Chapter 36: A Fateful Encounter with a Wildcat

“What do you mean you suddenly have a meeting? What kind of nonsense is that?”

Lee Ujin stared at me with utter bewilderment written all over his face.

“It just came up unexpectedly.”

“And who exactly are you planning to meet in the middle of the night?”

“I'm a little busy today, so let's do it another time. I'll tell you everything once I'm free.”

“Fine, suit yourself. If you're busy, then get lost already.”

'Wait... Is this guy [N O V E L I G H T] serious?'

“You're planning to stay at my place?”

“Well, someone has to finish the remaining chicken and alcohol.”

“Don't you think that's a little...”

“You idiot! Did my words about not being interested in children go in one ear and out the other?!”

Lee Ujin cut me off and barked at me, as though he had read my thoughts.

“I trust you as much as I trust myself. But alcohol? Not even a little.”

“Sigh, alright, alright. I'll go.”

Shaking his head, Lee Ujin stood up.

***

Chairman Park Yeongil was waiting for Cha Jiham's arrival while chatting with Chief Secretary Kang Inhan.

“Chairman, wouldn't it be better for you to rest today and postpone the meeting until tomorrow?”

“I'll get chewed out sooner or later anyway. If that's the case, I might as well get it over with.”

“That's true, but I'm worried about what this might do to your precious health.”

“I'll take care of my own body, so don't concern yourself. By the way, is Director Cho on his way?”

“I spoke to him a few minutes ago. It seems he'll arrive almost at the same time as Intern Cha.”

Ding!

Just then, the doorbell rang. Chief Secretary Kang Inhan quickly walked over to the monitor mounted on the wall. After confirming who was standing outside the gate, he reported to Chairman Park Yeongil,

“Chairman, Intern Cha has arrived.”

“Go and bring him in.”

***

As I waited for the main gate to open, a luxury sedan quietly pulled up beside the mansion.

Turning my head, I saw a man in his fifties step out.

Then something happened that I could never have expected.

The middle-aged man hurried over to me and bowed politely.

“You must be Intern Cha Jiham. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Cho Myeongjeong, Executive Director of Korea Investment. I will do my utmost to meet your expectations.”

“...What?!”

Click.

At that moment, the gate opened slightly, and Chief Secretary Kang Inhan appeared. Hearing my startled cry, he immediately intervened.

“Intern Cha, Director Cho is also under the Chairman's command.”

“Ah, I see.”

“The Chairman is waiting for you. Please come inside.”

But the moment I followed Kang Inhan onto the grounds, something unexpected happened.

A rather large feline creature suddenly leaped through the air and landed straight in my arms.

Catching it instinctively, I froze in horror.

Because the animal I was holding wasn't a housecat at all, but a genuine wildcat!

“W-What is this?!”

With a voice bordering on a scream, I threw the predator onto the ground.

Chairman Park Yeongil and the others stared at me in confusion, unable to understand what was happening.

The wildcat landed gracefully on its paws, leisurely walked over to me, and began rubbing its entire body against my legs.

I desperately tried to shake it off by waving my legs around, but the stubborn beast clung to me like glue and refused to leave.

Watching me struggle with the wildcat, Chairman Park Yeongil asked in bewilderment,

“Intern Cha, do you dislike cats that much?”

“Chairman, this isn't a cat. It's a wildcat, an endangered protected species.”

“What?!”

Realizing the seriousness of the matter, Chairman Park Yeongil and the others froze in shock.

Wildcats were known for their fierce temperament and secretive nature. Since they were classified as predators, their bite force was considerable. If one let down their guard because of their cute appearance, they could end up seriously injured.

“Wildcats are larger than ordinary cats, and their entire bodies are covered in spots. Their fur is usually yellowish-brown or reddish-brown. Although this one is unique because it's completely black.”

“Oh my.”

To help Chairman Park understand, I carefully picked up the predator and pointed to the backs of its ears.

“Wildcats have a distinctive feature—white spots on the backs of their ears. This one has them too.”

Chairman Park Yeongil stared in astonishment.

“Listening to Intern Cha, it really does sound like a wildcat. But tell me, how did you recognize it at a glance?”

“I served in a frontline unit in Gangwon Province during my military service. Wildcats often visited our base to steal leftovers from the cafeteria, so I recognize them immediately.”

“They actually eat military scraps?”

“Their main prey consists of field mice, wild birds, rabbits, and fish. But during harsh winters, when food is scarce, they raid chicken farms, steal poultry, or survive on cooked food they find near people.”

“I see.”

“But why is this wild creature here? It looks suspiciously tame...”

“I'll explain that later. Since everyone is here, why don't we head to the study?”

Once inside, Chairman Park Yeongil sat at the head of the table and addressed Director Cho Myeongjeong.

“Director Cho, have you already met Intern Cha?”

“Yes, Chairman. We greeted each other outside.”

Ignoring the answer, Chairman Park Yeongil turned to me.

“You're dying to know why I summoned you in the middle of the night, aren't you?”

“I can't deny it.”

“Today, I want to tell Intern Cha the story of my life. If you have any questions during the story, don't hesitate to ask.”

“Understood.”

Chairman Park Yeongil closed his eyes and immersed himself in memories of the past.

We remained silent, careful not to interrupt his thoughts.

After some time, he opened his eyes, as though he had completed a journey through the corridors of memory.

“I was born five years before liberation in a place called Hoeyang in Gangwon Province, which is now part of North Korea. In 1950, when I was eleven years old, the Korean War broke out. During the January retreat, my family and the villagers fled south in search of safety. But near Cheorwon, we were caught in an American air raid. Almost everyone, including my family, died on the spot.”

“How terrible...”

“Only three of us survived—my village friend, a seven-year-old girl from the neighboring house, and myself. We fled south without looking back until we reached a tiny secluded temple deep in the mountains of Hwacheon. We remained there until the war ended.”

Chairman Park Yeongil took a sip of water and continued.

“Following the advice of an elderly monk who lived there, my friend decided to abandon worldly affairs and became a monk. As for the girl and me, we moved to Seoul and struggled however we could just to avoid starving to death. Then one day, while I was working in a restaurant, Chairman Yoon Jongu and his father came in for a meal.”

“So that's when your fate first became intertwined with Chairman Yoon's?”

“You could say that. Chairman Yoon's father thought I was a clever boy and gave me a large amount of spending money. He also advised me not to waste it, but to save more and buy land in Gangnam. Back then, Gangnam was nothing but barren wasteland, but I trusted his words completely. I saved every penny and bought plot after plot.”

“That man became your savior.”

“Yes, undoubtedly. He frequently visited the restaurant afterward and shared investment secrets with me. Time passed, and I married that very girl from my village, the one who had shared hardship and joy with me. We built a family. But...”

Chairman Park Yeongil paused, considering this a crucial point.

“Five years passed, and we still had no children. At first, we were too busy surviving to think about it, but after ten years, I became anxious. Eventually, after yielding to the persistent advice of others, I underwent tests at a hospital. That's when they confirmed that the problem was mine.”

“If it's not too personal, may I ask what the problem was?”

“Sigh... It was azoospermia. I couldn't have children.”

At that moment, the true reason why Chairman Park Yeongil had no direct heirs was revealed.

“It felt like the sky had collapsed, but I decided to accept my fate.”

“......”

“Thanks to participating in development projects during the Vietnam War and the large-scale development of Gangnam during the 1970s, I earned more money than ordinary people could even imagine. It was with that capital that I founded Korea Investment.”

“And what exactly does Korea Investment do?”

Chairman Park Yeongil turned his gaze toward Director Cho Myeongjeong.

Understanding immediately, the latter answered without delay.

“Intern Cha, have you ever heard of venture capital funds?”

“As far as I know, they invest through equity purchases in companies with high technological and commercial potential that have difficulty obtaining bank loans.”

“Excellent knowledge. The Chairman has always believed that the future of our resource-poor country depends directly on the corporate sector. Our company selectively invests on a large scale in startups and promising businesses. Perhaps because of this, ordinary people know almost nothing about us.”

I suddenly recalled my conversation with Chief Secretary Kang Inhan at the end of last year.

At the time, he had mentioned that if I passed the final stage, he would explain the business run by Chairman Park Yeongil. He had also said that almost everyone among the business elite knew about the company.

'Ah, so that's what he meant. But I haven't even passed the final test yet, so why are they telling me all this now...?'

Suppressing my doubts, I continued questioning Director Cho Myeongjeong.

“How much are Korea Investment's assets, and how many employees work there?”

“Most of our assets are held in cash, stocks, and bonds. Since the value of securities constantly fluctuates, it's difficult to give exact figures, but on average, around fifty trillion won.”

“What?!”

The exclamation burst out of me involuntarily.

Fifty trillion won was a sum beyond my imagination.

Watching my reaction, Director Cho Myeongjeong smiled gently.

“Assets are liabilities plus equity. Oh, and by the way, our company has absolutely no debts.”

“......!”

“And what I just mentioned is merely the balance sheet of Korea Investment itself.”

“You mean the Chairman's personal wealth is calculated separately?”

“Exactly. I also manage the Chairman's personal assets, and they amount to approximately seventy trillion won.”

“......Unbelievable.”

“In our country, the Chairman's wealth ranks near the top, but on a global scale, it's rather ordinary.”

I completely agreed.

After all, rumors persisted that Chairman Clark Bongard's fortune exceeded one quadrillion won.

“When you think about it, that's true. How many employees does Korea Investment have?”

“Our structure consists of two major divisions: the Investment Department and the Debt Collection Department. I oversee the investment side, which employs around seven hundred specialists. Mr. Kang manages debt collection and has roughly one thousand people under his command.”

“Isn't that an awfully large number for debt collection? May I ask why?”

“Intern Cha, allow me to answer.”

Before Director Cho could speak, Chief Secretary Kang Inhan stepped in.

“Among entrepreneurs who receive funding from us, immoral individuals occasionally appear. Instead of growing their businesses, they squander investment funds on entertainment or personal expenses. As soon as such facts come to light, we immediately begin forced recovery procedures.”

“That makes sense, but how does that explain the huge number of employees?”

“I'll answer with a famous proverb: ten guards can't stop one thief.”

A thought crossed my mind.

“And what if the debtors claim they don't have a penny and insist, ‘Kill me if you want, but I have no money’?”

“If we determine that recovering the funds through legal means is completely impossible, then we really do cut them—”

Wait a second.

This country was governed by law. How could such things happen?

With some hesitation, I carefully asked Kang Inhan what he thought about that.

“We sincerely try to act within the law, but in hopeless situations, we have no other choice.”

“But wouldn't that cause legal problems?”

“Making sure that no legal problems arise is also part of our duties.”

Since he said it with such confidence, what more was there to ask?

“...I understand.”

“Incidentally, more than half of the people in the Debt Collection Department are orphans or reformed individuals with criminal records.”

“And why them?”

“Because the Chairman himself grew up an orphan, and I have a criminal record.”

“......”

'And what the hell does that have to do with anything?'

I desperately wanted to ask Chief Secretary Kang Inhan what kind of crime he had committed, but his overwhelming physique and oppressive aura prevented me from finding the courage.

“I see.”

“We'll give you a detailed briefing about Korea Investment another time. For now, return to your conversation with the Chairman.”

As Kang Inhan stepped back, Chairman Park Yeongil smiled gently and addressed me.

“Well, I've told you the rough outline of my life. Now, I suppose you're dying to know why I keep that wildcat with me?”