Chapter 57
I told Woo Yeon-Hee not to think about coming back before finding the dungeon entrance. Could she find it? Finding the dungeon entrance point that was the size of a foot required an iron will and luck. If she succeeded, she would be the second person to find the dungeon after me. That was the main purpose of sending her up alone, but it didn’t matter as long as she didn’t give up easily.
She needed to get used to the dark, and there was nothing more appropriate than this place to test her will and limitations. A night on the hill was terribly dark and frightening.
***
The day when the government approved our purchase of ANC and Blue Rock’s fund business was also the day when people began to finally demand that someone take responsibility for the Korean financial crisis. All sorts of hearings were held at once under the pretext of debate and conglomerate restructure by the National Assembly.
I had to head to Gangnam right after school due to what my father told me in the morning. He had mentioned that he loved his new company, Jeon-il Investments, even more as they shared the same name. He called me there, so I had to wear a cap to hide my face. There was no chance of running into the busy Jamie, but there was a possibility of encountering those who had come to my office building.
Anyway, it was my first time stopping by the headquarters, and the expensive company logo on the building was quite impressive. There weren’t many visitors since civilians had no reason to come here. However, the few guests I saw in the building looked like key players in the Blue House or in the political or finance field. Therefore, the overall atmosphere between them was as solemn as a religious facility.
“How can I help you today?” The receptionist in the lobby asked. In her eyes, I was an ordinary college student.
I quietly replied, “I came to see my father, his name is Na Jeon-Il.”
“Oh, you must be the deputy head’s son. Could you please wait in the VIP room? It’s over there.”
The smile on her face was a bit off, as if she was wondering about my age. I waited for my father, looking at the view in the lobby.
A group of people got out of the elevator, and I could tell who the one at the center was at first glance. Although the current Minister of Economy and Finance was among them, everyone was walking at the same pace as a middle-aged man with a Jeon-il badge. I recognized him as one of the two Korean directors in Jeon-il, who was in charge of either the legal or accounting department. Whichever director he was, he was truly perfect to manage the firm in Korea and had greatly contributed to getting the company in the center of power. When I looked at them with curiosity, my father arrived.
“You got here at the best timing. Do you know who they are?”
My father continued speaking like he didn’t expect me to reply.
“They are the directors of this company, and the Minister of Economy and Finance is with his subordinates. Have you heard of that position?”
“Yes, father,” I responded.
“How does it feel seeing him in person?” he questioned.
.
I answered, “That we’re all humans in the end. Things seemed unreal on monitors.”
I didn’t know what answer father wanted, but he smiled contentedly.
“I thought you would only be interested in sports, but I guess you also watch the news, right? Have you had lunch yet? Most likely, right?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Wait here for a minute,” he said while looking out the front window outside the lobby.
A car belonging to the minister was parked there, and my father hastily walked out. I saw him bowing to the minister, who seemed much older than him, through the front window. The minister disappeared into his car after tapping my father’s shoulder and shaking hands with the Korean director.
Then, my father came towards me with the Korean director. When I saw that he was walking side by side with the director, I had a hunch that my father was trusted to a great extent in this company. I stopped trying to hide from the director since it wasn’t likely I’d meet him in my other persona.?I took off my hat and stood firmly like a soldier.
“Hello,” I politely greeted them. When I raised my head after bowing, I saw Father’s fleeting smile.
“You have such a handsome son. I’m jealous. Which university do you go to?” the director asked.
Father replied, “He’s still in middle school.”
Of course, the director looked at me in surprise and fell silent for a moment.
“Haha! You have nothing to worry about since your son is so healthy, trustworthy and polite. He’s perfect. So, you’re a middle school student, right?” the director questioned.
“Yes, I’m attending Shin-eung Middle School,” I replied.
“Oh, I graduated from there! Hahaha!” The director laughed out loud.
My father widened his eyes since he wasn’t aware of it. Then, the director took ten bills out of his wallet and handed them to me. Ten ten-thousand-won bills.
The director smiled. “I’m giving you this so you can become a great person like your dad.”
I was the one who wanted to give him money and tell him to keep up the good work.
***
Father seemed very happy, and he was smiling ear to ear.
“You must’ve wondered why I called you here,” he said.
We were walking on the street.
“I have things to tell you and to do. Also, I wanted to show my son the headquarters of the firm before I get reassigned,” he continued.
“You are getting reassigned?!”
I was genuinely surprised.
“I didn’t get fired. I was promoted two ranks higher and haven’t told your mom yet. I’m going to surprise her tonight,” he responded.
“To where?” I asked.
“We’re heading there right now,” he replied.
The first thing that came to mind was the Daehoo Group. They were being reorganized now since the grace period ended at the end of April. They were managing a number of layoffs and merging affiliated companies. Father used to be a bank teller, so if he was reassigned to Daehoo, he would be placed in Securities. This department was about to be incorporated into the future Nae-il Finance Group.
“How was your trip? I’ve been busy, so I just briefly heard from your mom,” he said.
“Thanks for sending me. It must have been a tough decision,” I replied.
“Haha. You talk like an adult. It’s nice to see you all grown up. I was just a troublemaker when I was your age. So where did you go?” he questioned.
“I went to Hwasung and Gim-je,” I answered.
“Did you have enough money? You didn’t even use the credit card,” he responded.
“Yes,” I said.
“Your mom worried a lot, but I didn’t. Even though you’re young, you would understand that Korea is going through a tough time since you watch the news. Do you know why the IMF crisis occurred?” he asked.
“...”
“Corporations in Korea borrowed foreign money recklessly as exports were going well at that time. They wanted to expand themselves by borrowing more and more, but all of a sudden, exports began to fail. You should study the reason why,” he continued.
It was then that I noticed that today was the day I had been waiting for since I went back in time. Compared to the past, this day had occurred approximately two years earlier. My heart started beating faster in anticipation of getting my own talisman and good luck charm. In the past, my father had been waiting for me at the bench in front of the supermarket, and it was the weekday after I entered high school.
Anyway, since the closing time for banks and stock firms was nearing, I ran with my father without knowing why. I opened a stock account in the stock firm and another one in the Korean Exchange in the bank.
“You know that I work at a foreign company, right?”
My father’s voice pulled me out of being stuck in my past memories and back to reality.
“Yes,” I answered.
He questioned, “What did your mom say?”
“She only said it was the best company,” I replied.
“She’s not wrong, but that’s why it’s sad. You wouldn’t understand what I’m saying now, but when you do, let me know. Then, I’ll have a drink with you,” he said.
Father pointed to the head office of the Korean Exchange Bank in front of us with his chin.
“I start working there tomorrow. Do they look good?” He smiled.
I followed my father's gaze and looked at the building. I had not heard that Jeon-il had purchased the Korean Exchange Bank. Originally, a German firm had joined as the largest shareholder in the Korean Exchange Bank, and people had talked about it a lot. Then, the Daehyun Group’s debt issue had arisen and the Credit Card Crisis had broken out in 2003.
“The Korean Exchange Bank is your company’s? I didn’t know that,” I said.
He responded, “You’re quite interested in my work. You still surprise me, though I guess that's to be expected of my son.”
Jamie hadn’t mentioned this in the report, and she only talked about the empty warehouse. Therefore, I thought she would use the remaining funds carefully…Her choice must have been the Korean Exchange Bank.
“I pushed for it hard. Well, I don’t know if I did it right.”
Father spoke in a self-deprecating tone and led the way as if nothing had happened. The employees of the bank’s head office already knew his face, and after greeting them, he began the speech he had given in the past.
“When a country goes bankrupt, people like us suffer, not the higher-ups who led us to ruin.”
He said the same thing he had said in the past, but he was wearing a suit instead of a vest with a supermarket name on it, and he wasn’t hiding his sadness like he had done that day. His gaze was deep as he looked at me.
“I hope you know how our country ended up in this situation and pay closer attention to the economy in the future,” he said.
“I hope you understand why I got fired and pay closer attention to the economy in the future.”
The past and the present were intersecting.
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