"Brother. Still no word from Vice-Chairman Mun-jong Lee?"

Gi-myeong Lee, President of the Wireless Business Division, put the question to Chung-do Lee, President of the Semiconductor Business Division.

President Chung-do Lee nodded and answered.

"Still nothing."

"How about contacting him directly?"

An-bang Kim, President of Digital Media, asked with an anxious face.

"Do you imagine I haven't tried?"

"And even then…"

"He doesn't take my calls. The same as the Chairman."

Chung-do Lee shook his head and let out a sigh.

"Surely as recently as our last visit he was furious, saying this couldn't be allowed?"

"Yes. He was… but it seems his thinking has changed."

"How can he do that! Pretending not to know, at this stage."

President Gi-myeong Lee brought his fist down on the armrest as he spoke, as though the injustice of it were unbearable.

"Can't be allowed? And what is it we can actually do?"

Chung-do Lee asked the aggrieved man in a cold voice.

"Tell me, President Lee. What is there that we can do?"

"…"

President Gi-myeong Lee lowered his head, unable to say a word.

Chung-do Lee gave a snort and said:

"The Chairman blocked him. There's no question of it."

"The Chairman did?"

An-bang Kim picked up the thread on behalf of Gi-myeong Lee, whose head was still down.

"Brother, are you saying the Chairman shut the Vice-Chairman's mouth? In that case it would mean the Chairman is helping President Kim do this…"

"Whether he's helping or not, we can't know."

Chung-do Lee twisted the corner of his mouth and leaned back at an angle in his chair.

"Because the Chairman I know would only watch the present situation. He isn't a man who puts his weight behind anyone — he's a man who watches the fight and raises the winner's hand once it's decided."

"Just standing to one side and watching, whether we fight or not?"

"Yes. Which is why he'll have stopped the Vice-Chairman's mouth."

"In that case… the Vice-Chairman's total silence makes sense."

An-bang Kim did not know Tak-hyeon Lee as thoroughly as Chung-do Lee did, but he…