I’d Rather Live as a Villain

I’d Rather Live as a Villain – Part 11

The situation was already complicated enough.

The day before the first day at Mulsan as an executive, at the group’s headquarters.

It was when I was going through the resignation process at the Human Resources Headquarters.

It’s called a process, but it was just about handing over the resignation letter I had prepared in advance, exchanging awkward greetings with the head of HR, and receiving congratulations and support for the executive promotion.

Since the reason for resignation was the contract with Mulsan as an executive, there was no need for an exit interview.

The time I spent at the HR Headquarters was at most five minutes.

After finishing that, I received a call from an unfamiliar number.

It was a call from the head of HR at Mulsan.

-A request from the group’s secretariat has come in to prepare for the director’s executive inauguration ceremony in the Mulsan building lobby at exactly 10 AM tomorrow.

The group’s secretariat?

But I just came down from there.

-There was a special instruction from the chairman to welcome you concisely but sincerely.

And they said I didn’t need to prepare anything myself, as the HR department at Mulsan would send someone to my house in the morning.

Since it’s a lobby welcoming ceremony, I have to get off at the entrance of the building and enter through the main gate at the right time.

The lobby welcoming ceremony.

One of the traditions of Daeyoung Group.

It’s customary to prepare when there’s an appointment of the president or executive director level.

However, it’s very unusual for general executive-level appointments.

The only time I actually witnessed something exceptional was when Kang Moon-jung, the Executive Director, took office as the head of distribution operations.

It was a natural event for the Executive Director, given the uniqueness of an owner being appointed as a VIP executive.

But me receiving it?

I didn’t know about the other parts, but I felt I had to inform Mr. Kang Moon-jung about this part over the phone beforehand.

-My father?

“Yes, it was a request from the group’s secretariat, and there was also a special instruction from the chairman to do it concisely but sincerely.”

-Really? I have no idea what you’re talking about.

It was hard to take this as purely good news.

I wasn’t even married to the Executive Director yet, and the marriage details were just starting to be worked on by the group’s secretariat, spreading rumors in the financial world.

If such an event were to be created hastily, it could lead to a dangerous atmosphere of, “What’s with this guy?”

While I was worrying about these things, Mr. Kang Moon-jung’s voice began to flow through the receiver again.

-But why?

But why? But why?

Wow…

Is this really happening?

It was a typical reaction from the Executive Director, but the fact that I was left alone to worry and fret over the situation did hurt my pride a bit.

-Just do it. It’s an instruction from the chairman through the group’s secretariat, and Mr. Min, the president of Mulsan, has given the okay sign, with the HR Executive Director even contacting us directly. What reason do we have not to accept it?

He’s your father.

Your own father.

Did someone call because they don’t know they just have to do it?

If I say, “It seems like such an event is going to happen…” and you respond, “Oh, really? I’ll ask the chairman about it later,” would that make you feel better?

The truth is, I still don’t know what position the chairman or the great chairman have on this marriage.

I couldn’t ask the Executive Director.

50 billion is already deposited in my account, so where’s the point in asking what the chairman and the great chairman think about this marriage, and what their thoughts are?

That’s why I’m being careful now, trying not to create a disadvantageous situation for the Executive Director without knowing exactly what they think.

If I only had the assurance that the chairman and the great chairman were favorable towards this marriage, there would be no reason for me to hesitate or be cautious.

-If it’s worth doing, he must have instructed you to prepare for it.

Worth doing?

-As soon as I heard that a lobby welcoming ceremony was being prepared, a phrase my father often uses came to mind.

I pride myself on being well-studied about the great chairman Kang Ki-young, but in truth, I’ve hardly studied chairman Kang Man-ho at all.

The breakfast table in Pyeongchang-dong is a place where Chairman Kang Ki-young speaks alone.

-“Some people take an opportunity and turn it into a crisis, while others take a crisis and turn it into an opportunity. Which one will you be? At every group affiliate presidents’ meeting, he always asks that question to the presidents of affiliates where incidents have occurred. Chief Yun.”

“Yes.”

-“Don’t be nervous.”

“Who, me? Am I?”

His voice was completely teasing.

-“Just act like yourself.”

“Like myself?”

-“No, like me, me. Act like Kang Moon-jung.”

It seemed to make sense at once.

-“If you were Kang Moon-jung, what would you do in this situation, how would you conduct yourself… Always keep that mindset as the head of the trading division. Then, as for me, if I were Yun Tae-sik, how would I clean up, how would I cover… Just like how Chief Yun has been cleaning up the messes I’ve made, I’ll cover for Chief Yun here.”

“…”

-“The difficulty level will rise from what you’ve done so far, but if we can just coordinate well, then we won’t be just two people in the future, but two Kang Moon-jungs, two Yun Tae-siks. Four of us.”

How could I not acknowledge the executive director?

If we’re talking about work performance, to be honest, he still has a long way to go.

But is it intuition? Guts? Or boldness? In that regard, he’s unparalleled.

And then there’s the intuition.

And the confidence to turn that intuition into reality.

Such things don’t grow by learning.

That’s what I think when I look at the executive director.

It’s something you’re born with.

-“There’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s just the trading division. Go and just devour it all.”

***

Trading Division Headquarters Lobby.

More employees of the trading division were looking down at the upcoming welcome ceremony from the railings on each floor than the line of executives and department heads standing.

Next to the revolving door, a security guard had the side entrance wide open, waiting.

The first thing to do upon entering was to briefly scan the trading division employees who were watching the welcome ceremony from the railings on each floor.

For a short 2,3 seconds.

What could those people be thinking as they look at me now?

Just a lucky guy who turned his life around by meeting the right woman?

Or perhaps a division head who’s parachuted into position?

After all,

Does it really matter what those people think of me?

From now on, I’m going to excel.

I clear my mind.

To do that, I go to face reality.

“Division Manager of Overseas Construction, Executive Director Jeon Chung-heon.”

Division Manager of Overseas Construction, Jeon Chung-heon.

Born in 1975.

Known within Daeyoung Corporation as the one-man force who played a pivotal role in embracing the Middle Eastern region for the Overseas Construction Division, he’s now rising as a prominent figure.

Even before I saw the information about the executives of Daeyoung, provided so openly through Director Roh by Executive Director Kang Moon-jung, I knew too well about Division Manager Jeon Chung-heon.

Until I moved to the group’s secretariat, Jeon Chung-heon was the Middle East branch manager of the Overseas Construction Division.

The division kept securing astronomical contracts in the Middle East, and naturally, his presence rose like a hero among the employees of the European region as well.

Daeyoung Corporation, having secured back-to-back contracts for constructing skyscrapers over 100 stories high in Dubai and Qatar, now enjoys greater recognition abroad than in South Korea.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Division Manager Jeon Chung-heon is at the heart of that success.

But…

That very Division Manager Jeon Chung-heon has come down to greet me?

Would the chairman come out early to greet everyone in line at the president’s inauguration ceremony?

This moment signifies that in the future of Daeyoung, my position will be right after the president and the executive director, above Division Manager Jeon Chung-heon.

Suddenly, I remembered the conversation I had with the executive director the day before.

Just like Kang Moon-jung.

I confidently extended my hand first to Division Manager Jeon Chung-heon.

And the moment he firmly grasped my hand, I produced a smile on my face, even more solid than his expression.

“I’m Yoon Tae-sik. I look forward to your support and cooperation.”

I then proceeded to greet the heads of various departments in turn: the head of greetings, the finance director, the legal team manager, the domestic construction division manager, the head of the Asian region… and the heads of each key department.

Then Division Manager Jeon Chung-heon approached me and said,

“The president and the executive director are currently in the executive meeting room. You can go up with them.”

Other executives and department heads began to gather around me and Division Manager Jeon Chung-heon, as if encircling us.

What’s the most Kang Moon-jung thing to do at this moment?

I’ve served right by his side for over three years.

Not exactly by his side, but if you count the time I took care of the executive at Mulsan, it’s been five years.

In those five years, the executive has changed a lot, and so have I, haven’t I?

That’s why I’m not sure.

Whether I’ve come to resemble the executive’s style, or if the executive has also come to resemble mine.

Whether this is something Kang Moon-jung would do, or if it’s more Yoon Tae-sik’s style.

But one thing was certain.

Even if the executive had done this, I would have thought it was just the executive being himself, and if I had done it, the executive would have said it was only natural…

“Before that, may I stop by the European Division office first?”

At my words, Vice President Jeon Chung-heon stopped in his tracks and looked at me.

As his steps halted, so did those of the other executives and department heads, all at once.

Except for one person, Chief Choi Jang-ho of the European Division.

He quickly stepped forward.

“Right now, you mean? The division head is all set to meet you, but still, if the president…”

I raised my hand low to cut off Chief Choi’s words.

And still looking at Vice President Jeon, I said,

“It’ll be over quickly. You can go ahead to the meeting room if you like.”

A faint smile appeared on Vice President Jeon’s face.

As if he was inwardly looking forward to what his first official duty as the head of the European Division would be, a smile of anticipation.

“No, let’s go together. It’s on the way. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the European Division office, and it’s nice. Two birds with one stone.”

I caught the flustered look on Chief Choi’s face and sent him a look that asked him to lead the way.

Since we couldn’t all fit in one elevator, we split into two teams.

Vice President Jeon, the head of HR, the finance director, the head of the Asian Division, and I got on the elevator first, guided by Chief Choi and the HR manager.

Third floor.

European Division office.

As all the executives and department heads below the level of executive vice president entered the office, the employees of the European Division stood up from their seats, unable to make a sound, rigid with tension.

I was at the very front of the group that had brought this tense atmosphere into the European Division office.

Once again, I paid attention to my stride, making sure not to walk with a swagger.

And I straightened my neck and stretched my back.

The seats of Deputy Chief Jung Chang-ho, whose computer monitor had vanished, and Manager Choi Moon-ho.

First, I checked that, to see if that guy, Park Je-dong, had taken good care of the opportunity I gave him before he left.

Thankfully.

The faces I detest, I won’t have to see them ever again.

I slowly walked towards the spotlessly empty seat of Deputy Chief Jung Chang-ho.

Nothing was left behind.

Without a word, I just wiped the desk with my middle finger.

Not even a speck of dust.

I looked up at Chief Choi Jang-ho, who was standing tense.

The other executives, including Vice President Jeon Chung-heon, seemed to think I was in the midst of capturing my character against the entire European division office, waiting leisurely yet with curious expressions.

But I wasn’t capturing my character for the European division staff.

I no longer need to intentionally show who I am.

At least not here, in the European division.

It’s not for me to show, but for them to find out on their own.

“Chief Choi Jang-ho.”

“Yes, y-yes! Yes, Director.”

Sweating in this weather.

“Was this the seat used by Deputy Chief Jung Chang-ho?”

“…Yes.”

“This is the Deputy Chief’s seat? The Deputy Chief’s seat… is this correct?”

“Yes? Well, the seat can be changed anytime. It’s not like there are walls, just moving the partition a bit will do. Should I change it?”

I omitted the answer and turned my head again, slowly scanning the employees of the European division.

Their gazes fell as mine moved.

Then, where my gaze stopped.

There, instead of avoiding my gaze, one was meeting it, unable to contain the emotions welling up.

Oh Ji-won, the associate.

The only rival who made me nervous three years ago, at the same associate level.

A senior who occasionally brought up something I hadn’t even thought of, catching me off guard.

An existence so vexing in its perfection, it made me wonder if it was human or machine.

That being, not from the Spain team but from the ETC team (the team dealing with all other European countries except the Bulldog and Spain teams within the European division), was looking at me with a smirk, pleased to inject tension into the entire office of the European division.

Madmen.

To think they had a Seoul National University Spanish Literature graduate cooped up in a place like this?

During the Andalusian farm contract, when the Spain 1 team was assembled as the main business trip team and everyone except me had crossed over to Granada, they left a talent who had supported me in the office, unaware of the project plan, and played a supporting role for the business trip team, locked up here?

Are they all out of their minds?

I walked over there.

Matching my pace, all the other executives of Mulsan were moving as well.

“Assistant Manager Oh Ji-won.”

“Yes, Director.”

Assistant Manager Oh and I stood facing each other, separated by a single partition.

“Is this Assistant Manager Oh Ji-won’s seat?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Assistant Manager Oh Ji-won’s seat… Is this correct?”

“…”

Before long, a moist something began to fill Senior Oh’s eyes, as if the unfairness of the office atmosphere he had endured over the years was resurfacing.

I turned around once more and scanned the entire European Division office.

Everyone was bowing their heads.

I put strength into my voice so that all of them could hear.

“Pack your things.”

“…Yes?”

“Pack up and go over there. The place where Assistant Manager Oh originally belongs. As of this moment, Assistant Manager Oh Ji-won’s seat is not here but…”

I pointed with the tip of my finger to the spot vacated by Deputy Manager Jung Chang-ho.

“It’s over there. Move.”