Chapter 2

The entire world is contained in this paper. He gathers all the information he need from here. It’s a habit that has been ingrained in him since childhood.

As he drank freshly brewed coffee and thoroughly read three newspapers, he stood up. Wearing a black cashmere coat, he left the house. The sensor light at the entrance turned on and then off again. It was exactly 7:00 a.m.

Samseong-dong. 

Among the densely packed buildings, Minjun’s Audi entered the underground parking lot of one particular building. The car stopped at the executive parking lot on the sixth basement floor. After parking in the designated space, Kyungchul, who had gotten out of the passenger seat, opened the rear door for him. Together with his secretary chief, Kim Kyungchul, Minjun headed toward the elevator. Hearing the sound of wheels rolling, he turned his head. There was a large tray loaded with items being moved. 

As Minjun stared at the tray, Kyungchul explained,  

“It seems to be from the florist, preparing for today’s inauguration ceremony.”  

“Do they usually unload things here?”  

“I don’t believe so. I’ll make sure to address it.”  

“Is there an elevator over there too?”  

“There’s a freight elevator.”  

“Leave it be. They look like they’re struggling.”

The people handling the tray stacked with flowers as tall as a person were women. Two women were pushing it from behind, groaning under the weight. Minjun, with an indifferent glance, stepped into the elevator. Inside the high-speed elevator, ascending rapidly, Minjun remained calm, like a serene lake.

Entering the chairman’s office, Minjun noticed a basket of flowers placed on the desk. Kyungchul spoke,  

“It was sent by the Director. As congratulations on your inauguration as Chairman.”  

Minjun picked up the card attached to the flower basket. The handwriting was neat and orderly.  

[You’ve worked hard. I hope you create your own Paragon now. I believe my son will do well.]  

At his mother’s congratulatory words, he smiled. Growing up, he always felt that building Paragon would have been difficult without his mother’s help. Having spent her life by his father’s side, she now stood by his. He felt grateful to his mother, Lee Ji-won, who supported him unwaveringly. Setting down the card, Minjun said,  

“Let’s start the meeting.”  

“Understood.”  

After Kyungchul left, Minjun sat at his desk, his expression firm and filled with rationality.

***

On the first floor, where the inauguration ceremony was being held, the elevator doors opened, and Kyungseo pulled the tray handle with all her might. She exerted all her strength, but the weight of the flowers was no joke. When the wheels got stuck, Kyungseo shouted,  

“Haejin! Young-in! Push!”  

At Kyungseo’s call, her business partner Haejin and the youngest, Young-in, pushed the tray from behind with all their might, and the wheels finally dislodged. They had barely passed through the elevator, but the three women were already exhausted. Young-in shook her head in disbelief.  

“How did we manage to bring all this here?”  

Haejin cheerfully patted Young-in’s shoulder.  

“Since we’re here, half the work is done. Let’s go.”  

The three women resumed pushing the tray and entered the ceremony venue.  

The spacious area was already bustling with numerous people preparing. Long, round tables were set up, numbering at least thirty. Haejin and Young-in imagined the work they had to do and their faces turned grim. Meanwhile, Kyungseo coldly surveyed the tables and the walls that needed to be decorated with flowers, calculating the quantity of flowers they had prepared.  

“Let’s get started. Young-in, you take care of the tables. Haejin, you’ll help me fill the frames.”  

“Let’s begin.”  

Kyungseo took off her padded vest and threw it on the floor, then began unloading flowers and frame materials from the tray. Haejin and Young-in joined in. From now on, it was a race against time. The event was scheduled for 3:00 p.m., and they had to finish by 2:00 p.m. at the latest.

***

Watching the meeting, Minjun didn’t seem burdened by the inauguration ceremony. Paragon was the result of a merger seven years ago between his father Han Tae-won’s investment company, [Taejin], and Minjun’s M&A specialist company, [Us]. Merging two companies with such different characteristics had been challenging, but Minjun had accomplished it impressively. And recently, following the death of his father, Tae-won, full control of the company had passed to Minjun as the successor.  

The passing of Chairman Han Tae-won had briefly threatened to shake the stock price and the company. However, the business acumen Minjun had demonstrated after the merger was unshakable, neither by external factors nor interference. Minjun’s position within the company was powerful and solid. Moreover, the unwavering support of his mother, Lee Ji-won, could not be overlooked. She had played a crucial role in uniting the directors and shareholders who were wavering.  

As Minjun listened to the report, he looked up and made eye contact with the presenter. The presenter, Lim Heesoon, the head of Investment Team 1, grew nervous. Minjun spoke gently,  

“Based on the head’s report, it seems that ultimately, you failed to persuade them. Isn’t that correct?”  

The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became tense. Sweat began to form on Heesoon’s forehead. He considered making excuses but knew well the personality of the new chairman. Heesoon bowed his head.  

“I’m sorry.”  

“It’s fine. What exactly do they want?”  

“Succession. Full employee succession.”

Minjun tapped the desk slowly and lightly with the fountain pen in his hand. The sound echoed unusually loud, likely because those listening felt uneasy.  

“If we guarantee succession, do you know how much loss we would incur?”  

Minjun spoke softly and amiably, as if chatting with a friend. Of course, that wasn’t the case. When Heesoon failed to answer, Minjun stood and walked to the window. With his hands in his pants pockets, he looked outside and spoke in a casual tone,  

“Succession means acquiring the company as is. If we promise succession, we won’t be able to provide what the client wants, and the contract will ultimately be terminated. If the contract is terminated, the amount we’ll lose is 300 billion won.”  

Everyone watched Minjun intently. Smiling as though cutting throats was a casual act—such was their chairman. Turning around, Minjun smiled faintly and said,  

“Send an email to Daehan tomorrow. Paragon will abandon Daehan.”  

Heesoon’s eyes widened.  

“Will you abandon them?”  

Minjun’s eyes curved slightly.  

“Of course not. It’s one of two things. Either they get desperate and accept our terms, or they immaturely enter rehabilitation procedures. But if they choose rehabilitation, they know they’ll gain nothing. Daehan’s CEO knows this well. Let’s use that.”  

Heesoon, along with the other executives, froze. Skilled in threats and adept at exploiting people’s emotions—what made him terrifying was how he delivered such statements as casually as discussing the weather. Minjun said,  

“That’s it for today’s meeting. You may leave.”  

As the frozen executives slowly gathered their belongings and left the conference room, Kyungchul spoke,  

“It’s time for your meal.”  

“Do I have any lunch appointments?”  

“No.”  

Sitting on the edge of the desk, Minjun gazed out the window and muttered,  

“What should I eat….”  

The sky was entirely gray. The lowered clouds seemed ready to snow at any moment. Suddenly, Minjun aske,  

“What’s the date today?”  

“The 24th.”  

“24th…. It’s Christmas Eve.”  

“Yes.”  

“Eve….”  

Minjun’s eyes, staring at the gloomy sky, revealed no emotion. Rising, Minjun asked,  

“Do you know any places that serve spicy food well?”  

“There’s a place nearby that specializes in sundubu jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew).”  

“Let’s go.”  

Together with Kyungchul, Minjun left the conference room.

***

Skipping lunch, Kyungseo, Haejin, and Young-in were too busy working to notice the time. Kyungseo, sweating profusely, began by attaching flower foam to specially designed frames, then meticulously inserted flowers one by one according to the blueprint. Her face and neck dripped with sweat. Being a florist sounded nice, but it was essentially manual labor. Still, she didn’t regret it. She had chosen this path, and though it was tough, it kept her mind clear, free from distractions.  

Having finished her section, Kyungseo looked over at Haejin’s side, then approached to help with the flowers. Haejin asked,  

“Finished already?”  

Looking at Kyungseo’s completed section, Haejin clicked her tongue.  

“Your hands are so fast.”  

“Let’s finish quickly.”  

“Aren’t you hungry?”  

“I am.”  

“We’re on track to finish on time. Should we eat first? Young-in must be hungry too.”  

At Haejin’s suggestion, Kyungseo turned to look behind her. Young-in, sitting on the floor and arranging flowers in small vases, was in terrible shape. While Kyungseo could manage, Young-in needed food. Checking the time, Kyungseo nodded.  

“Let’s eat. Young-in needs to eat.”  

Haejin grinned widely.  

“Okay. Let’s search for a place.”  

“Search? For what?”  

“Of course! It’s a meal worth working for.”  

While Haejin searched on her phone, Kyungseo approached Young-in.  

“Young-in, let’s eat first.”  

Sitting on the floor, Young-in, who had been making bouquets, looked up at her like she was a savior and whimpered,  

“Do we have time to eat?”  

“Yes, we do.”  

“Why am I not improving…. I’ve only done half so far….”  

“Your bouquets are smaller, so you have to make more. Still, you did well. Let’s go. Haejin, what are we eating?”  

“There’s a snack bar near the company. I’m getting a stone pot dish!”