The Famous Millionaire

Hyunwoo reported to work stoutly.

Youngsu, who came back from a managers’ meeting in the morning, called Hyunwoo in with a grave expression on his face. His glittering eyes toward Hyunwoo looked sharp.

“Hey, I heard you refused to work at the headquarters of Space Design, right?”

“Yes, I’ve got a personal problem,” said Hyunwoo confidently, glancing at Suji quickly.

Suji clenched her fist and showed it to him as if she wanted to cheer him up.

“I heard the story about it, too, but everybody has such a problem, as you know. Is this the first time you have experienced corporate life? You just follow it as directed by the management.”

Hyunwoo had nothing to reply because he already told the president about his personal situation.

“The president wants to see you. Come with me”

“Yes, sir.”

Hyunwoo followed him to the president’s office.

When he stepped into the office, there was not only the president but also Minhye. Both were having a conversation on the sofa with smiles on their faces.

When Hyunwoo cam in, however, Daebong changed the atmosphere and said coldly, “Sit down there.”

When he sat, Daebong suddenly asked, “Do you have anything to say, dude?”

Hyunwoo thought what Daebong meant was the matter of his joining the headquarters of Space Design in Seoul.

“Sorry. As I already told you, I can’t because of my personal problem…”

“No, not that. Something else.”

“Something else? What is it, sir?” said Hyunwoo, tilting his head as if he couldn’t figure out.

Then Daebong cast a sharp glance at him, saying,

“I’m talking about your relation to N&C in Vietnam. I guess you have something to say.”

At the moment, his heart sank, How did the president find it out? Did he talk with Sungji Na, the president of N&C in Vietnam?

Actually, Hyunwoo didn’t have to cower because of that, let alone any sense of guilt.

Hyunwoo said confidently, “Do you mean my investment in N&C?”

Actually, Hyunwoo wasn’t sure if that’s what the president wanted to hear from him, but he felt it was. Daebong stared at him with a sharp look,”Now, tell me why. Why did you deceive me up to now?”

Tilting his head, Hyunwoo replied, “I’m sorry, but I have no idea how I deceived you. Even though I’m an employee of this company, I don’t think I have the reason to report my personal investment to you.”

At that moment, Youngsu raised his head as if he was upset at Hyunwoo’s talking back. If Daebong raised his hand to stop it timely, Youngsu might have shouted at him.

Instead, Daebong said in a calm tone, “The problem is that they are our business partner. And you belong to the purchasing team, don’t you? You can adjust the product price in favor of the local branch for your own benefits. That’s clearly an act of malpractice.”

“You’re right, sir. That’s an act of malpractice, but what is important here is I haven’t committed such an act.”

Hyunwoo spoke confidently, “Frankly I reduced the unit price for our company. I persuaded the N&C president to supply the parts to our company cheaper than others. If I was not an employee here, you would have to buy them at least 5% higher than now. Currently, other companies are buying the N&C parts at that price. You will find out if you look into it.”

Daebong’s face was a bit distorted as he had nothing to say.

Actually, he looked into that issue. Namely, comparison of the prices N&C charged to Aurum and other companies, in particular, its rival Art Hill. Though it was difficult to find it out because it was an important secret related to their sales activities, what was certain was that the parts were supplied to Aurum at a cheap price.

“And when I invested in N&C, I reported it to Aurum. Namely, it was more than worth investing in N&C, and when our investment proved successful, it would have brought enormous benefits, but Aurum gave up the investment. Aurum didn’t want to take the minimal risk.”

“Really? I was not briefed about that at all.”

“I don’t think that’s important. My report to my superior at the time was like reporting to Aurum, and I think that superior was taking care of the business upon authorization by the president. Even if you didn’t know about this, Aurum, of which the superior was a member, was aware of it.”

“Hmmm…”

Daebong had nothing to say. He was being scolded by an assistant manager at the moment, but he couldn’t refute Hyunwoo.

“That’s why I invested in N&C. You know how dangerous my investment was at the time. I’d appreciate it very much if you understand that the reason I took the risk then was not only for my own benefits but also for Aurum.”

Daebong felt a headache at the moment. Though he confronted Hyunwoo with the issue of N&C, convinced that this would make Hyunwoo change his mind, his strategy turned out wrong. After all, he had only one option to move Hyunwoo, which was his authority as the president.

“Anyhow, you’re an employee of Aurum, and you have to follow the order once the management announces a personnel reshuffle. I’m going to assign you to a new post at the headquarters of the new corporation, so be ready.”

“Sir, I really can’t.”

“I know what you’re trying to say to me, but I want you to work at the new place because you’re such an important person. Just work there only two years, and then let me bring you back here with promotion to the manager.”

Youngsu and Minhye’s jaws dropped at that. Special promotion to the manager in just three years after his promotion to an assistant manager! It was an extraordinary benefit only Daebong’s cousin Youngsu could enjoy.

What’s more surprising was Hyunwoo’s reaction. It looked as if he was never interested in promotion. Of course, Hyunwoo wanted promotion. If he had been offered it early on after he got hired, he would have taken it, but not now. He didn’t have any intention to stake everything on promotion. In other words, Hyunwoo was affluent now.

His stocks in N&C Vietnam were soaring every day, and the money he was making from N&C Korea was huge, so the title of the manager didn’t look high enough to him.

Above all, he wanted to live with his parents. He didn’t want to be separated from them even for one year. As his father made a grave decision, he felt he should stay with him. Though Hyunwoo didn’t help him with his research, he should be readily available when his father wanted to move around.

And he had no particular reason to continue working for Aurum. Under the current atmosphere, it would be much bigger benefits to him to quit his job at Aurum and fully focus on sales activities for the Korean ventures in Vietnam including N&C. Nonetheless, he couldn’t because of his loyal obligation to former president Jongun Yun, who recommended him to Aurum initially, and he was thankful to Aurum for having hired a high school graduate like him. It was some sort of a risk to Aurum at that time. Thanks to Aurum, Hyunwoo could grow as a businessman, and he owed his association with N&C to Aurum. It was also Aurum that helped his mother set up a food factory ‘Hyunwoo’s Mom’, which made her feel as if she regained her life. In the past, she was sick in bed at the hospital because of her health problem, but Hyunwoo never heard about her becoming sick again since she started a new business.

In that respect, Hyunwoo had an obligation to repay the favor and benefits he got from Aurum. He had to satisfy Daebong’s expectation of him and repay his favor up to now.

Of course, Hyunwoo made a huge contribution to Aurum’s growth. He helped Aurum cut down the unit price by tens of millions won per year, and pulled off a contract with a Japanese buyer that might have fallen apart, but that was quite small, compared with the benefits he got from Aurum. Though Hyunwoo didn’t know the exact reason, Daebong thought he was the essential person of Space Design.

How can I satisfy the president’s expectation? How can I repay for what I have benefited from Aurum?

That’s not the kind of answer that Hyunwoo could find.

Hyunwoo said in a calm voice, “May I ask why you insist on sending me to the headquarters? I would like to know your expectation of me.”

At that moment, Daebong was a bit startled because it was an unexpected question. If he had to find the reason, it was because Minhye wanted him.

As if she read his father’s mind, Minhye cut in timely, “I hear you have some network with the entertainment people. The core of our business is the publicity campaign by making use of the network.”

If that’s his main duty, he has no reason to move to Seoul because his occasional working trip to Seoul for that purpose is more than enough.

“Is that all?”

“I hear you’re the idea bank of the purchasing team. I would like to get your ideas, and it’s my own personal feeling that you’re like an icon of good luck.”

Hyunwoo smiled a bit at her mention of “an icon of good luck.” What the hell made her think he was an icon of fortune? In some respect, it was something Hyunwoo might feel bad about because all his achievements could be downgraded as just ‘good luck’.

If she felt so, that was a great misunderstanding on her part.

Hyunwoo made the right choice at the crossroads of choice, and he did his best to prove his choice was not wrong. That was the case of N&C in Vietnam. He chose the path of hardship when he decided to invest 300 million won and persuade Sangtaek Kwon, the premier castor specialist, to join N&C, and he made the best efforts to make his choice pay off.

The cost reduction was one of such outcomes, so it would be very regrettable for Minhye to downgrade it as ‘good luck.’

But Hyunwoo didn’t argue with her. He just felt regrettable about Minhye’s attitude.

What’s important was he now clearly found out why she wanted him. If he could satisfy her needs, he would feel much freer than now.

Hyunwoo replied in a heavy voice, “Please give me some time. Let me give it a thought.”