Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Encounter
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“Please don't panic. Take your time and look for it, ma'am.”
From the looks of it, she seemed to have lost her wallet.
I was about to mentally praise the department store employee for her kind response when Secretary Kim, who was watching beside me, let out a sigh of sympathy.
“This is unfortunate. It looks like she came here determined to buy a gift...”
Her comment seemed to be prompted by the woman’s attire, which was out of place in a department store.
Never mind the worn-out jeans and wrinkled t-shirt; the well-worn, grimy bag she was carrying made it clear she wasn't well-off.
“Tsk...”
Seeing her reminded me that I'd had a similar experience in my youth.
At least this employee wasn’t looking at the woman with contempt, but the stares I had received back then were so cold.
I was just trying to buy a wallet for someone I liked, but the experience made me question my entire life.
‘Come to think of it, that was around ‘95.’
It was only three years ago.
Right before I left to study in the United States.
But things with that woman didn't end well, which ultimately became one of the reasons I decided to go to America.
“You all go on ahead to the car.”
My body moved on its own.
The woman, still frantically searching for her wallet, was on the verge of tears, while the employee did her best to console her.
“Ma’am, please don’t panic, just look carefully. If you think you were pickpocketed, I can call the police for you...”
“Excuse me, but could I have a word with you for a moment?”
I spoke to the employee first, worried that I might embarrass the woman.
“Yes, sir.”
Fortunately, the woman in question hadn't noticed me yet.
I immediately held out my card and told the employee I would pay for her, which made her eyes widen.
“Sir, why would you...”
“I know... In any case, please handle this as discreetly as possible. You can give her the item after I've left.”
“...”
The employee, though dazed, followed my instructions.
As I took my card back and turned around, I saw Secretary Kim, who was supposed to be in the car, staring at me blankly.
“Let’s go.”
I cut her off before she could say something cringey.
While I succeeded in making her close her gaping mouth, Secretary Kim had a smile in her eyes the entire way to the car.
Don't do that.
Honestly, even I don't understand why I stepped in.
Was it just pity?
Or was it because of my past experience?
What was certain was that seeing that scene stirred something in me I couldn't ignore.
Considering that, it might have been an instinctive reaction from this body, ingrained with Hyun-seung’s old habits.
His habit of having an unusual amount of compassion for others.
***
“Ma’am, please calm down. I don’t know if this will be much comfort, but the gentleman who was just leaving has already paid for the wallet you chose.”
“What?”
Hee-jin looked in the direction the employee was pointing, her face a picture of surprise.
Though she was half out of her mind with panic, she instantly knew who was being pointed out.
The man who had walked confidently toward her while she was frozen with embarrassment.
“Why would he...”
Hee-jin had been aware of the man’s approach.
That was why she had hung her head even lower in shame.
But the man had only spoken with the employee, so from her perspective, she could only assume he was a customer asking about a product.
“That’s strange. I feel like I’ve seen that face somewhere before... Ah!”
Deep in thought, Hee-jin suddenly realized who the man was.
A rather famous figure in the business world.
Jin Hyun-seung, the troublemaker and second son of the Jaewoo Group.
Coming from a family highly sensitive to rumors in the business world, and as the eldest daughter at that, she couldn't possibly forget him.
“Honey!”
Just then, her husband came running from the other side.
In his hand was the very wallet she had been searching for.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Hee-jin looked at her husband with a drained expression.
“It was in the car?”
“Yes, it had fallen on the floor of the passenger seat.”
“Thank goodness. I was so worried I’d lost it...”
“You can’t lose your mother’s only memento. The Chairman—I mean, Father—cherished it before giving it to you.”
“I know. Anyway, thank you, honey.”
Hee-jin took the wallet from her husband and pulled out a silver Diners Club card.
The employee, who had been staring blankly at the card, tried to stop her in a fluster.
“Ma’am. I’m sorry, but to cancel the previous transaction and charge it again, we need the gentleman’s card.”
“I know. I’m not trying to cancel it. I want to buy another wallet.”
“...”
The employee blinked.
Having chosen another wallet, Hee-jin turned back to the employee with a satisfied look.
“This is for that gentleman, so please wrap it nicely.”
“...”
***
Two days later, Chairman Jin and I attended a luncheon for business leaders hosted by the Prime Minister, representing Jaewoo Group.
“Chairman Jin, it’s been too long.”
The venue was the convention center of a famous hotel in Gangnam.
Perhaps because there were many invited guests, the large hall was already packed with people.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”
Upon entering the hall, Chairman Jin left me on my own and disappeared into the crowd.
I had expected as much.
Deciding to gauge the atmosphere of the business world, I navigated through the clusters of people gathered here and there.
“Oh! Department Head Jin Hyun-seung. So you were invited too. I was just looking around to see if you were here.”
“I hope you’ve been well.”
Among the attendees was Chairman Lee Yong-moon of Samjung Group.
Well, that was to be expected.
Even in these difficult times, no one was driving exports quite like Samjung Electronics.
Perhaps because we’d had a rather deep conversation during our last meeting, his attitude toward me was exceptionally friendly.
“Did you hear? They say he’s the second son of Chairman Jin Hyun-pil of Jaewoo Group.”
“So I’ve heard. Chairman Jin used to complain constantly about the trouble that kid caused him, but recently, he’s gone completely silent on the matter.”
“It’s understandable. There aren’t many second-generation chaebol heirs making a name for themselves like him these days.”
“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know why Chairman Jin was so worried with a son like that. Honestly, what man grows up without causing a bit of trouble? Anyway, I wonder when he got so close with Chairman Lee Yong-moon.”
Having a private conversation with Chairman Lee Yong-moon had a tremendous ripple effect.
In short, it was like this:
What kind of trick did that young upstart pull to be chatting so casually with Chairman Lee Yong-moon, a man they could barely get a word in with?
The longer our conversation went on, the greater the impact grew.
“Huh? Isn’t that Chairman Han Myung-ho over there?”
Just then, a few people started murmuring and moved toward the entrance.
I caught a glimpse of an old man in a rather dated suit.
“It’s been a long time.”
But what really caught my attention was the woman in her late thirties smiling beside the old man; her face was strangely familiar.
Who was she?
I've definitely seen her somewhere before...
“By the way, have you heard? They say a dollar futures market will be established on the exchange early next year.”
As I was pondering, Chairman Lee Yong-moon’s voice cut in.
Seemingly uninterested in what was happening over there, he handed me a piece of paper.
“It’s about time. In a situation like this, with so few decent options for currency hedging, export companies can't survive.”
I replied nonchalantly as I took the paper.
I guess Samjung is in a league of its own.
The paper was filled with details of future government policies that a typical company would not have easy access to.
“Just as I thought, you speak as if you already expected it. This is why I can’t help but be interested in you.”
Chairman Lee Yong-moon took the paper back with a faint smile.
Just as he was about to speak again, someone approached, calling out to him.
“It’s been a while, Chairman Lee.”
I knew who it was at a glance.
Chairman Kim Pan-woo of Wooyoung Group.
A well-known figure in the heavy industries sector.
Damn it, I can't believe I'm seeing him here.
He was someone I’d had a rather ill-fated history with before my regression, so I couldn't help but scowl.
“I trust you’ve been well, Chairman Kim?”
“How could I be? These days, I feel like I could just die.”
“I understand. It’s not easy to lead in the heavy industries sector these days. In fact, our own Samjung Heavy Industries is facing a deepening deficit, so it’s been a major headache.”
The atmosphere suggested I should probably excuse myself.
It was also true that Kim Pan-woo’s constant glances in my direction were making me uncomfortable.
But what was this?
Just as I was about to leave, Chairman Lee Yong-moon suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Where are you going?”
“...”
“Did you forget your promise? You said you’d make time for me. I’ve already spoken with your father, so it’s all set.”
Flustered, I glanced in Chairman Jin’s direction.
He was talking with someone quite a distance away, but when our eyes met, he gave me a sly smile.
No wonder he’d quietly slipped away, leaving me with Chairman Lee.
“And who is this young man...”
Suddenly, Chairman Kim Pan-woo looked at me with a peculiar expression.
If I had to interpret it, it was a look that said, ‘Why is the great Chairman Lee Yong-moon fawning over a kid like this?’
Chairman Lee immediately whispered something to him, and when Kim Pan-woo looked back at me, his expression changed to one of realization as he extended his hand.
“So you’re Chairman Jin Hyun-pil’s second son. A pleasure to meet you.”
If I had my way, I would have slapped his outstretched hand away.
Before my regression, we lost a chance to dramatically enhance our military’s strength because of this man.
To be precise, it was when I was secretly leading the development of a nuclear-powered submarine at the ADD under government direction.
This man, who had entered politics at the time and even joined the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, leaked the information to the press. As a result, the United States exerted pressure, and development was halted.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Yes, a pleasure. By the way, I recently received a call from Mitsubishi in Japan. They said you possess tantalum coating technology?”
“...!”
He suddenly brought up the matter between Mitsubishi and my research institute.
Judging by his expression, he seemed ready to advocate for them, which made my tone turn sharp.
“That’s correct... but why are you suddenly bringing that up?”
“My, you’re so rigid. Why make an enemy out of a company with immense influence in Japanese politics over a single special metal processing technology? This is a great opportunity to build a connection with Mitsubishi.”
A scoff escaped my lips.
Does this man have any idea of the massive impact tantalum coating technology could have?
That if it fell into Japan’s hands, the artillery capabilities of the JSDF's ground forces could be enhanced exponentially?
The army is the only military branch where we have an advantage over Japan, and he wants to give that up too?
No matter how blinded by money he was, there was no other word for this than idiotic.
“Then why don’t you at Wooyoung Heavy Industries develop it and hand it over to them? Ah, but that would be difficult, wouldn't it? Wooyoung doesn’t have that kind of technology...”
“...”
Kim Pan-woo’s face contorted in anger.
He looked like he wanted to yell, but was holding back in front of Chairman Lee Yong-moon.
What was surprising was Chairman Lee’s reaction; he seemed to be enjoying the situation.
“What are you all discussing so cheerfully?”
Just then, the old man who had been the center of attention earlier approached us.
Of course, the same woman was by his side.
As I tilted my head, still trying to place her familiar face, she held out a small gift box.
“Hello.”
“...”
Just in case, I turned my head toward Chairman Lee Yong-moon.
For some reason, he was looking back at me with a surprised expression. In that moment, the woman took another step closer, looked me straight in the eye, and said,
“Thank you for what you did at the department store the other day.”
“...Ah!”