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Chapter 4
At the very top of the LeeDo Group, an old man is furious.
“So what are you going to start with!!”
His face flushed red, he raged and looked around, but everyone was too busy avoiding his gaze.
That weak attitude finally caused the old man’s patience to explode.
“I!”
Bang!
“am asking―!”
BANG―!
A symbol of Korean industry.
Distribution, logistics, home appliances, electronics, construction, telecommunications, semiconductors, automobiles…
In every sector of industry, an undisputed No. 1 in Korea’s business hierarchy, Chairman of LeeDo Group, Lee Sang-byeok.
That was the old man’s identity.
“Hey, are you deaf? Got no mouth? Why aren’t you talking! Are you planning to give this old man a stroke and kill me? Hey, Distribution, is that really true?”
“I’m sorry!”
“Hey, Trading!”
“I’m sorry!!”
“Don’t just say sorry—speak! Speak!!”
BANG―!!
Write ‘No. 1’ and read it as ‘Ido.’
These words perfectly showed Chairman Lee Sang-byeok’s obsession with being first.
Everything must be the best. If it’s not the best, it’s worthless trash.
No. 1 in the industry, No. 1 in profits, No. 1 in value.
Even employee salaries were No. 1. If another company paid even 1 won more? Salaries were immediately raised.
One time, in a TV variety show, the LeeDo Group cafeteria ranked 2nd place. That in itself wouldn’t have been an issue—but the problem was that Chairman Lee happened to see it.
He immediately threw the spoon he was eating with and gave orders, and that very day the cafeteria was overhauled. The manager in charge was, of course, demoted.
His obsession with being No. 1 was close to madness.
That’s why he couldn’t accept this situation—being pushed into second place in the mana stone processing bid.
“This is Korea. My, Ido’s territory! And we get beaten by those damn Kirin punks and take 2nd place? Yeah, you must really be trying to send me to the hospital with high blood pressure. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”
““We’re sorry!!””
“Sorry! Sorry!! From now on, anyone who says sorry loses their head!!”
“……”
“Hoo… Vice Chairman, you speak. Go on, tell me what you think about this situation.”
At those words, the Vice Chairman of LeeDo Group and Lee Sang-byeok’s eldest son, Lee Young-bin, lifted his head.
Knowing full well that his father despised apologies as much as excuses, he skipped the preamble and got straight to the point.
“It’s because of mana stones.”
“Mana stones?”
“The main reason was that we didn’t contribute much to mana stone supply.”
Since mana stones were a major energy source driving the nation, by law the state held a monopoly on them. The gathered mana stones were then allocated to companies through a bidding process.
However—
“Kirin Group currently operates the largest guild in Korea. From the government’s perspective, which needs to secure an enormous supply of mana stones every year, they have no choice but to be mindful of Kirin, their largest supplier.
Moreover, Kirin Group has formed a close cooperative relationship with the current administration. Mana stones, monster subjugations, securing materials for research, even certain gate raids—they’ve been openly given preferential treatment.
Objectively speaking, supporting Kirin rather than us is more beneficial for the government.”
They took the hand that offered more benefit.
It sounded simple and logical enough—
But that was only if you didn’t know the hidden circumstances.
—BANG!!
“Don’t give me that nonsense! You’re telling me we got pushed aside for a reason like that? Are you kidding me?”
In this country of Korea, the existence called Ido was overwhelming.
There’s a reason people openly called it the ‘Ido Republic.’ It had already surpassed the level the government would consider burdensome.
How could anyone possibly stop that dinosaur?
Though he was in a position to wield absolute power if he wished, Lee Sang-byeok had surprisingly given something up himself.
Rather than flaunting his pride and superiority, he wanted to keep his No. 1 position and grow for the long term.
For that, a stable market was necessary, and for the market to be stable, competition was essential.
So he let go—reluctantly—of the guild he had so badly wanted.
In return, the government promised various rights, including the mana stone processing bid.
Given these behind-the-scenes circumstances, how do you think Lee Sang-byeok felt now?
It was like getting whacked in the back of the head.
Me, Lee Sang-byeok!!
“Last year’s presidential election was key.”
“I knew it! That son of a b****!!”
“Though the President firmly denies it, anyone in the know is aware of the connection between President Choi and Kirin Group.”
The explanation was long-winded, but in the end it was collusion between politics and business.
A company sponsors, the politician gives them cover—your run-of-the-mill corruption.
“The old saying isn’t wrong. ‘If kindness continues, they think it’s their right.’ Choi or those Kirin punks—they dare to think they’re on the same level as me, Lee Sang-byeok?”
“……”
“Hoo… Fine.”
Suddenly, Lee Sang-byeok’s voice dropped low.
People flinched—this was a signal he was truly angry.
“Get out. All of you.”
Because he couldn’t stand to look at them.
At that dismissal, everyone backed out, and Lee Sang-byeok put a cigarette in his mouth and picked up the phone.
“Call Cheol-ong in.”
Then came the only person in the company whose name Lee used instead of title—even for his own children—his trusted secretary general, Yoo Cheol-ong.
The white-haired man bowed his head as he entered, silently lit the chairman’s cigarette, and said nothing.
“Cheol-ong, you heard?”
“Yes, I heard.”
“Good… We’ll have to move the plan up.”
At those words, the old man raised his head.
From his distinctive deep-set eyes, sharp flames poured out.
“Contact’s already done. Once you give the word, our people will mark them.”
“Good. Spread the bribe money generously, no loose ends.”
“We’ve sent it down to even the lowest public officials. Local assembly members will side with us. The pretext is supporting local governments to resolve the gap between the capital and the provinces.”
“Handle Yeouido that way. And the guild?”
“We’ve already finished talks with the executives at the Central Awakener Management Headquarters. They’ve promised to look the other way. We’ve completed the selection—would you like to see it?”
“No need. Don’t I already know you do your work well, Cheol-ong?”
Fwoo~
White smoke rose.
“Those fools outside seem to think they’ve shackled me, Lee Sang-byeok. Just because they blocked one measly guild. Cheol-ong, do you think that too?”
“Nonsense. Everything is by your will, Chairman.”
“That’s right. It’s because I wanted peace that LeeDo gave up the guild, and it’s because I allowed it that Kirin’s guild became the best.”
But they repaid kindness with deception.
There was no longer any reason to wear such a ridiculous shackle.
Spewing his mounting rage, Lee Sang-byeok declared:
“As of today, LeeDo Group will have a guild.”
With that one sentence, not only Korea but the entire global guild industry would be shaken. The man Yoo Cheol-ong served had that kind of power.
“Understood. Then I’ll send people to each province as planned. And about your grandchildren…”
“What’s there to say—go ahead as planned. If they’ve inherited my blood, they’ll have no problem dominating a guild.”
“Understood. But, Chairman…”
Yoo Cheol-ong cautiously spoke.
“What about Young Master Shin…”
The moment the name I-Shin was spoken, Lee Sang-byeok’s brow instantly furrowed.
“Don’t you dare mention that brat in front of me!”
For Lee Sang-byeok, the name Shin brought a kind of anger entirely different from losing the mana stone processing bid.
In terms of pure intensity, Shin angered him even more than the bid loss.
The bid was something he could control if he exerted his power—but that delinquent grandson repeatedly slipped beyond his control.
Bastard punk!
How many chances had I given him just because he was the eldest grandson?
To Lee Sang-byeok, Lee Shin was the first and only grandchild he had personally held in his arms, and since childhood, the boy had resembled him greatly, earning him an unusually large amount of affection.
He let him enjoy everything he could possibly enjoy and have everything he wanted.
And yet, in the end—drugs, women, brawling…
He had finally disappointed Lee Sang-byeok.
What more should he do for him? How much longer should he endure?
The fact that he had not taken back what he had given was already an act of great patience for Lee Sang-byeok.
As Lee Sang-byeok ground his teeth, chewing on his anger, Yoo Cheol-ong cautiously spoke.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to give him an equal opportunity?”
“I said that’s enough! Why do you keep taking that brat’s side?”
“Well… because you care about him, Chairman.”
“!!”
Care about him.
Lee Sang-byeok, caught off guard at having his true feelings revealed, paused and then stared silently at Yoo Cheol-ong with a slightly calmer expression.
“You know me too well.”
“My apologies.”
“That’s enough, stop talking about that brat. How could I entrust company matters to a good-for-nothing like him?”
Then, as if something came to mind, Lee Sang-byeok asked,
“He’s under probation, right?”
“If you mean Young Master Lee Shin, as per your orders, the Vice Chairman has been preventing him from leaving the house.”
“Good. Make sure not a single word of this matter reaches his ears. Even when a lion catches a rabbit, it gives its all. Don’t give him any strange excuse to get involved. You understand what I mean?”
“I will bear it in mind.”
“You may go now.”
Yoo Cheol-ong bowed and left through the door.
When the door closed and silence fell over the chairman’s office, he let out a sigh he had been hiding behind his anger.
“Phew… you foolish child…”
Lee Sang-byeok was searching for someone in the reflection of himself in the window.
________________________________________
In the middle of a city center lined with skyscrapers.
The eyes of the people hurrying along the street all turned to one spot.
“…Wow, look at that guy.”
“Pfft, what is that?”
“He came out looking like that? That confidence though.”
Slippers with his toes fully exposed.
Bright blue track pants.
A wrinkled shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
Hair tousled as if it had been hit by an explosion.
A shabby look, like he had dived into a laundry basket without washing and pulled something out at random.
But when eyes followed that shabby appearance up to his face, everyone, as if on cue, let out a collective gasp.
“Ah…!”
“Gasp!!”
“Ins…ane…”
Who was it that said fashion is completed by the face?
The man before their eyes proved it. Slippers? Track pants? Wrinkled shirt?
Who cares?
The face was insane! His charm was exploding!
In the midst of this, a few sharp-eyed people tilted their heads as they looked at the man.
“But he looks familiar.”
“He looks like someone… is he a celebrity?”
The murmuring crowd grew louder. Like they were brainstorming, each person tossed out a comment, and before long, they found the answer.
“Isn’t that Lee Shin?”
“Huh? Oh! I think you’re right?!”
That was it. Lee Shin.
They hadn’t realized because they were used to seeing him only in suits worth as much as an average house, not in such cheap and friendly casual clothes.
Either that, or his somewhat countrified appearance had thrown them off.
In any case, Lee Shin didn’t pay attention to the noisy surroundings any mind, instead looking around like a country bumpkin and exclaiming in awe.
“Oooh…!!”
How was he supposed to resist, when the company name that should have started with an H or an L had been replaced with the GM’s company name in the game?
The streets that were both familiar and unfamiliar gave Lee Shin a novel sense of joy.
And now, having stopped walking, among these names, he had spotted the one he had been searching for.
“Here it is! LeeDo Group.”
The building at the very top, closest to the sky in this concrete jungle, LeeDo Group, was Lee Shin’s destination.
