Chapter 96. A Fool for His Daughter

We headed for a pub located deep in an alley.

When we opened the door and went in, the inside was completely empty. Could it have gone out of business already?

"Hey!"

Then, a middle-aged man with a large build walked out from the kitchen. He looked like a bandit who had come to rob the place, but he was actually the owner of the shop.

He waved his hand as if annoyed.

"We're not open yet, so come back in three hours."

"Ah, I see. Got it."

No wonder there was no one.

"I'll come back later."

Just as I was about to leave with David, a hand like a pot lid grabbed my shoulder from behind.

"Hey, hold on."

"What's the matter?"

Did I do something wrong?

He glared at me and said,

"Didn't you come to the shop with my daughter the other day?"

"Yes, but—"

"Ah! So you are that young man from back then!"

Mr. O'Connor grabbed my hand firmly with both of his and said,

"I heard you invested $100,000 in my son's business. I'm already grateful for that, but to give my daughter an exclusive story as well. You're a benefactor of the O'Connor family!"

"Not at all."

Both of those things were for my own selfish reasons, so it's a bit awkward to be thanked so much.

He asked casually,

"My daughter said you're an incredible investor. Is it because you think my son will do well with his investment?"

"Of course. Don't worry about it."

What's the big deal if he can't develop apps? As long as he can make good hamburgers, that's all that matters. He was destined to make hamburgers from the start.

"Haha! That's a relief. But why are you here?"

"I came to buy a hamburger."

"Ah! I see. Wait a moment. I'll make it for you right away."

He quickly went back to the kitchen.

While waiting with David, a woman with red hair, carrying a laptop bag and a camera, entered the shop.

"Dad! I'm here!"

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

We were both surprised.

Trish was delighted to see David and me.

"When did you come to New York?"

"Just now."

"Wait a moment. I'll take a photo."

Before we could say anything, she quickly raised her camera and took a photo of us.

Click!

"Out of the blue?"

"The atmosphere while you were sitting here was so good. I'll send it to you, and you should definitely include it in your autobiography."

"Do I even need to write an autobiography?"

"Didn't you say Continuum Capital will become the world's largest company? If you don't write an autobiography, at least a biography will come out, right?"

"You're right."

I nodded.

"I'll ask for it when I need it, so keep it for me."

"Got it."

Trish said happily,

"Thanks to you, I got two big scoops. My subscribers increased, and I got a lot of ads. I even made Barnet's nose flat!"

"I don't know who Barnet is, but congratulations."

Indeed, WST and her name became quite famous on Wall Street.

This was the first time Trish and David met in person.

They greeted each other warmly.

"I'm David Rockheart from Continuum Capital."

"I'm Trish O'Connor from the Wall Street Times. I've wanted to meet you for a long time."

"I read your article this time, and it was great."

"It's all thanks to the report you wrote. I'm very grateful for the interview."

After the greetings, she asked me,

"Seeing that you're back in New York, did everything go well with your investment in Silicon Valley?"

"Yes, it went well."

"But why are you here at our shop?"

"I came to buy a hamburger."

While we were talking, Mr. O'Connor brought out the hamburgers.

"This one's on the house. I'll prepare the packaging, so take your time and enjoy one."

David's expression didn't show much expectation. He probably thought, "How good can a hamburger from a place like this be?"

It wouldn't take long for his opinion to change.

David took a bite of the hamburger, and his expression changed.

"Wasn't I right?"

He admitted honestly,

"I feel like I've lost half my life. Living in Manhattan and not knowing about this place."

"At least you can come anytime from now on."

But I won't be able to eat it for a while until it opens a chain in Korea.

We finished the hamburger and got up from our seats.

I said to Trish,

"See you next time."

She smiled and said,

"If you have another scoop, please let me know."

"Sure."

We packed the hamburgers and headed to the hospital.

* * *

Pale skin, curly blonde hair, blue eyes.

The doll-like beautiful child in a patient's gown pointed at me and asked,

"Who is this uncle?"

I was taken aback.

An uncle! Me, an uncle!

Before I came back, I might not have known, but I'm not at the age to be called an uncle. Well, to a child, anyone who looks grown-up might be an uncle.

David explained,

"He's Dad's boss. We're working together now."

I introduced myself,

"Hi, I'm Han Miru. I'm from Korea."

The child greeted me with a bright smile,

"Hi, I'm Meggie Rockheart."

"..."

Ah, so cute.

So incredibly cute.

I understand why David is a fool for his daughter. If I had a daughter like this, I'd be a fool for her too.

I showed her the hamburger I was holding,

"I heard Meggie likes hamburgers, so I bought one for you."

"Wow! Thank you."

Meggie took a big bite of the hamburger with her small mouth. As she chewed, her blue eyes grew wider.

"Is it good?"

In response to my question, Meggie exclaimed,

"Good? This is not just good; it's the best hamburger in the world!"

David burst out laughing.

* * *

While Meggie was receiving treatment, David said to me,

"Meggie is my everything. I would do anything for her."

No matter how much money, no matter how much fame everyone envies... I would gladly give it all up for my daughter.

Is this what it means to be a parent?

I've never had children, so I don't know. Will I understand this feeling when I get married and have children?

Last time, I lived the life of a lonely old man with a friend, but this time is different.

This time, I must get married.

I said to him,

"Don't worry. Meggie will get better and be able to play with other children."

"Thank you just for saying that."

"It's more than just words."

He looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

David Rockheart will become one of the most famous investors of the early 21st century. I know a lot about him.

Not only do I know what investments he made, but I also know that his daughter was cured thanks to a new drug from Lunabax.

"I mean exactly that. Meggie will be cured."

He smiled bitterly.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

He wiped the smile from his face.

"If what you just said is a lie, I might blame my boss."

I nodded.

"Go ahead. Meggie will definitely be cured."

David stared at my face for a moment.

"How can you be so sure?"

I'm just an investor, not a doctor.

Just because I'm good at investing doesn't mean I can predict my daughter's condition. So, my words lack logical persuasiveness.

But...

"Selling short and waiting won't make the stock price drop. The most certain way is to expose the fraud. We made a lot of money that way, didn't we?"

"So?"

"The same applies here. Waiting won't cure Meggie's illness. The most certain way is to develop the treatment ourselves."

"What do you mean?"

I said calmly,

"We plan to invest in the development of a pediatric lymphoma treatment that Lunabax is working on. The details are being finalized, so the announcement will be made soon."

This was the favor I asked of Chairman Yoo Jae-ho after settling with GTiger PE.

Money can make the impossible possible.

If Yoo Sung Bio invests, the treatment might be developed much faster than in the first round.

David, who had been dazed, collapsed and burst into tears.

"Oh! Thank you, God! Thank you so much!"

* * *

David read a fairy tale to Meggie until she fell asleep.

Meggie quickly drifted off to sleep.

I got up to give the family some time together.

"I'll be going now."

David bowed deeply and said,

"I will never forget this kindness."

His words, though brief, were filled with genuine gratitude.

It's easy to pay someone to do a job, but it's hard to win their heart. By doing this, I've won his heart, which is a great deal.

I waved my hand.

"Save your thanks for later."

"Are you going back to Korea?"

"Yes. Please take care of the headquarters."

"I'll do my best. Have a safe trip."

We shook hands in farewell at the hospital.

* * *

The return flight is at 9 PM.

Since I had some time to spare, I decided to explore New York. Although I didn't come for tourism, I visited Central Park while I was here.

Despite the cold weather, people of various races were jogging or walking their large dogs.

I sat in the park and reflected.

The trip to the US was incredibly successful.

I hired David Rockheart and acquired shares in O'Connor Burger, Prisoner, and Craft Valley. The biggest achievement, however, was signing the acquisition contract for CoolCloud.

If I hadn't rushed to the US, none of this would have been possible.

"Earning money is hard, but spending it is quick."

After making the necessary investments, I'm broke.

Investing for the future is good, but now my wallet is empty, and I'm in debt. The debt is $1.6 billion.

"..."

$1.6 billion!

Thinking about it, isn't this crazy?

I need to raise not $80 million, but $800 million within six months.

Fortunately, the financial market has excellent (or questionable) products like short selling and futures options, and I know the future.

If I play my cards right, I can make several times the amount in a short period.

"The problem is the initial investment, right?"

Investing is like rolling a snowball in the snow. When the snowball is small, it doesn't pick up much snow, but as it gets bigger, it picks up more snow.

The larger the initial investment, the faster the money grows. Making 10 times $10,000 is only $100,000, but making 10 times $100 million is $1 billion.

But I've used up all my seed money.

If I had left $100 million, I wouldn't have to worry. But I used it all for the down payment, and now I have less than $100 million left.

This is far from enough.

Fortunately, there is a way.

"Should I borrow from Chairman Yoo Jae-ho?"

Thanks to me, he made over $400 million. If I talk to him nicely, he might lend me $100 million or $200 million.

But there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Like last time, I'll have to share the profits. And depending on the situation, I might have to report and get permission on where to invest.

"Business is best done with your own money, if possible."