Chairman!
After my aunt’s gathering, I ended up with a schedule that was chaotic in its own way.
Of course, I only said chaotic. I wasn’t really that busy.
I just spent a lot of time concentrating.
Outside of exercise and resting, I devoted everything else to thinking about my next investment move.
I still didn’t have an answer.
And yet...
I had the feeling the outline would show itself soon enough.
Just like when I’d thought about that North-South merged competition this time.
After a few attempts and a few successes, I’d started to develop a kind of confidence in success.
When I was certain about an investment...
It usually turned out well, more often than not.
That didn’t mean I let the money I’d made this time sit around idle, either.
I used part of the profit to buy that building in the two-hundred-billion-won range that I’d ordered before.
In Gangnam, right in the heart of Seoul.
Real estate wasn’t complicated. You just bought the best building in the most expensive district and called it a day.
Everybody knew that investment method.
The only reason they couldn’t do it was because they didn’t have the money.
Which meant...
If I’m pulling in three hundred million won a month after tax...
After subtracting all the fixed operating costs and everything else from the buildings I owned, I was bringing in three hundred million won a month net.
And that was a conservative estimate.
Three hundred million won after tax every month.
Even on a yearly basis, that was serious money.
Among ordinary people, I doubted anyone was making three hundred million won a year unless they owned a business. And especially not after tax.
Before tax, it was close to five hundred million won.
“Not bad.”
This was genuinely a very solid level. No matter how much prices rose, no matter how hard inflation hit...
I’d still be able to live more than comfortably.
And as my buildings got more expensive, that meant their value would keep climbing too.
Now I had the remaining five billion won in capital. That money had to be taxed inside the corporation, and I still needed to keep investing with it.
As for corporate tax...
I could think about that after seeing the results for this year.
The money from the building deal was basically my personal pocket change, so I didn’t need to worry about taxes on that. I’d already set the tax aside separately.
“Hmm...”
For now, I decided to push the investment plans a little further back.
Before I knew it, May was already approaching.
Since it was Family Month, my family always got together in May and had a meal.
And not just my family, either.
My relatives did too.
I decided it was time. I’d already been thinking about going down to Gwangju soon anyway, so I might as well do it now.
After making up my mind, I told the chief secretary I’d be going to Gwangju, and he said he had something he wanted to discuss with me.
I had plenty of time before leaving, so I met him the next day.
“Thank you for making time for me so quickly despite my sudden request, Chairman.”
“You know me, Chief Secretary. I’ve got plenty of time.”
“I simply wanted to express my gratitude. I do have something I’d like to propose to you, Chairman, but... I wasn’t able to make the decision on my own, so I arranged this meeting.”
“You can speak freely.”
“Yes, Chairman. With the company growing so rapidly, it doesn’t seem easy for me to handle your schedule all by myself. But if I leave the company to someone else... I’m afraid I’d be very dissatisfied with that too.”
“I see.”
“If you permit it, Chairman, I’d like to find a secretary who can manage your overall schedule. Since that person would also be able to handle your private matters, I was wondering whether there might be someone you can trust enough to confide in. If not, I can train one of the other secretaries and introduce her to you personally.”
Hmm...
One person came to mind.
Suho would definitely be fine with hearing about my private life.
And among the people in Seoul, he was the easiest one for me to deal with.
The problem was that he was still a student.
“Would a student be okay?”
“As long as they can start working for the company right away, yes. In fact, that would make things easier, since we could train them from the beginning.”
“I’ll give you an answer before I leave for Gwangju. I thought I should at least ask first.”
“Of course, Chairman.”
Let me ask him, then.
***
When Lee Suho woke up that morning, he headed down to the underground parking garage in a good mood as usual.
“Khh...”
Ever since I’d met Hyung-nim, even the time I spent commuting to school had become something I looked forward to.
Because a gorgeous McLaren was waiting for me in the parking lot.
I checked out the cars parked around the McLaren. Even in Seoul...
There wasn’t a single one that could compare.
It was probably only natural, since this really wasn’t that nice of a villa.
Even so, whenever I climbed into the McLaren, I desperately hoped someone would be around to see it.
To show off.
Some people might call it tacky, but so what?
I was satisfied with it myself.
Vroooom.
The engine roared beautifully. I always gave the McLaren enough time to wake up properly, so I listened to one song before pressing my foot to the accelerator.
I drove through the middle of Seoul’s roads.
As expected, there was nobody nearby who could compare.
I rolled down the window and breathed in the morning air of Seoul.
Who would have thought that rough, harsh morning air could feel so clean?
Before I knew it, I was heading toward Sihyun’s apartment.
She still didn’t have her license, so I had to help her get to school.
I was more than willing to do it.
Honestly, it made me look good.
Even if she was my Hyung-nim’s girlfriend...
Other people had no idea about that sort of thing.
That didn’t mean I had any personal feelings for her, though.
It was just...
Seeing such a beautiful girl standing beside me when I got out of the McLaren, a girl who wouldn’t have looked out of place as a celebrity, was enough to make me happy.
I’d already put my feelings away a long time ago.
A tree I can’t climb isn’t one I’ll even bother looking at.
Sihyun got in.
“When are you planning to get your license? If it were me, I’d have gotten it right away. I ride a supercar every morning, but... when I think about the other cars sitting in Hyung-nim’s underground parking lot, it almost brings tears to my eyes. There are plenty of people out there who’d give anything just to ride one of those cars once...”
“...If I get my license, then I won’t be able to ride next to Oppa all the time.”
“You idiot. You think Hyung-nim wouldn’t let you sit in the passenger seat just because you got your license?”
“...It’s scary.”
“Scary? If anything, people should be scared of you. Khh... a young woman who just got her license, riding in a supercar. That’s cool.”
Still, I gave thanks to Sihyun for respecting Seoul’s traffic laws.
That could’ve turned into a real disaster.
At school, I helped her out a lot from the seat next to her.
The biggest help was making the men who had no business reaching for Sihyun realize where they stood.
She was so pretty that average men couldn’t even get close to her, but guys who thought they were handsome always had to try their luck.
Bastards. They were only able to do it because they didn’t understand that she was a tree they’d never climb.
I couldn’t exactly blame them.
I’d been the same way once.
Days like that repeated themselves a number of times. In their own way, they were satisfying days.
Once Sihyun went home early, the world became mine again.
And then, one day...
The professor called me aside.
“I don’t know the full story, but I know very well that you’ve been chasing after Sihyun.”
“Pardon?”
“Your grades are good, and you have a very solid impression, so I’m saying this because I think it’s a waste. Focus on your studies. Sihyun will never be the one to take responsibility for your future. If anything... from where I’m standing, studying is the best way to get closer to her. Take this as advice from a man and an adult.”
“...Yes, sir.”
Hmm...
I thought about it carefully.
He wasn’t wrong. Sihyun would never be the one responsible for my future.
But if I was going to focus only on studying...
How was I supposed to give up this life?
Whenever Hyung-nim gave me pocket money, it was in one-million-won bills.
He even covered all the extra expenses that came with driving around in a car.
And on the days he reserved a table for me at a club...
That alone was worth an ordinary salaried worker’s annual income.
He wanted me to give up that life?
My friends, having heard the news, started giving me advice too.
“Hey, that guy you keep calling your older brother is the same. Do you really think he’s going to take responsibility for your future?”
“Watch it.”
“...Right. That Hyung-nim guy, I mean...”
“Hmm. What can I do? This is the road I chose. Hyung-nim’s kindness toward me is by no means small, so I don’t want to turn my back on him just to scheme for my own future.”
“Ugh, you idiot.”
“What, bastard? I’m still a freshman. It’d be a waste to give up everything before I’ve even enjoyed myself. Think about it. I focus on studying, get a decent job, and then what? Do you really think I’d ever get to live this kind of life even for one day?”
My friend thought it over.
At last, he came over to my side.
“When you put it like that, I guess not.”
“See?”
Just like that, the benefits Hyung-nim took care of for me were by no means small.
Sometimes he’d even take me to department stores.
Those were the times when I felt like I wasn’t just a college student, but part of the upper class.
I was only a freshman, so I planned to put off worrying about this for later.
But then Hyung-nim came to find me.
“Suho.”
“Yes, Hyung-nim.”
“You looking at any companies?”
“Huh, a-already...? If you say so, I’ll focus on my studies.”
“No, I’m asking if you don’t want to come work for my company. Take a leave of absence from college for now, learn the ropes, and see if it suits you. Even if it doesn’t work out, I’ll take responsibility for you until retirement. Even if things are rough, I’ll set your salary at two hundred million won a year.”
“...Chairman!”
Everyone else had no idea.
If it was our Hyung-nim, he’d take responsibility for my future too.
He had that kind of ability.
Lee Suho.
From today onward, he decided to dedicate his life, not to college, but to his future.
That same day...
“I’m taking a leave of absence.”
He took a leave of absence immediately.
***
At Lee Doyun’s family home in Gwangju, everyone was busy.
“Today’s the day Doyun’s coming down, right?”
“That’s right.”
Our Doyun...
Was coming home in glory.