57: Chapter 57

Tip: This is a slice-of-life chapter with little connection to the main plot; you may skip it.

The next morning, when Chairman Wang Shunyi arrived at the office, Kim Tae-min was already waiting at the front desk.

"President, everyone said that cake from yesterday was delicious," Kim Tae-min said, following behind him toward the elevator. "A few girls from the administration department even asked me where it was from; they want to order one for themselves."

"Is the box still there?"

"Yes. I told them to keep it."

"Check if there's a label on it." Chairman Wang Shunyi pressed the elevator button. "If you find it, make a note of which shop it is."

Kim Tae-min paused for a moment, then smiled. "Does the President want to buy another one?"

"Yeah. It was quite good."

The elevator arrived, and Chairman Wang Shunyi stepped inside. Kim Tae-min stayed outside, saying with a smile, "Alright, President, I'll go check right away."

As the elevator doors closed, Chairman Wang Shunyi heard Kim Tae-min shout from outside, "The President is in a good mood today!"

He gave a small smile.

The office door was open. The cleaning lady was mopping the floor inside; seeing him arrive, she quickly pulled back her mop. "President, I'll be finished in just a moment."

"No rush, please take your time."

The lady smiled and lowered her head to continue mopping. Chairman Wang Shunyi stood at the door for a while, waiting until she finished and came out before he walked in.

The leaves on the windowsill were gone today. The cleaning lady had wiped it down, and the window glass was sparkling clean, allowing him to see a person on the balcony of the building opposite smoking a cigarette. The man was wearing a tank top, his hair was a mess, and he was looking at his phone while smoking. Chairman Wang Shunyi stared for a couple of seconds; the man seemed to sense something, looked up toward him, quickly stubbed out the cigarette, and turned to go back inside.

Chairman Wang Shunyi couldn't help but chuckle out loud.

He sat down in his chair and turned on his computer. There weren't many emails today; he replied to a few important ones and left the rest for the afternoon. The phone on his desk rang, and he picked it up.

"President, it's me," Park Min-ji's voice said. "For the 10:00 AM meeting today, do we need to prepare any materials in advance?"

"No need. The report from last time will do."

"Understood. Also, the shop that sent the cake yesterday has been found. Kim Tae-min checked the label on the box; it's a handmade bakery over in Sinchon."

"Got it."

After hanging up, Chairman Wang Shunyi noted the shop's name on a sticky note, tore it off, and stuck it to the side of his monitor.

At 9:30, Zhang Junhao knocked and entered. He was holding a folder, his expression more serious than usual.

"President, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Yesterday afternoon, someone from CJ called," Zhang Junhao said, placing the folder on the desk. "They asked if we're interested in discussing a partnership. Not a supply deal, but... an investment."

Chairman Wang Shunyi leaned back in his chair, looking at Zhang Junhao. "They want to buy shares in us?"

"Yes. They said they're optimistic about the plant protein sector and want to work with us."

"What about the equity?"

"They didn't go into detail. It was just to test the waters," Zhang Junhao said. "I told them we'd consider it."

Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't speak, his fingers tapping lightly twice on the desk surface.

"What do you think?" Zhang Junhao asked.

"No rush for now," Chairman Wang Shunyi said. "Discussing this right after going public would cause stock price fluctuations. Let them wait for two months."

"Alright."

As Zhang Junhao turned to leave, Chairman Wang Shunyi called out to him. "Regarding those roasted fish fillets, how is the progress on Lee Chang-ho's side?"

"He said he's still adjusting the recipe. You thought yesterday's sample was too salty, so he's revised it again."

"Have him send it over for me to taste."

"Will do."

Zhang Junhao left. Chairman Wang Shunyi glanced at the sticky note on the side of his monitor, picked it up, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash. After a moment's thought, he picked it back up, smoothed it out, and put it in his pocket.

The 10:00 meeting was in the large conference room. When Chairman Wang Shunyi arrived, the people from the distribution company were already seated inside. There were three of them, two men and one woman, all in formal suits with their ties neatly done.

"Hello," Chairman Wang Shunyi said as he entered and shook hands with them.

The man leading the other team was surnamed Jeong, in his early forties, with his hair combed meticulously. He liked to gesture with his hands while speaking. "President Wang, congratulations on going public. Our entire company has been following it closely; the stock performance is truly impressive."

"Thank you."

The meeting content was standard—supply volumes for the second half of the year, logistics costs, and promotion schedules. Chairman Wang Shunyi listened more than he spoke. Park Min-ji took notes beside him, occasionally interjecting with supplementary data.

Halfway through, the woman from the other side stood up and took a box out of her bag. "President Wang, these are some new snacks our company produced. Please, give them a try."

Chairman Wang Shunyi took the box and opened it; inside were several small packages of rice cakes. He tore one open and took a bite; it was mugwort flavored.

"Delicious," he said.

The expressions of the three people opposite him visibly relaxed.

The meeting ended close to noon. Chairman Wang Shunyi saw them to the elevator, and Group Leader Jeong shook his hand, saying, "President Wang, we look forward to your continued support."

"Let's look out for each other."

After the elevator doors closed, Park Min-ji asked from beside him, "President, what are we having for lunch?"

"What's on the menu at the cafeteria?"

"I think it's short rib soup today."

"Then short rib soup it is."

The two walked toward the cafeteria. They passed a few employees in the hallway, all of whom lowered their heads to greet them. Chairman Wang Shunyi nodded as he walked past and heard someone whisper behind him, "The shirt the President is wearing today seems different from yesterday's."

"You even notice things like that?"

"Duh, he's the President."

Chairman Wang Shunyi didn't look back, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

The cafeteria was crowded, mostly with employees. When Chairman Wang Shunyi joined the line with his tray, a few young employees ahead of him stepped aside, wanting to let him go first. He waved them off. "No need, you go ahead."

He waited in line for five minutes, got his food and soup, and found a corner to sit down. Park Min-ji sat opposite him, eating slowly while scrolling through her phone.

"Don't look at your phone while eating," Chairman Wang Shunyi said.

Park Min-ji looked up at him and placed her phone face down on the table. "President, you're becoming more and more like a high school dean lately."

"Am I?"

"Yeah. The way you scolded Kim Tae-min in the elevator last time, saying his tie was crooked—your tone was exactly like my high school homeroom teacher's."

Chairman Wang Shunyi laughed. "His tie really was crooked."

"It was, but you didn't have to..."

Park Min-ji stopped mid-sentence and lowered her head to sip her soup.

"Didn't have to what?"

"Nothing. Let's eat."

After finishing lunch and returning to his office, Chairman Wang Shunyi closed the door and leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed for a while. The sounds from outside were muffled—someone making a call, someone walking, someone laughing. These sounds blended together like background music, which actually made him feel relaxed.

His phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw a message from Lee Chang-ho: "President, the new version of the roasted fish fillets has been placed at your office door."

Chairman Wang Shunyi stood up and opened the door. Looking down, he saw a white plastic bag on the floor with the top tied in a knot. He bent down to pick it up and opened it to find three small packages inside, each with a label: A, B, and C.

He tore open A and took a bite.

It was a bit lighter than last time, but still a little salty.

He tore open B.

This one was just right. The spiciness was milder than before, and the aftertaste was cleaner.

He tore open C.

Too sweet. It felt like eating candy, not fish fillets.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to Lee Chang-ho: "B is good. Prepare for mass production."

Three seconds later, Lee Chang-ho replied with a single word: "Okay."

Then another message followed: "Thank you, President."

Chairman Wang Shunyi finished the remaining half of the fish fillet from package B and threw the wrapper into the trash. He sat back in his chair and glanced out the window. The weather was better today; the clouds had scattered a bit, and he could see the roof of the building in the distance. There was a solar water heater on the roof, reflecting the light and sparkling brightly.

He stared at that point of light for a while until his eyes grew a bit blurry, then he looked away.

There wasn't much to do in the afternoon. He flipped through the documents on his desk; there were several marketing plans for next month, written in great detail, but some parts were too wordy. He crossed out several lines with a red pen and wrote a few words in the margins: "Delete," "Shorten," "Not clear enough."

By the time he got to the third document, his pen ran out of ink. He rummaged through his drawer but couldn't find a spare refill, so he pressed the call button on his desk.

"President, what is it?" Kim Tae-min's voice came through the speaker.

"Bring a red pen over here."

"Right away."

Ten seconds later, Kim Tae-min pushed the door open, holding two red pens. "President, here you go."

"Just leave them on the desk."

Kim Tae-min put down the pens but didn't rush to leave. "President, I found that cake shop. It's in Sinchon, called 'Duomei Bakery.' Would you like me to go and order one?"

"No need. I'll go myself."

Kim Tae-min was taken aback. "You're going personally?"

"Yeah. I'll take a walk while I'm at it."

Kim Tae-min left with an expression of confusion on his face.

Just after five o'clock, Chairman Wang Shunyi closed his folder and picked up his phone. There were no more urgent matters today, so he planned to leave a little early. Leaving the office, the hallway was quiet, as most employees were still at their workstations.

When he went downstairs, Kim Tae-min was in the lobby organizing courier packages; seeing him come out, he quickly straightened up.

"President, are you heading out?"

"Yeah. I'm off for the day."

"Then... should I notify the driver?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi waved his hand. "I'll tell him myself."

Walking out the main door, a black Mercedes-Benz was parked in a temporary spot by the entrance. The car body was gleaming; it didn't have license plates yet, with a temporary tag stuck to the bottom right corner of the windshield. This was the car he had just mentioned to Park Min-ji today, and it was ready for use this evening.

The driver inside saw him come out and quickly started the engine, then pushed the door open and stood by the car waiting. The driver's name was Master Han, in his early fifties, wearing a dark blue jacket with his hair cut very short, looking neat and efficient. He had also just been hired today; he had previously driven heavy trucks for over twenty years at a transport company before quitting due to a bad back. Park Min-ji had seen his resume on a recruitment site, and when Chairman Wang Shunyi interviewed him today, he felt the man didn't talk much and drove steadily, so he hired him.

"Master Han, to Sinchon," Chairman Wang Shunyi said as he sat in the back seat and closed the door.

"Alright, President." Master Han buckled his seatbelt and steadily pulled the car out of the parking space.

The interior of the car was very quiet, with soft warm air blowing from the AC vents. Chairman Wang Shunyi leaned back against the seat, watching the street scenery slowly recede outside the window.

"President, where is a convenient place to park in Sinchon?" Master Han asked.

"Look around; there should be a small alley where we can park. The shop is called 'Duomei Bakery,' please keep an eye out for it."

"Okay."

Master Han did indeed drive steadily; his starts and stops were gentle, and he never made abrupt lane changes.

After driving for twenty minutes, they turned into a narrow street in Sinchon. Master Han drove slowly, his gaze scanning the signs on both sides.

"President, there's a 'Duomei Bakery' over there. Is that the one?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi looked where he was pointing; it was a small shop by the roadside with a modest storefront and pink lettering on a white sign. "Yes, that's the one. Pull over up ahead."

Master Han parked the car by the curb and turned on the hazard lights. "President, I'll wait for you here."

"Okay, about ten minutes."

Chairman Wang Shunyi pushed the door open and stepped out as a cool breeze rushed in. He straightened his collar and walked toward the shop.

The shop door was open, and a sweet scent of butter and sugar drifted out. It was light and not cloying, the kind of smell that put one in a good mood. He pushed the door open, and the wind chime on the door gave a little jingle.

A young woman stood behind the counter wearing an apron, arranging cakes in a glass display case. Hearing the chime, she looked up and said with a smile, "Welcome!"

Chairman Wang Shunyi glanced at the items in the glass case. Cakes, cookies, and macarons were arranged neatly, each one small and as exquisite as a piece of art.

"That one," he said, pointing to the kind of cake he had eaten yesterday. "Do you have any more?"

"This one?" The young woman took one out from the case. "They were freshly baked today; there are three left."

"I'll take them all."

The young woman was momentarily surprised, then smiled. "Certainly. Would you like them packed together or separately?"

"Separately, please."

She turned to pack them, her movements light. Each piece was placed on parchment paper, then into a small cardboard box, and finally tied with a thin hemp rope. Chairman Wang Shunyi stood at the counter waiting, his gaze scanning several photos posted on the wall, all of cakes made by this shop—some with complex designs, others very simple.

"Are you the customer who bought from us yesterday?" the young woman asked while tying the rope.

"How could you tell?"

"When Director Kim came to buy them yesterday, he said the President liked them very much. I guessed you might come again." She placed the three small boxes into a paper bag and handed it over. "You have great taste, President; this variety is our best-seller."

Chairman Wang Shunyi took the paper bag and paid.

As he walked out the door, the wind chime jingled once more.

Master Han was still waiting in the car; seeing him come out, he pushed the car door open from the inside. Chairman Wang Shunyi sat in the back seat and placed the paper bag on the seat beside him.

"President, straight home?"

"Yeah. Let's go back."

The car started, turned out of the narrow street, and merged into traffic. The sky was beginning to darken, and streetlights flickered on, their orange glow shining into the car and bathing everything in a warm hue. Chairman Wang Shunyi looked down at the paper bag; through the semi-transparent wrapping paper, he could see the three small boxes neatly stacked inside.

He picked one up, untied the hemp rope, opened the box, and broke off a small piece of cake to put in his mouth.

It was the same taste as yesterday. Lightly sweet, not cloying, and soft.

He leaned back against the seat and broke off another small piece.

Master Han glanced through the rearview mirror but didn't say anything, continuing to drive.

The car drove onto the road along the river; the Han River was dark and heavy on the right, with the occasional cruise ship passing by, its lights flashing. Chairman Wang Shunyi finished an entire piece of cake, folded the box, and tucked it into the paper bag.

"Master Han, be downstairs at 8:30 tomorrow morning."

"Alright, President."

The car stopped at the base of his apartment building. Chairman Wang Shunyi pushed the door open and got out, bending down to nod toward the driver's seat. Master Han nodded back and waited until he had entered the building before slowly driving away.

Chairman Wang Shunyi stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. He was the only one in the elevator, and the stainless steel walls reflected his shadow—a dark suit, a paper bag in his hand, and hair slightly mussed by the wind. He reached up to smooth it down as the elevator arrived.

He opened the door and entered his home, turning on the lights. The light in the foyer was a warm yellow, shining on the white shoe cabinet. He changed his shoes, placed the paper bag on the kitchen counter, and poured a glass of water. The water had been boiled that morning and was now cool, just right for drinking.

Carrying the glass, he walked to the living room and sat on the sofa. He didn't turn on the TV but just sat there, placing the glass on the coffee table and watching the calm surface of the water.

He pulled the sticky note from his pocket, glanced at the shop name on it, and put it back.

It was the weekend tomorrow.

He thought for a moment about what to do over the weekend. There was nothing special. Maybe he'd spend some time at the office, maybe not. Maybe he'd just stay home and go nowhere at all.

He picked up his phone, scrolled to his contacts, stared at the screen for a few seconds, then locked it again and placed it face down on the sofa.

The living room was very quiet.

The night deepened outside the window, and the lights in the building opposite flickered on one by one.