I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 17: Ten Billion Won (1)

12 p.m., September 23rd.

USD/JPY: 216.0

As soon as the New York cut passed, I had earned 2.4 billion won.

12 a.m., September 23rd. London cut.

USD/JPY: 215.2

There had been a slight rebound in the middle, but the barrier had long since been broken. I earned 5.8 billion won.

10 a.m., September 24th.

USD/JPY: 214.1

Since skipping more than one day of school would be risky, I received the report during break time at school. The news was that I’d earned an additional 1.8 billion won.

Just like that—

I made 10 billion won overnight.

Even if I’d done it riding the coattails of my grandfather’s influence, it wasn’t an inheritance. It was pure investment.

A grade schooler came home with ten billion won—of course the household went into an uproar.

***

Cash ten billion won is not the same as assets worth ten billion won.

In a capitalist society—especially within an organization like a company—this distinction is extremely important.

One classic example is the phenomenon of a “profitable bankruptcy.” A company might be completely stable, with solid revenues and net income, and still go bankrupt because it can’t repay its debts on time.

That’s all because of a lack of cash. What good is it if the money comes in tomorrow? If you need to repay the debt today, that’s that.

That’s why companies sometimes generate cash flow even at the cost of lowering their own assets.

Ever seen an event where someone sells a 10,000-won coupon for 9,500 won? You might wonder why they'd do that—but it's probably a company’s desperate struggle to scrape together cash.

The customer’s 9,500 won comes in immediately, but the company’s 10,000-won payout can be deferred to the coupon agency later.

And time is always the most precious commodity.

Especially in this golden era of the “Three Lows Boom” that would bring an economic growth rate of 12% annually for the next three years starting next year—it mattered even more.

“One hundred billion, one hundred billion...”

Grandfather, Chairman Yoo Seong-pil, called me into his office for the first time in a while. Those were the first words out of his mouth.

“So—will you be able to pull off something like this again?”

There was naked greed in his voice. I gave a slight smile as I answered.

“I don’t think so. Hmm... it’ll be hard for the next ten years or so. It’s not like I’m a fortune-teller.... This time, I had my own conviction, so I made a bold investment. Didn’t you do a lot of stuff like that when you were younger, Grandpa?”

With a tinge of regret, Yoo Seong-pil clicked his tongue and nodded.

“Hm. That’s true.”

The value of ten billion won in this era is beyond imagination.

It’s money that an average office worker would have to save for 10,000 years. It could buy 1,000 apartments in Seoul. For reference, if the average price of an apartment in Seoul in 2024 is 1 billion won... you’d need 1 trillion won to buy 1,000 of them.

However... if you ask whether ten billion is an unimaginably huge sum for Yoo Seong-pil or Daehwa Group, that’s a different story. He is, after all, a man who stands above the clouds.

Daehwa Group already makes 8 trillion won in annual revenue, and thanks to its success in semiconductors, it’s set to exceed 10 trillion soon.

I don’t know the exact number, but I’ve heard that Chairman Yoo Seong-pil personally owns assets worth several hundred billion won. Factor in his political and social influence, and there’s still an absolute wall between him and me.

That’s why Yoo Seong-pil remained relatively composed compared to everyone else.

“So where will you invest next?”

“Hmm... not sure, hehe. I’m just so ridiculously happy right now, I haven’t had the time to think about that kind of stuff.”

That was... partly true.

Because right now, I was absolutely, deliriously happy.

It’s ten billion. Ten billion!

Even in my past life, that kind of money would’ve made me shout for joy. To make that in a single day—how could I not be happy?

I might have framed it as “pocket money,” but the joy was real either way.

“Haha, good, good. Let’s set the complicated stuff aside for now and just enjoy it.”

Smiling gently, Yoo Seong-pil dropped the weighty tone he’d been putting on.

Once the businessman and corporate titan Yoo Seong-pil stepped aside, all that remained was Ha-yeon’s grandfather.

Grandpa laughed heartily and lifted his granddaughter up into his arms.

“Hohoho! My granddaughter’s a true blessing! Not only did she earn a fortune at such a young age, she even brought in a huge haul for Daehwa Securities. Oh, what a filial child!”

My feet left the floor, and I flailed around in fake surprise. Yoo Seong-pil rubbed his cheek against mine and patted my back.

‘Tch. What’s with this grandpa.’

To be honest, Chairman Yoo Seong-pil was already sixty. Considering life expectancy in the 1980s, his body was approaching dangerous territory. He had lived fiercely, worked passionately, and suffered through a lot—that was bound to take its toll.

He already had a few chronic illnesses, and couldn’t help but think more and more about his final years, and life after death. The fact that he’d softened so noticeably lately stemmed from this.

That’s why he couldn’t help but dote on his granddaughter.

“I’ve said it before—our Ha-yeon’s going to be something special, ha-ha. Isn’t that right, Chief Secretary?”

Lee Hak-cheol, who had been standing near Grandpa like a guard since earlier, nodded stiffly.

Normally, he would’ve added a few well-placed comments, but in the face of a once-in-history event where the chairman’s granddaughter brought home ten billion won, even he had to hold his tongue.

One wrong word could spark serious trouble.

“...Yes. I did hear it from the young secretary I assigned to the young miss. That Miss Ha-yeon is... truly remarkable. A genius, he said.”

Everyone in the family already knew I was a genius, so that was basically the same as saying nothing at all.

But this was a practiced technique of someone like Chief Secretary Lee, who regularly dealt with important figures. Say something that sounds like a lot, but actually says nothing at all when you break it down.

Still, since he had technically complimented me, Chairman Yoo Seong-pil nodded and let it pass. Flattery, even when hollow, still pleases people.

“Ahahaha! That’s right, a genius! I never imagined our Ha-yeon would be this brilliant.”

A swirl of emotions crossed Chairman Yoo Seong-pil’s eyes—regret, sorrow, pride, and guilt.

Reading his expression, I sighed inwardly.

‘So it’s come to this, in the end.’

I liked Yoo Seong-pil too. A man who extended one-sided goodwill... and not a future rival, but a legend of the past—why would I have any reason to dislike him?

I did resent him for what he did to my father, but... just the fact that I’d been given a second chance in life was already enough to make him a tremendous benefactor.

It’s just that...

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The only problem was that he would get in the way of my future path.

“Ha-yeon, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

“...Yes?”

I widened my eyes as I looked at Chairman Yoo Seong-pil, who was making a request with a bitter smile. What could he possibly need to ask for...?

“Please... love your family. That’s your old grandfather’s request.”

A slight shiver ran down my spine. Did he suspect something?

“...”

I didn’t say anything. No matter what I said now, I felt like he would see right through me.

“I know you’re a genius. And I know... that the little fence this grandfather built will feel suffocating to you.”

Only then did I shake my head.

“That’s not true. ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) I’m always grateful—to you, Grandpa.”

“I see. Is that so.”

Yoo Seong-pil fiddled with the cigarette in his pocket for a moment, but after glancing at me, he put it away again.

“You know... I realized something watching Mirae Group next door. When it comes to money, there’s no such thing as parent or child.”

In the past, the so-called “War of Princes” broke out in Mirae Group, Korea’s second-largest chaebol. Daehwa Group was still steady with Chairman Yoo Seong-pil at the helm, but Mirae’s chairman was older.

In the end, the eldest son who stabbed his own father in the Blue House was exiled, and the second son inherited the throne. It was a very famous incident.

Famous enough to rattle even the iron-blooded Chairman Yoo Seong-pil.

I let out a small laugh and answered like it was no big deal.

“Well... I don’t have parents anymore anyway. I’m not planning on having kids either, so you don’t need to worry.”

Thankfully—truly thankfully—Chairman Yoo Seong-pil didn’t tell me to have children. He didn’t say anything about needing to get married one day either.

I figured it was because he clearly remembered how my father had ruined his life over marriage.

“Yeah, I suppose you would feel that way, Ha-yeon. You saw everything that happened to Jin-cheol growing up...”

Phew.

Of all the things Chairman Yoo Seong-pil had said so far, that one hit me the most.

Thank God. Looks like I won’t have to marry a man after all.

“But still. Ha-yeon, in the end, family’s all that remains. I’ve lived sixty years, and that’s what I’ve come to realize.”

– Tap, tap.

Chairman Yoo Seong-pil lightly tapped my shoulder and fell briefly silent.

He must have a lot on his mind about the succession too.

After a long yet short silence, he gave a small smile at the corners of his wrinkled mouth and asked me:

“Daehwa Securities—it’s only been around a short while, but... would you be interested in growing it? Not right away, of course... but when you enter high school, I’ll hand it over to you.”

“...!”

It was a good opportunity. A financial affiliate was one of the group’s core sectors.

Having carefully read Yoo Seong-pil’s intent, I was able to roughly analyze what this offer meant.

It meant he would treat me not as a “granddaughter,” but as a “daughter.” As one of the people directly inheriting the family business.

“You want me... to stay under the Daehwa Group name, don’t you, Grandpa?”

In other words, that’s what this was. A signal for me to remain part of the chaebol family rather than break off entirely and go independent.

And... a signal to be content as a member of the family, not its head.

Especially if I was handed not just any affiliate but one like Daehwa Securities, one of the core financial arms, I’d be tied to Daehwa Group regardless of my own intentions.

And in the normal order of things, I wouldn’t be able to go against whoever becomes the next chairman of the group.

“Yes. I’ll do that, Grandpa.”

It was a meaningless agreement to me.

Because if my plan succeeded, Daehwa Group wouldn’t be the only thing at stake anymore.

“I see. Thank you. Mmm... whew, no, it’s fine. Go on now, Ha-yeon.”

I quietly returned to my room, watching Chairman Yoo Seong-pil’s retreating back grow distant.

For some reason, he looked a little lonely.

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***

Back in my room, I let out a long sigh and lightly slapped my cheeks.

“Alright, time to shake it off.”

Enough with the gloomy talk.

Now that I’ve made 10 billion won, it’s time to celebrate and have fun.