Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Golden Light Business Card

Big uncle burst into hearty laughter.

“Iya, really our Seong-jun correct! Kid, if returned from the Middle East should have called older brother first. What doing here?”

“Was having company dinner with employees.”

“Company dinner? How many days since returned already taking care of employees from now? Heard little uncle’s talk. You suffering a lot.”

Big uncle stroked father’s head swish swish.

A touch with affection fully embedded.

Father accepted that touch quietly like a good child.

“Heard from father. Got wife and child?”

“Yes, older brother. Became so.”

“Wow, not even once the sound dating. When on earth got wife and child, huh? This older brother really disappointed. Hehehe.”

Eyes met with big uncle.

“Eh?”

Big uncle pointed at me.

“Seong-jun, a kid completely identical to when you were young here······. Am I very drunk now?”

“Saw correctly. My son.”

Father lightly put a hand on my shoulder.

“Jeong-hyeok, greet. Big uncle.”

“Hello, big uncle. Cha Jeong-hyeok.”

I gathered both hands and did a belly bow.

Big uncle suddenly squatted and met eyes with me and smiled.

“You Seong-jun’s son Cha Jeong-hyeok? Nice to meet. I Seong-jun’s big brother Cha Dae-jun. The person who becomes your big dad.”

A frivolous smile with alcohol smell puffing.

“Does Jeong-hyeok like jajangmyeon?”

“Yes.”

“Here, then problem!”

Big uncle took out bills as caught from the wallet and put fully in my hand.

Honestly a bit absurd.

‘Giving the money in the wallet whole to a nephew seeing for the first time? Is this a pushover, a big person? Ha, how much all this?’

How much I went around collecting while doing daily loans in the past.

With this level the estimate comes out exactly right away.

“With this how many bowls of jajangmyeon our Jeong-hyeok likes can buy and eat? If matching give all this! If not matching······.”

“1,715 bowls.”

“······.”

Big uncle blinked both eyes.

“Wait a bit, Jeong-hyeok. Big dad very curious so, may count this money once?”

“Of course. Money calculation has to be accurate.”

I obediently gave the money bundle back.

Big uncle wet fingers with saliva and began counting the bills.

“10,000 won, 20,000 won, 30,000 won······.”

“514,500 won.”

“······.”

Big uncle made hollow laughs faintly while counting the money to the end.

“······Eh? Seong-jun, seems I drank alcohol a bit excessively today. This time you count once.”

“Yes.”

Big uncle handed the bills whole to father.

Father counted the bills again three times.

“······514,500 won.”

Father asked big uncle with a dazed expression.

“Older brother, but these days how much one bowl of jajangmyeon?”

“······Well I also don’t know.”

I clicked the tongue.

“300 won.”

Putting out a problem not even knowing how much one bowl of jajangmyeon from the start?

Of course father was out in the Middle East for a long time so not knowing jajangmyeon price natural but!

* * *

We sat side by side on the rear garden bench getting some wind and sipped vending machine coffee.

No, correct.

Father and big uncle drew milk coffee, I drew adlay tea.

Slurp.

Big uncle smiled faintly.

“No, no matter how thinking amazing. How matched that?”

If 3 years of daily loan collecting this level basic.

Big uncle was looking at me like watching a novel animal.

“Right. The probability of accurately matching money given recklessly as is······.”

“Roughly guessed?”

What? Why? What!

What I used only eye estimation and fingertip sense!

In the end roughly guessed with estimation correct!

“Division also good.”

“These days kids my age all do that level. Different from when big dad young. Study the only way to live, know?”

Putting out excuses chattering and watching others’ eyes not my style.

I detached the pretense.

Next natural topic turn.

“But big dad, okay to keep coming out like this?”

“Ah! Came out saying going to the bathroom. Era, I also don’t know. Belly split! Hehehe.”

Big uncle stroked my head.

Kind exactly like stroking a newly born puppy.

“Aigo, smart. Even considering big dad’s circumstances. Our Jeong-hyeok really a genius?”

Seems to know why father gave the head quietly like a good child.

“Firm and smart exactly the same as when our Seong-jun young. Seong-jun, really the more looking your son.”

Big uncle rested the chin and tilted the head.

“What snack does our Jeong-hyeok like most?”

“Not particularly like snacks. Also not eaten much.”

Honestly snacks only expensive, eating a few of those not even full belly.

Better buying ramen with that money and boiling and eating.

When young expensive, when older couldn’t eat fearing diabetes coming.

At least when selling gum on the subway, massaging the shoulders of real estate office old men, or doing errands for gamblers and occasionally getting snacks.

“Hardtack, puffed rice, corn, twisted bread. Well such eaten.”

“Managed thoroughly saying this rots. What do friends like? Snacks with chocolate or strawberry?”

“Hmm······.”

“Wow, our Jeong-hyeok seriously pondering.”

Big uncle looked back at father.

“Seong-jun, completely identical to you. Of course the pondering expression, how even snack preference the same? At this level the mystery of genes?”

“Is that so?”

“Aigu, this wooden guy. When young still quite cute, grew and became a guy not fun at all.”

Big uncle raised a thumb to me.

“Our Jeong-hyeok the coolest! Please grow just like this!”

“Big dad also cool.”

“Looking again our Jeong-hyeok better than dad! Lip service very certain.”

“Of course. World affairs give and take?”

Favor with favor, malice with malice, praise with praise

I slightly shook the bill bundle big uncle poked.

“If received money have to do money’s worth.”

I gathered both hands and did a belly bow.

“Thank you for the pocket money. Will use well gratefully.”

“Yes, yes. Buy snacks with friends and eat. Also buy puffed rice and corn, buy lots of chocolate snacks and ice cream and share. That way popular with friends.”

“Yes.”

Then a middle-aged man who came out of the restaurant discovered us and brightened.

“President Cha, were there? I thought again went home because of alcohol?”

“Director Song, this became sorry. Just met younger brother and nephew here.”

“If younger brother and nephew······.”

“Seong-jun, greet Director Song here. This side my youngest younger brother.”

According to big uncle’s introduction the two shook hands.

“Hello, Taeseong Construction’s Cha Seong-jun.”

“Ah, Taeseong’s youngest Young Master. Taeseong Hospital director Song Jin-ho.”

Taeseong Hospital Director Song handed a business card.

‘Golden light!’

Dazzling golden light burst from the business card.

So puzzling.

‘Not other places Taeseong Hospital seems no particularly money-making matter······ Ah!’

Suddenly a phrase that came to mind.

The words written in the statement Uncle Cheol-gu wrote.

The part written on the rough paper I deliberately diverted so grandfather concentrates only on Taeseong Construction.

The one dead U-gwang Construction Kim Gwang-pil painstakingly contacted is Kim Gap-yong. The work team leader of Taeseong Chemicals 4th factory.

He has a seven-year-old daughter hospitalized at Taeseong Hospital. Hospital fees also quite a lot overdue, went around borrowing money from surroundings for a long time.

Heard through dead Kim Gwang-pil’s introduction Kim Gap-yong had two private meetings in the U-gwang Hospital director’s office. Common sense can a mere factory work team leader have a private meeting with the hospital director?

Probably not. If about U-gwang’s hospital director doesn’t meet anyone.

That words mean, there was someone’s cooperation who can exert pressure on the U-gwang hospital director.

The investigation Uncle Cheol-gu was doing right before being dragged to the central intelligence.

‘Anyway was thinking of going to Taeseong Hospital once soon. Good.’

I slightly intervened.

“That business card. Can I also get one?”

To the puzzling Director Song father added.

“My son.”

“Ah, then Taeseong Group Chairman Cha’s grandson. But why the business card······.”

“Hoping our mom receives a health checkup. Not okay?”

“Nothing not okay. Will escort setting aside all matters. Our Taeseong Hospital boasts the Republic of Korea’s highest level medical service. Medical staff always waiting······.”

“Thinking of causing trouble so. Thinking of contacting the hospital in advance and going.”

“Ah, so the business card.”

Taeseong Hospital Director Song readily put the business card on my palm.

“Whenever contact will instruct to set aside the schedule in advance.”

“By any chance when mom receives health checkup can also reserve one more together?”

“Father also together?”

Father who was scheduled to be busy without time to open eyes because taking charge of not only subway line 2 construction but even Gangnam express bus terminal construction couldn’t hide the troubled expression.

I quickly added.

“Not our dad. A 57-year-old grandmother.”

“······Ah.”

No, father.

Why disappointed so openly?

“Thanks to grandmother Ok-bun and Uncle Cheol-gu mom arrived at the hospital in time and could save life. Want to repay the grace.”

No, father.

This time why astonished so again?

“Jeong-hyeok, what words that?”

“Actually a few days ago our mom received treatment at Taeseong Hospital. Because of briquette gas poisoning.”

Director Song seemed greatly flustered.

“Th, such a matter? Oh dear, why didn’t I know such an important matter.”

“Worried whether aftereffects remained by any chance.”

Father lightly lowered the head to Taeseong Hospital Director Song.

“Please take care well.”

“I also please take care well going forward. Please entrust and believe!”

Big uncle also not to be outdone held out a business card.

“Here, receive big dad’s business card too.”

Golden light brilliant incomparable to Taeseong Hospital Director Song’s!

Of course golden light flashing, and even golden fireworks bursting intermittently a business card.

‘Killing! Dazzling as much as the memorandum grandfather wrote! Brighter than our house house document!’

Saliva gulped unknowingly.

-Taeseong Automobile President Cha Dae-jun

Taeseong Automobile was one of Taeseong Group’s core affiliates.

Taeseong Hospital Director Song bent the waist 90 degrees and requested farewell greeting.

“Time late. I will enter now, please continue talking among family.”

Big uncle also ah, and slightly confirmed the wristwatch.

“Time already became this? I also have to go now?”

“Yes, older brother. Enter carefully.”

“Big dad, by any chance the driver waiting outside?”

“No, told to leave work first.”

I poked several 10,000 won bills into big uncle’s pocket.

“Drank alcohol so don’t drive directly and take a taxi and return home safely. Then look carefully on the night road.”

“······.”

Big uncle put a hand in the pocket and confirmed the 10,000 won bills I put in.

Burst into hearty laughter.

“Seong-jun, your son real thing! Hahaha!”

Big uncle shook the bills in a good mood.

“Iya, first time in life received taxi fare from nephew! Wow, mood great! Hahaha!”

Big uncle waved hands largely.

“Seong-jun, Jeong-hyeok, then let’s see again at the family meal seat soon!”

The departing footsteps looked very light.

“Was puzzling the whole time why father gave up Taeseong Chemicals so easily. Seems to know the reason a bit now.”

Mutual.

Because seems to know a bit as a person called big uncle, not the information Cha Dae-jun written in the Taeseong Group report.

* * *

Taeseong Group Chairman Cha’s mansion.

Chairman Cha tilted alcohol cups late into the night together with Secretary Kim.

Mood too good seems not even getting drunk.

From earlier even with clear mind only seemed walking floating on clouds.

Chairman Cha continuously burst into laughter.

“A noble person attached to our Taeseong! Didn’t know things would turn out this well thanks to that anonymous sponsor! Hahaha!”

The reason alcohol continuously entering smoothly.

Secretary Kim asked.

“Chairman, may I ask just one thing?”

“What so?”

“Why doesn’t the chairman press me who the anonymous sponsor is, or dig whether a trustworthy person?”

Chairman Cha quietly put down the alcohol cup.