The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 112

112. Genius and Sage (3)

“So, are you saying that the young lady who just left is the famous heiress of Walmart?”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded at Chief Hong Won-ik’s question.

“She’s quite famous in the States.”

“Someone like that waits in a cafe and gets takeout?”

“Because she’s Aria.”

Aria Walton…

No, even a wealthier person than her could easily have someone deliver coffee.

But Aria didn’t do that.

‘Because she’s Aria.’

A woman who views handmade Italian furniture and IKEA flat-pack furniture with the same perspective.

That was Aria Walton.

“You’re not messing with me, are you?”

Chief Hong Won-ik seemed unable to believe Jung Hyun-woo’s explanation.

“What benefit would I get from deceiving you, Chief?”

Chief Hong Won-ik also knew that he didn’t have a habit of teasing others.

“It seems like the New York I know and the New York you know are different.”

The world’s economic capital.

The flower of glamour and the American Dream.

Until now, the New York that Chief Hong Won-ik knew was a city that gave off a grand feeling.

“How does the New York I know seem different?”

“To you, New York is just like a neighborhood.”

“A neighborhood?”

“A neighborhood where people know each other and exchange greetings.”

Jung Hyun-woo thought that Chief Hong Won-ik seemed somewhat shocked by Aria Walton’s existence.

‘It’s a place where celebrities you’d only see on TV walk around.’

Even extraordinary people became ordinary here.

“I just happened to run into her because it’s Aria’s favorite cafe.”

Chief Hong Won-ik looked around the cafe and asked.

“Is this a cafe that American tycoons frequent?”

“Not really.”

“Then is the coffee good?”

“It’s just a cafe that Aria likes because it’s close to her house.”

Chief Hong Won-ik let out a short sigh.

“Hoo. Working with the Hilton family’s heiress and being close enough to know the Walmart heiress’s favorite store. I can’t believe it.”

The Jung Hyun-woo he saw in Korea was a troublemaker who was just starting to act like a human being.

But the Jung Hyun-woo in New York was more than just a celebrity.

“You know that the people you can meet in Seoul and the people you can meet in New York are different, right, Chief?”

“I know, but seeing it with my own eyes makes my head feel complicated.”

Of course, not everyone who went to New York could form the same connections as Jung Hyun-woo.

“But did you have a reason to meet someone from the American side, Chief?”

Chief Hong Won-ik was the chief of staff who assisted Chairman Jung Woo-sun, so he was far removed from overseas companies.

“It’s about real estate.”

“Real estate?”

The person Chief Hong Won-ik wanted to meet was someone in real estate, not manufacturing or finance.

“The Chairman told me to look into it.”

“Is Grandfather interested in New York real estate?”

“It’s probably not the Chairman who’s interested.”

Jung Hyun-woo tilted his head.

“Not Grandfather?”

“He gave this instruction after visiting the Blue House [the presidential residence in South Korea], so someone in the Blue House must be interested in New York real estate.”

Jung Hyun-woo clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Tsk, so a high-ranking official in the Blue House is demanding New York real estate as a bribe.’

If he was called directly to the Blue House, it wouldn’t be a presidential aide or chief of staff.

‘The president probably didn’t say it directly, so it’s likely a family member.’

He smiled bitterly to himself.

‘The Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs would be furious if he knew.’

It was also the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs’ job to crack down on the president’s family’s corruption.

“I thought it was strange that you came all the way to New York, Chief.”

“I could have sent someone else. But I prefer to do these things myself.”

Jung Hyun-woo was once again reminded that it was 1984.

“Should I introduce you to a reliable real estate company?”

“You?”

“I have some connections here, after all.”

Chief Hong Won-ik narrowed his brows.

‘Since he has connections with the Walton and Hilton families, a real estate company would be nothing.’

He was in the opposite position from when he was in Seoul.

‘I could look into it separately, but this matter must be flawless. It would be better to ask Hyun-woo.’

It was a matter related to the Blue House. Mistakes were not allowed.

“I can trust a company you connect me with.”

“So what kind of real estate are you looking for?”

Chief Hong Won-ik unfolded his narrowed brows and replied.

“With our financial resources, a building in New York is impossible. And there’s no one in Korea who would take that much of a bribe right now.”

“Then it would be an apartment or a detached house.”

“A detached house would be better.”

It seemed that Korea still didn’t favor apartments.

“I understand. Then I’ll contact you about that.”

Jung Hyun-woo wanted to end the meeting at this point. Then Chief Hong Won-ik said.

“The Blue House is watching you.”

Jung Hyun-woo let out a long sigh at his words.

“Hoo… Daewoon Group can’t block the eyes and ears of the Blue House.”

“Samjung Group seems to know as well.”

Samjung Group.

A conglomerate group called the two pillars of Korea along with Daehyun Group.

“I met Director Shin Young-jin at the last CES [Consumer Electronics Show], so they probably know about my identity as well.”

“Hmm, you met Director Shin Young-jin in America?”

“Because we’re in similar industries.”

Chief Hong Won-ik put his hands together and asked.

“What exactly do you do in America?”

“Computer programming.”

“You?”

“I’ve been interested in that for a while.”

Chief Hong Won-ik narrowed his eyes.

“I heard you like computer games…”

“If you like computer games too much, you become a programmer.”

“You’re good with words.”

He felt that he was better at speaking than when he was in Korea.

“Is that so?”

“I mean it.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Chief Hong Won-ik took a sip of coffee and said.

“Most Korean Americans don’t have good Korean pronunciation. Even if they lived in Korea for a long time before going, their accent changes when they live in America. But you seem a little different.”

Jung Hyun-woo remembered that the pronunciation of many Korean professional athletes active in the United States had changed.

‘Not only professional baseball players, but also actors and models.’

He shrugged his shoulders and said.

“I was with Secretary Choi.”

“He’s not here now, is he?”

“I still talk to him sometimes.”

Chief Hong Won-ik knew that Choi Kyung-min was Jung Hyun-woo’s man.

He had obtained Jung Hyun-woo’s contact information through him last time.

“To summarize, you’ve made a lot of money in America with computer programming.”

It was a simple and clear summary.

“You can say that.”

Jung Hyun-woo had no intention of arguing with his summary.

‘What’s worrying is the Blue House.’

Thinking of the Blue House, one person came to mind.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t the current Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Jung Min-young’s father-in-law?’

Jung Min-young was the youngest son of Chairman Jung Woo-sun and Jung Hyun-woo’s uncle.

“The Chairman will know someday.”

“It’s better for Grandfather to know late.”

“Why?”

“He might be shocked.”

Chief Hong Won-ik had an incomprehensible look on his face.

“Shocked that his grandson has become so successful?”

Jung Hyun-woo swirled his coffee cup and replied.

“Daewoon Group is everything to Grandfather. And Daewoon Group is also his pride. But if I compare the wealth I’ve acquired with Daewoon Group, Daewoon Group will become insignificant.”

The Daewoon Group, which he had built over a lifetime, would be placed under a company created by a grandson who was not even twenty years old.

Chief Hong Won-ik let out a short sigh as if he hadn’t thought of that.

“Hoo, I didn’t think of that either.”

He had no choice but to admit that Jung Hyun-woo’s point was sharp.

‘A child who isn’t even twenty years old is so thoughtful.’

He felt that his success in America was no accident.

“Everyone only looks up to Grandfather.”

Chief Hong Won-ik nodded at his words.

“I understand. I’ll delay that time as much as possible.”

He vowed to hide Jung Hyun-woo’s identity for as long as possible.

“I’ll contact the Blue House.”

Chief Hong Won-ik raised his eyebrows at Jung Hyun-woo’s words.

“You’re connected to the Blue House too?”

“I know some people.”

“In the Blue House?”

“Yes.”

Chief Hong Won-ik felt like his worldview was collapsing.

‘Hyun-woo is already connected to the Blue House? It’s unbelievable.’

He let out a long sigh.

“Hoo…”

“Are you feeling suffocated?”

The autumn in New York was not a weather that felt suffocating.

“I just feel suffocated in my heart.”

“Isn’t everything going well?”

“It feels like I’ve come out of the Daewoon Group well using a bucket [achieved success far beyond the group’s influence].”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled lightly.

“Chief, even if New York is the center of the world, it’s not particularly great.”

Chief Hong Won-ik said, hardening his voice.

“What’s great is not New York, but you.”

Jung Hyun-woo paused at his remark.

“I’m great?”

“Because you’re a standard I can’t measure.”

Chief Hong Won-ik thought that Jung Hyun-woo’s existence had already grown too large to be contained by the vessel called Daewoon Group.

‘Perhaps it can’t even be contained by the vessel called Korea.’

Today’s meeting was quite shocking to him.

* * *

Clunk.

The cup that Jung Hyun-woo put down was made by Royal Crown Derby, and it cost more than $30 for just one cup.

‘If you convert it to the 2020 Korean price, it’s almost 300,000 won [approximately $250 USD] for one coffee cup.’

Even in the United States in 1984, it was an expensive cup and teapot that ordinary families could not use.

Of course, it was just an ordinary coffee cup in the mansion he was sitting in now.

“It smells good.”

Aria said, pouring coffee into her cup.

“It was hard to get Ethiopian, so I used Brazilian beans.”

1984.

Ethiopia was a living hell due to civil war and the worst famine.

Many people around the world were sending aid.

‘Wasn’t ‘We Are the World’ composed to help the Ethiopian famine?’

As he tried to recall his vague memories, Aria asked.

“Did Charlie donate too?”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded and replied.

“There’s no place as difficult as Ethiopia right now.”

Doctors Without Borders, as well as all the world’s aid organizations, rushed to Ethiopia.

And singers from all over the world came to sing ‘We Are the World’ to support them.

Aria lowered her gaze.

“I must look like a devil to the people there?”

Jung Hyun-woo shook his head at her question.

“They won’t even know you’re here, Aria. And even if they did, they wouldn’t care.”

It was drought, not international capital or ideology, that put Ethiopia in the worst situation.

‘There have been so many famines caused by drought in human history to blame it on human environmental destruction.’

The famine that triggered the French Revolution was also caused by abnormal weather.

“I wanted to help more…”

Jung Hyun-woo knew what she was thinking.

“Aria, there will be many more opportunities to help people in the future.”

“They said it’s hell there.”

“That’s not the only hell. Conflicts and famines will continue to occur.”

Aria let out a long sigh.

“Hoo… Charlie is surprisingly calm.”

“There’s also the Killing Fields.”

Killing Fields.

The worst massacre of the 20th century that occurred in Cambodia in the 1970s.

A massacre unprecedented in world history, in which the population of a country disappeared in percentage terms.

And 1984 was the year the movie about the Killing Fields was released.

Aria raised her voice, raising her eyebrows.

“Isn’t that an exaggeration?”

She seemed unable to believe the stories related to the Killing Fields.

That’s because in the early 1980s, the United States, along with China, supported Pol Pot, who caused the Killing Fields, and claimed that the Killing Fields and massacres were exaggerated by Vietnam.

“That’s not true.”

Aria looked up. Then, she raised her voice and asked Jung Hyun-woo.

“Those terrible things are true?”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded very slowly.

“If there is light, there is also darkness.”

If there was only light, we would not be able to see any objects.

‘Because there is darkness, we can distinguish between light and shade, and distinguish colors.’

Aria let out a long sigh at his answer.

“Hoo… It’s the 20th century now.”

20th century.

The era when the development of human technology and knowledge reached its peak.

In the 20th century, mankind left the Earth and went into space. And for the first time in history, they left footprints on the moon.

‘They created nuclear power, as well as computers and genetic engineering using DNA.’

The 19th and 20th centuries were so different that they could be called completely different worlds.

“Tragedies will continue in the 21st century.”

“Really?”

The 21st century drawn in the 20th century was utopia itself.

Jung Hyun-woo knew. That such a 21st century would not come.

‘The 21st century I experienced was not much different from the 20th century.’

If there was anything different between the 21st and 20th centuries, it was the Internet.

But even that could not be said to have enriched human life.

‘The Internet and SNS [Social Networking Services] had as many disadvantages as advantages. Oh… the story is getting too depressing.’

He smiled brightly and answered her question.

“I hope it’s not.”

Aria couldn’t brighten her face even though he smiled brightly.

“I didn’t call you to talk about this.”

“It was a dinner invitation?”

Aria nodded.

“That’s right.”

“But I came two hours early.”

“I like that I can talk like this thanks to that.”

Aria liked Jung Hyun-woo. This did not mean that she liked him rationally.

She liked Jung Hyun-woo’s intelligence, ideology, and, above all, his correct thinking.

“Someone said this.”

Aria raised the end of her words slightly.

“What did they say?”

“If you save everyone in the world, you will be submerged in a sea of ​​sadness.”

Aria tilted her head to the side.

“Didn’t Charlie make that up?”

“I’m just a developer.”

“I don’t think so.”

Jung Hyun-woo reflexively raised the end of his words.

“Not?”

“Is Charlie a thinker?”

Thinker.

Jung Hyun-woo thought that she was evaluating him too highly.

‘I said I would give the future to Wall Street, but that’s not enough to call me a thinker.’

He sighed inwardly.

“I’m far from a thinker.”

Aria shook her head strongly.

“I’ve met many people so far. I’ve seen people who have received the Nobel Prize, and I’ve met scholars who lecture at Harvard or Princeton. But Charlie’s words today resonated more than their words.”

Her words were not false.

“Aria, just because you can say it easily doesn’t mean you’re a thinker.”

Aria looked at Jung Hyun-woo and said.

“A great thinker is not someone who speaks complicated words. A person who can easily convey their thoughts or ideas to others. I think that kind of person is a thinker.”

She thought.

‘I know why Sarah was drawn to this child.’

Aria was envious for a moment.