100 Billion Won (3)
"Whoa... this is a total jackpot, isn't it?"
The term azoospermia was enough to make Yoon-gi marvel. It meant, quite simply, that the man had no biological heirs.
"But wait, isn't this a bit strange? Jung Woo-ho has a son and a daughter, doesn't he? Is it acquired azoospermia?"
"Looking at the circumstances, this is definitely fresh information in many ways. Let's see..."
YK Group already possessed a fair amount of information regarding the chaebols. It was only surface-level data, of course. But the intelligence held by the ANSP was, quite frankly, shockingly deep.
"An adopted son and an adopted daughter... Jung Woo-ho's children were adopted."
"What? Adopted?"
Choi Cheol-kyu looked surprised, naturally taking the documents from Yoon-gi's hand.
"Wow... they really are adopted. These kids have insane luck, don't they? They were war orphans, yet they became incredibly successful."
Jung Woo-ho was of the generation that lived through the Korean War. Among the children who survived that era, there were so many who had lost their parents and were left all alone. It was a tearful sight frequently seen on the streets in the 50s—children who would do "anything" just to survive. And, naturally, there were plenty of vile adults who took advantage of that.
"You could say they caught the greatest stroke of luck during the worst period in South Korean history."
"True. And it wasn't just any rich family; they caught the eye of the Chairman of Haeshin Group. Though, Jung Woo-ho wasn't the Chairman of Haeshin Group back then."
"War resets everything. The period immediately following the Korean War was the perfect era to build a success story starting from nothing."
Kim Jeong-seon, who had been listening to the conversation between Yoon-gi and Choi Cheol-kyu, chimed in.
"That is correct. Even right up until the Korean War, the title of 'Master' still remained, and you could hear the word 'Dol-soe' (servant) everywhere. But once the war broke out, it all vanished. Whether you were from a noble family or a commoner's, all you had in your hands was a single rifle."
Jung Dong-yoon also nodded.
"I heard my family was quite wealthy in North Korea before the war. But they said they had to abandon everything while fleeing."
"Still, you managed to succeed somehow?"
At Kim Jeong-seon's question, Jung Dong-yoon smiled and nodded.
"Ironically, it's thanks to the war. We lost everything because of the war, but thanks to the war, we became wealthier than we ever were in the past."
"As President Jung said, war is truly an ironic thing."
Listening to the two, Yoon-gi nodded inwardly.
'Indeed... in the 2010s, moving up the social ladder is incredibly difficult. But in the 1950s, if you had a bit of luck and effort, class mobility was entirely possible. As expected, capitalism brings about income polarization. In the 2010s, after more than 60 years of polarization, it was inevitable that class mobility would become even harder.'
Yoon-gi's assessment was accurate. The very fact that the term "accumulation of wealth" existed proved that humans never wanted to let go of what they possessed.
'I like capitalism. That's why I want capitalism to last for a very long time.'
That was Yoon-gi's true intention. The reason he was trying to carry the middle class and the common people along with him was precisely for the survival of capitalism. YK would eventually become the world's number one company, but the moment the capitalist system collapsed, that top spot would become meaningless. That was why Yoon-gi chose the difficult path of "moving forward with ordinary people" instead of the easy path of "just living well by myself."
"By the way, Uncle, you're having quite a lucky day today."
"Huh?"
Seeing Choi Cheol-kyu looking confused, Yoon-gi smiled and gestured slightly for him to look around, as if telling him to take in the room. The gazes of everyone present were filled with envy for Choi Cheol-kyu.
"Ah... I understand."
Out of all these countless documents, the one that revealed Jung Woo-ho had azoospermia had landed in Choi Cheol-kyu's hands. If that wasn't a stroke of luck, what was? He had certainly made a good impression on Yoon-gi.
"There will be more documents that can help us. So, let's all keep looking through them diligently."
"UNDERSTOOD!!"
With a boisterous reply, everyone began examining the documents again. Soon after, the delivered jjajangmyeon and jjampong arrived. They even ate their meals in the study, too busy to stop looking through the files. Yoon-gi was no different. However, unlike the others, he was reviewing Jung Woo-ho's documents over and over again.
'He adopted two war orphans at a young age, and even after that, he made regular donations to the orphanage. But at some point, he stopped. Why?'
Yoon-gi felt a strong conviction that the key lay in this detail.
The Hope Orphanage, where Yoo Seon-nyeo and her gang had vanished, was being run very well. It wasn't that the new staff lacked desires, but a new "inspection system" had been introduced.
"Hmm, this is solid."
Kim In-soo, who had become the Inspection Chief of the Hope Foundation, checked the "daily report from yesterday" handed to him by the director and nodded.
"Phew, doing this every day is quite a chore. Do we really have to keep doing this?"
At the director's grumbling, Kim In-soo smiled and nodded.
"You are more than welcome to quit if you'd like. Even if we just gathered the people currently lining up for the job, they would form a line from Seoul to Busan."
Though he was exaggerating, the number of social workers wanting to work for the Hope Foundation was indeed at a saturation point. The salary was more than double that of other orphanages, and the orphanage's own facilities were excellent. While there were still orphanages that used outdoor pit toilets, the orphanages under the Hope Foundation, equipped with flush toilets, were incredibly popular among female social workers.
"Oh, no! That's not what I meant. I just meant that there's so much work to do, and this report takes up so much of my time..."
"Director."
Kim In-soo cut him off with a smile.
"Yes?"
"What exactly is the benefit of saying that?"
"Pardon? Th-that is..."
"I don't understand. I am the Inspection Chief. It is a position that supervises the corruption occurring within the orphanage. You seem to think you can just talk down to me because I'm young, but wake up. What is so difficult about taking photos of the children eating three times a day, and taking photos of the orphanage facilities along with a newspaper once a day? Do you think YK is running this orphanage just to let you make money comfortably?"
"I-I'm sorry..."
The director, who had come to replace Yoo Seon-nyeo, was in her late 40s. Honestly, she had clearly intended to manipulate Kim In-soo, who was in his late 20s, to live a comfortable life. However, Kim In-soo was one of Ma Seok-il's top disciples. It was a million years too early for the director to try to manipulate him. After all, Ma Seok-il had only taken him under his wing because he saw potential in him to begin with.
"I will definitely report this to the Chairman. As if the inspection department is just a place to wander around and cater to your whims."
"I-I'm sorry. Please, just not that..."
"Forget it. Disciplinary action will be taken regardless of the severity, so keep that in mind. If this happens again, it won't end with just a simple reprimand. Complaining about doing the work you're assigned because it's 'bothersome'..."
Because Kim In-soo used language perfectly suited for his inspection duties, he was incredibly trustworthy from the perspective of the children at the orphanage.
"Are you having any trouble living here?"
Kim In-soo asked a young girl he saw as soon as he stepped out of the director's office.
"No, I'm not. It's really great to live here. Could you please tell Yoon-gi oppa that I'm thankful?"
"Yoon-gi oppa? You know the Chairman?"
The girl who answered was none other than Im Ju-hee.
"Yes. Oppa brought us here from the shantytown. And he built other orphanages, too."
"I see. Alright, if I happen to see the Chairman later, I'll be sure to tell him."
"Thank you."
Ju-hee, who had bowed her head, spoke to Kim In-soo again.
"Ahj... no, Oppa."
"You have amazing social skills, don't you? Alright, is there something you want to ask?"
Pleased at being called "Oppa," Kim In-soo looked at Ju-hee with a bright smile.
"I want to do work like yours, too. What do I have to do?"
"You want to be like me? That's very simple!"
"How?"
To Ju-hee, whose eyes were sparkling, Kim In-soo grinned and gave her the correct answer.
"Focus on Korean, English, and Math, and study for an extra 6 hours a day outside of schoolwork. Then it will be entirely possible."
Even though he didn't look like it, Kim In-soo was a graduate of Yonsei University. That was why he gave her the "real answer" he knew.
"Is that all I have to do to become one?"
"Yes. How old are you now?"
"I'm 14."
"Then you have 10 years until you graduate from college... It might be a close call. As YK grows larger, the academic requirements for those trying to enter will also rise. So, study like your life depends on it. I got in somewhat easily, but I don't know if it will be that easy to get into YK 10 years from now."
"Oppa."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you being a bit too realistic?"
At Ju-hee's slightly pouty expression, Kim In-soo reached out and patted her head.
"That's because I truly love the company called YK."
It was a response that was almost like a Zen riddle. But Ju-hee understood what he meant and nodded.
"Me too."
"Alright, then study hard and make sure to join YK in 10 years. I'll be waiting for you."
Just as Kim In-soo turned to leave, Ju-hee spoke again.
"Oppa."
"Yes? Oppa has to go. This isn't the only orphanage I have to visit today."
To Kim In-soo, who had a slightly troubled expression, Ju-hee smiled and threw out one last question.
"When are you coming back here?"
Kim In-soo answered with a smile.
"Tomorrow."
"What is this? You talked like I'd only be able to see you in 10 years."
Instead of answering, Kim In-soo made a small gesture, putting his index and middle fingers together as if giving a casual salute, and walked out of the building's entrance.
"More rewarding than I thought, huh?"
Kim In-soo's words echoed into the empty air. Unlike Kim In-soo, who had developed a positive perception of the orphanage, there was someone at the same time and place who had held skepticism for a long time.
"Thank you for coming."
The orphanage swing. Choi Cheol-kyu sat on one of them and bowed his head slightly toward Jung Woo-ho, who was sitting next to him.
"I only came because you said you had something to say regarding this matter."
Among the group of chairmen, Jung Woo-ho was the youngest, but here, he was clearly the elder. Thus, he maintained a basic level of gravity. After all, a person's demeanor changes according to time and place.
"That is correct. Actually, I thought about meeting in a more formal setting, but I was worried others might misunderstand."
"I agree with that, but this is a bit..."
The sight of grown men, old enough to know better, sitting on swings and naturally swaying back and forth was quite a sight to behold. At least because the children were inside the building, they didn't become a "public" spectacle. Of course, it was true that the children were watching through the windows to see what these old men were doing.
"I apologize. I heard that you, Chairman, had made many donations to orphanages in the past. That's why I chose this place. Our conversation might be misunderstood by others, but wouldn't it be hard to make excuses if we were here?"
Choi Cheol-kyu began to dig into Jung Woo-ho's heart at a timing Jung Woo-ho could never have imagined.