So Long For Now, Summer - Chapter 9

So Long For Now, Summer

Chapter 09

 Apologize

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“How could I strike you without recording it? It’s all about editing.”

“Vice president Woo.”

“And it’s not an accusation, it would be a report in the public’s interest. I’m just trying to protect my staff. I’m the witness, so you can hold it to me, not to my staff.”

“… Are you really trying to end things with me?”

“With your weakness in my hand. How could you, the chairman, end it? I could play it whenever I want.”

Even though he seemed a little calm, he looked a bit unhinged. Was he already drunk? 

Hee-joo had never seen him talk this much.

She could have sworn that she was more stressed then Chairman Chang, wondering whether he was drunk or angry or both. 

Hee-joo was just an insignificant employee, so right now she felt fearful as if she were the one being threatened instead of feeling frustrated or humiliated.

“You think I am scared? Don’t be foolish, Woo. You’re still young, and you want to bluff in front of your lover. I understand, but surely you wouldn’t want to lose money just for a woman you’ve only played with.”

“Even a vile person has the gall to live a righteous life. But how long has it been since you last donated a certain 17 billion yuan… It’s a very outstanding amount. I know for a fact the money was a bribe. Thus, certainly now isn’t really a good time to lose one’s face because of the sex scandal. “

“…You crazy bastard.”

“Oh, of course we’re not happy about this humiliation.”

Chairman Jang gritted his teeth in fury.

“What do you want? The Seventh District?”

“You just need to get it back to the review phase, I’ll give you a chance to think about it, so deliberate over it carefully again.”

“That’s it?”

“That was just the end of our discussion, not our demands.”

“Hey, don’t talk in a round—”

“Apologize to Secretary Shim.”

“What?”

Chairman Jang asked in disbelief. Hee-joo doubted her ears even more.

It was a clear demand to offer an apology towards a single mere employee. 

Moreover, to a young woman who worked as a secretary with no background, it would certainly be tens of times harder to accept than to concede a bid for a new port site that was all over the city.

Chairman Jang looked as if he had been beaten. On the other hand, Woo Jin-ha looked dignified and composed.

“It was outrageous to try and humiliate Ms. Shim just to spite me, so if you’ll apologize to her by offering a reward quietly, she can judge what to do at her own discretion. Isn’t that proper?”

So even if he apologized, it still would not be the end, because Hee-joo and Jinha would judge him on their own terms. It was the same as if you were admitting that you had intended to do it from the very beginning.

She stared at the table, not knowing if his “Isn’t that proper?” was directed at her, when he squeezed his hand on her wrist, she then nodded 

Chairman Jang snorted,

“What an insane bastard.”

“I don’t think you need to check how crazy I am, since this could become a big scandal for you.”

“You want to blackmail me to consider a new port phase again as well as be a good partner without agreeing to the marriage deal?”

“At least it doesn’t need to interfere with collaborating in the future, as you know—”

“Cheeky bastard.”

“You said it as if you were really trying to negotiate with someone else, but you actually offered me your hand because you’d already know where I’ll be going. Even if you can’t move, you would put you investments in people you can use instead, and send their grandchildren to take over WK.”

“You think this method will work? That’s naive, absurd.”

“I know you’ll be susceptible to scandals, especially for the image of a healthy company. If Shim sues, it probably won’t be much of an impact. But if the report goes public after this recording is released, then the damage will probably not end at 17 billion like you shelled out the other day.”

“…….”

“You can’t stop a WK employee from protecting one of their staff.”

“If your father finds out about this—”

“What are you going to do? How are you going to explain your sexual harassment?”

“Crazy. You’re out of your mind. You lunatic, I’m your father’s friend. How dare you talk to me like this! How can you openly threaten me like this? Are you out of your mind?”

“Say whatever you want.. Besides, I haven’t said anything about threatening you. So, I was threatening you to do what exactly… Asking you to apologize?”

“…….”

“Would you die if you apologize to a woman?”

Woo Jin-ha’s question was a little astonishing. 

So she was kind of expecting Chairman Jang would also feel as dismayed as she did, but to her surprise, Chairman Jang instead apologized to her very politely, as if he had become someone else in the span of five minutes.

And just like that the sinister offensive and defensive war has ended, and the intense atmosphere has regained its peace.

Everyone was so cheerful and relaxed like nothing had happened. Hee-joo was captivated by rapid change.

Did the wealthy behave like this? The speed of such a drastic change in attitude and the flow of incidents was very different from that of ordinary people. 

Although she felt very unfortunate for a moment, what happened just now still left an unpleasant feeling in her heart, she still felt very uneasy.