Real Man

Chapter 462:

He was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, but he focused on the essence.

Even if it was his junior’s words, he listened with an open mind and accepted them if they were right.

Thanks to his positive and passionate attitude, Yoo-hyun was able to sort things out more easily.

Choi Kyu Tae, the assistant manager who helped him, was also the same.

“Change this part?”

“Yes. You need to rearrange the list in the BCG format. Remove any unnecessary references that BCG does not recognize.”

Choi Kyu Tae raised his hand to his forehead, as if he was troubled by Yoo-hyun’s meticulous comments.

“Ugh. Do we have to do that much?”

“We have to save time. Just like when you researched the Swedish company for the MBA project.”

When Yoo-hyun recited his resume and made a valid point, Choi Kyu Tae, who had been complaining, reluctantly put his hands on the laptop keyboard.

Tadadadadak.

He grumbled with his mouth, but his fingers were very fast.

He had a lot of experience, so he was the type who could produce results quickly once he had the direction.

Especially, he had a knack for editing data, so he was perfect for the role of polishing the draft of Park Seung Woo, the section chief.

Yoo-hyun, who had thrown the work to the two of them, raised his concentration again.

He had to trim the entire data into three pages of content to show to Paul Graham.

He poured his blood and sweat into the summary, as if the result could be decided in a moment.

Choi Kyu Tae, who glanced at him, admired him inwardly.

‘He’s really amazing.’

He didn’t know who was coordinating the direction of the consulting data in the middle, but it was that young deputy.

He not only knew the whole content, but also knew his resume perfectly.

He pointed out the best part he could do and gave instructions, which made the work progress faster.

What was more surprising was the reason why he had to work together in this office.

The young deputy treated him as if he had become a BCG employee.

He clearly intended to anticipate the situation in Boston and give him a compressed experience.

How could he reach that level?

Choi Kyu Tae stuck out his tongue in disbelief.

Yoo-hyun spoke without even looking back.

“Assistant manager, we don’t have time.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m doing it.”

Choi Kyu Tae, who came to his senses, resumed his work.

Yoo-hyun smiled at him.

The work lasted until 2 a.m. and ended.

The hot sun had completely faded and the air in the early morning was very cold.

Yoo-hyun, who came out of the building, drank the cold air and looked up at the building across the street.

Like other buildings, the Y Combinator building was also completely dark.

Park Seung Woo, the section chief, came up to Yoo-hyun and said.

“They all left. Why are you looking at that? You’ve been peeking at it every now and then.”

“You have to look at the extinguished light again.”

“You’re such a weirdo.”

“It’s because of whose mentee I am.”

“Puhuhuhu. Cute kid.”

Park Seung Woo, the section chief, laughed and put his arm around Yoo-hyun’s shoulder.

They had been stuck in the office for 16 hours and came out, but they still looked energetic.

Choi Kyu Tae, who was watching them quietly, couldn’t help but say a word.

“Park section chief, it’s good to take care of your junior, but how about going in? There’s not much time left for the flight.”

“Hey, I can sleep on the plane. It takes five more hours.”

“Ha. Okay. Do as you please.”

Choi Kyu Tae, who was about to turn away, was called by Yoo-hyun.

“Assistant manager.”

“Hmm? What?”

He pretended to be calm, but Choi Kyu Tae was secretly nervous.

He didn’t know who was in charge of the consulting data in the middle, but it was that young deputy.

Yoo-hyun suddenly reached out his hand.

“It won’t be easy. There could be more problems than what we prepared today.”

“I know. I’m preparing myself.”

“Yes. That’s good. I feel relieved that you’re here.”

“…”

Choi Kyu Tae was speechless for a moment at Yoo-hyun’s warm smile.

He glanced at Yoo-hyun and coughed before shaking his hand.

“Hmm. Don’t make me waste my time.”

“Of course. You’ll get good results soon.”

“Okay. You did a good job, too.”

Choi Kyu Tae awkwardly patted Yoo-hyun’s shoulder and turned around.

He tried to act like a senior, but he went the wrong way.

Park Seung Woo, the section chief, smiled and said.

“Assistant manager, the hotel is on the other side.”

“I know, I know. I’m taking a detour.”

“Puhuhuhuhu.”

Park Seung Woo, the section chief, let out a laugh that he had been holding back at the absurd sight of someone who didn’t seem to do that.

Yoo-hyun also shrugged his shoulders.

Choi Kyu Tae, whose face was flushed red, passed by them quickly and said.

He looked like a robot.

“Hey, hey. Let’s go.”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Yoo-hyun and Park Seung Woo, the section chief, smiled and followed him.

As Choi Kyu Tae said, the two of them had a very short time to sleep at the hotel.

They had to leave without breakfast to meet Yoo-hyun’s schedule.

Yoo-hyun stayed at the hotel even after they left.

Before he knew it, the dark dawn had passed and the sun had risen.

“Hoo.”

Yoo-hyun took a breath in front of the mirror and adjusted his clothes.

The British-style two-button suit jacket with sharp shoulders and a small pocket above the right pocket tightly wrapped his upper body.

This jacket was special.

It was very different from what Yoo-hyun had worn before.

The tie with a blue stripe on a red background was also different from what Yoo-hyun used to wear.

This was exactly the same style as Paul Graham, who enjoyed wearing it when he was a consultant 20 years ago.

-The basics of business are clothing. No matter how the times change, you can never succeed in an important contract if you are not faithful to the basics.

Yoo-hyun intended to follow exactly what he said to his subordinates 10 years ago, when he was the chairman of BCG.

He had to get more than just a friendship from today’s meeting, he had to get an important result.

Yoo-hyun checked the time and left the room with his bag.

He still had an hour left until the appointed time, but he had something to prepare in advance.

Yoo-hyun moved to a flower shop on the first floor of the building across from Y Combinator.

He came to pick up the reserved item and saw a white luxury car that came in at the exact time.

It was Paul Graham’s car that he had checked yesterday.

He got out of the car in a red polo shirt with sunglasses on his head.

His casual outfit told him his relaxed mood today.

He had a good feeling from the start.

“Here’s the potted plant you ordered.”

“Thank you.”

Yoo-hyun, who took the potted plant from the flower shop owner, slowly turned his body. And he followed Paul Graham into the Y Combinator building.

The Y Combinator building was five stories high and not very big.

Since it was an investment company that Paul Graham made as a hobby, there weren’t many employees here.

Paul Graham’s office was on the top floor, and to get there, he had to go through the secretary’s office on the fourth floor.

It was a fact that he had already confirmed through his Airbnb colleague Brian Chesky.

Ding.

Yoo-hyun, who got off the elevator, quickly took in the surrounding scenery.

The fourth floor interior, made of wood, was unusual.

It felt more like a house than an office.

This was not Paul Graham’s taste, but his secretary Serena Lian’s personal preference.

Yoo-hyun recognized her at once, with her short orange hair and big earrings.

She must have heard the news from the security guard on the first floor, as she came up first.

“Mr. Han, right? You came early.”

“I heard there’s a great place to sit here.”

“Hoho. The outdoor terrace is nice. I’ll show you the way.”

“It’s an honor.”

Serena Lian’s eyebrows twitched at Yoo-hyun’s relaxed appearance.

She glanced at him as she walked.

“Is that suit Brioni?”

“Yes. It’s my favorite brand.”

“You have a good sense. It suits you very well.”

Serena Lian seemed to recall the time when she picked out Paul Graham’s clothes at BCG, with a nostalgic look in her eyes.

The smile on her lips implied a positive memory.

The outdoor terrace connected to the fourth floor secretary’s office was decorated like an open-air cafe.

The interior of this place, which was full of Serena Lian’s taste, was all done by her.

Especially, the orange trees arranged in the corner of the outdoor terrace according to their height were impressive.

Yoo-hyun thanked her for the guidance.

“It’s a really nice place. Thank you, Serena.”

“Oh? You know my name?”

“I saw an interview three years ago. You said you were sick of being with Paul Graham for 20 years. It was very impressive.”

“Hohoho. Why did you watch that?”

Serena Lian laughed heartily as Yoo-hyun took out a potted plant from his side bag and handed it to her.

There was a small tree with just sprouting leaves in the potted plant that could be held with one hand.

“This is an orange tree.”

“Wow. Awesome. I was going to buy a small one because the one I had before grew too big.”

“Good timing.”

He said it was good timing, but this was no different from what Yoo-hyun had prepared in advance.

He knew that she bought an orange tree every two years, and he checked the size of the smallest orange tree in the building across the street.

The gift given at the right time made Serena Lian’s mouth curl up.

“Thank you.”

She took the potted plant happily and sang a humming song as she entered the office.

One might ask why he cared so much about the secretary.

But Serena Lian was not just a secretary.

She was the person Paul Graham trusted the most and his eyes.

Thanks to winning her favor, Yoo-hyun was able to meet Paul Graham 10 minutes earlier than the scheduled time.

The benefit did not stop there.

Unlike other guests who faced Paul Graham on the long side of the table, Yoo-hyun faced him on the short side.

Paul Graham, who had a large physique and striking features, raised his eyebrows quickly.

His eye contact and gestures indicated that he was positive.

He didn’t have to look closely to know that.

“Serena seemed happy. You gave her a very nice gift, didn’t you?”

“It was a great gift.”

“What was it? A necklace? Oh, did you buy her a handbag that she likes?”

What would Paul Graham think if he knew that a $50 potted plant did the job?

Yoo-hyun shrugged his shoulders at him, who asked impatiently.

“Well, I think it’s better to hear from the person who received the gift.”

“That’s not wrong. But, Serena is quite tight-lipped.”

“I see.”

Yoo-hyun drank the tea that Serena Lian had given him with a relaxed expression.

He cut off the conversation without giving him a chance, and Paul Graham was dumbfounded.

No matter how tough the opponent was, it was easy to dig in when there was a gap like this.