Chapter 32

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Stop Caring
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“What?”

What Taejin had just said was news to Taeseo.

It meant that Yuna had forgiven Jaeseop for trying to do something horrible to her for a mere one million won.

Watching Taeseo stammer, at a loss for words, Taejin spoke with a knowing look.

“That woman settled for a million won.”

“…”

“But you know, you little punk, we had to pay the guy you beat up five million won to make your assault charge disappear. We also agreed to cover all the damages to the studio apartment. The price of your fists easily cost us millions. You think I wouldn't come down here?”

He wasn't saying this because he cared about a few million won.

Taejin had been the final authority on land compensation since the golf resort's planning stages.

He understood the culture of this town better than anyone. Rural villages had stronger bonds than cities.

Jaeseop, the man Taeseo had punched, was also part of this community.

The moment word spread that the man who assaulted Jaeseop was the second son of Namgyeong Group, the townspeople would distrust the company, and it could create problems with the land acquisition.

“No, damn it, why would she settle…?”

Taeseo, who hadn't batted an eye at the mention of being sent to study abroad, bit his lip in frustration.

Taejin, his eyes still cold, continued to speak as he stared at Taeseo.

“When worthless people commit a crime, the price might only be a million won. No matter how serious the offense. But you’re different.”

“…”

“Whether you realize it or not, Kwon Taeseo, you are the second son of Namgyeong Group. No matter how much of a degenerate you are, when you commit a crime, the price can be tens, no, hundreds of times higher than for anyone else.”

“…”

“We’ve handled the assault so it won’t cause any trouble, so pack your things and come to Seoul immediately. Father wants to ship you off somewhere out of his sight, whether it’s to study abroad or whatever, so just accept it.”

Returning to Seoul was something Taeseo had desperately wanted. But returning like this was something his pride wouldn't allow.

“Damn it, you people are always telling me to come and go whenever something happens.”

“Kwon Taeseo.”

“Forget it. I’m not going to Seoul or abroad, so get that straight.”

Just this morning, his goal had been to wrap things up in Seongu-eup and return to Seoul. But now that he was actually being told to come back, he felt like he would be utterly destroyed if he went up like this.

Studying abroad wasn't the immediate issue. He could always resist that; they couldn't exactly tie him up and put him on a plane. The problem was the work. The work he had never cared about in his life…

Now that he thought about just dropping everything and going back to Seoul, a number of things weighed on his mind.

“Forget it. This time, you convince Father. If you left this job to me, then trust me to finish it and wait.”

“Are you confident you can do it?”

Taeseo looked at Taejin. The bored expression in his eyes was gone.

“Yeah. So just like you covered up the assault, you take care of the rest. You can do it, can't you?”

In truth, Taeseo feared Taejin more than his father.

Unlike his father, who had doted on his late-born son, his brother, eight years his senior, never cut him any slack.

Moreover, his brother was even more of a stickler than their father.

Taejin was not only meticulous about principles but also so ruthless that you wouldn't get a drop of blood if you pricked him with a needle.

Ironically, Taeseo believed every word that came out of his brother’s mouth.

“This is your last chance.”

“I get it, so convince the old man to never bring up studying abroad again.”

“Finalize the agreements within a month.”

“Yeah.”

After threatening Taeseo, Taejin got into his car without even glancing at the site.

Just as everyone had expected, he had come down because of Taeseo, and only after Taejin left did the employees lined up in front of the office disperse.

“Damn, I thought my heart was going to drop.”

Hyunwoo approached Taeseo as he let out a sigh.

“Are you getting fired?”

“Fired? Am I the kind of person who gets fired if they say so?”

Taeseo boasted to Hyunwoo before getting into the car parked in front of the site office. Hyunwoo, looking surprised, knocked on the driver's side window.

“Where are you going?”

“To sleep. Why?”

“What? The Senior Managing Director came all the way down here and raised hell, and you’re just going to sleep?”

“Yeah.”

Leaving Hyunwoo standing there dumbfounded, Taeseo rolled up the driver’s side window and headed for his studio apartment.

When he arrived five minutes later, an unexpected person caught his eye as he got out of the car.

“What brings you here?”

At the sound of Taeseo’s voice, the man sitting at the table turned around.

“You’re the compensation manager for Namgyeong Development, right?”

“Yes.”

It was Yuna’s uncle, whom he’d run into in front of the convenience store. He hadn’t seen him many times, but he was always reeking of alcohol. Today, however, he was sitting at a table in front of the convenience store with a sober face.

“Let’s talk for a minute.”

As he had guessed, the man had come to see him. Taeseo sat down across from him.

“How much can I get for the 400 pyeong of land?”

To the blunt question, Taeseo gave a direct answer.

“Based on the surrounding market price, it’s 200,000 won per pyeong. That comes to 80 million won.”

That was, of course, strictly based on the surrounding market price.

“What am I supposed to do with 80 million won?”

80 million won was not a small amount of money, but the man's face turned red at the mention of it.

“That 80 million is only because the land value went up with the news of the golf resort. Originally, a landlocked plot with no road access like that wouldn't sell even if you offered it for 100,000 won.”

“My mother wasn't wrong. She said you guys were a bunch of swindlers. Hey, young man, where do you get off trying to get someone else’s land for a steal? I know for a fact you paid the other houses more than that.”

Taeseo had thought he was just a drunkard, but it seemed he had picked up a few things.

Taeseo smiled, his expression completely different from before.

“Since you seem to have checked the market rates, let’s be frank. When Namgyeong Development bought the land for the golf course, we paid the other houses one million won per pyeong. That's dozens of times the market price. And the other families were satisfied when they sold their land.”

“So you should be giving our family a million per pyeong, too.”

“If you had sold like everyone else, you would have received 400 million won for the 400 pyeong. That’s how it would have gone, by the book.”

“Four hundred million?”

“Yes. Four hundred million. But let’s add one more condition. If you agree to sign within a week, I’ll add another 200,000 won per pyeong to that million.”

At the mention of an extra 200,000 won, Yuna’s uncle’s eyes widened.

“R-Really?”

He took the bait. A smile deepened on Taeseo’s face.

“Grandma Kim Kkotnim has worked hard, dragging her aching legs around while holding out, so I’ll give you 1.2 million won per pyeong. That’s 480 million. At that price, it'll be a good deal for you too.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes. However, we’ll add a clause to the contract that your father’s grave on that land must be relocated immediately.”

At the mention of immediate relocation, Yuna’s uncle looked troubled.

“What? How can we relocate it immediately? My father was only buried there a year ago. Relocating him is already a problem, but you want us to do it without even holding a memorial service?”

“Memorial services should be prepared with care by the descendants. Frankly, do we know your father’s name? Do we know his face? We’ll pay you generously, so you handle the service when you relocate the grave, and you convince your mother.”

“What kind of ill-mannered…?”

“1.2 million per pyeong if you bring the signed papers within a week. But for every week you delay past the deadline, the compensation will drop by 200,000 won per pyeong.”

“…”

Taeseo could now use more funds to persuade the unyielding Grandma Kim Kkotnim and expedite the process.

In fact, Grandma Kim Kkotnim’s eccentric behavior had given Taeseo more room to negotiate by offering more money.

“If you want us to handle the memorial and the relocation, then you can just have the land expropriated at market value. We’ll take care of the service and the grave, give it a nice new look, and take the land.”

“…”

“If you don’t like that, then sign for 1.2 million.”

Taeseo actively used the resources available to him. His goal was to use those resources as a weapon to simplify the complex negotiation and finish the job smoothly.

The villagers might complain if Yuna’s family received more compensation, but since they knew about Grandma Kim Kkotnim’s antics, they would eventually understand.

“Any more questions?”

“…”

It was infuriating, but when it came to money, the one without it was the weaker party. Yuna’s uncle turned away, fuming, unable to say whether he accepted Taeseo’s conditions or not.

Taeseo drove his point home to the man’s retreating back.

“This offer is only valid if Grandma Kim Kkotnim herself signs to hand over the land.”

His steps halted. Taeseo had just mentioned the worst-case scenario for An Yuna's uncle.

“If her son attends the sales agreement as Grandma Kim Kkotnim’s representative, a power of attorney will be required.”

Since the landowner was Grandma Kim Kkotnim, the land could not be purchased based on her son’s will alone. But it was a different story if the son brought a power of attorney from her.

“Just so you know.”

The son could forge the power of attorney, but that was none of Taeseo’s business.

An Yuna’s uncle stood silently for a long time, lost in thought, before starting to walk toward the village.

Taeseo also turned away. Without a glance toward the convenience store's glass door, he stepped toward the entrance leading to the second floor.

Now that he had mentioned the power of attorney, An Yuna’s money-loving uncle would stop at nothing to produce one, either by forgery or by threatening his mother.

He was sure it would be more effective than trying to persuade Grandma Kim Kkotnim or moving An Yuna.

Yuna had asked him not to let her uncle get his hands on the land, so he hadn't wanted to resort to this, but he no longer wanted to care about the mess An Yuna made of her own life.

This was An Yuna, who had forgiven a man who tried to sexually assault her for a mere one million won. That was all she thought she was worth. She was fated to live her whole life so insignificantly.

Taeseo muttered a curse under his breath, erasing all thoughts of An Yuna.

Just focus on finishing the job and going back to Seoul.

Just think about work.

Just think about work…