Ch 41

<41>

 

The Beginning of a New Time (2)

 

Yoonjae cracked his knuckles, twisting his neck and waist, seemingly determined to fully commit to the game. Eunho realized for the first time that when this man, who knew nothing but work, got serious about a game, he transformed into a battle-ready state, just like when he was working.

 

“Isn’t the penalty too harsh?”

 

“It’s only fun if it’s that intense.”

 

“Then, what if I win?”

 

“If you win, how about we try it out tonight as much as you want?”

 

Eunho’s expression crumbled at his last words. His conversation, heading straight for a 19+ rating, seemed to already achieve the game’s intended purpose.

 

“Let’s just do wish-granting.”

 

“Isn’t that my wish anyway?”

 

Of course, it was. Eventually, as Yoonjae wanted, they stacked the Jenga blocks neatly, booking a hot night of unknown possibilities. They placed the stickers face down so they wouldn’t know what question they’d get, making it even more thrilling and exciting. Easy and simple questions were mixed with explicit ones that could make their faces flush red.

 

From the start, Yoonjae carefully pulled out a block from the bottom layer, his lips twitching as if they were cramping. What kind of question could it be that made him so happy? Eunho anxiously checked the wooden block in Yoonjae’s hand.

 

“Do you prefer hands or lips?”

 

Eunho, faced with a high-level question from the start, bit his lip with his front teeth, looking embarrassed. Yoonjae, suppressing a smile, brought his face close.

 

“Aren’t you going to answer? If you don’t, I’ll kiss the inside of your thigh.”

 

He had expected this kind of situation, but he didn’t know it would be this sticky and hot from the start of the game. He would be less embarrassed if he were drunk, but trying to say it sober made him want to hide in a mouse hole. Eunho mumbled in a small voice, as if ventriloquizing.

 

“I like hands.”

 

“You like hands?”

 

“…I like lips too, but the sensation is too strong and embarrassing.”

 

Yoonjae, grinning, felt like a completely different person from the Choi Yoonjae, the Executive Director, he saw at work. It was as if he had two separate personas. But Eunho liked both the leader-like Choi Yoonjae at work and the Choi Yoonjae who turned affectionate when they were alone, enough to make his heart flutter.

 

This time, Eunho took out a wooden block from the upper layer. As soon as he saw the sticker, he made a small, deflated sound.

 

“Which position do you like the most?”

 

It was an embarrassing question, but he thought of it as part of the game and asked confidently. Yoonjae, with his arms crossed, pondered for a moment before answering without hesitation.

 

“If I can see your face, I don’t care what position it is.”

 

It was Yoonjae’s turn again. He kept touching the wooden blocks on the lower layers, as if he was desperate to knock down the Jenga tower. Eventually, he carefully took out a wooden block, checked it, and roared, clenching his fist. Curious about the mission, Eunho approached him, checked the contents, and scratched the back of his head with a hollow laugh.

 

〈Hong Kong Ticket〉

 

With the condition that the selector could use it whenever they wanted, Yoonjae insisted it was tonight. Eunho had expected it from the moment he brought the Love Jenga, so he laughed it off pleasantly.

 

This time, Eunho carefully took out a block from the upper layer. He made a strange expression, somewhere between laughter and something else, and snorted. Yoonjae approached this time.

 

〈Caress the important parts of the person in front of you for 1 minute while they are still wearing clothes〉

 

Yoonjae covered his mouth with his fist, chuckled for a long time, and then leaned back on the sofa, telling him to go ahead and try.

 

“Do I have to do it as written? It feels like it’ll be stuffy if I’m wearing clothes.”

 

“We have to follow the rules.”

 

Eunho approached the grumbling Yoonjae and reached out his hand to carry out the mission. It was his first time touching the soft member before it was erect. As he slowly stroked it up and down, it visibly grew in size, even from the outside, and the outline became clearer. Yoonjae, stimulated by the mere touch, let out a husky moan and tensed his jaw.

 

“It doesn’t even feel like 20 seconds have passed, why are you having such a hard time?”

 

“I can’t take it anymore.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

Yoonjae’s lower body was hard, as if it would burst out of his drawers. He soon reached his limit and grabbed Eunho’s hand, which was stroking the fabric, and pulled him up.

 

“I’ll use the Hong Kong ticket now.”

 

A smile spread across Yoonjae’s face as he hugged the bewildered Eunho and entered the room. The sounds of sucking and playful bickering, along with the words, “Is this why you said you’d stay over tonight?” constantly leaked out of the bedroom.

 

***

 

Seryeong, carefully looking around the interior of the H Hotel’s business suite, felt complicated. Just over a decade ago, it was renowned as one of the top five hotels preferred by customers, but now, due to its failure to keep up with trends, the occupancy rate was gradually declining. Although it had been kept clean for a long time with luxurious and high-end finishing materials, its unique classicism did not suit the tastes of the younger generation, which was a major problem.

 

Entering the powder room and checking the amenity brands placed in front of the dressing table, Seryeong let out a deep sigh and told the hotel’s general manager, who was standing beside her, about various improvements.

 

As the appointed time approached, a man with a small carrier entered the room where Seryeong was, along with his secretary. The man, who introduced himself as Isabella Brown’s agent, handed over his business card and installed a laptop on the reception table. She was residing in the United States, and due to health issues, she could not attend this meeting in person, so they would be having a video call instead.

 

As the man adjusted the laptop monitor to Seryeong’s eye level and stepped back, Isabella’s image appeared on the screen. She smiled brightly and stared at Seryeong.

 

She neatly swept her white bobbed hair back with her hand, and perhaps because of the heavy makeup typical of Americans, she looked haughty and sharp. Her well-maintained face, without deep wrinkles, did not look like she was in her sixties, which could easily lead to a slip of the tongue if one did not know her age. Wearing an emerald jacket over a collarless V-neck blouse, she sat at her desk, reviewing documents, and then clasped her hands together, smiling politely.

 

-I’m sorry. I should have visited you in person, but I’m not feeling well these days, so I had no choice but to send an agent with a power of attorney.

 

“I understand since I can see your face like this. I hope you understand that I am also here as my brother’s agent.”

 

Her younger brother, Choi Youngjae, was experiencing increased anxiety and was undergoing drug treatment, so he was virtually unable to make his own decisions. Seryeong took a sip of the prepared lemon tea, put it down, and neatly placed her hands on her lap.

 

“I noticed you’ve been aggressively buying Yuseong Venture Capital shares. May I ask why? Depending on your answer, I may have to consider transferring my shares. Oh, and I would appreciate it if the conversations we have here remain confidential.”

 

Judging from the atmosphere of stock purchases and the direction of A Second Company, it was clear that it was not a beneficial company for Yoonjae. However, she was curious about the intention behind the rapid purchase of Yuseong Venture Capital shares.

 

-Isn’t it only natural to invest where the money is?

 

Unlike Seryeong, who was trying to play a game of wits, Isabella, with her resolute expression, bluntly stated her intentions without being conscious of the other party. She made it clear that she had no impure intentions and was solely focused on investment.

 

“Since you’re talking about the principles, I can’t ask any further.”

 

Seryeong stopped trying to pry further and took a step back. Isabella’s confident and charismatic demeanor felt sharp. Seryeong frequently straightened her posture, feeling herself shrinking back from her commanding presence. Before coming to the meeting, she had investigated A Second in various ways, but it was not a company with bad conditions for Seryeong. It was a so-called “milking” investment company that focused solely on investment performance and repeated buying and selling, making it likely to be an enemy to Yoonjae but an ally to Seryeong.

 

“How much do you want?”

 

Although it was a meeting after coordinating with both law firms, Seryeong asked once more. A Second wanted to buy all the shares at a 5% discount from the market price.

 

-I would be grateful if you could give me everything, but I will follow the Vice President’s opinion since it is important.

 

“If you give me 10% more than the market price, I am considering selling all of them.”

 

Seryeong made an unreasonable offer, hoping to try anyway. It was meant to request a slight compromise. Isabella, who had a rigid expression at Seryeong’s absurd proposal, raised one corner of her mouth and released her clasped hands.

 

-We thought you had come to this meeting because you agreed to our proposed amount, as we have already stated it. I’m sorry, but we don’t have that much funds either. Isn’t it customary to consider discounts when measuring large-scale block deals?

 

She was confident in adhering to her principles, even though she had approached them first out of necessity. Her company’s initial offer was a 10% discount for partial sale and a 5% discount for full sale, and Seryeong had agreed to this and came to this meeting. Isabella silently stared at Seryeong before presenting an acceptance plan.

 

-If you sell partially, we will discount 7%, and if you sell all of them, we will adjust to the current market price. There will be no more.

 

Satisfied that it was much better than the initial conditions, Seryeong nodded in agreement.

 

“May I ask about your future plans?”

 

-Well, I’m considering whether to appear at the general shareholders’ meeting after watching the trends.

 

Since A Second was also an investment company, it would only care about its own interests. Seryeong was tempted by the full sale requirement, but she changed her mind to a partial sale, considering the voting rights of Yuseong Venture Capital in the future.

 

“I will sell only 10%.”

 

If she sold 10% out of 17%, it would be between 180 billion and 190 billion won after taxes, which was enough to cover the first and second promissory notes.

 

“But there is a condition.”

 

-Tell me.

 

Seryeong’s contemplative gaze touched Isabella. There was an underlying intention to instill a sense of camaraderie, like fellow soldiers, as women.

 

“If you continue to gather shares and seize control of the general shareholders’ meeting, please be sure to bring down Executive Director Choi Yoonjae.”

 

Seryeong did not think that Choi Yoonjae was great, but that the position made the person. Seryeong had harbored resentment towards Choi Yoonjae, who had been protecting his position and making great strides, for a long time. Growing up, her father, Chairman Choi, cherished Yoonjae more than her and Youngjae, and always treated them as objects of comparison. Seryeong was sick and tired of even hearing Choi Yoonjae’s name. Her goal was to make Yoonjae disappear from her sight. She was confident that Yuseong Venture Capital could continue to operate as it was now, even without Choi Yoonjae, if professional management was properly arranged.

 

Isabella lowered her focus below the camera and fell into deep thought. She had no reason to replace the executives of a successful company. Furthermore, everyone knew that Choi Yoonjae was the core of Yuseong Venture Capital.

 

-That is beyond my authority.

 

“I will create a situation, so please shake things up at the general shareholders’ meeting just once.”

 

Isabella reacted to the words “create a situation.” Seryeong’s fierce eyes, without a hint of wavering, were sending a steady signal that she was planning something.

 

-Create a situation? It sounds like you have a card to pressure him.

 

“I can’t go into detail, but I plan to tie someone up.”

 

It was unclear whether the expression “tie up” literally meant imprisoning someone or whether it meant taking measures to prevent them from working. Isabella, considering only investment, asked with a dissatisfied tone.

 

-Tie up, are you talking about Executive Director Choi Yoonjae?

 

“It’s not Executive Director Choi Yoonjae. Executive Director Choi Yoonjae needs to be in that position. There is someone else who will come out willingly.”

 

The day before yesterday, she received information from CEO Han that Yoo Eunho had imprinted. Secretary Park had confirmed it with his own eyes, and since he had recently broken up with his ex-lover, the person he imprinted on must be Yoonjae. Just in case, she had someone follow them on the same day, and as a result, they had dinner together at a restaurant quite far from the company, walked along a promenade, and Yoonjae even drove him home. Seryeong, after receiving the phone video of the two of them, burst out laughing at Yoonjae’s affectionate behavior.

 

“I will provide you with an excuse around the time of the general shareholders’ meeting, so please shake things up then.”

 

Seryeong was confident. If she had enough time, she would alienate the two of them like she did with Junseo, but this time she didn’t have enough time. She even calculated in her mind a plan to kidnap Eunho for a long time, even if it meant crossing the line of the law. Her intention was to distract Yoonjae’s judgment and induce him to step down from his position. Isabella remained silent and thought for a long time, then trailed off, saying that she needed time.

 

While the agreement between the two parties was being drafted by lawyers and signed in a swift manner, Choi Seryeong began working to win Isabella over to her side. She had been seeking breakthroughs in various ways recently, but it was not an easy task. Like her father, whose life was fading away, she was personally experiencing that the connections related to him were also being cut off one by one.

 

Seryeong wanted to put the company back on track no matter what, but as the management situation became difficult, people who had rushed in like moths to a flame left her one by one. Even those who were close to her turned their backs on her, constantly adding to her sense of betrayal. While persuading Isabella, Seryeong was also deeply concerned about how to manage the funds that would soon be coming in.

 

***

 

Yoonjae, skimming through the final lineup submitted by the General Investment Division, spread out three startup company reports in front of Eunho as if he were testing him. In response to his question about which place would be a promising investment destination in the future, Eunho carefully skimmed through the reports once again, even though he had seen them several times.

 

Since they were startup companies, capital was not taken into account. They only looked at the content planning ability, ideas, and the CEO’s mindset to make a winning move. If the content was good, the company would expand greatly in the desired direction the moment capital was injected. What was important here was the CEO’s mindset. The more upright the CEO was, the more talent that matched his character would follow.

 

Eunho chose one of the three and pushed it in front of Yoonjae. His eyes moved more sharply and coldly than usual, then turned to Eunho again.

 

“Why did you choose the third company?”

 

“If all three have similar content platforms, then the next thing to look at is the CEO’s mindset and background, and this person seems excellent. All of the employees also seem to be from the same company, so their reputation doesn’t seem bad. If they left a big company to follow him, it means they trust the CEO that much.”

 

The CEO of the company Eunho chose was in charge of the shopping development division at a major portal company until last year, and the employees he currently had included a senior planner from the same company. Since he had years of experience at the largest IT company, the development personnel that the CEO would bring out if he had capital was a predictable scenario. Yoonjae seemed pleased with Eunho’s choice, as he checked the third company twice with the fountain pen he was holding.

 

“Which one did Executive Director choose?”

 

“I chose the same.”

 

“You’re not choosing the first company?”

 

In fact, the first company was the most eye-catching. All three companies had not yet received investment, and although their business directions were slightly different, the foundation was an influencer marketplace. Among them, the first company was currently operating a service, and visible results were gradually emerging. Within the General Investment Division, opinions were divided between the first and third companies.

 

“Why the first one?”

 

“The organizational structure is more visible. There’s also a service platform, and many users already know about it.”

 

It was impossible to guarantee who would succeed. Investment companies invested based on future possibilities, and they didn’t always walk the path of success. In the case of startups, the combination of the times, trends, luck, and capital had to be right to succeed.

 

Yoonjae got up from his seat, picked up the reports, and walked to the reception table. He gestured for him to come and sit down, and Eunho, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, bit his lip firmly and came to sit down.

 

“I’ll ask you the other way around. Why didn’t you choose the first company?”