Chapter 111
When the president called him to his office, Hyunwoo already sensed that he would bring up this topic because he heard from Yonggu that Minhye was determined to take him to the new corporation, so Hyunwoo prepared his ready answer in advance.
“I have a personal problem. As my parents are not in good health, I can’t leave Ansan.”
“I heard something about that, but isn’t there anybody who doesn’t have any personal problem? If you are working for a company, sometimes you can be ordered to work at a different place even if you don’t want it,” said the president.
“I really can’t move. Please understand me, sir,” said Hyunwoo in a desperate tone.
Tilting his head, the president continued, “I really can’t understand. Other employees are so anxious to join the new corporation, but you are not. What’s the matter with you? Just work there for two years and then you’ll get promoted to the manager. In some respect, this is a great opportunity for you.”
Hyunwoo was aware of that, too. If the new corporation got bigger with great success, those transferring now will enjoy the benefits of ultra speedy promotion.
But Hyunwoo held his ground, “I’m sorry.”
That put the president on the spot because his daughter Minhye said she wanted to take him to the new corporation by all means. Daebong also wanted to have Hyunwoo work right next to her. He wanted to compare Hyunwoo and Yonggu to the end as the groom candidate for her and pick one. As Hyunwoo was so opposed to transferring like that, however, there was nothing Daebong could do anymore. Though he asked his cousin Youngsu, the manager of the purchasing team, to persuade Hyunwoo, there was little possibility for success given Hyunwoo’s stubbornness even in the presence of the president.
“Got it. You may leave now.”
After Hyunwoo left his office, Daebong let out a sigh, touching the middle of the forehead with his fingers as if he had a headache.
Then, he opened his eyes suddenly as if he hit upon a good idea.
If Hyunwoo refuses like that, I have no other choice but to do this.
He gave it a little more consideration. When he was done organizing his thoughts, he called in the manager of the general affairs department.
Daebong gave him a secret mission, and the manager responded, “Yes, sir. Let me carry it out immediately.”
****
During the weekend, Hyunwoo’s family stopped by the House of Happiness.
Though his father usually accompanied them, he had been confining himself to his research room these days. He seemed to be agonizing over his old dream. There was not much help his family could offer him.
Jisuk Han, Hyunwoo’s mother, prepared lots of side dishes for this visit. She used up all the leftover ingredients to make the side dishes. When they arrived there, they found some guests visiting it already.
Stunned to see them, Hyunwoo bowed to him quickly, “How are you, sir.”
The person he greeted was Daebong Park. Minhye was with him, and another woman decorated with all kinds of jewelry seemed to be her mother.
Daebong was also surprise to find Hyunwoo visiting the place, “Oh, isn’t it assistant manager Hyunwoo? What brought you here?”
“Well, my mother said she wanted to donate some side dishes. Mom, this is the president of Aurum,” said Hyunwoo.
Astonished, she bent her waist forward deeply. As he was the president of the company and he was considerate enough to help her open this food business, she took a submissive attitude which made him uncomfortable.
“Haha, how do you do? Did you prepare all these side dishes by yourself? You must have used lots of ingredients, I guess.”
“Oh, I’m used to this, and I used the leftover ingredients. I didn’t use any old ingredients.”
At the moment, Daebong’s eyes sparkled because he recalled the direction he gave to the general affairs manager. Hearing her explanation, however, he felt things would not work out as he planned.
Hyunwoo’s family and the president’s group had a dialogue over tea in the director’s office, but Daebong felt really awkward and uncomfortable about her submissive attitude, so he could not stay any longer.
“Please excuse me. I’m taking leave now,” said Daebong.
He, along with Minhye and his wife, left the orphanage. When Hyunwoo’s mother was trying to see them off outside the orphanage, Daebong stopped her sincerely.
Only after he left the place did Daebong let out a sigh.
“Phew~ like son, like mother.”
Though she took a submissive attitude, Daebong felt she was not a small person.
He drove his car back home personally. Suddenly, something crossed his mind. It was a nondescript warehouse he saw when he came out of the orphanage.
In fact, what he noticed was not the warehouse but a small sign on it.
It was something familiar to him. He quickly turned his car around.
Minhye and his wife showed a puzzling expression.
“What’s wrong with you? Did you leave something behind?”
“No, I just want to confirm something.”
He drove to the warehouse for about three minutes. Now he could see the sign again. Daebong examined it more carefully and opened his eyes wide. The sign read
He pulled his car in front of the warehouse, leaving the curious daughter and wife inside the car. Just like Daebong, Minhye also got out of the car, feeling suspicious about the warehouse. She looked around it, which was closed. It seemed it was closed during the weekend.
“Do you happen to know how long this warehouse has been in this place?”
“No, I have no idea,” said Minhye, shaking her head.
“Maybe the director of the House of Happiness might know, right?”
“Maybe. Are you going to go back and ask him?”
“No, I don’t think it’s courteous to go and ask now, as he’s with Hyunwoo’s family. Let me ask him later when he’s available.”
Daebong then drove back home.
***
The typical day for Jisuk Han, Hyunwoo’s mother started very early in the morning. She, along with Hyunmin and other kids from the House of Happiness, made soybean juice, rice balls as well as spicy seaweed sushi balls to deliver to the various factories.
In the morning, she got rid of the food residue and cleaned the kitchen area. She has been doing that for a long time. And then when lunch time came, she had lunch and then took a nap to make up for her insufficient sleep. Even Hyunwoo fell into deep sleep, snoring a lot as if he was exhausted from working. They resumed around 3 pm.
When they were about to get back to work, they were surprised to see strangers.
Three gentlemen in business suits wore a businesslike expression on their faces. They looked like investigators from the local administration.
Was that the reason? Not only Jisuk but also Duyoung Jang, Hyunwoo’s father, were tense because of the cold atmosphere.
Washing her wet hands with an apron, Jisuk cautiously asked, “May I ask who you are?”
“How are you? We’re from the general affairs department of Aurum.”
“Aurum’s general affairs department? Ah, I see. Please come in.”
She escorted them inside the food factory, with some puzzle in her head.
“By the way, how come you came here?”
“We’re here for sanitary inspection.”
Her heart gave a throb. Though she kept her place clean all the time, she felt scared at the sudden inspection.
Noticing her surprised look, the inspection team thought, ‘you’re caught!’. The fact that she was surprised enough for her face to be white meant she had something to hide.
On the other hand, they felt sorry about it. To respond to the president’s request, they had to find whatsoever fault there might be in her workplace.
“As you provide breakfast to our employees, we feel we have to stop by without any notice like this for sanitary inspection. Can you understand us?”
With a blank expression for a moment, she came to her senses, “Oh my god! Please have some tea first.”
“Let us do the inspection first. We can have tea later. Is it okay?”
“Sure, please…”
The general affairs manager examined the factory carefully with careful eyes. As the factory was made out of an old warehouse, its exterior was pretty much old.
When he stepped in, however, he was surprised to find the interior was quite modern.
The floor was tiled, and the walls were shiny with new paint, and the ingredients were nicely kept in the freezer.
This time the general affairs manager’s heart began pounding because he had to find any slightest fault per the president’s special request. However, he could find nothing.
“Do you have any other place to keep the ingredients?”
“Well, we keep things like rice, soybeans, seaweed, pickled radish and sesame oil in another place. Do you want to see it?”
“Yes, please. I had better check it as I’m here.”
She opened everything to him, and if he wanted, she was ready to show him even her main bedroom.
“What are those container houses?”
“They’re the research rooms for my husband and his friend.”
“When you mention ‘research’ is it about foods?”
“Not at all. What are they doing research then?”
“Well, I can’t tell you about it. Sorry.”
When she said so, he examined the container houses very closely, feeling as if there was something to hide there.
“Can I take a look?”
“They have nothing to do with food, so I can’t show you.”
She refused his request for the first time. He became curious all the more.
“All I want to check is if they have anything to do with food.”
She was put on the spot, but at that moment Duyoung came out of the container house, overhearing what they’re talking about outside.
“If you’re so curious, please come in and check it out”
“Excuse me then,” said he peeked into the container house.
It was exactly as she described to him. What he saw inside was a desk with lots of files and a bookshelf full of books. He tried to go inside for a thorough look this time, but Duyoung stopped him.
“I guess you already found out this place had nothing to do with food research.”
“Well, I just wondered what kind of research you’re doing…”
“I’m sorry, but you’re overstepping. Do you have any reason to learn about my research? I hear you’re here for sanitary inspection.”
Duyoung made his point confidently. However, the general affairs manager, very nervous, made an unreasonable request to Duyoung as he had to find any fault.
“If that’s the case, I’d like to look inside that container house, too.”
At that moment, Duyoung and Jisun were stunned, with their eyes wide open. That was Kuroda’s personal research room. Even they dared not tell him they wanted to take a look, for fear he might feel embarrassed.