Chapter 15. The Premus Incident (4)

There was one more person who was shocked by the news.

Jiyu felt as if she had been hit on the head with a shock.

'Was what he said that day really true?'

She recalled the last piece of advice he had given her.

"Didn't he tell me not to feature with Sillab, saying that a woman-related scandal would soon break out?"

After hearing that, she did some research on Sillab, just in case. Despite being managed by a large agency, TM Entertainment, for some reason, he hadn't been involved in any major controversies during his seven years of activity.

He was said to have a good personality and was kind to those around him.

Featuring in Sillab's solo song would have been a huge opportunity for her as a newcomer.

From the moment she heard about it, she had a good feeling. The song was bound to be a hit, and she would gain significant popularity.

Although they hadn't signed the contract yet, she had already agreed to do it.

However.

For some reason, his words kept bothering her.

'What does he know about the entertainment industry anyway?'

While it was understandable that he could detect issues in the fund due to his expertise, could he really predict entertainment industry events so accurately?

But his expression and tone were filled with confidence. Did that mean he had information she didn't know?

Jiyu bit her lip slightly.

'What should I do?'

After much deliberation, she made a decision.

* * *

Lee Dong-ho met up with his colleagues from the head office and branches for drinks after work.

Before they could finish their drinks, everyone started asking questions about the recent incident.

"How's the atmosphere at the head office these days?"

"It's almost like a funeral."

The incident that occurred in the research department that day spread throughout the company, tarnishing the reputation of Executive Vice President Yang Jeong-wook.

Others who heard the story from Lee Dong-ho were amazed.

"Wow! A new employee shouted at the next president to take responsibility?"

"It's like a scene from a drama."

"But in the end, the new employee was right."

"But how did he figure out the Premus fund issue?"

"Is it true that he discovered problems while writing a recommendation report?"

"Does that even make sense? Premus is one of the top three asset management companies, and they were defrauding customers' assets?"

"Is Executive Vice President Yang supposed to take responsibility?"

"It seems even the chairman can't cover for him."

"Then what about the successor position?"

"Isn't it effectively over?"

The Premus incident is the worst fraud case in the history of private equity funds. The losses to the securities firm are estimated to be at least 400 billion won.

He was sent to build up performance, but instead, he caused a massive accident. If the sales company had monitored it properly, this wouldn't have happened.

No matter that he is the chairman's son, he has lost his chance to become the head of the financial group.

"Then what about the next president?"

"Who knows? Maybe he'll lay low for a while and then quietly return when people forget?"

"Will Yang Jae-eun Executive Vice President just sit by? I heard from a colleague that the internal movements within the group are not good. It seems the current executives are all switching to the Yang Jae-eun line."

"Is the next president going to change?"

With the aging Chairman Yang Hyun-sung and the criticized Executive Vice President Yang Jeong-wook, Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun stepped forward.

She calmed the chaotic internal atmosphere of the group and actively responded to the situation. Her swift response drew attention, especially in comparison to Executive Vice President Yang Jeong-wook.

With the expectation that the group's successor would change, some even speculated that Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun had orchestrated the events.

Lee Dong-ho fell into thought for a moment.

'Is this also related to Miro? Surely not.'

He took a sip of beer and said,

"Well, it's self-inflicted. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"You're right. It's better that it happened early."

Each branch was enthusiastically selling the Premus fund. If it had been discovered later, the losses would have been even greater.

"Shouldn't you give your junior a few billion won as a bonus?"

"Are you kidding?"

Thanks to the report submitted by the new employee, a larger disaster was averted.

But if you think the company would praise an employee for this, you don't understand corporate culture.

Companies prioritize principles over profits.

Even if there is a problem, it should be reported and handled according to regulations and procedures, not exposed recklessly, which is essentially whistleblowing.

And companies pathologically dislike whistleblowers.

In fact, many executives were upset, saying that matters that could have been handled quietly within the company were unnecessarily escalated.

Executive Vice President Yang Jeong-wook and those in his line must be seething at Han Miro.

What Han Miro did was undoubtedly morally right and beneficial to the company. However, it offered no personal gain.

'But why was Miro so desperate?'

It's easy to say, but it takes considerable confidence and courage to stand up against everyone.

Honestly, it's impressive.

'She wasn't originally like this. Come to think of it, she seems to have changed a bit over the past few days.'

Lee Dong-ho smiled bitterly and said,

"She already submitted her resignation."

* * *

The company atmosphere was far from good.

Victims gathered in front of the head office to protest, and executive meetings were held daily to discuss countermeasures. Protest calls flooded in, and the media bombarded the company with criticism.

I went to work the next day after the incident. Unlike the previous chaotic days, there was nothing much to do.

Not just me, but the entire research department was on hold. Who would believe a report now?

Everyone was visibly worried that the company might go under. Some employees were already looking for new jobs.

Although the loss was significant, the group could support the company, and it wouldn't be unable to survive. Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun clearly stated that she would not abandon DA Securities and worked to calm the internal unrest.

The looks I received were far from friendly.

People whispered behind my back, bumped into me in the hallway, or openly gossiped in front of me.

When I went to get coffee, a few people from other departments sneered at me.

"You're just so lucky."

"What gives you the right to act so high and mighty?"

"Damn, don't you think about others?"

This is what whistleblowers face. No wonder people keep quiet about company misconduct.

I turned and walked towards them. The employees gossiping were surprised to see me approaching.

"You don't need to be so grateful to me."

Thanks to me, the company didn't go bankrupt, and no fire broke out. I saved my job and my life. But he, unaware of this, was angry.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Hey, calm down. If you hit her, she might report you to the human rights committee."

"Damn! What bad luck!"

They all stormed off, angry.

I smiled at their reaction and took one last look around my first workplace.

* * *

The resignation process was quick.

With only six months of service, there was nothing to hand over, and of course, no severance pay.

When I joined, it felt like I had overcome numerous hurdles, but leaving was swift.

After tidying up my desk and leaving the company, I bought a 10,000 won pack of four beers from a convenience store and sat on a nearby bench.

I saw people in suits with briefcases walking around, all heading somewhere in a hurry.

Until just a moment ago, I was one of them. Now, I felt like a zebra that had strayed from the herd.

Watching them, I realized I was now unemployed.

I recalled my first day at DA Securities.

My goal was to become a famous trader, earn a salary of tens of millions of won, and eventually become the CEO. In the end, I became a chicken restaurant owner.

While leisurely drinking beer and enjoying the scenery, I received a call from an unknown number.

I answered it.

"Hello."

A middle-aged woman's voice came through.

"I heard you quit today."

"Yes. Thank you for calling despite your busy schedule."

She must be swamped with internal restructuring and consolidating power.

"I have a question."

"What is it?"

"How did you figure out the Premus fund issue? I was skeptical until the investigation results came out."

The reason is that I had regressed. Otherwise, I would have been writing a recommendation report without knowing anything.

I laughed and said,

"Let's just say it was a gut feeling."

She laughed.

"But are you really okay with quitting like this?"

"Yes."

I did it for myself. Preventing a major disaster made me feel relieved. The others will manage on their own.

Now, what I need to do is outside the company, not inside.

"If you need anything in the future, feel free to contact me."

"Thank you."

After hanging up and taking another sip of beer, a shadow fell over me.

"Can I have one too?"

I took a beer out of the bag and handed it to her. She sat next to me, opened the cap, and took a sip. She drank it as if in a beer commercial, clearly thirsty.

Unlike me, she had to go back to work, right?

Seong Yuna perched next to me.

"Are you really quitting?"

"Can't continue after causing such an incident."

"The incident was caused by someone else. You just exposed it."

But the problem is that others don't see it that way.

"Thank you for your help."

"What did I do?"

"You helped a lot."

Seong Yuna drank her beer and said,

"I didn't expect you to meet Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Only a few people knew I had met Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun. How did she know?

"Did you hear it from your mother?"

She was startled by my words.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun is your mother."

"What?"

"Never mind."

She looked at me silently for a while, then said reluctantly,

"How did you know?"

"Meeting Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun in person, I thought she looked a lot like you. And I remembered that her husband's name is Seong Min-seok. I just took a guess."

It was a lie.

She doesn't look like her mother at all. If they stood side by side, no one would think they were mother and daughter.

I knew this because a year later, a rumor spread throughout the company that she was Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun's daughter.

The male employees who had been flirting with her were restless, and the manager who had sent her multiple sexual harassment texts was disciplined and demoted.

When Executive Vice President Yang Jeong-wook came to the new employees' table in the cafeteria, it was actually to talk to his niece, Seong Yuna.

When I thought about meeting Executive Vice President Yang Jae-eun, I considered asking her for help.

I didn't do it because I was afraid it would be misunderstood as a deliberate approach.

By creating the opportunity myself, it would be easier for her to believe me.