Chapter 16
Chapter 16
A Woman's Heart
Kim Team Leader let out a hollow laugh at my overly confident attitude.
He probably thought it was impossible.
Still, maybe impressed by my courage, he gave a broad laugh and patted me on the shoulder.
“I understand your intention, but… this Team Leader isn’t one to be easily swayed. He’s ambitious about his work. And besides, this is a project that Team 2 had already discarded. If we succeed….”
“So you’ll give it to us without hesitation.”
My unexpected words made Kim Team Leader frown in surprise.
“What? Wait, why?”
“Because he’ll be certain we’ll fail.”
“!!!”
Even a tactless person like Kim Team Leader would know that Team Leader Lee Jung-wan is clearly antagonistic toward him and always competing.
“So, you’re saying… he’ll give us this project because he expects us to fail?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmm…”
After a moment of thought, Kim Team Leader agreed to my suggestion.
“Alright. If you can get permission from Team Leader Lee, then we’ll officially proceed with this project.”
He was leaving it up to me, knowing full well it might fail.
Even the idea of taking a discarded project from Team 2 seemed unreasonable.
If I failed, I’d give Lee Jung-wan, who constantly quarrels with me, a perfect chance to mock me. Yet Kim Jun-seok Team Leader trusted me enough to hand it over.
I silently thanked him.
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I should be thanking you,” Kim Jun-seok said with a slight smile.
“Welcome back,” he added.
“Huh?”
“Welcome back, energetic Kang Min-hyuk, to the way you were back then.”
Ah… now I understood.
Kim Jun-seok had waited for me for a long time. Not just him, but the team members too.
How could I betray these people and move to Team 2?
I calmly said to Kim Team Leader,
“Team Leader.”
“Yes?”
“When I leave the company, I’ll make sure to take you with me.”
Kim Team Leader laughed incredulously.
“Go where? As long as I’m here, you’re not leaving. Stop saying nonsense and get back to work.”
The next three months would be a harsh winter for New Business Development Team 1.
Fluyeoshi would obstruct every Team 1 project, and once the eco-friendly plastic project succeeded, Lee Jung-wan’s interference would ramp up.
But once we overcame that winter, a brilliant spring would come.
By the time we leave, Team 1’s teamwork would be stronger than ever.
How am I so sure?
Because I’ll make it happen.
Praise might make whales dance, but success and rewards make humans dance.
I’ll use my wealth and abilities to build the ultimate “One Team.” Absolutely!
At 9:30, I grabbed the eco-friendly plastic container business report and went to Lee Jung-wan Team Leader.
He glanced at the documents and asked,
“This was our project report. You want Team 1 to take it over?”
“Yes. I want Team Leader to verify if I’m really the talent Team 2 needs.”
“You mean, revive a project Team 2 discarded to prove your skill?”
“Yes!”
Lee Jung-wan chuckled. Apparently, he liked my daring attitude.
“Alright. I’ll send over all the materials we reviewed back then. Go wild with them.”
“Thank you.”
Once our business was done, Lee Jung-wan lowered his voice conspiratorially.
“Thanks for the info yesterday.”
“You mean the shoes?”
“Yes, that. Those shoes were insanely expensive—890,000 won for a single pair. But it made you remember my name instantly.”
“Oh~ that’s a good sign.”
Lee Jung-wan’s expression turned curious.
“Yes. But that alone isn’t enough. Women can’t be satisfied with material things alone.”
“I have no idea what you mean.”
He stared at me, clearly seeking more guidance.
‘The prey walks right into the trap,’ I thought.
Human greed knows no bounds, and Lee Jung-wan’s desire to build connections even with Fluyeoshi proves it. Perhaps his current connections aren’t strong enough.
Either way, it solved one of my worries: how to bind the two of them tightly.
“This might take a while,” I said.
“Okay, let’s go to a meeting room.”
Once we moved, I started coaching him in earnest.
“What Han Se-a needs right now isn’t something money can buy.”
“Then what?”
“Recognition in people’s minds as a member of the owner’s family. Awareness.”
“Hmm…”
I explained Han Se-a’s current situation to Lee Jung-wan:
Sudden appearance of the chairman’s granddaughter, her fragile position, and her desire to be the protagonist.
“What Han Se-a needs is a blockbuster project to show the chairman her capability.”
“Blockbuster project?”
“Yes. Something like the supplement dispenser Team 2 is pushing.”
When I mentioned the supplement dispenser, Lee Jung-wan’s eyes lit up.
“A simple high-performance dispenser isn’t enough. It has to be an essential household product supplying vital nutrients automatically! It must be upscale and expandable, like a smart water purifier.”
“Ah~.”
I didn’t miss a beat, linking it to health app integration, pharmaceutical partnerships, rental services, and card promotions—expanding the business scope as much as possible. Inflating it for maximum impact.
“So you mean, selling via monthly nutrient cartridges?”
“Yes. For items like this, early market capture is crucial. Emphasize the convenience of replacing essential nutrients with pills. A subscription model keeps costs reasonable.”
“That’s a great idea!”
“Appeal directly to Han Se-a. Make her crave it. That way, she’ll fully support it.”
“Alright! I need to prepare a report for her immediately.”
“Wait!”
I grabbed Lee Jung-wan’s wrist before he could rush off.
“You’re not going there with just a report, are you?”
“What? Then what else?”
“Sigh—men. You really don’t understand a woman’s heart.”
“What else?”
“Before you sit at the negotiation table, you need a gift.”
“Gift?”
“Ertes, pearl cashmere coat, size 34. The most popular model from this F/W haute couture collection. Secure the product before preparing the documents.”
“?!”
Only then did Lee Jung-wan grasp my meaning, holding my hand gratefully.
“Kang, do you need anything else?”
“Access to the Team 2 eco-friendly plastic container folder should be enough.”
“Got it. I’ll email it right away.”
“Wishing you success. Victory!”
“Victory!”
Lee Jung-wan hurried out of the meeting room.
I returned to Team 1 triumphantly.
Before I even sat down, Lee Jung-wan emailed me the folder link with access.
Inside, all the business feasibility data and consumer surveys. With minimal updates, it was ready for executive reporting.
I printed the core documents and reported to Kim Jun-seok Team Leader.
“Lee Jung-wan approved the project transfer.”
Kim Team Leader’s eyes nearly popped.
“Really?”
“Yes. He even handed over the previous folder, telling me to do well.”
He looked skeptical at first, but after reviewing the documents, he chuckled in disbelief.
“You actually took it….”
“Less than a week until the report. We should hold the meeting immediately.”
“Yes. Let’s do it.”
And so, New Business Development Team 1’s new project began.
At the Sky Lounge Bar of Noble Hotel, overlooking Seoul,
Hong Yuna sipped her cocktail and gave Jeong Ji-hyun a curious look.
“You always said you were busy when I invited you, but now you’re begging for my gourmet list. Are you interested in that guy?”
“It’s not so much interest as…”
Ji-hyun blushed and hesitated.
“I just want to help when I see it. I don’t know why. I just can’t say no. It’s a new feeling.”
Ji-hyun rubbed her cheeks with her fists. Yuna, with an exasperated look, snatched the note Ji-hyun held.
In exchange for Hong Yuna’s special gourmet list, she’d give the info about the troublesome client Ji-hyun had asked about earlier.
“Wow! This was really hard to get… sigh, I hate to use it like this…”
“Once you make a deal, you accept it gracefully.”
Yuna opened the folded note and gasped in surprise.
“Wait… she’s the daughter of Iljin Group’s deceased eldest son? Is this true?”
“Yes. The actress you asked about—Yang Mi-jung.”
“Right.”
“But she changed her name. Han Se-a now.”
“Ha. Do you think people won’t notice?”
“Nope. Completely changed her face.”
Ji-hyun handed a photo to Yuna. Yuna admired it.
“Wow~ Korean plastic surgeons are amazing. This is almost cheating.”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known either. Changed school, background… everything. Only our company’s intelligence could find her. No one else could.”
Honestly, I stumbled upon this while researching to prepare for Kang Min-hyuk’s ex-girlfriend, Yang Mi-jung.
Thinking of the name made Ji-hyun’s expression briefly harden. She quickly returned to her usual look so Yuna wouldn’t notice.
“Kang Min-hyuk… we should thank him. Got us good info.”
“If you’re thankful, clear your schedule next Saturday evening. There’s someone to meet.”
“Purpose?”
“Business agreement.”
Ji-hyun handed over a patent document. Seeing a familiar name, Yuna laughed incredulously.
“What? Kang Min-hyuk again?”