CH137 | Heir

Mobile games were a literal goldmine.

With the advantage of easy monetization and the ability to play anywhere, they attracted far more users than PC games.

Yet, the game company CEOs were still hesitant.

I had no choice but to dangle a carrot.

"Taewoo Electronics will cover all development costs for mobile games. In return, we will take a 50% stake in them."

"Covering all the costs is appealing, but isn't taking 50% of the shares a bit excessive?"

These CEOs had already tasted the sweet fruit of profit.

In the past, they would have accepted the deal without question, but now that their coffers were full, such terms were harder to push through.

"Taewoo Electronics will also allocate IT department personnel to assist in mobile game development."

"Hmm… Isn't handling both the Chinese market entry and mobile game development too much?"

"If you're really short on manpower, you’re free to outsource. Taewoo Group will cover the outsourcing costs as well."

"With those terms, there's no reason to refuse. We’ll sign the contract."

The CEOs signed with satisfied smiles.

They probably saw me as an easy mark.

After all, I was covering all development costs, providing manpower, and only taking 50% ownership.

But was I really being taken advantage of?

The moment mobile game profits started rolling into their accounts, they’d realize who the real fool was.

Not only was I taking a share of the game profits, but I also had my hands in multiple revenue streams—distribution fees, transaction fees from in-game purchases, and more.

With so many straws in the cup, this deal was overwhelmingly in my favor.

  *

Time passed, and March arrived.

During that time, I focused on Taewoo Semiconductor, achieving a miraculous 66% yield rate.

With fewer defective products, the losses naturally decreased, but turning a profit still felt like a distant goal.

How could I further improve Taewoo Semiconductor’s yield rate?

Should I bring in more talent?

Or invest in new equipment?

While I was deeply lost in thought, my chief strategist suddenly burst into the room in a panic.

"Vice Chairman! We have a serious problem. Someone in Yeouido has launched an attack on the Chairman!"

"What are you talking about? Who's attacking the Chairman? Don’t tell me some reckless politician just held a press conference?"

"Congressman Yoon Hyun-gil is accusing the Chairman of accounting fraud."

I quickly turned on the TV.

A live broadcast of Congressman Yoon Hyun-gil’s press conference was airing on a news channel.

[These are the pieces of evidence I obtained from a founding member of Taewoo Group. They prove that Chairman Kim Tae-jung has been engaging in accounting fraud for the past ten years. I will be submitting these materials to the prosecution!]

The press conference was nearing its end.

I hadn’t caught the beginning, but I could already guess what had been said.

"Why is Congressman Yoon doing this? Is this an attack from his entire party against Taewoo Group?"

"It seems more like an attack on the government. The current administration is known to have close ties with Taewoo Group. By exposing alleged corruption within Taewoo, he can damage the government's approval ratings and gain political leverage."

As I listened to the chief strategist, I pulled up detailed information on Congressman Yoon.

I also found out which of Taewoo Group’s founding members had leaked information to him.

Former Taewoo Construction PRESIDENT Jang Soo-young.

So, he held a grudge after I kicked him out.

But to resort to such a self-destructive move…

To frame my grandfather for accounting fraud, Jang himself would also have to get his hands dirty.

"Let's go see the Chairman immediately."

"The legal team is already upstairs in his office."

I went up to the Chairman's office with the chief strategist.

Inside, the legal team and high-profile law firm attorneys were moving urgently.

"Chairman, are you all right?"

"Hmm… Looks like Congressman Yoon has his eyes set on the next presidential election. He’s trying to create a scandal big enough to weaken the current administration and shift public attention to himself."

"Is there anything that could be a real problem?"

"If that’s what you’re wondering, ask the Chief Secretary. He’s coordinating with the legal team and the law firm."

Grandfather gestured toward the Chief Secretary.

Before I even had a chance to ask, he began explaining the situation.

"We can’t completely deny the accounting fraud accusations. However, there was no actual financial gain from it. In most cases, companies engage in accounting fraud to inflate their valuation and secure bigger loans. But since Taewoo Group’s debt ratio is 0%, there’s little ground for legal trouble."

"How do we counter the claim that the fraud was used to manipulate stock prices?"

"For that accusation to hold, there would have to be a significant amount of stock trading. But aside from the recent inheritance procedures, there has been minimal movement in our shares."

So, while there was some basis for the accusations, they didn’t pose a serious threat.

I had already cleaned up the financial records back when I was in the audit team.

On top of that, we had paid off all our debts, reducing potential legal risks.

"Then, can we resolve this cleanly with a not-guilty verdict?"

"Depending on the materials Congressman Yoon Hyun-gil has, there’s a high chance that an investigation will take place. The Chairman may also face a fine."

"A fine is no problem. Just make sure it never escalates to a prison sentence."

"We’ve brought in a number of high-profile lawyers with strong connections. We will ensure that the Chairman never sets foot in jail."

I had no desire to see my grandfather in prison again.

Why did I go through the pain of returning to the past?

It was all to protect Taewoo Group and my grandfather.

If he were to be imprisoned again in his old age, even I wasn’t sure how I would react.

"I need to meet with Congressman Yoon. Arrange a meeting."

"If we approach recklessly, they might accuse us of attempting to conceal evidence. It’s best to wait until they make the first move."

True. Meeting him without leverage wouldn’t achieve anything.

I needed something strong enough to put pressure on him before we could negotiate on equal footing.

"Start publishing counter-articles immediately. We need to shape public opinion by making it clear that there was no financial gain from the alleged accounting fraud."

"I’ll have all the media outlets run rebuttal articles starting today."

After wrapping up my conversation with the Chief Secretary, I approached my grandfather.

He looked exhausted, massaging his temples with his eyes closed.

I pressed down gently on his shoulders in reassurance before leaving the chairman’s office.

I had always known a day like this would come.

That’s why I had recruited Captain Kang in the first place—to defend against or even launch counterattacks in situations like this.

"You saw the press conference, right? Congressman Yoon is using this to boost his approval ratings by attacking my grandfather."

"I’ve already begun investigating him. But getting close to him is difficult. He’s a five-term congressman—his weaknesses are tightly concealed."

Captain Kang had started his work before I even had to ask.

This was why I kept him by my side.

He had worked behind the scenes on numerous occasions, delivering impressive results.

But even he struggled when it came to Yoon Hyun-gil. That alone spoke to how meticulous the man was.

"First, we need to divert public attention away from my grandfather."

"Would a media scandal work?"

"This kind of thing is normally handled by Taewoo Group’s planning office, but if we make a move now, we could face retaliation. I need you to take care of it instead."

"I have a few good leads. They’re entertainment industry scandals—should be enough to shift public focus."

This wasn’t the time to be picky.

I just needed to get the heat off my grandfather.

"Go ahead with it. Use as much funding as necessary."

"There’s no need for extra funds. Just leaking the material to the media will guarantee front-page coverage tomorrow."

Captain Kang’s intelligence network had only grown stronger.

Thanks to intelligence gathered from both military networks and Myeong-dong’s underground sources, Captain Kang had access to even more information than before.

Myeong-dong was the fastest place in South Korea for rumors to spread, especially when it came to illegal dealings.

And the ruler of Myeong-dong was Lee Young-han.

Lee Young-han willingly provided information to Captain Kang.

"You mentioned that it’s difficult to find any dirt on Congressman Yoon Hyun-gil?"

"Yes. Apart from public events, he only travels between his home and office."

"No one in power is ever completely clean. Start by investigating his former aides."

I had already reviewed Congressman Yoon’s detailed background.

And I had found something that could be a weakness.

[Notable Incident: Covered-up DUI accident; aide took the fall.]

"Having served five terms, Yoon has worked with numerous aides."

"Start by checking if any of them have a criminal record. Pay special attention to anyone who gained a record while working for him."

"I’ll begin the investigation immediately."

If anyone could uncover weaknesses, it was Captain Kang.

But having leverage wasn’t enough—I needed someone who could actually wield that leverage effectively.

There were many prosecutors, police officers, and politicians involved in my fund, but unfortunately, none had the public influence to take on Yoon Hyun-gil directly.

As I mulled over the problem, Dimon casually approached me.

"Boss, I don’t get it. Taewoo Group practically runs Korea’s economy. Does attacking Taewoo really help Yoon’s chances of winning the election?"

"Our stock price is plummeting. That’s why he’s making his move. Every news channel is covering Taewoo’s falling shares—he’s using the hype to boost his public profile."

"But raising his profile doesn’t guarantee an election win. Wouldn’t it be smarter to ally with Taewoo Group, Korea’s top conglomerate, instead?"

"He’s planning to align with one of our rivals instead."

Yoon Hyun-gil was nearing retirement.

After serving five terms in the National Assembly, the presidency was the only thing left for him.

But his low name recognition was a problem, so he was trying to use this opportunity to increase his visibility.

"So, should we assume he’s already made a deal with another corporation?"

"Not necessarily. He probably believes that if he attacks Taewoo, other companies will naturally reach out to him."

"That’s a shallow strategy. If Taewoo suddenly rebounds and our stock rises, public opinion will turn against him in no time."

"He’s betting on Taewoo struggling for a while because of the semiconductor crisis."

This was why a predator could never afford to show weakness.

The moment you appear vulnerable, hidden rivals sink their teeth in.

"We need to create a rival who can tear into Congressman Yoon Hyun-gil."

"Wouldn't another presidential candidate from his own party be the best choice? They wouldn't want to see Yoon pulling ahead."

"That’s true, but time is the problem. We need to stall until we find his weakness. I’m not sure if we can pull it off."

Captain Kang had already begun his work to shift public opinion.

But how effective it would be remained uncertain.

If Yoon Hyun-gil managed to rally his entire party behind him, the situation could spiral out of control beyond our ability to contain it.

With those thoughts weighing on me, the next day arrived.

And South Korea woke up to a news story so explosive, it dominated the front pages of every major newspaper.