스피오 스피오 맴맴―!
After the rainy season ended, the cicadas sang at the top of their lungs as if boasting about the warm sunshine.
Chairman Wang, who was trimming the landscaping trees, couldn’t help but keep smiling. Wasn’t he just as happy as when he watched his son play when he was young?
Surely, it could be more but never less. The image of a certain child’s eyes kept appearing in his mind.
Looking into those eyes of unfathomable depth made his heart feel young again. He knew the child was talented, but this was beyond his expectations.
“Son, are you planning to become a gardener in your old age?”
Chairman Yoo showed up just in time to see Chairman Wang. Seeing Chairman Wang putting down the pruning shears, Chairman Yoo had a puzzled expression.
It was strange as if the sun had risen from the west. He was not someone who easily showed his emotions.
“This was brought directly from China this time. I’d love to go to Gapyeong, but the situation is quite chaotic, isn’t it? Since it’s good for the body, please take it, in-law.”
“In-law?”
“Haha, I just wanted to call you that. In-law.”
The two old men consoled their regrets with a strong cup of pu-erh tea.
“Son, I want to make a deal with you.”
The reason Chairman Yoo sought Chairman Wang was simple: to erase Dongju’s name from the blacklist that would emerge in the future.
Regardless of the reason, just having a name on the blacklist could dismantle a company.
Whether it was selling new materials or accepting bribes, the content was not important. As the saying goes, it can be a nose ring if hung on the nose and an earring if hung on the ear.
“Old man, blood indeed cannot be deceived.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“But your grandson is much more decisive and bold. He came to see me much faster than you did.”
Chairman Yoo couldn’t understand. He was even considering giving up Dongju’s shares if he could erase the name from the blacklist.
The world was noisy, with the emergency bell ringing and students protesting almost daily.
Even for Chairman Wang, it was not without risk. It was something that required extreme caution.
“Old man, when I first came down from the North, I sold three sacks of rice in Seoul. I still remember the profit I made back then. I’ve done countless businesses until Jeil Trading became Jeil Group, but I can never forget the feel of that time. It was the first opportunity I got in the war-torn ruins of Seoul.”
The past years flowed through Chairman Wang’s eyes.
He was a figure who decorated a page of South Korea’s economic history.
From a small trading company to a group covering the entire nation, it was no exaggeration to say that he achieved countless things with those wrinkled hands.
At that moment, the end of his gaze pointed to a boy.
“But you see, the deal I made this time made my heart race enough to cover those old memories. He stood confidently before me, stating two reasons why I should make the deal. I was so surprised that I broke out in a cold sweat.”
“Son, are you talking about Hyun?”
“Of course, who else could surprise me like that boy? Do you know what I saw in his eyes?”
Chairman Wang recalled what he gained from selling three sacks of rice long ago. It was what laid the foundation for establishing Jeil Trading in the barren land of Seoul.
“It was an opportunity.”
Chairman Wang was curious about the boy’s future. Would that opportunity germinate and become a merchant who would dominate the era, or would it blossom into something else?
It didn’t matter. That boy had the insight and courage to survive in a precarious world.
Suddenly, Chairman Wang’s gaze fell on an empty teacup.
“In-law, since it’s good for the body, have some more.”
He had to take care of his health to see the wedding.
“Hyun, are you really not going to tell me?”
Somehow, Director Im Hyera’s eyes were unusual. She seemed very curious about the conversation I had with the old snake.
It was understandable since from her perspective, Chairman Wang’s sudden change in attitude was very puzzling.
Moreover, Dongju’s name magically disappeared from the Kim Dae-sik list announced in the media.
“Keeping a deal is fundamental.”
“So you made a ‘deal’?”
Oops, I forgot that Director Im Hyera, like Chairman Wang, had a hundred snakes in her belly.
She was the woman who, with that seemingly kind smile, eventually took over Jeil Foundation. Even Son Ilsung feared her as much as he did Chairman Wang.
“Yes, next time we play Go, I promised to give him three stones. It was so hard to stop him from playing with four stones. In return, he promised to give me a generous allowance. When Yooha comes next time, I’ll buy her something delicious.”
When I spoke ambiguously, Director Im Hyera gave me a strange look.
It was a look I had often seen in my past life. Just by seeing that look, I could roughly tell what Director Im Hyera was thinking.
But no matter how many times she looked, I wouldn’t waver.
“Auntie, you win. I’m curious, but I won’t ask anymore since you won’t tell. By the way, what do you think about Jean-Pierre’s proposal? He seems to really need you.”
It was related to a movie about Paganini. If I’m correct, it would be Jean-Pierre’s first blockbuster.
If La Vie en Rose was recognized for its artistic value, Paganini would have both artistic and commercial success. It was the highest-grossing music film of the 20th century.
“I’m sorry to the director, but I don’t think I can do it this time.”
“Really? This time, they’re even offering a running guarantee.”
“What?”
I couldn’t help but raise my voice. Was there ever a case where a running guarantee was given for something other than a movie appearance?
Even if the percentage was small, Paganini was a blockbuster that hit the world, so the amount would be enormous.
Why does it feel like money luck is sticking to me even though I’ve given up on material desires in this life?
Knock, knock.
At that moment, Baek Junghun entered the studio with a knock.
After reviewing the sheet music for “Iron Blood” for the past few days, he had been coming to me as if I were his producer, asking me to look over the repertoire for his solo recital.
Am I annoyed? On the contrary, I looked forward to this time. I could listen to Baek Junghun’s performance every time, and he understood perfectly well, just as expected from the maestro of “Iron Blood.”
“Junghun, why are you here today?”
Director Im Hyera looked at Baek Junghun with a curious gaze. She didn’t know he had been visiting the studio for so long. Baek Junghun had a sheepish look on his face.
“I came to pick up the teacher.”
“Teacher?”
At that moment, Director Im Hyera looked at me with a complicated gaze, as if wondering what on earth my identity was.
Gulp―!
Not only my uncle and aunt but also my aunt and uncle-in-law had tense expressions on their faces. The dinner table was as precarious as walking on thin ice. Everyone was very careful not to make any noise with their spoons. They were afraid they might all end up with indigestion.
“Father, I’m sorry.”
My little uncle’s face was blue as if he had been beaten with a club.
It was pitiful to see him struggling to speak with a torn mouth, but what could I do? He was lucky to be alive.
Still, he seemed scared as he flinched every time my grandfather picked up his spoon.
My little uncle cautiously started speaking, trying to gauge the mood.
“Thank you for covering it up.”
With the loud beating of the emergency bell, the Kim Dae-sik list was eventually made public. Fortunately, my little uncle’s name was not on it.
The public’s anger was so great that a storm of blood was imminent. There was even talk of wiping out three generations of those on the list.
“It wasn’t me.”
“What?”
My little uncle trembled at my grandfather’s gaze. My big uncle and aunt-in-law were the same.
They couldn’t understand. If it wasn’t my grandfather, who could have erased the name from the blacklist?
“Beomgyeong, go down to Jeju Island.”
I could see my little uncle’s eyes trembling as if there was an earthquake.
Was my grandfather being lenient because he was his son? Not at all. If he could, he would want to put him in prison right away, but there were too many eyes watching. There was no need to give anyone a handle.
Telling him to go to Jeju Island was essentially an indefinite exile. Moreover, it was clear he wouldn’t be given a single penny.
“F-Father.”
My little uncle started to cry as he spoke.
Smack―!
My grandfather’s spoon flew and hit his forehead directly.
Blood flowed from the broken forehead, reopening the previous wound.
My little uncle rolled on the floor, clutching his forehead. My father and big uncle hurriedly held my grandfather back. It didn’t look like it would end with just the forehead.
It was a night with a full moon scattered across the sky.
“Grandpa.”
I cautiously headed to the study. As expected, my grandfather was sitting alone in the study, not sleeping yet. When he saw me, he gestured for me to come in.
It seemed he had a lot on his mind due to my little uncle’s situation.
“Hyun, I heard you persuaded Chairman Son?”
I nodded briefly. He must have heard roughly from the old snake.
My grandfather’s face was filled with concern. After all, it was a matter resolved with the help of his grandson.
I clasped my grandfather’s hands with my small hands.
“Grandpa, don’t worry too much. I’ll protect Dongju no matter what. You just need to take care of your health.”
“You rascal, always talking about health. People might think you’re my personal doctor.”
I knew my grandfather’s life didn’t have much time left. I wished that, just as the course of history had changed, my grandfather’s lifespan would be extended. After all, even now, he was quite healthy for his age.
For a moment, my grandfather looked at me with a peculiar gaze.
“Hyun, how far do you think this national crisis will reach?”
What should I say?
“In the end, we won’t be able to solve it on our own.”
It was a short answer, but it contained a lot of meaning.
Current South Korea could not declare a moratorium because it didn’t meet the conditions.
Declaring a debt moratorium for a country that wasn’t self-sufficient was like tightening its own noose.
Wouldn’t it lead to a crisis in all of East Asia? No, this crisis originated internally.
The debt ratio of large corporations exceeded 400%. It was a structure that could collapse at any moment.
A country dependent on exports had been recording current account deficits every year. It should have been noticed back then.
In the end, history will repeat itself.
“Sigh.”
My grandfather sighed in admiration, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. He probably didn’t foresee this.
He looked at me and spoke quietly.
“Hyun, I’m curious.”
About what?
“That old man would never make a deal where he doesn’t see a profit. How did you manage to strike a deal? His last words keep ringing in my ears.”
What did he say to make my grandfather look so worried? Then, my grandfather suddenly spoke firmly to me.
“Hyun, you can’t become a son-in-law.”
“Grandpa, I’m still in middle school.”
