TOIGC 54

Chapter 54 …

How to Make Money Through Power (2)

“Zero rental fees at all?”

Almost nobody in this world is immune to the allure of making money. Seeing the JSD snap up the bait just as expected, Choi Chulkyu lowered his voice and continued with a serious, conspiratorial tone.

“Naturally, the goods sold inside the main department store will be high-end items. However, we’re also planning to construct single-story retail spaces all around the perimeter.” “And what will those shops be selling…?” “Mass-market goods, essentially. In other words, those storefronts will cater directly to the everyday people who flock here after hearing about the department store.” “Ah…”

Since Yoongi’s department store project was a hot topic of immense intrigue for anyone in the know—including the JSD—he found the proposal entirely plausible.

“Of course, we won’t hand out this kind of privilege to just anyone. No matter how expansive the land is, there’s always a limit.” “Naturally, of course.”

Nodding along, the JSD waited for the next shoe to drop. He knew there had to be a sweeter fruit dangling at the end of this branch.

“Among the people running these mini department stores, a select few recommended by Colonel JSD will be granted the right to stock high-end goods.” “Oh…” “If someone wants to cozy up to Colonel JSD and his inner circle, do you really think they can walk past without buying anything? And the quality goes without saying, since all the merchandise will be imported directly from America.”

Nodding in appreciation of what seemed like a brilliant business mechanism, the JSD spoke up.

“So, roughly how many of these mini shops are we talking about?” “We’re currently having Harvard graduate students crunch the numbers and run feasibility studies.” “Har—Harvard…!”

People falling head over heels at the mere mention of Harvard was a universal phenomenon across the globe, and the prestige carried by that name was immense.

“Yes, Harvard. Once we get their estimated figures back, we plan to allocate a portion of those slots exclusively to you, Colonel JSD. If you can provide me with a list of names at that point, I’ll personally push the contracts through.” “If you do that for me, I’ll be nothing short of deeply humbled. You’re treating me this well even though I haven’t really done anything to deserve it…”

Chulkyu shook his head.

“I despise split investments. If a real man—especially someone forged in the fires of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces—is going to walk a path, shouldn’t he look straight ahead at a single direction? I consider Colonel JSD to be the absolute pinnacle, which is why I’m investing in you and you alone.”

Guided by Yoongi’s advice—which mapped out the JSD’s exact psychological profile—Chulkyu delivered an absolute masterclass of a pitch, and its impact was nothing short of staggering.

“If I happen to secure a major promotion down the line, I will never forget the words and actions you’ve shared with me today.” “I’ll be more than satisfied if things simply continue as they are right now. I’m just genuinely captivated by Colonel JSD’s character and integrity.”

Warm, satisfied smiles broke out across the faces of both men.

“Ah, now that I think about it, what did you mean by zero rental fees? Surely your side needs to turn a profit somehow…”

Prompted by the JSD’s timely question, Chulkyu finally unveiled the core of the arrangement.

“Ah, that’s simpler than you might think. The rental fee is completely waived on the condition that they operate a ‘mini department store’ under our framework.” “That sounds remarkably reasonable.” “Instead, the interior and exterior design of the mini department stores must be contracted through our designated construction firm. We’re planning to turn not just the department store itself, but the entire surrounding district into a sort of integrated ‘theme park’.” “That doesn’t sound bad at all.”

Having built a solid foundation of trust with Chulkyu, the JSD had zero reason to question the construction angle.

“Our lead interior designer is a top-tier talent poached straight from a highly promising American firm, so I’m sure you’ll love the aesthetic. And because these are mini department stores, all inventory will naturally be sourced directly from the main department store.” “That stands to reason.” “Since the entirety of the merchandise originates from the main department store, the main store will take a forty percent cut of the profits, excluding royalties.” “Forty percent… that’s a bit steep.” “Well, we can’t treat everyone the same, can we? For your inner circle of confidantes, we’ll draw up a much more favorable thirty percent agreement.”

Dropping the stick followed immediately by a tasty carrot left the JSD grinning with renewed satisfaction. After all, receiving special treatment was a major status symbol even among the elite.

“I honestly don’t know if I deserve such exceptional treatment.”

Despite saying that, the JSD could barely contain a wide, pleased grin, causing Chulkyu to silently punch the air in triumph.

“What’s difficult about a little hospitality like this? To be frank, I’d love to shave the percentage down even further for you, but when you factor in the purchasing costs from America and various taxes on our end, it’s genuinely tough to go any lower, and for that, I apologize.” “As far as those administrative hurdles go, I’ll have a word with the higher-ups. See if there’s any way we can smooth things out on our end.” “If you’d do that, what more could I possibly ask for? I look forward to working closely with you.”

As Chulkyu bowed his head respectfully, the JSD extended a hand first, initiating a firm handshake.

“Indeed. Let’s make great things happen together.”

Gripping Chulkyu’s hand, the JSD let his imagination wander toward a brilliantly sunlit future, already plotting a follow-up conversation with JD.

“Before I got a real job, I used to think I just wanted to go to work. Now that I actually have one, I can’t believe how badly I want to stop going to work…”

Watching Pike frantically sketch out blueprints like a man possessed, Aaron burst into laughter.

“Hey, at least having a job is a blessing. I quit my last gig on a whim and spent two miserable years unemployed. Toward the end, I couldn’t even afford boxed beer anymore; I had to buy single bottles one at a time.”

Standing around 170 centimeters tall with a rather frail build, Aaron had struck up an easy, tight-knit friendship with Pike, despite Pike towering over him. Aaron was about nine years older, but since America’s work culture didn’t obsess over strict age hierarchies, they had bonded easily in a distant foreign land.

“You were out of work for two whole years?” “You bet I was. Though, honestly, it beat staying in Mexico and getting mixed up with the local cartels. Dragging me back to the old country was the best decision my mom ever made. Ah, though let’s be real, I probably wouldn’t have survived long enough to make it into a cartel anyway.” “Why’s that? Can’t just anyone become a gangster in Mexico?” “Hey, do you even have the right to say that? Look at you—you didn’t become a gangster either.” “Are you trying to start a racial thing right now?” “What on earth does a Latino have to gain by racially profiling a Black guy?”

A brand of banter that felt oddly reminiscent of Black friends casually trading playful insults echoed between the African American and the Latino, their easygoing back-and-forth keeping morale afloat.

“Down in South America, a guy without muscle just gets eaten alive. Look at my frame—I look more fragile than a teenage girl. I went through absolute hell growing up down there. My mom watched me get the pulp beaten out of me every single day and finally decided enough was a enough, which is why we immigrated to the States.” “Well, at least it wasn’t an illegal border crossing.” “True, caught a lucky break there. But what about you? How’d you manage to dodge the gangster life?” “You got a death wish? Just because someone’s Black doesn’t mean they automatically join a gang, you know.”

Amidst their giggling chatter, the construction office personnel brought in by Kim Jeongseon were buried neck-deep in late-night overtime work. The crew had expanded significantly as Jeongseon pulled in extra hands from back home; witnessing Yoongi’s business empire grow more prosperous by the day, Jeongseon had decided to hitch not just his own fate, but the entire survival of his firm, to the boy’s wagon.

Factor in the newly hired hands, and a massive force of over fifty people was crammed next to the heating stove, feverishly drafting blueprints and executing structural calculations through the dead of night.

From the exterior and interior finishing of the main department store to the upcoming construction of the perimeter mini department stores—because Yoongi insisted on keeping all critical engineering phases under direct prime contracting, the construction crew was working around the clock with bloodshot eyes.

“Phew, I honestly can’t even tell when this endless cycle of overtime is ever going to let up.”

Yoo Jinhee wiped the sweat rolling off his smooth, bald scalp with a handkerchief and let out a heavy sigh, prompting Kim Jeongseon to shake his head.

“Still, we’re the ones who have to push through and get this done. Unless we’re talking about bringing in vital specialized personnel, the moment you start outsourcing to subcontractors, our own share of the pie shrinks later on.”

To be fair, the overtime these guys were pulling was by no means unpaid labor. While the budget operated on a tight string and much of it was logged under deferred accounts, it meant their grueling hours carried tangible value.

“True enough. I sure am looking forward to payday when final settlement rolls around, though.” “You’re worried about settlement? I just dropped by the boss’s new accommodation for the nephew, and I nearly lost my mind.” “Whose nephew? You mean Geuntae?” “Yeah. The Chairman set Geuntae up with a full residential home as his personal staff quarters. Show me another company that hands out a standalone house to a single employee.”

Among the workforce, the title ‘Chairman’ had firmly stuck as their nickname of choice for Yoongi. They had initially considered ‘Junior President,’ but felt it sounded too junior compared to Ryu Geuntae. Calling him ‘Senior President’ felt equally awkward given his minor status.

And so, ‘Chairman’ became the accepted compromise. Since the enterprise had no direct institutional ties to the Samwoo Group anyway, calling Yoongi Chairman carried zero bureaucratic confusion.

“I’m stuck living in a single cramped room…”

One of Jeongseon’s subordinates muttered under his breath, causing Jeongseon to snap back at him in a scolding tone.

“Listen up, kid. Geuntae is the president of the department store and the Chairman’s chief secretary; you’re just a standard construction hand. Keep your comparisons realistic. And where else are you going to find a single room that actually gets sunlight and isn’t crawling with mold? Haven’t you seen the miserable shack accommodations at other companies’ construction sites? If you want to live in nice quarters too, keep working hard and earn it.”

Chastised with no room to talk back, the employee quietly returned to his work, while Yoo Jinhee—the one who had sparked the conversation—turned his gaze toward Aaron.

“Hey Aaron, I heard American companies don’t do overtime. Is that actually true?” “We don’t have mandatory office overtime like here, but you still end up working your tail off at home.”

Though Pike and Aaron had only been in Korea for a few months, they had picked up conversational Korean at a blistering pace. While they hadn’t quite mastered honorifics yet, they had picked it up out of sheer boredom and a desire to mingle with the locals thousands of miles away from home.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” “Company-mandated late nights are rare, sure, but if you want to climb the corporate ladder, you have to bring work home constantly. Let’s use common sense—the higher up you go, the fewer seats there are. Do you really think punching in at nine and walking out at five is going to magically score you a promotion?” “I suppose that makes sense…” “It is true that more people over there are content staying put without chasing promotions compared to Korea, but if you do want to climb, corporate America is a literal dog-eat-dog jungle.” “Well, next time I hear some guy claiming people in America work easy hours, I’ll have to knock that nonsense right out of his head.”

After a brief session of light chatter, the team dove back into deep focus. A short while later, Fernandez strolled into the office carrying a massive stack of food containers.

“Aw, man, chicken again?”

Despite Pike groaning in mock agony, everyone else lit up with excitement and swarmed the boxes.

“What do you want me to do? Everyone else loves chicken. Besides, it’s not like there’s any other place open at this hour.”

Grumbling under his breath, Pike eventually reached out and grabbed a piece of fried chicken anyway. After all, fueling up was non-negotiable if they wanted to survive the pre-dawn hours.

“By the way, Team Leader, aren’t you ever tired?”

Fernandez officially held the title of Team Leader within the construction firm managed by Kim Jeongseon.

“Tired? Not in the least.”

And in truth, Fernandez looked remarkably vibrant. Back in the day, he had suffered from severe, hollow dark circles and chronic fatigue constantly gnawing at his health due to malicious lingering spirits. With those torments completely gone, his stamina had rebounded into overdrive—a dynamic oddly similar to how clay fired in a kiln emerges harder than before.

“Oh, right. I ran into the Chairman on my way here.”

At the mention of the Chairman, everyone paused mid-bite and whipped their heads toward Fernandez.

“He told me to hand these out so you guys can push through the final stretch.”

With a dramatic flourish, Fernandez pulled out dozens of thick envelopes and began distributing them, prompting an eruption of ecstatic cheers from the staff as they scrambled to grab their shares.

“There’s so much in here…!”

The cash stuffed inside each envelope totaled 250,000 won per person—equivalent to an entire month’s starting salary for a rookie employee at the country’s top conglomerate.

“He said he’ll reward us even more generously down the road, so let’s keep our momentum going. He told me that if we work hard, he’ll make sure we live lives that extend far beyond just being ordinary employees.”

Energized by the perfectly timed bonus, the workers wrapped up their late-night snack break without needing a second prompt and plunged right back into their tasks.

The whip of labor, paired with the carrot of generous bonuses. While the construction crew worked at a blistering, breathless pace, Yoongi began laying the formal groundwork for the main department store’s operations.

And that specific mission was nothing less than becoming the ultimate trendsetter.