I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 59: The Beginning of the ’90s (2)

I dealt with that person cleanly. Since there’d been a backlog of shady activities inside Daehwa Securities, I just dumped all the blame on them and got rid of them.

—Tap.

I tilted my head, walked forward, and stared closely at the face of a new employee.

This was the last person I hadn’t looked at. Since I’d already found the traitor, I stood before her with a light heart.

‘Yeah. No way I’d miss someone this pretty if I’d seen her before.’

The newbie flinched when the company’s owner (a chaebol third-generation young miss) suddenly came to see her, bowing with trembling shoulders.

“H-Hello, Miss. I’m Choi Yeon-ha, newly hired.”

I smiled and gave her a few gentle pats on the shoulder.

“Mm. I remember your name now. Choi Yeon-ha... Ahaha, what a unique name. I like it—it’s kind of similar to mine.”

Sweat poured down the newbie’s face.

Smiling brightly, I pondered with pleasant mischief.

“Hmm..., which department would be best for our Yeon-ha?”

“I-I’m sorry! P-Please... have mercy.”

When she suddenly dropped to her knees and bowed her head, I laughed and pulled her back up.

“Hahaha, it’s nothing like that, so don’t worry.”

I’m not that bad, you know?

“R-Really?”

“It’s just a department assignment. Hmm, where would be good...? Oh! That place, right?”

She clenched her hands nervously and asked,

“Where?”

“We need to send someone to Russia soon—how about transferring there? Mmhm. Oh, is it still the Soviet Union? Anyway, do your best.”

“....”

Before I even finished speaking, Choi Yeon-ha’s face turned deathly pale.

It’s actually a really good post, but this is why prejudice is so harmful.

Sure, it’s a little tough living there as a woman, but hey, that’s life.

***

‘D-Did she find out...?’

Choi Yeon-ha shivered in anxiety the moment she heard that Yoo Ha-yeon, owner of Daehwa Securities, was coming to see her.

At first, it wasn’t a big deal.

She’d joined the company without much thought, and then found out it was way more impressive than expected—and that a famous American fund had been created by Yoo Ha-yeon, which shocked her.

‘...I thought the main office already knew, of course!’

But apparently, that wasn’t the case.

—Eh? Alpha Fund? What are you talking about, Yeon-ha?

When a senior at the main office said that to her, Choi Yeon-ha felt an ominous chill.

Could it be... nobody knows?

What she’d said without thinking at first started to weigh heavier over time. At the beginning, it was just “Huh...?” with a weird feeling—but later she realized that comment had been a huge mistake.

Black Monday? The Japanese bubble...?

After learning Yoo Ha-yeon was connected to all of it, Choi Yeon-ha had a fierce urge to quit her job.

The only reason she hadn’t acted on that impulse was because some tiny sliver of reason still screamed against it.

‘I’ll die. I’m gonna die...!’

Rumors were flying about a traitor being purged, and someone from a neighboring department had just been “fired” for embezzlement. Quitting now would be reckless, not brave.

Actually, was quitting even an option? Would a company that harbored such massive secrets really let her walk away?

Was this even a normal company? Could it be that Daehwa Group was actually some secret organization that controlled Korea? And that Yoo Ha-yeon, who was supposedly still in elementary school, wasn’t even human—maybe an alien like E.T.?

After barely managing to say a normal greeting, Choi Yeon-ha lowered her gaze, trying not to make eye contact.

“Mm. I remember your name now. Choi Yeon-ha....”

“...!”

She couldn’t breathe.

The equivalent of the company’s president remembered her name...?

After that, she completely lost her mind and started babbling, begging for forgiveness.

What did she even say?

She’d groveled until her hands became her feet, and a moment later Yoo Ha-yeon’s terrifying words rang out.

“We need to send someone to Russia soon—how about transferring there? Mmhm. Oh, is it still the Soviet Union? Anyway, do your best.”

The Soviet Union? The Soviet Union!?

And “still” the Soviet Union? What does that mean? Is it going to collapse or something?

...But why me?

‘Ah... Ahhh...’

Running her mouth cheaply in front of the shadow that controls the world economy—her sin was far too great.

Choi Yeon-ha slumped down, cursing her foolish former self.

Of course, if Choi Yeon-ha had been a little smarter, she would’ve realized that her senior didn’t even believe what she said, nor did they have the authority to report anything up the chain.

But if she were that smart, she wouldn’t have run her mouth in the first place... so her descent into paranoia was the only natural outcome.

***

December. I received the year-end reports and marveled at them.

The sudden increase in work speed near the end of the year was clearly visible.

It must’ve been thanks to my personal rounds under the pretense of “encouragement” while secretly hunting for the traitor.

“Damn, when the Big Boss does a surprise inspection, the kids’ productivity goes through the roof, huh?”

Director Choi, who brought the reports, nodded reluctantly.

“...Yes. It certainly seems that way. Especially the new hires—they’re working quite hard.”

As they should.

I mean, the pretty, graceful, merciful, ultra-genius chaebol third-generation young miss herself is personally encouraging the underlings.

Of course, I also handed out generous cash bonuses... but mmhm, clearly this level of performance is thanks to my overwhelming charm. That one girl—was it Choi Yeon-ha? She seemed to be doing especially well.

Next time I see her, I’ll make sure to give her a signal that I remember her. Or maybe... I’ll just send her to the Russia branch and make her my personal secretary?

I glanced over at Si-hyun beside me.

My gloomy secretary, now counting down to thirty, stared back at me.

—What? What now?

That was the vibe her eyes gave off. I let out a deep sigh.

“Can’t believe you’re hitting thirty already, Si-hyun... you’re old now...”

“That’s a bit harsh, Miss.”

Director Choi—currently 49—suddenly flared up, and Lee Si-hyun joined in with a voice heavy with depression.

“He’s right, that’s just mean. Really....”

“Ehh, once you’re old, you may as well die.”

I grumbled, and Si-hyun flailed her hands in alarm.

“Please don’t say things like that, Miss. It’s scary when you say it. I-I’m sorry.”

Hmm... do I really come off that scary?

Kids these days are so spineless.

“Enough with the empty words. Starting next year, you’re becoming Chief Secretary, right? You’ll be executive-level now, so you need to carry yourself accordingly.”

“...Ah.”

Chief Secretary is basically equivalent to an executive. If you’re Chief Secretary to the head of the group, you’re on par with a vice chairman.

Lately, Si-hyun had improved a lot at her job, but most of her time had been spent tending to me—so I hadn’t had much chance to grow her other skills.

Time to level her up quickly.

“On January 1st, let’s go to the department store and get some decent clothes. We’ll use the company card—it’s for maintaining dignity.”

“...Isn’t that a holiday?”

Smirk.

I grinned evilly and let out a mischievous hum.

“Hah? If I’m going, of course we have to open the store. From now on, any day I show up isn’t a holiday.”

“...Please don’t. If you do that at the department store, I’ll be too sick to even try on clothes.”

Can’t wear clothes?

Wow, naked.

“Stop thinking weird stuff. You’re not like this with other secretaries too, right?”

“C’mon, no way. You’re the only one I mess with like this.”

“That... somehow makes it worse....”

***

As always, the chaotic year of 1990 came to an end...

And 1991 arrived.

The turning point when the Soviet Union collapsed and Pax Americana took over—the true start of the ’90s.

‘Honestly, something else draws my attention more.’

The ’90s was also when computer performance gradually improved, and fun games started appearing.

Sonic, Final Fantasy IV, Street Fighter II, Civilization...

“So... is that why you called me during the New Year’s holiday?”

“Mmhm, yep. I called you so we could play games together.”

Excited for the holiday, I unboxed the arcade machine. It was Street Fighter II—the grandfather of all fighting games, which you could still enjoy thanks to its low reliance on graphics.

Si-hyun stared blankly at the screen and asked sourly,

“...Didn’t you say you’d stop bothering me now that I’m Chief Secretary?”

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

“Come on, today’s a holiday.”

“...Don’t you have any friends to call during the holidays?”

“...Friend? You’re right here. We’re friends, right Si-hyun? Ah, Lee Ryeon said she can’t come today.”

“....”

Sigh.

I dug into my drawer and pulled out a check.

“Here. This year’s friend fee. Satisfied?”

“...I’m good.”

Si-hyun sat down, looking at me with pity in her eyes.