The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 18

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While walking down the alley, Jeong-hoon sensed he was being followed.

If he sped up, they sped up.

If he slowed down, they slowed down.

They maintained a constant distance, tailing him.

Ever since he realized he was being watched at the bus terminal, he had been constantly on guard.

So, he made sure to be observant of his surroundings.

Jeong-hoon didn’t increase his pace.

He didn’t look back either.

The one behind this was obvious.

‘Cheonji Association.’

The organization that had killed him in his past life.

He didn’t try to shake them off, which would only provoke them.

He acted as if he were oblivious.

That was the way to make them lower their guard.

Leaving the alley and reaching the main road, Jeong-hoon entered the supermarket in front of him.

He quickly bought a drink and then walked backward, facing the direction he had come from.

Then, he turned his head and casually glanced at the alley he had emerged from.

A middle-aged man was exiting the alley, looking in his direction.

Jeong-hoon and the man briefly made eye contact, and then Jeong-hoon turned his head as if nothing had happened.

Jeong-hoon walked toward the bookstore.

Fortunately, he no longer felt the presence of anyone following him.

The man was definitely a cop.

He seemed nonchalant, but he was trained.

The way he scanned and assessed him in an instant, the sneakers that didn’t match his suit.

Those were the characteristics of well-trained police officers, different from ordinary people.

Eun-soo had mentioned that Cheol-joong’s father was a police officer.

He briefly considered asking Cheol-joong for help.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

It was an action that could put Cheol-joong’s father in danger.

And the Cheonji Association was clearly not something that one police officer could handle.

Judging by how the Cheonji Association used public power so casually, they clearly had considerable influence within the government.

Jeong-hoon had already confirmed their power to control the media.

The *Joongbu Ilbo* article had disappeared from the internet in an instant.

As he was thinking, he arrived at the bookstore before he knew it.

The largest bookstore in Joongbu City.

If a book wasn’t here, he had to buy it online.

Online bookstores were growing explosively recently.

It was a time when online shopping was just beginning.

In less than 10 years, more than half of the market would move online.

The ruler of the offline world would not be the one to rule the online world.

The future belongs to whoever conquers the internet.

Even while studying, Jeong-hoon was carefully watching the growth of the internet industry.

Among them, there was one company he couldn’t miss.

He was paying attention to Naver, a new portal site advertising itself in green.

It wasn’t listed on the stock exchange yet, but it would later become a giant corporation representing Korea.

Besides that, there were plenty of places to invest.

If he only had seed money, he was confident he could multiply it more than tenfold.

But all he had now was 500,000 won [approximately $400 USD].

He sighed.

But he decided not to rush.

Now was the time to prepare.

If he acted rashly… he could be killed.

He had to be careful, very careful.

Jeong-hoon carefully examined the books he had to buy because of his lack of money.

If he had a lot of money, he would have bought them all, but he had to choose within his limited budget.

So, he pondered much more than others.

After a long deliberation, Jeong-hoon chose the workbooks.

He went to the checkout counter, avoiding the people filling the bookstore.

“Oh, Jeong-hoon. I see you here.”

Park Da-hye, who had transferred to Seoul, was in the bookstore.

Jeong-hoon was bewildered by her unexpected appearance.

“Oh, Da-hye *sunbae* [senior/upperclassman]. What brings you here?”

He was happy to see her face after a long time.

Having finished the college entrance exam, she had a mature, college student-like feel.

But her face was decorated with a tacky red lipstick and awkward blush.

Her substandard makeup skills screamed that she was a high school student to anyone who saw her.

“Ah, I came to buy some books.”

Park Da-hye instantly sensed her mistake.

And she hoped Jeong-hoon would pretend not to notice.

But the clueless kid pointed it out like a ghost.

“You’re here to buy books? There are bigger bookstores in Seoul.”

Park Da-hye’s face started to turn red, all the way to her ears.

Jeong-hoon was worried about her sudden change in complexion.

“Da-hye *sunbae*?”

Park Da-hye reacted with a start.

“Oh, ah… yeah, I didn’t come to buy books, but to meet someone….”

Park Da-hye, whose true feelings had popped out, quickly changed her words.

“Ah, that’s not it either… What books did you buy?”

She turned the conversation to the books Jeong-hoon was holding.

“Workbooks. I’ve already finished the ones I have.”

Her eyes sparkled when she saw the titles of the books Jeong-hoon had chosen.

They were all reference books for top-tier students.

“Eun-soo said you’re studying like crazy. Are you aiming for Seoul National University?”

“Ah, yes.”

“What department?”

“Law.”

Park Da-hye saw a firm determination in Jeong-hoon’s eyes.

At that moment, Park Da-hye finally found a reason why she should go to law school.

“*Sunbae*, you’re going to apply to Seoul National University too, right? What department are you going to?”

“Ah. I should go to law school too… So I’m going to go ahead and wait.”

Again, unnecessary words popped out.

“Yes? Who are you waiting for?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s been a while since we met….”

Park Da-hye, who was looking flustered, suddenly snatched the workbooks Jeong-hoon was holding.

And she went to the checkout counter and paid for everything.

Jeong-hoon was embarrassed by her spending more than 100,000 won [approximately $80 USD].

But he felt good that he saved money.

“Thank you, *sunbae*.”

“You have to study hard and come to law school….”

After saying that, she continued in a barely audible voice.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Yoon Jeong-hoon, who didn’t hear her well, asked again.

“Yes? Waiting for who? Me?”

She nodded, her face blushing shyly.

Jeong-hoon was briefly taken aback by her words.

But it seemed like his skills were being recognized for getting into law school.

Feeling good, he looked at Park Da-hye and smiled.

“Yes. I’ll definitely go to law school.”

Park Da-hye’s heart started beating fast again when she saw Jeong-hoon’s bright smile.

“Jeong-hoon, study hard.”

“Yes. Thank you. What are you going to do now, *sunbae*?”

“Me? I’m done with my errands, so I have to go home now.”

“You said you were going to wait for someone?”

Jeong-hoon thought she was a bit pathetic for forgetting her appointment and going home.

“Oh, that’s right. I was supposed to meet someone, heh. Then you go first.”

Feeling good, she waved her hand at Jeong-hoon.

Her eyes, smiling brightly, drew a pretty arch like a crescent moon.

‘Hmm, she is really pretty.’

Jeong-hoon’s heart fluttered when he saw Park Da-hye’s face.

His face suddenly flushed.

“*Sunbae*, I’ll go now. See you next time.”

She was smiling and waving at him.

Jeong-hoon turned around and left the bookstore, pretending to be nonchalant.

As soon as he came out, a cold wind blew.

Thanks to that, Jeong-hoon was able to regain his senses.

***

“*Hyung* [older brother/male friend], am I too late?”

“Oh, you’re here? No, it’s okay.”

“Where’s Eun-soo?”

“She’s helping Mom in the kitchen.”

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, it’s okay. It’s all done.”

Cheol-joong sat Jeong-hoon on the sofa.

He said to Jeong-hoon with a slightly nervous face.

“My dad will come later… You haven’t met my dad before, right?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe….”

Cheol-joong tried to say something but stopped.

After thinking for a moment, he said again.

“My dad might look a little scary, so don’t be too surprised.”

“It’s okay.”

“Let’s go.”

Cheol-joong took Jeong-hoon to the dining table.

Eun-soo was sticking close to the *ajumma* [married woman/aunt] in the kitchen, helping with this and that.

Anyone who saw them would think Eun-soo was the son of this house.

“I should make Eun-soo my son instead of Cheol-joong. How does he know women’s hearts so well, hoho.”

“Mom, Eun-soo is a player. Be careful. That’s why he has a fan club in this small town.”

“If I were 20 years younger, I would have been the president of the fan club.”

“Ugh.”

Cheol-joong shook his head violently at his mother’s absurd words.

“Hello.”

“Oh, Jeong-hoon is here? Aren’t you cold?”

The *ajumma*, with a welcoming face, hugged Jeong-hoon tightly.

The *ajumma* hugged them every time they came to visit.

They were all grown up, so it could have been disgusting, but she embraced them lovingly.

She gave them the warm embrace of a mother they had never felt before.

“Jeong-hoon, aren’t you working too hard these days? Cheol-joong is worried too.”

“No. I started late, so I have to work hard.”

“Take it easy. They say you’re smart enough to take it slow.”

“Yes! Then I’ll take it easy from today.”

Everyone laughed when Jeong-hoon answered with playful words.

“Okay, now all we need is him to come….”

She went to the living room and made a phone call.

After talking on the phone, she returned to the kitchen.

“Kids, wait a little longer. He’s right in front. He’ll be here soon.”

Everyone was struggling to resist the food in front of them.

Their hungry stomachs were clamoring to put anything in quickly.

Fortunately, the sound of the front door opening came in less than 5 minutes.

“Ah, honey, I’m sorry, I’m a little late.”

“It’s okay. Come quickly. Everyone’s waiting.”

“Huh? Who?”

Kang Do-hyun looked bewildered at her words, ‘everyone.’

“Who else? Eun-soo and Jeong-hoon.”

“What?”

Kang Do-hyun’s face hardened rapidly.

“What is this?”

He whispered in a low but unpleasant voice.

“Shh, if you say useless things today, know that it’s a divorce. Be nice to Cheol-joong’s juniors.”

Kang Do-hyun, suppressed by his wife’s imposing manner of warning in a quiet voice,

could only clench his lips tightly.

“Jeong-hoon, Eun-soo, let’s go say hello.”

“Yes.”

Cheol-joong took the children out of the kitchen.

“Hello, I’m Jung Eun-soo.”

Eun-soo greeted Do-hyun with a smiling face.

And Jeong-hoon also bowed his head and greeted Do-hyun.

“Hello, I’m Yoon Jeong-hoon.”

“Yes, I’m Cheol-joong’s father. Nice to meet you.”

Jeong-hoon was surprised to see Kang Do-hyun’s face, but he didn’t show it at all.

It was clear that he was the one who had been following him down the alley during the day.

‘Cheol-joong *hyung’s* father was following me….’

Eun-soo and Jeong-hoon awkwardly responded to his awkwardly smiling face.

“Okay, let’s sit down and eat.”

Do-hyun decided to act kindly as his wife said, because he couldn’t get angry in this place.

He was worried about the events of the day, so he looked at Jeong-hoon’s expression, but it was clear that he didn’t recognize him.

Relieved, he picked up his spoon with an awkward smile.

“Honey, give the kids a drink.”

His wife took out beer from the refrigerator and gave it to Do-hyun.

“Is it okay?”

Do-hyun, concerned that they were minors, looked at his wife.

“Of course, it’s okay. And you have to learn how to drink from adults.”

“Okay, then I’ll pour you a drink.”

Cheol-joong’s glass was full. Next, Eun-soo’s, and then Jeong-hoon’s glass was filled.

“Okay, for Cheol-joong, who has worked hard so far. And… for Eun-soo and Jeong-hoon.”

Do-hyun raised his glass.

“Yes. Thank you.”

After clinking glasses, everyone emptied their glasses at once.

The first glass was a one-shot.

Jeong-hoon was so happy with the taste of beer he had tasted in a long time.

And he realized once again that he had to be wary of this good feeling.

“Should I give you another glass?”

Cheol-joong and Eun-soo filled their glasses, but Jeong-hoon politely declined.

“No. I’m okay.”

Everyone watched Jeong-hoon’s self-restraint with surprised eyes.

Most of the children in this period drink several glasses out of curiosity.

Eun-soo and Cheol-joong were curious and didn’t stop.

But everyone was impressed by Jeong-hoon’s will to stop with one glass.

Jeong-hoon had already eaten everything, so he wasn’t curious.

Alcohol, which was a companion in his past life.

It cheaply comforted his defeated life.

He thought it was the comfort of a good friend, but in reality, it was the poison of the devil.

When he quit drinking while working at the company, he began to live a proper life.

Jeong-hoon decided to say goodbye to alcohol with this one glass today.

The food, which was piled up on the table, quickly disappeared into the mouths of the four men.

She was pleased to see them eating the food she had prepared.

She thought she had done a good job preparing for today’s meeting.

She liked her husband’s efforts to be kind, even though he had a stern face.

She thought her husband would soon get rid of his prejudice against the children.

***

Kang Do-hyun couldn’t concentrate on his work after that day.

He thought he was a psychopath, but he was normal.

He clearly thought he was a problem child, but he wasn’t at all.

He was an ordinary high school student.

Unable to shake off his suspicion, he requested Jeong-hoon’s records.

He looked at the data sent to the information department, but there was nothing in it.

If he was a person of interest as Park Hyun-cheol said, there should have been a lock on the record.

The National Intelligence Service’s management targets are designated as security documents and cannot be easily viewed.

But Jeong-hoon was not like that either.

Kang Do-hyun had to check again.

“Prosecutor, are you sure Yoon Jeong-hoon is a spy? Or is he clearly being managed by the National Intelligence Service?”

“Ahem, you’re getting too many thoughts.”

“Yes? That’s… not true.”

“Chief Kang, you can’t get out once you’ve stepped in. Take care of it this week.”

“Yes? Prosecutor, please give me a little more time. There are still things I need to check.”

“I’ve already checked, so take care of it as promised.”

“Yes?”

He was startled by his sudden use of informal language.

“Didn’t you hear me? Proceed as promised. Or you’re going to die now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just know that and act properly.”

Park Hyun-cheol hung up without giving a proper explanation.

Kang Do-hyun was displeased with his coercion and threats.

He seriously reconsidered this matter.

Then a text message came.

[Until this week. And check your email.]

Park Hyun-cheol’s short text message.

His pupils trembled when he checked his email.

The amount of pocket money he had received from the companies so far was accurately recorded.

He also mentioned his sponsor, CEO Choi, last time.

He was holding Kang Do-hyun’s breath.

“Hoo….”

He let out a long sigh.

Now he can’t turn back.

If he could, he would have refused at the dinner that day.

You can’t turn back time, but one thing was clear.

One of them has to die.

It’s a job that has to be done to guarantee at least the rank of Senior Superintendent.

Or he dies.

He had to think about his family.

His sick wife and his son.

The more time he took, the more hesitant he would be.

Thinking he couldn’t delay any longer, he left the police station.

He parked his car in front of Joongbu High School and waited.

The children who had finished night self-study poured out.

And Jeong-hoon, who was leaving the school gate alone, was in sight.

Eun-soo, who always went with him, was not seen.

Sensing that today was the last chance, Kang Do-hyun quietly started the car.

The sky, which had been full of dark clouds since the afternoon, began to drop heavy raindrops.

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King Becomes a Tycoon.