The Youngest Son of Sunyang

"Do-Jun."

"Yes."

Jin Yeong-jun examined my flushed face, likely due to the alcohol, and whispered quietly. "Among our brothers, you're the only one who can play a role. The others are all losers. Even as they age and mature, they don't have the ability to run a company."

I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. The current appearance of my cousins isn't any different from when Jin Yeong-jun was in his 20s. Even now, there's no sign of a successor in Jin Yeong-jun's image.

"Frankly, I don't care if you become a lawyer or a prosecutor. Just stay by my side with that brilliant mind of yours. You're going to be the number two of the conglomerate."

Is it due to his wariness of me? Or is he genuinely looking for a trustworthy right-hand man?

"Wow, is the handsome big brother fond of me? Then, from today, you're my lover." A pretty girl clung to my side and wouldn't let go. Thanks to her, our conversation came to an abrupt halt.

"You catch on quickly. Give it your best shot. If our little brother takes a liking to you, you've really hit the jackpot. That high school kid has assets worth hundreds of billions. Haha."

At the mention of hundreds of billions, the girl's eyes sparkled, and Jin Yeong-jun playfully tapped my shoulder before going upstairs with the two girls. His arms around their waists...

"Life is so unfair. Third-generation chaebol, intelligent, good-looking, tall. What can I say, he's the perfect type."

"You were born pretty too. That's why you're here." I let go of her hand, which was wrapped around my waist, and said. "Let me ask one thing. How do you know my cousin?"

"Who I am matters more than that, don't you think?"

"You're probably a celebrity, or an aspiring one. Just answer quick to my questions."

"The entertainment industry is small. Once you know one person, you get introduced to others, exchange numbers, meet up, and get more introductions. After that, your phone is filled with female celebrities' names. Of course, you'll need money to support that."

From the way she casually mentioned it, it seemed like Jin Yeong-jun is not in a serious relationhip. Is it because he's still young?

"Also, I'm not an aspiring. I'm about to debut. I'm also preparing an album."

"As a singer?"

"Yes. Do you know H.O.T? The ones who debuted this summer."

"Yeah, I know."

"It's a similar concept. However, the members are cute girls like me."

Is it a girl group? In that case...? "What's your age?"

"Seventeen."

Oh my goodness! Isn't she a minor?

"Snap out of it. Don't follow me around in a place like this... Take care of yourself."

"...?"

Seeing the girl blinking her round eyes and staring at me fixedly, I realized what a foolish thing I had said.

Is this some middle-aged man's nonsense?

I wanted to hide my embarrassment and got up from the table.

"Since there seem to be many empty rooms, why don't you sleep and rest for a while? Just be sure to lock the door."

Before she could say anything, I walked outside.

Thank goodness. If that girl were an adult, I wouldn't have been able to brush her off so easily.

Taking in a breath of the chilly winter air, my mind cleared.

I saw the man sitting in the driver's seat with the engine running, dozing off. Perhaps he has a family. Why go through such hardships when he could have a warm home to stay in? Life can be so tough.

I opened the passenger-side door and sat down, and the man immediately woke up.

"I-I'm sorry. I must have dozed off."

"It's okay. I'm sorry for making you wait for so long."

"Oh, no, not at all. But you can sit comfortably in the back seat."

"I'm neither your superior nor your boss, so the back seat is uncomfortable. Just drive."

After the car started moving, there was silence for a while. The man who was driving seemed uncomfortable, so he cautiously spoke. "Would you like to listen to the radio, sir?"

"It's fine. And please don't call me 'sir.' 'Young Master' would suffice." I replied politely, and the man looked at my face as if he were surprised. "Do you work in the Group's Strategic Planning Department?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I often heard my grandfather, who is the chairman, talking about it. That's why I know the Planning Department is divided into two parts. One is composed of experts from prestigious universities who devise real group strategies, and the other..." I glanced at him and noticed that his hand on the steering wheel was trembling slightly. "The other part is made up of people who graduated from mediocre universities like my foolish cousins and are tasked with errands and cleaning up messes. You must belong to the latter."

His hand on the steering wheel had veins that were suddenly bulging, and his tightly closed lips trembled.

Shame, humiliation. I know those feelings well.

"You're luckier than the guys from top-tier universities who actually devise strategies."

"I, I...?"

"Consider Chairman's age. He's turning eighty soon. How much longer does he have to live? If Chairman passes away, we'll have our three big uncles and even our aunt - a total of four of them. They'll be eyeing to devour Sunyang Group. The Vice Chairman will be dancing with a knife, I guarantee it."

His face, devoid of feelings of shame and humiliation, was filled with astonishment.

"At that time, the secrets you know about the people in this household can be sold for a very high price. It's like getting all the money that office workers in top-tier universities can earn in a lifetime in one go."

"You... what are you talking about?"

"The title 'Young Master' is embarrassing... but speaking informally is irksome, isn't it? Let's be casual."

Our eyes met. Did he understand?

"I'm quite tired, so I'll take a nap. Please wake me up when we arrive home."

He increased the car's speed without saying a word.

*****

On January 22, 1997, the CEOs of four banks, including Jeil Bank, the main trading bank of Hando Group, spent a whole day persuading Chairman Jeong of Hando Group.

"Chairman, if things continue like this, we will all go bankrupt. The government is concerned about allegations of favoritism with the upcoming presidential election."