CH119 | VOC

Park Sol’s mother, Cho Jin-ja, was beaming, surrounded by her friends.

“Jin-ja, I heard Sol is donating all the money he earned from the gold collection campaign. Is it true?”

“500 billion won! My goodness, how much is that? I can’t even imagine.”

“500 billion won is enough to buy dozens of buildings in Gangnam. He could live comfortably off the rental income, but he’s donating it all. Sol is truly an exceptional person.”

Cho Jin-ja waved her hands dismissively, embarrassed by the praise.

“It’s nothing. He donated it because he could.”

One of her friends asked, “Why did he donate it all? He’s a businessman. Money is always good, the more the better.”

“Sol is just not good at expressing himself, but he’s a kind person. He always wanted to help those in need.”

Cho Jin-ja felt her elevated social status keenly after Park Sol’s success.

The first change was how people addressed her.

She used to be called “Jong-chan’s mom,” after her eldest son, but now she was “Sol’s mom.”

And the power dynamics within her group of friends had also shifted.

Chang-mo’s mom, whose husband owned a mid-sized company and had been the most influential figure in the group, was now just staring at her sullenly. The other mothers were now vying for her attention, eager to talk about Sol.

Then one of her friends said with a slightly troubled expression,

“Um, Jin-ja, I’m sorry to ask, but can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“My eldest son’s company went bankrupt. He’s been unemployed, and I’m worried about him. So…”

She glanced at Cho Jin-ja cautiously. “Could you ask Sol to help him find a job?”

Cho Jin-ja, remembering how Park Sol had scolded her for a similar request before, said hesitantly,

“Sol really hates it when I ask him for favors… He won’t even let my eldest son near his company.”

“Jin-ja, please. Just ask him once. I won’t bother you again if he says no.”

She pleaded, explaining her son’s situation, and the other mothers watched them expectantly.

Cho Jin-ja was troubled. “He’ll be so angry with me…”

“Just once! Please!”

Unable to refuse her long-time friend, she reluctantly picked up her phone, her heart pounding.

Park Sol was the breadwinner of the family, the most powerful figure in their household.

She felt the pressure of asking him for a favor he was likely to refuse, but she pressed the call button.

[Hello?]

“Sol, it’s Mom.”

[Yes, Mom. What’s up?]

“What are you doing? Are you busy with work?”

He chuckled. – [No, I’m having a drink.]

She almost scolded him for drinking in the middle of the day but stopped herself.

“Sol, can I ask you a favor?”

[Sure.]

She explained her friend’s situation and the job request, sweating nervously. “So, I was wondering if you could help him find a job. He’s in a difficult situation.”

…

He was silent for a moment and then said,

[He can’t work at my company.]

“I-I understand. It’s not a good idea to hire acquaintances, right?”

[But…]

Her face lit up with hope. “But?”

[I recently acquired stakes in some companies. About 20 of them. I don’t have any management control over them, just shares, so knowing me won’t be of any advantage. But if he’s interested, I can pull some strings and get him an interview. Taein Precision would be a good fit. It’s not far from Seoul. How about that?]

Her face brightened. “Really? Are you serious?”

[Yes, but don’t ask me for favors too often. Okay?]

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

Her friends, who had been waiting anxiously, asked, “What did he say? Will he help?”

She said triumphantly, “He can’t hire him at Chunha Trading, but he’ll help him find a job at another company.”

“Really? Oh my goodness, thank you so much, Jin-ja!”

“I should have asked too.”

Chang-mo’s mom, envious of the attention Cho Jin-ja was receiving, said sullenly,

“He can’t hire him at Chunha Trading? It must be a small company. Anyone can get a job at a small company.”

Their faces hardened at her words. “What do you mean?”

Chang-mo’s mom, feeling emboldened, said,

“He doesn’t want to hire him at his own company, so he’s sending him to one of his clients. My husband could do that with a single phone call.”

The friendly atmosphere turned cold at her sudden provocation.

“And donating 500 billion won? Even chaebols don’t do that. How can Sol, a junkyard owner, donate such a large sum of money? I don’t even believe he earned that much.”

Cho Jin-ja, who would have normally ignored such a remark, couldn’t tolerate her son being insulted.

“Then why didn’t you do anything? If you’re so capable, you should have helped him yourself.”

Chang-mo’s mom scoffed. “I can easily find him a better job. What’s the name of the company?”

“Taein Precision.”

Chang-mo’s mom’s eyes widened. “Taein Precision?”

She muttered, “That’s the same name as my husband’s company…”

“Well? Are you going to call him or not?”

Chang-mo’s mom put on a confident expression. “I was just about to. Wait.”

She called her husband in a sweet voice. “Honey~ are you busy?”

[Why? What is it?]

“A friend of mine asked me to help her son find a job. I said I would ask you. Is it possible?”

[…I told you it’s difficult right now.]

She was momentarily flustered but quickly regained her composure. “Please, honey. Another friend said she would help him get a job at Taein Precision, but it sounds like a small company, so I feel bad.”

[What? Taein Precision?]

She giggled. “Heehee, it’s the same name as your company, isn’t it? I was surprised too.”

[You’re sure it’s Taein Precision?]

“Yes, I am. I think she said her son made some money from the junkyard business… He’s the one who recommended it.”

Her husband was silent for a moment and then stammered, “- J-junkyard? What’s her son’s name?”

“Park Sol. The one who donated 500 billion won. That’s ridiculous…”

She was about to badmouth Park Sol when her husband shouted,

[P-Park Sol?! Park Sol of Chunha Trading? CEO Park Sol is your friend’s son?!]

She was startled. “Why are you shouting? What’s wrong?”

[CEO Park is our company’s majority shareholder! Where are you? Are you with Mrs. Park? I’ll be right there! Give me your address! You haven’t offended her, have you?]

She looked at Cho Jin-ja, sweating nervously. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so worked up about Sol?”

[He’s our biggest investor!]

* * *

“Taein Precision should be decent enough, right?” I said, raising my glass.

Taein Precision, a small but strong company with 50 billion won in annual sales, was the only company I had acquired without replacing the management team.

Unlike other CEOs who desperately clung to their positions, Taein Precision’s CEO had acknowledged the company’s dire situation and actively cooperated with me, even using his personal funds to save the company.

I was impressed by his dedication and the positive labor-management relations within the company, so I had let him keep his position.

“You’re actually helping someone find a job?” Maru said, surprised.

I chuckled. “It’s not my company, and I’m going to sell the shares soon anyway. It’s a parting gift. Once the shares are gone, we have nothing to do with them.”

The time had come to sell the companies I had acquired.

They were recovering quickly now that their financial difficulties had been resolved, and Taein Precision was leading the way.

I was helping my mother save face by finding someone a job at a company I was about to sell. It was a win-win situation.

“All I have to do is get him the job. He’s on his own after that.”

“The CEO was begging you not to sell your shares. Are you sure you want to sell?”

It was over a 30% stake.

Investors with that much ownership usually interfered in management. The CEO naturally wanted me to keep the shares. He was afraid of losing control if the shares fell into the wrong hands.

“Of course, I’m selling. What am I going to do with them? Collect dividends? I acquired them for capital gains, so I have to sell them when the price is high.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Park Jong-bum, munching on his snacks, said, “By the way, the government is ecstatic about your 500 billion won donation. They’re promoting you heavily in the news. You’re practically on TV every day now. You won’t be able to walk down the street without being recognized.”

The gold collection campaign, which had almost been cancelled due to the trading companies’ scandal, had been successfully concluded thanks to me, and my donation of the entire profit had created a heartwarming story.

The government was using this positive publicity to tout its achievements, so my face was plastered all over the news.

“Now that the gold collection campaign is over, how about a bonus party?”

Park Jong-bum smiled. “Money is always welcome.”

“How much do we have now?”

He thought for a moment.

“Hanho Savings Bank is worth about 300 billion won now that it’s recovered. Joongang Investment Corporation is worth about 3 trillion won. The Shenzhen department store and factory generate about 200 billion won in monthly sales, so they’re worth about 2 trillion won. Chunha Trading and its other businesses are worth about 1 trillion won, and we have another 1 trillion won in cash from the gold collection campaign. So in total… about 7 trillion won.”

My jaw dropped.

7 trillion won.

It was an unimaginable amount.

“Congratulations, sir. You’re unofficially the richest man in Korea.”

Considering the plummeting stock prices and the decreased asset values of the chaebols due to the economic crisis, it was a plausible claim.

“It’s nice to hear, but we’re not stopping here.”

I raised my glass.

“It’s not 7 trillion won yet. It’s only 7 trillion won. Let’s toast to becoming number one in the world, not just Korea.”

We clinked our glasses.

“To Chunha Trading!”

“Cheers!” Maru and Park Jong-bum shouted.