For The Musical Genius (Novel) - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Read it only at Utoon.net!
Discord         

Sitting in grandfather’s office reminds me of Machiavelli’s The Prince.

Not because of the leader’s dignified presence. Rather, it’s about the subordinates trying to catch the prince’s eye. While some are honest, there are also flatterers with flowery words and those who inflate unrealistic achievements – quite a diverse cast of characters. Companies were jungles then as they are now.

But who is grandfather?

He’s someone who has been through thick and thin, including aerial combat. As Machiavelli said, a leader must possess both the cunning of a fox and the strength of a bear – his skill in manipulating others is no joke. Don’t the elderly executives all leave his office with their backs drenched in sweat? As a former prosecutor myself, I think he would have made an excellent prosecutor too.

“Hyun-ah, aren’t you bored? Do you want to go to school soon? We’re looking for an arts school where you can learn violin well, so please wait a little longer.”

“No, grandfather. I prefer coming to the company over school.”

It wasn’t a lie. I already know every corner of Dongju. Would you believe me if I said I felt company loyalty? The employees even asked for my autograph after seeing my face on the front page of the newspaper. Of course, there weren’t any special events after that, but I preferred it that way – attention always comes with a price.

That’s when it happened.

Knock knock.

Father entered the office with a report. While they may be son-in-law and father-in-law in private, that doesn’t apply at the company. Though he wasn’t senior enough to report directly, it was clear grandfather was trying to train father rigorously. One-on-one tutoring would make more sense.

“This report speaks volumes – where did you learn this?”

Father glanced at me.

Ah, I only provided the framework, you can proudly say you did the content yourself!

Grandfather’s face was full of satisfaction. Of course, with the essence of report writing consolidated into the framework and the content organized so clearly, such a reaction was natural. By the way, where did father study in the past?

After father left.

“Did Hyun tell you?”

Could grandfather have learned mind reading! But I really didn’t touch the content.

“I mean Yu-ha – she’s already supporting her husband. If she were born a man, that determination to get what she wants would make her general material.”

Yu-ha?

Though I looked at him hoping for more explanation, grandfather just smiled silently. An inexplicable feeling came over me. That was because she was an unpredictable ice princess.

*

“Oppa!”

Ah, she doesn’t call me ‘dear orabeoni’ anymore. Son Yu-ha came running to me from across the garden. Secretary Kim follows behind, sweating as always. She clings to me like a cicada, and somehow seems to grow taller every day. Come to think of it.

‘She was popular, wasn’t she?’

They didn’t call her the Ice Queen for nothing – in later years, no one in chaebol circles could match her beauty. Rumor has it that several chaebol families sought relationships, but Son Yu-ha flatly refused. Most men couldn’t even properly string together words in front of her.

“Oppa, oppa. I could have gotten a hole-in-one but the wind suddenly blew and the ball went slightly off course!”

But why is she like this in front of me? It’s truly puzzling. Even now, isn’t she so excited explaining what happened at the golf course with grandfather that her cheeks are flushed? She looks as cute as a chubby-cheeked rabbit.

“Oh really?”

“Yes. I could have given oppa the violin, but… *sniff*” What?

It felt like cold water was poured over my head.

At that moment.

“Hyun-ah, you’re here.”

Chairman Wang’s voice, like that of a great serpent, rang out.

Like before, a strange energy filled the reception room. Chairman Wang was leisurely sipping his tea, and beside him, Yu-ha’s cheeks were still puffed up. Am I imagining feeling like a shrimp caught between fighting whales?

“It seems Yu-ha wants to gift a violin to Hyun. Honestly, it’s an item I have no use for…”

Then, please give it to me!

But this wasn’t some cheap item, and dealing with Chairman Wang meant you couldn’t carelessly accept without considering the consequences.

“Hyun-ah, you know how close we grandfathers are, right?”

How could I not know?

“Still, I can’t just give you the violin for free. I’ll lend it to you for now, but there’s a condition to make it completely yours.”

A condition?

Chairman Wang looked at me with a mysterious smile.

“Currently, Dongju ranks around 10th among chemical companies.”

He was talking about market capitalization. Despite it being difficult for a child to understand, Chairman Wang spoke freely. With a look that seemed to say ‘you know what I mean, right?’

“If Dongju enters the top 7, then I’ll give you my violin completely.”

Logically speaking, this was nearly impossible. While Dongju was considered a leader in the chemical industry, the top tier was different. They were subsidiaries of Korea’s major conglomerates, after all. Even now, the chemical subsidiary of Jeil Group was rising at a frightening pace. However…

“Really, grandfather?”

No taking it back.

Chairman Wang swallowed his surprise at my expression.

“Do you understand what I’m saying? Hyun-ah.”

Of course, I more than understand.

Hadn’t I already decided to grow Dongju? I’ve already done the calculations.

“Of course.”

It was actually just a matter of time. In a few years, numerous companies would start going bankrupt. If it weren’t for the development of new materials, Dongju would have been swept up in that storm too.

* * *

“This is amazing!”

Kang Seong-wook couldn’t help but exclaim. They say the charm of broadcasting lies in editing and emphasis. From AD to CP, unified individuality brings out a broadcast’s charm. That’s why it’s sometimes compared to cooking. Even with the same footage, the taste and color change depending on whose hands it’s in.

Until now, the Queen Elizabeth Documentary had been raw and unprocessed. It showed musicians’ hardships and emotional changes without filtering. But this year’s competition was different. Hadn’t it stirred up the music world with the historic news of the youngest grand prize winner? Opening that lid revealed even more surprises.

It was a feast for the eyes. Each person overflowed with character, making it impossible to look away despite being a documentary. The crowning glory was undoubtedly Kang Hyun, who won the youngest grand prize. Despite his young age, his charisma commanded the audience, and there was something magical about his native-like fluency and unique vocabulary.

There was even an unexplainable humanism in the scene where he made funny faces at Anna, who was nervously trembling in the waiting room. His playing ability aside, the energy emanating from him as a person was incredibly attractive. His appearance was such that it wouldn’t be strange if he were cast in a teen drama right now.

“Seong-wook, what do you think the ratings will be?” The director’s voice came through the receiver. He’d want to check the footage, but unless he flew here, that would be impossible right now.

“If we mess this up, a written apology won’t be enough. The price of this one is higher than buying three or four regular documentaries. There was a lot of talk from above this time.”

“Director, what do we consider our rival program?”

“Animal Kingdom, of course. Surely we won’t lose even to beasts running around in Africa?”

Despite the director’s anxious voice, my heart was pounding with excitement.

“Director, I don’t think we should compare this with Animal Kingdom.”

“What? Hey, you’re not telling me we messed up now!”

Such needless worry.

Thump thump thump.

Though it wasn’t a short time, when the documentary ended, it left a deep impression. It felt like the child’s voice and melody still lingered in my ears. The satisfaction was comparable to dining at a famous Michelin restaurant.

“Director, what’s the rating for weekend evening dramas?”

We might need to change our competition target.

*

Wow!

I could understand why housewives were so passionate about dramas. From tear jerking melodrama to soul-stealing comedy, it completely played with people’s emotions. Sometimes when episodes ended without previews, I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

“I didn’t know my son enjoyed dramas this much.”

I didn’t know either, mother.

In my past life, I barely had time to watch TV freely, but who knew these classic shows starring former celebrities would steal so much of my time! I need to redefine life’s joys and sorrows.

Dinner was more lively than ever. The usually quiet mansion felt more human, and was it just my imagination that the housekeeper’s cooking tasted better with all this energy?

“Kang son-in-law, a businessman from China will be visiting soon.”

“Yes, father-in-law.”

“He’s not coming as a business buyer, but for multiple purposes. He has deep connections with our side. Beom-kyung used to handle this, but now that he’s unavailable, you’ll take charge.”

Grandfather must have realized something while being with Chairman Wang. Soon, China would unlock its tightly closed foreign capital investment. This applied to both semiconductors and the chemical industry. While technology as a cash cow was important, tariffs and distribution competition couldn’t be ignored. In that sense, China was truly golden ground.

“Kang son-in-law, Chinese people treat everyone differently based on their subjective viewpoint. They might sell something to one person for 200 yuan and to another for 150 yuan. No wonder Confucius said there are ten suns in the sky and ten ranks among people.”

Of course, it’s not for nothing that China is called the country of guanxi*. Hadn’t I seen it in my past life – Chinese tycoons creating their own universities to network? Father still seemed confused. Well, that’s understandable since he hadn’t experienced it firsthand.

TLNote- Guanxi means relationship.

“I’ll do my best, father-in-law.”

Grandfather smiled warmly at father’s response. He seemed pleased that father was adapting to company life better than expected.

“Originally, the secretariat provided a Chinese interpreter.”

Grandfather’s eyes met mine while eating the marinated crab mother made.

“This time, take Hyun with you. They’re quite good at English so communication won’t be a problem.”

“Father-in-law?”

“Since it’s not a business visit, it’s better for building friendships. Moreover, their child is coming too, so there will be less awkwardness. Hyun is better than most professional interpreters anyway.”

Grandfather’s eyes were full of interest.

“Hyun-ah, can you handle it?”

Of course, grandfather, just leave it to me!

“Kang son-in-law, what do you think, can you make that person your ally?”

But why did grandfather’s question seem directed at me?