Chapter 37: For Me...?

“My friend who entered a monastery was known by the monastic name Popchin.”

Chairman Park Yeongil spoke first, apparently to make it easier for me to understand everything.

“Popchin heard rumors that I suffered from azoospermia. Ever since then, he started sending me rare medicinal herbs.”

“I am curious why Monk Popchin cared about you with such sincerity.”

“If an old monk hadn't looked after us during the Korean War, we would have died long ago. To repay his kindness, I made enormous donations to the temple. And I personally supported Popchin.”

“I see. Please continue.”

“However, even the medicinal herbs Popchin sent couldn't cure my infertility. Fifteen years ago, my wife left this world, and I was left completely alone.”

‘Ah, so that's why he lives by himself in such an enormous house.’

“Your wife surely went to a better place.”

“She did many good deeds before her death, so that is probably true.”

At that moment, President Cho Myeongjeong spoke up as if he had something to add.

“If Chairman Park's late wife hadn't taken Secretary Kang and me in back then, we never would have become decent human beings.”

“I don't quite understand what you mean, President.”

“Secretary Kang and I have something in common. We are both orphans and former convicts. When we were young, we served time in a juvenile facility for violent robbery. Even after our release, we failed to come to our senses and returned to our old ways. One day, we broke into Chairman Park's house to steal valuables, and his guards caught us.”

“Chairman Park's wife must have pitied us. Instead of reporting us to the police, she gave us a large sum of money and let us go. Then, six months later, we met her by chance again, and after learning that we were orphans, she began treating us like her own children.”

After President Cho Myeongjeong, Chief Secretary Kang Inhan also spoke.

“Oh, so that was your past.”

“Yes, that's exactly right. Please continue your conversation with the Chairman.”

Lost in his memories, Chief Secretary Kang Inhan respectfully stepped back, and Chairman Park Yeongil calmly continued.

“As time passed, Popchin came to visit me around my seventieth birthday. And he brought a cat with him... or rather, a wildcat.”

The average lifespan of wildcats is ten to fifteen years. Since Chairman Park was now eighty-five, the cat had to be at least fifteen years old. Yet the beast that had just been rubbing against me looked full of energy, as if it were no older than two or three.

‘Fine, I can explain away its gentle nature by assuming it was raised by humans from a young age, but everything else is too strange.’

I tilted my head in confusion and listened carefully.

“As a gift for my seventieth birthday, Popchin gave me a herbal tranquilizing pill.”

“Could it be... the tranquilizer I took was that very gift Monk Popchin gave you on your seventieth birthday?”

“You're absolutely right, Intern Cha.”

“But how could you give me something so precious?”

“I thought that if I took the medicine myself, it would be wasted.”

“Hm, please continue.”

“I asked Popchin what properties the pill had, but he never answered me. Then yesterday morning, I received news that he was in critical condition, so I rushed to the monastery where he lived.”

‘Ah, so that's why Chairman Park didn't summon me.’

“It was only when he was close to death that Popchin finally told me about the pill's effects.”

“Please tell me what those effects are.”

“It turns out that he believed my inability to have children was caused by a lack of masculine vitality.”

“Ah, so that's why my stamina and masculine vigor increased so dramatically.”

“You could put it that way. In addition, he knew I was the head of a huge corporation and thought that I needed exceptional intelligence, overwhelming charisma, cool-headed judgment, and an iron will.”

“And you're saying there are medicinal ingredients capable of developing such abilities?”

“Intern Cha, just think carefully about why all those abilities manifested in you.”

“Even so...”

Since all of this had happened to me, denying the obvious would have been foolish. Feeling somewhat awkward, I scratched the back of my head and asked another question.

“Chairman, does this tranquilizer have any other hidden effects?”

“Give me an example so I understand what you're talking about.”

“Well... something like the ability to suppress other people's actions or control their will?”

“Ha-ha, where would such miracles come from in our world?”

In other words, there was nothing like that.

‘But there must be a good reason why that guy on the electric scooter and those robbers suddenly collapsed to the ground...’

Unable to figure it out, I continued questioning Chairman Park.

“Then how did Monk Popchin know what effects the pill had?”

“He said that because the ingredients were incredibly rare and precious, he had only managed to refine two pills. Since he had no volunteers for clinical testing, he fed one of them to a stray cat that lived around the temple.”

“A normal cat, not a wildcat?”

“He clearly told me that it was an ordinary cat.”

“Ah, so that's why this wildcat is still so energetic and healthy. Because it ate the pill?”

“Most likely. Popchin said that the cat had become a sacred being capable of understanding human speech.”

Even ordinary dogs and cats could understand humans to some extent if trained properly. A cat that had swallowed a medicine with such incredible effects would naturally be different.

“That definitely makes sense.”

“Before he died, Popchin asked me to take care of the cat, calling it his child.”

“Ah, so that's why you brought it with you, Chairman?”

“Exactly, Intern Cha.”

I felt that Chairman Park was making a mistake. A wildcat wasn't a pet. It belonged in nature, hunting field mice and other prey.

“Wouldn't it be better to return it to the wild?”

“Let's keep it with us for now. If things don't work out, then we'll release it.”

“That sounds better.”

“They say this cat is so intelligent that it taught itself to use the toilet properly.”

“Amazing. But why did it jump into my arms the moment it saw me?”

“Perhaps it is one of the effects of the medicine, allowing two beings to recognize one another.”

“Hm, based on what you've said, that seems possible.”

“Now, let's move on to the truly important matter.”

I knew perfectly well what Chairman Park was getting at. But if I voiced my guesses directly, it might ruin the atmosphere, so I decided to pretend I knew nothing.

“I'm listening carefully.”

“Six years ago, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Fortunately, it was discovered at an early stage, and the tumor was completely removed during surgery. That was when I began searching for a successor capable of leading my company.”

“But couldn't you pass the company on to President Cho or Secretary Kang?”

“They both refused flatly. They say that because of their criminal records and lack of proper education, they do not possess the stature needed to lead a corporation.”

President Cho Myeongjeong's and Chief Secretary Kang Inhan's excuses sounded rather forced. There was no law preventing a former convict from running a business. Moreover, despite their lack of degrees, Chairman Park fully acknowledged their abilities. There had to be another reason behind it, but I had no desire to pry.

“Is there really a law saying that an uneducated ex-convict can't run a company?”

“That's exactly what I told them. I made the offer countless times, but every time they refused. Because of that, I resumed my search for a successor, and now you've reached the final stage, Intern Cha. However, several days ago, during a comprehensive medical examination, it turned out that the cancer had metastasized to my liver.”

“......”

“My attending physician said that because it was discovered too late, I have only one or two years left at most. Therefore, I propose the following. Let's consider all your tests passed, and from this moment onward, you will begin training as my successor.”

Unfortunately, I couldn't accept Chairman Park's offer.

“Chairman, I still have an obligation to work for Hangang Group for five years.”

“If you don't become a permanent employee, that obligation will automatically disappear.”

“I understand what you mean, but please wait about three months.”

“Give me one reason why I should wait.”

“My grandparents and my mother are very proud that I became an intern at Hangang Group. If I suddenly quit, they'll worry terribly.”

“Can't you simply explain everything to them?”

“Three months will pass in the blink of an eye.”

Chairman Park Yeongil already knew how stubborn Cha Jiham could be. It was obvious that no matter what he said, the young man would simply ignore it.

“Whew... I suppose there is no helping it.”

“Chairman, thank you for accommodating me.”

“What is there to thank me for? To become my successor, you will have to fulfill two requests.”

“Please tell me what they are.”

“First, just as I did, you must continuously seek out and nurture promising venture companies.”

“That isn't a difficult request at all.”

“That's what I like about you—your decisiveness. The second request is this: when I die, I want my ashes, my wife's ashes, and Popchin's ashes buried on a hill overlooking my hometown.”

Chairman Park's hometown was Hoeyang in Gangwon Province, which was now part of North Korea. There was no way to reach it, so how could I possibly bury the ashes of three people in their inaccessible homeland? Logically, I should have said it was impossible, but I remained silent. I deeply engraved in my heart just how desperately Chairman Park longed for his home.

“I don't know when that day will come, but no matter what it costs me, I will fulfill your wish.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

The aching longing for his homeland was clearly audible in Chairman Park's voice.

“No thanks are necessary.”

“If you have any questions about what I've said, ask them.”

“Please forgive my impudence, but let's assume you pass away. Should I donate your wealth to charity?”

“I have already donated enormous sums to society throughout my life. I have absolutely no desire to donate the rest of my assets as well.”

“But you don't have any family to inherit your fortune.”

“What do you mean, no family? I have you, Intern Cha. I want to leave it to you.”

“...What?! To me?”

Caught completely off guard, I pointed at myself and stared at Chairman Park.

“You're the successor who will fulfill my most important wishes.”

Inwardly, I decided to gratefully inherit Chairman Park's wealth. Since he was offering it himself, why should I refuse? Besides, as the saying goes, money can make even the devil pull a plow. In other words, it would not only grant me financial freedom but also allow me to uncover the truth behind my sister's accident. However, agreeing too quickly would make me look greedy, so it was only proper to refuse once.

“Chairman, I sincerely appreciate your offer, but I must decline.”

“Well, if you don't want it, there is nothing I can do.”

“......”

“What? Upset?”

“...Yes.”

“Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

At my dejected voice, Chairman Park Yeongil burst into loud, booming laughter. Having revealed my true feelings, I could only sit there awkwardly. After laughing for a while, he continued.

“To inherit my wealth, you first have to earn a huge amount of money yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“The one who receives the inheritance must pay taxes to the government. And I have no intention of giving you money for that.”

Chairman Park's personal assets amounted to an astounding seventy trillion won. Since the inheritance tax rate was fifty percent, that meant I would somehow have to come up with thirty-five trillion won. How could someone who barely had a penny to his name earn such a sum in only one or two years? But before I could say that such a thing was impossible, he beat me to it.

“I'll lend you the startup capital.”

“I imagine it would have to be an enormous amount of startup capital to pay such a tax.”

“We'll think about that slowly. I haven't closed my eyes all night, and I'm quite tired.”

That was a gentle way of saying the conversation was over.

As I stepped into the reception room to head home, the cat, as if it had been waiting for this moment, immediately jumped into my arms. Now that I knew about its connection to Monk Popchin, I couldn't simply push it away. As soon as I gently stroked its head, it narrowed its eyes contentedly, looking as though it were smiling.

‘Definitely a sacred animal.’

But when I put it down to leave, an unexpected problem arose. Refusing to part with me, the cat leapt onto my chest again. I couldn't bring it home with me right away, so I put it down once more, but the same thing happened.

‘How am I supposed to get rid of him?’

While I desperately searched for a solution, Chairman Park, who had been watching with a smile, said,

“Don't you think this rascal has already acknowledged you as his master?”

On that point, I completely agreed with Chairman Park. Otherwise, why would a wildcat cling to me so desperately?

“It certainly seems that way.”

“Then take him with you.”

“...What?!”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“My home is too small. There isn't enough room to keep a wildcat.”

“I'll prepare a solution for that, so even if it's inconvenient, please take him in for at least half a month.”

I interpreted Chairman Park's words as meaning that he intended to prepare a special place for the cat in his mansion. However, it would take me about half a month to realize just how mistaken I was.

“Alright. I'll take him.”

At that very moment, the wildcat became the newest member of our family.