WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Arsène

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Conglomerate Heir Just Wants to Fail ◈

Chapter 5

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“Without the Vice Chairman, we really would’ve been in serious trouble! How did he know?”

President Cha cried out, unable to contain their excitement.

“Exactly. Losing the forty-billion-won deposit wasn’t the issue. If we’d acquired Hwasu, the entire Group would’ve been shaken!”

“So this is what it means to be the Chairman’s grandson...!”

President Kim also let out a relieved sigh.

They looked at one another, blaming their own foolishness and marveling at the new Vice Chairman’s extraordinary ability.

President Park of Daeseung Heavy Industries had been making a call in the corner, and his furious shouting rang through the conference room.

“What the hell was our due diligence team doing? Are they blind? Dozens of people spent months on this, and they couldn’t uncover even such basic insolvency? Gather every last person who went out for due diligence. Now!”

The blame was now directed at the incompetent working-level staff.

“If it is proven that they deliberately concealed the insolvency, we may be able to claim not only the performance guarantee deposit but also damages.”

At the lawyer from the legal team’s words, delivered through the large screen in the conference room, the presidents breathed another sigh of relief.

“Damages, my foot. Do you think people going bankrupt because they have no money will have money to pay damages?”

President Park, having ended the call, scoffed.

“Securing the deposit comes first.”

“The performance guarantee deposit itself likely has not yet been fully transferred from the creditor group to Hwasu Heavy Industries. It is highly likely to be tied up as a payment guarantee.”

At the legal team head’s explanation, President Park gave an immediate order.

“Then contact the creditor group and start the recovery process for that money immediately.”

The atmosphere in the conference room was completely settled.

The Hwasu Heavy Industries crisis was no longer a crisis. It had become an anecdote proving the Vice Chairman’s remarkable insight.

Their attention naturally turned toward that exceptional Vice Chairman.

“Regardless, we need to bring the Vice Chairman into the company as soon as possible. We can’t have him working from home forever.”

Everyone nodded at one president’s resolute words.

“That’s right. We failed to properly recognize someone with such incredible insight.”

“We underestimated the Chairman’s deep intentions.”

“Shouldn’t we visit him personally and offer our greetings first?”

Their conversation shifted to discussing how to bring Kang Daeun into the company.

.

‘How did things end up like this?’

I had been clutching my head, but when I sensed Lee Jinju entering, I straightened up with a calm expression as if I had never looked that way.

She stood before me and quietly bowed.

“How did you know?”

Her voice was as flat as usual, but her question carried a different feeling from before.

“Know what?”

I asked as though I had no idea.

“Hwasu Heavy Industries.”

Lee Jinju’s gaze fixed on my face.

I gave a brief snort.

“...I got lucky.”

‘My luck was damn awful.’

I forcibly swallowed the words that had risen to my throat.

My spite, my childish rebellion that simply wanted to ruin everything, had ended up saving Grandfather’s empire.

“The presidents would like to visit you at home.”

Lee Jinju continued evenly.

“They say they finally understand why the Chairman trusted you, Vice Chairman, and wish to formally offer their greetings. They also said their own judgment had been shallow.”

The presidents’ loyalty was directed toward Grandfather.

So their assessment of me must have ultimately led to the conclusion that Grandfather’s choice had been right.

Just imagining the presidents of the affiliates, all well past sixty, coming to this house and bowing their heads made goosebumps rise all over my body.

“...Greetings for what? It would only be uncomfortable.”

I waved a hand.

“Forget it. I’ll start coming into the office properly tomorrow. Just tell them that.”

It was the best way to avoid this awkward, burdensome visit.

“Yes, Vice Chairman.”

Lee Jinju answered and raised her head.

At that moment, I noticed that the look in Lee Jinju’s eyes had changed.

Until then, Jinju’s gaze had been, how should I put it?

It was like the gaze of a mother reluctantly looking after an immature, good-for-nothing unemployed son, or of an older sibling reluctantly looking after their youngest sibling.

Of course, I had never had a mother like that, so I was only imagining.

But now, wasn’t there recognition and respect for my ability in her eyes?

‘Damn it.’

This wasn’t what I wanted.

I hurriedly called out to Lee Jinju as she was about to leave.

I needed something to find fault with.

“Ah, tell each affiliate to submit a management report tomorrow.”

“There is a file I gave you three days ago. It seems you were not satisfied with it. I will instruct them to prepare new ones and report to you.”

As if she had seen right through my intentions, she answered without hesitation.

She seemed to believe I had actually read that report.

“Ah, no...”

My explanation scattered into thin air.

Lee Jinju had already bowed at a crisp ninety degrees and turned away.

I let out a hollow laugh as I watched her back.

Hm.

Someone would be working late again today.

.

In the end, I came to the Vice Chairman’s office today.

It was the first time I had set foot in the space, more than a week after receiving my appointment letter.

It was on the thirty-third floor, the highest floor of Daeseung Group headquarters, an overwhelming position that seemed to place the entire city beneath its feet.

For reference, there were only two offices on the thirty-third floor: Grandfather’s Chairman’s office and my Vice Chairman’s office.

The most luxurious prison on earth, built for a king and his heir.

“Vice Chairman, I have prepared your coffee.”

A secretary other than Lee Jinju quietly set down coffee brewed from the finest beans.

The rich aroma stung my nose, but I said nothing and only looked out the window.

The hundred-won instant coffee mix I used to drink in my rooftop room was easier on my mind.

This refined scent felt as awkward and uncomfortable as my current situation.

‘How can I ruin this company?’

My serious deliberation began.

The strategy of doing nothing had already failed.

But it would be a problem if I openly wrecked things too much.

‘Daeseung is a corporation.’

An obvious breach of trust in the course of business could put me in handcuffs.

I couldn’t ruin my own life while trying to get revenge on Grandfather.

It had to look plausible on the surface.

A fatal decision that appeared to be a reasonable business judgment, while actually eating away at the company’s foundations.

For that, I first needed to know more about Daeseung.

I spoke to the secretary who had brought me coffee.

“You know the department store inspection request President Jo Eungsu mentioned before? Let’s schedule it. As soon as possible.”

.

Daeseung Department Store, Gangnam flagship branch, twelfth floor, president’s office.

President Jo Eungsu swallowed dryly while glancing sideways at the young Vice Chairman seated deep in the finest leather sofa.

The department store had asked several times to escort him personally from headquarters, but the Vice Chairman had firmly refused. He arrived at the department store accompanied only by Chief of Staff Lee Jinju and a driver.

Because of this unexpectedly modest arrival, the protocol staff the department store had prepared had to disperse from the lobby in a flurry.

‘What an impossible person to read.’

After the Hwasu Heavy Industries incident, the name Kang Daeun was being practically deified within the Group as that of a reclusive heir with genius insight.

But the Vice Chairman before him was merely a young person with a boyish face.

“Then shall we start looking around, Vice Chairman?”

President Jo Eungsu rose with the softest, most confident smile possible.

When they headed straight to the luxury boutiques on the first floor, dazzling lighting, splendid marble, and the logos of world-renowned luxury brands proudly occupying their own spaces greeted them.

“I’ve never been somewhere like this before.”

The Vice Chairman spoke as though fascinated, swiftly turning his gaze around the surroundings again and again.

Kang Daeun’s eyes moved busily over the extravagant displays, the people passing by, everything, as though he did not want to miss a single thing.

Watching him, the first phrase that came to President Jo Eungsu’s mind, irreverently enough, was, ‘a country mouse in the city.’

‘So it was true that he lived a difficult life, just as the rumors said.’

President Jo Eungsu was concerned.

Could Vice Chairman Kang Daeun truly understand the nature and value of this luxury business?

‘No, this actually makes things easier. Look at him. He’s already losing his head over it.’

If he was the sort who went crazy for things like this, he would be much easier to handle.

With a few rounds of gifts and flattery, perhaps he would leave all complicated management matters to President Jo without interfering at all.

A confident smile came to Jo Eungsu’s lips.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Through high school, I only wore clothes Grandfather bought for me through home shopping.”

“You... did?”

Grandfather meant Chairman Kang Sinsu?

.

It was true that I had struggled after I impulsively ran away from Grandfather’s house as soon as I became an adult, but Kang Daeun’s school years had been different.

The act of shopping, as I remembered it, was closer to department store employees bringing mountains of new seasonal products directly to the mansion, after which Grandfather would choose a few things for me to wear, whether I wanted to or not.

“It was not home shopping. It was a personal shopping service.”

Chief of Staff Lee Jinju, who had been following behind me like a shadow, quietly corrected my mistake.

“Really? Grandfather called it home shopping.”

Wasn’t shopping done at home home shopping?

Anyway.

‘After becoming an adult, I couldn’t go to department stores for a different reason.’

Even someone as ignorant of the world as me knew that department stores were expensive.

In any case, this was my first time visiting a department store, so it was true that everything seemed fascinating.

‘Ah, was I making it too obvious that this was my first time here?’

Only then did I force my wandering eyes and turning head under control, hardening my expression.

I was getting used to it anyway, and it was true that luxury goods useful for men were more monotonous than those for women.

.

The Vice Chairman, who had initially seemed curious, soon looked as though he had lost interest and began looking around the stores halfheartedly.

No matter how passionately President Jo spoke about each brand’s history and the key products of the season, the young Vice Chairman merely nodded lightly.

‘Th-this isn’t right.’

President Jo Eungsu’s insides burned.

The Vice Chairman might be a far more difficult opponent than expected.

But at that moment, President Jo Eungsu’s sharp eyes did not miss the Vice Chairman’s gaze lingering in one place for the briefest instant.

It was a high-end watch boutique gathering the rarest and most expensive watches in the world.

Among them was an extravagant skeleton-design watch, worth hundreds of millions of won, whose intricate internal mechanisms were clearly visible within the dial.

The glance had been so brief that it could have been a mistake, but President Jo Eungsu had spent a lifetime reading customers’ desires. Those eyes could not be fooled.

‘Of course... for men, it’s watches!’

President Jo Eungsu celebrated inwardly.

Come to think of it, there was already an expensive watch worth tens of millions of won on the Vice Chairman’s wrist.

It was a perfect choice, understated yet stately, befitting the heir to a business empire.

It was a choice no one could make without a deep interest in and knowledge of watches.

‘You were interested in watches!’

As a watch enthusiast recognized by all, President Jo Eungsu could not imagine that the Vice Chairman had simply put on the watch Lee Jinju had selected that morning.

Satisfied with that sharp discernment, President Jo was certain this was the perfect chance to win the Vice Chairman over.

“Would you like to take a closer look?”

President Jo respectfully extended an open palm toward the display cases holding the watches.

But at that moment, the Vice Chairman’s face stiffened.

‘Why...? Ah! What a mistake!’

President Jo Eungsu felt like biting his tongue.

Understanding the demanding tastes of VVIPs was the most basic of basics.

They fundamentally hated having their preferences seen through or feeling as though they were being led around by a mere salesperson.

Yet at the same time, they wanted the perfectly attentive service of someone who seemed to have been inside their hearts.

And handling VVIPs had been President Jo Eungsu’s greatest specialty before becoming an executive, back in the days of working on the floor.

In his impatience, President Jo had made such a basic mistake.

The Vice Chairman’s pride must have been wounded because the mere president of a department store had noticed his preferences!

Cold sweat ran down President Jo Eungsu’s back.

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