The Reward for Heroism
Seo Jia’s father watched her for a moment. She was still shedding tears, and he felt an urge to ask her why the moment they left the room. ‘Is it because I spoke too harshly to her?’ he wondered. If he asked and she confirmed it, he thought, ‘Well, I’ll just have to kick her out. If she hates it enough to cry, what else can I do?’
It was fine that Jia spoke sweetly, had a good mindset, and behaved correctly, but the matter of his ex-wife’s family was a separate issue that needed to be viewed through a different lens. He had to prepare for any contingency. If her parents found out she was still living with her ex-husband, they might use that as leverage to interfere and suggest they remarry. He had to make sure such things were clearly defined, just in case.
With that, Jia’s father muttered, "Let's go," and while her mother supported him, he took a step-by-step, laborious walk out of the room. Once the door closed, he tried to say what he had intended to tell Jia, but—
"Unnie, why are you crying?"
"...?"
Eunbyul had beaten him to it.
"Wipe your tears. Unnie, Senior did the right thing. Why are you crying while talking about that? This is—"
"No... I was just... ashamed of my mom and... dad... that’s why..."
Pass.
"Once again, congratulations on receiving the medal and the commendation."
"Thank you."
"As discussed, the prize money is 50 million won. It will be deposited into your account within one to two weeks. If you would prefer to receive it in cash, please let us know. We will provide it in the form of a check."
The 12 awardees, their 70 family members, the President, the Prime Minister, and the cabinet ministers all gathered for a group photo. In this setting, alongside the photography, conversations that couldn't be held in crowded areas or during meals were exchanged. The President, while praising everyone's hard work, added, "Uh... I understand that Managing Director Han Suhyun has declined the prize money."
"Yes. That is correct."
People looked at him. Eunbyul, sitting beside him, lowered her head slightly to hide her lips and whispered, "Why are you doing that? They’re giving you so much money!"
"Forget it."
"So, regarding the reward, I have prepared something else separately, so it would be good for you to check it later," the President said with a grin. "Now, honestly, rather than just congratulating you on your hard work, the prize money and the honors you receive are most important. I feel like I’ve kept you too long. Please, go ahead and check."
Everyone headed to the waiting rooms to wait with their families. The Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Minister of Environment entered separate rooms with the President, where assigned officials explained the rewards.
Soon, there was a knock at his door. With his mother and father beside him, he bowed his head and received the explanation.
"I shouldn't say this in an official setting, but Chairman Han must have raised his child well?"
"Haha, not at all. Uh..."
"He ran out to save people without being asked, refused money even when offered, and this is the first time someone in the family has received a medal, isn't it?"
"Yes. My son is the first. I'm proud."
Jia’s parents watched these exchanges with ashen faces.
"The Order of National Security Merit is usually awarded to soldiers who have served for over 33 years and to civilian employees who have served for the same period. Managing Director Han Suhyun, you are receiving this medal because you have achieved accomplishments equivalent to the national security protection provided by 33 years of military service," the President said while introducing the certificate.
It wasn't an unreasonable statement. In Korea, where a state of peace persists, it is rare for even a handful of people to save a single life during 33 years of military service, yet he had done so for over a dozen people.
"The prize money was originally scheduled to be 97.15 million won, but due to the recipient's active refusal... haha, we are unable to provide it. This is the first time something like this has happened. Minister, has there ever been a case where someone refused the prize money?"
"Never since the founding of the nation."
"So, well, let me ask you. Why are you trying not to accept the prize money?"
And he replied, "First, as I already have enough money, I felt uncomfortable with the idea of converting taxpayer money into private property."
The President, who had praised his eloquence, saw him scratching his head after the sudden compliment. "And... second... well, honestly, I have no use for it even if I receive it. I heard that receiving this medal makes me a person of national merit..."
"That is correct."
"I haven't done anything that great, so the title of 'person of national merit' feels undeserved. If I were to receive the prize money on top of that, it would be burdensome."
"Ho ho..."
The President let out a hearty laugh, looking not at him but at his father. Meanwhile, his father glanced at his son, wondering if he had always been this good with words.
Just then, the President told someone at the door to enter. It was the Minister of Economy and Finance, who had nothing to do with the awards.
"Uh, Minister. Speak."
"Yes. I heard the recipient refused the prize money. I was contemplating if we could offer a different reward, and after consulting with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy..."
"..."
"The government intends to acquire a stake in GPL through an investment. It is not about taking over management rights; it is purely for investment purposes."
The implications of this were clear.
"Then..."
"I am aware that GPL has faced many regulations due to the accident that occurred early in the administration. I have also heard that the business has not been proceeding properly. We will lift those regulations starting tomorrow. If GPL issues new shares, the Korea Investment Corporation plans to invest 500 to 600 billion won, the National Pension Service 1 trillion won, and the Korea Asset Management Corporation about 300 billion won, for a total government investment of approximately 2 trillion won."
What was this?
"Judging by your expression, you seem to like this more than the prize money... Has your son ever mentioned anything related to this before?"
"...No. He hasn't brought it up since the business failed."
In other words, they were saying they would lift the regulations that had prevented him from fueling cars with the fuel he developed in the lab. Furthermore, they were going to completely abolish regulations on private development of renewable and alternative energy.
"The government has finished verifying the facts, and we have reached this decision noting that there were no problems with the business itself and that the incident occurred by mistake."
Moreover, they weren't trying to buy existing shares to secure a stake. They were simply going to enter the company, and all he had to do was print out paper shares worth 2 trillion won, write 'Issuer: Han Suhyun' on them, and hand them over to get 2 trillion won. It was an absurd proposition.
...Of course, since the Pension Service was in Jeonju, he would actually have to go to Jeonju to hand over the paper shares.
If that happened, he would have to reach an agreement on the issuance of new shares with that mysterious place—the one he still didn't know the location of, only knowing it as a foreign company. Even if that foreign company, which held over 50% of GPL's shares, didn't participate in management, they were the nominal largest shareholder, so he had to obtain approval for decision-making.
"...I will go, verify everything, and then contact you."
"Ah, and this is my business card. Please, take it."
The Minister handed him a card. "I heard from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. That you contacted a civil servant directly..."
"Ah, that is correct. When I was trying to refuse the award entirely..."
"Haha. Director, I know you are young, have a good personality, and a kind heart... but the civil servants are dying. If a high-ranking person calls a regular civil servant, they might suffer a myocardial infarction, so please contact me directly from now on."
"O-oh... I understand."
Come to think of it, the civil servant's voice had been trembling quite a bit back then.
Following this, the other ministers also offered their business cards. The Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, seeing this as he passed by, seemed to recall the past and quickly asked his secretary for his card before handing it to him.
After that, they all gathered in the room one more time to take another photo—
"Ah, shouldn't you take a photo with your spouse?"
"...Ah... spouse."
He glanced at Jia. Jia wouldn't meet his gaze, and her anxiety was clearly written on her face. However—
"That's right. Jia, come here."
"...Ah, yes, no, um..."
As soon as he called her, her expression brightened. She immediately clung to his side, linked her arms with his, and took the photo with a look that might have been interpreted as a silly, happy smile.
"Alright. You worked hard receiving the award today."
It was 9:00 PM by the time the schedule ended. It was time to head home. When he stepped out, the driver, wearing a suit that looked brand new, bowed respectfully the moment he made eye contact. His father said he had worked hard once more and added, "Son, don't pay attention to the news or anything like that. You know?"
"There's nothing strange anymore. Sigh."
"Mom still thinks of you as a baby. If things are hard, call Mom—"
"Mom, I'm twenty-eight... and I'm married..."
"Does being married make you an adult? Hey, even if you're married, you're still a child. Look at your father. Hmm? He's only like that when people are around; when he gets home, he doesn't listen to a word I say—"
"Honey, please be quiet..."
It seems something happened again yesterday.