“This group restructuring will be a harder restructuring than Ilhyeon Hotel’s. Depending on the case, we may decide to wind down affiliates or carry out a sweeping withdrawal from businesses. To make the staff understand a restructuring this forceful, I think we ourselves must first show a forceful resolve.”

Seong-ho paused a moment and looked around at the team leaders. Then he threw a bomb at them.

“Ilhyeon Group’s restructuring will begin with every member of the Restructuring Headquarters, myself included, submitting a letter of resignation.”

“Sorry?”

At his words, everyone present sat frozen, staring at him.

Deputy Head Gyeong-deuk Lee glanced around a moment, then was first to show his agreement. “If we don’t show resolute will, there’s sure to be pushback from the staff. I think it’s best that we set the example ourselves and tell our colleagues to follow us. In that spirit…”

He drew an envelope he’d prepared from his breast pocket. Taking out the envelope with Letter of Resignation written large in Chinese characters, Gyeong-deuk set it before Seong-ho and said, “I’ll set the example first. This is my resignation. Please take charge of it, Head.”

“Thank you for understanding my intent.”

Seong-ho thanked Gyeong-deuk for stepping up first, then turned to the team leaders. “Today’s Wednesday, so please gather every headquarters member’s resignation by next Tuesday. If all the resignations are collected by Tuesday, the very next day I’ll hand them to the secretariat to make our Restructuring Headquarters’ resolve known.”

With even a deadline set for the instruction, the team leaders could only stare at Seong-ho’s face, unable to say what they should do.

“Then let’s end here.”

Seong-ho rose to signal the meeting was over, but only silence hung over the room. Gyeong-deuk alone rose after him and showed a response.

“Thank you, Managing Director.”

Arriving at the office with Gyeong-deuk, Seong-ho offered his thanks.

At that, Gyeong-deuk smiled sheepishly and waved a hand. “No, no. Thanks for what? Didn’t I promise? That I’d be on the Head’s side.” Wearing a proud face, he shrugged and sat on the sofa after Seong-ho. Then he threw out the question the others in the meeting hadn’t been able to ask. “But — you’ll take the resignations, but you’re not going to process them, right?”

Gyeong-deuk smiled awkwardly. “I figure you won’t, but… still… I asked just in case, you know…”

“That’ll be for those above to judge.”

“Above?”

“Yes. The chairman will judge.”

“Judge? Judge what?”

As if it were a wholly unexpected answer, Gyeong-deuk broke into a cold sweat as he asked. But Seong-ho answered with a calm expression. “If the chairman looks at it and thinks the restructuring is unsatisfactory, he’ll process all the resignations. Conversely, if he finds it to his liking, he’ll return them.”

“If it’s not to his liking… he processes them all…?”

At that, Gyeong-deuk realized he’d been taking this restructuring far too lightly. He understood that because those above were desperate about the restructuring, Seong-ho meant to make the Headquarters’ resolve known by submitting the resignations.

Gyeong-deuk nodded firmly. “I understand. I’ll make sure the staff properly grasp what kind of situation this is.”

“Properly grasp what, now?”

Just then the door opened and someone came in.

Gyeong-deuk turned his head toward the voice. “You weren’t in the middle of something important when I came, were you?”

Even if they had been discussing something important, the person had conveyed, in a roundabout way, that his own arrival came first — and Gyeong-deuk sprang up like a spring.

“Welcome, Vice-Chairman.”

“Ah, yes. Managing Director Lee. It’s been a while.”

Mun-jong smiled lightly at Gyeong-deuk, came over, and patted his shoulder. “You’ve been well?”

“Thanks to your concern, Vice-Chairman, I’ve been well.”

“Right. I’ve heard for a long time that you’re capable, Managing Director Lee. So look after our Director Kim well.”

“Oh, no. It’s the Head who should look after me. I’m just someone who does the work the Head assigns.”

“Hahaha. I’d heard for a while that you’re an amusing fellow, Managing Director Lee, and seeing you now, the rumor was true.”

At that, Managing Director Gyeong-deuk bowed his head slightly and stepped back a pace. “Then I’ll be off. The Head has work he’s assigned me.”

Sensing that Mun-jong had come to see Seong-ho, Gyeong-deuk made to withdraw. Mun-jong nodded and offered his goodbye. “Right, let’s meet again.”

“Yes, Vice-Chairman. I’ll be off, then.”

Bowing at Mun-jong’s words, Gyeong-deuk greeted Seong-ho too and left the office.

Mun-jong watched the door close a moment, then pointed at where Gyeong-deuk had gone and said to Seong-ho, “That fellow’s something. Quick on the uptake.”

“Isn’t that how he rose to head of Strategic Planning?”

“He doesn’t dislike you coming in above him?”

“At first he found it burdensome, but he seems all right. He understands, too.”

“Oh?”

Mun-jong draped an arm over the sofa and turned his head to look at the door Gyeong-deuk had left by. As he watched it, Seong-ho asked why he’d come. “But Vice-Chairman, what brings you here…”

At the sound of his address, Mun-jong turned back and waved a hand at him. “Vice-Chairman, what Vice-Chairman? When it’s just the two of us, just call me Brother.”

“Still, this is the company…”

As Seong-ho wore an awkward look, Mun-jong said breezily, “You can, even so. Just say Brother.”

“Understood. Then when it’s just the two of us, I’ll call you Brother. Brother.”

“Hahaha. Right. How nice does ‘Brother’ sound?”

Mun-jong wore a satisfied look, then said with a touch of regret, “But why didn’t the chairman seat you at president level? If he elevated Strategic Planning to headquarters level, the Head ought to be a president too.”

“It’s still temporary. He said he’d gradually settle the framework — Head to president, Deputy Head to vice-president.”

“Temporary, my foot. Honestly. That suspicious streak of his never gets cured no matter how he ages.”

Mun-jong showed his displeasure at Tak-hyeon’s decision in a grumbling voice, right in front of Seong-ho.

Watching him, Seong-ho thought inwardly, He’s begun to trust me.

That Mun-jong had grievances toward Tak-hyeon was something no one didn’t know. But that was only ever known as a feeling — a sense that he thought such things — and Mun-jong had never actually shown it in front of others. Yet now Mun-jong was voicing his discontent before Seong-ho without reserve. This alone made clear how much Mun-jong trusted him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll speak to the chairman and have you appointed proper Head as fast as I can.”

“Just the words are thanks enough.”

“It’s not just words.” Mun-jong leaned in slightly and said in a low voice, “I’ll show you that following me earns a reward to match, so watch closely.”

He was showing a seriousness beyond any before, as if to convey his sincerity to Seong-ho. But at the sight, Seong-ho spat a curse inwardly.

Son of a bitch.

In that former life, it was Seong-ho who’d followed at his side longer than anyone. But recalling that all it earned him was death, a curse surged up from deep within.

You think I’ll be fooled by that honeyed talk again?

Seong-ho flung a sneer inwardly and, on the surface, offered thanks as if moved. “For you to think of me that way, Brother — I’m nearly overwhelmed.”

“Overwhelmed? I only did what’s natural, so there’s no need for that.”

Mun-jong waved off the thanks and shifted into a comfortable posture. Then, in a knowing voice, he said, “I hear you told the chairman that I suit the next chairmanship?”

At that, Seong-ho wore a startled look. “How did you…?”

It was something said in a place with only Tak-hyeon, Seong-ho, and Do-beom. Because it was the chamber, there was no way for the words to travel outside. That a conversation held in such a place had reached Mun-jong’s ears set many thoughts running through Seong-ho.

If this had been passed along, it could only be Tak-hyeon or Do-beom — and whichever of the two, one had to see Tak-hyeon’s intent within it. Because Do-beom was as good as Tak-hyeon’s other self.

Does the chairman mean he wants to watch how things play out?

As Seong-ho couldn’t hide the startled light at the unexpected situation, Mun-jong, seeing it, burst into loud laughter. “Hahaha. What does it matter how I know? What matters is that you said it.”

Finished, Mun-jong looked at Seong-ho with a warm gaze. “I was greatly moved when I heard it. You were the first to speak that way in front of the chairman. So it struck me that with you, I could trust and entrust my affairs.”

“It wasn’t something I said to get in your good graces, Brother.”

“I know. Isn’t that why I was all the more moved?”

Mun-jong slapped his knee and pointed a finger at Seong-ho. “It’ll be stale since it’s the same as what I’ve said before, but you just follow me. I’ll light the road ahead for you. Remember that its weight has changed from what it was then. The weight of my words to you now is heavier than a thousand pieces of gold.”

Finished, Mun-jong extended the pointing finger and laid it on Seong-ho’s shoulder.

Seong-ho wore a bright smile at his touch. But unlike the bright smile on his face, his heart was filled with nothing but a sneer. Because Seong-ho knew better than anyone that those words, said to be heavier than a thousand pieces of gold, were in truth lighter than a feather.

At the presidents’ meeting, Tak-hyeon introduced Seong-ho, seated at the very end.

“Head Kim. Stand and greet them.”

At the chairman’s instruction, Seong-ho rose and greeted the body of presidents. “I’m Seong-ho Kim, put in charge of the Restructuring Headquarters. I’ll count on you all going forward.”

“It’s not Head Kim who should be counting on you — the people here should be counting on him.”

Tak-hyeon gestured that Seong-ho could sit now, then said to the affiliate presidents present, “Our group is going to enter a restructuring phase. Head Kim’s Restructuring Headquarters there will carry out the work of cutting away the rotten parts, removing the calluses, and trimming off the useless fat — so take it as such.”

At his words, the faces of the affiliate presidents turned ashen gray. It was content they’d already known through the notice. But the presidents had expected the level of restructuring to be no more than traffic-directing. Because they’d thought a forceful restructuring was physically impossible.

Yet Tak-hyeon had officially mentioned the restructuring with everyone gathered, and by conveying that flesh would be cut away, he’d foretold that the coming restructuring would be very forceful.

The presidents, ashen at the restructuring hilt falling into Seong-ho’s hand, watched for his mood. Because from what he’d shown clearing out Ilhyeon Hotel, they knew he was no easy opponent. The presidents’ eyes darted busily, minding Seong-ho’s expression.

Seated at the very top of the meeting room, Tak-hyeon watched this with a pleased face. And there was one more person besides Tak-hyeon who enjoyed the sight of the presidents minding Seong-ho.

“Chairman.”

Seated in the first seat to Tak-hyeon’s right, Mun-jong, a trace of a smile on his face, opened his mouth toward Tak-hyeon.

(End of Chapter 75)