The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 22

Became a Villain of a Conglomerate Family – Pyeongchang-dong 02 –

***

“What did you say to Chairman?”

Chief Hong Won-ik’s face was stiff.

“I told him I’m going to college through the GED [General Educational Development test, a high school equivalency credential].”

“Not a Korean university, but an American one?”

“Why? Does it seem impossible?”

Chief Hong Won-ik narrowed his brows.

‘Such audacity.’

He couldn’t say that he hadn’t seen Chairman Jung Woo-sun in private.

But from talking to him, he was a child who wasn’t afraid of adults at all.

‘He wasn’t this rude before.’

The Jung Hyun-woo of the past was a child who was somewhat afraid of adults.

But after going to America, his personality seemed to have completely changed.

Perhaps it was because he had grown older and was no longer afraid of adults.

“Hyun-woo, you can only get away with lies for a few months.”

Jung Hyun-woo lowered his voice.

“It’s not a lie.”

It’s not a lie.

Chief Hong Won-ik unfolded his narrowed brows.

“If it’s not a lie, are you really saying you’re going to an American university?”

“America is a country where recommendation letters work.”

In 1982, Korean universities only determined acceptance or rejection based on academic achievement test scores, but American universities were different.

Admission through donations was possible, as well as admission through recommendation letters. In fact, in the case of American universities, it was difficult for students without recommendation letters to be admitted.

For universities above the state level, a recommendation letter from the principal of the high school the student attended was essential.

Furthermore, in the case of the United States Military Academy, a recommendation letter from the local district congressman was required.

“Are you saying you have someone who will write you a recommendation letter?”

“Didn’t you know? My private tutor is from a prestigious family.”

A recommendation letter from a prestigious family.

Chief Hong Won-ik narrowed his eyes.

‘Hyun-woo charmed people from prestigious families to get a recommendation letter? No. It’s more likely he obtained a recommendation letter through some kind of lie.’

The Jung Hyun-woo he knew was not a child who could attract the attention of people from prestigious families.

‘If he managed to get a recommendation letter by any means, he must have some tricks up his sleeve.’

He wasn’t a hopeless troublemaker.

“So, you’re going to college with a recommendation letter?”

“There’s no reason why I can’t.”

“But you told the Chairman that you could go to college with excellent grades······.”

Jung Hyun-woo cut off Chief Hong Won-ik’s words.

“Is there any need to break the happiness of a grandfather who is happy to see his grandson’s college acceptance in the name of truth? Do you want to see the Chairman angry, Chief Hong?”

Join my lie.

Chief Hong Won-ik clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Tsk, this kid.’

Jung Hyun-woo was trying to manipulate even the chief of staff.

“You lied for the Chairman’s happiness?”

“It’s much better than telling the truth. Or do you disagree, Chief Hong?”

It was an important question for Jung Hyun-woo.

‘If he continues to insist on the truth, I’ll have to think of him as someone trying to push me out.’

He knew that there were people in the Jung family who wanted to frame him.

‘Finding out who that is is also important.’

A long sigh.

In the end, Chief Hong Won-ik couldn’t refute Jung Hyun-woo’s words.

‘As Hyun-woo said, there’s no need to tell the truth.’

Jung Hyun-woo’s admission was not an important deal or project. Even if there was some exaggeration or falsehood, if he could go to an American university, that was all that mattered.

‘How many officials were hated by the king for telling bad things in the palace?’

He had no intention of following in their footsteps.

“Okay. I’ll package your lie appropriately.”

Earlier.

Chairman Jung Woo-sun had called Chief Hong Won-ik to the reception room and told him about Jung Hyun-woo.

There, Chief Hong Won-ik had replied that he would look into it further.

‘After looking into it, I’ll have no choice but to answer that Hyun-woo’s words are true.’

Jung Hyun-woo slightly lowered his guard when Chief Hong Won-ik accepted his story.

“And please prepare for the GED.”

“You mean the high school GED?”

“The exam is soon.”

Chief Hong Won-ik sighed lowly.

“Ha, even if the GED is easier than the academic achievement test, it’s not an exam you can pass by studying for a few days.”

“Are you doubting my skills, Chief?”

He didn’t just doubt him; he wanted to scold him.

‘This child is taking the world too lightly.’

A typical conglomerate family son who doesn’t know failure.

How did he become like this?

Perhaps it was the fault of the adults around him.

‘Did we neglect him too much?’

If someone had been there to hold him back, he might not have become such a willful child.

“Hyun-woo.”

“Even if I fail, I’m the one who fails.”

Jung Hyun-woo raised his voice, patting his chest as if he was frustrated.

Chief Hong Won-ik watched his actions and sighed deeply inwardly.

‘Haa······. I’m the one who’s frustrated.’

He had no choice but to nod.

“Okay. I’ll prepare for the GED too.”

Jung Hyun-woo bowed deeply for the first time in a while.

“Thank you.”

Chief Hong Won-ik was a strict boss to his subordinates, but he couldn’t use his power against Jung Hyun-woo.

There was also his father’s matter, and anyway, he was Chairman Jung Woo-sun’s sore spot.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“I’m going to use the phone to call America.”

If he was using the phone, it would be related to the university recommendation letter.

“Okay. I’ll tell the butler.”

It wasn’t that international phone charges were a burden in the mansion of a large corporation chairman.

But if the phone bill suddenly increased, the butler might be suspicious.

In this case, it was better to tell him in advance.

Jung Hyun-woo raised his right index finger and said.

“Please book a plane ticket because I have to go back before Thanksgiving.”

“Go back?”

“I came to Korea to take the GED.”

Chief Hong Won-ik’s eyes widened.

‘Could it be······.’

His hunch was right.

“Did you think I was scared by the Chairman’s scolding and came to Korea?”

“······.”

“My grandfather is endlessly generous to me. I hope you know that too, Chief Hong.”

A child who wasn’t at all afraid of Chairman Jung Woo-sun’s scolding.

Chief Hong Won-ik looked at Jung Hyun-woo’s face and thought.

‘This child might become the typhoon of the Jung family in the future.’

Chairman Jung Woo-sun was, in old terms, a hero. He was more likely to like a bold child who raised his voice than a child who cowered in front of him.

‘The Chairman might genuinely like Hyun-woo.’

The third-generation members of the Daewoon Group flashed through his mind. There were children who were good at studying or showed talent in arts and sports, but there was no child as bold as this.

‘Maybe that’s why they say you can’t know what will happen in the world.’

Chief Hong Won-ik thought that Jung Hyun-woo might still have a chance.

***

Managing Director Jung Min-seok’s mouth felt gritty, as if he had chewed sand.

“I guess even a worm has its own skills.”

Sitting in front of him was his older sister, Jung In-hae.

“The GED is not a difficult exam.”

It was an exam that anyone who had properly completed the high school curriculum could pass.

But Chairman Jung Woo-sun was happy with just that.

Chairman Jung Woo-sun’s smiling face wouldn’t leave Managing Director Jung Min-seok’s mind.

‘He didn’t even make that face when our child won an award in the math competition.’

It was more like a feeling of, ‘He’s doing well in his studies, as expected of the son of a genius.’ But Chairman Jung Woo-sun beamed at Jung Hyun-woo’s GED pass.

It was just a GED pass.

“Still, he finished the high school curriculum.”

“Sister.”

“I know. I’m always on your side. I took care of the matter you asked me to do.”

With the help of his older sister, Jung In-hae, Managing Director Jung Min-seok successfully extended a large loan.

Within the Daewoon Group, there was talk that Jung Min-seok would skip the executive director position and be promoted to vice president of Daewoon Construction thanks to this achievement.

‘It’s troubling.’

It felt like he had been hit by a young Jung Hyun-woo.

“Father says Hyun-woo will be admitted to an American university, but will that happen?”

“If it’s admission through donation, it’s possible.”

Jung Min-seok was a graduate of a foreign university, so he knew that American universities didn’t solve everything with grades.

“Father donating?”

“He cherishes Hyun-woo so much.”

“That could be.”

Jung In-hae didn’t seem to have much interest in Jung Hyun-woo’s university admission.

“Your children are graduating now, right, Sister?”

A shadow fell over Jung In-hae’s face.

“I think I’ll have to send them to graduate school.”

Managing Director Jung Min-seok tilted his head.

“Not coming to the company, but graduate school?”

“I don’t think the children have any intention of returning to Korea.”

Some international students longed for Korea and suffered from homesickness, while others, like Jung In-hae’s children, wanted to settle in America.

‘If the eldest daughter’s children are out of the picture, we’re grateful.’

Jung Min-seok had nothing to lose.

“We can support the tuition under the name of the Daewoon Foundation.”

“Would you really do that?”

“I’ll pull some strings.”

“Thank you so much!”

To Jung Min-seok, Jung In-hae was one of the easy-to-handle chess pieces.

‘The problem is Hyun-woo.’

Jung Hyun-woo.

He was like a tumbler [a type of Korean roly-poly toy] that wouldn’t fall even when it seemed like it would.

***

Gimpo Airport.

Jung Hyun-woo boarded a plane bound for America.

“You managed to pass.”

He slightly raised his shoulders at Choi Kyung-min’s flattery, which wasn’t really flattery.

“It would be strange if I couldn’t pass an exam written in Korean.”

After solving test papers full of English, solving problems written in Korean felt like taking off sandbags and running on the playground.

“You didn’t tell Chief Hong anything strange, did you?”

As Jung Hyun-woo expected, Choi Kyung-min had been called in by Chief Hong Won-ik several times.

“I just told him the truth.”

“The truth?”

“I left out what needed to be left out.”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded.

“I see.”

If Choi Kyung-min had told everything as it was, Chief Hong Won-ik would have been quite surprised.

But he reported what happened in America with his own additions and subtractions.

As a result, Chief Hong Won-ik moved within his expectations.

‘I can lower my suspicion of Secretary Choi to some extent.’

He classified Choi Kyung-min as someone he could trust to some extent.

“Things will be very different when I go to America this time.”

“Yes?”

“Secretary Choi needs to move forward too.”

“You mean me?”

Jung Hyun-woo asked back.

“Secretary Choi, you don’t have a line yet, do you?”

Choi Kyung-min’s words trailed off.

“A line······.”

“Doesn’t seem like you’re properly on Chief Hong’s line, are you?”

In the first place, if he had properly gotten on a line, he wouldn’t have been assigned to a troublemaker like Jung Hyun-woo.

“That’s······.”

Choi Kyung-min trailed off again this time.

Jung Hyun-woo stopped walking and said.

“Switch to my line.”

“Yes?”

Choi Kyung-min doubted his ears for a moment.

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