The New Groom Chapter 7

Since it was nearly the end of the lunch hour, the company cafeteria was quiet. Lee Jeongrok stood straight and tall, head held high as if nothing had happened. Just as Chief Joo had said, he was going to show those damn bastards that he didn’t care if they looked or not. However, he didn’t feel as many eyes on him as he had braced himself for. They were probably just stealing glances from behind his back. He wasn’t afraid of cowards who only spread baseless rumors.

Unlike Lee Jeongrok, who was in a determined state of mind, Chief Joo hummed a tune while choosing his menu.

“Let’s see, what’s on the menu today? Spaghetti, soft tofu stew, rice noodles—wow, the lineup is no joke, huh? What do you want to eat, Managing Director?”

“I’ll…”

“Rice noodles? Should we have rice noodles? Hey, that sounds good. It’s raining, so let’s have a hot bowl of noodles.”

“…Sure, whatever.”

The two of them stood in line at the rice noodle station, trays in hand. Chief Joo used some ridiculous charm on the elderly cafeteria worker to get an extra-large serving of noodles. Lee Jeongrok, standing next to him, received an extra-large serving as well. He had never liked the cafeteria food before, but surprisingly, the rice noodles were decent enough to eat.

After finishing his meal, following Chief Joo’s guidance, they went to the smoking room for a cigarette. Lee Jeongrok wasn’t a fan of smoking, so he took shallow puffs and watched the scenery outside the window. The rainy season had been continuing for two months already. It was a gloomy landscape. Still, he didn’t feel bad. Chief Joo held a cigarette in his mouth and played Go-Stop on his phone. Lee Jeongrok, who detested gambling, stood with his back to him, puffing on his cigarette.

The next stop was the company café on the first floor. By then, he no longer felt self-conscious about others’ gazes. Finally finding some breathing room, Lee Jeongrok drank his coffee and searched for Hwang Bosik on his phone. Perhaps even Go Yoongi hadn’t been able to use enough influence, as the article was still online. Seeing that repulsive face dripping with egg made him feel nauseous, so he closed the window. Anyway, seeing that the article hadn’t been taken down after all, he felt a sense of vindication.

Chief Joo, who had a sweet tooth, ordered an iced strawberry latte. He chatted endlessly about how the strawberry chunks were substantial or whatever else, and finished it in the blink of an eye—he didn’t even notice when he ate it. After eating a double serving of rice noodles and downing a large strawberry latte in one go, as if it weren’t enough, he ordered a milkshake and a slice of cake as well. Just watching him made Lee Jeongrok lose his appetite, and he left half his coffee untouched. Chief Joo finished that coffee, too.

Regardless, the meal, cigarette, and coffee had served as a refreshing change of pace.

When they returned, the office, which had been a disaster, was cleaned up. Entering the office that looked as if nothing had happened, he felt the urge to call the newspaper again. Whether he liked his father-in-law or not, he was the face of the company, and it was necessary to at least get the photo online taken down.

Just as he was about to call for his secretary, he noticed Chief Joo, who had followed him into the office. Lee Jeongrok raised one eyebrow.

“What is it? Why did you follow me in? I’m busy, so get out.”

“Come on now. Busy with what? You’ve been lounging around with me all this time. So, you’ve cheered up, huh?”

With a mocking grin, Chief Joo held out a scrap of paper. Lee Jeongrok took it absentmindedly and narrowed his eyes. It was a business card for a reporter from the Jeil Gyeonggi.

“You know the committee chairman you argued with yesterday? Turns out his nephew is a reporter. Just bad luck, really.”

“…”

“Give him a call and try to coax him by offering to buy him a meal this evening.”

“…How did you know?”

“Wow. Trying to steal someone’s trade secrets just like that. Go ask him while buying him a drink or something, you stingy prick.”

Grumbling, Chief Joo sauntered out of the office. There was no time to grab him.

A laugh escaped him belatedly. He was taken aback by how well Chief Joo knew him. Chief Joo knew full well that if he had handed him the business card while he was still angry, Lee Jeongrok would have pushed it away out of stubbornness. That was why he had gone to the trouble of feeding him, buying him coffee, and helping him clear his head before slipping the card to him. He had called him an insensitive bastard without a shred of awareness, but that had been a completely baseless misunderstanding.

His nose stung painfully. Feeling tears welling up, Lee Jeongrok rubbed his brow hard. With no one around to see, he let out a fake cough and pulled his phone from his inner pocket. His expressionless face as he made the call was no different than usual.

“Hello, this is Reporter Yang Jae-hee. This is Managing Director Lee Jeongrok of Hanyang Construction.”

‘Triver Place’ was the largest, luxury hotel in Jangchang. At the end of July, with the rainy season still in full swing, the large banquet hall on the second floor of the hotel was packed to the point where there was no room to stand. The distinguished guests in suits toasted continuously, their faces flushed with intoxication.

It was an announcement event for the planned construction site of the pumped-storage power plant, hosted by Hanyang Construction, combined with a celebratory party. Outside the hotel entrance, the opposition committee gathered and raised their voices in the pouring rain, but inside the banquet hall where champagne corks were popping, the atmosphere was festive.

“I am sure all of you gathered here today are well aware.”

Hwang Bosik, standing on the podium, surveyed the distinguished guests who had all accepted the invitation. Not only political figures including National Assembly members and city council members, but also high-ranking officials including those from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, high-level officials from KHNP, and influential businessmen of Jangchang were gathered in one place. Only the Mayor of Jangchang was the exception.

The Mayor of Jangchang had shown a skeptical attitude toward the power plant construction at the last minute, falling out of favor with Hwang Bosik. Hwang Bosik did not let his political rival, who had emerged as his biggest obstacle, be. Last winter, the Mayor, who had been accused of bribery through an anonymous tip, was legally detained. Currently, Jangchang’s administration was being run by a deputy mayor acting as authority. The deputy mayor was a more fervent enthusiast of the pumped-storage power plant than anyone else.

Having eliminated his rivals and taken his first successful step, Hwang Bosik savored his sweet victory under the spotlight of the banquet hall. It was a victory won only after five years of work, using everything from lobbying to threats and physical violence behind the scenes. Hwang Bosik, the President of Hanyang Construction, fully enjoyed the moment his long-cherished project bore fruit.

“What kind of river is the Jangchang River? They say the Han River is the best in Seoul, but can it compare to our Jangchang River? All of you must have seen the outside scenery on your way here, with the water of the Jangchang River winding through our beautiful home, our mountains and fields, overflowing and rippling. The river that has fed our Jangchang and brought us prosperity since ancient times—the time has come for it to lift Jangchang up once again. I, Hwang Bosik, will capture this overflowing river here in Jangchang. I will bring a revival to our Jangchang once more. I, Hwang Bosik, promise you that the granaries of Jangchang will be filled to the brim and overflowing again!”

His resounding voice echoed beyond the banquet hall and into the hallway. Thunderous applause erupted. Hwang Bosik, intoxicated by his own speech, felt his face flush red with excitement. At age sixty, he puffed out his chest, as sturdy as a boulder, and raised his champagne glass high.

“Let’s toast to the future of Jangchang. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The sound of glasses clinking rang out loudly.

Hwang Bosik’s loyal followers standing below the podium presented him with a bouquet, and they drank champagne together. However, even though his mood was at its peak, Hwang Bosik clicked his tongue briefly when he made eye contact with Lee Jeongrok. Since there were many eyes on them, Lee Jeongrok gritted his teeth and maintained his composure. Hwang Imin looked away, pretending not to notice the uncomfortable tension flowing between her father and her husband.

The crack in the relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law had begun with the Jeil Gyeonggi incident and had been on an irreversible path of deterioration ever since.

At the time, Lee Jeongrok had succeeded in getting the online article removed with Chief Joo’s help. However, instead of praising Lee Jeongrok’s achievement, Hwang Bosik had flown into an even greater rage, arguing that the newspaper had already been distributed all over Jangchang, so what did it matter if the online article was the issue? Lee Jeongrok, finding it absurd, hadn’t bothered to reply and had walked out of the office.

In the end, the person who had resolved the Jeil Gyeonggi incident was that eyesore, Go Yoongi. Using his connections, Go Yoongi had arranged a drinking session between Choi No-hyung, the editor-in-chief of Jeil Gyeonggi, and Hwang Bosik. The drinking session had ended amicably. Although it had been agreed upon verbally, Hwang Bosik had even gone so far as to sign an advertising contract worth tens of millions of won with Jeil Gyeonggi.