Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Who are you?”
Oh Gong-tae glared at Jeong Jin-woo.
“I’m Jeong Jin-woo, team leader of Ki Sung IT’s business planning team.”
“Not that—your real identity. Are you a third-generation chaebol heir?”
“A chaebol? No, nothing like that.”
“Then what are you?”
Compared to any ordinary, wealthy family? Jeong Jin-woo himself didn’t even know exactly how rich he was. If he had to label it, maybe a deca-billionaire? Or perhaps a centi-billionaire.
“But since earlier… you’ve been so blunt.”
“You’re the team leader, I’m the department head. In the company, a department head can speak casually to a team leader.”
“It’s been after work, and this isn’t the company. By the way, Gong-tae! How old are you?”
“Go… Gong-tae? That’s forward…”
“I’m thirty… and you’re not even thirty yet! How old are you?”
“….”
“If you don’t answer again, I’ll really hit your head. How old?”
“Twenty-eight!”
Jeong Jin-woo chuckled at Oh Gong-tae.
He was a department head after ten years at the company, but still two years younger than Jeong Jin-woo. Moreover, whether he knew it or not, Oh Gong-tae was already in Jeong Jin-woo’s palm. The background check was done, and once the plan proceeded as expected, Oh Gong-tae would be his.
“When it’s just the two of us, let’s just be like siblings.”
“And why should I?”
“Why not? I’ve granted almost everything you wanted…”
Thinking about it, he had—except for doubling the employees’ salaries, everything else had been granted.
“By the way, who are you really? Do you just have a lot of money?”
“I just know a few people with money. Do I have money? Not really.”
Oh Gong-tae sized him up.
“True… you don’t look rich. Wearing a broken fake watch, joining Ki Sung IT as a new hire while the company is failing—if you had money, you wouldn’t do this at your age of thirty.”
Gulp.
That hit a painful spot directly. The kid might not even realize he was playing the role of a commoner.
“Then why approach me? There are many skilled developers out there.”
“You could find them… but you need someone truly trustworthy to work together.”
“That’s me?”
“Yes.”
He’d scoured the internal intranet through all three security levels. For every major development, Oh Gong-tae’s name appeared as the key developer. Asking around, it turned out he had been offered multiple lucrative scout proposals during difficult times but had stayed loyal to Ki Sung IT.
When his only family, his mother, was almost lost to cancer during his second year of high school, it was President Choi Tae-min who had paid an enormous amount to scout him. Oh Gong-tae used all that money for his mother’s treatment.
“And why do you say that?”
“I know you well.”
Jeong Jin-woo had examined everything: family, friends, activity history, personality analysis. Oh Gong-tae wasn’t just to be used as a cryptocurrency developer. He was essential to realizing Jeong Jin-woo’s bigger vision.
“Honestly, I want to make you my person, Oh Gong-tae. I wasn’t sure how to ‘cook’ you, so I thought about it a bit.”
“Hahaha… dream on. A newly hired rookie trying to cook a department head? No way, even if you know rich people… let’s at least keep manners. I might be two years younger, but you’re the department head. You don’t get disrespect, even casually.”
“Really?”
“Human Oh Gong-tae. I don’t pledge loyalty to money or people.”
“Really?”
“What do you think a person is….”
Oh Gong-tae squinted, curling one side of his mouth into a sly smile.
[Thud!]
Jeong Jin-woo placed a card on the table. Black with golden letters and numbers.
“What’s that?”
“Saint Castle keycard.”
Oh Gong-tae’s eyes widened.
“You know, the villa where chaebol families stay during recovery. Three meals a day of nutritionally managed food, hobbies like golf, swimming, fitness, with specialists on call. That place.”
“W-Why…?”
“Your mother’s cancer is cured, but who knows if it might recur? Living alone in a small rental apartment isn’t ideal. You need to exercise, do rehab, and live comfortably. Oh! Two years of management fees are prepaid. After that, you pay. Deal?”
Oh Gong-tae’s eyes trembled.
He had been raising Oh Gong-tae alone while battling cancer. Even if the illness was gone, living alone in a cramped apartment was not ideal. The villa—Saint Castle—was exactly where he would want to bring his mother once he earned money. Even the smallest 30-pyeong units cost over 5 billion won.
“Just use it for now!”
“How… how can I….”
“Not free—earn it and repay! Follow my instructions, and you’ll make enough.”
“R-Really… I can take this?”
“Yes.”
Tears welled in Oh Gong-tae’s eyes.
[Hug!]
Suddenly, Oh Gong-tae hugged Jeong Jin-woo, surprising him.
“Can I… call you hyung? From now on, hyung it is.”
“Sure… call me hyung.”
The kid claimed he didn’t pledge loyalty to money or people?
Oh Gong-tae hadn’t been bought with money. He had been given what he desperately wanted and needed.
Around 6 billion won had been spent, but gaining Oh Gong-tae’s trust and loyalty wasn’t a loss.
Who was Oh Gong-tae? A genius even recognized at the Science High School. He should have gone to university, but his mother’s illness prevented it. President Choi Tae-min had scouted him with a 50 million won joining bonus. Back then, Ki Sung IT wasn’t in its current failing state, so this was possible.
Oh Gong-tae’s contracted term was five years.
Even after enduring multiple near-bankruptcies, he hadn’t left, out of loyalty and the desire to create a hit product to repay Ki Sung IT. Other companies would likely have offered him three or four times the salary.
He had to be that kind of person. Someone who fulfilled human duties, respected commitments, and stayed loyal. Moreover, in IT development, Oh Gong-tae would play a core role in whatever Jeong Jin-woo did.
Even beyond practicality, someone like Oh Gong-tae naturally inspires a desire to help. Perhaps sending him to university someday, too.
“Chairman… I see now.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You live frugally, so I thought you might be a miser. Hahaha.”
“Really? I thought so? I’m a bit hurt. Still, I thought the vice chairman knew…”
“I’m just glad to see you spend wisely where necessary. I didn’t expect you’d recruit Oh Gong-tae like that. Thinking back, you resemble your late father in that aspect.”
“Father?”
“Yes! Your father considered people the greatest asset. Cold and ruthless to adversaries, warm and generous to allies.”
Vice Chairman Go Yun-seok looked into the distance, recalling the past.
“Those who crossed paths with my father never forget him. Like me.”
He smiled at Jeong Jin-woo.
“One last thing: if you need money, feel free to use it, Chairman. A few hundred billion….”
“No, that would be reckless. Solid ground allows water to accumulate. And I’ve already received enough from my father. Don’t worry.”
“What your father gave is one thing; what I provide is different, isn’t it?”
Jeong Jin-woo’s words made Go Yun-seok chuckle.
“Later, when the businesses you’ve built make uncontainable profits, we’ll talk then.”
In truth, money held little significance for Go Yun-seok. He was financially astute and talented, yet strangely ungreedy. He could have secretly taken wealth during inheritance, but he didn’t.
“Also… Chairman, are you free this Saturday?”
“I’m always free, as you know.”
“Jerome wants to meet you… would you meet him?”
“Jerome? Who?”
“Jerome Musso, head of RCF.”
“Jerome Musso… oh, Rothschild! But RCF? What’s that?”
“It’s the Rothschild family. When discussing your Gold Coin idea, they said it must be discussed in person. Since you were busy, they’ll come to Korea themselves.”
“Then we must meet. Hahaha. Did they call Rothschild RCF? Hahaha.”
“People who know them often do. Outsiders won’t understand.”
“Where shall we meet?”
“They’ll notify you of time and place. Jerome Musso being RCF’s head is top secret. His movement alone alerts intelligence agencies worldwide. Your father met him only once.”
“Why is he coming personally?”
“Because only after meeting can you truly understand the other party. You wear that watch, right?”
Among all his father’s belongings, the watch was the only one Jeong Jin-woo kept.
It had stopped on November 6, 2022, at 11:06. His late father had worn it, and Jeong Jin-woo felt strangely connected, wearing it on his left wrist.
“This… it’s just a broken watch?”
“No, not just a broken watch. Few would recognize it.”
“What’s so special about it…?”
Jeong Jin-woo took it from his wrist, examining the broken watch.
“Hans Wilsdorf… the founder of Rolex, died in 1960.”
The sudden remark made Jeong Jin-woo look at Go Yun-seok.
“After his death, in 1965, a watch was made in his memory. That’s the Golden Time. Limited to twenty pieces, symbolizing ‘time is gold.’ It featured cutting-edge chronograph technology, with day and date indicators. Most think Patek Philippe is the most expensive, but this watch cannot be bought. At the time, it was valued at $100 million—around 2 trillion won today. Your father spent 500 billion won to acquire it. This watch represents the power that moves the world. It’s proof of being part of true superpowers.”
Jeong Jin-woo stared at his Rolex. The crown symbol was slightly tilted on this broken watch, and it was supposedly worth 2 trillion won?
“The money from selling that watch could have helped victims of wars worldwide. True noblesse oblige.”
“I just wore it because my father left it to me.”
Go Yun-seok chuckled.
“Few would recognize it anyway. Wearing it will signal to Jerome Musso exactly who you are.”
“One question—why Jerome Musso? The Rothschilds are German Jews, shouldn’t it be a German name? Why French?”
“To confuse people. Nationality no longer matters.”
Jeong Jin-woo understood. No need to advertise being a Rothschild. A French name makes it more confusing.
“So this is that watch?”
“Seems you have a natural instinct for recognizing things.”
“No, I just wore my father’s.”
“Even that counts as instinct. Incredible intuition.”
Jeong Jin-woo just shook his head. Go Yun-seok marveled as if it were some grand talent.