“For soone who just ‘predicted’ it, you sure pushed your opinion on a lot... It really felt like you knew the Real-Na Financial System would be implented this year. Am I wrong?”
I t Grandfather’s gaze calmly and without hesitation.
“Anyone could have predicted it. It was clearly part of the President’s campaign promises. But everyone was so convinced it wouldn’t actually happen, they never seriously considered it. That was the difference between them and .”
Grandfather stared at silently for a while, seemingly at a loss for words.
Then, all of a sudden, he burst out laughing.
“Hohoho. Interesting. Very interesting. So that’s the difference between you and , huh? You're saying you saw what I didn’t?”
Exactly as I’d expected.
I gave him a composed smile.
“It wasn’t just you. All the chaebols and those clinging to privilege probably thought the sa. That’s why the President resorted to ‘Ergency Executive Order’—a asure that hadn’t been used since the Third Republic—to push it through.”
Looking quite satisfied, Grandfather nodded in agreent.
“You’re right, Muhyuk. Maybe I knew deep down and just chose to ignore it. But still, I never imagined he’d move this quickly.”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect him to act this soon either.”
“Pfft, you don’t have to play coy. The only reason I managed to liquidate most of the anonymous accounts in ti was because you kept pushing . If not for that, I’d have lost a fortune...”
Grandfather trailed off, lost in thought.
While he was silent, I glanced around his study, my mind occupied.
Under the dim brown light of the standing lamp, specks of dust floated gently in the air.
‘He’ll probably try moving funds overseas again. It took way too long to recover them last ti...’
As I was mulling over how to handle it better this ti, Grandfather finally spoke.
“Muhyuk.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I think I’ve given you enough cash already. I’m going to transfer all the shares I own to you.”
“...Excuse ?”
“I was going to hold off a bit longer, but I think you’ll make better use of them. You can sell them for liquidity, or hold on to them. That’s up to you.”
He had never handed over these shares while alive in the previous tiline.
Grandfather held shares in nearly every major corporation in Korea, including controlling positions at the top of complex circular ownership structures.
It was wealth that couldn’t be asured in cash.
“This will probably be the last gift I give you while I’m alive. Do you understand what that ans?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I bowed deeply in sincere gratitude.
With a pleased expression, he looked at and asked,
“What do you think will happen starting tomorrow?”
“There will likely be massive chaos. From major conglorates to small businesses and ordinary citizens, everyone will rush to withdraw their cash, and banks will be sward. We might even see liquidity shortages.”
Grandfather nodded at my response.
“The stock market will crash, of course. But... the chaos probably won’t last long. With everyone now conducting financial transactions under their real nas, the confusion will settle quickly. I believe we’ll soon see a return to bullish conditions.”
“Hoh...”
“In the end, the ones hurt the most will be those who managed stocks and slush funds through borrowed nas—mainly chaebols and loan sharks. Many of them will resort to funneling money overseas.”
A shadow passed across Grandfather’s face.
“We probably won’t be able to stop capital flight altogether. Still, the Real-Na Financial System was necessary. Even if it’s bad news for you and ...”
We continued to talk for quite so ti afterward.
* * *
“What the hell is this?”
The President’s ergency address was being broadcast on TV.
In the heavy atmosphere of Ilseong Group’s chairman’s office, Chairman Seo Yonggeon stared icily at his chief secretary, Lee Seokmin.
Gulp.
Lee Seokmin swallowed hard and bowed his head without saying a word.
“Well? Answer . Didn’t you swear there was no way this Real-Na Financial System would actually be enforced?”
“I apologize...”
“Apologize? Don’t give that crap. What’s the plan now? Why didn’t our people inside the Blue House tip us off?”
“There was no contact, sir.”
Chairman Seo’s face contorted in rage as he hurled the docunts in his hand onto the desk.
“Is this the best you can do? Are you getting old? If you are, just say the word.”
“...I’m sorry, sir.”
“Phew... What about the slush funds?”
Lee Seokmin hesitated before answering.
“...About 300 billion won will be frozen.”
“What? Three hundred billion?!”
“Yes... There’s no way to retrieve the accounts under fake identities. We might still be able to salvage the ones under staff or family nas.”
Chairman Seo rubbed his temples, clearly exasperated.
“Ugh... then at least get what you can from those. We’ll think about the rest later.”
“Understood.”
anwhile, Chairman Song of Daehyeon Group was also watching the President’s speech from his ho.
“Huh... That kid was right...”
He muttered, sounding dazed.
“We had no ties to the Blue House, so we never saw this coming... This is karma, my karma. So, how are the kids holding up?”
“I’ll check in with them now.”
“No, leave them be. They must be scrambling. No need for to give them a headache too. I’m sure they’ll handle it fine.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Contact Chairman Cheon and ask him to send Kim Muhyuk over tomorrow. I want a word with that boy.”
After the secretary bowed and left, Chairman Song sat back with a sigh.
“Huh... I must really be getting old... Too proud. Too damn proud.”
* * *
Since the announcent ca after banks had already closed for the day, lines began forming before dawn the next morning as people scrambled to withdraw cash.
Of course, the conglorates and top loan sharks had already pulled their funds before the public even got wind of it.
And... once the banks finally opened—later than scheduled—they were completely overwheld by inquiries and unable to function.
The stock market also opened with over 1,000 stocks crashing to their lower limit from the start.
South Korea was shaking to its core.
‘Exactly as expected.’
Watching the chaos from a slight distance, I made my way to Chairman Song’s mansion in Jongno.
Soon, I arrived and was led into his study by his waiting secretary.
“Good to see you again, Chairman.”
“You’re late. Sit down.”
I smiled inwardly at his changed deanor as I took my seat.
“So, how did you know about the Real-Na Financial System? Did Chairman Cheon tell you?”
He didn’t even wait for formalities before bombarding with a question.
I shrugged.
“I just predicted it.”
I gave him the sa answer I’d given Grandfather.
“Huh... A prediction, huh. You’re telling a twenty-year-old figured out what none of us could? Even that political snake of a President?”
“If you take a step back, it was obvious.”
Chairman Song let out a laugh—half dismayed, half impressed.
“Even the so-called geniuses in our company didn’t see it coming, yet you did. Looks like they’re the idiots, not you.”
“That’s not true, sir.”
“No, it is. I learned sothing from you this ti. My pride blinded . If not for that, I might have seen it coming too.”
I # Nоvеlight # said nothing in response. But Chairman Song kept going.
“Now that I think about it, you asked sothing else before. Sothing about Korea going into default, wasn’t it?”
That one caught a little off guard.
“Well... I ant it as a general question. Many countries are at risk of that, right? Especially developing nations and most African countries.”
“Maybe so, but that line of yours—about Korea defaulting—keeps ringing in my head.”
“Haha...”
I tried to laugh it off, but Chairman Song wasn’t soone to just let it slide.
He stared at my awkward smile with a peculiar look.
“Well, it’ll be interesting to see how that turns out. By the way, are you dating anyone?”
“...Excuse ?”
I blinked at him, confused, as he grinned mischievously.
“If not, I have a granddaughter who’s turning eighteen this year. Want to et her?”
Eighteen... Chairman, that's illegal.
“Uh, haha. I’m not really thinking about dating right now. I’d rather et soone naturally than through an introduction.”
“Oh, co on. Just et her once! Not just saying this because she’s my granddaughter—she’s really pretty!”
Though he said it like a joke, it was obvious he was at least half-serious. When I kept turning him down, he clicked his tongue in disappointnt.
“Hmph. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can marry a normal person and live happily ever after. That’s a fantasy.”
“I’m still young. I don’t want to be tied down to a political marriage.”
Suddenly, I thought of my ex-wife.
She was the first to leave when I crumbled, but she had been soone I’d truly loved.
‘I won’t get entangled like that again.’
Even if it was better this way, the thought still left a bitter taste.
“Co to think of it, I’ve never asked about your mother. Do you rember anything about Misook?”
I shook my head.
“She passed when I was young. I only know her from photos.”
Chairman Song’s face softened with nostalgia.
“Misook was such a sweet child. I still rember her holding my hand with that tiny little smile of hers...”
I’d figured he’d known her, given his closeness with Grandfather. But hearing it firsthand, it seed they’d been quite close.
“I heard she suddenly ran away from ho over a man... Hard to believe. It’s been so long now. Ti’s cruel like that. Misook’s gone, and now here you are in her place...”
A sigh full of regret echoed through the study.
“Cold-hearted bastard. No matter what, how could he cast out the daughter he cherished like that... Now he regrets it so deeply...”
Chairman Song trailed off, then looked at with pity.
“The culprit—was never found, right?”
“...No, sir.”
I’d already asked Hyunseong’s father to investigate the case.
Their deaths had always felt too sudden, too suspicious.
He was looking into the records, so I planned to wait for the results.
“Hmm... So much ti has passed. I don’t know if I’ll be much help, but I’ll try.”
“Thank you.”
I didn’t turn down his offer—it was spoken from the heart.
Chairman Song gave a faint smile.
“Off you go now. Starting next week, visit every week. I enjoy talking with you.”
“Yes, I’ll visit as often as I can—unless sothing cos up.”
“...What?”
He looked surprised for a mont, then burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha. Good! That’s how it should be. You’re not supposed to just say ‘yes’ to whatever I demand. The more I see of you, the more I like you.”
I smiled back.
“Still, this old man gets lonely. If you’ve got no pressing plans, drop by often. Keep company, alright? No one talks to like you do—not even my own kids or grandkids.”
“Yes, I’ll try to visit often.”
As I stepped out of the study, I was greeted by a familiar face waiting outside.
It was Song Hyunsoo, Chairman Song’s grandson.
“Hey, hyung.”
“You finished talking? Do you have ti to talk with too?”
I nodded.
“Sure, but I can’t stay long. I’ve got another appointnt.”
“It won’t take long. Let’s go to my room.”
His room was in the sa place as mine at Grandfather’s house. That made chuckle a little.
“Make yourself comfortable.”
Once seated, Hyunsoo opened with a calm tone.
“What do you and Grandfather talk about?”
“Hmm... Just random things? I think he’s making ti for because my grandfather asked.”
“Co on. Do you think he’d let soone into his study just because soone asked him to? That’s not like him at all.”
He looked at with curious eyes.
I kept my face blank.
“Nothing serious. Just old stories, stuff about my grandfather.”
“Hmm... that so?”
“Oh! He talked about you too. Said I should get close with you.”
“What? Hahaha.”
The man who would beco Daehyeon’s third chairman—gathering all the broken, scattered companies under the na Daehyeon once again.
In my mind, the scales were tipping back and forth.
Should I side with him—or not?
Which would benefit more?
< Season of Harvest > End.
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