Chapter 15
First Day at Work (3)
“I can’t honestly say I have no such suspicions. It’s difficult to believe the Chairman’s condition is stable.”
As always, Lee Sang-jae was blunt and straightforward.
President Choi’s expression relaxed.
“Is it that bad?”
“You already know. It’s been months, and he’s still unconscious.”
“Things must be pretty chaotic with the leadership vacuum.”
“My job is to keep that chaos under control. And, President, you still haven’t answered my question.”
President Choi immediately understood the message.
Stop changing the subject.
He smirked.
“I can’t quite figure the kid out, so I stuck him beside me to kill time. Then, when the time comes, I’ll fire him.”
“What do you mean by ‘can’t figure him out’?”
“He’s hopeless at actual work, but oddly sharp when it comes to strange things.”
President Choi explained how the intern had discovered the Chairman’s four shell companies, but Lee Sang-jae still looked unconvinced.
“That’s only speculation.”
“It’s a confession. Straight from the kid himself.”
“You believe him?”
“It’s the most plausible explanation we have so far. Do you have a better theory?”
He had a point.
It was the most believable explanation.
Yet Lee Sang-jae’s doubts remained.
“But think about it. Even if an intern somehow discovered something like that, would he proudly announce it during a presentation? Is that really something an ordinary person in their twenties would do?”
“That’s exactly why I said he’s hard to figure out.”
President Choi was growing irritated by the constant questioning.
He pulled out a cigarette.
“So what do you want me to do? Fire him?”
Lee Sang-jae fell silent.
The truth was, he didn’t have an alternative.
“I suppose I’ve done nothing but question you. My apologies. Honestly, I don’t know what should be done either. Not yet.”
President Choi’s expression softened.
This was one of the things he liked about Lee Sang-jae.
Whenever he realized he was wrong, he immediately stepped back and admitted it.
“Then I’ll keep him until you come up with something. Fair enough?”
“I’d appreciate that. And…”
Lee Sang-jae glanced at him cautiously.
“When I came in, that intern was just sitting there staring into space.”
President Choi laughed.
“Well, what do you expect? He’s just a new employee. What could he possibly do in the Executive Office? We can’t let a suspicious guy see confidential documents. Manager Oh probably handed him some numbers and told him to compare them. It’s not urgent work, so it’s perfect for killing time.”
“President, you said he has good instincts and sharp intuition. How about trying this?”
“What?”
“You know those business projects Choi Sung Trading abandoned?”
“The dropped projects?”
“Yes. Give them to him and see if he finds anything.”
President Choi considered it.
The idea wasn’t bad.
If the intern identified why the projects had been abandoned, it would prove he really had good instincts.
And if he pointed out something suspicious...
Then perhaps his identity would truly deserve scrutiny.
“That’s not a bad idea. Fine. I’ll try it and let you know what happens.”
“Thank you, President.”
As Lee Sang-jae rose to leave, President Choi added one final remark.
“If the Chairman’s condition changes, inform me immediately. You can at least do that much, right?”
“Of course. Then I’ll be going.”
The moment Lee Sang-jae disappeared, President Choi called for Manager Oh.
“Give the new employee a few of the projects we dropped and tell him to analyze them. Don’t mention they were abandoned. Just tell him to submit a feasibility report.”
“The abandoned projects?”
“Yeah. Let’s see what happens. Executive Director Kim says his instincts are extraordinary. Let’s find out just how extraordinary.”
“Understood.”
Manager Oh guessed that President Choi’s sudden interest in the rookie employee was because of Lee Sang-jae.
Though he still had no idea why Lee Sang-jae was paying attention to a mere new hire.
***
Chairman Kang found himself lost in thought after Lee Sang-jae had walked away without even looking at him.
Should I run after him right now and tell him I’m the Chairman?
With the Chairman lying unconscious in a hospital bed, all sorts of problems must be erupting below.
He was curious how Lee Sang-jae was handling everything.
Most of all, Lee Sang-jae would know his exact medical condition better than anyone.
Chairman Kang desperately wanted to ask.
But Lee Sang-jae wasn’t the type to calmly accept a ridiculous story about bodies being switched.
Even if Chairman Kang revealed secrets known only to the two of them, Lee Sang-jae wouldn’t believe him.
He would only wonder how the information had leaked.
As he sat there sighing, Manager Oh tossed several files onto his desk.
“Hey, rookie. You need to work on these.”
“What are they?”
“Projects being reviewed by the Sales Division. We need feasibility analyses. I want your opinion. Look through them carefully and submit a report.”
“The Executive Office handles things like this?”
“The President’s work is our work. Who do you think gives final approval to new business projects? The President, obviously.”
What does this guy take me for?
When did presidents ever evaluate business feasibility?
Department heads did that.
The president just reviewed the results and rewarded success or punished failure.
And now they were suddenly assigning him this?
Right after Lee Sang-jae had visited?
Could this somehow be connected to Lee Sang-jae?
“I see. Understood.”
Chairman Kang opened the files.
Dozens of pages.
Dense columns of numbers.
He immediately felt annoyed.
The projects covered all sorts of industries—textiles, components, chemicals, lumber, and more.
But...
Since he wasn’t interested, he skimmed through a few pages before shoving the files aside.
He didn’t care about the contents.
Yet the files had reminded him of something important.
In fact, he was almost grateful to Manager Oh.
Chairman Kang pulled out the USB drive he always carried.
It contained only materials downloaded from the Chairman’s private database.
From it, he opened the list of new projects under review at the group level.
Rows and rows of project proposals filled the screen.
For the first time, he began sorting them personally.
Even when he had occupied the Chairman’s seat, he had never examined them this carefully.
He divided them into three categories.
The first category consisted of projects that would move forward no matter what, even if the Chairman remained unconscious.
The second category included projects whose approval could go either way after intense debate.
The third category contained projects that would never proceed without the Chairman’s personal approval.
He examined the first category more closely.
There were many advantages to being young again.
But one thing stood out most.
His mind felt incredibly fast.
His overall speed.
His instincts.
It felt like rediscovering a vitality he had forgotten long ago.
Chairman Kang focused on several reports.
“Maybe I should start with this one.”
The title read:
Acquisition of GF SOLUTION Corp.
The company had developed a new material used to reinforce fiberglass and had recently begun expanding production through large-scale manufacturing facilities.
The Choi Sung Group had been built on chemicals, and chemicals remained its core business.
Among Choi Sung Chemical’s subsidiaries, the crown jewel was Choi Sung Solution, with annual sales of 1.5 trillion won.
Its reinforced thermoplastic fiberglass products commanded a seventy percent share of the global market.
GF SOLUTION possessed technology capable of reducing manufacturing costs in that sector by approximately twenty percent.
Originally, collaboration had been considered.
But, like any major conglomerate, the final conclusion had been acquisition.
The report proposed:
- Acquisition of 60% of the company’s shares.
- Purchase price: 40 billion won.
- In the worst-case scenario, acquisition of 100% of shares for up to 80 billion won.
That was the report’s recommendation.
Chairman Kang himself had approved it.
By now, the Strategic Planning Division was probably preparing financing arrangements.
No contact with GF SOLUTION had yet been made.
Let’s see...
If I put everything I have into this, how much would that amount to...?
Money wasn’t really the issue.
If necessary, he could always go back to the 36th floor and obtain more.
The important thing was finding out the truth firsthand.
Chairman Kang picked up his bag and stood.
“I’ll be heading out for a bit.”
“What?”
Manager Oh jumped to his feet.
“Where are you going?”
“The materials you gave me. There are a few things I need to investigate.”
“Hey! I told you to review the paperwork! What do you mean investigate? Do you even know what kind of investigation would be necessary?”
“Manager.”
“What?”
“If you don’t trust someone, don’t work with them. But if you decide to work together, stop doubting them. Ever heard that saying?”
Manager Oh blinked.
“You assigned me the review. Then trust me until I finish it. Don’t tell me how to do my job.”
Manager Oh stood there with his mouth hanging open.
Chairman Kang gave him a small bow and left the office.
The moment he stepped into the elevator, he called Assistant Manager Kim.
“I’m heading out now. Wait across the street from the company.”
***
“Where would you like to go?”
“There’s a company called GF SOLUTION. G-F. Look it up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Yoon-su pulled out his phone, searched for the company, and entered the address into the navigation system.
“Then we’ll depart.”
The car glided away silently.
Watching Kim drive, Chairman Kang found himself thinking that if he ever reclaimed his body and returned to the Chairman’s office, he would want Kim by his side.
Quick-witted.
Quiet.
Excellent driver.
And young.
People like that were hard to find.
He was genuinely curious how Ocean Hotel had managed to recruit someone like him.
“Assistant Manager Kim.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Can I ask a personal question?”
“Go ahead.”
“What did you do before this job?”
“I did various things.”
Chairman Kang chuckled.
“That means I shouldn’t ask personal questions, huh?”
“That’s correct.”
Not a change in expression.
Not a change in tone.
Steady as ever.
“Sorry. I won’t ask again.”
Kim inclined his head slightly and continued driving in silence.
***
When they arrived at the Ansan Industrial Complex, Kim finally spoke.
“Would you like to get off at the entrance, or should we go inside?”
“We’re going in. I came here to show off my money, so I want to look impressive.”
“Understood.”
They stopped before a closed steel gate.
A security guard hurried over.
When Kim lowered the window, the guard asked cautiously:
“What brings you here?”
Kim answered smoothly.
“We’re here to see the president. We’re running a little late, so if you could open the gate quickly...”
“Ah, yes!”
The guard immediately opened the gate.
Chairman Kang was impressed yet again.
He hadn’t given Kim any instructions.
Everything came naturally.
Just what kind of life had this guy lived?
The car soon stopped in front of the main building.
“I’ll wait here.”
Leaving Kim’s polite words behind, Chairman Kang entered the factory building and followed the signs leading to the CEO’s office.
Perhaps because it was only a small company, access restrictions were minimal.
He walked straight to a door marked:
President & CEO
Then opened it without hesitation.
“Who are—”
The company president, who had been reading documents at his desk, adjusted his glasses.
“Are you President Kim of GF?”
“I am. And who might you be?”
Chairman Kang pulled out his wallet.
From it, he took the one item that represented his current identity.
His resident registration card.
He handed it to the bewildered president.
“My name is Hwang Jun-hyun. Please forgive my rudeness in arriving without an appointment.”
GF SOLUTION President Kim Sang-do simply stared at the ID card in his hand, completely baffled.