Max-Level Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 83

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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83. Is This What They Call Fate?

 

The Grim Reaper said.

 

[That guy Lee Kyung-seok, he’s really not your ordinary stubborn fool. Even though I made him have nightmares so frequently as warnings, he didn’t even pretend to listen.]

 

‘Well, it’s just dreams after all.’

 

You can just dismiss them as nonsense dreams and be done with it.

 

[Usually when someone has the same nightmare repeatedly to that extent, they’d feel uneasy enough to be cautious at least once. But this guy doesn’t have any of that.]

 

The Grim Reaper shook his head from side to side.

 

[Even while suffering from sleep deprivation, he kept pushing forward relentlessly. He was fired up, saying that since the Boss had returned to the country, he had to cover the remaining work thoroughly. He’s a guy with a very strong sense of responsibility.]

 

Should I like this or not?

 

Having a strong sense of responsibility and working hard is certainly praiseworthy.

 

Not being swayed by superstitions and silently completing all his duties despite suffering from sleep deprivation is definitely the attitude of an excellent working professional.

 

Secretary Lee, you’re going to die if you keep this up! In many different ways!

 

[I did all kinds of interference operations in my own way, but since he insisted on taking that airplane, there was no other method for me.]

 

‘This is troublesome. So did he take the airplane or not?’

 

[He didn’t take it. No, he couldn’t take it.]

 

‘Oh!’

 

Only then did I let out a sigh of relief.

 

Lee Kyung-seok was too valuable a talent to lose like this.

 

He’s the man who would later be called Taeseong’s brain and become the president of Taeseong Electronics, one of Taeseong’s core affiliated companies.

 

I suddenly became curious.

 

‘You said dreams didn’t work either. How did you stop Secretary Lee?’

 

[Well… I caused a spiritual affliction.]

 

‘Spiritual affliction?’

 

Spiritual affliction means the kind of disaster you receive when you touch something you shouldn’t have touched, right?

 

Something seems strange here.

 

I think the subject has changed.

 

‘You voluntarily caused a spiritual affliction on someone who was just minding their own business?’

 

[Was there any other way to stop him?]

 

‘…’

 

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

 

It was the first time I’d ever heard of a Grim Reaper voluntarily causing spiritual affliction.

 

‘What happens when someone gets spiritual affliction?’

 

[They get sick.]

 

‘Like a cold or body aches? Getting chills all over, or maybe…’

 

[High fever is the basics, then the sky spins round and round before they collapse.]

 

‘…’

 

[He won’t die. You think I’d go that overboard? No problem.]

 

‘The problem seems to be that you laid a hand on someone who was just minding their own business.’

 

[You asked me to prevent Secretary Lee from falling into the Arabian Sea and dying.]

 

So in the end, it was because of my request that the Grim Reaper had to resort to the extreme measure of spiritual affliction.

 

‘Uh, well. Sorry about that.’

 

[Nothing to be sorry about. Thanks to you achieving great merit, the Great King decided to prepare presents. I was able to slip it by relying on divine will.]

 

Ah, come to think of it, that’s what I wanted to ask about.

 

‘Mansur’s father-in-law. What’s the deal with that person? He wasn’t originally supposed to be on that airplane, right?’

 

The Grim Reaper grinned.

 

[You know this? For someone to die unluckily, multiple instances of ‘of all times’ must overlap.]

 

I suddenly felt like I understood what he meant.

 

Even when I died, it was like that.

 

Of all times, that day I insisted on driving instead of the driver, of all times the 25-ton trailer driver was dozing off, of all times it coincided with kindergarten children’s dismissal time, of all times it hit the side of the car, of all times…

 

[Conversely, even if multiple unlucky ‘of all times’ overlap, if just one stroke of luck intervenes, you don’t die and get through it.]

 

Huh?

 

[That’s why people usually don’t realize they luckily avoided an accident and just pass by.]

 

Is that so.

 

[Conversely, relationships are also formed because of that luck at that moment. Just like right now. Actually, this whole affair could be said to be you riding on Lee Kyung-seok’s luck.]

 

Hmm?

 

[Lee Kyung-seok was originally someone who had ties with the Middle East power brokers. He simply had that connection moved up a bit due to this incident, but you originally had no ties with that side at all.]

 

Well, that’s because I never had to stir up trouble in the Middle East back alleys.

 

Come to think of it, Lee Kyung-seok had greatly benefited from the Middle East market.

 

In his youth through Taeseong Construction, and later through Taeseong Trading and Taeseong Electronics.

 

Lee Kyung-seok was famous as a skilled operator who mingled casually with Middle Eastern power brokers, building friendships and closing business deals.

 

Among the Middle Eastern princes, Mansur, who had distinguished himself with his business acumen, was said to frequently seek advice from President Lee Kyung-seok.

 

‘Guardian Spirit, so how did that Middle Eastern power broker luckily escape death? Tell me the details.’

 

I was curious.

 

‘That man was a relative of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family and a powerful figure, so he must have traveled by private jet. How did he end up on that airplane?’

 

[As luck would have it, his machine broke down.]

 

‘His private jet broke down? How? What was the reason?’

 

[Is that important? What matters is that even though he was stranded, he couldn’t ignore the Royal Family’s invitation, so he decided to proceed with his schedule.]

 

Ah, so that’s why he bought an airplane ticket to Dubai.

 

[When you’re determined to keep your schedule, what choice do you have? He had to find another way. There happened to be exactly one ticket available that would get him to his destination on time.]

 

‘And that happened to be Indian Airlines Flight 855.’

 

[Right. He happened to board an airplane that was destined to crash to the bottom of the sea.]

 

I felt goosebumps rise on my spine without realizing it.

 

How many times had the phrase “happened to” appeared in the story so far?

 

[He happened to walk alongside Lee Kyung-seok, who had bought a ticket for the same airplane, and happened to meet me. That’s how both of them got Spiritual Affliction together.]

 

‘Hmm? Then that should be the end of it, right?’

 

[Hardly. How could the threads of fate be woven with just that?]

 

I was puzzled.

 

‘What more happened after that?’

 

[The “happened to” wasn’t over yet. They happened to share the same Airport Medical Office.]

 

‘······.’

 

[Their Security Guards and Secretaries happened to be busy dealing with the unexpected emergency situation. The two were left alone.]

 

Obviously, the Security Guards specialized in VIP protection would have controlled access to the medical office.

 

The Secretaries would have been busy looking into private jet repairs and contacting the Dubai Royal Family due to the changed schedule.

 

[Lee Kyung-seok had no choice but to grab the Doctor while groaning in pain and plead to use the telephone. If he missed the airplane, he wouldn’t make it in time to submit his bid proposal.]

 

‘Bid proposal?’

 

[Taeseong Construction’s bid proposal for the Dubai construction project.]

 

······Huh?

 

[In the Middle East, they’re planning city construction with overflowing money. Why do you think he tried to board that airplane?]

 

‘No way······!’

 

I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

 

‘Don’t tell me Muhammad became interested in Taeseong Construction after hearing that phone call?’

 

[That’s right. You could say it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.]

 

The Grim Reaper grinned.

 

[Isn’t that how worldly affairs go? Sometimes more absurd things happen in reality than in novels.]

 

‘So it’s a connection forged by Spiritual Affliction.’

 

[A forced mission is better than a trip to the Path to the Underworld. There was no other way to tie down their feet.]

 

That’s true.

 

One is a man who ignores constant nightmares for a full two weeks and pushes forward relentlessly.

 

The other is a man of such determination that when his private jet broke down, he was willing to take any other airplane.

 

For a bodiless Grim Reaper to tie down both their feet simultaneously, there probably wasn’t any other clever method.

 

[Originally, to forge a connection with someone who has no ties to you requires tremendous luck and extreme measures to barely link them together.]

 

‘Wait. Didn’t you say this was a special connection arranged to commend my good deeds?’

 

[Think about it. Then what other way would there be for an eight-year-old child on the Other Side of the Earth to form a connection with a royal relative and head of a massive family? The only way is to follow the thread of fate.]

 

Now that I think about it, that makes sense.

 

[Rather than the coincidental opportunity, people, responses, and circumstances are more important. Muhammad is a powerful figure planning city construction, and Lee Kyung-seok’s Taeseong Construction project plans simply caught his interest.]

 

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

 

‘Anyway, Secretary Lee is safe and alive, right? That’s all that matters.’

 

I watched the adults, each wearing serious expressions as they moved about busily.

 

Grandfather was making phone calls to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking for favors.

 

“Please find out if there’s a fellow named Lee Kyung-seok among the passengers who crashed in the Arabian Sea this time. He’s one of our Taeseong Construction people. I’m asking you as a favor.”

 

Father was searching through the airport.

 

“I’d like to find out about a fellow named Lee Kyung-seok among the passengers of Air India Flight 855 that crashed this time. Could you put me in contact with Air India?”

 

Secretary Kim had already rushed out to send telegrams to various places.

 

‘This is awkward. I can’t exactly say Secretary Lee is alive and well. Well, it’s not like a little mental anguish will kill him.’

 

I decided to play dumb.

 

‘Grim Reaper, good work.’

 

If you do work, you should get paid, and if you achieve something, you should get rewarded.

 

‘When I get home today, I’ll open up the Basement Vault at Our House for you. There are tons of Landscape Paintings and Art Works there. I noticed last time that you enjoy appreciating those kinds of things?’

 

[Hmm, if possible, I’d like to try something different.]

 

‘Something different? What?’

 

[Something like that, for instance.]

 

What the Grim Reaper pointed to was the Black and White CRT Television.

 

[It seems to be some newfangled contraption, and it’s quite fascinating.]

 

Perfect! That’s not difficult at all.

 

‘In consideration of your achievements, I’ll even give you special channel selection privileges.’

 

Channel selection rights are usually a privilege reserved only for the real power holders in a household, you know?

 

* * *

 

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have shown him!’

 

The Grim Reaper had embraced this newfangled thing called television and opened his Eyes to a whole new world.

 

[Hurry up and turn on the television. It’s time for the daily drama to start!]

 

Before I knew it, the Grim Reaper had become a devoted drama viewer who waited all day and timed everything perfectly to watch the live broadcast.

 

Just like you’d expect from someone unemployed.

 

‘Did you memorize the entire Television Programming Schedule in just ten days?’

 

[At this rate, I’ll miss the beginning. Yesterday it cut off at the crucial moment and I’m dying of curiosity about what happens next!]

 

The Grim Reaper frantically tugged at my sleeve.

 

‘I’m in the middle of cleaning Anchovies right now?’

 

[It’s not like you can’t watch television while cleaning Anchovies. You can finish cleaning them after watching television. But if you miss the time for a drama series, there’s no next chance!]

 

‘Oh, come on!’

 

The Grim Reaper stomped his feet impatiently like a puppy that needed to go out, urging me on.

 

He would throw tantrums, insisting on watching television from the national anthem at the start of broadcasting until the national anthem at the end, flipping through every channel.

 

I couldn’t stand it anymore and had to create a ‘Television Viewing Schedule’ before normal daily life became possible again.

 

Addiction really isn’t that far away, is it?

 

[Hurry! Heungseon Daewongun is coming on!]

 

The Grim Reaper had developed several dramas he counted down the days for.

 

Tongyang Broadcasting’s daily dramas ‘Beautiful Youth’ and ‘Only Daughter’, the Friday drama ‘Wild Rose’, and the weekend drama ‘That’s How It Is’.

 

Among them, the Grim Reaper’s absolute favorite was the daily historical drama ‘Rain, Wind, and Cold Dew’.

 

[Ah, Joseon’s national fortune has declined so much…! Darkness grows ever deeper over this country’s future…!]

 

Jang Young played the role of Heungseon Daewongun, while Jang Mi-hyeon took on dual roles in passionate performances.

 

Watching the Grim Reaper completely absorbed in the drama, repeatedly sighing and exclaiming, only one word came to mind.

 

‘Damn it.’

 

They say middle-aged women curse like this when they meet drama villains in real life.

 

[I won’t let those Japanese bastards get away with this! I saw them last time. I saw where those scoundrels live!]

 

‘No, that’s acting. Those people are all Korean.’

 

[Japanese soldiers taking off their uniforms and brazenly walking the streets! Those damn bastards! What are the constables doing? Why aren’t they arresting scum like that!]

 

‘…’

 

How far should I go with Korean history lessons for a Grim Reaper whose updates seem to have stopped at Joseon?

 

I’d like to just leave the Grim Reaper alone as he rages like he’s looking at real traitors.

 

But since I learned he could use the terrible method called ‘Spiritual Affliction’ if push came to shove, I couldn’t just ignore this.

 

‘Grim Reaper, listen carefully. So this is…’

 

Just as I was about to sit the Grim Reaper down and launch into a long speech about television and broadcasting systems, actors and film sets, scripts and historical accuracy.

 

-This is breaking news!

 

The screen suddenly switched to news as the anchor urgently announced breaking news.

 

-At 5:07 PM today, a fire broke out at a Chemical Manufacturing Factory in Incheon. Current preliminary reports indicate 52 deaths, including Factory Workers who were working at the facility and 2 Firefighters who were conducting firefighting operations, with 137 people suffering moderate to severe injuries.

 

Large subtitles appeared at the bottom of the news screen.

 

【Chemical Factory Fire Accident, Current Death Toll: 52, Injured: 137】

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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