Chapter 2: I became a third-generation chaebol

I was reborn as the youngest granddaughter of a conglomerate family.

I can roughly guess the reason why. It’s because I was captivated by a character build meme I stumbled upon while browsing community sites in the evening.

I commented asking for the original source, and I received a suspicious link.

I clearly remember feeling some strong regret afterward… but I don’t remember what happened next.

Damn it. I shouldn’t have clicked on unknown links.

***
But there’s one problem. I don’t remember what traits I picked.

It’s definitely not a fantasy setting. It’s a modern setting exactly like reality, so there won’t be any fantasy drift with gates opening or anything like that. Being able to use future knowledge is a relief.

Oh, right. I picked immortality. That’s a given. I know immortality seems like something that belongs in fantasy, but it’s like an instinct for me.

I also seem to have perfect recall. After reincarnation, all my memories are clear. But strangely, the memory of actually picking traits and memories related to my identity are hazy. I must have chosen those types of drawbacks.

A trait that allows me to focus on the current life rather than the past. It’s usually categorized as a drawback, so it must have given me more points.

Anyway.

Born in 1978. The youngest granddaughter of the founder of Daeha Group, which was ranked 2nd or 3rd in the business world in my past life. Yu Hayeon.

That’s me now.

“Eung….”

-Squeesh.

My soft, chubby cheeks stretched and squished. The cute girl in the mirror was wide-eyed, touching her cheeks as if amazed.

Black hair. Black eyes. Other than being pretty, I was just an ordinary human girl.

Tingle.

Even when I tried to frown, my five-year-old body only looked cute.

It was cute enough to want to bite, but knowing it was me, I couldn’t calm down at all.

‘I’ll just read a book.’

Push.

I flipped through a thick textbook with my soft, chubby hands. The dizzying words were pressuring me, but thankfully my brain was more enhanced after the transsexual journey.

Rustle, rustle.

“Hmm… Not this one either… I thought there would be something good in dad’s study. There’s nothing good here.”

-Thud.

‘I’ve already read them all.’

I closed the book and sighed softly.

The world was too boring for me now. It’s still the 80s, so the world is very different from what I know.

At first, since I also had transsexual journey and was born into a rich family, I didn’t think it was a conglomerate family at the time. I was going to become a live streamer, following the usual transsexual trope…

But it turned out it was still the 80s. And there was no internet yet in the 80s.

Seriously. No internet. It was hard for me, whose memories of the 20th century were fading, to adjust.

At least there are computers. But considering that the first all-in-one personal computer came out in 1977, it’s still a long way off.

“Ugh-cha.”

I roughly organized the book I was reading and took out another book next to it. This time it was a book about economics.

-Thump.

It was too heavy for me, who was only about five years old, but it was readable considering my mental age.

“Oh my, Miss. Do you like books that much?”

The nanny who takes care of me in place of my deceased mother smiled at me.

From her perspective, it probably looks like a baby is just playing with books she doesn’t understand. Or maybe it’s precociousness caused by a lack of affection.

It’s actually neither.

“…Huh? Yeah! I like them!”

I glossed over it with some childish playfulness. I’ve gotten pretty good at acting since I started living like this.

The nanny looked at me with a pitiful expression.

“…Miss. Your father will be home soon, so you should come out of the study before then?”

“Dad’s not coming home today either. I know. It’s better if he doesn’t come… “

I answered curtly. I just couldn’t bring myself to feel attached to my current family.

Every time he comes, he beats me for some ridiculous reason. Why is it my fault that my mother died?

“…I’m sorry, Miss.”

I shook my head and went back to the book. The contents of the book itself weren’t difficult, but most of the textbooks were in English, so it was a bit hard.

How is it possible that even the first translated edition of Mankiw’s “Principles of Economics,” which is a basic text, is more than 10 years away? The 80s were truly a terrible time.

Sigh. Frankly, I didn’t want to live like this either. I reincarnated into a conglomerate family, but who would have thought I’d be flipping through textbooks like this?

But it’s not like I can go play with kids at this age. If there was at least the internet, maybe, but there isn’t anything like that right now.

The television they occasionally turn on is somewhat watchable, but it doesn’t really match my taste.

In the end, all I have left are books. Since I was quite the bookworm in my past life, it wasn’t a difficult hobby to get attached to. Once I grow up and start managing money, I won’t have time to study, so I better do it now.

…Anyway, I need to get out of this house as soon as possible.’

It’s not just because I don’t want to be abused by my current father. It’s to use my most valuable resource, time, effectively.

Depending on how I act and invest, the world will change. So, all of this is just a preparation for enjoying a happy internet life as soon as possible.

PC communication is slowly being introduced in our country, but honestly, isn’t it too outdated? I want to watch YouTube in 1080p.

Besides being able to watch Dragon Raja and read the “Tears of the Birds” serializations on Hitel, it has no appeal at all.

Wow.

Thinking about it, that’s not bad. If I play my cards right, I can get a lot of attention in online communities by predicting the ending of “Tears of the Birds.”

No. No, that’s not right. “Dragon Raja” starts serialization in 1997. 1997 coincides with the financial crisis, commonly known as the IMF crisis. I remember the internet being widely distributed around that time.

And by 1997, I’ll already be a freshman in college. Not being able to use the internet until then? That makes no sense.

Besides, that shouldn’t be a reason for me not to accelerate technological development.

I’m going to go to the United States and commercialize the internet as soon as possible and increase my wealth through investments. Then, of course, it will be a happy third-generation conglomerate life.

I won’t be able to play around with women while spending money freely. Because I’m a woman now.

Anyway.

My mother died giving birth to me, and my father is a wastrel who’s always wandering around outside because of my mother’s death. Still, I’m a member of one of the most prominent conglomerate families in Korea.

Chairman Yu Seongpil, my grandfather, is a person who values family, so even if I just live moderately, I’ll have enough money to live a life of leisure.

What kind of group is Daeha Group?

Daeha Group is a major corporation in Korea that has dominated the global semiconductor market, even though it slipped in the business rankings due to the “War of the Princes.”

It was a very famous success story that Chairman Yu Seongpil, my grandfather, pushed for semiconductor investment despite opposition from others and succeeded in developing DRAM.

It’s 1983 now… Is it less than a year away?

Fortunately, my current father, Yu Jincheol, is a terrible father but also a Hollywood movie buff. I heard my deceased mother was also an actress, so he has a strong interest in American movies.

Even more than me, his own daughter.

So, I will also leave for America with my dad to avoid the “War of the Princes,” make some money and return in triumph. Especially when the time comes for Bitcoin to rise, I will make it a mission to copy money.

It’s a perfect life plan.

Going abroad is something I’m not very keen on, but I can’t help it.

Luckily, I’ve obtained a miraculous body that won’t die naturally or age as long as I’m not killed, but if I don’t age even after 40, I might be taken away somewhere.

A reasonable amount of money and power is a prerequisite for surviving in a conglomerate family.

Then, I’ll live my life doing only what I want to do.

According to the novels I’ve read, there will be things like live-streaming and virtual YouTubers.

Thinking about it, I wonder if I really need to study textbooks. But it’s a little wasteful to let this beautiful body go to waste. Even though there’s a man inside, I have no intention of dating a man.

‘Because of the family atmosphere, I can’t be an actress or an entertainer.’

Hmm. A movie director seems nice. Or the CEO of a game company?

Honestly, I also want to try politics once, but it’s a bit much. It’s only during election season, but I don’t like bowing down to others.

Anyway.

In my past life, I did all sorts of things because I wanted money so badly, but this second life has a great starting point, except for my gender and parents.

“Hehe.”

A small smile appeared at the bright and promising future. The nanny naturally smiled at me as I beamed.

“Miss. I’ll prepare dinner. Even if you love books, you should read them while taking a break.”

Oh. Is it already dinner time?

“Okay.”

-Tap, tap.

The house was unnecessarily large. Only a cold chill lingered in the empty spaces.

I ate alone at the empty table and thought.

Hmm.

If I consistently stay at the top of the class while attending school, will the chairmen of conglomerate families I’ve seen in novels think of me as someone with potential?

Well.

I don’t know. Because I’m a woman.

This era is still conservative, and the conglomerate families are even more so. There’s a high chance I won’t even be considered as someone to inherit the family’s shares.

I wanted to try being a conglomerate chairman since I reincarnated anyway, but the wall of reality was high, so I gave up early on the power struggles of the conglomerate family.

There were also many other paths for me.

If I just go to the US and invest in stocks or coins, I can easily make hundreds of billions, so why would I leave Bitcoin and get caught up in the family infighting of a conglomerate family?

I was tired of the fierce life of my past life, so I had no intention of going down a difficult path in this life.

That was how it was until then.

***
One year later. October 7th, 1983.

My dad died.

It was a car accident. He went on a trip to the US, drank, and caused an accident while driving. It was a fitting end for a wastrel who had been drunk since my mother died.

You dumbass, were Star Wars Episode 3 that good?

“…?”

This messed up my plans. I won’t be able to escape to America. There’s no way grandfather would allow his granddaughter to go to the US alone.

I might get forced into an arranged marriage or get caught up in the “War of the Princes” and face bloodshed.

No, maybe that’s okay. I know an unwanted marriage is terrible but at least I won’t die.

But then, how will I keep my secret? Luckily, I won’t die from natural causes or diseases, but I’m still just a normal person who dies when my head gets cut off, so I won’t experience any kind of eternal torment.

Yeah.

I’ll probably just be taken by the uncle who became the conglomerate chairman or by the National Intelligence Service and be used for human experiments and die miserably.

‘I don’t want that.’

But I don’t want to die.

I thought I could benefit from my father’s love of American movies, but all my newly found father gave me were the bruises on my arm.

Quite a few people gathered for the funeral. It was scaled back since it was a shameful death due to overseas travel that was banned at the time, and a traffic accident after drinking, but there were still this many people.

People with golden badges. A judge from a local court. The presidents of affiliated companies. Daeha Group employees, and even some from other conglomerate families.

“Oh no! Oh no!”

My grandmother’s wailing caught my eye. Tears of sorrow streamed down her wrinkled face. I knew he was a terrible person, but he was someone she loved.

In the reception room, my grandfather was also looking at the portrait with a gloomy expression. He couldn’t take on the role of chief mourner due to a chronic illness, but Chairman Yu Seongpil had cancelled most of his schedule to attend his son’s funeral.

What did I think as I watched that?

Pity? Or a vague feeling that even a conglomerate president can’t escape death?

No. Rather, I felt a strong desire for power.

A strong desire that had been carried over from my past life.

It would have been different if Chairman Yu Seongpil had more power. If he had lifted the ban on overseas travel so that he could travel with many guards, this would not have happened. He would have lived if the American police had not just passed on the case of a young man from Asia with a cracked skull.

If Chairman Yu Seongpil’s reputation was globally famous like it would be in decades, rather than just famous in a corner of East Asia….

And if I had more power, at least as much as I had in my prime in my past life.

It would have been different.

I hear the sound of people chattering in the distance.

“Oh my. Honorable member. It’s been a while. How is his excellency doing?”

“Haha. He’s always healthy. But… I heard from my wife… Hmm. What about those regulations on private education these days?”

Yu Jincheol’s funeral, as seen through the eyes of a young girl, was a meeting place of all sorts of power.

-Thud.

Then, the atmosphere changed and a person walked in. He had a generally gentle demeanor, but his face showed fatigue and annoyance, as if he hadn’t rested well.

“Ah, Chief Kim Haeik. A very important person has come.”

The eldest son, the chief mourner, who had been silently watching people, spoke for the first time. I, who had been spacing out for quite some time, finally concentrated.

‘Ah.’

That person looks familiar. He was the chief presidential secretary for economic affairs, who was also called the “Economic President.”

I have heard of him as a genius who died early because of a terrorist attack. For a person like that to come to the funeral.

It finally hit me. This place. The Daeha family is the one with the most assets in Korea.

My heart was pounding. I don’t know why, but the fear of death and the gloomy feelings I had were completely gone.

I didn’t want to die.

No. I wanted to live. Desperately.

Even more desperately.

The ghosts of the past I thought I had washed away grab hold of my body and push me forward. A surge of energy rises madly from my heart. The expanded pupils cram the images of numerous powerful people into my mind.

Slowly, an irrational desire seizes me again.

I took a step forward as if possessed. Toward the place where my grandfather was.

Towards the center of power.

“It must be heartbreaking for you to lose a beloved son like that, Chairman.”

“…Tsk. That’s enough. Haa. Our Jincheol. If I had known he was going to go like this, I would have given him everything he asked for.”

I heard Chairman Yu Seongpil and his right-hand man, Chief Secretary Lee Hakcheol, talking inside.

Whether it was because they didn’t care since I was just a young girl, or if the death of his third son, Yu Jincheol, who was a painful loss, was so shocking, they spoke without much regard for me.

“As for the inheritance… Hmm. Hayeon, come here.”

Chairman Yu Seongpil gestured to me. I ran over and grabbed Chairman Yu Seongpil’s trouser leg like a normal child.

Hop.

“Haa. Yes, Hayeon. Are you having a hard time? It’s a lot of trouble having a funeral at this age.”

Perhaps because it was difficult to mention death, Chairman Yu Seongpil spoke to me in a roundabout way.

It’s the first time I’ve seen the ruthless Chairman Yu Seongpil show such a gentle side. Even when I saw his face after reincarnating, he wasn’t like this.

I smiled brightly and shook my head. Like a child who knows nothing.

But with a suitably sad feeling to match the atmosphere of the funeral.

“I’m okay, Grandpa.”

“Look how thin you are. Children need to eat well. Don’t be picky. Okay?”

“Yes.”

I bowed and carefully adjusted my expression. To make the chairman feel as favorable towards me as possible.

Or, maybe compassion is a better word… Honestly, it didn’t feel great, it felt like I was begging.

But it seems to be effective. Chairman Yu Seongpil let out a soft sigh and gestured to Chief Secretary Lee Hakcheol.

“Looking at how smart the kid is, it seems like she has potential. After some time, just transfer Jincheol’s inheritance to her. It’s not like there’s much anyway.”

The Chief Secretary bowed his head.

“Yes, Chairman.”

With those words, Chairman Yu Seongpil turned his attention away from me and went to greet the mourners. Kim Haeik, the chief secretary for economic affairs, was a sufficiently important mourner.

Although he wouldn’t admit it, his company was more important to him than his ten or so grandchildren.

After Chairman Yu Seongpil left, I mulled over his words.

Picky. Picky eating…

There’s a quote from Chairman Yu Seongpil, who is famous for relentlessly using talent.

People die if they don’t eat.

It has a double meaning. Chairman Yu Seongpil, who had a trauma from starving for over ten days during the Korean War, made sure to provide meals for the people around him throughout his life. This is the superficial reason.

To make sure that others, especially his subordinates, are well-fed.

But there is a deeper meaning.

Gihojise (Riding the Tiger).

You will die if you don’t devour your surroundings. Run like crazy, bite and devour others, and grow in size.

…Yes. That will be my path as well.

Whether I want it or not.

‘Father. Thank you.’

I thanked my father for the first time. My deceased father, Yu Jincheol, left me not only with shares in Daeha Group and seed money worth hundreds of millions of won, but also something more valuable.

A vision.

Now that all the paths I had tried to ignore and turn away from were cut off, I could finally see clearly the path I had to take.

The last path remaining.

The biggest and most difficult path.

And the brilliant path stained with blood.

‘Okay. I’ll give it a try. I have a second life anyway, so I’ll go all the way this time.’

I will devour the Daeha Group.

All of it.

‘Because I’m a good granddaughter who listens to Grandpa.’

I need to make sure I eat everything and chew it thoroughly.