A Squeeze on the Throat (Part 2)
After arriving at the company, Park Siwoo was immediately summoned by Cha Yeseung.
It concerned a matter of shares.
-Knock, knock.
Park Siwoo knocked and stepped inside.
Cha Yeseung sat waiting in her chair.
“Please sit in front of me.”
Following her words, Park Siwoo took a seat in the chair in front of the desk.
He then asked,
“You called me because of the stocks.”
“Yes. First, I’ll transfer 20 percent, and over the next two years, I’ll gradually transfer the remaining shares.”
“Understood.”
Park Siwoo nodded.
Since the amount was so substantial, Cha Yeseung probably couldn’t hand it over immediately.
“I’ll leave the complicated procedures to the experts… Ah, and the news will come out.”
“The news?”
“Yes.”
Cha Yeseung nodded, then showed him her phone.
At the screen, an article had been written.
It looked like an early draft that hadn’t been released yet.
The title read, “‘Shock, Starlight’s Guitar Hero Joins. Appointed Representative of Subsidiary Stasm?’”
‘Looks like the face will be exposed whether I like it or not.’
After all, he had never intended to hide it.
Reflecting on his past actions, there was no need for concern.
Park Siwoo nodded.
“You can post it right away if you wish.”
“Ah, about that…”
Cha Yeseung hesitated, then pressed a button.
Soon, a secretary entered and said,
“President, would you mind shaking hands with the president?”
Ah.
So that was it.
Park Siwoo nodded and stood up.
He walked over to Cha Yeseung and extended his hand.
She smiled gently and took it.
“Look here. One, two.”
-Click!
* * *
“Hey!”
Kim Mir, who had been staring at his phone, snapped to attention at the sharp voice.
“What the hell is this?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m not ‘what are you talking about.’ You should check this right now!”
Kim Soyeon tossed her phone at him irritably.
Kim Mir caught it and frowned as he examined the screen.
It was an article about Park Siwoo.
Slowly reading it, Kim Mir spoke in bewilderment.
“Siwoo… became president…?”
“You’re doomed! I’ll definitely make you collapse! You’re getting 30 percent of the shares— what kind of nonsense is that?!”
Kim Soyeon shouted loudly.
Siwoo’s success grated on Kim Mir’s nerves.
But he felt the same way.
“30 percent of the shares…?”
He didn’t know the exact price, but it had to be tens of billions of won.
“Hah.”
Kim Mir exhaled a hollow breath.
Then Kim Soyeon shouted again,
“What is this? You were bragging about ruining Siwoo’s life!”
“I did my best… I really did…”
“Best? What best?!”
Kim Soyeon’s eyes narrowed.
“If I’d known this would happen, why would I have married you? Siwoo’s going to make way more money than you ever could.”
“Wha…?”
“Was meeting me just because of money?”
“So earn more money! More than Siwoo!”
……
Kim Mir fell silent.
Even if he wanted to speak, he couldn’t.
She was carrying his child.
Whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to stay with her.
Kim Mir clenched his fist tightly.
Siwoo.
Everything was his fault.
Being looked down on by his wife.
Constantly being compared.
I’ll break you.
First, destroy Neon Heart.
He grinned crookedly while watching Neon Heart’s views.
* * *
After finishing his conversation with Cha Yeseung, Park Siwoo headed to Gwanghwamun Square to adjust the schedule for Neon Heart.
The square was bustling with activity for the upcoming performance.
Staff carried equipment everywhere, and lighting technicians were busy setting up the stage.
Park Siwoo skillfully navigated around the people and approached a staff member who seemed to know him.
“Hello, Team Leader. This is Park Siwoo.”
“Huh? Are you the Guitar Hero?”
“Yes.”
Park Siwoo smiled awkwardly.
The man’s eyes lit up.
“I’ve been listening to the songs. I was the one who suggested Neon Heart for the pre-cheering stage.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, it passed unanimously anyway. Even if I hadn’t, Neon Heart would have been invited. Their songs are just that good.”
He smiled as he spoke.
His name was Noh Yeo-jeong, the event director and producer for the concert.
“How exactly will it work?”
Park Siwoo asked, and he answered,
“Five teams will perform in total. One of them is the famous international DJ, Alan Walker.”
“Alan Walker?”
“Yes.”
Park Siwoo was somewhat surprised.
Alan Walker was a pioneer in electronic music.
If he was performing, it meant they had put in a lot of effort.
“I’d like Neon Heart to take the closing stage.”
“The closing stage, not Alan Walker?”
“Yes.”
Noh Yeo-jeong nodded and added,
“Neon Heart has the highest visibility among the MZ generation in South Korea right now.”
“That’s certainly true, but I didn’t expect you to rank Neon Heart higher than Alan Walker.”
“It’s an objective analysis. And… I’m a big fan of the Guitar Hero. Your songs are great. ‘Following the Milky Way’ is my favorite.”
“Thank you.”
Park Siwoo smiled shyly.
“You mentioned three songs, but I think that might be a bit short.”
“Ah, that’s because of noise regulations and various other issues. We can’t make the performance too long.”
“I see.”
Park Siwoo nodded.
Given the restrictions, it made sense that Neon Heart didn’t have many songs.
“Who are the other teams?”
“Two idol groups, Alan Walker, and Entra.”
“Entra?”
“Yes.”
Noh Yeo-jeong nodded.
I didn’t expect to see him here again.
Park Siwoo smiled faintly.
“I guess Entra will perform first.”
“Really?”
Park Siwoo barely managed to hold back a laugh.
The opening stage usually goes to the lower-ranked teams.
And since Neon Heart would close it, his stomach would flip.
I’ll make sure to wear a good expression when I see him later.
Park Siwoo thought so and said,
“Rehearsal is next week?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll see you then.”
“Yes, see you.”
Park Siwoo turned to leave.
He hadn’t come to Gwanghwamun Square just for this.
With twenty billion won suddenly in his possession, he was considering buying a car.
It was impractical to keep using a car registered to the company forever.
And soon there would be a child, so the importance of a car had increased significantly.
An SUV would be perfect.
He had already decided on the model.
The consultation appointment was only about an hour away, so he didn’t need to rush.
Park Siwoo was taking slow steps when someone suddenly shouted ahead of him.
“Huh?! Producer-nim?”
Was it someone he knew?
The person shouting was wearing a school uniform.
Among the people Park Siwoo knew, he didn’t think there were any female high-school students.
Well… if he dug a little deeper, there were a few.
All the members of Lunatics were high-school students.
Excluding them, there was no one else he could say that about.
But.
“C-can you take a picture with me?!”
A group of high-school girls rushed toward Park Siwoo.
Park Siwoo looked around, wondering if they had mistaken him for someone else, but there was no one else.
How they had recognized him was a complete mystery.
So he asked cautiously,
“How did you know it was me?”
“Ah, that’s…”
The girls pulled out their phones and showed them.
It was TikTacTok, which young people used a lot these days.
There was a clear photo of him under the title “Super Cool Producer.”
“You’re super famous. You even do covers. Lee Yena is your fan.”
“That’s right. People follow you more than Neon Heart. Everyone’s going crazy for the Guitar Hero.”
“Haha.”
Park Siwoo laughed, almost sighing.
I never expected something like this to happen.
Whether it was good or bad, he didn’t have time to think.
Well, it’s probably best to take it as a good thing.
After all, he had become famous for being handsome, not anything else.
Park Siwoo nodded.
“Just a quick photo, right?”
“Yes!”
The high-school girls nodded vigorously.
Park Siwoo smiled and gestured.
The girls swarmed around him.
After the quick photos, he handed each of them twenty thousand won.
“Buy something refreshing to drink.”
“Thank you!”
Smiling at their cheerful replies, Park Siwoo left.
* * *
“Did you come to look at this model?”
“Yes, because my child will be riding in it too.”
“Ah, I see. In that case, how about this one?”
At the Gaudi Dealership.
The saleswoman explained enthusiastically.
“This model is the Gaudi Q8, the latest one. It runs on gasoline, and the price is around thirteen million won.”
Park Siwoo let out a deep breath.
Spending over a hundred million won on a car felt wasteful.
But considering the future, it was money he could easily spend.
He already held twenty billion won in stocks.
Most importantly, this car.
Would be the one I drive with my child.
Park Siwoo nodded.
Gaudi was part of the German big three, so the performance was proven. There was no need to overthink it.
“I’ll buy it right away.”
Park Siwoo’s words made the saleswoman’s eyes widen.
“N-now?”
“Yes.”
Park Siwoo nodded.
The saleswoman blinked a couple of times in disbelief, then said,
“F-follow me.”
He led the way to the room.
Most customers signed contracts outside.
Perhaps because he had spent a hundred million in one go, the salesperson felt a different respect.
Park Siwoo sipped the coffee the salesperson had brought and waited patiently.
Soon the saleswoman returned.
“Please sign here. I’ll explain the options separately.”
“Yes.”
Park Siwoo negotiated options and contract terms with the saleswoman.
Once everything was settled,
“You’ve really done well. Have you signed many vehicle contracts before?”
“No, this is my first time.”
“But you know the details extremely well. You got this one for about ten million won cheaper.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
The salesperson had proudly stated she would have sold it for a lot more.
Park Siwoo shrugged.
Since he had been in sales, he was better at negotiations than she was.
He had gained quite a bit in the bargaining and even received free options.
“The release date is probably next month. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s out.”
“Okay.”
Park Siwoo stood up.
Right then,
-Drring!
His phone rang.
[Congratulations on becoming president! I posted the article. The reactions are amazing!]
Finally, it had begun.
Park Siwoo smiled happily and clicked on the article.