Chapter 10

The text '게이트 실종자 수색 지원 센터' suddenly came to Taesik's mind.

It was one of the social support programs run by Daeho Hotel Group that Yongju had shown him earlier.

"Just a good memory for nothing."

Taesik fiddled with his phone and called Mijoo.

- Hey, son. What's up?

"I was thinking about when I went missing before. Did you benefit from any support programs by Daeho back then? Like the missing persons search center?"

- What do you mean? There's no one among people like us whose name isn't on the list. And you went home and got a detailed checkup at Daeho Hospital, didn't you? That checkup was also done with support from the center.

"Ah... really?"

- Of course. The cost of the Georgiev test isn't cheap. If they offer it, you should take it. But why suddenly?

"No, it just came up while talking with Brother Yongju. I understand."

Taesik ended the call.

The cigarette tasted really harsh.

"Huh- A person has to be shameless to sleep soundly even with debts, tsk." Taesik flicked out the cigarette and went to find Daeho.

It's a special ward for direct family members of Daeho Hospital.

Among them, Daeho was using an entire floor.

All kinds of equipment that one couldn't identify were attached all over.

Even without looking at them, it was clear at a glance that Daeho was dying.

"Let's see..."

Taesik rummaged through the subspace and took out a vitality meter, attaching it near Daeho's heart.

The vitality gauge showed a number 7.

If it's below 10, it means the vitality source is damaged.

There's no physical damage, just old age.

This can't be fixed with a potion.

"Holding onto a dying person by force."

He rummaged through the subspace again.

Emergency Combat Maintenance Device. It helps injured soldiers continue fighting in intense combat situations.

And this combat is aimed at the general of the Demon King's army. It's a device with outstanding performance.

It has also been used for the rehabilitation and life support of meritorious soldiers with severe injuries.

"Since he won't be on the battlefield, he should last about 10 years."

Taesik injected the Emergency Combat Maintenance Device through Daeho's nose and helped it stabilize.

Beep. Beep—. Beep—.

The vitality gauge gradually rose.

Daeho's fingertips twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey, is someone there? Who is it?"

The gauge went over 30. At this level, he can manage a normal daily life.

"Who else? I'm the Grim Reaper come to take you."

"Y-Yes... I was so startled I thought I'd die again, but I didn't."

"Grim Reaper, sir. Can't you delay it for a few months, or even a month? I still have things to do... I can't die like this."

"What do you have left to do? Are you thinking about the money you've saved and feel it's a waste to die?"

"I've repaid all my grudges, but I haven't repaid all my debts. I need to repay them all before I go. Otherwise, it would be like defecating on the Daeho name."

"Who do you remind me of... Mr. President. You tycoons. Everything you enjoy is thanks to the people of this country pooling their resources. I'll give you 10 years. Let's see how well you repay them."

Taesik put Daeho to sleep and left the room.

Daeho (2)

Daeho opened his eyes groggily.

"Was I dreaming...?"

It felt too vivid to be a dream.

"Haha. Living long enough to see this."

Daeho sat up. His body felt light. He walked to the window and looked outside.

"Things have changed a lot."

The hospital's landscape had changed. A new building had been added, and the main building, which he had participated in the opening ceremony for, looked different from his memory.

So much time had passed.

"President! President! You're awake!"

Professor Park Jun-sang burst into the room, making a fuss.

"Ah, Professor Park. It's been a while."

"President, you should rest first. Please lie down on the bed."

"I'm fine. I know my body well."

"I know my body well." Professor Park, Daeho's attending physician, had heard this phrase countless times.

"You fainted saying that. Please lie down. I'll start with a simple examination."

"Stop it! Who do you think I am, an old man in the back room!"

Daeho barked loudly. He was a man with a powerful voice.

"Go and call Team Leader Choi."

"Team Leader Choi has already been contacted. He'll be here soon. And I'll inform your children..."

"Don't tell the kids yet."

"Understood."

"Then don't make it awkward and get out."

Park Jun-sang couldn't say another word and left the room. Soon, Team Leader Choi entered.

He was tall with a sharp appearance and a reddish-brown complexion. In a black suit, he looked like a real Grim Reaper.

"President, congratulations on your recovery."

"Thanks to your care. How have things been?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, President."

It wasn't that there was nothing to worry about, but he made sure there wasn't. Daeho had a 2nd team managing the 3rd team, which managed the 1st team he received from his father, the founder, and refined into an organization.

"How's your body?"

"Feeling great. It's like I've gone back to my youth."

"Still, wouldn't you like to take a test?"

"I'm fine. I know my body well. I can last 10 years."

"You fainted saying that."

"Just like Professor Park. I thought I'd collapse any day back then, but I was just saying it."

"President-."

"Stop it. More importantly, I saw the Grim Reaper."

"The Grim Reaper?" Even Team Leader Choi, who rarely showed emotion, opened his eyes wide.

Daeho isn't the type to joke around, so he wondered if there was something wrong with his head.

"Yes, the Grim Reaper. I told him I couldn't die with regrets. I've repaid all my grudges, but I still have debts to repay. I asked for a month's extension. Do you know what the Grim Reaper said?"

"What did he say?"

"He said to repay the people of this country."

"Haha. That Grim Reaper sure likes to say the right things."

"But the more I think about it, the more it doesn't seem wrong."

"Does it?"

Before he fainted, Daeho said that Daeho was what fed the country.

It wasn't a wrong statement. Daeho accounts for 8% of the country's GDP. Including subcontractors, it's nearly 20%.

If Daeho's quarterly performance tanks, the national growth rate wavers.

Daeho had a great sense of pride in this.

The virtue of a head of household is to ensure the family doesn't go hungry. In that sense, he considered himself the head of the country. That's what Daeho used to say.

"Right. He said they helped me, and thinking about it, it's true. I really benefited."

"What do you mean by 'benefited'?"

"Well, we received two rounds of government funding. We got the land for the semiconductor factory easily.

"That's..."

"There were quite a few other instances. Do you remember when the factory in Vietnam caught fire? The friends who died. They said they would compensate, but it didn't seem like ten times the value of a life."

"That was a clear accident due to poor factory management."

"You sent them to a tough place. It doesn't seem like you took care of them enough. It was the same when we worked in Saudi Arabia. Thinking about it, we saved a lot on labor costs."

"At that time, cheap labor was the... no, the driving force of Korea's growth. You said that a country without technology could only offer cheap labor, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. But you know, I didn't say it as if it was natural. I didn't want to show that I had no choice, so I put on a show of arrogance."

Team Leader Choi bowed his head. He remembered the emotion in that voice. It was a roar of frustration.

Frustrated and angry.

Because the country had nothing to offer but cheap labor. It was frustrating.

At that time, Daeho's roar was a roar of frustration.

"But I forgot. That was a favor, but I just forgot about it. I let it pass because it was in the past. I shouldn't have forgotten."

"President, you didn't forget. Among existing groups, none have as good a reputation with their subcontractors as Daeho. Employee benefits are the best. Daeho is the most sought-after company for new job seekers."

"I owe a debt to those people. Not the current employees, but those people back then. The ones who worked hard and sweated for me. I just forgot about them."

Team Leader Choi smiled awkwardly.

They say a person changes greatly after a near-death experience. He thought this saying was true.

"Anyway, that's it. How have the kids been?"

"That information is prepared in documents."

"Then bring them to me. I need to see who fits best."

"Understood, I'll prepare them immediately."

Team Leader Choi prepared the documents, and Daeho reviewed them one by one without any sign of fatigue.

"Mr. President, this is the VIP room of Daeho Hospital!"

Park's voice was high. Ma Lin's heart sank as she answered the phone.

"I changed my number."

- Mr. President! This is Professor Kim.

Professor Kim was Ma Lin's dedicated attending physician and one of the attending physicians for the Daeho family.

"Yes, Professor Kim."

- I think you should come to the hospital right away.

"Surely, it's about Father... Father..."

- Yes! President is awake!

"Really-!"

Ma Lin jumped up in surprise and fell backward, hitting her buttocks. She quickly picked up the phone again.

"Father is awake?"

- Yes. The signal was detected at 3:20 AM today, and he woke up at 7:30 AM. He had breakfast around 8:00 AM.

"Why are you telling me this now! What time is it now!"

- I'm sorry, Mr. President. President said to keep it confidential until he said otherwise...

"Still, you should have told me! Professor, aren't I one of your patients!"

Ma Lin, who rarely got angry, was furious. Professor Kim bowed his head over the phone and apologized.

- I'm sorry, Mr. President. Still, I'm contacting you before the other siblings. I'll contact the others in about 30 minutes.

"What do you mean by that! If Father called, everyone should be called!"

- Yes, yes. I'll contact the other siblings immediately.

Ma Lin quickly ended the call.

"Mr. Park, cancel all my afternoon appointments. And have the car ready. I'm going to Daeho Hospital right away."

"Understood, Mr. President."

Ma Lin headed straight to the annex of Daeho Hospital.

Her older brother, Seokwoo, the eldest son of Daeho, had already arrived.

"Why did you come so late?"

"I came as soon as I got the call. When did you come?"

"I came an hour ago."

"These people are really!"

"Don't get angry. You should pay more attention to the hospital staff."

"Did you see Father?"

"I haven't gone up yet."

"Then let's go up."

"Wait. President said to wait for all three of us. Minwoo will come, and then we'll go up together."

"Is he okay? You must have checked already, right?"

"He had two bowls of breakfast. He must be fine."

"Seokwoo is really-! This is something to be indifferent about!"

Just as Ma Lin was about to stomp her foot in anger, Minwoo arrived.

"Minwoo! Why are you so late?"

"Sister. It's been a while. Why are you shouting so loudly? Don't act without dignity just because you have the Daeho name."

Minwoo walked across the hospital lobby like a model.

"Hey, you brat. Come here. What are you being so disrespectful to someone like me?"

Seokwoo grabbed Minwoo's ear.

"Ah, Brother, I'm an executive now. Don't do this-."

"This brat needs a wrestling match to stop being so disrespectful."

Seokwoo put a headlock on Minwoo's head like an uncle playing with his nephew. It was merciless.

"Brother! Brother!"

"When will you grow up!"

Ma Lin hit both of their backs and pushed them toward the stairs.

"Go up! Hurry! Father is waiting!"

"Hey, you keep saying 'go, go' so this brat gets more and more disrespectful. Hey, I changed your diapers, and now you're being disrespectful because you're older?"

"Stop it. Seokwoo, act your age."

"You keep talking about age? You're the one who's acting like an auntie..."

"Die, really."

"Hem."

"This is Brother's mistake."

"The clueless brother is now immediately going up the stairs. Start-."

"Start~."

Seokwoo pulled Minwoo by the ear and went up the stairs.

The three of them stood in front of Daeho's room, opened the door together, and went in.

"Father, we're here. We heard a rough story, but are you okay?"