CH414 | Heir

By late 2015, with less than a month left in the year, the plans I had laid out were steadily moving forward one by one.

“The FDA is about to approve the diabetes treatment. It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but David managed to get the information from an insider. They’re in the final confirmation stage now, and the approval should be announced by the end of the month.”

“Approval doesn’t mean the drug will immediately explode in sales. It’ll take at least a year for word of mouth to spread before patients and doctors really take notice.”

It wasn’t just any product—it was a pharmaceutical.

No matter how aggressively marketed, it was nearly impossible for sales to skyrocket instantly. But as long as the efficacy proved undeniable, sales would naturally climb, and all we needed to do was prepare for that growth now.

“Centurion’s new plant will be completed next year, so there won’t be any issues with production capacity. I only hope the factory finishes sooner and the diabetes drug gets on the market quickly.”

Vice Chairman Han let out a sigh, which told me all I needed to know about Centurion’s stock performance.

Though it didn’t bear the Taewoo name, Taewoo Group was the largest shareholder in Centurion, making it practically a subsidiary in all but name.

“Centurion’s stock, which had been soaring, is now plummeting. And all of that value has flowed straight into Samsung Bio. Their stock has quadrupled compared to last year.”

“I’ve heard Samsung Bio has managed to overcome their losses?”

“Not just overcome. They’ve turned completely profitable. Thanks to their joint production of insulin and the new flu treatment with Centurion, Samsung Bio has taken off like it’s grown wings.”

Samsung Bio had been ready for this moment.

Centurion had handed over its outdated first factory, but Samsung already owned a massive facility of its own.

And they were fully staffed, simply waiting for the right chance to soar—using Centurion as their springboard.

“Looks like the succession at Samsung Group will go smoothly.”

“Chairman Oh Yongjae holds most of Samsung Bio’s shares himself, so the process is proceeding seamlessly.”

Samsung Bio’s rapid growth was tightly bound to Samsung Group’s succession plans.

Thanks to that, they could push the transfer of power forward without resorting to shady tricks like cooking the books.

“Vice Chairman Oh really ought to treat us to a big meal.”

“They actually reached out from Samsung Bio. They said they’d like to help with the construction of Centurion’s new plant—offering to provide manpower and machinery free of charge.”

“They must be truly grateful. Still, don’t worry. If Samsung Bio has sprouted wings, then soon enough Centurion will strap itself to a rocket and shoot past the stratosphere.”

With the diabetes treatment alone, Centurion had the potential to become a colossal company.

If not for Taewoo Group, it might well have grown into the No. 1 corporation in Korea.

So there was no need to envy Samjin Bio’s temporary rise.

“I believe the same. But there’s more good news—public support for the People’s Economy Party is surging. In a poll conducted earlier this month, we even edged into first place, just ahead of the two major parties.”

“And support in Honam has risen significantly too, hasn’t it?”

“Since the Gunsan shipyard crisis, it’s jumped by over ten percent. Especially in Jeonbuk, the momentum is so strong that we could realistically take at least two seats.”

Both the Gunsan shipyard and Saemangeum were based in Jeonbuk. Naturally, local support had climbed sharply.

And with Captain Kang’s behind-the-scenes work, that favorable wind could keep blowing.

Through social media and video platforms, Kang and his team were steadily raising the People’s Economy Party’s public image, spending tens of billions of won each month on massive operations.

“This year’s political scene is going to be fun to watch.”

“And one more thing—Defense Minister Bin Salman has officially announced a visit to Korea.”

“Bin Salman? Coming here? I thought there was no such schedule.”

“The notice came out of nowhere. Officially, it’s for meetings with Korean defense contractors, but the actual agenda with them lasts barely half a day. He’s said he intends to spend most of his time with Taewoo Group.”

The meetings with defense contractors were just a pretext—he was really coming to see me.

Saudi Arabia was in a precarious state. And yet, he was taking the time to fly all the way to Korea?

“Looks like Saudi politics might be about to get interesting as well.”

“Is Defense Minister Bin Salman’s purpose in coming here to discuss his purge plans with you, Chairman?”

“We’ll know once we meet him. But truthfully, there’s no other reason for him to come to Korea in person.”

It was the eve of an era of upheaval.

Korea’s political sphere, the U.S. presidency, even Saudi Arabia’s purge—monumental events were holding their breath, all set to erupt simultaneously as the new year arrived.

From our standpoint, there was nothing to fear.

Quiet and peace never brought profits.

Why else would people say great merchants rise from battlefields?

So long as Taewoo Group could take the lead, every incident was nothing less than money.

***

A week later.

Bin Salman truly did arrive in Korea.

He had visited before, but now he carried the title of Defense Minister, which meant he entered the country with full diplomatic protocol.

For a day, he toured defense companies alongside government officials.

It wasn’t until the next day that he came to Taewoo Group to meet me.

“I requested this visit to strengthen the relationship between Taewoo Group and Saudi Arabia. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”

“Taewoo Group has always worked toward fostering good relations with Saudi Arabia.”

There were many eyes watching.

So we spoke in stiff, formal tones, unlike our usual manner.

Only after exchanging meaningless pleasantries for some time could we finally clear the room.

“We need to discuss something important. Please wait in the lounge.”

“Everyone, wait outside.”

The Taewoo Group staff and the Saudi entourage all filed out.

At last, we could speak freely.

“My tongue was about to freeze up.”

“Same here. You haven’t changed at all, brother.”

“You, on the other hand, have. Is it because you’re sitting in the Defense Minister’s chair now?”

“Saudi’s situation has been a mess lately. Relations with neighboring countries haven’t been good either. I’ve even gone to the front lines myself.”

His gaze had grown sharper.

Just by looking at his eyes, I could tell how much he had endured as Defense Minister.

“The situation isn’t completely over yet, is it?”

“It’s settling down. By the end of this year, stability will be restored.”

“So now that stability’s back, you’re ready to begin?”

“With external affairs under control, it’s time to deal with internal matters.”

The internal matter was, of course, a matter of the royal family.

It was a declaration to break the traditional line of succession in Saudi Arabia.

“It won’t be easy. You’ll need to prepare thoroughly if you want to finish the job without issues.”

“Most of the preparations are already done. By January next year, I plan to remove Crown Prince Nayef.”

“Already? Isn’t that too soon?”

“Thanks to your help, I was able to move up the timeline. I’ve already spoken with my father, and by January, I’ll be appointed Crown Prince.”

Could a person really change this much?

Had the battlefield turned Bin Salman into such a cold and calculating man?

Or perhaps it was simply that his hidden ambition had finally begun to surface.

“If you need help, just reach out anytime. Funds, manpower, intelligence—whatever you need, I’ll provide.”

“The help I’ve received from you is more than enough. As you said before, the purge must be done by my own hand. Only then will I truly be recognized as the Crown Prince, right?”

Seizing the title of Crown Prince was important, yes—

But what came afterward could be even more critical.

Ultimately, to be acknowledged as Crown Prince, he would need to display overwhelming strength, and Bin Salman was clearly prepared to stain his hands with blood.

“Prince Nayef won’t step down quietly. He has supporters in the royal family and his own faction.”

“I’ll take care of them one by one. Using the corruption ledgers we uncovered, I’ll conduct a sweeping purge of the royal parasites.”

The evidence of corruption we had secured was immense.

Royal family members had amassed enormous wealth simply by virtue of their bloodline, most of it hoarded through illegal means.

“That dirty money needs to be brought back into the royal coffers.”

“Because of the oil war, Saudi Arabia took a massive hit. Things got so dire we had to issue government bonds. If we can recover the funds the royals have been hoarding illegally, we can break through the financial crunch in one stroke.”

Saudi Arabia having no money—

It was something no one would have believed possible.

Just imagine the shock for the Saudi people.

But such a shock would serve as the perfect justification for a purge, and so Bin Salman would have the support of many citizens.

“I’ll keep tracking the funds siphoned abroad.”

“Thank you. Honestly, if it weren’t for you, I could never have imagined a plan like this.”

That wasn’t quite true.

Even in the life before my regression, without my interference, Bin Salman had already carried out a purge.

In this life, it was only that the timing had been pushed up by about a year—and that the purge would now be swifter and more decisive.

“I don’t know if it’ll help, but I’ll work on the media angle too. Especially SNS, portals, and video platforms—I’ll try to shape the atmosphere.”

“I’ll leave all external affairs to you. I don’t have the energy to think about anything else. Right now, I just want to focus entirely on how to conduct the purge.”

It felt almost as though the scent of blood was already seeping from his body.

For someone like Bin Salman, the only thing I could do right now was provide a place where he could rest in peace.

“Take it easy today. Once you’re back in Saudi, you won’t get a moment’s rest.”

“To be honest, I feel more at ease here in Korea with you than in Saudi. Over there, I never know when or from where an attack might come.”

Bin Salman wasn’t the only one vying for the throne.

From Crown Prince Nayef’s perspective, Bin Salman was a threat to be eliminated. The same was true for other royals as well.

How much torment must that have caused him?

That was why I planned to treat him to the very best.

“I rented out an entire hotel just for your stay. Had it remodeled in full Saudi style, and even brought in Saudi chefs to prepare the meals.”

“I’d already heard about it. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to rest here in comfort before heading back.”

“Just in case, I’ve stationed Taewoo Group’s security team at the hotel. And if you’d like, I can even clear my own schedule for today.”

“Then how about we stay up all night talking, like old times? I have mountains of things I want to share with you—stories of what I’ve gone through since becoming Defense Minister.”

There he was—Bin Salman as I remembered him.

Once the purge began, I might never see this side of him again.

So, for the last time, I would sit with him and talk as if we were boys once more.