At a nearby cafe.
Go Changbum, who had moved to a different spot, couldn’t hide his bewilderment after checking the dash cam footage on the phone that Kim Hyunsung had handed him.
“It’s the original dash cam footage. I thought the latter part of the video would be enough to prove Mr. Go Changbum’s self-defense at the police station, so I deleted the earlier part that we are checking now. And that’s also clear evidence that it wasn’t the ‘coincidence’ I mentioned.”
In a leisurely voice.
Kim Hyunsung explained and took a sip of coffee as he blankly stared at Go Changbum.
“…Ahem.”
Go Changbum swallowed dryly.
It was just as Kim Hyunsung said.
In the footage.
The scene that would prove his intent was being played.
When he rewound the video to check once more, Kim Hyunsung added explanations as if they were watching it together.
“Thirty minutes before the incident. Three men gathered in front of a convenience store. At first glance, they seemed like customers using the store, but they didn’t move an inch from that spot for the entire 30 minutes. It was as if they were waiting for someone. The cigarette butts piling up on the ground proved that they were waiting, and as soon as Mr. Go Changbum appeared, they openly started picking a fight. They thrust their faces forward while hurling insults as if asking you to hit them, and contrary to their statements to the police, they were the ones who first swung their fists and attacked Mr. Go Changbum.”
Tak.
He put down his coffee mug.
And continued his explanation as if he was forcing the truth into Go Changum, who had a complicated expression.
“I think Mr. Go Changbum also thought it was suspicious. A series of recent events. As soon as the competition for succession with your younger brother, Mr. Go Changsuk, was announced, bad things kept happening to Mr. Go Changbum as if someone had intended it. It’s a simple matter. If we say that the premise of all the events was that Mr. Go Changsuk ‘intended’ to disparage Mr. Go Changbum, then we can understand the series of events. Like the behavior of the men who kept smoking for 30 minutes without leaving their spot.”
The atmosphere froze.
Accident and intention.
The nuances were completely different.
Furthermore, if his only younger brother was involved behind the intention, Go Changbum could never overlook this issue. In fact, just as Kim Hyunsung said, he had been suspicious all along. But even so, he couldn’t believe that his younger brother, who graduated from a prestigious university and grew up well, would do something so dirty as hiring thugs to implicate him.
A minimal sense of caution.
His eyebrows twitched.
Amidst the bubbling frustration and anger, Go Changbum wore an expression as if he were about to explode at any moment.
“So, why are you telling me these things?”
To him now.
Even Kim Hyunsung, who was telling the truth, didn’t look pleasing.
* * *
Myeongjin Construction.
In his previous life, they were a well-known conglomerate in South Korea.
Now, they are only recognized in the provinces, but later, they succeeded in creating their own apartment brand based on solid capital and technological prowess. In fact, their success was all thanks to the craftsmanship of Myeongjin Construction’s Chairman, Go Myeongjin. He believed that when it came to homes where people live, there should never be any compromise. By reducing the profits and improving the quality, he elevated Myeongjin Construction to the level of large corporations.
The real estate boom that would come in the future.
Along with safety issues.
As the perception grew that Myeongjin Construction’s apartments could be trusted, they truly soared to new heights.
And in that process.
The two sons were absent.
It was an interesting event.
The two sons caused quite a fuss in the Daesan area, to the point that even Kim Hyunsung, who was a high school student at the time, knew about it.
‘The starting point of the problem was Go Changsuk. His reckless actions, scheming to be the successor, were discovered by Go Changbum. However, Go Changbum, unable to cleverly use this information to his advantage, went straight to Go Changsuk and blew his jaw off. With that single retaliation, Go Changsuk was left with a permanent disability. Enraged by this, Go Myeongjin came to the conclusion that both sons were the same and excluded them from the position of the heir. As a result of that incident, Myeongjin Construction hired a professional manager, and with the addition of capital and technology, it surprisingly laid the foundation for the company to leap into becoming a large corporation.’
At that time.
Everyone was discussing Myeongjin Construction.
Rumors spread that Myeongjin Construction would fail because of the foolishness of the two sons, and the truth behind the event was thoroughly uncovered as people laughed and gossiped. Why did Go Changbum punch his brother? As Go Changsuk’s scheming was revealed one by one, it became a widely known example of bad sibling relations, with people even mentioning the two sons of the Go family.
Thanks to that, Kim Hyunsung also remembered.
The future of the Go family.
And what happened to Go Changbum.
Since this incident was one of them, he was able to first find the place where the assault occurred by searching his memory.
‘For Myeongjin Construction, it’s probably better if the future doesn’t change. The eldest son, Go Changbum, isn’t evil enough to tear down his competitors, but he’s a typical good-for-nothing slacker with a delinquent disposition and no real ability. Meanwhile, the younger son, Go Changsuk, is downright ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. For Myeongjin Construction to truly become the face of Korea’s apartment industry someday, both sons would have to be cut off. But that’s not really my concern. What matters more than their future is how they can be useful to me.’
What is right and what is wrong.
What kind of butterfly effect might occur if the future is changed.
Those things didn’t matter to him.
Even if his choice caused the future to flow in a bad direction, Kim Hyunsung didn’t care in the slightest.
In this life.
Revenge was the priority.
He would only take care of his family.
Myeongjin Construction was just a stepping stone for his own goals.
Therefore.
“I will help you. To get revenge on Mr. Go Changsuk, and to help Mr. Go Changbum, as the eldest son, to become the Chairman of Myeongjin Construction.”
Kim Hyunsung did not hide his intentions in the slightest.
* * *
It was an absurd situation.
The opponent was a 17-year-old high school student.
The sight of him talking about being the Chairman with such a young face was unbelievable.
If it were the usual Go Changbum, he would have cursed him outright, but strangely, he only felt his heart pounding.
‘This boy is not an ordinary person.’
Think about it.
To simply dismiss the person as a high school student would be a mistake, as he perfectly saved Go Changbum, who had been caught up in a violent incident. The preparedness of confirming that there were no CCTV cameras and even securing the dash cam footage. And then, based on the content of the video, he accurately pointed out that it was Go Changsuk’s conspiracy. In reality, it was something anyone could think of, but it wasn’t something a 17-year-old high school student could calmly articulate.
His mouth felt dry.
Myeongjin Construction.
It was a company that represented Daesan.
No matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t make sense to entrust the successor competition of such a company to such a bloody child.
That was when.
“There must be people who said they will help Mr. Go Changbum with this succession competition. But isn’t it strange? Even a high school student like me can speak about Mr. Go Changsuk’s conspiracy, yet those who are supposed to be supporting Mr. Go Changbum are only whispering sweet nothing to his ear. So, it’s obvious. They are Mr. Go Changsuk’s puppets. I never expected you to trust me from the beginning either. Our relationship isn’t at that level, and Myeongjin Construction is a recognized company in Daesan. So, give me a chance. A chance to build our relationship of trust.”
Go Changbum visibly flinched.
Just like Kim Hyunsung said.
Those who were supporting him always whispered sweet nothings.
Come to think of it, if he truly wanted to place himself in the Chairman’s position, he should have shown the same attitude as Kim Hyunsung.
“I have a clear plan for Mr. Go Changbum to win. I don’t think it would be a bad idea to take the first step and figure out what to do next. What do you think? Should I keep talking?”
“……This boy is crazy.”
Squeak.
Go Changbum leaned back on his chair.
It was a tacit agreement.
He seemed to be trying hard to deny this reality, but he had already made the gesture of being willing to listen.
Kim Hyunsung smiled.
“In order to win the competition for succession, we need to be aware of reality. Mr. Go Changbum and Mr. Go Changsuk. Who is the one best suited for the Chairman position at Myeongjin Construction? It’s obviously Mr. Go Changsuk. Unlike Mr. Go Changbum, who barely graduated from high school, Mr. Go Changsuk studied business administration at a prestigious university abroad. In fact, he had been openly targeting the Chairman position since then. And as soon as he returned to Korea, he immediately married into a prestigious family in Daesan, and since then, the people of Myeongjin Construction who had been associated with Mr. Go Changsuk began raising their voices to select Mr. Go Changsuk as the successor, thereby forming the official succession structure. There was no coincidence from the beginning. Mr. Go Changsuk made a lot of preparations to gradually take away the position of the eldest son, and as a result, he created a clearly advantageous situation that anyone could see. Personal ability, background. Excluding the fact that you are the eldest son, there was no way for Mr. Go Changbum to win in any way. Furthermore, who in Myeongjin Construction would support Mr. Go Changbum, who has been involved in many incidents like this one?”
“……Ahem.”
Go Changbum turned his head, showing his discomfort.
It was true.
Kim Hyunsung had a perfect grasp of the reality of Myeongjin Construction, to the point where there was nothing to refute.
In his past life.
While living as a vegetable, Kim Hyunsung went through many thoughts over and over.
He dreamed of revenge on the premise of “what if”, and even though he knew it wouldn’t come true, he continued to piece together puzzles like Myeongjin Construction, slowly completing his plan. This wasn’t a situation that was created after thinking about it for a day or two. Just as he had slapped Park Mincheol as soon as he returned to the past, he had persuaded Go Changbum countless times within the realm of his imagination.
The reality he was experiencing for the first time.
But a situation that he had repeated countless times in his mind.
Kim Hyunsung didn’t take his eyes off his opponent, as if urging him to focus on his words, even though his heart was cooling down.
“As for me, even considering those differences, I believe Mr. Go Changbum has a good chance of winning this competition.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
Go Changbum showed interest.
Even though he had a perfect grasp of reality.
What on earth was he thinking to say he could win?
“Between Mr. Go Changbum and Mr. Go Changsuk. Even though it’s obvious that Mr. Go Changsuk has the upper hand in the succession battle, there is only one reason why Chairman Go Myeongjin is just standing by and watching this situation. It’s probably because of his old-fashioned belief that the eldest son should become the successor. That’s why he wants the two of you to still compete. In fact, the differences between you two are so great that a competition is no longer necessary, yet Chairman Go Myeongjin still hasn’t clearly chosen a successor. So, let me ask you just one thing. What if, really, what if.”
He smiled.
And met Go Changbum’s eyes.
“What do you think would happen if Mr. Go Changsuk, who excels in every way, were to fall to the bottom where Mr. Go Changbum is? If we exclude his abilities, between the two sons, who do you think Chairman Go Myeongjin would choose?”
At that moment.
Go Changbum felt a chill running down his spine.
Kim Hyunsug’s words, every single one of them, felt like they were piercing his heart.
“That’s when the real competition begins. Standing on the same level as your opponent. At that time, your unique advantage of being the eldest son will create an irreversible difference.”
* * *
That afternoon.
The second son of Myeongjin Construction.
Go Changsuk received a phone call.
[…..That’s how it happened.]
“These useless idiots!”
Whack.
Crash.
He threw his phone in a moment of anger.
Even after seeing the phone shattered to pieces, Go Changsuk’s anger didn’t subside, and he exhaled heavily.
“How could you fail at something so simple!”
The assault incident.
It was indeed orchestrated on Go Changsuk’s orders.
He had orchestrated many schemes to tarnish Go Changbum’s reputation, and one of them was to have him get involved in an assault case on purpose. In truth, he never even considered failure. This was a scheme so easy that success was almost guaranteed. So, he was planning to officially point out the assault issue when the case seemed ripe.
But.
They say it failed.
Hearing that the incident had shifted to a mutual conflict after securing the dash cam footage, Go Changsuk couldn’t help but feel irritated.
“This is all because of that old man’s obsession with the eldest son. What era are we living in, and he still have this old-fashioned idea that the eldest son should inherit the successor position? If I were even a little lacking in ability, that old man would have handed the position to an idiot like Go Changbum without a second thought.”
Graduating from a prestigious university.
Marrying into a distinguished family.
All of these were efforts to make up for the gap with the eldest son.
Especially marriage, which he truly disliked, but for the sake of his goal, he had to go through with it.
For someone as ambitious as Go Changsuk, he did not want to lose the position of successor to an incompetent person like Go Changbum.
‘Let’s calm down. The current succession competition is clearly advantageous to me. In fact, unless something special happens, I will naturally inherit the position of successor. The problem is that I cannot compromise even a speck of dust in the process. I want to win completely and take over Myeongjin Construction in its entirety.’
It wouldn’t be difficult.
In fact, his supporters were so confident in his victory that they believed he had already passed the critical turning point of succession.
That was when.
Tring.
The office phone rang.
Go Changsuk calmed his anger, picked up the phone and answered it, but his eyes widened at the voice he heard from the other end.
[We, we’re in big trouble.]
That was a variable.
An unexpected variable.
[The Madam has barged into the Hansung Officetel!]
“….What?!”
He jumped up from his seat.
His face turned pale.
Hansung Officetel.
That was the place where his mistress lived.
