Kim Tae-hyun, who came out to the yard with a response to think about Kim Sung-moo’s suggestion.
‘Father had similar thoughts to mine.’
However, keeping Lee Hyun-woo by his side was not an easy task.
Since it was impossible for him to leave Jungle, Guseong would have to acquire that company.
In the past, they could have bet at an appropriate price, but now the value was increasing daily.
Therefore, it was clear that he had the second method in mind.
‘A match for Ah-young?’
Kim Tae-hyun was also well aware that the two had been getting close recently.
And he thought about having Lee Hyun-woo as his brother-in-law.
‘Not bad.’
Arranged marriages were common among chaebols.
Someday, both Kim Tae-hyun and Kim Ah-young would certainly be tied to other chaebol families out of necessity.
Although Lee Hyun-woo was not from a chaebol family, he was showing abilities that surpassed such a background.
Moreover, it seemed that Kim Ah-young did not dislike him.
‘Alright. I’ll help speed up the relationship between you two.’
After thinking this far, Kim Tae-hyun picked up the phone and found Lee Hyun-woo’s number.
It didn’t take many rings before he answered.
(Hello?)
“Hey, Hyun-woo. It’s me.”
(Oh, hyung.)
“How have you been?”
(Of course. I miss you.)
This was one of Lee Hyun-woo’s remarkable traits.
Although it was just a casual remark, it somehow felt good.
“Nonsense?”
(It’s not nonsense. I have a lot to ask you.)
“Really?”
(Yes, please make some time for me.)
For some reason, there was a hint of suspicion this time.
But it was impossible to refuse.
Kim Tae-hyun also wanted to meet him.
“That’s great. I wanted to see you too.”
(Really? For what reason…)
“I wanted to introduce you to someone you might get along with.”
(Can’t it just be the two of us?)
“No, what are you planning to ask?”
(Nothing special. I was just curious if Guseong is really jumping into the acquisition of Geukdong Gas.)
“You’re very interested in our family’s affairs. That’s not something I can casually talk about, but I’ll tell you once we get closer.”
(That’s disappointing. It sounds like we’re not that close.)
“Enough, this time you have to concede.”
(Haha…)
His awkward laughter indicated reluctance.
Indeed, from what he saw, the guy was a workaholic.
He might deny it, but that was deceiving himself.
“Aren’t you tired of always talking about work? It seems like you work day and night. Why don’t you take this chance to enjoy life a bit, huh?”
(What do you mean always working? I love having fun.)
“Then you’ll make time, right?”
(Well… Yes, I understand. But who exactly are you introducing me to?)
“Our peers. You’ll probably like them once you meet them.”
The advantage of chaebol children was their generosity.
The downside was that they gave even when it wasn’t wanted.
Kim Tae-hyun was the same, believing that if he offered, the other party would unquestionably appreciate it.
Hence, rejecting it would create an awkward situation.
(Alright. Let me know the time and date.)
Fortunately, Lee Hyun-woo gave the okay sign.
‘Why am I being so anxious about this guy?’
This wasn’t how it started, but somehow the initiative had been taken away.
So he snapped out of it and said,
“Ah, I’ll call you back with the details later. Alright?”
(Yes, hyung.)
After ending the call, Kim Tae-hyun pressed the end button.
At that moment, he suddenly heard someone’s voice.
“Oppa! What are you doing?”
Turning around, it was Kim Ah-young.
“Wow, since when did you hear?”
“-Hyun-woo, it’s me.-”
“Ah, you heard from the beginning. Why do you sneak up on phone calls like a cat?”
“Why are you calling relatives and including Hyun-woo?”
“Why do you always insist on speaking your mind without thinking?”
“Just tell me why you called them.”
“Because it would be beneficial for both sides.”
“Don’t you know how rude they can be? How can you bring Hyun-woo to such a place?”
“Well, they are the ones who will inherit their companies someday. It would be good for Hyun-woo to meet the advertisers.”
Of course, there was also the intention of showing off to Lee Hyun-woo, but there was another purpose as well.
‘If he becomes part of our family later, he needs to get used to the atmosphere.’
However, he didn’t say that to Kim Ah-young.
Instead,
“Honestly, we did get some help from Hyun-woo. I think this is a good way to repay him.”
When he spoke soothingly, Kim Ah-young showed a complex expression.
‘You have nothing to say, right? Because what I’m saying is true.’
Anyway, it seemed that his younger sister liked Lee Hyun-woo.
When he mentioned something good for Lee Hyun-woo, her usual argumentative self remained silent.
At this moment, he strangely envied her.
‘Damn, will I ever get to marry a woman I love?’
For some reason, it didn’t seem likely.
‘Sigh…’
A sigh escaped inwardly.
That afternoon, Lee Hyun-woo received another call from Kim Tae-hyun.
The date was the next day, and the place was Seorabeol Hotel.
‘Oh boy.’
To be honest, it wasn’t something he was particularly keen on.
It felt like he was getting increasingly entangled with the Guseong family.
Despite the uneasy feeling, there was a reason he accepted.
He wanted to know if Guseong was really acquiring Geukdong Gas.
If that happened, their entry into the automobile industry would be delayed, and the risk of overinvestment later would be reduced.
For reference, in his previous life, Guseong’s entry into the automobile industry led other domestic car companies to spend more on development and facility investments.
So, if this part could be directed differently, the small flap of a butterfly’s wings might quell the storm of the financial crisis.
‘For Ah-young’s sake, I’ll let it slide this time.’
Last year, and this year.
He realized that she was trying to change a lot to match him.
Watching the process, Kim Ah-young gradually entered his heart.
‘At this rate, I might really fall in love.’
Now, instead of thinking about the ‘reasons it can’t happen,’ the thought of ‘how to make it happen’ started to dominate his mind.
Then, hearing the phone ring again, he chuckled.
‘Since the oppa called, now the younger sister is calling me.’
Even this morning, Kim Ah-young had said,
‘There’s no need to listen to oppa.’
But since he had already made up his mind, he thought he would tell her that he made his decission and answered the phone.
(Hello?)
Unexpectedly, it was Choi Sun-hwa from Aejeong Group.
“Oh? Long time no see.”
(It hasn’t been that long. Every time I call and ask you to spare some time, you always refuse.)
Suddenly, scenes of receiving calls from Choi Sun-hwa from last year to this year came to mind.
Strangely, something was always going on those days.
Recently, it was the day Lee Jung-woo and Oh Min-woo returned from abroad.
― You told me to call after work, but it seems today doesn’t work either.
― I’m really sorry. Please contact me in advance next time.
So, she must have called before work ended today.
‘Coincidentally, something always came up.’
Feeling sorry, he couldn’t refuse.
“I really am sorry. I owe you a big one tonight.”
(Oh, without even asking if I’m available.)
It sounded as if she meant,
‘Did you think I’d come running just because you said so?’
Lee Hyun-woo chuckled and responded.
“Today’s the only time I’m available for a while. Tomorrow is off the table. The day after tomorrow doesn’t work either.”
(Tch… Okay. I’ll come now.)
Eventually, Choi Sun-hwa gave in.
(But you have to buy me a drink today.)
Choi Sun-hwa was a significant customer of Jungle.
Not only for advertising, but her low-cost cosmetics were a hit, making it one of the most popular items on online shopping platforms.
However, she had never mistreated Lee Hyun-woo.
Rather, having succeeded with Lee Hyun-woo’s advice, she had called several times to treat him to a nice meal.
Since all those attempts had failed, today, she could get a drink from Lee Hyun-woo.
At a bar in Gangnam, no less.
“Did I suggest too expensive a place?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Alright. You make a lot of money, so you should definitely treat me today.”
Sometimes she was too straightforward, but her honesty was her charm.
Lee Hyun-woo smiled and nodded.
“Of course. But you’re doing pretty well too. These days, Miss. A is everywhere on the streets.”
Miss. A was the low-cost brand of Aejeong Cosmetics.
By capturing the change in consumer trends, it was wildly popular among teenage and young women.
“It was all thanks to your advice. As the saying goes, a moment’s choice decides ten years, your suggestion to design a low-cost brand led to this outcome.”
“Wow, you’re admitting you make a lot of money. I changed my mind. You should treat me.”
“Alright, you rascal.”
Although he had met Choi Sun-hwa the least, her straightforward personality quickly brought them close.
Maybe that’s why, but Lee Hyun-woo felt more like he was meeting a male friend than a female one.
“Did you expect it to take off like this? The low-cost brand?”
“Of course. Cosmetics are too expensive. They’re out of reach for teenagers and young adults. But if you trim the fat a bit, they would immediately catch on. You know how inflated the prices are. The sales commission alone takes up over 40% of the consumer price.”
“Wow, you know this very well.”
“Of course. Plus, advertising and promotional costs are 25%, distribution and marketing costs are another 25%. So, it’s like inflating it tenfold.”
“Don’t forget about R&D costs.”
“R&D costs? Premium markets spend a lot on R&D, but low-cost cosmetics just replace ingredients with economical ones.”
“This is crazy. I can’t deceive you.”
Though speaking casually, Choi Sun-hwa was increasingly amazed.
Lee Hyun-woo was only twenty-eight.
What did he do before to know so much about the pricing and distribution structure of cosmetics?
“And recently, the door-to-door sales aren’t as effective, and the premium market in department stores is relatively in a slump, right?”
“Did you work in a cosmetics company?”
“No. I studied this in college.”
“You studied this?”
“Yes, I researched case studies of different products.”
It was hard to believe, but he said so, so what could she do?
However,
“Theory and practice are different, aren’t they?”
This doubt remained.
“Is there anyone who has successfully applied theory to practice as much as I have?”
“Were all your businesses like that?”
“Of course.”
“I can only say you’re amazing.”
“That’s also a given.”
“So, what’s the next big hit? What do you think will be the next big success?”
“Do you think heavenly secrets are revealed for free?”
“That’s not fair. Drink up! Drink up! Drink and spill some heavenly secrets.”
Tonight, it was expensive whiskey.
She ordered it, determined to get him to buy her a drink, and now, seeing her eyes slightly tinged with a flush from sipping it, Lee Hyun-woo flinched.
Kim Ah-young had shown him such eyes not long ago.
