Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1261. Recruited (1)
Hwang Min-Su blinked his eyes in disbelief.
The first thing he saw inside the chairman's office was an antique but stylish desk. And a person was walking around it to approach Hwang Min-Su. But that person was someone he recognized.
“F-from back then?”
Hwang Min-Su already had met Kang Jin-Ho. The latter borrowed the former his VIP card in the department store, sparing Hwang Min-Su from the humiliation in front of his kids. And after that, they also briefly ran into each other when Hwang Min-Su went to Jaegyeong to talk to his father.
Wasn’t Kang Jin-Ho an oft-talked-about person within Jaegyeong?
Kang Jin-Ho nodded slightly at Hwang Min-Su. “It’s been a while.”
“Oh...!”
Hwang Min-Su sobered up immediately and bowed deeply as a greeting.
It didn’t matter who the other person was, the fact remained that he was here for a job interview. Whether he knew the interviewer or not didn’t really matter right now.
“My apologies. I was taken aback, you see?”
“No need to apologize,” Kang Jin-Ho grinned softly. “Please, take a seat here.”
“Thank you.”
While swallowing his saliva in nervousness, Hwang Min-Su sat down on the couch as Kang Jin-Ho had instructed.
‘His vibe seems to have...’
It felt as if the air around Kang Jin-Ho had changed since Hwang Min-Su last saw him. Even back then, he thought Kang Jin-Ho was a handsome young man, but his appearance had become even more remarkable now.
Then again, it was inevitable for him to think this way, since wearing worn-out tracksuits would impart a distinctly different impression from when kitted out in a smart business suit.
Kang Jin-Ho spoke first, “Were you surprised?”
“Oh, uh... Yes, if I’m being honest.”
Even back then, Hwang Min-Su had figured out that this young man was being favored by his father, Hwang Jeong-Hu. He might have been kicked out of the corporation, but that didn’t mean his ears were completely blocked off, either.
Even though his faction had lost most of its power within Jaegyeong, he still knew enough people outside his faction who were still willing to divulge some information to him.
That might be all true, but this situation, it was...
‘Strange. This place doesn’t seem connected to Jaegyeong, though?’
Hwang Min-Su could tell, even at a casual glance.
If this place had been a subsidiary of Jaegyeong, one created by Hwang Jeong-Hu for the sole purpose of putting this young man to work, the vibe of this company wouldn’t have felt this way.
A corporation was somewhat like a living, breathing entity. Even if it wasn’t intentionally done, different departments and subsidiaries would still ooze a similar atmosphere.
Besides, the ‘Hwang Jeong-Hu’ Hwang Min-Su knew would never...
‘He would never let me join one of his subsidiaries.’
Hwang Jeong-Hu was someone who was very strict about his relationships, maybe to a fault. Enough time had passed for him to forgive his sons, but he still would never allow them to rejoin Jaegyeong.
That meant this young man must’ve been responsible for setting up a company of this scale, didn’t it?
Kang Jin-Ho asked curiously. “It seems you have a lot on your mind, Mister Hwang?”
“Oh... My apologies.”
It was rude to think about something else when in the company of someone. That was true, regardless of whether he was in a job interview or a social gathering. Hwang Min-Su found himself making various mistakes as a series of unexpected events kept happening to him.
“Shall we skip the pleasantries and get to the topic?”
Hwang Min-Su tilted his head. “I’m sorry?”
“I’m sure Chief Jo Gyu-Min has given you a rough outline of what we’re looking for. Allow me to be frank with you. I’d like to hire you, the former president of Jaegyeong.”
“...”
Hwang Min-Su was left speechless, but not out of flabbergast.
‘He’s so similar to my father.’
Kang Jin-Ho’s direct approach, that didn’t even bother to beat around the bush, reminded Hwang Min-Su of his own father.
It almost felt as if Hwang Jeong-Hu’s younger self, the one Hwang Min-Su desperately wanted to emulate but failed, was sitting right before his eyes.
‘That must be why my father cares so much about this young man.’
A pang of sorrow lightly pricked Hwang Min-Su’s heart just then.
He and his siblings tried their best to please Hwang Jeong-Hu over the years, but had never succeeded. A part of the blame fell on how impossible Hwang Jeong-Hu’s expectations were, but even to his own eyes, Hwang Min-Su knew he and his brothers simply didn’t have what it took to satisfy their father.
That was not something effort alone could make up for, since it was more like a natural limitation.
However, here was someone capable of satisfying Hwang Jeong-Hu’s lofty standards despite not sharing a drop of his blood!
“What do you think?” Kang Jin-Ho asked again.
“Oh, mm...” Hwang Min-Su quietly fake-coughed, then tried to gauge Kang Jin-Ho’s thoughts. “It’s a bit sudden.”
Kang Jin-Ho smirked slightly. “I’m sure you had certain expectations while coming here.”
“Yes, that is true. However... I thought I’d be provided with some explanation of the job offer, at least.”
Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “That’s reasonable. However, I don’t think that’s important.”
“I... don’t follow?”
Kang Jin-Ho grinned again. “What matters isn’t the nature of the job, but if you’re prepared to work. What I heard, and what I could guess about Chairman Hwang’s children, have led me to believe that you can do an incredible job no matter what the assignment is. So, the important thing to me isn’t what you’ve learned in school, but what kind of person you are.”
A wry grin floated up on Hwang Min-Su’s face without him realizing it.
Was Kang Jin-Ho aware of it? That what he said was basically the same as what Hwang Jeong-Hu always said to anyone who listened?
What mattered wasn’t the job, but the people. As long as they were good people, they would do a great job regardless of what the assignments were. This was Hwang Jeong-Hu’s pet theory, the one he often championed.
In the past, Hwang Min-Su often heard that lecture but never fully understood what his father was trying to say. But now? He understood. He had become the... ‘perfect’ example of what Hwang Jeong-Hu had talked about, after all! Of course, in a negative way.
No matter how excellent one’s abilities were, everything was pointless if the person in question was not a good individual. Hwang Min-Su had proven that notion with himself.
“Chairman Kang... Are you saying you need me?”
Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Yes, I do.”
Hwang Min-Su stared at Kang Jin-Ho before letting out a lengthy sigh. “I apologize for saying this in a job interview, but may I ask you a question first?”
“Of course.”
“The reason why you want to hire me. Could it be because Chairman Hwang asked you to? If so, I...”
“No, it isn’t,” Kang Jin-Ho firmly shook his head. “This has nothing to do with Chairman Hwang.”
“Then...?”
“It is as I’ve said earlier. We need people, and you just so happen to be available. Of course, we and Chairman Hwang have come to a tacit agreem... Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho stopped mid-sentence, then tilted his head.
When Kang Jin-Ho stared at him, Lee Hyeon-Su grinned wryly while nodding away. “Sir, it’s safe to assume that we did get his consent.”
Hwang Min-Su still looked unconvinced, however. So Lee Hyeon-Su acted like a friendly uncle and offered additional context.
“Even though we said we’d like to hire you, Chairman Hwang didn’t throw ashtrays around or flip his desk, you see? Instead, he calmly walked out of his office. Wouldn’t you say that’s as good as him granting his permission?”
“...!”
Hwang Min-Su’s eyes opened wider.
For sure, it’d be safe to assume that Hwang Jeong-Hu had given his permission. After all, he’d have thrown an unholy tantrum if he didn’t like the idea!
“That’s all. It’s our company’s wish to hire you, Mister Hwang Min-Su. And Jaegyeong has not influenced our decision,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.
“But...”
“What about you?” Lee Hyeon-Su asked in a slightly provocative tone. “Are you not interested in getting back to work unless it’s for Jaegyeong? Or do you think you need permission from Jaegyeong to work here?”
Hwang Min-Su’s expression stiffened a little. It seemed the interviewers also had no qualms about saying things unsuited for a job interview.
“As I said before, it’s all happening too suddenly for me. I’m still trying to process this situation, so...”
“Many things happen without warning, after all.”
“Yes, that’s true. It’s just that...”
Hwang Min-Su pondered something for a few seconds before raising his head to stare at Kang Jin-Ho.
“Chairman. What about you?”
“Yes? What about me?”
“You said Chairman Hwang doesn’t have anything to do with this interview. However, would you still have hired me if Chairman Hwang vehemently opposed it?”
Kang Jin-Ho replied flatly. “Yes, I would have.”
“I knew it. You wouldn’t... I’m sorry?”
Hwang Min-Su sounded totally taken aback just then. Kang Jin-Ho replied as if there was nothing to be shocked about here.
“Yes, I’d still have hired you.”
“...”
Hwang Min-Su’s jaw fell as he stared in stupefaction at Kang Jin-Ho.
“I respect Chairman Hwang, but that doesn’t mean I must heed all of his orders. There’s no need to worry about offending him when it’s me trying to hire a suitable candidate for a job in my company.”
Hwang Min-Su could hardly believe it.
No one in South Korea’s business sector was brave enough to go against Hwang Jeong-Hu. And that included corporations outranking Jaegyeong in terms of size and revenue! Even the bosses of those companies walked on eggshells around Hwang Jeong-Hu.
That was because his influence on Korean society didn’t just stop in the business world.
Despite knowing all this, Hwang Min-Su just couldn’t dismiss this young man’s claim as a bunch of lies. That was because his instincts, which had been honed through years of sifting through falsehoods and truths in his job, had assured him that it was all true.
Kang Jin-Ho genuinely wasn’t worried. His demeanor didn’t belong to that of a liar who was trying to manufacture some sort of earnestness to fool the others.
A man making an unimpressed expression like Kang Jin-Ho usually didn’t lie.
“What about you, then?” Kang Jin-Ho suddenly asked.
“Can you expand that question?” Hwang Min-Su cautiously asked back.
“Are you ready to get back to work?”
That unexpected question left Hwang Min-Su speechless. As his brain tried to find an answer, he realized Kang Jin-Ho was staring straight into his eyes. For a brief moment there, Hwang Min-Su felt naked and completely vulnerable.
Kang Jin-Ho spoke again. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
“...”
“The important part is what you do afterward.”
Kang Jin-Ho’s sharp gaze took hold of Hwang Min-Su.
“Either you try your best to make up for your mistake, or...”
His words turned into merciless blades stabbing into Hwang Min-Su’s chest.
“...Or you falter and crumble on the spot like a coward.”
“Chairman Kang, isn’t that a little too...”
“Am I wrong?”
Hwang Min-Su shrunk back ever so slightly.
Right now, Kang Jin-Ho was suppressing his aura as much as possible. He wanted to minimize Hwang Min-Su’s exposure to his qi, since the latter was not a martial artist.
Even then, Hwang Min-Su was still being pressured by Kang Jin-Ho’s presence.
Hwang Min-Su faltered and fidgeted for a long while, but then, he began glaring at Kang Jin-Ho in barely disguised unhappiness.
“I thought I needed to pay for the mistakes I’ve made. That’s why I...!”
“That’s why you were waiting?” Kang Jin-Ho smirked again. “Waiting until Chairman Hwang forgave you and gave you your job back? So that you could make your triumphant return at a perfect time?”
Hwang Min-Su bit his lip.
“It seems you’re under a mistaken assumption here...” Kang Jin-Ho spoke, his smirk replaced by an icy glare in his eyes. “Those sitting on their hands and waiting will never get their opportunities. You are not supposed to wait for your opportunity to come. You must create it yourself.”
“...”
“Had you fought back and tried everything in your power after losing your position, your situation could have changed by now. But you got crushed by the weight of Hwang Jeong-Hu’s name and gave up immediately. You didn’t even bother to put up a fight.”
“Fight?”
Hwang Min-Su stared at Kang Jin-Ho with trembling eyes.
“How can you say that when you know what Chairman Hwang is like?”
“You still don’t get it, it seems.” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
“Sorry?”
Kang Jin-Ho calmly but coldly explained it to Hwang Min-Su. “Tell me. In life, do you think you have the luxury of picking and choosing who your opponents are?”
Hwang Min-Su’s jaw fell again in stupefaction as if a blunt weapon had struck him in the back of his head.
“Giving up because you think you can’t overcome your opponent means you’re finished. Do you want to survive? Then you better cling on desperately. Or even rip into your opponents like a madman. That’s the way you should go about it, instead of waiting around like some sophisticated aristocrat and packaging it as you being a patient person.”
“What? You...”
Hwang Min-Su shot up to his feet.
“Is this how you speak to a person you wish to hire?”
Kang Jin-Ho didn’t even hesitate and pointed at the exit. “If you don’t like what you’re hearing, the door’s that way.”
“...!”
“I also don’t want to work with someone who’s not ready to fight, after all.”
Hwang Min-Su glared murderously at Kang Jin-Ho before abruptly turning around and stomping his way to the doorway.
Kang Jin-Ho calmly addressed the departing Hwang Min-Su. “When you think you’re ready to fight, come back. I’ll give you one more chance.”
“That’s not going to happen!”
Slam!
The door was roughly slammed shut.
Lee Hyeon-Su dazedly stared at Kang Jin-Ho. “Sir...? Will this be alright?”
“Mm,” Kang Jin-Ho nodded, his gaze drifting toward the shut doorway. “He’ll be back.”
“Even after being insulted like that?”
“Yeah. A tiger cub is still a tiger, after all.”
Indeed, Hwang Jeong-Hu’s son could only be a tiger, just like his father.
