"What on earth do I do about this…"

Yeong-su Cha glanced down at the paper in his hand and let out a sigh.

"I have to report it, but…"

Yeong-su Cha squeezed his eyes shut, and his steps grew slower and slower.

Because he felt he could tell, without needing to see it, exactly what would unfold the moment he walked into the president's office like this.

And yet he couldn't very well send another employee in his place.

Because ten years ago the staff would have endured being struck with an ashtray, but now they might tip off the press or make the whole thing public.

Judging it better to go and report it himself than to have it blown into a public matter and end up running about trying to contain it, Yeong-su Cha forced his unwilling feet to move and headed for the president's office.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?"

A sharp voice came from within the office.

Yeong-su Cha squeezed his eyes shut, opened the door, and went inside.

Jeong-eun looked at Yeong-su Cha as he came through the door, frowned, and asked,

"What?"

"President. There's something you need to see."

At Yeong-su Cha's use of her title, Jeong-eun caught that this was an important matter, and rapped the desk with her left hand as she spoke.

"Bring it here."

Jeong-eun put on her glasses and read slowly down through the report Yeong-su Cha had brought.

"…What is this?"

Jeong-eun stopped mid-read and lifted her head.

Yeong-su Cha thought he knew exactly which part had drawn this reaction from her.

"I checked it three separate times. The figures written in that report are correct."

"This is correct? Really?"

Yeong-su Cha nodded and closed his eyes.

Jeong-eun stared for a moment at Yeong-su Cha's rigid expression, then turned her eyes back to the report as though she found it beyond belief.

And, counting off the digits written in the report with her finger, she said,

"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand… trillion? Two point one seven trillion won?"

Jeong-eun lifted her head again and looked at Yeong-su…