Corporate Villain

Chapter 1

(I can’t let everything be taken from me)

“Then how about you marry me?”

I doubted my ears.

Daeyoung Group, the leading conglomerate in the country.

Kang Moon-jung, the sole legitimate executive of Daeyoung.

Those words came from her, the woman I serve.

“What?”

She seemed displeased with my reaction.

I know it too. Pretending not to hear and asking again, I know how tired she gets of this conversation tactic.

It doesn’t make sense for me, her executive secretary from the group’s secretariat, not to know that much.

But that was the best reaction I could show at the moment.

As if she never had a displeased expression, she smiled again and asked.

Like luring a child with a stick of candy.

“It’s fine whether you do it or not. Now, I’m not even sure if marriage is necessary, but the thought of living alone for the rest of my life feels strangely unsettling. How about trying out that marriage with me?”

Contrary to what people know, Executive Kang Moon-jung is quite introverted.

Her demeanor in business and in non-work-related spaces is polar opposite.

In business settings, she’s flamboyant and powerful, presenting herself with energy over poise, aggression over refinement, but the moment business ends, she always wants to be alone.

I’ve never seen her meet friends outside of university alumni gatherings or the social meetings of conglomerate heirs.

And now, that executive is making expressions in front of me.

She’s doing business with me.

“You’re not one to joke, so I’m asking seriously. Are you being serious right now?”

With a nod, she answered my question, leaving me speechless.

“Did you say 10 billion earlier? Just about 10 billion would be enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life without worrying about money, doing what I want. I’ll give you that money.”

“Sir, Executive Director…”

Suddenly, I began to feel scared.

The words I had casually thrown out couldn’t have been just offhand.

He’s not someone who acts on impulse, at least not in business.

His spontaneity is all an act, a calculated performance.

How meticulous he is.

It wouldn’t be a mere joke either.

He despises meaningless pranks, especially if it’s not someone he needs to step over.

Unlike his half-brother, Vice President Kang Young-jin, Executive Director Kang Moon-jung possesses what you might call the refinement of the powerful.

That’s why I was afraid.

The words weren’t just thrown out there, nor were they a joke, which meant that whatever answer I gave, our relationship could never return to how it used to be.

I joined the conglomerate as an assistant manager, skipped the manager position to become a deputy manager in the secretariat, serving as the Executive Director’s aide until today.

The past eight years under the vast umbrella of Daeyoung flashed before my eyes like a zoetrope.

“First, 5 billion won. The remaining 5 billion will be given on the day you stamp the divorce papers. Of course, I’ll also provide generous special bonuses along the way, and I’ll support the maintenance costs for the dignity befitting my side as much as you want. But.”

Honestly, I wasn’t listening to a word.

“On the condition that Deputy Manager Yoon doesn’t create any scandals that would tarnish my reputation by your side.”

I had to ask.

“Why does it have to be me?”

“Why?”

“Yes.”

“From the world’s perspective, you, Deputy Manager Yoon, would be the most shocking choice as my marriage partner.”

Shocking, to say the least.

“And with just a little bit of storytelling, you could be the most convincing candidate.”

“Convincing?”

He nodded again and continued.

“You know the atmosphere within the group, don’t you? If I don’t attract the world’s attention like this… if I don’t try something, I’ll just watch as everything I own is taken away.”

It sounded like a candid confession, using me as a last resort.

“I need an issue. An issue that will continuously remind the shareholders and the public that I am the rightful heir of Daeyoung. For that issue to arise, it needs to be backed by credibility as strong as the issue itself. Only then will the issue gain strength and last. If, when the lid is finally lifted, there’s something worthwhile inside, and it meets expectations to some degree, then a positive image is created.”

And with that, I felt a sense of dread.

Executive Kang Moon-jung.

A remarkable person indeed, and despite the image portrayed outwardly, I knew from the start that he was an ambitious individual capable of turning those ambitions into reality. But I never anticipated it to this extent.

And with the thought of fear, a smoldering desire began to rise.

Of course, there would be much to endure.

But ten billion.

Even if one were to work themselves to death for a lifetime, they could never touch ten billion. Haven’t I been promised that sum?

No matter the disdain and ridicule, or the harsh situations that await, if I just bear it as I have done so far, endure and suppress it within, fifty billion will be mine in no time.

And if I can withstand the time she needs, another fifty billion will be added.

Isn’t it a deal worth considering?

And the additional benefits to be enjoyed.

Though it’s a contractual relationship, having the backing of Kang Moon-jung, the legitimate heir of Daeyoung, I pondered the power that would come to me within the company.

The faces of just two people I yearn to trample on came to mind.

Before I could even start to indulge in the fantasy of crushing those individuals, Executive Kang Moon-jung spoke.

“I can’t just do nothing and let Vice President Kang Young-jin take everything from me.”

Suddenly, I became curious.

The words he just uttered with his own mouth.

That he couldn’t let his own brother take everything from him.

I wonder if anyone else besides me has ever heard her true feelings directly from the Executive’s mouth?

“You know what I’m talking about, right?”

He’s a lonely person.

Even as an outsider, I can see that Executive Kang Moon-jung, the rightful heir within the Daeyoung Group, has far too few allies.

“Executive.”

“Speak comfortably.”

“I’m just a bit… out of sorts right now.”

“Of course. I understand.”

“Could you give me some time to think about it?”

To that, Executive Kang Moon-jung smiled as if it were a given, as if to say that someone like you would have no choice but to seize this opportunity.

“Of course. Business aside, marriage isn’t child’s play, is it? Take your time to think. I won’t bring up this matter until you’ve sorted out your thoughts.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

“Deputy Director Yoon is someone I absolutely need.”

Unknowingly, my eyes narrowed as I looked at the Executive Director.

“What do you mean…”

“Within Daeyoung, he’s one of the few on my side, the only one who can come to me without looking at others, whenever I need him.”

It’s true.

“I don’t want to lose such a person.”

“…”

“Even if you can’t give me the answer I want, as long as Deputy Director Yoon is okay with it, please continue to stay by my side.”

Can that really happen?

I nodded deeply once as my answer, and to that, Executive Director Kang Moon-jung told me to leave.

So, I got up from my seat, bowed once more, and left her office.

***

When deep thought is needed, I go to the public bathhouse.

Immersing myself in the hot water and zoning out, I naturally sort through what needs to be pondered, what doesn’t, and what’s beyond my control no matter how much I worry.

I headed to the local public bathhouse right after work.

I started to zone out in the hot bath.

10 billion.

The concern I needed now wasn’t whether I needed this huge sum of 10 billion, whether it was worth exchanging for my marriage… such foolish worries.

It’s an amount that could change my life.

Not an opportunity that comes to just anyone.

It’s not about committing a crime, nor making money through someone else’s tears, so what’s there to worry about?

A marriage entered with the goal of divorce?

That’s not a problem.

In today’s world, having been married once isn’t a stigma.

Nor am I someone with grand illusions or compulsions about marriage.

Perhaps, with a solid asset of 10 billion in a few years, I’ll have a wider range of choices in women than the conditions I’ve awkwardly set up now?

If even then, marriage is optional, not essential to my life, yet the thought of living alone forever without trying it once feels strangely unsettling.

Besides, if I continue to work as Executive Director Kang Moon-jung’s executive assistant as I do now, there’s absolutely no way to make time to meet women.

And the sum of 10 billion, which I’ve never actually experienced, was too attractive.

But I too needed something persuasive about this marriage.

The 10 billion won that could change my current life will undoubtedly transform my future the moment I marry Kang Moon-jung, the legitimate heir of Daeyoung.

Even after divorce, the label of Daeyoung, and the name Kang Moon-jung, will be a tag I’ll have to live with for a lifetime.

This 10 billion won is, in essence, compensation for the emotional labor I’ll have to endure from the labels of Daeyoung and Kang Moon-jung after the divorce. Will the future me resent the me of now for making such a choice?

Resentment… Resentment, huh.

If I think about it, have I ever resented my past self?

Haven’t I always been grateful?

Haven’t I always felt sorry for myself, and proud for somehow crawling up to this point from such a barren environment?

Yes.

I just have to make it that way again.

I can do it.

Absolutely.

The future me will also be thankful to the me of now who made this decision, as long as I make it happen.

Chapter 2

Sweating in the hot bath and successfully slimming down my worries, it’s only now that it doesn’t feel real.

Until now, I must have been intoxicated by the proposal given by the executive.

Is my rationality finally returning?

I’m to marry Kang Moon-jung, the sole legitimate heir of Daeyoung?

How?

Is this even a plausible situation?

Can I really go through with this marriage just because I’ve set my mind to it?

Ah, who knows. There must be a reason for such a proposal.

Having roughly finished soaping up, I stepped outside.

Using the public bath.

No matter how long I try to wash, anxiety keeps me from going over 40 minutes.

Such is the life of an executive assistant.

Never knowing when the call will come.

The anxiety of dropping my phone is unsettling.

I casually shake off the moisture from my body and stand in front of the mirror where the hair dryer lies.

As expected, I look my best right after a shower.

Do I have… the kind of face that would captivate a chaebol family?

The thought is so amusing that I can’t help but let out a laugh.

After drying my hair until it’s fluffy, I turn towards my locker.

That’s when my eyes catch the beverage fridge.

“…”

Normally, I find the drinks sold inside the bathhouse overpriced, so I prefer to use the convenience store after my bath.

10 billion.

Strangely, I don’t seem to mind this level of overcharge anymore.

Yet…

Yet, I resist.

After all, once I step outside, convenience stores are scattered everywhere on the streets, offering more choices at cheaper prices.

Pocari Sweat.

It’s just not human to buy that for 2,000 won.

I unlock the locker with the key I had around my ankle.

And immediately, I check my phone…

Sure enough, there were several messages from the executive director.

First, two missed calls, and when I didn’t answer, he left a message on KakaoTalk.

– Can’t see my pad.

Pad?

Why can’t he see something that big?

I hastily put on my underwear and call the executive director.

“I’m sorry for not answering your call, sir. I was taking a shower.”

– Sorry for calling at this hour. If it’s okay, could you check if my pad is in the back seat of the car?

“In the car?”

– Didn’t I use the pad in the car earlier?

I really couldn’t remember.

Usually, I would have remembered something like that.

After receiving the bombshell proposal from the executive to enter into a contract marriage, it seems I’ve been somewhat intoxicated with the idea throughout the afternoon schedule.

“I’ll go out and check right now. Is there anything important inside? Like confidential information?”

― No, nothing as confidential as that. It’s locked with facial recognition anyway. But it’s such a hassle, you know. Getting a new one, reinstalling everything, transferring data.

“Understood. I’ll go check right away and call you back.”

― Sorry to bother you. I need a favor.

“No problem at all.”

Executive Kang Moon-jung.

He really requires a lot of attention.

Externally, he’s crafted an image of being flawless, but occasionally, he surprises you with his carelessness.

Of course, I know.

He’s someone who needs to be concerned about many significant things.

He’s someone who has many battles to fight to maintain his position.

Perhaps he even thinks he’s taking on the world all by himself.

Sometimes he can’t even remember what he had for lunch that day, asking at dinner, “What did we have for lunch today?” unable to recall.

His focus is solely on work, on business.

So much so that he doesn’t pay much attention to anything else, even the food he eats.

That’s why I have to keep looking after him.

*Sigh…*

My thoughts grow heavy again.

As I hurriedly dress to check the back seat of the car, suddenly, the words she said to me before leaving the office come to mind.

“Deputy Director Yoon, you’re someone I absolutely need. Among the few on my side, you’re the only one who can come to me without worrying about others whenever I need you.”

Damn it…

Is the reason I decided to go through with this marriage really just because of the huge sum of 10 billion won the executive offered?

And for the past three years and three months, without a day off, not even weekends or holidays, I’ve rushed to the executive’s side at her call without any complaints. What really drove me to do that?

Was it because my salary depended on it?

Because she was the boss I served?

Because she was the sole legitimate heir of the Daeyoung family?

Or… was it because of a personal fan’s affection?

To tell you the truth, when I first saw Executive Kang Moon-jung, who joined Mulsan as a manager for the European region while I was working there as an assistant, I thought she was from another world.

Even before she started her group life to receive management training, she was already a star comparable to IU.

He is the sole legitimate heir of the Daeyoung family.

How many in South Korea could possibly be unaware that Vice President Kang Young-jin was the long-awaited illegitimate child of Chairman Kang Man-ho, born outside of wedlock?

And as if by a twist of fate, just as Vice President Kang Young-jin was born, Executive Director Kang Moon-jung was miraculously born to the then-living matriarch of the Daeyoung family, the late Ahn Young-hee.

It was the scandal of the century, the drama of the century, and at the heart of that story was Executive Director Kang Moon-jung, which is why seeing her for the first time at Mulsan felt like encountering a celebrity.

It was as if I could see the aura people often speak of emanating from her.

I’ll never forget our first conversation in the company cafeteria, when she sat down next to me with a smile and placed her tray down.

“Deputy Yoon Tae-sik? I’m Kang Moon-jung. I’ll be counting on your help from now on. Please take good care of me.”

At that moment, I was so nervous and trembling that I blurted out a curt “Yes, I understand,” as if I really could be of help to her, as if I was someone who should take good care of her.

And I’ll never forget the time at Mulsan when I was tied to her direct line, a special team, and had to play a supporting role on a business trip to Andalusia, Spain.

The main team had already arrived in Granada to set up the task force, but she, deeply interested in the project, decided she wanted to see the contract site for herself and changed the plan.

I was the only one from Mulsan headquarters who could escort the executive director there, supporting the main team on their business trip.

“What are you doing over there?”

Back then, she still spoke to me with honorifics.

“Oh, I’m in economy class.”

“Why?”

It was truly remarkable.

For us, it was common sense that anyone below the level of department head would travel economy, regardless of the route.

“Well…”

Suddenly, she snatched my passport and dashed to the first-class/business-class ticketing line.

“Excuse me, Manager. You may be a special case, but as a regular employee like me, according to company policy…”

“You expect me to go alone for 12 and a half hours?”

“…”

“Before we even arrive at the site, you need to explain to me the situation at the contract site, the atmosphere, what I need to pay attention to, what I need to take care of. I know nothing about the situation in the Andalusian farms or the Granada task force right now, so what am I supposed to do when I get there? If there’s nothing for me to do, why am I going? 12 and a half hours. Isn’t that enough time to get a grasp of the situation?”

Then she upgraded my seat to first class at her own expense.

That was the beginning.

Ever since then, I’ve been constantly by her side, like a shadow to the executive director.

***

I quickly got dressed and left the bathhouse.

Then, before heading down to the parking lot, I bought a can of Pocari Sweat at the convenience store on the first floor.

1200 won.

If I had drunk it at the bathhouse, it would have cost 2,000 won, but I saved 800 won.

But the executive’s tablet.

It should be here…

If it wasn’t urgent to have the tablet right now, the executive, with his personality, wouldn’t have looked for me at this hour just because he lost one.

That darn tablet.

From the executive’s standpoint, buying a new one would suffice.

“There it is, there it is, there it is!”

I felt relieved, as if I had found my electronic cigarette that I’d lost from my pocket, now sitting on the car seat.

I immediately made a call.

“Executive, it’s in the car.”

― Oh, that’s a relief! Chief Yun.

“Yes.”

― If the facial recognition is blocked, the password appears, right?

“Yes.”

― It’s my birthday. Unlock it and scrape the PDF file from Jeju Daeyoung Stay and send it to me.

“I’ll just bring it to you.”

― No, no. There’s no need for that. Just send me that PDF file.

“That’s unlikely.”

― What do you mean ‘that’s unlikely’?

I know the executive well enough…

“After checking that, you’re going to check one more thing before you go to sleep, right? Then you’ll contact me again while I’m sleeping. Come down in 10 minutes.”

― In 10 minutes? Weren’t you just taking a quick shower? How can you get here from your house in 10 minutes?

“I was at the bathhouse. Trying to sweat it out for a change. 10 minutes is plenty for me.”

I need to see him in person and remind him of tomorrow’s schedule with a nagging tone, so he’ll only look at what’s necessary and go to bed early.

***

It took two days to respond to the offer I received.

It wasn’t an offer that required long deliberation.

I was just waiting for the right timing to give an answer.

Knock. Knock.

Managing and progressing the executive’s schedule was my main job, so I figured this would be a moment when the executive would have some free time.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the executive office door.

Though I knock and enter several times a day to report on work, at this moment, it was no ordinary door.

Opening this door meant crossing a river that couldn’t be crossed.

Perhaps it was that thought, but today, the door felt unusually stiff to open.

Executive Kang Moon-jung was sitting at her desk, reviewing documents.

Upon recognizing me, she shifted her gaze back to the documents she was reading and asked what I wanted.

I brought up coffee, just as she had two days ago when she suggested we have a cup together if I had time, and mentioned a contract marriage.

“Coffee?”

It had been over three years since I started serving the executive as part of the group’s secretarial team.

I had often initiated conversations about coffee—whether to prepare it or ask if she had any—but this was the first time I suggested having it together.

Sensing the reason for my visit, the executive slowly rose from her seat and walked towards the sofa, inviting me to sit.

I waited for Executive Kang to take the prime seat on the sofa before sitting down in the spot she offered, turning towards her.

In the meantime, she contacted the executive floor desk through the intercom.

“Two cups of coffee, please. One as I usually have, and the other a latte.”

It was a trivial matter, but it was then I first realized that Executive Kang knew my coffee preference.

Executive Kang and I had no choice but to maintain an awkward silence until the coffee arrived.

It was a matter that required caution, even from the person who would bring us the coffee.

A strong espresso and a latte were placed before the executive and me, respectively.

Unlike the executive, who found charm in stronger coffee, I believed coffee should be sweet and smooth.

I placed two sugar cubes on top of the milk foam and stirred slowly.

While I did, the executive crossed her legs and turned her posture towards me.

I moistened my dry lips with my tongue and continued to stir until the sugar completely dissolved, pretending not to notice her gaze.

I could imagine the executive’s expression as she inhaled, even without looking.

She had been by my side for over three years.

I knew her tastes, preferences, the small habit of massaging the corners of her mouth with the tip of her tongue before focusing on something, and even her health status better than she did herself.

After dissolving the sugar cubes thoroughly, I lifted my head.

Then, straightening my posture, I looked at the executive and spoke.

“I’ll do it. I’ll marry you.”

I continued before the corner of the executive’s mouth could fully rise.

“But I have one condition, Director.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Please send me to Mulsan.”

At my words, the Director narrowed his eyes and tilted his head in curiosity.

“For the executive position… I think the Head of the European Division would be suitable.”

Chapter 3

“The personnel authority of Mulsan is beyond my control.”

“I will become the most persuasive candidate.”

I’m not sure if I have the capability, but Executive Kang Moon-jung confessed her ambitions to me candidly. The moment I accept this deal, inevitably, I must play the role of her Zhuge Liang, her kingmaker.

“In what way do you mean you’ll become the most persuasive candidate?”

“Assuming this contract actually materializes, I would become a temporary contract worker, but externally, I’d be part of Daeyoung’s ownership.”

The Director waited silently for my next words.

“Someone like me can’t remain in the group’s secretarial office, where the owner plays the role of a shadow to the VIPs, can I?”

As if it were obvious, the Director nodded in agreement.

“It’s clear you have discernment, but I can’t continue to serve you here in distribution. Personally, it would be the best for me, but realistically, it’s impossible.”

“That’s true.”

“The core electronics of the group? Unthinkable. It’s crucial who among you, the Director, and the Vice President, enters electronics to determine the succession structure. Vice President Kang Young-jin in chemicals? That’s nonsensical. A sports business club owner related to me? The media exposure would be excessive, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

“Right now, don’t you need the spotlight focused on you, Director? You’re not trying to turn me into a male Cinderella. I joined Mulsan on my own merit. It’s not a key business sector of Daeyoung, so there won’t be much spotlight on me.”

And the most crucial part.

“Whichever subsidiary of Daeyoung I’m assigned to, the fact that I’m a parachuted executive is unavoidable. Aren’t you planning to use me as a weapon? Then you should place me somewhere I could at least potentially be a weapon, not your weakness.”

“Mulsan is that place?”

“If you haven’t thought of anywhere else, Director.”

He smiled lightly.

“Your head must have been aching these past few days over this, hasn’t it?”

“It’s a matter involving ten billion won.”

I too shared a light laugh.

“What will you do with ten billion won once you have it?”

“It’s an amount that doesn’t require any action on my part.”

“Resources? Hmm… I can’t promise anything. But I’ll do my best.”

“Your promise is enough, sir. You’re someone who always keeps their word.”

“Don’t make me feel obligated with such roundabout talk.”

Sighing as if a great burden had been lifted, the executive spoke.

“Set up a new account. Choose the best product for holding a large sum of money. I’ll send 5 billion won as soon as I get the account number. And this weekend, since there’s no need to look for me, why don’t you visit your mother?”

“My mother?”

“Won’t you be busier than now in the future? It wouldn’t be right for your only son’s marriage news to be heard through the media.”

“The order should be the chairman first, then the senior chairman, shouldn’t it? Whether this contract proceeds or not ultimately depends on those two. I’ll set up the account once I have their permission.”

“And if you don’t get permission?”

“Then I suppose… I’ll have to look for another job as a consequence of coveting a fortune beyond my reach.”

“You must have had a lot to consider.”

“To be honest, I haven’t worried much about that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I know you well, sir. You’re not someone who would climb a mountain without a plan to conquer it.”

I was certain of that part.

“I may not know what it is, but I’m aware that I’m the solution you’ve found after contemplating how to reach the summit.”

***

The day in Pyeongchang-dong starts at 7 a.m.

It’s also when my tension begins.

The owner’s family breakfast starts before the day is fully bright.

We, the secretaries from the group’s secretarial office, must wait on the ‘L’-shaped sofa set up on one side of the living room until the owner’s VIPs begin their meal.

Our work starts then.

In the early morning, we greet the owner’s VIPs with their subdued expressions.

Reading their moods from those dry expressions is also an essential part of our job, though it’s not in the manual.

We always keep an ear open to the kitchen where the owner’s VIPs are dining, browsing the group-related news on our phones or tablets, exchanging news, and checking the daily schedules of the VIPs we serve.

“Have you arrived?”

The director serving the chairman has come to work, even though none of the VIPs have shown themselves yet.

“Ah, Deputy Manager Yoon. Did you have a good weekend?”

“Yes.”

“Was there anything unusual over the weekend?”

“No calls received.”

“You must have had a good rest for once.”

But at that moment, another shadow moved behind the open front door.

“Huh? Team Leader.”

It was clear that he had come with the director, judging by the timing of his entrance.

Though under the group’s secretariat, the real control tower was the Strategic Planning Team.

And there was Team Leader Son Jung-hyun, entering behind the director.

“It’s been a while, Deputy Director Yoon.”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t dare ask what brought him to Pyeongchang-dong.

We aren’t the kind to express our doubts and curiosities outwardly.

That’s how we were trained.

Team Leader Son’s arrival in Pyeongchang-dong made me more nervous.

It meant that the chairman had summoned him.

“You’re here.”

Madam Koo Young-sook.

She emerged from the living room, wrapping her shawl around her shoulders.

It was a sign that the chairman’s morning preparations were complete.

All of us in the secretariat stood up and bowed to Madam as she passed.

She knew about Team Leader Son’s visit to Pyeongchang-dong beforehand, it seemed, as she offered a gentle smile before heading straight to the kitchen where breakfast was being prepared.

Shortly after, almost simultaneously, Chairman and Executive Director Kang Moon-jung appeared, having finished their morning preparations, coming down the indoor staircase that led from the second floor.

They, too, seemed unfazed by Team Leader Son’s visit to Pyeongchang-dong, casually making their way to the living room sofa.

The 7 AM news was already on.

As soon as the Chairman and Executive Director Kang sat down on the living room sofa, Madam Koo Young-sook came out of the kitchen with a tray carrying two cups of herbal tonic and two glasses of green juice.

Just as my duty was to arrive at the Pyeongchang-dong residence by 7 AM to wait for the Executive Director, Madam Koo’s day began with preparing the Chairman and Executive Director’s morning herbal tonic and green juice.

Like medicine taken on schedule, the Chairman and Executive Director Kang swallowed their tonic and juice in turn.

Today, as usual, Executive Director Kang left more than half of his green juice, while the Chairman grimaced but finished his cup to the last drop.

“Ugh…”

The Chairman shuddered momentarily as he endured the bitter taste of the green juice.

“Shall we bring him out?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

As soon as the Chairman’s order was given, the director rose from his seat and headed to the study to attend to the great Chairman Kang Ki-young, who starts his mornings earlier than anyone else in the Pyeongchang-dong family home.

Great Chairman Kang Ki-young.

A figure who has become the epitome of second-generation corporate management.

The man who founded the Daeyeong Republic in this country, South Korea.

Even though it’s been over five years since he stepped down from the chairmanship and retired from the front lines of management, people still equate Daeyeong Group with great Chairman Kang Ki-young.

Daeyeong Electronics is still synonymous with the name of great Chairman Kang Ki-young, and Daeyeong’s stock prices fluctuate with his health status.

The only person who can make Executive Director Kang Moon-jung stutter.

A person who, if he so wishes, can easily wipe her mind blank.

A person who can effortlessly overturn billion-won scale business decisions made at the general shareholders’ meeting over breakfast as if flipping the palm of his hand.

His presence was now coming into the living room, with the help of the wheelchair that the director was pushing from behind.

A thin blanket was laid over the great Chairman’s knees.

Though he needed the assistance of a wheelchair due to mobility issues, his upright posture, piercing gaze that seemed to scan one’s very soul, and skin so radiant it belied his ninety years, all indicated that he would remain the embodiment of Daeyeong for many more years.

The great Chairman slowly raised his right hand.

At the same time, the director escorting him to the kitchen stopped in his tracks, halting the great Chairman’s wheelchair as well.

It was right in front of me.

“Is it you?”

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

In reality, everyone stopped what they were doing and began to tense up.

“Come see me later.”

Those were his words to me.

Three years and three months.

It was the first time the great Chairman had spoken to me since I started working in Pyeongchang-dong three years and three months ago.

***

The thirty minutes I spent waiting for the owner and the VIPs to finish their breakfast felt as long as the three years and three months I had been serving the Executive Director.

They are usually slow eaters, but today, their meal seemed to progress even more slowly.

The great Chairman took a sip of water, swished it around like a mouthwash, and swallowed.

As soon as he moved away from the table in his wheelchair, the director headed to the kitchen.

The moment the director took hold of the wheelchair’s handles, the Chairman, the Executive Director, and Madam Gu Young-sook also finished their meals and rose from their seats.

In the grand chairman’s study.

I had only known of this room’s existence for the past three years and three months, but today was the first time I actually stepped inside.

Before I knew it, Team Leader Son Jeong-hyun, who had taken over the grand chairman’s wheelchair handle from the director, escorted the chairman into the study. After handing over a thin envelope of documents to the chairman, he stepped out.

There was no chair allowed for me in the study.

Just two chairs.

One was the grand chairman Kang Man-ho’s seat, and the other was Executive Kang Moon-jung’s.

I took my place next to where Executive Kang Moon-jung sat, then stepped back to establish my own position.

The grand chairman took out his reading glasses from atop the office desk and put them on.

He then opened the envelope of documents that Team Leader Son had handed over and took out its contents.

“Your name is… Yoon Tae-sik.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

It seemed the documents Team Leader Son had passed on contained information about me.

“You joined the company through Mulsan.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“You’re the same age as Moon-jung?”

“Yes.”

“You have just your mother in the family.”

“Yes.”

“Your father passed away when you were in middle school?”

“Yes.”

“Your mother must have had a hard time selling kimbap alone to put her child through college.”

“…Yes. That was the case.”

The grand chairman couldn’t take his eyes off the documents prepared by Team Leader Son, and Executive Kang Moon-jung couldn’t take his eyes off his grandfather.

Amidst all this, the only person who spared me a glance was Chairman Kang Man-ho himself.

“You studied Spanish at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“A four-year scholarship admission. Should I understand it was a choice made because of the scholarship?”

“I chose the university because of the scholarship, but the major was my own will.”

Like during the interview, I tried my best to appear confident and assertive, but I couldn’t help the tremor that seeped into the end of my speech.

That wasn’t my will.

“Willpower?”

At some point, the gaze of Chairman Kang Man-ho, the father of the executive, had been fixed on me.

“My father worked as a navigator until he passed away.”

The senior chairman briefly lifted his gaze from the documents he was reviewing, peering at me over his reading glasses.

Perhaps the reason he looked at me at that moment wasn’t because of the story about my father.

After all, I had already used that story once during my job interview at Daeyoung Corporation.

There’s no way that story would be missing from the documents prepared by Team Leader Son.

But why did he suddenly take his eyes off the documents and start staring intently at me?

However, I couldn’t afford to harbor such doubts for long.

I had to continue the story.

“He mainly sailed on deep-sea fishing vessels for tuna, under a Taiwanese company. Whenever he went fishing, he wouldn’t return home for at least two to three months, sometimes over a year. Each time he came back, he would bring different foreign currencies and stamps as gifts. Collecting them one by one, I grew a fantasy of seeing a broader world. That’s why I majored in languages at university, and it led me to join Daeyoung Corporation.”

“You wanted to see a broader world?”

“Yes.”

“So, having observed it up close for the past three years, how does it feel? Isn’t just watching unsatisfactory?”

As I hesitated to answer, the senior chairman spoke again.

“You’ve collected foreign money, foreign stamps?”

“Yes.”

“How much of our country’s money, our country’s stamps have you collected?”

Suddenly, my mind went blank.

The senior chairman, who had smirked at me, returned to reading the documents.

Then he said,

“A fantasy of seeing a broader world?”

“…”

“Do you even know what’s truly important, or are you just spouting fantasies? Do you know what happens to a guy who gets an opportunity without understanding that?”

Before I knew it, Chairman Kang Man-ho’s gaze had returned to the senior chairman.

“It’s all just a facade.”

It was the moment when the figure of 10 billion won, promised by Executive Kang Moon-jung, flashed before my eyes.

“290 million won.”

The moment the specific amount of 290 million won left my lips, both the senior chairman and Chairman Kang Man-ho looked at me again.

This time, even Executive Kang Moon-jung, who had been fixated on the senior chairman, turned to look at me.

“In the past eight years since I joined Daeyoung Corporation, the total Korean money I’ve saved up is 290 million won.”

“……”

“No matter what, it was impossible to save more than 1.8 million won a month. For three years, at 1.8 million won per month. On the day the promotion to assistant manager was announced, I switched to a 2.5 million won car, thinking I’d get one once I became a manager. And since I started assisting Executive Kang Moon-jung, I’ve been putting in 3.2 million. Stocks, cryptocurrency, real estate. I’ve never tried any of them. I’ve never had the illusion that such things could make my life prosperous.”

“Hmm……”

As soon as I finished speaking, an awkward silence began.

How long did I wait in that heavy silence until the chairman finished checking the documents?

The chairman carelessly covered the documents he was looking at on his desk and placed his reading glasses on top of them.

“How much is the foreign currency your father secured for you worth now, based on the current exchange rate?”

“I’m not sure. But at the time, I exchanged it all for 250 euros.”

“At the time? Exchanged?”

“In college, I sold everything to add even a little to my study abroad expenses.”

“250 euros would be……”

“I’m not exactly sure, but it would be about 360,000 won based on the current exchange rate.”

“What, it’s not a lot of money, and it was a gift from your late father, and you sold it?”

“I used it for something that was really important to me at the time, so I have no regrets.”

The chairman observed my eyes for quite a long time.

So, I couldn’t avoid it.

“Moon-jung, you may stop coming to work now.”

“Yes, grandfather.”

“As you leave, tell Team Leader Son outside to come in.”

Chapter 4

A pleasant excitement began to swirl on the face of Chairman Kang Ki-young.

Strategic Planning Team Leader Son Jeong-hyun.

Entering the study, he stood at a certain distance behind Chairman Kang Man-ho, who was sitting across from the chairman.

“Team Leader Son.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Find a new attendant for Moon-jung by today.”

“···Yes, I understand.”

It was an urgent directive, but Son Jeong-hyun, the head of strategic planning, seemed to immediately think of a suitable person as he furrowed his brow and nodded in response.

“Also, contact Mulsan and tell them to vacate the position of the European regional head within a week.”

At those words, Chairman Kang Man-ho was startled and straightened his posture.

“Father.”

“A week should be enough. I don’t care who’s currently in that position, but if they’re valuable, request a place for them at the group’s headquarters, and if they’re mediocre, transfer them to food services. If they can’t seize an opportunity like this, they don’t deserve the position of Mulsan’s head.”

“Are you really going to go through with this marriage?”

Despite his son’s urgency, Chairman Kang Ki-young let out a snicker.

“Moon-jeong is not my daughter. She’s your daughter. It’s up to her to decide whether to marry or not, and it’s up to you to give permission. What are you going to do if I meddle in everything?”

“Then why did you order to vacate the position at Mulsan?”

Chairman Kang Ki-young took a short breath before speaking.

“Was he trembling?”

“Pardon?”

“That guy earlier, Yoon Tae-sik. When he was making up answers to my questions, did he seem to tremble?”

“…”

“I didn’t see it. He looked me straight in the eye and said everything he had to say. How many people in our Daeyoung can do that against me?”

“But father.”

“Three years and three months? Moon-jeong, that guy. You’ve been secretly raising quite a fierce wolf cub. And right under my nose.”

Chairman Kang Ki-young snickered once again.

Then he spoke to Son Jeong-hyun, the head of strategic planning.

“First, sort out the instructions I just gave as quickly as possible, and then look into Yoon Tae-sik. Start with the kimbap shop his mother runs, check if there are any relatives who might cause a scandal later, how his relationships with women have been… overall.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After Son Jeong-hyun, the planning team leader, left the study, Chairman Kang Ki-young placed his hands on the armrests of his wheelchair.

Chairman Kang Man-ho quickly rose to support his father.

“Oh dear, oh dear…”

Chairman Kang Ki-young struggled to rise from his wheelchair.

He grabbed two walnuts that were on the desk and, refusing his son’s support, walked to the window with his hands behind his back.

The two hard-shelled walnuts were tightly gripped and turning in his palm.

“When I told you to quickly find a suitable match and pair them up, you wouldn’t even listen, and now look at you.”

Chairman Kang Man-ho closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“The guy’s already thirty-four. It’s not a young age. As Moon-jeong says, one strategic marriage for the company’s benefit is enough with Young-jin’s, and that’s it.”

Gazing out the window at the garden for a long while, Chairman Kang Ki-young finally voiced his thoughts.

“Those words from Moon-jung. Even if a chaebol serves jail time and orders a chicken to be delivered home upon release, it becomes a hot topic. ‘They’re no different from us, after all, just another human being…’ That’s what people comfort themselves with, and they even send their support. Is that not the sentiment of this country, South Korea, these days?”

“…”

“And if a single chicken can stir such public sentiment, wouldn’t Moon-jung’s marriage do the same?”

“But Father, this is…”

Cutting off his son’s words, Chairman Kang Ki-young spoke.

“I placed you in that seat just as my father placed me in mine.”

Chairman Kang Man-ho had no choice but to remain silent.

“If he wants to fight it out properly, why strip him of the gloves he’s struggling to put on, instead of making a ring for him? Do you plan to live alone forever? You can find a man to stand by your side even as you age, but not blood-related children. Think about Moon-jung’s age. If you miss this time, it could be tough. Don’t think of it as looking at a son-in-law, but through Moon-jung, see Moon-jung, and the grandchildren resembling Moon-jung’s mother. That’s what I believe is right.”

A smile spread across Chairman Kang Ki-young’s face as he turned his gaze away from the window.

With such an expression, he looked at his son and said,

“He says he’s someone you absolutely need right now. Let’s meet him. See if this guy has a good eye for people, or not. Even if we have to compete, at least let him have what he deems necessary before we start. That’s only fair.”

***

The first person came to the group’s secretariat just after lunchtime, a little past 2 PM.

I was already aware that my current position would soon undergo significant changes, positive or negative.

But I hadn’t anticipated that the change would come this quickly.

“Deputy Chief.”

“Oh? Director Chu.”

Director Chu Jae-young of the group’s secretariat, strategic planning team.

Unlike me, who was drafted into the group’s secretariat, he’s an elite among elites, having joined the strategic planning team of the secretariat from the start.

He’s also a talent who has been promoted to director without missing a single promotion.

If someone were to ask me which department in Korea’s major corporations seriously suffers from connections based on school ties or regional ties, I would answer without a moment’s hesitation that it seems to be the group’s secretariat.

No wonder there’s a saying that Daeyoung’s group secretariat is like a Seoul National University alumni association.

I understand that it’s an inevitable part of the job.

After all, the department that produces the most presidents of affiliated companies is the group’s secretariat, especially the strategic planning team, which cares for the owner family at the forefront.

For someone like me, who was drafted out of necessity and not a Seoul National University graduate, it’s not easy to be absorbed into the organizational culture of such a secretariat.

Sad to say, it’s only natural for me to be treated as an underling by the orthodox secretariat members like Director Chu.

From their perspective, I’m just affiliated with the secretariat, unlike them, I could be bounced to another place at any time.

“How did Chief Chu end up here…”

In a flash, I felt like I knew what was happening.

“Did you come alone?”

“Yes.”

The meaning behind Chief Chu’s solitary arrival was becoming clearer, thanks to the authoritative expression he was showing me.

First, I stood up from my seat and approached Chief Chu.

“Did you come here because of me?”

“Yes.”

Wow…

That was quick.

Sending someone over this fast?

“I haven’t heard any other stories yet?”

“You’ll probably get a separate call from the team leader soon.”

But why is he so stiff?

“From the team leader?”

“Yes.”

Not from Director Jang Dong-ju, who accompanies the chairman, but from Team Leader Son Jung-hyun, who serves as the eyes and ears of the chairman in the control tower?

That meant it was also the will of the chairman.

“From this moment on, I will be taking over the personal assistant duties for Executive Kang Moon-jung, in place of the deputy chief.”

It was clear that Chief Chu had no idea why the executive’s assistant duties had shifted from me to him, and he seemed to have come here without much thought, just following orders from above for the time being.

Just then.

“Who decided this?”

It was the executive.

Click-clack, click-clack…

With firm, unyielding steps, the executive approached from the direction of the office.

“Who?”

The executive glanced up and down at Chief Chu before inserting himself between us.

The previously rigid Chief Chu bowed deeply.

“Nice to meet you, Executive. I’m Chief Chu Jae-young from the group’s secretariat, the strategic planning team.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kang Moon-jung. But listening to the conversation you two just had, I can’t understand the current situation at all? I never requested someone to be sent over. Who sent you?”

“Team Leader Son Jeong-hyun…”

Could Director Chu’s prideful nose really bend so easily?

It was almost pitiable.

“Team Leader Son? Hmm… So it’s a directive from grandfather? Okay. So starting today, Director Chu will be handling my duties?”

“…Yes.”

“And what about our Deputy Director Yoon? What will he do here from now on? Just twiddle his thumbs?”

“I believe he’s on standby for reassignment.”

“Not a suspension but waiting for reassignment? That’s a relief. But speaking of which, he’s someone I work with, and his transfer was decided today without my knowledge? Even if there was a directive from grandfather, it feels like I’m being ignored, and I don’t like that feeling.”

“I’m just…”

After showing a sly smile to Director Chu, who was cringing, the executive muttered to himself.

“Our Team Leader Son. I didn’t see it coming, but you’ve become a disappointment as of today.”

The executive immediately made a call from there.

As expected, the person on the other end was Team Leader Son Jeong-hyun.

“Yes, Team Leader. It’s me. Something very interesting is happening here. Someone from the group’s secretariat has come? Chu…”

“Chu Jae-young.”

With Director Chu’s response, the executive smiled again, nodded in thanks, and continued the conversation.

“Director Chu Jae-young. You say you’re here to take over my duties starting today, but this is news to me. What’s going on? I mean, of course, I know it’s grandfather’s directive. But you can’t just insert or remove my people at will, can you?”

I reassured Director Chu, who was excessively tense over the executive’s shoulder, with a nod, as if to say it would be okay.

“Even if it’s grandfather’s directive, if it’s not meant to ignore me, shouldn’t you at least call me before sending someone over? Like, ‘I received such and such directive, and unavoidably had to send someone’… It’s not something you can do behind my back. And you say it’s grandfather’s directive, but what am I supposed to say, tell them not to come? Right?”

The executive’s words were absolutely correct.

“In your eyes, Team Leader, does no one else exist at Daeyoung besides grandfather? It doesn’t seem like it, does it? What misunderstanding? You’re the one acting in a way that leads to misunderstandings.”

And the next words he said moved me slightly.

“How shocked must the person be, who was doing their job well, to suddenly be confronted by a replacement and told, ‘From now on, I’ll be doing your job, move aside’? No matter how much they anticipated or braced themselves, such an unexpected move would startle anyone. There’s no way it wouldn’t. I saw the whole thing being delivered with just that nuance.”

It was strange.

If it had been the old me, I would have felt more uncomfortable, as if sitting on pins and needles, if someone was put in a difficult situation because of me. But now, I didn’t feel that way at all.

“Knowing why this personnel move is happening, yet you proceed like this, am I to understand that this is your true intention towards me and Deputy Director Yoon?”

After finishing the call with Team Leader Son, the executive took a step towards Director Chu.

“Director Chu?”

“…Yes, yes, Executive Director.”

“Do you know Deputy Director Yoon’s phone number, or not?”

“Yes, I have it.”

“Before coming here, did you contact Deputy Director Yoon to take over his duties, or did you just come?”

“Well, that is… as soon as I received Manager Sohn’s instructions, I came right away…”

“That. Is. To. Say.”

The executive’s face was etched with a weary expression, as if asking why one couldn’t understand simple instructions.

Of course, even then, I hadn’t imagined that the executive, following the Chairman’s orders, would send back Assistant Manager Choo, who was dispatched by Manager Sohn.

“I get that you came straight here, but did you give Deputy Director Yoon a heads-up over the phone before coming? That’s what I’m asking.”

“…I didn’t, I just came.”

“Ah, so this is what this phrase was made for. ‘The company is running so smoothly’… Is that what you’re saying? That you were too busy rushing over immediately after receiving the instructions, or are you saying that you didn’t even think to give a heads-up to Deputy Director Yoon, who, although in a different department, is still a superior and colleague in the same group?”

“That, that is…”

“Go back, back to the group secretariat.”

A major blunder!

Defying the Chairman’s orders?

Is this even allowed?

The executive’s voice, as cold as ice, was slicing through the tense Assistant Manager Choo.

“Even if it’s an order from the grandfather, the Chairman himself, I won’t entrust my side to someone who can’t think and judge for themselves, not even for a moment. Go back. Right now.”

Chapter 5

Soon, Daeyoung’s control tower, the Strategic Planning Team, would be turned upside down.

This wasn’t the executive’s usual style.

But once he starts putting on the pressure, he tends to hold on until people are sick of it.

Manager Sohn, who knew the executive’s style, must have felt ignored or even offended and uncomfortable with such blunt words coming from the executive’s mouth. It was a big deal.

No matter how much Vice President Kang Young-jin had advanced in the succession race by strategically marrying Jo Yeon-hee, the director of Songam Art Hall, and becoming part of the VR Group, Executive Kang Moon-jung was the only true heir of Daeyoung.

Kang Ki-young, the great Chairman, was a long-time friend, in-law, and the former owner of Hanshin Newspaper, the late An Guk-hwan, who was Executive Kang Moon-jung’s maternal grandfather.

Even the current owner of Hanshin Newspaper, An Cheol-hyun, is Executive Kang Moon-jung’s maternal uncle.

Even though the current mistress of the Daeyoung family is Vice President Kang Young-jin’s biological mother, Koo Young-sook.

Even though Vice President Kang Young-jin is the son and older brother to Executive Kang Moon-jung.

There’s a reason he hasn’t been able to secure a clear advantage in the succession race, even after successfully making the VR Group part of his in-laws.

It was because of the Hanshin Daily, known to even make the Blue House tremble, supporting Executive Kang Moon-jung from outside Daeyoung Family.

Sure enough, not even ten minutes after Director Choi fled following the executive’s dismissal order, I received a call from Team Leader Son Jung-hyun.

And there was a noticeable change in the way he addressed me.

“Yes, I’ve taken the call, Team Leader.”

“Ah, Deputy Director Yoon. It’s me.”

He had started to speak to me in a semi-respectful tone.

There was no time to feel awkward about it.

I, too, was internally anxious about the strong stance Executive Kang had taken and the ripples it might cause.

“I just spoke with Director Choi… Ah, this is really something. Sigh… Um… It seems there was some misunderstanding. Was the executive very displeased?”

Honestly, in this situation, I had no choice but to believe Team Leader Son’s words that there had been some misunderstanding.

There was no reason for Team Leader Son to be at odds with the executive.

His position wasn’t like that of other group executives who had to align with one side between the executive and the vice president.

Rather, as someone who served as the eyes and ears of the great chairman, Team Leader Son was the person who had to remain thoroughly neutral.

And now, more than ever, I needed Team Leader Son’s presence.

Because he was the one who served the great chairman at the closest quarters.

“Yes, right now he’s quite… downcast.”

“What exactly did Director Choi do there?”

“He just told me that you would contact me separately soon, and that as of this time today, he would be taking over my duties as the executive’s personal assistant.”

“A notification?”

“Yes.”

Team Leader Son’s stifled sigh came through from the other end of the phone.

“Deputy Director Yoon. Don’t misunderstand and listen to me.”

I had every intention of believing him.

Just the fact that he had called gave me so much strength.

“Yes, of course.”

“Today, I had a lot of instructions from the great chairman. There was a lot to proceed with all at once. It might sound like an excuse, but I thought the executive and you, Deputy Director Yoon, were aware of the personnel being sent from the secretariat to replace you in your duties. This morning, the chairman, the executive, and you, Deputy Director Yoon, you all saw the great chairman together.”

“Yes.”

“I thought that the matter had been discussed and concluded before I entered.”

Team Leader Son’s tone carried a strong urgency, as if he needed me to believe every word he said.

At the same time, I realized that if I could just calm the executive, this matter could be quietly settled between Team Leader Son and me.

-Deputy Director Yoon’s transfer to the trading division, and that… the relationship with the Executive Director. That part naturally requires a delicate approach, so it’s true I couldn’t even mention it to Chief Chu.

“Perhaps Chief Chu thought I was being demoted, something like that.”

-I’ll discipline Chief Chu as soon as I return.

No.

What’s important to me now is not the disciplinary action against someone like Chief Chu.

It was a golden opportunity to share secrets with Team Leader Son, the closest aide to the Chairman.

Sharing secrets?

Isn’t it more important that we’re in a relationship where we can share such things?

For now, I’ll provide Team Leader Son with everything he needs within my capabilities.

“No, why go as far as discipline for such a matter? Please don’t do that. Instead, Team Leader.”

-Yes.

“The matter related to the trading division. May I ask in advance how it’s going?”

-Well, that’s now…

“I know it’s confidential, but after all, I’m the person involved. I’m not going to go around blabbing before an official decision is made.”

Earlier, Chief Chu used the term ‘waiting for orders.’

Not a standby order, but waiting for orders.

It means the place for the order has already been decided, and we’re just looking at the timing.

-It’s in progress. This too is confidential, only conveyed to President Min Byung-jin of the trading division, and once a decision is made regarding the current head of the European division, we’ll proceed immediately.

Done!

Trading division confirmed!

Before I knew it, Team Leader Son’s semi-formal speech had turned into proper honorifics.

“I see. Yes, I understand. Is there anything else I need to know?”

-It seems the Chairman rushed Deputy Director Yoon’s order waiting because of tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow morning?

What does that mean?

-The Chairman, I mean. I naturally thought the Executive Director or Deputy Director would be aware, so I proceeded. But since you didn’t know, I’m sharing my thoughts. With your current duties, you’ll have to go back to Pyeongchang-dong tomorrow morning. It must have been judged that it would be uncomfortable for both parties. So, it seems the Chairman hurriedly asked to find a replacement for your duties, so please understand that’s what I meant.

“I understand. Thank you, Team Leader.”

-The matter regarding Chief Chu was indeed my mistake. I apologize once again.

“Chief Chu. He’s a capable person. Even if you scold him sharply, please don’t complicate things with discipline. I’ll find the right opportunity to attach a flexible story for the Executive Director.”

-Thank you.

An hour had passed when the call came from the executive office.

“Sit down.”

Before I even arrived, the executive was already seated in the prime spot on the sofa.

Watching my expression as I took my seat, the executive asked,

“Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“That person from the group secretariat who came by.”

“Oh, that?”

“Do they always lack manners like that?”

I just smiled.

After a pause, the executive inquired again,

“Or is it the position of Deputy Director Yoon in the secretariat?”

“It’s true that the friend’s character isn’t particularly good, and it’s also true that there’s no place for me in the group secretariat.”

The executive exhaled through his nose in frustration and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“You have a schedule this evening, right?”

“You’re supposed to attend the hotel executives’ dinner by 6 o’clock.”

“Director Im Ki-joon will attend in my stead.”

“It’s an event organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Wouldn’t it be better if you showed up in person?”

“Grandfather’s call.”

There’s nothing to say to that.

“In a little while, someone from the group secretariat will come up again.”

It was the expected course of action.

“You already know you have to wait for your orders, and you said you spoke with Team Leader Son earlier, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then there’s no need for a long explanation. Think of the past three years and three months as unused vacation time. At most, it’ll be a week.”

“Shouldn’t I at least hand over my duties to my successor?”

“Of course. Who said to vacate my seat right now? You have one day to pass on what needs to be passed on, so Deputy Director Yoon can give you a bit of mental training, so I don’t have to bother explaining myself.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

“Here, take this.”

A Porsche car key was placed on the table.

“It should be parked at the Sogong-dong branch. You know where I usually park it, right?”

“Yes.”

“It hasn’t been driven in a while, so it’ll need a wash. Pick up the car on your way out and get it cleaned… Drive it for the time being. Once it’s moved to the conglomerate, an executive car will be issued.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The executive seemed to have more to say but nodded meaninglessly several times as if to suggest that this was enough for now.

“I’ll be leaving as soon as someone from the group’s secretariat arrives later.”

“Yes.”

“Yoon, the assistant manager, just tidy up the handover tasks and leave when you’re ready.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“It’s a bit… strange, isn’t it? Is it just me? Are you okay, Assistant Manager Yoon?”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t feel it until just now, but suddenly it’s hitting me that we’re really in the same boat now. How about you?”

So, I said,

“Well, I haven’t told my mother yet, so I’m just thinking about how to break it to her…”

At that, the executive said nothing.

He just nodded, giving me a look of understanding.

Soon, a new person arrived from the group’s secretariat.

Manager Noh Gyu-hyung.

Like Manager Choo, I’m not in a position to discuss Manager Noh’s capabilities.

Nevertheless, they are all more elite than me, with a deeper understanding of the Daeyoung Group’s organization.

However, I thought that Manager Noh might be more flexible than Manager Choo, and perhaps better suited for VIP escort, as I handed over the car keys, corporate card, and the executive’s schedule for the next day, which I had prepared in advance.

I stayed at my post until 9 p.m. that day.

With Chairman Kang Ki-young pushing through such rapid personnel changes, I couldn’t afford to be the only one dragging my feet, oblivious to the atmosphere.

I created a file for Manager Noh, separately organizing the executive’s schedule for the upcoming and the past year, so it could be easily reviewed at a glance.

At the same time, I divided the Daeyoung Distribution’s internal structure into major categories like hotels, department stores, and supermarkets, and attached comments on the executive’s favorability towards key personnel within those organizational charts.

And finally, the executive’s list of likes and dislikes.

The executive is someone who gives more points to those who avoid doing what he dislikes rather than those who do what he likes.

This isn’t for Director Noh Gyu-hyung’s sake, but rather out of concern that he might unknowingly do something that the Executive dislikes, potentially upsetting the Executive’s mental and physical condition.

***

The next day.

I was in the middle of handing over duties to Director Noh Gyu-hyung at the secretary’s desk.

“Director Noh?”

The Executive had returned after finishing the morning meeting.

“Yes, Executive.”

Leaning on the desk with his elbows, the Executive looked back and forth between me and Director Noh before speaking.

“I’d like to have lunch just with Deputy Director Yoon today. We’ll be going out for it.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“It might run late depending on the situation. Please have your lunch and prepare tomorrow’s schedule for briefing.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Lunch, just the two of us?

And outside?

“What are you doing, Deputy Director Yoon? I’ll grab my bag and come out, so get ready for lunch quickly.”

“…Yes.”

It was only 11:30 AM.

I had just retrieved the car keys I had handed over to Director Noh the day before the Executive came out.

As usual, I was about to open the back door to escort the Executive to the underground parking lot when he closed it again and opened the passenger door himself.

Then he smiled at me.

“From now on, when we ride together, your seat will be next to Deputy Director Yoon, whether it’s in the front or back.”

I waited for her to get into the car, then carefully closed the door and got into the driver’s seat.

After buckling up, I asked the Executive.

“Where shall I take you?”

“Do you like sashimi, Deputy Director Yoon? Let’s go for sushi. I’ve made a reservation.”

He searched for the restaurant name on the navigation system himself.

Woosin.

The route was set immediately.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I was surprised to realize that the Executive knew not only my coffee preference but also that I liked sashimi.

Had I ever had sashimi with the Executive before?

Memories not found within the past three years and three months of working as an executive assistant.

I had to think back to my days in the fisheries division, where team dinners were frequent. Perhaps we had dined together at a sushi restaurant.

But how could the executive remember something I couldn’t?

It seemed more plausible to assume he was just guessing or making assumptions.

However, upon arriving at the Japanese restaurant he had reserved, I had to admit his memory was better than I thought.

It was a small room.

A high-end restaurant where each dish, down to the side dishes, was served individually in a kaiseki style.

Luxurious ingredients like sea urchin roe, one piece of each kind, five pieces of sushi.

Grilled sea bream and tuna sashimi.

Even the sea bream was of the highest quality.

That alone would have been a lavish meal, yet he ordered an additional special cut of tuna, despite the sashimi already served.

Honestly, I doubted I could finish the feast before me.

Yet, as always, I couldn’t voice my opinion first.

“I only knew that Deputy Manager Yoon’s father passed away when he was young, and that he had been a mariner for a long time. I just learned that yesterday. No wonder you know your fish.”

“Me?”

“You identified each fish just by looking at the slices: this is flatfish, this is rockfish, this is gray mullet… you got them all right.”

“…When?”

I truly couldn’t remember.

“It was back when you were in the fisheries division. We had a celebration the day after you returned from the Andalusian farm contract trip. I can’t quite recall if it was the fourth or fifth round, but I’m certain the next day was Saturday, and we partied until dawn.”

That was five years ago, and he remembers?

His memory can’t be that good, can it?

“At the first round, not everyone had arrived, so we kept it simple and went to a sushi restaurant for the second round.”

A memory that had completely vanished began to flicker back to life.

“At that time, we ordered a platter of assorted sashimi for each table, and you, Deputy Manager Yoon, correctly named every fish on the plate. There was something, milchi or whatnot. I had never heard of it before, but you bet with Manager Gu whether it was milchi or not.”

Milchi, and the bet with Manager Gu… At that moment, the entire scene came back to me perfectly.

“The fish you called milchi back then, that was gray mullet, right?”

“My father was from Gyeongsang Province. We lived in Busan until he passed away because he was a mariner. I also learned then that ‘milchi’ isn’t the standard term.”

“Oh, so you didn’t grow up in Daejeon from the start?”

“No. I moved to Daejeon in middle school. If we’re talking about the length of time lived, Seoul has been the longest since college, then Busan, and Daejeon was just… from the second year of middle school to senior year of high school, so only five years.”

“I see. I’ve learned more about Deputy Manager Yoon yesterday and today than in the past three years. I was quite surprised by how confidently you faced our grandfather yesterday morning.”

I was so dumbfounded that I laughed.

“Aren’t you intimidated? Who? Me? My heart nearly burst yesterday.”

“Pfft. That’s even more impressive. You endured it, after all. Acknowledged.”

The executive pulled out a folded envelope from his bag.

Handing it over, he said, “Take your time and check it while you eat.”

A marriage contract.

“It’s drafted by a lawyer, so it doesn’t need separate notarization.”

It didn’t take long to understand what that meant.

There were many blanks.

The executive’s name, Kang Moon-jung, was already filled in one of them.

And now, my name, Yoon Tae-sik, was to be filled in next.

A contractual marriage where even the lawyer had to keep the names of the parties in these blanks a secret.

There were more clauses to adhere to than I thought, but most of them were the same as what I had been doing by the executive’s side until now, so nothing was particularly bothersome.

Except for the last clause.

The custody and parental rights of the second generation shall belong to Party A upon divorce.

“This clause… What is this, Executive?”

“Oh, that?”

When I asked about that clause, the executive started to forge an awkward smile.

As if he knew I would question this part…

Chapter 6

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

How can I not worry?

Custody and parental rights?

It’s not even about custody or parental rights.

Just the second generation.

The second generation was never part of the discussion before.

“I’m most concerned about this right now.”

The executive waved his hand as if to say there was absolutely no need.

“I left work a bit early yesterday after getting a call from Grandpa, you know.”

“Yes.”

“Grandpa was saying yesterday. In the old days, by this age, one would have at least two kids, even if they were still in elementary school. Since marriage has been delayed, he said to hold the wedding soon and quickly have children.”

I truly couldn’t grasp what kind of expression I should be making in this situation.

“It’s an inevitable worry from our family’s perspective. Thirty-four. It’s not a young age. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t worried about that aspect too.”

I glanced at the last clause of the contract once again.

That’s when the executive spoke to me.

“But the problem is, I don’t have the luxury to do that right now. So, there’s no reason for Deputy Director Yoon to worry about that clause. Grandpa said to get a promise in advance, just in case.”

“What kind of promise?”

“In case we marry and then separate, to ensure that issues concerning the children’s custody or parental rights don’t cause any messy scandals that could damage the company’s image.”

Was this contract, as I originally understood it, supposed to be a secret agreement just between the executive and me? Why include such a clause in a contract that only the two of us are supposed to know about?

“Ah, I just threw in whatever came to mind into the clauses. And that last clause was added yesterday. Why? Should I remove it?”

“No, it’s not that. I was just asking because I wondered if this clause would bring such… responsibility onto me.”

It was when I was about to fill in the blanks, pen cap in hand, that the executive asked me.

“Why? If you had to take on such responsibility, would you want to act as if this contract never existed?”

“Now that it’s come to this?”

“So, would you?”

The bridge had already been crossed.

The Chairman, the President, and even Team Leader Son Jeong-hyun.

Even with my transfer order already dropped.

How could I, who will have nowhere to go to work from tomorrow, pretend the contract offering me 50 billion won never existed?

“We should change the contents of the contract a bit.”

“How? By increasing the amount under the guise of alimony, custody, and parental rights?”

No, that’s not it.

“Even if I give up custody and parental rights, let’s add a clause that sets rules so I can see the child on designated days.”

“…”

“What sin does the child bear? Living only with their mother, without a father. That’s really not good. I know because I’ve been through it. But I won’t worry about this part… as you said, Executive.”

“…Right. It’s a part you don’t need to worry about.”

There and then, the executive and I filled in the blanks and bound two copies of the contract side by side, completing the joint certification.

Side by side, we stamped our contracts with the executive’s lipstick, using it as ink, and each took a copy.

The promised 5 billion won was deposited into my account on the spot.

5 billion won.

The executive, nonchalantly transferring such a massive sum as if it were a mere 50,000 won, urged me to check my account, as if it was no big deal.

A whirlwind of thoughts engulfed me.

Could there be a zero missing from the 5 billion? I checked twice, and even though the number was correct, it felt so surreal, like a dream.

This is it, my life’s game is over!

I’ve hit the jackpot!

One would expect a surge of excitement, but instead, I found myself becoming calmer, more rational.

It was a strange sensation.

I thought having 5 billion won in my account would feel like owning the world, but instead, it brought an identity crisis… such was the feeling.

Two days later, I went down to Daejeon to see my mother.

In the car heading to Daejeon.

My resolve was clear, but the path from where I stood to the decision I had made seemed blurred.

How should I unfold this story of marriage to my mother?

Indeed, that was the case.

A contractual marriage for 10 billion won?

Selling myself?

Leaving a trace in the family registry?

I’d do it for 3 billion, even 2 billion.

Is there a reason not to?

Realistically, the economic value the world assigns to me isn’t even close to 10 billion, let alone 3 or 2 billion.

The money I’ve toiled and saved for eight years amounts to 200 million won.

200 million and 900 thousand won.

It wouldn’t have mattered if it wasn’t the executive; I would have accepted the same offer from anyone else.

I was honest with myself.

I had the confidence to be proud.

Haven’t I done my best?

I’ve strived to earn recognition within the company, to advance and succeed on my own merits.

What did I get in return?

The achievements I believed were in my line were snatched away by my direct superiors.

Those people, who said they needed to secure their positions first to quickly promote me, what did they do after climbing the ladder one step at a time with the projects I created?

Those trashy villains, who didn’t just spoon-feed on the proposals that a subordinate had slaved over for months without sleep but stamped their own names on them, have each ascended to deputy manager, manager, and even head of the department, drawing salaries in the hundreds of millions, and yet they live so brazenly. So why can’t I stand tall in front of the marriage I’ve chosen?

But…

But I was confident and proud of this decision I made, in front of everyone in the world, except for one person, my mother.

I decided to raise myself properly, to live boldly without being belittled anywhere, sacrificing everything you had, mother.

So, I made up my mind.

I would include my mother in the category of all the people in the world I would have to deceive with this marriage from now on.

As I vividly outlined the process that had only been blurry in my mind, I found myself standing in front of my mother’s kimbap shop.

***

“There are no customers, just sit back and watch TV…”

Peering into my mother’s shop through the glass front, I unwittingly muttered my dissatisfaction.

The economy is definitely not doing well.

Even though it’s almost closing time, normally there would be a couple of tables occupied by customers having a late dinner, but there’s not a single one.

My mother, tirelessly scrubbing the idle tables without a break, even when there are no customers.

How could someone as honest and incapable of deceiving others as her give birth to someone like me?

Just in case, I pulled down the black hat I brought.

Will she be fooled again?

Ding-dong, ding-dong.

The bell on the entrance door jingled as the shop door opened.

“Welcome.”

With the brim of my hat hiding my face, I took a seat at the table closest to the entrance.

“I’ll have a bean sprout ramen and a roll of kimbap, please.”

“Okay, just a moment. One bean sprout ramen, one roll of kimbap. Water and side dishes are self-service…”

Did she notice?

I can feel my mother approaching.

“Hey! Yoon Tae-sik!”

“Ah, it didn’t work.”

As expected, it didn’t work.

I’ve used it too many times.

He took off his hat and placed it aside as he rose from his seat.

“Wow… Mom, you can recognize your son’s voice now?”

“What, really? You’re not going to work tomorrow?”

“It’s my day off.”

“Day off? Tomorrow’s not a holiday.”

“When has your son ever taken a holiday off?”

“But how did you get here?”

He fetched a glass of water from the dispenser, set it on the table, and told his mother,

“How did I get here? What do you mean? I drove, of course.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to see Mom. Does a son need a reason to visit his mother?”

“Are you really doing this knowingly, or are you trying to tease me? You’re not going to work tomorrow?”

“I told you, I’m off tomorrow.”

And so, he begins another lie to the world’s most easily deceived mother.

“I was really busy last week. The director’s schedule was so tight. But during one of the director’s events, I almost accidentally struck gold with a huge achievement.”

“What?”

“Would you understand if I told you? Just think of it as if I caught a rat by backing up like a cow, and it turned out to be a decent performance that helped the director. I’ve been running around all week, and the results were good, so the director gave me a day off tomorrow to make up for the weekend.”

The great thing about working for a conglomerate is that no matter what I say, Mom believes it because she doesn’t know any better.

In the empty store, I persuaded Mom to close up earlier than usual just for today.

But Mom shook her head, saying that’s not how you run a business, whether there are customers or not.

“Can’t you do that much when your only son comes down at this hour because he misses his mom?”

“Why are you throwing a tantrum you never did when you were younger?”

Eventually, he played his trump card.

“I need to be congratulated by Mom today. I turned down everyone else’s requests for a celebration treat and came to Mom instead.”

“Promotion? You got promoted again?”

The fact that Mom reacted this way means she was quite surprised.

“I made it big this time.”

“How big?”

“Are we closing up, or what?”

Of course, neither he nor his mother usually speak in dialect.

I can use it, but if I do, it feels quite awkward, you know?

But sometimes, when I’m joking around with mom, I try my best to mimic my grandmother’s old way of speaking.

I managed to finish work an hour early.

Having not eaten dinner and rushed straight to Daejeon, I was quite hungry.

Just as mom said, I was craving the home-cooked meal she prepares, but I didn’t want to make someone who had been cooking all day stand in the kitchen again once home.

So, I ordered a whole chicken.

I wanted to order some bossam as well, but that would undoubtedly lead to leftovers, which mom would have to eat tomorrow.

I didn’t want that.

In the living room, I spread out a small table and drank beer with chicken alongside mom.

“You know, I haven’t mentioned it to you, but the president of the old company I used to work for has returned and asked me several times to work with him again.”

What I’m doing now is definitely not a lie.

Because it doesn’t hurt anyone.

What I’m doing now is not a lie, but my best effort.

The best effort to reassure mom and make her happy.

“That company is already huge, and their president?”

“I serve the executive director right by his side. I often get the chance to meet not only the president of that company but also other affiliate presidents.”

“Mom doesn’t know how such a big company operates.”

“Serving the executive director is an important job, but from the company’s overall perspective, it seems like a waste. This time, the big chairman told his son to go to that company, to help out the president there…”

“Mom still can’t believe that her son is actually meeting and talking with those high-profile people she only sees on TV.”

“What are you talking about? Whether it feels real or not, what does it matter? They’re all just people. When you see them in person, there’s nothing particularly impressive.”

“You must be so proud, my son? Mom is so happy to hear about your promotion, how much happier must you be? Congratulations. You’ve done well, my son.”

A sip of beer.

It seems insufficient with just one sip, so I take another.

“And mom.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“There’s something else I’ve been keeping from you…”

“What?”

“The truth is… there’s a girl I want to introduce to you.”

Mom’s cheeks puffed up with joy, a hundred times happier than the news of her son’s promotion.

“Who is sheeee?”

Wow, hold on.

Even though I’m acting with determination, why does revealing the identity of the executive to mom make me so nervous?

“Don’t be surprised, mom.”

“What’s there to be surprised about? I’m just so happy that my son has a girlfriend. How long has it been? Is she pretty?”

I just nodded once.

Executive Kang Moon-jung.

Honestly, even if you throw away her family background and specs, just her looks alone are beyond comparison.

“Do you have a photo together? If you do, show me.”

“No need for photos… You know her. She’s someone you know.”

“Mom knows her? Then, are you seeing Ji-yoon again, the girl you mentioned from college?”

“Mom. When was Ji-yoon? And why do you still remember her name?”

“She was the first girl you introduced to me, of course, I remember.”

“She’s been married off and already has two kids.”

“Then who else around you would I know?”

I steadied myself with another sip of beer.

“The executive.”

“…”

Mom dropped the chicken leg she was holding onto the chicken box with a thud!

She blinked several times and tilted her head, I turned away from her gaze and took another drink of beer.

“Who? Which executive?”

“Is there another executive I’ve told mom about?”

“Kang, Kang, Kang Moon-jung, the executive… that woman? The one you’re… attending to? Kang Ki-young’s granddaughter, Kang Moon-jung?”

“Yes.”

Silence lingered for quite a while.

I too was confused about how to develop the story from here to make mom believe.

But just then.

“The thing you said about wanting to introduce her to mom, it’s not just about bringing her home to meet mom, but you want to introduce her in the way mom quickly hoped for?”

“…Yes.”

“The two of you… like each other?”

Kang Moon-jung.

Not as Executive Kang Moon-jung, but just as the person Kang Moon-jung.

Obviously, he’s a great person.

What’s the use of saying it out loud?

Did I not see an aura around him when I first saw him at the company?

But Kang Moon-jung can never be just an ordinary person to me.

Right now, even this distance, brought closer by a contractual marriage with him, feels like a lie.

Chapter 7

“So, it’s not just in a professional sense, but you mean to say you share those feelings personally too?”

Unable to immediately answer the question of whether the two people liked each other, my mother asked the same question again.

I’ve always been a son who lies well to my mother.

The strange lie that my superiors at the company are smitten with me.

The lie that I’ve never been particularly intimidating, yet my juniors seem to fear me, causing them to make mistakes in front of me that they shouldn’t.

What was I trying to gain with all those lies?

Did I want to show my mother that her son is loved by everyone, anywhere, and that at work, he has a sharp charisma?

Or… did I just want to leave behind an image of myself as I wished to be…

I wet my lips once more.

“So, you mean you want to introduce her to mom.”

After taking a deep breath, my mother began her silence.

“Were you surprised?”

“No, what’s there to be surprised about? It’s good news that you’ve found someone nice.”

“But why do you look like that?”

“Because I’m worried.”

Knowing full well the nature of the worries my mother had just begun to have, I asked nonchalantly as if I didn’t know.

“What worries?”

“Do they know at that house?”

I looked at my mother quite confidently and nodded.

“What do they say at that house?”

Throughout this time, I never thought I was sinning against my mother with these lies, but this time the lie… it didn’t go as planned, as I had prepared.

Yet, I try to pull myself together again.

“At first, they both laughed. The chairman and the senior chairman.”

“Laughed? Why?”

“The senior chairman, given his age, must have been delighted by the story of his grown granddaughter’s marriage.”

“…”

“But the chairman, at first, seemed somewhat displeased.”

“Why? What’s displeasing about it? What’s wrong with my son? How dare they look down on my wonderful son?”

“No, listen. Why are you getting so worked up without even hearing the full answer? Their son has been married for less than a year.”

I quickly calmed my mother’s excitement with a witty response and continued the conversation.

“They were shocked when the remaining daughter came out so soon. And frankly, if I were the chairman, I’d be worried too. It would be nonsensical not to worry.”

“What worry?”

“What are you worried about, Mom? Isn’t it similar to the worries you have?”

“…”

“They’re not much different from us, you know? It’s not like the outrageous dramas you enjoy every morning, but there are certainly realistic concerns.”

Not wanting to hurt my mother deeply, I had to unravel the story with a dose of reality, as if administering an anesthetic.

“But the chairman has always liked me. That’s why he had his daughter’s executive assistant stick with his son for over three years, right?”

“He originally… thought well of me?”

“Would my son ever be disliked anywhere? Would he endure such treatment? The chairman really adores me. Sometimes to the point of being overwhelming. At first, he was quite surprised, but now he seems to like me even more.”

“He likes you?”

“That’s the case with the promotion too. No matter how well his son works, a promotion from manager to executive in a major corporation like Daeyoung is unheard of. Who do you think made that impossible promotion happen? It’s the senior chairman, the chairman. They trust me enough to place me next to the director.”

My mother gulped down her beer can.

“Even famous celebrities who marry into chaebol families are ostracized, speaking foreign languages among themselves, and blatantly disregarded under the guise of ‘chaebol education.’ I wonder if that family is any different?”

“Goodness, Mom. Your son graduated from the foreign studies university. On a four-year scholarship. Spanish, English, and a fair bit of French. Who in that house could compete with your son in languages?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“You didn’t raise me to be bullied or openly disregarded.”

The memory of being discarded by the corporation surfaced.

I remembered being coldly abandoned, hearing that someone like me was useless, that a being like me could easily be replaced.

Despite being ostracized and thoroughly ignored by a powerful few, I pictured myself pleading and clinging on, not to be cast out, even though I hadn’t seen it myself.

“I didn’t grow up like that either. They’re good people, Mom. Really, you don’t have to worry about that part. When have I ever lied to you? I’m always honest with you, whether it’s right or wrong.”

I tossed and turned in bed, deciding to send a message to the executive director.

It was the first time I initiated a non-work-related chat with the director at this hour.

– Director, I apologize for messaging late at night. Are you asleep?

Fortunately, the ‘1’ indicating an unread message disappeared immediately, and a reply came swiftly.

– No. My schedule ended very late today. I just got home, showered, and lay down. But what’s up at this hour?

– Director. There’s one thing I overlooked when drafting the contract.

– What??

I hesitated, typing and erasing my words repeatedly.

– My mother is quite worried about our marriage.

– You didn’t tell her the truth, did you?

– No.

– I was momentarily startled.

– That seems to make her worry even more.

The ‘1’ had long disappeared, but there was no reply.

So, I decided to be frank.

– During the contract period, except in special cases, you won’t have to meet my mother in person.

There was no reply, but the ‘1’ vanished immediately every time I sent a message.

– When we are together, could you help ensure that my mother doesn’t worry about this marriage?

Then, a reply came.

– I understand what you mean. Of course, I’ll do that.

– Thank you.

After my word of thanks, there was a long silence again.

I thought the conversation was over… but then a message arrived.

It was an image file.

“What’s this?”

Opening the file sent by the director, it was the last page of the marriage contract we had authenticated two days ago.

On that last page was a new clause, clearly handwritten by the director just moments ago.