Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: An Absurd Prophecy
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I've lived an utterly ordinary life.
My mother raised me single-handedly, toiling away at the local market. Middle and high school were a total loner existence for me, the ultimate outcast.
The "greatest adult in this country" that Ms. Cheon Su-ah mentioned?
She was referring to the president.
'No way. Me, becoming president? Even a stray dog taking a dump on the street would laugh at that.'
What even is the president?
It's the person at the center of all a nation's power. The responsibilities aren't something a basement-dwelling loser like me could handle.
Formulating and executing domestic and foreign policies, proposing legislation, wielding veto power. Even maintaining diplomatic relations through summits with other heads of state and governments.
And that's not all?
In Korea alone, there are 500,000 active-duty soldiers, and adding reservists brings it to millions. They hold the authority to command them all, manage the administration through national governance, and align closely with the judiciary for direction.
Hell, if a wildfire breaks out in some region, they even have to personally visit to gauge public sentiment.
Me, taking on such a monumental role?
Honestly, they could offer me 10 billion won, and I'd still say no.
"Me, become president? I'm absolutely not cut out for that."
"Nonsense. You've clearly received heaven's mandate."
"……"
Ms. Cheon Su-ah might sound young with that "ssi" attached, like some miss, but she's well past sixty, a true elder.
She wore a hanbok blending graceful curves and vibrant colors, fanning herself with a bamboo-painted fan.
And with unwavering conviction in her voice, she continued.
"You'll guide this nation down the righteous path. You're the noble light quietly held amid thick darkness, the clear sky revealed only after storms pass and clouds part—the very scenery everyone longs to see through you."
At that, Olivia, standing beside her, offered her congratulations.
"Hohoho, whether that's true or false doesn't matter. Back in the day, there were eras when prophecies guided the affairs of state."
History does have examples like that.
Even in China's Zhou Dynasty, there was the Mandate of Heaven, where kings ruled by divine will. In ancient Greece and Rome, oracles and prophecies decided national fates.
But even if every prophecy held true...
The problem was that the protagonist was me.
No, a total loser like me becoming president? Absurd!
Look at past presidents. Even those from poor families showed exceptional talent early on. They dove into politics to serve the people or defended the innocent in court.
A sigh escaped me naturally.
Wasn't Ms. Cheon Su-ah's prophecy just a fleeting spring dream?
Nothing more than a one-night illusion.
Vain and ephemeral.
'Yeah, dreams can be bullshit, and so can words.'
I let her absurd tale go in one ear and out the other.
Humans thrive long and thin by knowing their true nature well.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "It's an honor to meet you. I'm Jin Seol-hwa, running a modest company."
She gracefully knelt before the elderly man.
The reason Selig's CEO, a powerhouse in American pharma, was humbling herself?
Because that old man was the opposition party leader, already pegged as the next presidential frontrunner—unless some scandal derailed him.
Cheon Jong-dae.
A five-term congressman, elected consecutively in his district.
And now, he was in a private meeting with Selig's CEO, Jin Seol-hwa.
"Hohoho, calling Selig a 'modest company'? I've heard how you supplied cheap new drugs to the poor. I'm grateful for that."
"Your kind words leave me at a loss."
As she bowed lightly, his gaze warmed over her like a grandfather eyeing his granddaughter.
"I hear you're Korean-American?"
"Yes. I moved to the States young and finished my studies there."
"Impressive. Truly impressive! Must've been tough abroad... how hard it must have been."
"Compared to the sacrifices you've made for this country, mine are insignificant."
"Hohoho, what a way to think."
The mood was excellent.
The media was already hyping Cheon Jong-dae as the next president. Jin Seol-hwa figured it was time to drop the pleasantries and get to business.
Political backing was essential to swallow up Future Distribution whole.
"I believe you should be the next president, Congressman. So Selig will cover all your campaign funds from now on."
"What? You'll fund it?"
She handed over documents in an envelope.
"We've laundered it ten times over. Spotless money—no agency, not even the NIS or IRS, could trace it."
"……"
Cheon Jong-dae couldn't help but turn serious.
The amount inside dwarfed anything he'd seen—astronomical.
Showing such sincerity this early, with the election far off, screamed genuine intent.
"Whoa now, this could drag us into illegal funding scandals and land us all in prison. I appreciate the gesture, but I'll have to decline."
Jin Seol-hwa smiled brightly.
As if peering straight into his soul.
Convention dictated a polite refusal at least once.
Like, "Are you insane? Taking that much?"
Snatching every offer makes you look easy. So he'd feign displeasure and pretend he hadn't heard.
She decided to lay her true feelings bare, at least somewhat.
"Congressman—no, sir."
"Hohoho, 'sir'?"
"Or maybe... Grandpa?"
"!"
"Aside from a little sister in the States, I have no family. Nothing to lean on. Seeing you reminds me of my late parents."
"Hoho, goodness..."
"Cheon Jong-dae, sir. No, Grandpa. Speak freely with me."
"!"
A five-term lawmaker.
An old fox who'd tasted every sweet and bitter.
And that fox was stunned—not once, but twice.
A behemoth that could shake the world with a twitch, melting like jelly.
Cheon Jong-dae was formidable, but Jin Seol-hwa had outmaneuvered him.
"Selig plans to devour Future Distribution."
"What? Future Distri—?"
"Yes. You might've heard the news from the States—they're already set to enter Korea."
"……"
"Grandpa, my passport says American, but my bones are Korean. A nation comes before its people, and people before the nation, right?"
"Well said. These days' youth seem to have forgotten that."
"That's why I'm coming to Korea. Yoo Kyung-soo is done for anyway. The public has their knives out for chaebols stirring scandals. If this continues, tens of thousands in distribution will be jobless."
The issue was gravely serious.
Spreading nationwide like wildfire devouring mountains.
Life was tough enough already—one group snorting drugs and sex scandals, another scraping by on a few thousand-won bills.
Humans are wired for envy and jealousy.
That's why those who once dismissed the masses as pigs and dogs were now running for their lives.
"Selig will set an example."
"A foreign firm leading by example domestically?"
"My homeland is Korea, after all. Even as a foreign company, if we contribute to society, won't people acknowledge that?"
"……"
"Selig has developed new drugs for the poor up to now. Our treatments sell out worldwide. Every Korean knows it."
"You mean donate?"
"To douse these flames, it's the only way. Naturally, Future Distribution's CEO must change too. The public isn't what it used to be."
True enough.
News from around the globe hits in seconds.
Gone are the days of couriers or horseback relays.
Satellites map the world, planes crisscross it, networks connect everywhere.
Lying to people in this era is amateur hour.
Best to show things as they are.
"Whoa..."
"So once Selig takes Future Distribution, we'll give you 3% of the shares, Grandpa."
"!"
"No blood ties, but I earnestly wish you'd be my eternal partner."
Cheon Jong-dae gazed into Jin Seol-hwa's eyes with a gentle face.
Not a hint of deceit in that expression.
Unlike business tycoons hedging bets everywhere for profit, this granddaughter-like figure before him eyed only one path.
The nation's interest.
He was thinking that if he became president, talents like her were needed to steer the country right.
"I have a son—want to at least meet him? You two might get along."
This time, Jin Seol-hwa's eyes widened in surprise.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So Selig has approached not just the opposition, but the ruling party too."
Jin Seol-hwa handled the opposition.
Park Seong-ho took on the ruling party.
Never dreamed my best friend would meet the ruling party leader.
Environment shapes a man, huh.
At some point, he fit the role perfectly.
"Still, they weren't fully trusting yet. Once we show sincerity first, the politicians will jump on board fast."
It was mind-blowing.
I could barely tell if this was reality or a dream.
Courting both sides, not just one faction?
The two of them had pulled off the impossible.
"You've worked hard. Dinner at home?"
"Yes. Been ages since I shared a meal with you, boss."
Her voice dripped exhaustion from the grueling schedule.
Makes sense—home is the ultimate tonic and sanctuary.
Plopping into a fluffy bed, watching movies, tearing into chicken—peak bliss?
That's how Jin Seol-hwa spent her weekends.
"Then I'll make your favorite oegangtang for dinner."
"Really?!"
"Haha, after all you've done for me, this much is nothing..."
No, it's tough.
Even after a few tries, I couldn't tell if it was oegangtang or coal briquettes.
Olivia had to step in last time to salvage it.
"Hohoho, looking forward to it."
"Drive safe."
I hung up, tied on an apron right away.
Tonight, I wanted to serve them myself.
"Alright, time to dust off my cooking skills after so long?"
But.
Less than ten minutes later, black smoke billowed from the Hannam-dong mansion.