56: Chapter 56 One Day

The next morning, when Chairman Wang Shunyi arrived at the office, there was a cake box at the front desk.

Kim Tae-min saw him and immediately stood up. "President, someone sent this."

"Who sent it?"

"They didn't leave a name. A courier just delivered it a moment ago, said it was to 'congratulate the listing,' and left after dropping it off."

Chairman Wang Shunyi walked over and peeked inside the box. It was a chocolate cake, neither too big nor too small, enough for two or three people. A small card was tucked inside; still no name, just two words—'Thank you.'

"Aigoo, I really have no idea who it could be." Chairman Wang Shunyi chuckled.

"President, should I... cut it?"

"Cut it into small pieces and put it in the breakroom. Everyone can help themselves." After saying that, Chairman Wang Shunyi headed toward the elevator.

Two people were standing in the elevator, one from the finance department and one from sales. Seeing him enter, they both immediately took a step back and bowed their heads. "Hello, President."

"Mm." Chairman Wang Shunyi nodded.

The two glanced at each other, neither daring to make a sound. When the elevator reached the seventh floor and Chairman Wang Shunyi stepped out, he heard the faint sound of them sighing in relief behind him.

"Doesn't the President's gaze seem a bit serious today?"

"He's probably just busy. We just went public, so there's a lot to do."

Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't look back and walked straight into his office.

He pulled open the curtains. It had rained all night, and though it had stopped now, the sky remained a gloomy gray. A few leaves had landed on the windowsill, having drifted up from the tree downstairs. He picked one up, looked at it, and set it aside.

He sat down and turned on his computer. There were over a dozen new emails in his inbox, mostly congratulatory messages. One supplier had sent a photo of a large poster on their office wall that read 'Congratulations to Shunyi Foods on the Successful Listing,' with employee signatures at the bottom. After reading it, Chairman Wang Shunyi forwarded the email to Zhang Junhao and typed a few words: 'Work more with this company in the future.'

Around ten o'clock, Kim Tae-min knocked and entered. "President, there are some reporters outside who want to interview you."

"From where?"

"The Korea Economic Daily, Chosun Ilbo, and the Financial Times' Korea bureau. They heard our stock price has been doing well since the listing and want to learn about the company's future strategy."

Chairman Wang Shunyi thought for a moment. "Today isn't convenient. Schedule them for next week."

"Understood."

After Kim Tae-min left, Chairman Wang Shunyi leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. He wasn't very good at interviews; he always had to spout a bunch of diplomatic platitudes, and even then, there was no guarantee they'd be reported accurately.

At noon, he went to the breakroom.

The cake had already been sliced and arranged on a plate, with only a few pieces left. A girl from the administration department was eating; seeing him enter, she quickly set down her plate and stood up. "President, would you... like to try some?"

"Let me see." Chairman Wang Shunyi walked over, picked up a piece, and took a bite.

The chocolate flavor was rich, with a layer of hazelnut spread in the middle. It was sweet but not cloying.

"Is it good?" the girl asked softly.

"Yes, it's good." He nodded and finished the rest.

The girl smiled. "That's good, then."

In the afternoon, Park Min-ji arrived. She brought several contracts for him to sign, spreading the documents out on his desk and pointing to the required spots. "Here, and here."

Chairman Wang Shunyi finished signing with a single pen, capped it, and handed it back to her.

Park Min-ji took the pen but didn't rush to leave. "President, I heard someone sent a cake today?"

"Yeah. I don't know who sent it."

"I suspect it's the people from the Kims' side," Park Min-ji said. "After the dinner notice was sent out yesterday, they were quite happy. A few team leaders even came to see me specifically to say they were grateful the President was still thinking of them."

"They're all our own people," Chairman Wang Shunyi said.

Park Min-ji nodded and turned to leave, but then paused. "President, have you been... doing alright lately?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing. You just seem a bit tired."

Chairman Wang Shunyi smiled. "I'm fine. Just a lot on my plate."

Park Min-ji smiled and left. Chairman Wang Shunyi sat there and glanced down at the floor—where she had just been standing, there were two faint footprints left by her leather shoes.

Around five o'clock, Lee Chang-ho pushed the door open and entered, holding a small box. "President, would you like to try this?"

"What is it?"

"A sample of the plant-based roasted fish jerky. I brought a pack over."

Chairman Wang Shunyi took it and opened it; inside was a small vacuum-sealed pack of fish jerky, resembling the dried small fish he ate as a child but lighter in color. He tore open the packaging and popped a piece into his mouth.

The texture was somewhat like fish, yet not quite. It was crispy, making a distinct crunch when bitten. The spiciness was moderate, with a lingering hint of soy sauce.

"How is it?" Lee Chang-ho stood by, looking a bit nervous.

"It's alright," Chairman Wang Shunyi said. "It's edible."

Lee Chang-ho visibly sighed in relief.

"Have you thought of a name?"

"Not yet. I originally wanted to call it 'Shunyi Roasted Fish Jerky,' but you mentioned before that Shunyi is a high-end brand, and this product... might not be very high-end."

"Then don't call it Shunyi," Chairman Wang Shunyi said. "How about 'Taste of Korea'?"

"'Taste of Korea'?" Lee Chang-ho pondered. "It's a bit..."

"A bit tacky?" Chairman Wang Shunyi laughed.

"No, just a bit... ordinary," Lee Chang-ho said. "There are too many things on the market called 'Korean-style' or 'Korean taste.'"

"Then think about it some more."

"Alright."

Lee Chang-ho left clutching the box, glancing back at Chairman Wang Shunyi at the door as if to confirm he wasn't actually angry. Chairman Wang Shunyi shook his head as he watched him go—this guy was just too serious sometimes.

By six o'clock, most of the people in the company had left. Chairman Wang Shunyi was still in his office organizing documents and filing the contracts he had signed today. The phone on his desk rang twice, but he didn't answer. After a while, the ringing stopped, and the office fell silent.

He put the last document into a drawer, stood up, turned off his computer, and picked up his bag.

When he walked out of the office, half the lights in the corridor were already off, with only a few emergency lights glowing. The entire floor was silent, save for the sound of his own footsteps. He reached the elevator and pressed the button; it came up from the first floor with a 'ding,' and the doors opened to an empty car.

He stepped inside and pressed the button for the first floor. As the doors slowly closed, the mirror reflected his image—dark blue suit, tie slightly loosened. He reached out to tug at it but then decided there was no point, so he left it loose.

He reached the first floor.

Stepping out of the building, the sky was already dark. The streetlights were on, casting a dim yellow glow on the roadside. A few cars drove by, their headlights flashing. He stood at the entrance, taking out his phone to call for a ride, when the security guard poked his head out of the booth. "Hard work today, President."

"Mm. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Chairman Wang Shunyi looked down at his phone screen. Just as his finger opened the ride-hailing app, a taxi happened to turn the corner, its 'vacant' green light glowing. He raised a hand to hail it, and the car pulled over.

He opened the door and sat inside, giving the driver his address. The driver grunted in response, and the car pulled away smoothly.

There was a faint smell of cigarette smoke in the car, likely left by a previous passenger. Chairman Wang Shunyi rolled down the window a crack; a chilly breeze blew in. He looked out the window as the shops along the street receded one by one—convenience stores, barbecue restaurants, pharmacies, real estate agencies—some signs lit up, others dark.

His phone vibrated. He picked it up to see a message from Park Min-ji: "President, confirming the time for the meeting with the distribution company tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM."

He replied with an 'Okay' and stuffed the phone back into his pocket.

The car turned onto the road leading into his residential complex. A few people were coming out of a supermarket carrying plastic bags, chatting and laughing. He glanced at them but didn't pay much attention.

"We're here," the driver said.

Chairman Wang Shunyi scanned the QR code to pay and stepped out of the car. The night breeze was a bit cold, so he wrapped his suit jacket tighter around him and walked toward the building.

"Aish, I should really buy a car for commuting. A president of a trillion-won group always taking taxis just doesn't seem right," Chairman Wang Shunyi chuckled to himself.

The elevator reached the fifth floor and the doors opened. The corridor was quiet, save for the low hum of the hallway lights. He pulled out his keys and opened the door; the light in the entryway wasn't on, and the house was pitch black.

He changed his shoes, placed his bag on the cabinet, and without turning on the main lights, walked to the kitchen to pour a glass of water by the light of the streetlamps outside. Standing in the kitchen, he took a few sips. As the cold water went down his throat, he felt a bit more alert.

He set the glass by the sink and walked into the bedroom, where he untied his tie and tossed it onto the foot of the bed before hanging up his suit jacket. Realizing the shirt he needed for tomorrow was still hanging on the balcony, he turned back to retrieve it.

It was quite windy on the balcony, and the hanging shirt was blown taut, looking like a deflated balloon. He took it down, folded it briefly, and left it on a chair.

He glanced at his phone as he lay down; it was 9:40 PM. There was a meeting tomorrow morning, so he had to get to the office early.

He turned off the light, and the room went dark. The curtains weren't drawn tightly, allowing a sliver of light from the streetlamp outside to leak in, landing right on the ceiling. He stared at that beam of light for a while, then rolled over and closed his eyes.

There was still a lot to do tomorrow.

But for tonight, it was time to sleep.