Chapter 145: Someone’s Resolve (4)

When Mrs. Yoon turned off the screen with the remote control, the air in the hospital room became quiet again.

Lim Man-seok fell into thought.

Every time he saw Hyunjun, his younger days came to mind.

At that time, there was nothing to be afraid of.

He only moved forward like a bulldozer and there was no room to look back.

Only at his current age did regret rush in as he recalled the past days.

If he had looked back a little and also looked at his side, perhaps Do-hyun would not have broken like that.

Just thinking about that made his chest hot as if it were his fault.

One side of his heart became heavy again.

At that time, the hospital room door opened and Chief Secretary Kang Cheol-woo entered quietly.

“Chairman, did you see the news?”

“I just saw it.”

When Kang Cheol-woo spoke while showing a happy look, Lim Man-seok asked.

“You should have followed as well. Why did you not go together?”

“The President requested it.”

“Hye-seon did?”

“Yes.”

She probably thought that she did not know what Do-hyun might do while she was away.

Recalling that, his mouth felt bitter.

Lim Man-seok was silent for a while.

At that time, Mrs. Yoon Myeong-sook poured water and gave it to her husband.

“Please drink some water.”

“Ahem.”

Lim Man-seok moistened his throat while drinking the water.

When he held out the cup after that, Mrs. Yoon Myeong-sook received it.

“I will go out for a moment, so have a talk.”

Kang Cheol-woo bowed his waist.

“Thank you.”

As Mrs. Yoon Myeong-sook left the hospital room, Kang Cheol-woo opened his mouth cautiously.

“Chairman, when are you thinking of returning?”

Lim Man-seok let out a short sigh and slowly lifted his head.

“Is everyone not doing well? Now, can I not rest for a bit?”

In his tone, some laughter was mixed.

Kang Cheol-woo shook his head slightly and answered.

“No. The Chairman must still be there. Taeseong is like Taeseong only when the Chairman is there.”

Lim Man-seok narrowed his brows and glanced at him.

“Haha, how is it that your empty talk has increased.”

“It is not empty talk.”

Kang Cheol-woo’s gaze became solid.

“Lately, President Lim Do-hyun’s movements are unusual. The more it is like this, the Chairman must personally hold the center.”

Lim Man-seok was silent for a while.

His face was reflected faintly on the turned-off TV screen.

At one time, there was a period when he led everything.

Now, as time passed, the empire he built was passing into the hands of his children little by little.

“I must do it now.”

Lim Man-seok turned his head toward the window.

As the sunset tilted, golden waves spread through the curtains.

That light brushed his wrinkled face.

“I must finish Do-hyun’s matter.”

Kang Cheol-woo bowed his head.

Where would there be a parent whose heart would be at ease when they have to cast off their child.

He hoped that day would come slowly, even by a day.

It was not a matter that could be delayed even if one delayed it, but his heart was like that.

“I must be discharged soon.”

***

As the private jet the President boarded took off first and rose into the sky, another private jet with the Taegeukgi engraved on it moved slowly toward the runway behind it.

For this visit to the U.S., the economic delegation decided to depart separately.

It was for security reasons.

The flight the President boarded and the aircraft private businesspeople took had to be strictly separated.

The plane carrying Lim Hye-seon, the acting chairman of Taeseong Group, and me, the representative of HJ Partners, rose into the sky.

As the aircraft rose through the cloud layer, the engine noise became much quieter.

I was quietly catching my breath while looking out the window.

A tablet was held in my hand.

I had run breathlessly until leaving for this trip to the U.S.

Now, the working-level staff are also proceeding with work without a moment of rest inside the plane.

Lim Hye-seon, sitting in the opposite seat, spoke to me.

She, who was neatly dressed in a gray suit, was also looking into a laptop screen while organizing the schedule.

“You seem to have many thoughts, for some reason.”

“I think it is because I am a bit tired.”

Lim Hye-seon closed the laptop and wore a pitiful expression.

“Yes, it is enough to be tired. In the past few months, would there have been a day when you slept properly.”

I shrugged my shoulders and spoke.

“Still, it is worth enduring. Because it is fun.”

At those words, Lim Hye-seon smiled.

“For the fellow who stayed up all night for meetings and woke up at dawn to say it is fun. You found a job that suits your aptitude early on.”

I scratched my head and spoke.

“If someone heard that, they would think I stay up all night every day. Honestly, it was a bit hard this time, but it is not to that extent.”

Hye-seon nodded quietly and spoke.

“It is admirable, our Hyunjun. There will be no one who does not know how busily you have lived during that time.”

Her tone was no different from usual, but sincere concern was buried within it.

“Still, once this U.S. schedule is over, make sure to rest a little. Money and work are important, but people are eventually about health. When you are exhausted, you must also know how to catch your breath.”

I smiled softly and answered.

“I will take your words to heart, Aunt.”

The sunlight seeping through the clouds illuminated the cabin and cast a warm light on my face.

Beyond the window, the endlessly unfolding sky was continuing.

‘After finishing the schedule in the U.S., the vacation will be over.’

I muttered to myself.

I felt that once I returned to school, I would be able to catch my breath at least for a while.

A life where the three names of entrepreneur, representative, and student crossed felt like a part of me now.

I quietly closed my eyes.

I wanted to empty my mind even for a moment.

The vibration of the plane continued calmly as if interlocking with my heartbeat.

Hye-seon smiled slightly while watching that appearance.

She also quietly stared out the window.

“Yes. This time, let us really go and return without any incidents.”

Her low whisper seeped into the calm noise of the cabin.

After a long flight, the private jet's aircraft slowly landed on the runway.

A calm vibration spread in the cabin and the pilot’s announcement flowed out.

I looked out the window.

The runway shone coldly under the gray sky.

The private jet the President boarded landed first.

The huge aircraft ran as if sliding on the runway and slowly came to a stop, and as the exit door opened, a cold wind rushed into the aircraft.

Standing in a row to greet the President and his wife were Deputy Secretary Clark representing the U.S. State Department, the White House Chief of Protocol, and the South Korean Ambassador to the U.S.

Behind them, the honor guard was lined up, and the Taegeukgi and the Stars and Stripes fluttered side by side in the wind.

Flashes from the press burst one after another.

The President and his wife slowly descended from the plane.

Like this, the official schedule of the two countries began.

On one side of the airport, the private jet that departed from Korea was undergoing landing procedures.

As the door of the private jet with the HJ Partners logo engraved on it opened, cold winter air rushed into the cabin in an instant.

Division Head Han Seung-woo stood up from his seat and spoke.

“We have arrived, Representative.”

I rose from my seat while fastening my coat.

“Ugh. It is colder than I thought.”

The moment I stepped out of the plane.

A fierce wind brushed my coat.

Every time I exhaled, white breath spread.

Subsequently, the working-level staff of Taeseong Group and HJ Partners descended in order, and the local commerce bureau staff greeted our group.

Hye-seon and I shook hands with them in turn and gave greetings.

Behind us, the working-level staff including Choi Seo-jun, Han Seung-woo, Hong Jang-gun, Cho Hana, Baek Yu-jin, and Yu Hyeon-seok also stood in a line while wearing refined expressions.

After sharing brief greetings, they left the airport and got into the prepared vehicle procession.

The inside of the car was very quiet.

The winter scenery of the gray city visible beyond the glass window passed by.

Snow was faintly piled on the roadside trees, and as we headed toward the city center, the white walls of the White House were dimly visible.

Cho Hana spoke while holding a tablet.

“Representative, the accommodation is a hotel located near the White House. In the afternoon, there is a meeting with Department of Commerce officials. In the evening, a welcome banquet hosted by the President is scheduled.”

I nodded and answered.

“Good. Let us move according to the schedule.”

It was not Hye-seon’s first time in the U.S., but coming as the representative of Taeseong had a special meaning for her.

She was nervous before coming, but once she actually arrived, her heart became comfortable instead.

She stared out the window for a moment and then spoke.

“Perhaps because the roads were controlled, there is no congestion.”

I smiled and answered.

“It seems so.”

The vehicle procession slowly entered the city.

Before long, the snowfall that was falling little by little gradually became thicker until the streets near the White House looked blurry.

Upon arriving at the hotel's main entrance, the Taegeukgi and the Stars and Stripes were hanging side by side.

I, who got out of the car first, lifted my head and looked up at the sky for a moment.

The cold air seeped into my lungs and made me wake up.

Our breaths scattered whitely.

The inside of the hotel lobby was warm.

Calm jazz music was flowing in the interior.

My group took the elevator while being guided.

Division Head Han Seung-woo was somewhat nervous, perhaps because it was his first time coming with me.

However, it did not last long.

Once entering the guest room, he was busy letting out exclamations.

I went straight to the sofa and laid down as if I were tired.

At that time, Cho Hana requested something from the hotel staff.

In the meantime, someone came to visit me.

It was Alexander Rockefeller, whom I met before.

Wearing a luxurious suit, a faint perfume scent wafted from his coat.

I rose from my seat and welcomed him.

“It has been a long time.”

“Have you been doing well?”

“Well, I have been doing well. More than that, I did not know you would visit this early.”

“Since you have come to the U.S., I had to come to meet you quickly.”

While the two of us shared a handshake.

Secretary Cho ordered tea with quick wit.

Rockefeller looked around while sitting on the sofa.

“Our villa is better than this kind of hotel. How about going sometime?”

“If you invite me, I should go.”

Cho Hana placed the tea on the table in the meantime and cleared the spot.

Alexander spoke comfortably while taking a sip of the tea.

“The US Navy MRO business you requested might turn out better than expected.”

At Alexander’s words, a smile spread across my mouth.

I asked as if it were nothing.

“Is that so? It is faster than expected.”

Alexander Rockefeller leaned back in the chair and lowered the teacup he was drinking from.

“When you brought up that story, honestly, I was half in doubt. But once I actually opened the lid, it was very interesting.”

I laughed quietly at those words.

However, everything was already my planned work.

Before coming to the U.S., I had once intentionally leaked to Rockefeller that I was interested in the US Navy’s MRO project.

It was not just about simple curiosity.

I already knew the fact that although Rockefeller was an oil tycoon, he also had a deep interest in the defense industry.

So I used that point.

To create a pretext for entering the defense industry, I had lightly suggested to Rockefeller that it seemed like a good opportunity if we did it together.

Eventually, Alexander bit the bait.

He was excited like a person who had discovered a new toy.

“I looked into a few connections on that side, and they said a related bid will open soon from the US Navy. Even if you approach now, the profit will be large.”

I smiled slowly.

“As expected, it is good that your information is fast.”

“Well, is that so? Hahaha.”

Rockefeller spoke while being excited.

“I did not know I would sell my labor like this for this kind of work. Honestly, I feel like I am running around more diligently than the employees.”

His tone was mixed with his unique leisure and playfulness, but everything was a perfect result that went according to my intentions.

I said.

“It is always like that. Because the world gives opportunities to the people who move first.”