Chapter 29: Ice-Cold Dawn

6:30 AM.

The executives sat in their seats, blinking as if exhausted by the early breakfast meeting.

Their eyes carried a look of complete confusion as to why a breakfast meeting had been scheduled so suddenly.

Leehyun, sitting at the head of the table, scanned the gathered crowd and nodded.

Seungho neatly organized and opened the reports placed on Leehyun’s desk.

“Let’s begin the report.”

“……”

No one dared to step forward at the chilling voice.

Each of them lowered their gaze and rapidly flipped through papers.

Not satisfied with that, they tapped the screens of their tablets and swallowed hard.

“Must I speak first?”

The second warning.

Leehyun slowly massaged his neck.

Then, he straightened his upper body and swept his fierce gaze across the conference room.

“I’m certain I received reports stating that Gayun had secured a higher tier of technological power.”

And that was only a few weeks ago.

“……”

The executives’ complexions turned deathly pale.

They began adjusting their neatly tied neckties or running their hands through their hair.

“It seems everyone’s tongue has been tied. Did those who guaranteed favorable prospects fail to attend today?”

As Leehyun spoke sarcastically, the executives lowered their heads to their desks.

“I will report.”

The Head of the DS Division, sitting closest to Leehyun on the far right, opened his mouth.

“The previously reported projection for a rise in market share due to semiconductor mass production was not wrong.”

Leehyun nodded, signaling him to continue.

Interlacing his fingers, he placed his hands on the desk.

“Our most recent yield also demonstrates a prominent upward curve.”

“And yet, we are in this state?”

“However, the problem was that Gayun overlooked ST’s market share in the foundry sector.”

Ultimately, the report was that they were pushed out of the market share and lost client companies one after another.

“So you are saying the recently proposed semiconductor mass production cannot serve as a self-rescue measure to boost our market share, is that it?”

In that it couldn’t even serve as a stepping stone to reclaim their market share, the executives had no excuse whatsoever.

“I apologize.”

“Apologies are for those who have failed.”

“Are you admitting to your blunder now?”

His rebuking gaze was as sharp as the tip of an icicle.

“With European regulations unresolved, the movements of latecomers are also unusual—”

Leehyun raised his hand and cut him off.

“What I want to hear are alternatives.”

Not the current status.

‘Where is the end of this tiresome waste of time?’

“Compared to ST’s investment capital, perhaps Gayun should also focus more on research investment……”

“Is research investment a matter that can be decided so casually, as in, ‘let’s focus a bit more,’ or ‘let’s invest too’?”

The surrounding air froze.

The executives couldn’t even open their mouths, merely biting their lips.

“W-well, I apologize.”

“Apologies. People can certainly make mistakes while working.”

His touch as he stroked his throat was gentle, and his gaze as he looked over the crowd softened warmly.

At his relatively tender voice, the executives’ posture relaxed.

Their breaths mingled freely once again.

Seungho, standing beside Leehyun, squared his shoulders and adjusted his posture while keeping his hands folded politely.

He knew only too well that terrifying words would soon spill from Leehyun’s mouth.

“Right, you spoke so passionately about semiconductors. Is it certain that Gayun can surpass ST?”

‘At this rate, we seriously need to reconsider our technological capability.’

At Leehyun’s unexpected remark, the executives straightened their postures and exchanged glances.

Whether it was certain or not, either outcome would be problematic.

The discussion was tangling strangely.

“I thought the era of occupying positions without ability was over.”

His self-muttering was loud enough.

The executives grasped what Leehyun meant in an instant.

And their faces turned pale.

“Currently, Team 1 is finalizing the investment proposal, and we will absolutely do so before the third quarter……”

“Absolutely.”

His low voice flowed coldly.

Leehyun caught the executive’s trailing words with displeasure.

“Before the detailed report for the second quarter, we will set a precise schedule for finalizing the investment proposal and report back to you.”

“How much time should I give you?”

The executive quickly realized that this was his last chance before being fired.

And that if he failed to seize this opportunity, it wouldn’t just end with a demotion.

A concrete example was not far to seek.

They had witnessed the recent sweeping personnel shake-up of over ten individuals in the semiconductor division with their own eyes.

“We will finalize it within this month.”

“I will look forward to a satisfactory report. Next.”

The breakfast meeting dragged on for a full three hours.

Naturally, as their preparation fell short of Leehyun’s expectations, the atmosphere remained icy until the very last second.

Having returned to the President’s office, Leehyun chose a latte instead of an espresso.

The changes he thought would end once he found Seohee did not revert to normal even after her rescue.

No, they couldn’t.

What if Seohee’s memory suddenly returned?

What if she left him at some point?

The more obediently she nested in his arms, and the more she searched for traces of him, the more parched his throat became, like a man dying of thirst.

She didn’t need to walk on eggshells around him, nor did she need to worry about how busy he was.

Yet, every time Seohee hesitated over such minor details, Leehyun’s heart pounded.

‘I wish she would just order me around like a dog. If she did, perhaps this anxiety would fade away.’

Even today, Leehyun substituted his unquenched anxiety by drinking the latte Seohee loved.

***

Yoosun, her hands interlaced, let out a deep sigh.

“Director.”

“Speak.”

“Since JBS’s stock price dropped slightly, we were able to buy shares easily.”

“How much?”

For a moment, Secretary Park cast his gaze downward.

“So, I asked how much you purchased.”

“Well… perhaps retail investors flocked in after seeing the temporary drop in the stock price, so it is nearly three percent short of our projection.”

“Three percent?”

Are you joking with me right now?

Yoosun slammed the desk with a bang, completely dumbfounded.

“Then what is the point of this? What was the point of picking up JBS stock in the first place!”

Falling short of expectations was not the only problem.

It wasn’t 0.3 percent, but a full 3 percent.

If things went on like this, she would remain a mere minor shareholder and would be unable to exert any real power.

Yoosun had not wanted this kind of conclusion.

“If you can secure just a little more capital, we can still purchase shares even now, Director.”

At Secretary Park’s words, Yoosun’s expression turned icy cold.

“Jihoon wants to push Yoon Leehyun out, Secretary Park.”

What kind of money was that?

The funds used to buy JBS stock were part of the capital Yoosun had set aside specifically for Jihoon.

“In this situation, if I dump all our slush funds just to swallow JBS, what do you think will happen?”

Secretary Park’s complexion grew worse along with hers.

“But…”

“Put it on hold for now. More importantly, find a way for Jihoon, who holds Gayun Corporation, to rattle Yoon Leehyun.”

Yoon Leehyun had swooped in and devoured the table she had completely prepared.

To think of the effort she had poured in all this time—moving stocks, merging affiliates, all out of concern that it might hinder raising Jihoon as the successor.

Yoosun turned her back with annoyance.

Secretary Park, who would normally have bowed and left, hesitated.

“What is it now?”

Ah, my head.

Yoosun pressed her forehead firmly.

“Well, there is a rumor that Adelai’s ‘Lake and Scenery’ has fallen into Representative Jung’s hands.”

At that moment, Yoosun put intense force into her hand pressing against her forehead.

“Wasn’t that painting’s business already dealt with? Why is a painting that should be in Europe in Representative Jung’s hands?”

Yoosun bit her fingernails anxiously.

“And Representative Jung has said nothing?”

“There is no major word from him yet.”

Adelai’s “Lake and Scenery” was a painting Yoosun owned personally.

Yoosun had signed an exhibition contract for a set period and hung the painting at Gayuljae.

Afterward, she had planned to create a forgery to keep the authentic piece for herself, while selling the forgery at a European auction to turn a profit.

“……What was the purchasing channel?”

“They say Representative Jung purchased it directly from the European auction himself.”

“Directly?”

“Yes.”

“But wasn’t there already a designated buyer for that painting?”

That was why she had left it in their hands with peace of mind.

To ensure there would be no reason to question whether it was a forgery in the first place, Yoosun had taken precautionary measures.

“Haa……”

What on earth is Representative Jung thinking?

She didn’t for a moment believe that he had purchased “Lake and Scenery” simply because he desperately wanted to buy it.

Since Representative Jung was, after all, someone who made proxy purchases of artwork for chaebol families.

“If it is ever exposed as a forgery, Gayuljae will also become the subject of public gossip.”

It was a matter on which the art gallery’s reputation depended.

Yoosun swept her hair tightly behind her ears.

When making more slush funds wouldn’t even be enough, her feet were being bound in many ways.

Yoosun found the current situation utterly aggravating.

Yoosun rolled her golf ball, falling into deep contemplation.

All sorts of shady words—paper companies, antiques, disguised gifts—swirled in her head.

She knew it was time to lie low, she understood that clearly, yet her heart was in a rush.

“I’ll have to move some antiques, at least.”

Whether she sold off her personal belongings, or the national treasures preserved by the art gallery.

Yoosun had nothing holding her back now.

Of course, she had no intention of selling the authentic pieces, either.

“Shall we proceed as we usually do?”

At Secretary Park’s vague question, Yoosun nodded firmly.

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