The Father's Scrutiny
“Been waiting long?”
“Nah, just got here.”
The burly gangster-looking man glanced at his daughter for a moment before turning his gaze to Han Yaseong.
Han Yaseong immediately bowed at the waist, offering a polite greeting.
“I'm Han Yaseong, Choi Yujin's junior from school.”
“Yeah, sure. I'm Choi Seongcheol, this guy's dad.”
He extended his right hand for a shake, and it was massive. As their palms met, Han Yaseong could feel the thick calluses embedded in the man's skin. He'd guessed from the broad shoulders, but this guy clearly loved combat sports or something similar.
Choi Seongcheol, meanwhile, felt the soft palm of Han Yaseong's hand and let his guard down completely. The kid looked like a total herbivore at first glance—a plain young guy his daughter could toy with however she pleased. No threat there. If he'd been some flashy stud, he might've been wary, but the neat, unassuming Han Yaseong put him at ease, even coming off a bit laughable as a man.
Han Yaseong had trained hard in that other world, but his hands stayed pristine—no calluses, no blisters. The white fruits laced with healing agents kept his palms tough without any visible marks; any roughness vanished instantly. That's why Choi Seongcheol assumed the kid didn't work out much.
“Alright, have a seat.”
They sat together, and soon that sleek waitress from earlier approached. Choi Seongcheol ordered coffee while eyeing her ass intently as she walked away.
Choi Yujin caught it and narrowed her eyes, scolding him.
“Stop staring at her ass.”
“What?”
Choi Seongcheol played dumb, feigning ignorance. They really did seem more like friends than father and daughter—no formality, more like brother and little sister.
“Dad, you got time?”
“About an hour. Gotta meet Director Yoo later. But we can grab lunch.”
The gangster hunk was surprisingly tender with his daughter. Total doting dad vibes.
They sipped coffee and drinks while chatting father-daughter style. After a bit, Choi Seongcheol got to the point.
“So, this is the guy who brought the gem?”
“Yeah. He found it and brought it to me.”
“Where'd it come from?”
Choi Seongcheol fixed him with a steady stare. Han Yaseong felt a bit deflated under that gaze—not fierce, but heavy, overwhelming. The look of someone used to commanding others. Office workers would crumble under it. Even Han Yaseong felt instinctively subdued, especially since this was Choi Yujin's dad.
“Yes. I found it while hiking.”
His voice came out stiff and dry—sign of nerves. Choi Yujin noticed and patted his waist reassuringly.
“No need to tense up. He's just a potbellied middle-aged perv who loves women.”
“Hey, you punk. Don't talk about your dad like that...”
“It's the truth.”
Choi Yujin knew who held the real power, so she stayed bold even next to him. Outwardly, Dad was the tiger and Yaseong the deer, but in a real fight, it'd flip. Yaseong was the tiger; Dad was just a big wild boar. No match for her junior's feral muscles and devastating kicks. Dad had no clue, of course—and she had no intention of enlightening him. It'd just make him wary of Yaseong for no reason.
She was already pissed that Dad had been ogling the waitress's ass right in front of her school junior. Yaseong was nervous in this tough spot, but Dad acted oblivious. Naturally, it soured her mood. But Choi Seongcheol chalked it up to his daughter's usual whining.
To him, Han Yaseong was still a non-entity.
“We sent the gem you gave Yujin to a top European diamond firm for appraisal. Got word back yesterday.”
“Oh? What'd they say? Good deal?”
“Yeah, they said it is. But it has materials not found on Earth, so they need more analysis.”
“Makes sense.”
Choi Yujin nodded; it tracked. Probably that glowing stuff—like the gem was a damn lightbulb. Not weird if it had alien elements.
“What's the valuation?”
“If no issues, it'll grade high. The chairman was thrilled. Talking up to 20 million won per carat.”
“20 million a carat? That's nearly four times average diamonds.”
“Yep. And this chunk's pushing 2 kilos, so roughly 200 billion won.”
200 billion... Han Yaseong couldn't hide his shock at the insane price. He'd ballparked 20 billion; this was ten times that. Scrape every last gem from that streambed, and it'd be over 10 kilos—maybe even a trillion won. No wonder money felt unreal. He'd never even held 100 million in his hands.
Choi Seongcheol finally glanced at Han Yaseong again.
“Found it hiking, huh?”
“Yes. Probably... meteorite fragments.”
“Then more would be tough to get.”
“No. There are plenty left.”
“Still up on the mountain?”
“Yes. But I hid them, so others won't find them easily.”
“I see. Meteors are restricted from export now, but gems? Fair game.”
The implication: disguise them as gems and ship abroad. Classic businessman—no patriotism when billions were on the line.
“How much we talking?”
“Roughly 10 kilos.”
“10 kilos... A trillion.”
Choi Seongcheol's eyebrow twitched as he sipped his coffee. 10 kilos of gems? Shocking, even for him. Choi Yujin was stunned too. A trillion... After costs, still 500 billion in profit easy. The windfall left them all speechless. A trillion in sales was massive—big corp territory. 500 billion net? Matched Korea's top 50 firms, even topped his Seoul hotels' profits.
That kind of money right there? Words failed.
Choi Yujin broke the silence.
“Let's eat lunch.”
Time for real negotiations. They moved to the restaurant next door.
Over the meal, they chatted idly—mostly Choi Seongcheol and Yujin on school stuff. Han Yaseong came up.
“So, you met him at that club MT last time.”
“Yeah. Didn't even know he existed till then.”
“How'd you learn about the gem?”
“He picked it up and showed me. Wanted to know its value.”
“Eunah was there too—why show Yujin?”
Choi Seongcheol eyed Han Yaseong curiously. He swallowed his beef quickly, tense.
“Eunah-sunbae doesn't seem into that stuff. Yujin-sunbae knows gems, so I reached out.”
“How'd you get her number?”
“Saw it on the club emergency contact list.”
The grilling vibe had Han Yaseong answering smoothly. Total doting dad—obsessively protective. Cross his daughter? Brutal payback incoming.
“Hm, good call contacting Yujin.”
He smirked, maybe rivaling Eunah's dad, President Jang Ilhak. Then beamed at Yujin like she was a lucky charm.
“That gem's huge. As a junior of Yujin's, I'll level with you... Most folks find something like that, they get screwed. Cheap payout and it's gone. Sharks everywhere in this country. You're Han Yaseong, right?”
“Yes.”
“Since you're Yujin's junior, I'll take care of you. That cool?”
“Of course, sir.”
Yujin chuckled at Dad peacocking while Yaseong played along—like a comedy duo. She shook her head and sliced her steak.
Choi Seongcheol took a sip of wine and continued.
“Yaseong, you made a massive find—jackpot like striking gold. But the real smart move? Bringing it to me through Yujin. Get what I mean?”