Chaebol

"Boss… are you buying a car?"

I smiled slightly at Jo Soo-deok's question.

This is a secret, but since we're talking in Korean, there's no worry of being understood.

"Akira-san drew an illustration for me. I'm thinking of getting him a gift to show my gratitude."

"A car?"

I nodded.

Akira's love for machines is famous, after all.

"I thought you were the one buying the car, boss."

"If there's something I like, maybe I'll buy one too."

"Excuse me?"

"I can just buy it and put it in the garage, right?"

Well-maintained vintage cars only increase in value over time.

So buying one in advance would be the most effective move.

I wonder if he caught my drift.

"I'm unnecessarily worrying about your wallet again, boss…"

"Haha."

We soon started walking towards the parked Golf.

Vroom!

Jo Soo-deok was in the driver's seat, and Akira and I sat in the back.

"I was surprised when you contacted me about the car."

"I kept seeing a yellow 911 in my mind. I found out it was hard to come by since it's a vintage model. So I reached out. Was it an inconvenience?"

"Not at all. You did great."

Sure enough, Akira's face lit up with excitement.

"Actually, vintage cars… they're the ones I used to see in magazines when I was a kid. Most of them never made it to Japan. So as a kid, I couldn't help but have a vague longing for them."

"You can buy them now, though, right?"

"That's why I bought one. A 1964 model, the very first air-cooled 911."

Ah, so the yellow 911 was from 1964.

"It's a historically significant car. So, I went all out. If I could only have one car for the rest of my life… I thought this model would be it."

He's going to rake in billions with 'Dragon Ball,' yet he's talking about having just one car for life…?

"Anyway, I bought it from a collector too. The man is loaded, so I had to beg him to sell it to me."

He's loaded with money?

Suddenly, my interest piqued.

"He used to run a medium-sized company. I heard he's retired now and mainly focuses on investments."

Sure enough, we arrived at a massive mansion.

No, calling it a mansion felt inadequate—it was practically a castle.

Though it was a bit removed from the city, the scale was still incredible.

We were guided by a staff member to a garage larger than an auditorium.

It was hard to believe it was someone's personal collection.

Rows upon rows of cars were lined up.

"Quite the sight."

Despite having been here a few times before, Akira seemed overly excited, like a kid in a toy store.

Thump thump! Thump thump!

His heart seemed to be racing.

Then, he seemed to finally gather his composure.

"I came to introduce you, but I'm the one losing it…"

He laughed awkwardly, but his gaze was quickly drawn to another car.

As expected, Akira's main interest was Porsche!

Among them, his eyes lingered on a particular red sports car.

Even I, someone with a keen interest in cars, found the model unfamiliar…

"Ah, that's a 356, the predecessor to the 911. It's from 1948. Since it's Porsche's first mass-produced sports car, it's a truly authentic vintage car, rich with heritage."

It's probably the same expression fathers have when their son brings home a report card with top marks.

"The only problem is the price, but it's definitely worth collecting. You might want to add this to your purchase list."

Okay.

Seeing hearts practically popping out of Akira's eyes, I decided to put it in the gift box for now.

"Speaking of classics, you can't miss this one either. It's the first car released by Mini. I believe it's from 1959."

More heart eyes!

It seems Akira really likes small, cute cars.

"If you had to choose between the two, which would you pick?"

"Without a doubt, the Porsche 356. Just look at those lines. Isn't it beautiful?"

I asked the staff about the price of the car.

Since it was part of the chairman's collection, the general rule was that they didn't sell, but they would consider selling models of which they had more than three.

Then came the explanation:

"The going rate is about 100 million yen, but for around 150 million yen, the owner might be willing to part with it…"

"Eek!"

At that moment, Jo Soo-deok, who was behind me, let out a scream.

It's natural to be shocked by the price—1.5 billion yen for a used car.

But considering the scale of my assets, it felt like buying an expensive suit.

Especially when I think about the revenue Akira has helped generate.

"This is nothing."

I soon spoke to the staff.

"Could you check if the owner is willing to sell it? Please tell him it's intended as a gift for Akira-san."

I said it as quietly as I could.

"B-Boss!"

But it seemed he heard me anyway.

"No, no. I can't accept something like this."

As if he wasn't going to turn down everything else either!

Thanks to this, we ended up in a prolonged back-and-forth.

Me: "Thanks to you, our sales have increased…" (Will this work?)

Akira: "I've already been compensated with scholarships for Tokyo University students…" (Nope, didn't work.)

Me: "My grandfather specifically asked me to repay you. If you refuse this, I won't be able to face him…" (Adding some exaggeration here.)

Akira: "Then how about I call your grandfather directly?" (He's seriously taking it this way?)

After what felt like a negotiation on the verge of coercion, we finally reached a compromise.

"I'll accept the 1959 Mini."

This guy is so stubborn.

If I refused this compromise too, he looked ready to just lie down in the garage and not budge.

What could I do?

I turned to the staff and said:

"Akira will take the Mini. As for the Porsche 356, I'll buy that."

"Excuse me?"

If it's such a great car, why not own one myself?

The shopping didn't end there.

"Hmm."

Something about this model felt familiar.

Where had I seen it before…?

'Isn't that the Mustang from the movie 'John Wick'?'

It was probably from 1969.

That characteristic thin wooden steering wheel from that era.

It had a certain truck-like driving feel to it.

The bold, muscle-car body appealed to me too.

"Now that's a real man's car!"

Without even asking for the price, I immediately added the Mustang to my cart.

Three cars should be enough, right?

Just as I was thinking it was time to head back, Akira stopped in front of another vehicle and said:

"This is the essence of a sports car."

Was today's shopping theme "Back to the roots"?

Akira emphasized the heritage again.

"Alfa Romeo 8C. It's a legend that dominated countless racing competitions. This model was released in 1931."

What can I say?

The car looked like a pistol.

The driver's seat was about where you'd expect the rear sight to be, and the body stretched out in front like a long barrel.

On top of that, it didn't even have a roof—a real racing car.

It had an extreme design that seemed straight out of a cartoon.

"Even the famous Enzo Ferrari used to race under Alfa Romeo. Maserati's team also fell under Alfa Romeo's influence. This car actually raced during that era."

Just hearing the explanation made me want to buy it!

In the end, I added the 1959 Mini, the 1948 Porsche 356, the 1969 Mustang, and the 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C to my cart before finally leaving the garage.

Maybe it was because the shopping was so intense.

An employee approached and spoke.

"The chairman would like to meet you. If it's okay, perhaps over a meal…"

It definitely wasn't the spending habits of a 14-year-old.

On top of that, since I was introduced as an acquaintance of Akira, his curiosity must have been piqued.

I looked at Akira as if asking for his opinion.

He immediately responded.

"He's a man respected by people of all generations. It wouldn't hurt to get to know him."

If Akira had such high praise for him…

"Well, I am getting hungry. Sounds good."

***

There were quite a few people at the mansion.

Most of them must have been helping with housework.

But no matter how big the house is… do they really need this many people?

Did he read my expression?

Akira added a brief explanation.

"I mentioned that the chairman has stepped down from his management role, right?"

"Yes. And that he's only been focusing on investments since then…"

"You remember correctly."

Akira smiled slightly and continued.

"Rumor spreads fast, so I've heard young people from all over come here hoping for investment opportunities. Even some publishers I know visited him a few times. The results weren't great, though."

Indeed, most of the people were men in their 30s wearing formal suits.

So, if they present their business ideas, the chairman decides whether to invest?

And with the money he makes, he lives in this mansion… with a garage the size of an auditorium…

Ha!

"It's the very definition of a dream retirement life!"

As someone who doesn't see retirement as a distant future, this was a truly fascinating sight.

'This would suit me perfectly.'

Forget management—just spending money, occasionally investing when I have the time.

"Wait."

Even investing seems like a hassle.

Is there anyone out there who could manage my money for me?

But that romantic thought quickly passed.

Sigh

Haaah

I could hear sighs from all around me.

Sighs so deep they seemed to sink into the ground.

Slow, exhausted steps.

Some even collapsed in defeat.

It seemed most of them had failed to secure any investments.

Well, it's only natural.

How many ideas could really move the chairman?

Out of 100 people, fewer than one or two might get an investment.

Just as these thoughts were swirling around in my head…

"Jenzang…"

I heard clumsy but clear Korean from the front.

The voice grew closer.

"Jenzang, jenzang…"

It was a man wearing a worn-out jacket, missing a middle button.

Like a soldier returning from a 40-kilometer march, he walked with weary steps.

"むちゃくちゃにするな."

Huh, now he was speaking Japanese.

Roughly translated, it would mean something like "Damn it."

"Didn't he just speak Korean earlier?"

Was I hearing things?

Just as I was about to brush it off…

"Jenzang…"

The man mumbled to himself again.

Maybe that's why my gaze fixed on his face.

"…?"

There was something familiar about him.

Where have I seen him before?

I felt like I'd be bothered by this all day if I didn't do something, so I bowed slightly toward him.

"Hello?"

I greeted him in Korean.

But he responded with a look of confusion, as if he didn't understand a word I said.

Did I mishear him earlier?

No, I'm sure I heard correctly.

And his face looks so familiar…

But no specific name came to mind.

"I guess I mistook you for someone else."

I bowed once more and moved on.