Real Man

Chapter 460:

Kim Hyun-min, the TF leader, was also worried.

He was fiddling with his phone when he asked Choi Min-hee, the team leader.

His face was full of concern.

“Did you contact Han? Why isn’t he answering his phone?”

“He said he would contact us first. Just wait.”

“It’s not like him. I’m afraid he might have run away again.”

“That won’t happen.”

Choi Min-hee tried to answer calmly.

She couldn’t show her anxiety first, as the team members were already shaken.

“Man, I don’t know what’s going on, but you should use me at times like this. I can help you with anything.”

“He doesn’t want to bother you, sir.”

“What? How am I bothering him? Show me someone who’s as calm as me.”

Kim Hyun-min raised his voice at Choi Min-hee’s provocation.

She was about to retort when she heard a familiar voice from afar.

“Here’s a calm person.”

“Huh. Han.”

“Yoo-hyun.”

The two exclaimed at the same time as they saw Yoo-hyun.

The people who were sparsely sitting in the office looked at Yoo-hyun.

He seemed to be smiling, but he looked much colder than before.

He felt different somehow, and no one dared to approach him.

Even Choi Min-hee hesitated.

Then Kim Hyun-min shouted out loud.

“Where have you been hiding? Don’t you think you should let us know if you’re alive or dead?”

Yoo-hyun chuckled at the familiar voice.

It was his first smile in almost two weeks.

“Geez, you’re so loud. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“What? You little.”

“How have you been?”

Yoo-hyun ignored Kim Hyun-min and asked Choi Min-hee.

She felt relieved as she sensed the old Yoo-hyun.

“Of course. Did you finish your work?”

“Yes. I just need to go on this business trip and I’ll be done.”

Kim Hyun-min was dumbfounded by Yoo-hyun’s brazen answer.

“Business trip? Where are you going without my permission?”

“That’s why I came to ask for your permission. I’m going to San Francisco.”

“San Francisco? Why? There’s no exhibition there.”

Choi Min-hee stopped Kim Hyun-min, who was nagging, and asked Yoo-hyun.

“Sir, please be quiet. Can I hear the reason later?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you when I come back. Only to you, ma’am.”

Yoo-hyun winked at Choi Min-hee, and Kim Hyun-min’s mouth popped out.

“Wow, you two get along well. So when are you leaving?”

“Right now. The flight is tomorrow morning.”

“Wow. What kind of schedule is this? You’re totally doing whatever you want, whatever you want.”

Yoo-hyun looked at Kim Hyun-min, who was grumbling, and Choi Min-hee, who had a worried face.

He felt like he knew why he had been struggling so far.

He wanted to have more fun with the people he liked.

That simple reason moved Yoo-hyun.

He smiled softly and said.

“I’ll bring some liquor when I come back.”

“Cool. You’re the only one. Come on, hug.”

Kim Hyun-min brightened up and reached out his arms.

Yoo-hyun gently pushed his arms away and greeted Choi Min-hee.

“Ma’am, I’ll be back.”

“Don’t worry about the team members. I’ll talk to them.”

“Okay. Let’s have a drink when I come back.”

“Sure.”

Yoo-hyun received Choi Min-hee’s eye contact and left the office.

Kim Hyun-min muttered as he watched Yoo-hyun go away.

“That guy, he was weird enough, but he’s even weirder today.”

“It must be something very important. It’s a request from the Innovation Strategy Office.”

Choi Min-hee shrugged and Kim Hyun-min said incredulously.

“How important is it? What, is he going to save the company by himself?”

“Stop talking nonsense and cheer him on.”

Choi Min-hee shook her head and sat down.

Kim Hyun-min grumbled.

“He did whatever he wanted last time, and he’s doing it again this time.”

He kept tapping his fingers, but his eyes stayed on the spot where Yoo-hyun had left.

The next day, it was early morning.

Yoo-hyun went through the departure procedure and entered the premium lounge at Incheon Airport.

He had a simple meal and then leaned back on a soft sofa and opened a newspaper.

Rustle.

On the bottom of the third page, there was a small news that Yoo-hyun was looking for.

This extraordinary general meeting, led by the hedge fund company Elliott, was scheduled to be held in a week.

The details were not yet disclosed to the media, but it was only a matter of time.

The company would be in turmoil for a while because of this issue.

What if they lose the fight?

Along with Shin Myung-ho, the vice chairman, Shin Kyung-wook, the executive director, would also be dismissed.

There was also a possibility of a massive layoff due to the failure of management.

It meant that everything they had worked hard to build would be gone.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Yoo-hyun’s lips curled into a bitter smile.

Beep.

He received a message from Park Seung-woo, the senior manager.

-Park Seung-woo mentor: I’ll go to San Francisco on time. See you at the airport?

-No. Come here. (Attached map)

-Park Seung-woo mentor: Okay. I’m happy to see my mentee again. (Laugh)

-See you soon.

Park Seung-woo didn’t know exactly what Yoo-hyun was doing in San Francisco.

He only knew that he was reviewing the MBA data with the Innovation Strategy Office.

He didn’t question why Yoo-hyun was included as a member.

Would he still be able to smile if he knew what Yoo-hyun was going to do?

Yoo-hyun, who was fiddling with a smiling emoticon, put away his phone.

He had no reason to be curious about the answer he would find out when he met him.

Instead, Yoo-hyun closed his eyes and focused quietly.

Everything he had prepared by cutting down on sleep flashed through his mind.

Numerous scenarios and possibilities that fit together like gears unfolded.

He did not just imagine them, but made them into concrete images that seemed to be within his reach.

Countless experiences he had gained over the years were mobilized for a moment of imagination.

His nerves were tense enough to make him sweat cold.

A man’s voice woke him up.

“Deputy Han Yoo-hyun?”

Yoo-hyun slowly opened his eyes and looked at the man in front of him.

A man with angular half-frame glasses and a cold-looking face was narrowing his eyebrows.

It was not a friendly expression.

Yoo-hyun got up from his seat and reached out his hand.

“Yes, I’m Han Yoo-hyun.”

The man flinched at the inexplicable atmosphere that Yoo-hyun exuded.

He wanted to say something arrogant, but his mouth did not open.

He clenched and unclenched his fist, and barely shook Yoo-hyun’s hand.

“My name is Choi Kyutae. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, nice to meet you too.”

Why did he feel like he was dealing with his boss, even though he was younger and lower in rank?

Choi Kyutae, the manager, hid his confusion and tried to keep a calm expression.

Choi Kyutae was a high-spec talent who graduated from the University of Illinois in the U.S. and completed his MBA.

He played a pivotal role in the strategy department of the mobile phone division, and changed his position to the innovation strategy department along with the emergence of Shin Kyung-wook, the executive director.

He was assigned to this urgent project because he received the recognition of Shin Kyung-wook.

He did not hear the details, but he knew it was a very important matter because Shin Kyung-wook had asked him earnestly.

He prepared for this business trip by analyzing the consulting materials countless times to do well.

But what the hell?

The person he was with was not another expert, but a young deputy from the LCD division.

What was so great about this young deputy that he lifted his chin in front of his senior like the sky?

He could have approached him kindly and talked to him, but he did not even give him a glance, as if he was ignoring him.

Thump thump.

Choi Kyutae, who was walking toward the airport gate, asked Yoo-hyun.

“Deputy Han, where did you graduate from?”

“…”

Yoo-hyun walked silently, and he casually said.

“I don’t know much about Korean universities because I graduated from a U.S. university. I also did my MBA in the U.S., so I’m curious about Korea. And…”

“…”

He was about to continue talking.

Yoo-hyun, who was walking quietly and concentrating, stopped, and the man walking next to him flinched.

“Do you have something to say?”

Yoo-hyun looked at Choi Kyutae calmly and said.

He had to make it clear at this point, since he was a person who did not know the whole situation.

“Manager, I’m sorry, but this is something you have to trust and follow me on.”

“What did you say?”

“Did you not know?”

Yoo-hyun asked, and Choi Kyutae’s eyes moved to the upper left.

His face was flushed as he recalled.

-Tomorrow, Deputy Han Yoo-hyun will go with you. Listen to him well. Remember that you are a supporter.

He chewed over Shin Kyung-wook’s words, and his expression turned cold.

No matter what, he did not have to bow his head to a young deputy.

“Just shut up and follow me?”

“Yes, that’s right. Don’t ask, just follow me. It’s that difficult.”

“Huh, really. Do you think I’m funny?”

Yoo-hyun sighed inwardly and checked the time.

There was not much time left for boarding.

It would be nice to have an extra hand, but he had a way without it, so he said bluntly.

“If you have a problem, you can just go back. I’ll tell the executive director.”

“What, what do you mean…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble. Well then.”

“…”

Yoo-hyun cut him off coldly and walked away.

Choi Kyutae, who was left behind blankly, had a thoughtful look on his face.

What if Shin Kyung-wook found out about this?

There was a high chance that he would be abandoned by the crown prince, regardless of the reason.

This was not the time to stand up for his pride or anything.

He made up his mind and quickly followed Yoo-hyun.

“Ah, okay. I’ll listen to you.”

“Yes, if you’re going to do that, just follow me.”

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“You can.”

Yoo-hyun answered with his eyes forward.

He swallowed his saliva and asked cautiously, as if he was facing his boss.

“I heard that Park Manager is going to get the consulting report reviewed. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then why are we going to Stanford University? New York University is not bad either.”

“We’re not going to Stanford.”

“Then?”

Swoosh.

Yoo-hyun turned his head, and Choi Kyutae waved his hand.

“Never mind. That’s enough for me.”

He then lowered his head and walked forward.

He seemed to have decided not to ask anything.

Yoo-hyun smiled inwardly at him.

He did not know his background.

He had already checked the consulting content that he had analyzed and added and supplemented through personal email.

Yoo-hyun’s judgment was that his skills were not bad.

The problem was his attitude, but if he could bend his pride to this extent, he seemed to be okay.

At least he would not interfere with what was going to happen.

Since he decided to go with him, he had no more reason to hide.

Yoo-hyun casually said to him, who was walking silently.

“I’m thinking of going to Y Combinator.”

“What? Isn’t that just a startup investment company?”

Choi Kyutae asked, thinking it was his chance, and Yoo-hyun nodded.

“That’s right.”

“What does the consulting report have to do with the investment company? We’re not getting an investment.”

“Yes, we’re not.”

“Then?”

Yoo-hyun mentioned a more specific detail to Choi Kyutae, who was puzzled.

“I’m thinking of getting our report verified by the president there.”

“President? Who’s the president?”

“Paul Graham.”

Yoo-hyun took one more step forward at that moment.

Choi Kyutae’s eyes widened as he heard the name.