Chapter 35: I’m Leaving Immediately

Chairman Park Yeongil had probably already received a report from Chief Secretary Kang Inhan that I had returned from my business trip to the United States.

Therefore, I expected him to summon me and had prepared myself completely.

However, Friday passed, Saturday evening arrived, and there was still no word from him.

When I called Kang Inhan to find out what was going on, he merely said that he had gone to the countryside and that it wasn't convenient for him to talk.

Because of that, I couldn't even go out and work my part-time delivery job and simply waited endlessly for a call.

Noticing the anxiety on my face, Cha Hyeonji cautiously asked,

“Brother, why are you so restless?”

I hadn't told Hyeonji about Chairman Park Yeongil.

I had only briefly mentioned that a rich man was helping me.

After all, everything I was wearing now consisted entirely of luxury brands.

She had even mistakenly assumed that some elderly woman was supporting me, and I had sweated a great deal trying to explain myself.

But to free her from unnecessary worries, it was finally time to tell her more about him.

“Listen carefully to what I'm about to say.”

“Okay, okay. Hurry up and tell me.”

“It happened last summer. While I was working deliveries, an old man ordered two bowls of cold noodles with ice. As soon as I handed over the order and was about to leave, he started talking to me.”

I recounted everything that had happened back then in chronological order.

Because of Hyeonji's stubborn and meticulous personality, she bombarded me with questions every now and then, and for trivial matters I answered honestly.

However, I carefully concealed anything related to sensitive topics and private matters.

As a result, there were logical inconsistencies here and there in my story, but nothing could be done about that.

“Can't we skip the details?”

“The most important thing is that you took that calming herbal medicine! How can you leave that out?”

'Haa... Why did I even start this conversation?'

“I heard that the person who made the medicine is an old friend of Chairman Park, but I have no idea who he is.”

“Brother, what kind of times are these? How could you recklessly take medicine without even knowing what was in it?”

“Chairman Park told me it would give me confidence, so I trusted him completely.”

“Sigh... So did the medicine actually work?”

“My mind began operating at the level of a genius, and all of my indecisiveness disappeared. I became unbelievably cool-headed.”

“Oh, come on! What kind of medicine does that?”

“Believe it or not, everything I'm saying is the truth.”

“Ah, so that's why your spoken English improved so dramatically in such a short period! Are there any other effects?”

“...”

There was no way I could admit that my masculine vigor had skyrocketed and that women practically threw themselves at me.

“I think it also makes a person more calculating and cold.”

“Give me an example so I can understand.”

“As you know, I used to spend my life avoiding conflicts and never said anything harsh that would hurt people. But now, if I think something is right, I say it directly without hesitation no matter what.”

“Maybe that's just because the medicine boosted your confidence?”

“Of course, that's possible. Also, I've heard that when I'm angry, my eyes become frightening.”

Hyeonji agreed with that.

Lately, she herself had occasionally felt intimidated whenever her brother got angry.

“I think you're right. I've been scared of you sometimes lately too. Any other effects?”

During my business trip to America, I had experienced something astonishing.

While returning to the hotel after my passionate night with Tracy, I had been stopped by two armed robbers.

Thinking that I didn't want to die a ridiculous death in a foreign country, I voluntarily handed over all the cash I had.

And then something completely unexpected happened.

The two criminals hadn't even managed to run several steps before they suddenly collapsed face-first almost simultaneously.

Approaching them just in case, I discovered that they were unconscious.

Thanks to that, I was able to explain the entire incident to the witnesses who arrived, recover my money, and return safely to the hotel.

But if I told Hyeonji about that experience, she would immediately bombard me with questions like, “Who is Tracy?” and “Why were you wandering outside at such a dangerous hour before dawn?”

“...Nothing else comes to mind.”

Hyeonji knew Cha Jiham's habits too well.

Whenever he wasn't speaking his mind or was trying to lie, he always paused before answering.

But this time, the pause had lasted almost thirty seconds.

And that could only mean one thing—he was definitely hiding something from her.

“Brother, I swear I'll take it to my grave, so hurry up and tell me.”

“...I told you, there's nothing.”

“Then explain why you hesitated for so long before answering?”

“I was just trying to remember if there were any other effects. Got it?”

“I'll pretend to believe you this time. Anyway, what happened next?”

“Thanks to becoming a genius, I managed to pass the internship selection process.”

“Wow, that's really amazing! But then why have you been pacing around like a dog that desperately needs to use the bathroom?”

“I need to report the results of the American business trip to Chairman Park, but he still hasn't called for me.”

“Then contact him yourself.”

“He's busy with important matters. Anyway, can I finally go back to my room?”

Drained dry by Hyeonji, I went into my room and collapsed onto the bed.

Then I began replaying that pre-dawn incident in my head.

'Those guys didn't trip over anything, but they suddenly collapsed. Why?'

Then another incident unexpectedly came to mind.

On the morning of my interview, when I exited the subway station, someone on an electric scooter had splashed muddy water all over me.

Without thinking, I had cursed him and wished that he'd fall.

And as if my words carried power, he had instantly gone flying forward.

'Could it be... one of the effects of that medicine is...'

Ding-dong.

Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts.

I had a rough idea who it might be.

Opening the front door, I saw exactly who I expected.

Lee Ujin.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to drink to celebrate your return home. Happy now?”

“And you don't have any other business with me?”

“I told you last time, I'm not interested in little children.”

Lee Ujin immediately countered my question, clearly understanding the hidden meaning behind it.

However, Cha Hyeonji strongly disagreed.

“Brother Ujin, you keep calling me a child, but I'm already twenty-four!”

“You were born on December twenty-ninth, so you're practically still twenty-three, understand?”

“Even so, there's only a five-year difference between us!”

“My younger sister is one year older than you, and she still looks like a child to me. So what do you think you are?”

“Hah, unbelievable.”

Clicking her tongue, Hyeonji retreated to her room.

Lee Ujin looked at me with a stunned expression.

“Don't tell me... she likes me?”

“Have you lost your mind?”

“Come on. Do you know how many girls have confessed their love to me? Should I list them one by one?”

“Sigh. Do you really think they loved you?”

“You mean they were after my money?”

“If you can think of another reason, go ahead.”

“Forget it. Hurry up and buy some drinks.”

Unable to withstand Lee Ujin's pressure, I ordered beer, soju, and fried chicken through a delivery app.

Of course, Ujin started complaining about how I could only order chicken, but I ignored him.

“Jiham, I called Gloria this morning and asked about her real background.”

“You did? What did she say?”

“She said her grandfather runs a company called McKesson that deals in pharmaceuticals and various wholesale goods.”

“What?! McKesson?!”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“There are three major pharmaceutical wholesalers in the United States, and McKesson holds the number one market share.”

“So what? They're just medicine wholesalers.”

I had to enlighten the ignorant Lee Ujin.

“You're seriously mistaken. McKesson's sales exceed those of Hangang Electronics.”

“Oh, come on. Stop making things up.”

“McKesson's revenue last year was 264 billion dollars, while Hangang Electronics recorded 191 billion. McKesson is one of the ten largest companies in the United States.”

Lee Ujin immediately pulled out his phone and started searching.

A moment later, his eyes widened.

“It really is...”

“Yeah. Treating a giant corporation like a roadside shop. You sure have grand ambitions.”

“Stop mocking me, you little brat.”

Lee Ujin grumbled and quickly changed the subject.

“But listen. If Gloria's family is at that level, then just how powerful is Tracy's family?”

“What makes you ask that?”

“Gloria said that if her own family was the moon, then Tracy's family was the sun.”

“Well... when you think about it, that's true.”

“You mean you know Tracy's family?”

“Have you ever heard of Bongard Group?”

“No way...”

Lee Ujin faltered as something occurred to him.

“The largest shareholder of Endivia is Bongard Group. And by the way, I've personally met its chairman, Tracy's grandfather.”

“How?”

“When Chairman Bongard came to meet Vice Chairman Yoon, I exchanged greetings with him.”

“Wow, you've really made it big!”

“Don't be ridiculous. Instead of chasing useless women, you'd better hold on tightly to Gloria.”

“I'd love to, but Gloria is in America.”

“Do you lack money or time?”

“If I fail the bar exam again next year, my father will break my legs.”

Lee Ujin's father headed one of the top three law firms in the country.

That was why he desperately wanted his son to follow the path of the legal profession.

However, at the beginning of this year, Lee Ujin had failed the bar exam miserably.

“How many people pass the bar exam on the first try?”

“My father passed the national judicial examination while he was still a third-year university student.”

“He passed because he's a genius.”

“Exactly.”

Soon, the soju, beer, and fried chicken arrived.

At that moment, Cha Hyeonji quietly emerged from her room and joined us.

While we were drinking happily and exchanging glasses, Lee Ujin suddenly asked me,

“Jiham, should I get Hyeonji a job at my uncle's company?”

Lee Ujin's father's younger brother headed the largest accounting firm in Korea.

“Don't ask me. Ask her directly.”

“Hyeonji said she'd follow your decision.”

When our father died in an accident, I was seven and Hyeonji was only three.

Grandfather and Grandmother were busy with farm work, and Mother worked late at the restaurant, so there was no one to watch her.

As a result, taking care of her had fallen entirely on me.

Perhaps because of that, my sister had developed a habit of listening to me without question.

“Choosing a career is like starting a second life. I intend to fully respect Hyeonji's opinion.”

“Did you hear what your brother said, Hyeonji?”

“Yes, Brother Ujin.”

After hearing her answer, Lee Ujin turned back to me.

“Still, I don't know whether Hyeonji could pass the recruitment process at my uncle's company.”

“Are you looking down on my sister?”

“I'm not looking down on her. It's just really hard to get in.”

“Hyeonji has never once lost her place at the top of her class, and she also holds a CPA license. If my sister can't get into your uncle's company, then who can?”

“You overlooked one thing. My uncle's firm is packed with graduates from prestigious overseas universities.”

My pride was wounded, and I couldn't let that pass.

“Graduating from a prestigious foreign university doesn't automatically make someone intelligent or insightful.”

“Everyone has their own opinion.”

“Oh? Are you saying my sister is inferior to them?”

“I was just making a comment. Why are you getting worked up?”

Sensing that our voices were rising, Hyeonji intervened.

“Stop it. I'll get into Brother Ujin's uncle's company on my own, so neither of you needs to get involved.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

Brrr...

Just as Hyeonji answered confidently, my phone began vibrating on the table.

I glanced at the screen and saw that Chief Secretary Kang Inhan was calling.

Since there were others around, I went into my room and answered.

“Hello, Secretary Kang.”

“Intern Cha, the Chairman has just returned from the countryside. Can you come over right now?”

“A friend came to visit me, so I've had a few drinks.”

“Judging by your voice, you don't sound drunk.”

In other words, stop talking nonsense and get over here immediately.

“I'm leaving right away.”