A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 6

I, Lim Hyunjun, took a deep breath for a moment.

The scene I just witnessed wouldn'

t leave my head.

The appearance of my uncle grabbing my father'

s collar and arguing fiercely.

His face full of anger and the harsh words he poured out while clenching his teeth disturbed my mind.

‘Was my uncle also related to the reason my father died early?’

I couldn'

t remember when my father died.

I only remembered that it was an accident.

I looked at Lim Do-hyun without a word.

My uncle was still sitting there with a cold expression.

‘Why does he hate my father so much?’Lost in thought, I slowly lowered my gaze.

The major businesses of Taeseong had already been entrusted to Lim Do-hyun.

Naturally, as time passed, he would even get his hands on the core businesses of the group.

It wasn'

t that there were no competitors, but he was already being evaluated as the most likely successor within the group to begin with.

Even so, I wondered why he went out of his way to despise my father and even showed an attitude that seemed to deny his very existence.

‘Like a child who had something taken away by their father...’

I frowned slightly.

Something was strange.

Desperately trying to drag someone down was an action taken when one felt their position was in danger.

However, my uncle already held sufficient power.

‘Does he perhaps feel that even that position is unstable?’

When that thought flashed through my head, I stared at Lim Do-hyun once more.

Watching him sit across from me, quietly listening to Grandfather'

s words, I braced my heart.

‘I must keep an eye on my uncle.’

The puzzle pieces weren'

t fitted together yet.

I had only matched one piece.

To complete the picture, I had to look around and find the matching pieces.

I hadn'

t paid deep attention because I thought he was just my uncle and the person who would inherit Taeseong in the future.

I simply thought of him as a capable manager.

However, remembering his attitude I saw today, I couldn'

t dismiss it as a simple family feud.

I took a slow breath.

An impatient heart makes things go wrong.

For now, I just needed to step back and watch my uncle'

s movements.

Whether he really was related to my father'

s death.

Or whether it was just a simple conflict.

What was certain was that from now on, I intended to find out everything about my uncle.

***

The next morning.

I went to school a little earlier than usual.

I, who loved going to school in my past life, was very satisfied with my current life.

I didn'

t go to school by car like other kids, but took the bus.

As I passed the school gate, I heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, Lim Hyunjun.”

When I turned around, Lim Hyun-woo was standing there, dressed neatly in his school uniform.

“You’re early.”

“You’re early too.”

I answered while scratching my head.

“Is that so?”

“It’s something unimaginable for the old you. Weren'

t you the one who skipped school as if you were eating meals?”

“Even if I was like that in the past, I'

m not now.”

Lim Hyun-woo, my uncle'

s son.

He was my cousin I grew up with since childhood and also my classmate.

He looked like a model student at school, but when looking inside, he had a cold personality and looked down on others.

Even now, it seemed like a question thrown without much thought on the surface, but he was subtly being sarcastic.

“It’s only natural for a student to be faithful to school life. You’ll get used to it from now on too.”

“You. Did you really get a perfect score?”

“Why? Does it seem like a lie?”

“Honestly, it doesn'

t make sense.”

I smirked and answered.

“You'

re funny. It’s as if it doesn’t make sense for me to be good at studying. Why doesn'

t that make sense? I'

m the eldest grandson of the Taeseong family too. Isn'

t it only natural?”

“......”

Hyun-woo ground his teeth and couldn'

t make any response, then walked ahead with a whoosh.

I just felt like laughing as I watched that Hyun-woo.

The school I and Hyun-woo were attending was Hwasan International High School.

It was one of the top prestigious private high schools in South Korea.

It was a place where children of political and business figures mainly attended, so naturally, the majority of students were from wealthy families.

However, there was a special scholarship program here.

It was a system that selected students who were in difficult circumstances but had excellent grades and talent, supporting them with full scholarships.

The students who entered that way were mostly talented individuals with overwhelming skills.

Perhaps it was a system created considering public perception.

Because these students entered by having their grades and skills recognized, they often stood out within the school.

However, there was also a group that did not look kindly upon them.

A representative example was Lim Hyun-woo.

During break time.

Lim Hyun-woo, who was passing through the hallway, frowned and said.

“Why are those things hanging around here?”

At the end of Hyun-woo’s gaze stood a few scholarship students.

The children of wealthy families naturally hung out among themselves, and students who were not like that hung out together.

The guy who was hanging out with Hyun-woo spoke out sarcastically.

“The stench is vibrating. People should know their place.”

Hearing those words, a few people held their stomachs and giggled.

It seemed as if they considered themselves superior by birth.

One of the scholarship students said.

“Just go on your way. Why pick a fight.”

Lim Hyun-woo couldn'

t just pass by those words and walked in front of the scholarship student who said them.

Then, staring him down, he grabbed the guy'

s collar as if he were going to kill him.

“Living on the money we paid. You beggar-like bastard...”

The expression of the student whose collar was grabbed hardened at once.

The words coming out of his mouth were calm.

“You should speak correctly. What money did you pay. It must be your parents'

money. And Hwasan brought me here because they wanted me. I'

m here because I have that much ability.”

“You son of a bitch, just babbling whatever comes out of your mouth.”

While punches were being exchanged and no one stepped forward, I stopped the two.

Then, a teacher appeared and the situation ended cleanly.

Contrary to his temperament, Lim Hyun-woo was a total weakling.

He was beaten up by scholarship student Jang Wooseok, and his face was blue and bruised.

I reached out my hand to my cousin Hyun-woo, but Hyun-woo brushed it off and left.

I reached out my hand toward Jang Wooseok, who hit Hyun-woo.

This time, Jang Wooseok didn'

t brush off my hand and took it.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Crazy. Does this look okay to you?”

“Your lip is a bit torn, but you seem to work out.”

Whether he understood my words as a compliment, Jang Wooseok grinned.

“Of course.”

“Whatever.”

To me, who was dumbfounded, Jang Wooseok asked for my name.

“What'

s your name?”

“I'

m Lim Hyunjun. You'

re Jang Wooseok, right?”

Jang Wooseok looked at me with eyes saying ‘what’s up with this guy’, but I acted as if I didn'

t know and slapped him on the back.

“Hey, do you play games?”

“Is there anyone who can'

t play games?”

In this way, I and Wooseok became close.

Jang Wooseok.

He was a person who stood out remarkably when I entered.

Not only in studying but also in athletic ability, he produced results in various competitions.

Thanks to that, his evaluation at school was good.

However, in my view, that wasn'

t all.

Wooseok’s true ability.

It wasn'

t just being good at studying, but the ability to read the situation and cope.

The wit to grasp intentions from people'

s attitudes and speech.

The grit to not easily reveal emotions even in dangerous moments.

At first, I only watched Jang Wooseok with interest, but after seeing him argue with Hyun-woo, I was certain.

‘He'

s definitely not an ordinary guy.’

Because of that, I deliberately approached Jang Wooseok.

I grasped his ability and nature and naturally built a relationship.

Even while practicing games that I don'

t usually like.

Talents like Jang Wooseok were needed for the work I had to do in the future.

Hwasan International High School was perfect for finding such talents.

In this way, I was finding people who would be on my side one by one.

A few days passed and it was morning.

A buzzing sound came from the hallway.

Someone called Jang Wooseok'

s name and told him to go to the faculty office.

Jang Wooseok, who went to the faculty office without knowing the reason, headed to the principal'

s office with his homeroom teacher.

There, a woman covered in luxury goods from head to toe was sitting with the principal.

The principal saw Wooseok, who came in with the homeroom teacher, and spoke while gesturing roughly.

“Hurry and sit down.”

As Wooseok sat down, the middle-aged woman sitting across from him glared at him with a sharp gaze.

“Did you think you were some kind of special existence just because you'

re a scholarship student? If the school showed you consideration, you should be thankful and attend quietly. How dare you hit our Hyun-woo?”

Wooseok could guess who the woman speaking in a coercive manner was.

She was definitely Hyun-woo’s mother.

Wooseok spoke calmly.

“I wasn'

t the one who hit first.”

“Then how come our Hyun-woo’s face is covered in wounds? Look at this. Principal. Are you just going to leave this young fellow lying so brazenly?”

The principal was flustered and couldn'

t even sit still, lifting his buttocks halfway and even waving his hands.

“No, Hyun-woo’s mother.”

“Principal. You must deal strictly with violence incidents between students. Especially for students like this, if you leave them be, what will happen to the school discipline?”

The principal showed a troubled expression, but eventually ended up nodding.

“I understand. I will hold student Jang Wooseok responsible for this incident and give him a two-week suspension. In addition, measures will be taken to cancel the scholarship payment.”

Wooseok was infuriated by the nonsensical punishment and vented his resentment.

“This is a nonsensical punishment. Why are you holding only me responsible for something I didn'

t even start. Principal, please think again about the scholarship payment. This is the same as telling me to leave the school. Teacher, why are you just staying still.”

Neither the principal nor Wooseok’s homeroom teacher could say anything and turned away from him.

Seeing that, Wooseok realized there was nothing he could do and slumped into his seat.

Shin Seo-yoon, Hyun-woo’s mother, stood up with her luxury bag and said a word toward the weeping Wooseok.

“That'

s why you should have behaved properly. Someone like you dared to hit our Hyun-woo! Be thankful that it ended with this much.”

While dripping tears, Wooseok stared at Shin Seo-yoon as she left the principal'

s office.

His fists trembled.

Meanwhile, I went to find Wooseok after finding out late that he had been called to the principal'

s office.

Standing outside, I heard the situation inside without missing a thing.

Every time Shin Seo-yoon’s voice was heard, my brow narrowed.

It was as expected.

Without even considering the circumstances before and after the incident, she unconditionally designated her son as the victim.

“I wasn'

t the one who hit first.”

Wooseok’s voice was heard from inside.

It sounded calm, but the feeling of being wronged was felt.

I stood with my back to the principal'

s office door and fell into thought.

At this rate, it was certain that Jang Wooseok would be unfairly disciplined without a way out.

‘This is something nonsensical.’

As an adult, I couldn'

t just watch this kind of thing and pass by.

I made a call somewhere with my phone.

“Secretary Choi, I have a favor to ask. Let’s do a job with me. Of course, it’s a secret from my parents.”