Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Blood Can't Lie
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Clink.
Only the quiet sound of someone's spoon touching the utensils echoed through the air. In the horrifically silent dining room, Hyun Ye-won even felt the illusion of suffocation.
Once a month.
The owner family of Hyunmu gathered together for a meal—it was an ironclad rule.
There wasn't some grand reason for these busy people to go out of their way every time to dine together. Nor was it rooted in any heartfelt family bonding.
If it were, they wouldn't all be focused solely on their food without so much as glancing at each other.
'Then why bother gathering like this just to eat?'
Hyun Ye-won grumbled inwardly. She hated wasting her precious Sunday evening on something so pointless.
'No meaning, no conversation.'
Everyone knew full well that this meal was just a formality called a "family dinner." And yet, the only reason they participated without complaint in this meaningless ritual was one.
Because it was the rule set by Hyun Moo-jung, the founding chairman who built Hyunmu from the ground up.
"......"
Yes.
The old man sitting at the head of the table, silently slurping his soup.
His hair was thick with white, and his age-dried skin made his knuckles stand out even more. He looked like a stick of parched firewood.
And yet, his eyes still burned with the same fierce intensity.
Hyun Moo-jung, the former chairman.
The true power behind Hyunmu, still toying with the family like playthings in the palm of his hand.
A man of iron blood who had raised Hyunmu from nothing. The world praised his monumental achievements, hailing him as possessing a heaven-sent instinct.
No one, not even the current chairman Hyun Jeong-hu, could match the eye he had for spotting what to sell.
'A greedy old man.'
Of course, that's how Hyun Ye-won saw him.
Even in his frail health, he was manipulating people right up to the very end.
He had handed the chairman title to Hyun Jeong-hu, but the board was still packed with Hyun Moo-jung's loyalists. It was a puppet chairmanship, plain and simple.
'How long does he plan to cling to power?'
With both hands clenched around it, refusing to let go, Hyun Jeong-hu had no choice but to feel his mouth go dry.
"Ye-won’s father."
Suddenly, Hyun Moo-jung spoke. Hyun Jeong-hu set down what he was about to eat and replied immediately.
"Yes, Father."
"Have you finished the analysis for this quarter's F&B division performance?"
"We're in the final stages. Our market share in the HMR sector is rising faster than expected. Especially the premium line's SKU profitability has increased by over 12%. Thanks to that, the food division's EBITDA margin has remained stable..."
Before Hyun Jeong-hu could finish, Hyun Moo-jung cut him off.
"How are you organizing the key channels? I heard the market response has been good since expanding the 'Olive Jelly' brand recently."
"Yes, for 'Olive Jelly,' rather than expanding company-owned stores, we've decided to strategically strengthen the O2O channels. In line with the shift to B2C, we're also running a D2C model in parallel."
At that, Hyun Moo-jung furrowed his brow slightly.
"But that's not an area where we've traditionally had strength... Hmm. Vertical integration is our competitive edge—relying too much on outsourcing or platforms increases risk."
"You're right. That's why we're pursuing a sourcing strategy in parallel. We'll strengthen our own SCM to control everything from raw materials to distribution."
"Hmm."
Seeing Hyun Moo-jung's lukewarm reaction, Hyun Jeong-hu quickly added,
"With the synergy from the food distributor we acquired last month, we've secured a stable supply chain. The R&D center is accelerating new product development as well. We're preparing to enter the market within five years."
"I see."
Only then did a positive response come from Hyun Moo-jung.
"Proceed like that. I'll be watching."
"......Yes."
Sickening business talk. Hyun Ye-won shoved food into her mouth with a blank expression.
At that moment, Hyun Jeong-hu spoke up in a subtle tone.
"Ahem. Father."
"What."
"I'm thinking of creating a position for Tae-seong soon..."
Clatter!
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a noise came from elsewhere. It was Jeon Hyo-won, sitting across from Hyun Jeong-hu, slamming down her utensils loudly.
'Mom's really pissed now.'
Hyun Ye-won kept stealing glances at Jeon Hyo-won.
Jeon Hyo-won glared murderously at Hyun Tae-seong, seated across from Hyun Ye-won. Hyun Tae-seong brazenly took a sip of wine.
A few years ago, he'd shown up out of nowhere calling her "sis." Of course, there was no sibling bond to speak of.
'Dad's finally making his move.'
Hyun Ye-won observed it all like it was someone else's business.
"Are you really going to do this?"
The low, seething tone laced with sticky anger sent chills down her spine.
"Ye-won’s mom. I'm still eating."
Catching Hyun Moo-jung's warning glance, Jeon Hyo-won softened her tone slightly.
"Father-in-law, he's the one saying nonsense."
"Nonsense? Tae-seong's of age now. It's time we made a spot for him at the company."
"You really...!"
Thud!
"Tch, tsk."
Hyun Moo-jung set down his spoon and clicked his tongue, and Jeon Hyo-won clamped her mouth shut again.
"Both of you, enough. Is this how you want to look foolish in front of me?"
"......"
"Ye-won’s father, you too. You should have discussed it properly with your wife first before bringing it to me."
"I'm sorry. That was short-sighted of me."
Short-sighted, my foot.
'He knew Mom wouldn't dare step up if he brought it up right in front of Grandpa.'
Hyun Ye-won could see right through his scheming guts, and it made her want to vomit.
"And everything has its order. If you're making a spot at the company, it should be Ye-won first."
"!"
At Hyun Moo-jung's mention, Hyun Ye-won snapped her head up. She felt everyone's eyes pouring onto her.
Especially Hyun Tae-seong across from her—his gaze was scorching. It felt like everything she'd just eaten was surging back up.
"Father, Tae-seong is older."
"Age doesn't matter! Ye-won was added to the family registry first. Isn't that right?"
Hyun Ye-won dabbed at her mouth with a trembling hand. She had no idea why the sparks were flying her way all of a sudden.
"Where did you say Ye-won is working now?"
"At The Song."
"The Song? Ah, that place."
Hyun Moo-jung had vaguely heard of the upstart company.
Of course, he wasn't aware of it as a threat or annoyance. His gaze was far too elevated to rate some unlisted newbie that way.
The only reason he knew of The Song's existence was one.
"I've heard it's under consideration for acquisition."
What?
Hyun Ye-won widened her eyes. This was news to her.
Hyun Jeong-hu nodded at Hyun Moo-jung's words.
"Yes, it's one of the candidates because of its strong brand expansion. Adding a fast-growing brand to our portfolio would bolster our market dominance."
"But I heard the acquisition is proceeding elsewhere? Any reason?"
"Yes. A combination of factors. We judged acquiring a smaller firm with different patents would be better, and above all..."
Hyun Jeong-hu trailed off for a moment.
"The moment we floated the acquisition idea, they turned it down flat."
Even thinking back, it was absurd. They'd proposed it quite politely, yet got shot down outright.
They'd offered a generous price, too. Turns out they had a dense side.
Of course, they could have forced it if needed, but it wasn't worth the effort.
"A company with strong loyalty and no will to merge just becomes dead weight after acquisition."
"Right. Good call."
Hyun Moo-jung gave a brief compliment, then turned straight to Hyun Ye-won.
"Ye-won, enough with the child's play. Come join the company."
"......"
"I've indulged your whims long enough. Time to learn the business. Don't you think? How long are you going to act like a kid?"
Hyun Moo-jung's word was absolute.
All power and authority flowed from his grasp. That was why even Hyun Ye-won had never defied him until now.
Her hopping from company to company, living freely—it had all been possible under his tacit approval.
But now, Hyun Moo-jung was declaring the picnic over.
"Father-in-law, really. When she gets into it, she's so capable. Ye-won, you can do it, right?"
Jeon Hyo-won's excited voice rang in her ears. Across the table, Hyun Tae-seong looked resentful, like someone who'd had his prize snatched away.
Hyun Jeong-hu didn't show it much, but his face was displeased too.
Hyun Ye-won swept her gaze over the un-family-like bunch, took a deep breath, and declared,
"......No."
"What?"
"I said no!"
Hyun Ye-won's voice cut across the table.
"Hyun Ye-won! What kind of way is that to speak to your grandfather!"
Jeon Hyo-won snapped sharply, but Hyun Ye-won didn't hesitate and shot up from her seat.
"I'll head out first. Enjoy the meal."
Hyun Ye-won said it in a tone that betrayed zero enjoyment. She grabbed her outerwear and strode to the door.
As she turned the knob, she whipped around toward Hyun Moo-jung.
"I'm not interested in Hyunmu."
Slam.
The door shook violently as Hyun Ye-won vanished beyond it.
"That kid, that kid! Father-in-law, Ye-won's still young. She just hasn't matured yet. I'll talk to her properly, so don't worry too much."
Jeon Hyo-won anxiously defended her, but Hyun Moo-jung waved her off dismissively.
"Let her go."
"Father-in-law!"
"She'll come back when the time's right."
Hyun Moo-jung murmured elegantly as he sliced with his knife.
"Blood can't lie......"