“Where’s next?”
“We scheduled the next appointment at Incheon Airport. But are you really going to meet at the airport?”
“Meeting at coffee shops or restaurants gets old after a while. If you’re meeting like this, you should switch up the locations to make it less boring. Don’t you think?”
Two or three meetings were being arranged each day.
His maternal grandmother had arranged some, and rumors that Jinhyuk Park was on the marriage market led people to try to reach him through Sanghyuk Park.
Moreover, when Hisoo Hyun and others expressed their wish for Jinhyuk to marry a good person, even more people sought to approach Jinhyuk through them.
It seemed that every family with a daughter from moderately large companies in South Korea was making an effort to present her to Jinhyuk.
As a result, Jinhyuk had been spending most of his days at arranged meetings lately.
Although there was no reason to stay at the office since the year-end wrap-up mood had set in, constantly being out and about had started to wear him down.
“But Representative, if you keep going like this, you’ll meet all the notable women in the business world before the year ends. Aren’t you interested in the political side? Like Miss Seo-eun?”
“I’m not interested in that. I’m looking for someone who can give me power, and there’s no one in politics I find suitable. You’d have to nurture them for years to get a single favor, and I don’t have that kind of time.”
“Then what about Deputy Center Director Han Ji-yeon? I’ve been getting some contact from her lately…”
Jinhyuk Park was sitting in the back seat, leaning his head back with his eyes closed.
He was trying to relieve some fatigue before the next meeting.
“That place is good too. If they say they’ll support me, there’s no place better. But do you know how much that place is worth? There might be a higher place, so I’m doing all this legwork. We’ll see.”
Kim Junwoo didn’t know what Jinhyuk meant by “higher.”
He wrote numbers in the notebook at Jinhyuk’s instruction, but he couldn’t grasp what they meant.
That was how Jinhyuk spent his days: moving from place to place meeting women during the day, and being introduced to women through Sanghyuk Park in the evening.
“Bro, this is the female lead from that popular drama last year. Don’t you watch dramas? Anyway, she’s a big star now, and she said she wanted to see you, so I brought her along. Don’t focus too much on her. There are plenty of other good ones.”
“Oh my, we’ve met before. Do you remember?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t have a very good memory.”
“That’s disappointing. But it’s okay. It probably wasn’t a pleasant memory, so forget about that time and let’s make new memories today.”
Through the screen, she had seemed easygoing and gentle.
But meeting her in private revealed a side different from what she showed on screen.
‘600 million.’
Jinhyuk’s attention was drawn to a number that was lower than what he’d assign to the female secretaries working for him in the executive office.
Still, he maintained an interested expression on the outside and continued his demeanor.
Because that way, stories about him would continue to circulate.
For the past two weeks, Jinhyuk had been frantically busy, sniffing out the scents of women he met through arranged meetings—twenty in total—plus those he briefly encountered while drinking every day, led by Sanghyuk Park.
But perhaps there was no suitable woman, as he didn’t meet any woman more than once.
Unable to bear watching this, his maternal grandmother came to him and told him to tell her what kind of woman he wanted.
“Representative, are you really interested in marriage?”
“Why?”
Before leaving for the headquarters, Jinhyuk was adjusting his tie in front of the mirror.
Kim Junwoo stood beside him, looking down at the company names and numbers written in the notebook, and spoke.
“It’s just that you only mention unknown numbers and never have a second meeting. The women here keep contacting us asking when you’ll have time.”
“Among what’s written there, which place has the highest number?”
At Jinhyuk’s words, Kim Junwoo flipped through the notebook.
Then he checked one spot and said.
“Sungshin Steel. It has the highest number, 2 billion won written there.”
“Sungshin Steel? Sungshin Steel… Ah, that young lady.”
Jinhyuk recalled who the daughter of Sungshin Steel was.
She had decent looks.
Her age was also not bad, mid-twenties, and she had lived a normal school life and then worked at a regular company, not her father’s.
She seemed like the type who would become plump with age, giving off a strong vibe of being the kind of eldest daughter-in-law that grandmothers like.
“But what exactly is this number?”
“That number? It’s the value I assign to a person.”
“What?”
“Just think of it as the higher the number, the better the person is for me.”
Jinhyuk stroked his straightened tie and said.
“Let’s go.”
A meeting was scheduled at DS headquarters regarding the Brazil power plant project.
Because the business delegation that had toured South America had returned, and now it was time to plan the project with the acquired rights.
In that situation, Jinhyuk Park, as the acting chairman of DS, was tasked with establishing the initial framework for the project.
As soon as Jinhyuk got into the car, it started moving toward the headquarters.
Although the headquarters was within walking distance, Jinhyuk still traveled by car with his attendants to show the dignity of acting chairman.
When he got off at DS headquarters, employees who had been waiting and staff from affiliates who came for the meeting came outside to greet him.
Whenever Jinhyuk moved, people came out to greet him, but today seemed especially significant.
The dignity and presence of the acting chairman title, along with the way people treated him, was different from the past.
As Jinhyuk moved, in an instant, employees from affiliates followed behind his attendants, filling the lobby.
DS security personnel also spotted Jinhyuk and, holding all doors and elevators, saluted him as he approached.
Jinhyuk took such reactions for granted and stepped into the elevator.
The elevator carried only the two attendants, Kim Junwoo, and Jinhyuk, going up to the 20th floor where the meeting would be held.
When Jinhyuk saw no one else around, he spoke to Kim Junwoo beside him.
“If I hadn’t been going on arranged meetings and drinking late recently, would I have gotten the acting chairman title?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I said that because the answers I’m getting match my efforts, so I think it’s still okay. Don’t worry about it.”
Kim Junwoo tried to ask again what he meant, but by then the elevator had arrived at the 20th floor, so he couldn’t get the words out.
The attendants got off first to hold the elevator, and then Jinhyuk stepped out.
Then the secretaries from each affiliate who had been waiting outside the conference room all stood up and bowed to Jinhyuk.
And then he heard sounds from inside the conference room and felt the people seated there rise.
As always, the presidents and executives of affiliates who had been waiting would have stood up at the announcement of the chairman’s arrival—he could vividly picture it.
As Jinhyuk entered the conference room, everyone in their seats greeted him in unison.
Jinhyuk nodded lightly to them and said.
“Let’s sit.”
Only after Jinhyuk sat down did the people take their seats and look at him.
He had led DS Construction, DS Pharmaceutical, and DS Telecom, presiding over many meetings, but the pressure of presiding over the overall DS Group meeting was a new experience for him.
Over a hundred pairs of eyes were all fixed on Jinhyuk, and it felt so burdensome that he thought if he hadn’t risen step by step by presiding over meetings, he might not have been able to say anything under such pressure.
But Jinhyuk had enough experience to withstand this pressure.
As Jinhyuk put his mouth to the microphone, everyone in the room pricked up their ears and listened attentively.
“You all know what this meeting is about. With the Chairman absent, good news has arrived for our group. That is the acquisition of the Brazil power plant rights. Accordingly, the Chairman has instructed me, as his acting representative, to first establish the initial project plan.”
Jinhyuk paused and raised his hand.
Then the TF team leader from DS Heavy Industries, who had made great contributions to securing the Brazil power plant rights, stepped forward.
“First, let’s applaud Executive Director Jeong Byung-hyuk, who made outstanding contributions to securing these rights, and hear his explanation of the project.”
The group’s key executives all gave a warm round of applause to Executive Director Jeong Byung-hyuk, who had stepped forward.
He bowed to Jinhyuk in greeting, then displayed presentation materials about the Brazil power plant project on a large screen.
‘1 billion?’
Sitting in his chair, Jinhyuk looked at Jeong Byung-hyuk and thought it was odd.
He was a person who had received recognition and praise for his great contributions in front of all the group’s executives.
Moreover, the rights he secured were for a project worth tens of trillions of won.
That such a person’s value was 1 billion won felt off somehow.
“First, I would like to express my gratitude to Chairman Park Junman, who is not present, and to Representative Park Jinhyuk. I believe that because you trusted me and supported the team, we were able to secure such a large project. This power plant project can be seen as setting a new direction for our group. Its significance lies in laying the foundation for us to set foot in South America, a region that has been neglected in development. Furthermore, by also acquiring maintenance rights for ten years, I believe we can gain more than just money by accumulating endless know-how and data.”
Jeong Byung-hyuk began explaining the project with a confident voice.
He even talked about the accompanying benefits of the related business, boasting that including synergy effects, this project could be worth 100 trillion won.
Jinhyuk and all the executives in the room knew he was exaggerating, but they understood.
Because he was only exaggerating, not lying.
And since synergy is always discussed with some hype, what Jeong Byung-hyuk said was within acceptable bounds.
After speaking for a while, Jeong Byung-hyuk raised his hand to give an order, and the full presentation on the Brazil power plant project secured by DS Heavy Industries began.
The content of the project was simple.
Brazil was establishing an economic development plan and needed a power supply to support it; the project was to build a power plant to produce that electricity.
First, about ten power plants would be built along the Brazilian coast, and if satisfactory results were achieved during test production after construction, second and third phase plans were already established.
“Since we have been delegated all authority for the project, we are already receiving love calls from domestic and overseas companies hoping to participate. Also, if there are no major issues, this project could expand into major South American countries, so the TF team, including myself, is expecting this to become a second Middle East boom.”
At Jeong Byung-hyuk’s confident words, all the executives in the room turned their eyes to Jinhyuk.
When the construction boom happened in the Middle East, Korean companies benefited greatly.
And the growth of construction companies from that boom was well demonstrated by Dongjeong Industries, Jinhyuk’s maternal family’s company.
Jeong Byung-hyuk was suggesting that something that could reshape the industry might happen.
“A second Middle East boom… Securing the rights is commendable, but aren’t your expectations too high?”
“No, Representative. This is a large-scale project that will truly lead our group to become the best in South Korea.”
“I know. That’s why we’ve all gathered here at this time when we should be wrapping up the year? To discuss what and how we need to help.”
Jinhyuk finished speaking and scanned the presidents and executives of the affiliates.
It was a gathering that could be considered excessive.
He thought it was unnecessary to talk about a second Middle East boom for a project that had just been signed on paper.
“But since the Chairman ordered it, let’s hear it. What and how we should support.”
Jeong Byung-hyuk looked flustered at Jinhyuk’s seemingly displeased expression.
It was a project that, if successful, would bring all the credit to Jinhyuk.
Jeong Byung-hyuk had no complaints about Jinhyuk’s name being at the top of the merit list.
Rather, he expected that if he got closer to Jinhyuk through this, he could rise not only to affiliate president but even higher.
But seeing Jinhyuk’s indifferent reaction from the start, Jeong Byung-hyuk stumbled in front of the group’s over 100 executives.
“Team Leader Jeong, please step back for a moment… President Shin of DS Heavy Industries. I have a question for President Shin.”
Jinhyuk looked at Shin Guk-jeon of DS Heavy Industries.
The top position among DS Group’s presidents was the president of DS Heavy Industries.
It held power beyond that of a vice chairman, and since it was virtually the birthplace of the DS Group, only the most trusted among Park Junman’s inner circle could sit there.
Shin Guk-jeon, sitting there, lightly put his mouth to the microphone at Jinhyuk’s question and spoke.
“Please ask.”
“Everyone here knows we can’t do that project with just our group’s strength. How do you plan to do it?”
“We plan to do it through Cheongwoo Energy.”
“Then the project’s main body will be Cheongwoo, and we’ll support from behind?”
“No, we are the project’s main body.”
“Then what will Cheongwoo Energy do? They won’t do free charity, will they?”
At Jinhyuk’s words, Shin Guk-jeon briefly took his mouth off the microphone and looked at Jinhyuk.
He seemed curious about the intention behind asking when he already knew.
But Jinhyuk smiled as if urging him to answer quickly.
“Cheongwoo Energy plans to become DS Energy and enter the project.”
“Cheongwoo Energy becomes DS Energy? How does that happen?”
Jinhyuk spoke again, pretending not to know.
At that, Shin Guk-jeon glanced toward where DS Technology was seated and then spoke.
“There will be an affiliate exchange with Cheongwoo. The target is DS Technology.”
At Shin’s words, the affiliate presidents and executives began to stir.
Everyone was startled by the sudden news.
As if satisfied with the answer, Jinhyuk nodded and said into the microphone.
“I would like to pause the meeting after this unexpected news. The meeting will resume in one hour. Team Leader Jeong and President Shin, please speak with me for a moment. Team Leader Jeong, please bring the contract signed in Brazil and come to the chairman’s office.”
Jinhyuk took his mouth off the microphone and stood up.