The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 57

#057

The next day, Kwak Hyun-soo came to see Jung-hoon.

He was holding a ledger in his hand.

“Did you finish it?”

“Yes, I finished it this morning.”

He had stayed up all night decoding the password and brought it to him.

Jung-hoon was curious about why he had worked so hard.

He didn’t think it was to be loyal to him.

“Why?”

He didn’t answer.

‘What’s the reason?’

He was frustrated, but he decided to wait.

People like him would eventually speak for themselves if he waited.

“There’s someone I’m looking for. I’m still tracking their trail. It’s someone who used to be in the organization that uses that code.”

“Looking for them doesn’t sound like it’s for a good reason.”

Jung-hoon had seen the murderous intent flash in his eyes.

“No.”

He looked like he didn’t want to be asked any more questions.

“What’s in the ledger?”

“It’s a record of money received and deposited.”

“Please fax it to Legend Company.”

“Understood.”

A few hours after Kwak Hyun-soo left, Cha Young-mi called.

“Boss, I’ve organized it and sent it by email. They’re all dangerous people. But the funny thing is, they receive money from Joongbu Market and deposit it into a company in Daegu. These guys are taking money from Joongbu Market and pledging allegiance to Daegu, hahaha.”

‘You guys take all the drugs from us and pledge allegiance to someone else.’

It was Cha Young-mi imitating a line from the movie ‘Friend’.

Released on March 31, 2001, it was the first movie to be seen by over ten million people nationwide.

He remembered barely making time to go see it with Eun-soo last year amidst his busy schedule.

Her awkward Busan dialect was funny.

“Daegu? Then please investigate that company too.”

“I knew you’d ask, boss, so I’m already doing it, but something’s strange here. It’s hard to find anything.”

“Hard to find…? Then we need to dig deeper. Please do it. Thanks for your hard work.”

“Yes, boss. Bonus~~”

“Hmm, thank you for your hard work. Oh, we might be hiring a new employee. Fortunately, he’s a handsome one.”

“Yes, is it your friend from last time, boss? That’s great.”

Cha Young-mi said in an excited voice, and Jung-hoon.

“No.”

He answered briefly.

***

Chun Jin-hyuk was in a sanatorium [a private mental health clinic] near Jecheon, Chungbuk.

A quiet rural village, it seemed like a good place to recuperate, but it felt like it would be boring.

It was not a place suitable for his age.

Suddenly, he wondered what his exact age was.

“How old is Chun Jin-hyuk?”

“He’s 25 years old.”

“What?”

Jung-hoon looked disbelieving.

“That’s correct. I also found it hard to believe. It seems to be due to rapid aging caused by the stress of being from a chaebol [a large South Korean business conglomerate] family and abuse from his father.”

“I see.”

He looked 10 years younger than he appeared.

Jung-hoon arrived at the sanatorium and looked for him.

The nurse told him that he was in the garden.

The group had virtually disintegrated, with most of it going to Ilsong Group.

All of his shares had become worthless.

He had no money.

He was already a dead man, his existence should not be revealed.

He had nowhere to go.

He was free, but he had nowhere to go.

“You seem to be doing better than I thought.”

“You’ve come.”

He was sitting in the garden, staring blankly at the distant mountains.

His face was devoid of motivation.

“Is it bearable? It must be very boring.”

“It’s not boring. I’m still fighting fear. When I close my eyes, I think of the day I was buried in the mountains, and I can’t sleep.”

Chun Jin-hyuk calmly revealed his inner thoughts.

“I’ve had that too. I woke up startled every time I woke up.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have thought you’d have that experience.”

He couldn’t tell him that he had died in an explosion.

“Everyone has painful experiences.”

“I see. I thought I was the only one with so many. Violence and abuse from my parents, and eventually being abandoned.”

“An abandoned existence… I know that feeling well.”

“How would you, the grandson of the Cash King, know that feeling…? Oh, I’m sorry. You were an orphan once too.”

Jung-hoon looked at him and opened his mouth.

“It was a really helpless life. I never thought I’d come this far.”

“Was there a turning point?”

“I saved a woman in danger. She thanked me. I think it was from there. It became fun to be praised and recognized.”

“Praise and recognition… That’s a far cry from me. I was abandoned, despised, and abused.”

“That’s true, but there are people who praise you and people who recognize you. And there’s someone in danger that you need to save.”

“Who is it?”

Chun Jin-hyuk looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“It’s me.”

He looked like he didn’t understand.

“I’m living under threat every day. Have you forgotten? I’m the one you attacked.”

Only then did Chun Jin-hyuk realize.

That the person he had attacked with his father was Yoon Jung-hoon, the grandson of the Cash King.

“I need your help. And Harley Quinn said so. You’re the second-best hacker in the world.”

“Ahem, I’m the best in the world.”

He, who had been listless, reacted.

The competition for first and second place was fierce in their world.

Jung-hoon tried to provoke his competitive spirit.

“Well, it seems like Harley Quinn is number one right now… Why don’t you show me? Who’s stronger.”

“No. It doesn’t matter anymore. First and second place, none of that… It’s not bad to just live like this and die, being abandoned.”

“That’s right. It’s not bad to live without meaning and die. But it’ll be boring. I know that well from living that way. A meaningless life waiting for death, that time doesn’t flow.”

“Ahem, that doesn’t sound like something a 20-year-old would say.”

“I’m speaking as a senior who lived an abandoned life first. Please contact me. I’ll be waiting.”

Jung-hoon left him staring at the distant mountains and returned to the car.

“I’m glad he didn’t cause a ruckus.”

“What’s the point of a ruckus for someone who’s listless?”

“Did you convey Master’s intentions?”

“Yes, but I don’t know if it will work.”

“It will work out.”

“Actually, words don’t mean anything. Did what I asked for get done?”

“Yes. I’ve set it up perfectly. It’s packed with the latest specs.”

“A dog can’t quit eating poop, he’ll probably wiggle his butt if he tastes it again.”

Jung-hoon sent a text message to Harley Quinn.

[Have fun playing.]

[Yes, boss. I’ll play with him gently.]

[Don’t get stepped on.]

[That will never happen. Hmph.]

He could feel her excitement in the text message.

The car ride back to Seoul was boring.

Even more so because there were only two men.

Jung-hoon, who was moving his stiff body around, asked Kwak Hyun-soo.

“Is Eun-soo learning martial arts well?”

“Yes, he has a natural talent for it.”

“That’s right. But why is Eun-soo trying to learn it?”

“Well, I asked him once, but he didn’t answer. So I didn’t ask anymore.”

“I see.”

Jung-hoon looked out the car window and thought about what to do next.

It was something that might require him to get his hands dirty.

He wanted to stop the smell of blood coming from his body, but he couldn’t see anyone suitable around him.

He was the right person.

He was sorry, but it was something that only he could do.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Is it related to the ledger?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll do anything.”

“Can I ask why?”

“If I work on things related to the ledger, I might be able to find that person.”

Kwak Hyun-soo gripped the steering wheel tightly.

The person he was looking for was from a special forces unit.

The one who betrayed him and his comrades.

A man named Kim Hyun-chul was also from a special forces unit.

He thought he might find his trail if he tracked down Kim Hyun-chul.

“Harley Quinn’s investigation revealed that Kim Hyun-chul, the director of the orphanage, was receiving kickbacks from the Joongbu Market gangsters. And he was sending that money to a company in Daegu. It seems he was a middle manager. First, we need to sweep up the gangsters in the ledger and track them down.”

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t ask twice or object.

Was he planning to do it alone?

“Are you planning to do it alone?”

“Yes, I don’t want anyone else around.”

“Annihilate the organizations listed in the ledger.”

“To what extent should I do it?”

“Make sure that anyone above the rank of action leader can’t come back to this world.”

“Understood.”

“And don’t take Eun-soo with you.”

He asked just in case, but as expected.

“That… I’ll ask Eun-soo.”

“I understand. If he goes even if I object, please protect him.”

“He’s not that weak. He’s almost as strong as me.”

“No. I don’t mean that, protect him from going berserk. Eun-soo has a tender heart. His heart is weak and he can easily go berserk.”

“Understood.”

Jung-hoon remembered Eun-soo’s appearance when he was consumed by madness and went berserk.

He hesitated to talk about Eun-soo’s trauma.

There’s no need to reveal someone’s weaknesses.

The road home was long.

Jung-hoon, who was looking out the window, slowly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Chun Jin-hyuk was surprised when he returned to his room.

There was a state-of-the-art computer in the room.

‘That kind of thing doesn’t matter anymore.’

He ignored it, thinking.

It was when he was bored after eating dinner.

‘Seeing is wanting.’

He was curious about the computer’s specs.

He decided to check only that.

And he turned on the computer.

A whooshing sound was heard.

The sound from the main unit made him slightly excited without him knowing.

He was looking at the monitor.

He was rummaging through this and that, tapping on the keyboard.

In an instant, the screen changed.

[Hello Psycho, can’t you get into the Kremlin?]

‘Harley Quinn?’

It was Harley Quinn’s childish provocation.

He tapped on the keyboard.

[Are you kidding me?]

[Are you confident? Then shall we see who gets in first?]

At Harley Quinn’s provocation, ‘Psycho’ Chun Jin-hyuk’s eyes blazed.

‘I won’t lose today.’

Chun Jin-hyuk, who was tired of his helpless daily life, was excited about hacking for the first time in a long time.

He had a good time going in and out of the Kremlin, the White House, and the Blue House servers with Harley Quinn.

***

The 3rd National Simultaneous Local Elections in 2002 were a month away.

Kwon Yul, who had resigned as the head of the reconstruction association, ran as an independent. He was showing his presence even in the cracks of the two major parties.

Jung-hoon was going down to Joongbu Market to meet him.

“How is the progress going?”

When he asked Kwak Hyun-soo, he smiled.

“It’s going well. First, I’ve integrated a few nameless organizations. I’m using them to clean up the organizations in the ledgers.”

“Be careful.”

“It was difficult at first, but the scale is gradually increasing, and now I hardly move. Of course, I take care of the boss level. That’s the only way to reduce the damage.”

Jung-hoon was curious about Eun-soo.

“Is Eun-soo okay?”

“Yes, he’s fine. He’s just watching. I’m doing it as much as possible.”

“Yes, please take care of him. He’s a tender friend.”

“You don’t have to worry too much. He’s stronger than anyone now.”

“Yes.”

He arrived at Kwon Yul’s election office.

Jung-hoon got out of the car and looked around.

As expected, he felt a presence.

He pretended not to notice and went up to the office with Kwak Hyun-soo.

“Did you feel it?”

“Yes.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s the International faction kids from the south of Joongbu Market.”

“They’re definitely going to attack before the official election campaign starts. I think we need to prepare.”

“Understood.”

The office was crowded with people.

It was a good sign that there were so many people for an independent candidate.

Jung-hoon’s help was a big part of it, but Kwon Yul’s assets in Joongbu Market also played a role.

“Oh, Master, you’ve come? Come this way.”

Kwon Yul took Jung-hoon into the office with a pleasant smile.

“You look good.”

“I look good, but I don’t know if it suits me. Oh, I was surprised by the acquisition battle for Daehan Heavy Industries.”

Jung-hoon looked at him and just smiled slightly.

“I thought you had failed, but you acquired it through Mirae Heavy Industries. The new name is Shinhwa Heavy Industries, right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Congratulations, Master. You’ve acquired such a big company.”

“I was able to acquire it because everyone around me helped. And you’ll do well as mayor too. You led the reconstruction association well, didn’t you?”

“The reconstruction association was easy because everyone was moving with the same goal. But politics is not easy because you have to embrace the opposition.”

“I believe you’ll do well.”

“Thank you.”

Kwon Yul, who handed him a warm mix coffee, asked.

“But what’s going on? Suddenly.”

“I came down because I was worried. After all, the election involves a lot of gangsters, and Kwon Yul is an independent, isn’t he? I came because I was worried that you might be attacked.”

“Did you know?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, I thought you knew. Threatening letters and phone calls are slowly coming.”

“Don’t worry too much. Isn’t a crisis an opportunity?”

“Yes? That’s true, but…”

“I’ll take responsibility for protecting the candidate and his family.”

“Thank you. What should I do since I only receive every time? If there’s anything you want… please tell me later. I’ll do my best to help.”

Jung-hoon’s expression showed disappointment at his words.

“That’s not a good thing to say, candidate. If you’re swayed by this level of support, Joongbu Market’s finances will be ruined.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“You said you would repay my small favor with all your might, didn’t you? It seems like you’ve changed in the meantime. I’m disappointed.”

Jung-hoon said coldly.

Kwon Yul, who thought for a moment, bit his lip tightly.

He was right.

Kindness and praise, the atmosphere he was swept away by.

His body and mind were floating as if he were walking on clouds.

He saw himself losing his center.

“Did you come because of this, Master?”

“…”

“I see. I understand. I’ll keep my center.”

Jung-hoon smiled with a satisfied expression.

“I think I made a good choice. You know right away. If you run and get elected, there will be even bigger temptations. Money, women, honor, there will be countless solicitations. Please don’t be shaken.”

“Yes, Master.”

Kwon Yul bowed deeply and greeted him with a grateful heart.

“Oh, it would be good to move the office to the first floor. I’ll prepare a good office. Use it well.”

Jung-hoon stared at Kwon Yul.

He was the head of the association, but he was now an independent candidate for mayor.

“Candidate Kwon Yul. I’ll only be Master until today. Please speak comfortably from now on. You’re the mayor who will be responsible for Joongbu Market.”

They exchanged glances for a moment.

‘Don’t be shaken by their dark temptations.’

‘I hope you grow even bigger in the future.’

Jung-hoon and Kwon Yul both greeted each other politely.

***

It was around the time when the sun began to set.

Everyone was finishing up their day and preparing to go home.

Park Chang-soo, the leader of the International faction, gripped the steel pipe in his hand strongly once again.

He checked the van behind him through the side mirror.

He signaled that everyone was ready by sticking his hand out the window.

He turned around and opened his mouth.

“Let’s go.”

Twenty burly gangsters gathered in front of Kwon Yul’s election office.

They ran up to the second floor of the old shopping district, towards the office with the lights on.

They broke down the old door with rough footsteps and entered.

There was no one in the office with the lights on, but they didn’t care.

They smashed everything in sight.

After making a mess of the office, Park Chang-soo opened his mouth.

“Where are these bastards hiding?”

“There’s no one here.”

“I think they went to dinner.”

He felt a chill.

He smelled the familiar scent of gasoline at the tip of his nose.

He looked around.

There was only one entrance.

A chilling feeling that he had fallen into a trap.

He had to get out quickly.

If that entrance was blocked, he would be trapped.

“Let’s go.”

He moved towards the direction he had come in, but it was already too late.

The door closed and the lights went out.

Park Chang-soo belatedly realized that he had fallen into a trap.

Genius Grandson of Cash King becomes a chaebol.