Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 211
Chapter Title: The Heir's Declaration
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**BAM!**
No sooner had I flung the door open than Jo Yi-ruk latched on like he'd been waiting.
"Where's the guest?"
"He's waiting inside."
Jo Yi-ruk pointed toward the CEO's office.
Entertaining a guest in the CEO's office when the CEO wasn't even there. It wasn't proper, but Jo Yi-ruk probably had no choice. That was the most luxurious spot in the office, after all.
I headed straight for the CEO's office.
*Knock knock.*
After rapping on the door, I opened it and stepped inside.
The faint aroma of coffee hit me first. Looked like Jo Yi-ruk had treated the guest properly. Good thing.
The person waiting inside didn't bother rising from his seat to greet me.
"Ah, there you are."
The man smiled slyly, his eyes curving like a fox's.
Through his neatly combed black hair, I caught sight of blue irises—a rare color in Korea.
They resembled the undulating waves of the ocean. Even now, they were so stunning that for a split second, I forgot to breathe.
His face was a perfect blend of Eastern and Western features, as if sculpted with painstaking care by an artist. Every proportion followed the golden ratio meticulously, with nothing wasted or out of place.
Anyone else would have been entranced. Even I, before my regression, would have stared blankly for a good minute.
But now I had built up some immunity, so I quickly schooled my expression. In other words, I'd seen him plenty before the regression.
I swallowed a near-scream that threatened to burst out and plastered on a practiced smile.
"To think I'd have the honor of meeting someone so esteemed."
I named his position deliberately, as if chewing on the words.
"The... director of JC Group."
It was JC Group's eldest son, Jae Yoon-jae.
"The pleasure's mine."
Jae Yoon-jae grinned, clearly intrigued.
"I've heard a lot about you. Meeting you in person, you're even more... "
I could feel his softly curved eyes scanning me up and down.
"...younger than I expected. Quite the surprise."
"Haha. I get that a lot."
I naturally took the seat across from Jae Yoon-jae.
Right on cue, Jo Yi-ruk came in and set a coffee cup in front of me. I fiddled with the cup idly, racking my brains as hard as I could.
*[Why did he come to see me all of a sudden?]*
Jae Yoon-jae hadn't yet solidified his position as JC's heir domestically. This was the phase where he was gaining experience running the overseas division.
*[JC Group is all-in on global ventures. They know full well that the real future growth lies beyond our borders, not here at home.]*
In that context, an heir needed international savvy and business ac instincts. Jae Yoon-jae was undoubtedly learning hands-on overseas expansion strategies in line with the JC chairman's vision.
*[Plus, overseas ops give him freedom from domestic political infighting.]*
Dropping him straight into a director role at home would have sparked backlash, even for the chairman.
But the overseas division offered relative independence—perfect for heir training.
*[The Song hasn't even started formulating international strategies yet. He might have heard about our domestic moves, but that wouldn't warrant a personal visit like this.]*
I had a pretty objective view of The Song's standing. A rising mid-tier Korean firm—that was it.
Endless growth potential and outstanding prospects? Sure, but that was the future talking.
Right now, The Song wasn't on the radar of giants like Hyunmu or JC. They'd be more annoyed by Doo-yang, scrambling to escape its perennial third-place rut.
*[No reason for the overseas division to care about domestic players. Jae Yoon-jae isn't here in his director capacity today.]*
So, personal curiosity as Jae Yoon-jae the man? Unlikely.
If so, he'd have led with an investment proposal.
*[And look at that face.]*
His smile was all sunshine, but having dealt with Jae Yoon-jae for years pre-regression, I could tell at a glance.
*[He's pissed.]*
That was his "deeply displeased" tell. His lip corners weren't lifted a full 3mm.
*[What the hell? Why would Jae Yoon-jae seek out a total stranger like me and reek of bad vibes like this...?]*
*Ah.*
Could it be.
A certain incident flashed through my mind. At the same moment, Jae Yoon-jae broke the silence.
"You must have heard the recent buzz. Quite intriguing."
My gut twisted.
"Something about JC Group having a hidden illegitimate son, getting secret successor training by siphoning off JC capital."
"..."
"And not just that—the chairman's supposedly rethinking the heir selection..."
Jae Yoon-jae stretched out the words, staring straight at me.
Damn. Director Hwang Tae-in, loose lips much?
*[Didn't he know not to blab that around?]*
I'd assumed he had that much sense. Or maybe Hyun Tae-seong, who'd gotten the report, was the one spreading it.
"Word even reached my ears across the ocean, on the far side of the planet. Haha. So I rushed right over."
"I had no idea such rumors were floating around."
Deny first.
Of course, the fact that he'd barged in here meant he'd heard something solid. But that convo had been just me and Director Hwang Tae-in at a private club.
*[Unless he recorded it, there's no hard evidence.]*
The guy had underestimated me anyway; he wouldn't have thought to.
So, playing dumb was the best move.
I smiled brightly and continued.
"JC Group's one and only eldest son—and someone dares spread that nonsense?"
We weren't in the Joseon era anymore. Primogeniture talk was laughable.
But most chaebols still ran on eldest-son inheritance. Reality.
"Right? I thought the same at first—like, rumors can't get more absurd."
Jae Yoon-jae was the JC chairman's sole grandson.
His parents—JC's only son and daughter-in-law—had died in a car crash shortly after he was born.
Left alone, Jae Yoon-jae became JC's one clear heir. Unlike Hyunmu's messy succession fight between Hyun Tae-seong and Hyun Ye-won, his path had been smooth sailing.
*[If not for the internal pushback.]*
He was young and mixed-race. In Korea's conservative mindset, those were tough hurdles.
Everyone knew it, which was why he was spinning his wheels in overseas ops.
"But of all things."
Jae Yoon-jae gazed at me with a soft smile. Beneath the feigned warmth lurked icy eyes.
"That supposed illegitimate son is rising too fast."
*Oh no.*
"Making the rumor sound all too credible, wouldn't you say?"
"..."
No words.
*[So, the bastard-son rumor gained traction because The Song's growth is unrealistically explosive. Now it's taken as fact?]*
What a ridiculous coincidence.
*[Our hyper-growth looks implausible to outsiders, so yeah, easy to misinterpret...]*
Ugh. I pressed my furrowed brow in frustration.
No imagination, these people. Well, compared to "regressed after living the future, now thriving," the bastard story sounded more plausible.
*[Of all people, I'm the obstacle in your path now.]*
I looked at Jae Yoon-jae with a complicated expression.
Pre-regression, domestic board factions had tried hard to oust him. I'd watched him battle them up close.
Now here I was, blocking his way. No wonder his mood was off.
"I get the gist. And how this is troubling you, Director."
Flying in from halfway around the world meant the rumor had spread wider than I'd thought.
Even building overseas cred, he couldn't ignore domestic opinion. He needed to squash this fast to secure his position.
"How can I help?"
"Help?"
Jae Yoon-jae looked like he'd heard the funniest thing. As if he'd never anticipated this response.
"Haha. Seems you're misunderstanding something."
Locking eyes with him, I recalled what I'd momentarily forgotten.
Jae Yoon-jae wasn't the type to skirt obstacles in his path.
*[He always crushed them mercilessly.]*
Remembering his past made my spine tingle.
*[The bastard rumor blew up because of The Song's insane growth.]*
So, how to quash it? Flip domestic opinion overnight and prove Jae Yoon-jae was still the unchallenged heir?
I knew the answer.
And so did he.
He leaned forward. His breathtaking face drew near, but instinctual revulsion made my hairs stand on end.
"I'm not here for help today."
His tone stayed gentle, almost affectionate—like he actually liked me.
"I've come to apologize."
Up close, his face brimmed with smiles.
"By smashing this place to pieces."
From afar, someone might think he was whispering sweet nothings.
"With everything I've got. Utterly and completely."
But with an angelic face, Jae Yoon-jae had just declared my ruin.