"Tomorrow morning, he's going to Gunsan."
"Gunsan? Are you sure?"
"Yes. He's not informing his secretaries and plans to go quietly..."
"Is he going alone?"
"I'm not sure about that part."
Chairman Jin's driver stood with his hands together, maintaining a polite posture.
"When did he mention going to Gunsan?"
"He mentioned it when he returned from Yeouido."
"If it's Yeouido, it's Oh Se-hyun, right?"
"Yes, it was when he was going to meet Mr. Oh Se-hyun."
"Was Do-Jun there at that time?"
"I'm not sure about that... I was waiting outside."
"Alright. You can go."
The driver picked up the envelope that was thrown to him and quietly stepped away.
After the driver had left, Chairman Jin lingered for a while, then finally picked up the phone.
He quietly informed two individuals of this fact, and then hung up.
The two individuals who received the call were taken aback by the name Jin Do-Jun and did not forget to express their gratitude to the informant.
The beginning of exit polls in South Korea dates back to the 1995 inaugural nationwide local elections. MBC and Gallup Korea used telephone surveys and accurately predicted the results around 6:15 p.m., correctly identifying all 15 elected metropolitan mayors.
"Interestingly, pre-election exit polls are relatively accurate in predicting the results of presidential and local elections, but they are notorious for being inaccurate during general elections for members of the National Assembly.
On election day, June 4th, the atmosphere was remarkably calm compared to the turbulent campaign period leading up to it.
Perhaps the most nervous person today is Jin Seo-yoon.
For her husband's mayoral candidacy, she had done things that she wouldn't have dreamed of under normal circumstances. She used to release her stress to her husband after a tough day at work, but now, on election day, she regretted not having done something more challenging.
When she heard the story that the wife of Go Kyung-yeol had pushed people around at the neighborhood public bathhouse, she was baffled and couldn't help but chuckle, but now she felt she could handle anything.
In the afternoon, while waiting for the exit poll results at the campaign office, she gathered her resolve.
Her husband seemed confident and thankful to the campaign workers and party officials, believing in his victory without a doubt. She furrowed her brows at this sight. She had hoped for a more composed attitude until the results were announced, but her husband always relaxed too early. He anticipated victory too soon and gave up too easily. They had big plans ahead, and she couldn't help but sigh.
With many people around, all she could do was force a mild smile and couldn't utter a word of complaint.
"Candidate, it's starting now."
At the shout from a campaign worker, everyone began staring at the TV screen.
6:15 PM.
The countdown began on the screen, and when the number reached zero, a name appeared.
"'Candidate No. 2, Choi Chang-jae, 42.1%'"
Instantly, a wave of cheers swept through the office.
Jin Seo-yoon clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and whispered, 'Finally, the first hurdle is crossed.'
"Congratulations, Uncle."
"Do-Jun, I will never forget your hard work. Let's continue working together in the future."
"Isn't it because grandfather is looking out for you? Well, I'm satisfied with the fact that the mayor of Seoul is my uncle. Haha."
Still, Eun-hye doesn't forget favors. Shortly after the exit poll results were announced on TV, he received a thank-you call. That was a decent gesture, not too brazen.
Of course, there might be an aspect of securing a strong financial source for the next election as well.
Uncle didn't forget to convey his gratitude to Oh Se-hyun either. Given the contract that pushed campaign funds, it's only natural to make a fuss.
Although he heard about the newly elected mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-hyun's expression remained unchanged.
"Darn, I won, but I'm not happy at all." Oh Se-hyun turned off the TV in irritation. "What are you going to do? Are you going to follow what your grandfather wants? Or should I go talk to him again?"
"I'll try one more time. Play hard to get and be a bit sulky... But if that doesn't work, I'll talk to him sternly."
"Those construction company executives seemed to back down when you hinted at something."
"Well, those people are grandfather's underlings, after all."
Oh Se-hyun let out a long sigh and bit his lower lip. "It feels like we've been played. We trusted Chairman Jin and extended our hand, but it looks like we might be handing everything over to Sunyang Construction. What a mistake."
"Well, back then, it was the best choice. Without the people from Sunyang Construction, it would have been impossible to dominate to this extent."
Thanks to those people, they were able to recover hidden funds and detach themselves from unnecessary projects. They left the lucrative business divisions intact while cleanly trimming the cost-consuming departments.
These people were essential for the initial setup."
"Uncle, let's not dwell on the past, even when we reflect on it. In the worst case, we can just hand over the entire DMC project and even attach Daeyu Construction to Sunyang. Think of it as tuition for a valuable lesson. That's how we learn and move forward."
"I'm okay with it if you've learned something. But getting stabbed in the back like this is all too much."
"I did learn something. Don't trust anyone. Hehe."
Ie said that, but I still trust grandfather. No matter how massive the DMC project is, grandfather isn't the type to be so greedy that he'd take it all away from his grandson without leaving anything. Perhaps, after successfully completing this project, he might consider giving it back. If you look at it in a positive light.
"The election results are likely to match the exit polls... I'll go meet grandfather now. If there's anything special, I'll contact you immediately."
He stood up with a heavy heart.
He would become the first grandson to offer his grandfather the well-prepared meal.
"Did you talk to your uncle?"
"Yes. He called me right after the survey results came out."
"Right after? How long did it take?"
"About 30 minutes or so?"
Grandfather chuckled.
"As soon as the results came out, your uncle contacted me. He's thanking me for everything. I haven't done anything at all, but he's grateful. Haha."