The Famous Millionaire

The entrance exam of Sinsung University was taken at the school classrooms in large cities. The exam was conducted for five hours without a break, but those who needed to pee were allowed to go to restrooms.

When the students took the exam, they showed various reactions. Some of the students who showed confidence about their excellence in exams let out a sigh, while inferior students exclaimed in joy.

The questions of the exam were just ridiculous. In fact, they were intended to test the applicants’ creativity, not their knowledge.

Question 1: You have no spoons. You can’t use hands. How would you eat?

Question 2: You have to build a home with the given materials. How would you build it?

Question 3: China’s Northeast Project is underway now. How can you stop this?

Question 4: There are many poor countries in the world. How can you make the children of these countries not hungry?

Question 5:…

Question 6…..

All the questions were like that and there were 100 of them.

The students taking the exam found the questions ridiculous. They felt these kinds of questions needed several hours to answer even one question.

How could they solve all the problems in five hours?

Of course, Hyunwoo and the teachers were aware of the problem because they intentionally offered such questions.

After the exam was over, the university officials explained why the exam questions were like that.

“Do you think you have to solve all the questions here? The entrance exam of Sinsung University is not about how many questions you answered accurately. We just wanted to test how much creativity you showed in solving even one question.”

After all, it didn’t matter how many questions they answered.

After two months of scoring the applicants’ tests, they announced 1,000 who passed the test. The successful applicants were happy as if they passed the state civil service exams.

Hyunwoo was also happy. The better the image of Sinsung University became, the more students would apply.

“Please speed up the construction. We’re going to select 5,000 students next year. And three years later, we are going to increase the total number of enrollment to 10,000,” said Hyunwoo.

He also continued to expand Haenim School and STM Research Center. He already invested over two trillion won.

He didn’t have to worry about the sites of the school and the research center. Sosan City already donated state land of 10,000 pyong (3.3ha). Also all the lands Hyunwoo purchased secretly for years were totaled to one million pyong (330ha).

Out of the two trillion won in educational investment, Hyunwoo spent one trillion won in purchasing the land.

He also spent lots of money on hiring doctors who would teach students and do research at the same time.

Hearing the news that Hyunwoo was spending a huge sum of money on hiring competent scholars, not only famous doctors across the country but also from abroad flocked to STM Research Center competitively.

Thanks to Hyunwoo’s dedicated efforts, Sosan City emerged as the mecca of education and research quickly. Even though Hyunwoo went to the trouble of hiring them, many people came to the city and lots of new streets and buildings mushroomed here and there.

Sosan, which was full of fields and hills only three years ago, was turning into a big city.

“Why don’t you create a music department at Sinsung University?”

“Not a problem. As long as there are excellent teachers who are willing to teach students full of passion, they can accept students in any field.”

“Don’t worry. I can make the best team composed of the best teachers in the field. Let me select the best students and make them the best stars. Our K-Pop can be developed further when we turn out such graduates. I’m going to stop my broadcasting activities and concentrate on teaching them,” said Jinyoung Paek.

But Jinyoung’s ambitious plan ran into difficulties from the start. Those stars who already rose to the top in their fields accepted Jinyoung’s offer to come and teach the students but asked for too much compensation.

Of course, Hyunwoo didn’t feel any financial burden as far as hiring teachers was concerned. He became Korea’s richest man with almost 40 trillion won three years ago, and now the value of his stocks in various countries totaled more than 60 trillion won.

What bothered Hyunwoo was not the high salary they asked for but their frame of mind.

“It looks like they’re more interested in making money than teaching students with passion. I don’t need those kinds of people.”

“Are you going to give up a music school then?”

“No, what I want is to change the selection process.”

“How?”

“Let’s give more opportunity to those who want to be the best in their fields than those who have already risen to stardom. Don’t you think they are going to be more passionate about teaching?”

Jinyoung agreed.

So, Hyunwoo and Jinyoung began to gather those who failed to receive due recognition despite their excellent skills and passion. Among them were composers, lyrics writers, dancers, vocal trainers, and stage directors.

The hopeful students applied in large numbers.

But Hyunwoo could not accept them all. So, they decided to audition them. The first class of the music department of Sinsung University would select 100 students.

Hyunwoo placed ads on that through the homepage of Haenim School.

Noticing the news, Jaeyol Song with Korean Broadcasting contacted Hyunwoo.

Jaeyol had already been promoted to the deputy director.

“Hey, Hyunwoo. I hear you’re going to audition music students at Haenim School. Is that right?”

“Yeah, that’s true. I’m in big trouble right now because more than 200,000 students applied,” said Hyunwoo, as if it was his biggest headache at the moment.

“Hahaha, I knew that would happen. That’s why I called to save you.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes opened wider at that.

“Do you have any good idea?”

“These days each broadcasting company hosts lots of audition programs to locate and select hidden musical talents. I think it would be a very good idea if Korean Broadcasting and Haenim School made a joint audition program.”

“Is that possible? You belong to the newsroom. That audition program is handled by the entertainment department, isn’t it?”

“I know its director very well. If you don’t mind, let me contact him.”

“I would appreciate if you could do so. Let me dine and wine you and your staff, hahaha.”

“Oh, that sounds good. Let me contact him through my boss.”

It was the next day that Song called Hyunwoo again.

Hyunwoo had been waiting for his call.

“Any news?”

“Absolutely. He gave a green light. Korean Broadcasting will send a team to Haenim School soon. I’ve also arranged for Kwangsu Han of Real Film to participate in the program.”

“Sound great. Let me see you in Seoul soon for a drink then.”

“Sure. Let me wait.”

Thanks to Jaeyol’s help, the auditions proceeded very well.

Initially, Hyunwoo wanted to select only 100 students, but Jinyoung asked to select 50 more.

“They are too good to miss, right?”

Hyunwoo planned to have Jinyoung take care of the music affairs at Sinsung University.

It was his idea to select 100 initially.

“Sure. Do as you want,” said Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo’s investment in education and research was not confined to the local area.

On the advice of Yu Zuung, he built the Haenim campuses as well as STM research branches in Vietnam, China, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. And he fully supported the talented students there, so that they could make the best use of their creativity.

He spent more than one trillion won in building facilities overseas, along with the continued investment worth 200 billion won in financial assistance.

Many people looked at Hyunwoo’s aggressive investment with mixed feelings. Some praised him but others expressed concern.

“Isn’t he recklessly spending money? Once he fails, he will go downhill helplessly.”

“I agree. It seems he thinks the world is in his hands.”

Of course, Hyunwoo was aware of such concern. And their concern was legitimate, he thought.

But Hyunwoo didn’t care.

Basically, he had no worries about money. Ani & Funny and KOVE DREAM kept rolling on, raking in more than 10 trillion won in net profits. STM produced not only high-end gasoline but also the Super Green of diesel and Bunker C oil, recording almost 3 trillion won in net profits per year.

Samryong Motors was also doing well, though he was worried. It had yet to turn a profit, but the initial deficits of 10 billion won was reduced to 2 billion won.

Everything seemed to go smoothly.

Besides, Hyunwoo had other good news. Finally, Yu Zuung accepted Hyunwoo’s proposal.

Their marriage received widespread media coverage not only in Korea but also around the world, but their wedding ceremony was held without fanfare in the outside park within Haenim School.

The ceremony was roses-decorated on May 17. The officiant was Suyoung Oh, principal of Haenim School, and the guests invited to the wedding ceremony, including those close to Hyunwoo, were less than 500.

And they had another wedding ceremony in Vietnam at the request of Yu Zuung’s parents.

They flew to Europe for their honeymoon. It was Yu Zuung’s dream to have a cozy and sweet time with Hyunwoo on the coast of the Mediterannerian.

She seemed very happy.

Hyunwoo was happy to see her, too. That was the happiness that can’t be bought for zillions of money.

Hyunwoo said, “I just hope we can always live like this in the future.”

“Me, too. Let’s live happily like this all the time.”

But that might be their wishful thinking, given that things don’t necessarily work out as they wish.

And that was the case of Hyunwoo, who was called one of the richest men in the world.

***

At a high-end Japanese restaurant in Seoul, four middle-aged men dined together. They were incumbent lawmakers with power in their party.

In particular, one of them was a political big shot, Jungmin Hwang, who once dined with Hyunwoo.

They broke the ice with light topics first, but suddenly Hwang brought up the main topic.

“By the way, don’t you think Mr. Hyunwoo Jang of KOVE DREAM acts in a brusque manner?”