The Former Chaebol Heir Excels as President

Chapter 25: A Proposal from the Political World (1)

[20 Years Later]

A 10-story building on Teheran-ro in Gangnam.

The building was owned and entirely occupied by a corporation named NetinKorea.

I was the president of that company.

Delivery Emperor had launched an app last year, and based on the existing offline booklet, it had grown into a major company with nearly all food service businesses joining as franchisees.

Moreover, I had developed a video platform called ‘You&I’, which launched five years earlier than YouTube, and secured the largest user base in the world.

The videos didn’t just show advertisements—they generated revenue by linking related products after the content ended.

A big corporation in the United States, seeing the business potential, offered to acquire it for 2 billion dollars, but I declined.

Because of that, the media spotlighted me, and a broadcasting station requested an interview.

President’s office on the 10th floor.

I sat in a chair and answered questions from Jin Jung-o, a reporter from KSB Broadcasting.

“May I ask why you rejected the 2 billion dollar offer?”

“I turned down over 2 trillion won because of the growth potential of You&I. Smartphone penetration is still low, but technology will evolve, and within the next ten years, over 5 billion people will be using it.”

“Five billion people?”

Jin Jung-o widened his eyes in disbelief.

“It will definitely happen.”

“That’s hard to believe. The world population is 7 billion, and there are so many impoverished countries. Currently, global smartphone penetration is around ten percent.”

“If it doesn’t happen, I’ll be ruined. You&I will become the world’s top video platform.”

Jin Jung-o asked an unexpected question.

“There’s a rumor going around that President Seo Du-hyeop of Delivery Emperor was betrayed. Some say he was deliberately excluded from the You&I business.”

“He was held accountable for failing to manage himself.”

Whether he was targeted or it happened by coincidence, Seo Du-hyeop fell into gambling.

He lost 5 billion won, and after embezzling company funds, he lost another 3 billion.

Addicted to gambling, he came to me saying he would give up all his shares in Delivery Emperor if I gave him 2 billion won. When I refused and had him face legal punishment, he spread those rumors.

I added a few words.

“Before the You&I business even started, he embezzled company money and gambled it away at a casino. It’s true that President Seo Du-hyeop helped in the early stages of the business, but he put the successful Delivery Emperor in danger. I couldn’t let the company go bankrupt, could I?”

“I disagree. President Seo Du-hyeop claims he was pushed out of the business when Delivery Emperor’s app was launched. He insists he wandered outside and fell into gambling as a result.”

“You can easily confirm the facts by interviewing the employees.”

“Don’t employees always side with their boss?”

Jin Jung-o was obsessing over a completely different topic from the interview script.

He had clearly said he wanted to hear the story of how someone from an unauthorized shantytown became a billionaire. And yet here he was, siding with Seo Du-hyeop’s absurd claims.

I couldn’t help but get angry.

“Mr. Reporter, you’re bringing up matters completely unrelated to your interview request. Did you come here planning to discredit me?”

“Of course not. As a journalist, I thought it was necessary to verify things, so I asked the question.”

“You never mentioned that.”

“I thought you might decline the interview if I told you in advance. Verification is the media’s duty.”

“You’re saying you came to verify me? Please leave.”

I waved off the camera and stood up.

Then Jin Jung-o grabbed my wrist.

“I apologize. I’ll remove that part. I’d like to hear your story from the past.”

“There’s no reason to continue this interview when trust has already been broken.”

“I sincerely apologize.”

Jin Jung-o bowed deeply.

I was upset, but since I had decided to enter politics, there was no need to clash with a public broadcaster.

“Let’s stick to the script.”

“Of course. Please tell us your story from childhood.”

I spoke at length about living in a single room with my family, the shame of the bathroom, delivering milk, my mom’s hardships, the employment story of Kang Daemyung, who had an intellectual disability, and the story of Yeonhwa, who succeeded as an indie singer.

I wanted to give hope to people living difficult lives, so I spoke at length.

Jin Jung-o nodded and said,

“Lastly, please share a message for the viewers.”

“Everyone thinks the era and environment they lived in was tough. Saying you want to die is no different from saying you can’t go on living this way. In other words, it means you want to live differently. If you give it everything you’ve got and it still doesn’t work out, then there’s nothing you can do. But don’t give up too soon and only complain about your life. One way or another, that hardship will eventually pass, so grit your teeth and endure. A chance will come.”

With that, the interview concluded.

“President, may I ask a personal question? Off the record, of course.”

“Is this about Seo Du-hyeop again?”

“No. Don’t you have any interest in politics?”

“Politics should be left to politicians. I’m a businessman.”

Of course, that was a lie.

To raise my value, I had to know how to wait.

After sending the reporter off, I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with a view of the buildings.

Like a scene from a long reel of film, the past two decades played back in my mind.

When I returned as the third son from the shantytown, I clenched my teeth and vowed to earn a lot of money—and I achieved that dream.

Now it was time to fulfill my second dream.

I had told my wife a long time ago and had her approval.

Politics was a weakness due to lack of experience, but I believed the know-how gained from managing a business would be helpful.

‘Back then, I was trash.’

In my previous life, I had realized that money was thicker than blood.

Management disputes among family, conspiracies and betrayals, vote fights at shareholder meetings, manipulating the media, and attacking opponents’ weaknesses— Shameful as it was, while running a construction company, I had also suppressed labor unions, handed out bribes to win contracts, and used government authority and media to destroy rival companies.

At the center of all that was money.

It was precisely because of those aspects that I gave up construction, which I was familiar with, and shifted to IT.

In the construction industry, it was only natural to get crumbs on your hands when handling rice cakes.

I fell into thought while watching the city’s streetlights flicker on one by one.

‘I’ve become a completely different person from my past life.’

Just as I thought it was time to go home, my mobile phone rang.

It was Yang Seok-gu.

“Seok-gu.”

― You got the invitation, right? There’s a total alumni reunion this weekend. Are you going? It’s my first time being invited, so I really want to go.

The total alumni reunion of Single High School.

Since five years ago, I had received a call every year.

It was called a total alumni reunion, but in reality, invitations were only sent to successful graduates.

A kind of inner circle.

I went once five years ago and hadn’t gone since.

“You’ve made it.”

― I want to expand my network too. Since starting a business, I’ve run into a lot of roadblocks.

“Let’s go together.”

― Thanks. I was worried I’d feel awkward going alone.

Likewise, it was time for me to broaden my network as well.

Since I would soon be entering politics.

Paradise Hotel in Gangnam.

Yang Seok-gu, standing in front of the elevator, looked extremely nervous.

He seemed to have worn a gold necklace and bracelet to show off his wealth, but it was a fashion failure.

“You look like a gangster.”

“Should I take them off?”

“If you do, it’ll look even weirder.”

“I should’ve asked you for advice in advance.”

Yang Seok-gu was the president of Choyang Construction.

He made money from tile work and started a materials company. Later, upon my advice, he built a gang form production plant and raked in cash, eventually acquiring a construction company.

Though it was a third-tier construction firm, since last year it had become a government project partner thanks to a bridge patent.

So his company had gained a lot of media exposure.

“Cheonmyeong, think there’ll be many seniors?”

“Most will be in their forties and fifties. When I first went, there were a few juniors who were lawyers or businessmen.”

The elevator doors opened.

“Let’s go.”

“My heart’s about to drop. What should I say?”

“Today, everyone will probably be focused on me.”

“Well, you’ve been in the media a lot lately, so that makes sense.”

The prediction was spot-on.

As soon as we arrived at the 20th-floor banquet hall, many alumni gathered around me.

The first to greet me was a three-term Member of Parliament from the ruling party, now serving as secretary-general—Yeo Deok-su.

I had exchanged greetings with him five years ago.

“President Kang, welcome.”

“Hello. It’s been a while.”

“Why haven’t you been coming? I was disappointed not to see you.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“You’ve been working so hard, no wonder you built the world’s top IT company.”

Yeo Deok-su introduced me to the people around him.

“This gentleman is from the 13th graduating class and is currently an executive at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.”

Yeo Deok-su’s introductions went on for a long time.

Bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians, celebrities, lawyers.

I was busy exchanging business cards.

The host’s voice rang out.

“Alumni, please take your seats. The president of the alumni association will be speaking shortly.”

Yang Seok-gu and I sat at the round table with our names on it.

Five names were listed, and a flag on a pole indicated we were from the 25th graduating class.

“Long time no see.”

A big man stood up and extended his hand.

It was Oh Man-seok, who had been class president in our first year.

Was it because of trauma?

Yang Seok-gu froze momentarily.

I took his hand.

“Good to see you.”

“I saw you on the news. You’ve made it. Wow! You’re even taller than me.”

“It’s because I drank a lot of milk. What do you do?”

“I work in the Criminal Division 3 at the Central District Prosecutors’ Office.”

A prosecutor.

The Oh Man-seok I remembered had been violent.

He acted tyrannically toward the class students, wielding the authority delegated by the homeroom teacher.

That’s why he now looked like a butcher wielding a sword.

Of the remaining two people, I recognized one.

It was Hyeon Se-ung, who never missed being top of the class during senior year.

“Do you remember me?”

“Of course. Who doesn’t know the top of the class? What do you do now?”

“I’m working as a lawyer.”

The other one was a face I saw for the first time. With nearly a thousand students per grade, it wasn’t surprising not to know everyone.

He said he ran a trading company.

Oh Man-seok looked at Yang Seok-gu and asked,

“What do you do?”

“I run a small construction company.”

I chimed in.

“It’s called Choyang Construction, a company with the best bridge patent in the country. It’s going to grow big.”

“Really? That’s unexpected.”

“What is?”

“Seok-gu wasn’t good at studying. And he wasn’t rich either.”

Oh Man-seok reverted to his arrogant self from the past.

Whether it was the prosecutor’s title that made him haughty, or if his personality had simply remained the same, I didn’t know.

Suppressing my anger, I replied calmly.

“Some things take time to bloom. A flower that blooms late often lasts longer.”

“I’ve heard about you from time to time. You run your company for public good, huh? Must be so proud.”

Why did it sound sarcastic?

This guy had condescension ingrained in his bones.

“Man-seok, can I give you a piece of advice?”

“Go ahead.”

Oh Man-seok crossed his arms and leaned back.

As if daring me to try.

“Do you know what the phrase ‘All things are impermanent (諸行無常)’ means?”

“……”

“It means that all things change and nothing stays the same. So if you dwell in the past, you won’t be able to grasp the present.”

Oh Man-seok smirked and said,

“Let me give you some advice too. You should realize that the past and now are completely different. If you can’t tell up from down, you might lose everything.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s advice. Businessmen must always be careful.”

“If it’s a threat, I won’t just sit still. I’m sure you remember getting beaten up by me. Don’t you?”

As Oh Man-seok and I locked eyes, tension steadily mounted.

Just then, a familiar face approached from the front.

Ik Je-hoon.

Currently the Mayor of Seoul.