Chapter 37 The Sudden Atmosphere of a Family Meeting (1)

 

After receiving permission to go out from the Chairman, Yu-jin and Shia rode in a luxury sedan driven by the secretary and headed to the headquarters of the Cheonhwa Clan.

 

While texting with her father, Shia suddenly displayed a confused expression.

 

[Dad, I’ll visit with Yu-jin.]

 

[Shia? Did you really succeed in recruiting him?]

 

[I don’t know either;;]

 

‘What is going on? Really.’

 

Up to the point where Yu-jin rejected her temptation, that was expected.

 

Honestly, she had anticipated it.

 

Would such a proper young man fall for her temptations so easily?

 

She had thought he would just be flustered and embarrassed.

 

During that moment, she planned to bombard him with all kinds of recruitment offers, bringing him to Cheonhwa and making him sign the contract before he could even gather his wits.

 

[Don’t act seductively in front of men. Do that only with men you have feelings for.]

 

‘What is this? Why such a hypnosis?’

 

The hypnosis Yu-jin had placed by touching her shoulder left her mind wandering ever since, unable to grasp anything.

 

What was with her pouting cheeks, as if she was sulking?

 

She looked somewhat jealous.

 

Moreover, what? Could it be misunderstood as a temptation? She almost misunderstood it herself?

 

So, she should only act that way with men she has feelings for?

 

And lastly…

 

What? Let’s go see my dad?

 

A boy suggesting that himself?

 

‘No way, does he like me? Is that it!?’

 

A woman’s intuition, leaping several steps of logic.

 

Shia demonstrated a keen insight far beyond that self-proclaimed “second round hypnosis expert.”

 

It was the perceptiveness cultivated from reading numerous romance fantasy novels.

 

‘It can’t be… Of course, I’m not small? But there are many pretty and tall girls around him…’

 

Inferiority complex blocked her intuition.

 

She had been unknowingly compared for a week.

 

Feeling wronged, she secretly searched for “average breast size of Korean women” and “average breast size of women worldwide,” building up her inferiority complex.

 

Moreover, regarding her appearance, she didn’t think she was ugly.

 

Shia actually considered herself quite pretty…

 

But the girls around Yu-jin were just too glamorous.

 

Alice, the Western beauty adored by men, and Aika, with her destructively appealing qualities.

 

In such a crowd, would he really fall for her?

 

Due to these thoughts, Shia couldn’t confidently believe the answer, even if it was the correct one.

 

‘Setting that aside, why on earth…’

 

There was another reason for her complicated thoughts.

 

The hypnosis Yu-jin had placed earlier, telling her not to act seductively unless it was for someone she had feelings for.

 

[Yu, Yu-jin, look at me here…]

 

She tried a pose she thought was sexy, wondering if the hypnosis had actually taken effect.

 

Shia swayed her hips, striking a pose she considered fit for an adult magazine cover.

 

But she could do it without hesitation in front of Yu-jin.

 

Shia was just confused.

 

Was it because she had feelings for Yu-jin?

 

‘No way, do I like him too? No, I can’t be a girl who falls for a guy I’ve only known for a week.’

 

Yu Shia, a second-generation chaebol who had never been in a relationship but had a keen interest in romance.

 

She had consumed numerous romance materials.

 

In most of them, targeted at women, men fell in love at first sight, but the reverse was rare.

 

So she had thought that she, too, would fall in love only after something dramatic happened, just like in novels.

 

What? That she likes Yu-jin?

 

A desperate denial of reality followed.

 

-Muttering.

 

“It’s not love, just a man I like. It’s hard to say Yu-jin isn’t likable, so that’s what it means. Yes.”

 

“…?”

 

‘What’s Shia muttering about while looking at her phone? Is she talking about stocks or something?’

 

“Yu-jin, please take good care of our young lady.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Such things. Hehe.”

 

The secretary driving the car smiled a fatherly smile at the cute scene.

 

* * *

 

Perhaps due to the shock of having her shoulder grabbed, Shia kept flinching while looking at me. Anyway.

 

We soon arrived at the Cheonhwa Clan headquarters.

 

An imposing building greeted us.

 

‘As expected of Cheonhwa. The top clan in South Korea.’

 

Its grandeur remained unchanged even after my regression.

 

I couldn’t help but be awed.

 

What kind of clan is Cheonhwa?

 

It started as a small company by Clan Leader Yu Jeong-cheol to support his awakened wife.

 

Eventually, it became a major corporation recognized worldwide for its technological prowess.

 

Cheonhwa developed not only weapons for the awakened but also analyzed and developed artifacts obtained from gates.

 

Even Kkong and my master used special orders from here for their weapons.

 

I walked with familiar steps into such a grand clan.

 

“Is your father in the Clan Leader’s office?”

 

“Y-yes.”

 

“Then let’s go, Shia.”

 

‘In my first round, I was scolded every time I saw my father-in-law.’

 

Before my regression, I was always a sinner in front of my father-in-law.

 

He had two sons and a youngest daughter.

 

He cherished his youngest daughter, Shia, very much.

 

But what about me?

 

Not only her, but I also took Alice and my master as wives, becoming the most despicable man.

 

There was no way my father-in-law would look at me favorably.

 

Every time I visited, he would click his tongue in displeasure.

 

Of course, things were different now that I had regressed.

 

I intended to make them different.

 

-Knock knock.

 

“Chairman. Miss Shia and Awakened Seo Yu-jin are here.”

 

“Let them in.”

 

‘Good, everything is ready… perfectly.’

 

As the secretary opened the door to the Clan Leader’s office, I quietly reached into my bosom.

 

The touch of something hard at my fingertips made me feel content.

 

And then…

 

-Creak.

 

“Nice to meet you, Yu-jin.”

 

“———It’s a pleasure to meet you, Father!!”

 

I immediately bowed deeply, a 90-degree greeting.

 

Thus began the grand saga of winning the father-in-law’s favor.

 

“Yu, Yu-jin? Why suddenly? It really feels like a meeting with parents….”

 

‘I’m sorry, Shia. Right now, I have to focus on your father!’

 

Shia mumbled something, but her voice trailed off, making it hard to hear.

 

Even if I had heard it, I wouldn’t have paid attention.

 

Maintaining the 90-degree bow, I soon heard a reluctant voice.

 

“Huh. Alright. I’m Yu Jeong-cheol. Shia’s father.”

 

“Yes!! I have always held Clan Leader Yu Jeong-cheol in high regard!!”

 

“…That’s a delightful thing to hear, but straighten your back and sit down. It’s not pleasant to see a talented person like you behaving this way.”

 

“Yes!! Thank you for allowing me to sit!!”

 

But I remained in polite mode, perfect for dealing with my father-in-law.

 

Speaking clearly. Eyes bright. Actions full of respect.

 

…It might seem excessive, but this worked with him.

 

Having three wives, I had learned these tactics while being aware of everyone’s feelings.

 

“First, please accept this.”

 

“Hmm? What is this?”

 

“This is a five-year-old ginseng wine.”

 

‘I secretly brought it from the Chairman’s stash. I’ll blame Haru later.’

 

On top of that, I presented a gift.

 

A smile appeared on his face, unable to hide his joy.

 

“What brings you to offer such a gift? If you’re a friend of my daughter, you would be welcomed without any gifts.”

 

“Meeting the respected father of a colleague, how could I come empty-handed? It’s not expensive, so please accept it.”

 

“Indeed. Ginseng wine, not just any wine. I’ll accept it gladly.”

 

Thanks to that, the atmosphere became quite friendly.

 

My father-in-law’s face displayed a warmth completely different from my first round.

 

Shia’s face, on the other hand, was getting redder.

 

-Whispering.

 

“Uh, Yu-jin. Are you… by any chance.”

 

“What is it, Shia?”

 

“……!!! Oh, it’s nothing….”

 

‘Did even Shia notice? That this feels like a meeting with parents.’

 

It wasn’t hard to understand why Shia was acting that way.

 

No matter how pure and cute Shia was, she wasn’t entirely clueless about such things.

 

She seemed to have picked up on the atmosphere I was creating.

 

I decided to change direction slightly.

 

‘Can’t be helped. Let’s have a serious talk.’

 

Since I wanted to further raise my father-in-law’s favor, it would be problematic if Shia noticed my feelings now.

 

I couldn’t be seen as a madman trying to arrange a meeting with parents after only a week.

 

“Anyway, Clan Leader. Regarding the matter of joining the Cheonhwa Clan that Shia brought up… I am very positive about it.”

 

“Oh?”

 

The atmosphere changed when the clan topic was brought up.

 

The old man who was delighted by the ginseng wine transformed into a legendary businessman who built a major corporation alone in an instant.

 

A serious gaze was directed at me.

 

“Explain in detail. Why do you think so?”

 

“Because joining the Cheonhwa Clan is the dream of any awakened in Korea.”

 

“For an ordinary awakened person, maybe. But aren’t you expected to become an S-rank soon? Even the President of the United States wants you.”

 

“…?”

 

‘Why the US President…? Is there someone who needs hypnosis treatment?’

 

I was momentarily taken aback by the new information, but anyway.

 

I answered with a serious expression

 

as well.

 

“No matter how much money they offer, I have no intention of going to the US. Money is not an issue for me.”

 

‘I’ve got billions I couldn’t even spend before dying in my first round.’

 

Money didn’t matter to me.

 

What mattered was,

 

“I have no intention of leaving Korea, which I love. So, isn’t it most reasonable to sign a contract with Cheonhwa?”

 

‘No matter what, if I want to marry Shia, I need to live in Korea.’

 

My wives were all that mattered.

 

A long sigh, typical of the elderly, was released.

 

“Patriotism, you say. That’s only relevant when the difference is small. You seem unaware of your value, but the contract amount…”

 

“If I sign with Cheonhwa, the contract amount would be at most 100 billion. On the other hand, with the US, the amount would easily be in the trillions.”

 

I continued to explain calmly without getting tense.

 

Even a major corporation in Korea can’t invest much in an individual awakened person.

 

100 billion is honestly the maximum, and at most, it would be around 20 billion.

 

On the other hand, what about other countries, including the US?

 

They would go all out to recruit me.

 

Every time an S-rank gate opened, they would have to beg Kkong for help, which would be too much.

 

They would probably even get national budget support, resulting in an extraordinary amount.

 

In fact, I often received offers in the trillions in my first round.

 

“…Your estimate is quite accurate for a guess. Did Seol Ha-yeon tell you something?”

 

“No. I researched the terms and conditions of contracts for awakened individuals and estimated the amount.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Thanks to that, the gaze of my father-in-law, who had looked at me like a naive youngster, changed.

 

His question was filled with curiosity.

 

“Even knowing that, you want to stay in Korea and sign with Cheonhwa?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I don’t understand. Why?”

 

‘Because I need to marry Shia.’

 

I couldn’t answer honestly.

 

If I brought up marriage in front of my father-in-law, who cherished Shia, I might get slapped.

 

So I decided to make up an excuse.

 

I said I didn’t want to deal with taxes and politics.

 

For me, Cheonhwa was the perfect match.

 

“Shia and tax issues… Oh.”

 

‘Wait, Shia and I didn’t talk about taxes. I just assumed.’

 

I stopped myself in a hurry.

 

The tax talk was just my assumption.

 

I hadn’t actually discussed it with Shia.

 

But the half-spoken words couldn’t be taken back…

 

“Tax, tax, s*x…? What the hell are you talking about, you idiot!!!?”

 

“…?!!!!!”

 

‘Why did you take it that way, Shia!?’

 

Unfortunately, the word “tax” got cut off, causing a serious misunderstanding.

 

“That’s not it!! Tax!! I was trying to talk about taxes, but my tongue got twisted….”

 

“You rascal!!!”

 

“It’s a misunderstanding, Father!!”

 

“Who’s your father, you thief!!!”

 

The favor I had meticulously built up fell to rock bottom in an instant.