Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
If not that...
“There’s no other way but to keep the public’s attention on us.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, we need to make sure people keep focusing on us. So they don’t forget.”
“You know as well as I do that if people get tired of hearing about it, that’s also bad.”
“Right. It’s a difficult situation.”
Both let out simultaneous groans of frustration.
“How’s Sena doing? Won’t people around her be giving her a hard time?”
“She’s fine. She’s a calm person, so she hasn’t been too shaken.”
“That’s good.”
Joo-Hyuk gave a slight nod, but inwardly, he didn’t feel reassured at all.
It worried him that Sena remained so composed even in such a major crisis. Wasn’t it normal to react strongly to something this big? Maybe her calmness was what made her seem fragile instead.
“What are you going to do now?”
“Now that I’m unemployed, I guess I’ll rest for a while since I haven’t had a break in so long.”
“Don’t act so carefree.”
“I’ll cooperate with the prosecution’s investigation and check the direction of the articles you send me every day.”
“Right. Stay sharp.”
Just because he stepped down as CEO didn’t mean he was completely letting go of KMS. The shareholders likely didn’t think so either.
While Eun-Woo served as the interim CEO, he had to somehow set this mess right again.
As she said, he needed to stay sharp.
“I’m leaving.”
“Yeah.”
Eun-Woo stood up, smoothed her clothes with her hands, straightened her shoulders resolutely, and walked out of the auditorium.
Watching her leave, Joo-Hyuk roughly wiped his face with his palm.
---
“Someone came to see me?”
“A man named Kang Seung-Joo. He says Chairman Cho sent him.”
“Chairman Cho?”
Joo-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion.
Chairman Cho was one of the largest shareholders.
He was also the one who had cast a vote in favor of Joo-Hyuk’s dismissal as CEO during today’s shareholders’ meeting.
“What should we do?”
At Secretary Park’s question, Joo-Hyuk nodded. Since Chairman Cho had sent him, there was no choice but to meet him.
Joo-Hyuk adjusted his clothing, stood up, and opened the door to greet the middle-aged man entering.
Tall and clean-cut, with a faint smile that gave off a pleasant impression, the man introduced himself.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Kang Seung-Joo.”
“Yes, welcome.”
When Joo-Hyuk extended his hand for a handshake, Seung-Joo firmly grasped it.
The two sat down on the sofa in the middle of the CEO’s office and began their conversation.
“Chairman Cho sent you?”
“Yes. He said your opinion is the most important and instructed me to meet with you.”
“My opinion?”
As Joo-Hyuk waited for Seung-Joo’s response, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.
“Think of it as a kind of interview.”
“An interview?”
“KMS will be managed by professional managers moving forward.”
It seemed that Seung-Joo was the first of these professional managers.
The shareholders had already chosen someone to replace Joo-Hyuk—barely two hours after the CEO dismissal motion passed at the shareholders’ meeting.
Since when had they prepared for this?
Shaking his head internally at the foolishness of the question, Joo-Hyuk realized the answer: probably a long time ago.
His father had been active as a lobbyist for years, and from the moment people learned that Joo-Hyuk was an illegitimate child, some had harbored resentment toward his very existence.
These were the people who had been watching the situation closely, waiting for the opportunity to reduce him to just another shareholder and reshape KMS to their liking.
And now, that opportunity had fallen right into their laps.
While Joo-Hyuk was pondering how to respond, Secretary Park entered with drinks, placing them in front of the two before leaving.
“It seems you’ve come to the wrong person. I’m no longer the CEO, so if you’re here for an interview, you should go see the interim CEO.”
His voice, now stiff and cold compared to earlier, didn’t sit well even with himself, but Joo-Hyuk didn’t care.
“Besides, it seems Chairman Cho and a few others have already decided to appoint you as the professional manager, regardless of my opinion.”
“I hold no personal grudges.”
No personal grudges, huh…
Seung-Joo’s face, still wearing that calm smile, no longer seemed pleasant to Joo-Hyuk.
What kind of weapon was hidden behind that smile?
“Aren’t you curious about how I plan to run KMS?”
“That sounds like a question from someone who’s already assumed the role of CEO.”
“Ah, true. One can never predict what might happen.”
“Let’s hear it then. What are your thoughts on KMS, and how do you plan to lead it?”
At Joo-Hyuk’s question, Seung-Joo gave a deep smile, took a sip of his coffee, and leaned slightly forward.
It seemed he really coveted KMS.
Though it was a subtle movement, Joo-Hyuk didn’t miss a single action of Seung-Joo’s.
“I’ll change everything about KMS. Right now, KMS’s audience consists only of a niche group of enthusiasts. That’s not enough to make money. We need to capture everyone’s attention, not just a niche audience. Otherwise, it’s no different from a personal broadcast, is it?”
Seung-Joo appeared to have analyzed KMS thoroughly, speaking at length about its current position, situation, and future plans.
“Do you know what viewers want these days?”
“What is it?”
“Stimulation! Stimulation!”
The previously quiet and composed atmosphere vanished as Seung-Joo raised his voice.
“Whether it’s news, dramas, or variety shows, any broadcast that doesn’t stimulate viewers can’t survive in this era.”
“So you’re saying you’ll boost ratings with sensational broadcasts?”
“That’s the only way KMS can survive going forward.”
As if convinced of his groundbreaking idea, Seung-Joo beamed brightly at Joo-Hyuk.
This man will undoubtedly ruin KMS.
Joo-Hyuk wasn’t ignorant of the importance of ratings. But to him, there were things far more important than ratings.
Truth and sincerity.
He didn’t mean to criticize sensational broadcasts outright, but if all broadcasts focused solely on stimulation, the truth would inevitably be distorted.
“What do you think of my ideas?”
When Seung-Joo pressed for an answer, Joo-Hyuk stared at him coldly before rising from the sofa.
“I’ll convey the results of this interview directly to Chairman Cho.”
Confusion briefly flickered across Seung-Joo’s face, which still carried traces of lingering excitement.
“Did something I said displease you?”
“Yes, everything.”
Joo-Hyuk answered firmly, turned his back, and sat down at his desk.
Seung-Joo’s expression shifted from bewilderment to anger, and without another word, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Joo-Hyuk gazed at the monitor and made a firm resolution.
He would never let that man take over KMS.
Never.
---
“Huh?”
The housekeeper’s eyes widened in disbelief, questioning whether she had misheard or if Sena had indeed said those words.
“What are you waiting for? Go and deliver the message as it is.”
“But…”
“Hurry up. Tell them I don’t want to enter the house, so they should come out.”
Sena repeated her earlier statement verbatim, without changing a single word.
She never wanted to step foot inside that house again.
After her last visit, she had resolved firmly: she wouldn’t return to this house, and if she ever did, she wouldn’t set foot inside.
“Ah, understood.”
It was obvious that when the housekeeper relayed Sena’s message, Chairman Kang would explode in anger. But she didn’t care. What could she do? Someone important would come out eventually.
As she expected, it wasn’t long before Chairman Kang stormed out of the house with heavy footsteps, flinging the front door wide open. His face was red with rage, and he huffed angrily as he marched into the garden, crossing his arms and sitting down on a chair to glare fiercely at her.
“How dare you order your father around? You ungrateful brat.”
The person who ordered others around was her father, not her.
Sena silently protested in her mind.
“Why did you call me here?”
“Divorce Choi Joo-Hyuk!”
“…What?”
“I said divorce Choi Joo-Hyuk! Damn that cursed family. If we keep relying on Chairman Choi, we’ll end up under investigation by the prosecution. So divorce him before it’s too late!”
Staring at Chairman Kang, who was fuming with indignation, Sena felt as though she had been doused with cold water. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, and her teeth chattered loudly as they clacked together.
“H-How can you say something like that?”
“What’s the problem? Your marriage to him was nothing but a show anyway. It’s a marriage with no benefits, so I’m telling you to divorce him.”
“Don’t treat my family as a joke just because you treat your own family that way!”
Sena shouted back.
“What did you say?”
Chairman Kang pushed his chair back, stood up abruptly, and stepped close enough for his hot breath to hit her face.
“Your family? Do you even have a family? You’ve only been married for less than a month—what kind of family are you talking about? Just do as you’re told and quietly get a divorce, like you did when you got married.”
“I won’t divorce him.”
“You wretch!”
Before Chairman Kang’s hand could reach her face after slicing through the air, Sena glared at him without blinking.
But his hand never made contact. Someone had grabbed his arm.
“What the hell? Who are you?”
“Don’t do this, Father.”
It was Jicheol.
“Let go! Let go of me, I said!”
“You already made her marry according to your wishes. Are you really going to force her into a divorce now?”
“You kids!”
Chairman Kang twisted his body free from Jicheol’s grip. As soon as his arm was released, he slapped Jicheol hard across the face.
Jicheol’s head jerked violently. When he turned back to face Chairman Kang, his expression was completely devoid of emotion.
“Oh my goodness, dear! Dear, dear! Why are you acting like this? Why?”
Madam Oh, who had apparently been watching the entire scene from the balcony window, ran out barefoot and stood in front of Chairman Kang. Her hastily tied hair whipped wildly in the strong wind.
Google Sites
Report abuse