Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Royal Family 15-2
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Kang Jin-young burst through the conference room door without a care in the world.
She brushed off the twenty pairs of eyes fixed on her and strode straight toward Ji-hyeok.
Standing before him, she spat out her words sharply.
"Everyone out!"
The employees flinched at Kang Jin-young's command and hurriedly began gathering their things from the table.
"Everyone stop! Executive Director Kang Jin-young. What do you think you're doing? Do you have business with me?"
"It'd be better for you if we talked quietly."
"You? If you're going to address me that way, wait at home. If you have business with the General Affairs Team Leader, wait outside until the meeting ends. It'll take about thirty minutes."
"Hey!"
Kang Jin-young's fist trembled as she shouted.
Her yell startled the employees in the room, but Ji-hyeok, who heard it from the front row, remained stone-faced.
Watching Kang Jin-young shake with rage, Ji-hyeok slowly rose from his chair.
He pointed toward the door.
"Please leave. I've shown you enough courtesy. You seem to think you can act like this, but isn't that a bit too arrogant? Daughter of Chairman Kang Wook, Executive Director of Taesung Trading—neither title gives you the right to barge in here and yell. Beyond rights, isn't this just basic manners?"
At Ji-hyeok's cold voice, Kang Jin-young's eyes sharpened even more.
Not just her eyes—her hand gripping the bag trembled harder.
She had probably already imagined hurling that bag at Ji-hyeok's face, but some last shred of reason held her back.
She didn't cross the line further.
After glaring at Ji-hyeok fiercely for a while, she ground out her words slowly.
"You... You'll regret this. Soon, you'll be on your knees begging before me."
"Yes. I'll look forward to it, so please leave. Can't you see ten people are losing valuable time because of you right now?"
With Ji-hyeok's final words, Kang Jin-young turned away with a frosty expression.
She stormed out, whipping up a gust of cold wind in her wake.
The employees watching her back all let out a collective sigh of relief.
But Ji-hyeok, the man in question, just smiled faintly and sat back down.
"Where were we? Let's continue."
The employees inwardly clicked their tongues at Ji-hyeok's demeanor.
And they etched a clear image of their boss into their minds.
The line they'd latched onto was undoubtedly a golden lifeline.
In the car heading back to Taesung Trading, Kang Jin-young unleashed a torrent of curses and insults at Ji-hyeok.
But another bomb awaited her upon her return.
"Executive Director, President Byeon has just ordered the Resource Development Team to conduct a preliminary survey on the Indonesia nickel mine development."
"What? What nonsense is that? I told them not to!"
"Yes. But... after you left, President Byeon gave the order directly to Director Kim of the Resource Development Team."
For a moment, Kang Jin-young felt a crack forming.
A small hole was widening.
What she thought she could plug with a finger now couldn't be covered even with her palm.
She had to seal it before it grew larger.
"Got it."
"And..."
"And what else? Can't you report properly?"
"I'm sorry. President Byeon is currently holding a meeting in the Energy Team conference room on the 16th floor."
"Energy Team?"
"Yes."
"That bastard!"
You could tell her state of mind just from her gait.
Arriving on the 16th floor with all her fury, Kang Jin-young ignored the employees' greetings and kicked open the conference room door.
It was déjà vu of her intrusion into Ji-hyeok's meeting moments ago.
"...The Myanmar gas field, from the perspective of securing energy stability..."
As she flung open the door, the heated atmosphere of the room hit her like a wave.
The screen from the beam projector displayed a document neatly summarizing resource supply status, and the employees' eyes burned with enthusiasm.
Caught off guard by the energy for a second, Kang Jin-young felt eyes on her and twisted her face into a scowl.
Her expression alone conveyed her rage to everyone.
The employees hesitated briefly but stood and bowed.
"Good day, Executive Director."
But Kang Jin-young ignored them and barked one word.
"Out!"
"Pardon?"
"Turn that off and turn on the lights!"
That was the moment.
"Executive Director Kang, what do you think you're doing?"
At President Byeon Hyuk-su's voice, the employees peeking uncertainly all snapped their heads up simultaneously.
Executive Director Kang?
Did he just say Executive Director Kang?
President Byeon had always called her Executive Director Kang Jin-young.
And Kang Jin-young called him President Byeon.
It might sound like mutual respect, but it wasn't standard.
Properly, it should have been President Byeon and Executive Director Kang.
But now, Byeon Hyuk-su had called her Executive Director Kang.
'A typhoon. Typhoon...'
All the employees froze in place.
They just perked up their ears, waiting for what would come next.
Kang Jin-young marched up to President Byeon Hyuk-su, her face full of fury.
"President Byeon, what do you think you're doing?"
Was this his answer for calling her Executive Director Kang?
She glared at him, addressing him as President Byeon.
"Why are you doing my job, Executive Director Kang? Can't you see we're in a meeting? A meeting chaired by the CEO, no less. The mistake is what you're doing right now, isn't it?"
"President Byeon!"
"Executive Director Kang! I told you to stop making mistakes!"
President Byeon Hyuk-su shot to his feet, shouting.
Kang Jin-young was more startled than anyone.
But deciding she couldn't back down further,
she spoke again.
"What's this meeting about? Securing more of the Myanmar gas field was already settled, wasn't it? Why drag it up again?"
"Executive Director Kang, I am the CEO of Taesung Trading. Your choice of words feels quite inappropriate. But if you're asking as family from the owning group, I'll answer. Do you know the current situation in Myanmar?"
"What are you trying to say? That I decided to expand without even knowing that?"
"Yes. That's exactly it."
Gasp!
The employees, heads bowed and ears perked, jerked up in shock before bowing again quickly.
Meeting Kang Jin-young's eyes now would be like stepping in shit.
Meanwhile, Byeon Hyuk-su spoke slowly.
"Do you know international human rights groups are demanding daily that we withdraw from the Myanmar gas field development?"
"Do you think I don't know that? Are you saying we should halt the project? Do you know how much we've invested in the Myanmar gas field? Three trillion won. Three trillion!"
"Companies have social responsibilities. Especially us, Taesung. We can't be the funding source for a coup regime massacring civilians."
"Listen, President Byeon! If you want to do human rights activism, go do it outside the company. This is a business. A business!"
"That's why I'm saying we stop additional investment in Myanmar and secure the Mozambique gas field to diversify risk. Why oppose that?"
"The US, France, Italy—all pulled out of Myanmar. Doesn't that make this the perfect opportunity? Is your brain not working?"
At Kang Jin-young's words, Byeon Hyuk-su's face twisted in genuine anger.
It was a expression even Kang Jin-young had never seen.
She hadn't seen him as one of her own, but neither had she thought he'd defy her so openly.
Yet now, Byeon Hyuk-su glared at her with clear fury.
It shocked her.
But then.
"Executive Director Kang, I'm formally requesting a business judgment from the Future Strategy Office on this matter."
"What? Why take our business to the Future Strategy Office?"
"When the executive director is infringing on the CEO's management rights, isn't asking the holding company with HR authority the best option?"
"I'm infringing on management rights?"
"Yes."
"When I put you in that seat, wasn't this all settled?"
"Gambling debt?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The law says you don't have to repay gambling debts. Right now, Executive Director Kang, you're demanding I pay a gambling debt. Got it?"
"President Byeon! You're doing this because you trust that Seo Ji-hyeok bastard, but you're making a mistake."
"The mistake is yours right now, Executive Director Kang, and I'm just doing my job!"
Byeon Hyuk-su's final words nailed it shut.
Kang Jin-young glared at him briefly before turning and storming out of the conference room.
The news of this massive clash spread throughout Taesung Trading in less than two hours.
The dining hall at Taesung Pavilion was a bit noisier than usual.
Chairman Kang Wook had always eaten alone, but now with Ji-hyeok and Eun-seok, the three of them dining together made the staff bustle about.
"Oh, this is good. What fish is this?"
"Yes, it's braised mackerel."
Ji-hyeok nodded at the staff member's reply and picked off another piece of flesh.
Eun-seok, who hadn't touched it yet, stealthily extended his chopsticks.
"Mackerel gets a strong fishy smell if freshness drops even a little. This one's excellent."
Then Kang Wook reached out, and Eun-seok hastily pulled back.
Kang Wook picked off a piece and placed it in front of Eun-seok before taking another for himself.
"Uh..."
Eun-seok panicked at the unexpected gesture.
But then...
"Don't get emotional over nothing. Eat."
Eun-seok snapped out of it at Ji-hyeok's curt words, his face slightly flushed as he took the fish and put it in his mouth.
He slowly chewed, savoring it.
As Eun-seok basked in that small感動,
"Taesung Trading's going to be noisy."
"I heard."
"Don't get involved."
"No need. Just don't go too hard on Sa-woo."
"I know. But she always runs to Mommy's arms at the first sign of crisis. Honestly, disappointing. Twins? What made you think that?"
"I didn't know if you'd grow into a dog or a wolf. You always need a backup plan."
Ji-hyeok chuckled at Kang Wook's reply.
As expected.
No need to confirm it, but only one thing mattered to this man.
Taesung.
Family, sons, three daughters, even their children...
All for Taesung.
'If you love Taesung that much, you shouldn't have put incompetents in it. The consequences will be bitter.'
Ji-hyeok smiled and continued eating.
It was 7:30 when Ji-hyeok left Taesung Pavilion.
As yesterday, Park Eun-seok sat in the driver's seat, while Ji-hyeok lounged in the back diagonal, scrolling news on his tablet.
It felt like the same routine as yesterday...
But then.
- Screeech!
Park Eun-seok slammed on the brakes, cursing harshly.
"Shit! What kind of driving is this?"
It was the opening shot of an unsettled day.