18 – 18. Antihero (4)
An hour ago,
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Chairman.”
Chairman Seo Chang-soo was sitting on a bench in the yard of his mansion, admiring a thick, neatly grown pine tree.
The house had such a spacious yard that one might wonder if such a grand mansion existed in Seoul.
Although there were several pine trees in the mansion, the one that Chairman Seo cherished and favored was the one right in front of him.
Without taking his eyes off the pine tree, Chairman Seo Chang-soo spoke to Director Ahn Moo-hyuk.
“Ha-ha-ha. It seems like my clever grandson is up to something.”
“When he was young, he was quite bright, wasn’t he?”
Both of them didn’t mention their names, but they were referring to the same person.
Chairman Seo’s fourth grandson.
It was about Seo Woo-jin.
Chairman Seo chuckled.
“Bright? All kids are like that. Adults take great joy in the little things of children. When that child grows up to be an adult, they should still feel bright. But you know…”
Chairman Seo stood up from the bench and walked towards the pine tree.
Director Ahn quietly followed behind.
Chairman Seo had a habit of mumbling quietly from time to time, so Director Ahn had to stick close to him not to miss it.
“Are my grandsons trying to fight already? My son is still alive and well. So, Taehan knows, right?”
“He would have seen it from the car. He was on his way back from the Pyeong car factory.”
“Of all times, it had to happen when Taehan isn’t around.”
“It’s not believed to have been planned in advance. Shall I instruct the directors to take action?”
“No need. If the wolf cubs are about to fight for the first time, it’s better not to intervene unnecessarily and get scratched only. And the director assigned to Woo-jin, was it Director Hwang? He doesn’t seem to listen well, does he?”
Director Ahn Moo-hyuk gave a mysterious smile.
“Most basic rules are adhered to, but I don’t pay much heed to petty errands. Given my background, that sentiment isn’t entirely absent.”
Chairman Seo Chang-soo shot an incredulous look.
“Ah, Director Ahn. Are you speaking as if your background has no relevance?”
“hahahaha. Haven’t I long completed my socialization?”
“Heh heh. Quite the boast. Still, someone like Director Hwang ought to be by Woo-jin’s side. If an austere figure is put there, Woo-jin becomes more distorted for no good reason.”
“That is a valid point, Chairman.”
“..Anyway, the meeting’s content is about merging the Guatemala office into the Mexico office?”
“Yes. Though initiated by Young Master Woo-jin, it doesn’t seem specifically targeted at Young Master Woo-seong.. But it’s a bit odd that he’s taking the lead.”
Chairman Seo Chang-soo muttered quietly.
“He wasn’t originally one to take the lead..”
Director Ahn caught the chairman’s muttering.
Having moved closer to hear it, one could consider the intended purpose achieved.
Yet, there was no retort to that habit.
Purely a purpose of listening.
Understanding Chairman Seo’s intentions was the goal, nothing else.
And being a long-standing confidant meant silently listening was the best course in such moments.
Lost in thought for a moment, Chairman Seo, stroking a sturdy pine tree, spoke.
“Since it’s come to this, shall we directly witness the young wolves’ skirmish?”
# # #
“What’s happening? What? What’s going on?”
Director Seo Woo-sung carefully concealed his emotions and managed his expression.
Why on earth?
Why did Grandfather, no, the chairman come here?
Seo turned his head to Vice President Jo, hoping for an explanation.
But Vice President Jo had already bowed deeply.
This guy?
I was trying to protect him, and this is how he manages security??
Of course, with so many employees attending this meeting, it was impossible to know where the leak had come from.
It might not even be Vice President Jo’s fault.
But the important thing is the result.
The problem is that Chairman Seo Chang-soo is now in this conference room.
Looking around, Chairman Seo Chang-soo spoke, “Why is everyone like this? Is it an inappropriate meeting when I’m here?”
Despite the chairman’s words, the employees in the conference room remained in a state of disarray.
It’s fortunate that there’s no panic.
Still, Vice President Seo, realizing that he held the highest position, quickly spoke up, “Ah, no, Chairman. Of course, you should be here.”
As he spoke, Chairman Seo took a seat in the vacant chair.
“Then why aren’t we proceeding? Vice President Seo. Was the meeting meant to stop just because one more person entered?”
Because he’s the chairman, that’s why!! He thought inwardly, but naturally, he couldn’t say it out loud.
He needed to organize his thoughts.
To do that, he had to buy some time.
Fortunately, there was a solution.
“No, Chairman. Let’s proceed right away… Oh? Manager Jo Daewhan. Since the chairman didn’t catch the previous report, please go over it again. To enhance the understanding of the meeting—”
“We’re done with the report. I know what it’s about, so let’s just continue.”
… Judging by the way he spoke, he must have memorized all the details, including the data.
Considering that he even went through the materials, it seemed like he had grasped the situation before the meeting.
Really, this Assistant Manager Jo guy shouldn’t be left alone.
But then,
A sudden thought crossed his mind.
Wait a minute?
Could it be Wujin?
Seo Sangmu looked at Seo Wujin, the department head.
Calm expression.
Steady gaze.
Despite the chairman’s presence, he showed no signs of wavering.
Could it be that this guy brought Grandpa in, anticipating my opposition?
… Seriously?
Was it at this level?
Move the chairman?
Have I just been squatting until now?
Various thoughts twisted through my mind.
I thought I had prepared adequately, considering it a light occasion.
I thought that if I pressed a little with authority and hierarchy, he wouldn’t act recklessly in the future.
But I was wrong.
Seeing the unwavering face of Director Seo, I realized that things were going wrong.
# # #
I’m dead tired.
The hangover seems to be hitting me now.
I don’t know why Manager Seo is staring at me with such surprise.
Does it show that I pulled an all-nighter?
I need to control my expression as much as possible.
But why did that troublemaker come here?
Sigh.
I didn’t see this coming.
The original plan was like this.
Roughly, if I fought with my brother in this meeting, causing a stir, rumors would inevitably spread. In that case, the elders would reconsider their thoughts on the Mexico branch manager.
Then, naturally, the Mexico branch manager would be influenced, and in the meantime, I planned to do a bit of pumping, making the future of the protagonist, Baek Seong-hoon, quite difficult by raising the contrast index…
But that troublemaker showed up unexpectedly, didn’t he?
Chairman Seo Changsu.
The founder of SeoHwa Group, a major player in the South Korean business sector, consistently ranked in the top three, and a key figure who has never stepped beyond the country’s top three.
No need to elaborate; it’s just going to be painful.
As soon as Chairman Seo entered the conference room, the atmosphere changed abruptly.
Fortunately, no one dramatically jumped up, shouting, “Chairman!!”
To put it briefly, a situation where everyone is on edge?
A tense atmosphere of uncertainty?
At least Manager Seo is handling it well, but eventually, the dialogue ended with a directive to proceed with the meeting.
Well, let’s continue then.
I glanced at Manager Seo.
“Did you ask for the reason, Manager Seo?”
Manager Seo looked at me in surprise.
Did I ask too directly?
Seems like he has no intention of opening his mouth.
Should I continue speaking then?
“As you know, the domestic market is already saturated. To foster the group’s growth, you cannot deny the need to shift focus internationally. However, approaching it from the perspective of whether the market is attractive or not, considering the population, purchasing power, and potential market size in Mexico, it seems to have sufficient value, as Vice President Seo mentioned, doesn’t it?”
Manager Seo got agitated.
“Do you not think it’s unrealistic to focus on Mexico to the extent of abolishing the Guatemala branch? Look at Guatemala’s revenue figures, not just Mexico. The scale is consistently rising, isn’t it? Even numerically, the maintenance is good. Why try an imprudent strategy that might lead to unpredictable consequences by merging them?”
Imprudent?
That might be a way to see it.
If it were my business, wouldn’t it be possible?
But the current issue is not the viability of the business, but whether I can live as a chaebol, so wouldn’t the approach be different?
– He thought.
I can’t say it, but I should answer as smoothly and future-oriented as possible.
“Where in the world is there a business that is not reckless? If the advantages and disadvantages are balanced, isn’t it a business worth trying?”
For a moment, it seemed like Director Seo had become tongue-tied, and with a sense that he was being restrained, he spoke as calmly as possible.
“Alright. Then, before that, shouldn’t President Seo reveal what the ‘new project’ he wants to pursue is and continue the meeting? I’m very curious about how remarkable this project is, to the extent of consolidating overseas branches.”
At that moment,
“Ahem.”
The oldest person in the meeting room coughed.
In other words, it meant for everyone to keep quiet.
All the attendees looked at President Seo with polite eyes.
From Noble mtl dot com
“It’s a bit abrupt to speak as an observer, but…”
It was already known by everyone that the die had been cast from the beginning.
“I’ll say just one thing.”
And with that one remark, everything was decided.