Chapter 55 – Playground – Part 6

Chapter 55 – Playground – Part 6

After finishing the call, Department Head Shim sat down and thought of Woojin.

Shin Woojin, an intern, had increased the business margin by 1%.

It was the biggest project Sales Team 4 was pushing.

It was about exporting Indonesian building materials to the Middle East,

and 1% amounted to tens of billions of won.

But the intern had solved it so easily.

At first, he thought it was a negotiation led by Deputy Manager Hong, but the rumor spread so widely that it couldn’t help but reach his ears.

He listened and laughed in disbelief.

He thought it was an absurd rumor.

But it was true, and after sitting down and talking to him directly, he realized that he wasn’t a shaman… no, he was no ordinary person.

He started talking gently, but when he suddenly looked at him, his suit, his tie pin… and even his shoes.

For a moment, he felt like he was being devoured by the intern, Shin Woojin.

He was surprised as if seeing a powerful shaman, but at the same time, he felt a chilling sensation.

That gaze, as if he knew everything.

Just then, the telephone rang through the intercom.

“Hello?”

-Department Head, I think we can use three thousand Righteous Path.

“Really?”

-Um… but under what pretext…?

“Alright. I’ll think about it and talk to you again.”

Department Head Shim, who had hung up the handset, thought of Woojin once more.

Even three thousand, no, five million won is a very large sum for an intern.

For Shin Woojin, who was experiencing social life for the first time, it would be a huge temptation.

He couldn’t refuse it.

Department Head Shim muttered.

“I thought he’d be smart just because he got a perfect CSAT score, but he’s an oddball, isn’t he?”

* * *

Back in the Management Support Team, Assistant Manager Im spoke to Woojin.

“Woojin, why did Department Head Shim call you?”

“He asked me to attend the final buyer meeting.”

Assistant Manager Im and the surrounding staff members blinked their eyes as if they had misheard something.

“What did you say?”

“The meeting. Assistant Manager Im, have you been to the Planning Department? Or should I go now?”

“No, I just came from there. A meeting? Tell me again.”

“The buyer wants me to attend the meeting. I refused. Well then, I’ll go back to my desk to process the receipt.”

Assistant Manager Im quickly opened her mouth.

She was dying of curiosity, but he was just going to give a brief explanation and go back to work.

“Woojin, I told you that could wait. Tell me in more detail.”

Assistant Manager Im wasn’t the only one who was curious.

Other staff members also swiveled their chairs and looked at Woojin.

Woojin finished his explanation briefly.

The staff members, including Assistant Manager Im, looked at Woojin as if to say, “What kind of guy is this?”

It was said that the buyer had pointed to Shin Woojin… but now there was nothing more to say.

Just then, Manager Lee came in and asked,

“What? What’s going on?”

Only then did the staff members and Assistant Manager Im open their mouths.

“Manager Lee, because of Woojin, I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack every day. He apparently turned down Department Head Shim’s request and walked out.”

“What did you say?”

“The buyer pointed to Woojin…”

After hearing the story, Manager Lee chuckled, looking at Woojin who was tidying up receipts at his desk.

“Wow…! It’s so much fun coming to work these days! It’s more thrilling than a thriller, I tell you! Hahaha! Of course! He’s not even an intern at that time, so he doesn’t have to worry about company matters! He’s like our no-back-down, max-level intern!”

“Did you call me?”

At Woojin’s words, Manager Lee playfully waved his hand.

“No, no. Keep doing what you’re doing. For every hour of work, take a 10-minute break for the Righteous Path. This isn’t advice, it’s a superior’s order. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Manager Lee looked at Woojin with a satisfied smile.

He seemed so carefree, unaware that he was becoming the eye of the storm.

Perhaps that’s why he seemed even more special.

How to put it?

Whenever Shin Woojin touches something, things just keep happening.

Like a magic lamp.

Just then, Woojin answered the phone.

“Yes. This is Shin Woojin, Management Support Team Intern. Are you referring to the outing expense receipt from last time?”

Then Assistant Manager Im snatched Woojin’s handset.

“This is Assistant Manager Im. Assistant Manager Kim Miyeong. It’s already busy, and it’s difficult if you keep giving us these trivial errands. You should manage it well yourself… Yes, yes. Thank you for your understanding. Yes.”

After finishing the call, Assistant Manager Im ran a hand through her hair.

More and more calls from female employees started pouring in.

It was because of Shin Woojin, but when I heard the details, it was really nothing.

“The Management Support Team isn’t a love call center or anything…”

“Should I go?”

“No. Take a 10-minute break and come back.”

“Yes!”

Woojin put down the receipt and immediately left the Management Support Team.

Assistant Manager Im shook her head.

“He’s incredibly obedient.”

***

Han Bora was looking at the household ledger she had written in her notebook on the flat bench.

And every time she heard a sound outside, she perked up her ears and looked at the Blue Gate.

“Aren’t you hungry, my puppy? Shall Grandma make you a fried egg?”

Bora smiled and shook her head.

“I’m fine.”

It was 4 PM on Saturday, and since they would be eating dinner soon, she didn’t need to eat.

Grandmother sat on the flat bench, patting her shoulder, and said,

“That uncle might not be able to come because he’s busy. Don’t worry too much, my puppy.”

Just then, the Blue Gate rattled softly, as if someone was knocking.

Bora quickly walked towards the main gate.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Uncle Woojin.”

Bora’s expression brightened without her realizing it. And she immediately opened the gate.

Woojin, dressed in a tracksuit, asked with a small smile on his lips,

“How have you been?”

“Yes! Hello, Uncle~”

Woojin entered after receiving Bora’s cute belly button greeting.

But Bora’s movements were slightly stiff.

Like someone who had just done strenuous exercise.

“Grandmother, hello.”

“Oh dear, you must be tired from your long journey. I’ll get you a glass of milk.”

“Thank you.”

“Mister, I’ve written everything down here.”

As Han Bora proudly handed him the notebook, Woojin immediately checked its contents.

There was nothing in the income section.

But the expenses were different.

Expenses

Bean sprouts 500

Anchovies 1,500

Eggs 1,750

Woojin checked the next day as well.

There was no income.

According to Detective Kim Taehyun, Han Bora’s grandmother was a basic livelihood recipient, receiving a little over 500,000 won in support.

Woojin turned to the next page.

But there was a number written in the income section.

Income

1,000

Suddenly, the meaning of the white, rough skin on Han Bora’s small index finger fit together like a completed puzzle.

A flash of an image shot through Woojin’s mind.

‘Thank you~’

Bora’s image, bowing with her belly button as she picked up boxes,

Even the act of stacking boxes with her small body.

Bora must have gone to the junk shop, pulling a rusty cart.

Suddenly, Woojin felt his heart warm.

“Have some of this.”

“Thank you.”

Woojin gulped down the cool milk the Grandmother brought.

And quickly controlled his surging emotions.

“Hehe.”

Seeing Woojin looking at the imported eggs, Bora was just smiling brightly, as if something was very amusing.

“You’ve got some income. Congratulations.”

“Thank you! Hehe.”

As the Grandmother moved away, so as not to disturb Bora’s studies, Woojin spoke.

“But this method is not right.”

“Huh?”

“You collected paper and sold it, didn’t you? The Junk Shop Owner must have given you more money and told you not to come back.”

Bora’s clear eyes blinked.

“How did you know?”

“This mister knows everything because he’s always curious about Bora.”

“Wow…”

“Why did you collect and sell paper? Did you want to earn money?”

“Well… expenses kept piling up, and without income… it felt like pouring water into a bottomless jar, so I wanted to try and stop it a little.”

Woojin gently stroked Bora’s head.

She understood the algorithm of income and expenses that he had guided her to.

But the problem was that she had picked up waste paper.

“You had a good idea. But even if you try to stop it, it will eventually leak. Unless you put the jar completely in a pond. It will just keep leaking.”

When Bora made a puzzled expression, Woojin said something that completely changed Bora’s understanding.

So that Bora would never pick up discarded paper again.

“Bora. The money you earn with your body is called Earned Income, and the money you earn with money is called Passive Income. Earned Income, which you earn with your body, is bound to leak like a bottomless jar.”

Woojin gave Bora a hint to help her understand.

“Like having to buy bean sprouts, like having to buy anchovies.”

“Ah…”

Bora’s expression told Woojin that she understood immediately.

Woojin continued speaking.

“The money earned through Passive Income is like throwing a bottomless jar into a pond. Then the jar will be filled with water. It can’t leak, and it will overflow.”

“Ah…”

Bora’s eyes sparkled as if she had realized something.

Just then, the front gate rattled.

“Is anyone home?”

Bora replied.

“Who is it?”

Woojin answered for her.

“Someone I called.”

When Woojin opened the gate, a thug who appeared to be in his mid-40s set down a box.

It was none other than a computer.

Soon, another person visited.

It was an internet installation technician, who was able to make it even though it was Saturday.

“A gift for Bora.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Wow! Thank you! Thank you!”

Han Bora bowed to Woojin.

Not long after, a computer with internet access was set up.

Woojin first turned on the HTS and displayed blue-chip stocks on the screen.

“I’ve put 500,000 Ira of poison here. When the numbers turn blue, the poison will drain with water. Conversely, if they turn red, it means there’s a lot of rain and the poison is full of water…”

Woojin taught Bora how to invest in stocks in an engaging way, tailored to her.

It was a customized psychological education, leveraging Bora’s initial mention of ‘poison’ Ira.

He never mentioned the word ‘money’ Ira.

He continuously instilled the concept that money is just numbers.

“You can search to see if it will rain or not. But as always, isn’t it often the case that the news says it will rain, but it doesn’t?”

“Yes.”

“So you have to find out for yourself, and you can do that by studying this company. Whether it’s a company that can make it rain, or a drought…”

Woojin was talking about safe Value Investing.

He planned to teach her more as Bora learned and acquired more over time.

The 7-year-old child, Woojin, intended to make Han Bora a genius investor.

Because she was the child who said she wanted to earn a lot of money.

When a person acts with conviction, it becomes a talent.

Talent, excluding physical attributes, simply means knowing more than others.

And people call that talent Ira.

***

Five days flew by.

Department Head Shim thought while holding the handset.

‘Should I offer 300 first…?’

“Oh, this is Sales Team 4 Department Head Shim. Send Intern Shin Woojin up.”