Chapter 58
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Seonjin Group's Affiliate Midas
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<Seonjin Group's Affiliate Midas>
"The more I look at it, the harder it is to believe."
Im Myeonghan shook his head slowly as he set down all the documents he'd been reviewing.
It seemed faster to just grab Jang Deokcheol tomorrow and question him point by point.
The next morning.
Jang Deokcheol showed up at Kangyul's house on his own.
And everything he confessed was utterly unbelievable.
"So, you're saying Kangyul established all these companies, and you were working as the vice president?"
"...Yes, that's correct, Chairman."
"The capital? The companies aren't small-scale. Where did the funding come from?"
This was what Im Myeonghan was most curious about.
Jang Deokcheol took a sip of water, as if his throat was parched, then continued.
"...The lottery."
"Lottery?"
"Yes. Young Master Kangyul gave me the numbers and told me to buy them. And they hit first prize. We used that money as seed capital."
Im Myeonghan and Park Jeong-a couldn't believe it.
Kangyul had once picked a lottery ticket during his doljabi ceremony, but hitting the jackpot twice in a lifetime was next to impossible.
Unless, as Jang Deokcheol said, it was a gift from the heavens.
But when Jang Deokcheol showed them his phone, Im Myeonghan let out a low groan.
[Uncle Jang. Please buy tickets for 2, 14, 15, 22, 23, 43, 44.]
This was the exact text message Kangyul had sent to Jang Deokcheol.
"...Kangyul, where's your phone...?"
"I registered it under my name for him."
Park Jeong-a searched Kangyul's room while he was sleeping and found the phone.
The sent messages matched exactly.
"Hah. This is truly unbelievable."
He was a mature kid, but still an adorable son.
Yet suddenly, that son felt distant.
"...Then why did you go to Suwon?"
"I have questions about that too."
Jang Deokcheol confessed to suddenly running into Oh Yangchun and how Kangyul had predicted the man would kill someone.
He'd hired a private investigator, and just yesterday, Kangyul's story had been proven true.
"...A serial killer. If you were truly following Kangyul, shouldn't you have kept the child away from a place like that?"
Im Myeonghan sharply scolded Jang Deokcheol.
Forget starting companies—what mattered was that the child's life had been in danger.
"...I'm sorry."
Jang Deokcheol bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the table.
Click.
At that moment, the sound of the door opening came from the entrance.
Kangyul approached the kitchen with cautious steps.
Spotting Im Myeonghan, Park Jeong-a, and Jang Deokcheol, he flinched in surprise.
"...Kangyul. Come here and sit."
"...Yes."
Im Myeonghan decided he wouldn't be fooled by the child's innocent, cute appearance anymore.
No, not fooled— he resolved to be stricter.
To handle future incidents properly, he needed the full truth.
"Is what Driver Jang said true?"
Kangyul glanced at Jang Deokcheol and nodded.
His face was bowed, hiding his expression.
"The school foundation chairman, the investment firm president, the pro gaming team owner—all of it done by Kangyul?"
Kangyul's head drooped even lower as he nodded.
"Answer with words!"
"...Yes. That's right."
At Im Myeonghan's shout, Kangyul flinched and confessed.
"...Vice President, I mean Uncle Jang, he only did what I told him to. I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Please don't scold him too much."
Im Myeonghan pressed his throbbing temple hard.
'Hah. What do I do with this?'
This wasn't a simple issue anymore.
Somehow, the matter had already stirred up noise within the Seonjin Group.
Rumors were spreading maliciously that the companies under Kangyul's name were actually set up to create slush funds for Im Myeonghan.
The problem was, it looked plausible to anyone.
'If Driver Jang had used Kangyul to build them, it'd be more believable.'
Then he'd just be a bad parent who couldn't control his kid.
But this was on another level.
Explaining at the Seonjin Group shareholders' meeting that his elementary school son built and grew companies with lottery winnings would get him labeled insane.
'Better to say I personally invested the capital.'
Im Myeonghan organized his thoughts and looked at Kangyul and Jang Deokcheol.
"Kangyul."
"...Yes."
"The companies are confiscated."
Kangyul's body flinched visibly.
"But when you grow up, I'll give them back. Keep that in mind and go to your room."
Kangyul nodded with a dejected face and trudged back to his room.
"Driver Jang, I need to talk with you more."
It looked like their conversation would drag on longer than expected.
As soon as Kangyul entered his room, he pressed his ear tight against the door.
He wanted to hear what Im Myeonghan and Jang Deokcheol were discussing.
At the very least, he wanted to protect Jang Deokcheol somehow.
Click.
But the door suddenly opened, and Kangyul tumbled backward.
It was Park Jeong-a who had opened it.
She held a thin switch in one hand.
"...M-Mommy?"
Smack!
Jang Deokcheol's heart ached at the sound of the switch from Kangyul's room.
Kangyul might act like an old soul, but he was still an elementary student.
"Do you understand what I mean?"
Jang Deokcheol snapped to attention at Im Myeonghan's words and nodded.
"I understand the Chairman's intent clearly."
"Good. Then we'll meet then."
"Yes."
Jang Deokcheol stood, bowed to Im Myeonghan, and headed out.
Smack!
"Aaaack!"
Jang Deokcheol winced at Kangyul's pained cry.
But there was nothing he could do.
Replaying Im Myeonghan's words in his mind, he left the house.
'...Seonjin Group's affiliate.'
Shortly after, at the Seonjin Group shareholders' meeting, Im Myeonghan made a shocking announcement.
He declared Midas Investment, Studio, and the rest of Midas Corporation as Seonjin Group affiliates.
It was an odd move for the Seonjin Group, which had focused solely on Seonjin Electronics until now.
[Seonjin Group extends not just to savings banks, but to games and YouTube too—the target is none other than the upstart Midas?!]
No wonder. I thought it was suspicious how every project from this new company was a massive hit.
They going public? Waiting to full-buy.
Probably soon.
Isn't this too octopus-like expansion?
Not a single one of those expansions has failed. That's what's scary.
But get this: new hires here have starting salaries that beat Seonjin Electronics. Confirmed.
Now an affiliate, 'Midas Corporation' massively expanded in scale.
Not only did they hire en masse, but they poured full investment into the business plans Kangyul had laid out.
And Midas's president was none other than Jang Deokcheol.
"You did well organizing that business plan so neatly. With that, things should keep rolling smoothly for a while. Everyone there is capable, after all."
Kangyul muttered while looking at the morning paper.
It was the one Im Myeonghan had set down after reading.
'At least it's going well. That's a relief.'
Kangyul sighed deeply and stood up.
"Ow."
His calf, beaten by Park Jeong-a a few days ago, still hurt.
After that, life had returned to normal.
He went to school with the other twins, and they started attending classes together again.
'Boring.'
Kangyul glanced around sneakily and slipped into the bathroom.
He climbed onto the toilet, lifted the ceiling panel slightly.
'Ugh!'
He reached in and pulled out something.
A spare phone he'd hidden just in case.
'This is foresight! Heh heh.'
[President: How's the company, Kim Min-a?]
[Kim Min-a: Pre~sident!! T_T I miss you so much! The office vibe is insane lately! Too busy for games!]
'I really was a great boss.'
Kangyul chuckled to himself.
[President: Hang in there a bit! I'll come back when I'm grown up. Like 11 years? Nah, 13 with military?]
[Kim Min-a: ...I'll be almost 40 by then......]
[President: Don't worry! I'll let you work till retirement. lololol]
Kangyul exchanged messages not just with Kim Min-a, but others too.
He teased Im Honggyu, who won the tournament and started dating Kim Min-a, and talked business with Kim Donghwan or Park Gyusu.
[Kim Donghwan: ...With bones ground to dust, I'll wait eternally for you, President!]
Even knowing Kangyul's secret, Kim Donghwan was still full of energy.
Then, Jiyul's urgent voice came from outside the bathroom.
"Hyung! I gotta poop!"
"Got it!"
Kangyul quickly turned off the phone, shoved it back into the ceiling, and hopped down.
Days dragged slowly, but time flew, and 2012 ended as 2013 began.