Chapter 1601. Standing Up (1)

Jo Gyu-Min smiled brightly and welcomed Kang Jin-Ho.

“It’s great to see you again.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled back.

“For some reason, it feels like we haven’t spoken in a long while.”

“It has been a while, though. I’ve been mindlessly busy lately, you see?”

Jo Gyu-Min’s smile grew a little more awkward just then.

“It makes sense that you’d be busy.”

Kang Jin-Ho tried to console Jo Gyu-Min instead.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”[1]

Jo Gyu-Min spoke a little ruefully to Kang Jin-Ho. “By the way, it feels like you’ve become even more formal with me. Do you mind being a little less formal? Because it reminds me of how long it has been since we last spoke, and it doesn’t feel nice at all.”

“This is more comfortable for me, but... I’ll try to change gradually.”

“Thank you. Also... Didn’t you come with Big Bro Hyeon-Su... I mean, Chief Lee?”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned. “That guy... No, Chief Lee, well...”

Jo Gyu-Min immediately figured out that something was up from the way Kang Jin-Ho muttered “that guy” just now. He narrowed his eyes while thinking, Yup, he did something stupid again, didn’t he?

A man whose capabilities bordered on being supernatural just loved to cause problems for some unfathomable reason. Then again, that was his nature, wasn’t it? Not much Jo Gyu-Min or the others could do about it, really.

Jo Gyu-Min shook his head helplessly. “Thank you for coming all this way. Let’s go up. Chairman Hwang is waiting for you.”

“Mm...”

Kang Jin-Ho stepped inside the waiting elevator.

***

“The word on the grapevine is...”

Hwang Jeong-Hu’s expression was unreadable as he dropped the cigarette ash into a nearby ashtray.

“You’re partnering up with the Jeong family’s business to do something major. Is that true?”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded coolly. “Yes, it is.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu frowned at that response, then fake-coughed to clear his throat.

“Look... I get it. That Jeong bastard isn’t an incompetent moron. There was a time when I thought he’s an incapable bastard, that he only got to where he was by incessant ass-kissing and bribery. But credit where credit’s due, thousands of people in this country must’ve relied on the same methods to succeed. But only he managed to last till the end.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu grunted softly, still not happy about this situation.

“Yes, he’s capable. I admit it. But that bastard just isn’t a good person, okay? You do business with a man like that, and he will definitely stab you in the back sooner or later. Knowing that, do you still want to work with that guy?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly. “You’re worried about him backstabbing me?”

“...Mm.”

That one rhetorical question was enough to convince Hwang Jeong-Hu.

Well, that makes sense.

When he thought about it some more, it was easy enough to see that Jeong Hong-Geun had survived this long thanks to his sixth sense. Which meant he should know how dangerous Kang Jin-Ho really was.

That knowledge, plus his sixth sense, should act like Jeong Hong-Geun’s fetters and help him behave himself. The odds of that happening were very high, indeed.

“Urgh...”

Hwang Jeong-Hu continued to suck on his cigarette for a while.

When logically analyzed, even he had to admit that entering a partnership with Taegwang was a good idea as long as there was no threat of future backstabbing attempts. After all, Jeong Hong-Geun’s company boasted very robust financial health.

However, Hwang Jeong-Hu’s personal opinion of Jeong Hong-Geun meant he didn’t feel good about this arrangement. At all.

“I’m sure you’ll take good care of it, but... Fine, fine. You do what you think is for the best.”

“I will.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu smacked his lips.

A businessman shouldn’t hesitate to wallow in the mud if there were benefits to be had by doing so.

As long as Hwang Jeong-Hu acknowledged Kang Jin-Ho as his fellow businessman, he must accept this arrangement—even if the idea of Kang Jin-Ho wallowing in the mud called Jeong Hong-Geun didn’t sit well with him.

“Tsk... Sometimes, I just don’t understand you,” said Jeong Hong-Geun.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly. “I’m not doing this because I liked the sound of it, Chairman.”

“Really now? Then why are you doing something you don’t even feel good about? It’s not like you follow every advice given to you, anyway.”

“Because this is something we have to do.”

“...” Hwang Jeong-Hu sneakily stared into Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes and confirmed how resolute the latter was. He nodded helplessly. “I see. In that case... Yeah, you gotta do it, then.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Don’t thank me,” Hwang Jeong-Hu tutted loudly, his expression still filled with hints of disapproval. “Besides all that. I called you here because of that other thing you’ve been trying to do for a while.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Sorry? That other thing?”

“Yeah. Your foundation, Jin-Ho. Your foundation!”

“...! Ah.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s jaw fell slightly in shock, and he alternated his gaze between Jo Gyu-Min and Hwang Jeong-Hu.

Jo Gyu-Min nodded back. “Although it took a while, the government has finally approved our registration. And now, we’ll select a suitable location and start constructing our head office. Once that’s done, we’ll absorb Seongsim into it.”

“Mm...!”

With that, Kang Jin-Ho would go from Seongsim’s administrator in name only to its actual administrator.

“For the time being,” Jo Gyu-Min continued with his report. “We’ve registered the foundation as the Jaegyeong Foundation. Of course, we can change the name right away, so please come up with a suitable name, Chairman Kang. We’ll also need signing and stamping of various legal documents later on. When I give you a call, you must visit the relevant government department, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho pointed at himself. “Me?”

“Yes, you. You’re the foundation’s chief director, after all.”

“Really?” Kang Jin-Ho grew more confused and stared at Hwang Jeong-Hu next. “But Chairman, didn’t you say you’ll act as the chief director?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu nodded. “That I did.”

“Then why so suddenly...?”

“Don’t you remember why I took on that role?”

“That’s because you...”

Hwang Jeong-Hu tutted again. “Wasn’t it to rely on my connections and fame to get through the approval stage as quickly as possible?”

“Yes, that is so.”

“But that’s no longer necessary, now is it? Now things will get done in the blink of an eye if you mention your name once, so why rely on mine? Don’t you think that’s cumbersome?”

“...”

Is that how it is?

Kang Jin-Ho thought about it on the spot and realized Hwang Jeong-Hu was right. Right now, he didn’t need to ask anyone for help. Just one phone call from him, and most things involving the Korean government’s approval would get resolved without a hitch.

Besides, it wasn’t as if he was trying to profit from this thing, anyway. Who would oppose him when he was spending his own dime to set up a welfare foundation?

“Even so, I think the role of the chief director suits you better, Chairman...”

“I don’t want it. Stop dumping your responsibility on my shoulders, will ya!”

“...”

Hwang Jeong-Hu scowled deeply.

“Back then, I respected your wish to live a quiet life. Being the chief director of a foundation of that scale would have inevitably drawn lots of attention whether you liked it or not, after all. So I figured, yeah, I can help this guy find some peace by doing this. But what about now?”

“...”

“The only face I see when I turn on the bloody TV is you. And you’ve already become the chairman of a legitimate company, too! Since that’s the case, what’s gonna change for you if you also take on the chief director position of a foundation? Nothing, that’s what!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s head faltered. He couldn’t find an excuse to refute that.

“You started this, so you take the responsibility, Jin-Ho. Besides, if I take on the job, things might get complicated later, like inheritance issues and whatnot. How long do you think I have left on this Earth, anyway?”

“You’ll live on for a long while, Chairman.”

“Geez. Thanks for the sentiments, at least.” Hwang Jeong-Hu chuckled, then waved his hand dismissively. “In any case. That’s how we’ve handled it, so you discuss the rest with this fool over here, okay?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu suddenly got up, then strode out of the chairman’s office without saying anything else.

“Huh?” Kang Jin-Ho grew stupefied at this sight. This was the chairman’s office, after all. What was a guest like him supposed to do if the chairman just walked out of his own office? “Shouldn’t we stop him...?”

“No, it’ll be fine, Chairman,” Jo Gyu-Min replied while grinning brightly. “He’s simply heading to the conference room as there’s a meeting of the board of directors scheduled for today.”

“Even so...”

“He’s just embarrassed, that’s all. Please let him be.”

“Embarrassed? Really?”

Jo Gyu-Min nodded. “The truth is... Chairman Hwang is very proud of you for establishing a welfare foundation. He didn’t seem to like the idea initially, but the impression I’ve been getting lately suggests he has had a change of heart.”

“Mm...”

“He’s often talking about how one’s wealth is nothing more than some bits of paper only good for making one feel better about themselves. Maybe that’s why he’s so proud of what you’re doing, Chairman Kang. Of course, he would never say that out loud with his own mouth, but still.”

Jo Gyu-Min chortled gently while saying that. Whether it was Kang Jin-Ho or Hwang Jeong-Hu, both men were equally bad at being honest with other people.

Then again, this guy has improved by leaps and bounds, hasn’t he?

Jo Gyu-Min felt waves of reminiscence wash over him while staring at Kang Jin-Ho.

A boy who used to feel troubled by the prospect of interacting with other people had grown up into a splendid adult who established a welfare foundation and became its chief director so that he could help other people out.

Jo Gyu-Min couldn’t help but be proud, since it felt like he had played a vital role in this transformation.

“For now, the core of the foundation’s work will be the management of orphanages. However, it will be possible to expand its operations continuously into other sectors, even if that’s not how we’ve registered the foundation as. There are various issues regarding financial support, but... You don’t really need the government’s financial assistance, anyway.”

Kang Jin-Ho firmly shook his head. “I wasn’t planning to ask them for it, anyway.”

“It’s not that simple, unfortunately. All organizations that have been set up as welfare foundations need to receive government assistance. In return, they must subject themselves to the monitoring and auditing efforts of the relevant authorities. If you reject this arrangement, you will lose the permit rather swiftly. Of course, I’m pretty sure you’re exempt from this arrangement.”

Jo Gyu-Min scratched his head a little.

“However, I think it’ll be a good idea to keep up appearances. I’ll take care of the most hurdles, but a few things will still require your involvement. Please keep that in mind, Chairman.”

“I will,” Kang Jin-Ho replied with a firm nod.

Jo Gyu-Min sifted through some documents and asked, “There are some things I’d like to confirm with you first. Are you planning to stick to the orphanage side of the operation first?”

“Yes. For the time being.”

“Then... Will it be Seongsim only?”

Kang Jin-Ho rested his chin on his fist and began pondering. He had been thinking about this on and off for a while, but now that the time to decide had arrived, he found himself unable to choose right away.

“If it’s possible... I’d like to leave Seongsim as is, and establish a few more orphanages.”

“In other parts of the country, I assume?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Kang Jin-Ho replied, then took a second to organize his thoughts. “If I’m being honest, I don’t think the orphanages I want to establish will be any better than the preexisting ones.”

“How come? With your financial muscle, you should be able to provide a level of financial support that other orphanages can’t even dream of.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled awkwardly. “Because that’s not everything an orphanage needs, you see?”

“Mm...!”

Kang Jin-Ho shrugged helplessly. “I’m not going to bore you with cliched nonsense like, Kids need love, not money. Money is undoubtedly important if we want to raise these kids properly, after all.”

“Yes, I agree with you.”

“However... The more I experience life, the more I start to think that money isn’t everything they need. Rather than things like good facilities, nice food, and plenty of toys... The kids need something else.”

The more Kang Jin-Ho thought about it, the more amazing the previous Seongsim Orphanage director seemed.

Sister Yi...

Compared to its current incarnation, Seongsim in the past used to be in much worse shape. It constantly struggled with its finances. However, did that mean the kids were much happier now?

No, I don’t think that’s true.

Kang Jin-Ho could never fill the void left behind Sister Yi’s passing, never mind follow her in her footsteps.

He wasn’t being humble here. Not only him, but the Seongsim kids should feel the same way, too.

Sister Yi, the former Seongsim Orphanage director, was an irreplaceable existence. To the orphans under her care, she was like the warm rays of the sun and the gentle embrace of the spring breeze.

As for Kang Jin-Ho, he had the power to shelter the children from the storm. But he didn’t quite have the ability to make them truly happy.

“However, I still would like to try my best and give the kids what they need. In my own way, of course.”

Jo Gyu-Min smiled. “I understand what you’re saying, but Chairman Kang? It’s too early to give up.”

“Mm? What do you mean?”

“There are plenty of people in this world who can do things you can’t. Once we’ve created excellent facilities, and let the world know what your true intention is, capable people will come to you. I’m sure of it.”

“...”

“You don’t have to do everything by yourself. Isn’t that right?”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned deeply. “Yes, it is.”

“We can take it step by step. It’s only the beginning, after all.”

Those words reassured Kang Jin-Ho. His heart was about to plunge into the pool of anxiety, but now... He felt a little more relaxed than before.

1. My apologies on how stiff this opening section is. This is how it’s like in the raw. The author didn’t make it clear who was saying what, and both men were speaking very formally with little to differentiate the two. ☜