I Became a Scoundrel of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 347

It was clear...

Changing this perception would take a lot of time and effort.

‘Looks like I’ll be suffering from this for a long time.’

This ridiculous perception that I hate handouts and value self-earned success—

If not for that, I’d already have inherited shares from Grandpa and be living a damn comfortable life.

But now?

I’m not exactly creating something from nothing, but I am buried in work day in, day out, constantly racking my brain.

‘Still, this route has a higher ceiling. Just drink and go with it.’

The water was already spilled, so I forced myself to rationalize it.

Sure, starting out by inheriting a bunch of stuff would’ve been great, but that doesn’t prove any of my abilities.

The path I’m on now might be tougher, but it’s one that lets me earn recognition for what I can do.

Between someone who builds nothing and inherits everything, and someone who achieves even small successes through their own effort—

The latter is obviously more respected.

Even Min-young says she likes me because of that.

Besides, now that I’ve started supplying RK-99, it’s only a matter of time before those shares come to me anyway.

I developed something that costs 20 million won per gram.

That kind of achievement is something only someone like Go Youngman could match.

‘Yeah. Time to let go of any lingering attachment. I’m Go Muyeol—the guy who hates handouts and values achievement.’

Brainwashing doesn’t need to be elaborate.

If you can fool your own brain, that’s all it takes.

I am...

Go Muyeol, who hates handouts.

I despise handouts.

I place great value in effort.

I’m not some larval bottom-feeder that just lives off scraps.

I value effort.

I absolutely hate handouts.

I... I hate being handed things...

— Right?

— Hearing you say that, Min-young,

— it really puts my mind at ease.

— I was worried I might look strange.

— Not at all.

— Watching you work hard, Muyeol,

— just makes me happy ☺

— But don’t overdo it.

— Shouldering everything alone isn’t good for you.

It’s pretty ironic, coming from someone whose whole life is buried in work.

— If you need help, just ask.

— Yes.

— Come to me first, alright?

— Uh... yeah.

— Of course.

We kept chatting for a while after that.

Whenever we meet in person, our eyes and bodies heat up instantly—

But when we’re apart like this, we can’t seem to run out of things to talk about.

Even when I should be working, I keep going, “Just this one last thing...”

and then it spirals into an endless exchange of words.

It’s the same with Go Min-young.

Whenever we talk like this—especially when we're far apart and using phone or chat—

she drops that usual composed image and rambles about trivial things.

She must want our conversations to last as long as possible too.

Still, we couldn’t keep doing that forever. Eventually, we got back to business.

— The first batch is ready~.

I sent her a photo of RK-99, shaped like an ingot.

From the outside, it looked kind of like a giant red bean jelly block.

Each chunk was a full kilogram. At 20 million won per gram, that made each block worth 20 billion won.

Ten blocks? 200 billion.

A hundred? That’s 2 trillion won.

— And this one...

— is the vitamin paste.

I sent a photo of the RK-99 paste as well.

This would be the primary product delivered to Militaris.

They’d take the paste and bake it themselves in a furnace at their end to mold it into the desired RK-99 forms.

From the outside, it would look like Muyeol Chemical was just churning out useless powder in a section of the Pyongyang Megafactory and raking in illicit profits from Militaris—a fraud company, basically.

— Yup.

— Got it.

— No issues.

— ....

— But you only saw photos.

— That’s enough?

— Of course.

— I trust you, Muyeol.

— And besides,

— I’m sending Hyeyoung to verify everything on-site anyway.

— If you say so.

There’s someone else who knows about RK-99 besides Go Min-young—

her chief of staff, Kang Hyeyoung.

Her body is equipped with nanobots and neural signal relays for sensory sharing,

so Min-young would probably verify RK-99 through Hyeyoung’s eyes and sensations.

— We made about one ton of paste so far.

— Just sourcing the raw materials is

— surprisingly a lot of work.

— It’s a hassle.

— But once the first batch is done,

— everything else flows easily, so it’s fine.

To make this initial RK-99 batch, I had to tap directly into the trading arm of a Koryo Group affiliate that handled raw materials, and set up a separate distribution channel.

Baekseol and the operations staff handled most of it, of course.

But I had to stay on top of a lot myself too.

It took just a few days to break through the supply chain, secure materials, and begin production—but you can imagine how much work that entailed.

And since this was top secret, I couldn’t even delegate it to other secretaries.

— We still need some time to finish setting up our facilities,

— so let’s start official deliveries next month.

— For now, prep about 5 tons.

— Five tons...

— Got it.

— I’ll have it ready.

Five tons of RK-99 paste.

Roughly 1 quadrillion won.

That one deal alone was worth more than everything I’d earned in my life up to this point.

‘This is basically the budget of a small-to-mid-sized country.’

Even in South Korea, this kind of money isn’t thrown around lightly.

But Go Min-young tossed it out there like it was a sample taste—

like it meant nothing.

Then again, she’s someone whose net worth has long passed the trillion-won range.

Someone on a completely different level from a pauper like me(...?).

‘Someday, I’ll be there too.’

As I imagined the day I would have the entire Koryo Group in my hands, I replied:

— Okay.

— Once the schedule is set, Hyeyoung will reach out.

— I wish I could go myself,

— but I’ve got overseas engagements,

— so it can’t be helped.

— Truly a shame.

I felt the same.

But seeing her indirectly through Kang Hyeyoung would have to be enough. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

— Through Hyeyoung,

— you can see, hear, and even feel things, right?

— So in a way, you’re basically seeing me.

— Is that how it works?

— Compared to that,

— I can’t see you at all, Min-young.

— I’m the one who’s really missing out.

— Yeah,

— I suppose that’s true.

She agreed with barely a thought.

Most normal people would probably feel at least a little unsettled by the idea of interacting through someone else’s body. But the glorious women of the Go family... they don’t really treat people like people, do they? I doubt they even feel those kinds of emotions.

— Muyeol,

— I’ve got to get back to work now.

— Ah,

— then I’ll see you next month.

— Yes.

— I’ll be in touch.

— Okay.

And just like that, the conversation ended.

The chat window, which had been buzzing nonstop, now sat quiet, leaving only its traces behind.

“She tells me not to work too hard, but she’s the busiest one of all.”

I grumbled to myself as I stared at my phone screen, unsatisfied.

But nothing changed.

++++

Even on the way back to Incheon, the work didn’t stop.

— Every city councilor and district councilor confirmed attendance.

“Oh? No one's skipping this time?”

— Yes. Not a single one. Even Assemblyman Lee Jong-seok said he’d attend despite it being his father’s memorial day.

“Memorial rites? Hey, let him off the hook.”

— Should I?

“I’m not demanding 100% attendance. They just need to show good faith. If someone really has a legitimate reason, they can skip. Just don’t be obvious about giving them flak like last time.”

Let people take care of their families.

If I start being a dictator over that, I won’t be able to rule anything.

— Understood. I’ll let them know that you personally approved the absence after hearing the reason.

“Good. And while you’re at it, send a little gift too. Offer condolences.”

— Yes.

“Keep an eye on the others too. If there’s a valid reason, let them off. But don’t go too soft either—only for serious family stuff.”

— Got it.

After Soo-ah’s report, I immediately called Mayor Jung Min-a.

She picked up right away.

— Y-yes! Hello, sir! This is Mayor Jung Min-a speaking!!

Still reminds me of Min-ji-a, that reaction.

It’s hard to believe this is the same woman who once declared war on crime.

“Mayor, I just landed a huge deal at Muyeol Chemical.”

— Oh... really?

“But I noticed the tax benefits haven’t been applied yet. I’d like them backdated, if possible.”

— B-backdated? Um... that’s kind of outside the city’s direct jurisdiction. We’d need to coordinate with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Tax Authority, and—

“And since I’m telling you, Mayor, let me be clear. This deal isn’t exactly... normal. Think of it as a little pocket money I got from my aunt, and I’d like you to cover for that appropriately.”

— E-excuse me? Not a normal deal? Pocket money??

“Let’s call it a mildly shady transaction with a touch of trickery. I was originally going to smuggle it, but my conscience kicked in, so I’m giving you a heads-up instead. Just for you.”

— ...

I deliberately exposed the deal between Muyeol Chemical and Militaris.

At a transaction size of 100 trillion won for the first batch alone, there’s no way to hide it.

It’s actually safer to make it look suspicious—as if it’s just another case of embezzlement or self-dealing.

That way, it slips under the radar.

Looks just like the kind of petty corporate mischief a chaebol heir would pull.

Granted, the scale is extreme, but given the Koryo Group’s size, it’s almost plausible.

“Still, you’re my business partner now. I figured I should let you know what’s going on.”

— Ah...

Her voice over the phone sounded flustered.

She was probably already getting a headache imagining how she’d have to clean this up.

Didn’t matter to me—I just kept talking.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you too. [N O V E L I G H T] At the next banquet, my secretary will hand you a special card. Don’t lose it. As long as you have it, you’ll never be short on cash again.”

— Ah, I—

“Anyway, I’m busy now. Talk later.”

I hung up.

Picturing the mayor’s face, frozen in panic, brought out a wicked grin.

Why do I love messing with people so much?

Especially ones like Min-ji-a or Jung Min-a—people who are so... delicious.

Ah...

Maybe I really am a true Go after all.