I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 35: A Good Deed (2)

I might’ve talked big, but it’s not like I’m actually planning to build some huge department store.

Starting something that could rival Sampoong right now is just impossible.

‘Would that cost... around 300 billion won?’

To build a department store from scratch that could compete with Sampoong, you’d need at least that much. That’s the scale of the top-tier department stores in Korea.

Right now, the only person in Korea who could afford to build something like that with their own money is Chairman Yoo Seong-pil.

But... making sure Sampoong doesn’t succeed is way easier than that. It’s not like they were a hit from the start anyway.

And even easier than that? Attacking Sampoong itself.

Sampoong Group’s foundation, Sampoong Construction, is still standing for now, but there were already signs that its roots were starting to rot. And with a foundation like that, of course they’d build department stores like that.

My plan was to run a small department store and build up some experience, then acquire Ilsun Department Store in the ’90s. Play it safe, stay smart.

“...But, doesn’t Daehwa Group stay out of the department store business?”

Si-hyun blinked.

“Exactly. Which is why we should get into it, don’t you think? I bet the rest of the family’s quietly thinking the same. For now... I’ll just start small. A pilot project.”

As far as I recall, Daehwa doesn’t jump into the department store game until the late ’90s. They only grab the number one spot in Gangnam sometime in the 21st century.

Still, the fact that they even tried getting into the business is important.

“Well, yeah, even Mirae and Ilsun Groups run department stores... It did seem weird Daehwa never did. We’ve been using Mirae’s department stores, which has always been kind of annoying...”

“Haha, Grandpa would blow a fuse if he knew.”

Ilsun and Sampoong Department Stores are whatever. They’re not on the same level as Daehwa, so no one really saw them as a threat.

But Mirae Group? That’s different. They’re the only ones who can really go toe-to-toe with Daehwa... and eventually, they even surpass it.

The rivalry’s so petty that no one from Daehwa ever uses Mirae’s services for anything personal. And the reverse is true too.

“But honestly, with your personality... I thought you’d be more like, ‘I’ll just buy Sampoong Group and take over their department store myself!’ Isn’t a small store kind of beneath you?”

...You think I’d take that over?

Even if I’m in the mood to do something “good,” that’s a stretch. That’d be like strapping a ticking time bomb to my chest.

“Yeah, you’re not wrong. But I’ll build up some experience first, then I’ll buy Ilsun Department Store later.”

“What about Sampoong?”

Man, she’s persistent.

I threw out some excuse to shut it down.

“You know I hate asbestos, right? I even personally supervised my house being built... At the very least, places I live and work in have to be safe. And Sampoong’s construction company? Total garbage.”

Like hell I’m trusting those idiot contractors.

This is part of why I chase power. To protect myself and the people around me perfectly, I need a lot of power.

This is the ’80s, after all. Asbestos is everywhere—in schools, companies, the military, you name it.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

Sure, I’m immune to most illnesses, but I don’t know if that covers heavy metal poisoning... and I’m not exactly dying to find out.

And even if I’m fine, the nanny and Si-hyun? Definitely not.

“...Oh, right. Yeah, you do worry a lot. There’s hardly a place that doesn’t use asbestos these days.”

Si-hyun looked at me like I was just being overly paranoid. Ugh, now I look like some kind of safety freak.

“Si-hyun, didn’t I tell you before? Asbestos is a carcinogen.”

I patted my chest in frustration. The soft bounce and sharp sting made me wince.

‘Ugh, that hurt. Ugh... feels weird.’

Even with the pain in my chest, I tried to explain, but Si-hyun was still stuck in her basic assumptions.

“Come on, you saw it yourself when we visited Daehwa Construction. They were doing just fine without any safety gear.”

That’s exactly the problem!

I try not to act all superior, but sometimes these primitive idiots just make me wanna scream.

By the way, asbestos being dangerous? That’s been known since the ’70s. I’m not just pulling this from future knowledge, okay?

“...Hey, Si-hyun. I’m serious this time. Just do what I say.”

Only when I hardened my expression did she finally nod.

“Got it.”

Seriously, she’s getting cocky lately.

***

Starting a small department store? That wasn’t hard at all for me.

It might come up casually at a family meeting, but no one’s going to seriously block me over something so minor.

Still, when year-end rolled around again, I brought it up.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Oh, a department store? You want to get into that kind of business? That’s unexpected.”

A young man with a decadent air tilted his head with a lazy smile.

That was Yoo Seon-jun, Daehwa’s eldest grandson.

“It’s just a hobby, Seon-jun oppa.”

“A hobby, huh? Wasn’t that 10 billion you won gambling also a ‘hobby’?”

“Come on, it wasn’t gambling.”

I grumbled, stretching my legs out and grabbing a candy from the glass table.

Time had passed, and even the youngest—me—was now over ten, so the third-generation Daehwa kids had their own little circle.

Four boys, four girls, the gender ratio was balanced, and our ages weren’t too far apart, so we got along decently. Normally, I’d have been the odd one out as the youngest, but with my mental age, I could handle it.

“Oppas, no trouble this time, right? If dinner runs late, I’m going to be tired.”

I pouted as I glanced over at the Daehwa boys, and Yoo Sang-jun, now a high school senior, raised his hand awkwardly.

“...Uh, yeah, sorry about that, guys.”

“What, you go protest like Seon-jun oppa or something?”

The reply came from someone else. Yoo Seon-a, youngest of Yoo Jin-seok’s three kids, had this strange look on her face.

“He’s been dating.”

Yoo Sang-jun grumbled.

“...Hey, Seon-a. Ever heard of keeping a secret?”

“You’re gonna get smacked by Grandpa anyway, so what’s the point?”

Dating? Over that?

“Well... I mean, even a senior can date, right? Grandpa’s not as harsh as he used to be, so maybe it’ll be fine?”

People grow, after all.

By now, Chairman Yoo Seong-pil’s kids, who used to screw up all the time and get chewed out constantly, were middle-aged. The two eldest uncles had matured enough that they didn’t make mistakes worth getting punished over.

...Or maybe they just got better at hiding their failures. Either way, that’s still a skill.

“Our Yoo Sang-jun is dating Cha Soo-a from Mirae Group.”

Ah, now I get it...

“...Are you insane?”

“C’mon... things happen, you know? It’s not like she’s from a poor family or anything. She’s got money.”

“Your dad’s the one who sent her uncle to prison, remember? What’s this, your take on Shakespeare?”

“...That happened?”

“You didn’t know?”

From across the room, Yoo Seon-jun watched his brother with amused curiosity.

“Wanna bet on how many times Grandpa hits him?”

“Hmm, ten?”

“I say twenty.”

“Don’t bet on that shit, you assholes!”

God, these Daehwa people and their insane takes on romance. If I remember right, barely half the Yoo family ended up with anything close to a normal marriage...

Just look at my dad, Yoo Jin-cheol, if you need an example.

“Oh man. Better get into a good college, Sang-jun. Like me. You ace the college entrance exam, and they let you drink and gamble all you want.”

Barely scraping by, but still the first in Daehwa to get into Seoul National University, Yoo Seon-jun flashed a mischievous grin.

“...I can get into Seoul National too, you know?”

“Really?”

“....”

Yoo Sang-jun shut his mouth. Seon-jun might lag behind me and Uncle Jin-ha, but he was still sharp as hell.

‘He could run a subsidiary someday.’

Working at Daehwa Securities taught me that family connections are the best tools. The uncles might be beyond saving, but once things settle down, I could give him something to manage.

This is still a family fight. No need to take it to the grave... You gotta toss them a bone if you want to stop the bloodshed.

After a short silence, Yoo Seon-jun laughed heartily and ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ nodded.

“Don’t worry, your big bro will handle this. I’ll do something good today too. It’s fifty-fifty odds!”

When it was time for Grandpa to arrive, Seon-jun boldly led his siblings in.

Nothing much to say after that.

Except... dinner was two hours late that night.