The next day.
Wearing a silk necktie, Seok-won sat on the sofa in an office overlooking the Han River, engaged in conversation with Jung Gyu-cheol, the president of Bluehole Construction.
"We have reached an agreement with the members of Nam Seoul CC regarding the retrieval of their memberships."
"Have you finished speaking with all of them?"
"Yes, we have."
"There are as many as 980 members, so I thought it would take some time to persuade everyone—but you wrapped it up quickly."
At that, President Jung Gyu-cheol smiled as he replied.
"There were indeed some members who showed resistance."
Hearing the report, Seok-won leaned back in his seat of honor and nodded.
"It's close to Seoul with excellent accessibility, and given its long history, there must be quite a few people who've held their memberships for a long time—so that's only natural."
In fact, a significant portion of Nam Seoul CC members had held their memberships for over ten years.
"Even so, since we offered a price far above market value—and more importantly, once they heard that the Chairman himself had acquired the golf course—most of them readily agreed to sell their memberships."
"Is that so?"
President Jung Gyu-cheol gave a sly grin as he continued.
"Isn't the Chairman someone even the owners of chaebol groups are mindful of? They probably didn't want to create any unnecessary complications."
Since he couldn't exactly deny that such a factor existed, Seok-won gave an awkward smile and shrugged.
"Anyway, I'm glad it was resolved smoothly."
"If we hadn't been able to fully retrieve the memberships even after acquiring the golf course, the construction would have been delayed indefinitely."
"That's true."
Nodding slightly, Seok-won asked.
"Have the issues regarding the employees who were previously working at the golf course been resolved as well?"
"Yes. As you instructed, we've decided to retain all of the employees under the same terms, and for those who wish to leave, we will provide severance pay along with one year's salary."
Since the site for the new estate alone exceeded 290,000 pyeong, a large workforce was required.
'Even just managing the grass and landscaping trees would be impossible with only one or two people.'
Above all, he did not feel comfortable turning people—who had been working perfectly fine at their jobs—into the unemployed overnight simply because he was building a residence for himself.
So, the employees who had been working there were either retained to work at the newly built estate or given the option to transfer to other affiliated companies.
For those nearing retirement or those dissatisfied with the proposed positions, it was decided that they would be provided with generous severance pay along with one year's salary, ensuring they would face no difficulties while searching for new employment.
"The personnel who will be working at the estate will be sent to the Hilton Hotel during the construction period to receive the necessary training."
"Good work."
Seok-won picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip of coffee, then set it back down before speaking again.
"What happened with the zoning change?"
"We've finalized discussions with Seongnam City to approve the change in land use, on the condition that we make a cash contribution of 9.7 billion won to cover the construction costs of a two-lane bridge over the Tancheon."
"So there won't be any issues with building the estate, then?"
"That's correct."
President Jung Gyu-cheol immediately continued.
"Before we begin construction, we'll need to proceed with the design first. Do you have any particular architect in mind?"
"No."
"In that case, I'll shortlist a few renowned international architects who would meet your expectations, Chairman."
Seok-won let out a faint chuckle and asked back,
"Do we really need to make such a fuss just to build a single house?"
"What do you mean? This isn't just anyone's residence—it's the Chairman's estate. We can't entrust the design to just anyone."
As if he had been waiting for this moment, President Jung Gyu-cheol spoke with his eyes gleaming.
"Like the Biltmore Estate—famous for once being owned by the Vanderbilt family—I'll build a residence that ranks among the finest not only in the country but in the entire world. Just leave it to me."
For a moment, Seok-won tilted his head inwardly, finding the man's enthusiasm even greater than his own.
'Isn't he a bit too motivated?'
Still, since he was going to build the estate anyway, he figured it wouldn't hurt to do it properly, so he chose not to stop him.
"Well, do as you see fit. But make sure the design preserves the existing forest and lawns as much as possible."
"The landscaping is already so well done that it would have been a waste to clear everything out. As expected, you feel the same way, Chairman. I'll proceed as instructed."
Leaning back against the plush sofa, Seok-won suddenly spoke as if something had just come to mind.
"Oh, and also—look into land for building apartment complexes, one each on the outskirts of Seoul and the five major metropolitan cities."
Caught off guard by the sudden remark, President Jung Gyu-cheol showed a puzzled expression.
"Did you say land for apartment complexes?"
"Yes."
"But why all of a sudden…?"
"It's for something to be used by the Honor Foundation."
At that, President Jung Gyu-cheol asked again, looking even more confused.
"When you say the Honor Foundation, you mean the welfare foundation you established to support those who have sacrificed for the country, correct?"
"That's right."
"Then why would it need land for apartment complexes?"
Watching President Jung Gyu-cheol tilt his head in confusion, Seok-won spoke casually, as if it were nothing significant.
"There are many decorated veterans who devoted themselves to the country in their youth, yet struggle through their later years—along with their families."
"..."
Seok-won's voice grew slightly subdued.
"Those who deserve the greatest honor and respect are instead wandering the streets collecting scrap just to earn a living, and spending the final years of their lives alone and in loneliness in shabby, mold-infested homes—there's no doubt that something is seriously wrong with that."
"That's absolutely true."
President Jung Gyu-cheol also nodded in agreement, wearing a bitter expression.
"It just goes to show how indifferent our society has been, and how poorly they've been treated—there's even that saying that if you join the independence movement, it ruins three generations."
In reality, there were far too many cases where people had spent all their wealth on the independence movement, only for their families to fall into ruin as a result, leaving both themselves and their descendants to struggle through life.
Likewise, many veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and endured long-term pain from the aftereffects of Agent Orange, leaving them unable to live normal lives and trapped in difficult circumstances.
"I'm thinking of creating and operating residential spaces where decorated veterans can live together, so they can spend their later years a little more comfortably."
After a brief moment of thought, President Jung Gyu-cheol pointed out a practical concern.
"But this wouldn't be just one location—if we're to build apartment complexes for veterans not only in Seoul but also in the five major metropolitan cities, the required funding won't be small."
At that, Seok-won curled one corner of his lips into a grin.
"There's enough money for that, so you don't need to worry."
When it came to matters that could be solved with money, Seok-won was more confident than anyone.
Even so, President Jung Gyu-cheol still spoke with a concerned expression.
"Even if we build the apartment complexes on the outskirts of cities where land prices are lower, the construction costs alone will easily exceed 100 billion won."
Glancing cautiously at Seok-won, President Jung Gyu-cheol carefully opened his mouth.
"Instead of that… wouldn't it be better to provide living expenses to those in need?"
"We'll do that as well."
"Pardon?"
President Jung Gyu-cheol blinked in surprise.
"If we just build the apartments and tell the veterans to move in, even if they want to, it'll be difficult for them—because they won't have a proper means to make a living."
In reality, a large number of those intended to receive support were living in extreme poverty, so they had no choice but to work in some way just to get by each day.
Elderly veterans wearing their service vests could be seen every day—rain or shine—pulling worn-out handcarts through the streets collecting scrap paper. It wasn't by choice; it was because they couldn't survive otherwise, forcing them to leave their homes with a sense of desperation.
"We won't be charging maintenance fees or rent, and we plan to provide a monthly allowance so they can maintain at least a basic standard of living."
"What?"
President Jung Gyu-cheol's mouth fell open at Seok-won's idea, which far exceeded his expectations.
"If you do that, it won't just end with building the apartment complexes—you'll be facing significant monthly expenses as well."
"That's true. Even if we assume 1 million won per household per month for 1,000 households, it would still come to about 12 billion won annually."
He spoke so calmly that the amount of 12 billion won almost seemed insignificant.
Moreover, it wasn't a one-time expense but a recurring cost that would continue every year, making it an even heavier burden.
President Jung Gyu-cheol trailed off cautiously as he spoke.
"As far as I know, the Honor Foundation doesn't have that kind of funding..."
"We're planning to allocate a portion of the investment profits we earned this time to the foundation."
This wasn't a matter that required just a small amount of money—so just how large the profits must have been for him to make such a decision was hard to comprehend.
His intention to help veterans in difficult circumstances was truly admirable, but if the support couldn't be sustained and ended up being cut off midway, it would be worse than not doing it at all.
However, since he seemed firmly resolved to carry out the plan, President Jung Gyu-cheol, despite his growing concerns, could no longer bring himself to stop him.
"To begin searching for land, we'll first need to know how large you're planning to build the apartment complexes."
Since he had already given it some thought, Seok-won answered without hesitation.
"First, secure land large enough to accommodate about 1,500 households. And for Seoul, since there will be more veterans in need of support than in other metropolitan cities, let's set it at around 2,000 households."
"...!"
The moment he heard this, President Jung Gyu-cheol's eyes widened.
"D-Did you say… 1,500 households?"
Seeing him stammer in shock, Seok-won nodded.
"That's right. And 2,000 households for Seoul."
President Jung Gyu-cheol hurriedly leaned forward in his seat as he spoke.
"If we go with what you've said, that comes to a total of 9,500 households. Are you really planning to build all of that?"
It was a scale comparable to a small new city, so he was too shocked to even close his mouth.
In contrast, Seok-won responded with a calm expression.
"If it's just for show, then it would be pointless. But if we truly want to make a difference, shouldn't we build at least this much?"
While independence patriots were already quite elderly, there were still well over a hundred thousand surviving veterans from the Korean War and the Vietnam War alone.
Considering that, 9,500 households weren't actually that large a number—but the issue was that this wasn't being undertaken by the government, but by an individual.
Faced with a scale that far exceeded imagination, President Jung Gyu-cheol felt his head spin.
"They're all quite elderly, so I want to move forward as quickly as possible so they can live more comfortably, even if only for a single day longer. So let's secure the land quickly and proceed with building the apartments."
As if making one final confirmation, President Jung Gyu-cheol asked again,
"Are you really planning to carry out what you've said?"
"Of course."
Seeing him answer without even the slightest hesitation, President Jung Gyu-cheol inwardly shook his head.
Then, swallowing a small sigh, he spoke as if he had no other choice.
"Understood. I'll begin by looking for suitable land."
"Even if it's on the outskirts, don't choose somewhere too remote—find land that's reasonably close to the city."
For a moment, the words then the land prices will be extremely high rose to his throat, but President Jung Gyu-cheol chose not to say them out loud.
After all, he already knew what kind of answer he would receive.
"...Yes. Understood."
President Jung Gyu-cheol kept repeating to himself that it was sheer madness.
Spending hundreds of billions of won to build apartments for decorated veterans—no matter how much money one had, it was something an ordinary person wouldn't even dare to attempt.
'Still, the only person who could make such a grand gesture of generosity would be the Chairman.'
Thinking that, President Jung Gyu-cheol once again found himself in awe of just how remarkable he was.