Chapter 20 - Episode 19: The Dual Triumph

December 10, 2005

Day 55 of Ascension

Title: Two Stages, One Boy

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Part I: The Competition

The morning air bit with winter's teeth as Je-hoon stepped from Director Kim's borrowed car. Seoul National University sprawled before them—ivied buildings, groomed paths, the hallowed ground of Korea's academic elite.

Director Kim straightened his tie, more nervous than Je-hoon. "Remember, they're just problems. Like any other."

"They are," Je-hoon agreed, his breath misting. But they both knew this was more than math. This was validation. Or exposure.

The competition hall held two hundred children from Seoul's best schools. Uniforms crisp, parents hovering, the air thick with ambition and anxiety. Je-hoon stood out—orphanage uniform slightly faded, no parent beside him.

A teacher checked his ID. "Blue Bird Orphanage? Unusual."

"We have exceptional students," Director Kim said defensively.

Je-hoon simply nodded, found his assigned seat. Desk 47. He placed his calculator, two pens, water bottle. Routine.

The proctor announced rules: "Ninety minutes. Twenty problems. Show all work. Top three receive scholarships and media coverage."

Media. Je-hoon noted cameras at the back. He positioned himself slightly angled away.

The test began.

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ZEO's analysis flowed as Je-hoon read:

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 1: 𝙉𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙮. 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙥 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥^2 + 2 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚.

𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙋=3 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮. 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠: 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙥=2,3,5,7...

He wrote neatly, showing logical steps. Not too fast. Pace himself.

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 7: 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙮. 𝘾𝙞𝙧𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚...

𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨...

Around him, children sighed, erased, whispered frustration. Je-hoon worked with mechanical precision. The math was trivial to ZEO, but he performed the theater of problem-solving—forehead occasionally furrowed, pen tapping once before insight.

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙭𝙚𝙢 17: 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣.

𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨: 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚. 2 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩.

He purposefully misstepped on problem 17, left it partially solved. The one "human" error in otherwise perfect work.

At the 70-minute mark, he finished. Reviewed. Made one minor correction for authenticity. Sat back.

The boy beside him, sweating, whispered, "How are you done?"

"Focused," Je-hoon said quietly.

He watched the clock tick down. Calculated his score: approximately 94/100. Should place second or third.

When time was called, he handed in his paper with the others.

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The Wait

Results would be announced at noon. Je-hoon and Director Kim waited in the designated area.

"You seemed confident," Director Kim said.

"The problems were within scope."

A reporter approached. "Kim Je-hoon? From the Blue Bird article?"

"Yes."

"Expecting to place?"

"Honored just to participate."

The polite deflection. The reporter moved on.

At 11:47, the head judge called for attention. "Results. Third place: Park Min-ji, Seoul Elementary, 92 points."

Applause. A girl beamed, parents crying.

"Second place: Kim Je-hoon, Blue Bird Orphanage, 94 points."

Director Kim gasped. Je-hoon stood, walked forward calmly. Shook hands. Accepted certificate. ₩300,000 scholarship check.

Cameras flashed. The orphanage boy on stage.

"First place: Lee Sang-hyun, Seoul Science Academy, 98 points."

More applause. Je-hoon stood beside the other winners, smiling appropriately. Not too wide. Not too proud.

The reporter was back. "Second place! How do you feel?"

"Grateful to my teachers and the orphanage."

"Your future plans?"

"Continue learning. Help others."

Perfect soundbites. Humble. Inspirational.

As they left, Director Kim clutched the check. "₩300,000! And the publicity!"

"Divide it: ₩150,000 to orphanage education fund, ₩150,000 to my investment fund."

Director Kim nodded, too happy to argue.

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Part I Complete. Outcome: Success with controlled exposure.

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Part II: The Boardroom in an Orphanage

They returned to Blue Bird by 2:30 PM. Je-hoon changed into his custom shirt—light blue, pressed. Director Kim into his best suit.

Mrs. Shin had transformed the common room: chairs arranged boardroom-style, financial reports prepared, student work displayed.

At 3:55, three black cars arrived.

Soo-jae emerged first, followed by three older men. Je-hoon recognized them from HJ Group annual reports:

· Mr. Choi, 60s, board member, construction division

· Mr. Park (no relation), 50s, finance committee

· Mr. Lee, 50s, strategy and innovation

All wore expressions of polite skepticism.

Soo-jae made introductions. "This is Director Kim. And Kim Je-hoon, whom I've mentioned."

Handshakes. Je-hoon's grip firm, eye contact steady.

"Shall we begin?" he said, taking charge subtly. "Tour first, then discussion."

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The Tour

Je-hoon led, Director Kim following. The board members observed.

Stop 1: Library

"Updated with foundation funds. Current focus: mathematics and science, but also practical skills."

Mr. Choi examined the books. "Advanced for children."

"Children rise to expectations."

Stop 2: Tutoring Center

Two orphans tutored neighborhood children. Soo-jae's eyes widened slightly—she hadn't seen this operational.

"Students earn while learning. Builds confidence and competence."

Mr. Lee asked a tutee, "What are you learning?"

"Fractions. I failed before. Now I get B+."

Genuine. Unrehearsed.

Stop 3: Manufacturing Area

Mr. Han oversaw two teens assembling coffee timers. Circuit boards, soldering irons, testing equipment.

"You manufacture here?" Mr. Park asked, surprised.

"Light assembly. Teaches technical skills. Products generate revenue."

Je-hoon demonstrated a timer. Mr. Lee tested it. "Precise."

"Designed to solve a specific problem: inconsistent coffee extraction."

Stop 4: Medical Corner

First aid supplies, basic equipment. Je-hoon explained the free clinic partnership.

"We've also begun wound care research with a local doctor."

Soo-jae raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The tour concluded back in the common room.

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The Discussion

Mrs. Shin served tea—properly brewed, using Je-hoon's methods. Small detail, noticed.

Mr. Choi began: "Impressive operations. But scale is tiny. What's the relevance to HJ Group?"

Je-hoon projected a slide from his laptop. "Three relevance points."

"First: Talent pipeline. Korea faces skilled labor shortages. We're creating trained, loyal workers. HJ Group could partner for early identification, sponsorship."

"Second: Innovation model. We identify problems, develop solutions rapidly, test locally. Your R&D could adopt similar agile methods."

"Third: CSR with ROI. Most corporate social responsibility is expense. This model generates revenue while creating social good. Measurable impact."

He showed metrics: income generated per student, skill acquisition rates, cost per trainee.

Mr. Park studied the numbers. "These figures... accurate?"

"Audited monthly." Mrs. Shin presented reports.

Soo-jae spoke for the first time since introductions. "The board discussed innovation initiatives. Some see value in grassroots approaches."

Mr. Lee leaned forward. "Your timer. Market potential?"

"Initial production: 100 units monthly. Expanding. Already profitable."

"And beyond timers?"

"We have other prototypes. Medical formulations. Inventory systems. The model scales."

A pause. The board members exchanged looks.

Mr. Choi: "What would partnership look like?"

Je-hoon had prepared this. "Three options."

"Option A: HJ Group provides seed funding for expansion. Equity stake in Blue Bird Foundation commercial ventures."

"Option B: HJ Group sponsors specific programs—manufacturing training, for example. First right to hire graduates."

"Option C: Joint venture for specific products. HJ Group provides manufacturing scale, we provide innovation."

Soo-jae watched him, a slight smile playing at her lips. He was performing exactly as she'd hoped—competent, strategic, not needy.

Mr. Lee stood. "We'll discuss. But personally... I'm impressed. You've built something real here."

The others nodded. Handshakes again.

As they left, Soo-jae hung back for a moment. "You exceeded expectations."

"I prepared."

"I see that." She lowered her voice. "Joon-ho will hear about this. He won't be pleased."

"I anticipated."

"Be careful. But... well done."

She joined the others. The cars departed.

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Part II Complete. Outcome: Strategic interest established.

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Part III: The Evening Calculus

19:00 PM, The Aftermath

Director Kim was euphoric. "They were impressed! Actually impressed!"

Mrs. Shin nodded. "The financials convinced them."

Je-hoon retreated to the library. Processed the day:

𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣:

· 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚: 𝘼𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙙

· 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥: ₩300,000

· 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖: 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚

· 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡: 𝙀𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙

𝙃𝙅 𝘽𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩:

· 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚

· 𝙋𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥: 70% 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮

· 𝙎𝙤𝙤-𝙟𝙖𝙚'𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙

· 𝙅𝙤𝙤𝙣-𝙝𝙤'𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚

Overall: successful day. Two different stages, two different performances, both effective.

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21:00 PM, The Message

SMS arrived:

From: SJ

Message: Board reaction positive. Mr. Lee especially. Formal proposal requested. Joon-ho already complaining. Continue momentum. - SJ

He replied:

To: SJ

Message: Proposal ready Monday. Suggest focusing on manufacturing training partnership first. Tangible, measurable. - KJH

From: SJ

Message: Agreed. Monday then. Rest today. You earned it. - SJ

A moment of... warmth? Professional courtesy, perhaps. But genuine.

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22:00 PM, The Reflection

Je-hoon lay in bed, the day replaying. The competition hall's tension. The board members' assessing eyes. Soo-jae's subtle approval.

Two months ago, he'd been an anonymous orphan. Today, he stood before HJ Group's board as a peer.

Not equal in power. But equal in competence.

The trajectory was clear. The foundation he'd built in 55 days was bearing weight. The next phase: scaling.

He thought of Formula H-1, brewing in the clinic. Of timers being assembled. Of teens earning their own money.

Of Soo-jae, trapped in her gilded cage, seeing in him perhaps a kindred spirit—someone building their own world.

Tomorrow: Sunday. Free clinic. Formula H-1 progress check. Timer order fulfillment.

The work never stopped.

But today... today was victory.

Two stages. One boy.

Both conquered.

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𝘿𝙖𝙮 55: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙝

1 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 2𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚, ₩300,000

1 𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩: 3 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨

2 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨, 2 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨, 1 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚'𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙖𝙞 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.

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End Episode 19