The Dignity of the Chaebol

“Is this really what cell phones look like in this era?”

With a bit of hesitation, I mimicked what the woman earlier had done and pressed the green button labeled “Call” before bringing the device to my ear.

“Hello? Manager?”

It really was a phone.

What in the world was happening to me?

“Manager? Hello?”

Was I… a manager?

“Hel… hello?”

“Ah, yes, Manager. Where are you?”

Slave 3.

From the way this person was addressing me as a manager, they were probably a colleague. But I had no way of knowing what relationship this “Slave 3” had with me in this company.

“Who is this?”

“Pardon?”

“Who are you?”

“Oh, uh, it’s Deputy Manager Kim Wonho.”

Deputy Manager?

If they were calling me manager, then technically I outranked them. But why were they speaking so formally and cautiously?

Was it because the body I now inhabited belonged to my grandson? A member of our family?

That seemed possible.

“Where are you right now, Manager?”

“Me?”

“Yes, lunch break has already ended, but you’re still not back. The department head asked me to give you a call to check if you’re heading back or if you’ll be leaving straight from outside today.”

“Deputy Manager Kim?”

“Yes, Manager.”

“I seem to have… I mean, I’m having a bit of a problem right now.”

“Ah, I see. Understood. Then I’ll let the department head know that you’re leaving directly from outside today.”

What nonsense was this guy spouting?

“No, no, that’s not what I meant….”

“…Sorry?”

“I’m telling you, there’s a problem!”

“Then, should I contact the Strategic Planning Headquarters at the main office?”

“Why would you do that?”

“I thought perhaps this was another unfortunate incident involving you….”

I was slowly regaining some semblance of logical thought.

Strategic Planning Headquarters.

From what this person was saying, it seemed my grandson, Son Jeonghoon, was working not at the main office but at one of the group’s subsidiaries to gain experience.

And judging by how naturally they mentioned calling the Strategic Planning Headquarters, it seemed he’d relied on their help more than once before.

In the past, the Strategic Planning Headquarters of Jaekyung Group had been responsible for managing and covering up the family’s sensitive secrets.

And considering that this grandson could freely use his lunch break to lounge in a hotel room—and judging from the casual attitude of his colleagues—it seemed this wasn’t an isolated incident. No matter how much he was part of my bloodline, this kid was clearly a problem.

But none of that was my priority right now.

I needed to understand what was happening to me, as well as grasp the workings of this world.

“Manager? Are you okay?”

“I think I’m okay… but there’s definitely a problem.”

“Then I’ll contact the Strategic Planning Headquarters immediately.”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then what?”

“Looking around here, it seems I’m at….”

In one corner of the room was a luxurious desk, and on the desk was a stationery pad with the hotel’s logo.

It was a brand I’d never seen before.

Judging by the pronunciation of the name, it appeared to be an Italian hotel brand. The fact that a European hotel brand had made its way to Korea was surprising.

“…The Rockins Hotel.”

“The Rockins Hotel?”

Ah, so it was Italian.

“Yes… and I can see Namsan Tower from here.”

***

Meanwhile, Kim Wonho, Deputy Manager of Jaekyung Textile’s HR Department, pressed his lips together tightly as he tried to keep the call going.

Bulging veins appeared across his forehead, a clear testament to the patience he was exerting.

“I see.”

All the HR department employees who had overheard Kim Wonho’s conversation were also expressing their frustrations in their own ways. Some sighed deeply with their eyes closed, others bit their lips, and a few even silently pounded their desks with clenched fists.

“I’ll explain the situation in detail later. For now, please send someone over. Someone reliable, someone discreet, if possible.”

“To the Rockins Hotel?”

“Yes, please.”

Deputy Manager Kim briefly covered the microphone of his smartphone with his fingers and silently mouthed the words, “This damn bastard…” to vent his exasperation before regaining his composure and speaking again.

“Understood. But, Manager?”

“Yes?”

“Who should I send?”

Whatever trouble he had gotten himself into this time, it was clear he wanted someone to clean up the mess.

The fact that he explicitly said not to inform the Strategic Planning Headquarters meant that it wasn’t a major issue.

Kim Wonho wanted to be absolutely certain if he should send the department head, go himself, or just send someone random.

“I told you already. Someone reliable and discreet.”

Is this guy kidding me?

While fuming internally, Kim maintained his calm tone and continued the call.

“Excuse me, Manager, but did you run into an issue with the hotel?”

“Nooo!”

Startled by the sudden outburst of irritation, Kim moved his phone away from his ear and let out a long, deep sigh.

There he goes barking again.

“Just… send someone over, please.”

“Understood. They’ll be there shortly. Should they meet you in the lobby?”

“Not the lobby… I’m in room 1103.”

You want someone to come directly to your room?

“I don’t think I can leave the room by myself. Someone needs to come up and help me. Please, I’m asking for a favor here.”

What a damn piece of work.

Now he was asking them to send someone up to the very hotel room where he’d been fooling around with his lover? Truly unbelievable.

“It’ll take 10 minutes at most to get there. It’s right nearby.”

“Ten minutes?”

“Ah! Manager, one moment, please.”

“What now?”

“Did you, by any chance, have anything to drink?”

“I don’t… think so.”

Kim thought to himself once more.

Damn bastard.

How could anyone not know if they’d been drinking or not? Was this guy just messing with them?

“Did you drive there? I think I’ll tell Assistant Manager Jung to take a taxi instead.”

“Do whatever you need to. Just send someone quickly.”

The “Ruinous Manager.”

Among the HR employees of Jaekyung Textile, Son Jeonghoon, the second son of the Jaekyung Group family, was secretly referred to as the “Ruinous Manager.”

After hanging up with him, Deputy Manager Kim tossed his phone onto his desk with frustration and called over Assistant Manager Jung Hyunsoo.

“Assistant Manager Jung.”

“Yes, Deputy Manager.”

“You heard the whole call, right?”

Jung looked exasperated but resigned as he stood, grabbing the jacket draped over his chair.

“Yes, it’s the Rockins Hotel, right?”

Kim nodded silently.

“He wants you to go to the room.”

“The room?”

“Sigh… Damn it.”

“Relax, sir. It’s not the first time, is it? What’s the room number?”

“1103.”

“1103. Got it. I’ll go get him.”

“Take a taxi.”

“Understood. Calm down, Deputy Manager.”

“I swear, I’m ready to quit. How much longer do we have to deal with this crap?”

“The others can hear you. Take a deep breath and calm down. I’ll go and bring him back quickly.”

“If that drunk bastard needs a ride, he should call a chauffeur service instead of treating us like his personal drivers.”

“That’s why I’m going, isn’t it? Haha.”

“You’re laughing? How are you not furious?”

“Would being angry help me survive in this job?”

“…”

“I’ll be back soon.”

***

This isn’t something a hospital visit will fix.

After ending the call with the deputy manager, I returned to the window.

This was no longer the Seoul I knew.

The buildings were one thing, but the cars on the road…

Their designs were so sleek and futuristic, it was like something out of a dream.

“Hmm…”

My thoughts were getting tangled, and my head was burning with confusion.

No matter how much I tried to think, this… it’s clearly reality, but if it’s 2022 as I was told, does that mean I’ve somehow crossed over 30 years of time and ended up in my grandson’s body?

I couldn’t think straight, so I splashed cold water on my face to try and clear my head.

Everything inside this hotel was incredibly sophisticated, even by my standards, who had always been accustomed to high-end things.

The shower and sink, in particular, were remarkable.

As soon as the cold water touched my skin, I became certain that this was definitely not a dream.

So, what should I do now?

If this is really my grandson’s body, what’s happened to him?

I washed my face with the cold water, then stood in front of the mirror, looking at my grandson’s face.

How could a man look so delicate, like a parasite on a woman?

Suddenly, another face that resembled this one came to mind.

But it wasn’t the face of my first daughter-in-law, who should have been the mother of this child; it was the face of my second daughter-in-law.

“Wait a minute….”

And suddenly, the unpleasant news I had heard from the news anchor in the endless abyss of light began to echo in my ears.

“Son Hongmyeong, the head of Jaekyung Group, was found dead this morning at 8 a.m., hanging in his bedroom at his residence.”

…!

No, no.

That can’t be right.

Hongmyeong hanging himself?

That doesn’t make any sense.