Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 66

66. 21st. Know Yourself (1)

Jang Ha-yeon opened the door and entered the house.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome. You seem to have had quite a bit to drink today, haha.”

Jang Ho-geon, who was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, put it down and greeted Jang Ha-yeon. The face of his eldest daughter, reflected in his eyes, was more flushed than usual.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“Sorry? I told you, you can drink as much as you want as long as you don’t lose control, haha.”

Jang Ho-geon, chuckling, called out to the kitchen.

“Madam Jinju, please bring me a cup of honey water.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Hearing the reply from the kitchen, Jang Ho-geon reached out and pointed to the sofa.

“Sit down.”

“Yes…”

Jang Ha-yeon, unable to shake off her slight embarrassment, sat on the sofa right next to Jang Ho-geon.

“I imagine you had a good time.”

“Oh, Father. It was just a casual get-together, you know.”

“I suppose so. You’ve known each other for so long.”

Jang Ho-geon smiled awkwardly at his daughter’s diplomatic answer to his rather clumsy question. He wondered how long it would take for romantic feelings to develop between two people who had known each other since childhood.

Jang Ha-yeon drank the honey water brought by the housekeeper and put down the glass.

“By the way… it seems I have to go to New York again soon. Sigh…”

“America?”

“Yes. I’ve been away for too long, so I have to go back.”

Jang Ho-geon’s face hardened, mirroring Jang Ha-yeon’s gloomy expression.

“That man, he’s making you work too hard…”

Jang Ho-geon couldn’t understand Lee Dae-soo’s intentions.

In any other family, they would have placed her in a key position within the group’s secretariat or a core affiliate to gain experience and build internal connections. Why was he making her work at the bottom? Leaving aside family traditions, from a management perspective, it seemed like a waste of talent.

Jang Ha-yeon quickly spoke up, sensing that she had made her father uncomfortable.

“Calm down, Father. I received an inheritance, so I have enough to support myself.”

“Haha, you haven’t even had the wedding yet, and you’re already taking your man’s side?”

“Uncle Myung-woo did the same thing. He went to Iraq with his younger sibling…”

Jang Ha-yeon, trying to continue her hasty excuse, stopped when she saw Jang Ho-geon’s raised hand. Fortunately, Jang Ho-geon was nodding with a gentle smile on his face.

“I know. He and his brother went to Iraq together to build an oil pipeline to help the company grow. It wasn’t a huge project, but it was quite large for Haedong Construction’s size at the time.”

“I see.”

“I had a drink with Myung-woo before he left, and I went to a street stall [pojangmacha] for the first time in my life, haha.”

Jang Ho-geon’s face was filled with fond memories of the night he shared soju [Korean rice wine] with grilled eel and mackerel at a street stall with Lee Myung-woo before he left for Iraq.

“It’s embarrassing to admit, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it myself. I’m not particularly close to your aunt or uncle, but working in a place close to a battlefield isn’t easy.”

“But Father, you suffered in your own way. That’s how you got here. I believe the DDR RAM investment will be successful too.”

Jang Ho-geon’s face brightened at his daughter’s encouragement. While the global semiconductor industry was clinging to RD RAM, he was the only one championing DDR RAM, even while being called crazy.

Jang Ho-geon explained the difference between RD RAM and DDR RAM, as well as the difference between stack and trench methods, and then finished the honey water his daughter had been drinking.

“A manager must know (知), act (行), use (用), teach (訓), and evaluate (評). You must possess these five qualities to be a worthy partner for your man. Now, go.”

Jang Ha-yeon bowed to her father and went up to the second floor. Every time she received these management lessons, she felt like he was both encouraging her as a successor and showing his love as a father, so her face was bright as she climbed the stairs.

As soon as she reached the second floor, the smile that had brightened Jang Ha-yeon’s face instantly turned gloomy.

“What’s so great that you’re grinning like that?”

Jang Ha-yeon’s eyes narrowed at Jang Su-yeon’s sharp voice. Her sister was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

“None of your business.”

“Well, there’s no reason for me to care. You have no value anyway. But…”

Jang Su-yeon made a sniffing sound and said with a sneer.

“You’ve been drinking a lot lately? Who did you drink with? Did you drink with that impotent bastard Lee Sung-min?”

“Impotent?”

Jang Ha-yeon’s eyes widened, and her voice rose. How dare she call the person she liked disabled because she couldn’t have him!

“Yeah. Seeing him dragging around with only one woman, what else could he be but impotent?”

Jang Ha-yeon relaxed her furrowed brow. Getting carried away by such petty provocation was something she might have done when she was younger, but not now.

She smoothed out her frown and said with a smile on her lips.

“Think what you want. I can check later whether he’s impotent or not. I think he’ll be more substantial than the guys you’ve been flirting with so far, don’t you think?”

“What?”

“And you’re still going on blind dates, aren’t you? How worthless must the people you’re seeing be for you to keep doing that?”

Seeing Jang Su-yeon’s face twist with anger, Jang Ha-yeon shrugged her shoulders as if to show off.

Jang Su-yeon’s clenched fist trembled. She had been wasting her time for nearly half a year because there was no man as perfect as Lee Sung-min, and Jang Ha-yeon’s words were grating on her nerves!

“I’ll see how well you two lovebirds do. I won’t let you go to New York or anywhere else comfortably.”

Jang Ha-yeon’s eyes widened at Jang Su-yeon’s cold voice.

“You… were you eavesdropping?”

Only then did regret flash across Jang Su-yeon’s face. It was information she had secretly overheard on the second-floor stairs!

“What’s it to you? Go fall into bed.”

With those words, Jang Su-yeon hurriedly went into her room.

“Getting angry because she couldn’t have what she wanted… sigh.”

Jang Ha-yeon shook her head with a helpless expression, looking at the door that had closed with a thud.

A little later.

Jang Su-yeon, who had entered her room, put her ear to the door and listened to the sounds outside. Hearing the sound of footsteps moving away, Jang Su-yeon quietly opened the door and watched through the crack as Jang Ha-yeon entered her room.

Seeing the door close with a click, Jang Su-yeon scurried down to the first floor and looked for Hwang Na-yeon.
She couldn’t stand seeing Lee Sung-min, whom she had been ignoring until now, frolicking with Jang Ha-yeon.

“Mom, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it? Should I find you another man?”

Hwang Na-yeon had been on edge lately because of her daughter’s matchmaking failures. She had found dozens of men for her daughter since the beginning of the year, but she had been repeatedly rejected, so her voice was sharp.

“That’s not it. I want you to observe Lee Sung-min.”

“Lee Sung-min? Isn’t that the guy who turned you down?”

“That’s right. He’s going on a business trip to New York, so I need to investigate him. I need to find out if he’s really working or if he’s just putting his name on the company and doing something else.”

Seeing the fire blazing in her daughter’s eyes, Hwang Na-yeon nodded. How could she let a guy who had given her daughter an indelible insult, was playing around with a woman her husband had brought in from outside, and was even working overseas without a care in the world, get away with it!

“Okay. Wait a moment.”

Hwang Na-yeon patted Jang Su-yeon’s shoulder, who was looking at her earnestly, and went into the dressing room to make a phone call.

“It’s me, Director Gong. How are you doing?”

[Yes, Madam. I’m doing well thanks to your consideration.]

Hwang Na-yeon’s eyes softened at the sweet, clinging voice.

“It’s nothing much, but Lee Sung-min will be going on a business trip to New York soon.”

[Lee Sung-min is… ?]

“The eldest grandson of the Haedong Group. He’s been going back and forth between New York and Korea these days, so please observe him.”

[Are you saying to see if he’s doing anything other than company work?]

“You’re quick on the uptake, Director Gong. I’ll find out his departure date and have it handled secretly in your New York account.”

[Understood, Madam.]

Hwang Na-yeon hung up the phone and looked at Jang Su-yeon. The faces of the two women, looking at each other, were filled with smiles of villains even worse than villains.

***

Several days later.

After sending a gift to my grandfather in the United States and checking the domestic stock market situation and the group’s internal affairs, it was finally the day of my departure.

I was now standing in front of the arrival hall at Gimpo Airport. In front of me, Jang Ha-yeon was standing face to face, looking at me with worried eyes.

“Have a good trip. Be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll just be working hard at the company and at the accommodation.”

My heart was heavy at the thought of leaving this woman again, who had no one to protect her, but I smiled so as not to worry her.

Jang Ha-yeon seemed to understand my feelings and smiled awkwardly at me. Seeing the smile spreading across her face, I put my hands on her shoulders and lightly placed my lips on her forehead.

“Hey?”

“I’ll go now. Let’s go, Hyung [older brother/male friend].”

“Yes… Young Master.”

I smiled at Jang Ha-yeon’s face, which had turned as red as a strawberry, packed my luggage, and entered the departure hall.

Ten hours later.

We, who had been enjoying the comfort of first class, arrived at New York’s JFK Airport.

“I’m out of the arrival hall, Claire.”

[Welcome to USA, Johnny!]

Claire’s cheerful voice gently struck my ears. Whenever I came to New York, I seemed to receive overflowing energy.

“Thank you. Where did you set up the place?”

[The Waldorf Astoria Hotel. We’ll have a meeting in two hours.]

“The Waldorf Astoria…?”

I knew the place well. I stayed in a regular room there with my mother and father when he went on a business trip. It was one of the first high-rise hotels built in New York. The antique interior was impressive…

[My family invested in it when they built the new building. I have a penthouse that has been passed down for generations, and I thought it would be a good place for investment negotiations, so I asked my father.]

Claire said it in an indifferent tone, but my mouth dropped open. A historic hotel that was approaching 60 years old had a penthouse that had been passed down for generations. When would I, Lee Sung-min, not John Davidson Lee, enjoy such luxury?

“Thank you, Claire.”

[You’re welcome. See you later.]

After finishing the call, I put my cell phone in my Bottega Veneta briefcase, went out of the airport with Park Tae-jin, and got into a taxi. After telling the destination, I closed the glass window between the front and rear seats and leaned back.

“It seems things will work out well thanks to Claire.”

“We should thank Lord Royce [Claire’s father].”

I received great help from a place I hadn’t even thought of. I had asked for a luxury hotel suite for the investment negotiations with the fashion company, but I never imagined that I would be having a meeting at Henry’s penthouse.

Park Tae-jin said to me as I was whistling happily in the taxi that was gliding down the road.

“Young Master, something is strange.”

“Yes?”

“A car has been following us for a while now.”

My spine instantly turned cold. It was the same in my past life, but now Park Tae-jin is more energetic, so his intuition honed in the military will be sharper.

“Don’t look back, Young Master. It’s not certain yet, so we need to check first.”

I listened to Park Tae-jin’s words, corrected my posture, which I was trying to turn back, and unfolded the map of New York City. After looking out the window and checking our location, I opened the partition and said.

“I’m sorry, but let’s turn right.”

“Then we’ll be going in the opposite direction?”

“It’s okay. I haven’t been to New York City in a long time, so I want to drive around for about an hour.”

I took out a hundred 100 dollar bills and handed them through the partition. The corners of the driver’s mouth went up as if they were about to tear when he saw the hand handing over the bills.

“Okay, sir. I’ll show you as much as you want, haha.”

The driver seemed to have roughly guessed what was going on and drove around only on roads in New York City where cars didn’t travel well.

“They keep following us. Tough guys.”

“We need to contact Miss Lawrence and take action.”

I quickly dialed the phone number as I gritted my teeth.

“It’s Johnny, Claire. The bodyguards who were assigned to today’s meeting, are they Henry’s employees?”

[Yes. My father only selected A-class ones. Why?]

“I think I’m being followed.”

[Followed?]

“Yes. First, have one person disguised as a civilian and sit in the lobby. And…”

As I told her how to reverse-track them, Claire’s voice was heard.

[Okay. Be careful just in case.]

“Yes. Thank you.”

After nearly an hour of driving, the taxi stopped in front of the hotel, and I got out of the car and made a phone call from the entrance.

“I’ve arrived. Yes. I’ll go in right now.”

After finishing the call, I stepped into the hotel lobby with Park Tae-jin, and murals painted in the Renaissance style adorned the walls and ceilings above the passage.

Even though it was a tense moment with someone tailing me until just now, the artwork was breathtaking. It eased my anxiety a little.

“Amazing. Painting a ceiling painting is no easy task.”

“It’s something you can never imagine in Korea. It will be impossible unless the value of labor and art is recognized.”

I nodded at Park Tae-jin’s words.

“I heard from my sister that ceiling paintings have to be drawn in consideration of how they look differently depending on the viewing distance and position. The posture of drawing is also uncomfortable, and it is difficult to look at the composition.”

“That’s right. That’s why Michelangelo’s health deteriorated a lot when he was painting the Creation of Adam. As such, ceiling paintings require several times more effort and commensurate compensation than general paintings.”

A bitter smile crossed my face at the words ‘effort’ and ‘compensation’.

“It’s impossible in Korea. The government is taking the lead in undervaluing the value of people… Huhu.”

Isn’t Korea a country that tries to undervalue anything that can be done with people, such as government officials’ salaries, computer network construction, or design-related service costs? Even now, and in the future.

‘I was trying to change my mood by imitating my grandfather… I guess it’s not possible.’

For a while, I tried to shake off my anger by appreciating the paintings, projecting my grandfather’s aesthetic sense and discernment, but a white man approached me as I was lost in thought.

“Are you John Davidson Lee?”

Filming has begun. The genre is probably thriller.