The second semester began, and my younger brother Lee Jung-woo returned to school.
So these days, he mostly works in the evening.
Since Lee Hyun-woo was the CEO, the next person in charge when he was absent was always Lee Jung-woo. Therefore, important matters always had to wait to be discussed.
Today was no different.
“A workshop at 【Seorabeol Hotel】 for 1 night and 2 days?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
“Our CEO is so generous. No wonder our club and department are lining up to join 【Jungle】.”
“That’s because you boast about it every day, Jung-woo.”
“Well, that’s partly true, but even the professors are recommending 【Jungle】, saying it’s a really great company. They say it’s a company that practices information technology innovation firsthand in our country.”
Seeing the pride on his face, it was clear he had been praised by some professors.
Such positive publicity was always welcome.
‘We can keep attracting good talent.’
As always, excellent developers were the future of the company.
Thus, Lee Hyun-woo thought he needed to improve the working environment to create an IT company that everyone admired.
The 【Seorabeol Hotel】 workshop was also planned with that in mind.
Unaware of this, his younger brother kept saying it was a luxury expense.
“It’s nice to earn a lot of money. We can even have meetings at the finest hotels.”
“I think you’re misunderstanding. We’re not holding the meeting at 【Seorabeol Hotel】 just to spend money meaninglessly.”
“Well, that may be true, but…”
“Our product lineup is expanding into cosmetics. Experiencing the services of a hotel, unlike this place where we’re stuck with computers and work, can spark different ideas.”
It was true.
There’s a reason why large corporations spend money to hold workshops in scenic rural areas, islands, and sometimes even abroad.
New stimuli to brains dulled by routine can generate a wealth of ideas.
Since this couldn’t be explained in words, he decided to show it.
‘In the future, we should do this in even more distant places.’
That would be possible when conditions and circumstances improved.
Just as Lee Jung-woo mentioned that even the professors at his school were keeping a close eye on it, the rise of 【Jungle】 was sparking changes across society.
This was already evident in conversations among journalists who had previously interviewed Lee Hyun-woo.
One of them was a journalist named Heo Sol.
“How have you all been?”
She worked in the cultural and entertainment section of 【KBC】 and became interested in 【Jungle】 due to Shin Sung-hoon’s live concert.
She felt a lot during her interview with Lee Hyun-woo at the time.
He seemed like a manager who could accurately predict the future.
When she told her friend, Son Ji-woo, a journalist at 【Sejong Ilbo】, she also quickly took an interest and went to interview Lee Jung-woo.
Not only did she write a good article about 【Jungle】, but other media outlets also began covering 【Jungle】 more frequently from that point on.
“So, are you busy these days too?”
“It gets busier before the holidays. How about you, Ji-ho?”
“Me too.”
The last person was another journalist called Ji-ho.
This time, he was from 【Dongyang Ilbo】, and like the two other journalists, he worked in the society and culture department.
His full name was Oh Ji-ho.
“I’m busy getting ready for the upcoming Chuseok as usual, but I’m also curious.”
“What do you mean by usual? The best groom candidates?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking about who to surprise people with this time.”
Every year before Lunar New Year and Chuseok, 【Dongyang Ilbo】 announces the best groom candidates during the holidays.
Since readership drops if it’s always the same, it was her job to pick novel candidates.
Last time, she chose Lee Chan-shin.
It was unexpectedly very successful.
As the CEO of 【Hangeul Soft】, he made waves and even ranked high among celebrities.
The problem was that he got married during that time.
Now, as she pondered fresh candidates again, she finally received advice from her two friends.
“How about Lee Hyun-woo from 【Jungle Soft】?”
“Oh? Right. If it’s Lee Hyun-woo from 【Jungle Soft】, we might get results similar to Lee Chan-shin. That company has been heavily covered by the media lately.”
“Really?”
“Yes, people who handle software are quite popular these days.”
“True. They have a certain intelligent charm or something unique.”
“Then should I just include him?”
“Do it. I guarantee he’ll be ranked high.”
“I’m confident too. These days, women’s standards for men are changing.”
It meant that they were no longer just looking for celebrities.
Although the term isn’t used anymore, it implied that “brainy men” were popular.
Working in a field that required reading trends, Oh Ji-ho also got a sense.
“Alright. I’ll give it a try.”
In the end, regardless of his own will, Lee Hyun-woo was included as a candidate for the best groom ahead of Chuseok.
Meanwhile, a few days later, Lee Hyun-woo and his employees arrived directly at 【Seorabeol Hotel】.
Since no one had experienced this before, Lee Hyun-woo had to handle the check-in.
He approached the desk and spoke to the female employee there.
“We have a reservation under 【Jungle Soft】.”
“【Jungle Soft】… Ah, yes, here it is.”
“The meeting room is booked as well, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The pretty employee nodded with a big smile on her face.
However, her eyes were filled with curiosity.
That was because everyone, including Lee Hyun-woo, was young.
‘Will someone important be coming later?’
She couldn’t imagine that Lee Hyun-woo was the CEO, but after all the procedures were completed, she overheard a conversation with the employee next to her.
“Isn’t he Lee Hyun-woo from 【Jungle Soft】?”
“Lee Hyun-woo?”
“Didn’t you see the morning paper today? He was surprisingly listed as a candidate for the best groom.”
“Really? I didn’t know.”
After hearing this, Lee Hyun-woo looked a bit different.
He seemed to exude the confidence of someone who had succeeded at a young age.
Moreover, his pleasant face and deep voice stirred her heart for no reason.
Naturally, from that moment, stories about Lee Hyun-woo began to spread from the desk.
It even reached the ears of Kim Ah-young, the eldest daughter of the chairman of 【Guseong Group】, who is also the director of 【Seorabeol Hotel】.
The person who conveyed this information was her secretary, Park Min-sook.
“Lee Hyun-woo?”
“Yes, I heard it from the employees. He’s the CEO of 【Jungle Soft】, a company that’s recently become quite famous.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of him.”
With a curious expression, Kim Ah-young recalled the newspaper article she read this morning.
Besides the article in 【Dongyang Ilbo】 listing him as a candidate for the best groom, 【Sejong Ilbo】 featured an entirely different title about 【Jungle Soft】.
『Two Geniuses Leading Korean Information and Communication, Lee Chan-shin and Lee Hyun-woo』
Since her maternal grandfather was the owner of 【Sejong Ilbo】, Kim Ah-young’s daily routine included reading the newspaper.
She had been told from a young age that understanding the tone of the media was essential for preparing for the future.
Thus, the article’s nuance, suggesting the birth of a self-made magnate, left a deep impression on her.
“He might become a significant customer for our hotel in the future. Please provide excellent service.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure of that.”
“Actually, would it be possible for me to meet him in person?”
“In person?”
Park Min-sook’s eyes widened.
As someone who was the same age as Lee Hyun-woo and might inherit this hotel someday, Kim Ah-young visited often.
However, she had never met a customer personally, making her reaction curious.
Noticing this, Kim Ah-young quickly added,
“We are also a semiconductor company. My father aspires to elevate our firm to the pinnacle of the global semiconductor industry, I need to gain thorough understanding of the information and communication sector.”
“Oh…that makes sense.”
Park Min-sook now had an understanding look on her face.
In truth, Kim Ah-young, the eldest daughter of the chairman of 【Guseong Group】, had grand ambitions.
She had mentioned before that just because her brother was the only son didn’t necessarily mean he deserved to inherit the semiconductor business.
‘But still, can she really take the semiconductor business from the only son of the chairman?’
With such thoughts in mind, Park Min-sook began preparing.
Shortly after, she escorted Kim Ah-young, who had a face full of curiosity, to the meeting room.
They confirmed the reservation for 2 PM, and as they arrived, they saw Lee Hyun-woo coming out with someone.
“……?”
Upon spotting Kim Ah-young and her company, Lee Hyun-woo’s face showed a question mark.
Park Min-sook greeted first.
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
Receiving the greeting, Lee Hyun-woo then bowed towards Kim Ah-young.
“Hello.”
“Ah, yes, hello.”
Seeing the smile on Kim Ah-young’s face, Park Min-sook quickly stepped in.
“You are the CEO of 【Jungle Soft】, Mr. Lee Hyun-woo, perchance?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“This is Director Kim Ah-young of 【Seorabeol Hotel】.”
Since they had already exchanged greetings, Lee Hyun-woo merely smiled.
In response, Park Min-sook’s eyes sparkled.
‘I thought he’d be surprised.’
Perhaps he didn’t know that she was the daughter of the chairman of 【Guseong Group】?
Since she had rarely been exposed to the media, it was possible.
But anyone would find it odd that such a young lady was a director at 【Seorabeol Hotel】, yet he showed no such sign.
“And she is also the eldest daughter of the chairman of 【Guseong Group】.”
So, she had to reveal her status.
Still, there was no reaction.
To be precise, he continued to smile without showing any interest.
“Yes, it is my pleasure to meet you.”
He said this with a very business-like expression and resumed his conversation with the employee next to him.
“Did we receive a call just now?”
“Yes, they should be arriving shortly.”
“There’s no need for them to rush.”
“It seems they hurried upon hearing that we’re handling Taepyeong Cosmetics.”
As a result, Kim Ah-young and Park Min-sook naturally became background characters.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-woo recognized Kim Ah-young clearly.
He simply thought she wasn’t relevant to him because she was the daughter of a major conglomerate.
In other words, he considered it a mere coincidence.
Instead, his mind was occupied with the person who was supposed to come here.
That person was the director of the cosmetics division of Aejong Group.
She, too, was the daughter of the group’s head.
He had heard this from Han Se-jin, who was next to him, and Aejong had learned that 【Jungle】 was purchasing and selling 【Taepyeong Cosmetics】 directly.
‘Well, it’s not really a secret.’
In fact, 【Jungle】 should be spreading the word widely.
That way, other cosmetics companies would also approach them.
Thus, Lee Hyun-woo continued discussing business without paying attention to the passing Kim Ah-young and her company.
“Did we inform them that the workshop starts at 2 PM?”
“Yes, they said they would be here waiting.”
“That’s….”
“The director seems quite enthusiastic. According to the rumors, she is determined to catch up with Taepyeong Cosmetics….”
Seeing Han Se-jin tail off, Lee Hyun-woo turned his gaze again.
It seemed like he was being distracted by Kim Ah-young’s company passing by awkwardly.
Now Lee Hyun-woo was also getting distracted.
So he looked at Kim Ah-young and asked in a low voice.
“Do you have something to discuss perhaps…?”
“Not in the slightest. We were just passing by.”
How strange.
She was smiling at first, but her face had suddenly stiffened.
More precisely, it was a face that looked like her pride was hurt.
‘Did she expect to have some special treatment?’
Seeing Kim Ah-young’s company disappear quickly, Lee Hyun-woo tilted his head in confusion.
