The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 7

#007

“Last? That’s absurd, Elder.”

Kim Man-ho bowed his head again.

“That’s not what’s important. I’ve found something to do for the first time in a while.”

Her voice was slightly excited.

“What is it, Elder?”

“I need to start a foundation. A scholarship foundation for teenagers, and in a few years, a youth foundation.”

With a questioning look, Kim Man-ho opened his mouth.

“Elder, you’re already doing a lot of scholarship work and donations, aren’t you? But again…”

“I need to share the rest of my life generously before I go. Are you worried there won’t be enough left for you?”

Startled and flustered, Man-ho hurriedly bowed, lowering his head.

“No, absolutely not. Thanks to you, Elder, I’ve accumulated wealth that others can only dream of. My only remaining desire is to serve you comfortably.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Man-ho revealed his honest feelings.

Hyeon Jeong-ok knew his restrained greed, which is why she kept him by her side.

Kim Man-ho, who owns a building on Gangnam-daero [a major street in Gangnam District, Seoul, known for its upscale commercial and residential properties].

The price of that building is now ten billion won [approximately $7.5 million USD].

The rental income alone was more than enough to live lavishly.

There was a time when he wanted to become even richer.

But he neglected his family because he was obsessed with work, and his family almost fell apart.

His wife was consumed by the pleasure of spending money and eventually attracted a man.

It was a rule that gigolos would flock to a woman who spent money like water.

The bigger problem was the children.

The children led bullying and engaged in violence.

Being called to school dozens of times couldn’t be solved with money.

One day, when he came home, he saw demons staring at him as if he were a chicken or a dog.

That’s when he realized.

That time was needed. It couldn’t be solved with money.

Rebuilding a broken family was never easy.

But he increased the time spent together with difficulty, like saving seed money.

The gradually increased time broke down the walls and helped him find his lost family again.

The Madam also actively helped.

Thanks to her giving him a lot of vacation and taking care of him in many ways, he was able to create a harmonious family again.

Kim Man-ho, who deeply realized the importance of family, felt even more heartbroken whenever he saw the Madam.

The only remaining blood relative.

But he doesn’t know where they are, or even if they are alive.

He would have given up if they had died…

“What are you thinking about?”

Kim Man-ho, who was lost in thought for a moment, was startled by Madam Hyeon Jeong-ok’s voice.

“Nothing, Elder.”

“The scholarship foundation to be established this time will only support orphans. We will support friends who study well in orphanages across the country so that they can grow bigger. You will draw up the detailed plan and submit it.”

“Yes, Elder. I will plan and report in a good direction, in a direction that will help children grow bigger.”

“Yes. Hurry. You know I don’t have much time left, right?”

With a flustered expression, Kim Man-ho waved his hands.

“Elder, don’t make jokes like that…”

Hyeon Jeong-ok smiled slightly at the sight.

“Anyway, you’re too serious. No fun, no fun… Then go out and do your work.”

“Yes. I will report as soon as possible.”

Kim Man-ho, who carefully went outside, thought that he should handle the work as quickly as possible.

***

The bell signaling the end of the last test rang long in the quiet hallway.

Following that, the sound of desks moving and murmuring filled the building.

The front doors of each classroom opened, and the teachers with test papers in one hand also moved busily toward the faculty room. Their steps were infinitely light as they looked forward to leaving work early for the first time in a while.

‘Whew, I finally finished my first proper exam.’

With this, the three-day midterm exam was over. Now I can take a short break.

I started studying for exams when I became a sophomore in high school.

To be exact, from January of this year, at the end of my freshman year.

In the first semester, I quickly organized the entire middle school curriculum, which was blank.

Having a good memory is a great advantage.

I was able to complete the process that would take at least a year in three months.

Perfectly, too!

I properly studied the high school curriculum from summer vacation.

Cheol-jung senior was a great help.

“Hey, did you do well?”

Eun-soo, who quickly packed his bag, asked.

He didn’t carry books around, so there was nothing to pack.

“Of course, I probably won’t be the top student in the school, but I think I’ll be second.”

“Pfft, if you’re second in the school, I’ll call you ‘hyung’ [older brother or older male friend, used as a term of respect].”

“Then call me ‘hyung’ from tomorrow.”

They were excited about leaving school early for the first time in a while.

They argued about where to go and left the school gates.

“Let’s go see a movie, huh? A really hot romance movie came out.”

“What, something interesting came out?”

I wasn’t interested, but I asked out of courtesy.

“It’s called, ‘Youth’… Hehehe.”

“Hey, isn’t that an adult movie?”

“No, it’s a movie about the love and friendship of high school students. So we can watch it.”

“Isn’t it rated R?”

“It’s okay, Jeong-hoon. Your face is enough.”

Eun-soo stared intently at Jeong-hoon’s face and then continued.

“Anyway, people see you as being in your mid-20s outside.”

“Ugh… seriously.”

Jeong-hoon was shaking his head at Eun-soo’s crazy plan.

“Hey, you there.”

Kang Cheol-jung put his arm around them, showing friendliness.

“Hyung, did you do well on the exam?”

“Hey, I messed up. Don’t ask. Hooo…”

“What should I do?”

Eun-soo had a worried expression.

It was clearly different from the lewd look in his eyes when he was talking about adult movies a little while ago.

Jeong-hoon, impressed by the sight, thought.

‘Hoo, is that what crazy acting skills are?’

“Well, what to do? I only got one wrong. I could have gotten perfect scores in all subjects, but it’s such a waste. I can’t achieve my dream after all. High school is too different from middle school.”

Cheol-jung smiled.

“Huh? Aish, you surprised me!”

“Thwack.”

Eun-soo hit Cheol-jung senior on the shoulder and ran away.

I really don’t know if that guy is friendly or has no manners…

How can he hit a senior like that on the shoulder and run away…

“You little punk, you wanna die?”

Cheol-jung immediately ran to catch Eun-soo.

Rough swear words poured out of Cheol-jung’s mouth.

Jeong-hoon also started running after them.

“Hyung, you’re paying, right?”

Jeong-hoon and Eun-soo, who were looking intently at the menu, asked Cheol-jung senior again with worried minds.

“Okay. I’ll pay. Eat whatever you want.”

“Why all of a sudden? You’re buying us food?”

“Hey, it’ll be hard to see your faces when I go to Seoul. And the college entrance exam is coming up soon, so I have to build up good karma to do well on the exam.”

“Ah, then we’ll eat as much as we can for hyung. Hehehe.”

Eun-soo said with a sly smile.

“Boss, please give us sweet and sour pork and spicy fried chicken first.”

Cheol-jung senior, who was looking at the menu, raised his head.

“Is that all?”

“We have to start simple. Hehet.”

Eun-soo smiles kindly.

Warm sweet and sour pork and spicy fried chicken were placed on the table, and chopsticks began to move.

“Eat a lot. I brought my mom’s card today, so don’t worry about money. It’s not easy for you guys to eat this kind of stuff.”

“Don’t worry.”

With that answer, he put a mouthful of sweet and sour pork in his mouth.

“How did Jeong-hoon do on the exam?”

Eun-soo said instead while he couldn’t answer because his mouth was full of food.

“Second in the school, according to him.”

“Hmm… really?”

Kang Cheol-jung showed a serious reaction.

“Pfft.”

And Eun-soo laughed again.

‘If it were normal, I would have slapped the back of Eun-soo’s head…’ I held back because I was afraid that everything in my mouth would fly out if I hit him wrong.

“No, if Jeong-hoon had made up his mind and studied properly, it would have been possible. Math is the problem… Hmm.”

Cheol-jung thought for a moment and asked Jeong-hoon.

“How many math problems do you think you got wrong?”

“Two. I did well on everything else except that.”

“Hey, I think you’ll be in the top 10 in the school.”

Cheol-jung thought about Jeong-hoon’s great efforts so far.

He was surprised by his tenacious efforts, but even more surprising was his skill.

He wondered how he had hidden such a brain.

In particular, his memory was unmatched.

Among the people he had seen, no one had a better memory than Jeong-hoon.

He accumulated knowledge at an unbelievably fast rate.

Jeong-hoon’s ability to eat without rest like a hungry beast.

For a while, it came to Cheol-jung as fear.

“Hyung, aren’t you eating? If you just stay still like that, we’ll eat it all.”

“Oh, it’s okay, eat more.”

“Then, I’ll add some more.”

‘It was just a polite remark.’

Cheol-jung’s expression frowned slightly, but soon straightened.

Anyway, it’s my mom’s card, so I thought I should be generous.

“Boss, we’ll order.”

The boss, who saw how fast Eun-soo and Jeong-hoon were eating, had a smile on his face.

He came to us with a beaming smile.

“What else can I get you?”

“We’ll have two bowls of jjajangmyeon [black bean noodles], extra large, and what about hyung?”

“Huh? I’ll have… Jjamppong [spicy seafood noodle soup], regular.”

A slight anxiety was seen on Kang Cheol-jung’s face.

Did he feel that his stomach was still empty from Eun-soo’s light voice saying extra large?

His anxiety soon became a reality.

Eun-soo and Jeong-hoon quickly finished the jjajangmyeon.

Next, they ordered palbochae [stir-fried seafood and vegetables in a light sauce] and gochujapchae [stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables and chili peppers], which were not easy to eat, and finally finished the greasy Chinese food with spicy jjamppong.

“Wow, is this real?”

Kang Cheol-jung, who came out looking at the receipt that was over 100,000 won [approximately $75 USD].

He shook his head at the unbelievable price.

Jeong-hoon and Eun-soo bowed to Cheol-jung, who was mentally shocked and dazed.

They bowed very politely and at a 90-degree angle.

“Thank you for the meal, senior.”

“Oh, okay… Ha, I’m screwed. How do I tell my mom?”

“Yes?”

“Are you okay? Did we eat too much?”

“No, it’s okay. Well, to this extent. Hahaha.”

It was an uneasy voice.

Cheol-jung grabbed his staggering legs and headed to the academy.

Jeong-hoon and Eun-soo patted their full stomachs and returned to the orphanage after a long time.

***

“Hey, Reporter Park, today’s interview is confirmed, right?”

“Yes, it’s confirmed, Chief. I will do my best. Loyalty!”

Reporter Park Seong-hoon pledged his loyalty to the chief who had given him a scoop.

“You punk, it’s Madam Hyeon Jeong-ok’s first interview in her life. Don’t make any mistakes, got it?”

“Yes. Please look forward to it. Hehehe.”

Reporter Park Seong-hoon couldn’t miss the opportunity for a jackpot scoop that had come his way after a long time.

The interview request came in by chance. What was unusual was that Madam Hyeon Jeong-ok had requested it first.

She had rejected countless interview requests from economic reporters until now.

That’s why she has been called the Hermit Empress, Hyeon Jeong-ok.

She appeared in Myeongdong [a bustling shopping district in Seoul] all alone and became a tycoon in the private loan market and the stock market.

Everyone acknowledges her financial power, which is said to make even conglomerates falter with just a thought, thanks to her unfailing investments.

As a joke, there was an unbelievable rumor that one out of every 10 buildings in Gangnam belonged to her.

Her face and exact net worth are not accurately known due to her thorough reclusive life.

How big of a jackpot is it that she is doing an interview?

With great expectations, Park Seong-hoon rang the bell in front of the suite room at the Chosun Hotel.

“I’m Park Seong-hoon, a reporter from the Munhwa Ilbo [a South Korean newspaper].”

The door opened.

There was a dignified old woman between the sunlight shining through the window.

The white-haired woman with her hair tied up with a jade hairpin had a benevolent smile.

She walked towards the man.

Although she was short, not even 160 cm, her aura was great, perhaps because of the light in her eyes.

Her appearance in a modified hanbok [traditional Korean dress] and rubber shoes looked comfortable and frugal.

She held out her hand to Park Seong-hoon.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Hyeon Jeong-ok.”

Park Seong-hoon was overwhelmed by an indescribable, enormous energy and stared blankly at her for a while.

It wasn’t oppressive like a beast, but a cozy yet unapproachable energy.

“Ahem.”

The man in his middle age next to her cleared his throat, and he came to his senses.

“Nice to meet you, it’s an honor, Madam. I’m Park Seong-hoon, a reporter from the Munhwa Ilbo.”

He fumbled and grabbed Hyeon Jeong-ok’s outstretched hand.