Chapter 196

<Slowpoke (6)>

For a moment, I needed to think.

It wasn’t about wanting the right answer, but Jin Hyuk had never seriously pondered the topic before. He wasn’t skilled at observing others and making inferences.

“What do you think, oppa?”

Yoo Jin, who was pulling her eyebrows together so hard it looked like her eyes might merge into one, pouted.

The answer that he didn’t do it because it wasn’t profitable wasn’t needed. Dad had probably already considered that hypothesis. In a conversation between people with similar knowledge and insight, explaining in detail would be akin to disrespecting the other person.

There might be reasons to consider the other person’s level, but those who prioritize narrative over the main point often have a strong desire to show off their meager knowledge or information. The so-called need for recognition.

Explaining something to someone of a lower level or listening to something you already know is exhausting. That’s why Jin Hyuk, who had lived for a long time, didn’t enjoy conversations.

Of course, conversations with family were an exception.

“In my opinion, there’s a saying that you see as much as you know, right?”

“Hmm.”

This time, Son Kwang-yeon grabbed his chin.

Jin Hyuk, who had finished thinking first, muttered in an unsure voice.

“Since you see as much as you know, researchers keep digging into material development and research.”

“Hmm. That makes sense. There are a lot of eccentrics who dig endlessly into one thing. Those people are often called geniuses.”

“But if you think about it, when you start to have affection or interest, you want to learn, and as you learn, you know more. Eventually, you see as much as you know…”

Hoo. Son Kwang-yeon responded with a sound like the wind.

“That’s true, isn’t it? Inventors are born that way. From non-experts to experts… Since their approach is different, they can take a different path from existing experts.”

“I think there are many cases where people like Dad, who started with interest, become experts in that field.”

As Dad said, those people probably become eccentric inventors.

People who start late, without formal education, and make groundbreaking discoveries on their own.

In reality, there are many such people. And there are probably even more who never get to showcase their talents.

He knew many such cases, but he couldn’t recall them.

The name seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn’t come out.

‘Is my brain turning to stone?’

Jin Hyuk’s blurry eyes caught the title of the fairy tale book Yoo Jin was using as a shield.

「The Tortoise and the Hare」

Faced with her brother’s troubled expression, Yoo Jin, hiding behind the fairy tale book, muttered diligently, her eyes half-closed.

‘Affection, interest, learning, seeing as much as you know, inventors, non-experts, experts…’

It seemed like time was moving as slowly as a tortoise for this little one, as Yoo Jin repeated every word without missing a single one.

*

Son Kwang-yeon, as a manager, had to oversee the entire business, take care of employees, and make important decisions. Yet, he still devoted time to research, splitting his short days.

He wanted to create safety gear that could protect joints like the spine and knees, if not bulletproof. Something lighter and stronger than reinforced plastic.

Furthermore, he envisioned that with accumulated technology and know-how, they could develop bulletproof vests and helmets. The ultimate goal was firefighting suits with ultimate durability and combat uniforms with bulletproof capabilities. Of course, this was possible thanks to the support of Sain Group.

“Dad?”

Yoo Jin, who seemed utterly clueless, tugged at Son Kwang-yeon’s arm.

“If you have affection, do you become an expert?”

“Not always, but it can be a great driving force for growth. But why? Do you have something you’re passionate about, Yoo Jin?”

“Hmm… no.”

What is she thinking? My daughter is quite unique. Son Kwang-yeon chuckled as he watched his daughter turn her head abruptly.

He always tried to answer Yoo Jin’s questions sincerely, but sometimes she ignored his questions. Not that he could scold her for it.

He sighed softly and looked at his son.

“Time will solve it. From a farmer’s perspective, farming is hard work, but from the perspective of the vast natural world, what farmers do isn’t much.”

It was a statement that would shock farmers, but Jin Hyuk listened quietly.

From his dad, who was washing his face, he sensed the helplessness of someone who realized that their aspirations far exceeded their current capabilities.

“Sowing, plowing, and harvesting are labor-intensive, but they all think it’s their own effort. But it’s the sunlight, wind, humidity, and microorganisms that grow the crops. When a drought hits, there’s not much a person can do. They just sigh and look at the sky, blaming… From a managerial perspective, a farmer’s role is ultimately just sowing seeds. The universe grows them.”

His slow, reflective words were tinged with self-deprecation.

But it wasn’t the bitter laughter of someone who had given up.

“I’ve sown the seeds, so the world will help, and someday they’ll bear fruit. Even if it’s a bit late. I hope the harvest goes to the younger generation.”

Dad is a good person.

He never left trash where he stayed, and nothing he did was in vain. Even now, he’s thinking of others rather than personal rewards.

Perhaps Jin Hyuk’s will to save people he doesn’t even know isn’t because of past sorrows but because he takes after his dad.

Jin Hyuk was puzzled when his dad brought up the idea of protective gear.

Running a business in an industrial complex was already challenging, but his dad was building a research institute in a separate location, collaborating with Sain Chemical and Sain Bio, and striving to realize all sorts of strange ideas.

Most of the ideas came from Jin Hyuk’s head, but Son Kwang-yeon was particularly focused on protective gear.

He made knee pads for Jin Hyuk, who commuted by bicycle, and had him test them. He also made him wear gloves that looked like gauntlets and a helmet that resembled a bulletproof helmet.

Each time, Jin Hyuk wrote a simple test report.

Even now, Son Kwang-yeon was nodding as he read Jin Hyuk’s report on the spine protector.

“That’s my son. Even though I know he’s knowledgeable, he writes so simply.”

Son Kwang-yeon, who was praising his son, pointed to the part with improvement requests.

“Ah, Jin Hyuk, was it too stiff? You mean we need more joint flexibility?”

“Yes. It was a bit slow to follow when I bent my upper body.”

A protector to prevent spinal injuries during backward falls… It’s meant to protect the spine even if you fall.

The protector, inserted into a jacket that looked like an aviator’s jacket, was flat and long like a pillar, but the joint seams were stiff, restricting movement.

Although such products already existed, Son Kwang-yeon wanted to create equipment that was even stronger and could significantly reduce the impact on the human body during accidents compared to existing products.

“Dad. Elasticity? Ah, it says here that the lack of elasticity makes the bones hurt.”

Thanks to the easy-to-understand wording, even Yoo Jin, who could read, pointed somewhere.

Son Kwang-yeon said that Jin Hyuk’s consideration was ingrained in him.

Jin Hyuk could confidently say:

‘That’s not it.’

Late at night, Son Kwang-yeon scratched his forehead, his eyes showing signs of fatigue.

Yet, he had no intention of leaving.

There was no time he cherished more than the daily conversations with his children.

“Our company also minimizes reports, but when necessary, we write them simply. Even if I understand, if other employees don’t, it’s useless. That’s why, when researchers or engineers use jargon in meetings or reports, I can’t help but get annoyed. They should at least add proper footnotes.”

“Engineers tend to be like that.”

Jin Hyuk, who had once gotten heated while talking to an outsourced employee maintaining servers and databases.

“Dad, what’s an engineer?”

“Well, it’s like a scientist.”

While Yoo Jin distracted her dad, Jin Hyuk immersed himself in forgotten stress, making sure Jeong Won, who was dozing off, didn’t hit his head on the table.

He believed that true experts needed the ability to explain technical terms in plain language for laypeople to understand. In short, unless you’re using machine language composed of 0s and 1s, if you’re a human working together, you should.

Of course, it wasn’t a stubborn belief that ‘it must be so.’ It was just a businessman’s humble philosophical approach, thinking that professionals should maintain such an attitude.

“Yoo Jin, look at this. This is what your brother wrote, and this is what a client engineer wrote.”

“Wow! Your brother’s handwriting and Dad’s are similar!”

They could use alphabet combinations or obscure terms among themselves. The detailed logic applied to specific tasks only needed to be known by them, but they often unnecessarily used jargon or gave lengthy explanations to non-specialists.

Of course, commonly used abbreviations weren’t the issue.

“Dad, what’s this word? Ss-, E-, Es-.”

“Dad doesn’t know either…”

“If the boss doesn’t know, who does?”

“Sorry…”

It wasn’t just a lack of service mindset or consideration. It meant they lacked the knowledge and flexibility to find alternative terms or explain concretely, or it was another form of pedantic attitude.

‘Manager Min Yong-rak once said it’s better to talk to a foreigner.’

Sometimes, it was even more exhausting than talking to someone who stubbornly insisted on using their regional dialect, overly emphasizing their local identity.

Even Jin Hyuk, who distrusted and loathed people without reason, never cursed without cause, but there were people at work who infuriated him. Those who were all show and no substance, and the people described above. Jin Hyuk secretly called them ‘blockheads.’

Of course, Jin Hyuk believed all this was due to his stubborn personality, which led him to judge others narrowly.

‘I thought it was because I’m selfish.’

But it seems it wasn’t just Jin Hyuk’s problem.

Even his good-natured dad was expressing frustration.

Jin Hyuk had long ago incorporated past experiences into the hiring requirements for General Farm.

There weren’t many managers, and only Son Kwang-yeon communicated directly with high-security R&D personnel. So, he wanted to reduce the stress his dad faced due to communication issues. His kind dad might not be able to say no.

As a team leader, he had created a ‘Contractor Selection and Collaboration Standards’ guideline to thoroughly filter out such people or companies, and to ensure that companies wanting Sain Group’s money had strong communication skills.

Thanks to the people selected based on the collaboration standards, they could significantly reduce the time spent on communication. It was a decision welcomed both by the company, which sought efficiency, and by the field staff, who preferred to avoid unnecessary stress. As a side note, the people hired or selected this way were also pleasant and had good personalities. That was only natural, as they weren’t narrow-minded or biased.

“Dad, what’s this? Chae. Yong. Gong. Go?”

“It’s saying, ‘We need staff, so come to our company.’”

Despite the labor shortage, General Farm had accepted Jin Hyuk’s hiring criteria and was prioritizing employees with strong communication skills. It was about how easily and logically one could speak. Even without Jin Hyuk’s suggestion, Son Kwang-yeon recognized the necessity.

It wasn’t just HR where Jin Hyuk’s opinions were reflected. From General’s establishment to management, there was no corner untouched by Jin Hyuk’s influence.

“Is no one coming?”

“There are some…”

“But?”

“If we hire hastily, we might get people who don’t fit, making existing employees’ lives harder.”

In many ways, Dad and son were on the same page. Explaining things patiently to little Yoo Jin, considering the whole as a leader.

How fortunate it is to talk and work with people who share your temperament.

Though he didn’t pay salaries like Hong Ki-jun, Jin Hyuk enjoyed talking about work with his dad.

Yoo Jin seemed to feel the same.

“Is hiring urgent?”

“Not really.”

“If it’s not urgent, why hire?”

“We’d like more engineering experts, but it’s too rural, so people don’t want to come.”

“Can’t you do it, Dad? Engineering?”

“Dad’s brain is too rigid…”

Kuk.

Jin Hyuk, who had been squinting and struggling to recall the past, couldn’t help but laugh at his dad’s self-deprecation. It wasn’t that his brain was rigid; it was just buried in other thoughts.

Perhaps sensing his son’s reaction as mockery, Son Kwang-yeon this time performed a self-respect move.

“I may not have deep engineering knowledge, but I have a rich imagination. Full of humanism.”

That’s right. Dad has a sense of humor and humanism.

And a rich reserve of fart gas.

Jin Hyuk knew not only his dad’s imagination but also the heart and stories behind his ideas.

No matter how slow and dull Jin Hyuk was, he couldn’t not know that his dad was developing protective gear while thinking of his grandfather.

“If I want to go to work early tomorrow, I should sleep first.”

A small business owner without a professional management team and assistants had a lot to handle personally.

“Good night.”

“Dad, good night.”

Yoo Jin, who had gotten up from her chair, placed her hands on her stomach and bowed.

“Yes. Yoo Jin, don’t play too late and go to bed early.”

“Yes, hehe.”

Son Kwang-yeon picked up his youngest son, who was dozing off, nodding on his brother’s lap.

At some point, his dad’s back, entering the room to rest his tired body, looked lonely.

The helplessness of a loved one unintentionally exerts a strange power.

As a son who had finally guessed his inner feelings, it made him act out of uncharacteristic greed.

Clang.

Watching the door close, Jin Hyuk made a resolution.

‘I’ll definitely find him.’

Though he didn’t show it, fearing his dad might be sad, Jin Hyuk had long planned to find his grandfather buried somewhere in the DMZ and place him beside his grandmother.

To be a sturdy umbrella for the family, without any shadows.

For that, he needed power.

Like Hong Ki-jun.

Perhaps even more.

「You know as well as I do that the world is under pressure due to the stubbornness of those above. If money is spent, it might not be entirely impossible. Nothing is absolute. Nevertheless, my stance remains unchanged: to minimize the impact on the political arena and the history of the citizens. I’ll leave your task to you. Read and erase.」

The only thing worth taking from Hong Ki-jun’s email was ‘read and erase.’

He acted like he’d do everything, but then it’s this can’t be done, that can’t be done.

‘I’m a fool for expecting anything.’

Though time flies, Jin Hyuk was anxious.

Even when the chairman’s only daughter, who came as a junior, caused a major incident, he calmly handled it without rushing. But thinking of his parents, it was hard to stay composed.

As time passes, his parents will age too.

Children grow up slowly, but parents age quickly.

That meant the current happiness couldn’t last forever.

“Oppa, oppa. Look at this. The slow tortoise won.”

Jin Hyuk smiled silently and patted his sister’s head.

That only exists in fairy tales.

“Oppa. Take a nap next time. I’ll win too.”

Reality is more like a novel than a novel, but reality is never like a fairy tale.

“Huh? Huh? Got it?”

Oppa isn’t a rabbit.

Kids grow up.