Chapter 5
Chapter 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Become My Disciple
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Some might say it like this.
Wondering why a regressor like me is so obsessed with power. After all, isn't this a capitalist society where money can do anything? They might ask if gaining a ton of money and fame through future knowledge wouldn't naturally bring power along with it.
Someone might think that way.
To put it bluntly, they're wrong.
Money is an incredibly important tool. In a capitalist society, if you had to name the reserve currency of power, it'd be money—nearly all power can be substituted with it.
However... that reserve currency is backed by violence. It's a violence-standard system.
Until August 15, 1971, when President Nixon suspended gold convertibility—you could once exchange 35 dollars for an ounce of gold—all power presupposes convertibility into violence.
And.
The most basic condition of the modern nation-state is a monopoly on violence.
Like ice cream melting under the warm summer sun, all power derived from money dissolves like an illusion before the pure, immense power wielded by the state!
The Dongguk Group dissolution in 1985, just two years from now, is the infamous example. The eighth-largest conglomerate in the business world was torn into dozens of pieces the moment it stepped outside the president's gaze, leaving not even a trace.
How is that possible? That's exactly why power is so formidable—because such outrageous things become possible.
I heard Daeha Group got a good share of those torn pieces back then. Wonder if I could get involved.
The so-called "civilization" or "civility"—a fancy way of saying suspension of violence convertibility—doesn't really kick in until the 21st century.
Anyway. The key point is, this is the 20th century. In the 1980s, money isn't as valuable as you might think.
Thinking it over again, what I want isn't just a lot of money... but powerful, enduring power.
"Ah, Ha-yeon. It's been a while."
I reaffirmed that fact as I looked at Kim Hae-ik, the Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Affairs, greeting me with a casual smile.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I had made a slight miscalculation. Originally, Grandfather's permission wasn't needed for me to meet Kim Hae-ik.
As I mentioned earlier, the state is the institution that monopolizes violence and the summation of all power. Thus, someone who can freely voice opinions to a dictator under the blue-tiled roof doesn't bow to chaebol chairmen.
"I owe you my life. Thank you. Truly."
And how many people would forget if a child warned them about a terrorist attack the day before it happened?
At least Kim Hae-ik wasn't one of them.
I should have separated what Grandfather extracted from other officials as compensation from Kim Hae-ik's personal stance. Shaking my head, I blamed my own oversight for lumping them together.
"No, I'm the one who's grateful. You just listened to a kid's words. Honestly, you were lucky too. Your schedule got delayed, and all but one bomb turned out to be duds, right?"
"No, you were my luck too. If I'd listened to Requiem without thinking back then, it might've become my funeral march. So, what do you want from this uncle? Your grandfather said you're quite... like him."
...That doesn't sound like a compliment.
I glanced up at Kim Hae-ik and tested the waters.
"Well, even if I asked for money or policy tips, you wouldn't tell me anyway."
"Haha, true enough. Using power for personal gain... that's corruption, bribery. Not something a bureaucrat should do."
He answered with a firm expression. I just looked puzzled.
'...Everyone else does it except you.'
The Blue House's current master does it all the time, after all.
Anyway, he's upright and impressive in many ways. Even indirectly criticizing the president who appointed him to a core power position.
At this point, it's worth asking.
I looked up at him with sparkling eyes and opened my mouth.
"Then. Could you maybe teach me economics?"
"..."
This time, it was Kim Hae-ik's turn to be speechless. It was a well-known fact that he was essentially President Jeon Du-gwang's economics tutor.
Naturally, after that, no one but the president dared ask him for 'that' kind of thing. Who would treat the Blue House's top economic secretary like a mere tutor?
"Hmm. You mean not just once, but...?"
He asked again, wondering if I was ordinary after all, but I nodded, confirming his guess.
"Yes. I'd like to meet multiple times and learn. About... economics."
-Whoa.
A short exclamation escaped him. He seemed genuinely impressed by me.
"I don't know if you knew or not, but if you said that knowing its true meaning, you're a true genius. I could call you a prodigy."
I shrugged.
"Prodigy fits. I'm pretty smart. Grandfather didn't hint at it; I came up with it myself. That's what you were getting at, right?"
If I knew, it's genius; if not, Yoo Seong-pil must have told me. That subtle implication was in his words.
Kim Hae-ik nodded, as if caught off guard.
"Right. I thought that for a moment. It didn't sound like something a kid would say. I figured Yoo Seong-pil could give his granddaughter that kind of advice. But wow, apparently not. I must've seen him as too cold-blooded. Now I feel a bit sorry."
His eyes are sharp, as expected.
"...Actually, you're probably right, Uncle. Spot on. Grandfather seemed like he was going to give that advice too. As a 'gift.' But since I already had the answer, it couldn't be a gift, so I took something else instead."
Personal secretary, driver, bodyguard. Trivial things like that. Grandfather said they were his people, not mine, but they were already around, so it didn't feel new.
What a shame. I could've gotten something more valuable if I'd known Kim Hae-ik would come personally to thank me.
"..."
He fell silent for a moment. Then, with a subtle expression, he responded to my request.
It was wrapped in euphemisms and political rhetoric, but I could interpret it fine.
"You could study economics without me. No, honestly, you already know more than most. Truth be told, I don't get your real intent."
I know you don't need a teacher like me. Are you trying to sell high-level government info to your grandfather?
"I only know the basics. And... I'm a girl. It's harder for women to seize opportunities. Unlike men. You're different from other officials, right? You know our country isn't all that great."
You're a liberal who hates dictatorship and loves openness, unlike the others. I'm inherently limited, so I'm bound to resist authoritarianism.
"Hmm. Still, opportunities come if you wait. Especially for you, a chaebol heir—you'll have plenty."
No need to be greedy. You're already privileged.
"Hmm. I'm only six, so I don't know much, but every year is huge for me. Thinking of compound interest, isn't it better to grab opportunities early?"
I'm greedy, so I want more.
"There's a saying that a boy's early success brings misfortune. To me, you're already a genius. Why the rush?"
Stopping at a reasonable point is best for everyone. Why push it?
"Usually... in families with lots of kids, they fight a lot, right? Especially at meals—without elders, they scramble for the good stuff. I want some tasty bites too."
Me.
I want to become a chaebol chairman.
"...What a nutjob."
This crazy bastard.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Blue House Secretariat.
Kim Hae-ik.
The giant who steered Korea's economy stared at me.
"Let's drop the pretense for a sec, Ha-yeon."
I shrugged and turned to face him squarely. My babyish looks didn't make it look cool.
"Was that last part for real?"
I tilted my head and blinked innocently.
"Huh? Ha-yeon doesn't get what you mean... Why so sudden and intense...? I don't know."
Nope, not telling.
What're you gonna do if I don't?
"..."
Kim Hae-ik stared at me blankly for a bit, then rubbed his head. He wasn't the type to yell at a six-year-old girl who'd saved his life.
"Hmm. Yeah, whew. Surviving death made me sensitive. What am I even doing to a kid...?"
He seemed to hit reality and feel some self-loathing.
'Playing the kid card is fun. But maybe that's enough.'
I stuck my tongue out playfully and sparkled my eyes again.
"That was a fib earlier. Hehe. Honestly, it's tempting, right? I've always wanted to be great like Grandfather."
Affirming my ambition indirectly, Kim Hae-ik sighed and patted my head.
"Whew. Teasing adults is no good. How many times have you startled me today? Really. The Yoo family produced a true prodigy. So, why tell me this? What if I tell someone else?"
"That's why I said it—doesn't matter if you do. Chaebol heirs eyeing the chairman spot isn't new. Plus, no one would take it seriously now anyway... "
"Well, yeah."
Before long, Kim Hae-ik seemed to accept I had the mind of an adult or better. Our chat delved deeper, touching on economics and current events.
"Hmm. Still, we shouldn't abandon heavy chemicals or agriculture support. Not high-value, but self-sufficiency matters, right?"
"We can buy from abroad anyway. My guess is China will boom in the 21st century, so we'll rely on them."
"But commies are kinda..."
.
.
.
"Oh, and you haven't given up on the real-name financial system? Seems tough under this regime."
"...How do you know that? That's deputy minister-level info. Never mind, how doesn't matter. Just don't say that outside. You'll get called disloyal."
"Only you hate dictatorship so openly? Oh, shouldn't say that yet?"
"Ahem. His Excellency knows anyway. Just keep it out of public."
Surprisingly, Kim Hae-ik had few biases about me.
Adults like numbers, as in The Little Prince.
"Yoo Ha-yeon seems a bit weird in the head. Keeps saying stuff I don't get and acting smart." Adults won't understand that.
They won't say, "Did that kid come from the future?" or "A future human reincarnated!" Instead: What's her IQ? Books read? Age?
Say, "Yoo Ha-yeon read original econ texts at six!" and they'll clap: "What a prodigy!"
Kim Hae-ik, admired by many, was still an adult. Meaning... he liked geniuses and prodigies.
How much? Enough to offer to mentor me personally.
...Didn't see that coming.