Chapter 2: The Sweetness of Capitalism
Chapter 2: The Sweetness of Capitalism
7:00 AM.
I wheeled my bike out into the early morning, the crisp chill still lingering in the air.
My commute to the office in Gangnam followed a dedicated bike path along the Han River.
It was a way to save on bus fare and stay healthy.
"Even with the cold wind, I don't feel the chill."
I was dressed warmly, but I was still humming to myself as I rode.
For the past two days, I had done nothing but stare at a monitor until my eyes were bloodshot.
An estimated value of over 20 billion won.
Tens of millions of won would appear and disappear in a matter of minutes; it was hard to escape its spell.
I’d be thrilled when it went up by 10 million won, then tear my hair out in agony when it dropped by the same amount.
‘Should I sell? Should I not? What should I do?’
Countless thoughts raced through my mind even as I filled a pot with water, turned on the stove, and boiled some ramen.
I had a fortune of over 20 billion won.
If I sold it all now, I would never have to worry about money again, but… was it really the right move to sell while the price was still climbing?
‘You’ve been shackled by money your whole life. Even if it goes down a bit, it’s still a massive amount. Let’s not be hasty.’
I ate my ramen and deliberately went to bed early that night.
Though I did wake up several times to check my balance and the market price.
In the end, it had gone up by another 800 million won yesterday.
An amount of money difficult to earn through a regular job.
‘Didn’t my senior say his apartment value went up by 300 million?’
He had bragged about that 300 million to practically everyone in the company. How would they all react if they knew I had made over 20 billion?
I was curious, but I wasn’t foolish enough to boast about it at work.
‘Let’s not tell anyone.’
A sense of ease washed over me, knowing I had a balance large enough to never have to worry about retirement.
The ride to work along the early morning bike path felt short.
The cold wind felt strangely clear and refreshing.
It felt as if my perpetually hunched shoulders and back were straightening on their own.
I arrived at work early and drank some warm water from the dispenser.
Warm water was the best for soothing your insides after a workout.
Before, I had been meticulous about not even catching a cold, but now my heart felt much lighter.
"Good morning."
"In early again today."
As 9:00 AM approached, my colleagues started trickling in, in groups of three or four.
Takeout coffee cups in hand.
Being a pharmaceutical company, the work atmosphere was relatively relaxed.
Aside from the performance evaluations and scorecards posted on the wall at the end of each month or quarter, it was a comfortable place to work.
"What's the situation with Myeong Eye Clinic in Busan?"
"They’ve decided to let us bring in the machine for a demo next week."
"Is that so?"
The company sold consumer products like artificial tears and contact lenses for optical shops.
But the main business for sales reps like me was supplying various surgical medical devices to ophthalmology operating rooms.
LASIK, LASEK.
Recently, we’d been selling a SMILE LASIK machine that reduced the corneal incision area, making the procedure much less painful.
Selling the machine wasn't the end of it; we also supplied the periodically replaced cartridges to the clinics at a high price.
"The Busan team’s performance has been poor lately. And we’ve been getting occasional complaints."
"I think it’s because we assigned three clumsy rookies there this year."
"They should have been more careful with hiring. Or at least trained them properly during the probationary period. Who from headquarters is scheduled to go down for the demo?"
"It was Assistant Manager An Chang-jin. But it seems he won’t be able to go due to a sudden family matter."
"Really? We'll have to send someone else to Myeong Eye Clinic on business."
The medical device team’s meeting room.
A brief silence followed the manager’s words.
A four-day, three-night trip.
Before purchasing expensive surgical equipment, clinics wanted to test it on actual patients in a demo format.
The job involved going to an unfamiliar clinic in Busan, setting up the equipment with the technical team, and providing miscellaneous support.
It would be worth considering if it counted toward our sales numbers, but since it meant we couldn't work on our Seoul accounts, our performance would actually drop.
"Is there anyone who can go to Busan?"
When Manager Oh asked the staff, I remained quiet as usual.
The car I had briefly owned was sold during the divorce, and going on regional business trips meant I had to socialize with colleagues over dinner.
So, as usual, I was just hoping I wouldn't be picked.
Then a thought occurred to me.
‘Wouldn’t it be okay to go to Busan?’
My cramped and gloomy semi-basement room had become a cozy nest for me.
Just like the past two days, I knew that if I went home after work, I would be glued to the monitor without rest.
Even now, I was dying to check the price of my coins.
‘Honestly, I can’t think straight. I don’t even know how I should live from now on. It might be good to go to Busan and clear my head.’
After a moment of deliberation, I raised my hand.
"I’ll go to Busan."
"You will? I can count on you, Assistant Manager Kim. We need one more person, though."
At Manager Oh's words, Jo Soo-ah, who had been quietly observing the meeting, raised her hand.
"I’ll go too."
She was a talented employee, acknowledged throughout the company for her beauty.
Excellent hiring scores, fluent English, a figure toned by dance and Pilates, and a doll-like face.
She was incredibly popular, known for captivating doctors while making her sales rounds at university and general hospitals.
"Soo-ah?"
The manager's reaction was different from when I had volunteered.
When I offered, his expression was one of surprise that the guy who was usually quiet at times like this had spoken up. But Jo Soo-ah was a top performer and, more importantly, extremely popular within the company.
After just two years, it was hard to find a single male employee who disliked her.
"Manager. I’ll go too."
"I’ve managed the Gyeongnam region and have been to Myeong Eye Clinic a few times. I’ll go to Busan."
"Considering my rank, shouldn't I, the team leader, be the one to go?"
As soon as Jo Soo-ah volunteered, a line of male employees offered to go.
"We'll go in the order of who volunteered. Two people are enough. Assistant Manager Kim and Soo-ah will go to Busan."
Manager Oh shook his head firmly.
From his perspective, sending me and Jo Soo-ah would mean the job would get done diligently without any troublesome incidents.
* * *
After leaving the meeting room, the employees scattered to their desks.
"Ah, man. I wanted to go to Busan."
"I should have volunteered sooner."
I simply ignored the regretful grumbles of the male employees.
Jo Soo-ah went to the breakroom and came back with a cup of Job's tears tea.
It seemed she had considered my preference, as I didn't usually drink coffee—in reality, I avoided it because it was a waste of money.
"Would you like to have a cup of tea with me?"
"Sure. I guess…"
How could I refuse when she had brought me a mug of tea herself?
I was just about to try and focus on work to get my mind off the coins anyway.
"Shall we go to the rooftop? Or the lounge?"
"The rooftop."
We took the elevator up to the rooftop, Jo Soo-ah holding her warm coffee.
Usually, there were several employees here, but today, there was hardly anyone in sight.
Jo Soo-ah took a small sip of her coffee and spoke.
"Actually, Busan is my hometown. My parents live there now."
"Oh. I see."
I had been wondering why she would volunteer to go to Busan with me, but there was a logical reason.
I even imagined a scenario where she would leave most of the work to me and go to her parents' house.
‘Not bad. When my mind is a mess, it’s good to just work hard.’
It was funny how things had changed, but until recently, my job was the most important thing in my life.
I was consumed with the need to build my performance, get promoted, and increase my salary.
It wasn't as if I had any inheritance from my parents or even a comfortable house to live in.
Living alone in this harsh world meant I couldn't afford to get sick and had to be on my toes at all times.
A life spent weighed down by responsibility and pressure.
But now that my coin balance was hefty, I felt a sense of ease about my job.
"Have you ever been to Busan?"
"No. This will be my first time."
I had never been to any of the ordinary major cities in the country, except for business trips.
I hadn't been able to travel domestically before I turned twenty, or even while I was in college.
I’d been called a cheapskate a few times, not just by my seniors but even by my peers.
Who doesn't know that traveling is nice?
But for someone who had starved for days because we’d literally run out of rice at home while my friends were attending multiple private academies, traveling was a luxury.
"I know a lot of famous restaurants in Busan, you know?"
"Hm?"
"Let’s go on a food tour after work."
I looked at Jo Soo-ah's face.
She exuded confidence, her attire was stylish, and her skin and eyes were clear and bright.
It wasn't for nothing that everyone from high-level executives to new recruits liked her.
I couldn't see why she would need to ask me to eat with her, but I figured it was just part of maintaining smooth work relations since we were going on a business trip together.
‘I wonder what kind of person she thinks I am.’
I didn't harbor any foolish expectations.
Divorced man, cheapskate, workaholic, outsider, timid.
A string of words like that would probably come to mind.
"Well. If we have time, let’s do that."
As for famous restaurants, with my immense fortune, I could enjoy them to my heart's content.
Of course, I was planning to use the corporate card.
* * *
"Good work today."
"Leaving already, Assistant Manager Kim?"
"Yes. I have something urgent to attend to at home."
"Alright. See you then."
Unlike my usual routine of staying late at the office, I left right on time.
‘What’s the price of the coin now?’
My curiosity made me pedal my bike faster automatically.
I felt less tired than usual, as if I had twice the energy.
I could have easily checked at the office with a quick search, but I felt that once I started looking, I wouldn't be able to pull myself away. So, I had set a rule for myself to only check at home.
‘How much is it? Just how much.’
Oblivious to the strain, I headed home, even overtaking members of a cycling club in their spandex suits.
The joy of passing a high-performance bike worth over ten million won with my standard 230,000 won bicycle.
On flat ground, the performance difference between bikes isn't that significant, and it's possible the other rider wasn't going all out.
Whatever the reason, I made it home safely.
My suit was soaked in sweat despite the chilly autumn weather.
Without even taking the time to change, I turned on my computer and logged into the crypto exchange.
I checked my current balance...
"Oh my God."
I barely managed to stifle a scream.
In the morning, it had been 23.55 million dollars.
But in the time I was at work, it had gone up by a staggering 2 million dollars.
In Korean won, that was a gain of roughly 2.2 billion.
Was this the sweetness of capitalism?
‘So this is what it feels like to watch your fortune grow.’
It was the most thrilling sensation I had ever felt in my life.