The Goal: Four Years From Now (4)
Stomp, stomp. Merrill’s footsteps echoed through the suite, but they were swallowed by the sound of the violin. Stomp, stomp. Yoon-gi, lost in his performance, didn't notice her approach until a sweet fragrance pricked his nose. Then, he felt a strangely soft and warm sensation on his lips, causing him to open his eyes in surprise.
"...Huh?"
Before him stood Merrill, her entire face flushed a deep crimson as she stared at him. Her eyes, framed by thick lashes, were wide open, and it was clear she was just as bewildered as he was.
"Um..."
As Yoon-gi stopped playing and tried to speak, Merrill covered her face and scurried away, her heels clicking against the floor as she ran toward the parlor where her grandfather was waiting. But there, she found...
"Eek!"
A low shriek. Guster and Colson were standing at the entrance of the parlor, looking their way. Both men wore expressions of utter bewilderment. In the end, Merrill changed course and bolted out of the suite entirely.
"Merrill!"
A startled Guster hurriedly chased after his granddaughter, and Colson shouted toward Yoon-gi, "Yoon-gi!"
Yoon-gi, who had been touching his lips without realizing it, snapped back to reality, grabbed his bags, and followed his grandfather.
Because of the timing of the elevators, by the time Colson and Yoon-gi reached the lobby, Guster seemed to have finished soothing his granddaughter. Merrill was hiding behind Guster, only peeking her head out. Though, she was pointedly looking in the other direction.
"These things can happen between children. Don't you agree? Hahaha!"
At Guster's words, Colson broke into a cold sweat and bowed his head. "I apologize. My grandson didn't do it on purpose..."
"I told you it's fine, didn't I? Things were much worse in the Soviet Union, weren't they?"
Guster mentioned how, after the Great Patriotic War, the number of men of marriageable age had plummeted, making it common for ten-year-old boys to marry women in their twenties or thirties. Hearing this, Colson let out a sigh of relief.
"If you happen to travel around Korea, I would be honored to guide you."
"Then, shall we ask for your help starting tomorrow? I want to rest a bit today."
"Understood. I will come to see you tomorrow morning."
"Let's do that."
Guster laughed heartily, patted Colson on the back a few times, and headed back up to the suite. General Colson wiped the beads of cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and asked his grandson, "Did things go well? I’m still reeling. That man has incredible connections in the United States."
Instead of answering, Yoon-gi hugged his grandfather. "Grandfather, you're the best."
A grandfather’s love is blind. Colson beamed with a wide smile and asked, "Even more than that Choi fellow?"
Yoon-gi leaned in and whispered quietly into Colson's ear, "That's a secret."
Even though Colson had felt incredibly exhausted throughout the day, that single sentence from his grandson washed all his fatigue away.
Guster, who had returned to the suite with his granddaughter, burst into laughter the moment they were alone. "Kwahahaha! Do you like that boy that much?"
"Don't tease me!"
"By Korean standards he’s ten, but by our standards, he’s only eight or nine. Did you like him that much?"
"I don't know! It just happened, so what do you want me to do?"
"Colson might know, but it’s a shame that grandson of his didn't see your true self. The way you are now is your real self, after all."
Merrill usually gave off a neat and elegant impression to strangers, but she revealed her true colors as soon as she got close to someone. She wasn't the girl who sat on a swing in a dress reading a book; she was the girl who ran through muddy fields in a dress playing war games. Merrill had never thought twice about her personality, but after meeting Yoon-gi today, she had her first real worry.
'What if he finds out what I'm really like?'
Lost in thought, Merrill clamped her mouth shut, and before long, her face flushed red again. Seeing this, Guster considered saying one more thing, but his granddaughter looked like a time bomb that would go off if touched, so he gave up, sat in a chair with a bitter smile.
'A business plan from a ten-year-old...'
Guster began to read the business plan Yoon-gi had left behind once more.
Although Yoon-gi’s words had washed away his fatigue, Colson still felt tired and went to bed early. However, he was forced to wake up by a sudden ringing of the phone, and he found himself saluting as he answered it.
"General Guster, what is the matter?"
[Ah, it’s nothing specific, I just wanted to talk about today’s events.]
Colson’s eyes wavered with extreme anxiety. He was worried that he or his grandson had made a grave mistake or committed a discourtesy.
[You set the stage, but even without you, I think I would have helped him once out of curiosity. You really have an amazing grandson.]
Feeling his anxiety melt away, Colson let out a sigh without realizing it. "Thank you so much for saying that."
[My friend, were you that nervous, to the point of sighing?]
"It is because I do not want to cause you any trouble."
[My friend, our connection goes back over forty years. What’s a little trouble? Anyway, I envy you. Even though you are alone with only one daughter, you have gained a diamond more precious than all the blood relatives I have.]
"Did you really feel that way?"
Colson knew his grandson was exceptional, but it was honestly fascinating to hear such high praise from someone else.
[You wouldn't know because you’re his grandfather. Parents and grandparents always tend to underestimate their own. Your grandson... if things go well, he will become a remarkable figure. His family background is actually lacking compared to his abilities.]
"That is all my fault. There are times I feel sorry for him, too."
[In that sense, beyond just lending my name, I will lend a little more of my strength.]
"Is that really true?"
General Colson’s voice was filled with joy as his face brightened.
[Of course. If a situation arises where you need my power, have it relayed through you. For example, if you want to import something but it’s difficult. It’s for our U.S. troops in Korea anyway, so I can certainly lend my support.]
"Thank you. Yoon-gi will be very happy as well."
[By the way, Merrill is still looking dazed. Where did your grandson learn to play the violin like that? Although he’s young and lacks experience, it was a performance that touched the heart.]
"I’ve seen him practice here and there at home, but I have no musical knowledge, so I honestly didn't know."
[He is truly a multi-talented boy. But from my perspective, it might be a good thing he didn't go into music...]
"I will do my best to supervise him."
[Anyway, today was enjoyable. See you tomorrow.]
"Yes, please rest well!"
Colson hung up the receiver and let out a sigh of relief; he could finally sleep soundly. At the same time, Guster, who had also hung up the phone, was lost in thought. It was because of his granddaughter, Merrill, who was still wearing a dazed expression and blushing.
'Children’s hearts change easily, and Merrill might get tired of that boy quickly, but...'
A bitter smile played on Guster’s lips. 'He’s a boy who isn't quite good enough for my granddaughter yet, but if I help him a little, he might become someone far more remarkable. I’ve met a quite interesting boy.'
Guster placed the receiver back onto the phone.
"Stop it."
"I told you to stop."
Yoon-gi quietly pulled a jujube from his pocket toward Choi Deok-bae, who wouldn't stop talking.
"I prepared a whole meal for you, so do you really have to keep teasing me like that?"
At Yoon-gi’s annoyed words, Choi Deok-bae had no choice but to smack his lips and scratch the back of his head. After all, a sincere, home-cooked meal, though not extravagant, was laid out in front of him.
"Honestly, I brought the violin thinking I’d just do a little performance. I have to use my weapons to the best of my ability. But since I ended up talking to General Guster so well, I ended up using it on his granddaughter instead."
Yoon-gi, who was just about to take a sip of milk, spat it right back into the cup. He furrowed his brows and sighed. "I haven't even thought about things like that yet. And even if I liked her, it wouldn't be easy for things to work out."
"The more a country is populated by white people, the more there is a basic psychological tendency toward racial discrimination. I borrowed my grandfather’s power, but from General Guster’s perspective, I’m just an Asian. He could marry his granddaughter off to someone incredible using his own connections, so why would he let her be with me just because of one kiss? It’s nonsense."
"Even my grandfather refers to people as 'white things' or 'black things' right now."
Choi Deok-bae nodded, seemingly understanding. "I should focus on my studies, which I’ve been relatively neglecting for a while. I can only move on to the next task once Mr. Ryu Geun-tae finishes his work."
"I’ll be busy, though."
Having finished his milk, Yoon-gi started his studies. Choi Deok-bae smiled softly as he watched Yoon-gi, but he didn't disturb his studies.
November of '77, when the cold winds began to blow. Ryu Geun-tae was at his wit's end.
'I told the young master I would somehow make it happen, but this really feels like it’s beyond my capabilities.'
Gathering talent to start a construction business. There were still over twenty months left, but there was virtually no progress. Architecture students from his alma mater wouldn't even want to go to the construction affiliates of Samwoo Products, let alone join a company that wasn't even Samwoo and was just starting out. That was true even if it was the chairman’s eldest grandson.
If the Samwoo Group were in the top ten of the business world, it would be a different story, but as they were currently 100th, it was an uphill battle. It wasn't easy to scout from other companies, either. It went without saying for those working at companies above Samwoo, and even the experienced workers he needed to recruit from below were unwilling to move to an unstable company.
'Damn it, damn it. If this doesn't work out today, there’s no answer...'
Today, Ryu Geun-tae used the last method he could think of. It was to visit his uncle, who ran a construction company in his hometown. He was planning to act crazy and ask his uncle to bet the company’s fate on the young master. Whether it was to dissolve the company and re-hire under the young master, or to hand over the company’s stock entirely and be treated as a subsidiary that had given up management rights.
He knew it was absurd, but Ryu Geun-tae had no other choice. No matter how capable he was and how he had worked in the chairman’s direct secretariat, he was just an office worker in his thirties. Since even Yoon-gi knew it was a difficult task and entrusted it to him, it was truly overwhelming for Ryu Geun-tae.
Squeeze! Ryu Geun-tae, waiting for his uncle in the president’s office, gripped his knees, and when he let go, the fabric was damp with sweat.
Creak!
"Oh, Geun-tae. What’s going on? You coming all the way here at this hour?"
Because his relationship with his uncle wasn't bad, his uncle welcomed him the moment he saw him and told him to sit down.
"I came because I missed you, of course."
Kim Jeong-seon, in his late forties. With a slightly protruding belly and distinctive double eyelids, he gave off a warm, comfortable feeling.
"You rascal, you didn't come to get pocket money from your uncle now that you’re all grown up, did you? Did you get fired from your job? Are you trying to get hired by your uncle?"
Ryu Geun-tae thought, 'Ugh...' and struggled with his decision, but thinking that he should strike while the iron was hot, he took a reckless action.
"Uncle, I have a favor to ask."
"I knew it. What favor is it?"
As his uncle asked with a bright smile, Ryu Geun-tae threw a fastball—no, a nuclear fastball.
"Can you sell your company for cheap?!"
He who thinks too much makes the wrong move. Ryu Geun-tae had cut out too much of the context in his excessive thinking, and this led to the inevitable response.
"Are you crazy?"