The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 8

#008

“Hey, Manho, bring us something to drink.”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Park, would you like coffee?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Park Seong-hoon, disoriented by the unfamiliar situation, asked Manho for coffee.

“Please, have a seat here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hyeon Jeong-ok guided him to a seat.

His forehead was already covered in sweat.

‘Damn it. I can’t afford to make any mistakes….’

Overwhelmed by Hyeon Jeong-ok’s presence, his greeting and handshake were delayed.

It was a situation that could easily be seen as rude.

People with a lot to lose are sensitive to even the smallest mistakes.

He was puzzled that he, not a novice, was making such mistakes.

Hyeon Jeong-ok, seeing his repeated blunders, gave him another kind smile and said,

“You seem very nervous. Relax. No one’s going to kidnap you.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you… Is the room a bit warm? Why am I sweating so much? Haha.”

He gave an awkward laugh.

As he was wiping the sweat from his forehead, Kim Manho placed hot coffee and clear green tea on the table.

“Then, let’s begin the interview. I am Park Seong-hoon, a reporter from the Munhwa Ilbo. First of all, thank you again for agreeing to this interview.”

“No, I am more grateful for the opportunity.”

Hyeon Jeong-ok began to calmly recount her journey from a loan shark to a giant of Myeongdong [a major shopping district in Seoul].

Park Seong-hoon was soon engrossed in her life story.

Her efforts and determination, the dramatic twists and turns, and the threats from competitors filled her life.

The summit she reached after overcoming countless obstacles was crowned with immense wealth.

It was like a spectacular drama.

After she finished her story, she took a sip of the green tea in front of her.

Park Seong-hoon, who had been completely absorbed in her life story, snapped back to reality and brought the coffee to his lips.

“Wow, ma’am, your life has been like a movie. I’m really envious. I also want to be rich like you, ma’am. Haha.”

He joked to lighten the mood.

“More than money, family is important now. Mr. Park, are you married? What about your family?”

“Yes, I’m married with a daughter and a son.”

“How lovely. Enough to not hurt even if they’re in your eyes [meaning they are very precious]….”

After saying that, Hyeon Jeong-ok turned her head and stared blankly out the window.

“Sigh, family is the most important thing. Important enough to bet everything on. If only I could go back….”

Park Seong-hoon, who didn’t quite catch her words, asked again, but she didn’t answer.

“Ahem, ma’am, would you like more tea?”

Kim Manho asked Hyeon Jeong-ok, trying to change the atmosphere.

“Haha, I must be out of it… Anyway, family is what’s important.”

“Yes, that’s right, ma’am.”

Park Seong-hoon, as if to change the mood, took out a photo from his wallet and showed it to Hyeon Jeong-ok.

Two mischievous-looking children were making V signs with their hands.

“I’m living for the joy of seeing these little ones these days. Ma’am, you must enjoy seeing your grandchildren….”

“Mr. Park, would you like another cup of coffee?”

Kim Manho suddenly interrupted and asked.

Confused, he looked at Hyeon Jeong-ok’s face and then understood his action.

Tears filled her eyes.

Although he hadn’t heard it directly, he sensed that she had experienced a tragic event.

“I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I apologize again.”

“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known. Well, let’s continue the interview. Now we can get to the main point.”

Madam Hyeon Jeong-ok’s fingertips trembled slightly.

Slowly opening her mouth, she calmly recounted a series of unbelievable misfortunes.

“Oh, how could such a thing happen!”

Park Seong-hoon couldn’t close his mouth after hearing what she had gone through.

Hyeon Jeong-ok’s expression was equally unbelievable.

It was as if she were talking about someone else’s life, with an indifferent expression.

The death of her husband. The successive accidental deaths of her children.

The traffic accident of her son and daughter-in-law, who barely survived.

It didn’t end there.

The last was the kidnapping and disappearance of her grandson.

Having built a huge castle, she was left alone.

It was hard to believe that such things had happened to one family all at once.

In the old days, they would have performed a shamanistic ritual or relocated the ancestral graves because of the series of tragic events.

“Hoo, it feels a bit strange talking about it after so long.”

She turned her head, looked at Manho, and raised her hand.

He quickly prepared green tea.

“Reporter, do you still envy such a tragic life?”

It was such a shocking event that he forgot to even think about answering.

Park Seong-hoon couldn’t answer easily.

“No.”

“Hoo.”

She took a long sigh, raised her head, and looked at the reporter.

“So, with the little life I have left, I must find my grandson, betting everything I have.”

“Yes? What do you mean suddenly….”

Hyeon Jeong-ok’s eyes, which had seemed to give up on everything, began to shine again.

“This interview is actually the beginning of a project to find my grandson.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand. So….”

Hyeon Jeong-ok continued without paying attention.

“Please publish today’s interview prominently in the society section. Emphasize my wealth as much as possible.”

“So, you’re saying that instead of a dramatic life, you want me to emphasize the assets you currently have?”

She nodded and continued.

“And place a full-page advertisement in the best spot. The title is… ‘Looking for My Only Grandson.’ Emphasize my wealth as much as possible. Say that the method is to send fingernails and hair for DNA testing.”

Park Seong-hoon listened to Hyeon Jeong-ok’s plan.

‘This is huge.’

Barely suppressing an uncontrollable smile, he focused on the interview.

After finishing the fascinating interview, Park Seong-hoon stood up.

“Then, I’ll be going now, Madam.”

Hyeon Jeong-ok smiled kindly as she saw him off.

Park Seong-hoon bowed 90 degrees to her and carefully stepped out of the suite.

Inside the room, now empty except for the two of them.

Kim Manho, with a displeased expression, opened his mouth.

“Ma’am, are you really going to do that?”

He looked at Hyeon Jeong-ok, who had launched the final project, with worried eyes.

“Of course, I have to. Now, I have to bet my life along with all my assets.”

***

After leaving the hotel and looking around, he covered his mouth and shook his clenched fist.

“Yes! Jackpot.”

Park Seong-hoon was beside himself with the luck Hyeon Jeong-ok had given him.

He had monopolized the praise of the society department with an interview comparable to a scoop.

And he had also secured an advertisement. A full-page advertisement at that.

He returned to the company with a light, cheerful step.

He expected the affectionate praise of his boss.

“Chief, I’ve finished the interview.”

“Okay, good work. Go and do your job.”

He was slightly taken aback by his boss’s uninterested response.

But he thought things would change when he talked about the advertisement.

“Chief, the Madam has applied for a full-page advertisement. Hehehe.”

“Really? Okay, I got it. I told you to go and do your job.”

Still a lukewarm response, with a hint of annoyance in his last words.

“Yes? I understand.”

“Oh, the interview will be small. So, summarize it briefly and upload it. And whether it goes out or not will be decided after reading it from above.”

“What does that mean? Chief. Do you know how difficult it was to get this interview?”

“…I know, I know. So go and do your work.”

“No, Chief, what kind of bullshit is this!”

“Just go and do your work, I’m pissed off too!”

He threw the pen he was holding on the desk.

“Ugh!”

With a reddened face, he screamed and 벌떡 일어났다 [beoljjeok ireonatta – jumped up abruptly].

And he picked up the jacket hanging on the coat rack and went outside.

“Oh, Chief… I mean, Chief. What’s wrong? What’s the matter?”

He ran as soon as he received a text from his boss telling him to come up to the roof.

The boss, taking a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaling it slowly, wore a questioning expression.

“Isn’t it too strange? To react so sensitively to just one person’s interview?”

“Yeah, anyone would think it’s about a high-ranking politician’s corruption. Hehehe.”

A series of incomprehensible events unfolded.

He interviewed a person who was attractive enough to guarantee success.

Then, it’s enough to publish it as an article.

On top of that, he even got a full-page advertisement.

The title is ‘Looking for My Only Grandson.’

In terms of drama, it’s an article that would get at least 30 percent viewership.

But the higher-ups are rejecting this?

It smelled fishy.

Suddenly, Park Seong-hoon remembered what Madam Hyeon Jeong-ok had said in passing.

‘I shouldn’t have become their target….’

He began to wonder who the group the Madam was talking about was.

“Hey, what are you thinking about?”

Park Seong-hoon came to his senses, having been lost in thought.

“Oh, no, there’s something bothering me about the interview I did earlier.”

“Listen carefully. Release this on the internet.”

“What? On the internet? Then my scoop will be gone.”

“It’s already gone. Look at the atmosphere, isn’t it strange? I don’t think the article will be published.”

The boss shook his head.

“Surely not. It’s Hyeon Jeong-ok. The hidden empress, a person with assets of over 1 trillion… Surely people will be interested?”

“Watch tomorrow. I’m sure of it.”

His face was full of confidence.

“Anyway, if I get fired tomorrow, I’ll release it on the internet. Is that okay?”

“Okay. It’s better than being buried.”

“Okay. I know an internet newspaper company, so it will be a hot topic there.”

“Internet newspaper company? What’s the name? And doesn’t it still lack influence?”

“It’s called OhmyNews, a new media outlet, but the number of views is quite high.”

“Okay. But is it worth making this into an article to this extent?”

The boss shrugged his shoulders and made a face as if he didn’t know.

“Well, I’ll know when the article comes out and public opinion is formed. I don’t know why the desk is blocking it.”

The boss patted Park Jeong-hoon’s shoulder, seeing his worried expression, and said.

“I’m just doing it because I’m curious about what will happen. It’s not particularly dangerous, is it?”

As the boss said, the interview article was not published the next day.

And he secretly informed Park Seong-hoon that it would be published in an internet media outlet tomorrow.

Park Seong-hoon thought that he should inform Madam Hyeon Jeong-ok as a matter of course, so he took out the business card he had received before.

“Madam, this is Park Seong-hoon, the reporter who interviewed you.”

“Yes. I was just about to call you anyway. Is the article coming out tomorrow? I thought it was today.”

“Well, the article will not be published in the Munhwa Ilbo.”

“Hahaha, I knew it.”

She only laughed in vain as if she had already foreseen it.

“Instead, it will be published in OhmyNews, an internet newspaper, tomorrow.”

“Wait a minute, OhmyNews?”

“Yes. Do you happen to know it?”

“No. Are you sure it will be published there?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

A moment of silence followed.

Park Jeong-hoon asked again.

“Madam, do you happen to know the reason? It’s the first time in my career as a reporter that an interview has been cut off.”

A long sigh was heard over the receiver.

“Hoo… It’s better if you don’t know. Anyway, thank you for saying that the article will be published even in a place called OhmyNews.”

“No. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Park Jeong-hoon wanted to let people know about Hyeon Jeong-ok, who had overcome hardships and become a giant.

Her life, which had rarely taken the right path, was enough to be a model for others.

But now, it was an unavoidable situation.

So he wanted to promise her.

That he would definitely write a proper article.

“Madam, next time, no matter what I do, I will definitely upload a proper article. I will definitely find out who is behind blocking the article.”

Park Seong-hoon wanted to show her his sense of duty as a reporter.

“No. You must never dig into the past. Please don’t be interested anymore.”

Her voice was cold.

“Yes?”

“Do as I say. Otherwise, your life will be in danger. I’ll hang up now.”

With her firm voice, the phone hung up.

Park Seong-hoon stared at the phone in his hand with a bewildered expression.

But he couldn’t give up here.

It was his 철칙 [cheolchik – principle] to see things through to the end.

He sparkled his eyes and drew what he had to do in his head.

The next day, an article about Hyeon Jeong-ok appeared on the first page of OhmyNews.

The number of views exploded with people’s interest.

The article was featured on the main pages of major portal sites.

Her name was in the top rankings of real-time searches for several days.

The Munhwa Ilbo was just watching the increasing number of views day by day.

Eventually, the Hyeon Jeong-ok interview and the advertisement to find her grandson appeared in the society section.

***

“Ah, ah.”

A short scream echoed in the space where only the sound of turning pages was heard.

Eun-soo, who was sitting next to him, was looking in the mirror and pulling out her hair one by one.

Jeong-hoon asks in a low voice.

“Hey, why are you pulling out your hair like that?”

“What do you mean hair?”

Eun-soo glared, and Jeong-hoon was surprised to see Eun-soo’s seat.

“Hey, what are you doing? Are you crazy?”

There were at least 100 hairs in front of Eun-soo.

“Hehe, someone needs it.”

“Who needs this smelly, rough hair?”

“Tsk, I told you it’s not hair?”

Eun-soo threw the newspaper at Jeong-hoon.

Jeong-hoon’s eyes widened sharply in surprise.

‘No, Eun-soo is reading the newspaper?’

Eun-soo, who had no interest in anything except literature books, was going to read the newspaper.

“Jeong-hoon, look at the society section instead. My grandmother is looking for me.”

“What? Did you really find your grandmother?”

Jeong-hoon, who was surprised and shouted loudly, felt the stinging gaze of the people around him.

He lowered his head and carefully opened the society section that Eun-soo had mentioned.

[Looking for My Only Grandson.]

A full-page advertisement as big as a door.

Jeong-hoon saw the article about finding his grandson occupying one side of the newspaper.

Surprised, he knocked over his chair and 벌떡 일어났다 [beoljjeok ireonatta – jumped up abruptly].

‘My… Grandmother Hyeon Jeong-ok is looking for me.’

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King, Becoming a Tycoon.