Free Web Novel"Muhyuk... you scare me."
Those words weighed heavily.
The Jo Hyungu family, who had been directly involved in Hyunseong’s incident, had fallen into ruin.
And not just them—everyone remotely tied to the situation had been forced to retire from the judo world.
Whether by mobilizing prosecutors to dig up corruption and get them arrested, or, if that didn’t work, through sheer intimidation.
“Scared, huh...”
I trailed off and stared at Hyunseong’s face.
But despite saying he was scared, Hyunseong didn’t avoid my gaze at all.
“The captain called. Said the judo department’s in chaos. Senior Chanseong will live disabled for the rest of his life, the coach got arrested for taking bribes to influence the national team selection, and the head coach resigned to take responsibility.” freewebnøvel.com
At that moment, Hyunseong’s mom opened the door and walked in with a plate of fruit.
“Here, have some, Muhyuk.”
I stood up and took the plate.
“You’ll stay for dinner, right?”
“No, I promised Grandma we’d eat out tonight.”
“Really? That’s too bad. I was going to make you something good for once. Well, enjoy your time.”
She left and closed the door behind her.
There was a pause in the conversation, and Hyunseong found it hard to speak again.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
“...Did you really have to go that far?”
...Tch. Annoying.
“Hey. Park Hyunseong. I’m not in the mood for this. Listen carefully, because this’ll be the last time I say it. After today, I won’t be reaching out to you again.”
I took a breath and locked eyes with him.
“What, you thought I’d handle those people civilly? You really think what I did was too much? What scares you? That I might do the same thing to you if things go wrong? I live a life where if I don’t strike first, I’ll be the one who gets hit. I thought you understood that.”
“...”
“A life where no matter how many people are around me, I can never trust any of them. That’s the fucked-up road I’m walking. I have to be afraid—afraid of someone stabbing me in the back at any moment. That’s why I asked for your help. You guys were my friends even when I had nothing.”
“Muhyuk...”
“I’m going to Seoul tomorrow. Either come with me and help me, or stay stuck here in Busan and live your own life. Your choice.”
I stood up.
Before turning the doorknob, I looked back at Hyunseong one last time.
“I know things are hard for you. But I don’t have the capacity to worry about that right now. I’m scared too. I hope you come to Seoul with me. I’m leaving. Take care.”
I opened the door and walked out.
Hyunseong didn’t say a word until the end.
The next morning.
After finishing my preparations to head to Seoul, I stepped outside my room and found the dining table overflowing with dishes.
“Go call that man outside too. I haven’t even served your friend properly once. Hurry up now.”
I let out a small chuckle and called in Chief Ma, who was waiting outside.
He sat stiffly beside me at the table, clearly feeling out of place.
Grandma kept pushing side dishes toward him with a warm smile.
“Please take care of my baby. He’s reckless and will be a handful, but please watch over him.”
“I will.”
“That’s reassuring. With someone like you by his side, I feel better.”
Chief Ma gave an awkward smile at the praise.
Even as we left the house and prepared to depart, Hyunseong didn’t show.
I figured it was time to let go of any lingering hope. I kept staring out the window, but eventually turned my head away.
“Chief, once we’re back in Seoul, things are going to get really busy. I told Grandfather I’d do things properly, and I still need to look into my parents’ case.”
“Understood.”
“Keep an eye on Cheon Sooman’s side. Quietly, without letting Grandfather know. And how soon can we arrange a visit with Cheon Suhan?”
“I’ll schedule it as soon as we arrive.”
“Please make it as soon as possible.”
“Yes.”
As the car carrying me moved farther away from Busan, the familiar scenery passed by and receded, and with each passing moment, I felt myself letting go of everything I’d been holding inside.
After breakfast, I entered the study with Grandfather.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Grandfather nodded and watched me intently.
“I want to review all the current loan documents that are out.”
“All of them?”
“Yes. I need to understand exactly how your business is operating. I’ll decide what needs to be cleaned up, and what I’ll have to shoulder.”
“You mean to say... you’re planning to recall even loans made to major conglomerates?”
“Yes. It depends on what they used as collateral, but I plan to evaluate everything based on its recoverability.”
Cheon Taesan’s lips curled slightly with amusement, and I pressed forward more confidently.
“I don’t know what made you lend to those corporations. I’m sure there were more layers to the deals than what’s on paper, especially with their chairmen... but we’ve entered an era where only documented proof matters.”
“You’re saying the people I lent money to might skip out on paying me back?”
“Yes. I believe that’s very possible.”
Cheon Taesan’s laughter filled the study.
After a good while, he stopped and asked me suddenly.
“Do you know what the August 3rd Private Loan Freeze was?”
“Yes. Chairman Song told me about it.”
“Then do you know what that time was like? During the /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ height of the military regime, they went after private lenders to ‘save the economy’. The government handed out the public’s savings to corporations.”
His eyes sharpened.
“There wasn’t any money in the banks. Companies wanted loans, but there was no money to lend. So even the most powerful CEOs came to me, offering 50% interest rates. And then the government converted only the loans with documented origins into low-interest institutional loans. I had over 30 billion won lent out at the time.”
That was in the 1970s—when the entire money supply of the country was around 500 billion won. And he had over 30 billion in cash.
“I poured bribes into the military regime—KCIA directors, prime ministers, politicians. With that kind of money on the line, you think I wouldn’t do whatever it took?”
“I believe you.”
“The CEOs and presidents I dealt with promised to pay me back on their own. But some refused, acting tough. Do you know what I did to them?”
“I heard... you got your money back, one way or another.”
A cold smile flickered at his lips. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
“That’s right. If I couldn’t get my money, I tore their companies apart. I offered the same business to their competitors, lent them money at rock-bottom rates, torched the original companies’ factories, threatened their families. After that, nobody dared to cross me. No one doing business in South Korea.”
He exuded the confidence of a man who had ruled the underworld of Myeongdong for decades.
But I knew.
Once the IMF crisis hit, and after Grandfather suddenly collapsed, all of that would become just old stories.
What people feared wouldn’t be Cheon Taesan, the Loan Shark King—but the possibility that their companies could collapse overnight.
“The world is changing. Just like it did during the Real-Name Financial System. No one knows what’s going to happen next. But I think we need to change with it.”
“Change, huh...”
“If we don’t prepare now, we’ll be swept away. I want to ride that change and build something even greater. So that when I sit where you’re sitting now, what I rule is a Golden Empire no one can touch.”
Cheon Taesan narrowed his eyes at me, as if weighing my resolve.
I stared back with absolute confidence.
After some time had passed—
“Myeonghun, you out there?”
Ha Myeonghun opened the door and entered, bowing.
“You called, Chairman?”
“Show Muhyuk all the loan documents you manage.”
“All of them, sir?”
“Yes. All of them. I’ll handle what I personally keep later. Just show him what’s under your control.”
“Understood.”
Grandfather looked at me, as if to ask, “Is that enough?”
I smiled and nodded.
“Let’s see, then. This change you speak of.”
“I’ll live up to your expectations.”
The study door closed behind me.
Chief Ma, waiting outside, gave me a small nod.
“What about the visit?”
“It’s set for tomorrow afternoon.”
I gave a slight nod.
“Let’s head to my room.”
The real work was about to begin.
* * *
“Times really are changing. My body isn’t what it used to be.”
“You’re still going strong, Chairman.”
Back in the study, after Kim Muhyuk had left, Cheon Taesan and Ha Myeonghun were talking.
“Keep an eye on what he does. Let him do as he pleases for the most part. Just step in and advise him if you think he’s going too far.”
“Understood.”
Cheon Taesan’s eyes drifted for a moment, lost in thought, then refocused.
“When are Jiwon and Jisoo coming?”
“Master Jiwon will arrive tomorrow. Miss Jisoo is scheduled to come next week.”
“Make sure they get what they’re owed.”
“I’ll have it ready.”
“When do you think Suhan will get out? Will it be before the end of the year?”
“This year’s unlikely. But he’s promised a pardon for the Liberation Day amnesty next August.”
Cheon Taesan clicked his tongue.
He may not have liked what his youngest son had done, but it had been ages since he’d seen him.
“That’s too late. Try to get him out this year. No matter the cost. The moment he’s out, I want those divorce papers signed.”
“Understood.”
After Ha Myeonghun left, Cheon Taesan was alone again.
A faint smile rose on his lips.
“A Golden Empire... has a nice ring to it.”
* * *
I was waiting for Cheon Suhan in the attorney visitation room.
He walked in with a bright face, but the moment he saw me, the smile vanished.
“What the hell—why are you visiting me?”
I stood up and greeted him with a smile.
“What’s so strange about a nephew visiting his uncle? Please, sit.”
“Forget it. I’d lose my appetite looking at your face. Guard, let’s go.”
But the guard didn’t move.
Noticing something was off, Cheon Suhan glanced anxiously between the guard and me.
I sat down first and gestured to the seat across.
“Sit. Unless you want to lose everything you still have.”
“Hah... Already acting like the heir, huh? Disappointing.”
Scowling at the guard, Cheon Suhan finally sat down.
The guard looked at me and left the room, leaving only three of us.
Cheon Suhan glanced at Chief Ma behind me, then crossed his arms and glared at me.
“What do you want?”
“Why are you always so hostile to me? Did I ever do something wrong to you, Uncle? I really don’t get it.”
“Hah. Your existence in this family is what’s wrong. You should’ve just stayed buried in Busan. Why come here and cause trouble?”
“So you knew I was in Busan? That’s odd. Even Grandfather didn’t know.”
I didn’t miss the flicker in his eyes.
“What are you talking about? I knew because Father told me.”
“Sure. That could be.”
Cheon Suhan gave me a sideways glance as I leaned back in my chair, suspicious I’d discovered something.
Transparent as ever.
I couldn’t hide my smirk.
“But Uncle... are you really going to live like this? Always cleaning up after Big Uncle?”
“What? You little bastard—!”
Cheon Suhan shot up from his seat.
Chief Ma stepped forward from behind me.
“And who the hell are you? Can’t even lower your damn eyes?”
“Please sit, President Cheon Suhan.”
Despite Suhan’s outburst, Chief Ma didn’t flinch.
Crushed by the heavy presence, Cheon Suhan’s voice quickly lost its force.
“Have a seat, Uncle.”
He twitched his eyebrows but finally sat back down.
“You came to piss me off, huh? Fucking bastard, why stir shit up in here?”
“I heard something strange about my parents’ deaths. Want to hear it?”
<I'm going to build a Golden Empire.> End.
