CH431 | Heir

The next day.

I had a meeting with Chairman Joo Sung-jae of Daehan Tyre.

Since he was about the same age as my grandfather and still actively leading the company, I bowed politely in greeting.

“I was truly surprised to hear that you wished to meet me, Chairman. My grandfather spoke of you often. He always said Daehan Tyre could rise to become Korea’s number one Tyre company thanks entirely to your abilities.”

“Hahaha, you flatter me far too much. Compared to Taewoo Group, our company is hardly worth mentioning.”

Chairman Joo smiled kindly.

Yet, despite his gentle expression, his eyes were sharp. I could sense immediately that his keen judgment remained as sharp as ever.

“Thanks to Daehan Tyre’s outstanding technology, we’ve been able to resolve many of the issues with electric vehicle noise and load-bearing capacity.”

“No, no. It was only possible because Taewoo Group first recognized the problems and even guided us toward solutions. All we did was add a few ideas to the process, which allowed us to develop EV-specific tires.”

Chairman Joo maintained an exceedingly humble demeanor.

From one perspective, the relationship between Taewoo Group and Daehan Tyre could be seen as one of client and supplier.

After all, Daehan Tyre supplied tires to multiple Taewoo Group automotive subsidiaries—Taewoo, Kia, GM, and more.

But Daehan Tyre was far from being a typical subcontractor.

With annual sales exceeding 7 trillion won and cutting-edge technological expertise, it was a powerful company in its own right.

And yet, Chairman Joo was approaching me with such humility. Clearly, he had something he wanted.

Sensing his hesitation, I decided to take the lead and ease him into the matter.

“Is there a problem troubling you, Chairman? You seem a bit uneasy.”

“Haha, as one grows older, the worries only multiply. In particular, the issue of succession has become quite a headache.”

“Do you mean to discuss the matter of succession with me? I’m sorry, but Taewoo Group does not intervene in the succession issues of other companies.”

“The successor has already been chosen. But I wonder… could you not lend a hand to ensure that the child I’ve chosen can truly protect and carry on the company?”

Chairman Joo had four children.

That alone made it highly likely for problems to arise, even if a successor had been chosen.

If the chairman were to step back from the front lines, the successor would need a powerful ally to hold onto the position.

And what ally could be stronger than Taewoo Group?

Who would dare attack an heir backed not only by Daehan Tyre’s largest client but also by the number one conglomerate in Korea?

“Are you planning to pass the succession to your eldest son?”

“No. If I had intended to hand it over to my eldest, I wouldn’t have come to see you, Chairman Kim. When it comes to managing the company, my second son is far more capable than the first.”

Daehan Tyre was an essential partner for Taewoo Group as well.

In the development of EV-exclusive tires, Daehan Tyre’s role was indispensable. Even if Chairman Joo stepped down, it was crucial to maintain the relationship exactly as it was.

“May I offer a suggestion?”

“If it comes from you, Chairman Kim, I’m more than willing to accept it.”

“I’m considering having Taewoo Motors’ affiliates make an equity investment in Daehan Tyre. If it’s framed as an investment for developing EV-exclusive tires, no one will think twice about it.”

There was no better way to support a successor than through equity.

And with the electric vehicle initiative as justification, no one could object to such an investment.

“May I ask the scale of this investment?”

“With about 2.5 trillion won, we should be able to secure roughly a 20% stake, don’t you think?”

“Are you serious?!”

“And I promise that Taewoo Group’s 20% stake will remain as friendly shares in your hands, Chairman Joo.”

“If you would do that, there could be nothing better. I am truly grateful.”

This was not merely a matter of investing more than 2 trillion won to solve a succession issue.

The decision also aimed to accelerate the development of EV-exclusive tires and to strengthen the partnership between Taewoo Motors’ affiliates and Daehan Tyre.

“In return, I ask that all the invested funds be used solely for the development of EV-exclusive automobiles. Please allocate them toward building a dedicated R&D center and expanding the relevant departments.”

“Of course, that is exactly how they should be used. I’ll make the necessary preparations so we can move forward with a paid-in capital increase as quickly as possible.”

Chairman Joo, now nearing eighty, expressed his gratitude with genuine sincerity.

Once again, it was clear: for Korea’s chaebol families, succession was their destiny—and their greatest source of trouble.

The problem of succession was not limited to Korea’s chaebol families.

***

A few days later, news of a succession battle on an entirely different scale reached my ears.

It was David who had come all the way to Korea to deliver the information.

The news had not yet been officially announced.

“Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman has finally drawn his sword. He’s deposing Crown Prince Nayef and declaring himself the new heir apparent.”

“So, it’s truly a prince’s rebellion.”

“And right after, he plans to detain several other members of the royal family.”

Bin Salman had been sharpening his blade for a long time, waiting patiently.

Given his thorough preparation, it was clear his strike would be swift and deadly.

“Bin Salman is about to stage quite a deadly dance with the sword.”

“It’s more than just a dance. It looks like he intends to lock up the entire royal family in a hotel. But he wouldn’t go so far as to take harsher measures… would he?”

“They are still royalty. At most, he’ll confiscate the wealth they’ve accumulated through corruption, return it to the national treasury, and keep them confined in a hotel. Prison or executions are unlikely.”

He had indeed unsheathed his blade with boldness.

But even now, the faction loyal to the former King Abdullah remained in Saudi Arabia.

The moment they mobilized their immense accumulated wealth, the purge would become far more complicated.

Of course, I already knew the outcome.

An overwhelming victory for Bin Salman.

Yet one variable had changed—the purge had begun nearly a year earlier than in the original timeline.

My own intervention had accelerated the collection of corruption-related intelligence, which in turn advanced the timing of the purge.

“If a storm of blood sweeps through Saudi Arabia, oil prices might become unstable again.”

“If Abdullah’s faction moves, that’s a real possibility. What’s the atmosphere like?”

“King Abdullah’s loyalists are scattered. If they manage to regroup, no one can predict the outcome. Unless the purge is completed before then, Bin Salman’s success won’t be guaranteed.”

David had many informants embedded in Saudi Arabia.

As for Vice Chairman Han, he was confirming information through financial firms linked to the Financial Tower.

Just then, Vice Chairman Han, having secured new intelligence, rushed inside.

“They say Saudi banks have frozen over 2,000 accounts. That info came from a British financial firm that does a lot of business with the Saudi royals.”

“So they’re cutting off the money first. Without war funds, you can’t sustain a fight.”

“Even if they can seal off accounts at Saudi banks, the Saudi government can’t touch foreign accounts. If they start using funds parked overseas, it could trigger a civil war.”

A civil war must not happen.

An unexpected variable would be a civil war — and if that happened, the situation after my return would be completely different; everything I knew could be rendered useless.

“Have you been able to reach bin Salman?”

“We haven’t attempted contact yet. If we call while the purge is underway, it could make things awkward for both sides.”

“Then we’ll wait for Saudi to contact us first.”

We continued gathering intelligence and waited.

Only at 4:00 PM did bin Salman get in touch.

[Is there anyone beside you?]

“No one. I’ve activated the anti-eavesdropping systems, so even the FBI or CIA can’t tap this.”

[Brother… phew. I’m doing this right, aren’t I?]

His voice trembled badly — but it sounded more like excitement than regret or fear.

“You’re doing fine. Time will be tight, so tell me quickly if you need anything.”

[First, I’ve arrested and confined about two hundred members of the royal family and high officials at a hotel. They’re the people on the list you gave me. I’ll arrest the rest before the day’s out.]

We had been investigating royal and high-level corruption in Saudi Arabia for a long time.

The list of people who had illicitly amassed wealth easily topped five hundred.

Bin Salman was declaring that he would detain all five hundred-plus royals and high officials within a single day.

“If we confirm the locations of the remaining high officials, should I send them to you?”

[That would be a great help. Some of them might try to escape by private jet, so I’ve ordered the Saudi Air Force on standby around the clock. There’s no way they’ll flee overseas—just find out where they are inside Saudi Arabia.]

Bin Salman had already secured control of the Saudi military and police.

Strictly speaking, he didn’t need my help to track down the royals and officials.

But this purge was a race against time, and to capture even one person more quickly, he was asking for my support.

And Taewoo Group had the means to provide it.

The moment the royals or high officials used social media, their locations could be tracked.

Director Chun had even built an algorithm to monitor not only the 500 elites on the list, but also their families, relatives, and even the household staff.

“I’ve already secured the locations of several people. I’ll send them to you right away.”

[As expected, you’re the only one I can truly rely on. Even the people beside me—I can’t help suspecting they might be spies planted by the Abdullah faction. But no matter how much money Abdullah’s men throw around, they’ll never buy you off.]

Bin Salman’s trust in me was absolute.

Given his situation, I understood perfectly.

In a purge bordering on civil war, everyone around him must have felt like an enemy.

“If I confirm anyone who’s sided with the Abdullah faction, I’ll let you know immediately. But remember one thing—don’t let too much blood spill. And you must do everything possible to keep the purge from spilling out to the outside world.”

[I’ve already seized cell phones and electronic devices. And unless absolutely necessary, I won’t take lives. Even if they beg for death, they’ll stay alive until they cough up every last bit of stolen wealth.]

The purge was not just about consolidating power.

Another critical goal was reclaiming the vast sums of money hoarded in the vaults of the royal family and high officials, funneling it back into the state treasury.

I could hear in Bin Salman’s voice the determination to do whatever it took to achieve that purpose.

“If necessary, I can even send Taewoo Group’s security personnel.”

[That won’t do. If foreigners handle the security, it will raise questions. This purge must be seen as a Saudi-led effort to cleanse the royal family of corruption.]

He wasn’t merely excited — bin Salman was surprisingly composed.

He looked more decisive and focused than ever, which made me confident the purge would succeed.

“I’ll update and resend the figures on the funds held by the people on the list. That will greatly help with reclaiming assets for the treasury.”

[That help will be more than enough. Once this purge is over, I’ll be sure to repay you handsomely, brother.]

“There’s no need for repayment between us. Just don’t get hurt. Let’s use today’s events as an excuse to share a drink sometime.”

[I hope I can see your face before the year’s out. I must go — I just got word we’ve captured one of the princes alive.]

A true prince’s rebellion had begun.

We had invested years into this operation; success was imperative.

Only then could we turn Saudi Arabia into a steadfast ally — and ensure Taewoo Group could seize the initiative in the coming U.S.-China power struggle.