Chapter 75: Where Hope Is Signed

President Shim called together the plant manager and several team leaders, gathering the employees who had come to work out in the yard.

Even though it was the New Year holiday, the employees, diligently working, began gathering in the yard, not knowing what was happening.

“What’s all this about?”

“It’s not even the usual morning roll call, but suddenly we’re all told to gather. Feels weird, doesn’t it?”

“I heard Taeseong Chemicals is being handed over. Maybe that’s what this is about?”

“No way, restructuring? Are we getting fired?”

The Taeseong Chemicals employees couldn’t hide their uneasy expressions.

Everyone looked around anxiously as they shuffled over.

President Shim picked up a megaphone.

“Ahem, attention! This is an announcement for the Taeseong Chemicals family! I’m Shim Woncheol, President of Taeseong Chemicals! The reason I urgently called you here today is to convey the Chairman’s wishes!”

At the mention of the Chairman, the murmurs grew louder.

“Due to time constraints, I’ll get right to the point! We have decided to hand over Taeseong Chemicals to Ukwang soon!”

Sighs, mixed with all sorts of emotions, burst out from all directions.

Some let out long groans, some sighed in resignation, and some gasped in bewilderment.

“Aren’t you more curious about whether you’ll be laid off or not, whether you’ll still get your salary, whether you’ll receive your severance pay, than talk of acquisitions and shares?”

The murmuring grew louder at President Shim’s words.

This was about their livelihoods, about their futures.

They were all thinking of their throats at the gallows; if they lost their jobs, even eating from day to day would become a problem.

“Taeseong doesn’t easily abandon its family! Even if Taeseong Chemicals as a company is handed over to Ukwang, Taeseong’s family will still be embraced by Taeseong!”

The whispering stopped abruptly.

Everyone focused, as if clinging to a thin thread of hope.

“Taeseong Construction is counting on your help!”

“Taeseong Construction!”

“Everyone, Taeseong Construction has changed completely these days! The previous president and executive board all resigned at once, and the executives from Taeseong Chemicals have now moved over there!”

“Ah!”

“And that’s not all! Taeseong Construction has just won several major national projects! We, Taeseong Construction, will be taking on the construction of Subway Line 2!”

“Oh!”

“We’re also handling the construction of the Gangnam Seoul Express Bus Terminal and the commercial complex! In the Middle East, we’ll be building cities, paving roads, and constructing apartments!”

President Shim shouted into the megaphone.

The brighter his voice grew, the more the faces of Taeseong Chemicals employees lit up.

“The president of Taeseong Construction has made a promise! A housing support policy for Taeseong Construction employees!”

This was another agenda I had asked President Shim to check on.

“He said they would reserve a separate allotment of Taeseong Apartments for those Taeseong family members who want to move in!”

The apartment construction, which the former president and executives of Taeseong Construction had abandoned, was now to be resumed by my father.

Taeseong Apartments would be built in Samseong-dong and Banpo-dong.

Pretty prime locations had been set aside for the apartment sites.

“Also, they plan to support apartment loans through in-house lending!”

These were days when bank thresholds were high.

At a time when institutional finance couldn’t do its job and private lenders ran rampant.

So, although everyone knew there was a boom in Gangnam apartment allotments, they couldn’t buy because they didn’t have cash.

Now, with my father reserving units for employees and supporting loans, how could they not rejoice?

“Apartments! Apartments!”

“Taeseong Construction! Taeseong Construction!”

President Shim shouted joyfully.

“All the benefits you enjoyed at Taeseong Chemicals will continue at Taeseong Construction!”

“Wonderful!”

“One more thing! Your work history and salary scale from Taeseong Chemicals will also be recognized!”

“Wow!”

“And another thing! Free heavy equipment training will be provided! Everyone, skills are power! Just one heavy equipment license and you’ll never starve anywhere!”

“That’s right!”

The Taeseong Chemicals employees cheered.

“If anyone wishes to stay with Ukwang and continue at Taeseong Chemicals, you’re free to do so! But if you want to move to Taeseong Construction and remain part of the Taeseong family, write your name on this document!”

President Shim waved the paper in the air.

While the Taeseong Chemicals staff gathered in the yard, these simple transfer consent forms had been prepared.

“Taeseong believes in you! Taeseong stands with you! Whether it’s Taeseong Chemicals or Taeseong Construction, it’s the same! Trust Taeseong and let’s move forward together!”

“We trust you!”

“We’ll follow!”

“We’ll go together to the end!”

The Taeseong Chemicals employees whistled and cheered so loudly the factory shook.

President Shim watched the happy crowd with a satisfied smile.

“Now, let’s hurry! If you hesitate, you might miss your chance at Taeseong Construction and regret it forever!”

The Taeseong Chemicals workers surged forward to sign their names on the forms.

They were those choosing to move to Taeseong Construction.

At the tables lined up beside the platform, the team leaders helped fill out the paperwork.

President Shim stepped down from the platform and walked over to me.

“With this, I feel relieved of one big worry. I thought you’d be happier than anyone, young master, but is something on your mind?”

I couldn’t answer easily.

The more I looked around the factory, the heavier my heart felt.

The Grim Reaper glanced at me and cleared his throat.

[Hrmm, looks pretty bad, doesn’t it? Want me to erase it for you?]

When I asked the Grim Reaper if he could see who would be injured in the Taeseong Chemicals fire, he suddenly put orange arrows above people’s heads.

Even a rough count showed over a hundred orange arrows floating, and I couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted.

‘It’s not like chemicals are just lying around everywhere, and the safety rules are being followed strictly.’

The factory was running in a systematic and stable way.

Proof that President Shim of Taeseong Chemicals managed everything meticulously.

“President Shim, all members of the 1st Team from Plant 4 have agreed to transfer and completed the forms.”

A man in his 30s, wearing a Taeseong Chemicals work jumper, handed over a thick stack of documents.

“As expected of Team Leader Kim. Your team is always quick.”

President Shim smiled in satisfaction.

“Did your whole team come out? Even on the holiday, you’re all working hard.”

“The holiday bonus is quite sweet, you know. Everyone came to earn a bit more.”

“How’s your daughter? Any improvement?”

“Thanks to the company health insurance you arranged, President Shim, it’s been a big help, but… sigh, I just hope we can schedule her surgery soon. It’s tough.”

His jumper had a name tag stitched with overlock.



He was the very man whose name had been listed in Uncle Cheolgu’s statement.

The reasons Uncle Cheolgu paid attention to Kim Gap-yong were as follows.

- First, though he had no particular ties with the late Kim Gwang-pil of Ukwang Construction, he met with him several times.

- Second, he met privately with the director of Ukwang Hospital, arranged by Kim Gwang-pil.

- Third, due to his daughter’s hospital bills, he was desperate enough to borrow both bank and private loans.

- Fourth, he took out a large life insurance policy with Taeseong Life and never canceled it.

That’s why Uncle Cheolgu smelled something fishy.

‘But then why is there a Death Countdown above his head too?’

The word [10 days] was written clearly above his head.

So I wondered.

‘Usually the person who causes an accident slips away from the scene unscathed. Did Uncle Cheolgu get it wrong?’

Now that I thought about it, Uncle Cheolgu had mentioned two unresolved questions.

- First, Kim Gap-yong’s name was not in the late Kim Gwang-pil’s bribe ledger.

- Second, Kim Gap-yong did not transfer his daughter to Ukwang Hospital for surgery.

And now, I had a question of my own.

- Third, why is the Death Countdown flashing above Kim Gap-yong’s head?

Kim Gap-yong looked at me and tilted his head.

“President Shim, who is this child? Is he your nephew?”

“He’s the Chairman’s grandson. He wanted to see the Taeseong Chemicals plant, so I brought him.”

“The, the Chairman’s grandson?”

Kim Gap-yong’s eyes widened.

“Hm, a factory tour. There are lots of dangerous things in a factory, so don’t touch anything, okay? And don’t run around or hide thinking it’s a game of tag. Also…”

Am I getting a lecture even though I came with President Shim?

If I’d known this, I would have brought Secretary Kim.

When I looked up at President Shim with a dissatisfied expression, he cleared his throat.

“Team Leader Kim, I’m not asking you to show the young master around. I’ll escort him myself, so no need to worry.”

“Oh, yes. It’s just that he reminds me so much of my own daughter, I spoke without thinking… Sorry about that.”

Kim Gap-yong scratched the back of his head with an awkward, innocent smile.

Watching his naive smile, I suddenly wondered.

‘Is this really the person who’ll benefit me?’

If a fire breaks out at Taeseong Chemicals, Taeseong will suffer enormous losses.

In Uncle Cheolgu’s notes, this wasn’t colored brown—it shone golden.

So I was confused.

“President Shim, what kind of person is Team Leader Kim?”

“Diligent, responsible, trustworthy, loyal, capable, meticulous, and takes care of his colleagues. He’s a proud worker of Taeseong who always goes above and beyond.”

President Shim’s assessment was glowing.

Hearing such praise in front of everyone, Team Leader Kim looked flustered and didn’t know what to do.

He clearly felt awkward, but he couldn’t hide his rising smile.

“I’ll work even harder for Taeseong to repay your trust!”

Kim Gap-yong shouted.

I took off my gloves and held out my bare hand.

“Please take care of me.”

“Yes, young master. I’ll do my best to take care of you too!”

Kim Gap-yong quickly took off his dirty work gloves and grasped my hand.

In that instant, a blue light flickered before my eyes.

‘Huh?’

I had experienced this once before.

On the day I was discharged, when I touched the Ukwang Construction bribe ledger in Uncle Cheolgu’s jeep.

I’d glimpsed Uncle Cheolgu’s future, being dragged into the interrogation room at the Seobinggo water torture facility.

---

The place where the blue light flickered.

The distinctive smell of disinfectant filled the air, and someone in a nurse’s uniform passed down the hall.

I realized where I was.

‘Taeseong Hospital!’

Kim Gap-yong pleaded with the doctor.

“I’ll find a way to pay the hospital bills, so please, just don’t tell me to discharge my child right now.”

“Go settle your overdue bills at the administration office first, then we’ll talk.”

The doctor turned and walked away, but Kim Gap-yong hurried after him.

“My salary this month should include the holiday bonus and overtime, so it’ll be a decent sum. Please, just until then…”

“I think I’ve given you enough leeway already. You’re nearly a million won behind.”

His words became as urgent as his steps.

“I’ll borrow more from private lenders, just please don’t stop her treatment. She’s really sick.”

“Whether you borrow from loan sharks, get a loan, or get an advance, I don’t care.”

The doctor firmly shook off Kim Gap-yong’s hand from his lab coat.

“What I care about is that you have to pay to continue treatment. If you can’t pay, you have to vacate the room. That’s the basic rule here.”

“Doctor!”

“This isn’t a charity hospital, is it?”

Kim Gap-yong’s hand dropped limply.

He knew the doctor’s words were all true.

But knowing that, he could only beg again.

“Are you telling me to give up on a living person’s life? Doesn’t Taeseong say we’re all family? I work for Taeseong too!”

“Take it up with the administration office. I have my next patient, so if you’ll excuse me.”

The doctor went down the stairs without looking back.

Kim Gap-yong closed his eyes tight and leaned against the hospital hallway wall.

His face twisted with despair and resignation.

“Damn it!”

Just then, a man swaggered over to Kim Gap-yong.

“Hey, I hear your salary this month, with the holiday and overtime bonuses, will be pretty decent? Why are you reporting that to the doctor, not to me?”

I recognized him at once.

‘The Gasoline from Bulgwang-dong! Why is that bastard here?’

A notorious and merciless loan shark.

He’d always clung to the Namsan Leech and spent his life squeezing every last drop from those who had nothing.