Chapter 377: A Complete Rework is Necessary

All loans requested by Il-seong were blocked.

Private banks held my money, while the national bank used the Mofia, which Eva managed.

As I shouted, Manager Ma lowered his head and began to explain properly.

"Approval just came through unexpectedly. It seems the president of the Industrial Bank issued a direct order."

"Why on earth? That wasn't an order from the Blue House, was it? Kim Hak-gwon had clearly stated he wouldn't intervene in this matter…"

"I'm sorry, but I can't go that far…"

Before Manager Ma could finish, I turned to look down at Eva.

"Eva, what's going on here?"

Eva's expression showed she was equally shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"I have no idea, Boss. Until yesterday, they said there was no chance the loan would be approved. Why did this happen out of the blue…"

Well, of course, Eva wouldn't know about this while she was with me.

Still, for the loan approval to flip from a definite 'no' to this in just one day was definitely not the normal flow of things.

"For now, Eva, contact the president. I'll reach out to the president myself. Move quickly."

Nodding quickly, Eva jumped up from her seat and hurried out of the study.

After she left, I asked Manager Ma.

"How much was the loan for?"

"It seems to be the same amount Il-seong applied for, five hundred billion."

"Five hundred billion… That should cover any issues with Il-seong's card. This is a big breakthrough."

Every event has its reasons, but this was something that happened abruptly without any warning signs.

The Industrial Bank was supposed to fulfill the role of a national bank.

They showed their determination not just to observe the impending credit card failures but went ahead and loaned to other card companies.

Thus, they had blocked loans to Il-seong through Taesan Financial and the Mofia.

In case problems arose, they placed the condition that Taesan Financial would bear all responsibilities, and now this happened.

Since acquiring Jungwoo Group, the Industrial Bank hadn't had a bad relationship with us.

I felt uneasy. There was a lingering feeling that I was missing something.

"For now, let's contact the Blue House."

"Yes, Boss."

Manager Ma picked up the phone and dialed the Blue House.

After exchanging a few words with the secretary, he passed the receiver to me.

"Secretary, this is Kim Mu-hyeok speaking."

—Ah! Mr. Kim! It's been a while.

"I heard you've been appointed as the secretary, and I apologize for the delay in congratulating you on that."

—Haha, no need for that.

"I'll arrange a nice occasion next time."

"—Let's do that. But what brings you to call?"

Even in a rush, I knew better than to show anger.

I spoke smoothly, just as I normally would.

"It's nothing urgent, but I would like to talk to President Kim Hak-gwon. Is he available at the moment?"

—Ah… It's a bit difficult right now. If you tell me what's going on, I can pass it along.

Is he deliberately avoiding me? Just because it's the end of his term doesn't mean I should let my guard down.

I took a deep breath so that it wouldn't be heard and asked.

"What I wanted to say was, I heard the Industrial Bank loaned five hundred billion to Il-seong Group. Is this the will of the Blue House?"

"—What do you mean? Isn't it natural for the Industrial Bank to provide loans to businesses?"

Does the new secretary not understand the relationship between me and Kim Hak-gwon?

A secretary appointed at the end of a term could either be someone truly trustworthy or a scapegoat for any future troubles.

It seemed to be the latter in this case.

"Just pass that message along, please."

—…Are you being rude? No matter if it's Mr. Kim, you shouldn't speak to the president like that.

The insolence made me clench my fist, but still, he was someone who consumed my money.

"Just relay the message. I'll repay you next time."

-Well, if that's the case, I'll pass it along.

I hung up the phone and slammed the receiver down.

"It's laughable how someone so absurdly inept has been appointed as the secretary. What a joke!"

"Are you okay?"

"…I'm fine. What did Chairman Ha say?"

"He says he's looking into it. The chairman didn't expect this incident at all, so he wants to investigate further."

"Well, we need to know where things went awry to discuss a counterplan. For now, let's wait until Eva returns. Manager, could you look into it as well?"

With Manager Ma gone, I was left alone in the study. I tapped my fingers on the table and muttered to myself.

"Kim Hak-gwon has no reason to deliberately cut ties with me now or to support Seo Jae-hoon… Where did things go wrong?"

That's right, Kim Hak-gwon wouldn't have any reason to make such a rash move. I tried to rid my mind of the ominous name that kept surfacing and fell into thought.

* * *

"Long time no see, Heo Chun-young."

"Your Excellency, it's been a while since I visited."

At the moment Kim Mu-hyeok was seeking the preident of the Industrial Bank, Heo Geun-yong was visiting Choi Seon-man's residence.

"So, the loan for Il-seong has been approved?"

"Yes. I followed your orders, Your Excellency."

"Haha! Good job, good job."

Whether or not it was a satisfactory response, Choi Seon-man laughed loudly.

"Forgive me, but may I ask you a question?"

At Heo Geun-yong's words, Choi Seon-man stopped smiling.

"A question?"

"Yes. I'd like to know why you suddenly decided to support the Il-seong Group."

Choi Seon-man swallowed hard, scrutinizing Heo Geun-yong from head to toe.

In an instant, the atmosphere changed, and Heo Geun-yong swallowed hard.

"Since when did you start questioning my orders? Heo, are you assuming I'm some old fogey?"

Heo Geun-yong realized his mistake from Choi Seon-man's emotionless voice.

He immediately lowered his head, the sound of his forehead hitting the floor echoed loudly.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"No. It's fine. That's understandable. What power does a former president awaiting execution have, anyway? Don't you think so, Heo?"

"…"

Heo Geun-yong couldn't respond. He simply remained with his head lowered.

"Lift your head."

When Choi Seon-man allowed him to, Heo Geun-yong raised his head.

He couldn't even meet Choi Seon-man's gaze.

"If you're curious, you could just ask."

"No. I just need to follow your orders, Your Excellency."

Only then did Choi Seon-man smile satisfactorily and ask.

"Your term as president of the Industrial Bank is nearing its end, right? After this administration wraps up, that is."

"Yes. It will end next year."

"I'll make sure to arrange a good position for you. You should re-enter the National Assembly, too, you know?"

Heo Geun-yong's face brightened noticeably.

"And… Heo, come in please."

As the door swung open, Jang Min-hyeok walked in.

"I heard that Heo's daughter is getting married soon. Make sure to give a generous gift when you attend."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Jang Min-hyeok bowed his head. Cho Seon-man continued slowly.

Although his tone was gentle, the overpowering presence remained.

"I'd like to attend the wedding, but my presence might just spoil the atmosphere, right? So, don't take it to heart."

"Ah, not at all, Your Excellency."

"I'll be on my way now. And if anyone asks…"

"I know nothing. I just approved the loan because the collapse of the Il-seong Group would mean the collapse of the economy of Korea."

With a smirk, Choi Seon-man nodded subtly.

"A patriot indeed, a true patriot. Just like you, Heo."

Heo Geun-yong stood up and bowed deeply once again. He backed out of the room.

Jang Min-hyeok followed Heo Geun-yng out.

When Jang Min-hyeok returned to the roo after seeing off Heo Geun-yong, a cold atmosphere enveloped Choi Seon-man, who had just been laughing.

"Even someone like him is questioning my orders."

"Your Excellency, don't worry too much. He's just someone who knows nothing."

"Attach someone to Heo Geun-yong. If it's the Kim Mu-hyeok I know, he won't le this go unimproved. I need to have some leverage when we meet next time, after all."

"Yes, I will do that. What if something happens to Heo Geun-yong?"

At Jang Min-hyeok's question, Choi Sen-man smiled a chilling smile.

"Well… He's not a person we need to protect at all. Just leave him. Just keep an eye on him. That'll be enough, since he's already done his part."

"Understood, Your Excellency."

Jang Min-hyeok bowed without a shrd of doubt, just lowering his head.

* * *

Eva returned to the study.

I opened my eyes, which I had closed, and looked at Eva.

She shook her head with a somber expression.

"The president's phone is off."

"…Deliberately avoiding us, it seems."

"It looks that way. For now, Baek Seong-jin said he would check it out himself."

"Baek Seong-jin? Didn't he resign from everything when Ha Myung-hoon took over?"

Eva nodded slightly.

"But he was still managing everything. He's at the top of the Mofia connections, so things wouldn't change much even if he resigns from every post. His influence isn't diminished that easily. He was still sending money regularly."

"Good job."

As expected from Eva. She knew how to handle people.

I forced a smile, trying to mask my serious expression.

"If Baek Seong-jin moves, he should figure out what happened by tomorrow at the latest."

I nodded slightly at Eva's words. Even if we'd find out the reason later, we needed to discuss a counterplan for now.

"They say five hundred billion was loaned out. Even though they can't support other non-financial affiliates through Il-seong Card, they should have enough to prevent the Il-seong Card from collapsing."

Compared to other card companies, Il-seong Card had managed its risks quite well.

While it wasn't as good as Taesan Card, the lowered risks led to a comparatively smaller amount of bad debts.

This emergency capital infusion would help keep Il-seong Card afloat.

"The executives of Il-seong Card are extremely capable, which is why their losses were less than others. Still, since the loans were blocked, it could have led to the downfall of Il-seong Life…"

This was a project I had been preparing for a long time.

I intended to cut off all funding sources and slowly strangle Il-seong, making them feel the pain of losing everything bit by bit.

Yet, all of those plans began to unravel.

"I need to completely rework the plan."

"Isn't that going to take too much time, Boss?"

Eva asked with concern, but I shook my head.

"I won't concern myself with how others see me anymore. I was trying to bring down Il-seong head-on. I wanted them to feel the pain for a long time. But at this rate, I have no idea when I can make that happen."

"If you've decided, then let's go with it."

My phone on the table rang. The name flashing on the screen was Kim Hak-gwon's personal number.

"Yes, Mr. President. This is Kim Mu-hyeok speaking."

—Did you get in touch? What's up with the Industrial Bank?

"Weren't you aware?"

—I just got a report. They said a loan was approved for the Il-seong Group.

Kim Hak-gwon's tone was one of disbelief and frustration, almost comically so.

After a brief silence on my end, Kim Hak-gwon added more.

—I did not issue any instructions from the Blue House. I'm not involved in your fight with Il-seong. I simply told the Industrial Bank to discuss countermeasures against the credit card failures.

I already knew that. The subsequent words were just reiterations of what I had already gathered.

—I never told them whether to give a loan to Il-seong. Didn't I say I would maintain neutrality? I kept my promise.

"…Understood."

—I know that Taesan Financial and the Mofia have blocked all loans to Il-seong, but suddenly they approved it… How intriguing. There are very few people in Korea who have the power to move the president of the Industrial Bank. Although he was just appointed after losing the election, he is a politician who has served five terms in the National Assembly.

I concluded that Kim Hak-gwon wasn't involved. Instead, I had received some useful information.

A newly appointed president of the Industrial Bank after his electoral defeat? There's something off about this.

"Yes, I'm sorry for bothering you during your busy schedule."

—Haha, it's fine. Conversations with you are always enjoyable.

"I need to discuss some strategies, so I'll hang up for now."

I excused myself and hung up first.

Standing up, I opened the glass door of the whiskey cabinet.

I pulled out a strong whiskey and took my glass, sitting back down.

"Care for a drink?"

Eva nodded slightly, popping open the whiskey bottle and pouring it into my glass and hers.

Then, I downed it in one go. The warm scent of whiskey that hadn't been diluted by ice filled my nose, and I felt a hot surge as the alcohol slid down my throat.

My mind sharpened.

I pressed the bell beside me to summon Manager Ma.

"If by tomorrow no one figures out why the loan was approved, or who gave the orders, bring me Heo Geun-yong. Even if I have to use force."

"Yes, Boss."

Manager Ma replied, and Eva's eyes widened as she paused drinking the whiskey.

With one corner of her mouth twitching into a slight smirk, she murmured coolly.

"It's time to show who's above the law."