Chapter 89: Applause, Redirected

These bastards—I've decided to take them down together.

Now all that's left is to decide just how thoroughly. Should I settle things quickly and easily, or should I go all out and deliver a critical blow, even if it takes more effort?

As I was busy racking my brain, looking down at Frothing-at-the-Mouth Bulkwang-dong Gasoline who had fainted, it happened.

“Kiddo, why do you look so serious?”

Uncle Cheolgu was peering at my face with concern.

“Panting just because you ran a bit? Come on, do it with me. Hup-hup, haa—hup-hup, haa—”

I've seen that breathing technique somewhere before...

“Isn't that the breathing women use when they're giving birth?”

“No idea, kid. They say it's the best for steady breathing, so do it already! Hup-hup, haa—hup-hup, haa—”

“...”

“There we go, now you look more like a little kid. Were you really that startled earlier?”

As if.

“Kid, a few popped balloons and some torn posters are nothing to fuss over. It’s not like a good deed becomes bad just because of that, right?”

Uncle Cheolgu grinned and ruffled my hair briskly.

“If you’re a man, you just laugh off little things like that. No need to run all the way here... Oh, right, your hair!”

Uncle Cheolgu, realizing he'd messed up my hair, quickly started trying to fix it.

“Our kid is going to stand up there and personally deliver the donation, so you gotta look sharp.”

What’s the big deal? Why even try to shape my sideburns like that?

“Think about why today’s event is happening over there. You saved the futures of sick children and families suffering because of illness. Do you know how many that is?”

The number of families from Taeseong I decided to support with hospital bills was twenty-five.

“To them, you’re a little hero, aren’t you? So hold your head high, square your shoulders. Got it?”

Uncle Cheolgu straightened my posture and smiled warmly.

‘With skills like his, he ends up getting treated like that at Central Intelligence.’

Such talent should be leading national-level gangsters from the back alleys. What a waste.

‘I should help him get promoted or maybe recruit him as my bodyguard.’

Uncle Cheolgu blinked his eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Oh!”

Uncle Cheolgu rummaged through his pockets.

“Want one?”

It was a silver lozenge.

Just then, Yoo Jongtae came running, waving his hand.

“Young master, they say the Taeseong Family Patient Aid event is about to start. Shall we head over?”

“What about the scary men who were with this guy?”

“We’ve tied them up and stashed them in the hospital storage. Our guys are guarding them, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Yoo Jongtae looked down coldly at Frothing-at-the-Mouth Bulkwang-dong Gasoline. The torch Uncle Cheolgu had found was lying nearby.

“These guys are bad news. Look what we found on them. Gasoline, in a glass bottle.”

“One guy who doesn’t even smoke carries a torch around, and another’s got a glass bottle full of gasoline? Seriously suspicious, don’t you think?”

I asked quietly.

“So, are you going to haul them off to Central Intelligence for investigation?”

“No. We’ll keep an eye on them, and only investigate if something goes wrong. Kiddo, in Korea, there’s this thing called the presumption of innocence.”

Uncle Cheolgu lined up the glass bottle of gasoline next to the torch from Bulkwang-dong Gasoline.

“Just carrying this stuff isn’t a crime. Do you think Central Intelligence is some kind of gangster den?”

How frustrating. Then how did these punks end up getting caught and dragged off to Central Intelligence before?

At that moment, commotion started spreading from the hospital’s main entrance.

Click! Click! Click! Click!

Camera flashes went off wildly, and the crowd buzzed with noise.

Luxury sedans started pouring in one after another.

Earlier, Director Song had said there were rumors that Woo Gwang’s people would come to visit this hospital after the joint funeral at Woogwang Hospital.

Snap.

Hey, Guardian Spirit.

[What is it?]

Go check it out.

The Grim Reaper darted off in a flash.

---

The Grim Reaper’s eyes, blending into the crowd, scanned ahead.

There at the main gate of Taeseong Hospital, Woo Gwang’s people were waiting.

They fiddled with objects to throw, as if ready to toss them at any moment.

Among them were several wearing vests labeled ‘Woogwang Union.’ They also held signs like , , .

Wait! That’s Grandpa’s car and President Shim’s car too!

The Woo Gwang people probably don’t realize that.

What the heck, why is it that the Woo Gwang people everyone was waiting for aren’t here, and yet a whole bunch from our Taeseong have shown up? They’re going to get mobbed at this rate!

Panicking, I shouted,

“Grandpa! President Shim!”

But then a reply came from beside me.

It was Yoo Jongtae.

“Oh, did you know as well, young master? Not just the chairman—I've also received word that the affiliate executives who joined the donation will be attending the event.”

I was shocked.

I’m sharing vision with the Grim Reaper, but I can talk to the person next to me?

Guess I hadn’t tried that before!

“Team Leader Yoo, what if Grandpa and the Taeseong Group people get attacked?”

“That’s why we’re here. Don’t worry. Chief Go’s Taeseong Group Security Team One is the best in the business.”

Really?

I focused on what the Grim Reaper was showing me.

The van door opened, and Chief Go, a burly man, led a swarm of Taeseong Group security guards out.

“Please move aside! The Taeseong Group Chairman and affiliate executives are arriving!”

The Woo Gwang people, who were about to throw things, flinched.

“Why is the Taeseong Group Chairman here?”

“Exactly, if it were the Woogwang Group Chairman, that’d be one thing!”

“They’re here for the Taeseong Family Patient Aid event! Everyone, please make way!”

At Chief Go’s signal, the Taeseong Group security guards rushed over and formed a human barricade, clearing a path for Grandpa and the affiliate executives.

“Chief Go, enough!”

“Chairman.”

“We can’t have anyone get hurt just because we force our way through!”

The Woo Gwang people were utterly shocked to see Grandpa step out of the car.

“That really is the Taeseong Group Chairman?”

Following him, affiliate executives and staff poured out of the lined-up sedans.

Click! Click! Click!

Reporters swarmed in to capture any possible clashes, flashes going off incessantly. TV correspondents and news crews turned on their cameras.

“I’m Cha Taeseong of Taeseong Group!”

Grandpa scanned the buzzing Woo Gwang crowd and began to speak.

“Did you all really come out to the front of Taeseong Hospital in this cold weather? I’m at a loss for words at your warm welcome! Thank you!”

Even while looking at the objects they held, Grandpa kept smiling.

“I never expected so many people would take such interest in the Taeseong Family Patient Aid event!”

A Woo Gwang man suddenly shouted,

“We’re not here for the Taeseong event! We’re here to welcome Chairman Kim of Woogwang and the affiliate presidents—”

“They’re not coming.”

“What?”

“We just came from paying our respects at Woogwang Hospital’s joint memorial. We didn’t see the chairman or affiliate presidents of Woogwang there. All the politicians have also left after paying their respects.”

The Woo Gwang crowd erupted with outrage. Some let loose with curses they’d held back, others shed angry, frustrated tears.

“Everyone, rather than waiting for people who won’t come, why don’t we all have a meal together? We’ve prepared plenty of lunchboxes and drinks!”

At Grandpa’s gesture, Taeseong Group security guards began unloading boxes from the van. Stacks of metal lunchboxes with the Taeseong logo soon piled up.

“Don’t freeze out here in the cold—come inside! We’ll treat you to hot tea, too!”

Grandpa strode forward, his long coat fluttering behind him.

The Woo Gwang crowd blocking the main entrance hesitated, unsure what to do, none daring to move aside first.

Chief Go signaled to the Taeseong Group security guards.

Just as a physical clash seemed possible, my father’s car arrived.

When Dad stepped out, the Woo Gwang crowd erupted with thunderous cheers.

“It’s President Cha of Taeseong Construction!”

“President Cha, thanks to your medical aid back then, my son survived!”

“My mother could have surgery because of you, sir!”

“All the temporary tents for guardians and bereaved families—Taeseong Construction put them up, right?”

“We received the blankets and lunchboxes you provided! Thank you so much!”

Their cheers for my father were intense.

“Today’s Taeseong Family Patient Aid event was planned and organized by my son, the president of Taeseong Construction’s eight-year-old youngest grandson. Hahaha!”

Grandpa burst into hearty laughter.

“This is a charity event to help young patients struggling with illness, so please, come and grace this meaningful occasion. Seongjun!”

“Yes, Father. I’m coming.”

As Dad walked forward, the Woo Gwang people at the main entrance parted left and right.

It was like Moses parting the Red Sea.

A path opened up in an instant.

Dad smiled and said,

“Please come inside, everyone. And if you could give my son a round of applause, I’d be grateful.”

“Yes! Of course!”

“I’ll clap the loudest!”

With that, the Woo Gwang crowd followed without a word.

When Dad stood beside Grandpa, Grandpa clapped a hand on Dad’s shoulder.

“Well done.”

Just a rough phrase.

But pride filled every syllable.

Grandpa’s lips curled up uncontrollably, and the affiliate presidents and executives of Taeseong walked with renewed vigor.

Click! Click! Click! Click!

Cameras from the press and TV stations kept flashing non-stop. Chief Go and the security team no longer needed to worry about crowd control.

“Wow!”

One of the people in a Woo Gwang union vest who had entered the hospital let out a gasp.

“Over at Woo Gwang, people died, but neither the chairman nor a single executive even showed their faces. Here, the chairman and executives come running just to help sick families and dig into their own pockets!”

He was looking at the huge banner in the hospital lobby.

At the very top, next to the amount donated, were Grandpa’s and my names.

Click! Click! Click! Click!

Someone whispered quietly to the reporters.

It was one of the Taeseong Group Security Team 5, under Yoo Jongtae.

“Did you read the notice? President Cha’s son of Taeseong Construction said his New Year’s wish was to help the Taeseong Family, and that’s what started this. The affiliate executives joined in because of him.”

The man who’d shouted his thanks to Dad quickly agreed.

“Of course! Like father, like son!”

A man I’d never seen before.

“He even gave up all his New Year’s money to help the patients. That’s not something just anyone would do! He takes after his dad!”

“Exactly, what other kid would do that? Most are busy thinking what to buy with their gift money! He’s something else from the start!”

The Taeseong security guard nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s how the Taeseong chairman’s family and affiliate executives worked together to pay the hospital bills for twenty-five families.”

“What? At Woo Gwang, someone died and all we got was 300,000 won in condolence money!”

“And what about the injured? Forget hospital subsidies—they’re not even getting their salaries because they missed work at the factory!”

“That’s why we’re so pissed! It’s just too much!”

Chief Go spoke up.

“Everyone, please keep quiet in here so the young patients aren’t frightened.”

Chief Go gestured toward a spot.

Small children in patient gowns, IV drips attached, huddled in a corner of the lobby.

They were laughing and chattering, their hospital bill worries gone.

The Woo Gwang people fell silent and lined up quietly.

“Here, take your lunchboxes!”

“The drinks Taeseong prepared are a bit cold!”

“There’s a whole row of kettles on the kerosene stove! After the event, have a cup of coffee before you go!”

Grandpa sat on a bench at the very front.

Leaning toward Secretary Kim, he whispered quietly,

“Looks like someone tried to ruin my precious kid’s event.”

He was looking at the torn banner, popped balloons, shredded posters, and footprints on the podium.

“Find out which wretch dared try to sabotage Taeseong’s event. Make them pay.”

“Yes, Chairman. I’ll make sure to uncover who ordered that piece of trash, and why they targeted Taeseong. We’ll punish them, no question.”

Through his rimmed glasses, Secretary Kim’s eyes flashed cold and fierce.

“I think we should send them to the Seobinggo water interrogation room. That way, they won’t dare try to ruin the young master’s event ever again.”

“That’s for you to handle.”

“I happen to know the perfect man for the job. A Central Intelligence agent who handed us Woogwang Construction’s bribery ledger but never got a proper reward.”

“If he did a good deed, he should be rewarded. Give that man full support.”

“Yes, Chairman. I’ll make sure his career gets a big boost.”

Grandpa nodded and leaned over to Dad beside him.

“Seongjun, you’ll have to take charge of the hospital expansion.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Tsk, it bears the Taeseong name, but there isn’t even a proper auditorium. My precious kid’s event in the corner of the lobby... Taeseong Hospital needs to be at least five times bigger.”

“Father, the budget...”

“Name it after Junghyuk.”

“There’s more than enough budget. Instead of expanding here, we could build a new one in the heart of Gangnam, ten times larger.”

Director Song took the microphone at the Taeseong-branded podium.

“Now, let’s begin the Taeseong Family Patient Aid event.”

But Grandpa suddenly shouted,

“Not yet! My Junghyuk isn’t here!”