Chapter 9
Every time Lee Hak saw that intense gaze, a chill ran down his spine. Since he was the one who had awakened Do-hoon’s terrifying tenacity in the first place, he had no right to complain.
Back then, Do-hoon was only twelve years old.
To the child who had lost his mother and refused to eat or drink, the only thing Lee Hak could offer were words that would plant a purpose for living.
So, he told him. What his deceased mother had truly wanted.
Fortunately, Do-hoon snapped out of it, and from that moment on, he grew up displaying a fearsome determination, eventually becoming an indispensable core member of the Jaegil Group.
But in Lee Hak’s eyes, that still wasn’t enough. Nowadays, simply being the eldest grandson didn’t guarantee one would be handed the management rights; it was difficult. Moreover, handing them over recklessly would invite significant resistance from Seon-ju and Se-hun.
So, he decided to set up a fair competition. Everything from building a family to their standing and achievements within the group. He was determined to compare it all and choose his successor.
He disliked the opacity of the succession process and didn’t want anyone becoming complacent because of it.
Do-hoon immediately grasped Lee Hak’s underlying intentions. His position and achievements within the group were already unquestionably the best.
But for the otherwise perfect Do-hoon, marriage was the stumbling block.
So, Lee Hak was watching to see how he would handle this particular “assignment.”
Therefore, he couldn’t help but feel pleased that Do-hoon was getting married without dragging his feet.
“I’ll tell your grandmother immediately to start looking for a good match.”
“That won’t be necessary. I already have a woman I intend to marry.”
“Is that so?”
Lee Hak looked at Do-hoon, seemingly surprised.
Given Do-hoon’s trauma surrounding his mother’s death and marriage, he thought the young man had been avoiding women and focusing solely on work. To hear he already had someone…
“Good. Which family is she from? Is it a family I know?”
“She’s the only daughter of Ha-neul Food.”
“Ha-neul Food?”
Lee Hak was well aware of Ha-neul Food. While small in scale, they had solid technical skills and a good image; they were one of the companies he had kept an eye on when growing Jaegil Foods.
But even in its prime, Ha-neul Food couldn’t hold a candle to the Jaegil Group. A marriage with the now-failed Ha-neul Food?
For Do-hoon, who aimed to take over the Jaegil Group, this was a vastly inadequate match.
“A love marriage with the daughter of a company in the same industry as Jaegil Foods? One might call it a special fate, but her family falls far short of ours. How do you expect to compete with Se-hun like this?”
Se-hun’s wife, Ha-ri, was the daughter of a financial investment company family. While not a famously large investment firm, they had immense wealth and had even directly managed the investment funds for Se-hun’s recent new product development at Jaegil Foods. His in-laws had become Se-hun’s solid support.
In contrast, a marriage with the declining Ha-neul Food meant a significant disparity in family backing from the start.
This was an important factor that could affect the future performance and standing of both Do-hoon and Se-hun.
“Do you believe I lack the ability to the extent that I need to rely on my in-laws’ influence?”
“It’s not that, but one cannot succeed in this world solely on individual merit.”
No one could match Do-hoon in terms of sheer ability.
But honestly, Lee Hak wasn’t entirely confident that Do-hoon could lead the Jaegil Group relying solely on his own strength.
If he, a blood relative who had watched Do-hoon closely, felt this way, how much more so would the shareholders?
Se-hun, while not reaching Do-hoon’s level, had strong family support and had recently been showing good results. Public opinion could flip at any moment.
As if reading Lee Hak’s thoughts, Do-hoon slowly spoke.
“It may not be money, but couldn’t their technical skills be helpful?”
“What did you say?”
“By utilizing Ha-neul Food’s technical skills, we could use it as a stepping stone for Jaegil Foods’ growth.”
“Ha…!”
Lee Hak’s eyes widened as he looked at Do-hoon. It was such an unexpected statement that it felt like a blow to the back of his head, jolting him to alertness.
He immediately grasped Do-hoon’s underlying meaning. It seemed the young man was envisioning a larger plan to absorb Ha-neul Food’s technical skills into Jaegil Foods.
While Ha-neul Food was a failed company, it was known for its technical prowess, and it had many products that would be a shame to let disappear.
If Jaegil Foods, which had capital but hadn’t yet secured standout technical capabilities, could acquire them, it would naturally be a great help.
Whether through investment or a merger, doing so without a pretext could lead to criticism about a large conglomerate preying on a small business. But between in-laws, any decision would appear strategic.
Thinking that, it seemed like a rather decent match after all. Lee Hak looked at Do-hoon, who had conceived this idea, with renewed eyes.
Now that he thought about it, Do-hoon was an even more capable talent than he had previously realized.
“Alright, I’ll watch and see. Let me reiterate, I will judge based solely on results. It will be useless to regret it later.”
It was a warning: while he would grant permission, Do-hoon would be solely responsible for the results he produced with Ha-neul Food after marriage.
Do-hoon nodded satisfactorily.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
Do-hoon had no intention of relying on his in-laws’ influence anyway. His consideration of investment or merger options stemmed from thinking about ways to save Ha-neul Food, seeing it as a win-win, not a strategic move per se.
Even without using Ha-neul Food, he had plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his abilities, and he could easily surpass Se-hun’s achievements.
Regardless, Do-hoon was sufficiently satisfied with having obtained permission to marry Eun-ha.
“Seon-ju, is the meal ready?”
After his thirty-minute private talk, Lee Hak came out of his room and looked for Seon-ju.
Seon-ju, who had been sitting in the living room biting her lip and staring intently at Lee Hak’s door until then, startled and rose from the sofa.
“Ah, yes. It’s almost ready now.”
She hadn’t realized so much time had passed and hadn’t yet checked on the kitchen.
Seon-ju quickly signaled with her eyes to Ha-ri, who had been sitting idly by. Ha-ri ran to the kitchen to check the situation.
“You haven’t even prepared the meal yet? What have you been doing? And Do-hoon is here too. Tsk, tsk.”
Lee Hak clicked his tongue with a pitiful expression. Seon-ju felt her pride sting every time he treated her like this; it made her feel like hired help.
In truth, Lee Hak almost never called for Seon-ju except when it was time to eat.
She couldn’t help but feel that even her father-in-law looked down on her because she was the second wife.
She thought she would be happy just taking the first wife’s place and settling into this house…
But in the past 20 years, the times she could count as happy were few and far between.
Her husband, true to his nature, continued his carousing outside, and her father-in-law treated her like hired help at every meal.
On top of that, her stepson openly disregarded her. She sometimes thought even the most extreme jobs might be better than this.
The only thing that made it bearable was that Lee Hak treated Se-hun as a grandson and had included him in the succession competition.
If only Se-hun could inherit the Jaegil Group, these hardships would be nothing.
She believed that when that time came, she would receive all her rewards.
For that to happen, Se-hun absolutely had to become the successor, and she herself had to make a good impression on Lee Hak no matter what. So, even when displeased, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and smile.
“Preparing a meal is human work, Father-in-law. How can one time it perfectly? Besides, it seemed you were having an important conversation, so I told them to prepare it a bit slowly.”
While Seon-ju smoothly made excuses, Ha-ri returned and nodded.
“It seems everything is ready. Shall we go in?”
Lee Hak clicked his tongue again and headed towards the kitchen, asking,
“And why haven’t I seen hide nor hair of that father of yours and Se-hun yet?”
“Se-hun was practically pulling an all-nighter at the company again yesterday for the new product being launched. He’ll be down soon after washing up.”
Seon-ju, conscious of Do-hoon, seized the moment to boast about Se-hun.
“I hear the market response to the prototype is already excellent? They say once it’s launched, it will cause a sensation.”
“Anyone hearing you would think you’re the one running the business. Should I find you a position somewhere?”
At Lee Hak’s pointed remark, Seon-ju closed her mouth. It was a warning for those who stay at home not to meddle in outside affairs.
Lee Hak had never treated Seon-ju warmly. But even this familiar coldness, which she had grown accustomed to over the years, grated on her teeth even more when heard in front of Do-hoon like this.
“And that father of yours? Why isn’t he showing his face either?”
“…He also came home late last night.”
“That good-for-nothing, always staying out… A fine habit, indeed.”
Lee Hak clicked his tongue again. His gaze towards Seon-ju grew narrower.
It was a kind of pressure, asking why she still couldn’t keep Il-jun’s heart in check. It also implied that since she had pushed out the first wife and taken the position of lady of the Jaegil house, she ought to act the part.
Burning with humiliation, Seon-ju pursed her lips.
“Since you have something to discuss with Do-hoon today, bring him out immediately.”
“What did you wish to discuss?”
Seon-ju asked again, feeling uneasy. But Lee Hak snapped.
“You’ll know when you bring him. And serve the food quickly.”
“Yes.”
Though treated like hired help again, Seon-ju headed straight to the room where Il-jun was sleeping.
With a bad feeling creeping up on her, waking him and bringing him out as soon as possible seemed like it might help somehow.
“Honey, wake up quickly. Your father is summoning you. Do-hoon is here too.”
Her hands were busy shaking awake Il-jun, who had come home dead drunk last night.
It wasn’t as if Seon-ju stayed with this man because she liked him. Initially, it was true that she clung to him because he was the only son of the Jaegil Group. But she never imagined he would be so sincerely dedicated to partying.
He only pretended to work, and even in his fifties, he still lived immersed in alcohol day and night.
Moreover, his womanizing was no joke. Dozens of times, he had come home with lipstick stains on his dress shirts.
The only saving grace was that Lee Hak had threatened to kick him out of the family if he ever brought another woman or an illegitimate child home again. So, at least she didn’t have to worry about another woman showing up at her doorstep.
“Do-hoon is here? Why?”
At the mention of Do-hoon, Il-jun bolted upright and asked again. His face was still haggard from a hangover, the alcohol not fully worn off, but he looked sharply alert.
Seon-ju found it absurd. In her view, a man in his fifties should dislike being scolded by Lee Hak more, but Il-jun always seemed more concerned about Do-hoon.
He was always out carousing and had never properly embraced his son, yet he still acted like he had some claim to being a father?
“How should I know? Hurry up and go out. I’m just worried Father-in-law might be in a capricious mood and suddenly decide to hand the entire Jaegil Group over to Do-hoon. My heart is pounding.”
