November 8-14, 2005
Day 23-29 of Ascension
(7 Days Until Soo-jae's Visit)
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November 8 (Tuesday)
10:00 AM, Hotel Coffee Consultation
The hotel was mid-range, catering to business travelers. The manager, Mr. Kim, looked skeptical as Je-hoon presented his laptop analysis.
"Current waste: 38% of coffee brewed discarded. Staff training inconsistent. Supplier charging 22% above market."
Mr. Kim scanned the numbers. "You're ten."
"Age doesn't affect mathematics. Your annual coffee budget: ₩12,000,000. I can reduce it to ₩8,400,000 while improving quality."
"How?"
"Three-phase plan." Je-hoon clicked through slides. "One: renegotiate supplier contract using bulk purchasing power. Two: implement standardized brewing protocols with training. Three: introduce quality monitoring system."
"Cost to implement?"
"₩100,000 setup fee. ₩20,000 monthly for quality checks. Return on investment: three months."
Mr. Kim studied him. "If you can actually deliver those savings..."
"Performance guarantee: if savings don't materialize in three months, refund all fees."
The manager extended his hand. "Done. Start next week."
𝘾𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙟𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙚: ₩340,000.
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14:00 PM, The Medical Expansion
Dr. Lee approached Je-hoon after school. "The free clinic needs more help. Especially with record-keeping. You're organized."
"What do you need?"
"Digital system. Patient logs, medication tracking, follow-up scheduling. The current paper system is chaos."
Je-hoon considered. A medical database would be valuable for his own knowledge. "I can design a simple database. But I'd need access to anonymized patient data for pattern analysis."
"For research?"
"For identifying community health trends. More efficient resource allocation."
Dr. Lee nodded. "Smart. Do it. I'll pay ₩10,000 for the system, plus ₩5,000 weekly for maintenance."
𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨: 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙.
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November 9 (Wednesday)
The First Crisis: Moon's Gambit
Mr. Moon's driver Park arrived early, face grim. "Moon wants a meeting. Now."
At the noodle shop office, Moon wasn't smiling. "One of my competitors approached me. Says you're working for him too."
Je-hoon calculated. Truth was best. "I repaired a machine near his route. He offered maintenance."
"And you took it?"
"It's not on your route. No conflict."
"It's conflict if you work for my competition." Moon leaned forward. "I brought you in. Gave you access. Now you're spreading your services?"
"My agreement with you covers your machines. Not exclusivity."
Moon's eyes narrowed. "Smart kid. Too smart. Here's the new deal: you work exclusively for me. I pay you ₩200,000 monthly salary. But you drop all other vending work."
Je-hoon analyzed:
· Current vending income: ₩30,000 weekly = ₩120,000 monthly
· Salary offer: ₩200,000 monthly
· But losing freedom, becoming employee
· And Moon would control him
"Counter-offer," Je-hoon said. "I work exclusively on vending for you, but as consultant, not employee. ₩150,000 monthly retainer plus 10% profit share on all machines I optimize. And I train your existing maintenance staff."
Moon considered. "You train my guys to replace you?"
"To scale. You have 40 machines. I can't maintain all personally. But I can create a system that makes them more profitable. My value shifts from hands to brains."
A longer pause. Then Moon nodded. "Clever. You're betting your brain is worth more than your hands. Fine. But if profits don't increase 20% in two months, deal reverts to exclusive employment at ₩150,000."
"Agreed."
𝙑𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨: 𝙀𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮. 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧: ₩150,000.
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November 10 (Thursday)
Blue Bird Services: Official Launch
Director Kim made the announcement at assembly. "Blue Bird Services, our new vocational program, will launch Monday. Selected older students will receive training in tutoring, basic repair, and service work. All proceeds support orphanage operations."
Polite applause. Some children looked interested, others skeptical.
Afterward, Mrs. Shin—the retired accountant board member—approached Je-hoon. "I'll need to see your books. Weekly."
"I have digital records. Can export to spreadsheet."
"Digital? At your age?"
"Efficiency."
She studied him. "Director says you're exceptional. Prove it. First report due Monday."
𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮: 𝙀𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙.
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18:00 PM, The Network Audit
Je-hoon spent the evening analyzing his entire operation:
Tutoring Network:
· 3 franchisees trained
· 6 clients total
· Weekly revenue: ₩18,000
· His share: ₩5,400
Electronics Repair:
· Partnership with Mr. Han
· Weekly revenue: ₩8,000 (his share)
· New: Mobile phone repair training starting
Coffee Operations:
· Orphanage donor events: ₩3,000 weekly
· Bakery training: ₩12,500 (one-time, but ongoing quality checks)
· Hotel consultation: ₩340,000 annually
· Total monthly: ~₩40,000
Vending:
· Retainer: ₩150,000 monthly starting Dec
· Current weekly: ₩30,000
Medical:
· Clinic: ₩5,000 weekly
· Database project: ₩10,000 + ₩5,000 weekly
Convenience Store:
· ₩5,000 weekly
Total Projected Monthly Income (Dec): ₩332,000
His Personal Take: ~₩100,000
At ten years old. In one month of operation.
But money was secondary. The system was the asset.
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November 11 (Friday)
The First Scaling Challenge
Soo-min approached, distressed. "My new tutee's parents complained. Said I wasn't as good as you."
Quality control issue. Predictable.
Je-hoon instituted immediate measures:
1. Standardized training manual (created overnight on laptop)
2. Weekly check-ins for all tutors
3. Client feedback system
4. Performance metrics (student improvement rates)
He also created a tiered pricing structure:
· Tier 1 (trainee tutors): 70% of market rate
· Tier 2 (certified tutors): 90% of market rate
· Tier 3 (expert tutors): 110% of market rate (himself only, for now)
Clients could choose based on budget and needs.
𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡: 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙.
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November 12 (Saturday)
The Medical Database
Je-hoon designed the clinic database using Microsoft Access on his laptop. Simple but effective:
· Patient ID (anonymous)
· Age, gender
· Conditions
· Medications
· Visit dates
· Outcomes
He included analytics: condition prevalence by neighborhood, medication compliance rates, common complication patterns.
Dr. Lee was impressed. "This is... professional."
"Data informs better care."
"You should consider medical school. Seriously."
"I'm ten."
"Exactly. Imagine at twenty."
The comment lingered. Medicine was a possible path. But so was business. Or technology.
With ZEO, he didn't have to choose. He could master all.
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November 13 (Sunday)
Free Clinic - Second Week
Twenty-eight patients today. Je-hoon noticed a pattern: three elderly patients with similar symptoms—fatigue, dizziness, mild confusion.
ZEO cross-referenced:
· 𝙎𝙮𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧: 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙝𝙮𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
· 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧: 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭
· 𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮: 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚?
He mentioned it to Dr. Lee. "These three from Green Apartments. All similar presentation. Could be environmental."
Dr. Lee checked records. "You're right. I'll notify public health. Good catch."
Medical pattern recognition. Another application of ZEO's capabilities.
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18:00 PM, The Countdown: 7 Days
Je-hoon sat with his laptop, reviewing everything he'd built in 29 days:
1. Blue Bird Services - Formal business entity
2. 7 Revenue Streams - Diversified income
3. 34 Network Contacts - Social capital
4. Medical Experience - Practical knowledge
5. Coffee Expertise - Niche specialization
6. Technology Infrastructure - Laptop, databases
7. ₩250,000+ in Assets - Capital base
8. ₩100,000 Monthly Projection - Cash flow
All from nothing. From orphanage bed to budding entrepreneur.
But when Soo-jae returned, she wouldn't see spreadsheets or business plans. She'd see... what?
A ten-year-old orphan. Still in uniform. Still living here.
The trappings of success were invisible. The substance was accumulating, but not yet visible.
He needed something tangible to show. Not just knowledge. Not just plans.
Something that demonstrated... transformation.
An idea formed.
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November 14 (Monday)
The Investment
Je-hoon visited the electronics market with ₩20,000 from his capital. He bought:
1. Basic soldering station: ₩8,000
2. Component assortment: ₩5,000
3. Prototype boards: ₩3,000
4. Reference books: ₩4,000
Total: ₩20,000.
Then he visited a tailor. Measured for a single custom shirt—not a suit, too conspicuous. But a well-fitted, quality cotton shirt. Cost: ₩15,000.
He had it made in light blue. Subtle but different from orphanage uniforms.
His remaining capital: ₩4,350. Low, but weekly income would replenish.
The shirt would be ready in five days. Two days before Soo-jae.
The electronics equipment was for a project: a simple device he'd been designing in his mind. A digital coffee timer with temperature sensor. To demonstrate technical capability.
He worked on it in the electronics shop after hours. Mr. Han helped.
"What's this for?" Mr. Han asked.
"Demonstration of applied knowledge."
"For who?"
"Someone important."
By evening, he had a prototype: LCD display, temperature probe, timer circuit. Crude but functional.
"Not bad," Mr. Han said. "Patentable, maybe."
"Not yet. But soon."
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21:00 PM, Final Preparation
Je-hoon updated his personal dossier—a document on his laptop summarizing his achievements:
Kim Je-hoon - Age 10
· Founder, Blue Bird Services (₩332,000 monthly revenue projection)
· Coffee Consultant (Hotel, Bakery, Orphanage)
· Medical Assistant (Free Clinic, Database Designer)
· Electronics Repair Specialist
· Tutoring Network Manager
· Vending Operations Consultant
Skills:
· Medical: Emergency care, diagnostics, database design
· Technical: Electronics repair, basic programming, device prototyping
· Business: Negotiation, scaling, financial management
· Coffee: Brewing science, service optimization, training
Assets:
· Laptop with business systems
· Medical database
· Tutoring network (3 franchisees)
· 34 professional contacts
· ₩250,000+ asset value
Goals (Next 6 Months):
1. Scale Blue Bird Services to ₩1,000,000 monthly revenue
2. Obtain basic medical certification
3. Develop proprietary coffee brewing device
4. Establish separate capital fund for investments
He saved the file. Backup.
Then he looked at the calendar: 6 days until Soo-jae.
He would be wearing a custom shirt. He would have his coffee timer prototype. He would have the confidence of someone building something.
Not just the orphanage boy.
The entrepreneur.
The innovator.
The beginning of someone.
He closed the laptop. The orphanage slept around him.
In six days, a test. Not of business. Of memory. Of connection.
Would she remember?
Would she see?
He didn't know.
But he would be ready.
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𝘿𝙖𝙮 23-29: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣
7 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙎𝙤𝙤-𝙟𝙖𝙚
𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢
𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙨
𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤... 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨. 𝙉𝙤𝙬, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩: 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚?
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End Episode 11