12 Hours After

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

Director Lee Won-jae said to me with a big smile. "Are you here to buy a car, CEO Han?"

I nodded slightly, "Yes."

The woman standing behind him stole my attention. She had white skin, round eyes, and long eyelashes. Even if I didn't want to look, her own color was so intense that I couldn't take my eyes away from her. I would rather ask openly than pretend not to know. "Who's this behind you?"

"Ah... this is my secretary. Secretary Kim." He looked back and gestured, "Say hello. This is CEO Han Sang-hoon of Invictus Investment."

At his words, the woman, Kim, approached and greeted me and extended her hand. "Hello, CEO Han. This is Kim Soo-ah, who is serving CEO Lee Won-jae."

I shook hands with her. I didn't think this beauty was chosen solely for her job as a secretary. She was wearing a suit now, but the skirt was very short. I felt like she'd been chosen for something more. I introduced my secretary as a courtesy, "Have you seen Secretary Seo before?"

"Ah... Yes."

Lee Won-jae nodded at Secretary Seo, but he seemed not to remember him. Secretary Seo approached him and greeted him first, "I have seen you for the second time. I'm Secretary Seo Ji-hoon."

"Yes, Secretary Seo."

As I was looking at the two of them greeting one another, I felt a strange sense of change. 'What is this?' After a moment's reflection, I soon realized what it was: Lee Won-jae's title had been changed to CEO!

I turned my head and asked him, "Did you become a CEO?"

"Oh, yes. I just became the CEO of Daily Sports, where my older brother used to be. My older brother went into the headquarters of the Daewon Daily News."

I nodded, "Oh, I see. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, CEO Han." He smiled at my congratulations. The person that came to mind at this time was his other brother, Director Lee Won-jun. He must be suffering from this scorching heat inside the prison now.

'The second one's lost and the first and third one have moved on.' Something seemed to be changing in the Daewon Daily News after Lee Won-jun was put in jail for the Bisang Construction stock manipulation scandal. Maybe he was thinking, 'if only my older brother were gone as well…'

I asked him, "CEO Lee Won-jae... are you here to see the cars?"

"Yes. Because I'm the head of a company now, I'm here to buy one that matches my position." He looked quite happy. He kept on laughing and telling me, "Ah, if you have time, would you like to have a word with me?"

This guy was unreliable, but sometimes he was useful.

"Yes, I will."

As I nodded, he gestured to the beautiful secretary, "Secretary Kim." It meant, 'don't follow me'.

I thought he was trying to have a secret conversation. I also winked at Secretary Seo.

The secretaries were left behind, looking at each other furtively.

I also spoke to the dealer in the distance, "I'll finish the contract in a little bit."

He bowed his head without a word. He seemed to be well aware of how powerful his clients were.

-----------

The two of us settled in chairs outside the Lamborghini store.

"By the way, you've been doing really well lately. Hyun Young Pharmaceutical, I never imagined it."

"We were only right to ask each other."

"Yes, but now the assets of Invictus Investment are... a billion dollars, right?"

I turned my eyes to the cars on display without affirmation or denial. I just thought, 'What's he trying to say?'

"That's great, CEO Han. How did you make such a sudden growth in assets..."

I answered without much thought, "Well, I was lucky."

However, he spoke with a strong denial, "No. I don't think so. I think CEO Han Sang-hoon is the most talented person of our age."

Someone might be flattered by these compliments, but I was not. To be honest with myself, I'd been proud a little bit at first, but after the time I'd had with Vice President Jang and with some presidents under me, such praise was familiar enough to me. I replied with a smile, "Am I?"

"Yes. Since I was a kid, I've met a lot of business people... I've met a lot of successors from big companies like Susung, Mirae, GL, and Suyeon Group. When I was young, I was brought to meet them by my father, and later, I met them because of business."

"... I see." I looked at him. I thought his words were true.

'Well, Daewon Daily News is one of the top four media outlets in Korea. The collusive ties between the media and chaebols are painful to talk about. His father must have been close to the chairmen of the conglomerates, and he seems to have made his son familiar to them, just like Lee Won-jun and Tak Joon-gi… It may be one of the examples where the friendship between chaebol heirs ended badly.'

He went on, "But... in my opinion, they were not capable… but they seemed to take advantage of their parents. I think they don't bet. They all know only how to maintain what they inherited."

I listened carefully to what he was saying.

"Their families are in their third and fourth generations now. Even if the founders are giants who accumulated wealth themselves in the Sixties and Eighties, their grandchildren are not. Well, frankly, they're the lucky ones."

He was making quite a dangerous remark.

'Why is he saying that? If I think about it, he is the same...'

I was thinking about it, he said as if he were reading my thoughts, "I know that I might be seen as a person like that, but... I actually think I have only one ability."

"What ability... do you mean?"

"The ability to see people."

I laughed a little bit inwardly, 'Hmm... really?' Still, I didn't express it.

He went on and on, "In my eyes, CEO Han Sang-hoon is very special. You are betting on success, and you're betting again. All the other chaebol's sons and daughters are busy taking care of themselves... but CEO Han Sang-hoon is different. I don't know if it's because you were born in a poor family." As he said that, he looked into my eyes and waved his hand hastily, "Oh, that is a compliment. To be honest, I'm also from a rich family, so I don't understand everything. I think that mindset is really different from the third or fourth generations of chaebols. CEO Han Sang Hoon is different. You are brave and the results... continue to come out."

I didn't know if he was good at discerning people, but I thought he was right about me. I was brave because I knew the future. He had known me before I had set up Invictus Investment. So even if he didn't know the existence of 12 Hours After, he would have known that I was doing things like miracles.

'There's nothing I can do about it. Even if I hide 12 Hours After perfectly, I can't hide the results that come out, especially to people who have been watching me since the beginning.'

"That's too much."

He continued speaking, "So, my conclusion is that CEO Han Sang-hoon… is more competent than the children of other conglomerates. And... I think his future is brighter."

"Thank you for your kind words." I continued to be modest.

Kaiji kept on, his long, thin eyes even thinner. "I've been sure recently. CEO Han Sang-hoon will probably become a bigger person than the chaebols now. So...."

It was a familiar pattern. Too familiar, bringing up the main idea after cheering the other up with compliments. I looked at him and thought, 'What do you want?'

However, there was an unexpected answer.

"From now on, I'll be under CEO Han Sang-hoon."

"Yes?" I spoke to him with my eyes wide. "What does that mean?"

"It is as I said. As you know, our media company should always have connections with big companies. That's what I've learned from my father since I was a kid."

"... so?"

"I told you last time, I want to be more friendly, and beyond that, I think that the Daewon Daily News will be my company, and I should go under CEO Han Sang-hoon in the long term."

I studied him. Certainly, from a long time ago, I had been eager for his ability, and moreover, his background: the name of Daewon, one of the four major domestic media companies. I recently acquired Oracle News, but it was just a small company working Internet news. No matter how much I grew Oracle News, it was just a commercial success.

I would not be able to surpass the Daewon Daily News, which had dominated the four major media positions for more than fifty years. If it were listed in the market, I would buy it. However, all four major Korean media companies were unlisted. It was justified on the basis of keeping the neutrality of the press, though that was a lie. I looked him up and down.

'This guy's got a good sense. No… Should I say he is lucky? He met me at Garden Envy, which I attended for just one day…'

It was not a bad deal. If the Daewon Daily News came under me, I could be more powerful than I had. There was one more thing that needed to be decided before that.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you've been chosen as the successor to the Daewon Daily News."

"... that's true." He looked around for a moment. There was no one around. But he lowered his voice anyway. "So, I have something to say. Recently, my second brother went to prison, and the power structure has been reorganized inside the Daewon Daily News: the people on my brother's side, and the people on my side. Of course, there are more people on my brother's side. But if CEO Han Sang-hoon helps me a little, it will not be so difficult for me to take over the company. "

'In the end, that's the story.' I didn't think he would have sat down with me to praise me, either.

He kept talking. "I was born in a rich family, but I was born as the third son. Because of a wall that couldn't be overcome no matter what I did, I was desperate, until recently, my second brother was defeated. Then I saw hope. I want to step aboard the ship with CEO Han Sang-hoon. Please help me, and I'll help you."

His motivation was understandable, and the outcome of the deal was not bad... if I could trust him.

"I understand what you are talking about. If there's anything we can help each other with in the future… we'll help each other and talk more." I spoke to him like that, but it meant 'I'll act according to your wishes'.

But he brought up something right away, "Yes!. For that reason, I'm going to help you first."

"What kind of-"

He said, "Director Tak Joon-gi is moving."