Chapter 66. Dropping a Bomb on a Fire
Thud―
Lee Sung-moon, who was picking up a pen that had fallen under the desk, was startled by Kim Byung-soo’s sudden voice calling for him and bumped his head.
“Ouch… Deputy General Manager Kim. I’m here.”
“What? You were there? Then answer right away when I call you.”
“What’s the matter?”
Kim Byung-soo looked so flustered that Lee Sung-moon was bewildered.
“Uh… well… the CEO of MH Future Security is looking for you.”
“…Who? Where?”
“You don’t know MH Future Security? It’s the new subsidiary that split off from the headquarters recently!”
“There’s a subsidiary like that?”
Lee Sung-moon had been at MH Group Headquarters for over 8 years. He had originally been a Manager, but three years ago, due to an unfortunate incident, he was demoted by one rank and transferred down to MH Retail.
After that, he had lost interest in anything related to headquarters and didn’t know what was going on there.
“It’s been a hot topic lately. Anyway, head over to the conference room on the 5th floor. He’s waiting for you there.”
“Why would the CEO want to see me?”
“How would I know! I should probably report this to the Branch Manager too, so just get going!”
And with that, Kim Byung-soo disappeared like the wind.
Because of his loud voice, the other employees nearby were now staring at Lee Sung-moon.
Scratching his head in confusion, Lee Sung-moon started to feel uneasy. On his way to the conference room, he searched for MH Future Security on his phone.
“…One of the owner family?”
He saw a photo and profile of Baek Shin-woo, along with news articles listing his achievements with MH Future Security.
“Twenty-three years old this year? Why would someone like that want to see me?”
Then, he knocked on the conference room door, guarded by bodyguards, and stepped inside.
The atmosphere was intimidating from the very start.
Inside, Shin-woo was seated alone, with Lee Doo-heon and several men in black suits standing nearby.
“I was told… you were looking for me.”
“I’m Baek Shin-woo, CEO of MH Future Security.”
Shin-woo handed him a business card and continued speaking.
“Are you Deputy Manager Lee Sung-moon, who was in MH Group Headquarters’ Future Strategy Office until three years ago? Back then you were a Manager.”
Holding the business card, still puzzled, Lee Sung-moon felt a chill of unease.
“…That’s all true, but… what brings you here?”
At MH Retail, he had kept his head down. It had already been three years since he was sent to the Daegu branch, so there shouldn’t be any issues with headquarters.
“I came because there’s something I want to confirm with you.”
“And what is that?”
“I know you had talent in real estate planning projects, both in the Future Strategy Office and before. And then… you suffered some misfortune.”
The unpleasant memory made Lee Sung-moon frown as he sat opposite Shin-woo.
“Was this sent by Director Myung Un-seok?”
“No. Let’s not mention that unpleasant name here. I came on my own accord, after learning about you.”
“…Really?”
“This isn’t about anything bad. Depending on how you answer, this could be a good opportunity for you.”
Fidgeting with the business card, Lee Sung-moon thought for a moment.
“Please… go ahead.”
“Do you want to work in real estate planning projects again?”
“Of course I do. That’s the very reason I got into MH Group Headquarters in the first place.”
“It’s been three years since you last worked in planning. Have you prepared anything in the meantime?”
His anxious mind shifted from dread to hopeful anticipation.
“Yes, I have! Since I’ve been traveling nationwide in this position, I’ve organized many ideas during that time.”
“May I take a look?”
“J-just a moment! It’s on my tablet, back at my desk.”
He bolted off like an arrow and quickly returned with the tablet.
But he didn’t hand it over right away. He’d had a bad experience showing his ideas to others before.
“Um…”
“Oh, don’t worry. I wouldn’t do anything like Myung Un-seok did.”
Shin-woo knew exactly what incident that was referring to.
“…Really?”
“What would it take for you to believe me? Should I have you put your seal on our MH Future Security employment contract first?”
“…What? Me?”
“That’s exactly why I came here.”
Shin-woo took an envelope from Lee Doo-heon and handed it over.
Inside was indeed an employment contract, just as he had said.
“…A Department Head position?”
“Yes. Head of Planning.”
“A salary of 120 million won?”
“There are also incentive clauses based on profits. Please review them carefully.”
“W-what―!”
Even Department Heads at MH Group didn’t earn that much, so it was shocking.
Watching Lee Sung-moon’s astonished reaction, Shin-woo smiled.
“Do you believe me now?”
“O-of course!”
At last, the tablet was handed over. It contained an extensive portfolio of real estate planning projects he had drafted.
Just then, through the small earbud Shin-woo had been wearing since the beginning, Jang Man-soo’s voice rang out.
[Yes, that’s the Lee Sung-moon I know. Good thing the future hasn’t changed.]
In fact, through the tie clip Shin-woo was wearing, everything so far had been transmitted to Jang Man-soo.
Pretending to adjust his ear, Shin-woo tapped it lightly to signal his agreement.
“Excellent. If there are no issues, join us.”
“…Is this really true?”
“Do I look like I’m lying?”
“N-no…”
By searching earlier, Shin-woo had confirmed exactly who Baek Shin-woo was.
An illegitimate son of the MH Group owner family.
At the same time, he was a celebrity who had become the CEO of a new subsidiary in less than a year.
“Appointments and the like are a hassle to process internally, so it’ll be better if you resign from MH Retail and transfer over to our side.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Quick decisions are good.”
Shin-woo stood up and shook hands with him.
At that moment, the Branch Manager of MH Retail cautiously knocked and entered.
“Have you finished your discussion?”
“Yes. I’ve concluded my business here, so I’ll be heading back.”
“If you’re free, why don’t we have a meal together before you leave?”
To the Branch Manager, it wasn’t just that Shin-woo was a subsidiary CEO—what mattered was that he was a member of the owner family.
If he managed to curry favor, he believed there might be a chance for him to leave the branch and enter headquarters.
But Shin-woo could see right through the Branch Manager’s obvious intentions.
“No need. And as for Deputy Manager Lee… no, I should call you Department Head now. A company residence has been prepared, so if you need it, just contact Security Headquarters and make use of it. I expect you to wrap things up quickly and come up.”
With that, Shin-woo left, flanked by bodyguards.
The people left behind in the conference room were dumbfounded, not knowing what had just happened.
Then Deputy General Manager Kim Byung-soo, who had followed the Branch Manager inside, recalled Shin-woo’s words and asked.
“Deputy Manager Lee! What did the CEO just say? Department Head? Was he talking about you?”
Even Lee Sung-moon couldn’t tell if what he had just experienced was a dream or reality.
“…That’s what he said.”
***
Back in Seoul, Shin-woo went to the Pyeongchang-dong Mansion at the summons of Myung Joong-hwan.
All the members of the Myung family were seated around the large dining table.
And from everyone except Myung Joong-hwan and Im Hee-yeon, sharp, icy gazes pierced into him like bullets.
‘They’re about to eat me alive. Absolutely eat me alive.’
Standing there for a moment, Shin-woo found Joong-hwan staring straight at him.
“Why are you still standing? Sit down.”
“I was just thinking about something.”
Shin-woo took the chair placed at the very end of the table.
Since it was a dinner gathering, once the food was served, everyone quietly began eating.
Then, with a dissatisfied look, Joong-hwan scanned his children and stopped at Myung Un-seok.
“Un-seok, you’re going to China this time, right?”
“It’s a contract where Bifo wants to lease our MH Electronics patent. The trip to China is for auditing their equipment implementation and technical support system.”
“To be honest, it’s just patent leasing in name only. Once the term ends, they’ll have sucked everything dry and repurposed it for domestic use.”
In the end, it was patent theft.
Of course, MH Group knew that all too well.
“You can’t really stop water from leaking once it starts. And we can make a big financial profit from this too.”
“That’s a good way to make use of it. Handle it well.”
His next question turned to Myung Jin-seok.
“Jin-seok, I heard you transferred to the Management Headquarters. How’s that going?”
“…Well, it’s okay.”
The lukewarm response made Joong-hwan’s lips twist.
“You were mediocre even back when you were at MH Food, and then you went under Hee-yeon and just coasted along. If you’re planning to keep working like that, you should just quit.”
“Cough, cough…”
His father, Myung Seong-cheol, cleared his throat, trying to remind him to be careful.
Jin-seok stammered slightly.
“What? Ah, no, that’s not it. I just moved to Management Headquarters, so I’m still adjusting.”
“I’m not forcing results. But at the very least, you shouldn’t become a burden to the company.”
In truth, Jin-seok had transferred to Management Headquarters because he didn’t want to end up under Shin-woo after the Strategic Investment Headquarters was elevated into a subsidiary, MH Future Security.
But the process hadn’t been smooth, and he was constantly watching Joong-hwan’s expression.
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
It felt like a classroom roll call, one by one being checked.
Then Joong-hwan’s gaze moved to the next in line—Myung Seong-cheol’s second child and only granddaughter, Myung Yoo-hee.
“Yoo-hee, how’s college life? You’ll be going into your senior year next year, right?”
“Yes, Grandfather. But I’m also thinking about taking a leave of absence.”
“What for?”
Normally, university students take a leave due to tuition or living costs.
But someone like MH Group’s third-generation Yoo-hee couldn’t possibly have such concerns.
“I was thinking of trying something different before graduation.”
Thanks to inheriting her mother Im Ji-soo’s striking beauty—who had once acted as an actress—Yoo-hee was also working as a model for small shopping malls.
“Is it that part-time modeling work? Must be more fun than you expected.”
“It’s not bad. And I’ve even received offers from some agencies.”
At that, Myung Seong-cheol, sitting beside her, was startled.
“Yoo-hee, wouldn’t it be better to talk about such things later, just between us?”
The truth was, while Yoo-hee got her looks from her mother, she inherited her brains from the Myung family.
That’s why she was currently studying at Korea University’s top business program.
By contrast, Jin-seok had only managed to get into Yeonjoong University, which ranked lower than Korea University.
Because of this, Seong-cheol had always wished that Yoo-hee, rather than Jin-seok, would join MH Group.
But Yoo-hee, unlike his expectations, wanted to forge her own path.
Still, to meet her father’s expectations, she had studied hard and gotten into Korea University’s Business Administration Department.
But during her time at college, her own goals had become clearer.
“Grandfather, you’re the one who asked.”
“Yes, you’re right. It seems important enough. Go ahead.”
With Joong-hwan’s approval, Seong-cheol had no choice but to stay quiet.
Yoo-hee smiled lightly and continued.
“I’m considering an acting debut. I’ve been offered contracts and I’m thinking about them.”
For an ordinary person it might be unthinkable, but Yoo-hee was famous at Korea University not just for her family background but also her looks.
Even in high school, she had received multiple offers from entertainment agencies.
At that time, she had rejected them out of respect for Seong-cheol’s expectations.
“Oh… come to think of it, Yoo-hee, you always loved doing plays back in kindergarten.”
“You remember that?”
“Of course. You’d come to my study and perform for me all the time.”
Honestly, even Yoo-hee barely remembered—it had been that long ago.
“Did I really?”
“You did. Hahaha―!”
For once, the dinner atmosphere was cheerful.
Still smiling, Joong-hwan looked at Yoo-hee.
“You don’t need to force yourself into company business. If there’s something you want to do, go ahead and do it.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
At the table, only Seong-cheol wore a bitter smile.
Finally, Joong-hwan’s eyes met Shin-woo’s.
“MH Tech has been pressing hard, wanting to know when research collaboration can begin.”
“MH Future Security is nearly settled, so it’ll be soon. It could’ve been done faster, but someone had to push their ridiculous executive candidates, and that caused delays.”
Everyone knew who he meant.
At headquarters, word had spread that Myung In-chul had proposed Executive Director Lee Byung-jin and got backfired for it.
At the same time, the executives involved had even been subjected to an audit by Im Hee-yeon.
“That must have been a headache.”
“Not really. Their hostility was so blatant, it was actually easier to deal with.”
It was the kind of answer bound to unsettle anyone connected.
And sure enough, Myung Un-seok put down his spoon.
—
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