"Please, come in."

At the sight of President Dae-sang Kim himself coming out to the door to meet him, Seong-ho gave a small smile and walked with him toward the office.

"Have you eaten?"

"No. Not yet."

Hearing Seong-ho's answer, President Dae-sang Kim looked startled.

"You came all the way here before dawn without even eating. How about we have a meal together once we've finished talking?"

At Dae-sang Kim's suggestion of talking first and eating afterward, Seong-ho could sense the man's urgency.

"It's shameless of me, but would that be all right?"

"Of course. We should naturally offer you a meal. Secretary Kim, tell the chef to prepare one more setting identical to mine."

The secretary standing inside the office door bowed at Dae-sang Kim's instruction and left the room.

Dae-sang Kim studied Seong-ho's face for a moment, then spoke.

"I kept trying to reach you, wanting to talk, but the Chairman said it wasn't convenient. Is he in poor health?"

"His health is fine. It's only that since his surgery, he tends to tire easily, which is why he couldn't be here—please understand, Mr. President."

"I'm relieved to hear it isn't his health. I was worried the Chairman might be quite unwell."

Dae-sang Kim must have felt displeased at Tak-hyeon avoiding his calls, but he didn't show it outwardly. He simply spoke to Seong-ho with restraint, careful and courteous.

"I heard from the secretarial office that the Chairman has designated you as his representative?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"That the Chairman entrusted the representation to you rather than to the Vice-Chairman suggests his trust in you is quite exceptional?"

Having said this, Dae-sang Kim studied Seong-ho intently. It seemed like a roundabout way of saying that if Seong-ho gave an uncertain answer, this meeting might end up being nothing more than a shared meal.

I can't come all the way here just to eat.

It was Dae-sang Kim who had summoned Seong-ho here, but Seong-ho too had his own reasons for needing to meet Dae-sang Kim.

"Not long ago, Chairman U-ha Kim of Sunwoo Group came to Pyeongchang-dong."

At…