A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 73

Choi Seo-jun asked with a puzzled expression.

“Will President Kenjiro really come out cooperatively?”

Kim Byeong-kwon shook his head.

“It is not optimistic.”

“Hmm, I see.”

I, Lim Hyunjun, said while standing up from my seat.

“First, I should sleep. I need to sleep well to spend tomorrow vigorously as well.”

Choi Seo-jun had an expression full of worry, but it was not a matter that would be solved by staying in the lounge.

Each of them went into their rooms and sought sleep.

The next morning, they took a taxi and headed out of the city center to a small coastal city.The place they finally arrived at was a place that looked like an old building on the outside.

My group arrived at the headquarters of the Amami Shipbuilding Technology Research Institute earlier than the appointed time.

A woman wearing thick glasses was standing at the entrance.

She was Yuika Amami.

“Nice to meet you. I am Yuika Amami.”

Her pronunciation was a bit clumsy, but not to the point where it was incomprehensible.

After exchanging greetings with my group, she guided us through various parts of the company.

Since she added explanations in her uniquely quiet yet neat way of speaking, it was very easy to understand.

“This way is the technical development room. We mainly work on ship design simulation and software optimization. Since it is the weekend and also maintenance time, there are not many employees.”

The inside of the office was wider than expected.

There were many blueprints everywhere, and traces of manual work were visible.

On one side, a space where Japan's unique craftsman's spirit could be felt was also prepared.

Models that looked as if someone had carved them directly by hand were on display.

Choi Seo-jun glanced back and asked.

“…It is more sophisticated than I thought.”

Kim Byeong-kwon nodded slightly.

“The problem is that technology must be linked to profit, but that is a bit….”

He trailed off and checked Yuika's mood.

At that moment, I observed something closely.

I was standing in front of some equipment and looking at something intently.

Then, Yuika approached slowly and asked subtly.

“By any chance, is your major in this field?”

I smiled slightly and shook my head.

“No. I am just interested.”

Yuika hesitated for a moment at those words and then laughed softly.

“Your way of speaking is just as I heard. Actually, even when I heard from Byeong-kwon…. Ah, since I am close with President Kim Byeong-kwon, words slipped out.”

“Please speak comfortably. It actually looks good to see.”

I looked at her with a gentle smile.

“What kind of person is President Kenjiro Amami?”

Yuika fell into thought for a moment, closed her mouth, and then spoke carefully.

“He is a very strong person. And he is a person with a thorough professional spirit. He has great pride in technology. It is just that he does not recognize that the world has changed….”

I nodded my head lightly as if I understood what she meant.

“The most frightening thing is a heart that does not recognize change rather than the change itself.”

Just then, someone approached and spoke to Yuika.

After nodding, she said to my group.

“Father has arrived. Please follow me.”

I tidied my suit once and followed Yuika.

As we walked straight through the corridor, we arrived in front of the president's office.

Yuika knocked and opened the door slightly.

The inside of the office was very ordinary, but a heavy current was flowing.

A white-haired old man in a suit was sitting on a leather sofa, and next to him, a man with a good-looking impression was taking a relaxed posture.

“Please come in. Father, these are the guests from Korea.”

Yuika introduced my group using both Korean and Japanese.

When I handed over a greeting with clear Japanese pronunciation, the white-haired man slowly raised his body.

“Nice to meet you. I am Lim Hyunjun, the representative of HJ Partners.”

Thanks to introducing myself in Japanese, the eyes of the people in the office widened.

I immediately spoke in Korean.

“I only know how to say a few greetings.”

Yuika translated.

Kenjiro opened his mouth with an indifferent expression.

“I am Kenjiro Amami.”

The man standing next to him also greeted reluctantly with a swaggering attitude.

“I am Ryusei Amami.”

They sat down carefully while being wary of me and the group.

When Yuika tried to sit down too, Kenjiro's stinging gaze came toward her.

“Yuika. You, stay outside.”

In an instant, the air in the room became even heavier.

Yuika bowed her head as if embarrassed, and just as she was about to stand up and withdraw.

I opened my mouth quietly.

“If it is not discourteous, I would like Yuika-san to remain in the seat with us.”

Kenjiro narrowed his eyes and glared at me.

His expression was full of unpleasantness.

Ryusei was also busy checking his father's mood after flinching for a moment.

“You people seem to know nothing.”

When Kenjiro spoke with a stiff voice, I stood up against him calmly.

I deliberately spoke in English.

“We came to discuss the future. It seems you are the one who knows nothing.”

Hearing my words, Ryusei was startled.

However, as if Kenjiro did not know English, he asked while not knowing the reason, and his son explained instead.

Then, he raised his body from the seat and got angry, even pointing his finger.

“Where does such an ill-mannered brat dare!”

He began to pour out words in Japanese.

As if looking down on the opponent, every single word was full of ridicule and contempt.

“Daring to come to my company and rudely trying to teach me!”

The atmosphere froze coldly in an instant.

Yuika was half-risen from her seat, restless with her face turned pale.

Choi Seo-jun and Kim Byeong-kwon also did not know what to do and only checked the mood in embarrassment.

In the midst of that, I stared at President Kenjiro Amami without wavering at all and slowly stood up from the seat.

And then, I said firmly.

“Yuika-san, please translate exactly what I say now to the President. I have respected the technology and honor the President tries so hard to keep. But looking at it now, only stubbornness remains. Face reality. At this rate, the company will soon sink.”

Yuika, with a deathly pale face, conveyed to her father exactly what I had said.

I took a business card out of my wallet and handed it over.

Naturally, Kenjiro did not even glance at it.

After putting the business card on the desk, I said to the group.

“Let us go. It seems there is nothing more for us to talk about here.”

At those words, Choi Seo-jun and President Kim Byeong-kwon followed behind me.

As we left the office, Kenjiro's agitated voice still flowed beyond the closed door.

However, I did not even look back.

Until we passed the corridor and arrived at the lobby, no one opened their mouths first.

Choi Seo-jun, who was checking my mood all along while calling a taxi, carefully spoke.

“It seems you went a bit strong.”

It was a tone full of worry.

I answered shortly.

“That is right. But with a person whom common sense does not work on, this kind of method will rather work.”

At the unexpected answer, Choi Seo-jun and Kim Byeong-kwon only blinked their eyes.

Whether they did so or not, I was rather comfortable.

Kim Byeong-kwon asked in a worried voice.

“In Representative Lim's view, how was Ryusei?”

I answered without hesitation.

“He was checking his father's mood a lot. He is a person without his own subjective view.”

The car ran excitedly along the coastal road.

The sea caught our eyes.

The blue waves were moving here and there while surging.

On the way back to Tokyo.

The atmosphere in the taxi was beyond heavy.

Choi Seo-jun was making a dark expression while blankly staring at the scenery passing outside the window.

It seemed like the result was already decided.

He had openly provoked President Kenjiro, so no matter how one looked at it, it was as if we had crossed a river of no return.

“I think the Representative did something wrong today.”

Kim Byeong-kwon, who was sitting in the next seat, also nodded.

“To my knowledge as well, he is not one to bend his pride at all. Honestly, shouldn't we consider it finished as of today.”

However, I, the party concerned, was not agitated at all.

Rather, I took out my phone, searched for something diligently, and asked the two people.

“There is a place I definitely wanted to go to if I came to Tokyo. If you do not have dinner plans, let us go together.”

“Pardon?!”

Choi Seo-jun raised his head with an embarrassed face.

I showed them my phone and said.

“The sea urchin rice bowl here is said to be incredibly delicious. It is popular among locals too.”

At those words, Kim Byeong-kwon burst out laughing while being dumbfounded.

“For the first time, Representative Lim looks like an eighteen-year-old.”

“Is that so?”

When I laughed while scratching my head, only Choi Seo-jun could not hide his troubled expression.

“Since we have to wait anyway, it's better if we spend time happily in the meantime. They will need time. Especially for Yuika-san.”

The two could not say anything and shut their mouths at my absurd words.

“It is actually impossible for negotiations to take place right away today.”

A moment of silence flowed.

In the meantime, the taxi arrived in front of the hotel.

They quietly got out of the car and headed to the lobby.

“Let's meet at the 1st floor lobby at 7 PM.”

I spoke to Choi Seo-jun and President Kim Byeong-kwon and disappeared leisurely alone.

“Representative, where are you going….”

Choi Seo-jun hurriedly tried to catch me, but it was no use.

Kim Byeong-kwon said while shrugging his shoulders.

“Looking at his expression, it's the same as when my son goes to find a famous restaurant.”

In fact, it was not wrong.

A secluded alley in downtown Tokyo.

There was a ramen shop with a lantern lit next to a worn-out sign.

I entered inside without hesitation as if I already knew the way.

This was a shop frequently visited by locals.

I sat in a single seat and spoke to the clerk in Japanese without even looking at the menu.

“Please give me one Tori paitan. Please make the noodles firm and add two slices of chashu.”

The clerk took the order as if it was familiar and moved busily.

I sat quietly and looked around.

Middle-aged office workers eating ramen alone and couples who looked like lovers caught my eye.

Everyone was concentrating on their meal quietly.

After a moment, ramen with steam rising was placed in front of me.

It was characterized by soft meat on top of a thick and milky chicken broth, along with eggs boiled to medium-soft and seaweed.

I lifted the noodles with chopsticks, exhaled, and blew on them.

A thick umami flavor spreads throughout the mouth.

The deep yet soft flavor of the chicken broth wrapped around the tip of the tongue.

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again.

It was the exact taste written on the blog.

It was a shop not well known even in Korea, but I definitely wanted to go there because it was said to be really delicious.

I nodded naturally while eating the noodles long in one slurp.

I emptied the bowl cleanly without even leaving the soup.

After finishing the meal, I went to the counter, finished the payment, and came out after greeting the ramen shop owner.

I entered the blog with my phone in front of the shop and left a comment.

[I came and tried it personally, and it is really delicious.]

While I was on a food tour, Choi Seo-jun was resting while drinking coffee in the lounge.

Kim Byeong-kwon was also in the next seat, but they just sat there blankly without a single word of conversation.

Choi Seo-jun muttered like a sigh.

“I wonder what the Representative is eating right about now….”

“Well. Anyway, he's probably happy.”