The Chairman Who Wants to Play and Eat

Chapter 24. Now the professor is my fear.

In the deserted engineering building,

Inside the dark, unlit computer engineering lab, a man sat in front of a computer.

“Why on earth isn’t this working?”

He exclaimed.

The state of affairs was nothing short of dreadful.

His unkempt hair and beard suggested he hadn’t been taking care of himself for a while, and his clothes were so shabby they were almost pitiful.

To anyone’s eyes, it was clear he hadn’t left the lab in at least a month.

He resembled a ghost haunting the place.

The only sign of life was the piercing gaze fixed on the monitor.

Beep, beep—,

With each keystroke, a shrill mechanical sound echoed like a scream.

“Professor!”

“······.”

“Hey! Professor!”

He was none other than Professor Eo Nam-jun, known for his eccentricity even within the department.

The door swung open, and a graduate student walked in.

“······What’s going on?”

His eyes were unpleasant.

It wasn’t just because of the exclamation “Oh?” that was forbidden in the lab. Right now, it was more about his own irritation.

He simply didn’t appreciate having his concentration broken.

“The president called.”

“The president?”

That was a different matter altogether.

He straightened up.

His unused joints creaked and popped oddly.

“Well, if that’s the case, I should take that call. Is it on the internal line?”

Saying this, he staggered toward the only telephone in the lab. He had to walk quite a distance because the rest of the phone lines were all connected to the computer.

At last,

– Professor Eo, are you listening? This is the president.

The voice of President Cheon echoed through the receiver.

“Yes, President.”

– Do you know Hyun Sang-yoon?

“Hyun who?”

– That Hyun Sang-yoon fellow has no interest in law, but he’s keen on your internet research, so I’ve sent him your way. Don’t say anything strange and handle him well, got it?

Professor Eo tilted his head, puzzled.

“Who exactly is this Hyun Sang-yoon?”

– Ah, I see I was slow to explain. Who Hyun Sang-yoon is… No, wait, you really don’t know Hyun Sang-yoon?

“I don’t. Is he an undergraduate?”

His reaction was unexpected.

“There’s not a single Hyun in our department. Is he perhaps a student from another university? I’m sorry, but we’re quite busy and don’t have the bandwidth to look after students from other schools…”

President Cheon was taken aback.

– Hey, Professor Eo!

“…I’m listening, President.”

– You really don’t know who Hyun Sang-yoon is? Haven’t you seen him at the festival?

“I haven’t.”

– Goodness, I can’t believe there’s someone who doesn’t know the most famous law student at our school, Hyun Sang-yoon. What a world… Anyway…

A law student?

“President, we don’t need any law students in our lab.”

Professor Eo had a bad habit of speaking his mind without regard for the other person.

Finally, the law school graduate president exploded.

– You seem to be mistaken; I’m not sending him because you need him. I’m sending him because he needs you. It’s already frustrating enough that he’s being pulled away by the ‘likes’ of engineering… I’ve explained enough. I won’t say more. Handle it as you see fit.

With that, the call ended.

Professor Eo set the phone down and returned to his seat.

“Professor?”

A graduate student who had been watching from earlier called out to him.

“…What is it now?”

“Are you okay?”

“What, why? If asking is the internet, then what’s wrong with that, and what else is the problem?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s what the dean instructed.”

There was no response.

In the end, I shouted once more.

“This is the professor’s decision! I can’t take responsibility for this!”

Only an irrelevant answer flowed out.

“Why does this UNIX keep crashing? There’s clearly no issue with the kernel, so why can’t I log on? Ugh, since it’s come to this, I’ll just start over from the beginning. Internet, you can do it, Eom Nam-jun!”

*

Arriving in front of Professor Eom Nam-jun’s office was well past late at night.

Knock, knock,

Assistant Lee Beom-seok tapped on the door.

“Is the professor there?”

But there was no answer from inside.

“It’s an empty room, though?”

“No, it’s not. The number is definitely correct. Room 1120, and if you look at the nameplate, it clearly says ‘Eom Nam-jun.’”

“But the door is closed… Oh, it’s actually open?”

He stepped inside.

“…What on earth went wrong from the start?”

The room was overflowing with an aura of darkness, and a man muttering in front of a computer caught his eye.

“Uh, Professor?”

“How many times have I told you not to make noise in the lab! But who are you? Are you perhaps that law student?”

That was the first meeting with Professor Eom Nam-jun.

The moment I saw him, I felt it.

‘This is truly crossing the line.’

The first impression was striking.

He was entirely different from Director Jo Young-dae, who had a good presence and spoke coherently.

I couldn’t tell what the main part was like, but it wasn’t visible now.

It was hidden.

I liked it.

It was obvious without needing to see more. That was enough.

The chairman’s favor had deepened, and I had the proper visual that would surely rescue me from the company’s abyss.

As I was thinking this,

“I don’t know why you’re here, but I don’t need you, so please leave.”

For some reason, a cold wind swept through the room.

He must have heard the message from President Chun, yet for some reason, he showed no interest in me at all.

In the end, I had no choice but to bring up Director Jo.

“You said you came through Dr. Jo Young-dae?”

His attitude changed completely.

“Yes, that’s right.”

For the first time, he turned to look at me. His gaze was more piercing than I had imagined.

“Oh, I see. I heard Dr. Jo returned to the country to start a new venture, so I was curious what it was about. You’re Hyun Sang-yoon, right? So, you’re the friend Dr. Jo mentioned? The third-generation heir from the conglomerate that helped establish Dr. Jo’s research institute?”

It was refreshing.

It was the first time someone had openly called me a third-generation heir to my face.

I liked it even more.

“Wow.”

He exclaimed.

“So, does that mean you’re going to invest in me too? Now that’s music to my ears!”

······ I didn’t say a word.

Once he started talking, he was like a waterfall.

Even though I hadn’t asked, he began with an explanation about the internet.

Well, I was curious, after all.

“······We will establish a 1:1 network with the Korea Institute of Data Communication (KIDC) using dial-up lines and TCP/IP protocols. The goal is to connect to overseas networks, and it would be great if we could get a router, but it can’t be imported domestically. Anyway, once we set up the WAN with KIDC, we can build FTP and BBS over the internet, so then······.”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute.”

Assistant Lee interrupted.

He had been glancing back and forth between my face and Professor Oh’s, listening intently.

“What is it, Assistant Lee?”

I asked.

“Could it be that you, young master, actually understand all of this right now?”

“I studied in the car on the way here. I read a few papers. So, isn’t it natural that I understand?”

“······Ah, no matter how much you studied······.”

The conversation faltered, and Professor Eoh grew irritated.

“Um, is it okay if I continue talking?”

“Yes, please do.”

He shrugged his shoulders.

In the midst of this,

“If you can just manage to do it, you’ll be the second in the world.”

Professor Eoh brought up a story that could make one’s eyes widen. It was something unknown. It wasn’t written in the thesis.

The second, you say?

Second place is still second. It’s not first.

‘This is significant.’

Grandfather Hyun always emphasized being first.

This was the meaning.

Only one person can occupy the position. According to Grandfather Hyun’s belief, there’s no room for anyone after the second.

But to be second…

“Alright. I’ve heard you well.”

“If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.”

“What do you need?”

I carefully broached the main point, making sure not to reveal my inner excitement.

“Everything.”

He asserted that to succeed as the first in internet communication in South Korea, it wasn’t just a matter of one or two things; he wanted to secure whatever was necessary, no matter the cost.

“Is it expensive?”

“It is.”

That was a welcome sound.

Not only was it impossible to be first, but the costs were also high.

‘The chances of recouping are low. The business potential is lacking. Therefore, Grandfather’s expectations will diminish. If Grandfather’s expectations fall, the company will drift away, and the Gangnam building will come closer.’

A perfect calculation.

“Alright.”

I extended my hand.

“Professor, let’s make a contract from now on. I will invest in you. From now on, you belong to me. If you need anything, just let me know. No matter how large the amount, I will always support you beyond that.”

*

On the Airplane,

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

At the words of Director Joo Yong-hoon, who rarely offered alcohol out of concern for health, Chairman Hyun Byeong-geon wore a satisfied smile.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“You seem to be in a really good mood.”

“Who? Me?”

Chairman Hyun feigned surprise, pointing to himself.

“Hey, my friend, I just gathered all the kids in Frankfurt for a mental training session and I’m on my way back. Feeling good? Ha! That can’t be right.”

Even as he spoke, his tone already betrayed a cheerful state.

His hand reached for the glass.

Finally, the ruby-colored liquid followed,

Not just any service wine offered in first class.

It was a rare vintage of Romanée-Conti from 196X, which Chairman Hyun would occasionally seek out when he was in a good mood, just like now.

“Nice.”

As soon as it was poured, he savored the aroma of roses wafting from the glass.

“When you return, make sure to hit the front page of the major daily newspapers right away. Something like, ‘Seonghyeon is reborn from one to ten, Seonghyeon will never disappoint the people,’ you know, something along those lines.”

In response to his directive,

“I will follow the chairman’s orders.”

Director Joo’s clear reply followed.

It was a conversation without much significance.

The space had already been secured.

Without needing instructions, Director Joo knew exactly what his next task was.

Chairman Hyun was well aware of his character too.

The two were soul partners.

Just as gears do not need to predict each other’s next move, their relationship always operated smoothly without a hitch.

It had always been this way.

For decades, they had nurtured Seonghyeon from a small corner store into a comprehensive trading company, from a small business into a conglomerate.

“And you know,”

Suddenly, Chairman Hyun added.

“The vice-chairman…”

“Sure.”

“Let’s try to arrange a seat as soon as we get in. It would be better to have a meal together and talk, rather than a formal meeting.”

Hmm?

I didn’t see this coming.

It’s a non-issue.

It’s due to Chairman Hyun’s usual beliefs.

Manager Joo’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Chairman Hyun didn’t notice.

“…I will coordinate with the vice-chairman’s office to ensure that you can sit down as soon as you land in Gimpo. However…”

“But what?”

“Aren’t you tired?”

At those words, Chairman Hyun’s hand pointed at himself once again.

“What? Who? Are you talking about me right now?”

Manager Joo kept his mouth shut.

“Don’t worry about such presumptuous concerns, Manager Joo.”

“Understood, Chairman.”

“Call Sang-yoon too.”

“I will take care of that as well.”

His expression was as if he were looking at a wine more precious than the one in his hand.

“I’m sure that kid Sang-yoon will come up with some interesting ideas that will surprise me again. Now that the semiconductor project is over and the festival has wrapped up, what’s next? I’m so curious I can hardly stand it.”

Manager Joo nodded.

Then I should get some sleep, he thought, as he quietly stepped back at Chairman Hyun’s last remark.

A moment later,

The space partitioning off Chairman Hyun’s area darkened.

The flight attendants quickly dimmed the lights, creating an environment where Chairman Hyun could rest comfortably.

Such was the dignity of first class.

A little while later,

Snore, snore.

The sound of Chairman Hyun’s deep sleep echoed throughout the cabin.

Of course, everyone seated next to him was part of the Seonghyeon Group, so no one expressed any dissatisfaction with the noise.

Meanwhile, several hours passed, and Manager Joo found it hard to fall asleep.

‘Hmm.’

I looked out at the black clouds passing beneath the window and organized the tasks I needed to tackle upon returning home.

It was simple enough.

Appointments could be made, and schedules could be adjusted.

It was all just ordinary matters, nothing difficult at all.

However,

‘The difficult part lies elsewhere.’

What was hard to grasp was my own heart.

‘What could it possibly be?’

The events that had transpired during my travels across Europe,

I knew, if no one else did, that I was aware.

All of this had unfolded according to the intentions of Hyun Sang-yoon, the youngest son of Vice Chairman Hyun Deok-jae.

No one had ever been able to do that until now.

It was an ability beyond imagination.

‘I’m just as curious, though.’

While he was away from Korea, many things must have happened within the group.

There were always variables.

I wasn’t curious about any of that.

The only thing I was curious about was this:

What would Hyun Sang-yoon do this time to please the Chairman?

I couldn’t know.

Decades of experience in the Seonghyeon career,

Even with all the lessons learned while serving the Chairman, it was a problem that was hard to discern.

‘Well, I’ll find out once I arrive in Korea anyway.’

My heart raced. It didn’t seem to be just from the long flight.