Chapter 103

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 103

Chapter Title: Bold Challenges

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She looked up at Jin-seong.

Seo Ye-jin's clear, gentle doe-like eyes.

Kim Jia's vicious lynx-like glare.

Seo Ye-jin's deep level of trust.

Kim Jia's negative favorability.

"Uncle—!"

Seo Ye-jin flashed a bright, radiant smile.

"School's out?"

"Yeah."

Nod, nod.

"Were you eating pizza toast?"

"Yeah."

Nod, nod.

"Want another one?"

"No. I'm full. This is my second."

Shake, shake.

"How's Grandma? Doing okay?"

"Yeah. She's gotten a lot better. She should be discharged sometime next week."

"Really? That's great news."

It was truly a blessing. He hoped Grandma would live long and healthy.

He glanced to the side. Kim Jia was glaring at him viciously, like a delinquent.

Kim Jia.

She was the runaway girl who had shown up before, begging to sign a YouTuber contract.

Jin-seong had felt uneasy about contracting with a minor and gently sent her away.

"Do you two know each other?"

Kim Jia asked Seo Ye-jin.

"Friends?"

Before Seo Ye-jin could answer,

Jin-seong spoke to her first.

"Introduce yourselves. This is Uncle Yoo Jin-seong, our benefactor. He saved Grandma and me from danger."

"……."

"This is Kim Jia, my friend. She transferred in recently. She looks like a lynx, but she's a good kid."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hey?! Who's a lynx? I'm not a lynx!"

Kim Jia bristled.

He peeked into her inner thoughts. Kim Jia clearly didn't think much of him. She harbored a small grudge.

"Hi?"

Nod.

Jin-seong greeted her. Kim Jia nodded in response instead of speaking.

"Uncle, where are you headed?"

"To the bookstore."

"Bookstore? Do you read too, Uncle?"

"Reading is one of my hobbies."

Seo Ye-jin was a bit surprised. Jin-seong's image didn't scream "bookworm."

"Any books you want to buy?"

Books he wanted?

Quite a few.

He had plenty he wanted to read, plus workbooks he needed.

"Let's go. I'll buy them for you."

He took the girls to the bookstore.

Jin-seong had a ton of books he wanted.

'I want to read business management books.'

'Financial books too.'

'Books on future society sound good.'

'Psychology books as well.'

He picked out promising ones.

Over 20 books in total.

'Gotta stop here.'

He wanted more, but budget constraints forced him to settle at 20.

"You're buying that many?"

Seo Ye-jin was shocked.

She figured maybe 1 or 2, at most 3 or 4—not 20.

How Will Future Society Change?

Reasons to Boldly Challenge

Korea Is a Financial Illiteracy Nation

From Sacred Labor to Comfortable Finance

And they were all solid choices.

"Here."

Jin-seong pulled four 50,000-won bills from his wallet and handed them over.

Pocket money.

"Get something tasty with your friend. Buy Grandma something nice too."

"Thank you."

He hailed a taxi.

He got in, set down his new books, sank into the comfy seat, closed his eyes, and sank into deep thought.

'But...'

Ye-jin thought of her grandmother.

Grandma was recovering well enough to discharge next week. What a relief.

But was that the end of it?

'Once she's discharged... she'll go back to that rundown place. That crumbling old house on the verge of collapse.'

'To make ends meet... she'll pick through trash again. Raising Ye-jin through grueling, low-paying work.'

His heart grew heavy.

He'd patched things up minimally, but hadn't solved the root problem.

'And...'

Jin-seong thought of Park Man-bok.

'If Ha-yeon helps out at the gym, it'll cut labor costs and give Sajangnim a breather. But what about Ha-yeon?'

'Is it right to cling to a business that can't even cover operating costs, let alone pay her?'

Park Ha-yeon planned to help her dad 12 hours a day for free.

Totally inefficient.

In Jin-seong's view,

'Revenue - Operating Costs - Personal Labor Costs = Profit' was normal.

'Revenue - Operating Costs + Personal Labor Costs = Profit' was wrong.

In other words, profit calculations shouldn't exclude personal labor costs.

If even labor costs couldn't be covered, folding and getting a regular job was a hundred times better.

'We need to fix the root issues. Boost profits.'

This won't do.

He'd sell off his Pure Cosmetics shares and dive in to help properly.

'Grandma's job issue, Sajangnim's gym problem—I need to step up and solve them.'

He resolved himself.

Brainstormed specific ways to help.

Reasons to Boldly Challenge

He read a book from the bookstore. It was all about "challenges."

What is a challenge? Why challenge yourself? What to challenge? How to challenge?

While reading,

'Challenges, huh...'

He fell into contemplation.

'Am I challenging myself?'

Jin-seong reflected on his life. Working out, reading, running small businesses.

Investing, three girlfriends, doing good deeds for society now and then.

After deep thought,

After pondering what he was challenging,

'Just one thing.'

Jin-seong was striving and challenging himself to become an awesome guy.

Lush hair, knowledgeable, handsome face, tall, broad shoulders, great skin, well-endowed—the works.

'Too few.'

Only one challenge.

Nothing else he was truly pushing for.

Not challenging himself to his satisfaction.

'Challenges...? What do I really want to challenge myself to...? What is the challenge I truly desire...?'

Life isn't multiple choice. No single right answer. You set your own bar by your standards and strive for it.

Jin-seong judged that he was only challenging a fraction of his talents.

He thought deeply about what he wanted to challenge.

Pondered and pondered.

Contemplated and contemplated.

Reached a conclusion.

'I need to scale up my businesses.'

'Plan and launch a health-related venture.'

'Upgrade the lives of the people precious to me.'

New challenges found.

'I can do it!'

It's possible!

'Let's do it!!'

Even if it fails, fine. Even if it flops, fine.

What truly matters

is an awesome life. A challenging life. A proactive, passionate life. Diligence with integrity.

'Read until evening.'

He stopped pondering and dove back into reading. His A-grade Reading Talent was incredible.

B-grade Reading Talent: about 1 page every 2 minutes 30 seconds.

A-grade: about 1 page per minute.

Speed reading, comprehension, focus, and retention more than doubled.

And he could feel it. The more he read, the more knowledgeable he became. His thinking deepened.

Problems he once saw only as 1, he now viewed as 10—no, 100.

'Nice.'

A-grade Reading Talent was great, the books were great, becoming erudite was great. All satisfying.

He opened the shop.

He consumed the items.

He dove back into reading.

Finished Reasons to Boldly Challenge. Opened Korea Is a Financial Illiteracy Nation.

In the office.

Jin-seong, Hong Jae-gu, and Lee Min-ho sat at the table.

They were in a meeting.

"Lilith declared she's challenging Challenger tier. Says she'll go nomad until she hits it."

Lilith's viewers averaged over 1,000. They exploded after hitting Grandmaster.

Lilith World reached 150,000 subscribers. Easier than 50k to 100k—doubled in momentum.

"Got a supplement ad offer. Word spread about the red ginseng sales boom, so they want her to push theirs."

"Reviews? How's the product?"

"Kinda iffy. Obscure small company, no reviews out there. Terms are good—could rake in hundreds of millions if it hits—but hard to judge."

Jin-seong crossed his arms. He scanned the ad quote. Minimum tens of millions, potentially hundreds if successful.

"Hold off on supplements. I'll meet their CEO in person and decide."

"Got it."

Jin-seong figured seeing it himself was the way to go.

Next, Park Ha-yeon's project.

"First shoot's today."

"What time?"

"2 p.m."

Park Ha-yeon's concept: fitness YouTuber.

First video: easy home bodyweight workouts.

Park Ha-yeon's video was uploaded.