Even after leaving the conference room, the presidents said nothing for a while.

They scattered, each lost in his own thoughts. Dae-hwang Jin, deep in thought too, headed back to the Devices Sector building.

"President. You're back."

Vice-President Jang-yun Hwang greeted Dae-hwang as he came in.

"What did the Vice-Chairman say?"

Jang-yun had known Vice-Chairman Seong-ho Kim was coming to talk with the Electronics presidents, and he couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Is he really putting his friend in the overall president's seat?"

Dae-hwang nodded and set his notebook on the desk.

Then he sat down in his chair, looking half dazed.

Jang-yun studied his face, worried.

"Don't tell me the Vice-Chairman… blamed you for the Devices Sector's poor results? He didn't tell you to leave, did he?"

Jang-yun was worried sick.

If Dae-hwang went, Jang-yun would have to take responsibility and step down too. What Dae-hwang had been told came first.

Dae-hwang shook his head.

"He said it wasn't our fault."

"The Vice-Chairman really said that?"

"Yes. He said it was his own fault, if anything. So you don't need to worry about that."

Jang-yun pressed his hands together.

"Who in the world says poor results are his own fault? Everyone's too busy pinning it on the people on the ground, and our Vice-Chairman says it's on him instead… That's our Vice-Chairman."

Jang-yun pressed his hands together again and bowed toward wherever Seong-ho might be. Then he turned back to Dae-hwang.

"President. Then the overall president…"

"He came with the overall president."

"Came with him? Then it's really true? He put his own friend in the overall president's seat?"

"Yes."

Before the gratitude had even sunk in, doubt began welling up.

"…Wait. Isn't that man from Ilhyeon Heavy Industries?"

"That's right."

Jang-yun unclasped his hands, flustered.

He was about to complain, but Dae-hwang got in first and began passing on what Seong-ho had said in the conference room.

"The Vice-Chairman explained why he put that man in the overall president's seat."

"You mean there's a reason?"

"Yes. First, you know there's an inter-Korean summit coming up soon, don't you?"

"Is…