“Ha ha ha, so Cheolok used to be famous in Busan?”
“Famous doesn’t even begin to cover it. He was basically flying around.”
“Don’t exaggerate, Jongpil. Flying, my foot.”
“Hey~ Chairman, don’t you remember? When those kids from Namil Middle beat us up. You and I went in front of Namil Middle with wooden bats and smashed their heads—!”
“Hey! Jongpil, the Chairman is here.”
“Oh! Right—smashed their heads!”
“Ah—no, I mean… Chairman!”
A warm, friendly atmosphere.
Even Kim Jongpil, notorious for his rough temperament, and Yoo Cheol-ong, known as the “Reaper of Idoh,” and Lee Sangbaek, the “Emperor of Idoh,” were all smiling.
Memories had taken them back to those days.
“Pleasant, isn’t it? I never thought I’d meet you like this in my office.”
“Same here. I used to avoid coming because I was conscious of appearances, but this place has its own charm.”
“Of course! It’s far better than that tacky old man, Chairman Kim.”
“Hahaha.”
As they laughed, Lee Sangbaek reached out and firmly grabbed Kim Jongpil’s hand.
“Anyway, I’m glad you came. Truly glad. Just seeing you like this makes me feel like crying.”
“The Chairman always liked you a lot. He was always hoping to meet you here.”
“I know. You and Cheolong-hyung both wanted me here.”
When corporate guild entry restrictions were first lifted, the Idoh Group’s number one recruitment target had been Kim Jongpil, the Mountain King.
A verbal agreement had even been reached through Yoo Cheol-ong—but in the end, everything fell apart at the final step.
“Still sigh whenever I think about it. As soon as you got that gold badge, everything slowed down, and you handled things like some third-rate thug. Sorry, you had a hard time because of me.”
“It’s fine. That’s all in the past.”
“Exactly. We’re finally on the same side now.”
“Thank you. Truly.”
Lee Sangbaek patted Kim Jongpil’s hand for a while, then turned his gaze.
Toward the grandson who had made all of this possible.
“Chomp, chomp. This snack is good.”
In the corner, Lee Shin was stuffing his face with snacks.
The eldest grandson of Korea’s top conglomerate family had no trace of refinement.
Lee Sangbaek sighed without realizing it.
“Who would’ve thought I’d ever thank that brat. Life is unpredictable. Right, Cheolok?”
“…Well. Hahaha.”
They had reluctantly given him a chance, but it was never meant to be a proper one.
Frankly, he was treated as a disposable piece.
He was expected to ruin things as usual in some remote branch.
But somehow, that same brat had accomplished something even Lee Sangbaek had long desired.
“Hmph. Still a long way to go.”
Sangbaek couldn’t admit—even to himself—that he was slightly pleased.
At that moment, Kim Jongpil chuckled.
“Still, Chairman, rumors really aren’t trustworthy in this business.”
“What do you mean?”
“That kid.”
“That kid? You mean Shin?”
“Yes. Lee Shin. Your grandson. According to rumors, he was trash among trash… but now…”
“Why? He’s different in person?”
“Different… no.”
Kim Jongpil shook his head firmly.
“He’s outstanding. Honestly, I was impressed.”
“Hooh. That much?”
Even Kim Jongpil, the Mountain King, was impressed.
That alone made Sangbaek look at Lee Shin with new interest.
“First, his guts are good. It’s not easy to speak freely in front of me, but he did. His drive is also unusual for his age, and although he seems light, there’s depth to him… he’s not like typical young people. He’s quite attractive.”
“Not to say something strange…”
“He reminds me of your younger days, Chairman.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. You.”
“Hah. If you want to insult me, just say it properly.”
“I’m serious.”
Kim Jongpil continued.
“If he had your looks when you were young, he’d be exactly like that.”
“You’re just teasing me.”
“No, really.”
Sangbaek laughed.
Who was Lee Sangbaek?
A legend who took Idoh Group from a small flour business to the nation’s number one conglomerate.
And yet—
“That brat… resembles me?”
But Kim Jongpil genuinely thought so.
“It might sound like a joke, but I saw you when you were young. If the Chairman had better looks, you’d be just like him.”
“You’re bringing up looks all of a sudden.”
“Anyway, just watch him. He’ll be interesting.”
“I chose him for that reason.”
Kim Jongpil’s confidence was unwavering.
That made Sangbaek wonder.
Maybe… that brat really does resemble me?
After the long conversation ended, Yoo Cheol-ong took Kim Jongpil away for dinner, leaving just the grandfather and grandson.
“Whew~ That was long. Finished your nostalgia trip?”
“Hm…”
“Then I guess it’s time I say what I need to say.”
Finally, Lee Shin—who had only been eating snacks—spoke.
“How much are you paying?”
He held out his hand as if it was already decided.
Lee Sangbaek frowned.
“This brat…”
Internally, he was already full of money-grabbing greed—but so was the grandson.
A battle of greed between grandfather and grandson began.
“What do you want?”
“You first.”
“You go first.”
“I don’t care. You first.”
“Funny kid. You’re the representative!”
“I’m Mountain King, okay? Legend of legends in Korea! Do you understand?”
“I’ll support at least a signing bonus.”
“Don’t be amateurish. That’s obvious. Now talk properly.”
Eventually, Sangbaek cut in firmly.
“Just accept the signing bonus! I’ll take care of the rest later.”
But Lee Shin shook his head.
“No. I don’t accept verbal contracts.”
He had already seen through everything from the start.
From the moment he heard “Mirae Guild,” he understood Sangbaek’s intentions.
“You were testing me, weren’t you? A disposable piece.”
“…!”
Lee Shin continued calmly.
“You gave me a chance, but it wasn’t really one. Honestly, it was obvious I was being discarded.”
“So I won’t accept something like that.”
“Contract fee, salary, everything… we do it properly.”
Then he added:
“I’ve developed trust issues.”
Sangbaek’s expression hardened.
“This brat…”
But Lee Shin wasn’t finished.
“If you’re talking about money, let’s do it properly. Idoh is the best company in Korea, right?”
“So let’s do this properly: best contract, best salary, best treatment.”
“Brand matters. Idoh is always ‘the best.’ Let’s not break that image.”
“We don’t need underdog stories. We need a top-dog story.”
That moment, Sangbaek’s eyes changed slightly.
This wasn’t a fool.
Lee Shin continued:
“People should think: Idoh is crazy. Idoh spends money like that? I want that too.”
“That’s branding.”
Sangbaek realized something.
This was a test.
And Lee Shin… passed it beyond expectations.
But then—
“By the way, now it’s my turn.”
Lee Shin smiled.
“I should talk about what I’m getting.”
The negotiation war began.
“What do you want?”
“Make the offer first.”
“You should be the one offering.”
“I don’t care. Offer first.”
“You’re ridiculous. You’re the representative!”
“I’m Mountain King, the legend of Korea!”
Eventually, Sangbaek gave in.
“Fine. I’ll give you signing bonus and salary.”
But Lee Shin smiled.
“Not enough. Be more generous.”
And thus—
The battle between Korea’s richest man and a SSS-rank mad genius continued.
