Managing Director Kim Byung-hwan (1)
"For dinner, I've made preliminary reservations at three places — a Korean fine-dining restaurant, a Japanese restaurant, and a premium hanwoo beef house. Once you pick one, Managing Director, I'll finalize the booking. And afterward, I've arranged a room salon so you can enjoy a few drinks at your leisure."
"Really? So President Jung knows how to treat a man properly. I can look forward to tonight, then? In that case, let's do the Japanese restaurant."
"Understood. I'll confirm the Japanese restaurant without a hitch."
"How many people are attending today?"
"Four in total, sir. You, President Jung of Kyungin Distribution, myself, and Assistant Manager Hong Ji-sam from our team."
"Assistant Manager Hong Ji-sam? Since when does some lowly assistant manager get a seat at a dinner like this? Is he perhaps someone whose face I'd recognize?"
"You've probably passed him in the hallway a few times, but I doubt you'd know him well. The thing is, Assistant Manager Hong is the one in charge of the Kyungin Distribution account — getting to know him would be nothing but a benefit to you, sir."
"And why on earth would I want to make the acquaintance of a mere assistant manager?"
Cho glanced around as though he were about to reveal some tremendous secret before continuing in a hushed voice. Of course, the managing director's office held only the two of them, so the gesture was entirely pointless.
"The truth is, Assistant Manager Hong is the most notorious problem child in the entire company. Early this year, when the HR team leader announced he was assigning him to our team, I rushed over the moment I got the call and tried to refuse the transfer — all I got for my trouble was a dressing-down. He told me to stop wasting his time and accept it, no questions asked."
"The HR team leader — you mean Director Shin? He's a junior from my graduating class... which makes him your senior, doesn't it? And even he ordered you to take on a troublemaker like that?"
"Yes, Managing Director. Director Shin is indeed three years ahead of me in the same program. So I had no choice but to accept the transfer, though I wasn't too pleased about it either. Then a few days later, I got a phone call from someone claiming to be Assistant Manager Hong's father. Do you know who that was? None other than Hong Sang-gyu, the president of LK Chemical. He asked me to take good care of his son — and that's when I realized the young man was one of the Royal Family."
"President Hong... isn't he the Chairman's brother-in-law?"
"That's right. The husband of the Chairman's only younger sister. So Assistant Manager Hong's maternal uncle is the Chairman himself — not the main line of the family, but close enough to royalty, wouldn't you say? As it turns out, he even graduated from our program at S University. Sharp as a tack, but he was raised with a silver spoon and zero discipline, so he has some rough edges. Still, once he's racked up a bit more experience, won't the Chairman find a seat for him?"
Cho wore a fawning smile as he cast his line, ever so subtly.
"And aren't you due for promotion to Executive Director soon, Managing Director? If Assistant Manager Hong so much as drops a word to the Chairman or his own father on your behalf, wouldn't that promotion be as good as signed, sealed, and delivered?"
For a moment, Managing Director Kim wore a sour expression — and then he nodded along.
"Cho, you truly are an outstanding junior. I'll personally guarantee your promotion to Department Head next year. Don't you worry about a thing. So, what time am I meeting them?"
"Around six, I'd say? Eat early so we can get moving early, sir. Oh, and please keep Assistant Manager Hong's family background strictly under wraps for the time being."
"Got it. Come on now — do you really think I lack the sense for that? Get back to work. I'll see you when you clock out this evening."
"Yes, Managing Director. I'll come to collect you around five thirty."
"Don't bother. Just come straight down to the underground parking garage at that time instead. You know where my car is parked, don't you?"
"Yes, sir."
Young-hoon worked straight through lunch, buried in his tasks. By the time he finally wrapped up and was heading back to the office, he stopped by the convenience store in the basement to grab a triangle gimbap — and spotted Cho and Assistant Manager Hong walking off toward the underground parking garage in the distance.
It's not even quitting time yet. Where are those two off to?
Curious, he trailed after them quietly. He watched the pair wait for someone in the garage, then climb into a car and head up to the surface.
That man... I've seen him somewhere before. Who was it?
Young-hoon racked his brain, trying to place the unmistakably familiar face. Then something suddenly flickered through his mind.
"Ah! That's Kim Byung-hwan, the Managing Director in charge of Seoul Marketing. But where's he going with those two? Hm. Something smells fishy."
Perplexed, Young-hoon headed for the convenience store anyway. Quitting time was just around the corner, but he needed a quick bite first — the moment the tension of work let go, hunger came crashing in.
After a hasty meal, he returned to the office to find Deputy Park staring right at him. Wondering what was up, Young-hoon stared blankly back until Park waved him over — to the break room, quickly.
Dragging his exhausted body to the break room, Young-hoon accepted the cup of coffee Park dispensed for him as the man launched into a rambling account of the morning's events.
"Man, I saw a whole new side of you this morning, Kim. I always figured you were the quiet, docile type who just swallowed Hong's abuse and stewed over it in silence — but the second you blew up, Hong practically jumped out of his skin. It was glorious."
"You dragged my tired butt all the way to the break room just to say that?"
"No, no. There's an actual point. Right before you got back, Cho and Hong left the office giggling like they'd just won the lottery. My gut says those two are cooking up something tonight."
"Funny — I was at the basement convenience store buying a snack when I saw Cho and Hong heading for the parking garage, so I tailed them. Sure enough, a little while later they drove off in Managing Director Kim's car."
"Managing Director Kim? Hey, we've got more than one Kim Managing Director in this company. Who exactly did you see? Kim Byung-hwan, by any chance?"
"Yeah, Kim Byung-hwan."
"I knew it! Then something is definitely going on... Come to think of it, after his little tête-à-tête with Cho this morning, Hong was crowing that he'd already blown past his monthly sales target. It's got to be connected. My suspicions are piling up, but I've got no hard proof."
"Speaking of which... hey, Park. Any of your dealership accounts complaining about phone prices? I met with President Jung of Seoul Distribution today, and he was tearing his hair out — some bastard dumped inventory on the market and completely wrecked the going rate for phones. He also talked like he had a pretty good idea of which dealership was behind it."
"Kim, my accounts are saying the same thing. I met with the owner of Yeongdeungpo Plaza today and got the exact same story. Who the hell is dumping stock into the electronics markets?"
"Oh, come on, Park. The company's self-proclaimed information hub doesn't know which dealership did the dumping? I've got a pretty good guess already."
"Huh? Who? Spill it."
"Well, first — I'm fairly certain it's a dealership from our own Team 3. Remember last week, when you said it looked like Cho and Hong were dumping inventory into the commercial districts? Then it has to be a dealership under Hong, doesn't it? And when I looked at the sales progress chart by team member this morning, one name jumped right out: Kyungin Distribution. So — go on, Detective Park, deduce."
"Hold on. So one of Hong's dealerships dumped phones into the electronics market... and that dealership is Kyungin Distribution? Which means Kyungin took a loss doing the dumping, and someone has to make it up to them somehow — and that payoff would be... Ah! I've got it. Fake deliveries!"
Young-hoon nodded along, admiring Park's deductive work.
"Well, well, aren't you a genius, Park. That's it. It has to be fake deliveries, no doubt about it. They log phantom shipments to Kyungin Distribution so the dealership recovers its losses — and Hong hits his sales target in the process. And since Managing Director Kim holds the approval authority over those deliveries, obviously they'd set up a drinks session with Kyungin's president to butter him up. The whole picture writes itself, doesn't it?"
"And as far as I know, Managing Director Kim and Cho go way back — same business program at S University, senior and junior. So the plot comes into focus: the S University line — Kim, Cho, and Hong — are the ringleaders of this dumping scheme. Kim's the big boss, Cho's the field commander, Hong's the errand boy, and Kyungin Distribution's the sap they're using... Unbelievable. I swear, I'll never understand how this world works. A dirty, rotten world where scheming opportunists climb the ladder while genuine talent like you grinds away at the bottom goes unrecognized!"
"Hey, it's not too late for you, you know. Hurry up and get yourself into Cho's camp."
"Are you making fun of me? Hello? Cho doesn't even consider you a human being unless you're from his university."
"Well, I went to a third-tier school, so my odds are precisely zero. But your university's the best there is — apart from S University, isn't it?"
"What good does that do me? My own school senior, Director Yoon, is being forced out through an honorary retirement as we speak. Us graduates have been getting steamrolled by the S University crowd for ages."
"True enough. You and me both — expendable lives, through and through. Enough chattering, let's head back. It's almost quitting time, and Manager Kim's probably waiting on us."
Back at the office, Manager Kim called Young-hoon and Deputy Park into the meeting room.
"When you two were out on your field calls earlier, I had a quick word with the team leader. Apparently Hong's dealership, Kyungin Distribution, landed a major supply contract — so he's told everyone not to take any reckless gambles trying to hit this month's targets. Keep that in mind as you close out the month."
After relaying the brief announcement, Manager Kim's expression turned a shade more troubled as he looked at Young-hoon.
"One more thing. It looks like Hong tattled to Cho about what happened this morning. Cho's ordered me to give you a formal warning — so if anyone asks, tell them I reprimanded you. Got it? And watch what you say and do for a while."
"Understood, Manager Kim."
"Honestly, where on earth did they dig up that little punk. Don't let it weigh on you too much, Kim. Wrap up your work and let's head out. Want to grab dinner before you go home?"
"Ah, you've got a family waiting — head home early. Deputy Park and I are going to knock back a quick glass of soju first."
"Really? Then don't overdo it. Alright, let's go."
While Young-hoon and Deputy Park were sharing a casual drink over grilled pork belly at a samgyeopsal joint near the office, a far different gathering was underway at a famous Japanese restaurant in Gangnam — Managing Director Kim Byung-hwan, Deputy Head Cho, Assistant Manager Hong, and President Jung of Kyungin Distribution, holding a private meeting of their own.
Amid a warm, convivial atmosphere of toasts and mutual well-wishes, Cho shot President Jung a subtle glance.
"Aigoo, Managing Director. Your schedule never stops — it must wear you down terribly. It's nothing much, but to help restore your vitality, I've had a medicinal tonic simmered up with deer antler velvet and several roots of ginseng. You could even share it with your wife. Shall we open it up?"
President Jung handed a small box across the table to Managing Director Kim.
Kim could hardly have been more pleased. The dinner venue was superb, and the food had been immaculate and delicious. If the first course of the evening was this good, he could only imagine how spectacular the second round at the room salon would be — the anticipation alone had him glowing. And now President Jung had gone so far as to prepare a health tonic on top of everything. Now here, Kim judged, is a man who truly understands how business is done.
But what came next was even more astonishing.
The moment he took the box and lifted the lid, any notion of wholesome medicine vanished — for there, filling the container to the brim, sat none other than Grand Lady Shin herself.
Even at a glance, it was easily a hundred million won.