Do-beom, forgetting entirely why he'd come, threw the question at Seong-ho in a rush. "You mean to restructure Ilhyeon Electronics?"

Before even hearing Seong-ho's answer, Do-beom set the approval document down and showed his palm. "No. Ilhyeon Electronics is out of the question. Some other place… no, don't restructure anything more at all. Wrap up what's already underway and call it finished."

Do-beom wore an expression of firm, absolute refusal.

Watching him quietly a moment, Seong-ho smiled, picked the document back up, and held it out to him again. "Chief. You know as well as I do that in a group-wide restructuring, there can't be affiliates that get restructured and affiliates that don't."

At that, Do-beom's face hardened, but Seong-ho didn't stop. "Up to now we've cleared out the places that needed to go first, and that's more or less finished. As much as that, now is the point where we need to move on to the group's core affiliates. And as the first to go, I mean to take on Ilhyeon Electronics — the very heart of Ilhyeon Group."

At that, Do-beom shut his eyes tight. No counter-argument came to mind. Opening his eyes again, he looked down at the approval folder Seong-ho held out and asked in a weakened voice, "Does it… absolutely have to be this one?"

"Yes. It has to be."

At Seong-ho's answer, showing not a shred of hesitation, Do-beom let out a deep sigh and spoke in a heavy voice. "If even Ilhyeon Electronics gets carved up… one wrong step and the whole of Ilhyeon Group could come apart. And if that happens, even the chairman's choice to seat you as Head of the Restructuring Headquarters will become an object of ridicule."

"Just watch."

Seong-ho spoke with a voice full of conviction. "Even the people criticizing the decision now will all come around in the end."

"I hope… I really hope it turns out that way…"

Do-beom, his voice drained of strength, took the document folder Seong-ho held out. "I'll go back and approve it, then report to the chairman right away."

"Thank you."