TSG 80

“So, what business do you have with me?”

“I’m here to receive the balance sheet.”

“But I already sent that to headquarters, why…”

“I’m here to get the untouched, genuine financial statements.”

“…”

Se-hyun didn’t hide his true intentions, and the factory manager’s gaze, which had been evasive, sharpened.

“How unpleasant. You’re speaking as if I’ve written false accounts.”

“I won’t deny it.”

That’s why Se-hyun came here, to get the documents. If hw had received the USB from Ha Jin-seong, he might not have needed to come here to ask for it, but he wanted to handle it internally.

For that, he needed the factory manager’s cooperation.

“I’m giving you an opportunity right now, Manager.”

Se-hyun conveyed his intention firmly. It was not that he hadn’t thought about gaining the manager’s favor and approaching carefully. However, knowing that the manager was secretly hiding inside and not coming out, Se-hyun knew that gentle persuasion wouldn’t work.

How could he appease someone who was subtly showing wariness and looking for a chance to counterattack at any moment?

“An opportunity… huh… how arrogant.”

Despite the manager’s glare as he clicked his tongue, Se-hyun stood his ground firmly.

“I expected this from the moment you said you were from headquarters. What could you possibly gain by coming all the way here?”

The atmosphere began to grew tense along with the manager’s displeased look.

“Looks like you want to pick an easy factory and skim off some scraps, but you’ve picked the wrong person.”

“Would you believe me if I said I have no such intention?”

“Bullshit. Everyone who came from headquarters was like that.”

The factory manager, finally voicing his long-suppressed discontent, glared at Se-hyun.

“Saying everyone from headquarters is like that is a hasty generalization.”

Se-hyun pointed this out, but the manager absolutely wouldn’t accept it.

“Seems like having the CEO backing you has made you lose all sense.”

As expected.

“Did I mention that I work for the CEO?”

Se-hyun had only introduced himself as Ahn Se-hyun from the secretary’s office. When Se-hyun calmly pointed out the mistake, the manager’s face flush with anger

“Are you playing games with me now?”

As the manager stood up, an unpleasant creaking sound came from the chair supporting his body. A tense battle of wills continued as they stared at each other. The manager, who would have to hand over the balance sheet if he gave in here, showed no signs of backing down.

“You’re right. I do have the CEO backing me.”

Se-hyun retorted with his characteristic indifferent face, and the manager’s face contorted grotesquely. He was dumbfounded by Se-hyun’s playful-sounding words in such a tense atmosphere.

“Let me say it again. I’m giving you an opportunity right now.”

“You’re telling me to believe that…”

The manager’s eyes widened as he noticed someone entering behind Se-hyun. Se-hyun didn’t turn around, but he could easily guess who it was.

Soon, the man who approached leaned his body against Se-hyun’s back and met the manager’s eyes.

“Why aren’t you listening to my secretary?”

I told you I had him backing me.

⍣⍣⍣

“You can’t go in right now.”

Ha Jin-seong and Ha Min-hyuk were talking when they heard a commotion outside and looked toward the door.

“What do you mean I can’t go in? Since when do you stop me?”

“Someone else is in there right now.”

“Oh, shut up.”

Recognizing who it was from the increasingly loud voice and irritated tone, Ha Jin-seong sighed. It seemed his brother, who had been quiet lately, was in a bad mood again.

Ha Jin-woong, who entered as the door opened, was panting as he looked at Ha Jin-seong, then belatedly noticed Ha Min-hyuk.

“Is it because of this bastard that I was stopped?”

Ha Jin-woong muttered, looking at Ha Min-hyuk as if he couldn’t understand. His face was gradually reddening, seemingly hurt in his pride that he was blocked by Ha Min-hyuk of all people.

“Why are you here? Don’t tell me you’re trying to suck up to my brother?”

Ha Jin-woong approached Ha Min-hyuk threateningly. He was frustrated by Ha Min-hyuk’s constant presence around Ha Jin-seong.

“You should just go back to your roots. Don’t hang around here unnecessarily.”

Ha Jin-woong sneered, repeatedly poking Ha Min-hyuk’s chest with his index finger. He took out all his frustration on Ha Min-hyuk, thinking he was the reason he couldn’t meet Ha Jin-seong lately.

“What are my roots?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. An illegitimate child like you…”

“Is that all you can use to push me around?”

“What? You bastard.”

“If anyone’s suited to roaming outside, it’s probably you, hyung. I saw a personnel change this time. I heard you’re going abroad.”

Enraged by the defiance from someone he usually looked down on, Ha Jin-woong’s eyesflared as he grabbed Ha Min-hyuk’s collar.

“You’re dead by my hands today.”

Just as Ha Jin-woong was about to punch Ha Min-hyuk’s face,

“Stop.”

Ha Jin-woong’s fist stopped right in front of Ha Min-hyuk’s face at the sound of a small but authoritative voice.

“Ha Jin-woong. What are you doing in front of me?”

At Ha Jin-seong’s quiet reprimand, Ha Jin-woong lowered his trembling fist and released Ha Min-hyuk’s collar as if shaking it off. Ha Min-hyuk calmly dusted off his clothes and retied his tie. His attitude, as if being grabbed by Ha Jin-woong was nothing, made the atmosphere even more tense.

Seemingly at his limit, Ha Jin-woong glared at Ha Jin-seong. If he wanted to quell this commotion, he should have sent Ha Min-hyuk away instead of stopping him. However, Ha Jin-seong was reprimanding him, not Ha Min-hyuk.

Not the outsider Ha Min-hyuk, but his actual brother.

“Your look is bothering me.”

Ha Jin-seong immediately confronted with Ha Jin-woong’s gaze.

“Ha Min-hyuk doesn’t bother you?”

“Right now, it’s your eyes that are bothering me.”

Ha Jin-seong didn’t consider Ha Jin-woong’s feelings at all. Not the reason he came, not how hurt he was feeling now, none of it.

“It seem I’ve become a bothersome existence to you, hyung.”

“Everything about you bothers me, from barging in without my permission to behaving emotionally without a word about why you’re here.”

As Ha Jin-seong listed everything point by point, Ha Jin-woong bit his lip hard and clenched his fists. He was visibly shaken, as if he couldn’t believe he was being ignored in this situation with Ha Min-hyuk present.

Then Ha Jin-woong unclenched his fists and calmed his expression.

“I understand.”

Ha Jin-woong turned around as if he had nothing more to say. Unlike when he entered confidently, his shoulders were now slumped as he left.

After the deeply disappointed Ha Jin-woong left, Ha Jin-seong clicked his tongue and turned his chair. Despite being told that acting thoughtlessly was the epitome of foolishness, he had nonetheless behaved foolishly.

“Let’s continue our conversation.”

Since the discussion with Ha Min-hyuk was more important for now, Ha Jin-seong brought the flow of conversation back to its original state.

“At the same time as the bidding…”

Meanwhile, Ha Jin-woong, who had come outside, clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw muscles bulged. He had been reprimanded by Ha Jin-seong in front of Ha Min-hyuk.

His relationship with Ha Jin-seong was already strained because of Ahn Se-hyun, and now it had completely cracked.

“Let’s see if you can look me in the eye next time.”

Ha Jin-woong’s eyes gleamed ominously as he thought of a method that would not fail this time.

⍣⍣⍣

“How did you come here, sir…”

“Isn’t it natural for the CEO to go where his secretary goes?”

In response to the factory manager’s flustered reaction, Shin Tae-oh acted as if it was strange that he didn’t understand. His reaction suggested that it should be natural to assume the CEO is nearby when his secretary is present.

Of course, both Se-hyun and the factory manager knew this was nonsense. But knowing didn’t change anything.

“Our CEO is that kind of person. He personally comes all the way to such a distant place.”

Isn’t it more important that he appeared at the right timing now? In that sense, Se-hyun found Shin Tae-oh’s timely appearance highly favorable.

‘Then was that sound from earlier also…?’

He had wondered about the sound that seemed to come from the factory, it seemed his hunch about Shin Tae-oh causing the commotion was correct.

“Please, have a seat first.”

he factory manager, only momentarily flustered, gestured to the sofa for Shin Tae-oh. However, when Shin Tae-oh didn’t move, he stood up and indicated his own chair. The intention was for Shin Tae-oh to choose and sit wherever he wanted, but the factory manager wasn’t getting the response he desired.

“Aren’t you cold?”

Shin Tae-oh asked, placing his hand on Se-hyun’s shoulder that was only covered by a knit sweater. Asking if he was cold in a in an office with heating was absurd. Se-hyun had taken off his jacket earlier while waiting for the factory manager and neatly put it aside.

Despite this, Se-hyun had to consider why this ridiculous question was asked.

Soon realizing what Shin Tae-oh wanted, Se-hyun retrieved his jacket that he had placed on the sofa.

“I was just about to put it on because I was feeling cold.”

“I thought so. It seem just a cold wind blowing in here.”

Shin Tae-oh firmly held onto his own jacket. Then, after watching with satisfaction as Se-hyun put on a similar design jacket, he turned his gaze to the factory manager.

Seeing the factory manager’s confused look as he stared at the jackets, Shin Tae-oh suppressed his laughter.

“It won’t be cold anymore because I closed the door.”

Seeing the bewildered look on the factory manager’s face, Shin Tae-oh finally couldn’t hold back his laughter.