Chapter 104

< Raising the Foundation >

Jin Hyuk paused, set down the Go stone, and adjusted his posture.

“It shouldn’t be dangerous. It would be great if we could hire them.”

Managing people isn’t easy.

Money is one thing, but trust is the biggest issue. Bringing people into your life after only exchanging a few words can be risky. Building trust is a prerequisite. That’s why I could understand Dad’s hesitation.

However, Son Kwang-yeon simply nodded, saving his words. His son’s words, spoken without avoiding eye contact, always had a reliable quality to them.

Father and son discussed the future over a game of Go late into the night.

The first thing to address was the construction of Gyeongho-dong and the treatment of Moon Seok-il and his group.

“As soon as the land designation change is finalized, people will come down from Seoul.”

The site for Gyeongho-dong has been decided, and construction can begin.

According to Hong Ki-jun, the goal is to complete it before winter break.

“We’ll also need a place for those uncles to stay.”

Clack-. Jin Hyuk placed a Go stone in the upper left corner.

Son Kwang-yeon scratched his cheek, recalling Moon Seok-il’s words before he left.

– “We need a place to rely on. If you take us in, we will repay your kindness.”

It sounded like something out of an old gangster movie.

But considering their level of education, it might have been the most sincere expression they could muster. Son Kwang-yeon was indeed a generous man.

While he believed in their sincerity, he couldn’t shake off a lingering unease.

“They won’t betray us, right?”

“They absolutely won’t.”

Though not perfect, Jin Hyuk vaguely remembered the words of the shadow from his dream.

It had spoken of fear and mercy, scheming in its own way, but some unknown entity had been helping. It had placed some kind of restriction or seal on Moon Seok-il. Perhaps the condition was to help me, Jin Hyuk mused silently.

Son Kwang-yeon also nodded.

If it wasn’t some kind of trap, they wouldn’t have come to apologize like that.

‘We even ate together.’

It was typical of Son Kwang-yeon’s quirky nature, but food is important.

There’s nothing like a good meal to win people’s hearts. Even the picky Jo Il-hun often came by, praising Han Yu-young’s cooking as the best.

He had also offered them drinks, but they politely declined, saying they wouldn’t partake. That also left a good impression.

“If they come back, will you keep them close?”

“I guess so. It’s better to keep dangerous people where you can see them. Their sincerity is showing. The security team will also settle in soon.”

The corner of Jin Hyuk’s mouth lifted silently.

How delightful it is to converse with someone who thinks the same way.

“I hope construction starts soon. I’m worried about Mom and Yoo-jin being alone. They’re fragile.”

“Dad’s fragile too.”

Whenever one topic wraps up, the conversation always takes an unexpected turn.

Jin Hyuk, who had been staring at the Go board, looked intently at his dad.

His thicker neck, the prominent deltoids under his running shirt, the pufferfish-like biceps, the forearms that looked tougher than chicken legs and seemed impervious to teeth. And the bulging veins and tendons on top.

‘He’s like Rambo······.’

Ahem-, perhaps feeling embarrassed, Son Kwang-yeon cleared his throat.

Then he put on a solemn face.

“How did your midterms go?”

“I might have missed one or two······.”

This time, Jin Hyuk scratched his cheek.

It’s true that his brain might not be as sharp as before, but comparing it to when he was just buried in books is absurd. Now, he has a lot on his mind and is busy. Plus, he doesn’t skip workouts. Missing one or two isn’t bad.

But Dad’s reaction was strange.

“I should cut your allowance.”

“Eh······?”

No, that’s a bit much.

Jin Hyuk’s usually half-closed eyes widened.

Even though Jin Hyuk doesn’t have many expenses, a steady income being reduced is a different matter. Moreover, unlike the money Mom gives weekly, the allowance Dad secretly provides is a perfect, untraceable fund.

Unable to find the right words, Jin Hyuk’s mouth flapped open and closed while his eyes darted around aimlessly.

Ahem-, Son Kwang-yeon straightened his collar and leaned forward. He was checking his wife’s reaction.

“Students should study, right? Huh? Running around with the dog all day, huh? Staying up late playing Go, so you can’t even get perfect scores, huh?”

Despite the stern tone, his voice was soft, almost a whisper.

Ah, so that’s what it was.

Jin Hyuk quietly took back the stone he had just placed.

At the same time, Son Kwang-yeon straightened his back.

“Kids these days have a lot of expenses, right? I’ll increase your allowance. Ahem-.”

“Ahem-.”

As the men coughed while quietly playing Go, Han Yu-young, who was knitting at the dining table, narrowed her eyes. A cold? Those guys need six shots each to ease my frustration.

Han Yu-young absentmindedly rubbed her buttocks.

***

Son Kwang-yeon had his own share of things to take care of.

So, Jin Hyuk, who returned home after school, often took care of household chores.

Of course, these were unique household chores, different from other homes.

“We need to secure the Gyeongho-dong site here, here- four places. We’ve already preselected and completed the land designation change.”

“Ah, yes, yes. That’s right.”

The person who came down from Seoul with a special mission for construction site management used a tone with Jin Hyuk that was neither formal nor informal. Adults often did this, and Jin Hyuk had grown used to it, so he no longer felt uncomfortable.

The discomfort lay elsewhere.

“What’s this blueprint? The location······.”

Jin Hyuk turned his body in the direction the map pointed, alternating between the map, blueprint, and site.

‘That’s our sesame field, isn’t it?’

Could there be a design error?

The issue wasn’t just the location.

It was the scale of the building.

“What’s this? It says swimming pool, right?”

“Ah, that-. Yes, it does.”

The man scratched the side of his head.

It was a 50-meter indoor swimming pool.

A facility not even found in the local sports center was planned to be built just 50 meters from their house. Sigh-, Jin Hyuk’s blood pressure began to rise as he meticulously traced the blueprint with his finger.

“And next to the swimming pool, what’s this complex-.”

“It’s a multi-sports facility. Like a gym. There’s an oval track too. The straight track is up to 60 meters, for long jumps, wrestling, and here, you can see mats for judo-.”

“Yes. I see.”

Jin Hyuk let out a deep sigh.

Huff-, even Jang Gun-i seemed to understand something.

Jin Hyuk then remembered what his dad had said yesterday.

A gift from Chairman Yoo Myung-sun is coming soon?

Since he likes sports, he’s gifting a comprehensive sports center.

It was fitting for a group chairman.

And it was clear that Yoo Se-ra had a hand in it.

‘So, the talk about my third-year grades was just lip service.’

With this kind of support, he must produce results.

Jin Hyuk took it that way.

“Construction costs won’t be high. It’s going underground anyway. Here, see- built below ground level and then covered with soil-. That way, it can be used as farmland or covered with turf-.”

“Yes······.”

“It’s dome-shaped, so no worries about collapse. And here, see-.”

Flap-.

Jin Hyuk’s eyes scanned another map the man unfolded.

A 30-meter-wide waterway construction was also planned.

‘Everything is in tens of meters, huh?’

No wonder Dad mentioned something about a waterway during his call.

A civil engineering project was planned to build a waterway stretching over 2 kilometers straight from the sea-blocking embankment to their house.

Along the waterway, a urethane track would be built, and the multi-sports facility would be adjacent to it.

‘That old man’s scale is breathtaking.’

But is such a large sports center justifiable for one person?

Jin Hyuk curiously examined the Gyeongho-dong blueprint.

‘Ah, the security team’s quarters don’t have sports facilities.’

That’s why the sports center has mats for martial arts. It must be for shared use. Maybe it’s to minimize the scale of Gyeongho-dong.

“But is it okay to do such construction on farmland?”

Well, Dad must have taken care of it, but the question slipped out unintentionally.

If he didn’t say something, he felt like he’d lose his mind.

In two months, a complete transformation would occur in front of their house. No one wouldn’t be shocked.

“Yes, in Korea, there’s nothing lobbying can’t achieve. The waterway too. The Sein Group’s secretariat is handling it for large-scale irrigation-.”

Is this for real, or just hot air?

Why is a Seoul-based conglomerate handling irrigation for farmland-.

Jin Hyuk stopped thinking.

The saying “If it doesn’t work, make it work” isn’t just for the military.

“When does construction start?”

“Tomorrow.”

They seemed intent on finishing before the heart of winter.

Though it’s a large-scale project, the equipment and manpower involved were beyond imagination.

‘It’s like a mad ghost is attached to this civil engineering project.’

Wait, what about the existing waterway?

The one filled with memories of catching catfish with Jo Seol-chan.

Jin Hyuk pointed to the distant waterway.

“What about that one?”

“It’ll be filled and turned into farmland. That waterway is long, and the new one will cover the same area. If we secure the same amount of farmland, the government won’t make a big fuss. Negotiations to purchase it under Son Kwang-yeon’s name are complete.”

Though the term “same area” was technical, Jin Hyuk understood.

But still.

“Our land has increased······.”

The new waterway was clearly private land.

And additional farmland would be secured.

Jin Hyuk thought his dad really loved land.

But to purchase such a large area, even at a low price.

Does he have the money? Jin Hyuk pursed his lips.

“The chairman said he’d lend it-.”

“Yes······.”

He probably just gave it.

Dad would never repay the money.

***

Son Yoo-jin is bored.

Her brother, who used to play with her a lot after school, has been busy lately.

As soon as he gets home, he checks the construction site.

Sometimes he explains things to the neighbors, scratching the back of his head and smiling apologetically. It must be because the construction might inconvenience them.

Son Yoo-jin, being a smart child, understands that.

“Anyway, it’s boring, right?”

Son Yoo-jin petted Jang Gun-i and repeated a phrase her mom often used. Hmm, it doesn’t roll off the tongue. Adult talk really makes your mouth uncomfortable.

“Is Jang Gun-i bored too?”

Hehehe-.

Jang Gun-i also waits under the acorn tree all day for her brother, so Son Yoo-jin could empathize.

So, she made a decision.

To take Jang Gun-i for walks. A self-help plan for a child and a dog with no one to play with. She couldn’t run as fast as her brother, but she could walk with her sturdy legs.

In the season where the sun is warm but the wind is chilly, Son Yoo-jin wore the earflap hat her mom gave her and toddled along.

“Hello-.”

Arriving at Choi Mi-kyung’s house, Son Yoo-jin bent her waist.

The earflaps on her hat dangled, showing impressive flexibility.

Kim Soon-bok laughed heartily and made a fuss.

“Oh my- Yoo-jin came alone? Where’s your mom?”

“Not alone! Jang Gun-i is here! Mom is with my brother!”

Son Yoo-jin stretched her short arms, pointing to where her brother might be.

“Why aren’t you there and here instead?”

“Is it dangerous?”

Mom and brother said it was dangerous, so they didn’t take her.

Son Yoo-jin explained to Kim Soon-bok as she had heard from her brother.

She tapped her head with her fist and pretended to fall. Her short limbs flailed, and her big eyes looked pitifully around. Her eyes looked like they might cry any moment, but her mouth was smiling, making her unbearably cute.

“Ohoho-, then let’s-. We should take care of the little one too. Let’s go together. Upsy-daisy-.”

Kim Soon-bok lifted Son Yoo-jin in her arms.

Hehe-, Son Yoo-jin smiled triumphantly, unseen by Kim Soon-bok.

There seemed to be so many interesting things near the construction site. Finally, I get to see it.

It’ll be fun to smear gray paste on my face like makeup.

From afar, I saw the workers slathering it on.

“Let’s go-!”

Hehehe-.

Jang Gun-i, who had already stolen some yellow rice and had a bulging belly, waddled behind.