversee any business other than the war with the Chinese syndicate?”
“No. Under , he only commands the war. He has no business of his own.”
Lifting his eyes from the papers, Yoo Seongjin looked back at .
“And he has no complaints about that?”
“He’s a trusted brother. He won’t harbor resentnt. I’ve compensated him more than enough.”
“Hmm······ Is that really so?”
“Pardon? What do you an?”
“What if, for example, Director Kang changed his mind and staged a coup? Could you withstand it, Chairman? Aren’t all the organization’s fighting n under his command?”
Catching the implication of my question, Yoo Seongjin straightened his posture and answered with a serious face.
“It won’t happen, but even if Director Kang rebelled against , the n wouldn’t follow him.”
“Is that so? You’re very confident.”
Confidence was good, but it had to be grounded in reason.
I hinted at that, and Yoo Seongjin gave an awkward smile.
“Embarrassing to say, but life has changed a lot. Here, too, money is the elder brother and money is loyalty now.”
“It wasn’t like that before?”
“Not to this degree. Back when I lived alongside Brother Dongsu, I an.”
“You and Brother Dongsu are just romanticizing.”
At my words, Yoo Seongjin nodded bitterly.
“Seems so. Still, thanks to you, Boss, my thinking has changed a lot.”
“If money is loyalty and money is the elder brother, doesn’t that an anyone with enough money could turn people against you at any ti?”
After a mont’s thought, Yoo Seongjin shook his head.
“You don’t realize how much people who made a living with their fists in Korea long for Chunha Group, Boss.”
“Is that so?”
“They always lived under the eyes of public authority. But now, running a proper business, they actually use violence less than before, and even the war with the Chinese syndicate avoided major civilian casualties, making it easier to grease the police and prosecutors. Of course, your influence played the biggest part.”
The more he spoke, the more confidence grew in his words.
“Even retired elders co looking for . Each ti they co, I slip them so allowance. Even if they’re retired—or forced into retirent—their disciples make up more than half the n in Chunha Group. Because of that, few would dare rebel against . Even if so thought of it, they’d have almost no followers.”
It was a satisfying answer. I nodded with a gentle smile.
“Your confidence looks good on you.”
“It’s all thanks to your help, Boss. But why did you ask such a thing?”
“That’s······.”
Just then, a knock ca at the office door.
“Chairman, Director Chu Dongbin has arrived.”
Yoo Seongjin glanced at . I gave a small nod, signaling my consent, and he called out:
“Let him in.”
The door opened and Kang Junwoo entered with another man.
“You called, Chairman?”
“Yes. Co here and pay your respects.”
“Yes, understood.”
The man walked toward and bowed.
“Greetings. I’m Chu Dongbin.”
“Pleasure to et you.”
I stood and extended my hand. He clasped it while still bowing.
“Raise your head. You don’t need to bow like that to .”
“Yes!”
At once, he straightened his posture. I chuckled.
“Why so stiff, as if you’re in the army?”
“I am a forr soldier.”
No wonder his bearing was different from the other directors. At Yoo Seongjin’s explanation, I laughed loudly.
“A soldier? How did a soldier end up in Chunha Group?”
“I assaulted a superior and was dishonorably discharged. Chairman Yu took in while I was adrift.”
“I see. Sit down, then.”
As I sat, I spoke. Chu Dongbin responded with a loud “Yes!” and sat as well.
“You may leave now.”
Yoo Seongjin said to Kang Junwoo, who was about to sit beside Chu Dongbin. Kang looked puzzled.
“Pardon?”
“We’ll settle this among ourselves. You may go.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
In that mont, I caught the flicker in Kang Junwoo’s eyes. Yoo Seongjin seed to notice it too.
Awkwardly bowing, Kang Junwoo left the office.
Once he was gone, Yoo Seongjin slid the docunts before Chu Dongbin.
“Check these. No matter how much I look, I can’t figure them out.”
“What kind of papers are these?”
Picking one up, Chu Dongbin skimd it. Soon he lifted his head.
“They’re all loan docunts.”
“That’s right. He says he’s transferring them all to us.”
“All of these?”
Confirming the many promissory notes on the table, Chu ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Dongbin’s face finally changed.
“You know President Noh Ikseon, right?”
“Yes, I know him.”
“These are the docunts of money he lent out here and there. The amount totals a little over ten billion won.”
“And······ you’re saying you’re handing all this over to us?”
When I gave a slight nod, Chu Dongbin turned to Yoo Seongjin.
“Chairman, President Noh won’t stand still. This is a poisoned apple.”
“Why?”
“You didn’t send him to establish himself in Gangnam without reason. The backer behind him is assud to be quite powerful. Taking his money won’t do us any good.”
I sat listening quietly. It seed Chu Dongbin knew nothing about .
“Didn’t you say the n are full of complaints?”
“Complaints are inevitable, aren’t they? But however you ca by these docunts, I don’t think this is right.”
“Ah, you foolish bastard.”
Yoo Seongjin sighed deeply and shook his head.
“Boss, I apologize. He’s new to the organization, doesn’t know well yet.”
“It’s fine. Hardly anyone in Chunha Group knows who I am.”
“Dongbin, show proper respect. This is the owner of Chunha Group.”
“What? What do you an······.”
Chu Dongbin looked back and forth between us, stamring.
But when he saw no trace of humor in Yoo Seongjin’s face, his own went pale.
“What are you doing? Stand up and pay proper respects.”
“That won’t be necessary. I don’t care for that kind of greeting.”
“Still, a proper greeting would be······.”
I shook my head slightly, smiling at the confused Chu Dongbin.
“I understand it’s hard to grasp.”
“······Honestly, yes. Sitting at the head seat made realize you were soone important, but I never imagined you’d be the one the Chairman calls the owner.”
“Chairman Yu exaggerated. Don’t take it the wrong way. In any case, you can accept those docunts. The man backing Noh Ikseon is .”
Chu Dongbin’s eyes went round. His once stiff, expressionless deanor was nowhere to be found.
“What?”
“I’m the one who told him to settle in Gangnam. I’m also the one who told Chairman Yu to watch his back. So you can accept those papers.”
“······.”
Chu Dongbin’s lips moved, but no sound ca out.
“Chairman Yu, how much do you trust this man?”
“Entrusting him with financial matters shows how much I trust him, doesn’t it? But why do you ask?”
“We must root out the traitor inside.”
“Traitor? Surely you don’t an······.”
Yoo Seongjin’s face stiffened.
“I caught Noh Ikseon and traced the money’s source. It wasn’t mine—he found another pocket. And that backer was Chinese. The one who connected them was······.”
I glanced at Chu Dongbin before continuing.
“Director Kang Junwoo, who just walked out.”
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