Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Briquette Charity Backlash
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A bizarre rumor began circulating through online communities: a chaebol heir was personally delivering coal briquettes.
💬 Comments — Anonymous Is this for real? Why would some rich guy deliver briquettes? — Anonymous Yeah, right. I've seen streamers do it, though. — Anonymous That streamer was just performing to win back public favor after screwing up. — Anonymous He didn't actually deliver them, did he? Just pretended? — Anonymous Oh yeah, I remember. Some chaebol third-gen did briquette delivery for "commoner experience," but turns out he slacked off while making others work. — Anonymous LOLOLOL heartwarming stuff. Damn this hellish Korea. — Anonymous Kim Do-jun's probably the same type. The source of the rumor was none other than Kim Do-jun, CEO of Starlight and newly minted majority shareholder of Future Distribution. His face had been all over the place, so he was well-known.
— Anonymous But isn't Kim Do-jun kinda unique? — Anonymous What do you mean? — Anonymous Think about it. Say you have 10 billion won. What would you do first? — Anonymous Buy supercars. Use 'em to pick up girls. — Anonymous Pay off loans first before cars... — Anonymous Loans make sense. I'd invest it. — Anonymous You'd go broke. Don't you know messing with real estate or stocks can ruin you these days? — Anonymous Chills. Last year's lotto winner got 3 billion after taxes and still ended up broke, right? — Anonymous Those types are doomed no matter what. — Anonymous Kim Do-jun's got it all figured out. — Anonymous For real. Just hand him the money. Briquette delivery is peak brain-dead. Things were taking a weird turn.
A well-intentioned volunteer effort was not only getting bashed but treated like a criminal act. It was proof of how little trust people had in the rich.
However.
All the buzz vanished the moment one post went up.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Breaking News Kim Do-jun is Presidential Material. Views: 1,912,804 | Likes: 215,466 | Comments: 80,002
A provocative title.
The so-called "commu-addicts" who haunted these sites couldn't scroll past it.
— OP Full disclosure: I volunteered alongside the rumored Kim Do-jun delivering briquettes before writing this. (Photo) (Photo) (Photo) Proof right here. At first, I tilted my head when I heard Kim Do-jun was doing briquette delivery. Think about it. He's donating 300 billion anyway—why bother with manual labor? You know how remote that area is... No cap, check this out. (Photo) See it? The stairs are fucking endless. Houses lined up along those stairs—it was like a shantytown, hard to believe it's Korea. And there he was, sweating buckets, working hard. No lie, it made me see him differently. About two years ago, some gym bro overdid it carrying briquettes, fell down the stairs, and broke bones. Even fit guys struggle with this. (Photo) (Photo) Bonus for you. Photo of the potato pancake Kim Do-jun got from somewhere. Legit delicious-looking ♥ After volunteering, he even handed out cash for a meal. (Photo) 200,000 won. Jackpot LOLOLOL Anyway, stop the baseless hate on the community. Who donates for war vets like that? Except politicians during elections, right? Why savage a donor when you'd rip apart anyone dissing soldiers? What crime did he commit? Shouldn't he be praised? Before that, look in the mirror and reflect on yourselves. P.S. Kim Do-jun had pretty girls around him. Jealous AF. Especially the bodyguard—her glare was no joke. Like she'd snap your neck for funny business. Overheard she's ex-USSOCOM. Money, hot girls, and a top-tier special forces bodyguard. Damn... God's too generous. He's got it all. Anyway, I hope Kim Do-jun runs for office. The country needs a president who gets the common folk. Agree? A post from one commu-addict.
It racked up nearly 2 million views and over 100,000 comments.
Top of the hot posts.
Reactions exploded.
💬 Comments — Anonymous Whoa, he could've gotten hurt doing that. — Anonymous Wow! Kim Do-jun really is different. — Anonymous Idiots. All the haters went silent once counter-evidence dropped LOL — Anonymous OP's impressive too. Briquette delivery is brutal... — Anonymous Politicians? Their "folk" act is just eating market skewers they never touch otherwise. — Anonymous LOLOLOLOLOLOL — Anonymous Putting his money where his mouth is. Kim Do-jun wins solo this round. Eventually, the post hit the mainstream media.
📰 Breaking News [Kim Do-jun Joins Charity Event for Struggling War Veterans and Elderly Living Alone.] 📰 Breaking News [Kim Do-jun Shows Modern Noblesse Oblige, Hoping Seniors Spend a Warm Winter...] 📰 Breaking News [Selig CEO Jin Seol-hwa and Kim Do-jun Spotted Together! Have They Finally Become a Couple?] 📰 Breaking News [The Stunning Women Beside Kim Do-jun... Turns Out They're World-Class Elites!?] A female reporter hyped it up in breaking news articles.
Cha Cha-yeon curved her lips into a smile and hammered the keyboard relentlessly.
'I'll be watching! Watching to see if you're really that great!'
Even as she thought that, the potato pancake from back then lingered in her mind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Autumn had arrived before they knew it.
October.
The autumnal equinox by astronomical standards.
The day the sun aligns with the equator, when day and night are nearly equal.
A special event loomed in this autumn.
Jin Seol-hwa's birthday.
He felt guilty for being too busy to celebrate properly. Her birthday was in two days. She'd left early that morning and probably wouldn't return until late.
That empty window was the perfect chance to prepare her gift!
"Uncle!"
Jin Seol-young stood before him, dolled up like a flower.
"Whoa, our Seol-young is the prettiest in the world?"
"Hehe, really?"
"Of course! No friend of yours could be prettier in Uncle's eyes."
Her outfit evoked tiny flowers in pink and sky blue.
A small ribbon adorned the nape of her neck.
She wore a sky-blue sleeved T-shirt with delicate floral embroidery, exuding cuteness on its own.
A bright pink skirt flared naturally below.
The quintessential adorable look for her age.
"Shall we head out?"
"Yes!"
I sat in the driver's seat of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and told Seol-young in the back to buckle up. These days, even rear passengers get fined without seatbelts.
True to its hundreds-of-millions price tag, the Cullinan glided forward smoothly when I hit the accelerator.
Knowing this, he'd arranged for Im Yun-ah to handle his proxy duties while preparing Jin Seol-hwa's gift.
Still, he had to make an appearance.
CEO of a company, personal matters or not.
"Can you wait here a bit?"
"Yes!"
"We'll have something tasty for lunch."
"Hehe, you'll buy me yummy stuff?"
"Obviously!"
Business is business, personal is personal.
Even CEOs shouldn't burden other employees.
So, he'd leave Seol-young in the first-floor lobby for a bit.
This was company grounds—off-limits to outsiders. Anyone approaching her with ill intent would face the waiting security.
In short, safe as houses.
"Uncle's gotta handle some work. Be right back."
"Okay. Take your time."
"Aigoo, my cute little princess~ Mwah mwah!"
"Hehe~"
Hearts bursting from his eyes, he rode the VIP elevator to the top. Future Distribution HQ. Employees bowed deeply upon seeing him.
"Have a great day."
"Thanks for your hard work."
Smoother than any elevator he'd ridden.
Could nap in it.
Plush carpet, luxurious walls.
Impeccable craftsmanship drew admiration.
Ding!
Strategic Planning team waited at arrival, bowing 90 degrees.
"Hello, sir?"
"Yes. Good day, everyone. Let's get started."
"Yes, sir!"
Waiting was CEO Im Seok-hyun.
The man he'd placed there after ousting Yoo Kyung-soo.
Of course, he wouldn't meddle in operations.
He'd promised as much at the shareholders' meeting.
Truth be told, he couldn't even if he wanted.
Distribution was his weak spot.
But he needed to stay informed, so he chatted with Im Seok-hyun every two weeks.
"Shall we begin?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hmhmhm~♪"
The girl hummed a tune, mumbling with her small mouth.
She'd spent all day in the hospital amid white-coated folks.
Unlike the hospital, here men in varied suits bustled about.
A vibrant scene.
Jin Seol-young, with her clear, innocent eyes scanning around, looked straight out of a fairy tale.
"Oh my! Who's that kid? Civilians aren't allowed here..."
"Shh, she's the majority shareholder's family."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah. He talked to her earlier—said she has leukemia, asked us to look after her."
"Oh no, how..."
"He personally requested it before leaving."
One of the women approached Jin Seol-young.
With utmost caution.
As if handling royalty.
"Hi?"
She responded with a bashful belly bow.
"Hello!"
"Aww~ So polite and pretty. You'll be popular someday~"
"Hehe, no."
"Nonsense, you look like the prettiest girl in the world to sis."
"Hehe, thank you!"
The woman pulled out all the stops to impress her.
She was Jang Hee-jin, section chief in Sales.
A key player there, the team's token woman with solid results.
Promotion lined up for next year, rumor had it.
"Oh, time flies. Sis has to go—busy. I'll send yummy snacks via the kids later."
"Thank you!"
Gently stroking Seol-young's hair, Jang Hee-jin hurried off.
She wanted to stay forever, but work called.
"Hehe~"
Up to then, the girl was in high spirits.
Who wouldn't be happy being called pretty?
On the flip side...
Something unpleasant happened.
"This place is too dirty; I can't stand it anymore. Gotta quit soon."
"D-Deputy manager! Ears around..."
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
A man vented with his junior in tow.
HR Deputy Manager Choi Seong-rae.
He yanked off his tie irritably.
"HR and Strategic Planning always have high turnover anyway, right? Planning meets outsiders constantly—a call away from a job. You know that, Kang. HR? Core department anywhere. How many pass through my hands!"
He griped, but had no plans to leave.
Just venting.
Naturally, overhearing Seol-young's good mood deflated instantly. This was the company run by her favorite Uncle Do-jun.
She was just entering middle school.
But she knew what mattered.
Even Jin Seol-hwa appeared often on news and TV.
Cautiously, she pulled a small notebook from her pocket.
She carried it daily to jot down adults' words in secret.
She wrote:
[People Seol-young likes.]
[Jang Hee-jin sis.]
[Hope sis is super happy.]
Before the last line, she glared at the still-quacking man.
Her chubby little hands scribbled busily.
[People badmouthing the company.]
[Hate him.]
[Hope he leaves Uncle soon.]
[Choi Seong-rae bad uncle.]
"Hing..."
She couldn't wait to show this notebook to Uncle Do-jun.