If I ask you, you will do it.
Yoon Hyun-joo was quite excited.
I calmed her down and guided her to her seat.
"Sir, please bring me some cold water. I think you need it the most right now."
I asked her, who was panting and gasping for breath, to get some ice water from Director Ma.
"Are you saying that Chairman Choi Woo-shik asked you to get a divorce?"
"Yes. I unilaterally informed you this morning that I will be leaving the house starting today. I am sure I will go to that mistress's house!"
It seemed like Choi Woo-shik was about to move into the actress's house.
Now that he knows that Yoon Hyun-joo thinks differently, he probably doesn't see any reason to force himself to continue his marriage.
"That's what happened in the end. It was somewhat expected. If the two of you fight over management rights, you have no choice but to split up, right?"
"I have no intention of getting a divorce. Who would benefit from a divorce!"
Director Ma, who had returned at just the right time, put down his glass in front of Yoon Hyun-joo, who was raising her voice.
"Please drink this first and calm down. Your complexion is not good."
Yoon Hyun-joo, who had been chewing this, drank the ice water in front of her in one gulp.
Even though the heater was on, it was quite cold inside the office because it was such an old building.
But she didn't care about the cold and emptied her glass of ice water. When the glass was empty, she even chewed on the ice.
After confirming that the color was slowly returning to Yun Hyeon-ju's pale face, he asked.
"Are you feeling calmer now?"
"I'm sorry. I made a fool of myself. It was something I never expected······."
I was lost in thought as I watched Yoon Hyun-joo nod her head.
You plan to take management rights away from Choi Woo-shik, but you have no intention of getting a divorce? There has never been a contradiction like this.
"Please explain in detail. How and why did the topic of divorce come up?"
"I had a minor argument with that guy Choi Woo-shik last night······."
She began to explain what happened with Choi Woo-shik.
"It was just a typical fight between a married couple, like any other time. There was no mention of Seungwoo. After that fight, we each went back to our bedrooms and slept."
"Do you usually fight a lot?"
"Can a married couple not fight? What's different about being a chaebol? They pretend to be a good couple on the outside. Even though they fight often, they've never once said the word divorce or said they were leaving the house······."
Yoon Hyun-joo couldn't finish her words with a sad voice.
People said that Choi Woo-shik and Yoon Hyun-joo's marriage was a political marriage.
However, the two had a rare love marriage at the time. They fell in love with each other at first sight while studying abroad.
Of course, Minister Yoon opposed his only daughter, Hyun-joo Yoon, meeting Woo-shik Choi.
At that time, the difference between Yoon Hyun-joo and Choi Woo-shik's families was stark.
It was natural to want to have better families and in-laws.
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However, Yoon Hyun-joo insisted on her decision, even running away from home, and Minister Yoon eventually gave permission.
Minister Yoon gave all sorts of special privileges to the KS Group in the hopes of creating a family fit for his only daughter.
Thanks to this, the KS Group, which was once embarrassing to even call itself a large corporation, has grown rapidly and has now established itself as one of the major conglomerates in South Korea.
After hearing her story, I nodded and asked again.
"I see. If I may be so bold, may I ask you a question?"
She looked at me with a puzzled face.
"Question?"
"Yes. I know it's rude of me to ask, but please think of it as me asking out of simple curiosity."
Yoon Hyun-joo nodded after thinking for a moment. Thanks to her, I was able to ask something I had been curious about.
"Who cheated first? Contrary to popular belief, didn't the director and Chairman Choi Woo-shik have a love marriage? Who cheated first?"
It was a bit like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg, but I absolutely had to know.
"You don't have to answer if you feel uncomfortable."
"······It's not something I can't answer. Choi Woo-shik, that guy, was the first to have an affair with an actress. When he found out, he was so sad that he drank. And that night, Seung-woo was born."
Yoon Hyun-joo said that Choi Woo-shik started the affair first.
I couldn't tell if what she said was true.
However, Choi Seung-woo, born from Yoon Hyun-joo and his secretary, was five years older than the child born from Choi Woo-shik's affair.
"I see. When did you find out that your eldest son was not your son?"
"I think it was when I was 3? As I grew up, I would occasionally see the face of my secretary instead of his. That's how I recognized him. But Choi Woo-shik, that guy, didn't even suspect anything. What a caring father he was······."
I laughed inwardly. That couldn't be true.
The conglomerates of South Korea were the ones who valued bloodline more than anyone else.
There was no way Choi Woo-shik, one of the chaebols, would not have felt something strange.
It would have been natural for him to feel a sense of incongruity in his eldest son's face and become more suspicious, leading him to eventually conduct a paternity test.
"Okay. I think that's enough about privacy. It doesn't matter who started the affair or whose son is whose. You said you don't want to get a divorce, right?"
"Yes. I will never hand over the position of the KS Group owner to that woman and her son."
I called Director Ma. Then I asked him to contact Yoon & Jang and tell them to come here.
I explained it to Yoon Hyun-joo, who was looking at me with a puzzled look.
"Yoon & Jang will take charge of the divorce proceedings. The director may not agree, but Chairman Choi Woo-shik will definitely file a lawsuit anyway."
"Huh? Yoon & Jang are taking on the divorce case?"
Yoon & Chang Law Firm, the largest law firm in Korea, has a policy of never taking on divorce cases.
If they were going to leave it to you, you were either a conglomerate or a wealthy person with a lot of money.
Because no matter which side you take, you end up losing a customer.
So, no matter how much money they gave, they never filed for divorce.
"If I ask you, you will do it. Now, let's talk about the divorce later and get to the main topic. Have you thought about it?"
At my words, Yoon Hyun-joo looked around, fiddling with her empty glass.
"Are you saying that I should hand over all my real estate······?"
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"Yes, that's right. I'm not interested in the real estate under your name. The real estate managed by Chairman Cho. You can sell it all to me at the market price."
"······I'll hand it over. In return, promise me that you'll help me kick out that guy Choi Woo-shik and take over the management rights."
"Yes, sir. I am a businessman, sir. Trust is the most important value for a businessman. As long as you don't break your promises first, I will be on your side."
Let's speak firmly. She nodded her head reluctantly.
"Then, would you please call Chairman Cho? Since we're on the subject, let's make the deal today."
"Yes? Right today?"
"Why waste time? I already know the locations of those properties and have sent my staff to find out their prices."
"If I secure management rights······."
I shook my head and cut her off as she mumbled.
"No. I don't believe in verbal promises. So hand over the property first."
"······What happens to the shares held by the Sovereign Fund?"
"Eva, the CEO of Mirae Investment, is flying to Morocco to negotiate the acquisition of shares. She will probably give us news today. Then, the shares acquired will also become your friendly shares. As soon as the real estate is handed over, Eva will call an emergency shareholders' meeting."
When I told her I would acquire the stake held by Sovereign Asset Management, her eyes widened.
All of the listed companies in the KS Group had already risen as much as they could.
She could probably guess how much money I was pouring into it.
"You don't have to push yourself so hard······."
"It's okay. There is still room for the KS Group stock price to rise further. I don't do business at a loss. So don't worry about me and just hand over the real estate. After you secure the management rights, hand over the KS Teletech production plant to us right away."
"I'll do that. I'll go out for a moment and make a phone call."
It seemed like he was trying to contact Chairman Cho.
"Please feel free to contact me, sir. Please direct me to the empty office downstairs so we can talk quietly."
"Yes, boss."
Director Ma called one of his employees and ordered him to guide Yoon Hyun-joo.
After she left, I asked Director Ma.
"What did Yoon & Jang say?"
"I said I would send someone right away."
I nodded with satisfaction.
If money doesn't work out, you have to use your connections. Yoon & Jang made an exception for the things I suggested.
"Oh, and······. Contact the people who are watching Chairman Cho and tell them to keep an eye on his movements. If he runs away, things will get complicated."
If Yoon Hyun-joo came here without saying anything after contacting me, there wouldn't be a problem, but isn't there such a thing as "what if" in this world?
"I already contacted you as soon as I heard that Director Yoon Hyun-joo was coming."
"As expected, it's Director Ma. He knows what I want. Good job."
I continued, looking at the closed office door.
"Director Yoon Hyun-joo seems frustrated too. Divorce······."
I looked back on my memories from my past life. I never got divorced.
KS Group also went smoothly without any management disputes.
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Of course, stories about his mistress and illegitimate children came out as gossip, but I remember that, given Choi Woo-shik's age, they were nothing more or less than rumors.
"Oh, that's right. Tell them to keep an eye on Chairman Choi Woo-shik's mistress as well."
"Understood, boss."
I spent some time talking with Director Ma.
Even though quite some time has passed, Yoon Hyun-joo has not returned yet.
At that time, the lawyer sent by Yoon & Jang arrived at the office.
But the lawyer was an unexpected person.
"What is it?"
I looked at Yoon Jae-ha with a puzzled face.
A guy who is busy with his successor training vacates the law firm and comes here like this?
At my words, Yoon Jae-ha shrugged his shoulders and smiled playfully.
"You said you asked me to send a lawyer?"
"That's right. But I didn't call you, so don't be surprised. Aren't you busy? You said you were in the middle of a successor training class."
"Well, it's called successor training. It's not about flipping through the law books, it's about learning how to manage people. Man, I'm dying."
Half of Yoon & Jang's power comes from their courtesy towards each other.
They spent a lot of money to recruit high-ranking officials who were leaving the prosecution and the courts. Those who were recruited worked for Yoon & Jang so much that the money they spent was worth it.
The other half were litigators from law firms working in the field.
No matter how much preferential treatment there is, it is difficult to maintain a winning rate if the weaknesses of the law are not properly exploited.
In the end, it was a law firm maintained by the power of people, Yoon & Jang.
"It's a big lesson. Managing people is such a difficult and tiring job. Do you now realize how great your father is?"
"Oh, I don't know. I came out because you made an excuse, so don't even think about kicking me out. It's a matter that the world-class Kim Mu-hyeok personally requested, so I should come, right? But you don't even offer me a cup of tea when a guest has come? Why are you so gloomy?"
Yoon Jae-ha said with a sly smile.
As I've gotten older, I've become more and more whiny. No, maybe it's because I hang out with Myeongsu.
Someone nodded and snickered at the sight of Yoon Jae-ha coming to mind.
"What would you like to drink?"
"A warm Americano. There's a Starbucks nearby. Can I have an Americano there?"
I nodded and glanced at Director Ma.
While Director Ma went out and sent an employee to run an errand to get coffee, Yoon Jae-ha asked.
"So what's going on?"
"Do you know Director Yoon Hyun-joo?"
"Huh? You mean the owner of KS Group? Mrs. Choi Woo-shik. Why her?"
"Does Minister Yoon know too?"
"Is there anyone in South Korea who doesn't know that monster? You call that a question······."
I cut off Yoon Jae-ha's speech as he was trying to lengthen it by adding unnecessary details.
"The tongue is long. Anyway, there are real estate properties in Gangnam that Minister Yoon bought under another person's name. He decided to buy them by calculating the market price."
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"What? What does that mean? Real estate under another person's name?"
"Do you know Chairman Cho?"
When Chairman Cho's name was mentioned, Yoon Jae-ha seemed to think for a moment about who it was.
"There's a rich man in Gangnam. He's Minister Yoon's warehouse keeper. After Minister Yoon died, he's been managing the property. I've decided to take over it, and we'll make the deal today."
Yoon Jae-ha was shocked to hear that Chairman Cho, the richest man in Gangnam real estate, was Minister Yoon's servant.
"That happened. Wasn't I supposed to come here? I'm terrible at real estate."
"Well, don't overthink it. All you have to do is transfer ownership. I'll pay you all today and take over ownership."
Yoon Jae-ha nodded with a serious expression at my words.
"and······."
Just as I was about to bring up the topic of divorce proceedings, Yoon Hyun-joo returned.
Yoon Jae-ha quickly got up from his seat and greeted her.
"This is attorney Jaeha Yoon of Yoon & Jang."
"Oh my, aren't you Representative Yoon's son?"
"You know? It's an honor, sir."
"I didn't know you would come to this in person."
"Is this something like this? I only heard about real estate transactions."
Yoon Jae-ha turned his head and looked at me.
No, who knew you'd come in before I could finish speaking? I said to Yoon Jae-ha with an embarrassed face.
"I think Chairman Choi Woo-shik will file for divorce. You guys should represent Yoon Hyun-joo in the lawsuit."
< I will do it if you ask me > End
< Be thankful to me >