Chapter 683: Exchanging Secrets

I visited Il-seong Hospital early in the morning for my grandmother's comprehensive check-up.

"Manager Ma, please take good care of Grandma for me."

"Of course, Boss."

After giving Manager Ma my instructions, I firmly grasped Grandma's hand and spoke softly.

"Grandma, I have some things to take care of. You'll be okay without me, right?"

"Oh dear, even if I'm old, there's no need for you to worry. Just go and do what you need to do."

"I'll be in the hospital, so if anything comes up, just contact me, okay?"

"Oh, what could possibly happen here? It's fine. Just hurry along now."

Grandma waved her hand, and I exchanged a glance with Manager Ma, silently asking for help.

I got into the elevator while receiving farewells from the two of them, heading up to the hospital director's office.

The secretary sitting outside the director's office recognized me and opened the door.

"Welcome, President Kim Mu-hyeok. Please come in."

"How have you been, Director? It's been a while since I saw you at the inauguration. I spoke with the chairman yesterday."

"Haha, I've been well, thank you. It's best if you don't come to the hospital too often, but do visit us occasionally, President."

The hospital director playfully led me to the main seat with ease.

With the previous director now serving as chairman, the newly appointed Director Park Jae-young was quite perceptive.

"I heard your grandmother is coming here for a health check today, so I personally directed things for her."

"Thank you for looking out for her."

The director sat down, bringing a stack of documents from his desk.

"Here are the results from your grandmother's health check-up six months ago. Everything seems normal at a glance, but given her age, her overall functions have decreased."

While I couldn't argue with that assessment, my concern for Grandma's health led me to promise regular check-ups every six months.

"What about her heart? She had cardiac arrest about ten years ago."

"I'm aware. There's no major issue with her heart. In fact, she's healthier than most at her age."

Even though I had heard this several times, I still felt relieved every time.

Hearing that there were no problems with Grandma's health was like a good luck charm to me.

"That's a relief."

"Your grandmother is lucky to have a thoughtful grandson like you. Our grandchild is entering elementary school now, but he's so stubborn, you wouldn't believe it!"

"Haha, every child is like that at that age. I was quite the handful myself when I was young."

"Really, President?"

"Yes. If it weren't for my grandmother, I might have found it hard to even make eye contact with you, Director."

"I can't believe that."

"Well, you don't know my past, Director. But back to the point…"

After confirming that Grandma was in good health, I decided it was time to get to the reason I sought the director out.

"Do you have what I requested ready?"

"Yes."

The director slid a blank binder in front of me.

This was the primary reason I stayed connected to Il-seong Hospital.

The documents contained a list of VIPs and their medical histories, along with records of their conversations during hospital stays and visitor logs.

Aside from Korea University Hospital, there was no other facility in the country that could compete with Il-seong Hospital's services.

However, since Korea University Hospital served as a national facility, VIPs often avoided that place and preferred Il-seong Hospital for better medical care.

Thanks to this, Il-seong Hospital boasted a wealth of data on numerous chaebol families.

"For example…"

"Chairman Seo Jae-sang's health isn't looking good."

"Yes, it seems to be a hereditary condition, similar to what the former chairman, Seo Mang-geon, had."

"Is it a treatable condition?"

"No. It's an illness he will carry for life. However, the progression can be slowed. While it doesn't severely impact daily life, he does need periodic hospitalizations for comprehensive checks."

Nodding, I reviewed the list of individuals who had visited Il-seong Hospital over the past year.

As I carefully scanned the list, a familiar name caught my eye.

"Has Chairman Choi Woo-sik visited the hospital?"

"Yes."

"What's wrong with that robust man? Isn't he still quite young? I thought he had just turned forty."

"Oh, it's not that Chairman Choi himself came in unwell."

The director flipped through some documents and handed several pages to me.

Looking at the documents he passed me, I couldn't help but narrow my eyes.

"Paternity test? Who's the subject?"

The document handed to me was for a paternity test.

I checked the subject listed on the form.

"Choi Seung-woo? Isn't he the second son of Choi Woo-sik?"

To my shock, Chairman Choi Woo-sik had requested a paternity test for a son conceived with his wife.

"That's correct."

"What were the results?"

"Flip one more page, President."

At Park Jae-young's insistence, I quickly flipped through the documents.

"…Mismatch?"

"Yes. That's right."

I instinctively covered my mouth with my hand. This was a scandal that absolutely needed to remain hidden.

The second son of a chaebol within the top ten would not be his biological child?

If this fact became public, it would lead to huge issues regarding management rights immediately.

Chairman Choi Woo-sik was already embroiled in a management dispute with foreign asset management companies.

We had somehow managed a dramatic settlement with my help, but if this information got out, the stock price would surely plummet again.

Yoon Hyun-joo, the wife of Chairman Choi Woo-sik, held shares in the group equal to her husband's stake.

"Yoon Hyun-joo cheated and had a child with another man? You can't judge a person by appearances alone!"

Yoon Hyun-joo was known as a model wife in the business world.

Unlike other chaebol wives, she was said to focus solely on raising her children without interfering in management.

"Doesn't Chairman Choi also have an illegitimate son? That child is also a boy, isn't he?"

Yet if you asked whether Chairman Choi was faithful in marriage, the answer would be no.

"Yes, we conducted a paternity test on that child, too. He came back as a biological child."

Chairman Choi Woo-sik was the one who first had an illegitimate child.

His firstborn, Choi Jin-woo, was now registered and under Yoon Hyun-joo's care.

"How interesting. They've exchanged roles. Seung-woo and Jin-woo are born just a year apart, right?"

"Yes, there's a one-year age difference."

"Yoon Hyun-joo probably has no idea about this?"

If she found out, it could lead to an even more dramatic outcome.

"Only the chairman and I know about this. The people who conducted the tests weren't informed of whose DNA they were testing, either."

How could I leverage this information? I set the documents down and rubbed my chin in thought.

For now, it's best to keep it a secret.

"Make sure this information doesn't leak outside. I'll discuss it directly with the chairman. You understand what I mean, right, Director?"

He's a man of few words, so he should grasp the meaning without needing details.

I folded the paternity test documents and tucked them into the pocket of my suit.

Then I began to review the remaining list again.

However, nothing particularly noteworthy emerged after that.

I put down the list I had been reviewing and instructed Park Jae-young.

"Ensure the VIPs are thoroughly managed. Elevate the quality of service provided to them, making it impossible for them to choose any hospital but Il-seong."

"Yes. We're considering building a new ward specifically for VIPs. We've already purchased the adjacent land…"

"Oh, I heard about that. From the chairman. It's a good idea. Since these people prefer to keep a low profile, keeping them separate would be beneficial. Don't worry about the construction costs; make it look fantastic."

"Thank you very much."

If I wanted to continue holding onto Il-seong Hospital, investing in it was nothing compared to the benefits.

Park Jae-young, who smiled brightly at my words about supporting construction costs, bowed his head.

"I'd like to grab lunch with you, but I'll need to pass today since the health check-up for Grandma will take some time."

"That's fine. I'll make sure to treat you properly next time."

"Haha, I should be the one treating you. Next time, I'll work out a schedule with the chairman."

After chatting with the director about various topics, I suddenly checked the time.

Has so much time passed already?

"Director, could you turn on the news? I have something to confirm."

At my request, Park Jae-young switched on the TV and found the news channel.

— Administrative Officer Medvedev has entered Korea today via Incheon Airport.

The news announced Medvedev's visit to Korea as breaking news.

The anchor detailed Medvedev's background.

— Administrative Officer Medvedev is a major influential figure not only in politics but also in the Russian business sector…

As the anchor spoke, scenes of Prime Minister Medvedev arriving appeared on screen.

He stood in front of reporters with a serious expression.

— Hello, I am Medvedev.

The first words from Medvedev were in Korean. They were slow but quite clear as he finished greeting before switching back to Russian.

— I like Korea. Though I have visited several times, I believe there's no better city than Seoul. I hope this visit enhances the friendly relations between Russia and Korea.

After discussing his brief impressions in Korea, questions regarding the purpose of his visit began to pour in.

— The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that this visit is centered around discussions for the construction of an oil pipeline connecting East Asia. Is that true?

After receiving the reporter's question through translation, Medvedev smiled gently and replied.

— I will provide further details after all my appointments are completed. We haven't even started yet. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to discuss issues before they reach the negotiation table. Once I'm done, a proper press conference will follow.

Medvedev answered the reporters' queries sincerely, but if you dug deeper, his statements contained no substance.

He slipped away like an eel.

"He seems to have changed into quite the politician since the old days."

"Really? Do you know him personally?"

"I have some connections. He wasn't like this back then."

"It seems the president has quite the network! I heard that person is the second most significant figure in Russia."

"Yes, that's true. But being second means little. You know how things work in Russia."

While it's called second-in-command, the position could easily vanish with a single cough from the president.

As Park Jae-young and I conversed, questions kept on coming, and Medvedev maintained his vague responses.

— The Japanese government reportedly plans to invest 1 trillion yen towards the construction of the oil pipeline leading to Russia. Did Korea also make such an offer? Was a higher amount proposed than Japan?

A reporter, presumed to be Japanese, asked in English.

— It's true that there was an offer from the Japanese government. However, to shoulder such a monumental expense with a 1 trillion yen investment is indeed a burden. The Korean government has made no offers to the Russian government.

— Then why did you choose Korea instead of Japan? Isn't this visit meant to pressure the Japanese government rather than negotiate with Korea?

Is this what unfounded confidence sounds like? It was quite typical of a Japanese to think everything revolves around them.

— What does Russia gain by putting pressure on the Japanese government? Such matters aren't conducted that way between nations. May I suggest the journalist switch to writing novels instead? I will be sure to purchase a copy when your book is published.

Everyone erupted into loud laughter at Medvedev's Russian-style humor, except for one person.

The Japanese reporter's face turned bright red, and he asked his next question in an even sharper tone.

— If that's the case, then I don't understand the purpose of your visit. Japan is a larger nation than Korea. Why pursue such a significant project with a smaller partner? This is not in Russia's best interest.

— I prioritize Russia's national interests above all. Our government deems collaboration with Korea more important than with Japan. I will end the discussion here.

Suddenly, Medvedev's face hardened after his final response, and he hurriedly moved away.

Reporters followed closely behind, continuing their questions, but he did not respond further.

Park Jae-young, who had been watching TV with me, muttered in admiration.

"He speaks firmly. It seems that he likes Korea. Is he pro-Korean?"

"Should we call him pro-Korean…? Well, for now, yes."

Just then, my phone in my pocket vibrated. I pulled it out and checked the incoming number.

What was so urgent that they needed to contact me? A smirk crept onto my face as I spoke.

"Director, could you step aside for a moment?"

"Understood. Since I'm leaving, I might as well verify Grandma's health check myself."

"I'd appreciate that."

After lightly bowing in respect, the director left, and I answered the call.

— President Kim Mu-hyeok, it's Medvedev.

"You arrived in Korea earlier than I expected. I saw your face on TV just now."

— Haha, yes. I'm currently in a car heading to the embassy. I regret not being able to say goodbye when you left Russia.

I hadn't contacted Medvedev since he left Russia.

This urgency in his visit to Korea was probably driven by this matter too.

"We're bound to see each other again soon."

— Still, it's a bit disappointing. Oh, President Kim, are you free tomorrow night?

"Hmm… I'll come by the hotel where you're staying tomorrow evening. Let's have dinner together."

— Dinner sounds great. See you tomorrow then.

The call with Medvedev ended quickly. As I hung up, his cheerful voice lingered in my mind, making me smile again.

"Looks like the stakes have risen."

Medvedev knew well that if our ties were severed, it would lead to the end of our relationship.

That's why he was rushing to keep me close.

"Should I get up now?"

Finishing the call, I left the director's office and headed down to where Grandma was.