Episode 1: Prologue
At a certain nursing home in Mapo.
The autumn rain drizzles outside the window, adding to the loneliness.
A single leaf teeters precariously on a withered branch.
It signaled that the sapling’s life was nearing its end.
Watching this scene from a hospital bed by the window is an elderly man with white hair.
Today marks his second month in room 203.
Swoosh~!
As the rain grew heavier, Lee Chang-jin sank into regret.
Now, the mere 1.4 pyeong hospital bed was the only space allowed to him.
His weakened heart and immobile body were utterly pathetic.
Myocardial infarction and terminal liver cancer.
Three months ago, he was given a terminal diagnosis.
As he watched the leaf flutter dangerously in the rain, Lee Chang-jin wondered:
How much time do I have left?
Suddenly, like a passing lantern, memories of the past came to mind.
Though he was now a pitiful old man without a penny to his name,
There was a time when he was a businessman close to becoming a chaebol.
In his youth, he roamed the oceans as an operator,
And within a few years of starting his company, he made it into the top 100 in the business world.
There was a time when newspapers and dailies were plastered with his name.
The company’s name was Daese Group. It really thrived, just as the name suggested.
That is, until the acquisition of what seemed like a goldmine construction company turned into his worst nightmare.
The day after he spent a vast sum to acquire the management rights of Hanguk Construction for an entry into the Middle East,
Like a bolt from the blue, Hanguk Construction’s overseas construction license was revoked.
Having borrowed a large sum for the acquisition, Lee Chang-jin couldn’t fend off the bills flooding in and fell into a financial crisis.
He ran around seeking financial rescue, but all he got in return were cold rejections.
To make matters worse, a massive financial scandal erupted at Mannheim, where he had worked before starting his company.
Lee Chang-jin was suddenly arrested as the suspected mastermind.
“Conman Lee Chang-jin’s Two Faces: Exporting Rocks Disguised as Cement.”
“The Man Behind the 50 Billion Won Embezzlement Case: Who is Lee Chang-jin?”
Lee Chang-jin, who was brought to trial, was also charged with fraudulent withdrawal (violation of the Foreign Exchange Control Act), embezzlement, and tax evasion, amounting to 12 million dollars. He appealed but ultimately received a final sentence of five years in prison.
For a businessman, it was akin to a death sentence.
While he was locked up, the Daese Group he had built was torn apart and dissolved.
It was only later that he realized Taeyang Group had been involved behind the scenes, causing him immense heartbreak.
Even after his release, Lee Chang-jin tried to make a comeback, but it wasn’t easy.
It was as if he was cursed; nothing he did went well.
As he repeatedly failed, time passed relentlessly, and he aged considerably.
And now, with a head full of white hair, he was facing the end of his life.
Returning to reality, Lee Chang-jin blankly looked up at the sky.
In the meantime, the rain had stopped, and a full moon had risen in the sky.
As the bright moonlight filled his empty heart with a sense of futility,
An unexpected sharp pain pierced the center of his chest.
“Ugh!”
The pain was so intense, like being seared by fire, that Lee Chang-jin collapsed.
Hearing the warning sound from the sensor, the medical staff on standby rushed over.
“Patient!!! Stay with us, patient!!”
The doctor urgently performed chest compressions on Lee Chang-jin.
After administering epinephrine and shining a light into his eyes, there was no response from his pupils.
Moments later, confirming that his heart had stopped, the doctor urgently shouted:
“Patient is in cardiac arrest!”
A first-year resident hurriedly brought the defibrillator.
The attending doctor placed the pads on Lee Chang-jin’s chest, and everyone stepped aside.
“Charge 200 joules!”
“Shoot!”
Thud, Lee Chang-jin’s frail and aged body jerked up and down.
With a beeping warning sound, the medical staff watching the situation turned their gaze to the vital signs.
“He’s not coming back!”
“One, two, three, four, five…”
Despite repeated attempts at CPR by the attending doctor, there was no effect.
“BP (blood pressure) is dropping further!”
The attending doctor, raising the voltage, shouted loudly.
“One more time! Charge 300 joules!”
“Clear!”
“Shoot!”
With a thud, Lee Chang-jin’s body, which had arched like a bow, fell back down limply.
Despite repeated electric shocks and continuous CPR efforts, there was no sign of revival in his heart.
Despite the medical staff’s desperate efforts, the flatline on the ECG showed no movement.
Beeeeeeep…
The sound faded away. It echoed like a mountain reverberation…
At the edge of his fading consciousness, a brilliant light appeared.
In the dazzling radiance, Lee Chang-jin saw a portrait of his younger self.
Seeing himself waving from afar, Lee Chang-jin wished.
“If only I could go back to that time…”
What if he hadn’t collapsed back then?
If only he could start again from the beginning,
In the moment his breath stopped, did that earnest wish reach the heavens?
And then… as if by a miracle…
The gears of fate began to turn.
10 years, 20 years… and 47 years…
- To be continued in Episode 2 -
