Team leader Lee Yu-jeong said she would go to the site immediately, suggesting that CEO Kang and Ji-hong return to the company on their own.

"At the end of the day, this place doesn't suit us," CEO Kahn said as he got into a car parked in the parking lot.

"If he wasn't going to cooperate with us, why did he sit and listen to our presentation? After all, it's a waste of time," the CEO must have been aware of this fact before, but acted as if he had just realized it. Perhaps he thought that Jihong would blame himself for what had happened.

"Sir, I'm sorry. Because of me...

And indeed, just as Jihong started apologizing, CEO Kang quickly chimed in, "Nonsense! What are you talking about? It's not your fault. He was not even going to sign a contract with us, and made it clear that he was not satisfied with our conditions, moreover, he dozed off during the meeting. Do you think I'm here to clean up after those who can't tell right from wrong? I also have my own principles and rules."

Kang Taejin was a man with a fine character. Jihong, although he doubted his ability to run a business, always admired the personality of the CEO. He is a former volleyball player who has endured both harsh treatment and support from his own agency. He understood the importance of such companies better than anyone else. This prompted him to create and head the agency, but his temper led to various conflict situations. Although the disagreements were more insignificant compared to the last case. Such situations were not uncommon in this industry.

"Such people are everywhere. When things are going well, they cling to their former colleagues for no reason. It is understandable if they have previously suffered from the actions of comrades-in-arms. After all, often the elders behave ridiculously, spewing bile. But this is not always the case, and there is no reason to hold a grudge. In general, it seems to me that they are just trying to boast about how successful their life was. Such people are really pathetic."

CEO Kang seemed to believe that Jaekyung deliberately asked such a question in front of others to humiliate Jihon. From his point of view, this was quite reasonable, because he couldn't help but know that Jihon was an omega.

Unlike in the past, nowadays disclosing one's secondary gender in employment is an optional procedure, and this was left to the discretion of the company. However, special caution was required in sports agencies, because alpha athletes took drugs to reduce sensitivity to pheromones. At Spoin, employees were advised to provide such information to the HR department in advance. But because it wasn't necessary, fewer people provided their data than those who didn't. Many did not want to disclose their status, trusting the effectiveness of the chips. Assistant manager Nam Seungmyung was one of the few to publicly disclose his secondary gender. However, such a case is rare: most employees either remained silent or simply provided medical certificates, like Jihon.

In any case, CEO Kang learned about Jihong being an omega from the report provided by the Human Resources Department, but Jaekyung had no way of finding out about it. The last time Jaekyung saw him nine years ago, he believed that Jihong was beta and even thought that he had given up swimming because of it.

It is quite rude to ask such questions in front of the general public, especially if the questioner is an alpha. Unless the one he asked was his fellow alpha. It is clear that anyone will be dissatisfied and suspicious of his intentions.

Jihong, he thought, understood Jaekyung: "He thinks I quit swimming because I was a beta and I can't beat alphas. And the question about the secondary sex was not a mere curiosity, it wanted to confuse me," and smiled bitterly.

Kwon Jaekyung is currently the most popular athlete, and Jihong worked as an agent who took care of other athletes. If Jaekyung's intention was to make Jihong realize the difference between alpha and beta given their current situation, then this is quite cruel. After all, Jihong could have been injured as a beta and stopped training because of it.

"....But why does he want to hurt me?" He wondered if their last meeting had left a lasting grudge on Jaekyung. After all, he loved swimming very much. Perhaps he didn't like it when Jihong quit training as if running away. Moreover, Ji-hon's sarcastic remark about Jaekyung speaking like a typical alpha could have hurt his young heart. So, he realized that Jaekyung could have said these words in a fit of anger when he saw his face...

"Is he the kind of person who can hold a grudge?" - Jihong found this a little unexpected. It was unbelievable that Jaekyung remembered such a thing for so long. After all, Jaekyung is a person who was not interested in others and treated everyone like nothing, and even if something bad happened, this guy would quickly forget.

"Well, I have no idea. How do I know his real identity? Ten years ago, we hardly spoke. Whatever it is, I hope it eases his mind a little," Jihong decided to put an end to the gloomy thoughts, and tried not to worry anymore. More precisely, he didn't want to continue thinking about it. However, the reality turned out to be not the most pleasant. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Mr. Jeong, how did it go?" as soon as he returned to the office, Assistant Manager Nam immediately attacked him with questions.

"Well, that's a failure," Jihong replied briefly.

"Hmm, quite expected," Nam's assistant manager pretended to theatrically wipe away tears. It seemed that he had already foreseen the failure, as he did it right away without asking the reason.

So, is he going to sign with Kava?

"I'm afraid it will. Oh, but I'm not quite sure anymore.

Jihong told the assistant manager about the events in the hotel lobby. When he briefly explained the content of the call from a Kava employee, the assistant manager's eyes bulged in shock and asked, "Really? Won't he go to the Olympics?"

"But why not?" Why won't he take part?

"I don't know.

Jihon shrugged his shoulders, unable to answer. Assistant Manager Nam crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head, thinking, "Does that mean he's just targeting a Grand Slam? And wants to resign without any regrets after reaching this milestone?"

A Grand Slam swimming tournament required winning the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pacific Championships, as well as one international competition on each continent, such as the Asian Games, the European Championships, or the Americas Cup. While in some international competitions the term "Grand Slam" has been widely used to refer to winning four events regardless of their size, in the world of swimming it has been strictly defined as the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. Kwon Jaekyung has already achieved victories at the Olympic Games, World Championships and Asian Games, and now in a month and a half he is waiting for the upcoming Pacific competition. If he takes gold, he will become the first Asian swimmer to complete a Grand Slam tournament. Given his current abilities, everyone predicted that he would definitely get his way if the competition wasn't canceled.

"Well, the Grand Slam tournament is already an outstanding feat in itself. If he does, he may not regret anything. But winning two Olympic titles in a row would be an incredibly insane career breakthrough. Will there be two wins in a row? Looking at Kwon Jae-kyung right now, I think a three-game winning streak is also possible. Right, Mr. Jeong?" - Assistant Manager Nam asked Ji-hong and continued, "In the next Olympics, he will turn 26."

— A swimmer at the age of 26 is already considered old. It would be polite to let him retire with dignity

"Wow, how cruel," the assistant manager replied with a smile: "But in any case, it all depends on the person. See how Kwon Jaekyung is feeling now. Even if at the age of 26 he shows the worst results, he will still surpass most other athletes."

Indeed, Kwon Jaekyung's exceptional natural abilities and rigorous training regimen set him apart from others. If he can avoid possible injuries, his game is likely to remain top-notch, regardless of his age. Although some may argue that his skills may not be the same as they used to be. But he is still at the level of the strongest swimmers in the world.

"Oh, but Kava must be hard. They have invested billions of won in the down payment, so they will have to spend at least three years on advertising to compensate. Probably, they offered to achieve a Grand Slam this year. It would be a great idea to promote him for a year and aim to win two Olympic titles in a row before he runs out of strength."

"I suppose so

"Hmph, I wonder what will happen next," Assistant Manager Nam expressed his curiosity. From the way he crossed his arms over his chest and spoke in awe, he didn't seem to suspect that Kwon Jaekyung had already met their group before.

"It's better to give up things that won't work out altogether," Jihong thought, thanking the assistant manager for the quick change of subject. He then shifted his focus to a Word file on his desktop to begin work on a press release that was due out the next day. However, just as he was about to start typing, the office door opened and two members of the marketing department walked in side by side with an excited look.

"Wow, is this reality?" What the hell is going on?

"Is he going to sign a contract with us?"

"Hey, that's impossible

"Why are they talking so animatedly among themselves?" wondered Jihon before asking his colleagues.

"Has something happened?"

"Oh, Kwon Jaekyung is downstairs right now

"We were passing by and saw him in the lobby on the first floor.

Hearing the news, the whole office began to thunder with excitement. Some laughed it off, considering Kwon Jaekyung's visit absurd. However, there were others who abruptly jumped from their seats, exclaiming: "I'll go check it out, just in case."

"What?" It's true?

Assistant Manager Nam exchanged incredulous glances with Jihon.

"This cannot be. They were definitely wrong," a phone call suddenly rang out at the moment of Jihon's answer. Jihon answered the challenge slowly as soon as he could.

[Assistant Manager Jung Jihong of Spoin? Calling from the first floor lobby.