Winter Season Chapter 13

“Currently, thirty percent of the capital distribution network entering Taesung flows through there. That is why I intended to hold onto it until the end.”

“…….”

“But it seems those bastards at the Listing Committee caught wind of it during the TS Capital audit.”

No sooner had the sharp cigar cutter clipped the end than Gu Jin-hyeok flicked a lighter and held it before Chairman Gu’s face. Click, the lid of the Zippo lighter closed, creating a light noise.

“As you might have expected, I’m thinking of entrusting Nexus to you, Seunghyeok.”

“…….”

A light silence settled inside the Chairman’s office. It was a situation where everyone knew that Seunghyeok’s will did not matter regarding an order disguised as a suggestion.

Instead of answering, Seunghyeok bounced his crossed foot and made clicking sounds with his tongue. At his slouching attitude, Jin-hyeok shot a fierce glare from behind his glasses.

“Gu Seunghyeok.”

“Leave him be.”

At a single word from Chairman Gu, Gu Jin-hyeok became as quiet as a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. Watching that, Seunghyeok brought the teacup to his lips. His twisted smirk was half-hidden behind the ornate blue porcelain.

“It is too entangled like a spiderweb to entrust to someone else. From where I stand, Section Chief Gu seems the most qualified.”

“…….”

“It is about time you settled down and moved into the head office.”

As Seunghyeok rolled the subtly scented tea around the tip of his tongue, Chairman Gu exhaled a long puff of cigar smoke with a “phew.” Seunghyeok looked down at the steaming teacup and tapped his fingers aimlessly.

Though he had described it as an ordinary establishment that was much the same as any other, Nexus was actually a massive club spanning three basement levels, located under the largest hotel in downtown Bucheon.

It was also the very first business site Chairman Gu had rooted and grown back when Taesung Group was still called Taesung-pa.

Thanks to its geographical location and the human network cultivated over many years, many things were still carried out there. Things like the laundering of funds that could not come to the surface, or the inspection of drugs to be distributed to dealers at each branch.

Besides that, since the structure was designed such that a large portion of Taesung’s affairs inevitably passed through there, it was a place Chairman Gu had managed personally. He had brought up the story of the listing audit, but the practical reason was likely due to his deteriorating health.

“I heard talk that the foreign casino above it is going up for auction too…”

“Your news is fast. The hotel acquisition will proceed simultaneously. I put in some effort because those money-blind Western bastards are so damn greedy.”

“If a hotel is going in there, wouldn’t it be better for hyung to handle it?”

A faint hint of laughter was mixed into his tone, which had an unclear finish. Seunghyeok let out a cynical laugh and tilted his head. Objectively, it was not a bad proposal for Seunghyeok, but there was just one thing bothering him.

“Looking through the documents, it didn’t seem like the Chairman was the one practically running it anyway.”

At the crooked remark, Chairman Gu narrowed his eyes. He let out a sigh, tapped the cigar against the ashtray, and buried himself deep into the sofa.

“The time when I could manage all that by myself has passed. Jin-hyeok helped a lot.”

“There’s been a lot of talk lately about the bastard who’s the CEO there hanging out often with the outside directors of Taesung C&T. Then you must have known about that too.”

“Gu Seunghyeok.”

Jin-hyeok, who had been sitting still with his mouth shut until then, spoke once more. Even while a fierce gaze was pinned on him as if to kill a man, Seunghyeok nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

“No, I need to know how much the Chairman knows so I can play along with hyung.”

As he buried himself against the back of the sofa and lifted the teacup, Jin-hyeok’s eyes flashed savagely. As the sharpened gaze crossed over the table and the atmosphere inside the Chairman’s office turned cold, Chairman Gu, who was watching the two from the middle, sighed and pressed his hand to his forehead.

“Stop it, both of you. Your hyung isn’t the type of fellow to stab his own father in the back. I’m sure he had his reasons.”

The numbers in the documents received beforehand all pointed to the fact that the one actually running Nexus was Gu Jin-hyeok, not Chairman Gu. The funny thing was that the documents didn’t even show an effort to hide it.

A hollow laugh escaped him at the sight of Chairman Gu, who didn’t even realize Gu Jin-hyeok was erasing all of his traces and was simply at ease, thinking it was the actions of a reliable eldest son.

The attitude of an old, toothless tiger who knew nothing, speaking as if he were bestowing a great opportunity out of charity, was both revolting and hilarious.

“This is a table your hyung has fully set. Just think of it as putting a spoon down and eat quietly.”

“Let the great hyung-nim keep handling it. I feel like a low-born bastard like me might get indigestion from eating it without knowing my place.”

“Gu Seunghyeok.”

The voice that came through again was not from the side, but from across. Seunghyeok turned his head toward the owner of that calmly subsided voice.

“Get up.”

Jin-hyeok, holding his teacup with an expressionless face, lightly moistened his lips with a sip and began to unfasten his wristwatch. At that small action, Seunghyeok’s gaze suddenly turned fierce.

He looked toward Chairman Gu, but the man was only exhaling cigar smoke into the air. Seunghyeok opened his mouth and ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek.

“…There are too many expensive things here to be showing off that hyung has a bad habit with his hands.”

“I told you to get up. Don’t make me say it twice.”

Just as Seunghyeok, who had bitten the inside of his cheek hard, was about to stand up, his head whipped to the side with a dull thud. No sooner had he steadied his upper body after it lurched violently than Jin-hyeok grabbed Seunghyeok by the collar and threw another punch.

Thud, crash.

A pair of black dress shoes approached Seunghyeok, who had fallen as if slammed onto the floor after losing his balance. Seunghyeok let out a “sshh” sound, wiped his mouth, and pushed off the floor to raise his upper body.

“Ah… For someone as educated as you, why do you lead with your fists like this?”

“Because I don’t know a better way to housebreak a dog.”

“If you don’t know, you should learn, hyung. Otherwise, you might get bitten hard one day.”

“Is that so?”

Jin-hyeok immediately grabbed and pulled Seunghyeok up by the collar as he replied slyly with a scowl. He looked at Seunghyeok with a face void of any laughter and then tilted his head crookedly.

“Seunghyeok, it’s been quite a while since you visited the villa, hasn’t it.”

The hand that was about to wipe the bloodstain from his mouth stopped instantly. Seunghyeok, having wiped the smirk completely off his face, slowly looked up with sharp eyes.

“Let’s not get dragged away like a dog on a hot summer day because you couldn’t recognize your place and were scurrying around everywhere.”

“…….”

“You’re not a child who doesn’t know anything anymore, so shouldn’t you act a bit more clearly?”

The hands dusting off the crumpled shirt were rough. Seunghyeok, who grit his teeth until the jaw muscles protruded, slapped Jin-hyeok’s hand away, and Jin-hyeok, looking at him coldly, spoke again.

“Is your head not working? Do you not understand what I’m saying?”

“…….”

“That’s enough.”

Just as Jin-hyeok’s fist was about to be raised again, Chairman Gu, who had exhaled a long puff of cigar smoke, intervened with a frown. He held his temple as if fed up and waved his cigar-holding hand in the air, glaring.

At Chairman Gu’s words, Jin-hyeok lowered his hand, straightened his disheveled suit, and returned to his seat.

Chairman Gu, with both arms resting on the sofa armrests, looked at Seunghyeok with narrowed eyes. Seunghyeok’s face, glimpsed through the long-exhaled smoke, was as expressionless as if it had been fabricated. Chairman Gu’s gaze sharpened at the sense of incongruity felt instinctively.

“Jin-hyeok will gradually begin preparations to take over the company. Seunghyeok, you will be below the surface, and Jin-hyeok will be above.”

“…….”

“The two of you must join forces to lead this Taesung.”

Seunghyeok, who had wiped away the blood flowing from his split lip, let out a short, hollow laugh. After rubbing the back of his hand against the hem of his shirt, he pushed off the floor and stood up.

“It seems taking over Nexus is already finalized, and it doesn’t seem like you have anything else to say. I’ll be going now.”

“…….”

“It won’t be good for either of us if word gets around that the bastard who’s a Section Chief came out of the Chairman’s office looking like a total wreck, right?”

Even while two pairs of unfriendly eyes were directed at him, Seunghyeok had a nonchalant face. After running his tongue over the inside of his cheek, which tasted metallic as if it were torn, he approached the door with a slouching stride.