The Chairman Who Wants to Play and Eat

Episode 12. If you play your role, we will be reassured.

The news spread quickly.

“What?”

Some were surprised, and some were angry.

Most of the royal family of Seonghyeon belonged to the latter.

Among them was Seonghyeon’s eldest grandson, Hyun Doyun, who was studying (escaping) abroad at St. James Comprehensive University in Singapore.

– I’m telling you, the kid is really acting up in front of the chairman.

It was a call from my cousin, Hyun Tae-yoon, who is three years younger than me.

“Even during the New Year’s greetings, he was like that. Hasn’t he fixed his manners yet?”

– It seems like he hasn’t.

“What should we do?”

– What do you mean, what should we do? He’s your younger brother. He’s below you.

“So what? What do you want me to do?”

I picked my nose. Hyun Tae-yoon’s frustrated voice came through the receiver.

– You shouldn’t say that. If his manners need fixing, it’s your job to fix them. If he needs scolding, it’s your job to scold him. I’m just the second son of a lesser family, but you’re the eldest grandson of the Seonghyeon family. Among our generation, you’re the most senior.

He only talks about being an adult at times like this.

‘He doesn’t even treat me like an elder most of the time.’

Hyun Do-yoon pouted his lips.

But he wasn’t wrong.

He couldn’t just let his ill-mannered younger brother go. It was indeed his duty to correct him through education.

“Alright, hang up.”

His pride was slightly hurt.

– I was going to hang up anyway. I’m planning to have a blast tonight. I need to rest to gather my strength.

“Are you still doing that? Show some restraint.”

– It’s funny hearing that from you. I’m hanging up.

Beep, beep,

The call ended.

“That b*stard!”

Hyun Do-yoon shouted as he threw the phone.

It wasn’t because he was angry.

Life in Singapore was already boring and tedious.

Hearing Hyun Tae-yoon talk about going out made him feel even more suffocated.

‘If I had known it would be like this, I would have gone to the U.S. too.’

He never wanted to come to this rural backwater in the first place. He had no choice.

He wasn’t skilled enough to choose to study in the U.S.

No university would accept him.

It was his own fault.

He wasn’t the type to remember his mistakes for long.

He lay sprawled on the bed, mulling over the conversation he had just had with his cousin, Hyun Tae-yoon.

“That b*stard has been acting up a lot lately.”

It was indeed strange.

His youngest brother, Hyun Sang-yoon, was soaring high in Korea. He was so different from the youngest brother he knew.

There had been no signs of this when he was in high school.

Out of the blue, he went to Korea University Law School. Since then, he started monopolizing their grandfather’s praise.

It was inexplicable.

And that wasn’t all.

He had the audacity to ask the chairman to build a law school library as an entrance gift, and with that, he won their grandfather’s love once again.

The grandfather he knew wasn’t like that.

He was as strict with his grandchildren as he was with everyone else.

When he mustered the courage to ask for a cozy bungalow with a terrace in the suburbs of Singapore as an entrance gift,

or when he modestly asked for just one Chevrolet Corvette for commuting, the reaction wasn’t the same.

Not two, just one.

The house was the same.

It only cost ten thousand dollars to rent. The monthly rent was just ten million won in Korean money.

Was that so difficult?

In fact, it probably didn’t even reach their grandfather’s ears.

When he mentioned it to his father during the New Year visit to Korea, he only got scolded.

“Your brother is going to Korea University Law School, and yet you have so many demands with just that level of study. Instead of trying to outdo your brother from now on. Tsk tsk.”

It was absurd and infuriating.

He was the eldest son.

Regardless of how well he did, how could his brother covet his position?

His father, Vice Chairman Hyun, was also the eldest son, yet he seemed so oblivious to the struggles of being the eldest. It was deeply disappointing.

“Damn it, what a shitty world.”

He was left with nothing but a sense of unease.

“That b*stard, there’s definitely something going on.”

The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

He thought about it many times.

Why did this suddenly happen?

If he was going to unleash his ambition like this, why didn’t he reveal his true intentions since high school?

Could it be that his goal wasn’t just to be loved? Is he really planning to participate in the next presidential race?

It’s possible.

It’s entirely possible.

Why?

It’s not just that he was good at studying. He deliberately aimed for the time when there were fewer applicants to get into Korea University’s law school.

That method perfectly targeted the taste of Chairman Hyun, his grandfather.

This can’t be a coincidence.

It’s not just Korea University.

It’s Korea University’s law school.

There can’t be a case where someone gets in by coincidence.

Even if I don’t know how he did it, one thing is clear. He meticulously prepared and executed all of this.

I didn’t know my brother was such a person. That was my mistake.

‘What a cunning b*stard.’

He gritted his teeth and started dialing an international call again.

This time, it was to his brother Hyun Jong-yoon in Japan.

But,

– The number you have dialed is temporarily out of service. Please check the number and try again. Please call %*&#% ······.

‘Useless b*stard.’

There are two possibilities.

He must have messed with another girl. That’s why he’s avoiding calls.

If not, he’s hiding until the secretarial office handles the mess he made with his pachinko or whatever.

There’s no answer.

Both of my brothers are unsatisfactory.

One is an idiot, and the other is too talented and threatening.

“Damn it, I don’t care anymore.”

In the end, Hyun Do-yoon threw the phone. He thought he didn’t know why things weren’t going well.

*

Strange.

‘Why are my ears so itchy?’

The aftermath of the monthly meeting lasted longer than expected.

First of all, there was a noticeable increase in the liveliness at the Seonghyun Electronics office in Gangnam’s second headquarters, which was rare to see before.

“Good morning, Sang-yoon.”

The way people looked at me had also changed a bit.

“You’re getting used to it now.”

“I have to. But it’s only here in the study room, not elsewhere.”

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

Now, President Im Doo-won, who regularly attended the club, smiled awkwardly.

Ah, it’s not a club anymore.

We changed the name.

It became the ‘Task Force for the Establishment of the Semiconductor Business Division of Seonghyun Electronics’, abbreviated as ‘Semiconductor TF’.

All the club members were converted to regular TF members.

We even got a decent office.

That’s not all.

“Moreover, Sang-yoon, you now have a proper position, don’t you?”

President Im was right.

For now, I’m a student, so I started as an apprentice.

My name was also listed in the employee directory.

Although it’s called an apprenticeship, considering the work I’ll be doing, it’s no different from being a full-fledged member of Seonghyun Electronics.

There was also a strict order from the chairman to take on a role within the TF until I leave for semiconductor training in the United States.

‘It may be early, but give it a try. It will all be beneficial.’

That was the advice of Chairman Hyun, my grandfather.

He was right.

Even my father, Vice Chairman Hyun, didn’t start working for the company until he was a college student. I might be the first in the Hyun family.

There was a possibility it could be seen as favoritism, but it didn’t matter.

I had my own plans.

‘If I show that I can’t handle the work properly, the expectations placed on me will decrease.’

It’s better to be active outside like now than to stay at home.

They say if you fart too often, you’ll end up pooping.

The more tasks I took on, the more likely I was to fall out of favor with the chairman, so I couldn’t help but feel excited.

“So, what should we do?”

President Lim turned around and asked.

“As per the chairman’s instructions, we should contact semiconductor companies or research institutes in the U.S. and see if it’s possible to arrange a tour or training with the ultimate goal of technology transfer by next year, sir.”

It was the answer from So Byunghwa, the senior manager who had now become the head of the task force.

Opinions from the team members poured in.

“How about Bychron?”

“I looked into it, but I heard they’re already linked with Jeongsang Electronics. So they probably won’t deal with us.”

“Then let’s pass on that. Any other suggestions?”

“How about IMB?”

“IMB?”

Manager Jo Miyeon responded, and Manager Go Hakjun interjected.

“Are you talking about the IMB I know? The world’s largest personal computer (PC) manufacturer?”

“Yes, that one. Why? Is something wrong?”

“It’s not that something’s wrong, I just don’t think it’s possible.”

“Why? There’s no need to be intimidated just because it’s a big company. If we just talk to them well enough…”

Junior Manager Kim Inrak answered on her behalf.

“Manager Jo, it’s not that. Recently, two Japanese companies sent industrial spies to IMB and got caught, causing a huge commotion. To them, we might look the same. So would they accept us as partners? It’s unfair for us, but that’s how it is.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Only Manager Jo Miyeon pouted, thinking, ‘How was I supposed to know that?’

Listening to that,

‘Wow. I should have said that instead.’

I thought while listening.

If saying something like that could lose me a lot of points, I would have said it. I knew it, but I couldn’t handle it in advance. It’s a shame.

It would have been even better in front of the chairman.

While I was thinking that, President Lim looked at me and asked.

“Employee Sangyoon?”

“……”

“Intern Sangyoon, why don’t you share your opinion too?”

He was smiling as if he had found something amusing. Everyone had said something.

“Alright, I’m curious about what our employee Sang-yoon thinks.”

“I’m sure it’ll be a better opinion than Assistant Manager Cho’s.”

“Mr. Kim In-rak, are you going to keep doing this?”

“Haha, I’m sorry.”

All eyes turned to me.

This is my chance.

Even though it’s not in front of the chairman, if my reputation falls here, it will eventually snowball and I might fall out of the chairman’s favor.

Isn’t there a saying?

Those who can’t handle small tasks properly can’t handle big tasks either.

I must make a small mistake here.

‘Think. Hyun Sang-yoon. Think.’

Which company could be worse than IMB?

What kind of absurd wrong answer could there be?

To find such an answer, I woke up at 4 AM every day, reading all the daily newspapers published in our country and studying while watching the news.

“Ah, then how about this?”

Finally, my mouth opened.

“Both Bykron and IMB are manufacturing companies, right? They don’t start with research, but rather design processes and set up facilities to mass-produce semiconductors based on research results.”

“That’s correct.”

“Jungsan and Geosan also signed partnership contracts with such companies.”

“That’s right.”

“What if we do the opposite?”

Question marks appeared on everyone’s faces.

“I was thinking it would be good to talk to the research institute that developed the MOS-FET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor), which is the basis of semiconductors, and get their approval. Of course, we would need to transfer the mass production technology, but the original technology would be more important. What do you think of my idea?”

Of course, it doesn’t make sense.

‘Hey, does that make sense?’

‘If you’re talking about such a research institute, you’re referring to Bell Labs under the top American telecommunications company A&T. Do you think Bell Labs would be crazy enough to talk to us?’

‘I knew you were full of spirit, but today you’re overflowing with it. Hoho.’

I said this expecting such reactions.

Indeed, people’s faces were filled with astonishment. I was pleased.

“Oh!”

Oh?

“Of course!”

“Of course, Young Master!… No, it’s Employee Sangyoon!”

I was wrong again.

Instead of the expected jeers, exclamations of admiration flowed out.

“If that’s possible, we can easily surpass Jeongsang or Geosan. If you can take on that role, we would be reassured. So, let’s set that as our goal and start working. What do you all think?”

“Sounds good!”

“The boss is right!”

Applause followed from several people.

Wait a minute,

What’s this?

Are they telling me to do that now?

I didn’t mean I would do it.

“Uh, wait a minute. That, that is…”

But it was no use.

It was already too late.

It was as if I had already secured a contract with Bell Labs.

“I don’t know if I should say this, but as expected of the chairman’s grandson, you think big. If you help us like this, our employees will be at ease. We sincerely thank you.”

Manager So Byunghwa said.