Chapter 51: Killing Two Birds with One Stone
“Yes, this will benefit both me and Buksan.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan let out an incredulous laugh.
“Heh, heh. While others are desperate to join, you’re the one setting conditions… Interesting. Alright, let’s hear it. What’s your condition?”
“The employment regulations or labor contracts at Buksan probably include a non-compete clause, right?”
“Most likely.”
“Could you please erase that part?”
“Why? Planning to moonlight as a chauffeur in the evenings?”
“No, I’d like to invest in a startup that catches my eye during my internship.”
“What?”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s snowy white eyebrows twitched slightly, as if they had a life of their own.
“I have a private investment entity. While working as a VC intern, I want to reserve the right to invest in startups that pass ‘my judgment.’ Of course, it doesn’t matter if I invest alone.”
Working in venture capital naturally means encountering countless startups.
Among that gold mine of opportunities, I have a unique, almost supernatural ability to distinguish diamonds from rocks.
It wouldn’t make sense to let others benefit from that without gaining something myself.
Thus, I aimed to not only gain valuable experience at Buksan Ventures but also to seize the opportunity to invest in a golden prospect if I happened to discover one.
It was a win-win strategy.
Bringing this up early was the best way to preempt any misunderstandings or conflicts down the road.
“You’re overflowing with youthful ambition, to the point of bursting, I see. But haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Excess leads to downfall’? Just because you’ve tasted a bit of success, do you think you can do anything? No. Life doesn’t work that easily. Things never go exactly as you plan. Are you completely unaware of the risks of venture investment?”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s crystalline eyes, devoid of any discernible emotion, pierced through me.
It made the moment even more chilling.
The presence of the giant who had built the great Buksan family weighed heavily on the room, a palpable force that seemed to crush the atmosphere.
His sheer aura compelled deference, making one instinctively lower their head.
Of course, this was only true for those who were not accustomed to such power.
“That can’t be true. I understand the risks are high, I know it can lead to significant losses if mishandled.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan silently observed me, his gaze unwavering and penetrating.
“But without the courage to leave the safety of the shore, one can never discover new oceans. What I’m proposing isn’t gambling—it’s investing. It is an investment based on my own observations, analysis, and judgment. I’m not speaking out of arrogance born from shallow success. I trust my eyes, and I trust my judgment. Of course, I could be wrong. But even if I fail, I won’t crumble. I’ll simply get back up again. After all, I’ve already faced death itself. What could possibly scare me now? The only thing I fear is doing nothing at all.”
What is there to fear?
I have the golden light.
Elusive though it may be, every time I’ve managed to find it, it has proven its worth.
“You impudent little…”
For a moment, Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s brows twitched, and his lips curled into a grimace.
His sharp, hawk-like eyes seemed ready to shoot fire.
The suffocating tension in the room was unbearable.
Lee Jong-hoon, the CEO who had been sitting with us, couldn’t hide his discomfort as he glanced nervously between the two of us.
And then—
“Ha! Hahaha! I knew you were unhinged, but to this extent? Where on earth do you get that audacity and nerve? You’re mad. Completely mad. But magnificently so!”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan suddenly burst into thunderous laughter, loud enough to bare his throat.
Stunned, CEO Lee Jong-hoon and I exchanged bewildered glances.
It felt like something out of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde drama scene.
How could someone change so drastically in an instant?
“You always manage to defy my expectations. At most, I thought you’d ask for treatment equivalent to a full-time employee. I never imagined you’d go so far as to request permission to invest your own money alongside ours. The more I think about it, the more ridiculous you seem.”
I scratched my head awkwardly, unsure whether his words were meant as a compliment or an insult.
“So, in the end, you’re saying you want to leverage Buksan’s infrastructure while reaping the rewards through your investments?”
“Not exactly, sir…”
Sharp old man.
Though his words hit the mark, I maintained my poker face, not betraying my unease.
“Hahaha! Bringing you on is more exhausting than hiring a Harvard-educated PhD engineer, I swear. Alright, fine. But I have conditions of my own.”
“Conditions?”
“First, if you find a company you’d like to invest in, you must inform me as well. Second, any losses or disadvantages incurred from your personal investments will be entirely your responsibility. Those are my two conditions.”
Reasonable and, frankly, expected conditions.
“Understood. I’ll agree to that.”
“Heh. Seems like you think venture investing is a walk in the park. CEO Lee!”
“Yes, Chairman-nim.”
CEO Lee Jong-hoon bowed his head slightly.
Whenever Chairman Lee Seung-hwan addressed someone by their title, it meant he was about to discuss business matters.
“How’s the venture capital market these days?”
The question came unexpectedly, but CEO Lee Jong-hoon responded smoothly, as if he had anticipated it.
“Up until two years ago, the venture capital sector was thriving thanks to abundant liquidity. However, it has since contracted significantly. The global economy’s volatility, rising inflation, and tightening liquidity through interest rate hikes have created a challenging environment. Naturally, the fervor for venture investments has cooled dramatically. For instance, ‘Chatoss,’ a company with an annual revenue of 30 billion won and cumulative investments of 90 billion won, recently failed to secure additional funding and had to undergo restructuring. This alone speaks volumes about how severe the situation has become. Startups whose valuations have fallen by more than half are becoming increasingly common.”
“You’re confident even in this situation?”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s provocation didn’t faze me. I stood my ground.
“Have you ever heard the phrase do won ji gi (道遠知驥)? It means that only when faced with adversity can a person’s true worth be revealed. I find this situation favorable. While others are idling about, I’ll have the chance to pick out the best gems early.”
“Hehe, such a cheeky brat. Fine. Do as you wish. But don’t come crying to me later.”
“Of course not. I’m someone who once boarded a distant-water fishing ship on sheer responsibility alone. Trust me, I understand the weight of responsibility better than anyone, so there’s no need to worry.”
“You’re certain you understand the weight of responsibility?”
Gulp.
His grave tone made me instinctively swallow hard.
But then—
“Alright, then at least play one game of janggi with me. Just one game before you go.”
For a moment, I almost dropped the cup in my hand.
“Ahem… I don’t usually play while drinking, but—”
“Don’t make excuses! Just one game. You have a responsibility to play janggi with me!”
When exactly did such a responsibility arise?
The elder’s earnest expression made it impossible to refuse outright, so I reluctantly agreed to a single game.
What kind of restaurant keeps a luxurious janggi board and pieces on hand, anyway?
“Stopping mid-drink to play this… what is even happening?”
“Haha! Isn’t this what we call romantic? Don’t think it’ll be easy today!”
Was it because we’d been drinking dongdongju since midday?
The drowsiness creeping in made me eager to finish quickly and take a nap.
“Yawn… Checkmate.”
I forced my heavy eyelids open and gave the game my all, but the match ended in the blink of an eye.
“This… This can’t be… How could this happen…?”
Behind me, Chairman Lee Seung-hwan stared blankly at the janggi board, completely at a loss.
Stretching to shake off my drowsiness, I turned to him.
“Shall we call it a day? That dongdongju is a dangerous drink. If I have any more, I might really end up in trouble.”
“Haha, I made the same mistake when I first tried it. Kept drinking because it tasted so good and paid the price. If you’ve had enough, let’s head out. Father?”
“I… I accounted for this, I swear. But when did it all…?”
As Chairman Lee Seung-hwan continued to deny reality, CEO Lee Jong-hoon extended his hand toward me.
“Looks like we’ll soon be colleagues. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Likewise. Let’s work well together.”
And just like that, my short but rather unique internship at Buksan Ventures was set.
The thought of going to work with a tie and an employee ID felt oddly exciting.
“This can’t be… How did this happen…?”
I made a mental note to avoid Chairman Lee’s calls for the foreseeable future.
At a cozy café near Hanyeong University:
“Yes! It’s all over!”
“I’m… done for…”
Yoo-jin and Ga-haeng stumbled over like zombies, then collapsed onto their chairs like broken puppets.
“Why is it that we said the same thing, yet the mood is so different?”
I said, raising an eyebrow.
In response to my question, Yoo-jin grinned brightly and replied.
“Whether we did well or not, finals are over! That means the first semester of senior year is officially behind us.”
“I bombed finals. Ugh… Now I have to take summer classes. Damn it!”
Watching the pair alternate between joy and despair, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“By the way, why’s Joo-hee so late?”
“Right? That girl’s always late. Does being pretty give her a pass? Seriously, she’s no saint either.”
Yujin grumbled.
From a distance, Kim Joo-hee came running toward us, her denim jacket fluttering in the wind.
“Huff… Huff… Sorry for being late!”
Yoo-jin, already seated, gestured for her to sit and asked.
“What kind of exam keeps you that late?”
“The last question was so confusing. The choices came down to two, and I couldn’t decide…”
“Isn’t it usually the first answer you pick that’s correct?”
Ga-haeng, unimpressed, cut in immediately.
“Nonsense! Don’t you know the secret trick to picking the right answer when you’re unsure?”
“Wait, there’s a trick for that?”
Yoo-jin asked, genuinely curious.
“What have you been doing all this time instead of learning this? Listen carefully. There’s a study from the University of Illinois where they analyzed the exam results of 1,561 students. According to that research, 51.3% of students who changed their answers got it right. The conclusion? You’re more likely to get the right answer by switching!”
“R-Really…?”
“See? People like you, stuck in the belief that the first choice is always correct, are trapped in a web of delusion. Humans naturally hate losses. They overestimate the potential loss of changing their answer compared to the gain they might achieve by switching. This is a well-established principle in academia.”
“I’m not sure I fully understand, but… wow. Impressive in its own way.”
“Instead of memorizing stuff like that, why don’t you actually study for exams, you idiot! No wonder you’re stuck with summer courses. Geez.”
Yoo-jin snapped.
Ga-haeng’s once-proud posture deflated under Yoo-jin’s scolding.
“So… summer break starts tomorrow. Any plans?”
That causal question sucked the energy out of the group.
Their faces turned somber all at once.
“Ugh… I need to focus on TOEIC Speaking and build up other qualifications. We’re officially job seekers now.”
“All the bank internships I applied for rejected me. Guess I’ll just focus on essay-writing study groups… Sigh.”
“I think I’ll keep applying for marketing internships. These days, if you don’t have internship experience, they cut you off at the application stage.”
And then Yoo-jin said,
“What about you, Oppa? What are you planning to do?”
The other two also turned their gazes toward me, waiting for an answer.
“Me? I’ll start my internship and, in my free time, visit the nursery more often. They said they’re really short on help these days.”
“Huh? Internship? You got one?”
“Yeah, I’m starting at Buksan Ventures next week.”
“What? That’s amazing! Oppa, you seriously have some kind of destiny with Buksan, huh? Now you’re even interning there?”
“Congrats, Hyung. You’re the first among us to get started!”
“Oppa, congrats!”
I hadn’t expected such a big celebration, but their genuine excitement warmed my heart.
“It’s just an internship, no big deal. Still, thanks for the congratulations.”
“By the way, is the nursery really that short on help?”
“Apparently. Most of the teachers are older, so it’s hard for them to keep up.”
“We’ll go too.”
“What?”
“You helped out last time, so now it’s our turn to roll up our sleeves and help out, right, guys?”
“Of course, Hyung. We can’t just stand by on something like this.”
“Right, Oppa. We’ll go help! We can do it!”
Caught off guard by their sudden offer, I waved my hands dismissively.
“Hey, hey. It’s fine. You’re busy enough preparing for jobs. I can handle it on my own.”
“Don’t say things like that. Do you think we’re working on job prep 24/7? Besides, are we strangers to you?”
“Yeah! Do we look like people you’d be embarrassed to bring along?”
I nearly blurted out, ‘Uh, kinda,’ but I managed to hold it in.
More than that, I was genuinely touched by their enthusiasm.
“You guys… making me emotional for the first time in forever. Fine, come along. I’ll introduce you to the kids—they’re seriously adorable.”
“How adorable are they?”
“They’re the cutest! Tiny little ones—huh?”
I froze. The voice hadn’t come from the group in front of me but from behind.
When I turned around, there she was.
“Mind if I join too?”
Standing there with her lithe figure and signature stoic expression was Lee Ji-won, staring right at me.
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