Third-Generation Chaebol

The traditional mansion exuded a serene charm in the late-night air.

Soft lighting illuminated the garden, and at its center, in the pavilion, the Gwanghwamun Bear sat smoking a long-stemmed pipe, greeting me with a warm smile.

"Just as you predicted, Sampoong Group is on the verge of collapse."

"It wasn't the outcome I wanted, but in the end, that's how it turned out."

"How did you know? It's not like Wall Street had any intel about the department store's collapse."

"Even if the department store hadn't collapsed, Sampoong Group was destined to fall. This only accelerated the timeline."

Chairman Lee eyed me suspiciously.

Of course, I couldn't exactly tell him the truth—that I had seen the future.

"You might get quite an earful from the people in Myeong-dong."

"From those fools who bought up Sampoong Group's stocks and bonds? What does it matter? I already sold everything. And now that I've scooped up all the Taewoo Group shares, I have no reason to deal with them anymore."

The amount of Taewoo Group's stock spread across Myeong-dong was substantial.

Since Chairman Lee's own stocks and bonds weren't enough to balance the price, I had even lent him money under Wall Street's name.

Of course, that money came from SAVE Investment company.

And since the stocks and bonds he bought would eventually end up with me, it wasn't really a loan—more like outsourcing stock purchases.

"This is just the beginning. The real backlash will come when other companies start falling like dominoes. When that happens… Well, you'll be in for a very long life."

"Isn't that a good thing? They say getting cursed at means you'll live longer. And if it's just a bunch of bankrupt nobodies complaining, I can handle that all day. Frankly, I hope that day comes soon."

Just from his eyes, I could tell Chairman Lee's trust in me had grown immensely.

The Sampoong Group crisis had cemented his complete faith in me.

"At this point, the only assets you have left are Taewoo Group's stocks and bonds."

"Exactly. If I transfer all my Taewoo Group shares to you, I'll be left with nothing but cash. But I'm no cash hoarder like that Dan guy. I have no idea where to invest next."

Even a skilled bear deserves a reward after performing well.

Since the Gwanghwamun Bear had carried out his task perfectly, I decided to give him a little tip.

"For now, stay away from Korean stocks. Instead, invest in the U.S. stock market."

"U.S. stocks? Do you have inside information?"

"Put everything into Microsoft. You'll make at least a 50% return."

"Microsoft? That computer company? And you're saying its stock will rise that much?"

The IT boom was about to take off in the United States.

Not just Microsoft—but all IT-related stocks would see a massive surge.

From my memory, the return was actually over 80%, and even SAVE Investment was aggressively buying up IT stocks.

"If you're worried, I can personally guarantee your principal investment. But in return, I'll take 10% of your profits."

"Hah! You're practically a highway robber. But no need for a contract—I'll trust you completely."

"One more thing. I said at least 50%, but you're actually going to double your money—guaranteed."

"What do you mean? If the stock rises 50%, how do I double my profit?"

"I've given you all the hints I can."

During the foreign exchange crisis, the value of the dollar would more than double.

By investing in U.S. stocks, one was essentially holding dollars, and as the exchange rate soared, it would create a second wave of profits, doubling the returns.

"Then how long should I hold onto Microsoft stock? Timing the sell-off is the most critical part of investing, after all."

"Sell it right before you take over Myeong-dong."

"So you're telling me to cash out after making money in the U.S. stock market—then use that capital to dominate Myeong-dong?"

"That's Phase 1 of becoming Myeong-dong's ruler."

Chairman Lee let out a hearty laugh.

"Talking with you makes me feel young again."

"Age is just a number, Chairman. If people live to 100, then 50 is still youth. If they live to 200, then 100 is still young. And with all the heat you'll be taking from this deal, I'd say 200 is well within reach."

"Hahaha! Well then, I'll aim for 200 years!"

Even though my comment was half a joke, Chairman Lee took great delight in it.

After all, he had just inched closer to his ultimate dream—how could he not be pleased?

***

One Week Later

The aftermath of the Sampoong Department Store collapse took a week to resolve.

Before my return to the past, the same situation had taken nearly a month.

This time, it was resolved much faster, thanks to Taewoo Group's immediate and full-scale support.

From cranes, excavators, and dump trucks to highly skilled construction crews—Taewoo Group had mobilized everything.

South Korea still lacked a proper disaster response manual, but Taewoo Construction filled in the gaps, drastically reducing the death toll to less than half of what it was before.

To the government, Taewoo Group had become an invaluable ally.

Even the President personally called my grandfather to express his gratitude.

"Haha, who would've thought I'd hear a thank you from the President—all thanks to my grandson."

"It was your quick decision-making that made it possible, Grandpa."

We sat on the living room sofa, enjoying tea and snacks.

Since my grandfather was scheduled for an overseas business trip tomorrow, he had come home early today for a rare, quiet evening together.

"The Presidential Office hinted that they'd support any business venture we choose. Since Taewoo Construction's projects have been delayed, shouldn't we at least demand compensation?"

"If we ask for something right away, it could distort our good intentions. Right now, we should focus on maintaining a strong relationship with the government."

I tried my best to dissuade him.

The last thing I needed was another business expansion, which would only increase my workload.

"Tsk, tsk. Timing is everything. You have to take advantage when the government is still grateful. If you wait too long, they'll just pretend they never owed us anything."

"Haven't we already gained enough? Unlike other conglomerates, Taewoo Group has cemented its image as a company that truly cares about Korea. People are even calling us 'the people's corporation'."

"So you expect me to be satisfied with just publicity? A real conglomerate needs to be ambitious."

"Ambition is fine—but there's such a thing as too much ambition, Grandpa."

"Either way, all you ever think about is expanding the group."

"Excessive ambition invites misunderstanding. We must ensure people recognize that our actions stem from genuine goodwill. That's the only way Taewoo Group can win even greater public trust."

Grandfather nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmm… Well, you played the biggest role in this, so I'll follow your lead this time. But tell me—how's the mobile phone launch coming along? I hear rumors that you've been stockpiling a massive amount of inventory."

There was nothing in the group that escaped my grandfather's knowledge.

Of course, he was aware that our factories in Incheon and Bucheon were running three shifts non-stop, churning out foldable phones at full capacity.

"To be honest, we don't have enough stock. If I had my way, I'd set up two or three more factories just for additional production."

Grandfather scoffed.

"You told me not to be greedy, yet here you are indulging in your own ambition. What if these foldable phones don't sell and just pile up as dead inventory?"

"I'm confident there won't be any excess stock."

"Confidence is good, but if this fails, even I won't be able to protect you."

Though my grandfather stood at the center of power, even he couldn't cover for all my mistakes.

It was a given that I'd become the next chairman, but to secure that position without challenge, I needed to prove myself with tangible results.

"Then, let me ask you this—what happens if these foldable phones become a huge success?"

Grandfather smiled, intrigued.

"If that happens, you'll have the freedom to pursue whatever you want. But let's say this does succeed—what exactly do you plan to do?"

"I want to take a position where I can reform Taewoo Electronics. Right now, Taewoo Electronics isn't growing properly. It's just desperately trailing behind Samjin Electronics and LC Electronics, always playing catch-up."

At that, Grandfather's brow furrowed—a sign of his deep displeasure.

Had this been a boardroom, I would have faced his wrath. But since we were in his private residence, he restrained his anger.

"So, you're saying that if you take over Taewoo Electronics, you can surpass Samjin Electronics?"

"Not with the current methods. We can never outpace Samjin Electronics unless we completely revolutionize our approach."

"So what you really want is to become the CEO/president of Taewoo Electronics, is that it?"

"If these foldable phones become a massive hit, wouldn't that prove I deserve the position?"

"We can discuss that after we see how the foldable phone performs. It's getting late—I should get some rest if I don't want to miss my flight tomorrow."

With that, Grandfather stood up from the living room and headed to his room.

He hadn't given me an answer yet.

But I had made it clear—I had my eyes on the CEO position at Taewoo Electronics.

***

It had been a while since I last visited Captain Kang's office.

There were now less than two months left until the electronics expo in Germany.

"CEO, it's been far too long. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me."

"That's a harsh thing to say. Didn't we still talk on the phone from time to time?"

"I was just saying—I missed you, is all. But since you're here in person… does this mean it's time for our next operation?"

"Have you secured the evidence against President Park Jin-hoon?"

To take over Taewoo Electronics, I first needed to bring down its current CEO/President—Park Jin-hoon.

Even if the foldable phone became a massive success, it wouldn't be easy to claim the CEO seat as long as Park remained in power.

That meant I had to find his weakness.

For over six months, Captain Kang had been digging into Park's vulnerabilities.

"On the surface, he's a clean-cut, upright person. But you know how thorough we are. Once the National Tax Service freak got involved, we found plenty of questionable dealings."

"So, you did find something."

"Embezzlement, slush funds, and real estate scandals—we've secured multiple pieces of evidence."

Captain Kang's investigative skills were top-notch.

But even for him, finding dirt on someone as meticulous as Park wasn't an easy feat.

That's why I had to give him a hint—a list of Park's peculiar behaviors.

From there, Kang was able to dig deep and uncover weaknesses.

"How strong is the evidence?"

"To be honest, it's not enough for an arrest. With the right legal team, he could probably get off with just a fine."

"That's more than enough."

Normally, a scandal like this wouldn't even scratch someone like Park Jin-hoon.

But with me rising from below, even a small crack could turn into a gaping hole.

"Keep gathering more evidence—including personal affairs."

"We've got over ten agents watching him 24/7."

"Make sure they keep a low profile—we can't afford unwanted noise."

Spying on a private citizen was a serious crime.

We had to move carefully. Even if we collected evidence, using it wasn't always straightforward.

But the more leverage I had, the greater my chances of taking him down.

"Oh! And we've also dug up dirt on some of Park's allies—several other executives."

"Hold onto that. We'll use it after Park is out of the picture."

A faction only existed as long as its leader did.

Once the leader fell, someone else would have to fill the void.

And if I took that position, I'd gain control over the boardroom.

"Prepare to expose Park's scandal by September."

"Understood. We're just waiting for your signal."

The electronics expo in Germany would be the spark that ignites everything—

The moment that marked my rise and Park Jin-hoon's downfall.