Chapter 193: A Heady Offer

“Yes, this is Jung Gyu-hwan.”

Department Head Jung, who had been pondering what to have for dinner, tilted his head at the unfamiliar number.

-Please excuse the sudden call. This is Spencer Stuart, a headhunting firm. You may or may not have heard of us.

“Headhunting?”

Lowering his voice, Department Head Jung quickly left his office and headed towards the emergency stairs.

-Spencer Stuart has offices in over 50 countries. Your reputation precedes you, Department Head Jung, which is why we’re reaching out.

As he walked down the hallway, the voice on the phone continued to boast about the company and flatter him.

“Look, I’m not planning on changing companies…”

-Isn’t it important to accurately assess your own worth? We understand you’re a top talent at Soonyang Construction, but are you receiving compensation that matches your value?

“I’m quite satisfied, actually.”

-Are you really? The average annual salary for a department head at Soonyang Group is 50 million won with a 600% bonus. If you’re content with that, you’re undervaluing yourself by 50%.

His ears perked up.

50%?

But he quickly corrected his thinking. Wasn’t he a special asset to this company, beyond mere salary?

How much was the special bonus he received in one lump sum? He’d pocketed the equivalent of another department head’s lifetime earnings.

“Thanks for the interest, but I’m not really considering it. I’ll be going now…”

-Just a moment, Department Head.

An urgent voice came from the phone.

-Wouldn’t you be open to an interview? It’s not necessarily about changing companies, but also about getting an objective view of your capabilities. Of course, everything is confidential until you make a final decision. Rest assured, it won’t leak out.

He had no intention of switching companies, but curiosity began to stir.

Truthfully, he felt a little smug.

A company that needed him, and the value they placed on him. Could they really be offering more than double his current pay?

“How would the interview process work?”

-It’s very simple. At your convenience, in a place you’re comfortable with, like a cafe or coffee shop. It’ll be very brief.

Hesitantly, Jung Gyu-hwan left the door slightly ajar with a short reply.

“I’ll contact you again. I can’t talk any longer; I’m on company time.”

Department Head Jung decided he would meet them, just to see what they had to say, with a very light heart.

* * *

“HW Construction, isn’t that the old Dae-ah Construction?”

“That’s right. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to meet.”

The business card Jung Gyu-hwan received had the title ‘Director of HR Management’ printed on it.

“You see ‘HR’ a lot more often than ‘personnel department’ these days.”

“That’s the American influence for you. Isn’t the importance of Human Resources a hot topic for companies? That’s why I’m reaching out to someone like you, Department Head Jung.”

Jung Gyu-hwan didn’t dislike the flattery.

“As you know, our construction company has grown rapidly since the Sangam-dong DMC project. It’s a massive undertaking spanning over a decade, wouldn’t you agree? We have a constant shortage of people, and truly capable talent is rare. So, when we asked a headhunting firm, they immediately recommended you.”

HW Construction, that made sense. While others bemoaned the recession, HW had secured their future for the next decade with the DMC alone.

“As is common with rapidly growing companies, our finances are a mess. We’re making a lot of money, so our spending is excessive. But this time, we got thoroughly wrecked.”

“Wrecked?”

“Our controlling shareholder is an investment firm, you know?”

“Ah, right. Miracle…”

“The US headquarters conducted an accounting audit, and…”

The HW Construction director shook his head.

“They tore us apart, criticizing every detail of our wasteful spending and even threatening criminal charges.”

Department Head Jung realized he shouldn’t have come.

This was a company where the Americans were scrutinizing the books with a vengeance. It was beyond his capabilities to handle.

Not even double, or ten times his current salary, could make him switch to this company.

He’d come to gauge his market value, but there was no need to hear any more.

“Director, I apologize, but let’s pretend this never happened. I’m sorry for wasting your time. My apologies.”

Jung Gyu-hwan jumped up from his seat.

“No, wait a minute! At least hear our company’s specific offer…”

“No, it was my mistake to come with such a casual attitude. I’m truly sorry.”

Jung Gyu-hwan repeatedly bowed his head and fled the cafe.

As the HW Construction director stared after him in bewilderment, someone approached.

“Director, why is that guy running off like that?”

“I don’t know. He suddenly panicked and ran. By the way, how did it go? Did you get the shot?”

“Yes, a clean two-shot of you and that guy. Would you like to see it?”

“Forget it. Just give me the picture. But damn, why do I have to play actor when it’s not in my job description?”

“You do as you’re told. It’s coming from the top…”

The two men glumly finished their coffees.

* * *

“Are you quitting the company?”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about, Executive Managing Director?”

“Don’t play innocent, and tell me the truth. If things go south, I’ll be the one firing you!”

Executive Managing Director Im Jong-yoon’s booming voice made Department Head Jung wince.

Hadn’t he gone all the way to Nowon-gu, far from the company, to avoid being seen?

“Executive Managing Director, if this is about me meeting someone from HW Construction, it’s a misunderstanding. They kept pushing, so I just had a cup of coffee with them.”

“So, this isn’t fabricated?”

Executive Managing Director Im Jong-yoon tossed several photos onto the table.

Jung Gyu-hwan bit his lip as he looked at the photos of himself and the HR director from HW smiling broadly at each other.

He was glad he had been upfront about it. He hadn’t expected them to have such solid evidence.

“I did meet them, but it was to tell them to stop contacting me! Please believe me!”

Even as he pleaded, a strange thought kept nagging at him. Where did these photos come from? Had someone been following him and monitoring his every move?

“You bastard! You of all people shouldn’t be doing this. Don’t you agree?”

The unspoken words in their exchanged glances were clear.

The two men, bound by the vice-chairman’s dark secrets, could not leave the company, no matter what. Not until they were told to.

Department Head Jung realized that his curiosity had led him to make a grave mistake.

“Of course. That’s why I met them, to get them to stop calling. Nothing much was said. I just told them that their recruitment offers were useless to me.”

Executive Managing Director Im’s lingering suspicion made him uneasy.

“But sir, how did you get these photos?”

“The HR team gave them to me. Looks like someone snitched.”

“Sir, you don’t think I’d actually betray Soonyang Construction, do you? I’ll dedicate my life to this company.”

“You crazy bastard. You’ll dedicate your life while having tea with a competitor’s HR executive? Are you out of your mind?”

Department Head Jung cautiously brought up his real concern.

“Executive Managing Director, have the President or the Vice-chairman seen these photos? What if they misunderstand?”

“Misunderstand? You really are a clueless fool. Hey, you old man, what makes you so sure I believe you? How do I know you weren’t planning to jump ship for more money?”

Department Head Jung’s face darkened at Executive Managing Director Im’s outburst.

“Get out. If I catch you doing anything suspicious again, I won’t forgive you. You’ll pay dearly, so be warned. Get out, you bastard!”

Jung Gyu-hwan bowed deeply and left Executive Managing Director Im’s office, his steps heavy.

He returned to his office and collapsed into his chair.

Cold sweat trickled down his back at the thought that his curiosity might have ruined everything.

Sharing a secret was like walking a tightrope between being an ally and an enemy. There were only extremes, no middle ground.

Until now, he had been a staunch ally of the company’s top brass, but with this cloud of suspicion, he might become a target for elimination.

The stress of this uncertainty weighed heavily on him because of one careless mistake.

Ding!

The sound of a text message notification.

Another text message arrived from an unknown number.

[Check your email.]

He quickly opened his company email and couldn’t believe his eyes.

Photos of his recent rendezvous with the young female employee who had brought spring back into his life were right there in the email.

Pictures of them laughing over a meal, arm in arm in the hotel elevator. Most damningly, a photo of them sharing a deep kiss in a car.

Jung Gyu-hwan deleted the entire email without looking further.

This was either a warning or blackmail.

If the email was sent by the Vice-chairman’s people, it was a warning.

If it was sent by an unknown party, it was blackmail.

A warning meant ‘don’t get any ideas,’ while blackmail meant they would demand something before exposing his affair.

Then his cell phone rang.

It was the same number that sent the text.

The email was definitely blackmail.

With trembling hands, Jung Gyu-hwan flipped open his phone.

“Who is this?”

-The person who sent the email. You know.

“What kind of bastard are you?!”

The loudness of his voice made people in the office turn their attention to him, so he quickly rushed outside.

“You son of a bitch, who are you? You sent that email, right?”

-We need to have a little chat. I’ll text you the time and place. Oh, and if you stand me up, those photos will be sent to every employee at Soonyang Construction. And of course, your family in the States. Goodbye.

Ding!

The text message notification sounded again as soon as the call ended.

* * *

“It’s you?”

“Do you know me, Department Head Jung?”

Jung Gyu-hwan stood in the doorway of the studio apartment, his jaw dropping.

“J-Jin Do-jun…?”

“That’s right. Come in. You didn’t come all this way just to turn around, did you?”

He left the dumbfounded Jung standing there and returned to the sofa in the living room.

He probably wouldn’t run away, but he needed a moment to calm his shock before coming in.

A few dozen seconds later, he heard the front door close.

Department Head Jung approached quietly and sat primly in front of him.

“Relax. I don’t intend to put you in a difficult position, Department Head.”

Jung didn’t say a word, his eyes darting around nervously.

He was probably too confused to understand the situation.

“If you had just said yes to double the salary and a huge incentive, none of this would have happened. Would you have changed your mind if you had heard the offer?”

“Th-then that… construction company… is…”

“Yes. There’s an easy way to solve this, so why make it so complicated? Well, now that things have come to this, I’ll make you another offer.”

“W-wait a minute. What is going on…?”

“Seriously. You’re so impatient that you keep missing opportunities that only come once in a lifetime. Right now, Department Head Jung, you need to shut your mouth and listen to everything I have to say. Understand?”

He glared at him, and Jung, startled, nodded rapidly.