A Chairman Who Has No Regrets - Chapter 125



Only Krnovel

Episode 125 – Faith, Hope, Love and Despair – (19)

The parking lot where Jeon Kang left.

Kim Ho-cheol asked Hye-in Lee.

“What are you talking about? You’re just acting like you’re going to get a prison sentence. I don’t understand that.”

Hyein frowned slightly and said.

“Korean, explanation, difficult.”

“Try it in English first.”

She nodded and continued speaking.

“The client has now received land and a house as a gift from the mother of the person inside.”

Kim Ho-cheol nods his head.

It was definitely something that came up in a documentary I saw while researching materials. I don’t know the exact details, but in any case, on paper, the client, Jeon Kang, was a fairly wealthy student who owned a lot of land and houses.

“But in Korea, if a child wants to, he or she can take away property that was received by a relative, that is, a third party who is not a blood relative.”

Only then does Kim Ho-cheol nod his head as if he understood and said, “Ah!”

“The process and reason for receiving the gift seem reasonable, but Korea has strange laws that say if you wear it on your ear, it’s an earring, and if you wear it on your nose, it’s a nose ring?”

Kim Ho-cheol nods his head bitterly.

Of course, South Korea’s laws are shit.

“So the client now wants to make the land and house completely his?”

“That’s right, Ho-cheol.”

“So, you’re saying that you’ll get a valid memorandum or pledge so that there won’t be any noise about the donation issue in the future?”

As Hyein nodded and got into the car, Kim Ho-cheol naturally got into the driver’s seat. Kim Ho-cheol started the car naturally and continued speaking.

“The possibility of imprisonment is very high, because South Korea is swinging a hammer when it comes to demonstrations and protests. If the client expresses a desire for leniency, it won’t be like that. In that regard, you are trying to persuade them to reach an agreement and receive a pledge or a memorandum.”

“Yeah, that’s probably true.”

“I don’t know what public opinion will be, but after watching the preview for Part 3 of the documentary, I think it will be beneficial to the client. The content of the request itself doesn’t seem difficult.”

Kim Ho-cheol glanced at Hye-in Lee, who was staring straight ahead as if glancing at the side mirror.

“But really, that student. Did he really have a hunch about the client?”

Hyein nodded and then tapped my heart.

“I’m sure it’s going to explode here.”

Kim Ho-cheol naturally lowered his gaze at Hye-in’s gesture.

“Whoa!”

The car jerks and crosses the center line, then returns to its original position.

“Hey! Hands!”

“Drive properly, I have to check the documents.”

“Hey, we may be partners, but don’t forget that I have 6 stakes!”

“joy!”

“Ah!”

**

Sunday afternoon.

My mother’s shop was deserted.

The store that was packed with customers and even had people waiting in line after the last good broadcast suddenly lost customers after the bad broadcast, but now it is once again a store with customers waiting in line on weekdays, but deserted on weekends.

It’s hard to please the public because it’s so different every day. Anyway, thanks to this, the family can sit around in front of the TV.

“Is it today? Is our son coming out?”

“Yeah, Mom.”

“Hey, turn on the TV over there.”

It means to change the place where the documentary will be aired.

If part 2 was about sadness and doubt, part 3 would be about anger and resolution. Maybe my mother or older sisters wouldn’t get angry while watching part 3.

Knock knock.

I turn the dial to tune in and commercials start playing. My older sister, who has already finished her work in the kitchen, comes out and sits at the table.

“Sister, are you having a hard time?”

I held out the bowl containing the tangerines to my older sister. My older sister smiled bashfully and shook her head.

“No, it’s not difficult at all?”

“Hey, it’s hard starting at dawn every day.”

The older sister smiled and shook her head even more strongly in denial, then looked at her mother and said.

“No, Mom? You’re sleeping comfortably these days, so aren’t you tired at all, Mom?”

Mom smiles and nods.

“Then- just, even if I sleep for just an hour, I feel- comfortable- as if I slept the whole day.”

The little sister says with a smile.

“Anyway, it’s over.”

The older sister said to the younger sister, holding out a peeled tangerine.

“You’re also making a fuss about how nice it is when warm water comes out?”

“Ahem.”

The mother spoke to her younger sister, who was coughing in embarrassment, with a twinkle in her eye.

“Guzzling hot water? This is it! How much does the boiler cost for that?”

“Oh, why? Gas is cheaper than oil, but I haven’t even installed a coal boiler yet.”

“What are you going to do with the stove turned on?”

My little sister, who was speechless for a moment, quickly pointed to the TV and shouted.

“Hey! It’s starting! It’s starting!”

Mom reached out and gave my little sister a pat on the head, then fixed her eyes on the TV.

[The other side of Hodori Village, Part 3.]

A documentary that begins with the weighty narration of announcer Cha Tae-in.

[This hospital is where Grandma Kang Seo-ja was admitted for treatment and where her body was placed after she passed away.]

The professor who was Grandma’s attending physician appears on the screen along with the narration.

[ The body was left in the morgue for a week, and in such cases, it was very difficult for us as well··· ]

[ Didn’t your family come? ]

[ That’s right, the police just told us to wait, and even though it’s a morgue, eventually decay will occur… ]

The screen changes and Park Jeong-yong appears on the stage of Hodori Village, giving a passionate speech.

[ At the time, I was on a business trip, so there was nothing I could do! When I finished my overseas business trip and arrived in Korea, my mother’s funeral had already ended! ]

The screen switches again.

[When Kang Seo-ja was hospitalized, a student named Sonja came to visit her every time. Without missing a single day, after a week, the student came with the police and took the body away, saying they were going to hold a funeral.]

[Is that grandson a full-time student?]

[ Yes, that’s right. Every time my grandmother received treatment, she would brag a lot about how smart she was because she won first place in the scholarship quiz. ]

[ Did you know that he wasn’t your real grandson? ]

[ I found out when I came with the police and handed over the body. I thought it was definitely my grandson, but it turns out he wasn’t related by blood. The hospital staff were also very surprised. Because the grandmother herself had openly said that he was her grandson. ]

[ Is it the illegitimate grandmother? ]

[ Yes, she was such an eccentric grandmother, and I thought it would be difficult to accept her personality unless you were related by blood. So naturally, we thought that Jeon Kang was her biological grandson. ]

The screen changes and Park Jeong-yong appears.

[ I deceived my mother with sweet talk! I deceived my mother who was not of sound mind and made the remaining property my own! ]

The screen switches again.

[ Did your grandmother suffer from dementia by any chance? ]

[ No, he was mentally sound. He was just physically sick. ]

[ Are you sure? ]

[ It’s certain. ]

The screen changes and Park Jeong-yong waves a document and gives a passionate speech.

[ According to the documents, our mother was mentally unstable and likely had difficulty making sound judgments, everyone! ]

The screen fills with the diagnosis presented by Park Jeong-yong, and Director Baek is seen visiting the hospital that issued the diagnosis.

[ Is this medical certificate issued here? ]

[ Oh, yes, that’s right. ]

[ Do you know your grandmother? Her attending physician, Professor Kim Young-cheol of Korea University Hospital, said that she did not have dementia, but the diagnosis here seems to indicate that she did. ]

[······]

The screen changes and the grandmother’s doctor at the university hospital appears again.

[ It is certain. Grandma Seoja did not have dementia. She had no other complications at all. ]

The screen switches again.

[ Is this diagnosis correct? ]

[ He wasn’t diagnosed with dementia, and at that age, most old people are prone to dementia. They also have forgetfulness and things like that. ]

The screen changes and a high school graduation photo appears. It is a graduation photo of Park Jeong-yong from his high school days and another student standing next to him.

And then there’s a close-up of the face of the neighborhood doctor, shamelessly sulking across the screen.

[ Are you a classmate of Mr. Park Jeong-yong? ]

[ Adventure! ]

The screen changed and Grandma’s doctor appeared again.

[ The student sat in front of the funeral home for a week. ]

The screen changes again and Park Jeong-yong appears.

[ Our mother, who was naive to the sweet talk of the wicked! My mother, who was not even of sound mind, had no choice but to be deceived! If not, why would she hand over her land and house to a stranger when her own blood relatives are still alive and well! Is there such a parent in the world? I am also a father of a child! I always work like an ox for the future of my child! Isn’t that what parents are like, everyone! ]

The attending physician comes out again.

[Every day, when a body was taken out of the mortuary, I would check to see if it was my grandmother’s or not.]

This time the police came out.

[ I went to the house several times, but it was empty. ]

The screen changes and an apartment in Gangnam appears.

“The directing is good.”

Director Baek certainly seemed like a capable person. His directing was quite good.

The relative contrast I desire.

The directing was so faithful to it that it seemed like it placed me and Park Jung-yong in the positions of good and evil. Of course, I was good and Park Jung-yong was evil.

“That rotten bastard!”

“How can someone lie like that without changing their expression?”

“I really think people are scarier.”

The mother and older sisters curse Park Jeong-yong.

Their actions and the actions of the public watching this documentary are probably not very different.

A screen appears showing an apartment in Gangnam. Scenes suggesting that it is Park Jeong-yong’s house appear one after another.

Next comes Sanggye-dong.

[ What are you doing now? ]

A question asked to me while I was moving a streetlight.

[ Oh, they’re moving the streetlight . ]

[ Is that a streetlight? ]

[There are no streetlights in Sanggye-dong.]

[ yes? ]

[ My sister and mother are afraid of walking at night. ]

There is a scene of sweat dripping down his face along with a short interview. There is a scene of the streetlights turning on and the workers and the guys from Sanggye-dong clapping.

The screen switches to a scene of Park Jeong-yong eating beef at a fancy restaurant. When was that filmed?

The screen switches again.

The Sanggye-dong guys and laborers who were moving streetlights are sitting down and eating bread and milk. I am the same.

[ Does the government provide support? It seems like it would cost a lot of money to install street lights. ]

[ Not sure yet . ]

[ So is this all being done privately? ]

[ Not yet. ]

[ It must cost a lot of money… What about the electricity bill? ]

[ It will be operated with donations from tourists visiting Hodori Village and people of Sanggye-dong. ]

[ What if it’s not enough? ]

On the screen, I just smile bashfully.

“Ugh.”

My little sister looks back at me, retching.

It was as if she was asking, “What is that face full of pretense?” Without realizing it, I quickly avoided my little sister’s gaze. I was also feeling embarrassed at the time.

Wham!

“Ahh!”

“Why are you teasing my little brother! Tearing him up! You’re doing a good thing!”

The screen changes to Director Baek asking the streetlight installation manager.

[ Sir, how are the costs like electricity bills and streetlight installation costs handled? They don’t tell the students. ]

[ Oh my, well… it all comes out of that student’s pocket. ]

[ Yes? A student would pay that much money? ]

[ Well, I don’t know exactly either… That’s right. Maybe he’s using the prize money from a scholarship quiz or something? I saw on TV the other day that he inherited some money or something, so I wonder if he’s using that too. ]

The screen changes and shows the Park Jeong-yong family coming out of a restaurant after eating out.

The camera captures their clothes and shoes in close-up. The makers of the clothes and shoes are directly shown on screen.

The screen then changes to a close-up of me moving the streetlight.

Close-up of clothes and shoes.

Camera movements with clear intention.

From now on, a very narrow-minded broadcast full of praise for me was scheduled to be broadcast.

“Ugh.”

My little sister’s nausea is starting to get worse. My face must have turned red like a carrot. It’s embarrassing to sit here any longer.

The screen fills with an apartment in Gangnam, and the Park Jeong-yong family is seen getting out of the car after parking at the entrance to the apartment. Then, a scene of entering the apartment door is shown.

The screen changes to show me climbing a hill without streetlights, then going down to a semi-basement room.

“Hey, isn’t that too much?”

Even my mother let out a cough at my older sister’s words. The broadcast was now turning into an overt praise for me.

Director Baek, this gentleman.

It seems like he’s very determined.

Perhaps he was really angry at the police station yesterday, and that must have had quite an effect on him.

“Well, it’s true.”

“Wow- look at that shameless thing.”

I think public opinion will change dramatically.

Park Jeong-yong, who couldn’t give up hope at the police station.

Now it’s time for despair to show on his face.