Chapter 3

Chapter 2.

Chairman Sung Kwan-gyu of Mirae Group.

The atmosphere inside the car was heavy.

It wasn't just because of the car and driver sent from Pyeongchang-dong.

It was also because even his mother, who usually lightened the mood, was tense.

Sitting in the back seat, his parents remained motionless.

The driver focused solely on driving, as if determined to do his job well.

However, his overly rigid posture made the atmosphere inside the car even more tense.

Sung Hyun-woo turned around and met his mother's gaze.

"Mother."

"Yes, Hyun-woo."

A smile lingered in his mother's eyes, which still held a hint of unease.

Sung Hyun-woo, seeing his mother, gathered his resolve.

His mother never once complained about his grandfather until the day she passed away.

Instead, she only felt guilty for not being able to live as a member of the Mirae Group because of him.

If he had been recognized by his grandfather, such a thing would not have happened.

Moreover, who knows?

If he had inherited the hotel and succeeded, he might not have been in that accident.

At the time, his mother was hit by a hit-and-run while crossing the railroad tracks in a daze.

Sung Hyun-woo vowed never to lose his mother again.

He also resolved to make his grandfather remove the shackles he had imposed.

For that, today was the most important day.

A short while later, the car arrived in front of the Pyeongchang-dong mansion.

The driver opened the door for his mother, and a man from the house opened the door for his father.

Everyone bowed deeply.

However, no one called them 'Sir' or 'Madam' as they would for his uncle and aunt.

There was no 'Welcome' either.

Sung Hyun-woo entered with his parents.

In his previous life, this was the first time he saw it.

Even now, the mansion was still grand.

In his previous life, he felt intimidated from this moment on.

The burden and fear made his blood run cold.

But now, he was determined to do well.

Finally, they entered the entrance, and Sung Hyun-woo paused.

At that moment, the butler spoke.

"Mr. Chairman instructed us to wait here."

The butler then led them to the nearest living room.

His father's expression hardened.

His father knew what kind of treatment this was.

On the other hand, his mother, who was visiting the mansion of a wealthy family for the first time, could not overcome her tension.

Her fingertips trembled, and her breathing became rough.

The butler, pretending not to notice, had the Sung family sit down.

"The Chairman is with a guest. He said he will call you when his schedule is over. Please wait a moment."

After that, a female secretary brought in some refreshments.

His mother, realizing the situation, began to lose color in her face.

She looked at her son, Sung Hyun-woo, with an apologetic gaze.

She felt that things would not go as planned.

Sung Hyun-woo offered her a cup of tea.

His father also gave her some refreshments.

Still, his father and Sung Hyun-woo had the blood of the Mirae Group.

In contrast, his mother might suffer even more pain and guilt because of this.

As time passed, the solemnity on his mother's face deepened.

The more this happened, the stronger Sung Hyun-woo's resolve became.

After about 30 minutes, the butler returned.

"Mr. Sung Hyun-woo, you are to go in alone."

Instantly, both his father and mother froze.

They looked at Sung Hyun-woo with apologetic eyes.

His father's eyes also showed a hint of frustration.

Sung Hyun-woo left the living room, leaving a determined look for his parents.

The butler led him down a long corridor.

As they went deeper inside, the voices of people became louder.

In his previous life, he felt extreme tension from this point.

But now, he knew who these people were.

He also knew how they would look at him.

Sung Hyun-woo straightened his back even more and followed the butler.

Finally, they reached the main living room, and the butler spoke.

"Please wait a moment."

The butler then disappeared.

At the same time, the gazes of his uncle and aunt, and his aunt and uncle, fell upon him.

Sung Hyun-woo did not avoid their gazes.

Instead, he looked at each of them and bowed.

Suddenly, a very small voice was heard.

"Hey!"

But this was not the mysterious voice he had heard before.

It was the voice of his aunt, belittling him.

Sung Hyun-woo looked at his aunt.

Then, his uncle pulled her arm and gave her a look to stop.

Seeing this, his uncle and aunt's expressions changed.

Their eyes, which had previously ignored him like a bug, now showed a hint of interest.

His grandmother's expression was even more overt.

She pretended to glance at him casually, but she scrutinized him from head to toe several times and even counted his breaths.

It seemed she was comparing him to her own son.

Sung Hyun-woo moved a step closer to give her a better view.

Instantly, his grandmother's eyes showed surprise, and his aunt's eyes showed shock.

But they ignored their emotions by turning their heads away.

Another 30 minutes passed.

No one told him to sit.

Not even a glass of water was offered.

No one introduced themselves either.

Sung Hyun-woo endured the time as if he were an animal in a zoo.

In his previous life, he was also anxious, but he endured this time well.

But in his previous life, it ended here.

Back then, he was kept waiting to be psychologically pressured, but this time it was different.

Later, he learned that his grandfather evaluated new executives this way.

As Sung Hyun-woo thought about his grandfather's methods with a smile, the butler approached.

"Please enter the study."

* * *

The heavy door opened, and he finally faced Chairman Sung Kwan-gyu, who was also his grandfather.

In his previous life, this was the first time he saw him.

No, he had seen him from a distance at a hotel event.

But back then, he thought of him as a complete stranger.

So, this moment was a turning point.

Would he live as a stranger like in his previous life, or as a grandson who would inherit the hotel?

Sung Hyun-woo straightened his posture and spoke to the center.

"Nice to meet you. I am Sung Hyun-woo."

But after a long pause, Sung Kwan-gyu only nodded.

After another long pause, he stared intently at his grandson, whom he had never met before.

"You look just like Jae-jin when he was young."

"..."

"Are you in your final year of university now?"

Sung Kwan-gyu, as in his previous life, got straight to the point.

Back then, he was taken aback by his rigid attitude.

He was disappointed that he wasn't called 'grandson.'

But now, it was better to get straight to the point.

"I will graduate from the Business Administration department at Korea University in February next year."

"Then what will you do? Will you continue your studies or start working to earn money?"

"I want to work."

"So, you don't plan to get a master's degree?"

"No."

"Since you're from Korea University, finding a job shouldn't be difficult. How about joining Mirae Group?"

Sung Kwan-gyu asked questions without showing any affection or interest in his grandson, as if conducting an interview.

Sung Hyun-woo, thinking that this was similar to his previous life, looked into Sung Kwan-gyu's eyes.

Suddenly, a word was heard.

It sounded like it was floating in the air, slightly echoing, but more so than when he was with his parents.

'Hope.'

Sung Hyun-woo looked around.

But this was the personal study of the Chairman of Mirae Group.

Only the Secretary-General of Mirae Group and some high-ranking executives could enter.

Moreover, his eldest son and grandson only entered for important decisions.

There was no one who could be here.

In the mansion with the best security in South Korea, there was no way an uninvited guest could enter.

Sung Hyun-woo thought about what happened at home.

When he heard it with his parents, he thought he was reading their minds.

He also thought it might be a side effect of going back in time or a result of the accident.

But this time, he clearly heard it.

He was confused.

He felt a strange emotion, more so than when he realized he had gone back in time.

He felt a cold, chilling fear.

But now was not the time for that.

Now, he needed to seize any opportunity.

Sung Hyun-woo looked into Sung Kwan-gyu's eyes and spoke.

"I will work at Mirae Group."

In his previous life, he added, "If you give me the opportunity, I will not disappoint you," and showed a grateful expression.

He even stepped forward, even though he wasn't asked to.

But Sung Kwan-gyu, his grandfather, disliked unnecessary words and actions.

He did not lower his guard unless he trusted someone.

He despised words and actions that crossed the line, especially in an interview.

Most importantly, Sung Kwan-gyu did not yet accept him as a grandson.

Showing emotion to such a person would be foolish.

Sung Hyun-woo straightened his posture and met his gaze.

From now on, he would experience moments he had not in his previous life.

Sung Kwan-gyu's eyebrows twitched.

"Are you saying you can handle any task I give you?"

"I can handle any task, but I don't think that's Mirae Group's personnel policy."

"..."

"Mirae Group is known for placing talent in the right positions. That's why employee satisfaction is 5% higher than other large corporations. I know this is the Chairman's policy."

"So, you're saying I should judge your abilities and place you in the right position?"

"Yes."

Sung Kwan-gyu straightened his back and his eyes sparkled.

"You're still in your final year of university. How can I know your abilities?"

"The Chairman must already have my 16 years of academic records and evaluations from my homeroom and guidance teachers, and have already made a decision based on them."

"..."

"And the report on the Chairman's desk must list the Mirae Group subsidiaries where the owner's role is the weakest."

"So, you think I will suggest one of those places?"

"Yes."

Sung Hyun-woo answered without hesitation.

Sung Kwan-gyu's lips curled into a smile.

Of course, this was because he knew Sung Kwan-gyu from his previous life.

If he didn't know, he would have thought it was a sneer.

In contrast, Sung Hyun-woo had a completely unreadable expression.

At that moment, his ears buzzed, and another word whispered past.

'What is it?'

After a long while, Sung Kwan-gyu, who had been staring at his grandson, pressed a bell to call the Secretary-General.

"Is there a position available in the distribution department?"

"There is a position available as a team leader in the MD team."

Sung Kwan-gyu, nodding, asked Sung Hyun-woo.

"Since you majored in business administration, I will send you to the distribution MD team."

"I would like to hear about the other positions you have in mind first."

"Are you saying you don't like it?"

"I would prefer to have more options."

"Are you that confident?"

"I want to choose a position where I can show my abilities."

"You're bold."

"I was taught that I should speak my mind depending on the situation."

"Did your father teach you that?"

"Yes."

Sung Kwan-gyu, with a strange smile, looked at the Secretary-General.

"There is also a position available as a manager in the hotel purchasing department."

Sung Kwan-gyu looked at Sung Hyun-woo, expecting him to choose distribution.

But Sung Hyun-woo was different.

"Please send me to the hotel. But I want a different position."

"A different position?"

"At the hotel, I want to start as a manager."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Head of the audit team."

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xx

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