Kim Cheol-soo, who was walking down the hallway, looked back at the conference room.
The fact that the two of them had something to talk about, excluding themselves, meant that it was ultimately related to them.
And Kim Cheol-soo had a rough guess as to what it was.
Three people who were promoted faster than ever in the history of Korea-English Trading Company.
Managing Director Ahn Jung-gyu, Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak, and Manager Kim Cheol-soo.
And among them, Kim Cheol-soo was promoted the fastest.
Because it was an unprecedented case of being promoted once a year.
Considering that even Jang Yu-mi, who was said to be the second best performer among his peers, was still an employee, Kim Cheol-soo’s promotion was virtually a fantasy.
I once asked Lee Jun-hak to go with me.
However, he said this because he did not expect that his promotion would be so fast.
It was clear that if things continued like this, it wouldn’t be long before there would be a situation where Lee Jun-hak would have to step up.
When that time comes, will Lee Jun-hak really make a concession?
It was something unknown.
From Ahn Jeong-gyu’s perspective, there was a high possibility that one of the two would think that going to SKY Teletech was the only way to put an end to the unnecessary controversy.
And it appears that they chose Deputy Director Lee Jun-hak.
It was a business that could possibly change the fortunes of the Hanyoung Group, and Kim Cheol-soo thought that Lee Jun-hak, who became the president of SKY Teletech, was not a bad person.
‘I have to push it.’
Kim Cheol-soo turned around and returned to the department.
**
Kim Hak-dong reports during the day, works as a designated driver in the evening, and posts articles for an online newspaper at night.
While preparing breakfast for my daughter who was getting ready for school, I dozed off for a while.
After a while, the burnt car vibrated and my daughter, Kim Mi-kyung, startled by the smell, ran out of the room.
“what’s this?”
Kim Mi-kyung immediately opened all the windows in the house and sighed when she saw the blackened fried eggs.
“dad!”
Kim Mi-kyung shook Kim Hak-dong, who was asleep at the table, to wake him up.
Kim Hak-dong stood up angrily.
“Uh, huh?”
“What on earth are you doing at night when you’re not sleeping?”
Kim Mi-kyung said as Kim Hak-dong sniffed and looked around.
“I turned off the light. It was all burned down. No, what on earth are you doing at night without sleeping?”
“Because I was working…”
“If you work 24 hours a day, when will you sleep?”
“I need to sleep from time to time.”
“That’s to an extent, really…. “I said I do the cooking.”
“You’re a senior in high school, kid.”
Hearing Kim Hak-dong’s words, Kim Mi-kyung sighed and skillfully disposed of the burnt fried egg.
“Dad, what do you know how to do right?”
Kim Hak-dong was speechless for a moment at the harsh look in his daughter’s eyes.
“Go and look in the mirror to see how much of a mess your dad has become since mom died!”
“This guy!”
“Why is my father who only calls for justice so bad, and why are other reporters who turn a blind eye to life so well?”
“Mikyung!”
The daughter, who was lashing out at me with tears streaming down her face, ran back into the room.
Kim Hak-dong just sighed, feeling like his heart was breaking.
But he soon shook his head, got up again, and prepared breakfast.
My daughter, a senior in high school, studies late into the night, so I had to make sure she had food.
There was no way I could study well at school if I was that upset.
After publishing an article criticizing large corporations and being disciplined and fired, the financial blow was greater than expected.
As the rumor spread around here, it was impossible to get a new job at another media company, so I was barely making ends meet.
All I could think about was how I could hold on until my daughter entered college.
“Mikyung.”
As Kim Hak-dong’s quiet voice stood in front of his daughter’s door, his daughter’s angry cries could be heard from inside.
“why!”
“I have to take a shower and go to school. Dad will prepare breakfast. “I also bought you the sausage you like yesterday.”
**
If you work hard to explain a product under hot lights, you will sweat profusely.
Fortunately, most of my back was soaked rather than my makeup-covered face.
“excuse me···.”
Song Do-yoon, who was cooling his sweat by flapping his clothes, quickly adjusted his clothes when he saw a woman he had never seen talking to him.
“There are many examples of rude behavior at first meeting. “You were surprised by my sudden visit, right?”
“it’s okay. Who are you?”
Han Jeong-hwa, who came well prepared, quickly handed over her business card.
“It’s called Hanjeonghwa. “I run a small company.”
“Oh, I see. “What’s going on?”
Han Jeong-hwa pointed to the steam cleaner she brought with her own hands.
“I came here to ask you to promote the company’s products.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. What should I do? I don’t take charge of products from multiple companies at once. “It is also my broadcasting principle.”
——————
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“I know that. “Nevertheless, I came here.”
“ah···.”
“This is a product that we have worked hard on for four years. Product performance is better than any other product on the market. “I think companies that imitate this product are disappointing consumers by packaging their products as if they are the best.”
“It’s an unfortunate situation.”
“I want to introduce real products to consumers. “The only hope I can rely on now is you.”
Although they said so, it was not a product that was verified in the market.
Compared to other companies, they couldn’t pay much for the appearance fee.
But Han Jeong-hwa had a weapon called sincerity.
She persuaded Song Do-yoon for a long time.
Although he was an uninvited guest who interrupted his break, Song Do-yoon quickly focused on Han Jeong-hwa’s words.
Her confident confidence was like a work of art that you couldn’t take your eyes off.
“···Can I try the product?”
“Sure.”
Song Do-yoon wiped the floor with a steam cleaner a few times and nodded with admiration.
“Actually, I’m using German products at home right now. But it’s much lighter than that, so it doesn’t take much force. “It also looks prettier.”
“yes. “German products have water tanks made of iron, but ours uses alloy, so it’s much lighter and looks better.”
Song Do-yoon said, pointing to the white steam coming out.
“This is real steam, right?”
“yes. “The steam boils at 100 degrees Celsius, so it has excellent sterilizing power.”
Song Do-yoon tried it a few more times and said with a satisfied expression.
“I get the feeling that you put all your heart and soul into creating the product. I think it would be worthwhile to introduce a product like this to consumers. “I’ll take a look at it once this product promotion is over.”
Han Jeong-hwa felt like she was going to fly.
“thank you! thank you!”
Han Jeong-hwa spoke a few more words with Song Do-yoon and left the broadcasting station with a bright expression.
Her steps were lighter than ever.
And after that, a man secretly appeared.
He checked the direction where Han Jeong-hwa disappeared and picked up his cell phone.
– Managing Director.
– okay.
– Han Jeong-hwa just met Song Do-yoon, a host at M Broadcasting Station.
– Make an appointment with the director there.
– all right.
The man checked once again the direction in which Han Jeong-hwa disappeared and returned to the broadcasting station.
And after that, another man appeared.
An ordinary middle-aged man in ordinary clothes.
It was Kim Hak-dong.
He glanced at the missing man and lit a cigarette.
Kim Hak-dong, exhaling a lot of cigarette smoke, quietly recited.
“f*ck you guys.”
During my school days, I was taught that the world was governed by law and order, but the world I experienced as a journalist was moving in the opposite direction.
It was only under the guise of law and order, but in reality, the world was running in exactly the way prohibited by the law.
Kim Hak-dong carefully looked at the photos taken by the camera of Han Jeong-hwa, Song Do-yoon, and the mysterious man.
“That man. He was the secretary of Choo Seong-tae, managing director of Hanyoung Electronics, probably. “It might be enough to get that person’s attention.”
What I learned while covering him was that Kim Cheol-soo’s career path and network were better than most second-generation chaebols.
Moreover, now that he is the son-in-law of Hanyoung Group Chairman Choi Kyung-hoon, I am very curious about how much he can grow in the future.
And there was an important reason to get closer to him.
Kim Hak-dong, who carefully smoked even the filter of his cigarette, shook off the ash and picked up his cell phone.
– What else? It’s troublesome if you keep calling.
It was Kim Cheol-soo.
– I have a good tip. Would you like to hear it?
That’s quite interesting.
“Are you leaving early today?”
“yes. “I have someone to meet.”
“All right. “If you contact me regarding work, I will forward it to you.”
Until last year, Park Dong-gyu was doing the work that Kim Cheol-soo had done.
Although he became a full-time employee after overcoming the competition among interns, he seemed to work harder than when he was an intern, perhaps because most of Park Dong-gyu’s classmates were graduates of prestigious universities.
Among them, Park Dong-gyu especially stood out.
Last year, I rarely went home and received special tutoring from Kim Cheol-soo, and even when I was an intern, I had to follow him around on various contracts.
Afterwards, he seemed to have worked hard and obtained several trade-related qualifications.
Therefore, unlike other new employees, he was completing his work quickly and was well-liked by team leader Lee Jun-hak.
Just looking at Park Dong-gyu calling him by the nickname ‘Kkeun’ was enough to tell.
Because I wasn’t the type of person to call him by nicknames.
Kim Cheol-soo rarely makes mistakes and is the type of person who handles assigned tasks reliably, so Kim Cheol-soo was also delegating work to Park Dong-gyu to some extent.
“all right. “Please contact me if there is anything urgent.”
“yes. Manager. “Please just leave it to me.”
Kim Cheol-soo smiled faintly as he watched Park Dong-gyu answer with a confident expression.
‘Was this the mindset of team leader Lee Jun-hak, who left work for me and left work? Are you okay?’
I felt reassured because I felt like I was seeing myself as a new employee.
After leaving the company, Kim Cheol-soo headed to a nearby cafe where he had planned to meet Kim Hak-dong.
He was a tougher person than I thought.
After the wedding, all the reporters who had been sticking around since the honeymoon had already left, but that man still stuck around.
Even though it was slightly past the appointed time, Kim Hak-dong did not show up.
Kim Cheol-su, who was about to get up, saw him rushing in and sat down again.
“sorry. “It’s a little late.”
He turned off his cell phone, which kept ringing, and sat down.
And as if my throat was burning, I gulped down the coffee that Cheolsu Kim had ordered in advance.
“If it’s an important call, you can answer it.”
“no. “It’s a designated driver call.”
“Didn’t you say you were running an online newspaper company?”
“that is···. Because I don’t have money. “I need to receive advertisements, but they are not coming in, so I am running the business entirely with my own money.”
“If you were a reporter in the entertainment department of a large media company, wouldn’t it have been better to get a job at another media company?”
Kim Hak-dong smiled bitterly at Kim Cheol-soo’s question.
“I can’t get a job because I’m on the blacklist.”
Blacklist.
Kim Cheol-soo looked at Kim Hak-dong with shining eyes.
“okay. But if you ignore the call, won’t you get fired?”
“it’s okay. “If you get fired, you can hire another company as a designated driver.”
“Did you have dinner?”
“I don’t eat 6 hours before the designated driver. An embarrassing situation may arise in a customer’s car. But, well, the bell has already rung for today, so I don’t mind eating.”
“Please wait.”
Cheolsu Kim bought two of the most expensive sandwiches sold at the cafe.
“We talk while eating. “I’m a little hungry too.”
“thank you for this food.”
Kim Hak-dong ate the sandwich hungrily.
Kim Cheol-soo, who works hard from the time he comes to work until he leaves, also ate his sandwiches just as quickly as Kim Hak-dong.
Kim Hak-dong, who had not eaten anything other than a simple breakfast, felt much better once his stomach was somewhat full.
He took a sip of coffee and turned his phone back on.
“Do you know who this person is?”
Kim Hak-dong showed a photo of a man saved on his cell phone.
It was the first time I saw him.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I see. Would you like to skip to the next chapter?”
There was a photo of Han Jeong-hwa and another woman.
“You probably know Han Jeong-hwa, and this person is a home shopping host named Song Do-yoon. “It seemed like the conversation was going quite well.”
“So? “You’re so busy, do you still have time to follow me like this?”
When Kim Cheol-soo spoke in displeasure, Kim Hak-dong shook his head.
“It’s not like that. “It’s not an act of following, it’s an act of trying to be helpful.”
“···.”
“The first man I saw was Lee Kang-cheol. “I am the secretary to Choo Seong-tae, managing director of Hanyoung Electronics.”
As soon as he heard Choo Seong-tae’s name, Kim Cheol-soo’s expression hardened.
“A man named Lee Kang-cheol was following Han Jeong-hwa. “It looks like home shopping sales channels will also be blocked now, so wouldn’t that be a big loss for investors?”
Kim Cheol-soo knew almost nothing about reporters.
The image of reporters that he remembers is the public perception that they are commonly referred to as ‘giregi’.
How does this person know a story that only Han Jeong-hwa, Kim Cheol-soo, and Choi Hye-na know?
“The investors didn’t say anything, so how do you know?”
Kim Hak-dong took out the press card from his arms and placed it on the table.
“If you show this one thing in Korea, most citizens will tell you everything they know. “It’s not work to dig up information.”
He continued speaking with an expression full of pride.
“And even though I am like this now, I still have the experience of working at a large media company for over 20 years. I went through the legal department, political department, and economic department. “The plants we planted are also quite good.”
“Are you covering the employees of Jeonghwa Han Environmental Science Company?”
Kim Hak-dong nodded and smiled at Kim Cheol-soo’s words.
“You’re sharp. I have information that Kim Cheol-soo met separately with Han Jeong-hwa, and that he received investment money to revive the article. “If you combine the two stories, you can quickly deduce the facts.”
Kim Cheol-soo pointed to the photo on Kim Hak-dong’s cell phone and said.
“But this photo… is definitely intriguing.”
“Hahaha, I thought so.”
“But that’s it. “Even if you know that Managing Director Choo Seong-tae is sabotaging you, there’s no way to stop it, right?”
“Not necessarily.”
At Kim Hak-dong’s words, an interesting look appeared on Kim Cheol-soo’s face.
“Are you saying there is another alternative?”
“I will tell you if you invest in me too.”
Kim Cheol-soo burst into laughter.
“Can I ask why you always want to receive investment from me?”
“It’s because I and Kim Cheol-soo are connected in one way or another.”
“connection? Is the genealogy the same? “Where are you, Mr. Kim?”
Kim Hak-dong shook his head while laughing.
“Haha, probably not.”
“So what do you mean by connection?”
Kim Hak-dong, who had been smiling brightly just a moment ago, quickly turned gloomy and looked down at the table.
Then, as if he had decided on something, he took out a photo from his wallet and handed it to Kim Cheol-soo.
It was a woman with a slightly bloated stomach.
“This is my wife.”
“You are a beauty.”
“She was really pretty and kind. “He’s been dead for about 7 years.”
“ah···.”
“At the time, my wife had a 6-month-old child in her stomach, and we went together.”
Kim Cheol-soo quietly opened his mouth with a sad expression.
“···Are you okay?”
Kim Hak-dong nodded.
“yes. it’s okay. Because it was 7 years ago. The cause of death was organ failure due to breathing difficulties. At the time, I had no idea why her wife had died. At that time, I had been abroad for nearly three months doing reporting.”
Kim Cheol-soo focused on him.
“Later, an autopsy was performed and it was diagnosed that the lungs were calcified.”
Kim Cheol-soo’s eyes widened.
‘If it’s calcification of the lungs…’
“And I only found out last year. “Why did her wife die?”
Kim Hak-dong’s face trembled for a moment.
He calmly expressed his anger for a while and then showed Kim Cheol-soo one more photo on his cell phone.
It was a photo of Youngsoo wearing casual clothes and a girl of similar age.
“Youngsu? Why is Yeongsu appearing here?”
“you’re right. “Next to me is my daughter.”
“yes?”
Kim Cheol-soo looked at Kim Hak-dong and the girl in the photo alternately, unable to hide his surprise.
“They didn’t even give me proper pocket money. But for some reason, I’m going to a 100,000 won concert…”
“···.”
“I followed my daughter because I thought she might be doing something bad, and that was the first time I saw Yeongsu. Of course, at first I didn’t even know that the student was Cheolsu’s younger brother.”
At that moment, a memory flashed through Kim Cheol-soo’s mind.
“Do you know Doctor Jeong Byeong-cheol?”
“···This is my brother-in-law.”
“ah!”
“So I know very well who was able to reveal the truth about humidifier disinfectants.”
After saying those words, Kim Hak-dong stood up with a tearful expression and bowed deeply to Kim Cheol-soo.
“Thank you.”
Kim Cheol-soo quickly got up and made Kim Hak-dong sit down.
“After finding out the cause of my wife’s death, I secretly published an article about the truth about humidifier disinfectant that the media had been trying to bury. “Because I was pushed out in a power struggle within the company, I got angry as I got older and was a reporter in the entertainment department.”
“…I see.”
“Thanks to this, the broadcasting station had no choice but to address the issue, and eventually the entire nation became aware of it. There will be no additional victims. “I was fired, though.”
“···.”
“Haha, for the reason that it caused enormous damage to Saju. We even had to file a civil lawsuit, but fortunately there were many people who helped us, so we were able to get through it safely.”
Kim Cheol-soo, who thought Kim Hak-dong was just an old reporter who stuck around like an annoying leech, shook his head vigorously for a moment.
“My daughter knows me as an apostle of justice, but in reality, I am not. “If you strip away all my layers, I’m just a money-loving snob.”
“Shouldn’t you have told me about it earlier?”
“If I had suddenly appeared and said something like that, would Mr. Kim Cheol-soo have listened to me?”
“···.”
“We already know that you’re not that type of person.”
“You’re being strategic.”
“yes. “I used my brain a little bit.”
“ha ha ha.”
Kim Cheol-soo burst into laughter.
He was a person who was complicatedly intertwined with himself in many ways.
I could see why he had not published a single malicious report about himself until now.
“You run an Internet media company?”
“Yes, it is.”
“I think it’s a hippopotamus that eats money.”
“We are not just an internet media company.”
“Then?”
“People think of reporters as ‘apostles of justice who spread the truth.’ But that’s not the case. “Many reporters think they control the world through their writing.”
“okay.”
“Many articles are distorted, stories that should be told to the world are buried to suit the tastes of advertisers who pay money, and according to the interests of the instigators. “They publish news articles that the prosecution throws at them without filtering, and they taunt the public while eating expensive meals with those in power.”
Kim Cheol-soo took a sip of coffee.
“I started this with the idea that if reporters can’t do their jobs, why not allow more people to tell their own stories?”
“In what way?”
“It is a private broadcasting station. A platform where anyone with a camera and microphone can tell the stories they know. “This is the business model I am envisioning.”
“You’re talking about something like a real-time Internet broadcast, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Have you thought of a name?”
“All Free Casting, everything is free broadcasting. “I’m thinking about building it Afreeca.”
At that moment, Kim Cheol-soo forced the exclamation that was about to burst out into his mouth again and calmly opened his mouth.
“It’s quite interesting.”
“···Kim Cheol-soo is interesting.”
Hearing Kim Hak-dong’s words, Kim Cheol-soo slightly tilted his head.
“What do you mean…?”
“When you think of real-time Internet broadcasting, most people think of pornographic adult broadcasts, but that’s not the case for Kim Cheol-soo.”
“It’s because I live such a busy life that I don’t have time to look at things like that. “Would you be able to create such an internet broadcasting station?”
“Funny enough, because I was known as a just reporter in this area, I was able to build friendships with many people.”
Kim Cheol-soo thought quietly.
Afreeca in development stage.
No funds.
If the business that Kim Hak-dong is talking about is Afreeca TV, which he occasionally went to to watch mukbang while living a wild goose life.
The possibilities for this business are endless.
Kim Cheol-soo turned his eyes and looked straight at Kim Hak-dong.
“great. “If you bring your business plan, I will think positively.”
Kim Hak-dong sighed in relief and lowered his head at Kim Cheol-soo’s reaction.
“I did this, but if you refused, I would have been completely blindsided.”
“Because the years of experience you have experienced do not go anywhere.”
“Haha, you talk like you know everything.”
Instead of answering, Kim Cheol-soo smiled and drank the rest of his coffee.
A thirst that cannot be quenched even though it is already the second glass.
“Well then, I’d like to hear how we can defend against Director Choo Seong-tae’s attacks.”
Kim Hak-dong also answered by pouring Americano with all the ice in it into his mouth.
“To be precise, it should be seen as a way to destroy Director Choo Seong-tae, rather than to defend against his attacks.”
Don’t you want revenge?
– Is that possible?
– It’s very simple. President Han Jeong-hwa can file a lawsuit against Managing Director Choo Seong-tae.
– That’s how you can hit Executive Director Choo Seong-tae?
– News that large corporations have committed unreasonable acts against small and medium-sized enterprises is news that social affairs reporters quite enjoy. I also know a prosecutor who is very interested in this type of work.
– It’s not something I really need.
– You need to convince Han Jeong-hwa. Maybe it’s because I attack them so much that they run away whenever they see me. If you just create a place where we can meet and talk, I will take care of the rest.
– Let me think about it first.
Choi Hye-na quietly looked at Kim Cheol-soo, who was thinking deeply about something.
“What are you thinking about?”
“huh?”
Kim Cheol-su turned his eyes and looked at Choi Hye-na.
“just.”
“What kind of woman is this that made our Cheolsu lose his soul?”
Kim Cheol-soo burst into laughter and hugged Hye-na slightly.
“What are you talking about.”
“I’ve been looking at you for a while and you still have no idea?”
Looking at Choi Hye-na sticking out her lips with a grumpy expression, Kim Cheol-soo hesitated before opening his mouth.
“hmm···. Do you know a person named Choo Seong-tae?”
“Chu Seong-tae? He used to be his eldest brother’s secretary. why?”
“What kind of person are you?”
“The number one contributor to turning my stupid older brother into a human being. “You can think of my eldest brother’s performance as a result of his support.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“When my youngest brother came to drink, he would tell me various things, so I picked it up. But why is he suddenly asking?”
“no. just.”
“What, curious?”
Kim Cheol-soo put his arm on a pillow and stroked Hye-na’s hair, which was illuminated by the light of the lamp next to the bed.
“I wonder?”
“of course.”
“I mean Han Jeong-hwa.”
“huh.”
“I guess the person who put pressure on the company was Executive Director Choo Seong-tae.”
Choi Hye-na stood up straight away.
“what? really?”
“huh. So I’ve been thinking about that for a while.”
“It’s your eldest brother’s doing, right?”
“well. “I don’t know about that.”
“Why did CEO Han put up with that? you idiot?”
Choi Hye-na frowned as if she didn’t like it, and Kim Cheol-soo placed his hand on Hye-na’s wrinkled forehead.
“If you frown like that, you’ll end up with wrinkles later.”
“ha···. Why did you keep suffering? “If it were me, I would have filed a complaint right away!”
“That’s the difference between Hye-na and President Han.”
“What do you mean?”
“Reporters write articles like this. ‘A wronged citizen filed a lawsuit against those in power, but lost.’ Or news like, ‘A company dragged out a trial against an individual for a long time, and the individual ended up going bankrupt.’”
“Why is that?”
“And this is what the public thinks after hearing such news. Ah, if someone stronger than me touches me, I have to avoid it. Even if I go to trial, I’m sure I’ll lose. “Like this.”
Choi Hye-na opened her eyes wide.
“really?”
“huh. That’s one of the ways reporters brainwash people. In fact, there are less than 1 out of 100 such judgments, but only such trials are published in articles to encourage people to make that judgment.”
“oh! “Who told you?”
“Haha, I know a reporter.”
“I never thought about it. Then, Han Jeong-hwa…?”
“I had to deal with a huge company called Hanyoung Electronics, so I guess I couldn’t tell anyone properly even though I was being treated like that. “I guess they thought it would be a loss to file a lawsuit.”
Choi Hye-na sighed and hugged Kim Cheol-soo.
“Whenever I hear things like that, I sometimes feel scared.”
“What’s there to worry about? “I am next to you.”
“huh. So I feel really reassured.”
“thank god.”
“Then have you thought about how to solve it?”
Kim Cheol-soo nodded and hugged Hye-na tightly in his arms.
“I decided to listen to myself.”
“What?”
It is said that Choo Seong-tae is an important person to Choi Kyeong-jun.
And without answering, Kim Cheol-soo raised one hand and turned off the light.
“Mr. Cheolsu? “What…what are you doing?”
fantasy, modern,
