The Youngest Son of Sunyang

"I will make sure to have the money for what Father wants."

"To not waste that money..."

"Have confidence. Aren't you the one who built one of Korea's top film companies? You'll handle it well."

Father's brothers squander billions with baseless confidence, but father's the one who invested money and made more than he invested, growing the company.

When Father finally spoke after a while of silence, he seemed determined. "So, what can I do? Assuming we succeed."

"Gain influence. And share that influence with me."

"Influence? Aren't you mistaken? At best, I'm just involved in the film business. Maybe I can even produce a drama. But what kind of influence can I have as a producer and distributor?"

In the future, power isn't just about money, physical, or legal authority. Power is whoever has people listening to them. Public opinion moves the world. That power comes from a loudspeaker. Father can easily wield cultural power.

That time is coming soon, and Father is still young. Ten years from now, he'll be a strong support for me.

"You surely know how unpredictable the world is? The world changes every day."

Father, who had been quietly observing me, took a sip of beer.

"If you just give up the conglomerate, our family can live comfortably. You can run a good investment firm, and I can make movies."

"Do you want me to give up?"

"No. It's just a father's wish. It's the desire for his son to live in peace. But I have no desire to force a life you don't want." Father chuckled and patted my shoulder. "If you tell a carnivore to eat grass, it will die. You were born as a fierce beast, so live by hunting and eating your prey."

"What about you, Father? Are you a herbivore then?"

"So far, I've lived like a pasture cow. But now, I have to live like a wild buffalo."

"A wild buffalo can beat most carnivores, right?"

"For the sake of my son, I should improve my condition, shouldn't I? Haha."

Seeing Father enjoy his beer, I couldn't help but wonder. Is Father, who has inherited the blood of a predator, really a herbivore?

I pretended to be crazy and spent a week at the Ritz-Carlton.

I forgot about the amount of money I had lost and focused on my parents enjoying their time. I didn't know when I would have another moment like this. At this moment, I wanted to live peacefully like a herbivore, munching on grass.

A week later, my father went back to Korea, making a big fuss about having a lot of preparations to do. Interestingly, my brother, Sang jun, also took the same flight. He said there was no point in hanging around and spending foreign currency unnecessarily.

I returned to New York and managed to recover the investment funds in dot-com companies and chose stable and long-term investment options. During that time, I also worked hard to study derivatives, another monster, with the company's experts.

Time passed quickly during all this.

Bill Clinton, the President, publicly apologized for the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, and I watched Park Se-ri's LPGA matches live. I wanted to watch Park Chan-ho's games too, but it was difficult to coordinate the timing, so I had to be satisfied with watching them on TV.

September 4th. On the historic day when Google officially launched, I didn't forget to enjoy an incredible party with the two geniuses.

When a sharp cold wind heralded the coming winter, I met Michael Dell.

Seeing him struggling in the PC market that had turned into a red ocean, I was genuinely impressed. Wouldn't he be the one to show his strength for over 20 years?

Around the time when Christmas trees began to appear, I boarded a flight to Korea.

The ones who welcomed me most warmly in Korea were not my parents or grandparents but my aunt, Jin Seo-yoon.

When I entered the house, my aunt, who was in tears, was being comforted by my father and mother.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you? I wanted to leave for the United States right away, but Representative Oh stopped me."

Even before I unpacked, my aunt made me sit down and began to lament.

"What's going on?"

My aunt told me in detail about how my grandfather had been rushed to the hospital around the time I left for New York. Regardless, I had achieved one goal. Choi Seo-bang had been driven out to Geoje Island. I could feel my grandfather's anger without seeing him.

But divorce?

It was unclear whether my aunt was trying to tame my grandfather or if it was genuine. Even an ordinary person, let alone my family, wouldn't use their child's divorce as a threat, would they?

"Aunt, what can I do? It seems like Grandfather is very upset..."

"If it's you, you can persuade Father a bit, can't you? Even if he don't listen to others, he'll pay attention to what you say."

My father, who wasn't very talkative, also spoke up. "Sister, what about my brother-in-law? Does he know about this?"

"I haven't told him yet. How do I bring up the topic of divorce?"

My aunt, who had appeared cold, was hiding her ordinary ajumma appearance.

She wouldn't have shown this side to anyone. After all, her brothers weren't family but competitors, in a relationship where they aimed knives at each other.

If she had met me alone, it would have been different. She would have shown a calm demeanor, discussing the problem and seeking advice. But as soon as she saw my father and mother, the hidden side of her came out.

Our parents are seen as family, not competitors.

"Oh, by the way, what happened with the prosecution? Are they still investigating each other?"

"No, it's settled at the level of the chief prosecutor changing positions. Your grandfather took care of that."

My father gestured to me as I wiped away my tears.

I followed my father to the garden quietly.

"Don't interfere."

"Excuse me?"

"You haven't talked to Se hyeon yet, have you? He did some inquiries, and it seems like your uncle-in-law's influence is growing within Daehyun Group."

"Daehyun?"

"Yes. Hanseong Daily said it turned things around upon Daehyun's request. Isn't it obvious?"

My uncle-in-law's new sponsor was Daehyun Group?

"Your grandfather couldn't have been unaware of this. That's why he dropped the divorce bomb. If it's Daehyun, isn't he the only real competitor in the business world? This is an unforgivable betrayal. Do you understand what I mean?"

Of course, I understood what he meant.

"Yes. I will keep quiet and act like I don't know. Father, please calm Aunt down. I'll go up to my room."