"Chairman. Congratulations."

"Chairman. You've finally got Doa Motors in hand. Congratulations."

"Father. Congratulations."

The members of Tak-hyeon's family gathered at Pyeongchang-dong offered their congratulations, every last one of them. At the sight of his children and daughters-in-law tendering their greetings as if in competition, Tak-hyeon—who ordinarily would have called it noise—today alone wore a delighted, smiling face as he received them.

"It's not over yet—why are you all in such a fuss?"

Just then Jeong-eun said, bluntly, what was there to fuss about.

"He's only just been chosen as the top-priority negotiation target. Doa Motors hasn't been fully absorbed into the Ilhyeon Group at all, so why is everyone like this? Isn't it right to rejoice after the final award comes through?"

"Being made top-priority negotiation target is as good as the Doa Motors acquisition being confirmed. Why so negative?"

Sang-jong said to Jeong-eun as if he couldn't understand her.

"The talks are already done and the first button's fastened, so it's as good as settled. A thing doesn't have to be in your pocket to be yours. As long as it's confirmed to come in later, that's enough. Isn't that right, Head Kim?"

Seong-ho smiled softly at Sang-jong's question and answered.

"The details are being tuned, but the broad frame won't change. The Doa Motors acquisition will come to pass even if the sky splits in two, so there's no need to worry."

"See? Head Kim says so himself."

The moment Seong-ho finished, Sang-jong said to Jeong-eun, wasn't he right.

With no more room to throw up objections, Jeong-eun turned her head away, and the other family members once again offered their congratulations to Tak-hyeon as if in competition, conjuring a warm and convivial mood.

When the congratulations, which had gone on a while, came to an end, people's interest tilted elsewhere. The fate of Ilhyeon Motors—which had acquired Doa Motors—rose to the top of everyone's concern.

But not one person was first to raise it. Broach it carelessly and you might become the target, the one catching the arrows. Those present read one another's faces and waited for…