Becoming the Foundation Chairman in an Instant
His eyes inevitably drifted to the applicants from his own alma mater.
"Whoa, even Seoul National University folks are applying for this."
The crown jewel among Korea's prestigious universities. The undisputed pinnacle driving the nation's feverish education craze. The top choice for every hot-blooded Korean mother dreaming of her kids' future.
Even grads from a place like that are applying for something like this.
And then there was something else that caught his eye: their major. Hotel management. Now that he'd decided to acquire a hotel, it naturally piqued his interest.
Shin Jaewoo set all the resumes aside.
Not like he could pick anyone just by looking through them anyway.
Should I just leave this to the bank too?
But that felt like too much. Sure, Lee Sooyoung had been handling things like his personal secretary, but she was still a banker at the end of the day. Asking her to go beyond recommendations and straight-up hire people on his behalf would be overstepping.
One conclusion emerged: it was time to build his own team of loyal people.
"...Should I give him a call?"
A certain someone immediately came to mind.
Truth be told, he was nervous. His legs felt like they might start shaking any second.
It was a public spot—just an ordinary cafe. Plenty of people around, so nothing bad would happen, but still, it was someone he'd never met before.
"Whew."
Shin Jaewoo let out a deep breath to steady himself. He'd realized something lately.
I'm more of a country bumpkin than I thought.
That trend had peaked about a year ago, but it fit his vibe perfectly. These days, did they call it something like "aegyo country boy" instead?
He pushed down his anxiety with some silly thoughts. That's when he spotted someone approaching.
Huh?
The first impression hit like a sharp blade: glasses guy with a piercing gaze. The kind of face that wouldn't bleed even if you stabbed it, perfectly suited to his sharp suit.
The man scanned the room as he entered, then headed straight for Shin Jaewoo's table.
"Shin Jaewoo?"
"...Yes."
He'd been staring, but hearing his own name from the guy's mouth threw him off. He knew right away who this was.
Lee Jinmyeong.
Finally, they'd met.
Lee Jinmyeong looked to be in his thirties, maybe a bit older. As Shin Jaewoo stood to greet him, that thought shifted.
He might be a little older than he looks.
They exchanged a firm handshake, modern-style.
"I'm Shin Jaewoo. You're Lee Jinmyeong, right?"
"Yes, that's me. We exchanged greetings over the phone, but it's good to finally meet properly."
Shin Jaewoo flinched at his words. The tone was emotionless and strictly businesslike, but it felt like his own fault somehow. And it was.
I never followed up, so we never properly greeted each other.
He apologized first.
"Sorry about that."
"No need. You're handling things quite well, actually."
"Huh?"
Lee Jinmyeong's response was unexpected. Shin Jaewoo hadn't anticipated praise.
As he floundered, Lee Jinmyeong continued.
"If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I should have reached out sooner, but the processing took longer than expected. My apologies."
"Huh? Oh, no...."
This threw him even more than the earlier compliment. He'd already been trembling just showing up here, and now this unforeseen reaction from Lee Jinmyeong left his brain scrambling. At least the tension eased with his dumbfounded response.
But it ramped up again at Lee Jinmyeong's sudden shift in demeanor.
"There was actually a problem."
He'd said the word "problem." Shin Jaewoo's body stiffened once more.
Lee Jinmyeong elaborated for the frozen Shin Jaewoo.
"As I mentioned on the phone... the remaining inheritance you need to receive is 'people.'"
That's exactly why he'd come here.
It's about time I got my own people.
He wasn't sure if meeting Lee Jinmyeong would solve it, but the man had mentioned specific people. And now this "problem" he'd just referenced.
Before Lee Jinmyeong could continue, Shin Jaewoo cut in.
"Is that 'problem' you mentioned... related to the 'people'? Like, someone from Grandpa's circle refusing me...?"
Lee Jinmyeong's eyes gleamed at Shin Jaewoo's words.
"Sharp instincts. Exactly."
"And that's why you said I was doing well?"
That earlier praise that had flustered him. When Shin Jaewoo asked, a faint smile curved Lee Jinmyeong's lips.
But instead of agreeing, he countered with a question.
"What makes you think that?"
"Just... a hunch."
He hadn't thought it through clearly. It was just a feeling. But it wasn't pure gut instinct. He just couldn't articulate it precisely.
"You said 'people' were the issue, so I figured it meant be suspicious of everyone... something like that."
Lee Jinmyeong's expression softened with satisfaction.
"Precisely. Very well done."
It wasn't the neatest summary, but it captured the essence. So Lee Jinmyeong praised him.
"That cautious approach is excellent. Though there's no need for it anymore."
Lee Jinmyeong's confident face. Shin Jaewoo recalled his earlier words.
-The processing took longer than expected.
I thought that meant the inheritance deposit...
But Lee Jinmyeong's reaction now suggested otherwise. It wasn't about the money.
The "processing" referred to resolving that problem he'd mentioned.
"So the problem's solved now?"
Shin Jaewoo asked, and Lee Jinmyeong nodded firmly.
"Yes."
His decisive tone eased Shin Jaewoo's mind. He still couldn't fully trust the man across from him yet. But this time, his gut told him otherwise.
This guy's trustworthy.
Of course, he knew his judgment of character was lacking. Kim Hyeju and Han Taeho had proven that.
But this felt different.
No excuses. I'm still flawed.
Yet the vibe from Lee Jinmyeong differed from those two. His eyes—cold and professional on the surface—held genuine fondness toward Shin Jaewoo.
It's like... yeah, like Grandma looking at me.
He'd seen that look before. From his maternal grandmother on the day his parents died. A similar warmth shone through Lee Jinmyeong's glasses.
"Now, let's discuss the specifics of the inheritance you haven't formally received yet."
This was the real deal. Lee Jinmyeong opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of documents.
"This is...?"
The first page's text caught Shin Jaewoo's eye, but he had to ask anyway. A dizzying sea of English. Every Korean learned it in mandatory schooling, but Shin Jaewoo wasn't great at it.
I have no idea what any of this says.
Embarrassing, but he could guess why it was all in English. His grandfather had been American from the start. These docs had come straight from the US.
"To explain simply... this is the asset you stand to inherit."
He'd heard it was people. More resumes, maybe?
"The key asset among them is the Daniel S. Foundation. The first page states their desire to appoint you as a new director. And below that, the other directors recommend you as the next chairman."
Shin Jaewoo's eyes widened.
"D-Director?"
"Precisely, chairman of the Daniel S. Foundation."
As shock hit, Shin Jaewoo understood why Lee Jinmyeong had said the inheritance wasn't complete.
So that's it!
He got the "people" part too. Likely the foundation's board of directors.
And some directors opposed me?
More than that, he'd used "chairman" instead of "CEO." Not the usual corporate term.
"What exactly does the Daniel S. Foundation do?"
"Corporations are generally divided into two types: incorporated associations and foundations."
The word "foundation" rang a bell.
Shin Jaewoo nodded. "A foundation, then?"
"Think of it that way for simplicity. Though in reality, it's a bit different. Korean and American corporate structures vary slightly."
Shin Jaewoo barely grasped even Korea's distinctions between foundations and associations.
I think regular companies are associations...
Of course, that was oversimplified. "Incorporated associations" didn't typically include companies anyway. Setting that aside, Lee Jinmyeong pressed on.
"The important part is this: as the new chairman of the Daniel S. Foundation, you now hold full decision-making authority over its operations."
In an instant, he'd become the foundation's chairman.