Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 76

76. 22nd. Give and Take (6)

After spending the remaining days promoting the store opening, the morning of the grand opening finally arrived.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes. The store staff is thoroughly familiar with their duties, and the merchandise is neatly displayed. The outdoor and ceiling decorations are set to create an opening atmosphere. The prize items are arranged, and the fireworks team is on standby on the roof.”

Na Chang-seok, who was reporting on the opening preparations, and the team members sitting at the table all looked excited.

“All we need is the CEO to cut the tape. Shall we go?”

I checked my watch and looked around the store one last time with the team before heading out.

As I walked outside the store entrance, I saw a portly middle-aged man standing there.

“CEO!”

“Oh, Lee Sung-min!”

Tae Jae-ho raised his hand and shouted loudly as he approached.

“Are the preparations going well?”

“Yes, CEO. Thanks to the help of the team members, everything is going smoothly.”

“Haha, I’m glad to hear that.”

Tae Jae-ho chuckled and approached the team members behind him.

“Good job, Director Na. And you all too.”

“It’s nothing, CEO. Thanks to Lee Sung-min, it was rewarding to work.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Unlike other group members, he took the initiative, and his insight into the distribution business was profound and sharp.”

“Since there’s still time, let’s hear how hard this friend has worked.”

“Yes. He prepared a proposal from the first day…”

Na Chang-seok told the story as it was, without any exaggeration, and Tae Jae-ho laughed heartily as he listened.

“Haha, I shouldn’t have bothered telling the Chairman to use him without mercy. He would have done well on his own.”

“Thanks to you, it was easier for us, CEO.”

“Charge the promotion expenses to Lee Sung-min’s personal funds. Even if sales are good, accelerated depreciation will turn it into a loss, right? If you want to grow the business in the future, you have to save company money, right? Hehe.”

I didn’t expect to be backstabbed like this. Was he going to create an intentional deficit with accounting tricks and take away my precious money? Tae Jae-ho smirked at my dumbfounded expression.

“I’m just kidding, Lee Sung-min. You still have 2.2 billion dollars left from the last deal, why would I take your personal money? And…”

Tae Jae-ho, who had been joking with my team members and me, now spoke to Na Chang-seok and the team members with a calm expression.

“From now on, you will continue to lead the discount store business.”

“C-CEO?”

“You all know that you were selected from various departments in the department store business division, right?”

“…Yes.”

“It’s the Chairman’s order. From today, Director Na will also serve as the head of the discount store business division, concurrently managing the Eunpyeong branch. The bigger the business grows, the heavier your nameplates will become, so do well, haha.”

Na Chang-seok and the team members couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions, but I had already anticipated this to some extent after checking their information.

This team was created by selecting individuals from Haedong Department Store, which has five stores across Seoul, Incheon, and Busan, and the planning department of the distribution sector, considering their years of experience and positions in each department. In a way, it was a foregone conclusion.

As time passed, it was time for the grand opening ceremony. After Tae Jae-ho’s short and impactful congratulatory speech, the tape-cutting ceremony began.

“One! Two! Three!”

As Tae Jae-ho, Na Chang-seok, and the team members cut the tape with the scissors in their hands, fireworks soared into the sky from the roof of the Eunpyeong branch with loud bangs. At the same time, confetti fluttered down, creating a colorful pointillistic [a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image] painting in the air.

Seeing the splendid sight unfolding before my eyes, I felt strange.

For 23 years, I had lived as Shinsung’s hunting dog, never being the main character, which made me feel wronged and resentful. But now, just watching was satisfying. Was it because of the certainty that it was entirely mine, ours?

While watching the team members taking pictures with Park Tae-jin with happy expressions, my phone rang.

“Yes, this is Lee Sung-min.”

[It’s me, Sung-min. Where are you?]

“I’m near the entrance now… Why?”

[I’ll be there at 2 PM. Is that okay?]

The moment had come. This was the perfect opportunity to show Jang Ha-yeon, who values ability as much as appearance, my skills.

***

“Okay, Sis. See you later.”

After ending the call, Park Tae-jin asked,

“Is that Ha-yeon, Master?”

“Yes. She said she’s coming in the afternoon.”

“She seems to be head over heels for you, Master, haha.”

The laughter sounded like teasing. I couldn’t let it go.

“Don’t tease me, Hyung [older brother/friend]. I think Manager Yoo is interested in you?”

“M-Master?”

“I saw it every time we were promoting on-site. Manager Yoo wiped Hyung’s forehead with a handkerchief, opened water bottles for him, and even took care of him at the company dinner… Isn’t that right?”

I raised my eyebrows and smirked, and Park Tae-jin’s face turned bright red.

“Master, that’s not…”

“Do well, Hyung. You should get married before you turn forty, hehe.”

I smiled mischievously and joined Tae Jae-ho with Park Tae-jin to guide him inside the store. As we were having lunch at the cafeteria, the promised time was approaching.

“I’ll go look around the store.”

After getting permission from Na Chang-seok, I bought a decent new outfit inside the store, changed into it, put my clothes in a customer locker, and went out to the store entrance. I even wore a hat because my face was known from inspecting the site while walking around the store, and waited for Jang Ha-yeon while checking the time.

Beep beep!

I heard a car horn and looked up to see a Benz limousine parked in front of the store. The driver got out and ran to the back door facing the street to open it. Could it be?

That wasn’t all. My phone was ringing too.

“Yes, this is Lee Sung-min…”

[Where are you? I thought you’d be out in front of the store?]

“I’m out here? Where are you, Sis?”

[I’m in front of the store. Can’t you see the Benz [Mercedes-Benz, a luxury car brand]?]

No way!

I quickly raised my hand and waved it.

“I’m waving my hand in front of the store right now. Can you see me?”

[So that was you?]

“Yeah. I’ll be right there.”

I hung up and quickly ran to the car. A middle-aged man in a luxurious brown jumper and a hunting cap got out of the back seat, where the driver was holding the door.

Following him, a woman in neat slacks, a shirt, a jacket, and a flat cap got out, and the man who got out first took her hand. Damn it.

“Driver Oh, take a break at a nearby coffee shop and come back here in two hours.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

After greeting him, the driver disappeared down the street.

“It’s been a while, Sung-min. Did the grand opening go well?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

I quickly bowed my head at the sight of Jang Ho-gun speaking kindly.

“I came shopping with my father. Isn’t that right?”

“It might not be bad to have dates like this once in a while, haha.”

The father-daughter duo was a million-seller hit. Jang Ho-gun, who rarely showed his face even at the semiconductor plant dedication ceremony, was coming to a discount store that just opened today… What was going on?

Jang Ho-gun coughed, seeing my bewildered face.

“I heard you went far to promote the store. Even though on-site training is important, going that far… You’ve worked hard.”

I could see pity in his eyes as he looked at me. When I was married to Jang Su-yeon, he always looked at me with unpleasant feelings. What was the reason?

“It’s nothing, Chairman. My father and uncle both worked hard to get where they are, so I should do the same.”

“You seem quite mature now. I won’t hear you say you’re running out of energy anywhere. Isn’t that right, Ha-yeon?”

“Father, really…”

Jang Ho-gun smiled contentedly as he watched Jang Ha-yeon blush and hide behind him.

“Our sister also runs a discount store, and I’m curious how it’s different here.”

“I’ll show you inside, Chairman.”

“Okay. But…”

Jang Ho-gun cleared his throat and spoke clearly.

“Call me Uncle. We’re not strangers, why are you so formal, Sung-min?”

I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. The Jang Ho-gun from my past life didn’t treat me so warmly…

Why? Was it because my family was doing well? Was it because I was going to inherit the group?

Whatever the reason, it was still thank you. The more they let their guard down about me, the wider my range of movement would be, and the more time I would have to prepare.

I finished calculating and raised my confidence to 100 percent, showing it on my face.

“Yes, Uncle. Let’s go inside.”

“Okay. A man needs confidence. Now you look like Myung-woo’s son, haha.”

Let’s see how long that smile lasts. F.A.T.H.E.R.-I.N.-L.A.W.

***

As Jang Ho-gun entered, his eyes sparkled when he saw the packaging area near the entrance.

“Why did you set this up?”

“Our store is not a warehouse type, but a large supermarket style.”

“Supermarket?”

“Yes. We made it easy for customers to pack because they can buy various items in individual units.”

“Hoo… It’s different from the entrance, so I have high expectations, haha. Okay, let’s go inside.”

I guided the two inside the store, starting with the basement. It was because Jang Ho-gun wanted to see the food/household goods corner, which accounts for most of the discount store’s sales.

Jang Ho-gun carefully examined the store, making humming sounds or nodding.

“SSK [likely referring to a competitor store] was like being in a logistics warehouse, but here the display is neat and compact. Since bundled items are displayed, the price barrier will be low, and the inventory turnover will be good.”

Jang Ho-gun, aside from ethical issues, was a genius when it came to management. He accurately understood why I set up the store like this.

“Unlike Westerners, Koreans mainly eat fresh food. Therefore, the shopping cycle is fast, so we displayed processed foods mainly in bundled packages, Uncle.”

Jang Ho-gun smiled and nodded as I guided him through the store with a confident attitude, unlike when we first met.

“Good idea. In the distribution business, store location, price, and quality are important, but you also have to take care of consumer convenience. The aisle spacing is also quite generous, so you can shop comfortably without getting upset. I want to come again later, haha.”

Jang Ho-gun clearly explained what I intended. With his best friend’s son in front of him and his most beloved daughter next to him, he seemed to be showing off his knowledge.

“In that sense, it seems like you’re looking at people here [understanding their needs and desires].”

“Yes, Uncle. I wanted to make it a place where people want to come.”

“You want to create a company that will live forever, right?”

“Yes. I want to create a company that will be loved and live forever.”

Jang Ho-gun smiled gently as he looked at me.

“Love… It’s embarrassing but a good word.”

After that, Jang Ho-gun looked around the basement, buying snacks to eat in the middle, and carefully examined the corners where vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat were displayed.

“Give me one pound of this.”

“Yes, customer!”

Jang Ho-gun watched the employee from beginning to end, from the mask on her mouth to the latex gloves on her hands, and the process of packaging the soy sauce-marinated bulgogi [Korean marinated beef], nodding his head.

“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Thank you, customer!”

With a bright greeting to the employee, Jang Ho-gun put the packaged bulgogi in the cart.

“The meat doesn’t seem to be floating in the soy sauce marinade. The color is good, and the employees’ service and hygiene are excellent. You can charge more.”

“Cleanliness, honesty, and kindness are essential when selling food, haha.”

I tried to smile without losing my smile, but my stomach turned cold.

A sharp man, he was watching everything from the employees’ uniforms to how much meat and soy sauce marinade was in the bulgogi bag. I was glad I had decided to match the ratio of 85% meat to 15% marinade.

After looking around the basement, we went up to the first floor and looked around the toy corner.

“Mom, buy me this!”

“Why are you doing this? I bought it for you last time?”

“It’s different! Buy it for me!”

Jang Ho-gun smiled like a father as he watched a young woman being grabbed by the hem of her son’s pants in the toy corner.

In front of the two were several types of robots and products assembled from Lego blocks, and the child was pointing to a large Lego block with his other hand, making the woman embarrassed.

“People who came to shop must be in trouble.”

“Consumption also happens here.”

“That’s right. People don’t just consume here.”

Jang Ho-gun tapped his head with his fingertips as he watched me smile and lightly tap my chest with my palm.

“You know the distribution business well. Haedong Mart has grown a lot, so I’ll leave the distribution to you two as promised, haha.”

Jang Ho-gun stopped laughing and picked up one of the Lego blocks that the child was begging for from the shelf.

“Uncle?”

“This is a gift from Uncle. The checkout counter… Oh, there are plenty of checkout counters.”

Jang Ho-gun put the toy in the cart, had the toy calculated at the checkout counter first, and handed the toy to me.

“Give it to him with a good reason. This is also management.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

I was a little dazed, but I took the gift and ran to the child.

“Little boy, you said you wanted this, right?”

“…Yes.”

Unlike the child, who stopped crying and only blinked, the woman looked at me with an embarrassed expression.

“You don’t have to give us something like this…”

“No, customer. This is a gift for showing interest in our Haedong Mart toy corner for the first time.”

“An event?”

“Yes, customer. Thank you for continuing to love our Haedong Mart, haha.”

The woman’s face lit up as I put the toy box in the cart with a smiling face.

“Enjoy shopping. Ah! Please spread the word that our mart is good to the people around you.”

With those words, I ran to the two people waiting outside the store.

“Thank you, Uncle.”

“No. Thanks to you, I had a date with my daughter for the first time in a while, so it’s cheap to think of it as the price. I’ll be going now.”

“I’ll go, Sung-min. See you later.”

After saying goodbye, the two got into the Benz S-Class limousine waiting in front and disappeared onto the main road.

‘That’s strange, I don’t know what to make of it. He’s being so nice to me.’

I don’t know why Jang Ho-gun is being so friendly to me, but it seemed like it would be easier to eat away at Shinsung Group from the inside. I tilted my head and returned to the mart with a sinister smile.