Chapter 298: You Must Be Resolute

On the third day after arriving in Greece, the news of Chairman Song Young-ju's passing flew over from Korea.

"Chairman Song has passed away. We need to head back."

I let out a deep sigh, gazing up at the sky. The clear blue sky, devoid of a single cloud, weighed heavy on my heart.

"I haven't had a moment's peace. I should go back, right?"

Han Gyeong-yeong grumbled, but his expression was as stiff as a board.

He nodded slightly and spoke.

"That's for the best."

It didn't even matter that I wouldn't be attending the funeral. I hadn't even finished sorting out the stake distribution, yet Chairman Song had left this world.

So, I had to be at the funeral home.

"Let's get going first."

There wasn't a word exchanged during the drive to the airport. Even Aili seemed to sense the seriousness in the air and kept her mouth shut.

"Catch you later, Aili."

"Yeah, see you later."

After a brief farewell with her, I boarded the private plane.

Once on board, the tangled thoughts in my mind prevented me from relaxing.

The long flight left me exhausted, but I had no time to rest.

At Incheon Airport, I changed my clothes immediately and headed to the funeral home.

"Aili, has the Daehyeon Group's stake sorting been completely resolved?"

"Yeah. Most of it is sorted, but the Daehyeon Automotive shares are still a mess. We can't have any stray thoughts either. Most of the board members are now our people, and although Chairman Song Chan-seong is technically in charge, he can't launch any new ventures without our agreement."

It seemed Aili had managed a decent amount of sorting while I was away. I nodded subtly and added,

"The board members from Daehyeon Automotive will all be there at the funeral. Be sure to warn them not to think of anything foolish."

"Understood, Boss."

Though the Chan-seong side was losing ground in the stake battle, Daehyeon Automotive couldn't be separated from the group. Still, he could be a nuisance for Song Chan-woo at every turn.

"Make sure to gather more Daehyeon stocks."

"Got it."

I wanted to properly mourn Chairman Song Young-ju, but it was hard to simply grieve a death in chaebol family funerals.

It was a sordid place, filled with competitive glances about future power shifts and which strings to pull.

"We've arrived."

I stepped out of the car with Han Gyeong-yeong and Aili.

The area in front of the funeral home was flooded with reporters wielding cameras.

The reporters weren't interested in me who had gotten out of the same car.

"It's Han Gyeong-yeong!"

"It's Representative Aili!"

They hurriedly snapped pictures of the two. At least they had the decency not to try for an interview.

I spoke just barely loud enough for Manager Ma beside me to hear.

"Dispose of every photo they take of me. If even one gets captured, discard them without hesitation—every last one."

Manager Ma stayed behind at the funeral home entrance, while Han Gyeong-yeong, Aili, and I proceeded inside.

The very spot where my grandfather's funeral had taken place was now decorated by the remains of Chairman Song Young-ju.

The two of them shared a long and twisted connection. It was fitting they would spend their last moments in the same place even in death.

Upon entering the hall, I offered a chrysanthemum and took a moment to reflect.

"Chairman, I hope you find peace and share wonderful moments with Grandfather."

I raised my head and gazed at Chairman Song's solemn face in the portrait for a long while.

Turning, I bowed my head slightly toward Chairman Song Chan-seong.

"I wish for the repose of the deceased's soul."

"Thank you for coming."

"Of course, it's my duty."

After exchanging formalities with the other brothers, I finally greeted Chairman Song Chan-woo.

"You stayed until the end?"

"Yes."

"How did it happen?"

"He… didn't even leave a last word for us. He was just like any other day…"

In the cold funeral hall, only Chairman Song Chan-woo genuinely mourned.

Being the only child born out of wedlock, he had no one else but his father supporting him. After losing him, this sorrow must've been unbearable.

However, a successor of the Daehyeon Group couldn't afford just to grieve.

"Let's talk for a moment."

"… Sure."

Chairman Song Chan-woo guided me into a private room.

The remaining family members silently observed behind Chairman Song Chan-woo.

In the wide hall visible as soon as we exited the mourning room, Daehyeon's executives had claimed their seats.

They honored Chairman Song Young-ju with liquor as tribute.

Upon Chairman Song Chan-woo's exit, everyone stood up promptly and bowed their heads. It was now clear who the owner of Daehyeon was.

"Do we have a count of who's attending the funeral?"

"Most of the chaebol heads have come to pay their respects."

"Then assign a room each for Aili and Han Gyeong-yeong. I need to speak with the heads of the Daehyeon affiliated enterprises separately."

"Understood."

When Chairman Song Chan-woo raised his hand, the secretary rushed over.

"Give a room each to Representative Aili and President Han Gyeong-yeong. We have spare rooms, right?"

"Yes, we do. I'll arrange that right away."

After the secretary bowed and stepped back, Chairman Song Chan-woo took me to the innermost room.

We sat across from each other, with a table between us.

"I thought it would be a family-only affair."

"After family deliberations, we set up the mourning room here. Father always said to keep things simple for family funerals, but big brother insisted on a larger ceremony…"

Still being dragged along by Song Chan-seong? I raised an eyebrow at him, noticing his awkward expression.

"Whether it's for family meetings or whatever, you need to hold firm. If you start showing leniency toward your brothers, you'll end up being looked down upon."

"I know. I just… wanted to leave my father's last moments in big brother's hands. That felt right. I won't let it happen again."

"Be resolute. You can't afford to be complacent in that position."

Chairman Song Chan-woo wore a bittersweet smile.

"You sound just like my father."

"You're well aware of how Chairman Song Young-ju treated his younger brothers, right? That's just par for the course in Daehyeon."

Chairman Song Young-ju expelled all of his brothers who had established the company with him.

He offered them access to subcontracting businesses that supplied goods to Daehyeon and Daehyeon Automotive, but it was a cruel treatment for those who had shared the founding and growth of Daehyeon over many years.

But I thoroughly understood Chairman Song Young-ju's stance. Even if his brothers held no ulterior motives, others might easily manipulate them.

"Can I lead Daehyeon well without my father?"

"You're the son of the Honorary Chairman. I have no doubt you'll manage smoothly. Whether you'll grow it further is another matter."

Originally, Song Chan-woo would commit suicide a few years after Chairman Song Young-ju's death. So, I couldn't gauge his managerial skills accurately.

Tiger father, tiger son.

There's a saying that goes, 'a tiger begets a tiger.' Song Chan-woo too was Chairman Song Young-ju's blood.

Even if he didn't excel, at least he should be competent. And if not, I would ensure that.

"I'll be of great help to you. But for now, focus on consolidating your power rather than reckless expansions."

"What should I do?"

Chairman Song Chan-woo asked in an uncertain tone. It made me feel he was weak after all.

"Remove all of Chairman Song Young-ju's cronies from their posts. Then appoint your people to those spots."

"Father said the same. Get rid of all the executives he appointed and put in my people instead."

There's a saying: new wine should be placed in new skins. The group's ownership has changed, so they should also step down.

"But there are many who've supported me from start to finish. Father insisted I dismiss even those people."

Song Chan-woo hesitated, but I agreed with Chairman Song Young-ju's desires.

"That means I need to perform a generational change. I support the Honorary Chairman's wishes as well."

"There will be strong resistance."

"But you must do it. A blade that isn't used will rust. At that point, those below will start to underestimate you."

"Hah…"

"You must be resolute."

Seeing Chairman Song Chan-woo let out a deep sigh didn't sit well with me.

"I'm only doing this because of the Honorary Chairman's earnest request. If you continue to show this weakness, I'll have to reconsider my stance."

"I'm trying to change, but it's not easy. Following my father's wishes, I guess I must comply."

"No. It's not just about the Honorary Chairman's wishes anymore; you need to follow your own wishes now. How long will you stay in the Honorary Chairman's shadow?"

A look of surprise emerged on Chairman Song Chan-woo's face.

"I personally oppose the North Korean business venture. While it's the last ambition of Chairman Song Young-ju and might be unavoidable, everything else should be changed. The times have changed, and you need to adapt accordingly."

"I expected you to say I should follow in my father's footsteps… this is unexpected."

"You only need to continue with the North Korean business. If you achieve good results, it'll reflect well on Chairman Song Young-ju. If things fail, it'll fall solely on you. It's something to consider carefully."

The groundwork for the North Korean business was already set by Chairman Song Young-ju.

Though everything had paused due to a coup in Pyongyang, the connection between Kim Jong-il and Daehyeon still remained.

"Chairman, I think you should step out for a moment."

Just then, there was a knock at the door followed by the secretary urgently announcing,

"What's going on?"

"The President is arriving shortly."

"What?"

Chairman Song Chan-woo stood up, startled.

"The President is coming in person?"

"Yes, I just received the news."

His visit was unexpected even for me. As I followed him up, I asked,

"Was this visit planned?"

Chairman Song Chan-woo shook his head. Outside, the secretary was desperately searching for him.

"No, there was no word on it."

"That's surprising. The President hasn't come to such events before. However, as the major contributor to the regime's creation, it wouldn't be odd for him to show up."

"I'll head out first."

"Understood. I'll take my time getting out. This isn't how it's supposed to be."

"Thank you. I'll head out first then."

Chairman Song Chan-woo rushed out of the room, leaving me to sit back down.

"Boss, I'm going in."

After a knock on the door, Manager Ma's voice came following behind.

"Come in."

Manager Ma entered and reported that matters had been handled.

"What about the reporters? Were there no complaints?"

"There's no way there wouldn't be a backlash. However, after speaking with the editor, I received the memory cards and tapes. After we verify them, we'll send them over to the broadcasting company and the newspapers."

"Great work. It's quite noisy outside, isn't it?"

"Being a sudden presidential visit, the family members and guests alike are bustling around in a hurry."

What I feared had happened. I shook my head, smiling bitterly.

"It's all turned upside down, hasn't it?"

"Nevertheless, it's significant that the President came to pay his respects to Chairman Song Young-ju on his last journey."

"That may be true."

This was the greatest distinction between the grandfather who had lived in the shadows and Chairman Song Young-ju who had walked in the sun.

"Oh, and I just received word that Ha Myung-hoon has arrived at the airport. He said he's coming directly here."

"He was in the U.S., right?"

"Yes."

"I'll get to see the face of the manager after such a long time. No, he's not just a manager anymore; he's a chairman now."

My teasing evoked a rare smile from Manager Ma.

"You smile whenever Chairman Ha Myung-hoon's name comes up. I imagine he must feel sad that he hasn't seen you often, right?"

As I teased him, Manager Ma hurriedly wiped the smile from his face and responded in his customary serious tone.

"No, that's not true."

Suddenly, the door opened, and a swarm of unfamiliar faces poured in.

"What's this? Who are you to barge in without permission?"

I scowled at the uncomfortable interruption.