The Return of the Ruined Chaebol's Third-Generation Heir - Chapter 53

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Fallen Chaebol Third Generation’s Regression — Episode 53
A few days later.
Office in Front of School.
“I’ve met with the graduate students who studied under Jo Seong-sik, as you instructed, sir.”
Jung Tae-sung began his report, spreading out the documents.
“How was it?”
“Worse than I expected.”
Jung Tae-sung’s expression had hardened.
The fact that he, who usually kept his emotions well hidden, was showing this level of reaction meant the situation was truly serious.
“First, Seo Min-seung’s case was far from isolated. Passing off disciples’ research as his own work was almost standard practice.”
Jung Tae-sung turned over another document.
“In the case of a Mr. Kim who graduated in 2001, Professor Jo Seong-sik published his master’s thesis as the first author in an international academic journal. The student wasn’t even listed as a co-author.”
……
“In 2003, he filed a patent for an algorithm developed by a Mr. Park, with Mr. Park’s name absent from the inventor credits.”
I listened in silence.
“And that’s not all. He collected money from graduate students under the guise of research funds but used it for personal purposes. He even took family vacations on conference attendance fees.”
“That’s embezzlement of research funds.”
“Yes, but only some of the evidence is solid.”
Jung Tae-sung turned over yet another document.
“The most serious part involves corporate dealings. He sold proprietary technologies developed in the lab to companies under his own name. Naturally, his students didn’t receive a penny.”
“Didn’t the school know?”
“They knew and turned a blind eye. Because Professor Jo brought in so much research funding. To the school, he was a golden goose.”
I let out a sigh.
“Why did the victims stay silent?”
“It’s nearly impossible to win a fight. The academic world is small, and Professor Jo’s connections run deep. There are cases where people who raised concerns ended up buried instead.”
It was a tilted playing field. For powerless graduate students to stand against a professor was virtually impossible, and they all had no choice but to suffer in silence.
“And finally…….”
Jung Tae-sung paused for a moment.
“One of them was diagnosed with depression. Another left academia entirely. They abandoned their dreams as researchers.”
I raised my hand.
“Stop. This is painful to hear.”
An Associate Professor at Korea University in his thirties with a Tenure Track position in his early forties—every glittering title attached to Jo Seong-sik’s name was built on the exploitation of others. It was utterly repulsive.
“How should we make him fall the hardest?”
“Sir?”
“I want him to feel exactly the pain the others endured.”
Jung Tae-sung had no answer to my words.
Silence hung between us for a moment.
“The reason people like him go this far is simple.”
I opened my mouth slowly.
“Money.”
Prestige? Academic achievement? Those would mean nothing to Jo Seong-sik. What mattered to him was only one thing: how much money he could extract from that position. Selling his students’ technologies, embezzling research funds, clinging to companies for consulting work. In the end, everything came down to money.
“Then we should take away what Jo Seong-sik loves most and would miss most.”
I spoke, looking at Jung Tae-sung.
“Money.”
Jung Tae-sung’s eyes shifted.
“Looking at what you’ve investigated, there are cases suspected of school fund embezzlement as well.”
I tapped the documents.
“With the technology dealings with companies, if the contracts fall through, he’d face massive penalties, wouldn’t he?”
“Yes. Especially the deal with Seonjin Motors—we were supposed to hand over Seo Min-seung’s technology, but since the technology doesn’t exist…….”
“It’s a breach of contract.”
“Exactly. And other technology deals could become problematic too. If it’s revealed that Professor Jo Seong-sik isn’t the original owner of the technology, the contracts themselves could be voided.”
I nodded.
“Just as you said, sir, the money he holds dear will disappear. Once the embezzlement becomes public, the school won’t stay quiet either.”
“Good.”
I stood up from my seat.
“Then let’s do this one step at a time.”
We had to cut down what Jo Seong-sik was currently working on first.
“First, we need to sever ties with Seonjin Motors. Leak information to them that Jo Seong-sik is risky.”
“Understood.”
“Seonjin Motors hates getting caught in the fallout. They’ll cut ties on their own.”
Jung Tae-sung nodded.
“Next comes the exposure. Are there any victims willing to testify?”
“There are several, but they asked for identity protection…….”
“Of course. Proceed anonymously, and provide legal support if needed.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I sat back down and spoke.
“I’m going to tear down everything Jo Seong-sik has built. His money, his reputation, his position.”
The names of the victims listed on the documents caught my eye. Their time and dreams were written there. Jo Seong-sik had to pay the price.
“Let’s begin.”

* * *
A few days later.
Korea University Industrial Engineering Lab.
Jo Seong-sik stared at the thesis draft spread out on his desk.
Research materials left behind by Seo Min-seung.
Adaptive Reinforcement Learning-Based Robot Motion Optimization.
The idea was certainly brilliant. If completed as is, it was research that could send shockwaves through the industry.
The problem was.
“Why won’t this work…….”
Jo Seong-sik pulled at his hair.
He couldn’t understand Seo Min-seung’s algorithm.
He could read the equations. He could follow the logical flow.
But he couldn’t grasp what the core was, or where to begin working on it.
‘Did this bastard leave this out on purpose?’
When Seo Min-seung left the lab, he said to leave the materials behind.
Seo Min-seung left the materials. But now it was clear the key notes were missing.
Only the skeleton of the algorithm remained, with no method to add the flesh.
It was structured so that he couldn’t complete it alone.
“Damn…….”
Jo Seong-sik swore and leaned back in his chair.
Seonjin Motors kept calling.
Asking how the research was progressing.
Wanting to see results quickly.
He’d hedged with “It’s in progress” each time, but there was a limit.
Ring—
His cell phone on the desk rang.
The screen showed the director of Seonjin Motors’ research institute.
Jo Seong-sik hurried to answer.
“Yes, Director. Hello.”
—Professor Jo, what’s the situation here?
The director’s voice was different from usual.
Cold and sharp.
Jo Seong-sik’s heart sank. Being asked point-blank what the situation was gave him no way to answer, and he was anxious.
“Yes? The research, if you could just wait a little longer…….”
—Never mind the research.
The director cut him off.
—I’d like the research funds we provided to be returned.
“What?”
—We were deceived by you, Professor Jo. That’s why we gave you the funds. Do you understand what I’m saying?
He was speaking cryptic words while asking if Jo Seong-sik understood.
“What do you mean, sir?”
—Anyway, you understand our position. Return the research funds quickly. Otherwise your position is going to become difficult. Next time, you’ll be meeting with our legal director, not me.
“Director, I…….”
—I’m ending this call.
Beep—beep—beep—
The call was cut off unilaterally.
Jo Seong-sik stared blankly at his phone.
‘Return the research funds? A legal director?’
True, he wasn’t delivering the research results he was supposed to right now. But to unilaterally terminate the contract like this?
What in the world was happening?
Knock-knock.
Then came a knock at the door.
The door burst open and a teaching assistant rushed in, looking flustered.
His face had gone pale.
“Professor!”
“What is it?”
“There’s…… an exposure post about you on the internet…….”
“What? An exposure?”
Jo Seong-sik jumped to his feet.
The teaching assistant rushed over and pulled up the computer screen.
It was an online anonymous community.
A long post was displayed on the screen.
[Exposing the True Face of Professor Jo Seong-sik of Korea University.]
Jo Seong-sik’s eyes rapidly scanned the post.
‘2001 — Theft of Mr. Kim’s master’s thesis…….’
‘2003 — Unauthorized patent filing for Mr. Park’s algorithm…….’
‘Suspicions of embezzlement of research funds, family vacation using conference attendance fees…….’
‘Collusion with companies including Seonjin Motors, selling students’ technologies at bargain prices…….’
His hands began to tremble.
It was all true.
No, it was more detailed than the truth.
Things he’d even forgotten about were written there.
‘Who…… Who did this…….’
As he scrolled down, anonymous testimonies from the victims continued.
‘I was robbed of two years of research.’
‘Thanks to the professor, I was diagnosed with depression.’
‘I had no choice but to leave academia.’
Jo Seong-sik’s face turned ashen.
“Professor, this is already on the portal homepage…….”
“What?”
“It’s in the trending searches too. Korea University Professor’s Abuse of Power, Research Fund Embezzlement.”
The teaching assistant’s words didn’t register.
Jo Seong-sik stood blankly, staring at the monitor.
Comments were rapidly flooding in on the screen.
└How can such a person be a professor.
└Hang in there, victims.
└What’s the school doing? Discipline him quickly.
His fingertips had gone cold.
Associate Professor in his thirties.
Tenure Track in his early forties.
Everything built over a lifetime.
‘It’s over…….’
Was crumbling.

* * *
[The Korea University professor abuse-of-power scandal triggered by the exposure has entered a new phase. The university’s internal investigation team has reported the professor to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office with suspicions of embezzlement of research funds and private misappropriation…….]
A few days later, at Eomma’s Hand Restaurant.
Seo Min-seung and I were eating and watching the news playing on the TV.
The screen showed the Korea University Main Gate, and a reporter was holding a microphone, reporting on the situation.
“How did the other victims find out?”
Seo Min-seung asked, pausing mid-meal.
“We were preparing for it. Of course, even if it hadn’t been you, Jo Seong-sik had hurt so many people that we were planning to expose him eventually anyway.”
Seo Min-seung nodded at my words.
But he couldn’t take his eyes off the TV screen.
Perhaps because he nearly became one of those victims himself.
“Now that the school investigation is complete, the real battle begins. His professorship is suspended, and he’ll face legal punishment for embezzlement, private misappropriation, and other misconduct.”
“Yeah…… that’s how it should be.”
“The prosecutors might also call you in as a witness for questioning. If it’s difficult, you don’t have to go…….”
“I’ll go.”
Seo Min-seung spoke with a determined expression, looking at me.
“There are so many victims. I can’t skip out to make things easy for myself—that would only help Jo Seong-sik.”
“I’ll arrange a lawyer for you.”
“Thanks.”
I nodded and looked at Seo Min-seung.
That was enough about Jo Seong-sik.
What mattered now was what came next.
“So what will you do now? Will you go back to school?”
At my question, Seo Min-seung thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“No. I can continue research even outside of school. And my attachment to the place called school has worn off anyway.”
A good decision.
In school, research itself wasn’t truly free. Research to secure funding, research to build publication records.
In most cases, the research you actually wanted to do got pushed to the side.
“So what should I do now?”
“Sir?”
“You said it yourself. From now on, my choices should be for you.”
I laughed quietly. It was something we’d said while holding hands together.
I pulled out documents I’d prepared in advance from my bag and handed them to Seo Min-seung.
Seo Min-seung received the documents and looked at me with eyes asking for explanation.
“Go to the provinces.”
“The provinces?”
“I have a small business in Ulsan.”
I meant Shinhwa Weltech.
“Adjacent land recently came on the market, so I purchased it. That’s where your research lab and first business will be established.”
At my words, Seo Min-seung’s expression showed surprise.
In fact, I’d been laying plans since the moment I decided to bring Seo Min-seung into my fold.
Purchasing land in Ulsan was part of that.
“Your connections are in the Yeongnam region, aren’t they?”
“They are, but…… you want me to start a business?”
“Yes. I think you can do it well.”
“What makes you say that about me?”
“Just a gut feeling.”
This man needed to believe in himself more. In the future, when he built a startup so successfully, anyway. Of course, it would be bewildering now, but he would overcome it.
Unlike Park Jin-hyeok of Shinhwa Weltech, Seo Min-seung was both an excellent engineer and an excellent manager.
Someone who understood technology, understood people, and understood money.
Such people were rare.
“Once you head down there, I’ve already arranged staff to help with management matters, so request assistance from them as needed. Use as much funding as you want.”
I paused for a moment and looked directly at Seo Min-seung.
“However.”
I hardened my expression and spoke.
“Create the world’s best robots. In 20, 30 years, robots made by your company should be used throughout global manufacturing. That’s what I want from you.”
Seo Min-seung stared at me for a long moment before opening his mouth.
“That could be revenge against Seonjin Motors, couldn’t it?”
“Absolutely.”
No matter how big Seonjin Motors becomes, it’s just a car company.
But robots are different.
Cars, semiconductors, shipbuilding—all will need AI-equipped robots in the future.
Perhaps it will become a foundational technology for all manufacturing, and if we capture that market first, Seonjin Motors won’t even be worth comparing.
“All right.”
Seo Min-seung nodded.
“I’ll head down to Ulsan.”
At those words, I smiled brightly.
“Looking forward to working with you, senior.”
“Same here.”
We would now charge forward with a shared goal.
Revenge was only the beginning; the true objective lay beyond.
We made a fresh start at the very place where we first met.

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