Chapter 14
Chapter 14
I had decided to plant Lee Jung-wan as a spy next to Han Se-a.
For now, I had to act as if I was persuaded by Team Leader Lee Jung-wan’s proposal.
To do that, it would be best to appear a bit materialistic.
“A high-speed train, huh… sounds good. If it’s not rude to ask, could you tell me which line you’re on, Team Leader?”
“Hahaha. Deputy Kang, you’re smarter than I expected. Fine! I’ll tell you, specially.”
Team Leader Lee Jung-wan puffed out his chest, looking proud.
“Vice President Oh Sang-do, he’s on CEO Han Seung-woo’s line.”
Han Chung-won’s second son, Han Seung-woo, was the most likely candidate for the next chairman, and Vice President Oh Sang-do was considered his right-hand man. Now I somewhat understood why Lee Jung-wan strutted around so confidently.
“I see. Would it be okay if I think it over for a few days before giving you an answer?”
“Of course.”
Having received valuable information, I couldn’t just pretend I didn’t know. I decided to give him a gift in return.
“Manager Han Se-a, you know she’s Chairman Wang’s granddaughter, right?”
“Of course~ I knew even before I was assigned.”
“If Manager Han Se-a likes you, then she’d probably like you as her successor too, right?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Then, why not earn some points while you can?”
“Hmm? How so?”
For a woman whose desire for luxury knows no bounds, what could be easier than earning points with an expensive gift? Even the First Lady wouldn’t refuse a designer bag. Someone just starting to cosplay as a chaebol wouldn’t be any different.
“I noticed Manager Han’s shoes had scratches on the heels earlier. If you buy her a slightly more expensive designer pair, she’d appreciate it. Women like attentive men, both at home and at work.”
I even provided the brand, model, and size of the shoes she liked as a service. Team Leader Lee Jung-wan was extremely grateful.
“Haha. Deputy Kang, your sense is impressive. So you didn’t just get lucky with a beauty.”
“Of course not. Understanding a woman’s heart is never easy.”
Of course, my knowledge was limited to Bul-yeo-shi, but having a complete grasp of the target was definitely an advantage.
“But that brand is popular, so I’m not sure if I can get it immediately. It’s a bit expensive…”
“Shoes are nothing compared to the price. No matter how expensive, you should use it when needed, right? Consider it an investment. Thanks, I’ll see you again soon.”
Lee Jung-wan left the meeting room happily.
‘Thanks? With the price of those shoes, Team Leader’s entire month’s salary would melt away like snow.’
But it wasn’t that unfair. At that price, Han Se-a would at least remember his name.
After the one-on-one with Lee Jung-wan, I returned to the office. The team leader wasn’t at his desk, and the office atmosphere was morbid.
“Assistant Jin, where’s the team leader?”
“He went to see Director Nam.”
“Oh…”
He probably went to inform that the new business initiative had been canceled.
Section Chief Seo called me over, but only glanced at me sideways before returning to his work.
‘Did Team Leader Kim give me a heads-up?’
The sooner I give up, the better. Lingering feelings just make your mind noisy.
As soon as I sat down, I texted Lawyer Jeong Ji-hyun to see if she could meet tonight. I had something to ask her.
Within five minutes, I received a reply.I happen to have business nearby. Perfect timing. I’ll reserve a table at a good restaurant near your office. A good restaurant? I had forgotten that I needed to increase my Watstar followers to gain the future-viewing license. Meeting Bul-yeo-shi unexpectedly made me forget. Thanks to Lawyer Jeong, I could post at least one article today.Great. I’ll pay for the meal, so please reserve a place with a good atmosphere, even if it’s expensive. Got it! ^^ To meet next week’s reporting schedule, it would be tight even with daily overtime. So, I devised a plan.
I decided to use Team Leader Lee Jung-wan.
I immediately searched the company server for projects from Team 2 over the past year that had been halted due to questionable feasibility. Fortunately, I narrowed it down to three usable projects.
I planned to choose one and ask Team Leader Lee Jung-wan if I could proceed with it in Team 1, mentioning that if I wanted to become a section chief immediately after transferring, at least one project I led had to succeed. If he was determined to take me, he’d likely support it to ensure its success.
To succeed in a project while bypassing Han Se-a’s sabotage, I needed Lee Jung-wan’s connections. Even Han Se-a couldn’t ignore a superior’s orders within the organization.
If luck was on my side, I might even gauge Han Se-a’s ranking among the owner’s family.
‘Success only needs to happen once. Anyway, in three months, I’ll take all Team 1 members and branch out.’
Of course, I needed the team’s agreement.
By the time I finished printing the materials, it was already time to leave. For some reason, Team Leader Kim was the first to stand.
“Everyone worked hard preparing for the presentation. Let’s leave early today and rest. I’ll go first.”
“Yes! Please go ahead.”
I also grabbed my report and headed to the address Lawyer Jeong had sent.
I arrived without much expectation, but it truly was a popular restaurant. Even though it was only 6:30, a long line had already formed outside.
Lawyer Jeong, who had arrived earlier, waved happily at me.
“You’re early.”
“If we don’t arrive ten minutes before the reservation, we’ll wait over an hour. I already placed the order.”
“Good job.”
Lawyer Jeong looked the same as usual, yet somehow different. Her attire and vibe seemed more feminine than businesslike. Should I compliment her appearance? I hesitated and decided not to. She probably didn’t dress up to impress me.
The food we ordered arrived immediately.
“Dig in.”
“Wait a moment.”
When I awkwardly took pictures of the table, Jeong Ji-hyun looked puzzled. I smiled sheepishly and explained.
“Haha. Since promotion is important when starting a business, I just started Watstar yesterday. I want to increase followers, and I heard food photos are popular.”
“Ah, then wait a moment!”
She took my phone as if by force and showed me three photos: one from above, one at eye-level, and one focusing on the main dishes.
“Food photos should be taken like this to look appetizing.”
The photos on her phone clearly showed experience.
“Oh~ I see. They look really delicious.”
She taught me in detail how to edit using the app and post on the board, letting me post my first article easily.
“What’s your Watstar ID?”
“Mr. Zer0s.”
“The number zero?”
I explained, “Yes, zero with an s at the end. It also means I have too many zeros in my bank account. Watstar favors a bit of showmanship. Ahahaha.”
“Oh~ nice choice. Hohoho.”
She covered her mouth, chuckling, then finished searching my ID and followed me. My followers went from 0 to 1 instantly.
“I’m your first follower. Follow me back too.”
“Ah, okay. Uh…?”
Her ID was ‘LatteTime’. I opened the channel and was shocked.
“Wow! 820,000 followers?”
“Haha. I enjoy cafe tours as a hobby.”
Not a celebrity, just a personal channel introducing cafes, yet 820,000 followers! Suddenly, she seemed to shine like a halo in my eyes.
The first mission from the TV was to reach 10,000 Watstar followers. There’s no guarantee future missions won’t require 100,000 or 1,000,000.
To learn the secrets of gaining followers, I had to impress her.
“Oh~ so an expert is here. I need to learn from you.”
“Hoho. Frequent uploads are important on SNS. I’ll share my list of favorite restaurants with you later.”
“Great! Let me know anytime where you want to go.”
She’d even give me her restaurant list—how grateful I was!
Although I’d decided to tour restaurants, I had never actually been to one with Bul-yeo-shi. She claimed to diet and only ate greens daily.
Come to think of it, it wasn’t just restaurants. We never went to typical date spots like Namsan Tower, movie theaters, or Han River Park. We only ever went to department stores.
“Try it. This steak is really delicious.”
“Ah, yes.”
I cut a large piece and savored the meat’s flavor.
beautiful taste in Korean.’ It was truly mind-blowingly delicious.
“Wow! Really delicious!”
“I’m glad it suits your taste. Hohoho.”
Every time she smiled, her short hair swayed, her crescent-shaped eyes nearly closing. She was truly a pleasant person to be with.
Enjoying good food with a good person, sharing interests—what a delightful time.
I almost felt sorry for my past, always living as if being chased.
“You know over 300 restaurants like this?”
“Yes. Eating good food makes me happy.”
Lawyer work isn’t easy—dealing with difficult clients daily is stressful enough.
‘Oh no! She doesn’t think I’m a difficult client, does she?’
I realized I’d grown too comfortable asking her favors. I had to correct that immediately. She was the first person I wanted to hire for my company.
I apologized right away.
“Oh! I’m really sorry.”
“Huh? Suddenly, what’s this…”
“Because of me, your dinner got delayed. From now on, I’ll handle business matters via email or messages whenever possible.”
“No! That’s fine.”
“Really?”
Her face suddenly turned bright red.
“I… live alone. It’s nice to have someone to have dinner with.”
“I’m glad. But I’m surprised.”
“Surprised? About what?”
“I thought you lived with your parents in Seoul. I didn’t expect you to live alone. I’m curious what your place is like.”
Living alone in Seoul on a modest lawyer’s salary isn’t easy. I could relate; I spent a year after graduation paying off student loans.
Then why is my face heating up? Am I too warm?
“Shall I turn on the air conditioning?”
“No, it’s okay.”
I see. She suddenly drew a line in the conversation. I should finish the meal quickly and send her home.
Even though she was obviously displeased, she didn’t show it. Jeong Ji-hyun really is remarkable.
I restrained myself, quickly finished the meal, and handed over the documents I had brought.
“The reason I wanted to see you today is for this.”
“Oxidation check kit… planning to apply for a patent?”
“Yes. But there’s a problem.”
I explained that I had invented the kit for company work but was instructed by my superior to halt the project before the final report.
“If that’s true, the idea could be considered a work-for-hire invention, and rights could belong to the company. If there’s a confidentiality or non-compete clause, you could face legal consequences.”
“I know.”
“Then why apply for the patent?”
“The person who told me to stop was my ex… I mean, my ex-girlfriend.”
“Huh?”
Her eyes went wide in shock.
“It’s a bit funny. She changed her name and joined as my superior. Now I can’t avoid her, so I plan to confront it head-on.”
Even knowing the legal risks, I applied for the patent to create a situation where she would have to contact me to use the oxidation check kit after I left.
“Of course, this one is fake. The real one is separate.”
I handed her the patent documents for a wine accessory-style kit.
“This wine oxidation check kit will be the first item Zer0s Group invests in.”
“It’s already patented? The owner…!!”
She looked surprised when seeing the name on the patent documents.
“Yes, me. I filed it as a college project. I just improved the design a bit for production.”