Unlike the public, opinion inside Ilhyeon Electronics was split down the middle.

"Now that the owner family is paying attention directly, maybe the company will pick up a bit."

"The way I see it, it's going to get worse."

"Worse?"

"Look at it. Ilhyeon Construction was the best in the country and once talked about aiming to be the best in the world — where is it now? And what about Ilhyeon Securities and Ilhyeon Card, which staggered the whole group on their way down?"

Manager Kim, arguing that things would get worse, spoke to Manager Park, who was walking beside him with a briefcase in hand.

"There's never been a case where the owner family touched something and it went well."

"Hard to say that when the record of this incoming President Seong-ho Kim is anything but ordinary."

Manager Park tilted his head with a face that said he could not agree, and said:

"It's President Kim who laid the foundation of the Ilhyeon Heavy Industries that's doing so spectacularly right now. I've got a university classmate over there, and he says that before President Kim came, every day was anxious because you never knew when you'd be cut, and after he came it changed completely. Not content with the company getting bigger, it's grown so fast it's now contesting the top spot in the world."

"I know that too."

Manager Kim began by establishing that this was nothing new to him, and then went on.

"But I don't think that was down to President Kim's ability."

"Not his ability? That I find hard to agree with. I know very well what a shambles Ilhyeon Heavy Industries was before he went in. I watched my classmate suffering through it up close."

Manager Park swung the hand holding his briefcase up and down as he spoke.

"And that same company changed and grew after he went in. And you say no?"

"I'm not saying the company didn't grow."

As the company drew steadily nearer and he saw the crowd of people gathered in front of the building, Manager Kim spoke.