The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 96

Upon Sohn Kwang-yeon’s question, Yoo Myung-sun shook his head.

Park Woon-chul was an enigmatic man who never revealed his true feelings. Even in the past, as a close friend, he could only guess based on his actions and expressions. As time passed, their visits became less frequent, and it had already been over two years since Park Woon-chul had secured his position. He had heard that Park was barely alive, relying on an ECMO [Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, a life support machine] due to severe heart failure.

Back then, wasn’t he so eager to take in Sohn Moon-ye that he made it a condition to look after Sohn Kwang-yeon? Yoo Myung-sun could only speculate. That dark-hearted fellow was likely to die without ever saying anything.

Sohn Kwang-yeon, noticing Yoo Myung-sun’s serious expression, quickly changed the subject.

He intended to steer the conversation indirectly to get the answers he wanted.

“How are my older brothers doing?”

“Hmm-. The eldest, despite being kicked out, looks much better, haha! What a…”

Yoo Myung-sun chuckled, seemingly dumbfounded as he thought of Yoo Moon-shik.

To think he would show such a bright expression at almost 50 years old, something he hadn’t seen since his mother’s death.

“The second one is busy developing some semiconductor machinery. He’s quite something, that second one.”

Yoo Myung-sun’s face brightened as if he had never been serious.

He tapped a report labeled ‘Sein Machinery Equipment Development’ with his index finger and continued.

“He’s talking about complicated processes, saying he’s developing it with the goal of localization. And Hong Gijun’s team is making some kind of chemical, saying that each process uses different chemicals-”

Yoo Myung-sun shook his head, chuckling. It’s difficult, difficult, he muttered.

Jinhyuk strained his ears, trying not to miss a single word.

Uncle Hong Gijun had already extended his reach to direct semiconductor production. Even with the casual clues Yoo Myung-sun was giving, he could grasp the trends.

“The world is moving so fast. I wonder if my father thought the same when he looked at me during his lifetime.”

“What do you think he thought?”

“I think he thought that it wasn’t that young people were adapting well to the rapidly changing world, but that young and smart people were creating and accelerating the changes.”

Yoo Myung-sun paused for a moment before continuing.

“I have to admit it. It’s time to step down. I’ve found a successor who is more than adequate, he’s excellent.”

His expression was relaxed.

“How valuable it is to leave something behind for future generations, whether it’s wealth or power…”

With those words, he turned his gaze to Jinhyuk, who was pretending to be distracted in the distance.

When Sohn Kwang-yeon’s eyes also found his son, Yoo Myung-sun finished his sentence.

“…or people.”

Yes, I’ve left behind people too. Sohn Kwang-yeon was momentarily lost in a pleasant reverie. However, he couldn’t get caught up in the emotion and miss his son’s important request. He brought up the question Jinhyuk had told him to ask without fail in the car on the way to Seoul. He glanced at his son a few steps away.

“Um, is it true that Daejung supported the independence movement?”

It was his son’s instruction to ask a question related to Daejung in any way possible.

It was only natural, as Daejung was the only place to suspect.

Yoo Myung-sun’s answer was firm.

“What nonsense. Daejung grew by clinging to the Japanese.”

Jinhyuk’s ears perked up.

Sohn Kwang-yeon frowned, tilting his head.

“But in a recent monthly magazine interview, CEO Park Woo-jung said-”

“I saw it too.”

Yoo Myung-sun interrupted, his face hardening.

“Haha-, he took his wife’s family’s wealth and gave it to the Japanese, and he took a lot for himself. Then, after liberation, he squandered a lot of it on bribes here and there.”

“I’m hearing this for the first time.”

“Because it’s a fact that only I know, besides the Parks and their son. How many people who know this are still alive? Support the independence movement? Hahahaha-, Jung-won would laugh.”

Sohn Kwang-yeon’s jaw tightened, and his eyes widened.

Jinhyuk, who was eavesdropping from afar, reacted similarly. He almost made a sound without realizing it. He had to grit his teeth and endure.

Perhaps misinterpreting Sohn Kwang-yeon’s shocked reaction, Yoo Myung-sun slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

“Ah, there was a Jung-won. I don’t know his surname or face. I only heard about him from the Park guy, I’ve never met him. He liquidated all his assets early and devoted himself to the independence movement, and then he led his followers and participated in the war during the conflict. I heard that he entrusted the remaining funds to the Park guy, trusting his business acumen. That’s all I heard from the Park guy. Even when he was drunk, he was a dark-hearted fellow who never spoke in detail. The fact that he even told me that much meant that the Park guy treated me as his closest friend…”

If such a friend entrusted it to the Park guy, it seems like he wanted him to use the money for good. But the Park guy never told me. Yoo Myung-sun rubbed his chin and clicked his tongue.

Without a hint of agitation, Sohn Kwang-yeon parted his lips. Even to Jinhyuk’s eyes, it was surprising composure.

“Perhaps-”

“Yes.”

“I’m asking because I don’t know well, but were those from the independence army not allowed to join the military?”

“It was common. It must have been a kind of power struggle. It’s more accurate to see it as the unilateral rejection by the National Defense Forces at the time. How many people and events are not recorded in history because they didn’t suit the victors? But why are you asking that?”

“No, I just thought that if they were such people, there would be some kind of record left. Anyway, it’s surprising that Daejung did that.”

Having gained certainty, Sohn Kwang-yeon quickly changed the subject, his red eyes trembling uncontrollably, as if he had never maintained his composure. His voice was the same.

Not recorded in the national army records, nor in the independence army records.

How could he express this indignation?

Yoo Myung-sun, without needing to gauge Sohn Kwang-yeon and Jinhyuk’s reactions, simply spoke as he knew. After all, talking about the era he had lived through was a pleasure for an old man, but his sons were uninterested and did other things, and his daughter, whom Yoo Myung-sun still adored, was just eating cookies.

Thus, the reunion with Sohn Kwang-yeon was also a comfort to Yoo Myung-sun.

“Daejung didn’t support the independence movement, but rather received help from independence funds, wouldn’t you say? Even though corporate image is important, seeing him do such an interview so shamelessly, Woo-jung is definitely the Park guy’s son. Come to think of it, your mother also invested a lot in the Park guy.”

“My mother too?”

She wouldn’t have had that much wealth. Sohn Kwang-yeon was about to ask but stopped himself.

After all, Sohn Kwang-yeon didn’t know the details, and Yoo Myung-sun only had fragmented information he had heard from Park Woon-chul and his mother.

“Hmm. That’s what I heard. As you know, I don’t like asking and questioning every little thing. I was even more taciturn when I was young. But your mother was the same. Even though we were like siblings, it was just words. We didn’t have phones, and we were busy, so how many times did we see each other? We didn’t have a chance to share our inner thoughts. If I had known your mother would leave like that, I would have given her more brotherly affection, but it was the delusion of a mayfly who thought time was infinite…”

The old man’s wistful reminiscence faded into the distance.

Sohn Kwang-yeon only swallowed, looking down at the documents on the table, unable to respond.

Jinhyuk also closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth.

His fist clenched tightly.

‘Jung-won… Sohn Jung-won.’

The person who only existed in the stories his grandmother told his father and in the photos they took together.

The man who smiled brightly, his handsome mustache covering his lips, wearing a military cap and uniform.

Flames flickered in Jinhyuk’s eyes.

A puzzle buried like an artifact was rising to the surface with the help of fate.

***

Jinhyuk went to the bathroom for a moment and turned on the faucet.

Unexplained tears flowed.

It was a dry heart that rarely felt sadness or anger. But now, he understood the meaning of the tears he shed out of frustration.

‘Grandfather and grandmother are so pitiful.’

Was it a coincidence that the past articles about the descendants of independence activists living in hardship flashed through his mind? They trusted their own people, were used, and betrayed. In the end, they left no trace.

Jinhyuk’s eyes flashed with a sharp light as he washed his face with cold water.

Although he was friends with Yoo Myung-sun, Park Woon-chul minimized the disclosure of information that could be his weakness. Humans tend to lead the narrative in a way that is advantageous to themselves. Even if he understood such human psychology, he could not sympathize or condone it.

It seemed that his grandmother also had enough wealth to help Park Woon-chul. It was probably what his grandfather had left for his grandmother.

There was nothing more to see.

The only one threatening Sohn Kwang-yeon was Daejung.

But the fact that Park Woon-chul’s lifespan was limited was known to the entire Republic of Korea.

Then there was only one remaining suspect.

‘Park Woo-jung.’

In this life, he was less famous than Hong Gijun, but in the past, he was remembered as the best businessman. He was Park Woon-chul’s son, born when he was eighteen, so he was almost sixty now.

According to Yoo Myung-sun, Park Woo-jung held the key.

‘Is it because of money? Does he have any notarized documents in my grandfather’s name?’

The assumption that there was evidence was unrealistic, but that was the only thing to suspect.

He was also rumored to have killed his half-brother, who was studying in the United States. If the rumor was true, it was probably because he didn’t want to share the inheritance.

Even half of Daejung, or even half of that, how much would it be worth?

At least 120 trillion won, maybe. Even if he didn’t know the current corporate value, it was possible enough based on the standards of the future 30 years from now.

Anyway, if a lot of money was involved, Park Woo-jung might have a motive to harm his family.

‘I’ll dry you out and tear you to shreds and swallow you whole someday.’

Like a mudskipper.

He wanted to smash them with force, but that was an easy revenge.

It was said that true revenge was taking away what you truly love and cherish.

Even in his anger, Jinhyuk calmly looked forward to the future and planned for the next step.

‘It would be good to test those people’s skills.’

If Moon Seok-il achieved the same results as Jinhyuk knew, it would prove their usefulness in their own way. He didn’t know what methods they would use, but he hoped they would return safely.

He needed people to use.

Because Jinhyuk had to go to school.

‘Park Woo-jung. It’s a bad relationship, isn’t it?’

In his past life, Park Woo-jung’s drug-addicted third son was handcuffed on the night of his wedding. At the age of forty, he had a relationship with Hong Su-jung, who was more than ten years younger, but old habits die hard. He must be a college student now. He probably started using drugs again.

From that day on, Hong Su-jung almost cut ties with Hong Gijun, and the cheerful and kind Hong Su-jung walked the path of a dark drunkard.

It was an incident that everyone lamented as the biggest mistake of Chairman Hong Gijun’s life.

He tried to give his precious daughter the best treatment, but he messed it up.

‘Well, he wouldn’t have known. That he was such a drug addict.’

Still, she was his only daughter, he should have investigated her well before sending her off.

Tsk! Jinhyuk clicked his tongue strongly.

He had to protect his family, and he had to prevent Hong Su-jung from becoming a drunkard.

‘I also have to prepare for the midterm exams.’

He had too much to do.

***

Sohn Kwang-yeon could not ask more, nor was there anything more to ask.

Yoo Myung-sun had already poured out everything he knew.

Perhaps because he had spoken for so long, he even seemed to be out of breath.

It was frustrating and infuriating, but Sohn Kwang-yeon had a strength in suppressing his anger and controlling his mind. Now, he had no intention of just staying silent after being wronged. He had two strong allies.

One of his allies re-entered the study.

Yoo Myung-sun stared at Jinhyuk.

That tall middle schooler, he looked like an ordinary person admiring the books in the study, but his eyes were unusual. He could tell that he was listening intently to his conversation with Sohn Kwang-yeon. That appearance stimulated the old man’s interest.

‘Is that the guy Gijun was talking about?’

Hong Gijun, who visited the study every day, had talked about Jinhyuk.

Although it was only recently that he had mentioned that he was Sohn Kwang-yeon’s son, he had said that there was a guy that Hong Gijun was putting effort into, trying to capture him rather than recruit him.

At first, he had dismissed it as the clumsy humor of his son-in-law, who couldn’t even make a joke.

‘So, you’re the guy who’s going to be my grandson-in-law.’

Regardless of his aversion to arranged marriages, he was curious. It was not unusual to choose a promising seedling and pair them up in advance, even if their children were young.

The long eyelashes on his slightly lowered eyelids reminded him of his grandmother. Or perhaps, he resembled Han Yooyoung. He thought he was just an old man waiting to die, but the old chairman’s eyes shone strangely.

‘Gijun has a good eye.’

Now, Yoo Myung-sun would believe his son-in-law even if he said that he could make soybean paste with red beans. He had heard that his granddaughter even called the boy’s name in her sleep. Yoo Myung-sun lightly touched his chin and nodded.

Sohn Kwang-yeon, who had been talking about something for a while, cautiously called out to Yoo Myung-sun. He thought that Yuse-ra must have inherited the habit of spacing out while talking from her father.

“Elder…?”

“Oh, yes. Where were we?”

The old man smiled awkwardly, seeing Sohn Kwang-yeon’s puzzled expression.

“I’m going to start a business. I’m not going to live cowering anymore.”

“Yes. You’ll do well.”

Yoo Myung-sun smiled contentedly, making eye contact with Sohn Kwang-yeon.

“Yes, what I wanted to say is. Through a partnership with Sein Group, especially Sein Distribution and Food, I want to learn management know-how and systems-”

“Hahahahahaha-!”

Yoo Myung-sun’s hearty laughter cut off Sohn Kwang-yeon’s words.

The old chairman put his hand on Sohn Kwang-yeon’s shoulder, who was bewildered.

“You should talk to our son-in-law about that, my friend.”

“Yes? But you are the owner of the group, Elder.”

“Nonsense. You’re going to Su-jung’s place today, right?”

“Yes.”

“Go and see for yourself.”

Who the owner of Sein is. Yoo Myung-sun’s eyes, curved into a circle from laughing, implied the rest.