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CH93 | GSI
🕑 Added 2025-02-01 09:46:25 +0000 UTCNext Day
For the first time in two weeks, Seok-won returned to the office and sat at his spacious desk, reviewing the backlog of documents that had piled up in his absence.
He read through the papers with deep concentration, occasionally pausing to jot down notes or lightly tap his fingertip against the page as he mulled over key points.
His lowered eyelashes cast faint shadows beneath his eyes, and his clean-shaven jawline was sharp and well-defined.
With flawless skin devoid of any blemishes, his face looked almost sculpted, as if he were a living statue.
Yet, the broad shoulders and muscular forearms visible beneath his rolled-up shirt sleeves exuded a strong masculinity, perfectly complementing his refined features.
As he silently worked, the only sounds in the room were the faint rustling of turning pages—until a knock at the door broke the quiet.
“Come in.”
Lifting his head from the documents, Seok-won saw Hong Jae-hee enter, carrying a tray.
“Team Leader, have some coffee while you work.”
“Thank you.”
Smiling, Jae-hee walked over and set a glass of iced coffee on his desk.
“I’ll enjoy it.”
Sitting up straighter, Seok-won took a sip of the coffee before noticing that Jae-hee seemed to have something to say. He tilted his head slightly in curiosity.
“Ahem.”
Under his questioning gaze, Jae-hee blushed faintly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before speaking.
“I’m wearing the earrings you gave me today. Uh, what do you think?”
“They suit you well.”
Seok-won complimented her as he glanced at the small earrings that sparkled subtly against her ears.
“I’m glad you like them.”
“They’re so pretty that I can’t stop admiring them. Honestly, I feel like I don’t deserve such a nice gift.”
“It wasn’t that expensive.”
“Oh, come on. It may not be luxury, but it’s still from a well-known brand. Plus, it’s hard to find such a beautiful design. You really have great taste, Team Leader.”
Jae-hee, the only woman on the team, had a fondness for accessorizing, and she was clearly delighted with a gift that suited her style so well.
“I noticed last time that you seemed interested in getting new earrings, so I picked out something suitable. That way, I can keep enjoying delicious coffee from you in the future.”
Seok-won chuckled lightly, making Jae-hee look at him with admiration.
“Wow. You even remembered that… Team Leader, you’re so thoughtful and considerate.”
“Haha, I appreciate you saying that.”
“Oh, right! The other team members were also really happy with the gifts you gave them.”
"Alright."
Since Seok-won had been away from the office, he had bought bottles of whiskey as gifts for his team members, who had managed everything smoothly in his absence.
Rather than gifting alcohol to Hong Jae-hee like the other male employees, he had instead chosen a pair of earrings for her.
“Then, I’ll get going.”
As Jae-hee spoke, Seok-won, picked up a stack of reviewed files and handed them to her.
“I’m done with these. Please give them to Manager Choi.”
“Yes.”
Taking the files, Jae-hee exited the office.
Just as Seok-won considered taking a short break, leaning back in his chair and reaching for his iced coffee, the phone on his desk rang.
“No chance to rest, even for a moment.”
He muttered under his breath, setting his glass back down and reaching for the receiver.
“Yes, this is Park Seok-won.”
[Team Leader Park, it’s me.]
Recognizing the familiar voice of Chairman Choi Jin-woo, Seok-won adjusted his grip on the receiver.
“Mr. Chairman, what brings you to call?”
[I have something to discuss with you. If you have time, could you come up for a moment?]
“I’ll be right there.”
[Alright, I’ll be waiting.]
Ending the brief call, Seok-won murmured to himself as he set down the receiver.
“Looks like he’s finally going to talk about his resignation.”
Having a rough idea of the conversation ahead, he rolled down his shirt sleeves and stood up.
He then took his jacket from the coat rack behind him, put it on, buttoned it up neatly, and adjusted his appearance before stepping out of the office.
***
“Sir, Team Leader Park Seok-won is here.”
“Let him in.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as the secretary stepped out, Seok-won entered the office.
“Come in.”
Chairman Choi Jin-woo stood up with a welcoming smile as he greeted Seok-won.
Stepping around his desk, Choi extended a handshake, which Seok-won returned with a firm yet polite grip. Then, Choi gestured toward the sofa with one hand.
“Have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Taking his seat at the head of the table, Choi Jin-woo gazed intently at Seok-won, who had settled into the sofa to his right.
“Did everything go well in the U.S.?”
“Yes. Thanks to your consideration, I was able to take care of business without any issues.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Though Choi Jin-woo knew that Seok-won frequently travelled to the United States, he was never entirely sure what business he was handling there.
However, seeing that Chairman Park Tae-hong had personally approved Seok-won’s travels, Choi had assumed it was a confidential matter within the company and chose not to pry.
“A friend of mine recently returned from China and gifted me some fine Pu’er tea. Would you like to try some?”
“I’d be honoured.”
Still seated, Choi Jin-woo slightly turned and pressed the intercom button on the side table next to him.
Moments later, his secretary, dressed in a tailored two-piece suit, stepped in, standing upright as she respectfully inquired.
“You called for me, sir?”
“Do you remember the Pu’er tea I received the other day?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Bring two cups of it.”
“Right away.”
The secretary gave a concise reply and exited the office.
Watching her leave, Choi Jin-woo turned back to Seok-won with a nostalgic expression.
“I first met you when you were still studying at Harvard. Hard to believe that was already two years ago. Time truly flies.”
A slight smile played on Choi’s lips as he reminisced.
“Even back then, I knew you were an exceptional talent, but you’ve exceeded my expectations with the results you’ve delivered.”
“It’s all thanks to you, sir.”
“No, it was your own abilities that got you here. I don’t think I did much to help.”
“Even if I recognized a great opportunity, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve these results without your trust and willingness to entrust me with the investments. So, I owe this success to you.”
In reality, the decision for Seok-won to form his own independent investment team had already been made by Chairman Park Tae-hong.
Most of the funds currently being managed had also been secured by Seok-won himself, meaning Choi Jin-woo’s direct involvement had been minimal.
Yet, appreciating the way Seok-won acknowledged him and upheld his dignity, Choi Jin-woo regarded him with a softened expression.
“I appreciate you saying that.”
Just then, the secretary returned, carrying a tray with two steaming cups of tea. She carefully placed them in front of both men before quietly exiting the room.
“Go ahead and take a sip. Let’s see if it suits your taste.”
Seok-won lifted the smooth, white porcelain teacup and first took in the rich, deep aroma that wafted toward him.
Then, he slowly tilted the cup, taking a small sip before setting it down with a slight nod.
“How is it?”
“The fragrance is deep, and the flavor is rich. This must be a high-quality tea.”
At that, Choi Jin-woo smiled in satisfaction.
“I don’t know much about tea, but I heard that ‘Bokwonchang’ is quite famous among Pu’er teas.”
Thanks to Manager Oh—an encyclopedic chatterbox from Yeouido—Seok-won had picked up various tidbits about Pu’er tea over time. He naturally responded.
“If it’s Bokwonchang, that’s considered a top-tier tea, often referred to as ‘antique’ Pu’er.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Seeing Choi’s growing interest, Seok-won elaborated.
“Antique Pu’er refers to tea that has been naturally fermented for at least 30 years. The longer it ages, the more nutrients it develops, and its taste and aroma become deeper.”
“So this tea has been aged for decades?”
“If it’s genuine Bokwonchang, it would have been produced between the 1920s and 1930s, so yes.”
Choi Jin-woo looked down at the tea in his cup, seemingly reevaluating it, before breaking into a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! Thanks to you, I just learned something new. I had no idea you were so knowledgeable about tea.”
“It’s just bits and pieces I’ve picked up here and there—not really anything worth boasting about.”
“No, no. That’s quite impressive.”
A faint smile played on Seok-won’s lips as he recalled a past conversation with Manager Oh.
~
That day, Manager Oh had been idling away in a shoemaker’s shop, having ditched work early. He suddenly lowered the newspaper he had been reading and blurted out,
“Hey, did you see this article?”
“What are you talking about?” Seok-won asked, curious.
“A few days ago, at an auction in Hong Kong, a single piece of Bokwonchang Pu’er tea was sold for 3 billion won.”
Pu’er tea was often compressed into round or rectangular blocks, commonly referred to as pieces (편, 片).
“Three billion? That’s incredible.”
“You know what’s even more mind-blowing?”
“What is it?”
Manager Oh, holding up the newspaper, pointed to the accompanying article and photo of the Pu’er tea.
“Back in the early ’90s, the exact same Bokwonchang that just sold only cost 300,000 won per piece.”
“Seriously?”
Seok-won’s eyes widened in disbelief, and Manager Oh vigorously nodded.
“Yeah. I know because a client who did business in China used to bring them as gifts. Just like how England is known for its black tea, China is famous for its tea culture.”
“You’re not saying it was the same tea as in the photo… right?”
Pausing his shoe polishing, Seok-won looked at him with an incredulous expression.
At that, Manager Oh let out a deep sigh, grabbed his head with both hands, and groaned in frustration.
“It was! Damn it! I brewed a cup once, didn’t like the taste, and just gave it away to another employee. What was I thinking?!”
“A 3-billion-won tea… That’s some serious waste.”
“Are you mocking me right now?”
“No, I’m genuinely impressed. Who else can say they’ve actually tasted a tea worth 3 billion won?”
“I’m going insane here.”
Manager Oh pouted, groaning dramatically as he smacked the floor in regret.
“Ugh! If I had known, I would’ve stocked up on Pu’er tea when I was in China. By now, I’d be drowning in money!”
“You couldn’t have predicted the price would skyrocket like this. The opportunity’s long gone, so there’s no point in dwelling on it. Just forget about it.”
“Do you think that’s as easy as it sounds?!”
~
As Seok-won recalled Manager Oh thrashing around, letting out a wail of despair, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him.
‘Wait a minute. If I remember correctly, right now is the absolute low point for Pu’er tea prices.’
The price of Pu’er tea had skyrocketed into the billions after China’s rapid economic growth, when wealthy Chinese elites began flaunting their ownership and consumption of antique teas as a status symbol.
‘If I play this right, this could be a seriously lucrative opportunity.’
On top of that, it could serve as a valuable gift when conducting business in China later—a perfect two-in-one strategy.
Just then, Chairman Choi Jin-woo leaned back in his seat and spoke, pulling Seok-won out of his thoughts.
“I called you here because there’s something I wanted to tell you in advance.”
Seok-won already had a good idea of what this was about, but he kept a neutral expression, listening quietly.
“I’m not sure if the Chairman Park has mentioned it to you yet, but I’ll be leaving the company at the end of this month.”
“I heard you’ve been appointed as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology.”
Chairman Choi nodded as if he had expected that response.
“I thought you might already know.”
“Yes. It’s unfortunate, but I sincerely hope you continue to find great success in your new position.”
“Thank you.”
When Seok-won greeted him with a polite and composed demeanor, Chairman Choi Jin-woo seemed quite pleased.
"I still have so much to learn from you, so it's truly regrettable that you're leaving."
Chairman Choi let out a hearty laugh.
"What are you talking about? Based on your achievements so far, it feels like I should be the one learning from you instead."
This wasn’t just a polite remark—he was genuinely talented enough to surprise even Choi Jin-woo multiple times with his abilities.
"Not at all. I still have a lot to improve on."
Seok-won responded humbly before carefully bringing up another topic.
"Even after you leave, would it be alright if I stay in touch and occasionally ask for your advice?"
Seeing someone so capable approach him with such humility and a sincere desire to maintain their connection made Choi feel deeply satisfied.
‘He’s got the right character.’
With a warm gaze, Choi nodded without hesitation.
"I don’t mind at all. Feel free to reach out anytime."
"Thank you."
Seok-won’s expression brightened with genuine appreciation.
Chairman Park Tae-hong would undoubtedly continue his relationship with Choi Jin-woo, but maintaining a personal connection on his own would also bring plenty of benefits—especially when the IMF crisis hit.
Perhaps pleased by Seok-won’s reaction, Chairman Choi, now in an even better mood, suggested with a smile:
"If you have time, why don’t we have dinner together this evening?"
"That sounds great."
TL/n -
If you don't like Tea you really must give it a chai.
