Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 180: Half a Year Later (5)

At that moment.

Go Chang-beom met with his father.

Looking at Go Myung-jin, who was silently gazing out the window, Go Chang-beom restrained his intense emotions and spoke.

“When I was young, I didn’t understand what you called principles. While others were skimping on materials to increase their margins even a little, you always insisted on using materials better than the standard, even at a loss. You were even criticized for it. Not by the consumers who bought a fine house at a reasonable price, but by fellow builders who pointed fingers and asked why we had to be so different. They blamed us, saying, ‘Do you think anyone will care?’ It’s true. For decades, not many people recognized our dedication.”

Building a reputation in Daesan.

This was how Myungjin came to be.

Yet, compared to the effort they put into each home, they ultimately remained just another regional construction company.

If only.

If only they had cut corners like others and skimmed off profits, the wealth Myungjin could have accumulated over the years would be unimaginable. The construction industry is still a business, and from a business standpoint, it was a substantial loss. Some continued to criticize, saying that by being so stubborn, they had merely stagnated in the provinces when they could have accumulated enough wealth for generations.

There was a time when Go Chang-beom thought the same way.

Watching his father refuse to siphon off profits from Myungjin Construction, he wondered why he was so stubborn.

“People don’t notice if you skimp on a single rebar or a bit of cement. Only a few are that sensitive. Watching construction companies raking in cash during the real estate boom, using shoddy materials, Myungjin might seem foolish. But while preparing for this project, I realized something important. Just how much a home means to people. And the confidence and trust we’ve carefully built over the years shine most when faced with a true crisis, in situations beyond our control.”

The current public opinion.

It was the weapon Go Chang-beom believed in.

Without the trust people had in Myungjin Construction, it would be impossible. Even in the face of negative opinions, he was certain that if he prepared well for the 5,000 units, they would not fail. For those who had experienced Myungjin’s quality, could they possibly turn to another builder offering such quality and price?

It wasn’t blind faith.

It was confidence.

While Go Chang-beom might once have been a delinquent and Go Myung-jin a man of flawed personal choices, even having an illegitimate child…

It was different in the construction industry.

People didn’t judge character.

They trusted Myungjin Construction’s track record when investing their life savings into a home they would live in for a lifetime.

So he didn’t waver.

No matter how the Golden Circle tried to attack by rallying media and public opinion, he firmly believed that as long as he prepared well, Myungjin Construction would stand strong. The wealth and honor Myungjin had gained from the “Pouring Incident” weren’t just a flash of brilliance but the result of trust built layer by layer over the years.

He looked at his father.

As Go Myung-jin came closer, he spoke to him.

“Father. No, Chairman. Thank you for handing down such a fine company.”

Go Myung-jin.

He might have been lacking as a father.

But as a chairman and a man in the construction industry, Go Chang-beom held sincere respect for him.

Tears welled in Go Myung-jin’s eyes.

Watching his son, who had grown so rapidly, Go Myung-jin said nothing more.

He just.

Held him tightly.

“Well done, my son.”

* * *

The secretary’s eyebrow twitched as he looked at his tablet.

[Myungjin Construction, a Turbulent Force in the Construction Industry!]

[Why Are People So Enthralled with Myungjin?]

[Two years ago, the Pouring Incident marked Myungjin Construction as a blue chip in the industry, and now this announcement is drawing even more attention. With the real estate boom peaking, apartment prices are easily surpassing 1 to 2 billion won. Construction industry insiders say it’s inevitable due to rising land and raw material costs. Yet, Myungjin Construction went against the trend, offering a shockingly low price of 400 million won. Considering the apartment quality, location, and surrounding prices, this price should be impossible, but Go Chang-beom, the executive director, states it’s part of a “housing supply” project, reducing margins as much as possible for those burdened by housing costs. People are already flocking to apply for Daesan Forest, and…]

The press had turned favorable.

This wasn’t because Myungjin Construction had exerted any influence.

The media was simply responding to a social phenomenon, as the comments showed.

– As expected, in Myungjin you can trust.

– This is an obvious outcome. Quality like Myungjin’s, price like Myungjin’s—there’s no comparison. Ordinary folks have no choice but to apply for this. Myungjin Construction is truly amazing. Apartments with their brand name are now going for tens of millions more on the market, but here they are offering it at 400 million, sacrificing all that profit. I bet that after these units are sold, the price will double!

– I heard they’re setting strict conditions on applications to prevent speculation.

– I live in Seoul, and I’m going to apply. In Seoul, you’d never find a home like this for this price.

It was chaos.

No matter how much public opinion could be manipulated, who could resist such a good home at such a price?

It was effectively over.

The news from the 25 O’clock station had been relegated to the background amid complaints. Judging from public reaction, the 5,000 units were practically guaranteed to sell out, and the failure to undermine Myungjin Construction was clear. The failure of this sale was their last hope, yet it only ended up enhancing the brand’s image.

The secretary gritted his teeth.

Creak.

“Those cockroach bastards.”

No matter how hard they stomped on Kim Hyunsung or Go Chang-beom, they just wouldn’t die.

The problem was he couldn’t report this as it was.

Knowing what would happen if he reported this to Yoon Hyeon-min, the secretary pondered a final option.

‘There’s nothing left but to give him one last chance.’

Go Chang-beom.

It was time to reach out to him directly.

* * *

The secretary didn’t bother hiding his identity.

He had already secured Go Chang-beom’s contact information and, after identifying himself, got straight to the point.

“I’m offering you one last chance. Abandon Kim Hyunsung and surrender. If you reject our proposal again, unimaginable misfortunes will follow. Workers will start dying on-site, delaying the construction. The government will pick fights over every detail of your projects. Those around you will be attacked, and problems will keep arising until you’re ruined. Do you think you can bear all that? The group you’re up against is practically South Korea itself. How long do you think a mere company like yours can hold out?”

A menacing threat.

A final ultimatum, delivered with a knife to the throat.

[Do as you please.]

From the other end of the phone.

A mocking voice responded.

No matter how viciously the secretary spoke, Go Chang-beom didn’t waver.

[Has anything you promised actually happened? Then or now, you’ve failed to handle even a single high school student. But Kim Hyunsung is different. He’s proven himself to me over and over, from nothing to where he is now. Since back when he didn’t even know you existed, he’s consistently achieved the ideal result, no matter how difficult the situation appeared.]

It was the point of no return.

While Go Chang-beom trusted Kim Hyunsung, he had already crossed a line beyond compromise with the Golden Circle.

Even if he sided with them.

The outcome was obvious.

They might offer carrots now to deal with Kim Hyunsung, but once he was gone and the Golden Circle had no further use for him, their attitude could change at any moment. They were a group that discarded even their most loyal followers without mercy. Go Chang-beom had no intention of trusting and following such people.

And.

[I’m not the type to believe in anything until I’ve seen it myself. I trust Kim Hyunsung. So don’t ever call me with this nonsense again. Got it, you sons of bitches.]

Click.

He hung up.

It was a one-sided conversation, leaving the secretary in stunned laughter.

“Well, well, that’s interesting.”

Did Go Chang-beom realize?

This was the last opportunity, in the truest sense.

Now, there was no turning back.

‘Right now, Myungjin Construction has public support that no mere authority can break. This has gone beyond my reach.’

He walked forward.

He opened the door and entered.

Inside.

“What’s the situation?”

Yoon Hyeon-min was waiting.

As the door closed, the secretary disappeared inside.

Thud.

That day.

Han Seung-jo was disposed of.

A bloodbath erupted within the Golden Circle.

And the next day.

At the Golden Circle’s orders, South Korea’s power brokers began to move in earnest.

* * *

It was the calm before the storm.

While a massive event was unfolding in the shadows of South Korea, public attention was focused on a major event.

The college entrance exam results.

It was finally the day the results would be announced.

Reporters covering the issue discussed.

“Will there be a perfect score?”

“It seems unlikely. This year’s exam was notoriously difficult. Even those who aced the mock exams were complaining after the test. I doubt there will be a single perfect scorer.”

Right after the exam.

Students had done preliminary scoring, but none had claimed a perfect score.

Naturally, people were doubtful.

If there had been a perfect scorer, they would’ve boasted. With no one making claims, they assumed there were none.

A reporter commented.

“It’s a shame. If anyone could’ve scored perfectly, it would’ve been Kim Hyunsung, who dominated mock exams throughout high school.”

“True. Do you think there’s any chance he took the exam?”

“No. We checked if there was an examinee named Kim Hyunsung, but since he dropped out, he’d need to take the GED to be eligible. Considering he has to wait six months after dropping out to qualify, taking this year’s exam would be impossible.”

It wasn’t just the reporters.

With the exam’s difficulty revealed, anyone interested in college entrance exams brought up Kim Hyunsung’s name.

For the past three years.

The most dominant high school student in the country.

People had high hopes for him, so the disappointment was palpable.

Given his record of breezing through difficult exams, they felt he could have done well, even on this tough exam.

The conversation ended there.

Finally.

The scores were announced.

Reporters checked with their sources to confirm if there were any perfect scorers.

“Gasp.”

“There’s a perfect scorer?”

“The only perfect scorer in the country! Who is this Choi Jung-woo?!”

A frenzy ensued.

Everyone began searching for Choi Jung-woo.

But something was odd.

Choi Jung-woo wasn’t a high school student.

Not only was he 23 years old and taking the exam for the first time, but there was also a shocking detail that stunned everyone.

One reporter exclaimed in shock.

“This…this doesn’t make sense. Look at this. I checked Choi Jung-woo’s personal information, and he’s been in a vegetative state for three years!”

“What?!”

A vegetative state.

The reporters were thrown into chaos.

How could someone in a vegetative state have taken the college entrance exam?

And scored a perfect score, no less.

“Which hospital is he in?”

At that time, people had no idea.

This result would ignite a firestorm across South Korea.