Mr. Oh adjusted his tie as he entered INNO Trade Corp. headquarters, the polished floors and sleek interior giving the space an air of understated authority. He approached the reception desk, where a young woman looked up from her computer.
"Good morning," he greeted.
"Good morning. How may I help you?" she replied politely.
"I'm the CEO of NovaSec corporation," Mr. Oh said confidently. "We've discovered vulnerabilities in your system, and I'm here to discuss them with your executives. I have a prior appointment."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Do you have the appointment confirmation?"
"Yes," he replied, producing the details smoothly. "They should have been expecting me."
After a brief verification, she nodded and gestured toward the elevators. "Please take the lift to the 15th floor, Conference Room B. Someone will meet you there."
Mr. Oh stepped into the elevator, his posture poised, his expression calm. Nothing about this situation unsettled him—he had handled bigger challenges—but he remained meticulous; every detail mattered.
- - -
Inside the conference room, several senior executives were already seated, eyeing him curiously.
"Where is your CEO?" Mr. Oh asked immediately. "I need to speak directly to him regarding these findings."
One of the executives, a tall man in a gray suit, shook his head politely. "We can handle this. You don't need the CEO present; we're equipped to assist you."
Mr. Oh's eyes narrowed slightly. "I insist. The CEO should be aware of these vulnerabilities firsthand."
He opened his laptop and projected a detailed report onto the screen. "Here is a vulnerability in your payment system. A hacker could divert all transactions in under five minutes."
He clicked to the next slide. "Additionally, your API endpoints are not properly authenticated. Unauthorized users could inject malicious requests, potentially exposing client data."
Another slide followed: "Your internal network relies on default passwords for several administrative accounts. This creates a critical entry point for an external breach."
A third vulnerability highlighted the risk of insufficient encryption on backup servers, leaving sensitive transaction logs accessible to anyone with the right access.
The executives exchanged nervous glances. Mr. Oh leaned back slightly, maintaining a composed, commanding presence. "I'll leave it to you whether the CEO should be informed. The risks are real, but your response is entirely up to your discretion."
After a tense moment of hesitation, one of the executives nodded. "We… we will request the CEO's presence."
Minutes later, the CEO of INNO Trade Corp. entered the conference room, followed by several technical directors, managers, and senior executives. The room was filled with a mix of curiosity and skepticism as all eyes turned toward Mr. Oh, who remained perfectly composed.
"Thank you all for coming," the CEO began. "Mr. Oh, I understand you've discovered vulnerabilities in our systems. Please, explain."
Mr. Oh's gaze met his steadily. "Yes. Your systems have several vulnerabilities that could be exploited by skilled hackers. I've prepared a detailed report outlining each one, along with potential impacts and solutions."
The CEO leaned forward, his expression now fully attentive.
Mr. Oh opened his laptop and gestured toward the projected slides. "We've analyzed your network thoroughly. There are three critical vulnerabilities I'd like to bring to your attention."
A technical director leaned forward. "And you are…?"
"I am the CEO of NovaSec, a tech and cybersecurity subsidiary under Hanil Group. Our company specializes in development of advanced security systems, network protection tools and provides consulting services, including vulnerability assessment, penetration testing and incident response, helping businesses safeguard their online operations and data." Mr. Oh explained, his tone calm, confident, and precise.
A manager frowned. "NovaSec? We haven't heard of your company before. How do we know you're legitimate?"
Mr. Oh clicked to the first slide. "I assure you, NovaSec has successfully tested multiple high-profile systems. To demonstrate, here's the evidence of vulnerabilities I discovered in your system."
He highlighted the first vulnerability: Payment system manipulation, showing how transactions could be rerouted within five minutes if exploited.
Next, he outlined unsecured API endpoints, emphasizing that unauthorized requests could leak client data.
Finally, he presented default administrative passwords and insufficient encryption on backup servers, explaining the potential for a serious breach if left unaddressed.
A technical director whispered to a colleague, skeptical. "This seems… thorough, far too accurate."
Mr. Oh caught the comment and smiled faintly. "I am confident in our ability to mitigate these vulnerabilities completely."
The room was quiet, and then the CEO spoke up. "Even if this is true, why should we trust NovaSec with this? What guarantees do we have?"
Mr. Oh leaned forward, projecting calm authority. "You pay only if we succeed. If we do, the fee is 150 million won. You have nothing to lose—and everything to gain."
The CEO's eyes widened slightly. "150 million won? That's quite a substantial amount.
Mr. Oh remained calm and composed, "Well, considering the huge losses involved if these vulnerabilities get exploited— the potential loss of billions of won, severe damage to your reputation, loss of core investors, and even bankruptcy— it's a reasonable offer.
A manager raised an eyebrow. "And you expect us to hand over sensitive system access to a company we've never worked with before?"
"Access will be limited and monitored," Mr. Oh replied smoothly. "Our procedures are secure, transparent, and fully auditable. You'll see every step we take to resolve these issues."
The CEO exchanged glances with the technical directors, their hesitation palpable. Mr. Oh noticed the pause and continued.
"To make this simple: your business continues uninterrupted. No risk to your company, no upfront payment, and full accountability on our side. We've drafted a contract reflecting this. It's straightforward, fair, and transparent."
He handed a sleek folder to the CEO, who opened it carefully, scanning the terms.
"So… if NovaSec does not fix everything we've discussed, we don't pay?" asked one of the senior managers.
"Correct," Mr. Oh said firmly. "Your obligation only activates upon successful remediation of all identified vulnerabilities. This ensures complete alignment of interests."
After a few moments of tense silence, the CEO leaned back in his chair, nodding slowly. "Very well. We will proceed with your assessment under these terms. But know that we will be monitoring everything closely."
"Of course," Mr. Oh replied, his shoulders relaxing. "Transparency and accountability are fundamental to our operations. You can trust that every action taken will be verifiable and documented."
The room relaxed slightly as executives whispered amongst themselves, now impressed by the clarity and confidence in Mr. Oh's presentation.
The contract was signed. On paper, it marked the beginning of a business deal.In reality — it was the first move of a genius reshaping the game.