Chapter 41: A Morning of Promise

Hyeon-seong dropped his father off at Seoul Station and parted ways with the kids.

I returned home and gave my first instruction to Ma Seok-dae, who had been waiting for me.

“Please look into what’s going on with the Korea National Sport University judo national team selection, especially regarding Park Hyeonseong. Find out if there are any issues in the selection process or personal circumstances surrounding him.”

“Understood.”

The more I saw Ma Seok-dae, the more he reminded me of Chief Ha.

Whenever I asked a question, he would never respond with a counterquestion; he simply focused on getting the job done, which I really appreciated.

“Even if it takes time, I need you to investigate thoroughly.”

“Yes.”

Ma Seok-dae bowed to me and left the room.

After confirming the door had closed, I took out my mobile phone.

It’s Lee Sang-geun.

“This is Kim Mu-hyeok, lawyer.”

“Ah, it’s been a while, Mu-hyeok.”

“Is Uncle there with you?”

“Yes, I’ll pass you to him.”

He must have been right next to the phone, as Park Dong-su’s voice came through immediately.

“Dong-sang! What’s up? I was just about to call you!”

Hearing Park Dong-su’s familiar voice made me smile without realizing it.

“I needed to ask you for a favor. The cleanup in Busan should be reaching its final stages, right?”

“Of course! I’ve done everything I needed to, and Sang-geun is finalizing the internal details. What do you need?”

“That’s a relief. It’s about an older case—there was a murder in Saha District…”

I explained the situation regarding my parents and asked him to look into any gangsters or ex-convicts in Busan who might have heard any rumors, even the smallest details.

“It’s not a difficult task, but it’s been a while; I’m not sure if anyone remembers. I’ll keep an eye on it though.”

“Yes, it’s important, so any information, no matter how trivial, would be helpful.”

“Got it. Sang-geun is handling the organization work these days, so I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Then we’ll meet in Seoul once you finish the cleanup in Busan. Make sure you wrap things up properly before heading back.”

I thought about chatting more, but quickly hung up and fell into my thoughts.

I honestly didn’t expect much from my request to Park Dong-su, but I still held a glimmer of hope.

‘Could it really have been Cheon Su-man and Cheon Su-han who killed my parents?’

It didn’t seem like my sister would hold back on that.

‘If it truly was Cheon Su-man and Cheon Su-han… could I ignore that just because Grandfather is still alive?’

A sigh escaped my lips without me noticing.

It was a day filled with heavy thoughts.

As I pondered, dusk fell outside the window.

I had dinner with Grandfather and we talked in the study.

“You’re thinking about going to the U.S.?”

“I’m thinking about a two-week trip. There are things I need to do there.”

“You don’t have to rush; you’re already doing enough here.”

His tone was filled with concern.

He spoke with a reassuring smile.

“I’m not rushing. It’s just that I want to handle it myself.”

Grandfather nodded in agreement.

Then the conversation shifted to Ma Seok-dae.

“What do you think of Ma Seok-dae?”

“He seems like a miniature version of you, Chief.”

“What? Hahaha, so you like him, huh?”

He shrugged slightly.

“I liked him, but I’m not sure if he feels the same about me. Still, I believe he will become my ally in the end.”

“Right, it’s important to make him your ally. After all, people are your greatest asset. You need to cultivate your team and utilize them effectively; you can’t do everything alone.”

“I understand.”

During our conversation, the topic turned to the Cheon Su-man family.

“Do you still see your uncles often?”

“Not really. I rarely see them. Sometimes I meet Ji-soo for coffee, but I hardly see anyone else. Oh! Ji-young calls occasionally to check in.”

“Don’t grow too distant. In the end, family is all that remains. Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

I felt Grandfather’s gaze linger on my face as I tried to maintain my expression.

“Your uncles aren’t bad people. Su-man and Su-han are good at heart; they just show it differently. Mu-hyeok, I don’t think they dislike you.”

Grandfather had a deep attachment to family.

‘…Does he not know?’

I felt bitter.

“I think the same.”

But I reassured Grandfather as I continued the conversation.

“Even if it’s just my uncles, you should at least keep in touch with Ji-soo, Ji-young, and the rest of the family. The next generation needs to carry on the family legacy.”

“Understood.”

Grandfather looked at me with a warm smile before saying,

“I believe you can do anything. I trust you.”

I could see his faith in me through his expression.

It felt like I had finally gained Grandfather’s complete trust since I returned.

“Of course! I’m Kim Mu-hyeok!”

I said it with a hint of pride, which made Grandfather chuckle for a long time.

A few days later,

I arrived in New York as planned.

After finishing the entry procedures, I saw Han Gyeong-yeong waiting for me outside.

“Mu-hyeok!”

I smiled at him as he called out my name loudly.

“Looks like you’re doing well! You’ve gained some weight!”

“What can I say! It’s the American style, right?”

As he spoke, Han Gyeong-yeong glanced at Ma Seok-dae, who was quietly standing next to me.

“Oh, this is my aide, Ma Seok-dae.”

At my introduction, Ma Seok-dae slightly bowed his head to greet Han Gyeong-yeong, then resumed scanning the surroundings.

Han Gyeong-yeong awkwardly bowed his head in response.

We hopped into the car that Han Gyeong-yeong had driven to Wall Street.

Wall Street, the heart of the U.S. — no, the world’s financial market.

There was an office established by Han Gyeong-yeong there.

As we entered, it was still a bit disorganized.

“It’s nothing fancy, right? I set up the company and was waiting for you. So what do we do now?”

“Have you found the people I asked you to recruit?”

“Well, they’re not here on Wall Street yet.”

Hmm… so they haven’t made it to Wall Street yet?

I had intended to recruit them before they became famous, but if they weren’t on Wall Street yet, it would be tough to find them immediately.

I didn’t have much information on them before they gained fame.

I nodded and grabbed a chair to sit down.

Ma Seok-dae stood behind me while Han Gyeong-yeong pulled a chair to sit across from me.

“Let’s take our time with that. For now, don’t make any risky investments and just wait for the money to come in.”

“So, don’t invest at all?”

I shook my head.

“If you don’t invest at all, you’ll lose your touch… So let’s keep rolling with five million dollars, but don’t take any risks and stay within safe boundaries.”

His face lit up.

After all, he was someone who couldn’t live without trading stocks.

“As for the rest, put it where I tell you and pull it out when I ask you to. Have you talked to Marc Andreessen yet?”

“Oh, that guy has tons of information, so I found him right away.”

He was someone who opened up new horizons in internet web browsers by developing and distributing a browser called Mosaic last year.

He had disputes with the University of Illinois, but he’ll be leaving for Silicon Valley next year.

‘And then create Netscape…’

That would signal the start of the dot-com bubble when it went public.

The stock price shot up from 18 dollars to 80 dollars.

“Let’s go tomorrow.”

“We’re heading over right away?”

“Oh, there’s more to do. We only have two weeks, so let’s confirm the funds coming in tomorrow and move right away.”

Han Gyeong-yeong nodded at my words and stood up.

“Let’s go! I’ll show you some real American food. The steak you eat in Korea isn’t real steak!”

I followed him to a restaurant famous on Wall Street.

I invited Ma Seok-dae to join us for a meal, but he said he would wait outside and left.

Once Ma Seok-dae was gone, Han Gyeong-yeong whispered to me,

“Why is that guy so quiet? He’s intimidating with his size and expression.”

“Behave; if you mess up, he might come looking for you.”

As I joked, Han Gyeong-yeong’s face turned serious. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Haha, why so tense? It’s just a joke!”

“You always give off this vibe that makes me nervous. Oh… it’s been like that since our first meeting. It’s both comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.”

“You don’t have to worry about my people. Just tell me how life is in New York.”

The steak that came out during our meal was remarkably delicious. There’s a reason it was expensive.

“But why ‘Dream High’?”

“I wanted to go with ‘Dream’, but who would have guessed I’d be starting an investment firm on Wall Street? The name ‘Dream’ was already taken, so I went with Dream High Investment. Doesn’t it sound impressive?”

“The name doesn’t matter much, but… the shares are 99% mine and 1% yours, right?”

“…Can I even get 1%?”

I nodded and smiled.

I wasn’t sure if I was being generous or stingy.

“Just think of it as a reward for the hard work. The new employees will only get salaries and performance bonuses; I won’t give away any shares. I’m only doing this for you.”

Seeing his touched expression, I stood up.

“Let’s head to the hotel for a drink and some rest.”

“Okay, I’ll cover this one!”

The way he confidently paid for the meal was a far cry from the old Han Gyeong-yeong.

After arriving at the hotel, I had a quick drink at the bar and then collapsed into bed.

‘Let’s deal with tomorrow’s tasks tomorrow…’

Right now, all I could think about was resting my tired body after the long flight.

While I slept, it seemed Ma Seok-dae had been on a call with Chief Ha.

The next morning, 470 million dollars came into the company.

During breakfast, Han Gyeong-yeong looked like a man who had everything, his expression radiating excitement.

“Wow… damn…”

“You’re going to handle even bigger money, so don’t be shocked by this!”

“No matter what, I will follow you. Don’t leave me behind, seriously.”

“Why would I leave you? Unless you betray me, I won’t abandon you. Just don’t betray my trust.”

After finishing breakfast, he set off for a small rural town near Urbana-Champaign in Illinois.

After a two-hour flight, he landed at Chicago Airport and drove the rental car to the University of Illinois.

He asked people near the NCSA research institute about Anderson.

“Anderson? He should be at the institute, I think.”

“He’s probably stuck in there!”

Everyone mentioned that he was at the institute.

As he made his way toward the institute, he spotted a balding man in the distance, walking and talking with another man.

He approached them and greeted them.

“Hey! Are you Mark Anderson?”

Hearing his name, the young Mark Anderson turned to look at me.

His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he noticed an unfamiliar Asian face staring at him.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Charlie Kim from Korea.”

“Korea?”

Anderson tilted his head as if hearing the country for the first time.

In the young Anderson, he glimpsed the future leader of baldness.

So that’s when he started losing his hair…