Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Reporter's Vendetta
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I never imagined I'd be this popular, just a total shut-in hikikomori rotting away in my room.
'Well, I have been popping up in the media a lot lately...'
Whether it was mere curiosity or I was some slippery extortionist who'd dodged cops dispatched across all 50 states and even the FBI—that remained to be seen.
Right on cue, Im Yun-ah returned from her investigation.
"President, I've identified the stalker's identity."
"Who is it?"
"Well... it's Cha Se-yeon, a senior reporter from Daehan Ilbo."
"Daehan Ilbo?"
No, why would a reporter go to such lengths chasing me around?
I pondered it deeply.
Could I have committed some crime without realizing it?
But no matter how hard I thought, nothing like that came to mind.
I'm not the type who throws ethics out the window just to make money. Every morning, before even stretching, I remind myself of my goals.
To become someone unforgettable to many people.
And now I was reporters' prey?
For what reason?
"I'm not sure about that part. But Lee Dong-wook might know."
She's right.
Lee Dong-wook's a former reporter himself.
He must've heard the name Cha Se-yeon before.
As everyone knows, Daehan Ilbo is the country's largest media outlet, with over 500 active reporters by rough estimate. Unofficially, even more.
They wouldn't pull something like this without cause.
"Please bring in Mr. Lee Dong-wook."
"Understood."
This is just great...
Things have gotten seriously messed up.
I was already swamped linking missing veterans with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Confirmed numbers alone topped at least 100,000.
Some had passed away, others were still alive—but factoring in their families, even 300 billion won wouldn't cover it.
Of course, the money didn't feel wasted.
Because of them, I could earn freely in this country.
Imagine if you were born in North Korea.
You'd live like a slave for the Kim family.
The state assigns your job.
The state picks your spouse.
The state tells you what not to do.
Just 100 km north, and that'd be your daily grind.
A horrific, meaningless existence.
'What's their motive?'
I was dying to know why they'd target someone just minding his own business.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Lee Dong-wook arrived exactly an hour later.
He was drenched to the bone, looking utterly frantic.
"President, you said Cha Se-yeon?"
"Yes. Reporter Cha Se-yeon from Daehan Ilbo."
"How could that be..."
After catching his breath, he grabbed the glass of water in front of him and gulped it down. As a former reporter, and with her an active one, they had to know each other.
"Se-yeon has some painful memories from the past."
"Painful memories?"
"It was about 20 years ago. Her father was working at Daeyoung Construction when he had an unexpected accident."
"!"
I pieced it together right there. Cha Se-yeon must harbor deep resentment toward chaebols. And that spelled disaster for me.
"What happened to Se-yeon's father?"
Lee Dong-wook, who'd been gently stroking the glass with his finger, bowed his head with a grim expression.
"He passed away not long after."
"..."
"But that's not where the problems ended."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly two years later, her mother passed away too."
"What?"
What was this now?
The father had the accident—why the mother too?
"Unlike today, 20 years ago, industrial accident compensation wasn't handled well. There were tons of protests."
The classic case was Ilseong Electronics' leukemia protests.
They even blocked the chairman's car to vent their grievances.
Begging to save their children.
Daeyoung Construction was no different. Drivers even considered striking over unpaid wages. Industrial accidents were bad enough, but thieves skimming paychecks were rampant too.
"Se-yeon's mother held a picket protest outside Daeyoung's HQ for three months straight. Here's the article from back then."
He showed me a 20-year-old article.
A large photo captured a woman wailing in agony.
"This is Cha Se-yeon's mother?"
"Yes. They handle compensation better now, but back then, no way."
Because acknowledging one meant acknowledging them all.
It bred evil laws like that.
But it had become custom too—undeniable fact.
"Haah, Seol-hwa."
"Yes, President."
Jin Seol-hwa, who'd been listening quietly beside me, responded softly.
Her brow deeply furrowed.
"Has Selig ever denied industrial accident compensation?"
No way.
My Selig is fair and transparent...
"Yes."
"Of course not... What?"
What kind of ghost story is this?
Selig denying compensation?
"To be precise, before you acquired it—during the time of the embezzling former president."
"How many cases?"
"We've identified 35. We've already compensated them all. The U.S. Department of Labor isn't forgiving."
"Right. The DOL and state labor departments wouldn't stand for it."
True enough.
Unlike here, the U.S. DOL has a fearsome reputation.
Fail to pay wages properly, and massive corps get sued into oblivion—no exaggeration.
They even slapped a $2 million punitive award over a coffee once.
'How do I handle this?'
Bribing with money? Impossible.
Pressuring Daehan Ilbo directly? Even less feasible.
If word got out I was bullying them, Selig would be booted from Korea. Nationwide boycotts would ripple out.
And that's not all.
We're building major factories in Songdo and Cheongju.
Pulling out of Korea means abandoning those.
'There has to be a way...'
That's when Jin Seol-yeong, playing in the room, toddled over and climbed into my lap.
"Aigoo, is our Seol-yeong bored all alone?"
"Hehe, I wanna play with Uncle!"
"Seol-yeong!"
As Jin Seol-hwa tried to call her back, I scooped her up.
Ah, this cozy warmth.
Having my cute little sister snug against me melted away my anxiety in seconds.
"Hehe~ What's up, Uncle?"
"Uh, yeah. Uncle has a friend, but we're on the outs."
"Why?"
"Misunderstanding..."
Too young for the full truth.
So I explained age-appropriately.
"Then just show your true heart and fix it!"
"...Huh?"
"If you fought with a friend, showing sincerity fixes it, right?"
"!"
Why didn't I think of that?
Everyone's got their own baggage—showing the real me might change hearts.
I gently stroked Seol-yeong's soft cheek.
"Let's just leave it be."
"But President, if it harms you..."
"Then I'd have done something wrong."
"President..."
Lee Dong-wook gazed at me, deeply moved.
No need for that look.
I truly hadn't lived a life of sin.
Well, maybe some minor money laundering vibes with crypto profits—but that cash went straight to the common folk.
The veterans' donation came from there too.
"Alright, everyone—back to work. Let's get up."
I was in simple work clothes today.
Didn't want to turn into a charcoal briquette.
"Gotta finish before the weather turns colder."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Cha Se-yeon swallowed hard at the sight of the grand Hannam-dong mansion.
She'd chased him thinking he'd be living large—and here it was.
The media had hyped him as Korea's newest chaebol. Wealth like that screamed illegality.
'I'll uncover it. Expose it. Show the world the ugly face behind the mask...'
Screeech!
The garage door opened, and several luxury cars pulled out.
Among them, a familiar face.
'Senior Lee Dong-wook?'
Why was the guy who'd exposed Mirae Distribution and HT Group there? The 'chaebol killer' preaching justice—why?
'Follow him!'
She tailed carefully, keeping distance. Expecting orgies at secret villas, drugs with junkies, or shady deals with buyers.
Instead, they ended up at crumbling houses at the end of a potholed, weathered asphalt road.
Places that could collapse any second.
Stepping out, she blankly watched the man in work clothes.
A man with trillions in estimated assets.
A company president doing grunt work? Unthinkable.
"Come on, everyone—let's move it."
"P-President, what if you hurt your back..."
"Hahaha, I'm still a spry early-thirties guy. This is nothing."
She figured he'd slack off out of sight.
But he worked harder than anyone.
Pretending not to know, Cha Se-yeon approached him.
"Excuse me."
"...Yes?"
"Why are you doing this kind of work?"
"Huh? What do you..."
"I saw it in the news. You're donating 300 billion. Wouldn't it be more efficient to just build houses?"
"Ah..."
He explained openly, no secrets.
"It takes too long."
"!"
"Building houses means contracting construction firms, and with so many veterans—not just one or two—it could take months short, years long."
"......"
"Honestly, the donations aren't that important."
"What do you..."
"You have to know what the veterans truly want."
What they wanted?
Wasn't handing over cash for a comfy life enough?
Cha Se-yeon tilted her head.
Couldn't grasp his meaning.
"Donations are temporary. They run out eventually. Truth is, the veterans didn't fight for rewards."
"Then why did they enlist?"
Kim Do-jun smiled brightly at the question.
No hesitation in his answer.
"Just because they loved their country. Without any expectation of reward."