I walked only one path.
I had to walk only one path.
I will continue to walk only one path.
A-jin Motors
Korea's first minivan.
Korea's first compact SUV.
Korea's first small car.
Korea's first OOO.
It's the path of A-jin Motors.
Chairman Ju Young-il stared intensely at the front-page advertisement in the Hanseong Daily, then set the newspaper aside.
"What's this? Why is Song Hyun-chang doing this?"
The conference room was filled with a tense atmosphere. Someone needed to step up and provide a reasonable explanation for the advertisement.
"It's his final struggle. You don't need to worry about it."
It should have sounded reasonable, but it didn't.
Chairman Ju's gaze became sharper, and his tone grew louder.
"Really? But why doesn't it look like a desperate move to me? Does it seem like he's meticulously executing a highly planned operation?" Chairman Ju picked up the newspaper again. "Do you see these three circles here? Ding, ding, ding! What do you think will go inside them? New cars to be released in the future, right? And not just any cars, but Korea's first ones! It's filled with the determination to keep going. Don't you understand?"
The conference room was once again filled with a cold, biting wind.
Everyone exchanged glances, and someone finally broke the silence, cautiously opening their mouth.
"Um, Chairman."
"Yes?"
"The information team has picked up some suspicious rumors... but..."
All eyes turned to the person who had spoken.
Their hopeful gazes wished for new information that would genuinely explain today's front-page advertisement.
"We've caught a rumor that, besides our Daehyun, there might be other players entering the A-jin acquisition battle. However, the credibility of this information is not even worth mentioning."
"Where? Who are they?"
"One investment firm has reportedly completed full preparations and is waiting."
"Investment firm?"
"Yes. It's called Miracle Investment... I'm not sure if you remember, but they were involved in the Hando Steel acquisition."
Chairman Ju's eyebrows twitched. It wasn't a name he could forget.
"Those guys again?"
As a foreign investment firm that constantly targeted Korean companies, it wasn't so simple to dismiss it as a mere rumor.
"Yes. However, it could also be a rumor planted by the bondholders to raise the acquisition price. Competition is more favorable than a sole bid."
"This rascal! What if you report this now?"
"What?"
Once again, under Chairman Ju's disapproving gaze, the one making the report only blinked. Even the high-ranking officials attending the meeting found it difficult to understand why he was reacting so sensitively to what might just be a rumor.
"Don't you know that the bondholders and the government have already reached an agreement? It's a done deal! Igniting something now is an impossible story! But they want competition? The promise is to transfer A-jin Motors before the year-end presidential election. There's no reason to complicate things."
Chairman Ju became restless and stood up from his chair.
The memory of this guy meddling in the Hando Steel acquisition was still vivid. Miracle had gotten involved in prime real estate owned that is Hando Steel, and it hadn't ended well for him. Now Miracle is meddling again.
The presidential election was only a few months away. He couldn't leave a single unexpected variable this time.
Chairman Ju's steps, as he wandered around, suddenly stopped.
"Those guys' company. I need to go there. Whether it's just baseless rumors or the truth, I have to confirm it myself."
"Mr. P-President. A guest has arrived."
The door suddenly creaked open, and the secretary rushed in. Her eyes were wide open as if she had seen a monster.
"Who is it? Why are you making such a fuss?"
"It's Chairman Ju Young-il of Daehyun Group..."
"What?"
Both Mr. Na and I stood up simultaneously. Our reactions were no different from the startled secretary.
"Well, please wait a moment."
The two of us frantically tidied up the scattered documents on the table with anxious expressions.
"Uncle, I'll be in the adjacent meeting room. By the way, please turn on the intercom. I need to hear what you're talking about."
"Sure. If anyone recognizes your face, it's a disaster. You've already appeared on TV."
I wore a hat and left the room quietly, avoiding Chairman Daehyun Group's gaze. I entered the adjacent meeting room and hastily turned on the speakerphone.
"Please come in, Chairman."
As Oh Se-hyun bowed his head, Chairman Ju Young-il extended his hand.
"I'm thankful for welcoming an unexpected guest like me. It wouldn't have been impolite."
"There's no place in Korea where Chairman would be treated as an unwelcome guest. Please don't worry."
When Oh Se-hyun handed over his business card, the middle-aged man who had accompanied Chairman Ju received it and tried to offer his own card, but Chairman Ju waved his hand.
"I can't give my secretary's business card to an unexpected visitor."
Chairman Ju took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over himself.
Daehyun Group - Ju Young-il.
And it had only one phone number, his mobile number.
Oh Se-hyun had become one of the few key individuals who could make a direct call to Chairman Ju Young-il. Considering that he also had Chairman Jin's number, it was possible that he didn't even realize he had the means of communication of these major players at his fingertips.
"It's modest, but please have a seat."
As Oh Se-hyun gestured for him to take a seat, Chairman Ju Young-il showed a slight smile.
"There's no reason for a company that's competing to acquire A-jin Motors to be modest, is there? You're quite humble."
Oh Se-hyun's hand hesitated for a moment but soon regained composure. There was no reason for his reputation to be overshadowed. Right now, they were sitting at the same table, both competing with the same qualifications to win A-jin Motors. The only difference was the amount of money they could afford to bid, but even that wasn't a significant gap.