Corporate Villain
Copyright© 2025 by K.W
Chapter 8
The most fabulous image I can create of myself.
So that anyone can see that I’m cut from a different cloth than the usual secretariat of the group’s headquarters...
The people who abandoned me at Mulsan, those who just watched silently by my side.
I wanted to show them what a triumphant return to the workplace looks like.
I received a call from the Executive Director on my way back to Seoul.
“When will you be coming back to Seoul?”
“I’m on my way now.”
“Already? You should have spent more time with your mother before coming back.”
Would someone who says that call me at this hour?
Do I not know the Executive Director?
“President Min Byung-jin of Mulsan wanted to see me.”
“Oh? What time are you supposed to meet?”
“I’ve arranged to see him by 3 PM.”
“Is the meeting going to be long?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll have to go and see. Do you need anything?”
I inadvertently slipped into old habits.
I had forgotten that Director Roh is now by the Executive Director’s side.
“Could you come by after you meet with President Min?”
“Of course. What time should I come?”
“Just come after the meeting ends.”
“You need to give me a time so I can wrap up the meeting accordingly.”
President Min Byung-jin?
Certainly, he’s an important figure.
But for me, Executive Kang Moon-jung takes precedence over any other.
From now on, he’s the person I must protect, even more so than the Chairman or the President.
– Just come before the end of work hours. We have to go out together anyway.
I never question the itinerary set by the VIP.
It’s a basic rule for an executive assistant.
“Understood. I’ll be there by 5 PM.”
After a brief call with the executive, I refocused on driving, and the spring breeze flowing into the car felt strangely familiar.
It was like the scent from the days of my youth, when playing carefree was all that mattered.
Upon arriving in Seoul, I headed straight for the public bathhouse.
Submerged in the hot bath, I began to organize the tasks I needed to do at the water market.
It was peculiar.
The tasks I needed to do at the water market started to visualize like a video.
It meant that the tasks I had to do were becoming clearly defined.
40 minutes.
Even though I took my time bathing leisurely, I couldn’t exceed 40 minutes today either.
But today, those 40 minutes were sufficient.
There was no rush.
No calls to be on standby for.
And ... no reason to be tense.
So, I tried a can of Pocari Sweat from the bathhouse vending machine, costing 2,000 won.
At the convenience store, it’s 1,200 won.
The extra 800 won I spent for the sake of convenience was a fair price for the time saved on my way to the water market.
After leaving the bathhouse, I stopped by the hair salon.
I got my hair neatly cut and even asked for my eyebrows to be tidied up.
Then, I returned home and took out my most cherished suit from the wardrobe.
I have more than ten suits that I rotate with the seasons, but for a special day like today, the suit gifted by the executive on the day of my promotion to deputy manager was perfect.
As someone who stands by his side, he had advised me to pay attention to my appearance and had even booked the tailor shop for me.
At that place, regardless of the price, I was told to get two suits tailored as recommended by the designer there.
I was strictly advised not to trust my own taste or judgment.
I was instructed to get whatever the designer there recommended.
Because they had already made arrangements over the phone.
The clothes that are only taken out occasionally for external executive ceremonies and immediately sent for dry cleaning after.
When matched with a shirt and tie, even I had to admit, it looked quite impressive.
The greatest privilege held by the group’s secretarial staff.
Is the unrestricted access to all subsidiaries of Daeyoung Group, along with the group’s audit team members.
With just one secretarial staff ID card, entry to all subsidiary buildings is possible.
We are the ones who must always be ready to swiftly accompany VIPs (Protocol Team), protect VIPs at the forefront during major group events (Security Team), or conduct undercover operations across subsidiaries before the audit team moves in (Strategic Planning Team) in case of special incidents.
It’s no coincidence that the group secretarial staff ID numbers start with ‘1’.
Daeyoung Corporation building.
How long has it been since I’ve been here?
I remember bringing the executive director here once about two years ago.
There was an urgent meeting due to a collaboration between distribution and commerce, and I escorted him here late at night.
Other than that, it’s my first time.
2:20 PM.
I had set up a meeting with President Min Byung-jin at 3 PM and deliberately arrived early.
I wanted to take a look around.
I wanted to take in the sight of this place, where most people still don’t know who I am, after such a long time.
“Sigh ... Hoo...”
Stepping inside the building, I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
A lot has changed.
It seems even the security guards have all been replaced?
I placed my group secretarial staff ID card over the magnetic panel at the employee turnstile.
Beep!
The security officer, who was about to block the unfamiliar face, lowered the hand he was about to raise as the turnstile beeped to permit entry, and gave me an awkward smile.
With a warm smile and a nod, I greeted them before stepping into the elevator.
The button for the third floor, where the European Division was located, had already been pressed by two employees who had boarded the elevator from the underground parking lot.
They glanced at me strangely in the elevator, as I didn’t press the button for any floor, but I didn’t pay much attention to it.
Third floor.
It was just a blink of an eye away.
As soon as the doors opened at the European Division’s floor, the familiar scent from my days as an assistant hit me.
The European Division of Daeyoung Corporation originally included the Middle East, hence it was known as the Europe-Middle East Division.
But then, the Overseas Construction Division took over the Middle East, naturally reducing the name to the European Division.
In essence, Daeyoung Corporation’s power struggle was between the European Division and the Overseas Construction Division, which had absorbed the Middle East.
In terms of executive hierarchy, it would be the president, the executive director, and then either the head of the European Division or the manager of the Overseas Construction Division.
The sign for the European Division’s office caught my eye.
It was when I stepped out of the elevator and stood in front of the European Division’s sign.
“Excuse me, how did you get here?”
The people who had ridden the elevator with me asked.
“I’m from the Group Secretariat.”
I was still technically part of the Group Secretariat.
Not recognizing me meant they must have joined after I transferred to the Group Secretariat.
Even their faces looked young and unseasoned by society.
“Ah...”
My employee badge from the Group Secretariat was already hanging around my neck.
With just a word about coming from the Group Secretariat, the two of them flinched noticeably. I gave them a slight smile and gestured towards the office, as if to say, “Go ahead on your way.”
And then, I followed them slowly into the office.
Step by step.
I walked with care, lest I inadvertently stride too confidently.
Consciously straightening my neck and keeping my back as straight as possible.
“Isn’t that Assistant Yoon?”
“Assistant Yoon went on a business trip yesterday.”
“No, it’s Assistant Yoon from Team 1 in Spain.”
“Yoon Taesik, the manager? The one who transferred to the Group Secretariat to accompany Executive Kang Moon-jung?”
Whispers began to spread here and there.
By now, a chill must have swept through the entire European division office due to Director Park Je-dong’s personnel issues.
In such a climate, an executive secretary from the group’s secretariat, who serves directly beside Kang Moon-jung, the sole legitimate successor of Daeyoung Group, has come to this place.
Moreover, this executive secretary was once an outcast in this space.
By now, there must be quite a few people internally panicking.
If it were the old me, I would have turned my head here and there, bending over backward to greet familiar faces, but I can’t do that now.
I must act according to the role stipulated in the contract I signed with the executive, a role fitting for the duties I will perform in the future at Mulsan.
I was confident.
And I wanted to experiment.
Having served directly beside Executive Kang Moon-jung, I had observed firsthand the owner’s skill in handling VIPs—a skill I never got to experience during my time as an assistant at Mulsan.
Especially the nagging of Chairman Kang Ki-young, who emphasized methods of solidifying the organization and know-how in dealing with people during breakfast meetings with Chairman Kang, Executive Kang Moon-jung, and Vice President Kang Young-jin, was essentially a valuable lesson I couldn’t have paid to hear.
To be recognized for your rightful power, don’t explain who you are with words; create the situation with your actions.
That’s what Chairman Kang Ki-young said right after Executive Kang Moon-jung moved from Mulsan to distribution as the chief operating officer.
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