Boardroom Power Plays and a Country Club Conspiracy

Episode 9 of The Art of Negotiation kicks off with a major shift: Chairman Jae-sik offers Joo-no a seat on Sanin’s board. But Joo-no doesn’t just want a title—he wants voting rights. Jae-sik agrees, but not without strings. His final test? Sell off one of Sanin’s country clubs to help close out the company’s crushing debt.

Shifting Allegiances and Strategic Moves

The moment Joo-no steps into the boardroom, the power dynamics at Sanin start to shift. Board members begin drifting away from CFO Ha Tae-su, whose influence is clearly fading, and align themselves with Director Dong-ju instead. The message is clear: Joo-no’s presence means change is coming.

Behind the scenes, Joo-no’s motives come into focus. He’s not just chasing power—he wants access. Access to board records. Access to the truth behind the insider trading scandal that destroyed his career and led to his brother’s death.

The Country Club Deal Gets Personal

The M&A team dives into the new assignment: selling a Sanin-owned country club. Through Director Kang, Joo-no connects with a mysterious buyer—who insists on staying anonymous. The team travels to the property, which just so happens to be located in Soon-young’s hometown. Nostalgia aside, things get complicated fast.

They meet with the club’s current CEO, a man who kept the business afloat during an industry slump. The terms of the deal? All employees stay—except for the CEO. It's a harsh condition, and the CEO takes it quietly, knowing he’s being sacrificed for the sale.

Turns out, he's planning to move to the U.S. to reunite with his family and dreams of buying the flower shop where his wife works. But he’s short on funds. Joo-no doesn’t make promises—but says he’ll try.

The Buyer’s Identity—and Agenda

Then comes the twist. The anonymous buyer? None other than the former CEO of Sanin Construction, a long-time ally of Ha Tae-su. This isn’t just business—it’s political.

Knowing they’ve walked into a trap, Joo-no’s team prepares for battle. They brace for a brutal due diligence phase, where the buyer will dig for any weakness to lower the sale price.

A Hidden Leak and a Personal Betrayal

As the deal progresses, cracks begin to show. Min-jung uncovers a financial red flag—club earnings have mysteriously disappeared. In a parallel scene, we see Soon-young’s childhood friend withdrawing a large sum from a hidden bank account.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger: Soon-young confronts her as she returns from the bank, suspicion heavy in the air.

Embezzlement, Power Plays, and a Boardroom Betrayal

Episode 10 of The Art of Negotiation throws us straight into the fallout. Joo-no and the M&A team arrive at the country club’s office with one question: where did the money go? The CEO—who’s conveniently about to disappear to the U.S.—is one of the only people authorized to access the missing funds.

A Friend, a Lie, and a Twist

Meanwhile, Soon-young is chasing a lead of his own. He tracks down his childhood friend Bon Joo, who bolts into a taxi before he can confront her. Through his old circle, he learns the truth: Bon Joo’s best friend, a club employee, was injured in a golf cart accident. Bon Joo allegedly used the "missing" funds to cover the client’s lawsuit settlement.

Later, she confirms it to the M&A team—but that’s not all. She also exposes the CEO for embezzling ₩1 million, right before his planned exit. Turns out, he’d been secretly collecting cash payments from caddies for training sessions and stashing the money in an unofficial account. Not only is it off the books, but the caddies have no legal way to get their money back.

Bon Joo had gathered consent from the caddies to withdraw the funds after the company refused to support her injured friend. But when she tried to make the withdrawal, the account was already wiped clean—the exact amount the CEO had just requested from Joo-no as “severance.” Coincidence? Hardly.

The CEO is promptly reported. Thanks to Joo-no’s intervention, Bon Joo is cleared by HR, but the CEO isn’t so lucky—he’s held responsible for both the embezzlement and the settlement money.

A Test, a Trap, and a Bigger Game

With the financial scandal handled, Joo-no updates the buyer, CEO Lee Hun-min. But Hun-min drops a bomb: he’s firing the entire staff.

Turns out, this wasn’t just about selling a country club—it was a loyalty test. Jae-shik wanted to see whether Joo-no would sacrifice people to climb higher. Worse, Dong-ju reveals Jae-shik’s real plan: to re-enter the construction business using this land deal as the backdoor in.

But there’s a problem—Sanin is legally barred from operating in construction again. And the risk? Huge.

As if that’s not enough, the team uncovers more embezzlement—this time from the club’s game department. The same CEO is still at the center of it all, but the deeper rot is undeniable.

Joo-no Strikes Back

Joo-no decides to act. He orchestrates a very public meeting between the new CEO of Sanin Construction and Jae-shik, Ha Tae-su, Hun-min, and their lawyer. The message is clear: don’t move forward. It works—Jae-shik backs off and tells Joo-no to cancel the sale.

But then comes the gut punch: Joo-no is declared unfit for the board seat. He passed the test—but failed the politics.

That night, someone visits Joo-no. We don’t see who, but we hear the order: “Proceed with the plan.” Whatever Joo-no’s next move is, it’s already in motion.

Then the Hammer Falls

The next day, the real blow lands. Joo-no is officially suspended, and the M&A office is placed under audit. New allegations have surfaced—insider trading, again.

Just like that, Joo-no is back where he started—accused, targeted, and isolated. But this time, he's not going down without a fight.

DramaZen's Opinion

Twists, Corruption, and Cold Calculations

Episodes 9 and 10 of The Art of Negotiation deliver a one-two punch of corporate scheming and personal fallout. What starts as a mission to sell a country club quickly turns into a high-stakes trap, with embezzlement, insider alliances, and a brutal loyalty test thrown into the mix.

Episode 9 gave us emotional depth—especially through Soon-young’s connection to the club and Bon Joo’s morally gray decision to help her friend. The unraveling of the CEO’s secret fund was satisfying, and the way the M&A team handled the fallout showed just how sharp they’ve become.

Then episode 10 pulled the rug out. Joo-no faces a no-win situation: protect employees or climb the ladder. He chooses integrity—and gets burned. Jae-shik’s construction scheme, the public showdown, and the final twist with Joo-no’s suspension all set the stage for an explosive next chapter.

Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Episodes 9 and 10 prove this drama isn’t just about negotiation—it’s about navigating a system designed to break you. And Joo-no? He’s not backing down.