"So what on earth did he call us in for?"

The president of Jang-eun Enterprise, about to enter the Ilhyeon Heavy Industries building, turned at the grumbling voice behind him.

"Ujin?"

"Oh! Isn't that the president of Jang-eun Enterprise? Do you happen to know why the president of Ilhyeon Heavy Industries wants to see us?"

Jang-eun's president shook his head and walked on.

Just then the president of Otokei Enterprise came running over.

"Jang-eun and Ujin got summoned as well, I see? Any idea why the Ilhyeon Heavy Industries president called us in?"

"That's what I was wondering, so I asked Jang-eun here, and he doesn't know either. Honestly — why has he called us in? It's driving me mad."

"Why? Guilty conscience?"

The president of Ujin Enterprise, fretting over the unknown, leapt at Jang-eun's question.

"Guilty of what!"

"Come off it. As if we don't know Ujin."

Ujin's president shook his head vigorously, insisting he'd done nothing, then wore an awkward expression at Jang-eun's knowing tone.

"Well, that…"

He glanced around to see whether anyone was listening and lowered his voice.

"The wages being a bit late — that was unavoidable. What am I supposed to do when there's no money?"

"Why is there no money?"

"I bought a house downtown, and once I'd paid the interim installment I was a bit short for the workers' wages. So it's about a week late, and they carry on as though— Well. That's what you get from the uneducated. Ignorant lot."

Otokei's president looked startled.

"So what did you do? Did you pay them?"

"Pay them? They stormed my office and smashed the furniture."

Ujin's president looked at him as though he were being dense.

"I have to replace everything they broke — wages can wait. They'll get it next month."

"And next month's wages?"

"Those go the month after."

He said it irritably, as though the question were absurd.

"If they wanted their back pay on time, they shouldn't have smashed the place. It's only because I'm generous that it's come to this. Anyone else would have had them arrested."