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Translator: uly
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Sealing the Deal
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Chapter 11
Lee Dae-hyuk's words made Kim Jae-woon pause.
"…Are you saying you have a way to secure the funds?"
"My father is the chairman of Daehan Group."
Lee Dae-hyuk casually brought up his father.
Behind him stood Chairman Lee Myung-guk and the full might of Daehan Group.
It was a kind of 'message' assuring him that he'd secure ample seed money, so there was no need to worry.
Only then did Kim Jae-woon's expression ease a bit.
A conglomerate like Daehan Group could surely scrape together 10 billion won somehow.
On the other hand, a faint look of apology crossed Lee Dae-hyuk's face.
Mentioning his father and Daehan Group was just to put Kim Jae-woon at ease.
This would be the last time he relied on his father's name.
He was confident he could gather the seed money without Daehan Group anyway.
"So, you can rest assured about the seed money. I'll bring back more than enough within three months—plenty overflowing."
"…Yes."
Perhaps reassured, Kim Jae-woon replied with a much lighter expression.
At that, Lee Dae-hyuk clapped his palms together sharply.
He'd just remembered the most important part.
"Oh, right! Where are you staying now? If it's not suitable, I was thinking of setting you up with an officetel."
"Ah, uh… well… yes…."
Kim Jae-woon stammered.
Truth be told, anyone could tell from his shabby appearance that his living situation wasn't great.
Normally, pride would have made him insist he was fine.
But what was the point of pride with a chaebol heir?
"Thank you."
Kim Jae-woon bowed his head to Lee Dae-hyuk.
Did that honesty win him over?
Lee Dae-hyuk's smile deepened as he spoke.
"For the next two years, please focus solely on investing."
"...."
One shocking proposal after another.
Kim Jae-woon was dumbfounded, like Cinderella herself.
To get an offer like this from a chaebol heir who'd appeared out of nowhere.
It was like a fairy tale—no, a dream.
But Kim Jae-woon wasn't foolish enough to get swept away in sweet dreams and flail about.
"…I may be young, but I've seen a lot of dirty dealings in life. So I don't trust people's words easily."
"That's a good habit. Trust actions, not words."
There was weight to Lee Dae-hyuk's words.
In truth, he was saying them not just to Kim Jae-woon, but to his past self.
To the man who'd trusted Yu Jae-man and lived like a dog his whole life, only to die that way.
"I'll pay you 5 million won as a signing bonus after we draw up the contract."
Kim Jae-woon nodded at Lee Dae-hyuk's words.
"If you keep your promises, I'll repay you dozens—no, hundreds of times over."
Fire blazed in Kim Jae-woon's eyes.
He was certain Lee Dae-hyuk was the lifeline to change his life.
But Lee Dae-hyuk remained calm.
"No need for repayment. This is business. Emotions later. For now, let's focus on our respective tasks."
"Thank you."
"Oh, and there's one more condition."
"Yes?"
.
.
.
Kim Jae-woon looked at Lee Dae-hyuk with tense anticipation.
Lee Dae-hyuk smiled softly and continued.
"It's not a difficult one. You can invest the 10 billion advance and half the seed money however you see fit. But please invest the other half in the company I designate. That's my condition."
Lee Dae-hyuk's condition was a mark of respect for Kim Jae-woon.
As the one providing the seed money, salary, and even an officetel—the dominant party—he didn't need to add conditions.
But he treated Kim Jae-woon as an equal partner and showed courtesy.
"...."
Kim Jae-woon understood.
In other words: trade the initial 10 billion and half the future seed money freely, then put it into Credit Default Swaps.
And the remaining seed money only in the companies Lee Dae-hyuk wanted.
"Got it. That's not a condition—it's only natural."
After answering, Kim Jae-woon bit his lip.
His fighting spirit ignited.
Capital enough to chase his dreams was coming into his hands.
Money he'd only imagined in his head.
He'd finally grasped the chance to change his life.
'I'll turn it into ten times—no, a hundred times more.'
Did that burning gaze please him?
Lee Dae-hyuk continued with a satisfied look.
"Then, here's your signing bonus."
He pulled five 1-million-won checks from his wallet and handed them over.
Kim Jae-woon was quite startled.
Handing over 5 million won right away.
It was pocket change to Lee Dae-hyuk, but to Kim Jae-woon, who'd struggled to put food on the table day by day, it was a fortune.
But it didn't end there.
Lee Dae-hyuk even pulled the latest model phone from his jacket's inner pocket.
"...."
To him, speechless once more, Lee Dae-hyuk offered the phone.
"I'll send the contract and other details to this phone tomorrow. Use it for all personal communication between us going forward."
"Th-thank you."
With slightly trembling hands, Kim Jae-woon took the checks and phone, then bowed deeply to Lee Dae-hyuk.
The wariness that had lingered moments ago was gone, replaced by loyalty and trust.
Lee Dae-hyuk had bought Kim Jae-woon's heart with 5 million won and a phone.
But for now, it was just pulling a drowning man from the water.
In time, that gratitude would fade, and he'd demand better terms.
'As time passes and things get comfortable, people demand more. That's human nature.'
But there was no need to worry.
He already knew the money-making future.
If Kim Jae-woon witnessed that success firsthand, he'd stay loyal—no betrayal.
"Then, I'll contact you once everything's ready."
With a light nod to Kim Jae-woon, Lee Dae-hyuk stood.
***
The day after meeting Kim Jae-woon, Lee Dae-hyuk sprang into action.
He had to start work in a week, and the tasks piling up beforehand were a mountain.
First, he used his own money to secure a 40-pyeong officetel in Gangnam.
Yoon Tae-ho kept tagging along, prying into everything, which got annoying.
But his diligent legwork paid off—he found a perfect officetel for Kim Jae-woon.
Exactly two days after their meeting.
"Wow…."
Stepping into the 40-pyeong officetel in Gangnam, Kim Jae-woon felt like he'd entered a new world.
Thanks to Lee Dae-hyuk, he'd regained his freedom(?).
No more threatening calls from the multi-level marketing group, and he could finally pay his back rent.
He'd even filled his belly with pork belly for the first time in ages, savoring simple happiness.
But entering the officetel shocked him again.
It was packed with the latest computer setup and high-end furniture.
The bed, sofa, wardrobe—all luxury items he'd never dreamed of in his monthly rental.
And the computer: top-spec with three monitors.
"How much is all this worth…."
His hands were already itching.
He brimmed with confidence that these tools could earn him tens of billions.
Yet, beyond that confidence, Kim Jae-woon was astonished by another side of Lee Dae-hyuk.
'To think he'd considered that….'
Over tea with Lee Dae-hyuk, he'd heard about the companies he wanted to invest in.
Apple. Facebook. Amazon.
All with immense potential.
Of course, some still doubted their futures.
But Kim Jae-woon had a hunch.
These companies Lee Dae-hyuk named would revolutionize life in America—no, the whole world.
.
.
.
"Impressive. Have you studied economics separately?"
Stroking his chin at Kim Jae-woon's question, Lee Dae-hyuk replied.
"Not really. I've just picked up a few things from watching."
He brushed off the praise with a smile.
But Kim Jae-woon was still dumbfounded.
"That makes it even more impressive. Choosing companies with paradigm-shifting potential purely on insight. I agree with you, Mr. Lee. If I had the money, I'd have poured everything into them."
Seeing Kim Jae-woon's agreement, Lee Dae-hyuk grinned.
He'd figured Kim Jae-woon shared his vision.
'His instincts are innate.'
His prediction that those companies would skyrocket came from regressing 15 years into the past—a fact he knew.
Like cheating on a test.
Yet Kim Jae-woon, blind to the future, had spotted not just the subprime mortgage crisis but also the companies that would lead the global economy.
Lee Dae-hyuk planned to make full use of that talent.
For which he needed…
'More capital.'
There were ways to gather seed money.
But for massive sums, he'd have to take risks.
'It won't be easy right away. Still, I need 10 billion—no, more.'
This time, he'd liquidate everything he owned except Daehan Group shares.
Half that money would go to Kim Jae-woon for initial investments, the other half to secure more seed money.
'Gotta move step by step.'
From now on, he'd need both brains and brawn.
As Lee Dae-hyuk reviewed his plans, Kim Jae-woon's voice came.
"President, may I ask one question…?"
Sometime during this, Kim Jae-woon had switched to calling him 'President.'
Lee Dae-hyuk was his employer, so he'd sorted out the title.
And Lee Dae-hyuk didn't refuse it.
"Of course. Speak freely."
With his gentle response, Kim Jae-woon swallowed hard and slowly asked.
"…I want to know your goal, President. That way, I can calculate how much I need to earn to satisfy you."
After a moment to gather his thoughts, Lee Dae-hyuk answered Kim Jae-woon's question.
"My goal is… to make Daehan Group the world's top global corporation. And I want to be its chairman."
"...!!"
Kim Jae-woon couldn't respond right away.
Lee Dae-hyuk's ambition was far grander than he'd imagined.
"...."
He couldn't reply easily.
He'd expected something like Korea's top conglomerate or Asia's number one.
But aiming for the world's best—a height even Seojin Group hadn't reached?
"Do you think my goal is a pipe dream?"
At Lee Dae-hyuk's counterquestion, Kim Jae-woon organized his thoughts.
'Sweet words are easy. But….'
As his employee and colleague, he had to speak plainly.
Kim Jae-woon decided to hit the nail on the head.
"Daehan Group is second in Korea's business world, but expanding to East Asia—China, Japan, Korea—it falls outside the top 20. It hasn't fully conquered the domestic market yet, and it's only making slight headway in autos and cosmetics. Elsewhere, it's getting crushed by Seojin Group. Can a group that can't beat Seojin aim for world number one?"
He needed to judge if Lee Dae-hyuk was just a chaebol heir playing at money games or a shrewd visionary betting everything on his ambitions.
That would set his own path.
"For a goal not to be empty, there needs to be a plan. Right now, it sounds like pie in the sky."
Lee Dae-hyuk wasn't even Daehan Group's heir yet.
So Kim Jae-woon couldn't fully trust his words.
Lee Dae-hyuk acknowledged that.
He was powerless now.
But.
"I know words alone lack persuasion right now. Watch my actions and results going forward, then judge. That'll be the answer to my dream."
Kim Jae-woon raised no further objections.
As he said, just observe for now.
And he'd maximize his skills in the 'stock market battlefield' to aid his path.
For that, ammo had to come first.
Kim Jae-woon broached the topic carefully.
"While we talked, I calculated the needed funds. To invest in 'Apple, Facebook, Amazon' and build real influence, we need at least another 10 billion on top of the minimum."
Scattering the initial 5 billion he'd mentioned across those companies would yield minimal influence or gains from stock rises.
From their conversation, Kim Jae-woon also realized Lee Dae-hyuk wasn't just investing for profit.
"You're not just aiming to make money and buy up Daehan Group shares. You see something bigger. Am I right?"
"Yes. Money matters, but what I want is infrastructure ties with these companies."
Boss, Become a Chaebol