TOIGC 100

Chapter 100 …

Empty Promises (2)

“Ah… is that so?”

Through the brief silence, Geun-tae could tell that Park Ki-soo was less than thrilled by the topic. At the same time, he felt a flicker of satisfaction. After all, he had brought it up precisely to ruffle Ki-soo’s feathers.

“Yes. Running Yaikai Department Store has taught me one thing: you simply can’t outdo Seth’s deep roots. Seth launched its department store years ahead of Yaikai, after all. Plus, given that Seth is a massive corporate group, the cross-synergy with other affiliates is just… wow. Honestly, I’m starting to think I should just be content with keeping our flagship store running smoothly. Hahahaha!”

As Geun-tae laid on the fake humility with a hearty laugh, Ki-soo sat in dead silence, offering no response.

“The real reason I requested this meeting today was simply to pay my respects and put myself on your radar. Considering Seth’s scale and strategic reach, there’s always a chance our little Yaikai might end up absorbed as a Seth subsidiary—or at the very least, fall into a dependent partnership. Since I’m still green in this industry, coming directly to pay homage was the only real move I could think of. I’m genuinely touched by how warmly you’ve welcomed me.”

By deploying the “naive newcomer” playbook, Geun-tae heaped praise on Ki-soo, leaving the executive boiling on the inside while unable to fire back. After all, whether he liked it or not, Ki-soo was still bound to the Seth banner. Instead, Ki-soo chose a slightly different angle to air his hidden grievances.

“Still, why go out of your way to see me…? If you just wanted to pay your respects, wouldn’t it have made more sense to meet the head of the company, my father?”

Had Geun-tae given a clumsy reply like, “The Chairman is too hard to get a meeting with,” the conversation would have ended right there. Instead, Geun-tae deployed a masterclass of flattery to instantly win Ki-soo over.

“Oh, come on. Business is a long-term game, isn’t it? Seth is going to be President Park Ki-soo’s enterprise before long. Naturally, the person I need to build a relationship with is you.”

Seth belongs to Park Ki-soo.

Hearing those words, Ki-soo’s expression visibly relaxed. If that statement had carried any logical grounding in reality, Ki-soo would have immediately grown suspicious: What’s his angle? Why is he coming to me with such heavy flattery? Is he playing me? But living as he did in a bubble far removed from harsh realities, Ki-soo’s defenses crumbled instantly before a stranger who made him feel so validated and important.

“It’s certainly nice to hear you say that.”

“Nice to hear? Isn’t it just a statement of fact?”

Ki-soo let out a heavy sigh.

“I wish it were a statement of fact.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“I probably won’t end up inheriting Seth.”

“Pardon? That’s ridiculous… You’re the eldest son! If not you, who else could possibly take the helm? And isn’t it entirely thanks to your efforts that Seth managed to crack the notoriously difficult Japanese market?”

Ki-soo offered a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

“If things were that simple, life would be grand. But reality is a different beast. If I had a bit more time, I could firmly lock down my position, but as it stands, Seth Holdings is struggling to gain a solid foothold in Japan. Meanwhile, my younger brother has been right by our father’s side, quietly checking off every political box and stacking up merits.”

Though spoken in a calm tone, Ki-soo’s underlying resentment bled cleanly through his choice of words.

“Time, you say…”

“Exactly. If I only had more time… If I had expanded into Japan the moment I came of age, I’d have secured my succession long ago. But I entered the Japanese market too late. Once my brother takes over Seth, there won’t be a sliver of a chance for my own son to inherit it.”

“That’s a crying shame… But frankly, I find it hard to believe. Given your drive and capability, you should have locked down the region by now. Did your brother actively sabotage you?”

At that precise nudge, Ki-soo opened the floodgates to a seed of doubt he had kept buried out of sight for years.

Now that I think about it… Could the reason my Japanese ventures kept collapsing at the eleventh hour be because that brother of mine was undermining me from the shadows?

Reflecting on it, several deals had indeed fallen apart right as ink was about to meet paper, and key local partners had abruptly cut ties. While business setbacks were a dime a dozen in the corporate world, Ki-soo’s newly sparked paranoia quickly hardened into absolute certainty.

“Maybe he did. The succession wars in elite chaebol families are bloody. Whew… You came all this way to see me, but I’m basically a dead branch on this tree. You probably wasted your trip.”

“No, not at all! Talking with you today has left me deeply impressed by your broad, sophisticated vision. Continuing our exchange will undoubtedly be a massive asset to me. Whether you inherit Seth or not, President Park, I want to keep building a long-term relationship with you.”

Touched by the sincerity in Geun-tae’s voice, Ki-soo bowed his head slightly.

“I can’t believe you’d say that… Thank you.”

“Nonsense. This conversation has been genuinely invaluable. In fact, if you’re open to it, I’d love to look up to you as an older brother. Would you grant me that honor?”

The deep deference Geun-tae displayed, backed by the heavyweight status of running Yaikai Department Store and his connections to the military junta, left Ki-soo with no room to refuse.

“If you’re willing, the honor is entirely mine. I hear you hold serious sway within military circles, too…”

“Sway is a strong word. I’ve just been fortunate enough to ride the right currents. Anyway, I’ll take your silence as consent to call you ‘hyung’ from now on?”

“Ah… well, let’s do that.”

“Thank you, Hyung. From here on out, drop the formal talk.”

“I… suppose I should?”

“Of course! From now on, think of me as your younger brother. If you ever hit a rough patch, just say the word. I’ll move mountains to help you.”

“What could a little brother like you possibly help with? Honestly, just having you drop by like this to talk shop is the best medicine. I haven’t felt this at ease in ages.”

Listening to Ki-soo’s relaxed tone, Geun-tae smiled inwardly.

Looks like the rapport phase is officially complete.

Take any investor: when they make their first billion, their psychology is completely different from when they lose half a billion of that same sum. The first time, they analyze charts with cold detachment and walk away profiting. But when they lose half a billion, they stop viewing it as a net positive five hundred million and instead obsess over a “five hundred million loss,” leading them to reckless over-leveraging and ruined judgment.

Park Ki-soo was trapped in that exact psychological loop, which was why Geun-tae had successfully maneuvered him into an sworn-brother dynamic using corporate clout alone.

“Just occasionally? I’ll be dropping by often. Next time, we need to grab a proper drink together. Don’t you agree?”

“Drinks… Iike that idea. Japan’s nightlife culture is quite something, you know.”

A flash of hedonistic anticipation crossed Ki-soo’s face.

The moment his brain goes soft.

Targeting that precise window of vulnerability, Geun-tae drove the wedge in deeper.

“By the way, Hyung.”

“Hmm?”

“If you’re going to drink, you want to do it when you’re in a good mood, right? Drinking when you’re stressed is practically poison. Total poison.”

“Sigh… you’re not wrong.”

“In that spirit, I think I might actually be able to help you turn things around. What do you say?”

“Help me? How? Even the military junta doesn’t hold much weight over here in Japan…”

“Oh, come on, Hyung! Do you really take me for someone who lacks that kind of situational awareness?”

“Then?”

A younger brother closing in on forty, and an older brother in his early fifties. Yet the older brother was currently falling under the spell of the younger one just like an impressionable teenager.

“Have you ever heard of the Umiguchi-gumi out in the Tohoku region?”

“The Umiguchi-gumi? Of course I have. They’re easily one of the top three yakuza syndicates in Japan. Why bring them up?”

Geun-tae put on a playful, mischievous grin.

“I happen to have a bit of leverage with them. If you want, Hyung, I can pave a six-lane asphalt highway straight through your business obstacles.”

Gesturing smoothly with both arms from left to right like an eager host welcoming diners, Geun-tae watched as Ki-soo swallowed hard.

“Th… That’s possible…?”

“Yes. As it happens, the Umiguchi-gumi’s youngest daughter is currently looking for a groom. If you’re interested, Hyung, I could pitch your son as a candidate.”

Dropping that bombshell, Geun-tae bowed his head with an exaggerated gasp.

“Ah—forgive me! I got carried away trying to help you out and spoke out of turn without checking your personal feelings first. I’m so sorry!”

Far from being offended, Ki-soo didn’t scold him at all.

“No, no—wait. Tell me more, details. The Umiguchi-gumi is looking for a husband for their youngest daughter?”

Geun-tae nodded earnestly once more.

“Yes. Her name is Hiroko, and she’s in her late twenties. Since your son is around the same age bracket, I figured they’d make a fine match.”

“My boy is twenty-three, though…”

“Ah, she’s a bit older then. But she’s definitely unwed. She spent years studying medicine in France, but after failing her grade-advancement exams three times, she switched to biology, ran into the exact same academic wall there, and that’s why her marriage is a bit late in the game.”

“France… I hear the academic standards out there are brutal.”

In the French university system, students must pass strict annual progression exams, and failing a single grade level three times permanently bars a student from continuing that major. Hiroko had hit that wall twice, which delayed her romantic milestones.

Of course, the notion that she was actively hunting for a groom was half-fabricated. Masao had pitched the idea of Hiroko’s arranged marriage to his father, secured approval, and passed the intelligence along to Yoongi. Yoongi had handed those pieces to Geun-tae, who packaged and delivered them straight to Ki-soo.

“What do you think? I’m not entirely sure how much market grip Seth Holdings currently holds here, but with the backing of the Umiguchi-gumi, you’d become a dominant titan in the Tohoku region overnight. Play your cards right, and you might even break into Japan’s top thirty conglomerates—faster than Seth back in Korea.”

Ki-soo’s breath hitched instantly.

Top thirty conglomerates! Faster than Korea!

His blood raced, and his palms began to sweat. If Seth Holdings broke into the upper tier of Japanese big business, it would mean surpassing his father’s wildest achievements, rising above simple paternal validation to eclipse the patriarch entirely.

“Brother!”

“Yes, Hyung.”

“I’ll give this serious consideration. Can you give me just one day?”

“Of course. It’s a decision that demands careful thought. Reach out whenever you’re ready.”

As soon as Geun-tae departed, Ki-soo immediately summoned his trusted right-hand man, Jeong Dong-yoon.

“The Umiguchi-gumi? You mean to marry the President’s son off to their youngest daughter?”

“That’s right. If we pull this off, it’ll be like strapping wings to a tiger.”

“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard rumors as well. Word has it that the Oyabun of the Umiguchi-gumi, Watanabe Yasuda, deeply distrusts his own son, Watanabe Masao. If the President’s son unites with Hiroko, the President might end up absorbing the raw power of the syndicate itself…”

Dong-yoon trailed off, but Ki-soo’s mind was already painting a vivid picture of himself sitting on the throne of the Japanese underworld. A moment later, he recalled the rumors about Masao failing to secure his father’s trust.

Is that fool in the exact same boat as me?

An uninspired son sidelined by an imposing father. But instead of feeling pity, Ki-soo’s wheels began turning on how to exploit Masao’s vulnerability.

“Managing Director Jeong.”

“Yes, President.”

“Just thinking out loud here.”

Dong-yoon knew damn well it wasn’t just idle musings, but he kept a straight face.

“Go ahead.”

“How would it look if I married Hiroko instead of my son?”