TOIGC 29

Chapter 29 …

No Way to Samwoo Trading (2)

In the few days it took for Ryu Geun-tae to travel to Seoul and return with Yoongi, Kim Jeong-seon hadn’t been sitting on his hands. He had pulled every string in his network to gather as much intelligence on Samwoo Group as possible.

Of course, given the massive gap in power and stature, he couldn’t dig up sensitive internal secrets, but he managed to map out the general organizational structure of Samwoo Trading.

‘Samwoo Group doesn’t have a dedicated construction firm under its belt yet, but Samwoo Trading has an in-house division handling construction projects.’

That discovery raised a massive question mark in Jeong-seon’s mind.

‘Why is he trying to launch a brand-new firm from scratch instead of just contracting project work to Samwoo Trading?’

Naturally, a few plausible reasons crossed his mind. However, because every scenario carried high risk, Jeong-seon intended to address it directly before going any further.

“Mr. Kim.”

At Yoongi’s low, calm voice, Jeong-seon replied in a similar tone.

“Please, go ahead.”

“How many children do you have, sir?”

In that single instant, Jeong-seon realized the young heir sitting across from him was anything but naive.

If Yoongi had spilled every detail right off the bat, it would have made things easier to grasp. But at the same time, Jeong-seon wouldn’t have been able to shake the thought, ‘He really is just a kid.’ After all, spilling your guts to someone you’re meeting for the first time—even if they happen to be your secretary’s uncle—was hardly the mark of a skilled negotiator.

‘He’s either made an enemy out of the Chairman’s son at Samwoo Trading, or he intends to. That explains why Samwoo Trading is completely out of the question.’

Jeong-seon hadn’t built a local enterprise purely on luck. Having picked up on the implicit context, he moved straight to the core question.

“Why should we take on that kind of risk?”

Yoongi could tell right away that Jeong-seon had picked up on his point.

‘Whether he turns out to be a sly snake or a steadfast ally, Geun-tae certainly didn’t drag in an incompetent fool just because of family ties.’

Jeong-seon’s tone wasn’t sarcastic—it was a genuine, serious query. Even a conglomerate sitting around the 100th spot could easily crush a regional enterprise if they set their mind to it. In fact, Cheil Textiles, a previously stable mid-sized company, had seen its owner reduced to a mere figurehead after Lee Won-hee’s blunder.

“Life is a continuous series of choices, Mr. Kim. I’m not forcing your hand. Staying in your hometown and running a regional business is one choice. Betting on me and eventually becoming the CEO of a major conglomerate subsidiary is another.”

The CEO of a major conglomerate subsidiary. The risk was undeniably immense, but the potential payoff was breathtakingly sweet.

‘If I accept this offer, I’m putting not just my own future on the line, but my entire team’s.’

If he were still running a tiny, fledgling shop with a handful of workers, he would have jumped at the chance without a second thought.

‘Then again, if my firm were still that small, this young CEO probably wouldn’t have looked my way in the first place.’

Watching Jeong-seon agonize over the decision, Yoongi set aside his ideal scenario and presented a secondary compromise instead.

“In that case, how about we approach it like this?”

“Approach it how?”

“If you come under my wing, you’ll eventually have to operate out of Seoul anyway. The core project itself is going to take place there.”

“I figured as much.”

“Building connections with labor agencies in Seoul and establishing ties with heavy equipment operators takes time. You’ll definitely need a ramp-up period.”

“How do you even know about those operational details…?”

“If you wander around local job sites and buy the crew a bowl of rice wine and a decent meal, they’ll happily tell you everything about the trade.”

In reality, it was knowledge retained from his past life before regressing, but to Jeong-seon, Yoongi’s explanation sounded terrifyingly sharp and practical.

“Are you saying you’ve been doing hands-on field research just to understand ground-level operations?”

“I don’t believe in pretending to know things I don’t.”

The revenue chart for Microsoft that he’d seen a few days ago flashed through Jeong-seon’s mind again. As his estimation of the young boy skyrocketed, his tone grew visibly more respectful.

“Please, continue. I’m listening.”

“From what Secretary Ryu tells me, your firm isn’t exactly what I’d call ‘small.'”

“That’s fair to say. We have a solid reputation around here, and we get project requests from other regions and even Seoul from time to time.”

“Then let’s establish a Seoul branch first. However, this branch won’t function as an extension or subsidiary of your current company—it will belong directly to my business entity.”

“Which means…?”

Yoongi nodded.

“Have one mid-level manager, two field veterans, and a couple of junior staff hand in their resignations at your firm. Once they do, I’ll hire them directly, and we’ll start laying the groundwork for our Seoul operations.”

Relying on his instincts as a business owner, Jeong-seon recognized that this was his decisive moment.

‘If I turn him down now, he’ll cut his losses and walk away for good!’

Jeong-seon’s instinct was spot-on. Yoongi’s current liquid capital was tapped out, which was the real reason Geun-tae couldn’t execute aggressive corporate poaching. Had Yoongi ordered Geun-tae to recruit a team next year instead of now, Geun-tae never would have traveled down to see his uncle.

“I accept your proposal. Let’s work out the details based on that arrangement.”

The moment he gave his answer, Jeong-seon caught the subtle smile touching the corners of Yoongi’s lips. It was a deliberate smile—one Yoongi made no effort to hide because it radiated absolute, unshakeable confidence.

“Which path are you leaning toward—the conservative transition or the full commitment?”

“Honestly, if I were younger with fewer mouths to feed, I’d sell off the office today and move up to Seoul tonight. But reality doesn’t work that way. You know as well as I do how cutthroat the corporate world is, Boss.”

“Which is precisely why I’m not pressing you.”

Jeong-seon nodded in agreement.

“So, I’ll go with the second option. I’ll handpick my most trusted men and send them up to Seoul. I trust you’ll take good care of them.”

Yoongi nodded in return.

“Of course. I despise making empty promises, but given our current situation, I’ll make a single exception. The core crew that comes up to Seoul first will be placed in key executive roles when our department store opens four years from now. They will receive far better treatment than anyone who joins later.”

“A… a department store?”

Hearing the plan for the first time, Jeong-seon was visibly taken aback.

“Yes. The sole reason I need a construction firm right now is to build that department store. And I plan to build the most luxurious, top-tier department store of our era—one that will completely overshadow what Hwashin used to be.”

Hwashin Department Store had been the undisputed retail giant in Jongno prior to liberation, and Jeong-seon still vividly remembered visiting it as a child while holding his parents’ hands.

‘His plan is almost certainly to expand using the department store as a launchpad… Or at the very least, use the revenue generated from it to fund larger-scale development projects.’

If he held fast to this lifeline, Jeong-seon’s business would never have to grovel or scramble for petty contracts ever again.

“I’ll handle this swiftly so you won’t have to worry, Boss. Give me a week… no, five days, and I’ll send the crew up through Geun-tae.”

“Understood. I’ll be taking my leave, then.”

“Safe travels back to Seoul, sir.”

Watching the car carry Geun-tae and Yoongi back toward the capital, Jeong-seon felt as though he had just bought a lottery ticket.

‘If I misjudged him, my men and I will get used up and thrown to the curb.’

Yet, as he looked down at that half-scratched ticket, he could practically see three matching winning numbers staring back at him.

‘That look he gave me right before getting into the car…’

The look in the eyes of Samwoo Group’s eldest grandson—and Geun-tae’s master—had carried an unmistakable message:

[This is your one and only window to rise to the top alongside me.]

Jeong-seon balled his hands into tight fists.

Three days after their initial meeting, Kim Jeong-seon was already knocking on Ryu Geun-tae’s door in Seoul.

It was a dilapidated rooftop room—hardly a fitting residence for someone acting as the personal secretary to a wealthy heir. It wasn’t even a legal rooftop unit like those built in the 2000s, but a crude, makeshift structure thrown together on top of a residential building.

Having tracked down the address, Jeong-seon knocked on the door, only to be startled first when a stout woman with a tight perm answered instead of his nephew. He was startled a second time when, following her directions, he climbed the exterior stairs to view the rooftop unit itself.

“Ah, Uncle! You made it?”

“Hey, Geun-tae… You… What on earth… is with these living conditions…?”

Having traveled all the way to Seoul with grand ambitions, Jeong-seon was momentarily struck speechless. Looking at his nephew, he felt his heart cracking like the dry, fractured walls of the rooftop unit.

Geun-tae frantically shook his head to clear the misunderstanding.

“It’s not what you think, Uncle! Come inside first. I’ll explain everything.”

Stepping inside, the conditions seemed even worse. Though the walls blocked the harsh wind, the room felt like an absolute icebox.

“Come over this way.”

Geun-tae ushered Jeong-seon into a large camping tent pitched directly inside the room. Crawling into the tent, which was lined with thick, warm blankets, the biting chill receded noticeably, prompting Jeong-seon to let out a heavy sigh.

“Why are you living like a beggar? Can I actually trust this operation? Coming up here is starting to feel like a huge mistake…”

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that at all! I’m making way more money now than I ever did in the main executive office.”

“Are you serious?”

“I swear! I get my standard salary from the executive office, plus an additional stipend directly from the Boss. It’s just that I’ve been taking that money and…”

Geun-tae lowered his voice, leaning in close to whisper in his uncle’s ear.

“…following the Boss’s master plan and quietly buying up real estate in targeted development areas nearby—just enough so the young master implicitly approves. I’ve also been scooping up shares in the key suppliers he deals with.”

In short, he was reinvesting his entire paycheck by piggybacking on Yoongi’s moves. Yoongi was fully aware of it, but he quietly turned a blind eye to the actions of his second-in-command.

After all, that kind of inner-circle perk was the ultimate privilege of being the boss’s right-hand man.

“Is it really worth going to such lengths?”

“Absolutely. I’m practically a secret multi-millionaire at this point—though my landlord’s family certainly wouldn’t guess it.”

Geun-tae chuckled softly to himself as he thought of his rapidly expanding portfolio of land deeds and stock certificates.

“Hey… if it’s that lucrative, loop your old uncle in on the action!”

Jeong-seon scooted his hips closer, leaning in eagerly, but Geun-tae shook his head with firm finality.

“Not yet, Uncle.”

“Why not? Come on, share the wealth!”

“This only works because the Boss chooses to turn a blind eye for me. If you start jumping in without permission, it’s going to cross his line and ruffle his feathers.”

“Hey! After everything I’ve done for you…”

Geun-tae held his ground, shaking his head.

“It’s out of the question right now.”

“If it’s out of the question now, then when…?”

“Earn your way into the Boss’s good graces first. Once you prove your worth to him, I’ll be able to share that intel with you.”

“Hmm…”

Seeing that his uncle was still looking somewhat reluctant, Geun-tae locked eyes with him, his expression turning deadly serious.

“Get a grip, Uncle. The Boss possesses the tactical mind of a seasoned conglomerate chairman… or at the very least, a top-tier heir destined for the throne. Do you know why he tolerates me doing this behind the scenes?”

“Because you follow his orders well?”

Geun-tae shook his head.

“No. He’s keeping me on a short leash. As long as I remain a loyal hound, he’s content to let me swallow the sweet treats he drops. But what do you think happens if I stop acting like a loyal hound and try to bite the hand that feeds me?”

“What happens…?”

“Snap!“

Geun-tae reached out, placing his palm flat against his uncle’s throat, and gave it a sharp, firm twist.