Joo Dae-sik had been posturing long enough. Now it was time for a little payback.
Haven't you heard the saying? For every person who shows off, there are nine waiting to knock them down.
After his polite words to Chairman Jeong, Eun-woo turned his gaze to the fuming Joo Dae-sik.
"Heh. Joo Seonsaengnim. The appraisal is complete. Isn't it time to settle our wager?"
Upon hearing this, Joo Dae-sik's face flushed with rage. He hadn't actually believed this brat would have the gall to call in the bet.
As Eun-woo spoke, Chairman Jeong frowned and glanced at Ms. Shin, the clerk standing nearby. She immediately understood, leaned in, and quietly relayed the details of the earlier confrontation and the terms of the bet.
"A wager? What wager?" Joo Dae-sik scoffed, his expression morphing into one of wounded righteousness. "I was merely offering guidance as an elder to a wayward youth. Is this how you repay concern? With such ingratitude?"
In Joo Dae-sik's mind, he had already suffered a massive blow to his pride. Smashing his car on top of that would mean losing both face and money. He was not about to be that foolish.
Eun-woo wasn't surprised by the man's shameless backtracking. Someone of that character keeping their word? Unlikely.
But Eun-woo had no intention of letting it slide. If you choose to act superior, you must be prepared for the consequences.
Facing Joo Dae-sik's brazen denial, Eun-woo simply smiled and nodded, then turned his attention back to Chairman Jeong.
"My apologies, Jeong Seonsaengnim. It seems this matter will take longer to resolve than I'd hoped. The Suneung is in two days, and my time is unfortunately limited. I should probably be going."
His words sent a ripple of surprise through the room. A high school student? About to take the Suneung? The gazes turned toward Eun-woo held new respect and curiosity.
With a final, polite nod to Chairman Jeong and Senior Appraiser Kim, Eun-woo turned to leave. As he did, he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for the three key figures nearby to catch it.
"Aish… What a waste of time. I'll just take the other pieces to that new auction house in Gangnam tomorrow. They were quite eager…"
The words "other pieces" struck like a lightning bolt. Chairman Jeong's eyes sharpened instantly, but he glanced at Joo Dae-sik, his recently promoted director, and hesitated. Forcing an employee to destroy his property over a petty bet was… unseemly.
Joo Dae-sik, meanwhile, felt a cold dread. He worried his boss might side with the boy just to secure this "treasure" and the hinted-at others. He quickly interjected, his voice oily with false sincerity.
"Chairman, please, it's all a misunderstanding! I know this boy's family. I was just… giving him some stern, well-meaning advice. It got out of hand."
Before Chairman Jeong could respond, a voice spoke up from the small crowd of onlookers—a middle-aged man in a nice coat.
"Young man, you said the Suneung is in two days? My daughter is taking it as well." He then turned a disapproving gaze on Joo Dae-sik. "And you, Seonsaengnim. I must say, that wager was utterly without principle. You clearly stated that if his item was fake, he would work here unpaid for a week. Were you planning to make him miss his university entrance exams? What kind of malice is that?"
The man's words were a bucket of cold water, clarifying the situation for everyone. The initial impression of a stern elder teaching a lesson evaporated, replaced by the ugly reality: Joo Dae-sik had tried to trap a student into missing the most important exam of his life over a piece of porcelain.
A collective murmur of disapproval rose. Chairman Jeong's expression, which had been neutral, hardened. Even Senior Appraiser Kim shook his head in clear disgust.
No one, including Chairman Jeong, had considered the timing. The revelation cast Joo Dae-sik's actions in a sinister new light. Chairman Jeong's displeasure was now palpable. Promoting this man suddenly seemed like a significant error in judgment.
His mind made up, Chairman Jeong spoke, his voice calm but carrying a finality that brooked no argument.
"Young man, please wait." He then addressed Ms. Shin without looking away from Joo Dae-sik. "Ms. Shin, please fetch a heavy hammer from the restoration workshop."
Joo Dae-sik trembled. "Chairman, you can't be serious, I—"
"A person's word is their bond," Chairman Jeong cut him off, his tone icy. "You made a public declaration in my establishment. Myeongbo's reputation is built on trust. The car will be dealt with today. If you lack the conviction, I will have someone assist you."
The gentle, refined facade was gone, revealing the steel of a successful businessman. His words were the final verdict.
Joo Dae-sik knew with sinking certainty that if he didn't comply, his career at Myeongbo—and likely in the upscale antique district of Insadong—was over.
---
CRASH—SHATTER!
In the public parking lot adjacent to the antique district, the cacophony of breaking safety glass and crumpling metal drew a crowd.
The first swing of the sledgehammer turned the Porsche Cayenne's windshield into a spiderweb of cracks with a gaping hole in the center. The next blow left a massive, ugly dent on the hood.
Clang! Thud! Crash!
Swing after mechanical swing, Joo Dae-sik reduced his prized status symbol to a mangled heap of scrap. Security guards approached, but upon learning the man smashing the car was its registered owner, they could only shrug and step back to watch the spectacle, ensuring no other vehicles were damaged.
With each brutal impact, Joo Dae-sik's humiliation and fury boiled hotter. In his mind, the sledgehammer wasn't striking German engineering—it was crushing the skull of that insufferable Song Eun-woo.
That little bastard… he seethed internally, his face a mask of sweaty, red-faced rage. Just you wait. I'll make you pay for this humiliation. Sooner or later.
[To be continued…]