Chapter 63
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: [Worldwide Survival Chronicle, Lee Eoksang] (1)
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Kangyul felt a profound sense of liberation as he chatted with the executives.
It was the comforting ease of finally wearing clothes that fit him perfectly.
"Young Master. You're incredible."
Baek Sangang watched Kangyul intently before approaching him.
"Incredible? Grandpa's the real impressive one. How did he endure those boring meetings for years? I nearly passed out from drowsiness."
"Hahaha. An old man like me can just sit there sipping tea—no big deal."
Baek Sangang spoke casually, but he was dying to know how Kangyul had amassed his fortune.
He knew full well that after getting caught by Im Myeonghan, Kangyul had lost the entire Midas Corporation.
Even as he'd quietly supported Midas behind the scenes, Kangyul had somehow created a new piggy bank.
"Young Master. This old man's curiosity will keep me up at night if I don't ask... so, about that..."
"How I made the money? I'll tell you alone, Grandpa. I invested in this cryptocurrency called Bitcoin. Fleeced some Chinese investors pretty good."
Kangyul snickered as he said it.
"Bitcoin?"
"Yeah. It's not real cash—purely digital. No tracking, no taxes, so it's popular for shady dealings."
Baek Sangang vaguely recalled hearing about it.
But the "virtual" part made him wary, so he'd steered clear.
"Don't ever touch it, Grandpa. My gut says it'll be dead boring for the next few years."
"Heh heh. You truly are remarkable, Young Master."
"Remarkable? I've still got a long way to go before hitting 3 trillion."
That 3 trillion was Kangyul's goal—the sum Baek Sangang had said could prevent a war.
His expression hardened slightly as old conversations resurfaced.
"You think war's really coming, Young Master?"
"Who knows? Could happen."
Before he could say more, Park Jeong-a called out to him from afar.
Kangyul bowed politely to Baek Sangang and headed to his parents.
'War, huh. No way that's happening.'
Unless North Korea's leader lost his mind, war was off the table.
The 3 trillion talk had been more a test of whether Kangyul could pull it off than a literal war-stopper.
Yet ridiculously, the kid was nearly there.
'Hmm.'
If he seriously assumed war was imminent...
'No way 3 trillion stops it.'
Then it boiled down to two choices.
'Run or fight.'
Money couldn't halt a war.
Kangyul was buzzing with excitement on the ride home.
Im Myeonghan and Park Jeong-a hadn't made a fuss about his earnings.
The air felt awkward, sure, but they weren't trying to snatch it like they had Midas Corporation.
'Hmph. Dad set up the account himself and told me to spend freely—taking it would be ridiculous.'
"Kangyul, honey, can we talk for a sec?"
"...No way. It's my money."
Park Jeong-a's cheerful attempt at conversation was shot down flat, silencing the car.
But this wasn't just about the money.
Kangyul's performance today screamed "next-gen Seonjin Group heir" to anyone watching.
Most executives had bowed to him.
Even the tough Im Myeongho had stayed quiet.
Kangyul was like a gold bar from the sky—or more like an alien presence.
'Should I start calling him the majority shareholder of Seonjin Electronics?'
With 1 trillion, he could buy up Seonjin Electronics stock and shake the market.
Price might double from 1.2 million won, easy.
'Leaks will drive everyone nuts buying in.'
Even at double, he'd snag nearly 600,000 shares.
That rivaled Im Myeonghan's own 4% stake.
'No way Kangyul's gunning for control...'
Im Myeonghan chuckled at the absurd image of clashing with his son over management.
Once home, Im Myeonghan and Park Jeong-a shut themselves in their room for a long talk.
They clashed over Kangyul's future path.
"Homeschooling from now on would be best for Kangyul."
"...No. He's only in fourth grade. At least through high school, he needs real school."
Im Myeonghan figured skipping school via GED and jumping into business was smarter.
"Think about how he handled those adults today. He's already a full-fledged businessman. Let him chase what he wants from here on."
"Sure, that'll happen eventually with age. But I want him to enjoy a normal childhood, at least a bit."
Their debate dragged on.
Kangyul ignored it all.
He sprawled on his bed, giggling over Bitcoin community chats.
Kangyul, you saved my life! ^^ Mind if I treat you to a meal sometime?!
'Haha. Sold at just the right time, I guess.'
Everyone who'd heeded Kangyul's advice was grateful, eager to repay him.
The biggest seeders were 'SailingtheWorld' and 'Cheonggaeguri Boy'.
Let's grab a meal if the chance comes up.
Kangyul exchanged IDs—playing too hard to get felt off.
'Huh? This one's got a weird ID.'
(Profile: single red star)
'Some socialist nut? Better not eat with him.'
Kangyul pocketed his phone and headed to the living room.
Time to check YouTube channels he hadn't touched in ages.
'Gourmet Kangyul A' was now run by a substitute YouTuber.
'Bento, was it?'
Former AfreecaTV BJ who'd jumped to Midas.
Many subscribers had bailed, but things seemed settled now.
'Still, nobody eats like me.'
Slurp—
Kangyul pulled a lollipop from his pocket and popped it in.
Sweet chocolate flavor flooded his mouth.
'Worldwide Survival Chronicle, right?'
It was a new video absent during his Midas days.
Lee Eoksang's footage—he'd gone dark amid an African civil war.
Lee Eoksang had hunkered down half a year until the war ended, returning to Korea recently.
Luckily, his laptop held all the footage, capturing the chaos vividly.
'Filming through that? Insane.'
Saved an African Hit by Shelling in the Civil War!
~10 million views
Kangyul clicked one of the channel's top videos.
The backdrop was a crumbling African village.
—...Haa. Hello, this is Lee Eoksang. It's been over 32 days since I got trapped... in Africa. Food's holding out, thankfully. But the airport was destroyed by rebels long ago. Not sure if I can get back to Korea...
Lee Eoksang's eyes reddened, voice cracking.
—...Even if I don't make it, I hope this footage gets back to Korea.
He had a full kit for travel vlogs: action cams for shoulder, chest, head; even a camcorder.
His voice lacked strength as he filmed the ruined village.
—...The neighborhood kids who were around a few days ago have vanished.
Dusk settling, Lee Eoksang retreated to his hideout.
Then—a shrill whistle pierced the sky, like a flute.
Whiiiist—
—...B-bomb!
The camera shook wildly as he bolted forward.
Moments later, a massive explosion flipped the screen.
—Huff! Huff!
Panting raggedly, the camera panned to the blast site.
A house intact moments ago lay in rubble.
—Bombs like this... drop sporadically! Blind shells from government vs. rebel clashes...
Dust-caked and filthy, Lee Eoksang narrated into the lens, compelled to document.
A raw scream erupted from the wreckage.
—...Help me! It hurts so much!
—Dad! Dad!
—...P-people?!
They'd hidden inside, unlucky enough to get hit.
The father was pinned under debris; terrified kids flailed helplessly.
Without hesitation, Lee Eoksang rushed to the man.