Chapter 76
- The Big Picture
2023.07.15.
As I opened the door to the mansion, the staff made a fuss, saying it had been a while since Tae-joon had come. Kim Tae-joon accepted the greetings of each and every one of them, asked how they were doing, and moved to the dining room.
"Grandfather."
"Yes. Kim Tae-joon."
Jaepil, who had arrived earlier, opened his arms, and as previously learned, Kim Tae-joon approached his grandfather and hugged him.
"I said I wouldn't call you for a while, but I was taken aback when you didn't contact me once."
"Have you been well?"
"I'm well, but because of the things you've been doing in the United States, I've been busy too. You're not trying to fool your grandpa, are you?"
"If you plan to continue working with Chris and Greenbrook, my proposal is the best way. You will definitely be satisfied."
"Okay. This grandpa has gone out of his way to match your tune, so you have to grant me a favor too. Now you have to follow this grandpa around a lot."
Seok-hwa watched the two people, who were exchanging business talk like greetings as soon as they met, with a rather nervous look.
It wasn't easy to deal with them comfortably because they didn't reveal what they had in mind.
Last night, after learning that the father of Han So-eun, an employee of K Electronic Service's central headquarters, was Han Hong-gyu, Seok-hwa received additional photos of Han So-eun. After checking the photos, Seok-hwa was lost in thought.
When she visited Tae-joon's apartment with the Joseon white porcelain, there was a woman holding Tae-joon's hand in the parking lot. She only saw her fleetingly, so she couldn't be sure, but the woman's features were similar to those in the photo. She couldn't be sure that it wasn't Han So-eun.
No, after checking the photos, she was convinced that it was Han So-eun.
Did his father know? That his grandson was meeting that ill-fated child again.
No, did his father even remember that child back then?
Seok-hwa could not know what he was thinking, so she only swallowed a sigh.
Documents were being sent from the United States in real time, so as soon as Tae-joon arrived at work, he was busy organizing them. Mun-gyeong also spent time with Tae-joon in his office, assisting him.
Fortunately, the work was completed on time without any incidents. Tae-joon breathed a sigh of relief at the news from the US law firm Chris and Greenbrook and the Korean law firm Yulkyu Law Firm.
"Director, you've worked hard."
"Chief Song, you've worked hard too."
"But Director, do you have time to talk for a moment?"
Chief Song requested an interview with Tae-joon, who was about to lean back comfortably on his chair, relieved that the work was done. Tae-joon straightened his back immediately.
"Yes. Please speak."
"Is there anything I should know about your personal life? Like dating."
It was a question that she had been planning for a long time. In fact, Mun-gyeong didn't intend to bring it up until the end. However, last night, Kim Seok-hwa, president of K Electronic's home appliance division, contacted her and after talking about various things, there was a moment when she realized something. Seok-hwa said that she wanted to introduce a woman to Tae-joon, and Mun-gyeong couldn't say anything.
Tae-joon's expression turned cold, as if building a wall, at Mun-gyeong's leisurely smile, as if she knew everything.
"Should you know, or are you asking because you already know?"
However, he didn't bother to deny the topic that Mun-gyeong brought up.
Mun-gyeong, as a veteran secretary, didn't change her expression either. She knew from his attitude that this man was wary of her, so she had to approach the truth carefully.
"Chief Han So-eun is very pretty. I've never seen such a righteous and sincere person."
"......"
"But you didn't like her."
She reached out as if she was just going to be a friend. Teasing him by pointing out a fragment of the past.
Tae-joon's pupils shook as he properly confirmed what Mun-gyeong knew. He couldn't deny it to someone who knew everything and was asking. His resigned eyelids drooped down.
How should he say it?
A sigh came out first, and then his voice flowed out.
"I hated her because she was foolishly kind."
"......"
"Now I like her so much because she's so kind."
She was a woman who knew the value of love.
How could he not like that lovely woman who worked so hard to be loved?
Even just thinking about it now made the inside of his throat hot.
Tae-joon finally admitted his feelings.
Mun-gyeong was a little surprised at Tae-joon's confession. She didn't expect him to open up so easily, and she didn't know that he was already so deeply in love.
On the one hand, she was also pleased. Not long ago, he asked her what to do if he wanted to kill someone, which made her nervous, but now he was a director in love. It felt like she had confirmed both sides of one person. She was also grateful that he had confided this secret to her.
"You'll turn a blind eye, right?"
Tae-joon asked politely, looking at Mun-gyeong, who was smiling gently. He pretended to be relaxed, but he looked more earnest than ever.
Whether Mun-gyeong helped or not, there would be many obstacles to his relationship with Han So-eun. Mun-gyeong didn't want to be the villain in this pretty couple's story.
"That's my job, Director."
Mun-gyeong replied reassuringly.
Mal-hee and Heejin, who had each borrowed 1 billion won from loan sharks and wasted it on foolish things, resented and nagged Hee-wook all the time.
"Why did you break up with Hyun-ji? Who do you think you are! What are you worth?"
The point was that Hee-wook's estrangement from Hyun-ji had prevented them from obtaining coin information in a timely manner, which led to this mess. Even though they had been ridiculed so much by Hyun-ji, they couldn't accept reality.
"Who could stand it if you only talked about Han So-eun day and night in front of a girl who should be treated like a princess?"
Hee-wook was displeased with this reproach.
Of course, it was wrong to whine about Han So-eun in front of Choi Hyun-ji, but the timing was strange. There was no reason to quit the law firm just because she broke up with her boyfriend, who wasn't even in a public relationship.
Come to think of it, Hee-wook didn't even know Choi Hyun-ji's house yet. He knew that she lived in a luxury villa in Cheongdam-dong, but he had never been inside.
It was completely different from Han So-eun, who tried to share everything and open everything up. That made him even more resentful.
"You could have preserved 1.5 billion won if you had been thinking straight. Because you didn't say a word to us about your situation with Choi Hyun-ji... sob..."
Eventually, Heejin burst into tears.
Hee-wook was fed up with them causing the accident themselves and blaming others.
He should have just thrown everything away and run away with Han So-eun. Hee-wook also groaned all night because he was sick of his family.
The next day, as Hee-wook was leaving for work, his father, Gyu-chil, did not forget to remind him.
"They're very ruthless guys. No matter how much of a lawyer you are, you can't beat those who collect debts illegally. But you have to live somehow, Hee-wook. Sell the house, get an interim settlement of your retirement pay, and get a loan from your company, and gather as much money as you can. Your mother suffered so much and even had a liver transplant, so we can't have anything else taken this time, can we?"
Now, Hee-wook was the only source of money that the whole family could rely on. He was already exhausted and dying because his marriage had fallen through, but now he had to bear all the burdens of his family.
It was fortunate that the company was doing well. The merger of Yulkyu Law Firm was proceeding quickly with the consent of all members. It would be completed as soon as the administrative procedures up to the registration of incorporation were completed after receiving approval from the Minister of Justice. As early as in two weeks.
He had negotiated his salary well, he was able to settle his retirement pay as the company merged, and he would be getting a lot of work, so all he had to do was work hard.
Let my sister take care of her own debt, and I just have to solve my family's debt. It seemed like that would be possible somehow. It wasn't like people had to die.
As Hee-wook was walking down the hallway with the thought of asking the bank first, he heard his colleagues talking.
"The company name has been announced. It looks like they're going to combine Y from Yulkyu Law Firm and C from Chris and Greenbrook to go with Y&C."
"The name is just so-so."
"It's awkward now, but we'll get used to it eventually. I heard that K Electronics will be a client when the merger is complete."
Hee-wook, who was tempted, chased after the direction of the conversation.
"K Electronics is coming in?"
"Yeah. That's what they said. They say they're going to be closely connected to K Electronic's legal team."
It was welcome news, but Hee-wook was somehow reluctant. He had a strangely bad feeling, so Hee-wook checked the company intranet and his eyes went to the information that was updated today. Hee-wook clicked on the post left directly by the managing partner.
"Yulkyu Law Firm will be reborn as Y&C Law Firm by merging with Chris and Greenbrook Korea with the consent of all members. Y&C Law Firm will now go beyond Korea to become an international law firm specializing in international litigation.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Juaten K for his hard work in this entire process."
Juaten K. It was the name he had heard the most in the past few days. He had thought that he was a lawyer-like figure who mediated the merger of law firms like an overseas corporate raider, so he became interested and started looking into the merger information for the first time.
A photo was attached below the managing partner's announcement.
He recognized a person sitting with a satisfied smile in a conference room where the head of Chris and Greenbrook's US law firm, the head of the Korean law firm, and the head of Yulkyu Law Firm were seated.
"...Kim Tae-joon?"
Hee-wook blinked repeatedly, wondering if he was seeing things.
A non-lawyer cannot buy a law firm.
But he can hold a law firm in the palm of his hand and control it.
Juaten K. Juaten Kim.
Kim Tae-joon.
That crazy bastard had merged the company. To revoke my lawyer's license.
After finishing breakfast, Seok-hwa left Tae-joon and went to headquarters with Jaepil.
"Are you preparing something with Chris and Greenbrook, Father?"
Seok-hwa opened her mouth only after the two of them were left alone in the car. She had not been able to participate in the conversation between Tae-joon and Jaepil at the meal because her information in Korea had not been updated due to her overseas business trip. The gist was that he would connect the US law firm Chris and Greenbrook with the Korean law firm Yulkyu Law Firm, but Seok-hwa did not understand why that process was necessary.
"It's not me, it's Tae-joon who's working hard."
Seok-hwa tilted her head at Jaepil's answer.
It was the first time that Tae-joon had voluntarily stepped forward to promote something. But, it wasn't K Group's M&A, but mediating the merger of law firms. It wasn't even something that would bring him great results.
Chris and Greenbrook was the US law firm that Jaepil had been hiring when he was conducting overseas M&As. There was also a Korean branch, but it was only performing minor tasks in Korea and was only in charge of large international tasks. Honestly, there was no reason for such a company to proceed with a merger with a local law firm in Korea. Of course, it was something that Yulkyu Law Firm would welcome with open arms.
"Didn't you ask why?"
"Well. I just left him alone because I thought he might need an army to fight for him."
Could there be some kind of deal with Yulkyu Law Firm? Like asking them to hide slush funds.
Jaepil seemed to have already lost interest, but Seok-hwa couldn't give up.
The nephew she met today was as affectionate as ever, but Seok-hwa's heart was not at ease because she had learned about Han So-eun. It felt like an invisible glass wall had been erected around her nephew.
After greeting Jaepil, Seok-hwa went to her office and looked into 'Yulkyu Law Firm'. On Yulkyu Law Firm's website, the profiles and photos of the affiliated lawyers were listed. A finger that was slowly scrolling down stopped abruptly at one lawyer's profile.
Last night, there was a name she had obtained from the investigation report on Han So-eun.
Lawyer Yang Hee-wook. Han So-eun's ex-boyfriend, who had taken Han So-eun's liver and given it to his mother, was affiliated with Yulkyu Law Firm.
