Chapter 772
At that moment.
A man standing in front of the reception desk on the first floor of the Future Tower waved his hand.
“I don’t need to go to the lounge. I’ll wait here.”
The security guard facing him answered politely.
“Then let me bring you a chair at least.”
“No, thank you. I’m fine standing. You do your work.”
“Yes, sir. Please let me know if you need anything.”
The security guard bowed his head and turned away. The man looked around.
Swoosh.
He thought it would be a simple office building, but it felt like a modern hotel.
The security equipment was as sophisticated as the interior.
There were many security guards, and they all looked professional.
“Hmm, the 20th floor.”
As soon as he saw the name of Reverb on the signboard, he remembered what his wife had said yesterday.
-It’s not a big deal, you say. How can you expect your son to be respected outside when you ignore him as a parent? Don’t judge without knowing what kind of company it is. Go and see for yourself.
He had hoped that his son, who had obtained a certificate and graduated from college, would get a job at a large or medium-sized company.
But in the end, he ended up working at a new company that had only been established for three months.
And the work he did was no different from playing games on the internet.
“Tsk tsk. He can’t get rid of his gaming habit.”
It was when Won Jong-cheol clicked his tongue.
The security guards on both sides bowed their waists as if they had made an appointment.
“Hello, sir.”
Thump thump.
In the meantime, a young man in a neat suit walked over.
On the other hand, Han Yoo-hyun was dumbfounded by the sudden greeting.
‘Don’t do this.’
He didn’t call himself the chairman, but it was no different from before when they greeted him as a group.
Especially now, there were too many guards because of the security training, and it was enough to make him uncomfortable.
It was not only uncomfortable, but also problematic that it could cause misunderstanding.
As he was about to say something, he saw the face of a middle-aged man.
The security guard came up and said.
“Sir, this is him.”
“Yes, I can tell without you telling me.”
The man had large eyes without double eyelids and sharp features that resembled Won Gi-joon.
His forehead had a fan-shaped wrinkle and a cross-shaped wrinkle, showing his stubborn personality.
His pupils were shaking for some reason.
Han Yoo-hyun greeted him first.
“Hello, sir. I’m Han Yoo-hyun, the CEO of Reverb.”
“Won… Jong-cheol.”
Won Jong-cheol quickly corrected his expression and reached out his hand.
Squeeze.
Han Yoo-hyun shook his hand politely.
Han Yoo-hyun met Won Jong-cheol at the lounge on the first floor.
While Won Jong-cheol was drinking coffee, Han Yoo-hyun looked at the business card he had received earlier.
Professor Won Jong-cheol of Kangguk University.
He majored in humanities and was the vice dean.
‘A gamer with a professor father.’
What was their relationship like?
Won Jong-cheol spoke to Han Yoo-hyun, who was lost in thought.
“I came to see what kind of company it is. It’s the first time my son got a job, you know.”
“Of course, you would. How do you feel after seeing it for yourself?”
“I couldn’t figure out what you’re pursuing exactly, but the working environment doesn’t look bad.”
He felt a negative view of the company from the blunt remark.
Han Yoo-hyun smiled and answered.
“We are a content platform company. We are working hard as we have just started.”
“There was an internet site, right?”
“Yes. We are growing our company around the Reverb site. Have you visited it?”
“I only glanced at it. It didn’t seem to be very active yet.”
“You’re right. Some features are limited because we are operating in test version. We plan to launch the official version early next year and operate it fully.”
Won Jong-cheol glanced at Han Yoo-hyun, who answered smoothly.
His outfit was impressive, and he looked relaxed in his posture and attitude.
He seemed to have dealt with many people.
He was different from his son, who had no social life because of playing games.
Won Jong-cheol asked.
“I see. You’re the same age as my son, is this your first job?”
“I worked at Hansung for about five years before.”
“Hansung, as in electronics?”
“Yes. I was in charge of planning work at electronics.”
“You had experience working at a large company. No wonder…”
Won Jong-cheol nodded as if he understood.
A hint of regret flashed in his calm expression.
Han Yoo-hyun didn’t miss it.
‘Is he comparing him to Gi-joon?’
If he had a biased prejudice, he might think that a former employee of a large company was superior to a former gamer.
That was not the case at all.
“The experience I had at Hansung is rather a barrier for me at this company.”
“In what way?”
“In a startup like this, you need creative and flexible thinking, but I’m used to the old practices, so I tend to be biased.”
“You may not see it now, but walking the right path will help you a lot. It’s much better than wasting time without finding your way.”
Finding your way seemed to mean Won Gi-joon.
Han Yoo-hyun looked at him.
“I think it’s much cooler to create a new path than to follow the existing one. Like Gi-joon.”
“Gi-joon?”
“Yes. Gi-joon didn’t follow the course that was set for him, but he pioneered a field that others didn’t do. He’s a great help to the company.”
“How can a guy who only played games be helpful? That’s not possible.”
He sneered and waved his hand, revealing his fixed idea.
He only tried to fit his son into the standard he had set, and he didn’t acknowledge Han Yoo-hyun’s words at all.
But seeing that he came here from the morning, he didn’t seem to have no affection for his son.
Maybe he cared for him inside, but he put up a wall on the outside.
Han Yoo-hyun sincerely conveyed the value of Won Gi-joon to him, hoping that he would open his heart.
“No, sir. If you ask me what kind of creative results Gi-joon has made…”
Woo Jong-chul, who had been listening for a while, opened his mouth.
“Alright. Thank you for the good talk.”
“Thank you for listening.”
“I should get going now. Oh, and I would appreciate it if you kept it a secret that I came here. I don’t want to bother him unnecessarily.”
“Of course. I won’t tell anyone.”
Woo Jong-chul stood up after hearing Yoo-hyun’s answer.
He was about to turn around when he paused and looked at Yoo-hyun.
“And thank you for saying nice things, but you don’t have to pretend in front of his parents.”
“Pretend? I’m being sincere.”
“I know my son better than anyone. I enjoyed the coffee.”
“That’s…”
As Yoo-hyun tried to approach him, he reached out his hand to stop him.
“You don’t have to see me off. I can’t hold you back when you’re busy.”
“…”
He smiled and turned away swiftly.
Yoo-hyun could only stare at his back.
Would his opinion of his son have changed if he had appealed more?
It didn’t seem easy.
Woo Jong-chul had decades of prejudice and a fixed mindset about his son who didn’t meet his expectations.
He didn’t show it explicitly, but he felt that vibe throughout the conversation.
-I want to be evaluated fairly as a former employee.
Yoo-hyun recalled Won Gi-joon’s ambition and smiled bitterly.
“Now I understand why he wanted to be recognized as an employee.”
He also vaguely understood why he tried to carry everything on his own.
He had received countless cheers, but he must have longed for the support of one person.
Yoo-hyun felt like he knew how Won Gi-joon felt, since he once had a father who seemed like a wall to him.
Left alone, Yoo-hyun picked up his phone.
There was a voice he wanted to hear at this moment.
Ding-dong-ding-dong.
After a few rings, his father answered the phone.
-Yoo-hyun, what’s up at this hour?
“I just wanted to hear your voice, dad.”
-Son. Is it hard because of the business?
He asked abruptly, and Yoo-hyun made a weak sound.
“Can’t you comfort me if I say it’s hard?”
-As a senior in life, I can buy you a drink or two.
“I’m glad I have a good senior.”
-Son. You’re too bland.
His father’s answer, mixed with laughter, sounded very relaxed.
Was it because things were going smoothly as he wanted?
Or was it just his father’s personality?
He was no longer the father who fretted over his son’s every word.
Yoo-hyun chuckled and called his father.
“Dad.”
-Why?
“Why didn’t you say anything when I quit Hansung?”
His mother was very anxious when he quit the company and hoped he would find another job.
When he persuaded her, he said he would start a business and she worried again.
But his father didn’t oppose him, but rather praised him and patted his shoulder.
He told him why he did that.
-Because I trust you.
“Trust…”
-I thought you would do well in whatever you do. You’re Yoo-hyun, aren’t you?
Yoo-hyun’s heart swelled at his father’s words.
He put his hand on his chest and answered.
“Thank you for trusting me, dad.”
-Don’t be cheesy.
“Why not?”
He spat out a light word, and his father revealed his true intention.
-Then bring Da-hye quickly. You said you would show her to me, but you haven’t, have you?
“You were busy, dad. You had more contracts and worked late every day. How can I go down there?”
-Don’t make excuses with me. I told you everything is settled. You just have to come anytime.
“No, dad. I can’t bother your work.”
-You’re not bothering me. If you keep doing this, I’ll come up myself… Oh, Da-hye is in Europe with Jae-hee right now.
He realized it belatedly and Yoo-hyun asked him.
“Yes. Does Jae-hee contact you?”
-Is he the type to call?
“Absolutely not.”
-Right. He’s not.
“…”
A brief awkward silence flowed between the two.
The joking atmosphere they shared was a great pleasure for Yoo-hyun.
He no longer felt the wall between him and his father.
His father cleared his throat and broke the silence.
-Ahem, Yoo-hyun.
“Yes, dad.”
-Business is not easy, is it?
He spoke seriously, and Yoo-hyun straightened his posture.
“That’s right. It’s not easy.”
-Of course. It’s different from working for a company that gives you a task. You have to pave a new way.
“Yes. You’re right.”
-But once you start, you have to take responsibility until the end. That’s the attitude you need for the employees who trusted you and followed you.
His father’s words, filled with life, weighed heavily on him.
-Life is not about living alone, but living together. Remember that people come first before money and success.
As always, his father valued people more than money.
When the factory went bankrupt, he swallowed his son’s resentment silently and took care of the employees who were driven to the corner first.
That was his father’s biggest asset now.
In front of his respected father, Yoo-hyun gave a sincere answer.
“Dad, I’ll keep that in mind.”
And I’ll definitely take responsibility.
The next day.
Ilsung was cornered by the sudden news.
The problem caused by the non-standard charger they had been claiming didn’t work anymore, and even the people who had been on Ilsung’s side started to doubt them.
How would Ilsung come out of this situation?
Yoo-hyun drew their moves in his head and fit the last piece.
It was time to move.