Chaebol

"No matter how I see it, it seems like the world will love you. Am I wrong?"

Even if I denied it, he wouldn't believe me.

"..."

I couldn't say anything in response.

The intuition of a giant who has weathered the storms of the times.

Naturally, Grandfather would trust his instincts more than my answers.

After a heavy silence settled between us,

"So, you're saying you want to support Yoo-geon's dreams?"

"That's right."

"But what if your brother's dreams have nothing to do with Hyungang? What would you do then?"

"What?"

"If he says he wants to live his own life and put business aside, wouldn't you have to step up and take the lead instead of supporting him?"

He never makes things easy.

Just as I was licking my lips,

"Why aren't you answering?"

"I understand what you mean. But isn't it a bit too early to determine my brother's dreams?"

"He's starting his third year of middle school this year. How much longer do you expect me to wait?"

"..."

"Let's do this. If Yoo-geon shows interest in management, I'll listen to what you're saying. You know what it means if he doesn't, right?"

He could have used force to pressure me, yet he's giving me a chance.

What more could I ask for?

Once I get back, I need to have a serious conversation with my brother.

Maybe reading my thoughts, Grandfather immediately reached for the phone.

He dialed a number he knew well.

"It's me. Tell Yoo-geon to come over. He should be here in about thirty minutes if he leaves now."

Grandfather's eyes remained fixed on me as if he were conversing with me.

"Alright, have him wait."

After setting down the receiver,

Grandfather's lips curled into a subtle smile.

***

Meanwhile.

Park Yoo-geon's room had changed a lot in the past two years.

Previously, it was filled with pictures of Black musicians, but now, half of those had been replaced with game posters.

He hadn't always been interested in video games.

However…

After hearing that his younger brother was in the game distribution business, he bought a gaming console to show support and played a game or two… and now he was completely hooked.

Not that it had affected his studies.

Ever since Martin took over his tutoring, Park Yoo-geon found studying enjoyable.

Unlike school, where they just told him to memorize facts, Martin explained why certain formulas were created to solve specific problems and how they developed over time.

(TL/n - I also use this method for learning and it's very effective.)

For Yoo-geon, who was used to rote learning, this was like experiencing a whole new world.

Naturally, he had to put in several times more effort.

Maybe because Yoo-geon worked so hard, Martin, who was normally reserved, gradually opened up.

Thanks to that, Martin would often come to visit Yoo-geon even on his days off, and they would hang out comfortably.

Today was no different.

It wasn't even a tutoring day.

"Get them! Destroy the spaceship next to you! Yeah, that one."

Martin was sitting next to Park Yoo-geon, enjoying a game.

"Aw, I died."

"You should have avoided it mathematically."

"Hmm, are there any other games?"

"We've already played through all the ones we have."

"There haven't been any updates."

"I've been saving up my allowance, but…"

"Just in case, I brought a new one!"

Martin was probably expecting a cheer from Park Yoo-geon.

However,

"..."

Yoo-geon looked lost in thought, his expression blank.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, it's nothing."

"Now that I think about it… you've been having a hard time focusing on the game."

"Maybe it's because I'm tired."

Martin didn't buy that.

"What is it? What's bothering you?"

"..."

"You went to the event today, right? Did something happen?"

Park Yoo-geon seemed conflicted.

It felt like he had many thoughts, but they weren't yet organized in his head.

Maybe that's why.

It took quite a while for him to speak.

"I just felt… a bit envious."

"...?"

"The event today. It was a ceremony to officially endorse Ji-hoon as Hyungang's successor."

The genius grandson, basking in the founder's expectations.

"Ji-hoon lived up to those expectations wonderfully today. He held the microphone and gave an impressive speech."

Maybe the floodgates of his emotions had opened.

Park Yoo-geon continued, speaking clearly.

"I never wanted to do something like management. Too much responsibility, not enough freedom. But I never thought about avoiding the fate of being the eldest son."

"Because if you reject it, your younger brother will have to take on that fate instead?"

Nod.

"If someone has to make a sacrifice… I thought it might as well be me. It's not unfair. I've enjoyed many privileges as the eldest son… That's how I always thought, but…"

"...?"

"Thinking that I was pushed aside because I'm incompetent and useless, that's a little sad."

"Do you resent your brother?"

"No. I'm just envious. How nice would it be if I were as smart as Ji-hoon? If I could also succeed in a great way and help my father when he's struggling… how proud would that make me feel?"

But that expression lasted only a moment.

Park Yoo-geon let out a long sigh.

"Sometimes, I'm afraid. What if this envy turns into jealousy? What if my incompetence creates a rift between me and my brother… When I think like that, I feel so pathetic I can hardly stand it."

Martin looked at Park Yoo-geon with a heavy gaze.

If this were a scientific problem, he could have solved it instantly.

"..."

But human emotions were far too complex for Martin as well.

What should he say? He was mulling over this problem.

Knock, knock.

A sharp knock came from behind.

Soon, a deep voice followed.

"Young Master, the Chairman is asking for you."

***

"You're here, Grandfather?"

My brother stood up from the living room sofa and spoke.

His gaze soon shifted to me.

Today, I stood before the VIPs in his place.

Would he think I had taken away his birthright as the eldest son?

I felt a bit guilty about that.

But my brother greeted me with a forced smile.

As Grandfather sat down on the sofa, he asked my brother.

"Surprised I called you out of the blue?"

"No, not really, Grandfather."

Even if being called out was one thing, my brother seemed a bit flustered by the unusually warm tone.

"What were you doing?"

"My tutor came over."

"How's studying going?"

"It's fun."

"There isn't a kid in the world who says studying is fun."

"Not every subject is great, but I do find math and science interesting."

That's a good sign.

The electronics industry will be our future food source.

Even to understand the engineers at the heart of it, it's essential to build at least a basic understanding of the sciences.

Grandfather seemed pleased with that answer.

"Have you thought about university?"

"Yes, sometimes."

"Where would you like to go?"

"My goal is Seoul National University, but…"

"What? You can tell me anything."

"I haven't decided on a major yet."

"You haven't?"

Since he was born the eldest son of Hyungang, a business administration major seemed like a given.

The fact that he said this…

He was probably indirectly expressing that he had other academic interests.

"Isn't there a particular field you're interested in?"

"Well, I am curious about computer science."

"What do you want to do with computers?"

"There are endless possibilities…"

My brother trailed off.

"Go on, say it."

"It's just…"

"Why are you beating around the bush like that?"

"I… I want to create something that combines math and science."

"What's that?"

"The new art of our times…"

"...?"

My brother squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.

"Games!"

To this unexpected answer.

"Ha!"

Grandfather's brows furrowed sharply.

I was just as taken aback.

But it seemed my brother wasn't done surprising us.

"It's not much, but… I did make a game. Do… do you want to see it?"

***

Click.

"You're back already?"

As the door opened, Martin stood up and said.

But when Grandfather appeared behind my brother,

"What the…"

Martin's pupils shook violently.

Grandfather paid no attention to his reaction and walked straight to the computer.

My brother followed closely behind, speaking up.

"It's nothing grand. I just wrote a script, and Martin did the coding."

"A script?"

"Yes, here it is."

My brother pulled out five thick college notebooks.

Judging by their worn-out condition, they had been flipped through countless times.

"Instead of studying…"

"I'm still first in my class."

"Nationally?"

"Around 200th."

"If you hadn't been fooling around like this! You could've made it into the top 100!"

Ji-hoon gets to do whatever he wants…

Maybe he was using me as an excuse.

But my brother never mentioned me.

So.

I decided to change the subject.

"Hey, can I take a look at that too?"

"Okay."

My brother handed me one of the college notebooks.

I figured if I showed interest, Grandfather would relent and take a look too.

At first, that was my thought.

But then.

'Huh? Why is this so detailed?'

I couldn't help but be surprised by the notebook's content.

It was a kind of reference book.

Fantasy settings are common, but this one had meticulously detailed characteristics for various job classes.

○ Warrior with two-handed sword: Defense 3 (when wearing Mithril armor)

○ Warrior with one-handed sword and shield: Defense 10

○ Initial job selection applies basic stats, but after a second job change, stats increase by 2x.

○ Thieves can open chests without keys (however, if the party has poor relations with them, there's a high chance of defection, during which equipment may be stolen).

There were countless other details filling the pages.

'Hmm.'

With the current technology, it would be impossible to implement all of this in a game.

Even so, my brother had calculated everything, from applying physical laws to the compatibility of various objects, and compiled it all into this reference book.

That wasn't all.

'There are illustrations too?'

Illustrations that maximized these characteristics were scattered throughout, greatly helping to understand the unfamiliar settings.

"Did you come up with all of this on your own?"

He nodded.

"How long did it take you?"

"Three months."

It took him three months to fill five college notebooks with game settings?

At this rate, he must have practically stopped studying… but he's still first in his class?

"Grandfather, look at this. This is almost professional level."

Since I'm in the position of wanting my brother to take over management, I probably came off as if I was putting on a show.

Indeed, his eyes told me to stop the obvious flattery.

Seeing is believing!

"Just take a look. You'll get the gist of it in just five minutes."

Even if he knows nothing about games, he won't be able to ignore the effort and care poured into these books.

Sure enough.

Grandfather, reluctantly flipping through the notebooks.

"...!"

His expression began to change with each passing moment.

If he wasn't impressed, he would have closed the notebook right away.

However.

Flip, flip.

Grandfather was already flipping through the second notebook.

I discreetly nudged my brother's side.

Then, I silently mouthed the words.

'Show him the game you made!'

Luckily, my brother seemed to understand and immediately powered on the computer.

Vrrroooom.

The computer hummed to life.

They had put one in each of our rooms to encourage us to study, but having experienced smartphones, why would I have any interest in that old PC?

But my brother had used it to make a game.

When the black DOS screen appeared, my brother started typing as if it were second nature.

Even though it was in English, it felt like he was typing at least 500 words per minute.

A moment later, gray letters appeared on the screen.

Martin had handled the coding.

The text on the screen was all in English.

A simple translation would be:

Subtitle: In Search of the Great Treasure.

By this point, Grandfather had also turned his attention to the screen.

"What is this?"

"It's a game I made."

Still half-skeptical eyes.

My brother asked, breaking through that gaze.

"Do you… want to give it a try?"