The dinner table, which had been pleasant until just now, turned heavy with Baek Shin-woo's answer.
In response, Myung Woon-suk pointed out Shin-woo's attitude in a sharp voice.
"Baek Shin-woo, aren't you trying to run a dictatorship without thinking about the headquarters?"
"What's dictatorial about it?"
"I'm talking about what you're trying to do now. A company can't be run by the CEO alone. That's why we need executives and managers."
"I'd rather not have executives and managers who are going to carve up the company."
Myung Woon-suk was already uncomfortable with Shin-woo's successful moves. So he tried to find fault with his words, but it wasn't easy.
"Then you should at least form other executives."
"You mean with your father's faction, who will constantly challenge my choices?"
Shin-woo's answer had no filter. From the beginning, he was displeased with the dinner and the hyena-like people who were watching to see if any crumbs would fall from everything he did.
"It's not about factions right now. Honestly, do you even know about management? Can you analyze things like PEST analysis, EPR, BPR, IPO?"
All of them were professional management terms.
Myung Woon-suk was trying to push him with knowledge since he couldn't keep up with his performance.
But Shin-woo had anticipated this situation.
"Political, Economic, Social, Technological. Enterprise Resource Planning. Business Process Reengineering. Initial Public Offering. Analysis of the external environment and business process re-engineering. I understand corporate management resources, but isn't the last one, Initial Public Offering, not something you should say to a company that's just starting out?"
Myung Woon-suk's expression hardened for a moment. It was because Shin-woo had accurately interpreted everything.
"You know… that?"
"I wouldn't have answered if I didn't. You're not thinking of rattling off other management terms here and giving me some kind of oral exam, are you?"
What he had just done wasn't any different.
Myung Woon-suk, who was biting his lip, had no choice but to change direction.
"MH Future Security has 69% of the company's shares. That means that much investment went into it. Do you think we can entrust such a company to you alone?"
"If you're so distrustful of me, you can be the CEO. I'll just take my shares and leave with my people."
Myung Joong-hwan quietly watched the ongoing argument between the two. So the adults, including Myung In-chul, waited without saying a word.
It felt like they were seeing who would win.
Myung Woon-suk read that atmosphere and spoke more strongly.
"Is that something a person in the position of CEO should say? Don't you have any sense of responsibility?"
"Who's talking to whom about responsibility…"
Shin-woo furrowed his brow, as if he was tired of it, and scratched his ear once.
Myung Woon-suk couldn't help but get even more angry at that sight.
"You have dozens of employees under you. You have a duty to take responsibility for them. And should we call it responsible to say you'll give up without a care?"
"That's not wrong. But what should we do with the head who not only stole the performance of the employee he had to feed but even demoted him? Should we cut it off?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Shin-woo sighed as if he was amused.
"Three years ago, when you were the head of the Future Planning and Strategy Office, the Munkyung-ri Bus World Project, a theme park that MH Construction successfully created in collaboration. You sent Department Head Lee Sung-moon, who was the initial planner, to the MH Retail Daegu branch before the project was even confirmed. Have you forgotten?"
It was the first time in three years that Shin-woo had heard that name.
"How do you know about that…"
"When you're at headquarters, you hear all sorts of things. You didn't think no one would remember that, did you?"
Myung Woon-suk, who had completely forgotten about the incident at the time, wondered how Shin-woo knew about it, but that wasn't the issue in the current situation.
Of course, Shin-woo didn't expect to bring up the matter of Lee Sung-moon, whom he had met today, so quickly.
But Myung Woon-suk didn't admit it.
"No, you're mistaken. I did that planning. Department Head Lee Sung-moon requested the transfer because he was uncooperative with his work and the project."
"That's very different from what I know. Department Head Lee Sung-moon was so resentful that he still had the initial drafts and materials for the project."
Myung Woon-suk's expression crumpled for a moment.
That wasn't something he had confirmed with Lee Sung-moon. It was one of the things Jang Man-soo, who had lived like a slave in the National Intelligence Service, remembered from the future.
"He even made quite a few portfolios there, probably because he was still resentful about the future planning project. I'm planning to appoint that Lee Sung-moon as the head of the planning department of the MH Future Security Investment Division this time."
"…What?"
"He's a passionate talent."
"Didn't you hear what I said earlier? I said he was a problematic person."
"What you say is none of my business."
Tak―
At that moment, Myung Joong-hwan, who had been quietly watching, slammed his chopsticks down hard.
"The argument is getting quite complicated."
"...."
Amid the sudden silence, only Shin-woo opened his mouth.
"You've been watching so intently, I don't know if you've been having fun."
At that question, Myung Joong-hwan chuckled.
"It wasn't bad."
"But did you really just call me to have dinner?"
Shin-woo had received Myung Joong-hwan's dinner invitation while he was going down to Daegu.
Since it wasn't originally planned, he couldn't help but think there was another intention.
"Can't I just have dinner?"
"There are a lot of faces I don't particularly want to see unless there's an official reason."
Shin-woo glanced over Myung In-chul, Myung Woon-suk, Myung Sung-chul, Myung Jin-seok, and Myung Soo-yeon as if connecting them. The corners of their eyes twitched as they met his gaze.
Myung Joong-hwan smiled in the chilling atmosphere.
"Of course, I called you because I had something to talk about."
Everyone waited for the answer to continue.
"First of all, In-chul, take your hands off the MH Future Security executive issue."
"Father. That's not going to work. As long as MH Group holds shares, we can't help but be involved in management. There will be strong opposition from the executives within the group as well."
He didn't know what would happen inside MH Future Security in the future. Besides, Shin-woo even had 1% of MH Holdings' shares.
He couldn't stand still to keep him in check as much as possible.
But Myung Joong-hwan's expression didn't let his words continue.
"Why do you think I have MH Security shares?"
Myung In-chul became cautious at the very solemn voice.
"That's because the headquarters provided the investment, isn't it?"
Myung Joong-hwan sighed deeply.
"I originally dissuaded Shin-woo from putting down 100% of that investment alone. You don't know what that means, do you?"
"Where would Baek Shin-woo get that kind of money…"
Myung In-chul's mouth stopped as he was about to continue speaking.
"When Shin-woo first came to MH Group, I attached an incentive clause. 5% of net profit. How much profit did we make from the Livio Soft shares?"
"…It will be about 400 billion won."
"Then how much will Shin-woo's 5% incentive be?"
"It will be a little over 20 billion won. But that only happens when the shares are sold."
The share assets on the computer were over 500 billion won, but there was no actual net profit.
That's why Shin-woo had only paid 31% of the investment with the incentives he had received from investment profits so far.
"So does that become money that doesn't exist? Livio Soft is still growing, isn't it?"
"...."
Myung In-chul was at a loss for words.
In response, Myung Joong-hwan scanned his family with a heavy gaze.
"A company is manpower, and ability comes from manpower. If you have ability, the logic for the company is to catch it by any means."
The explanation didn't stop there and continued.
"Do you want to abandon the ability and manpower that are being demonstrated for the company because of your greed?"
The end of his gaze moved alternately towards Myung In-chul and Myung Woon-suk. It felt like he was concerned about the matter of the person named Lee Sung-moon that Shin-woo had mentioned earlier.
"…I'm sorry."
Most of them, including Myung In-chul, bowed their heads slightly.
Only Shin-woo, Im Hee-yeon, and Myung Yoo-hee were looking at him calmly.
"Anyway, let's wrap up the problem I mentioned earlier there. If you keep arguing about this and that, know that I'll hand over all of MH Future Security's shares to Shin-woo."
"…I understand."
The dinner ended like that.
There was no time to even have tea there. Everyone except Myung In-chul's family, who lived in the mansion together, went back.
Shin-woo, who was heading to his car in the parking lot, heard Im Hee-yeon's voice calling from behind.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Is it something that will take a long time?"
"It's not."
"Let's talk while moving in the car."
Shin-woo got into the back seat of Im Hee-yeon's car like that. As the vehicle began to move, Im Hee-yeon carefully brought up the topic.
"How did you know about Lee Sung-moon?"
In fact, Im Hee-yeon also knew. However, there were too many factors to interfere with Myung Woon-suk's work at the time.
"I heard people whispering about it inside the company. I looked into it just in case, and he's a talented person."
"You didn't bring him in because of Myung Woon-suk?"
"It's not that there's no relationship, so I can't say it doesn't matter."
It was a nonchalant answer without any soul.
"The reason I wanted to talk to you is not about that, but because you also have to go to China this time."
"Are you talking about the business trip that Myung Woon-suk was going on?"
"It's because of something else. It's an important matter related to MH Future Security, which you're in charge of, so let's go to China together."
It was an answer that seemed to have already decided on Shin-woo's accompaniment.
"Well, there's nothing important right now, so…"
Shin-woo was a little curious as to why Im Hee-yeon was suddenly doing this. So, as he was about to answer, he remembered the problem.
It was because his departure was restricted due to his service in UAD.
In response, Im Hee-yeon calmly replied.
"If you're worried about the problem, the Chairman has solved it, so you don't have to worry."
"…Is that so? If it's resolved, there's no problem. I'll go."
Myung Joong-hwan and Im Hee-yeon had grasped Shin-woo's background to some extent. Of course, they couldn't find the unofficial records, but they were able to resolve the restrictions that were imposed as a result.
"…Thank you."
It was a small voice. Shin-woo clearly heard those words, but he tilted his head without realizing it.
"Excuse me?"
"…It's nothing."
The car drove towards Shin-woo's house in silence.
Then, Im Hee-yeon opened her mouth again as if something had suddenly come to mind.
"How about moving this time? No matter how comfortable that place is, you have to think about your position. There will be inconveniences for security as well."
"A CEO living in a studio apartment of about 10 pyeong. Well, isn't it kind of innovative?"
"People will criticize you. And you have to spend as much as you earn."
Shin-woo's salary was now far beyond the incentive income from his investments so far, so it didn't matter.
Of course, Jang Man-soo was managing it and it was continuing to grow, except for the investment that went into MH Future Security this time.
"I was thinking about moving anyway."
It was almost winter. In that situation, Lee Doo-heon and the special security team members were taking turns working in tents on the roof of Shin-woo's studio apartment building.
"Shall I find a house for you? I also have an officetel in my possession."
"I'll take care of that myself."
This was because he had to consider various factors such as location, safety, and securing escape routes for the house he was moving to.
"…Tell me anytime if you need anything."
Shin-woo arrived at his destination as the conversation ended.
After getting out of the car, he was able to enter his house. And not long after, he secretly came out of the house again and went to Mansu Electric.
When he passed through the secret passage behind the bookshelf, he heard a loud voice from inside.
It seemed like Jang Man-soo and Lillian were arguing.
"…Okay! Let's bet!"
"Good! Jang Mandu! I said Wei! You said Rick, right?"