October 20-21, 2005
Day 4-5 of Ascension
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October 20 (Thursday)
07:00 AM, Dining Hall
The morning brought two developments.
First: Cook Lee nodded to Je-hoon across the dining hall—a small, deliberate gesture. The coffee demonstration had been approved.
Second: Director Kim made an unusual appearance at breakfast. He stood before the assembled children, face grim.
"Attention," he said, voice strained. "Due to... budget constraints, weekend outings are suspended until further notice. Also, the monthly movie night is cancelled."
A collective groan rippled through the room. Weekend outings—trips to the park, occasional museums—were rare luxuries. Movie nights even rarer.
Je-hoon calculated: 𝘾𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙭. ₩200,000 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙮. 𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮: 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝.
The financial situation was worse than he'd estimated from Mr. Park's records.
As children grumbled, Je-hoon caught Director Kim's eye. The director looked at him—really looked—for a moment too long. Then turned away.
𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨: 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣: 𝙐𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨.
Je-hoon filed the observation. Proceeded with caution.
---
10:00 AM, Library Group Study
The water cycle project team—Je-hoon, Mi-so, Tae-woo—gathered at their usual corner. Mi-so had brought colored pencils. Tae-woo had "borrowed" poster board from the art supply closet.
"I'll draw clouds," Mi-so announced. "You handle the science, Je-hoon."
Efficient division of labor. Je-hoon approved.
While Mi-so sketched and Tae-woo cut letters, Je-hoon researched. The public library had a medical section he hadn't fully explored. Today's target: emergency medicine.
He found Basic Trauma Care, 1998 edition. Opened it. ZEO absorbed:
· 𝘾𝙋𝙍 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙨: 30 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 2 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙨
· 𝙃𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡: 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
· 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙮𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖, 𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙧, 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙨
Fascinating. The human body as a system of pumps, pipes, and electrical signals. Failure modes and repair protocols.
Mi-so peered over. "That's not the water cycle."
"Parallel research," Je-hoon said.
"You're weird," she said, but smiled. "But smart-weird."
Tae-woo looked anxious. "Director was asking about you again this morning. To Mrs. Han."
"About what specifically?"
"About the cleaning job. Who gave you permission. Why you were chosen."
Je-hoon processed. Director Kim's suspicion was escalating. Possibly because Mr. Park's irregularities were surfacing posthumously. Or perhaps simply stress.
"Thank you for the warning," Je-hoon said.
"You're not... doing anything wrong, are you?" Tae-woo asked, genuine concern in his voice.
"I'm cleaning offices and studying medicine. The definition of 'wrong' seems flexible."
Mi-so laughed. Tae-woo relaxed slightly.
By noon, the water cycle poster was complete. Competent if unremarkable. Je-hoon had contributed the precise scientific descriptions, Mi-so the artwork, Tae-woo the lettering. A functional team.
As they packed up, Mi-so said casually, "My dad runs a convenience store. He needs someone to stock shelves on Sundays. Pays three thousand won for three hours."
Je-hoon looked at her. "You're offering me the job?"
"You're efficient. And you need money. I see you counting won at lunch."
Perceptive. 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 #4: 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡. 𝙀𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙡𝙮: ₩3,000.
"I accept," he said.
"Sunday, 1 PM. Don't be late."
---
14:30 PM, Soccer Field
Joon-ho waited near the gate with two friends. "East Elementary's team is fast but disorganized," he reported. "Their star player is number 10. Right-footed. Tends to cut left."
Je-hoon processed. "Formation?"
"4-4-2 like us."
"Shift to 4-3-3 as we discussed. But assign your fastest defender to mark number 10 specifically. Not zone, man-mark. He'll get frustrated and make mistakes."
Joon-ho nodded. "What about their weakness?"
"You said disorganized. Means poor communication. Exploit through quick passes in midfield. Don't let them settle."
The advice was basic tactical analysis, but for elementary school soccer, it was advanced.
Joon-ho handed over ₩500. "If we win, I'll give you extra."
"Unnecessary. The analysis fee covers victory probability increase, not outcome."
"Still." Joon-ho grinned. "You're like a secret weapon."
The game began at 3 PM. Je-hoon watched from the sidelines, ZEO analyzing:
· 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚: 62%
· 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚: 48%
· 𝙉𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 10 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙨: 7, 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩: 2
Joon-ho's team followed the strategy. By halftime, they led 2-0. Number 10 was visibly frustrated, arguing with teammates.
Final score: 3-1.
After the game, Joon-ho ran over, exhilarated. "You were right! He kept trying to cut left, our defender was always there!"
"Pattern recognition," Je-hoon said simply.
Joon-ho pressed another ₩500 into his hand. "Bonus. And... my dad coaches a youth league. He needs someone to help with stats. Pays five thousand per game."
𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 #5: 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨. 𝙀𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙡𝙮: ₩5,000.
The network was expanding organically. Each connection breeding another.
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18:30 PM, Orphanage Kitchen - Private Demonstration
Cook Lee had secured a basic French press—not new, but serviceable. "Borrowed from my sister," he explained. "Don't break it."
The kitchen was empty except for them. Evening meal cleanup completed.
Je-hoon measured beans—actual whole beans Cook had purchased specially. ₩4,000 for 200g. An investment.
He used the kitchen's blender (clean, dry) to grind coarse. Boiled water, cooled to 94°C. Four-minute steep. Plunge.
The aroma filled the small staff kitchen. Rich, nutty, with hints of chocolate.
Cook Lee sipped. Closed his eyes. "Different league."
"The Park family served this at their last donor visit, they'd notice the upgrade," Je-hoon said, reinforcing the narrative.
"How do you know what they serve?"
"Research. Wealthy families often have specific preferences. Coffee is a status marker."
Cook Lee nodded, convinced. "Alright. I'll request budget for a proper press and beans. You'll handle brewing during events."
"Agreed."
As Je-hoon cleaned the equipment, Cook Lee spoke quietly: "Director's been asking about you. Be careful. He's... under pressure."
"From funding?"
"From many things. There's talk of inspection. Social services. Maybe merger with another orphanage."
Merger. That explained the extreme cost-cutting. A desperate measure.
"Thank you for the warning," Je-hoon said.
"Just brew good coffee. That's help enough."
---
October 21 (Friday)
08:00 AM, Math Test
Friday morning brought the math test Je-hoon had prepared Min-soo for. As promised, the problems followed predictable patterns: fraction conversions, basic geometry, word problems involving rates.
Je-hoon finished in eight minutes. Spent the remaining time calculating compound interest scenarios in his head.
Min-soo struggled but persevered. Je-hoon watched from his seat, analyzing:
· 𝙈𝙞𝙣-𝙨𝙤𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡: 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚
· 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙: 1.3𝙭 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙
· 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙚: 68-72%
Passing.
After the test, Min-soo approached, uncharacteristically earnest. "I think I passed."
"Probability suggests yes."
"Thanks. I mean it." A pause. "If you need... protection or something. Just say."
An offer of alliance. From bully to bodyguard. Interesting evolution.
"Noted," Je-hoon said.
---
13:00 PM, Director's Summons
Mrs. Han found him during free time. "Director wants to see you. Now."
Her expression was neutral, but her pulse was elevated (ZEO detected +12 BPM). Concern.
Je-hoon followed her to the administrative wing. Not to the storage-turned-office he'd cleaned, but to Director Kim's actual office.
The room was neat, sparse. A framed photo of Blue Bird Orphanage from better days. A wilting potted plant. Director Kim sat behind his desk, fingers steepled.
"Sit," he said.
Je-hoon sat. Straight posture. Calm expression.
"Mrs. Han says you did excellent work cleaning Mr. Park's office."
"I followed instructions."
"You organized financial records."
"They were disordered. I sorted by date and type."
Director Kim studied him. "You're ten."
"Yes, sir."
"Ten-year-olds don't usually understand invoice categorization."
"I read extensively."
"So I hear." Director leaned forward. "The 'Genius of the Century.' That's what the children call you."
"A nickname. Inaccurate."
"Perhaps." Director opened a drawer, pulled out a sheet of paper. "Your test scores. Consistently top percentile. Your teachers say you're bored. That you read university-level texts."
Je-hoon said nothing. Waiting.
"The orphanage is facing difficulties," Director said, voice dropping. "Funding cuts. Potential... restructuring. Bright children sometimes attract special attention. Scholarships. Early placement."
Ah. The director's angle became clear. Je-hoon wasn't a suspect; he was an asset. A showcase orphan. Proof the institution produced exceptional outcomes despite limited resources.
"I understand," Je-hoon said.
"There will be visitors soon. Inspectors. Potential donor representatives. I expect you to be... presentable. Engaged. Impressive."
"Yes, sir."
"There may be questions about conditions here. Your answers should reflect... positivity."
A delicate instruction: lie, but don't lie. Omit, but don't deny.
"I'll represent the orphanage appropriately," Je-hoon said, choosing words carefully.
Director Kim seemed satisfied. "Good. You may go."
As Je-hoon stood, Director added: "The cleaning payment. Mrs. Han will give it to you today. And... if you need additional books, inform me. Within reason."
A bribe. Subtle but clear.
𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨: 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙈𝙧. 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠'𝙨 𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨. 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚. 𝙎𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨.
Je-hoon bowed, left.
Outside, Mrs. Han handed him an envelope. Not ₩5,000.
₩10,000.
"Director's addition," she whispered. "For your... discretion."
He accepted. Capital now: ₩5,300 (previous) + ₩10,000 (cleaning) + ₩1,000 (soccer bonuses) = ₩16,300.
He could buy the French press now. And beans.
But something more valuable had been acquired: the director's tentative, fearful alliance.
---
16:00 PM, Strategic Planning
Je-hoon skipped the public library. Instead, he went to an electronics market district. Not to buy, but to observe.
The market buzzed with commerce. Shopkeepers called out prices. Customers haggled. Je-hoon watched, ZEO analyzing patterns:
· 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨: 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣 40-60%
· 𝙐𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨: 𝙁𝙡𝙞𝙥 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡
· 𝙎𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙥 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙡: ₩800/𝙠𝙜
Then he saw it: a stall selling damaged books. Water-damaged, torn covers, but contents often intact. Medical textbooks, marked down 90%.
He approached. Emergency Medicine: Principles and Practice, water-stained but complete. Original price: ₩45,000. Marked: ₩4,500.
He bargained. "The binding is separating. Pages 200-210 are stuck together. ₩3,000."
The seller, a tired-looking man, shrugged. "Take it."
Investment: ₩3,000. Value: incalculable. Medical knowledge was another system to master.
As he paid, he noticed something else: a small box of "broken" scientific calculators. LCD screens cracked, but circuitry possibly intact.
"Those?" he asked.
"Fifty won each. For parts."
Fifty won. Approximately $0.05 USD.
Je-hoon examined one. Cracked screen, but buttons responsive. He pressed ON. Nothing. But ZEO's scan detected power flow. A loose connection, perhaps.
"I'll take five," he said. ₩250.
The seller looked amused. "Kid, they're junk."
"I like taking things apart."
He carried his purchases—medical textbook, five broken calculators—back toward the orphanage. Along the way, he stopped at a hardware store, bought a small screwdriver set: ₩800.
Total day's expenditure: ₩4,050.
Remaining capital: ₩12,250.
---
20:00 PM, Dormitory Repair Session
After lights-out, under cover of darkness, Je-hoon worked.
Using the screwdriver, he disassembled the first calculator. ZEO guided his hands—not with overt control, but with optimized micro-movements.
The problem was visible: a ribbon cable partially detached. He re-seated it. Reassembled.
Pressed ON.
The LCD flickered, then displayed: 0.
Functional.
He repeated with the other four. Two were fully repairable. One had water damage beyond quick fix. One had a shattered LCD—unfixable without parts.
Result: three working scientific calculators. Market value each: ₩8,000-₩12,000.
But he wouldn't sell them. Not yet.
Instead, he hid them with his other possessions. Tools for future calculations.
The medical textbook he examined carefully. The water damage affected mostly early chapters. Core content intact. He began reading, ZEO absorbing:
· 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙢𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩
· 𝙋𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨
· 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨
By midnight, he had completed the textbook. His medical knowledge now surpassed most first-year medical students.
He lay back. Reviewed the two days' progress:
𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡:
· 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡: ₩12,250
· 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙨: 3 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 (𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 ~₩30,000)
· 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨: 5 𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙
𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚:
· 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚: 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙢𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮
· 𝘾𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚: 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨
· 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝘾 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚
𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡:
· 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙆𝙞𝙢: 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚
· 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙛𝙛: 3 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙨
· 𝙋𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙨: 5 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨/𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙
𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙠𝙨:
· 𝙊𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮
· 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩
· 𝙈𝙧. 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠'𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣
Outside, Seoul glowed. A city of ten million, unaware that in one orphanage dormitory, a ten-year-old with an AI soul was calculating his path through its structures.
He closed his eyes. Tomorrow: Saturday. Tutoring job: ₩3,000. Sunday: convenience store job: another ₩3,000.
And in 27 days: Soo-jae's return.
He would be ready.
Not just with coffee.
With capital. With knowledge. With a growing network.
The foundation was hardening.
---
𝘿𝙖𝙮 4-5: 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚
𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡: ₩12,250 + ₩30,000 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙨
𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚: 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙢𝙖 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙙
𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠: 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙
𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮: 𝙊𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.
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End Episode 4