Kwon Jung-jung's hard work had not gone to waste. Just a month later, good news arrived again. The higher-ups were very satisfied with his performance, not only rewarding him with a hefty 500 million won but also making an additional promise: as long as he remained loyal and diligent, when his two children graduated from high school in the U.S., regardless of their grades, they could choose any of the eight Ivy League schools. The same offer would apply to his two younger children if they wished.
The 500 million won reward didn't come as a surprise to Kwon Jung-jung.
The materials he had submitted would have been worth at least 5 billion won in the past. The reason he was able to secure this amount now was partly due to the generous funding provided by his superiors and partly because of the chaotic state of the Korean economy. Many people, fearing unemployment, were no longer as committed to professional ethics and were willing to compromise for one last payout.
However, Kwon Jung-jung was deeply skeptical about the promise regarding his children's future.
How could a corporate spy have a long-term career?
They were expendable.
When Kwon Jung-jung first accepted this job, he had already prepared himself to make a quick profit and then retire to his hometown.
That was until two days ago, when he met someone in Beijing he never expected to encounter in his lifetime: Simon Westeros. After a detailed conversation, all his doubts were dispelled.
Simon Westeros was straightforward with him. This job was only temporary. Due to his outstanding performance over the past few months, he would soon be appointed as a senior executive at some companies in South Korea.
Which companies?
Kwon Jung-jung could easily guess.
If they were small players, someone like Simon Westeros wouldn't bother with them.
However, he was also given a stern warning.
The 500 million won reward was originally intended for the entire team, including him, but he had taken it all for himself, which showed a lack of generosity. Fortunately, he hadn't misused the operational funds during his work. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance to meet Simon Westeros and would have truly become expendable.
Kwon Jung-jung broke into a cold sweat after the meeting. During that period, over 1 billion won in operational funds had passed through his hands, and there were many times when he had almost succumbed to temptation.
Thankfully, he hadn't.
As for how Simon Westeros knew about these details, Kwon Jung-jung didn't dare to think too deeply about it.
Such a powerful figure would naturally know everything.
Returning from Beijing, Kwon Jung-jung felt as though he had undergone another transformation. He was now filled with ambition.
---
In the conference room.
Including his wife, Won Shin-hye, a small team of nine people quickly gathered. They were all former colleagues who had known Kwon Jung-jung for many years and had gone through the collapse of Kia together, making them trustworthy.
Kwon Jung-jung sat at the head of the table. After his wife distributed the freshly printed materials and envelopes with individual names, he said, "First, the good news. Open the envelopes privately later. These are rewards for everyone's hard work recently, and I'm sure you'll be satisfied."
After being reprimanded by Simon Westeros and returning from Beijing, Kwon Jung-jung and his wife discussed the matter and decided to distribute 400 million won to the team, keeping only 100 million won for themselves. Moreover, he would report this distribution, including the specific amounts, to his superiors to show that he had learned his lesson.
Initially, Kwon Jung-jung had kept the entire reward because he thought the job wouldn't last long. However, having once been part of the elite, he had the foresight to realize the importance of loyalty and promptly gave away 80% of the reward.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was visibly pleased, applauding and even shouting, "Long live the boss!"
Kwon Jung-jung's job had fallen from the sky, and the same was true for everyone present. Even though they knew there was a higher authority behind the scenes, their first gratitude was to their immediate superior.
Kwon Jung-jung, however, felt a bit uneasy about their reaction.
Was this... not considered building his own faction?
Realizing that the big boss valued loyalty above all and wouldn't want him to form his own clique, Kwon Jung-jung quickly raised his hand to quiet everyone and added, "Don't thank me. You should thank our real boss."
Everyone looked surprised.
Over the past few months, they had all understood what they were doing, but for the sake of their livelihoods, they had chosen to turn a blind eye.
One man, around Kwon Jung-jung's age, tentatively asked, "Jung-jung, when you left Korea a few days ago, did you meet our real boss?"
Kwon Jung-jung hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, but the boss's identity must remain confidential for now. What I can tell you is that we will all have a good future. This job isn't temporary."
Like Kwon Jung-jung's initial reaction, the others were visibly skeptical.
Kwon Jung-jung didn't elaborate further and quickly moved on to the main topic. "Let's focus on the task at hand. Please review the materials Shin-hye just handed out."
The group didn't press further and began flipping through the folders.
A moment later, the man who had spoken earlier looked up again. "Jung-jung, is this true?"
Another person chimed in, "If Kia had received IMF assistance back then, it wouldn't have gone bankrupt."
"Yes, it's too late now."
Kwon Jung-jung interrupted the chatter, his expression serious. "Everyone, please quiet down. Let me explain our mission."
Once the room was silent, Kwon Jung-jung continued, "What we need to do now is rally the public to resist the Blue House's decision to seek IMF assistance."
This statement caused a stir.
The people Kwon Jung-jung had chosen were not only reliable but also intelligent. Unlike the general public, they were well aware of how precarious South Korea's economy had become.
Seeking assistance might come at a high cost, but it would ensure that the Korean economy could continue to move forward after some repairs.
Rejecting assistance, however, would sink the ship entirely. And when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.
Noticing the hesitation on some faces, Kwon Jung-jung mentally noted their reactions and quickly adopted a stern tone, scanning the room. "Everyone, I must remind you, we are just ordinary people. When Kia went bankrupt, did the officials in the Blue House or the chaebols like Hyundai and Samsung consider our interests? In our positions, we must do our jobs. Since we've taken on this role, we need to prioritize our boss's interests. Understand?"
The room fell silent, and the man who had spoken earlier was the first to agree. "Jung-jung is right. These national matters have nothing to do with us. We just need to secure our own livelihoods."
"Alright, let's assign tasks," Kwon Jung-jung said, cutting to the chase. "Young-chil, Min-do, you're both good writers. By 6 PM today, I need at least two publishable articles from each of you based on these materials. Any questions?"
Two younger men at the table nodded. They didn't need further instructions to understand what kind of articles their boss wanted. "No problem, boss."
"Pyung-jam, Tae-hee, you two are responsible for contacting the newspapers and ensuring our articles are published tomorrow."
The only other woman in the room, a fair-skinned, elegant woman in her thirties, nodded but seemed hesitant.
Kwon Jung-jung gestured to his wife, who handed another envelope to the woman.
The two recipients, Kim Pyung-jam and Sung Tae-won, bowed slightly to Kwon Jung-jung and made their assurances.
After assigning tasks to the rest of the team and sending them off to work, Kwon Jung-jung turned to the man closest to him, his longtime friend. "Jae-hyun, don't you know a lot of people in the church? Tomorrow morning, we need at least 100 people to gather near the Blue House to make some noise."
Choi Jae-hyun, who had been friends with Kwon Jung-jung since high school, nodded. "No problem." Seeing that everyone else had left, he didn't hold back and opened the envelope he had received earlier. Glancing at the amount on the check, he grinned. "This is too much, Jung-jung. I don't deserve this."
"Don't say that."
Kwon Jung-jung patted his friend's arm and, unable to resist, leaned in to whisper some inside information.
"Simon…"
"Shh."
"So, that's it?"
Kwon Jung-jung clasped his friend's hand. "Jae-hyun, as long as we work hard, we'll all have a better future. This is just the beginning."
Choi Jae-hyun nodded repeatedly, as if feeling the gaze of some powerful figure on him. Unconsciously, he straightened his posture and, as if suddenly energized, promised, "100 people? That's not enough. At least 500. Don't worry, Jung-jung. If I can't gather that many people tomorrow, I'll kowtow and apologize."
"No need for that. Just do your best, and someone will notice," Kwon Jung-jung said, handing another envelope to Choi Jae-hyun. "This is the operational fund. Jae-hyun, I won't remind the others because they might not stay long. But for you, I'll say this: these funds are being watched. Don't be tempted by small gains. Use them wisely and think long-term."
Choi Jae-hyun, who had been brought into the team precisely because of his honest and reliable nature, made another round of promises before hurrying off to handle his tasks.
Once everyone else had left, Kwon Jung-jung turned to his wife. "Call the cleaning company to tidy up the lower floors. Also, start posting job openings. The materials for what kind of people we need are with you."
Won Shin-hye nodded and went to handle her tasks.
After returning from China, Kwon Jung-jung learned that the entire five-story office building had been purchased by someone. Initially, they had only used the top floor. After meeting Simon Westeros, the previous covert operations were no longer necessary, and they were authorized to recruit openly. As for what they would do with more people, they would have to wait for further instructions.
Once his wife left, Kwon Jung-jung returned to his office. He had his own important tasks to handle.
Having previously worked in marketing, he was familiar with various aspects of South Korea's major TV stations. Sitting at his desk, he pulled out his contact list and quickly dialed a number for a news department head at MBC. "Hello, Goo-shin? It's Jung-jung… Haha, long time no see… How about lunch today? Are you free?"
---
While Kwon Jung-jung was busy with his tasks, thanks to Simon's double insurance strategy, another operation was underway in the Gangnam District.
In a building on the west side of Gangnam Boulevard, near the intersection of Jamwon-dong and Sinsa-dong, Kwan Sa-won, who had recently arrived from Hong Kong, was also arranging similar activities.
Unlike Kwon Jung-jung, a native Korean, Kwan Sa-won, despite having a Korean name and being fluent in the language, had no emotional attachment to the country. In fact, due to the discrimination he had faced as a mixed-race Asian growing up, he harbored a deep-seated resentment toward his own heritage and even his mother's background.
If it weren't for the needs of a certain powerful figure, he would always introduce himself as Jimmy Rostow.
Inferiority either makes people weak or drives them to rise above.
Kwan Sa-won belonged to the latter category, and he was fiercely ambitious.
After graduating from Harvard University, he joined Verizon with the goal of climbing to the top of the corporate ladder. After years of hard work, he had made significant progress. However, this sudden opportunity, brought about by his heritage, made him quickly shift his life goals.
Verizon was only a part of the Westeros system.
The young tycoon who controlled the Westeros system was at the very top of the world's pyramid. If he could gain this person's favor, even a single year might be worth a decade at Verizon.
Therefore, Kwan Sa-won didn't need any of the psychological adjustments Kwon Jung-jung had initially required. When he was sent to Asia a few months ago to focus on South Korea, he threw himself into his work without hesitation, using his Korean heritage and the resources provided by the Westeros system to quickly build his own team and network.
This operation had been personally assigned by the big boss. Kwan Sa-won's goal wasn't just success—it was perfection.
______
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