Into the Tiger's Den (1)
"I think I've gotten a bit too famous."
A week flew by in the blink of an eye. But over the course of that week, it seemed my reputation had skyrocketed a little too much.
The comment section was an absolute warzone. I suppose my recent spending spree had finally caught up to me. After dropping massive donations on major streams and drawing tons of attention, speculative posts about Hot Potato had completely taken over the top five spots on the trending board.
The hottest topic among them was the source of Hot Potato's wealth.
To be completely honest, even I didn't know the exact details of where my money came from.
There was one crucial thing to keep in mind: my current situation was the result of scattered lies coalescing into one massive reality.
The reason for my wealth, my family relations... I hadn't written down any of these things in meticulous detail like some world-building lore book.
I inherited it, and I multiplied it through investments.
That flimsy explanation was the entirety of what I had written about my wealth.
Since detailed lies only leave more loopholes for people to poke at, I had kept everything intentionally vague. In other words, inheriting my parents' fortune and multiplying it through various investments was the sum total of my knowledge.
Whether the inherited wealth was clean, or what kind of investments had multiplied it—the truth of it all remained shrouded in mystery.
Yawn...
Just thinking about these annoying details made me yawn. I let out a massive yawn and scratched my cheek.
"What's this?"
I grabbed my phone as it rang incessantly. What was this? It was definitely a number I had never seen before.
"Hello?"
"Is this Kim Sung-woo?"
"Yes, it is. Who is this?" I asked cautiously.
"Ha, you changed your number again already."
The moment he confirmed my identity, the man on the other end began whispering in a voice dripping with irritation.
"Who is this?"
"Are you going to play dumb now? You haven't changed a bit."
What is this crazy bastard talking about? I could feel my irritation rising.
Judging by his tone, there's definitely something going on here.
Regardless of my thoughts, the man on the phone was busy pressing me.
"What do you think you're doing right now?"
"I was recently injured, so my memory isn't quite intact. Excuse me, but who is this?"
"Your memory isn't intact because you were injured...?"
"Yes, I ask for your understanding."
Well, it couldn't be helped. I wasn't generous enough to patiently explain my situation to someone who was clearly hostile. My only option was to play dumb and push through. Since I had lowered my stance this much, I hoped he would calm down and explain.
As if answering my wish, the man's voice calmed down slightly as he spoke.
"Don't tell me you're going to claim you don't even recognize your own uncle's voice now?"
"My uncle...?"
An uncle? I had never seen his face in my life. Had my loosely scribbled lies been adapted into some plausible reality once again?
What on earth is going on here?
Zzzzt!
The moment I tried to recall my non-existent family relationships, memories of a family I didn't even know existed began to flood my mind like a broken dam. A sharp, agonizing pain, as if I were being electrocuted by a high-voltage current, surged through my body, making me tremble violently like a leaf.
Click.
The gears in my head began to fall into place one by one.
Kim Ki-yong. CEO of the Montrit Hotel, and my father's older brother.
The overflowing torrent of information was quickly absorbed and stabilized in my mind. Forcing my trembling voice to calm down, I continued the conversation.
"...What is it?"
"Tsk. This Saturday, there is a family gathering at Father's residence. Don't even think about skipping it this time, and make sure you show up quietly and on time."
"..."
"I've delivered the message, so I'm hanging up. Pathetic fool."
I let out a deep sigh and rolled up my sleeve to wipe away the cold sweat dripping down. Holding onto the hazy memories, I reviewed them once more.
So the Chairman of Taewoong Group is my grandfather, and I'm a third-generation chaebol heir?
The puzzle pieces were finally starting to fit together. It had been strange from the very beginning. How could an ordinary individual with nothing to his name possess hundreds of billions of won? It seemed the gaps in plausibility created when my lies became reality were being filled in this way. Being part of the royal family of one of South Korea's leading conglomerates certainly made the situation make sense.
This Saturday...?
A family gathering where attendance was mandatory. In the memories I had just sorted out, my relationship with them was so terrible that calling it "the worst" would be a compliment. If I had to name a single ally, it would be my grandfather, Chairman Kim Young-hoon of Taewoong Group. Under normal circumstances, I would have definitely skipped it.
But it's too good of an opportunity to dig up missing information to just ignore.
I couldn't rule out the possibility of recovering more memories there, just like I did moments ago. Besides, my mental state wasn't fragile enough to be hurt by the venomous words of people whose faces I didn't even know. I refused to choose the option of running away like before.
Clenching my fist, I muttered as if possessed.
"What was the total market capitalization of Taewoong Group's subsidiaries again?"
Sigh...
"I never thought going to see family would make me this nervous."
Vroom.
The car engine died. I adjusted my clothes and stepped out of the vehicle.
"The Chairman's class really is on another level."
As expected of a conglomerate chairman's private residence, it boasted an overwhelming scale that made any neighboring house look like a shack. A modern-day mansion must look exactly like this. Leaving behind the luxury sedans parked side by side, I walked through the entrance, following the lavish garden that stretched out before me.
"Is that you, Sung-woo?"
I flinched. Turning around at the elegant voice, I saw a woman in a sleek, perfectly tailored dress looking at me with a displeased expression.
Kim Ye-won. My aunt.
"Oh... hello?"
What else could I say? They say you can't spit on a smiling face. I simply offered a bright grin and greeted her casually.
"What brings you here? Are you hoping to pick up some crumbs at this late hour?"
Her smile vanished as she sneered coldly.
Geez. Look at her glaring with daggers in her eyes just because I said hello once. If I greeted her a second time, she looked ready to commit murder.
"Well, I'm not sure if there are even any crumbs left for me to pick up."
"...You..."
"It was a lovely chat. I'll head inside first."
Before she could flap her jaw again, I beat her to the punch and walked right past her.
With every step I took, gazes of pure contempt pierced into me. It was a familiar feeling, almost like returning home.
Oh, there he is. The main character of this gathering.
The current Chairman of Taewoong Group, Kim Young-hoon, sat at the head of the table. Despite the deep wrinkles carved by the storms of life and his snow-white hair, his eyes still burned with a fierce light—the true countenance of a corporate ruler. I observed him, marveling at his tiger-like majesty.
Ah, we made eye contact.
Before things could get awkward, I quickly bowed my head in greeting. Stealing a glance as I raised my head, I saw that his face was filled with clear bewilderment. They were the ones who practically dragged me here, yet every single person I met reacted as if they had seen a ghost.
"It's been a while, Grandfather."
"..."
He stared at me intently, his expression utterly dumbfounded. Seriously, this was incredibly uncomfortable. I had crawled into the tiger's den to dig up some information, but it felt like I had come to the wrong place. What was taking him so long to speak?
"Yes... Have you managed to find some peace of mind now?"
"Yes, I can't stay bound to the past forever."
I replied half-heartedly, keeping a close eye on his expression. Seeing the deep guilt etched into his face, it was clear he had a guilty conscience regarding me... It looked like I would have to do that once more. Recalling the sensation from a few days ago, I tried to force the memories of my relationship with my grandfather to surface, almost like brainwashing myself.
Crack!
Uh-oh.
"Aaaaargh!"
"Sung-woo! You brat, pull yourself together!"
I collapsed, twisting in agony as a splitting pain—incomparable to anything I had felt before—ravaged my entire body.
Ah... now I understand.
The relatives who were so strangely hostile. The grandfather who shuddered with guilt as if he had committed a mortal sin. Now, every single one of those hateful faces made perfect sense.
My parents' deaths... were not a simple car accident.