【Book Chapter 2 】
Seo Dohyun was bored.
His life had been a textbook example of someone who had walked a smooth path. Born into a decent family, he inherited only the best from his parents, including a handsome face, a strong physique, and a sharp mind. As a result, everything came easily to him. He studied whatever he wished, obtained everything he desired, and never felt a need for companionship, leaving him entirely uninterested in romantic relationships.
If he had to pick something he found interesting, it would be his work at the company.
"Cha Seonwoo, why is Seoil Electronics in this state?"
“Since the chairman was hospitalised, there have been a few executives causing trouble and creating issues. It’s not something that can be resolved by simply firing one person; it seems that others are also worried. While the issues with our competitors have been resolved, now internal problems have come to the forefront.”
Cha Seonwoo had been a friend of Seo Dohyun since their university days and was now serving as his secretary.
Unlike his peers, who often felt intimidated or awkward around Seo Dohyun, Cha Seonwoo was generally unfazed by anything. At first, he seemed like a cool-headed person, but his occasional quiet antics or playful pranks revealed a more eccentric side to him. With good grades and a strong work ethic, he was someone pleasant to have by Dohyun’s side.
When Seo Dohyun graduated, he positioned Cha Seonwoo in the seat right next to him. Although Seonwoo had been apprehensive about the idea of being the secretary for the notoriously eccentric Seo family — especially given Seo Dohyun's reputation as the most eccentric among them — he decided to humbly accept his fate after seeing the salary amount written in the contract. After all, everything we did was for the sake of making money.
That was the right choice. Once he started working with Seo Dohyun, it wasn't as difficult as he had feared, and the secretary job suited him quite well.
“We need to address the operations team first.”
“After the chairman collapsed, he said that you won’t be able to lay a finger on Seoil Electronics unless you start dating a woman.”
“The woman is just a convenient excuse. He’s just complaining about the portal and messenger app. It seems like Grandfather is nearing retirement.”
“He's an old-fashioned man. He's so concerned about his grandsons getting married that he's staking his life on it especially since not many young people are marrying these days. No matter how well you do your job, if you don’t date anyone, he probably won’t consider passing anything down to you.”
“I just need to pretend to be dating someone appropriate at that time.”
There were three conditions for Chairman Seo’s grandsons to gain his favour.
First, they must not reveal that they’re Chairman Seo’s grandsons within the group.
Second, they must prove their abilities through practical work.
Third, while doing that, they must also prepare for a stable marriage.
Dohyun was the only successor who had fulfilled the first two conditions.
Seoil Group was the largest conglomerate in the country, involved in virtually every business sector. Among its various departments, the weakest area was the online platform department, and Dohyun chose to tackle this area first after graduating from university. He revamped the existing portal and established a search portal called ‘Silver,’ which he successfully leveraged to launch a message application called ‘Cocoa Talk.’
To turn around the struggling business and return it to profitability, he decided to focus on that sector first. However, Chairman Seo subtly expressed his disappointment that Dohyun chose not to prioritise the electronics department — the core of the Seoil Group, which was established through his own blood, sweat, and tears.
Taking advantage of the situation, several cousins affiliated themselves with Seoil Electronics. The chairman appointed them to team leader positions without regard for their experience. While entry-level employees or assistants could begin by learning basic tasks to develop their practical skills, team leaders were expected to quickly understand their team’s responsibilities, manage team members, and collaborate with other teams. This approach naturally highlighted the stark differences between high-performing individuals and those who struggled.
Coincidentally, while Dohyun was excelling in another field, none of the chairman's grandsons who had passed through Seoil Electronics lived up to his standards in comparison.
One individual, during a company dinner, even got drunk and inadvertently revealed that the chairman's grandsons were rotating through the team leader positions across various divisions at Seoil Electronics. Although this did not escalate into a major external scandal, it made employees increasingly anxious whenever a new team leader was announced, raising the chances of their true identities being uncovered.
“Seo Dohyun, who just became a team leader this time, was found out and disqualified after only a month, right?”
"Yes. The chairman said that since you're the only one who hasn’t gone through that process, there’s no one else to add. But it seemed like he was quite disappointed."
"Grandfather must be in a hurry."
Dohyun curled the corners of his mouth into a sinister smile. An ominous feeling washed over Seonwoo, causing his complexion to turn pale.
“I should contact him and let him know I'm coming to see him.”
He would succeed in persuading Chairman Seo by any means necessary.
If Dohyun entered the electronics department, Seonwoo, as his secretary, would naturally engage in other tasks while waiting. This would mean he could take it easy for a while, but why did he feel so uneasy?
“If you go there, I'll have to stay here for a while and focus on monitoring the portal and messenger app.”
“There's no use trying to back out. You're coming with me anyway.”
"Me? What am I going to do there?"
In response to Seonwoo's question, Dohyun answered with a calm expression.
“Team leader.”
Half a year passed since then.
After a single meeting, Dohyun won over Chairman Seo's heart and spent three months organising his previous work to prepare for the transition to the electronics department. Cha Seonwoo disguised himself as the team leader of Marketing Team 3 a week before Dohyun entered. As the newly formed marketing team's leader, he also played the role of Chairman Seo's grandson.
"Are you telling me to play your role?"
"Yes."
“I can acknowledge that hiring me will lead to job creation, which is indeed a positive contribution to our society. But are you really asking me to take on the actual work as well?”
"The electronics department’s marketing teams are in a mess. Since someone is already designated to take your place after your departure, you only need to fulfil your duties superficially. The projects scheduled for your remaining time are already set."
Seo Dohyun handed Seonwoo a USB.
“You just need to pretend you did this, but during the work hours, just monitor the portal instead.”
"Ha, are you telling me to act too?"
“Your salary will include an additional team leader bonus.”
“It's true that I do like doing various tasks. So, what are you going to do in the Strategic Business Team 2?"
Dohyun opened his mouth as he scrolled through the cover letters of the assistant manager candidates he planned to hire.
“A clean sweep.”
The team leader of Team 2 was on parental leave, so Seo Dohyun planned to carry out a thorough overhaul of the electronics department during his six-month assignment. Initially, there wasn't much that needed attention in that department. The issues had primarily stemmed from personnel problems, so if he could effectively filter out the problematic individuals, things would likely return to normal quickly. Growth would be the next step.
Thus, three months had passed since Seo Dohyun was appointed as the team leader of Team 2 in the Strategic Business Division at Seoil Electronics. When two team leaders joined simultaneously, rumours naturally began to circulate that one of them was the chairman's grandson.
“Grandfather, I mean, the Chairman, needs to recover quickly for the company to regain stability. It's a big deal.”
Seonwoo was playing the role of the grandson as instructed.
Taking advantage of the fact that all the grandsons used aliases, both Seo Dohyun and Cha Seonwoo infiltrated using their real names. Initially, there were some glances directed at Dohyun, who was openly using the surname Seo, but thanks to the precedents, no one paid him any particular attention because of his name.
Instead, behind the scenes, speculation grew that Dohyun was merely a decoy because he was a Seo. Unlike Seonwoo, who provided vague answers to questions about his experience, Dohyun was known to have built a significant career in another department of Seoil before transferring to the electronics department, which bolstered the theory that there were no gaps in his work history. Additionally, the team leader position Dohyun assumed was essentially a temporary role, covering for a team leader on parental leave for six months before moving on to another department. In contrast, Seonwoo's position was in a newly established team, making it obvious to anyone that he appeared to be the chairman's grandson.
That was how Dohyun successfully infiltrated.
Seo Dohyun was relatively satisfied with the situation, but the victim of his scheme, whether intentional or not, was not just Cha Seonwoo.
“Good morning, Team Leader.”
Lee Gajun, the assistant manager who had been watching him with a wary expression for the past few days, was someone Dohyun had personally hired just before his infiltration.
He chose someone with a decent background and good work ethic but without any connections to higher-ups or subordinates. He needed someone who could endure both praise and criticism, possessing the grit to withstand it while still having a pleasant demeanour.
“This one seems good.”
“But his experience is the shortest among the three, isn't it?”
“There isn’t much difference. He performed the best in the interview. And…”
Dohyun enlarged the photo.
"His appearance is very suitable for this job.”
That was how Lee Gajun was hired.
Certainly, it was a bit early in his career to become an assistant manager, but all other conditions were good. In particular, there was something strangely appealing about his face. Aside from the objective evaluation that he had a kind and likable face, there was something strangely appealing that drew Dohyun in. Lee Gajun was also quite perceptive, so he seemed like someone who could be quite helpful to him.
Lee Gajun was to play a role in identifying problematic employees among the staff. When the work environment was stimulated, the company's atmosphere quickly became apparent. No matter how harshly Dohyun criticised his subordinates, those with strong backing would not show any signs of stress. Those who worked properly would feel guilty and improve the quality of their work, while those who liked to play politics would try to ingratiate themselves with Dohyun. Those whose only goal was to quietly endure in the company would hold their breath even more and diligently carry out their assigned tasks.
"Do I really have to teach the assistant manager such basic things? Please take a training course outside of work."
“I'm sorry."
Even though the words were harsh, they were not wrong, so Lee Gajun gritted his teeth and couldn't argue back. As a result, his work skills improved rapidly. He never asked Dohyun to soften his remarks, perhaps due to his strong sense of pride.
As Lee Gajun continued to receive harsh criticism from Dohyun, even when he presented high-quality work, the meetings became increasingly tense for the observers. Those enthusiastic about their work began to leverage his insights to enhance their own results. Gradually, other teams started producing outcomes that would catch Dohyun's eye. As the number of employees facing Dohyun's sharp critiques grew after Gajun, some began to notice his underlying intentions.
“Come to think of it, the people that Team Leader Seo doesn’t comment on are often the ones who are really messed up. At first, I thought he was just letting it go because they did well. Or maybe it’s because Team Leader Seo is also part of the vice president’s faction, so he can’t say anything to those people. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
"Then what is it?"
“It seems like he doesn’t think they’re even worth commenting on. Honestly, Assistant Manager Lee does a great job, right? The same goes for the others who have recently started getting feedback. You need to deliver results that meet his standards to get any feedback from him.”
"Wow, now that you mention it, you’re right."
"The capable ones have already picked up on this, and when Team Leader Seo doesn't say anything, they feel uneasy and decide to redo their work. Interestingly, while he might make a few harsh comments, he ends up being quite kind when the explanations get lengthy."
"What about Assistant Manager Park? That person likes to play politics."
“He tried to curry favour at first but got criticised early on. His actual work is completely lacking. Even though Team Leader Seo has a bit of a nasty personality, he clearly separates work from personal matters, and honestly, his demeanour is also quite fitting.”
"That's true. Still, I think it's pretty impressive to see Assistant Manager Lee. I feel like it would be difficult for me to deal with Team Leader Seo's harsh critiques every day."
"Anyway, they’re probably just trying to get by until Team Leader Jeon returns from parental leave. It’s just a temporary position."
While carrying out his work, he compiled a list of individuals whose incompetence and unnecessary political maneuvering were undermining the company. The task was completed to the point that it was immediately clear who the troublemakers were. All that remained was to decide who would replace each of them, and the urgent matters would be resolved.
Assistant Manager Lee turned out to be more passionate than expected, which made things somewhat challenging, but he appeared capable of holding out for at least six months. After that, the original team leader would return, and since he was a responsible and competent person, this would lead to a more comfortable work environment.
The next problem was this.
As half of the promised deadline passed, Chairman Seo began to apply pressure from another direction.
"Aren't you dating?"
“I've only been in the electronics department for a short while. Once I become more familiar with the work, I’ll look into it. After all, relationships aren’t something you can force.”
“I heard you’re not even pretending to put in any effort. You said you’d be motivated if I sent you to the electronics department, so at least act like you’re trying. Otherwise, this old man won’t be fooled.”
"I will do my best."
“If you don’t, I’ll just hand the electronics department over to Dohyun.”
It was as if Chairman Seo had been possessed by the ghost of someone who died without ever experiencing love in their past life; his grumbling had intensified since his hospitalisation.
He was told to at least pretend to make an effort to meet women he had no interest in. He hated noisy drinking parties and wasn't cut out for blind dates. In the end, he resorted to spending his Friday nights at a hotel lounge bar, quite literally pretending to put in effort. Occasionally, he would call Seonwoo to stage a conversation with a woman, snapping a photo to send to his grandfather.
"I wonder how long I have to keep doing this."
To soothe his throbbing headache, Dohyun pressed his temples with his thumb and middle finger. As he exhaled a sigh and lowered his hand, he caught sight of a young man dressed in a tacky suit.
"He's back again this week."
It was the same man who had argued with a woman in the lounge the previous week. To be precise, he said something that made the woman furious, prompting her to storm out. Dohyun didn't usually care about how others lived their lives, but for some reason, this man really got on his nerves.
“Asshole. I'm so disgusted I could die. What, you don’t like me because I’ve had a boyfriend before? Well, I find you repulsive too, you crazy bastard. Go ahead and book an expensive room and spend the rest of your life jerking off alone. You deserve to have the partner you painstakingly found stolen right in front of you. I knew there was something off about a nickname like ‘Windmill’ from the start. This is why you shouldn’t meet men through apps.”
Still, the murmurs of the woman passing by him were quite striking.
The man known as 'Windmill,' who had been awkwardly sitting and checking his phone, hurriedly disappeared toward the restroom. Meanwhile, a new guest entered the lounge. With a bored expression, he aimlessly shifted his gaze until it caught the eyes of a woman standing at the entrance.
The woman was smiling brightly for some unknown reason. Normally, he would have seen her as just another ordinary woman and moved on, but strangely, he couldn’t look away from her. While her makeup was bold enough to stand out, it was common to see women wearing similar makeup in the bustling streets, and her outfit wasn’t particularly remarkable either.
The woman was wearing a white one-piece dress with cosmos flower embroidery. Perhaps because the dress and makeup didn’t match, it looked as if she were wearing her mother’s clothes.
Her smiling face was bright and clear. Her makeup was heavy, and her clothing style was neat, typical of someone in their 30s, yet her expression was innocent like that of a child.
There was something familiar about her face.
“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
The woman also seemed to recognise him, as she walked towards Dohyun.
As her smiling face, bright with delight, drew closer, Dohyun belatedly realised the unusual situation happening to his body. His lower abdomen felt unusually tight and heavy, a sensation he hadn’t felt in a long time, aside from morning erections or during exercise. Once he recognised it, blood rushed to him even more.
Dohyun muttered to himself as if chewing on the words.
“Ah, shit. I'm hard."
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