Free Web Novel“For someone who just ‘predicted’ it, you sure pushed your opinion on me a lot... It really felt like you knew the Real-Name Financial System would be implemented this year. Am I wrong?”
I met 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 me.”
Grandfather stared at me 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 me, 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 same. That’s why the President resorted to ‘Emergency Executive Order’—a measure that hadn’t been used since the Third Republic—to push it through.”
Looking quite satisfied, Grandfather nodded in agreement.
“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 time was because you kept pushing me. 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 time...’
As I was mulling over how to handle it better this time, 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 me?”
“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 timeline.
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 measured in cash.
“This will probably be the last gift I give you while I’m alive. Do you understand what that means?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I bowed deeply in sincere gratitude.
With a pleased expression, he looked at me and asked,
“What do you think will happen starting tomorrow?”
“There will likely be massive chaos. From major conglomerates to small businesses and ordinary citizens, everyone will rush to withdraw their cash, and banks will be swarmed. 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 names, 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 names—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-Name Financial System was necessary. Even if it’s bad news for you and me...”
We continued to talk for quite some time afterward.
* * *
“What the hell is this?”
The President’s emergency 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 me. Didn’t you swear there was no way this Real-Name Financial System would actually be enforced?”
“I apologize...”
“Apologize? Don’t give me 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 documents 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 names.”
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.” fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Meanwhile, Chairman Song of Daehyeon Group was also watching the President’s speech from his home.
“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 me 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 announcement came 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 conglomerates 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 overwhelmed 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 demeanor as I took my seat.
“So, how did you know about the Real-Name Financial System? Did Chairman Cheon tell you?”
He didn’t even wait for formalities before bombarding me with a question.
I shrugged.
“I just predicted it.”
I gave him the same answer I’d given Grandfather.
“Huh... A prediction, huh. You’re telling me 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 something from you this time. My pride blinded me. 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 me something else before. Something about Korea going into default, wasn’t it?”
That one caught me a little off guard.
“Well... I meant 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 someone 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 me?”
I blinked at him, confused, as he grinned mischievously.
“If not, I have a granddaughter who’s turning eighteen this year. Want to meet her?”
Eighteen... Chairman, that's illegal.
“Uh, haha. I’m not really thinking about dating right now. I’d rather meet someone naturally than through an introduction.”
“Oh, come on. Just meet 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 disappointment.
“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 me when I crumbled, but she had been someone 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.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never asked about your mother. Do you remember 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 remember 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 seemed they’d been quite close.
“I heard she suddenly ran away from home over a man... Hard to believe. It’s been so long now. Time’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 me 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 time 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 me a faint smile.
“Off you go now. Starting next week, visit me every week. I enjoy talking with you.”
“Yes, I’ll visit as often as I can—unless something comes up.”
“...What?”
He looked surprised for a moment, 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 me company, alright? No one talks to me 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 time to talk with me too?”
I nodded.
“Sure, but I can’t stay long. I’ve got another appointment.”
“It won’t take long. Let’s go to my room.”
His room was in the same place as mine at Grandfather’s house. That made me 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 time for me because my grandfather asked.”
“Come on. Do you think he’d let someone into his study just because someone asked him to? That’s not like him at all.”
He looked at me 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 become Daehyeon’s third chairman—gathering all the broken, scattered companies under the name Daehyeon once again.
In my mind, the scales were tipping back and forth.
Should I side with him—or not?
Which would benefit me more?
< Season of Harvest > End.
