I’d Rather Live as a Villain

67 I’d Rather Live as a Villain

Group Secretary-General Jang Dong-ju.

He visited the chairman’s office.

“Executive Director Jeong Dae-heon has accepted the position of local corporation president in Texas,” he reported.

“There’s no beating the passage of time,” the chairman, Kang Man-ho, remarked, prompting a flurry of thoughts in Secretary-General Jang Dong-ju.

Jeong Dae-heon, Vice President of Daeyoung Electronics’ VD division.

Who could cast stones at his choice to prioritize reality over conviction?

It was clear that the groundwork was being laid to bring Vice President Kang Young-jin from the chemical sector to electronics, orchestrated by his close associates.

The VD, Video Display Business Division, was the most suitable for Kang Young-jin, who had no prior experience in electronics, to move into an executive director position.

The plans for the next three years’ expected sales were already secure.

Moreover, if Kang Young-jin ascended to that position, an organizational structure was already in place to support him from the front and the back.

“After all, with Jeong Dae-heon’s track record, it’s worth aspiring to the president’s position after a three-year term as corporation president. It’s a better deal than retiring as vice president, taking the family to the States, letting the kids study at American universities, and living leisurely before returning.”

“The general sentiment seems to be moving towards convening the board to recommend Vice President Kang Young-jin for that position.”

“It seems you too are facing the inevitable passage of time.”

“Pardon?”

“Why complicate matters with intricate foreshadowing? It’s not about recommending Young-jin because the position is vacant, but vacating the position to recommend Young-jin.”

Secretary-General Jang Dong-ju, weighed down, dropped his head before speaking.

“Also, the foreign investment shares in the distribution sector have taken another significant hit.”

“I’m aware.”

“Convey Invest’s 150,000 shares. This is somewhat… concerning.”

“Merely pocket change. They were the ones who joined hands with Young-jin from the start. They said they’d shake things up when the time was right. They did shake things up a bit before leaving, but that’s their limit. They might be expecting something bigger, but they should have secured their profits while they could. If they were going to leave, they should have been the first to do so. They’re leaving just before we’re about to rise again, not even breaking even. Where in the world would you find such foolish investors?”

“Chairman.”

The chairman watched the fierce competition for succession among his children, devoid of blood or tears, with only objective eyes.

With utmost caution, yet with some resolve, Secretary-General Jang Dong-ju spoke.

“The relationships between affiliates and the tension among the group’s headquarters executives are overheating.”

“That’s to be expected.”

“It seems a moderate mediation might be necessary.”

“Does dipping your hand in the water immediately catch fish? It might only cause more turmoil. In the current situation, it’s more important to observe which way and how much the fish are gathering, isn’t it?”

“But if this situation drags on, the internal losses will be too great.”

Chairman Kang Man-ho looked at Director Jang Dong-ju with an air of nonchalance and said,

“If I was afraid of those losses, would I have initiated the competition? It’s not easy for a parent to hand over the reins to their children and tell them to fight until they win. This is the moment to decide who will lead Daeyoung for the next 30 years.”

Kang Man-ho, the chairman with the least presence in the history of Daeyoung.

Even the presence he has, as perceived by the public, is less than that of his daughter, President Kang Moon-jung of distribution.

But Director Jang Dong-ju, who serves him closely, knows better than anyone.

That Chairman Kang Man-ho is a giant, perhaps even greater than the great Chairman Kang Ki-young.

“It’s not a position you can fill just by looking at character, integrity, and ability.”

Suddenly, a spark of light appeared in Chairman Kang Man-ho’s eyes as he looked at Director Jang Dong-ju.

“Yeong-jin, Moon-jung. I didn’t force those two to face each other and compete. They’re doing it because they want to try it out themselves. From my perspective, I can’t just see them as my children anymore, can I? If they feel like they can’t do it and want to give up, they can pack up and leave on their own. That’s their decision. On the other hand, if they want to try until the end, even if it seems impossible, it’s my role to give them the chance to fight until they break.”

In front of Chairman Kang Man-ho’s stubbornness, all Director Jang Dong-ju could do was take a deep breath to steady his own resolve.

“The will they both possess, the determination not to be outdone. The one with even a slightly greater will is going to win, and it’s only by giving such a person a proper chance that the current internal losses will create value.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Anything else?”

A matter more sensitive than the previous two.

However, Director Jang Dong-ju knew all too well how dangerous it was to judge the sensitivity of the issue in the current overheated succession structure.

Without any hesitation, he spoke up.

“There are talks about the marriage between President Kang Moon-jung and Executive Director Yoon Tae-sik.”

A frown formed between Chairman Kang Man-ho’s brows.

“What?”

“Rumors of a contract marriage…”

“A contract marriage?”

“There’s also the matter of the 5 billion from the general meeting related to the president’s inauguration…”

At that moment.

“Ha, haha…”

An out-of-place hearty laugh burst from Chairman Kang Man-ho.

Tensely, Director Jang Dong-ju watched for the chairman’s reaction.

“Director Jang.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“In all the years you’ve been by my side, have you ever seen Moon-jung’s face as bright as it was before she went through that recent trouble?”

It’s not there.

Regardless of the chairman’s question, Director Jang Dong-ju was thinking the same.

“I’ve never seen it. If that bright demeanor is all an act, then shouldn’t we praise it even more? It means he’s that much in control of his emotions.”

“……”

“A contract marriage? Is there such a thing as a marriage that isn’t a contract? Isn’t marriage itself a contract?”

For a moment, Director Jang Dong-ju was at a loss for words.

“Shedding what’s excess for each other and helping where there’s lack. Isn’t that what marriage is all about?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“If you look at it that way, the marriage I had, the marriage Yeong-jin had, they should all be called contract marriages. It’s your job, Director Jang, to cleverly navigate such talk and make it go away. It’s a trivial matter, but there’s nothing good about it continuing to circulate.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Huh. A contract marriage? If that’s true, then Mun-jeong has landed the best deal since entering Daeyeong. Where else can you find a gem like Yoon’s husband? Not for 50 billion, not for 500 billion, not even for 5 trillion could you get such a thing, and if he really got it for just 50 billion, then he deserves high praise.”

* * *

“Of course, I’ll buy it. It’s going to be Daeyeong’s top-performing stock.”

No matter how much I think about it, no matter how much I try to understand from my great-aunt’s perspective, I just can’t grasp what she means.

I immediately understood when she said that for the past 20 years, Mulsan has never held distribution as tightly as it does now.

And I’m well aware of how competitive Mulsan is, holding onto distribution.

The words my great-aunt said to my wife and me that day made me feel like she was an X-Man.

Everyone knows that Great-Aunt Kang Soon-im is a strong supporter of Vice President Kang Yeong-jin.

But seeing her prepare the goat hot bath herself and visit our home that day, I opened up to this possibility.

Perhaps for Great-Aunt, it’s not about whether it’s Kang Yeong-jin or Kang Mun-jeong that matters.

Could it be that from the standpoint of Yuseong Cosmo, it’s most important to ensure that a nephew who benefits Yuseong Cosmo sits in Daeyeong’s successor position?

And if you only consider the public’s opinion of Vice Chairman Kang Soon-im, that seems the most convincing.

From her perspective, they’re both her nephews.

Both are her younger brother’s children.

Even though they come from different mothers, why would she differentiate between her brother’s children?

In fact, if we consider Korean sentiments, shouldn’t the nephew that Great-Aunt holds dearer be Vice President Kang Yeong-jin rather than my wife?

And the last words she said to us when she visited our home that day.

“Your grandfather wasn’t so old-fashioned. Continuing the lineage? It’s important. But if it was absolutely crucial, he would have entrusted the succession to your great-uncle, wouldn’t he?”

She left us with a stimulus, urging my wife and me not to give up and to be more vigilant and strive harder in the future.

For days, I’ve been looking for an excuse to visit my great-aunt.

It is said that there is a move to promote him to the position of Vice President of the VD division, a plan that is currently being solidified by the faction associated with Vice President Kang Young-jin at the group’s headquarters.

I haven’t done anything for my wife yet, haven’t even made a proper attempt, and they are already moving so aggressively on their side that I’m starting to feel a bit anxious.

And above all… I was getting angry.

“Hmm…”

To an unbearable extent.

Those who would seize someone’s pain as an opportunity.

If they had come out like this from the beginning, I might have acknowledged it.

But now, when my wife is going through the toughest time, hiding her struggles and barely taking one step at a time back to her original place, those who are seizing her pain as an opportunity and launching a fierce attack are stirring up my competitive spirit.

This could really twist me up.

From the moment I signed the contract to marry my wife, I was determined to become a villain for her if necessary.

The resolve to become the worst villain against any obstacle that stands in her way.

That resolve was born out of the confidence that I could play such a role better than anyone else if I set my mind to it.

I was notorious as the hot pepper of the company during my military service.

So much so that during my senior private days, the company commander came to the barracks, filled with many sergeants, to pick on me, not them.

The moment I was picked on, I had the knack to make not only my juniors but also the senior sergeants tense.

Yeah, this won’t do.

If they are seizing the pain of my wife and me as an opportunity, then I have no choice but to treat them accordingly.

I’m naturally a villain, after all.

Yes.

Since it has come to this, from now on, I’ll live as a villain against those people.

“Oh, my dear nephew-in-law. Welcome.”

Eventually, two days later, I went to see my great-aunt.

In the vice-chairman’s office of Yoo Sung Cosmo.

“I’m sorry to ask for your time, knowing you must be busy.”

“Hmm. No, no. I was glad to hear from you, wondering if you had time.”

After extending her hand towards me and offering me a seat on the sofa, my great-aunt asked.

“But you’ve come empty-handed?”

I was confused whether she was joking or subtly pointing out that it was inappropriate to come to such a meeting without even a basket of fruit.

“Isn’t it proper to prepare at least a basket of fruit when requesting such a meeting and coming over?”

The red-lensed glasses.

Looking through her glasses at me, my aunt asked,

“Did you ask your wife? She said she wanted to meet the great-aunt, what does she like?”

“Why? Doesn’t Moonjeong know?”

“No. Instead, she insisted on making this clear.”

“What?”

“Are you visiting the great-aunt as a nephew-in-law, or as the head of the European division of Mulsan, currently the major shareholder who has bought a large amount of Mulsan’s stock?”

At my words, the great-aunt’s lips curled up in anticipation of what was to come.

“If you’re visiting as a nephew-in-law, she said not to go.”

“Why?”

“If you go, you should go together, why go alone? If you’re going as the head of Mulsan to meet the major shareholder, then go empty-handed. Business matters. She said that exchanging gifts doesn’t fit the formality.”

At that, the great-aunt laughed brightly and nodded her head vigorously.

“That’s right. It’s less burdensome for the receiver if you define the boundaries clearly when you visit. You’ve come well. I was just about to arrange a separate meeting.”