Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Hope for the Desperate
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"Mi-jeong, do you think the world revolves around you?"
His voice might have been filled with resentment.
But Seong-ho had long since let go of any such feelings.
He had tried to see things from his ex-girlfriend's perspective as much as possible.
"……"
Even as water dripped from her hair, Mi-jeong couldn't move. She never imagined he'd go this far. Seong-ho, who always put her worries first no matter what, humiliating her like this.
"Do you know why I splashed water on you?"
"……"
"To snap you out of it."
"!"
"Honestly, when you dumped me, I felt more self-loathing than resentment. I seemed so pathetic, unable to protect the person right beside me."
It had really been that way.
Other guys showing up in flashy foreign luxury cars for their girlfriends.
Cutting into steaks under the glamorous lights of fancy restaurants, saying they'd had a hard day.
As long as they were happy, that was enough, right?
Did they really need to know someone else's circumstances?
Seong-ho let out a long sigh and sat down across from Mi-jeong.
How had things ended up like this?
If they'd just yielded a little to each other, wouldn't they have gotten married without issue?
Was money really all that mattered to her?
After four years of dating, he'd thought she was someone he could spend his life with.
They'd been happy sharing a single bowl of ramen while gazing at the Han River view.
Seong-ho valued human relationships more than money.
To get good performance reviews, he'd worked harder than anyone, staying late to finish his tasks even when others clocked out on time.
The reason was simple.
He didn't want to burden his colleagues.
With that mindset, he'd become the most skilled in the company and rose through the ranks faster than anyone. The president himself had even come to praise him.
"Mi-jeong."
"……"
"Is Mi-ho in a lot of pain?"
"!"
"Why didn't you tell me? I always said we can't know if we don't talk. Is it just because I didn't have money?"
"I... I..."
"Sigh, if I'd known it'd be like this, we should've done the family meeting sooner like I said. Then I would've known about Mi-ho ages ago."
The two had sworn to marry.
They just hadn't held the formal family introduction.
After breaking up with her.
A strange feeling led him to ask James personally.
Not long after.
He learned the shocking truth.
Mi-jeong had a younger sister who had fallen seriously ill recently.
The disease was 'Lou Gehrig's disease'.
Her sister was a much younger sibling, born late.
Lou Gehrig's, an extremely rare condition worldwide, was a terrifying disease where the odds of death increased over time. A progressive neurodegenerative disorder that selectively destroys motor neurons.
Fortunately, a treatment had been developed.
But its price was a staggering 4.25 million dollars...
Over 5.6 billion won in Korean currency.
Parents called it a disease that killed their children twice because of such exorbitant costs, seething with rage.
After four years of dating and right on the verge of marriage.
No way would Seong-ho abandon her over something like that. He'd have helped however he could, even taking out loans.
If worst came to worst, he'd borrow from friends.
"S-Seong-ho..."
"Take this."
He pulled an envelope from his pocket.
It contained 50 million won.
Mi-jeong stared blankly at the money, unable to hide her trembling pupils.
"It's what I saved for our wedding. Not nearly enough for a house, but it should cover some hospital bills."
Brushing dust from his clothes, Seong-ho watched Mi-jeong bow her head and sob. She wasn't really at fault. He shared some blame too, for not knowing his girlfriend's situation after four years.
He hadn't asked about her family amid his busy work, and that indifference must have pressured her more.
"Don't give up and hold onto hope, and you'll see the light someday. This is the last thing I'll say to you..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I watched Park Seong-ho downing drinks hard in front of me. He'd said things were completely over with his ex, but was that why he looked so down?
"Do-jun."
"Yeah?"
Tears streamed from Seong-ho's eyes as he tilted his glass.
"Why does it hurt so much?"
"……"
"I thought seeing her regret it would feel good. But no. Seeing her face like that washed away all my resentment."
"Life's like that."
"It's Lou Gehrig's disease."
"Yeah, what?"
"Mi-jeong has a younger sister who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's."
"……"
"That's probably why she needed money. There's this manager at our company, Gu Do-young, who's loaded."
Now it made sense.
Yeah, she wouldn't make that choice without extreme reasons.
Now grabbing the soju bottle instead of a glass and pouring it down his throat, Park Seong-ho belched a few times and nodded his head back and forth like Ottogi the dog.
But Lou Gehrig's... Lou Gehrig's?
It rang a bell.
Not what the disease was, but a few days ago, Jin Seol-hwa had reported on it.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
His weary eyes lifted at my call.
Looking at his dark complexion, he seemed more likely to die sooner than that Mi-ho sister.
"Did you read all the reports I sent?"
"No... There's so much, I only got through about 20%."
"I see. Yeah, it's tough to cover everything in just a month. Listen up, Seong-ho."
Sensing something important, he tensed up, his expression sharpening.
"Selig's entering Korea soon, right?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Think about a foreign capital firm coming in. What do people think?"
"Mm, not positively?"
No.
Quite the opposite.
The government might welcome investors, but the locals and domestic companies don't see it that way.
Every action has positives and negatives.
Selig's positives in Korea: job creation and regional development.
The negatives are the established domestic pharma companies.
Not just any; a massive U.S. giant.
If a survivor from America leverages overwhelming capital, local firms will die out.
So Jin Seol-hwa and I discussed extensively.
Ways to settle in smoothly, like water absorbed by a sponge.
"You know our first factory's in Songdo and second in Cheongju, right?"
"Yeah, saw it in the reports."
"Right. Originally, we planned to acquire a distribution firm domestically. That's why Songdo and Cheongju."
"N-No way..."
"Exactly what you're thinking. Those who control distribution control the world."
"!"
What's the point of great products without transport?
Delivery companies do that.
By car, ship, plane—all the same goal.
These days, drones are fastest.
To get goods from supplier to consumer, transport is key. After much thought, I aimed to dominate Korea's distribution.
But launching such a massive venture blindly could spark anti-national backlash.
So I devised countermeasures.
"Selig's developing many treatments for intractable diseases right now. Including one for Lou Gehrig's."
"!"
Seong-ho bolted up, the alcohol shock gone.
"What did you just say?"
I repeated it plainly.
His ever-changing expressions were delicious.
"Selig's developing a Lou Gehrig's treatment too. And it's almost ready."
"F-For real?"
"Yeah. Not purely ours, though. Even with massive capital, networks have limits."
"……"
"So we partnered with a domestic developer."
They'd hit a wall, I heard.
Pharma R&D costs a fortune.
Tough processes can drag on for 10 years with no progress.
Many hyped projects flop.
"Existing treatments have high cure rates but insane costs. You've heard—normals can't afford them even saving lifetimes."
"Right. Newspapers blew up over it once."
"Our new Lou Gehrig's drug will sell for just $1,000."
"What? $1,000? For that?"
"Yeah. What do you think Selig's goal is?"
Seong-ho pondered, then muttered uncertainly.
He hadn't thought that far.
"Making tons of money?"
Correct.
Even good goals can't escape profit motive.
But.
I sought long-term profits over short.
Even if it meant losses.
"Saving those lost in despair."
"?"
"Like Mi-ho, your ex's sister."
"!"
People with diseases they can't treat.
Selig would reach them first.
I held up two fingers.
These two would smooth Selig's Korean ops.
"We'll ship intractable disease treatments worldwide. And to distribute them, we need hospitals."
"Do-jun, you don't mean..."
Seong-ho's mouth gaped wider.
His pupils shook like a storm.
"I'm acquiring a hospital this time. And we'll supply it with Selig products."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The whole country was abuzz.
No, the world was.
It was because Selig announced its Korean entry and plans to provide cheap treatments to children with intractable diseases.
📰 Breaking News [Selig announces plans to enter Korea in the second half of this year...] [Selig CEO Jin Seol-hwa plans to provide grants to financially struggling hospitals...] [Selig's market cap surpasses $70 billion. No one can predict how high it'll go...] [New Lou Gehrig's treatment!? And selling for just $1,000...] Cameras clicked nonstop.
Countless reporters stared at one woman.
The woman at the podium was Jin Seol-hwa, CEO of the American pharma giant Selig.
"We plan to provide affordable treatments to patients suffering from rare diseases in 37 countries. Many companies are already joining us."
Click! Click!
Flashes burst toward her face relentlessly, but she didn't flinch.
Her gaze swept the reporters.
Jin Seol-hwa smiled faintly, lips curving up. She was certain this would propel Selig forward.
"We aim to bring good news soon to those struggling day by day without hope. Our first destination is..."
Every word etched clearly into listeners' ears.
"Korea."