Chapter 1: Return
A narrow oneroomtel with nothing but a desk and a bed.
A trash can filled with used packets of instant noodles.
Now that even those common packets of instant noodles are gone, I am starving.
“Cough!”
Blood starts to flow down from the hand I covered my mouth with.
Is it malnutrition? Or is it because I haven’t been out of this confined space for a few days?
It may be hard to imagine, but I used to be a third-generation heir of a conglomerate.
A third-generation heir without siblings, no less.
Having no siblings was fine, but I didn’t even have any parents.
Still, thanks to being the third-generation heir, I was exempted from the military, so I was practically the son of God.
No, I “was” the son of God.
As soon as I graduated from college, I joined Taewoo Group, but the financial crisis hit that year and my grandfather’s company, Taewoo Group, went bankrupt.
What happened after that was one despair after another.
The Taewoo Group was in crushing debt due to the financial crisis and the IMF, ultimately forcing my grandfather to live as a fugitive without any assistance.
The same was true of me.
I had to hide in Vietnam for more than five years.
However, grandfather was very sick due to his long life abroad, and in the end, I had to return to Korea.
The situation after that was even worse.
An additional fine of 18 trillion and a ten-year prison sentence.
My Grandfather had to go to jail upon entering the country.
Because we were branded as the trash that embezzled huge amounts of money, my grandfather and I ended up appearing on television more often than celebrities.
All the media outlets, even the government and the people, joined in to criticize us, so how could we endure that?
We didn’t get to explain ourselves even once, and were suffering from all kinds of humiliation.
During my grandfather’s sentencing period, I ran all over the place trying to find a way to help him.
But that’s when I realized how disgusting the world was.
As my grandfather went to prison, the acquaintances who acted as if they would do everything for us treated me like they didn’t know me.
So I wrote all of their names down, in order to get revenge in case we would rise up again.
[Personal Info]
Name: Date of birth:
Affiliated: Details:
Personal Info, aka “Hitlist”, was the title of the note with all their names.
Recently, the list of people in this notebook grew exponentially. It was because I realized one thing.
Taewoo Group did not collapse just because of my grandfather’s management mistakes. My grandfather was naturally at fault, but I found out that there was a huge conspiracy behind it.
After spending 10 years like that, my Grandfather eventually closed his eyes.
At his grave where no one came to visit, I wrote a name on the last page of the Hitlist.
“Kim Taejung.”
That’s the name of my Grandfather, the founder of Taewoo Group.
The name I loved the most but resented the most.
If only he had managed the company a little more carefully…
In the meantime, the company executives, government and foreign institutions already split Taewoo’s group into shreds and shared them with one another.
Because there was nothing I could do, I ran around like a madman to somehow get revenge on them.
Ten years ago, I easily spent tens of millions of won a day.
But now that everything was taken away, I didn’t even have enough money to buy instant noodles.
So I did everything I could with my body, but the world still turned a blind eye to me.
Another 10 years passed just like that.
It wasn’t until 20 years later that I found out I had a problem.
Even though I was good at studying, I was terrible at judging people.
Because he was my grandfather’s trusted aide, I trusted him, but the man who had made it seem like he would exact our revenge only used me to his advantage.
“Cough. Blarghhh!”
Even a little excitement can make me cough up blood. But this time, my entire body is in pain, and it’s getting harder to see.
Plop!
I lay in bed struggling to pray to heaven to grant me a second chance.
I can see the figure of my dead grandfather hover before my eyes.
But when I reach out to touch it, my consciousness fades away.
***
“Today is a very important day, young master. Many guests have come to celebrate the chairman’s birthday.”
Chief Secretary Kim Taek-hun.
Among my grandfather’s aides, he is the only person who did not betray us. Saddened by the death of my grandfather, he became seriously ill and spent five years in the hospital.
Even when my grandfather was in prison, he was the only one who cared about me.
Not only did he send a letter encouraging me not to lose hope, but he also transferred custodial money using funds he didn’t have in my name.
He was the last person to worry about me until his last moment, but now he is standing next to me in good health.
“Don’t worry, I’ll behave, Mister Kim.”
“In just a year, my Young Master has become so mature.”
Was my acting not convincing enough? Acting like a 17-year-old is no easy task.
Still, no matter how much I dislike it, I have to act as a beloved grandson for the coming future.
After all, I am back at the age of 17– 20 years before I drew my last breath because I couldn’t even afford a single packet of instant noodles.
At first, I couldn’t tell whether it was a dream or not, but I quickly accepted my new reality. It was my second chance, the chance to protect my family and my group.
That is not to say there are a lot of things I can do at the age of 17.
Right now, I can only do my best to act like a child so that people around me don’t become suspicious. Even now, I’ve been taking candy out of my pocket to increase my blood sugar, like a normal student should.
At that time, the guests begin to show up at the banquet hall. Since it’s such a big event, many people show up.
With each appearance, the secretary informs the chief secretary about the guest’s identity.
However, the secretary is having trouble as if he has failed to properly identify the guest.
“It’s Kangmin’s uncle. I’ve seen him once before.”
“The uncle of your friend, Young Master? Ah! He must be a relative of Young Master Kim Kang-min of Daeheung Group.”
“I’ve found it, Chief. He is Kim Kang-joon, Director of Daeheung Group’s planning department.”
As the secretary finishes his report, he lets out a big sigh of relief. Although Chief Secretary Kim always has a gentle face, he gets angry very easily. Thanks to my hint, the secretary was able to identify the guest, but if he had done it any later, he might have faced not only criticism but also the possibility of losing his job as secretary.
The secretary bows slightly towards me to express his gratitude, and I respond with a naive, bright smile.
But how did I recognize Kim Kang-joon?
Even though I used to be the third-generation heir of a conglomerate until my mid-20s with many connections and Kim Kang-joon was someone I met at the time, we are not close enough to recognize each other at a glance.
It isn’t my memory that allowed me to recognize Kim Kang-joon, but my ability. To be exact, the single ability I gained after my regression, the ability to see one’s personal details and capabilities.
[Personal Details]
Name: Kim Kang-joon Age: 34
Affiliated: Director of Planning, Daeheung Group
Particulars: having an affair with 3 women.
Work competency: Affinity B. Management competency C, English C, Japanese D…
When I look at a person’s face, I automatically see his details. Although it’s not such a great ability to know future technologies or future stock information by date, for someone who lacks insight and had to watch the second-largest company in the business world go bankrupt like me, it is something I need the most.
Name, affiliation, and particulars.
Naturally, his detailed capabilities as well, whether it’s B-level sales capability is or A-level development ability.
“The chairman is coming.”
After a momentary loss in thought, I come back to my senses again, due to the appearance of Kim Tae-jung, my grandfather and chairman of Taewoo Group.
“You’re here, Chairman!
“You look great today, Sir!
“ I hope you live for a long, long time!
All the guests at the banquet hall begin to wag their tails at my grandfather. They are famous people in the political and business world, but to my grandfather, they are just servants who work for money. Even the President can’t do anything to him. That’s why all of them are trying to win his favors, yet the only thing they are getting is his cold gaze.
However, in front of me, my grandfather is an infinitely gentle man.
“Oh, my! Min-jae is here. Does the food suit your taste? I only called the best chefs in Korea to cook for you.”
“I miss you, Grandfather”
“It’s been a long business trip, right? I wanted to come quickly, too, but those white bastards are so strict. Let’s see how big you have grown.”
I open my arms wide open as he starts running towards me.
Even in my past life, my grandfather was a fool for his grandson, since I was the only third-generation heir. But I turned a blind eye to such love because it was burdensome and annoying.
Reflecting on my mistake, I hug him even tighter.
At such a heartwarming sight of a grandparent and his grandchild’s relationship, the guests at the banquet hall begin to look at us with pleasure.
All of a sudden, the subcontractor president, who has been following my grandfather from the entrance of the banquet hall, mindlessly interferes.
“Mr. Chairman, please adjust the delivery price. I won’t be able to even give my employees a salary at this rate,” he groans.
He’s been my grandfather’s business partner for more than 20 years. Even though he dresses shabbily, he is still running a mid-sized company. The fact that he is a participant in this banquet already proves his capability.
“President Kim, why are you telling me that?”
“It’s because I’m in a hurry. I used to run everywhere trying to cut costs, but I am at my limit.”
The banquet hasn’t even started, yet the mood is already about to be ruined.
Before regressing, I already made up my mind to protect my family and my group at all costs.
And by family, I mean my grandfather.
I can’t have someone like him interrupt my precious grandfather’s feast.
“Wow, it’s a Patech Philippe watch! That’s the Complications model, too! It’s over a billion won.”
The subcontractor president was acting like he was struggling with shabby clothes.
But if he wants to act, he has to do it properly like me at least.
I guess he just wanted to wear a good watch.
Well, not a few people in this era recognize Patek Philippe watches.
By the way, I’ve purchased all luxury goods.
… Not that I’m bragging about it.
“Is that watch really worth 1 billion won? My my, seeing how you spent 1 billion won on a watch, you must have made a lot of money.”
“N-no. I went on a business trip to China and bought a fake one.”
“Someone who is doing business with me would use fake products? I don’t want to talk to someone as wicked as you anymore, so keep quiet and go.”
At my grandfather’s words, the subcontractor president hurriedly covers his wrists and steps back.
Even though his particulars display slush funds and embezzlement, there is no need to check his personal info to remove him.
After all, who will believe a 17-year-old’s accusation?
Once the disruptor leaves, my grandfather looks at me again with a bright expression.
“You are now in high school right, Min-jae? I should give you a gift.”
“I don’t need a gift. You only need to live a long and healthy life, grandfather.”
“Even your words are beautiful, my dear Min-jae. Take it.”
It is common for grandparents to give grandchildren an allowance when they graduate from elementary school. However, my grandfather gives me a bank account, and it’s quite different from an ordinary one, too.
A Swiss bank account of a named paper company, at that.
My meticulous grandfather often used tricks like this when giving his grandchild allowances to avoid gift tax.
He didn’t become the chairman of a conglomerate for no reason, after all.
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
“Don’t forget to spend it. Oh! And the money in your bank account is not 1 million won, but 1 million dollars.”
“I love you!”
Maybe because of this 1 billion won that I received as a gift for entering high school that I wasn’t able to properly run the company in my past life.
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