"Young lady!"
It had been a few days since the ga launched when Seo Ji-yeon ca rushing up to with a delighted scream.
"Yeah? How much did it sell?"
"Eh? What do you an by that... Oh, no, I an... Young lady, did you use my account? I got banned from NowNuri..."
Apparently, she couldn’t bring herself to ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) raise her voice at , because she trailed off awkwardly after saying that.
‘Ah, so that was just a scream of frustration.’
Flick.
I pushed Ji-yeon’s forehead back with my index finger.
"I just borrowed it a little. The ban will be lifted soon, so don’t worry."
After all, I held the purse strings on that community. They couldn’t do much to . It’s way too profitable, influential, and, frankly, fun of a business for to just leave it alone.
Seo Ji-yeon muttered resentfully.
"I an, why my account of all things...? My na’s probably all over the activity log..."
Well, it’s not like I could go causing chaos under my official account. Still, it was exhilarating to blend in with the masses again. I’d missed that feeling.
Sha the platform didn’t support images or comnts.
"Anyway, what’s the verdict on the ga?"
Only then did Ji-yeon seem to rember. She fumbled through her bag and pulled out so docunts.
"Ah, here..."
Thud.
I used to treat her like a kid, but now she was really starting to act like a proper secretary. Funny how ti sneaks up on you.
"Hmm... not bad."
Rustle.
The sales results for the ga were decent.
The unfortunate part was the rampant piracy. Even after all my warnings and crackdowns, barely anyone was paying for the official release.
I suppose Windows 95 would be the sa. I wasn’t too bothered since this wasn’t my main line of business, but if I’d actually founded a company focused on software, I’d be foaming at the mouth right now.
"Still, why do you insist on doing all these minor tasks yourself, young lady? You always say you hate the typical chaebol-style managent, but you act like a textbook heiress. Well, actually... you're more like an executive than a socialite."
I answered Ji-yeon’s question casually.
"It’s a hobby. I’m not doing it for money. Well, not just a hobby, but either way, it’s not for direct profit."
As I’ve ntioned before, I have a lot of hobbies. Coffee, movies, gas, school life, and...
Departnt stores.
***
March, 1995.
The weather was nice and cool, perfect for enjoying a rare day off. I was visiting Myeongsil Departnt Store—my own property.
"Ah, welco, young lady! I’ll escort you personally!"
Seeing the departnt store manager bowing deeply and treating with such deference put at ease. People had been getting a bit too casual around lately.
Not that I minded that per se... but once in a while, I wanted to feel properly attended to.
With a smile that concealed my darker thoughts, I waved at the staff lined up in the distance, ready to welco their rare-shopping heiress.
"Right, I’m here to get a new dress. Oh, and this guy’s getting a suit. Why are you just standing there? Move it."
I elbowed Kang Hyeon-cheol, the driver I brought with . He stiffly stepped forward.
"Uh, young lady. I’m not really..."
"It’s fine. You’ve been with longer than anyone besides Lee Si-hyun, right? You’ve been driving for ever since she quit that job."
Technically, Seo Joo-eun would be the second-longest, but she was working for Yoo Seon-jun now. And drivers spent more ti with than most staff did.
He was also the one who drove in silence when I had to clean up the fallout from Si-hyun’s betrayal. If you’ve been around that long, you deserve to be treated.
"...Understood."
Watching the manager drag my driver away, I stretched my legs out.
"Chair."
Thud.
"Yes, ma’am."
Faster than words. Just what I’d expect from a store staffed only with elite employees. I fired all the useless ones long ago—no wonder they were efficient now.
"We also prepared a newspaper and so coffee. Shall I bring them?"
"Ooh, yes."
I accepted the coffee naturally and pulled a thick envelope stuffed with ten-thousand-won bills from my breast pocket—still no fifty-thousand-won notes in circulation.
"...Thank you."
The staff mber bit his lip to hide his excitent like a professional and stepped back. Enjoying the feel of the plush footrest, I turned my attention to the newspaper.
Rustle.
Today’s headline was actually pretty significant, so I looked forward to soaking it in properly.
[Bank Law Andnt Passed in 1995... Bank-Industry Separation Act to Take Effect by Year-End]
[Emphasis on Separation of Finance and Industry... Chaebol-Owned Banks Under Scrutiny]
[Ongoing Controversy Over Shoddy Construction, Sampoong Construction Under Fire]
‘Bank-industry separation... Tch. Not my favorite, but still.’
It ans manufacturers or service companies can’t own banks.
Oh? You’re asking the difference between separation of finance and industry versus separation of banking and industry?
Basically, the governnt originally planned to enforce full financial-industrial separation but decided that was too extre, so they went with bank-industrial separation instead.
Surprisingly, the distinction is accurate: financial-industrial separation is the broader principle.
And this... is a major issue. It’s essentially antitrust law. Daehwa, Mirae, and a few other conglorates all had to restructure because of it.
"...Are we okay?"
The bodyguard-secretary from Daehwa Securities glanced at the paper in my hand, referring to the fact that I owned both Daehwa Securities and Myeongsil Departnt Store.
"We’re fine. Securities firms aren’t banks. Non-bank financial institutions are exempt. The main house will probably have a rougher ti, but... Uncle Hak-cheol will handle it."
For reference, Daehwa Investnt Bank isn’t owned by directly, so it’s also fine. Even though the law applies to unlisted firms, Korean regulation isn’t exactly airtight yet.
"And besides, it’s not all bad for us."
Preventing industrial capital from entering finance ans putting a ceiling on how large the Korean financial sector can grow.
Normally that wouldn’t be a problem thanks to Korea’s closed corporate culture, but if those protections disappear, fragile banks will get eaten alive by foreign capital.
For the record, Alpha Fund, which I manage, is now considered a major U.S.-based global financial institution.
As I flipped through the paper, skimming the latest Korean developnts, it was my turn to be served. I lifted my leg slightly.
"Hmm?"
I’d asked to see so casual ho dresses, but there weren’t many options.
"Excuse , young lady."
The sales assistant hesitated. The manager looked anxious too...
Annoyed, I asked sharply:
"Why?"
"Um... will this be acceptable?"
Hmph, so they do realize.
"Sothing about the quality seems off. I’m not imagining that, am I?"
Thud.
"M-my deepest apologies, young lady!"
A middle-aged man dropped to his knees. It wasn’t a good look. I frowned and gestured with my chin.
"That’s enough. Get up. Just explain properly, alright?"
Aside from a few cousins who didn’t care about group affairs, every Daehwa Group executive knew one thing:
Yoo Ha-yeon, the youngest daughter, had an uncanny talent for generating wealth—and while she flung money around freely, she never tolerated waste by others.
Anyone who truly understood that wouldn’t dare squander my funds. Otherwise... well, they’d better retire.
I’d invested billions here.
.
.
.
A short while later—
"I see. So the excuse is that a competitor’s loss-leader pricing made it impossible to restock..."
Ridiculous.
Am I poor? The only things I don’t have are public reputation and certain anatomy.
Oh—and no parents.
...Wow, I’m missing quite a lot, huh?
I shook my head and sighed deeply.
"Hmph. Honestly, I don’t really care. I can go shopping in the States. Sure, I’ll be racially profiled in departnt stores, forced to sneak things into the car like a thief, but what can you do."
"Sampoong was just too aggressive this ti... Ah, no! It’s my fault. Please, just one more chance!"
I was mocking him, but I ant what I said—I wasn’t planning to fire anyone.
In truth, I had no real reason to keep using Myeongsil Departnt Store, tucked away in what might be Korea’s most expensive land—but still rural compared to my U.S. options.
If it ca down to it, I’d just shop in Arica. I spend plenty of ti there anyway.
And yet...
It stung my pride a little.
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