RR 13
[013] Tumultuous Political Situation 2.
When I lived as Yoon Hyun-woo and cleaned the bathrooms for the Jin family, Jin Yoon-gi, Jin Sang-jun, and Jin Do-jun weren’t on my list because they were a family completely ignored by the group.
That’s why I only remembered the number twelve for the third generation. I wracked my brain trying to recall why the name Jin Do-jun didn’t come to mind, and the last drop of memory provided the clue.
The tragic traffic accident of the Sunyang family.
This was a fact I learned by searching old news articles when I was working as a servant for this family, but I quickly forgot it. After all, it wasn’t a family I needed to be interested in.
The disappointing part was that I couldn’t remember any detailed information about the traffic accident.
I racked my brain for months trying to recall the exact date, time, place, and cause, but nothing came up.
I need to be careful so the future doesn’t change drastically, but what would happen if I avoided death, and if I fought fiercely for control of Sunyang Group?
Also, if I somehow managed to keep my grandfather, Jin Yang-cheol, alive a little longer, would the future change significantly?
I still don’t have answers to these confusing questions.
Every day, I must constantly check my actions and their results and be cautious. For now, that’s all I can do.
Tonight, I also need to have a very meticulous and careful dinner.
Because it’s just me and my grandfather.
.
.
.
Dinner with Grandfather
“Our boy is here?”
“Grandfather.”
Damn it!
Acting like a grandson who loves his grandfather and running to him. This is the hardest part.
Chairman Jin, who smiled and gently touched my face for a moment, then seated me in a dining chair.
The private room of Sunyang Hotel’s Western restaurant.
Today, he must have wanted to have time alone with me, without anyone’s interference or watchful eyes.
How happy must he have been when the election results came out this morning, revealing that his bet had paid off?
For the next five years, Sunyang Group can run unimpeded.
“Chairman Jin’s help, I will never forget it. Thank you.”
It was a greeting from the president-elect himself, who called the moment the election results came out, as if to prove the immediate effect of the bet.
“Our Do-jun, today this grandfather will buy you delicious food and all the toys you want. How about it?”
“I haven’t told you my grades yet, have I?”
“Grades?”
“Yes.”
“Ah…! That’s right. We made a promise on your grandfather’s birthday, didn’t we?”
Of course, he would have forgotten such a promise. Today’s reason wasn’t that, but my advice. It was a celebration of having made a big bet on one candidate and sweeping the pot.
“So, did you keep your promise?”
“Yes. I got ‘A’s in all subjects. Because I got a perfect score in everything.”
Chairman Jin blinked and asked again.
“Perfect score in all subjects?”
“Yes. I’m the only one in my class who got a perfect score in everything.”
“Oh, my Do-jun… always one-upping. What should I do? It’s too late to buy a horse today.”
As if I’d covet a horse? I said “horse” as a pretext to get something bigger. If he wants to buy what I really want, this old man’s going to spend some serious money.
“It’s okay. I can’t even ride it anyway. I can learn to ride during winter break, and you can buy it for me after that. But Grandfather,”
“Yes?”
“If it’s not because of the promise, then why…?”
“Ah, well. Because of our Do-jun, your grandfather’s company can become much bigger.”
The company will grow. In other words, it will earn an enormous amount of money.
Ordinary merchants invest money and make a profit.
Big merchants invest in political power and secure special privileges.
While ordinary merchants are satisfied with a 10%, 20% profit, big merchants are only satisfied when they receive privileges that guarantee tens, even hundreds of times the profit.
Since he invested in the next president, the most significant political power, the result was obviously going to be enormous.
I beamed and said,
“Then you can give me something bigger than what you promised, right?”
“Something bigger? Of course. I should naturally give you something bigger and better. Let’s see… I promised to buy a real horse, but what would be better than that?”
“I’ve been thinking, Grandfather.”
“Yes. Tell me.”
“If you buy a horse, you’ll keep it at Grandfather’s ranch in Jeju Island, right?”
“That’s right. You can’t raise it at home, can you?”
“I want to ride a horse every day, but I can’t if it’s in Jeju Island.”
“Really? Then what should we do…?”
As Chairman Jin thought of an alternative, the food began to arrive.
Indeed, as the owner of a hotel, the food was extraordinary.
Though it was clearly a Western restaurant, sushi, sashimi, bulgogi, doenjang-jjigae, and steak were served together, along with jajangmyeon and various cakes clearly prepared just for me.
Perhaps the old man liked the full-course traditional Korean dining style where everything was laid out at once.
“Shall we eat first and think about it?”
Yes, let’s eat first. And in abundance, deliciously.
What could be happier for a grandfather than watching his bloodline eat their fill?
Sure enough, Chairman Jin began to gaze at me with great satisfaction as I devoured the food without rest.
“Grandfather, you should eat too.”
“Yes, yes. Hoho.”
Chairman Jin swallowed a few pieces of sashimi with a benevolent smile.
“To make sure our Do-jun can ride a horse every day, it seems I’ll have to acquire another ranch, won’t I?”
That’s right. That was exactly what I wanted to hear.
“Really?”
I quickly swallowed the food in my mouth and my eyes sparkled, and Chairman Jin smiled brightly.
“Of course. Didn’t I tell you? I’ll give you something bigger. I’ll give you a ranch where our Do-jun can go anytime. How about it?”
Oh, yes…! I almost blurted it out.
I needed to express the joy of achieving my goal, and as Chairman Jin’s grandson, there was only one way to express that joy.
It was cringeworthy, but unavoidable. Shouldn’t I make Grandfather happy?
I got down from my chair, scurried over to Chairman Jin, and hugged him tightly.
“Hohoho, you little rascal. Are you that happy?”
He kept laughing, seemingly pleased that I was so affectionate.
Now, it was time to move to the next stage. I returned to my seat, tilted my head, and said,
“But Grandfather, where is your ranch? Near our house? Or near Grandfather’s house?”
“Hoho, if you raise horses in the middle of a residential area, you’ll be kicked out. Horse manure smells awful.”
“Then?”
“If you go a little further north from Seoul, there’s a place called Wondang, and there’s already a ranch there. We can acquire that.”
A mistake!
Was there a ranch in Wondang? I absolutely must not acquire that. That’s not the place I want.
He must have noticed my slight surprise. Grandfather’s expression changed too.
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
“Oh, no. I like it, but… it’s too far.”
“Far? Oh my, you little one. So finicky…”
His tone was reproaching, but his expression was still smiling.
“Our house is in Gangnam, though…”
“There’s no ranch in southern Seoul, is there?”
“We can make one. Grandfather always makes things quickly, doesn’t he?”
“What? Make one? Hahaha.”
It was I who was flustered by the sudden burst of laughter. I had thought it was a bit forced and was being careful, but his reaction was rather joyous and pleased.
“Do-jun.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know how many companies this grandfather has?”
An abrupt question. I knew there were 48 affiliates, but I shook my head.
“Sunyang has a total of 48 affiliates. 19 of them are companies I personally built with my own hands. I acquired the rest, though.”
Acquired? Not seized?
“Most of the companies I personally built were created in the early stages of their business. That is, at first, you unconditionally have to build them yourself. That way, you develop attachment, and you become tenacious, wanting to make them even bigger.”
Was he taking my words about “making a ranch” in this way? This old man might already be starting my management lessons.
Of course, that was welcome.
“I really like your idea that what you want to have first, though difficult, can be built yourself.”
Those weren’t words a 10-year-old child could understand. What kind of reaction would be appropriate?
Should I just blink? Or should I nod?
My hesitation might be the most plausible reaction. Chairman Jin, who had been observing me carefully, lightly tapped the table and spoke.
“Good. I will let our Do-jun take his first step.”
Chairman Jin called out towards the door of the private room.
“Is anyone out there?”
The door opened, and a man in a suit entered.
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Bring me a map of Seoul and Gyeonggi-do.”
“Yes? Oh, understood.”
A moment later, the secretary came in with a road map book and handed it to Chairman Jin.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“You’ve done well. You may leave.”
Chairman Jin flipped through a few pages of the map book and began to examine it closely.
Soon, he took out a pen and drew a small circle on a point on the map.
“Now, let’s see how good our Do-jun’s eyes are.”
The place he marked was my house.
“Do-jun. That’s your house. You mark the place where you want to build a ranch.”
I’m going crazy.
With joy.
I really want to build dozens of ranches across the country. If I secure land that will skyrocket in value in ten or twenty years, how strong would I be in the upcoming share battle for Sunyang Group?
It would be like pre-loading hundreds of billions, or even trillions of won, in ammunition.
But right now, I had to choose only one place. The exact place I had already decided on.
I fiddled with the map, pretending to ponder, wasting just enough time.
Chairman Jin kept giving me a warm smile, as if he found my behavior cute.
“You have to choose carefully. Inside Seoul is naturally out of the question, and we should avoid downtown areas in southern Gyeonggi as well.”
Don’t worry. I’ll pick a place that will surprise you.
I confidently picked up the pen and drew a circle on a part of the map.
“Here.”
Chairman Jin examined the map I presented carefully, then frowned.
“Hmm, this place seems quite far from your house?”
“Does it?”
“A map can be seen at a glance, but there’s a big difference from actual measurements. Well, you’re still too young to realize that.”
Seeing my dejected expression, he quickly made excuses for me.
Chairman Jin checked the map once more, then called the secretary who was waiting outside the door.
“Find out the status of this land here. Get an accurate grasp of the current situation.”
“Yes.”
The secretary took the map and left quickly, and Grandfather and I continued our meal. We briefly put aside the land discussion and changed the subject to studies and friends.
My studies were excellent, beyond reproach, but I had no friends around me. With a 40-year-old mind, how could I be friends with snot-nosed kids?
As I fumbled with an evasive answer about getting along reasonably well with friends, the secretary carefully opened the door and entered.
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