Chapter 67: Satisfying Results

Park Jin-hyuk left after talking with Kyung Dae-yong and Sa Jung-man at Biologics for a while about Novo’s new drug production.

He rested his eyes and took a nap in the car until he arrived home.

“Tough day.”

“It must be very exhausting for you, sir.”

“Secretary Kim, you must be tired too, right? Why don’t you take a break as well? Even though we traveled in first class, maybe because it was such a long trip, my body feels heavy as lead.”

“It’s probably because of the time zone changes in such a short period.”

“The Biologics executives have started to move, so why is it so quiet where things should be happening?”

“Maybe they’re planning to take their time and prepare slowly?”

“No. They didn’t look that patient to me. Watching Pharma and Construction soar to new heights and calmly preparing step by step? If they could think that far ahead, things wouldn’t have come to this point.”

Ever since he got his new body, Park Jin-hyuk had kept a constant watch over his own family relationships.

He never neglected to consider how, why, and whether another crisis might come for his life.

And as time passed, he realized their actions were anything but meticulous.

‘If they’d been that careful, I would’ve never had a chance to come back to life. Or they’d have found a way to keep me as a wastrel forever.’

Because their intentions weren’t clear-cut, Yoo Jung-gul ended up putting Park Jin-hyuk into this body.

Park Jin-hyuk gave a round of applause to their half-hearted actions and pitied them for throwing away their last chance so foolishly.

‘Maybe the original owner of this body was a guy who’d fall for such tricks, but I’m not. And I won’t let things come to that again.’

“There’s bound to be some kind of movement, so don’t let your eyes off them. If we miss this chance, the initiative for attack could slip away.”

“Yes. I’ll keep all our antennas pointed that way and monitor carefully.”

“Good. Let’s make sure to cut their lifeline. It’s a hassle to work with people trying to shoot you in the back from the inside.”

Park Jin-hyuk finished speaking and closed his eyes.

Before he could even shake off the fatigue from his trip to Austria, Park Jin-hyuk went straight to work at DS Pharma.

The DS Pharma executives, who thought he would rest at home for a few days, were caught off guard by his appearance.

It was because their plan to block Novo from entering the Biologics production line before Park Jin-hyuk returned to work had gone up in smoke the moment he showed up.

“Now that the Tatulumide production plan is out, Biologics must prepare thoroughly.”

Park Jin-hyuk gathered the executives and repeated what he had discussed yesterday with Kyung Dae-yong and Sa Jung-man.

The executives who had previously approached Kyung Dae-yong insisting on increasing Pitaflu production listened gloomily to Park Jin-hyuk’s words.

But due to Kyung Dae-yong’s next words, they couldn’t keep those expressions for long.

“While focusing on Pitaflu’s production, I believe we need to strengthen any neglected business areas.”

“That’s right. Now that Biologics is on track, I agree that it’s time to focus on our existing business sectors.”

“Business is all about balance, in my opinion. I agree with the president.”

It was as if they’d rehearsed beforehand; as soon as Kyung Dae-yong spoke, a few executives immediately echoed his words.

“Especially, I’d like to strengthen the business related to DS Pharm.”

The executives who weren’t in on Kyung Dae-yong’s plan looked puzzled at the sudden topic.

DS Pharm was a newly established company formed by expanding the pharmaceutical sales division of DS Pharma.

It was created to conduct online and pharmacy sales, not just for DS Pharma’s products, but also to introduce other companies’ products to the pharmacy market.

Being new, the company was small, and considering its business direction, its growth potential was limited.

“So, I hope some of our current executives will transfer to DS Pharm and help strengthen the business there.”

With that, the executives’ faces paled.

Though it was worded as “strengthening the business,” it was a clear demotion to a backwater post.

“President, DS Pharm will take time to settle down. Wouldn’t it be better to watch and wait for a while?”

“Since it will take time, those of you with the abilities should go and shorten that period. Don’t you agree?”

Those who tried to refute Kyung Dae-yong’s words shut their mouths.

It was obvious he’d come with his mind already made up.

And they knew exactly who had conceived and was driving this plan.

Park Jin-hyuk.

If not for him, there would never have been such a reckless personnel move.

“Director Choi, Executive Park, and Director Jung, I’d like the three of you to move to DS Pharm.”

“President, this isn’t even personnel season. And if you move people around like this, there will be gaps in our existing work.”

“This has already been approved by headquarters.”

“You got approval from headquarters? Are you saying they allowed it?”

“It’s to strengthen our business—there’s no reason for them to refuse, is there?”

At Kyung Dae-yong’s words, the executives all turned their gaze to Park Jin-hyuk.

This wasn’t something that would happen under normal circumstances.

That meant someone powerful had to be pressuring them, and the only person in the room with that much power was Park Jin-hyuk.

With all eyes on him, Park Jin-hyuk, who had been sitting back and watching, leaned forward and spoke.

“This is to strengthen the sales side of our business that we’ve been lacking. Is there a problem?”

“But still, this is—”

Director Choi tried to suggest this was retaliation, but the words didn’t make it out.

If asked what it was retaliation for, he’d have to talk about the Biologics production line issue.

And that would reveal he was the one who made the first move.

Everyone knew the truth, but once it was spoken out loud, it would be obvious who was at fault first, so Director Choi couldn’t say anything.

He wasn’t the only one who kept his mouth shut.

Executive Park and Director Jung, who would also be transferred, were the same.

The other executives already knew what Choi and the others had done.

Before Park Jin-hyuk joined DS Pharma, they had tried to keep him in check and had openly supported the opposing faction.

After Park Jin-hyuk pushed DS Pharma ahead relentlessly, their dissent had quieted, but while he was away, they had tried to provoke Kyung Dae-yong to stand against him.

No one else in the room dared even to breathe loudly, their eyes all fixed on Park Jin-hyuk.

“You’re not even registered directors. Why are you going against company policy? Is the company’s decision something to be laughed at? If you don’t want to do it, you can leave.”

These were people Park Jin-hyuk had no reason to regret losing.

They had tried to ruin what he was working on.

On top of that, their value, now plainly visible, didn’t seem to be of much use to the company, so Park Jin-hyuk pushed the matter forward without hesitation.

Watching Choi and the others get banished to dead-end posts in an instant, the rest of the executives felt lucky they hadn’t gotten caught up in their scheme.

Director Choi bemoaned his fate, seeing no one willing to help him.

The Park Jin-hyuk they’d heard about in rumors was completely different from the man before them.

They had thought DS Construction’s achievements were all thanks to Hyun Yi-soo, who already had a strong reputation.

Most of them had never even attended the president’s monthly meetings or the annual New Year’s meeting. They’d dismissed all the rumors as exaggerations.

They’d thought Pitaflu and Novo’s successes were the same.

Since Park Jin-hyuk hadn’t gone to San Francisco alone, and because they had always viewed him with suspicion, they convinced themselves his achievements were nothing special, even as things unfolded before their eyes.

That was why they’d accepted Park Soo-man’s proposal.

He promised if they checked Park Jin-hyuk from within, he’d get rid of him from the outside.

And the internal opposition wasn’t baseless, either.

They’d agreed with Park Soo-man that saving Biologics wasn’t the only solution, and that investing in the future while ignoring immediate gains was akin to gambling.

By constantly opposing and checking him, they thought eventually Park Jin-hyuk would make a mistake, and Park Soo-man would use that as a chance to strike.

“Three people like you will be a huge help to DS Pharm. President Kyung and I have made this decision because we believe in you, so please go along with it. Of course, you might have your own thoughts, but if you voice them to me, I’ll just refuse, so please keep them to yourselves.”

DS Pharm was a sales-oriented company, but Choi and the others had no sales background.

No one actually believed Park Jin-hyuk assigned them there because he thought they would help.

Faced with Park Jin-hyuk’s firm tone, Choi and the others gave up.

The rest of the executives, seeing Choi’s fate, were grateful it wasn’t them as the meeting wrapped up.

Once everyone left, only Park Jin-hyuk, Kyung Dae-yong, and Kim Joon-woo—who had been waiting outside—remained in the meeting room.

“Do you think Director Choi is with the Vice Chairman’s side?”

“That doesn’t matter. What’s important is that they’re interfering with our plans. Weren’t those the same people who insisted on keeping me in check before I came to DS Pharma?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Kyung Dae-yong had previously explained the situation to Park Jin-hyuk before he joined DS Pharma.

The people who argued for checking Park Jin-hyuk were the same ones who brought up the Biologics production line issue.

“If we let them be, they’ll keep interfering, so we should take this chance to remove them. That way, our work will be much easier.”

News of Park Jin-hyuk’s actions spread rapidly through DS Pharma.

Combined with stories from the past, it began to breed a sense of fear.

“Did you hear Director Choi was transferred to DS Pharm?”

“I heard he opposed Executive Park and got sent flying in one shot.”

“What, Park has the power to do that? Can’t people have different opinions? How could he send someone to DS Pharm just for disagreeing? That place may be called the sales division, but in reality, it’s an empty shell, a puppet run at the whim of Pharma, isn’t it?”

“Whatever you say, the results speak for themselves. Has anything Park’s doing gone wrong? No. In fact, DS Pharma keeps growing because of him. They say Biologics would’ve been sold off if left alone. Who turned Biologics into the company’s main business? It wasn’t Director Choi—he was reckless.”

“Well, you’re not wrong. Is he out of his mind? Expanding the business and producing results, and he’s going up against the Chairman’s eldest son? If heads are going to roll, his will go first, not Park’s.”

“Even so, Park went easy on them. In DS Construction, they didn’t just demote people—they chopped off heads, you know?”

The speaker made a gesture of cutting their own throat.

There was a big difference between demotion and resignation.

Few ever returned after being demoted, but at least it meant there was still a chance, so people preferred that fate.

Of course, only people not directly involved could think that way.

“Could this be the start? Of a large-scale purge, I mean.”

“A purge?”

“Yeah. In DS Construction, they came in saying they’d restructure, so they axed people without hesitation. But this time, it’s different. So he racks up achievements and uses those as a weapon to go—slash, slash, slash!”

The same person who’d pretended to cut their own throat now made a gesture of slashing others’ throats.

Those who imagined themselves in the same position reflexively clutched their own necks.

“Are we next for restructuring?”

“No. Even in DS Construction, only the heads rolled. The rank and file who wanted out were let go, and I heard they got big severance payments too.”

“So, it won’t affect us?”

“Most likely not. And restructuring isn’t always bad. I heard if you get results, the incentives are huge.”

“Really? Then, from our perspective, restructuring would be a good thing?”

“Of course. For us, it’s good.”

As word of this positive spin on restructuring spread among ordinary employees, executives spent each day in growing dread.

They knew all too well how many executives Park Jin-hyuk had replaced during DS Construction’s restructuring.

Worried they’d be next after Director Choi, they dared not say a word against the direction Park Jin-hyuk was taking the company.

After all, this time it might not stop at mere demotion.

“The results are pretty good, aren’t they?”

Returning to his office after the executives’ meeting, Park Jin-hyuk sat down, took out a cigarette, and laughed.

“Director, you seem very satisfied.”

“Yes, I am. There were rarely any dissenting voices to my opinions before, but now the whole atmosphere is different. There’s this feeling that a single mistake could spell disaster. I like this sort of environment.”

If there were highly valuable executives, it was best to move forward through discussion.

But at DS Pharma, aside from Sa Jung-man, who was responsible for Biologics, and Kyung Dae-yong, the head of DS Pharma, there wasn’t anyone else who stood out.

So, except for those two, Park Jin-hyuk believed issuing commands instead of holding discussions was what the company needed, and he was satisfied with how things were turning out.

After letting Park Jin-hyuk enjoy his satisfaction for a while, Kim Joon-woo quietly started to report the findings he’d gathered.

“Director. We’ve detected some movement.”

Park Jin-hyuk finished his cigarette to the very end, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and looked up at Kim Joon-woo.

“Really? Looks like the good news just keeps coming.”

Hearing the news he’d been waiting for, Park Jin-hyuk felt his excitement double.