Chapter 187: Hidden Enemy
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Ji-Won leaned his body forward, placing both elbows onto the desk. Clasping his hands together, he gave each and every single person there a penetrating look.
"The final meeting where we have to present our business proposal is this Friday. So, we have until the end of the week to come up with something even better."
"What about the contract?" Seo-Jun asked, still feeling uneasy.
"Even if we don't get to sign the contract before Friday, if we present an outstanding and attractive enough concept, there will still be a chance to make the proposal pass during the meeting."
"Understood." Seo-Jun gave a sharp nod, before turning towards the rest of the team. "You heard the boss. Let's go and work hard. Fighting!" he finished with a shout, raising one fist high into the air.
The pose looked kind of silly, especially when it was made by a person dressed in an expensive suit. However, no one dared to laugh. On the contrary, seeing the Deputy Director burning with such fervor, the other three team members were instantly invigorated.
"We will try our best, Director Kang." Su-Jin immediately replied, imitating Seo-Jun's fighting stance.
"Indeed, we will do our best not to disappoint you, Director Kang." Yeon-Ah gave a small bow.
Jung Seok remained silent throughout the conversation but, at this point, he also gave a small nod of agreement.
"Alright, thank you and good luck everyone!" Ji-Won said with a small smile.
It was tiny and brief but, for a person like him, even that small trace of a smile was as dazzling as the sun peeking from behind the clouds.
"Now, there is something else I need to discuss with Deputy Director Kim. The rest of you can return to your desks."
Ji-Won gestured for them to leave, but then he suddenly remembered something.
"Ah, Miss Park, do you think it might be possible for Miss Choi to help us again this week? Now that the former concept is out of the question, the posters have become unusable. We will need new ones as soon as we settle on a new idea."
Ji-Won paused, thinking for a short moment before providing further explanation.
"We could use the designer employed by the Marketing Department but, in all honesty, I liked Miss Choi's artwork very much. I believe her simple, yet beautiful style fits what we want our project to portray best. So, if possible, I would like to work with her again."
"I'm not sure what her schedule looks like, but I'll call and ask her." Su-Jin replied promptly.
"Thank you, Miss Park. You may go now."
With that everyone, except for Seo-Jun, left the Director's office one after the other.
After watching the door close behind the last person, Ji-Won swiftly turned his eyes towards his friend.
"What did you manage to find out?"
"You really have too much trust in my abilities." Seo-Jun shook his head dramatically.
"Not at all." Ji-Won retorted, then continued with a grim laugh. "I do, however, have confidence in your notorious connections."
"Fair enough." Seo-Jun shrugged. He pulled out his phone and placed it on the desk in front of Ji-Won. "Take a look at this."
Ji-Won quickly looked down at the phone.
On the screen there was a picture of a man. He was dressed impeccably in a white-gray suit and appeared to be in his late twenties. His light colored hair and blue eyes indicated the guy was mixed race.
"Who is this person?" Ji-Won inquired, glancing up at Seo-Jun.
"He's the Managing Director of a small consultancy company. His father is a bigshot in the management consultancy field and his mother is an internationally renowned actress. This stupid bastard clearly got the best out of two worlds. He's got his dear old mother's looks, as well as his fox of a father's cunningness when operating the company."
"Before we start cussing out the guy together, could you at least tell me how he is involved in our business?" Ji-Won cut off Seo-Jun's words impatiently.
"I'm getting there." Seo-Jun huffed, jabbing a finger at the phone screen. "Listen to this. Two days ago, this bastard declared that he is about to acquire a new property. It's a small, family owned place that he wants to expand into a more profitable business."
"A family owned place?"
"Mhmm, and can you guess what it's called?"
"Don't tell me…"
"Indeed." Seo-Jun nodded and carefully enunciated each word. "That place is called 'Ma's family land'."
Before Ji-Won could react, Seo-Jun swiped a finger across the phone screen. Another picture showing the same guy loaded on the screen. The man was dressed casually, walking side by side with a young woman. Judging by the happy smiles they were wearing and how their heads leaned very close to each other, there was almost no doubt that these two people were intimate.
Seo-Jun pointed a finger at the picture and continued to explain.
"If you're wondering how this guy managed to convince the old couple to give him their business, then you're in for a huge surprise. Remember the daughter they mentioned? The one who just got back from abroad? Well, apparently she's this bastard's fiancé." Seo-Jun let out a snort of laughter, then resumed speaking in a derisive tone. "They barely announced their engagement a week ago and he has already started collecting his wife's assets."
"I don't understand. Didn't you just say he comes from a wealthy family? Why would he do all this if there isn't anything in for him?"
"Oh, but I haven't finished yet." Seo-Jun snickered. "This bastard isn't his old man's only offspring. The big shot has another son from a previous marriage, older by two years. The brothers never got along well, always competing for their father's approval in order to take over the business. So, this guy is currently hunting for opportunities in order to raise his own status. By assimilating smaller businesses and developing them further, it helps him reduce the time needed to start something from scratch. The company he currently owns, for example, was also acquired at a low price due to bankruptcy."
Seo-Jun paused, his fingers hesitating above the screen.
"Ji-Won, are you sure you're ready to find out the rest of it?"
"You already know the answer to that, so get on with it." Ji-Won waved a hand in the air impatiently.
Seo-Jun gave a small nod and, once again, used one finger to swipe the screen. Another picture appeared, showing the same guy dressed in a gray suit. But compared to the first two times, he was neither alone, nor with a woman. This time, he was in the company of another man.
"I'm sure this person needs no introduction." Seo-Jun pointed a finger at the second man in the picture.
Ji-Won paled.
"Kang Ji-Su."
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Ji-Won leaned his body forward, placing both elbows onto the desk. Clasping his hands together, he gave each and every single person there a penetrating look.
"The final meeting where we have to present our business proposal is this Friday. So, we have until the end of the week to come up with something even better."
"What about the contract?" Seo-Jun asked, still feeling uneasy.
"Even if we don't get to sign the contract before Friday, if we present an outstanding and attractive enough concept, there will still be a chance to make the proposal pass during the meeting."
"Understood." Seo-Jun gave a sharp nod, before turning towards the rest of the team. "You heard the boss. Let's go and work hard. Fighting!" he finished with a shout, raising one fist high into the air.
The pose looked kind of silly, especially when it was made by a person dressed in an expensive suit. However, no one dared to laugh. On the contrary, seeing the Deputy Director burning with such fervor, the other three team members were instantly invigorated.
"We will try our best, Director Kang." Su-Jin immediately replied, imitating Seo-Jun's fighting stance.
"Indeed, we will do our best not to disappoint you, Director Kang." Yeon-Ah gave a small bow.
Jung Seok remained silent throughout the conversation but, at this point, he also gave a small nod of agreement.
"Alright, thank you and good luck everyone!" Ji-Won said with a small smile.
It was tiny and brief but, for a person like him, even that small trace of a smile was as dazzling as the sun peeking from behind the clouds.
"Now, there is something else I need to discuss with Deputy Director Kim. The rest of you can return to your desks."
Ji-Won gestured for them to leave, but then he suddenly remembered something.
"Ah, Miss Park, do you think it might be possible for Miss Choi to help us again this week? Now that the former concept is out of the question, the posters have become unusable. We will need new ones as soon as we settle on a new idea."
Ji-Won paused, thinking for a short moment before providing further explanation.
"We could use the designer employed by the Marketing Department but, in all honesty, I liked Miss Choi's artwork very much. I believe her simple, yet beautiful style fits what we want our project to portray best. So, if possible, I would like to work with her again."
"I'm not sure what her schedule looks like, but I'll call and ask her." Su-Jin replied promptly.
"Thank you, Miss Park. You may go now."
With that everyone, except for Seo-Jun, left the Director's office one after the other.
After watching the door close behind the last person, Ji-Won swiftly turned his eyes towards his friend.
"What did you manage to find out?"
"You really have too much trust in my abilities." Seo-Jun shook his head dramatically.
"Not at all." Ji-Won retorted, then continued with a grim laugh. "I do, however, have confidence in your notorious connections."
"Fair enough." Seo-Jun shrugged. He pulled out his phone and placed it on the desk in front of Ji-Won. "Take a look at this."
Ji-Won quickly looked down at the phone.
On the screen there was a picture of a man. He was dressed impeccably in a white-gray suit and appeared to be in his late twenties. His light colored hair and blue eyes indicated the guy was mixed race.
"Who is this person?" Ji-Won inquired, glancing up at Seo-Jun.
"He's the Managing Director of a small consultancy company. His father is a bigshot in the management consultancy field and his mother is an internationally renowned actress. This stupid bastard clearly got the best out of two worlds. He's got his dear old mother's looks, as well as his fox of a father's cunningness when operating the company."
"Before we start cussing out the guy together, could you at least tell me how he is involved in our business?" Ji-Won cut off Seo-Jun's words impatiently.
"I'm getting there." Seo-Jun huffed, jabbing a finger at the phone screen. "Listen to this. Two days ago, this bastard declared that he is about to acquire a new property. It's a small, family owned place that he wants to expand into a more profitable business."
"A family owned place?"
"Mhmm, and can you guess what it's called?"
"Don't tell me…"
"Indeed." Seo-Jun nodded and carefully enunciated each word. "That place is called 'Ma's family land'."
Before Ji-Won could react, Seo-Jun swiped a finger across the phone screen. Another picture showing the same guy loaded on the screen. The man was dressed casually, walking side by side with a young woman. Judging by the happy smiles they were wearing and how their heads leaned very close to each other, there was almost no doubt that these two people were intimate.
Seo-Jun pointed a finger at the picture and continued to explain.
"If you're wondering how this guy managed to convince the old couple to give him their business, then you're in for a huge surprise. Remember the daughter they mentioned? The one who just got back from abroad? Well, apparently she's this bastard's fiancé." Seo-Jun let out a snort of laughter, then resumed speaking in a derisive tone. "They barely announced their engagement a week ago and he has already started collecting his wife's assets."
"I don't understand. Didn't you just say he comes from a wealthy family? Why would he do all this if there isn't anything in for him?"
"Oh, but I haven't finished yet." Seo-Jun snickered. "This bastard isn't his old man's only offspring. The big shot has another son from a previous marriage, older by two years. The brothers never got along well, always competing for their father's approval in order to take over the business. So, this guy is currently hunting for opportunities in order to raise his own status. By assimilating smaller businesses and developing them further, it helps him reduce the time needed to start something from scratch. The company he currently owns, for example, was also acquired at a low price due to bankruptcy."
Seo-Jun paused, his fingers hesitating above the screen.
"Ji-Won, are you sure you're ready to find out the rest of it?"
"You already know the answer to that, so get on with it." Ji-Won waved a hand in the air impatiently.
Seo-Jun gave a small nod and, once again, used one finger to swipe the screen. Another picture appeared, showing the same guy dressed in a gray suit. But compared to the first two times, he was neither alone, nor with a woman. This time, he was in the company of another man.
"I'm sure this person needs no introduction." Seo-Jun pointed a finger at the second man in the picture.
Ji-Won paled.
"Kang Ji-Su."
Ji-Won leaned his body forward, placing both elbows onto the desk. Clasping his hands together, he gave each and every single person there a penetrating look."The final meeting where we have to present our business proposal is this Friday. So, we have until the end of the week to come up with something even better.""What about the contract?" Seo-Jun asked, still feeling uneasy. "Even if we don't get to sign the contract before Friday, if we present an outstanding and attractive enough concept, there will still be a chance to make the proposal pass during the meeting.""Understood." Seo-Jun gave a sharp nod, before turning towards the rest of the team. "You heard the boss. Let's go and work hard. Fighting!" he finished with a shout, raising one fist high into the air.The pose looked kind of silly, especially when it was made by a person dressed in an expensive suit. However, no one dared to laugh. On the contrary, seeing the Deputy Director burning with such fervor, the other three team members were instantly invigorated. "We will try our best, Director Kang." Su-Jin immediately replied, imitating Seo-Jun's fighting stance."Indeed, we will do our best not to disappoint you, Director Kang." Yeon-Ah gave a small bow.Jung Seok remained silent throughout the conversation but, at this point, he also gave a small nod of agreement."Alright, thank you and good luck everyone!" Ji-Won said with a small smile.It was tiny and brief but, for a person like him, even that small trace of a smile was as dazzling as the sun peeking from behind the clouds. "Now, there is something else I need to discuss with Deputy Director Kim. The rest of you can return to your desks." Ji-Won gestured for them to leave, but then he suddenly remembered something. "Ah, Miss Park, do you think it might be possible for Miss Choi to help us again this week? Now that the former concept is out of the question, the posters have become unusable. We will need new ones as soon as we settle on a new idea." Ji-Won paused, thinking for a short moment before providing further explanation."We could use the designer employed by the Marketing Department but, in all honesty, I liked Miss Choi's artwork very much. I believe her simple, yet beautiful style fits what we want our project to portray best. So, if possible, I would like to work with her again.""I'm not sure what her schedule looks like, but I'll call and ask her." Su-Jin replied promptly. "Thank you, Miss Park. You may go now." With that everyone, except for Seo-Jun, left the Director's office one after the other. After watching the door close behind the last person, Ji-Won swiftly turned his eyes towards his friend. "What did you manage to find out?" "You really have too much trust in my abilities." Seo-Jun shook his head dramatically. "Not at all." Ji-Won retorted, then continued with a grim laugh. "I do, however, have confidence in your notorious connections." "Fair enough." Seo-Jun shrugged. He pulled out his phone and placed it on the desk in front of Ji-Won. "Take a look at this." Ji-Won quickly looked down at the phone. On the screen there was a picture of a man. He was dressed impeccably in a white-gray suit and appeared to be in his late twenties. His light colored hair and blue eyes indicated the guy was mixed race."Who is this person?" Ji-Won inquired, glancing up at Seo-Jun."He's the Managing Director of a small consultancy company. His father is a bigshot in the management consultancy field and his mother is an internationally renowned actress. This stupid bastard clearly got the best out of two worlds. He's got his dear old mother's looks, as well as his fox of a father's cunningness when operating the company.""Before we start cussing out the guy together, could you at least tell me how he is involved in our business?" Ji-Won cut off Seo-Jun's words impatiently. "I'm getting there." Seo-Jun huffed, jabbing a finger at the phone screen. "Listen to this. Two days ago, this bastard declared that he is about to acquire a new property. It's a small, family owned place that he wants to expand into a more profitable business.""A family owned place?" "Mhmm, and can you guess what it's called?""Don't tell me" "Indeed." Seo-Jun nodded and carefully enunciated each word. "That place is called 'Ma's family land'."Before Ji-Won could react, Seo-Jun swiped a finger across the phone screen. Another picture showing the same guy loaded on the screen. The man was dressed casually, walking side by side with a young woman. Judging by the happy smiles they were wearing and how their heads leaned very close to each other, there was almost no doubt that these two people were intimate.Seo-Jun pointed a finger at the picture and continued to explain. "If you're wondering how this guy managed to convince the old couple to give him their business, then you're in for a huge surprise. Remember the daughter they mentioned? The one who just got back from abroad? Well, apparently she's this bastard's fianc." Seo-Jun let out a snort of laughter, then resumed speaking in a derisive tone. "They barely announced their engagement a week ago and he has already started collecting his wife's assets.""I don't understand. Didn't you just say he comes from a wealthy family? Why would he do all this if there isn't anything in for him?" "Oh, but I haven't finished yet." Seo-Jun snickered. "This bastard isn't his old man's only offspring. The big shot has another son from a previous marriage, older by two years. The brothers never got along well, always competing for their father's approval in order to take over the business. So, this guy is currently hunting for opportunities in order to raise his own status. By assimilating smaller businesses and developing them further, it helps him reduce the time needed to start something from scratch. The company he currently owns, for example, was also acquired at a low price due to bankruptcy."Seo-Jun paused, his fingers hesitating above the screen. "Ji-Won, are you sure you're ready to find out the rest of it?""You already know the answer to that, so get on with it." Ji-Won waved a hand in the air impatiently. Seo-Jun gave a small nod and, once again, used one finger to swipe the screen. Another picture appeared, showing the same guy dressed in a gray suit. But compared to the first two times, he was neither alone, nor with a woman. This time, he was in the company of another man. "I'm sure this person needs no introduction." Seo-Jun pointed a finger at the second man in the picture.Ji-Won paled."Kang Ji-Su."
