The Chairman Who Wants to Play and Eat

Chapter 27. Ah, so that’s what it meant?

A black Rolls-Royce was speeding along.

“How much longer?”

Let me know if you need anything else!

“Two minutes at the earliest, four minutes at the latest.”

It was the vehicle of Hyun Byeong-geon, the chairman of Seonghyeon, racing down the main road toward Yeouido, where the emergency board meeting of the Federation of Korean Industries, or FKI, was about to take place.

In truth, the emergency meeting was unexpected.

With less than a month until the regular meeting, it would have sufficed to simply wait.

Unless it was something urgent, but it wasn’t.

There wasn’t much of an agenda either.

So, it was easy for anyone to guess that there was a pressing reason to hastily convene a meeting that didn’t really need to happen.

They were aiming for a target.

And that target was undoubtedly Seonghyeon.

It was what they had hoped for.

“By the way, it seems that Chairman Park of Jeong Sang and Chairman Jin of Geosan have found our Seonghyeon quite bothersome lately. Heh heh.”

It was understandable.

Chairman Hyun could see that.

There had been an unspoken agreement between them until now.

The rule was that large corporations would avoid encroaching on each other’s business territories as much as possible.

For instance, Jeong Sang wouldn’t meddle in Daewoon’s automobile manufacturing, and Daewoon wouldn’t step into Jeong Sang’s core industries of food and life insurance.

But that rule had been broken this time.

Because of Seonghyeon.

Seonghyeon had declared its entry into the semiconductor and computer fields, where Jeong Sang and Geosan had been amicably sharing roles and challenging each other.

Given that situation, it wasn’t surprising that the sentiments of Park Beom-sik from Jeong Sang and Jin Yeong-kyu from Geosan were turning sour.

There was one more peculiar aspect to this emergency board meeting.

It was the request to bring along one child or grandchild in their twenties as an observer.

“Is Sang-yoon here?”

“Given the time, Young Master Sang-yoon must have already arrived.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

The pretext was grand.

They claimed it was to show the budding pillars of the business world the grand schemes of the economy and to help them gain experience.

But the underlying meaning was obvious.

It was just to see their faces.

Whose faces?

Who could it be?

None other than Hyun Sang-yoon, the third grandchild of Hyun Byeong-geon, who has emerged as a hot topic in the business world.

Perhaps this is the true purpose of this board meeting.

This, too, was something to be welcomed.

“No matter how foolish he may be, I have to say something. I really feel proud to have such a grandchild. Don’t you think?”

Chairman Hyun was immensely proud of that fact.

Director Joo chimed in.

“That’s absolutely right.”

“Of course it is. That kid is my grandchild, after all.”

His laughter was so big and refreshing that it could be heard outside the vehicle.

“However, Chairman.”

After a moment, Director Joo opened his mouth, waiting for the chairman’s laughter to subside.

He was not someone who usually spoke first in front of superiors.

“Is there something you want to say?”

Chairman Hyun asked.

“Forgive my impertinence, but are you not worried about Young Master Sang-yoon? As you know, this is his first official event. He is still quite young.”

At those words, Chairman Hyun’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Worried? Me? About whom? Sang-yoon?”

His voice was incredulous,

He had never even entertained such thoughts, not even in his dreams.

“If anything, I’d be worried about myself, not that kid Sang-yoon. You’ve grown old, my friend. Wasting time on such pointless worries. Let’s get going. Hahaha!”

At the same time,

A sporty foreign sedan was also heading toward Yeouido.

“Hyun Sang-yoon, he’s coming today, right?”

“Isn’t he? If he’s too scared to come, it would be strange for him to have become this famous in the first place.”

The two in the car were Jin Jeong-hoon, the grandson of Chairman Jin Geun-kyu, and Park Jae-il, the grandson of Chairman Park Beom-sik.

“But you know…”

“What?”

“That kid. Wasn’t he always quiet? Isn’t it strange for him to suddenly be acting out like this?”

“What’s strange about it? People change.”

The person in the front seat, Jin Jeong-hoon, looked anxious.

“Jae-il.”

“Why do you keep calling me?”

Park Jae-il, sitting arrogantly in the back seat, replied irritably.

“Nothing serious is going to happen, right?”

“Are you joking right now?”

“Still… the Federation of Korean Industries isn’t a joke.”

“The Federation isn’t a joke. That’s why I wasn’t joking from the start, was I?”

He gritted his teeth.

“Why do I have to play the role of a new employee in the strategy office because of Hyun Sang-yoon? I’ve prepared a little something to show that guy a harsh lesson. Don’t you think he should know just how scary this world can be?”

His voice was cold.

“Okay, I get it, so calm down.”

“Why should I? You’re the one who needs to calm down.”

“Then why are you sweating so much?”

It was all visible in the rearview mirror.

“Because it’s hot! It’s hot! Summer is coming soon!”

Park Jae-il shouted.

Five minutes before the board meeting,

“Is everything ready?”

The chair of the Federation of Korean Industries,

But more widely known as the chairman of Daewoon, the largest conglomerate in South Korea, Son Kyung-heon, spoke to his chief of staff.

“Yes, Chairman. Everything is ready. Everyone can enter once they arrive.”

The Daewoon chief of staff nodded respectfully.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine, Chairman.”

“Nothing, my foot.”

The chairman’s office on the top floor of the Federation building, a place used only temporarily during general meetings.

By the way,

‘What’s with this sudden emergency board meeting?’

It was unexpected.

Not long ago, there was a request for an extraordinary board meeting led by Chairman Park and Chairman Jin, with more than half of the members in agreement.

When a proposal is made, it must be responded to in accordance with the regulations.

That is why he was here at this moment.

It wasn’t that the reason was entirely unclear.

But it didn’t matter.

What difference did it make?

He had already spent decades on the front lines of the capitalist economic war since the Korean War, a seasoned warrior of reversal.

One thing was certain.

Something interesting would definitely happen in today’s meeting.

He felt a sense of anticipation.

‘Was his name Hyun Sang-yoon?’

Korean society still retained a strong Confucian ethos.

Blood ties came first.

No chairman of a major South Korean corporation has few children. Those children go on to have children of their own.

In the end, when you add them all up, the number becomes uncountable.

Thus, no matter how good the memory of Son Kyung-heon might be, it was impossible to keep all of them in mind.

There were more names he didn’t know than those he did.

It was only natural.

Yet,

‘The fact that I already remember the name of that friend who is only twenty years old.’

It meant he was someone worth looking forward to.

Whether as a friend or an enemy.

He hoped, as much as possible, that this friend was not an enemy.

He stood up.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

It was time.

*

Yeouido, the Federation of Korean Industries building.

‘Check the vehicle number.’

‘Silence, VIP number confirmed.’

As the car pulled into the underground parking lot, employees in black suits moved in perfect unison, and soon the barrier lifted.

It’s my first time here.

‘It’s quite large.’

This is the heart of South Korea’s market economy.

The headquarters of the business world.

But more importantly, this is a gathering place for numerous other chairmen who are in competition with my grandfather, Chairman Hyun.

‘No matter what, I cannot make a big mistake here.’

This is a critical issue.

At the very least, the only person I should lose my reputation over is my grandfather.

No one else.

A small mistake might be excusable, but if I were to commit a serious error here, and lose the trust of all the other group chairmen, it wouldn’t just be a matter of tarnishing my reputation.

I would lose my qualifications. It would mean losing the Gangnam building as well.

That cannot happen.

As I steeled myself, Deputy Lee Beom-seok asked me.

“Are you ready?”

“I think so.”

He reported back.

“From here on, a KCCI staff member will guide you. I just received a call from the secretary’s office, and the chairman is expected to arrive at the conference room in about three minutes.”

He’s thorough, to say the least.

The door opened. The guiding staff member appeared through the open door.

“I will take it from here. Please follow my lead. We are heading to the main conference hall.”

He said.

The atmosphere in the conference hall was chilly. It seemed the air conditioning was on.

Half of the seats were filled.

Behind the chairmen of several groups who had already arrived, the second and third generations sat in designated seats, their expressions tense.

I could hear whispers reaching my ears.

‘Is that Hyun Sang-yoon?’

“After getting into the law school at Korea University, he studied while successfully completing a semiconductor project, and now I hear he’s preparing for something called the internet.”

“Wow, does that even make sense? I could barely manage just studying.”

“So, are you doing well in your studies?”

I slowly searched for the character ‘成現’ and took a seat in the back.

I looked around.

From the seats of the elders, I noticed two young men my age already occupying the observer’s seats behind the empty chairs of the two chairmen.

It had been a while, but I recognized their faces.

Surely, they must be Park Jae-il, the eldest grandson of Jeong Sang, and Jin Jeong-hun, the eldest grandson of Geosan.

But,

“Why are they glaring at me like that?”

Their gaze was unsettling.

Surely it wasn’t because of the semiconductor or computers; could it be that I borrowed money from those friends when we were kids and never paid it back?

I couldn’t understand that kind of look otherwise.

I shrugged it off.

It probably wasn’t anything significant.

How long had it been since then?

Before I knew it, Chairman Hyun had entered the conference room. His eyes sparkled with joy, just as much as mine.

“You’ve come.”

“Yes.”

That was the extent of our conversation.

Soon after,

“Thank you all for waiting.”

The door opened, and a man appeared, taking a seat at the central chair. It was none other than Chairman Son of Daewoon Group.

“Is there anything to wait for?”

He began the meeting, looking around at everyone.

His voice resonated loudly, even without a microphone.

“Since this is an impromptu board meeting, let’s start it quickly. I hereby declare the emergency board meeting of the National Businessmen’s Association for the year 198X open.”

Bang, bang, bang,

The gavel struck.

After a few superficial agenda items passed, it was when the topic of diversification in advanced industries like semiconductors and computers came up.

As soon as the presentation ended,

“How could Seong-hyeon do that?”

Chairman Jin of Geosan raised his voice loudly, immediately requesting a statement from the member companies.

“Why all of a sudden, our Seong-hyeon?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know. If I knew, would I be asking? I’m not exactly idle here.”

Chairman Hyeon wasn’t backing down either.

“I put up with it during the semiconductor issue. After all, running a business is about finding profitable ventures, so I accepted that. But now it’s computers again? Does Geosan look that easy to you, Chairman Hyeon?”

At that, Chairman Park of Jeong-sang, pretending to be dignified, interjected.

“Ha ha, Chairman Jin. There’s no need to get so angry in the meeting room, is there? However, Seong-hyeon did make a mistake. His enthusiasm was excessive. He should have moderated it.”

In that moment, the room froze.

Expressions of ‘here it comes’ were evident on everyone’s faces.

Without needing to say it, everyone had come in with an expectation of what might happen today.

Then it happened.

“Quiet, quiet!”

Chairman Son struck the gavel once more.

The loud sound echoed through the meeting room.

Chairman Park and Chairman Jin fell silent. Elder Chairman Hyeon leaned back against his chair again.

Chairman Son continued speaking.

“It’s not that I don’t know. We convened this board meeting because of this issue, didn’t we? Everyone is aware.”

Everyone was listening.

“On the surface, it does appear that Seong-hyeon has intruded into a matter that Jeong-sang and Geosan started first. I acknowledge that much. So, as the chair of the Federation of Korean Industries, I would like to mediate this issue. What does everyone think?”

Everyone chimed in.

“That’s right!”

“It’s only fitting that the elder brother of the business community, Daeyun, should take charge. Everyone will accept it!”

Waiting for the room to quiet down, Chairman Son spoke again.

“Then will everyone agree to do as I suggest? You three chairmen?”

“Let’s do that.”

“I’ll listen and then decide.”

The two chairmen nodded first.

“Of course, if Chairman Son is going to mediate, we should accept it. I am in favor.”

Chairman Hyun also chimed in.

Soon after,

Chairman Son, looking satisfied at last, began to speak the words he had prepared.

“I received a request before coming here. I cannot disclose who it was, but this matter is clearly Seong-hyeon’s fault, so I was asked to rigorously verify Seong-hyeon’s qualifications. In fact, that is why I have allowed the children and grandchildren of the family to observe this meeting. They will eventually be involved in the company’s affairs.”

Chairman Son continued.

“However, I will not proceed exactly as requested. The verification must be neutral. I will use my own method. Is that agreeable to everyone?”

Chairman Park made a sound of acknowledgment. There were no objections.

Seeing this, Chairman Son smiled faintly.

“Very well. Let’s begin.”

He said.

“I will test each of you one by one here. To maintain neutrality, the questions will be about my company, Daewoon. Since none of my children or grandchildren are present, wouldn’t that be the fairest approach? If there are no objections, I will start right away. First, Jeong Sang-groups’ Park Jae-il?”

“Ah, yes… Yes?”

Park Jae-il’s expression had turned pale, as if sensing something was amiss.

“Let’s cut to the chase. Our Daewoon has submitted a business plan for a memory project to the government, right? We even established a local corporation in Southern California. Were you aware of that?”

“Ah, yes, I was aware.”

“Then let me ask you this.”

Chairman Son’s sharp questioning continued.

“With Seong-hyeon getting involved, the situation has escalated. If our Daewoon also gets involved in this project, how will the dynamics of the business world change? Can you truly answer that, Park Jae-il of Jeong Sang-groups?”

As the questions continued, Park Jae-il and then Jin Jeong-hoon faced humiliation.

But that wasn’t the real issue.

I realized something.

‘Ah, so that was what it meant?’

I hadn’t understood why those two had been glaring at me since the start of the meeting.

But now, it seemed clear.

Why were they trembling and unable to answer, pretending not to know something that was so obvious? It was certainly an easy question—why act as if they didn’t know?

Could it be that these friends had plans similar to mine?

Indeed.

That was it.

I hadn’t even considered it.

Other third-generation chaebols might also desire a smart life, like mine, managing a building in Gangnam rather than sitting in the chairman’s seat.

Especially the thought that friends like Park Jae-il or Jin Jeong-hoon share the same dream never even crossed my mind.

Is that all?

In a position where one could easily overstep, they are so audacious.

They reveal their flaws to everyone.

Bold.

Surprisingly so.

That much I could not deny.

Now that I think about it, perhaps I had been thinking too simply.

Park Jae-il made me realize what I had forgotten.

The world is a jungle,

And in the end, the one who wins owns the Gangnam building, while the loser can only become a chaebol chairman.

‘Thank you, Park Jae-il.’

I thought to myself.

Finally, it was my turn.

“…It seems my patience is starting to wear thin. Heh. Then next, Hyun Sang-yoon from Seonghyeon Group? Can you answer my question?”