The Baby Seizes Fortune - Chapter 9

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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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Episode 9

‘Hmm, so Noah gets upgraded when I complete quests?’

By the way, the old man is amazing. To introduce this service so quickly.

Before internet banking was fully introduced, there was modem-based PC home banking, but that only allowed checking account balances and transaction history.

The best thing about internet banking is being able to transfer money without actually going to the bank.

‘I also created an internet-based home stock investment system.’

When I went to the bank last time, I convinced Junho to open a Tomorrow Securities account in my name.

Junho didn’t know that securities meant stocks and asked why I needed it, but I made up another story about Mother telling me to open that too.

Anyway, Tomorrow Finance was the company that reformed the bank’s internet banking and launched the stock HTS program—the Home Trading System—before other securities companies.

Now customers don’t have to transfer money directly at bank counters, and they don’t have to go to securities companies to buy stocks.

But there’s a problem:

At 4 years old—no, now that the new year has come, I’m 5.

Anyway, 5 years old is too young to sign up for internet banking services according to bank regulations. (Even if you could sign up, there was the fatal inconvenience of having to register and use a guardian account.)

But I have the privileges of being a possessor!

[Internet account transfers and stock investments are now available.]

The blessing of the pink system window that easily bypasses such restrictions!

If Noah is a pet and assistant I need to raise, the pink window seemed like a system that gives me quests and raises me.

Anyway, thanks to this, I gained access to internet banking, and when money is transferred to my account, I can move it to my securities account and buy any stocks I want anytime.

I’m five years old but I can transfer money and invest!

‘Can I clear the ‘Noah’s Recognition’ quest with this?’

“Noah, how much do I have?”

[Your account balance is 15,300 won. ૮₍ ¬ ᴥ ¬ ₎ა]

Just the 5,300 won I emptied from my piggy bank last time and the 10,000 won I received from Tomorrow Finance Chairman Kang Un-san.

‘I need to seriously build up my seed money.’

I thought while clenching my small fist tightly.

Now it’s about time to go collect ‘that money.’

* * *

“Chaea, do you want to go to the park with Father today? The landlady on the first floor gave us a tricycle for you to ride.”

“Don’t you have to go to work, Father?”

At my words, Junho looked a bit flustered and scratched his head.

“Oh, well…”

His eyes wavered as if lost for a moment, then Junho spoke cheerfully.

“Father’s on vacation. Starting tomorrow, um… for a few days.”

In the labor environment of the late 1990s, it was difficult for factory workers to take several consecutive vacation days. Especially in a world where working six days a week—resting only Sunday and working Monday through Saturday—was natural.

‘…He got fired.’

Even though he tried to act like everything was fine, I could tell from his anxious smile.

When I nodded as if I understood, Junho’s face brightened.

We held hands and headed to the park near our house.

And the moment we entered the park,

“What the…”

I was shocked.

Isn’t today definitely Wednesday? Then why are there so many people in suits?

Somehow dark expressions, eyes filled with despair, and drooping shoulders.

There were an incredible number of company employees sitting closely together on benches.

“Ah…”

I covered my mouth with trembling hands.

‘Unemployed people…’

Since I was too young at the time to understand the situation, honestly I couldn’t really feel it.

But seeing with my own eyes that Junho was fired and all these people in front of me were unemployed made my stomach churn.

What were they thinking? How many families were shaken? How many people were suffering?

Just as my heart was about to become solemn,

“Chaea, look, look. It’s a butterfly!”

Junho paid no attention and giggled as he led me close to the grass and pointed at a butterfly.

A butterfly with fluttering yellow wings seemed like the only thing sparkling in this park where everything had turned black.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

His thin double eyelids became even shallower as his eyes curved into crescents. A gentle smile formed on my lips.

“It’s as pretty as Father.”

At this, Junho looked at me in surprise and cleared his throat.

“Father isn’t pretty, he’s handsome! Well…”

Junho’s cheeks were red with embarrassment.

“If Chaea says I’m pretty, I guess that’s right too.”

‘Anyone can see you’re pretty!’

I grinned and said,

“But Father… don’t you have anything you want to do?”

“Hm, Father?”

Junho put me on the tricycle seat and pushed from behind as he continued talking.

“Well. I used to want to be an actor…”

Having watched 【Love You Even in Death】, I knew about Gu Jun-ho’s past.

“I guess I had no talent for acting, or no one would hire me. So I worked as a manager for Saebyeol… that is, your mother. Back then I never went hungry and she treated me well.”

He pushed the tricycle around the park for the second time without showing any signs of fatigue.

But saying he didn’t go hungry after meeting Mother… does that mean he was hungry before?

‘Junho… sob.’

“If there’s something I want to do, it’s still the acting I gave up before. But…”

“…Father.”

Junho’s voice trembled slightly.

“I’m not stupid enough to keep clinging to something that won’t work out.”

“But…”

I turned around and said to Junho,

“The… tricycle doesn’t need to be pushed.”

“Oh, right. It was a tricycle.”

Only then did Junho let go of the handle attached to the back of the bike.

I started pedaling, and watching me go around and around the park, Junho scratched his head with a gloomy face.

“…Maybe I really am stupid.”

Soon I stopped in front of Junho and looked up at him.

“Maybe it wasn’t that you weren’t good, but that the works or roles didn’t suit you?”

“Works?”

“Yes. What works did you do? And what roles?”

“In the drama 【Autumn Memories】, a surgeon. I had to give the female protagonist a terminal diagnosis…”

His eyes wavered.

“Tears came out without me knowing. So I caused two NGs and got scolded by the director.”

A surgeon role? That doesn’t suit him at all.

Junho is a capital F from his appearance!

Junho mentioned two other works he had appeared in, but they were works I’d never heard of with roles that didn’t suit him.

“It just seems like the roles were working against you.”

“Working against me?”

“Anyway, in Chaea’s opinion, Father is…”

I looked Junho up and down with my eyes. No matter how different the standards of handsome men were in this era, someone like Junho should be able to make it big.

Without plastic surgery, care, or camera massage, to have such a face and physique!

“You should be an actor. Yes, you absolutely must be an actor! Understand?!”

“Chaea…”

Junho, who had a face like a pure romance manga protagonist, was flustered and hesitant.

Just then, Noah appeared as if to support my decision.

[Sub Quest: Guardian’s Growth (Stage 1), Get Father to appear in a new drama ໒(＾ᴥ＾)७]

[Reward: Asset increase equivalent to the average viewership rating of the first 3 episodes]

Huh? A Sub Quest?

‘This would be… killing two birds with one stone!’

“How about looking into drama auditions again? Chaea will pick one for you!”

“….”

Junho looked at me for a long time with a thoughtful expression.

I knew why he couldn’t answer easily. It must be because of the enormous responsibility of having to feed and raise me.

And because he already had experience failing as an actor.

‘But now it’ll be different…!’

“Father’s bad friends were also chased away by Chaea! Chaea knows everything!”

Junho, seeming to feel that I was comforting him, nodded with a lonely face and reached out to pat my head.

“…Thank you, Chaea.”

* * *

So Father and I returned home, but we ran into the landlady from the first floor right at the entrance gate.

Junho, who was startled for some reason, stopped in front of the landlady who had a plump figure, her hands clasped behind her back, looking at us intently.

“Young man. No, baby’s father.”

“Ah, ah yes, hello. I… well…”

Junho spoke to her with a restless expression.

“I’m having some difficulties this month, so if you could wait just a little for the rent… I’m supposed to start going to the labor office from tomorrow.”

At this, the landlady’s eyebrows shot up.

“No, what are you talking about?”

“I’m being shameless…”

“That’s not what I mean…”

Listening to their conversation, I grinned.

“You deposited a whole year’s rent at once and forgot about it?”

At this, Junho’s eyes widened greatly.

The landlady smiled and said,

“Gu Jun-ho, that’s the baby’s father’s name, right? I went to the bank today to organize my bankbook and the money came in properly. Oh my, paying a whole year’s rent at once during such difficult times. I’m so grateful.”

Then she looked at me sitting on the tricycle behind and said,

“The child also takes after her father, so bright and clever. Auntie bought some snacks and left them by the door, so eat them deliciously!”

“Yes! Thank you!”

The landlady, who had been chuckling at my energetic response, went back inside, and Junho stood there frozen and dazed.

“…How… did this happen?”

Junho, who had entered the house, rubbed his eyes with a face that couldn’t tell if this situation was a dream or reality.

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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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