Lowering Myself and Heading for the Hard Places
Not long after returning to the past, Kim Seong-ho had fallen into deep contemplation about the nature of revenge.
He had wondered whether his target should be Lee Mun-jong, who had been chairman at the time, or the entire Ilhyeon Group.
That deliberation did not last long.
He decided to make every member of the Ilhyeon Group’s owner family a target for revenge—everyone except Lee Gyeong-eun.
Of course, he had no intention of casting everything aside and charging forward like a moth to a flame solely for the sake of vengeance. He also believed there should naturally be compensation for the years he had lost, and he hoped that compensation would be the Ilhyeon Group itself.
In the end, as he pursued his revenge, only Lee Gyeong-eun would remain. Kim Seong-ho had set his sights on sitting atop that massive whale known as the Ilhyeon Group.
Once he had organized these thoughts, set his direction, and begun moving forward, Lee Tak-hyeon’s children gathered in Pyeongchang-dong.
“Ilhyeon Watch has shed a great deal of debt and fixed costs through the factory sale and headquarters sale this time, and it’s now in a normalized state. From next year, we should start seeing concrete results.”
Lee Mun-jong brought up the subject of Ilhyeon Watch to Lee Tak-hyeon.
Lee Sang-jong chimed in next, joining the conversation.
“That’s right. On top of that, with the Seiko advertisements and TV commercials, the brand image has improved, and people are saying we can expect a turnaround to profitability starting next year. So…”
Trailing off for a moment, Lee Sang-jong glanced at Lee Tak-hyeon before speaking again.
“I think it might be about time to wrap up the restructuring.”
After finishing, Lee Sang-jong asked Kim Seong-ho before gauging Lee Tak-hyeon’s reaction.
“What do you think, Kim Seobang—no, Assistant Manager Kim?”
He thought that securing Kim Seong-ho’s agreement would make it easier to persuade Lee Tak-hyeon.
Kim Seong-ho knew exactly why Lee Mun-jong and Lee Sang-jong were bringing this up. Through restructuring, Ilhyeon Watch was gradually becoming healthier, and there was no denying that Kim Seong-ho had made a major contribution to that success. That was precisely why the two of them found his rising status within Ilhyeon Watch uncomfortable. They wanted to wrap up the restructuring as soon as possible so they could remove him from the company—that was why they had raised the subject.
Reading their thoughts, Kim Seong-ho lightly agreed.
“I feel the same way. Wrapping up the restructuring at this point and moving forward normally would be best.”
“R-right? I knew you’d think the same.”
Since Kim Seong-ho had never intended to stay long at Ilhyeon Watch anyway, he could agree with Lee Sang-jong without any issue. Completely unaware of this, Lee Sang-jong brightened at the agreement, thinking things were going his way, and turned to Lee Tak-hyeon.
“Chairman. So…”
“You be quiet.”
Lee Tak-hyeon cut Lee Sang-jong off just as he was about to speak.
“Ilhyeon Watch has nothing to do with you. Why are you sticking your nose in?”
“No, I was just…”
“Don’t tell me you’re connected to those Do presidents? Did you take kickbacks from President Do?”
“N-no, sir!”
Lee Sang-jong waved both hands in alarm.
“How could I possibly do something like that? No. I really have nothing to do with it.”
After speaking, Lee Sang-jong quietly stepped back. He figured that continuing to talk might invite strange misunderstandings, so he chose silence instead.
Curious about the expression of the one who had actually taken the kickbacks, Kim Seong-ho checked Lee Chang-jong’s face. Beads of sweat had formed on Lee Chang-jong’s forehead; his head was bowed as he glanced around nervously. Seeing him like that, Kim Seong-ho let out a quiet laugh. Whether Lee Tak-hyeon knew who had taken the kickbacks or not, Lee Chang-jong’s flustered state was simply amusing.
Then Lee Tak-hyeon looked at Kim Seong-ho and asked,
“Do you really think it’s best to wrap things up here?”
At the sound of Lee Tak-hyeon’s voice, Kim Seong-ho stopped thinking about Lee Chang-jong and turned his head. Meeting the chairman’s gaze, he nodded and spoke.
“Yes. We’ve already done everything that can be done. Rather than tightening further from here, it would be better to continue the business normally and see the results. That way the company will regain its momentum as well.”
“True. That works too. Checking how much fruit grows on a tree you’ve worked hard to cultivate is a good thing.”
Lee Tak-hyeon accepted Kim Seong-ho’s words, then looked at him with a meaningful gaze.
“How about it? Will you take over Ilhyeon Watch?”
“Father!”
Lee Mun-jong cried out in shock. Lee Tak-hyeon, who had been smiling toward Kim Seong-ho, frowned at the interruption. His displeasure at being cut off was plain on his face. Only then did Lee Mun-jong realize his mistake. But this time he could not back down easily. It was already uncomfortable that Kim Seong-ho had established himself by succeeding at the restructuring; handing the now-restructured company over to him was something that simply could not be allowed.
Even under Lee Tak-hyeon’s uncharacteristically irritated gaze, Lee Mun-jong held his ground.
“Chairman. Even so, I believe that would be too much.”
“Too much? Why is it too much?”
“Restructuring and running a company are completely different matters. Moreover, in Kim Seobang’s case, his rank is still Assistant Manager. If we ignore procedure and suddenly place him among the presidents, the backlash will be severe.”
Lee Mun-jong was uncharacteristically firm. Thinking he could not just sit still either, Lee Sang-jong chimed in to support him.
“In the entire history of the Ilhyeon Group, no one has ever gone straight from Assistant Manager to President. Even we, your own children, climbed the stairs step by step to reach our current positions. No matter how great the achievement, jumping straight to a presidential seat would be problematic, I believe.”
When Lee Sang-jong finished, Lee Tak-hyeon scowled heavily.
“You two talk as if you weren’t present when I made the promise.”
“Promise? What promise…?”
Lee Sang-jong tilted his head and looked at Lee Mun-jong. Lee Sang-jong seemed not to remember, but Lee Mun-jong did.
“I clearly promised Kim Seobang that if he normalized Ilhyeon Watch, I would give him an executive position. You were both there, and now you’re saying no.”
At Lee Tak-hyeon’s words, Lee Sang-jong—still not reading the room—spoke as if it had just come back to him.
“Ah, that. I do remember that, but…”
“So you want me to become a man who can’t even keep his promises!”
At Lee Tak-hyeon’s roar, Lee Sang-jong stopped mid-sentence, bowed his head, and only watched for cues. Scoffing at his demeanor, Lee Tak-hyeon turned his gaze to Lee Mun-jong.
“This is something no one has ever accomplished. So I intend to keep my promise—what reason do you have to say no?”
“Chairman. The promise was to elevate him to an executive position, not the presidency of Ilhyeon Watch. What I’m saying is that there’s no reason to ignore the existing presidents’ backlash and seat Kim Seobang as president of Ilhyeon Watch.”
Lee Mun-jong turned to Kim Seong-ho.
“Even if my words sting, please understand. Going from Assistant Manager straight to President has never happened in Ilhyeon Group history, and it shouldn’t.”
“I understand.”
Kim Seong-ho smiled lightly at Lee Mun-jong’s words and spoke.
“I also find the presidency of Ilhyeon Watch burdensome. Chairman.”
“Burdensome?”
When Lee Tak-hyeon turned his gaze to him, Kim Seong-ho spoke in a calm voice.
“Yes. I believe the presidency of Ilhyeon Watch should be entrusted to some other capable talent, not me.”
As if they hadn’t expected him to refuse, Lee Mun-jong and Lee Sang-jong wore surprised expressions. Even for someone without ambition, refusing the presidency of an affiliate would not be easy—yet Kim Seong-ho showed not the slightest regret as he expressed his refusal. Lee Tak-hyeon was equally surprised.
“Do you mean that? This isn’t some other place—it’s the company you cleaned up and rebuilt from the ground up. And you’re still saying no?”
“No matter how many times you ask, my answer is the same. The presidency of Ilhyeon Watch should go to a capable person who can lead the company better than I can. I am not suited for the presidency of Ilhyeon Watch.”
At Kim Seong-ho’s words, Lee Jeong-eun, Executive Director of Ilhyeon Fashion, who had been listening quietly, as well as Lee Chang-jong, who had been watching the room, both lifted their bowed heads and looked at him. Kim Seong-ho met the gazes gathered on him and smiled without a word.
If Gyeong-eun were here, she’d raise hell.
If Lee Gyeong-eun had heard him, she would have jumped up and down demanding why, without a doubt. She might even have gotten into a full fight after hearing Lee Mun-jong and Lee Sang-jong’s opposition. That was why Kim Seong-ho had not brought her to this gathering. To refuse the presidency of Ilhyeon Watch smoothly, her absence was necessary.
Jumping from Assistant Manager straight to the presidency of an affiliate would certainly have been shocking. Even within chaebol families it had never happened before, so if Kim Seong-ho had done it, it would have made all of South Korea buzz. But that was not what he wanted.
While Ilhyeon Watch was indeed an affiliate of the Ilhyeon Group, it was not a core one. If he was not careful, he could end up wasting time on the periphery that was Ilhyeon Watch. For Kim Seong-ho, this period was more important than any other. Right now he needed to raise his standing and solidify his surroundings to lay the foundation for his revenge. He could not afford to spend this time stuck at a place like Ilhyeon Watch.
Moreover, the watch business was one of the declining industries. Although it had entered normalization through restructuring, Kim Seong-ho knew it would grow more difficult with time. This was a matter of industrial change, something even he could do nothing about. So he had no intention of being tied to Ilhyeon Watch.
“Chairman.”
In a calm voice, Kim Seong-ho addressed Lee Tak-hyeon, who wore a subtle expression, and the other family members who were still staring at him in surprise.
“Through the restructuring of Ilhyeon Watch, I learned a great deal and also found it enjoyable. So I’ve come to want to try the same work somewhere other than Ilhyeon Watch.”
“By the same work, you mean restructuring?”
“Yes.”
Kim Seong-ho surveyed the people seated and spoke.
“The Ilhyeon Group has numerous affiliates. Some are thriving, while others are not—just like Ilhyeon Watch was this time. If I can normalize those places the way I did this time, I believe it would be a good thing for the Group as well.”
“You mean you’ll go around hunting down the Group’s rotten parts for the sake of the Group?”
“Yes. I didn’t come here with nothing, after all. I want to be of help to the Group in this way at least.”
Kim Seong-ho bowed his head toward Lee Tak-hyeon and made his request.
“Chairman. I ask you. Please allow me to continue carrying out the restructuring of affiliates for the sake of the Group.”
At Kim Seong-ho’s words, Lee Tak-hyeon stared at him blankly. Simply completing a restructuring and reviving a company did not accumulate merit. Only when the revived place normalized and profits increased did real achievements pile up—that was the way of the times. In other words, Kim Seong-ho was saying he would prepare the entire feast and then step away on his own.
Lee Mun-jong and the others, unable to understand why he was doing this, could only stare in silence. But through the experiences of his past life, Kim Seong-ho knew full well how important the blade of restructuring was. He remembered clearly how much power the one who held that blade could wield at the center of the Group.
Kim Seong-ho was preparing for that very moment by deliberately lowering himself and heading toward the hard places.