Chapter 111: Opposition at the Table

Inside the meeting room, the atmosphere grew heavier with every passing second.

The executives of the company sat around the long, polished table, their expressions ranging from curiosity to suspicion. The tension was almost tangible, thick enough to suffocate anyone unprepared for it.

Jinhoo sat not too far from Eun-bi, who occupied the central seat at the head of the table. Her presence alone commanded authority, her posture straight, her gaze sharp and unyielding.

Beside Jinhoo, Kim Rae sat stiffly, her hands resting awkwardly on her lap. Her earlier arrogance had completely vanished, replaced by visible nervousness. Beads of sweat formed along her temple as she avoided making eye contact with anyone.

Across from Jinhoo, a slightly overweight executive with wrinkles lining his face leaned forward and spoke.

“So… why did you suddenly call for this meeting?”

Next to him, another man—older, with a more experienced aura—narrowed his eyes at Jinhoo.

“Who is that man? This is my first time seeing him here.”

His tone was clearly laced with disdain.

One by one, the attention of everyone in the room shifted toward Jinhoo.

Jinhoo remained seated calmly, though inwardly—

’ugh… I expected this… their eyes… they’re clearly looking down on me…’

His thoughts were quiet, controlled.

To Kim Rae’s side, a woman with glasses and neatly braided black hair adjusted her frames slightly. She was the company’s secretary, known for her precision and strict adherence to structure.

“Miss Eun-bi… could you explain who that man is?”

More voices followed, overlapping with questions and murmurs. The room began to grow noisy.

Kim Rae’s body trembled slightly.

’please… just stay quiet… he’s higher than all of you…’

Her fear intensified, sweat dampening her face.

Eun-bi cleared her throat.

“Ahem.”

Instantly—

Silence.

Every voice in the room died down as if cut by an invisible blade. All eyes turned toward her, filled not only with attention—but fear.

Her gaze was cold, sharp, and absolute.

She took a slow breath before speaking.

“He is my personal assistant. Everything he says carries the same authority as my own words.”

The effect was immediate.

Shock spread across the room like wildfire.

Eyes widened.

Bodies stiffened.

Even the earlier arrogance disappeared in an instant.

Jinhoo, however, simply gave a slightly awkward smile.

’ah… why did she have to say that…’

Eun-bi briefly glanced at him. For a fleeting moment, her eyes softened—warm, almost gentle.

Jinhoo cleared his throat.

“Ahem… alright then, let’s begin the meeting.”

He stood up and walked toward the whiteboard at the front of the room.

Picking up a marker, he turned to face them.

“We will be discussing the IMF situation…”

Every gaze followed him, including Eun-bi’s.

She rested her head lightly on her hand, watching him with quiet interest.

“At the moment,” Jinhoo continued, “our national market value is rising significantly. However, this growth is temporary. Based on thorough research, I’ve identified several weak points within the market that indicate a steep decline is imminent.”

As he spoke, he began drawing on the board.

Smooth, precise lines formed a market graph.

Within moments, the chart was complete.

He pointed to the peak.

“Here. This is where the market will collapse sharply. And unfortunately… it’s something we cannot prevent.”

Eun-bi’s expression dimmed slightly.

The others remained silent, listening.

Then—

Kim Rae hesitantly raised her voice.

“U-uhm… in that case… is there a solution?”

Jinhoo smiled faintly.

“A solution? I have many.”

A spark of hope appeared in Eun-bi’s eyes.

“Then… what is your solution?”

“Simple,” Jinhoo said calmly. “Sell some of our subsidiaries.”

The reaction was explosive.

One of the executives slammed his hand against the table and stood up angrily.

“What nonsense is this!? Sell our subsidiaries!? Are you insane!? Most of our revenue comes from them!”

Jinhoo remained calm.

’some of them were bound to misunderstand… just as expected’

“There seems to be a misunderstanding,” he said. “I said some subsidiaries—not all of them.”

The room fell silent again.

The secretary spoke.

“Then which subsidiaries are you referring to?”

Jinhoo raised two fingers.

“There are two. First—Gimho Production.”

The senior executive immediately frowned.

“Why Gimho Production?”

“Because their revenue is low and their efficiency is poor,” Jinhoo replied without hesitation. “Based on the data I reviewed, there are also indications of internal fund embezzlement by certain members.”

Shock.

The entire room froze.

Even Eun-bi’s eyes widened slightly.

Her gaze slowly shifted toward the senior executive.

He stiffened.

Sweat began to form on his face.

’yes… that’s exactly how it ends for a corrupt man…’

Jinhoo thought calmly.

He already knew the truth.

That man was the one siphoning funds.

And that was precisely why he opposed selling Gimho Production—his source of corruption would vanish instantly.

The secretary spoke again.

“And the second?”

“Temmu Corporation.”

This time, the reaction was even stronger.

Several executives stood up immediately.

“Do you even understand how important Temmu Corporation is!?”

“Hey! That company generates the largest portion of our revenue!”

“It’s also the core of our partnership with major Japanese corporations!”

Jinhoo listened quietly.

’of course I know… but you don’t know what’s coming’

’I’ve read this story countless times… Temmu Corporation will collapse during the IMF decline. No matter how hard Eun-bi tries to save it, it’s pointless.’

Eun-bi spoke.

“Jinhoo… can you explain why we must sell Temmu Corporation?”

“Selling it now is indeed a risky move,” Jinhoo admitted. “But if we avoid taking risks, we will achieve nothing. If we do nothing, we will be the ones who fall.”

He paused briefly.

“Besides, Temmu Corporation is already facing issues—resource shortages and rising material costs. Even if we invest more, there’s no guarantee we’ll recover the losses.”

Eun-bi fell into deep thought.

Her brows furrowed.

’just as I thought… she sees the risk… but please… trust me’

The secretary turned to Eun-bi.

“Miss Eun-bi… what should we do?”

“…What Jinhoo said makes sense,” Eun-bi admitted. “But it’s still not enough to justify selling it.”

Jinhoo’s eyes sharpened slightly.

’as expected… she’s stubborn about this’

“Fair enough,” he said. “Then allow me to present stronger evidence.”

He stepped forward and placed several photographs on the table.

“These are proof. As you can see, many foreign workers are employed there.”

He then placed a document beside them.

“This data comes directly from our chief supervisor. It shows that many of these workers are inefficient and prone to errors. Additionally, customer reviews indicate declining product quality. If this continues during the IMF downturn, consumer trust will collapse.”

The executives began examining the evidence.

Eun-bi picked up the document, studying it carefully.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

“Alright… I agree with this.”

Once again, objections erupted.

“Miss Eun-bi! This is too risky!”

“Selling Temmu Corporation now is a disaster!”

Eun-bi remained calm.

“I’m aware of the risks. But do any of you have a better solution?”

Silence.

No one answered.

The tension became suffocating.

“If no one objects further, then I will take it as agreement—”

“Wait a moment, Miss Eun-bi.”

A voice interrupted.

All eyes turned toward the speaker.

A man with short blonde hair stood up slowly.

“What is it, Mr. Julian?” Eun-bi asked.

Jinhoo glanced at him.

’ah… I forgot about him… Julian… one of Picky’s subordinates… the man who forces Eun-bi into becoming his puppet in the original story…’

Julian smiled faintly.

“I oppose this decision.”

The room grew silent once more.

Eun-bi watched him carefully.

Jinhoo did the same.

Whatever Julian was about to say—

’it will definitely lead things down a dangerous path…’

Jinhoo’s gaze sharpened.

’and I will stop it.’

The battle in this room—

Had only just begun.

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