A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 66

The voice of the Presidential Chief of Staff filled the room.

It was a neat tone, but strength was loaded into every single word.

Authority could be felt even without him having to speak loudly.

The participants straightened their postures while adjusting their clothes one last time.

The atmosphere was already heavy enough to be suffocating, but when the next words fell, the air became even more taut.

“This briefing is a meeting that the President requested personally.”

That one sentence sufficiently explained the reason for gathering in this place.

It meant that this meeting was not gathered for mere formality.

A moment of silence passed and the Chief of Staff opened his mouth again.

“The President is entering.”The reception room of the Cheongwadae main building.

The footsteps of a man echoed quietly in the space where that unique solemnity and authority were deeply laid.

Chairman Lim Man-seok’s gaze grew sharp.

Even he, who had dominated the business world for decades, straightened his back without realizing it.

The President stepped inside.

A dark suit and a tie with a hint of red.

Short-trimmed hair and a face close to his characteristic expressionless state.

He did not reveal his emotions, but his presence alone made the room freeze in an instant.

All participants rose from their seats.

Chairman Lim Man-seok’s gaze stayed on me, Lim Hyunjun, for a moment as I sat at the end.

It was out of a heart worrying that I might be intimidated because of my young age.

However, my expression as his grandson was surprisingly calm, making such thoughts pale in comparison.

A faint smile brushed past Chairman Lim’s lips.

To think his grandson looked like that, not intimidated at all even in a place where the President personally attended.

My appearance, standing naturally as if such a place were daily life, was even admirable.

The President’s gaze slowly swept the meeting room.

That sharp gaze accurately read each person like a scanner.

And then, that gaze stopped for a moment.

I, Lim Hyunjun, sensed it intuitively.

That his eyes had changed.

As the President took his seat at the head of the table, everyone sat down again.

However, the tension still did not ease.

Rather, it grew thicker.

“It is nice to meet you all.”

It was a truly concise greeting.

However, the weight contained in that one sentence was truly enormous.

The President did not look at the prepared speech, and instead, while lightly fiddling with the water glass placed on the table, he slowly continued with the next words.

“There is one unfamiliar face in this place.”

The eyes of several figures headed toward one spot.

It was because the President’s gaze was heading toward one end of the meeting room.

I was sitting there.

Chairman Lim Man-seok’s eyes shook subtly.

‘Surely… in this place?’

No matter how outstanding I was, he did not know the President would mention me directly.

But an even more surprising thing happened.

The President’s expression softened greatly.

Warmth dwelled in that face that was like a cold mask of iron.

“Young man Hyunjun…. No, I should call you Representative now.”

The meeting room sank into silence.

It felt as if time had stopped.

Several figures looked back and forth between the President and me with bewildered eyes, not knowing what the situation was.

The President slowly smiled.

That smile brought to mind the warm memories of a human being, not a person in power.

“You came to the Liberation Day ceremony with Mrs. Kang Ji-yeon.”

I lowered my head politely and replied quietly.

“That is correct, Mr. President. I met you for the first time that day.”

“It has only been a few months, but meeting again like this brings back many emotions.”

The President’s way of speaking was still dignified, but welcome was contained within it.

The fact itself that the highest power of this country remembered a boy was of immense significance.

“You have a truly great grandson, Chairman Lim.”

The air inside the meeting room changed completely, as if a wind had passed through.

A smile spread across Chairman Lim Man-seok’s lips.

One could feel his pride from his expression.

The President moved his gaze to the entire meeting room and continued his words.

“To think such an excellent young individual has appeared in our country. The future of the Republic of Korea is truly bright. Is it not so?”

As the President’s words echoed in the conference room, a wave of quiet sympathy wavered.

While a heavy silence flowed, eventually one figure carefully opened his mouth.

It was the Minister of Industry.

“I entirely agree, Mr. President. Representative Lim Hyunjun is a rare talent who simultaneously shows the innovativeness and sense of responsibility of the young generation. Rumors are widespread even in our ministry.”

That one sentence became a trigger.

The atmosphere of the conference room changed 180 degrees.

Instead of the previous tension, it was filled with a strange energy where praise and expectation coexisted.

The other participants also did not miss the flow and continued speaking.

“Already, HJ Partners is producing phenomenal results.”

“To show such insight at that age is no different from a miracle.”

“I heard he is creating great waves in the global market as well.”

I was listening silently from a seat at the far end.

I showed a serious appearance while not excessively revealing myself.

The President opened his mouth again.

“The image I saw at the Liberation Day ceremony is still vivid in my eyes. I could fully feel the pride of being a descendant of a person of distinguished service to national independence and the dignity befitting that. More than anything….”

The President’s gaze, which had stopped for a moment, headed toward me.

“Your eyes are very clear. Is it because you are handsome…. Hahaha.”

I bowed my head politely and greeted him.

“There are more words than I deserve. I will do my best so as not to fall short of those expectations in the future.”

It was a short sentence but one where strength was loaded.

The President nodded his head lightly as if satisfied.

From the opposite side of the meeting room, another figure quietly opened his mouth.

It was Chairman Lee Jin-cheol of Hanmyeong Group.

After making eye contact with the President, he continued speaking naturally with a generous smile.

“I will also add a word to the President’s remarks.”

The gazes of the meeting room headed toward him.

“Actually, I too have encountered the name HJ Partners through various channels recently. At first, I simply thought it was a promising company, but seeing the things done during that time, my thoughts changed completely.”

He turned his head slightly and looked at me.

“If Representative Lim has that much insight and skill at a young age, he will become a great asset to this country in the future. No, I suppose it is fine to see him as such already.”

Appearances of nodding heads were seen here and there in the meeting room.

Chairman Lee Jin-cheol did not stop there.

“Actually, even within our group, there is even an opinion to consider a project jointly with Representative Lim Hyunjun.”

“I am envious of you, Chairman Lim. Isn’t your grandson almost a national-team-level talent?”

“He is a rare talent among young people these days.”

As praise poured out, a natural smile was drawn on Chairman Lim Man-seok’s lips as well.

He lightly added his words.

“Is it not an era where skill comes first these days. Although Hyunjun is at a young age, he rose to this position by himself. Please continue to watch over him in the future.”

At those words, the President nodded and continued speaking.

“Just as Chairman Lim said, the Republic of Korea has now entered an era where talented young people advance to the center of the country. The symbol of that is exactly an individual like Representative Lim.”

The meeting room was filled with a strange thrill at the words that followed.

The importance was that he had etched the existence of Lim Hyunjun, whom the Republic of Korea was paying attention to, rather than just a single young businessman.

The President lifted the water glass placed on the table again.

After slowly drinking a sip, he carefully placed it back in its spot.

In an instant, the gentle smile disappeared from his face.

Instead, a charismatic appearance overflowed.

“Now then, let us move on to the main point.”

At that one sentence, the air inside the meeting room became taut in a flash.

The atmosphere that was full of congratulations and encouragement until a moment ago disappeared without a trace.

The expressions of the participants also changed to serious all at once.

Everyone had already expected it to some extent.

That this place was not a simple celebratory banquet.

However, the weight felt from the President’s expression far exceeded their expectations.

“Everyone, the wave that has hit us now is absolutely not small.”

The President’s gaze slowly swept the meeting room once.

People who met his eyes avoided his gaze without realizing it.

“Some of you may have seen the data announced by OPEC a few days ago. Oil prices have plummeted below 40 dollars per barrel.”

Several participants nodded with gloomy expressions.

“Of course, there was a short-term rebound, but with complexly intertwined international situations and the phenomenon of crude oil oversupply overlapping, it seems the downward trend will continue in the future as well.”

This was already a pending issue where each group’s strategic planning office had formed emergency response teams and were discussing measures day and night.

However, as it was mentioned directly from the President’s mouth, its seriousness came across anew.

“But the real problem is not the drop in oil prices itself.”

A deeper concern seeped into the President’s voice.

“Due to our country's export structure, a direct hit is falling on the petrochemical, refining, shipbuilding, electronics, and transportation industries overall. This means that the core arteries of our economy are being struck.”

At this time, the Minister of Industry carefully opened his mouth.

“The President’s words are correct. Especially in the shipbuilding industry, cases of order cancellations and construction delays are already numerous. New ship order volumes are plunging, and on top of that, in the case of large projects from the Middle East, demands for contract unit price renegotiations are flooding in.”

The President nodded with a heavy expression at the Minister’s report.

“If it were a short-term price fluctuation, response would be possible to some extent at each company level. However, if this is prolonged, there is a high possibility it will spread into a structural crisis.”

He stopped speaking for a moment.

The inside of the meeting room was filled with a suffocating silence.

“The government defines this matter not as a simple economic issue but as a matter of national security.”

National security.

The moment this word came out of the President’s mouth, the meeting room atmosphere became even heavier.

Tension was evident on the faces of the participants.

If the nation’s highest power would go as far as using the expression security for an economic matter, it meant the situation was much more serious than they had thought.

“That is exactly why I have gathered you all here today.”

The President’s gaze swept the participants once more.

“Each group is already playing a key role in the global supply chain. You all are the backbone and the pillar of our economy.”

He caught his breath for a moment and then continued with an even more determined voice.

“But that backbone is shaking now. This is not the problem of any one company alone. It is a situation where if one collapses, the whole can shake sequentially like dominoes.”

No one could say anything.

The participants were only waiting for the President’s next words.

The President spoke with emphasis while staring straight ahead.

“So I will ask. What kind of response plans are each group preparing in this crisis situation?”