Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Pocket Money and Veteran's Home
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lately, I had one deep worry weighing on my mind.
Staring at Jin Seol-young blinking blankly right in front of me, I closed my wallet—then opened it again. I'd been repeating this for a solid thirty minutes now.
'Just how much pocket money should I give her?'
Normally, adults in this situation would start with "Back in my day, lattes were..." and end with a sigh about how "kids these days have no sense of money," lamenting their own hardships.
As everyone knows, Jin Seol-hwa had entrusted her little sister to me.
Or more accurately, she had become family.
In any case, I still hadn't decided on a monthly allowance amount for Jin Seol-young.
"Seol-young, how much pocket money do you need?"
She beamed brightly in response.
"Hmm, I'm good on pocket money."
"...You're good?"
"Yeah. I'd rather just spend time with you and Sis than get money."
"Even so, you'll need some cash to hang out with friends..."
She'd be starting middle school next year. She'd definitely need pocket money.
To go shopping with friends or hit up some tasty restaurant, money was essential.
'How much did I get back then?'
Reaching back twenty years in my memory, my middle school allowance had been about 30,000 won a month. Divided by days, that came out to roughly 1,000 won per day.
Unlike today, prices back then were dirt cheap—a piece of gum cost 20 won, and a bag of chips bloated with nitrogen went for just 500 won.
But now? A single small bag of snacks set you back 1,500 won. Sweet-and-sour candy that used to be 200 won was pushing 1,000.
It was just like that saying about how 1,000 won a day wouldn't even buy you a latte anymore.
'Still, she's the CEO of a company...'.
With that thought, I pulled ten 50,000-won bills from my wallet and handed them over.
500,000 won a month should be plenty, right?
Of course, if it wasn't enough, I'd give more.
Seol-young took the bills and tilted her head, still too young to grasp the true value of 500,000 won.
"Thank you."
"Sure thing. That should cover pretty much anything you want to do."
"Really?"
"Y-Yeah!"
It was a hefty sum, by my reckoning.
But the school she'd be attending was one of the top ones in Korea, full of kids from elite families. To avoid getting looked down on there, she'd need at least this much.
"Uncle will make our Seol-young the happiest girl in the world."
"Heehee, thank you."
"N-No problem..."
Suddenly, a warm softness touched my cheek.
Seol-young had planted her tiny lips there.
Gasp!
W-Was this the legendary little sister's kiss, spoken of only in myths?
When your adorable little sis shows you affection like that as her big bro, you'd move heaven and earth to make her happy—even pluck stars from the sky.
"Ahem, let's grab some delicious pork cutlets today!"
"Sis said not to eat the fried ones she made..."
Jin Seol-hwa had her reasons for banning them, but surely one day wouldn't hurt? Honestly, no one lives their whole life following every rule to the letter.
There's that old saying, after all:
No one's so clean that you can't find dirt if you shake them out.
Everyone's jaywalked at a red light at least once. And if you're desperate for the bathroom on the way home, even the timid find their courage.
'Even if we get caught, she'll understand over something like pork cutlets.'
Seol-young was at that growing age, so a bit of red meat now and then would balance out her nutrition.
"We'll sneak just one bite while Sis isn't looking."
"Heehee, for real?"
"Yep. It'll be our little secret forever, okay?"
"Okay!"
I hooked my pinky with hers to seal the pact.
Ever since I was little, I'd dreamed of holding a little sister's hand and heading to a pork cutlet shop. Now, that dream was finally coming true.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Leeeet's goooo!"
Unaware of Im Yun-ah watching us stealthily from the side, I took Seol-young's hand and headed to the garage.
Heh heh heh. Today was Pork Cutlet Festival Day!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I got a call from Jin-seong.
Thankfully, it seemed the meeting with his fiancée's family had gone off without a hitch.
Her parents had surprisingly agreed right away, so they were planning the wedding for next April.
"Congratulations. Now you're my senior in marriage, Jin-seong."
"Oh come on, me as a senior to you, the boss I respect so much? Please take care of this unworthy junior from now on."
Jin-seong, the streamer known for his internet broadcasts, had heavenly-level banter.
Every word he spoke felt carefully crafted and sincere.
This was getting embarrassing—I might not be able to show my face in public anymore.
"Now it's my turn to give you a wedding gift. You remember what I mentioned last time, right?"
"You're really going to do it?"
"Of course. As a businesswoman myself, trust is everything to me."
The wedding gift I'd promised Jin-seong:
A house, built from the ground up.
As everyone knows, his family was one of the most respected in the country—descendants of war veterans. Without his grandfather, they might have spent their lives serving those piglets up north.
Every now and then on TV, you'd hear stories of those heroes struggling with poverty.
Unable to beat the hunger, some made regrettable mistakes.
Others pulled rickshaws, collecting scrap to scrape by day by day.
Even in America, the so-called "Land of Plenty," veterans get treatment beyond imagination. Strangers on the street habitually say, "Thank you for protecting our country."
We might not match America, but we should still hold that gratitude in our hearts.
That's why I'd made this decision:
To compensate his family in place of his late grandfather.
Great justification.
And clear purpose.
"I'll handle the construction contract myself. Since your father's not in the best health, somewhere close would be ideal."
Jin-seong replied sheepishly, as if apologetic.
"Boss, you really don't have to. If anything, I'm the one who feels burdened..."
"No way. Your grandfather more than deserves this honor."
From what I'd heard, he'd even fought in the Battle of Nakdonggang.
August to September 1950.
A massive battle where Korean and UN forces made their heroic last stand on the final defensive line for a full month.
It paved the way for the Incheon Landing later, making it a pivotal moment in Korean history.
"Alright, I'll take that as settled and get things ready."
"Thank you. I don't even know how to face you..."
"Hahaha, face me? If anything, I'm grateful to you, Jin-seong. If history had gone differently, I might not even be here."
Yeah.
My dream, my goal: to be remembered by many.
Nothing beat donating for war veterans.
'Strike while the iron is hot, as they say.'
To push the plan forward as fast as possible, I pulled out my smartphone.
This was the perfect chance to put my connections to good use.
'Where should I start?'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ South Korea had three major construction conglomerates.
The most famous was Ilseong Construction.
The nation's top builder, backed by massive capital. As befitting the chaebol king, their welfare and wages were on another level.
Next came Daeyoung Construction.
Daeyoung was mainly in autos, but they'd poured heavy investments into construction too. That had earned them second place in prestige.
And last, the one most connected to me:
Third in the rankings—Hanmyeong Group, whose chairman was the former owner of my Hannam-dong mansion.
"The mansion?"
"Yes. I'm planning to build it for a war veteran's family."
"As expected, you're different from the rest. Looks like my eye for people hasn't failed me yet. Heh heh heh..."
Lee Dong-wook, the reporter.
Well, former reporter now, since he'd quit.
He was rifling through a stack of research materials from the passenger seat. The moment Park Seong-ho wrapped up his business trip, Lee had rushed over, offering to be my personal aide.
I was more than happy to have him—especially someone who knew Korea's history inside and out.
So I listened intently to his advice.
"Ilseong Construction rose to prominence during the 1997 IMF crisis. They acquired Dongah Construction when its stock had bottomed out."
"I've heard. They got where they are through aggressive acquisitions during the IMF."
"Exactly. Unlike other groups that expanded recklessly on loans, Ilseong started stockpiling dollars five years ago. In hindsight, a brilliant move. People usually follow trends, but Ilseong defied the times. That's why they still hold the top spot."
And that wasn't all.
Even second-place Daeyoung Group had scooped up an auto company through aggressive investments.
"Daeyoung also took over the scandal-plagued Hyundai Steel due to mismanagement, using that as a foothold to acquire Shinsung Motors, Korea's top automaker at the time. All during the IMF."
That drove it home.
I lacked both the capital and experience to take on giants like Ilseong or Daeyoung.
Just having money didn't guarantee victory in a fight. History proved that.
Lee Dong-wook was warning me:
That a hot streak might just be a shooting star—or it could evolve into an Ilseong-level behemoth.
Building one house, and here I was getting a masterclass from a top-tier expert. It really reaffirmed that bringing Lee on board was the right call.
That said...
Wasn't this overkill for just one house?
Researching giants like this felt more like prepping for a Burj Khalifa or Mercedes-Benz tower.
Well, he must have his reasons.
Knowledge like this never hurt.
"So, Ilseong Construction, the biggest one?"
"Hmm, I see it differently."
Lee Dong-wook handed me a single sheet.
"This is their order backlog, right?"
"Yes. To check if a construction firm is solid or just bloated, look at four key metrics."
The document detailed unexecuted contract backlogs from signed projects, sales revenue showing scale and growth, operating profit margin for earnings power, and debt ratio for funding clarity.
"This is just my personal take, but..."
He leaned back, whispering in my ear.
"I think Hanmyeong Construction is the best bet. They're making waves lately."
"Hanmyeong Construction?"
"Word on the street is they've got serious owner risk."
Owner risk, huh...
Come to think of it, wasn't the Hannam-dong mansion I'd bought originally built for the chairman's affair?
Lee Dong-wook took a deep breath.
"If you're building for a war veteran anyway, better pick a firm that cares about its image. They'll build sturdy and cheap compared to standard costs—and helping a vet gives them good PR too."
A certain operation name flashed in my mind.
"In other words, Operation Eat the Pheasant and the Egg."