Episode 154
“Oh, welcome, welcome.” Chairman Wang greeted me warmly.
I bowed my head. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Of course, you’re my youngest daughter’s boyfriend. May I speak casually?”
“Please do.”
After completing my preliminary investigation, I had arranged another dinner meeting with Chairman Wang.
I was treated like royalty this time, a stark contrast to my first visit.
The guards recognized me and bowed, and the butler personally escorted me inside.
“It’s a shame Jin-hee couldn’t be here today,” he said.
She had excused herself, citing schoolwork.
Normally, it would have been less awkward for me to visit her family with her, but our relationship wasn’t exactly normal.
And I preferred it this way.
“Let me introduce you. This is my eldest son, Wang Hao, and this is my second son, Wang Chen. I have a daughter too, but she couldn’t make it today.”
Wang Hao and Wang Chen, standing next to their father, gave me perfunctory nods.
They looked so much like their father that I imagined this was what he would have looked like in his youth.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Sol.”
I introduced myself simply, without mentioning my titles, as if I were just visiting my girlfriend’s family.
“Wang Hao.”
“Wang Chen.”
They responded curtly, and their father glared at them, but they ignored him.
Was it hostility towards their sister’s boyfriend, a potential rival, or just typical sibling rivalry?
It didn’t matter.
The more they ignored me, the easier it would be to observe them and find their weaknesses.
Their father sighed and then turned to me with a smile. “Anyway, welcome. Come and have some tea before dinner.”
“Thank you.”
Exquisite teacups were neatly arranged on a dedicated tea table.
“Do you like tea?” he asked as he prepared the tea.
“I’ve acquired a taste for it while doing business in China.”
“Here you go.”
I accepted the teacup respectfully. “Although it’s a bit early, I’m curious, as a father. Is your relationship with Jin-hee serious?”
It wasn’t just serious, it was a done deal. But I smiled, trying to maintain the pretense of a blossoming romance. “I’m not sure yet, Chairman. It hasn’t been long, and neither of us is in a hurry to get married. We’re enjoying each other’s company.”
He smiled. “That’s good. You’re both young. I’m rooting for you, CEO Park. Take care of Jin-hee.”
His eldest son suddenly said with a disgruntled tone, “Father, are you really going to let Jin-hee marry this Korean?”
His second son nodded in agreement. “That’s right. I have a friend whose father is a member of the Standing Committee. Can’t we introduce Jin-hee to him? I don’t like this guy.”
Their father said angrily, “Silence!”
“But Father!”
“I said, silence!”
They fell silent, and he said in a low voice, “CEO Park built his company from scratch. He’s not someone to be looked down upon. A Standing Committee member’s son? What has he achieved? I’m not marrying Jin-hee off to a spoiled brat who does nothing but drink and chase women.”
He turned to me with an apologetic expression. “I apologize for their behavior, CEO Park. They’re still immature.”
“It’s okay. It’s natural to have different opinions.”
He was being polite, but I was laughing inwardly.
‘They’re not just stupid, they’re idiots.’
They were openly defying their father, who was clearly in favor of me.
If they had any sense, they would have pretended to welcome me, even if they disliked me, to gain their father’s favor.
I was starting to think Wang Jin-hee was a better candidate for chairman than these two.
“How old are you this year, CEO Park?”
“I’m 30 in Korean age and 29 in Chinese age.”
He looked at me with admiration. “A group chairman at such a young age. It’s a rare achievement.”
“I was just lucky.”
He seemed even more pleased by my modesty. “If it were just luck, everyone would be rich. Unlike…” He looked at his sons disapprovingly. “…these two. If only they weren’t my sons.”
They bristled at the comparison but remained silent, sipping their tea, to avoid further reprimands.
“They’re still immature, but I hope you’ll get along.”
“Of course, Chairman.”
“There would be great synergy if Haixin Group and Chunha Group cooperated in Korea and China. We’re primarily an electronics company, and you also have Daehoo Electronics. I’ll retire one day, and one of these two will take over, so I’d like you to have a good relationship.”
One of these two?
Was he a male chauvinist?
I bit my lip discreetly. ‘This isn’t what Jin-hee told me.’
She had been confident that she could become the successor if she proved herself, as her father valued competence. But his words hinted at a preference for his sons.
“Jin-hee is not one to sit idly by, so it would be good to give her a position in the company after you get married. She’s smart and capable, she won’t be a burden.”
He seemed to be planning to send her to Chunha Group.
I had been happy that his sons were incompetent, but now I had a new problem.
After the meal, on my way back, I immediately called Wang Jin-hee.
-
Hello?
“It’s me.”
-
Oh, my boyfriend. How was the meeting with my father?
“…Did you lie to me?”
I wouldn’t let her get away with it if she had.
-
Lie? About what?
“Your father doesn’t consider you a potential successor.”
She chuckled. – Did he say that?
“I’m serious. Tell me the truth.”
-
It’s true that he favors my brothers.
“But you said you would join Haixin Group after graduation.”
-
That’s also true. He said he would let me join the company.
I gritted my teeth. “Just join? Are you kidding me?”
-
I’m serious. You saw my brothers, didn’t you? They’re idiots.
“Yes, they are.”
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I’m going to ruin them. I’ll make them look so incompetent that my father will have no choice but to give up on them.
“Ruin them?”
-
Yes, ruin them. He might be a male chauvinist, but he’ll have to give up on them if they keep failing. They’ll ruin everything they touch, they’ll be embroiled in scandals, he’ll think they’re insane. Did you know they’re also using drugs?
“Drugs?”
-
Yes, I’ve been investigating them since high school. And I knew they were hopeless. He’s trying to salvage them, but it’s useless. They’re beyond redemption.
She spoke with disdain. – They’re just trash, lucky to be born as my father’s sons. Not even recyclable trash. That’s why I’m confident.
“Hmm…”
-
The most important thing is for me to join Haixin Group. That’s why I’m studying abroad. I used this as leverage to get him to agree. And he’ll keep his promise. After that, it’s simple. You just have to help me achieve results.
“And sabotage your brothers?”
She smiled. – Exactly.
Drugs were a disaster for a CEO, especially in a high-stakes industry like electronics.
Her father’s male chauvinism was an unexpected obstacle, but according to her, her brothers were worse than incompetent, they were trash.
-
I’ve been collecting information on their weaknesses. I have a lot of material. Actresses they’ve abused, photos of their drug parties… You just have to support me from the outside. I’ll handle the rest.
She had already gathered their dirt?
“…Alright.”
I hung up and muttered, “Support her from the outside? I feel like I’m being used.”
She was expecting me to be a mere pawn, withholding crucial information and expecting me to just support her.
I could end up being sidelined even after helping her become the successor. She was capable of that.
We shared the same goal of boosting her achievements and ruining her brothers, but the difference was who controlled the game.
She just needed someone to help her execute her plan.
Her father’s male chauvinism and her plan to ruin her brothers…
My mind was racing.
Would her plan work? Would her father really give up on his sons? And how much would I profit from this?
“I guess… we have to proceed.”
Her father’s bias towards his sons made things more complicated, but if she really had that much dirt on them, he might give up on them.
But regardless of whether her plan succeeded, I needed a leash on my future wife.
I thought for a moment and then said to Li Yang, who was driving, “How are the infiltrators doing at Haixin Group?”
“They’ve each contacted Haixin’s HR department individually.”
To avoid any connection to me, the heihaizi were operating independently.
“Good. Tell them to try to get close to the two sons, to gain their trust. They can even act as their subordinates.”
Wang Jin-hee had proposed marriage because she saw me as a powerful ally, the chairman of Chunha Group, but I had another face, Baek In-hwi.
“My future wife, you underestimate me.”