A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 58

I, Lim Hyunjun, felt anger and disappointment welling up inside.

However, my level of experience was far higher than that of the employee.

At that moment, another employee who had been away for a while returned to the store.

Her name was Lee Ji-eun.

I walked straight to her and smiled brightly.

It was a radiant smile that felt as if warm sunlight was shining down.

Even though I was a customer, Ji-eun was momentarily dazed by that bright smile.

She even thought that I might be a celebrity or an idol she did not recognize.

While she attended to me kindly, Park Seong-ho still clicked his tongue.

I asked Lee Ji-eun the same questions.She answered all the questions kindly.

Then, I spoke confidently.

“Give me 791 of these.”

In an instant, the air inside the store completely froze.

Ji-eun’s eyes grew wide.

She tilted her head, doubting her ears.

“I, I am sorry. Customer, how many did you say?”

“791. Is delivery possible?”

Park Seong-ho’s world came crashing down.

‘791?... Did he say 791?’

The blood completely drained from his face.

His lips parched up, and his tongue would not move properly.

Eventually, he even let out a strange sound.

“…Hieek!”

His fingertips grew cold, and cold sweat flowed down his spine.

His legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

‘It is crazy… What have I done? It is 300 million won. With that much, my performance for a whole year is right in front of my eyes…. No, it is an amount larger than everything I have sold until now….’

Park Seong-ho felt like he would collapse right then and there if he did not stand leaning against the wall.

His mind went blank.

I still spoke with a bright expression.

“Because there are quite a few people to give gifts to. Would delivery be possible by tomorrow?”

Lee Ji-eun’s heart was pounding so hard she felt like it would burst with joy.

‘Jackpot! This is truly crazy! Surely this isn’t a dream? What am I looking at right now?’

Her hands trembled so much that she could not even press the calculator properly.

Excitement and tension rushed in simultaneously.

Customers who were watching nearby began to gather one by one.

The sound of whispering grew louder.

“That student just said he is buying more than several hundred units.”

“Is it real?”

“But doesn’t he look familiar? His face is somewhat familiar…. Is he a celebrity by any chance?”

To Park Seong-ho, the murmuring sounded like they were mocking him.

Cold sweat poured down his entire body.

While he stood there dazed, Lee Ji-eun responded with delight.

“Customer, I will help you. If you give me the delivery address, I will process it immediately.”

I took out a black card from my wallet and spoke.

“Please send them to Hwasan International High School.”

Lee Ji-eun’s eyes sparkled and shone even more.

‘I am the performance king this month! No, it is the best performance of the year!’

The employee who first attended to me stood there blankly, unable to accept reality.

At that moment, there was a man running over here in a hurry.

It was Managing Director Kim Min-seok, who was in charge of distribution at Taeseong Department Store.

“Yo, Young Master. What brings you here!”

Dressed in a high-end suit, he bowed deeply before he could even catch his breath.

It was a burdensome posture that went beyond politeness.

“If you had told me in advance, I would have escorted you personally. Were there any inconveniences?”

Thanks to Kim Min-seok, silence swept through the store.

Everyone’s gaze focused on me.

‘Young Master? Could it be….’

Park Seong-ho’s legs completely gave way.

Warning bells rang in his head, and his whole body turned as cold as ice.

‘Who… who did I say those things to?’

I glanced at Park Seong-ho once and then turned my gaze away, shaking my head at Managing Director Kim Min-seok.

“Not at all. Just looking around is more fun than I thought.”

If the stiff Managing Director Kim Min-seok was acting so submissively, then that student was certainly a scion of Taeseong Group.

Park Seong-ho wanted to turn away from reality.

The person who, while working at Taeseong Department Store, had scolded a scion of the Taeseong family by asking where his parents were, was himself.

This was more horrific than any horror movie.

The sharp gaze of the quick-witted Managing Director Kim Min-seok turned toward Park Seong-ho.

That gaze felt like a death sentence.

Park Seong-ho pulled himself up and bowed flatly in front of me.

“I, I am sorry. Young Master. I… I truly failed to recognize you.”

His voice cracked and his whole body trembled.

He never dreamed that everything would go down the drain in an instant.

If he had known, he would have never created such a result.

Managing Director Kim Min-seok also bowed his head deeply.

“I am sorry, Young Master. You must have been unpleasant, and I sincerely apologize. I will process it im. medi. ately. as you wish.”

Since a person clearly in a high position came and was groveling to a young man, the whispering exploded.

“Is he really a Young Master of Taeseong Group?”

“Daebak. He is a chaebol.”

“Then is that employee getting fired?”

I felt burdened by these gazes.

Thinking that I might cause an unnecessary misunderstanding, I wanted to leave this place quickly.

“I will give the school representative’s contact information for the delivery schedule and packaging, so please check it.”

“Yes, I will process it immediately.”

Lee Ji-eun was still in a state of excitement.

Though her hands trembled, she finished the task until the end without making a mistake.

While she processed the work with a thrilled heart, Managing Director Kim Min-seok cautiously asked me.

“Young Master, do you have any other requests?”

“No, you just need to do as I said. Rather, I have a separate favor to ask.”

“Please just say the word.”

My voice became much softer.

“Is my Aunt here now? I would like to meet her for a moment.”

Park Seong-ho’s expression brightened.

A smile spread across his face.

‘What a relief….’

“Yes, the CEO is at the headquarters. I will escort you. Young Master, please come this way.”

At the moment I was about to take a step following Managing Director Kim Min-seok, I stopped.

I turned my body and walked toward the employee who first attended to me.

“Thank you for reading earlier. Your name is…?”

Managing Director Kim Min-seok answered instead.

“It is Park Seong-ho. It has been over 5 years since he started working here.”

“Ah… no wonder you have worked hard. But by the way, Managing Director. Is there a reward system for particularly kind employees? Tell me about it while we go.”

Managing Director Kim Min-seok and I shared a conversation while walking.

Regret rushed over Park Seong-ho like a tide.

‘Please, I wish I could go back to the beginning….’

While going up in the private elevator, Managing Director Kim Min-seok cautiously watched my reaction.

“About that employee earlier.”

“Mr. Park Seong-ho?”

“Yes, what shall we do?”

“What do you mean? You know what should be done if someone cannot handle customer service. Isn’t it a matter of receiving training again?”

Managing Director Kim Min-seok’s expression brightened.

“Yes, that is right. I will train him thoroughly.”

“There is no need to do that. Just have him undergo re-education according to the principles. He must have realized something from what happened just now.”

Managing Director Kim Min-seok was very surprised internally by my attitude.

He was a man who had experienced all sorts of people while working at the department store.

Anyone would feel bad toward an employee like Park Seong-ho who attended to people while picking and choosing them.

Yet I did not even hate the employee who ignored me?

Managing Director Kim Min-seok admired my character once again.

‘As expected of the Young Master…. He possesses a generous heart.’

After that day, employee training was strengthened at Taeseong Department Store.

A rumor spread that the reason was because of an employee named Park Seong-ho at the flagship Taeseong Electronics store.

Wherever he went, he received a barrage of praise, with people saying they received good training thanks to him.

A sound announcing the arrival rang, and the elevator doors opened.

It was the CEO’s private office space located on the top floor inside the department store.

The floor was entirely covered in marble, giving a sense of luxury, and famous paintings were hung everywhere on the walls.

Kim Min-seok led the way, and I followed behind him.

Finally arriving, they knocked.

“CEO, Young Master Hyunjun has come to visit.”

After a moment, a steady voice was heard from inside.

“Let him in.”

The door opened, and I entered the office.

The CEO’s office of the Taeseong Department Store was notable for its restrained elegance.

Soft natural light seeped through the wide window in the front, subtly surrounding the entire space.

On the bookshelves placed along the wall, books related to management and art were neatly arranged.

The woman sitting behind the desk lifted her head.

The elegant woman wearing a brown jacket and a white blouse was my aunt and the CEO of Taeseong Department Store, Lim Hye-seon.

She stood up with her characteristic fine smile and said in a calm voice.

“Hyunjun, you are here.”

“Have you been well, Aunt?”

When I greeted her politely, Lim Hye-seon gestured toward the sofa.

“Sit here. It has been a while since you came, so let’s have some tea together.”

The two of us sat facing each other.

A secretary came in, quietly gave us tea, and left.

A subtle fragrance spread through the room.

After checking something on her phone, Lim Hye-seon spoke while lifting her teacup.

“I heard there was an incident at the store….”

I nodded.

“It was nothing much. It was just a happening that occurred because the employee did not recognize me, but Managing Director Kim settled it well.”

“I heard that you protected that employee?”

“Haha. The news is very fast.”

Lim Hye-seon put down her teacup and looked at me.

“By the way, did you really come just to say hello today?”

I hesitated for a moment.

“Actually, there is something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Are you going to continue to be with my Uncle?”

Lim Hye-seon’s expression changed subtly.

She even put down the teacup she was about to drink from again.

“What do you mean by that?”

I replied more cautiously than usual.

“Because I have had doubts while watching the things my Uncle has been doing recently. What do you think, Aunt?”

Lim Hye-seon did not open her mouth for a while.

She turned her gaze to look out the window and seemed lost in thought for a moment.

She slowly opened her mouth.

“You wouldn’t have brought up this story without any basis. If so, it means my husband is doing something that I do not know about….”

She also already knew to some extent.

It had not been long since she completely noticed, but she had been guessing for a long time.

Furthermore, the fact that I, who was famous for being usually cautious, specifically came to this place to say such things meant that something she could no longer ignore had happened.

“To be honest…. I am also feeling it to some extent.”

Lim Hye-seon spoke quietly while looking out the window.

“That your Uncle has many things he is hiding even from me lately. And the reports coming up have also become opaque somewhere, unlike before. Things that cannot be explained in words have also started to occur.”

She looked at me again.

Fatigue and worry were deeply permeated in her eyes.

“But the reason I was pretending not to know even though I knew was because of Seo-yeon.”

At those words, I quietly nodded.

Under the name of Taeseong, the family fence sometimes becomes the greatest shackle.

Lim Hye-seon was a manager, but as a mother, she was bearing the weight alone in the Taeseong family.

A firm voice flowed from my mouth.

“Aunt, the point where you can turn a blind eye has passed now.”

Lim Hye-seon caught her breath for a moment.

“The fact that you even brought up these words must mean that something has already happened, right?”

“Yes. A bigger incident will happen soon. And that may shake the entirety of Taeseong.”