Golden Spoon Investor

Hannam-dong, Seoul.

A black Mercedes sedan glided smoothly to a stop in front of a two-story mansion, enclosed by tall walls.

As the rear door opened, Seok-won stepped out, stretching his arms wide before gazing up at his family's home with a smile.

"Home is always the best."

Hotel living wasn't bad, but nothing gave him the same deep sense of stability as returning to his family's mansion in Hannam-dong.

For a moment, Seok-won looked at the house with affectionate eyes. Then, noticing Kim Hyung-gi unloading the luggage from the trunk, he stepped forward.

"Let me help."

"Oh, no, it's fine, young master. You should go inside and rest."

"There are three suitcases. Since they're mine, I should at least lend a hand."

Without hesitation, Seok-won reached into the trunk and pulled out a large 28-inch suitcase.

Even though he had only been away for two weeks, he had packed plenty, filling two more similarly sized suitcases.

Despite growing up in wealth and comfort, he had never acted entitled or mistreated the household staff.

Unlike many privileged heirs who expected everything to be done for them, Seok-won had always treated the employees with warmth and respect.

Having watched him grow up, Kim Hyung-gi couldn't help but smile momentarily before quickly adjusting his expression.

"Thank you very much."

"It's nothing, really."

Seok-won dismissed it lightly and wheeled the heaviest suitcase toward the front gate.

Kim Hyung-gi quickly shut the trunk, then grabbed the remaining two suitcases—one in each hand—and followed.

Standing before the grand gate, Seok-won extended an arm and pressed the intercom button.

The chime rang a few times before a familiar voice crackled through the speaker.

[Who is it?]

"It's me, Auntie."

Recognizing his voice immediately, the housekeeper, Mrs. Gunsan, greeted him warmly as she unlocked the gate.

[Oh my, young master! Welcome home.]

Beep—Thunk!

As the lock clicked open, Seok-won stepped inside the mansion grounds, pulling his suitcase alongside Kim Hyung-gi.

Crossing the lush green lawn, his eyes were drawn to a familiar sight—a family of stray cats, now practically part of the household, lounging on the wooden deck railing and table.

The cats were curled up in cosy "loaf" positions, basking in the afternoon sun.

Seok-won paused for a moment, catching the gaze of the mother cat. She let out a soft meow as if welcoming him home.

"Meow~"

Her tail swayed lazily before she settled back into a sun-drenched nap, utterly at ease.

Smiling, Seok-won continued past them and stepped into the house.

"Welcome back."

As always, his mother, Madam Jo Deok-rye, stood at the entrance with Mrs. Gunsan, warmly greeting him.

"Yes, I'm home. Mother, you look even younger than before. Your skin is literally glowing!"

"Oh, stop with the flattery."

Despite her words, she didn't seem to dislike the compliment.

"Did you have lunch?"

"I had the in-flight meal, so that got me through."

"I see. Since it's summer, I thought we'd have some samgyetang tonight—it's good for stamina. Take a shower and rest for a bit. I'll call you when it's ready."

"Wow, my mouth is already watering!"

As Seok-won licked his lips in anticipation, his mother gave him a bemused look.

"Didn't you just say you ate on the plane?"

"Oh, come on, plane food doesn't compare to a home-cooked meal. Nothing beats Mom's love and Mrs. Gunsan's touch in the kitchen."

"Honestly… you're getting better at sweet-talking by the day."

Chuckling at her son's playful words, Madam Jo turned to Mrs. Gunsan.

"You've got all the ingredients ready, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Start cooking right away. He's already so eager—we'd better feed him soon."

Mrs. Gunsan also smiled and nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

As she headed to the kitchen, Madam Jo straightened her posture and said,

"It'll take some time to cook, so go upstairs and rest for a while."

"Alright, I will."

Seok-won took off his shoes and stepped into the living room, about to head upstairs, when he noticed his father, Chairman Park Tae-hong, sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were home too, Father."

Mrs. Jo chuckled and added,

"He didn't even go to the office today. He's been waiting for you."

"What are you talking about? I wasn't feeling well, so I decided to rest."

Chairman Park lowered the newspaper in his hands and refuted her words.

Despite clearly having overheard the conversation at the entrance, he had pretended not to notice—classic Park Tae-hong behaviour.

"Oh, is that why you had two bowls of mulhoe for lunch?"

"Ahem!"

Caught off guard, Chairman Park cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed.

Watching his parents' playful bickering, Seok-won couldn't help but smile. He turned to his father and bowed politely.

"Father, I'm home."

"Hmph."

Chairman Park gave him a grumpy look and clicked his tongue.

"Must've felt great, ditching the company for two weeks to travel around, huh?"

"It wasn't a vacation; I was working."

"How would I know if you're lying? I wasn't there to see it myself."

At that, Madam Jo shot her husband a glare and sided with their second son.

"Why are you giving him a hard time when he just returned from a business trip?"

Chairman Park Tae-hong folded the newspaper he had been reading with a dissatisfied expression and placed it on the table before standing up.

"I have something to discuss. Come to the study."

With that, he strode away and entered the study first.

"Oh dear. He just got home—couldn't he let him wash up and rest a little before talking? He wasn't like this before, but the older he gets, the grumpier he becomes." Madam Jo Deok-rye shook her head, furrowing her still-smooth forehead, a result of her meticulous self-care.

"It must be something important."

Seok-won left his suitcase where it was and followed him into the study.

When he opened the wooden door and stepped inside, Chairman Park Tae-hong was already seated at the head of the table. He gestured toward an empty seat with his chin.

"Sit."

"Yes, sir."

Seok-won responded as he sat down on the sofa to the left.

Chairman Park, who had been leaning back in his chair, glanced at Seok-won and asked,

"Did everything go well in the U.S.?"

"Yes."

Chairman Park, who had been grumbling earlier, now spoke in a serious tone.

"You understand that while handling both sides of the business, you must not neglect your duties here, right?"

"I'm well aware."

"Good. I trust that you understand with just one reminder. And there's something I need to inform you about in advance."

Chairman Park finally got to the point, watching Seok-won closely.

"At the end of next month, President Choi will step down as the CEO of the securities firm."

Seok-won's eyes widened slightly at the unexpected news.

"All of a sudden, why…?"

Considering that he had successfully managed the securities firm and still had a significant amount of time left in his first three-year term as CEO, the news was all the more puzzling.

However, as Chairman Park Tae-hong continued speaking, the reason immediately became clear.

"The Blue House offered him the Vice Minister position at the Ministry of Science and Technology."

"I see."

Although he had been treated well at the company, Choi Jin-woo had always harboured ambitions for public office. He had probably accepted the offer without much hesitation.

'If things follow the same course as I remember from before my regression, he'll follow the elite track in the government and eventually rise to the position of Deputy Prime Minister. Working at Daeheung Group was merely a detour—now he's returning to where he was always meant to be.'

Since he had anticipated this would happen sooner or later; the only unexpected part was the timing. Seok-won was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his composure.

Chairman Park narrowed his eyes, watching how quickly his son regained his composure.

"You don't seem very surprised."

"No, I was surprised."

"You don't look it at all."

Chairman Park folded his arms and scrutinized him as if trying to read his thoughts.

"Did President Choi give you a heads-up about this beforehand?"

"Not at all. This is the first time I'm heard about it—from you."

"For something you're hearing for the first time, you seem surprisingly unfazed."

As his father continued to press him, Seok-won simply shrugged.

"To be honest, I had a feeling this would happen."

At that, Chairman Park looked at Seok-won with intrigued eyes.

"Explain in a way I can understand."

After pretending to think for a moment, Seok-won spoke calmly.

"Even though he worked for our group, I always felt that his attachment to public office and his sense of honour were much stronger."

"…."

"So, I always thought that if an opportunity arose, he would return to public office. Ah, but of course, that doesn't mean President Choi ever neglected his work at the company."

"Hmph, of course. If he hadn't been fully committed, do you think I would've let him stay in that position?"

Chairman Park Tae-hong snorted.

As he had said, if someone was competent, he would fully support them. But if they failed to meet expectations, he had no hesitation in letting them go.

Realizing that his son had picked up on something he himself had overlooked, Chairman Park regarded Seok-won with newfound appreciation.

'Not bad—he even has a sharp eye for people.'

Discovering this unexpected insight in his son, Chairman Park couldn't help but smile to himself.

At that moment, Seok-won leaned forward slightly and asked,

"What do you plan to do?"

Without revealing his true feelings, Chairman Park answered with a gruff expression.

"He's a capable man, so it's a shame to lose him, but it's not like he's going just anywhere—he's been offered a position by the Blue House. There's nothing I can do."

"You made the right decision. After all, even being offered the highest position is meaningless if you don't want it."

"That's true."

Seok-won then spoke in a subtly suggestive tone.

"The government must have plenty of other candidates, yet they specifically reached out to someone who had left public office to bring him back. That suggests President Choi has quite a few strong supporters within the Blue House."

"What are you getting at?"

"I don't think President Choi is the type to settle for just a Vice Minister position at the Ministry of Science and Technology."

"If, as you say, he has strong ambitions, then naturally, that would be the case."

Chairman Park Tae-hong responded indifferently, but Seok-won casually remarked as if speaking in passing.

"If he's someone destined to rise even higher, wouldn't it be beneficial to maintain a good relationship rather than letting it end here?"

At those words, Chairman Park raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"Are you telling me to hedge my bets?"

"Yes."

"What if it turns out to be a wasted bet?"

"On the flip side, he could be the lifeline we need when a real crisis hits."

During the turbulent storm of the financial crisis, having a strong connection with the Deputy Prime Minister of Economic Affairs—who would hold the fate of corporations in his hands—would be an invaluable asset.

"Isn't that the whole point of hedging? Preparing for unpredictable situations."

"Well, that's true."

Nodding in agreement, Chairman Park considered it for a moment before speaking again.

"With someone like President Choi, any investment in him is unlikely to be a loss. I'll do as you suggest."

"Trust me, you won't regret it. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's spotting solid investments."

Seok-won assured him with confidence.

Hearing that, Chairman Park smirked slightly, his expression much softer than when they had first entered the study.

"Ko Director will take over as the new president."

Among the senior executives at the securities firm, Director Ko Yeong-il was the most capable, so Seok-won immediately accepted the decision.

"And you will also be promoted to division director, so keep that in mind."

"Me?"

When Seok-won asked in surprise, Chairman Park responded as if it were obvious.

"Did you really think you'd be stuck as a team leader forever? You'll be in charge of the PI department, so your work won't change much."

Seok-won hadn't expected to remain a team leader for long, just like other second and third-generation chaebols, so he readily accepted.

"Understood."