Chapter 1607. Pushing Forward (2)

“As we’ve discussed earlier, we’re now pushing forward with the idea of dispatching the Seongsim caregivers to other orphanages as their head caregiver,” said Jo Gyu-Min.

“...” Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes. What was the rush here? It hadn’t been that long since their last meeting, so why were they moving forward so quickly? “When you say we’re pushing forward...”

“We’re currently negotiating with the caregivers. Despite the promise of higher pay and better-sounding job titles, it seems they are struggling with the decision, unfortunately.”

“Why?”

“I’m guessing there are various reasons,” said Jo Gyu-Min while shrugging away. “First of all, changing one’s workplace will never be an easy thing, Mister Jin-Ho. Also, please remember that the new orphanages are considerable distances away from their current residences, too. Which means they will have to move house, as well.”

“Mm...!”

“I don’t know if you can understand the significance of it, but to ordinary people, changing where they live can be a tricky endeavor. Also, almost all the caregivers working in Seongsim are married. Meaning, they must consider their spouses’ careers, as well.”

Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded. For sure, such problems required in-depth consideration.

“Finally, many caregivers simply don’t want to leave Seongsim.”

“Mm? How come?”

“Caregivers in an orphanage aren’t doing this job for the sake of making money. In fact, they could have easily made more money if they had spent the same amount of energy they had devoted to these orphans on other types of work.”

“Mm.”

“Of course, you as the chairman have been paying very good wages to the Seongsim caregivers, so that’s not exactly the case this time. But still, these aunties simply enjoy working there because of the children. That’s why they are reluctant to leave Seongsim.”

Kang Jin-Ho gently smiled. Even though the news wasn’t good, he didn’t feel bad about it. On the contrary, he was happy. It was all thanks to good people like them that the Seongsim Orphanage had turned into such a wonderful place.

“For now... Tell them we’ll handle the issue of their residences.”

Jo Gyu-Min tilted his head. “Sorry?”

“Let’s build houses or buy apartments near the orphanages for them to stay.”

“...That’s not a bad idea, but it’ll cost a lot of money.”

“Sure, but if we buy them, we should be able to sell those places later. That should recoup the cost somewhat.”

“I see. You’re thinking of it as a long-term investment... Since you have a lot of financial leeway right now, buying apartments or building houses shouldn’t put a strain on you, but I don’t think you will make your money back, Mister Jin-Ho. Because of how remote these locations are, the real estate prices won’t see any significant increase.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Understood. I’ll push ahead in that direction, then. Since the caregivers will have to relocate along with their family members, we’ll take that into consideration and try to pay for their lease deposit.”

“Mm,” Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Please do so. This is important, after all.”

“I agree. Building the orphanage isn’t the only important thing to consider, after all. I’ll do my best to replicate the atmosphere of Seongsim in these locations.”

“Got it. It won’t be easy, though.”

Kang Jin-Ho was fully aware that this was nothing more than a fanciful wish at this point. After all, the desired atmosphere wasn’t something one could artificially create.

“But the important part is having caregivers who care about the children.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Mister Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded, finally feeling relieved after listening to Jo Gyu-Min’s assurance.

“Then... What about their wages?”

“We’ve proposed doubling their current pay.”

“You can increase it even more if you think that will help. Raise it as much as possible so that the caregivers can afford to move with their families.”

“But we must consider the differences between different caregivers and their circumstances. If there is too big of a pay gap between them, it’s only going to sow disharmony.”

“Hmm. In that case, how about raising everyone’s wages?”

“That might not be a bad idea. Except, doing so could make the idea of moving house completely pointless in the eyes of the caregivers.”

“...Mm. Urgh.”

What a tricky problem this was.

The sight of troubled Kang Jin-Ho made Jo Gyu-Min smile gently. “This is what running a business is like, Mister Jin-Ho. Once you start digging into the nitty-gritty, there won’t be an end to the things you notice. It’s up to you to figure out where you’d like to draw the line and make compromises.”

When he said that, Jo Gyu-Min suddenly gasped.

“Ah! My apologies for being insolent, sir. You’re now the chairman of a large company, after all.”

“Don’t be like that,” Kang Jin-Ho replied with a groan. “Because, if you do that, I’ll also be tempted to use excessive honorifics with you.”

“Please don’t. You must fight that temptation, Mister Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled wryly. Being here, talking to Jo Gyu-Min like this, reminded him of the past. Back then, he learned a lot from Jo Gyu-Min, didn’t he? Not only that, but they also discussed many things, too. Exactly like right now.

“Then... Any other problems?”

Jo Gyu-Min frowned deeply. “Our attempts to take over the existing orphanages have run into a bit of a problem.”

“Mm?”

“I’ve compiled a list of the worst orphanages. These places have genuinely terrible facilities, and the orphans are poorly fed, as well.”

“Really? And what are the government social workers doing?”

“Unfortunately, the government officials are salary workers at the end of the day. How many bureaucrats currently working in the welfare-related departments do you think have joined said departments with the desire to improve the welfare of their fellow citizens? I’m sure a few of them have tried their best to stick to their ideals, at least initially.

“However, they will eventually bury their heads in the sand after dealing with one too many malicious complainants and running into the heavies a couple of times on their way home.”

“...Such things happen for real?”

When Kang Jin-Ho asked that in disbelief, Jo Gyu-Min stared back in his own disbelief. “Mister Jin-Ho, aren’t you underestimating Hell Joseon a little too much?”

“...”

Jo Gyu-Min chuckled helplessly when Kang Jin-Ho clamped his mouth shut.

“Let me clarify before you misunderstand me, Mister Jin-Ho. I don’t like that term at all. I honestly believe few places around the world are as good to live as South Korea. It’s just that... Well, the events I’ve described happen everywhere, and not just in Korea. It’s not that our country hasn’t evolved and become better. No, it’s the humans that have failed to do that.”

“Mm...”

Kang Jin-Ho had to agree with that sentiment. After all, he was guilty of this, too. Even though he wanted to resolve conflicts through dialogue as much as possible, didn’t he always snap and crush the other side violently if he couldn’t be bothered anymore?

I guess I have no right to get shocked about it, then.

Jo Gyu-Min continued to explain. “That’s where we are currently. And for some strange reason, Korea doesn’t have enough government officials, so the government can’t send people to inspect every orphanage in the country. Not only no one is happy to have them snooping around, but them being absent from office will lead to accusations of government officials shirking off their duties, too.”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t understand any of this with his common sense.

“In any case, you shouldn’t expect the government officials to be proactive about anything, Mister Jin-Ho. It’s not their fault, though. The way I see it, problems like this will never get sorted under the Korean government’s current system. You’d get much faster results by attracting the attention of current affairs TV shows instead. Even then, it’d be nothing more than sweeping things under the carpet, but still, it’s better than nothing, isn’t it?”

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression grew weird as he studied Jo Gyu-Min’s face.

Ah, that’s right. He’s always been like this.

He suddenly remembered that Jo Gyu-Min was a deeply cynical person. Since Lee Hyeon-Su’s cynicism was laced with a hint of mischievousness, his words felt more like a blow from a toy hammer, but Jo Gyu-Min’s was much sharper, like a well-honed knife or something.

“Okay, got it. So what happened?” Kang Jin-Ho asked.

“We’ve approached the orphanages with the worst conditions first, but... They are simply not willing to talk reasonably. In fact, some even got very confrontational.”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “In other words, you want my side to step in.”

“Yes, it seems that’s the only way. Before that, however...” Jo Gyu-Min took off his glasses, then pulled out his briefcase stashed under the couch. He retrieved several pages from the briefcase and handed them over to Kang Jin-Ho. “Here, this is my personal report.”

“...? A report on what, exactly?”

“Reports on the bastards who had laid their disgusting hands on the orphans.”

“...!” Kang Jin-Ho’s expression stiffened noticeably. “When you say they laid their hands on the kids... Is it what I think it is?”

“Yes. According to my investigation, there’s no question about it. However, if you need proof, I...”

“No. No need.” Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “My side can uncover the evidence if needed. Our people snooping around for a few days should be enough to confirm the suspicion.”

Without reading the report, Kang Jin-Ho handed it back to Jo Gyu-Min.

“Send these to Chief Lee.”

“I’ve already done so.”

“I see. That makes our discussion easier, then.”

Kang Jin-Ho took out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket, then mouthed a cigarette.

“Fuu-woo...”

After exhaling a puff of cigarette smoke, Kang Jin-Ho muttered expressionlessly.

“If it was all a misunderstanding, I’m sure we can reach an amicable agreement with these people.”

Jo Gyu-Min grimly asked, “What if it’s not a misunderstanding?”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the top page of the report. After confirming the photo and the age of the “suspect”, he casually shrugged. “Looks like he’s already lived a long life.”

“...Please don’t kill him. Yes, he deserves to die, but still.”

“We’ll hand him over to the cops, then.”

“That should be for the best, yes.”

Jo Gyu-Min sighed softly under his breath.

This was why so many people clamored for more power and connections.

It was obvious that the crimes these disgusting men had committed over the years must’ve led to several complaints being lodged against them by anonymous accusers. Indeed, they must’ve been investigated several times by now. However, every time that happened, these people walked away scot-free with zero punishment.

Influential people in rural areas maintained a “good” relationship with their local police. And the crimes they committed got washed away without a trace with the help of expensive foreign liquor and white envelopes filled with cash exchanging hands during late-night “discussions between adults.” That was how political connections worked.

However, rather unfortunately for these individuals, political power could become as powerless as a burning candle before the sun when subjected to even greater political power.

The moment Kang Jin-Ho reaches out to the police... The local police station in question would get flipped on its head and shaken around non-stop until all the dirt fell out in the open. And the odds of special investigators from a higher-level government department than the police being dispatched were high, too.

That should clean house in no time at all.

Kang Jin-Ho suddenly scowled. “By the way?”

“Yes?”

“The cops are supposed to deal with things like this, right? Isn’t that the law?”

“...Yes, it is.”

“But now, we have to step up instead? Doesn’t that mean we deserve some kind of compensation?”

“...!”

Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged. “I’m sure this bastard won’t have a problem serving his sentence even if he’s missing a leg. What do you say?”

“...” Jo Gyu-Min stared dazedly at Kang Jin-Ho before chuckling helplessly. “Yes, I guess so.”

“So you agree.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression finally changed as if he felt more at ease now.

It wasn’t as if he cared a lot about the crimes of other people. He had no right to judge or criticize them, after all.

However, that criterion didn’t apply to the crime of touching kids.

This was not a matter of his sense of justice. He simply could not accept the fact that disgusting bastards like them dared to hide within society and breathed the same air as him. That was all.

“If it were up to me, I would...!”

Jo Gyu-Min urgently cried out, “You mustn’t get involved personally! Never!”

“...Fine. I won’t.” Kang Jin-Ho ruefully smacked his lips.

“In any case... My investigation has uncovered cases of truly horrendous mismanagement in some orphanages as well. These bastards really outdid themselves while lining their pockets.”

Kang Jin-Ho scowled deeply again. “It feels like all orphanages have problems of some kind, doesn’t it?”

“As I’ve told you before, that’s not strictly the case. Many are being managed properly. Yes, there are many instances of negligible corruption and fraud where the parties involved take shortcuts and break a few laws. However, those aren’t concerning enough for us to step in and do something about them. It’s not like we’re cops, anyway.”

“Sure. So, what’s the issue, then?”

“The problem is with a handful of them. Fewer than ten percent of the orphanages I’ve investigated, in fact. I simply cannot fathom what’s on their minds while managing the orphanages. But, with so many orphans staying there, we can’t shut those places down willy-nilly.”

That was when Jo Gyu-Min cautiously glanced at Kang Jin-Ho.

His expression was so obvious that even Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly. “I see. So, what’s the conclusion, then?”

“This is my personal opinion, but...”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Do you mind if we increase the number of orphanages? Finding new orphanage directors for those problematic places won’t be easy, and no matter how much we try to fix them, they will remain broken, in my opinion.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled again. “Didn’t you say we should start small the last time we had this talk?”

“Yes, I have, but... I know we’re stretching ourselves thin here, but it wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t...”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned deeply while puffing away.

Yes, this is why I enjoy hanging out with Jo Gyu-Min.

Even though Jo Gyu-Min had a cold exterior, his inside was as warm as it could get.

“Got it. Increase the number as much as possible.”

“Understood. However, what is the budget you have in mind?”

“No.”

“...? I’m sorry?”

When Jo Gyu-Min tilted his head in confusion, Kang Jin-Ho replied calmly.

“I’m saying, you should increase the number of orphanages until you think there are too many for you to handle. Don’t worry about the funds. I don’t have other expenses to worry about, anyway.”

“Does that mean... MK will be officially footing the bill?”

Kang Jin-Ho took out his phone without saying anything else, then opened a banking app before showing Jo Gyu-Min the current status of his bank balance.

“Uh...Whoa?”

Jo Gyu-Min alternated his stunned gaze between the phone and Kang Jin-Ho.

“This is the result of Chief Lee Hyeon-Ju depositing my wages, dividends, and shares from the previous Assembly Master’s wealth into my account. I never had much use for all this money, so... This should be enough, right?”

“Since when did you learn how to use a banking app, Mister Jin-Ho? I’m impressed!”

“...”

“Goodness me!”

Ah. So that’s what you were surprised about. Hah. Hahah...

Kang Jin-Ho resolutely chose to omit the fact that Lee Hyeon-Su had installed this app on the phone for him.