Chapter 1: Betrayal

“Two billion won. Please review and sign.”

I quietly stared at the face of the Daejeong Energy Legal Affairs Team employee who urged me in a dry voice.

His expression was easier to read than I expected.

You have no other choice.

Don’t waste time hesitating. That silent pressure was plainly evident. Did I look like I was hesitating?

My father’s company.

Now, my company.

And they want me to sell it for a mere two billion won?

I knew.

In this person’s eyes, it was probably no more than a hole-in-the-wall shop.

The Daejeong Group ranks in the top five of the business world. Daejeong Energy is a subsidiary of that giant conglomerate.

Still, this hole-in-the-wall held my father’s 40 years of life. Plus, my patent rights were tied to this small company.

What they really wanted was that patent.

My hand holding the pen didn’t move easily.

“Seong-ha.”

Then a subtle voice called out to Jung Seong-ha beside me.

In an instant, I snapped out of my daze. I couldn’t place all the blame for this situation on Daejeong Energy’s greed alone.

There was a co-conspirator.

That was my uncle, Jung Han-jin, sitting right next to me.

After we succeeded in developing the new product, he was the one who proposed supplying it through a partner, since our company was too small to find sales channels alone.

And it was Jung Han-jin who recommended Daejeong Energy as the partner.

There are many oil refining and petrochemical companies in Korea, so why specifically Daejeong Energy? Why did they prevent us from unveiling the new product right away?

That question was answered much later.

“Sign quickly…!!”

“I have to.”

I cut him off.

I signed, and just like that, the company —which my father had renamed after his firstborn son—changed ownership.

Damn it.

It’s no longer my father’s company.

Naturally, it’s not mine either.

Thinking of the employees whose faces brightened at the rumor of becoming a supplier to a large corporation, the only remnant of regret is that it used to be my father’s company.

As I was about to stand up, the Daejeong Energy executive who had been silently watching behind the employee who urged me to sign stopped me.

“Jung Seong-ha.”

I don’t even remember his name.

Was his title Executive Director?

“Yes, is there something else you need?”

“Have you ever considered working at Daejeong Energy Headquarters?”

What was this? Mockery?

“I just signed over my company.”

“Hmm, did I rush you? I don’t misunderstand your feelings, but I thought there wouldn’t be another chance if not now.”

“……”

“The new product that increases the energy efficiency of nearly all fuels sold on the market, including gasoline, by over 7%. It would be a lie to say that didn’t tempt you. But we’re even more interested in talents who can develop such new materials during their studies.”

Huff!

A sigh slipped out without me realizing.

I was just about to leave.

“So you took away my home first because you were tempted?”

“Seong-ha!”

I ignored the rising tone from Jung Han-jin beside me.

“Even if you stay as a mere employee and continue researching, the results remain with the company, which is good. And if you leave, the headquarters promises good treatment to wash away any grudges? Convenient. Whether that’s Daejeong Energy’s way or the way of chaebols, I don’t know.”

“Mr. Jung Seong-ha.”

The voice calling me was low.

Despite the rough and aggressive words earlier, there was no anger.

“Speak.”

Right. At least maintain basic courtesy.

Though it was only the second time we met face to face, that person had never been arrogant to me.

If anyone was arrogant, it would’ve been that Legal Affairs employee rushing me to sign.

“Since you briefly held the role of company manager, you must know that individual opinions and organizational views don’t always align.”

“…You mean politics?”

I know.

Factions? Cliques?

Whatever you call them, there are multiple powers under a single company.

If you’re a man born in Korea, most likely you’ve served in the military, where one thing you learn is how to navigate these power lines. I’m a second-year reserve sergeant; I should know.

“Saying this might be cutting off my nose to spite my face and does me no favors, but there was much opposition within the company to this kind of takeover.”

“The side pushing for the takeover must have been stronger.”

Jung Han-jin probably sided with that faction.

“…That’s right.”

“Thank you for the offer.”

“Mr. Jung Seong-ha, the field of new materials has a bright future and the government is actively supporting it as a leader of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. But there are clear limits to individual research.”

“That’s right. It requires a lot of investment in equipment and facilities. I know that too.”

That’s why Jung Han-jin betrayed my father.

My father focused a large portion of the company’s profits on research and development. He promised to increase investment even more when profits were expected to surge with the launch of the new product.

Thanks to him, I could use the company’s equipment freely for research and made achievements. But for Executive Director Jung Han-jin, there was nothing but crumbs beyond his salary increase.

“You probably don’t like it here. Come to the headquarters.”

“……”

“All the researchers at headquarters are working on it, but they can’t even understand the chemical formula of the additive you created. Let’s not waste such genius. It’s a national loss.”

“……”

“You’re in your final year, right? I have enough authority to appoint you directly as a full researcher, skipping the intern process. Honestly, that’s why I kept coming here, even though I’m not from the legal affairs team.”

No wonder.

He had been silent, just watching.

Is this person from the Daejeong Energy Research Institute?

He knew how to scratch where it itches. Talking about the lack of facilities in a small company like Seong-ha Chemical and cleanly acknowledging what needed to be admitted.

It’s true that minimum equipment and facilities are necessary. Probably at Daejeong Energy Research Institute, I could run experiments impossible here at Seong-ha Chemical. But I’ve had enough of having my things taken away from me.

Besides, I already got all the data I needed.

If it were a new field, maybe.

No, by the time I get interested in a new field, I wouldn’t have to rely on others’ equipment or facilities.

“I’m sorry.”

“……Fine. Even if not now, that’s okay. Call me anytime at the number on this card.”

He firmly pressed a business card into my hand.

Daejeong Energy Research Director Kang Se-ho.

Is there really a position called Research Director? I’ll just remember the name.

As I turned away, I saw the regretful look in Kang Se-ho’s eyes again, but my steps didn’t falter.

“So now you’re promoted from manager to director?”

“You need to be at least a director, right?”

I have to leave the company now.

I won’t come back.

I came to pick up my personal belongings, but what was that noise coming clearly from the Representative Director’s Office? I wish it was a voice I didn’t know.

It’s a problem if it’s either of these two.

I opened the door.

It was funny how startled they looked at what I was doing.

“Hey! Don’t you know how to knock?”

“Who the hell knocks before entering their own room?”

One of them hurriedly buttoned his clothes and rushed out.

That was the secretary who had just been sitting around doing nothing.

The business plans and reckless behavior that had been thrown around and even gotten to Jung Han-jin were all the doing of that secretary.

“Your own room? It’s not your room anymore.”

That damn bastard was my cousin, Jung Seong-chan.

He was Jung Han-jin’s son.

Shameless.

The surprise lasted only a moment before hostility showed immediately.

“Then whose room is it? If you’re going to take this seat, at least carve out a nameplate for Representative Director and put it up. Do you have detachable eyeballs? Can’t you read the nameplate in front of you?”

“Look at the way this bastard talks.”

“What about his tone?”

Four years apart in age.

I shouldn’t treat him this way.

But since that incident two years ago, I haven’t even acknowledged him as a person. Honestly, I feel like getting some revenge like back then would clear my mind.

“What are you two doing?”

The atmosphere broke.

Jung Han-jin rushed in behind us.

Why the rush? Didn’t he even see off the people from Daejeong Energy? Surely my seeing them off wasn’t more urgent.

“……”

“……”

“Seong-ha.”

Neither of us answered, so this time he called me.

A normal uncle calling his nephew.

“……”

But that voice disgusted me.

I looked at him without a word.

“It was a good offer. You should’ve accepted it.”

“Why?”

“Why? They offered you a full research position at headquarters, not even an intern, and you turned it down? What do you plan to do with just twenty billion won?”

This time I was speechless.

“Is that something someone who just stole the company for twenty billion can say?”

“Isn’t it? I just read everything carefully and signed. You won’t deny it, right? Of course, all rights transferred to Daejeong Energy, but management was entrusted to you, wasn’t it? It’s kind of like consignment management, but you’re the real representative, aren’t you?”

“……”

Uncle?

Now it was Jung Han-jin.

Daejeong Energy didn’t care how much Jung Han-jin embezzled while running the company. They only cared that the additive I developed was properly supplied.

So why go through the trouble of acquiring the company?

Because I had assigned the patent rights to the company, and when the additives went into full production, they planned to find overseas sales channels.

Competition raises prices.

Securing volume could become difficult.

If so, there’s no need to wait for complications. Better to preemptively acquire a hole-in-the-wall shop.

Thanks to Jung Han-jin coming on his own, no need to incite insiders. He pushed for bank loans to expand production equipment, and surprisingly, a huge loan was approved.

Daejeong Energy’s influence on the loan approval.

We set up the facilities happily, but before even starting production, the bank came calling for repayment. I didn’t know it then, but that was the standard.

Declare bankruptcy and fail?

Sell the company cheaply?

Instead of dragging it out miserably, I chose to plant a mine and give up cleanly. Does it feel dirty? Much dirtier than I thought.

I was already being generous calling him “Mr. Jung Han-jin.”

But there was an idiot so mad at that title.

“Hey! Seong-ha! What did you just call Dad?”

I was too tired to answer.

“Get out and go back to whatever you were doing.”

“You son of a bitch!”

It looked like a punch was about to fly, but no.

The bluster was obvious.

If he were sane, no chance.

Since that day, he never dared touch anyone around me, though he raised his voice to avoid losing face.

Especially not me.

“Why? Want me to crash into you again? Think you can handle it?”

“……”

He trembled.

Luckily, he wasn’t stupid enough not to notice the sneer.

I turned my gaze back to Jung Han-jin.

“You’ve got your lines tightly secured, but the more lines you have, the better. And consignment management means the headquarters can replace you anytime. They want to send me to headquarters. Kang Se-ho, right? If you persuade me to go, it creates a good image for him, and if I develop something great, production will come here. What a jackpot.”

The scheme was too obvious.

“Just one question.”

“Ask anything.”

“Do you think your father was right to pour over 50% of the company’s profits into research and development?”

“Did he withhold salaries? Were employee benefits terrible? Year-end bonuses were always paid, and annual raises were above industry average.”

That had been going on for a long time.

My brothers and I never lived as wealthy spoiled rich kids. Even the car my father drove was a nearly decade-old mid-sized sedan. What more explanation did I need?

“And me? I’m your father’s brother.”

“That’s right. Because you were your father’s brother, Jung Han-jin held the title of Executive Director, and this lump of baggage barely held the manager position here.”

“……”

“When employee salaries were raised by 10%, Jung Han-jin and some manager who didn’t even know his job got 15%. Was that not enough for you?”

Probably not.

He didn’t want to live an ordinary life like my father.

He hated it so much he sold out his younger brother—or now, his nephew’s—company.

A foolish man.

Everyone has greed.

But a wise person doesn’t cut open the goose that lays the golden eggs.

“So what are you going to do with twenty billion won?”

“No interest.”

“You developed it, but the patent belongs to the company.”

“Why? Do you think I’d secretly make and sell it if I found overseas buyers?”

“There will be no agreement.”

Not worth answering.

A mere 7%, at most an 11% increase in efficiency?

If that fool ever found out it was only a fifth of the original intent, what expression would he wear?

If he knew it was a failure but I planned to keep improving the version for production, would he still betray me?

What if he knew that even my seven muses in my head treated this as trivial research? Ah, that would be a secret forever.

“Enjoy it while it lasts.”

I swallowed the words that it wouldn’t last long.

The sadistic demon awakened inside whispered to save the best for last.

“Seong-ha, how did it go?”

My parents went to the countryside for recuperation.

My younger brother volunteered for the military months ago.

Naturally, the house I returned to was empty.

Still, thanks to the voice that always comes when I lie down, the nights aren’t lonely. Or maybe it’s because it’s a dream after I’ve fallen asleep, so loneliness doesn’t apply?

Anyway, after a while, my vision brightens as if a light has been turned on.

And I see them too.

Seven in total.

But some leave, and the places in my sight change depending on the topic.

Right.

The topic is the research subject.

“How did it go? The company was taken, of course.”

Of course, most of it is still incomprehensible.

The new muse who appeared today is Epsilon, and the field of research he studies is nuclear fusion. It’s stranger if I understand it.

Epsilon.

Named after the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet.

He’s not the only one with a strange name.

The first muse is Alpha, the second is Beta, so if you catch on, all seven muses said they forgot their original names.

Kukukuku! Did everyone hear that?

I heard it. Idiots.

• What a pity.
• A pity? Where would you use an 11% piece of trash?

The other muses begin to appear one by one.