Money Power?
"What? What blew up?"
[It blew up! That! That thing blew up!]
The volume was so intense that if he were standing right in front of him, Yoon-gi felt like he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the man's Adam's apple and his heart. That was how ecstatic Colson sounded as he spoke to Yoon-gi.
"Grandfather, please calm down a little. What exactly blew up?"
[You know! That! The corn!]
A single keyword: corn. But that was all it took for Yoon-gi to jump to his feet.
"What? Are you serious?!"
[I'm telling you! It blew up! It really did! Hahahaha! The estimated value is a whopping 1.2 billion dollars! 1.2 billion dollars!!]
1.2 billion dollars. Based on the 2010s, that was worth roughly 3 trillion won. Even by the standards of this era, it was an absurdly large oil field, boasting a value close to 1 trillion won. Of course, some of the greatest oil fields in history had exceeded 1 quadrillion won, but for an oil field worth 3 trillion won to be discovered on private land was undoubtedly a world-shaking event.
"I'm coming right now!"
Yoon-gi dropped everything and headed straight for the United States.
"Look, that's where the oil field blew up!"
The area was fenced off, and numerous former U.S. soldiers were already standing guard with intimidating gazes.
"How was it discovered?"
Yoon-gi tried to sound calm, but he couldn't help the joy leaking into his voice.
"About two weeks ago, one of the workers was driving in a fence post and found it. I thought about telling you right away, but I wanted to be sure before getting your hopes up, so I looked into it as much as I could before calling. We even used Guster's connections to get an expert diagnosis, and it's a whopping 1.2 billion dollars! 1.2 billion!"
Colson kept repeating the 1.2 billion figure from the moment he called, his excitement showing no signs of fading. And why wouldn't it? 1.2 billion dollars. 1 trillion won. Was that even a real amount of money? And it had happened on the corn farm he was managing on Yoon-gi's behalf, of all places. The owner of the farm was, of course, Yoon-gi. After retiring, Colson had started running the U.S. corn farm—which Yoon-gi owned—following in Park Yeon-ji's footsteps, claiming it was just a hobby to help Yoon-gi. He had been living quite contentedly, feeling a sense of nostalgia for his father's work, and then—the oil field hit.
"Will we have any trouble owning and mining this oil field?"
"Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult."
"But I assume these aren't normal circumstances?"
Yoon-gi and Colson both grinned at each other.
"Exactly! It would have been absolutely impossible on my own, but don't we have Guster? Guster secured the mining rights. Normally, we would only hold the ownership and have to make a deal with a company that held the mining rights, but he went and secured the rights entirely!"
Yoon-gi embraced his grandfather, who was trembling with excitement as he clenched his fists.
"Grandfather!"
"Yoon-gi!"
The grandfather hugged his grandson tightly. Since Yoon-gi had grown so tall that there wasn't much of a height difference anymore, it felt more like a proper embrace.
"Oh, men hugging!"
It was a voice that belonged to neither Yoon-gi nor Colson. As Yoon-gi opened his eyes, Merrill came into view.
"Merrill?!"
"Don't you see me?"
Guster was standing behind Merrill.
"Merrill!"
But the moment Yoon-gi was released by Colson, he ran toward Merrill.
"Yoon!"
The beautiful couple embraced each other. Watching them, Colson smacked his lips.
"What's the matter?" Guster asked.
"No, it's just... my grandson hugged me for the first time in a while, and I feel like he's been stolen away."
"But you were handed the mining rights, weren't you?"
"Th-that's true, isn't it? Hehehe. Aren't you happy, Chief?"
Colson trembled, seemingly overcome with joy just at the thought of pumping oil from the field. Seeing this, Guster also grinned and trembled.
"How could I not be?"
A golden nugget—no, an oil field—had washed over his family like a tidal wave, a family that he thought would end as just a military household. Guster swore to himself that he would never let Yoon-gi and Merrill break up. Of course, there was no way they would break up anyway.
Merrill sat on Yoon-gi's left, arms linked with his. Yoon-gi didn't find her presence bothersome at all; in fact, he leaned in closer to her, and Merrill, seemingly satisfied, pressed her body against his as well. They were like two sticky rice cakes pressed together. Seeing this from across the table, Guster and Colson both wore satisfied expressions.
"It's a nice sight, but won't it get in the way of your work?" Guster asked.
Yoon-gi shook his head.
"I think I'd feel better if Merrill were by my side while I worked."
"Hmm, if I had treated my wife like that back then, she would have been very happy," Guster said, reminiscing about the past. Colson nodded in agreement.
"You only realize these things when it's too late. Still, I'm so grateful that these kids are living so well."
"Yes, that's true."
They were sitting at a wooden park bench table. Yoon-gi's farm had one just like it, and they sat there drinking coffee and eating sandwiches, beginning to discuss the future.
"Guster-nim."
"Oh, 'Guster-nim'? You should call me Grandfather now."
The conversation with Guster was, of course, in English, and until now, Yoon-gi had used honorifics like "Sir" or "Mr." when addressing him. However, Guster had requested the term "Grandfather." While Americans didn't typically use the term this way, it was a common usage in households where American and Korean cultures blended, and Guster had specifically asked for it.
"Yes, Grandfather."
As Yoon-gi used the term without hesitation, Guster looked satisfied, while Colson smacked his lips.
"What's the matter with you?" Guster asked, looking puzzled.
Colson scratched the back of his head and bowed his head slightly.
"I apologize. The competition for the grandson is already fierce, and I was worried that if you became a grandfather too, there would be another competitor..."
"Hahahaha!"
At Guster's hearty laugh, Yoon-gi and Merrill laughed as well, and soon, Colson burst into laughter too. After the family bond deepened once more, Guster spoke again a moment later.
"Right, what were you about to ask?"
"Yes. It's nothing else, but I wanted to ask about the mining rights. We've secured the rights, but obviously, we'll need equipment to mine the oil. Has that been resolved?"
"Ah, you don't need to worry about that at all. I've already received a promise from the mining company. Of course, we'll have to pay a usage fee, but since it's a fixed-rate system rather than a proportional one, the cost burden won't be that great. And once some money piles up, we can just order the equipment we need from the manufacturer."
"As expected of Guster... no, Grandfather."
Guster nodded in satisfaction and then added a condition.
"However, there is one condition for this mining right."
"What is it?"
"Even if the U.S. recognizes all rights from the sky to the underground for private land, that is only a recognition of the resources, not a recognition of the mining rights."
"Yes, I'm well aware of that. Still, it's better than Korea. In Korea, if oil is discovered, it belongs to the state. Though the catch is that there is no oil."
At Yoon-gi's witty remark, Guster smiled and nodded.
"Yes, there is no oil in Korea. Perhaps it's better that oil isn't discovered there. The moment oil is discovered, beyond nationalization, the owner might go missing, or the law might change after the landowner changes."
Yoon-gi nodded at Guster's words, which pierced through the reality of the situation in Korea. Guster continued.
"Anyway, I used all my connections to secure the mining rights, but you cannot export oil to countries that the federal government does not permit."
"Are there restrictions on exports?"
"Yes. But it's not severe. You just can't export to countries hostile to the U.S. And if the federal government requests it, you must supply oil to the U.S. first. Of course, they won't try to rip you off on the price, so you can rest easy on that."
"I understand. That's hardly even a restriction."
"In fact, if an ordinary person discovered an oil field of this size on their land, it would be more likely they'd be found as a corpse. But in that regard, you can rest easy. Those guys will definitely protect you."
"Thank you."
The "those guys" Guster referred to didn't just mean the former U.S. soldiers currently on the farm. It meant the entire U.S. military that Guster's influence reached. It was as good as them declaring they would protect him.
"No matter how much you try to hide your identity, you won't be able to hide it anymore. No, you might be able to hide the actions you took, but it means your existence will be revealed to the world."
"I suppose... that's true."
"I've managed to block the news from spreading until today, but now the U.S. will take an interest in you. And in Korea, there will be people who take an interest in you too. So, for your own sake, I'll have bodyguards attached to you."
"If you could, please attach them to Merrill as well."
"That goes without saying."
"And to my grandfather and the other family members as well."
"Who do you mean by that 'grandfather'?"
At Guster's playful remark, Yoon-gi gave a warm smile.
"I have three grandfathers, but they are all precious to me."
Smiles spread across Colson's and Guster's faces.
"But the most precious one is Merrill."
A moment later, a deep lipstick mark was left on Yoon-gi's cheek.
While reading the morning newspaper, Jo Yun-tae, a director at Shin-sang Group, jumped up from his chair in surprise. He put on his magnifying glasses to read the paper again, then threw it aside with trembling hands.
"Th-this is a disaster!"
He didn't even have time to call his driver, so Jo Yun-tae drove himself to the Shin-sang Group headquarters, arriving at the entrance much earlier than usual.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
How long had it been since he last ran? He didn't think he had run since being appointed director, but his heart felt like it was going to burst from the exertion.
"Is, is the Chairman in?"
"Yes? Yes, he is."
At the startled response from the secretary in front of the Chairman's office, Jo Yun-tae didn't even think to knock and burst the door open.
"Chairman!"
"Damn it, don't you know how to close the door?!"
A man and a woman were inside the office. Jo Yun-tae gritted his teeth and slammed the door shut. A moment later, a woman glared at Jo Yun-tae and disappeared with a "tsk" sound.
"Chairman!"
As he opened the door and entered again, an ashtray flew toward him, striking Jo Yun-tae in the ribs.
"Ugh!"
"You bastard, don't you know how to knock?"
His ribs were likely cracked from the heavy ashtray, but Jo Yun-tae endured the pain and shouted.
"Chairman, this is not the time for this!"
"Of course it isn't! Because of whom..."
"That's not it, please get a grip!"
Jo Yun-tae placed the newspaper he had brought on the table, and Kang Jang-hwan picked it up and began to read.
"Look at this! YK Department Store has acquired 1 trillion won in funding. Are you still going to push ahead with the department store plan?"
It was a desperate plea, but Kang Jang-hwan replied with an expression of disbelief.
"I'm going to, though?"