Chapter 64: The Junior Who Looks After His Senior
“Bwahahaha! So, what you’re saying is—our Buksan just crushed Osung into the ground? Is that it?”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan roared with laughter, his Adam apple visibly vibrating as he leaned back in his office chair.
Standing before him, Chief Secretary Lee Bong-gu couldn’t suppress his own delight, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“The news was officially reported just moments ago, Chairman-nim.”
“Heh heh heh… I bet Chairman Im must be feeling the burn right now. He sure likes to rub it in my face, but look at him now. Serves him right! Hahahaha!”
Even laughter has its limits.
After a long bout of chuckling, Chairman Lee Seung-hwan finally calmed down, wiping his eyes as he spoke to Chief Secretary Lee Bong-gu.
“Haa… I’m getting old. Even laughing takes effort now. But Jong-hoon really pulled it off this time. That kid never listens to a damn thing, but he’s not incompetent, I’ll give him that. Keh-hah-hah!”
“CEO Lee Jong-hoon certainly did his share of the work, but from what I hear, it was Dae-woon who turned the VIP’s heart.”
“What?”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s face turned into a look of absurdity, and his lips parted slightly.
“What was that brat even doing there?”
“He volunteered. Said he wanted to take Osung down himself.”
“What?! Bwahahaha—cough-cough… Haah. I’m gonna die laughing. Chief Lee, sit down and tell me the rest.”
“Yes, Chairman-nim.”
Rising from his chair, Chairman Lee Seung-hwan moved to the central sofa.
“Now, explain properly. How did this happen? Wasn’t that supposed to be a meeting exclusively for CEOs and high-ranking officials from the Ministry of SMEs?”
“That’s correct. The attendees included the Minister of SMEs and Startups, the foundation’s board members, and top venture capital CEOs. Dae-woon was the only one there with an intern status.”
“Khh… Guess the brat’s got what it takes, then.”
“He voluntarily stepped up, saying he wanted to be the David that would take down Goliath.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan let out an incredulous chuckle at those words.
“What? We’re David in this scenario?”
“As you know, Chairman-nim, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups originally intended to award the EN Project to Osung Ventures.”
A twitch crossed Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s face before he reluctantly nodded.
“Yeah… Chairman Im was so smug about it when he called me that night. I couldn’t sleep after that. Tch.”
Then, leaning in toward Chief Secretary Lee, his curiosity piqued, he asked,
“So? What kind of magic did that Dae-woon brat pull? I even called the minister myself out of frustration, but he stiffened up like a damn board and told me outright that nothing could be done. He’s grown a spine, that one—khe-khe-khe. Feels like yesterday he was begging for pocket money.”
“The EN Project is ultimately funded by UAE oil money, meaning the final say lies with them. And apparently, Dae-woon had a prior connection with Norooq Partners’ Vice President Sulayman. Witnesses say they were on shockingly intimate terms.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s long, white eyebrows twitched.
“How’d a Middle Eastern bigwig cross paths with a kid like him? Damn brat’s… full of surprises. It’s like luck itself just flocks to him. But still, no matter how close they are, overturning a decision like that shouldn’t have been easy.”
“From what I gathered, he directly persuaded the Norooq Partners VP, arguing that they should invest in the gaming industry. And apparently, he made his case in Arabic, switching back and forth seamlessly throughout the presentation. Naturally, it had a much stronger impact than if it had gone through a translator.”
“Wait… That brat speaks Arabic?”
“Yes. From what I heard, he’s quite fluent.”
“Hahaha… Every time I think I’ve got that brat figured out, he pulls another surprise on me. Unbelievable.”
Amusement danced across Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s face.
Has there ever been anyone in his life who so thoroughly defied his expectations?
Had it been in his reckless younger days, he might have viewed this wildcard with suspicion.
But now, he was more interested in seeing what this unpredictable sprout would grow into.
“The Ministry of SMEs and Startups persistently pushed for Osung Ventures with the UAE representatives, but they were met with a firm rejection. Apparently, the UAE side went so far as to say that if they couldn’t partner with our Buksan Ventures, they would void the entire EN Project. Faced with such an ultimatum, the minister had no choice but to surrender.”
“Kekeke. Of course. If that deal fell through, his own neck would be on the line. Seems Dae-woon really has a knack for business. You can talk all day to a hundred nobodies, but if you persuade the one key person, the entire situation flips in an instant. Anyway, this means our Buksan crushed Osung’s pride, eh? Keh-hah-hah! I haven’t felt this satisfied in a decade.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan chuckled to himself for a long moment before suddenly clapping his hands.
“Ah, come to think! Isn’t there a Federation of Korean Industries banquet tonight?”
Chief Secretary Lee Bong-gu lifted his wrist, checked the time, and nodded.
“It’s scheduled to start in an hour at Baekje Hotel.”
“Hahaha! They say when it’s your lucky day, everything goes your way. I finally get to see Chairman Im’s precious face after so long. Hold on, I shouldn’t just be sitting around. Get ready to leave, Chief Lee.”
“I’ll prepare everything right away.”
With a bright grin like that of a child, Chairman Lee Seung-hwan jumped to his feet and began hurriedly dressing himself.
Just as he was about to step out, he paused. Spotting a newspaper on his desk, he rolled it up and took it with him before striding out the door.
Boldly printed across the top was the headline:
[Buksan Ventures Signs Partnership with UAE’s Norooq Partners.]
The news that Buksan Ventures joining the UAE economic delegation became a massive topic within the company.
Who could have predicted that Buksan, not Osung, would be selected for the EN Project?
It was the tail end of lunch hour.
In the company cafeteria, employees gathered in clusters, using their remaining break time to chat fervently.
“So, what exactly happened?”
“This is insider info you won’t hear anywhere else. My college friend’s a government official at the Ministry—he was there. And get this—”
“Wait, seriously? At that meeting? Damn. That takes guts. I would’ve been shaking like a leaf.”
“Right? He said the room was packed with high-ranking officials and foreign VIPs—the tension was insane. Unbelievable.”
“Huh? Hold on. Isn’t that him over there?”
At someone’s sudden exclamation, all eyes in the room turned toward the entrance.
As usual, I finished my meal with Rose and Alfredo before heading to the cafeteria.
“Nothing beats a coffee transfusion to fight off the post-meal sleepiness.”
“Sigh… No matter where I end up working in the future, I don’t think I’ll ever forget this cafeteria.”
At Rose’s comment, Alfredo and I nodded in unison.
If someone asked me what I liked most about Buksan Ventures, I wouldn’t hesitate to say this cafeteria.
Its cozy interior rivaled that of a high-end café, complete with top-of-the-line coffee machines and an endless array of snacks.
The plush chairs and inviting tables made stepping out for coffee seem pointless.
CEO Lee Jong-hoon had personally overseen its design, saying every company needed at least one oasis.
“Wow, full as always. This place is too popular.”
As expected, the cafeteria was packed with employees enjoying their lunch break.
But the moment I stepped through the glass doors, silence fell as if someone had hit mute button.
For a brief moment, I felt like a caged gorilla at the zoo.
Still, I calmly proceeded to make my coffee as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Rose, glued to my left, whispered:
“Oooh, Dylan-ssi, you’re so famous. Can you hear the seniors whispering about you?”
“Nope. Not at all. And I really don’t want to. I hate being the center of attention.”
From my right, Alfredo chimed in with a quiet chuckle.
“People are calling you the ‘suffer intern’—is that a good thing?”
‘You mean Super Intern, my friend.’
If it’s Suffer Intern, does that mean he’s an intern suffering in agony?
Come to think of it, that wasn’t entirely wrong.
After all, I had been through a lot.
Feeling too self-conscious to stay in the cafeteria any longer, I grabbed my coffee and headed up to the rooftop.
The panoramic view of Pangyo Techno Valley stretched before me, filling my chest with a refreshing sense of openness.
We sipped our coffee in silence, aimlessly watching people pass by below.
“When’s your UAE business trip?”
“Next week.”
“I’m jealous. An overseas trip for work.”
“It’s still work, you know.”
“Still.”
Their eyes sparkled with curiosity and admiration—filled with envy, perhaps, but devoid of any resentment or jealousy.
“Dylan-ssi, when was the last time you flew on a plane?”
“Never. This will be my first time.”
“Wait, what?”
Both of them gawked at me in disbelief.
Well, I couldn’t really blame them.
These days, almost all people my age have traveled abroad at least once.
I had traveled overseas plenty of times—by ship. But flying? That was a first.
“You do know, right? When you board a plane, you have to take your shoes off—”
“Save it. That’s the ninth time I’ve heard that today.”
Not only from the trio of Yoo-jin, Ga-haeng, and Joo-hee—but even Hong Seul-gi had tried that joke on me.
“Oh, really? Yeah… I guess it’s kind of overused.”
Alfredo scratched his head awkwardly, laughing in embarrassment.
🎵 Love has faded~♪ You can be honest with me~ 🎵
The ringtone cut through our conversation.
I glanced at my phone.
[CEO Who Pays My Salary – Lee Jong-hoon]
“Yes, Bo— I mean, CEO-nim? I’m on the line. Oh, right now? I’ll be down in a moment.”
—Click.
“Looks like the CEO’s calling for me. I’ll head down first.”
“Go on, hurry. We’ll make the most of our last five minutes before heading back.”
I waved to my colleagues and made my way to the CEO’s office.
Knock, knock.
“CEO-nim, it’s Dylan.”
“Come in.”
As I stepped inside, I found CEO Lee Jong-hoon at his desk, buried in paperwork.
Judging by the stacks of documents, he seemed extremely busy.
The office itself was minimalist, aside from a few potted orchids and a shelf lined with awards.
“Have a seat.”
CEO Lee Jong-hoon gestured to the sofa.
“Thanks to your efforts, Buksan Ventures secured the EN Project. I’m proud of you, and I truly appreciate it.”
“Not at all. It’s just part of my duty as an employee.”
Of course.
After all, I was also a co-investor in Studio SH.
If Studio SH thrived, my investments would succeed, too.
“The UAE economic delegation schedule has been officially confirmed.”
He handed me a document.
It was the official itinerary for the delegation.
“Um… CEO-nim, may I ask for a favor?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“Would it be possible for Matthew-ssi to join the delegation as well?”
“Matthew-nim?”
Our ever-stylish mentor.
If I didn’t look out for him, who would?
Regardless of age or position, Matthew had helped me immensely.
This delegation trip would be a great opportunity for him as well, and I wanted to make sure he got it.
CEO Lee Joong-hoon pondered for a moment, stroking his chin before nodding.
“Hmm… I’ll check, and if it’s possible, we’ll make it happen. Haha. I have to say, it’s refreshing to see a junior looking out for their mentor.”
“Oh, and you can give my plane ticket to Matthew-ssi instead.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll take the UAE’s private jet.”
“Hahaha, I see… Wait. What?”
He had been laughing, but now he froze, tilting his head in confusion.
A moment of awkward silence filled the room.
Vivid memories of my spectacular adventure with Sulayman just a few days ago flashed through my mind.
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