12 Hours After

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

“I hope Director Kim will lead the company as the new CEO of Blue E&M in the future.”

As I said, the eyes of the man standing in front of me grew large. He got up from his seat and greeted me with a wave of applause. “I… really? Thank you! Thank you, Boss!”

The man giving the bow was Director Kim Jung-kyun. After the sudden retirement of former president Ahn Yong-kyun, the very person who clung to me during his last visit to Blue E&M became a new CEO who would sort out the mess and lead the company again.

I gave him a handshake, “Yes. I would like to ask you to do well.”

He grabbed my hand with both hands, deeply grateful. “Yes, Boss. I’ll work hard!”

“Detailed procedures, such as annual salary negotiations, can be discussed with Vice President Jang.”

I picked up the phone and spoke to Secretary Seo outside, “Secretary Seo.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Director Kim… No, please show CEO Kim to Vice President Jang.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Oh, and when you come back, please bring Jang Geun to my room, as I have something to talk with him about.”

“Yes, boss.”

I gestured CEO Kim out the door. He once again bowed to me and left the office. I went near the window after sending him out. The weather was so nice today. The autumn sky was so sunny. I stood with my arms folded and looked at it for a long time. Namsan Mountain, the flowing Han River, cars traveling along the road, and buildings were reflecting the sunlight.

I was looking at the tall buildings. Suddenly, I thought of Tak Joon-gi, who had disappeared screaming into the dark.

I frowned slightly. If it was a dream, I’d call it a nightmare. Having seen Tak Joon-gi die so vividly, whether he was the enemy or not, the sight seemed to be haunting my mind for a while; the face of Tak Joon-gi, who had flown over the air in horror, and the face of Jung Bosung, who had thrown him off.

That secretary…

I recalled the last words the secretary had said before he had thrown him off, holding the neck of Tak Joon-gi: “Mr. Director. When did you ever treat me like a man?” Come to think of it, the nature of Tak Jun-ki to ignore others, had cost him his own life.

‘Well… his secretary… his name is Jung Bosung.’ In retrospect, I’d met him many times. I had been at a cafe when I had first met Tak Joon-gi, and I had also met him at a parking lot at the award ceremony of the Seoul Mayor. And finally, just outside this president’s office recently, he had been blocked by Jang Geun as he had tried to enter. Come to think of it, I had been so close to the murderer. That thought gave me a slight shudder.

‘I don’t want to run into him again.’ But I thought I might run into him again. I didn’t know how he had been closer to Tak Mun-su than to Tak Joon-gi, but as Tak Mun-su had muttered in his dream, ‘Hmm, really? Han Sang-hoon… he’s a funny guy. I’ll have to meet him, too,’ I might see him standing next to Tak Mun-su.

‘Umm…’ When I was thinking about it, I heard a knock from outside the door. I said loudly, with my eyes outside the window, “Come in.”

Soon the door opened, and Secretary Seo and Jang Geun came in.

“Did you call me, boss?”

By the way, the scene was strange right now. In the building, the president was standing with his bodyguard. It reminded me of the nightmare again somehow. I turned around, shaking my head. “Hey, Jang Geun.”

“Yes, boss.”

“You… don’t betray me.”

“Yes? What’s that…?” As I spoke, Jang Geun opened his eyes wide.

I smiled at him like that and said, “I’d like to make you be a full-time employee from today on.”

“A full-time employee?”

“Yes. You’ve been here for two months as a temporary worker. Now sign a proper contract and get paid by me.”

His expression lit up, “Ah! Yes, boss.”

During the two months Jang Geun had worked, nothing happened, but I decided to keep him by my side. There were times when his very existence was helpful. Perhaps something unusual could have happened during those two months, but it hadn’t, because of him. Maybe someone had tried to do something, but when they had seen Jang Geun, they might not have done it because they had been so nervous.

“The annual salary… you’ll start with a hundred thousand dollars. The holiday bonuses, the year-end bonuses, I will give whatever I like. Did you hear about it from Secretary Seo? It shouldn’t be small.

‘It’s really not going to be bad. I usually pay bonuses for the money I earn from stocks, or for the company’s earnings, and I will give tens of thousand dollars to my key aides, whether Secretary Seo or Vice President Jang.

“Oh, yes. There’s a title issue… …and calling you Jang Geun every time is something strange. Bodyguard Park is a little long… so I’m just going to make you my second secretary.”

“Second secretary?”

“Yes, but you’ll do the same thing, and only your title will be Secretary Park. It’s because I’m comfortable with it.”

“Yes, boss.”

I added with a wink to Secretary Seo beside me, “Secretary Seo, you heard that, right? As usual, Secretary Seo will be the secretary in charge of job support, and Secretary Park will be in charge of security.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Yes, then. I’d like to ask both of you to do well.”

The two men bent their heads at my words. I had an idea when I saw these two, ‘Ability is important when I have a lower person, but the more important thing is loyalty. No matter how good he is, I will not be able to tell him to be a good man if he is not useful to me in moderation. If he has good abilities and is less loyal, he can be harmful to the master.’

Suddenly, I recalled the names of the traitors in the Three Kingdoms: Lü Bu, Mi Fang, and Shi Ren… ‘It is better not to let traitors in, regardless of their ability. Like Ahn Yong-kyun, if found, they will be dealt with immediately.’

“Now, go back to work.”

“Yes, boss.” The two secretaries answered and left the president’s office. If they had the advantage, it was none other than the time I shared with them. Secretary Park Jang Geun, was a big guy who had played with me in the neighborhood since I was five or six years old. He was a local junior who I knew for ten years, before I had gone to high school.

Secretary Seo Ji-hoon had met me at the club for the first time when we had been sophomores in college. So far, for ten years, we had been drinking, clubbing, gone to the army, and started our own business together.

Both were people who had seen and shown good and shameful aspects between us since we had been young. As a result, the two were really reliable people. They’d been humanly interacting with me since I had had no money.

‘The two are Guan Yu and Zhang Fei… no, rather Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun.’ While I was thinking about it, the phone rang.

“Boss.”

“Hmm?”

“Vice President Jang wants to see you.”

“Oh, yes, please let him come in.”

Soon Vice President Jang opened the door and came in.

“Have you met with new CEO Kim?”

“Yes, boss. I put his salary a little lower than what you had said, but he agreed to it with a big smile.”

“Did I call too much?”

Jang said with a slight smile, “Yes, boss.” He was one of those who thought I set salaries too high for anyone, even himself.

“Yes, you did well. It’s okay if he was satisfied. Our company saves money.”

“Yes, boss. What about the inauguration ceremony?”

“Let’s make it small. I don’t want to have a big party, as Ahn Yong-kyun left under a dark cloud. Let’s go to a nice place and have dinner with the directors of Blue E&M. I will cheer CEO Kim, and let them take care of the inauguration ceremony.”

“Yes, boss.” Vice President Jang lowered his head and turned to leave the president’s office.

I caught him, “Ah! Vice President Jang.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to ask you a few questions…”

“Please tell me.”

“Did you hear about the death of Tak Joon-gi of the Suyeon Group?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Did you hear anything extra? Well, the back story, the reaction of the Suyeon Group… Things like that.” I knew the inside story of the incident, but I had to ask Vice President Jang. I was wondering how things were going around in public.

“As far as I heard…” After a moment of muddling, Vice President Jang asked me, “Boss, have you read Our Twisted Hero?”

“Oh, I know. Isn’t that the story of the captain of the school gangs, Eom Suk-dae, being bullied as he hurts other students?”

“When you look at the ending of the book, the main character says, “That’s how it turns out,” while he sees the character being taken away by the police. That’s what they say.”

I repeated his words, “That’s how it turns out…”

“Yes. He’s been in trouble in the Group since he was a kid. He’s invested well a few times, and increased his money, but… he recently committed suicide after going through all this and that and getting into debt and becoming a criminal. Although they do their best in the Suyeon Group to keep their mouths shut as much as possible, they have similar reactions.”

“Well, I see.”

“Yes, do you have any more questions?”

“Oh, yes. Let me ask you one more question. What kind of reputation does that Tak Mun-su of the Suyeon Electronics have?”

His answer was rather unexpected. “I know he’s a very good man. He has a good sense of business and a great skill with mercenaries, so he was named as the Group’s successor early on, his subordinates are following him on their own. I hear he is very good-natured. He is said to be very good to mere employees, without being like a third-generation chaebol.”

“Oh, oh, really?”

“Yes, so the people of the investment sector says that it is worth investing in Suyeon Electronics and Suyeon Group after seeing Tak Mun-su. For business, systems are important, but the most important thing is human beings.”

“Well, yes…” I tapped my chin and nodded, and dismissed him, “Then, go out and work.”

“Yes, boss.”

When Jang stepped out and I was left alone in my own office again, I typed in Tak Mun-su on the portal site. A familiar face, the very face I had seen in my dream; the way he had tapped his left wrist with the right hand, lingered before my eyes.

‘He’s… he’s very good-natured?’

Vice President Jang was a shrewd man when it came to industry information, but that was what he had said.

I shut the portal window, astonished despite myself.