Chapter 118

Royal Roader on My Own – Chapter 118: This is a Quest Chain (1)

“You really don’t know? It’s because of you, you damn bastard.”

Smack-

Hwang Joon Yul felt pain on his back once again.

It was not just because of difference in their size. Anybody could see the amount of strength Hwang Chi Gook was putting into the hits.

That was why Hwang Joon Yul had to clench his eyes every time he was hit. He was worried that his eyes would fall out from the impact.

‘I wonder how many more times he needs to hit me before he feels better?’

But he was at least able to piece together what was going on.

Chairman Jung ordered a change in leadership immediately after meeting with Kang Hwi Ram.

But the majority of that change in leadership was the Golden Dragon Medical Center and a couple other companies that were under Hwang Chi Gook’s leadership being transferred to someone else.

When he looked into the reason, Kang Hwi Ram urged Chairman Jung to do that as retribution for all the terrible things Hwang Joon Yul had done to him in the past, and the Chairman ordered it in anger.

This was the information he managed to gather after being hit on the back at least 30 times.

Hwang Joon Yul clenched his teeth.

“Kang Hwi Ram, you son of a bitch!”

“You bastard, you still haven’t come to your senses?”

His dad swung his arm again. This smack was even harder than the last one. And he hit the same spot once again.

Smack-

This time he really thought his eyes were going to pop out.

“Issues like this happen because you live your life like that. Don’t you know that making Kang Hwi Ram your enemy right now is making the Chairman your enemy?”

Then what can he do? Things were already like this.

‘You can’t put spilt milk back into the container.’

But Hwang Chi Gook had a different type of thought.

“Go kneel in front of Kang Hwi Ram and beg for forgiveness or something.”

Hwang Joon Yul could feel his heart sink. Both of his eyes became the size of lamp posts as well. How could his dad give him such a preposterous order.

“What? That bastard has a lot of grudges against me. He won’t forgive me just because I do something like that.”

“It was all in the past when you were immature. If you apologize, a bad relationship can turn into a good relationship. Immediately go and kneel down. I don’t care about the method, just return things to the way they were, you stupid idiot!”

Hwang Joon Yul had to leave his office as if he was getting chased out. His dad even managed to hit his back five times and kick his butt as he rushed out.

“Ah, I’m really going to go crazy.”

“Then just go out and die, stupid bastard.”

‘Heek! He has such good hearing. But this is a serious situation. What am I supposed to do?’

He had no other options. He knew his father’s personality very well.

Hwang Chi Gook was a very emotional person. He was really nice when he was happy, but once you got on his bad side, you were in for trouble.

Of course, Hwang Joon Yul had never seen this side of his dad before in his life.

But this was a serious situation. If he did not do as his dad ordered him to do, he might receive punishment that transcended his expectations. It would not matter that he was his son.

He could only at least pretend to apologize.

How hard could it be to apologize? You just close your eyes and mumble a couple things you don’t really mean.

‘Shit. How am I supposed to deal with his cocky attitude?’

Hwang Joon Yul started to walk away as he let out a sigh.

***

“Player Kang Hwi Ram, congratulations on your victory.”

It was Han Sul Yi’s refreshing voice.

Even her smile was refreshing today. It was a sincerely happy expression and not a forced smile.

But I was not that satisfied. Recording an eagle on the last hole would have given me 59 strokes to reach the 50s that people only dream about.

60 strokes and 59 strokes. It was just a single stroke difference, but the distance between the two was significant. It could have even gone viral worldwide.

I just need to be satisfied with the fact that I recorded a new KPGA record.

“Thank you very much.”

“The next competition is the Golden Dragon Cup in three months. How do you plan on preparing for it?”

“My golf experience is short so I lack instinct out on the field. I plan on participating in every tournament possible to build up my experience.”

“There is no better training than the real thing. Then do you have a goal for the Golden Dragon Cup?”

“What is the current record for lowest strokes in the PGA?”

“I believe it is Jim Furyk’s 58 strokes.”

“I will try to change that record.”

“Wow, just listening to that goal makes my heart start to beat. I believe it is possible for a player like you, Mr. Kang Hwi Ram.”

“Not at all. I just believe it is important to set my goals high…….”

I chatted with Han Sul Yi as if we were on a date. The answers came out easily because I had received the list of questions in advance.

I could also see Hwang Joon Yul in the back during the interview. I didn’t know how long Hwang Joon Yul had been there, but he was looking this way like he had something to say to me.

Of course, I pretended to not see him.

The interview went on for quite a long time. There were so many stations waiting to interview me that they all formed a line and interviewed me one by one.

Hwang Joon Yul waited through all of that, as if he was the last interviewer.

I could anticipate the reason he was here.

‘I guess Chairman Jung has already made his move.’

I couldn’t tell just what move he made. But the fact that the extremely prideful Hwang Joon Yul was humbly waiting for me like this made me know it was a pretty heavy move.

At least heavy enough for Hwang Joon Yul to boil inside.

But it was still lacking to my standards. Hwang Joon Yul, that bastard, needs to really experience what it is like to crawl on the ground.

I immediately started to leave once I finished all the interviews. Hwang Joon Yul quickly followed behind me as if he had something to say, but I was faster. I instantly got into the car and closed the door. I then watched Hwang Joon Yul through the window.

I could see him venting his frustration. He was kicking at the innocent grass underneath his feet.

Watching him act that way made me smile. I immediately started to drive away.

‘Hmm, I need to move some money. Should I just stash it in some blue-chip stocks?’

I’ve been making an average of 70 billion won a day through stocks.

My total assets were worth 3 trillion won, so it is approximately a 2% gain every day.

But the amount that I used in stocks was only about 1 trillion won. My stock trading style was one where I only bought while I was lucky and sold before the effects were over, so it was difficult to invest a lot of money.

That was why I had close to 2 trillion won just sitting there without having anywhere to go.

‘Or should I buy some land?’

That might be the best method. I can also receive some rent if I bought some land.

I was currently in the middle of having some people look for good areas around Korea. I’ve been buying small amounts if I ever found anything that interested me.

But I’m sure that there is a better way to spend my money if I looked further into it.

‘Where should I invest it?’

I happened to get a call at that time.

‘It is President Kim In Hwan.’

He is the president of a medium-sized company that manufactures Lithium-Ion Batteries. He was pretty active in the Lions Club meetings until recently, and his honest personality made it easy to like him.

That was why I had built a close relationship with him, a relationship almost as strong as my relationship with Director Han Sung Tak.

But I haven’t seen him at the meetings lately. Based on the rumors I heard, his company was facing some financial hurdles.

“Hello, hyung-nim.”

– Ahoo-nim [1], it’s been awhile. Congratulations.

“Thank you very much. It is entirely because all of you hyung-nims pushed me to do more.”

– What are you talking about? It is because ahoo-nim has such amazing skills. But, are you busy? Can you give me some of your time?

I had a feeling he was going to ask about money.

I would have immediately rejected it if it was someone else. But Kim In Hwan was someone who you couldn’t help but be drawn toward. I wanted to at least hear him out, even if I could not help him.

And I could always make as much time as needed.

“Of course. Where are you? I will head over right now.”

– Sigh, I was planning on going to see you.

“That’s okay. I don’t have anything on my schedule, so I was just going to take a nap.”

– Even still. I am at my factory right now.

“Then I will head there right now.”

I immediately headed to Eumseong in Chungcheong Province. Kim In Hwan’s company, which was called, ‘Energy One,’ had its office and factory in this location.

Kim In Hwan was waiting for me at the company entrance. He rushed over as soon as I entered through the entrance.

“Aigo, I’m so sorry for making such a celebrity come all the way here.”

Kim In Hwan bowed deeply.

I guess I have enough fame to be called a, ‘star,’ now. This was all through golf, of course.

Didn’t he make me come all the way from Seoul to Eumseong? Of course, I came on my own accord, but he probably feels burdened as he is trying to ask me for something.

“Hyung-nim, it is so hot. You didn’t have to wait out here.”

“Ahoo-nim came all the way from Seoul. It was nothing. Let’s hurry on in.”

I was literally being treated like royalty. I even felt like Kim In Hwan was being very subservient today.

He must really be in a bind or something.

But I did not bring it up first. Kim In Hwan will naturally bring it up when the time is right.

“Ahoo-nim, I was wondering if you had some extra cash right now.”

He finally got to the topic. As expected, it was money issues.

I will not answer without thinking things through. If I say I have it, he will misunderstand as, ‘I will let you borrow it,’ and if I say I don’t it will make it seem like I have no intentions of letting him borrow it.

“Why do you ask? Do you have something that requires money?”

Kim In Hwan looked outside the office door before answering. He seemed to be making sure there was nobody who could eavesdrop on us.

After making sure the door was locked, he came and sat really close to me. Not only that, he started to quietly whisper it in my ear.

“To be honest with you, I’ve developed an amazing item. It has never been made before, so if it succeeds, I can grow our Energy One to a world-wide company. I am confident that it can grow into Korea’s greatest company in the next 5 years.”

The Kim In Hwan I know is a researcher-turned-businessman. He is also someone who is very cautious with his words and actions.

For someone like that to say something like this means that he is that confident about it.

But I was suspicious as well.

‘Isn’t this a scam?’

I heard that the really scary scammers are so thorough they almost trick themselves. Maybe the image Kim In Hwan has created until now was all fake and prepared for this moment.

Although that does seem to be stretching it.

But the fact that he is requesting money from me must mean that it is not a small amount. Wouldn’t it at least be a minimum of ten billion won? I won’t lose out by being cautious.

“What is this technology?”

“The secondary battery industry is current full of Lithium-Ion batteries. There are many new technologies coming out in the market, with Sodium-Ion being the best of the bunch so far. The efficiency and price are both much better than Lithium, but there are a couple different issues that is preventing it from being useful. I resolved that issue. This is 100%.”

Ever since I started traveling to Royal Roader, I studied a lot of languages and read a lot of books. I always used the focus skill, so a lot of the information remained in my mind.

But I haven’t had enough time. I do not have much knowledge in science or things like batteries.

I have a good idea about what he is saying, but I have no way to verify whether it is true or not.

“Why don’t you get an investment from a large company? Aren’t there many companies interested in the secondary battery industry?”

“I can’t use a large company. They will just steal the technology before pushing you out. And if possible, I want to grow independently.”

Kim In Hwan’s eyes were full of sincerity as he looked toward me.

I would be lying if I said that it didn’t interest me. If what Kim In Hwan was saying was true, this really would be a jackpot of an investment. It would be my goose that lays golden eggs.

“How much money do you need to commercialize it?”

“I would initially need about 90 billion won to create a prototype. In order to mass create it afterwards, I would need about 300 billion won.”

My jaws dropped a bit. I was expecting him to ask for maybe ten or twenty billion won, but 300 billion won.

Kim In Hwan must have noticed it, as he quickly continued.

“I am not asking ahoo-nim to invest all that money. I plan on looking at different places for investments as well. But ahoo-nim is the person who I feel the most connected with ……”

300 billion won really wasn’t much to me. If it really was a good investment, I could even invest 1 trillion won.

Actually, I have close to 2 trillion won sitting around. If it was a really good investment, why wouldn’t I invest all 2 trillion?

I was just worried that I might get scammed.

“Think about it. If it succeeds, we would be the first in the world to successfully commercialize it. There are many places researching this, but they will need at least five years to bring it to market. It might even take ten years, in my opinion. We can monopolize this amazing market. “If we start before it becomes big, our materials will only cost about 30% of the norm while our sales volume will be at least five times as much. Sodium is also easy to acquire from anywhere in the world ……”

Kim In Hwan suddenly started to share everything. He was going on and on about how amazing this Sodium-Ion battery that he perfected was and what it could mean.

Of course, it was in a very quiet voice, so that nobody else could hear us.

Okay, I get what you are trying to say. It is a blueprint for a very profitable business.

The question is whether this blueprint can become a reality.

‘How can I verify this?’

I couldn’t ask an expert. Kim In Hwan was demanding confidentiality.

But I also cannot just blindly invest without any certainty.

Then I suddenly remembered.

‘Ah! I have that! The Chaos Jewel!’

—

[1] Ahoo – Korean term for someone younger than you. Can treat it as the counterpart to hyung.

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Translator : Miraclerifle

Proofreader :Borderline Masochist