With the roaring engine echoing, Jaesung pulled into the Han River promenade and stepped out of the Gallardo.
Among the crowd enjoying the late afternoon sunlight, Jaesung's expression was noticeably heavy.
He had first gone to his old family home in Gimpo.
But instead of his parents, the land where rows of towering apartment complexes should have stood was now just a construction site.
"When I went to the district office, not only was there no trace of me, but even my parents didn't exist."
Unable to let go, he also visited the university he attended around this time.
His friends from those school days were all there, unchanged, but he alone was missing.
It felt like he'd been bewitched by a ghost.
"How could this happen?"
Jaesung leaned against the Gallardo, clutching his head.
"It's like my entire existence has been erased from this world."
Was this what New Life meant?
Overwhelmed by indescribable emotions, Jaesung let out a deep sigh.
No, maybe this was for the best.
If even a single trace of his old life remained, he might have clung to it. This way, he could cleanly forget everything and start anew.
At that moment, a holographic message appeared before his eyes.
[Main Quest (1)
As the despised youngest son of a conglomerate family, your reckless partying has driven your family's trust in you to rock bottom.
Earn a trust level of 50 or higher from your father.
Success: Unlocks shop function, 1000 gold
Failure: Lose your position in the group and all inheritance rights]
"What… what the hell is this?"
Jaesung's eyes widened in shock.
[The quest duration is 6 months. A new life needs some handicaps, right? If you don't want to lose the diamond spoon you were born with, make sure to succeed!]
"Wait a second!"
He shouted in panic.
But the message vanished like a mirage.
"This wasn't part of the deal!"
Giving him something only to snatch it away? That's just dirty!
Jaesung pointed at the air, yelling, but the quest window didn't reappear.
And a mandatory quest he couldn't refuse?
"This is insane!"
People at the Han River promenade, out for a stroll, stepped back and whispered as they saw Jaesung shouting to himself.
"What's with him…?"
"Must be a weirdo."
After making a scene for a while, Jaesung finally regained his composure.
"Phew. So, if I don't want to end up a disgraced chaebol third-gen, I need to raise Park Kyung-su… I mean, Father's trust level within six months."
The more he thought about it, the more absurd the penalty felt.
Then again, being thrust into an entirely different life was already absurd.
"Since I'm in this body now, the quest penalty is probably real too."
The thought of plummeting from chaebol heir back to rock bottom hardened his expression.
"Hoo… alright, let's calm down. Deep breaths."
Jaesung inhaled deeply, exhaling as he racked his brain.
"As long as I complete the quest, I won't get kicked out."
Right, focus on the positive.
Nodding to himself, Jaesung suddenly perked up with a thought.
"But what does a trust level of 50 mean? It's not like 50 is the maximum, right?"
As soon as he muttered this, another pop-up appeared in the air.
"Damn it… give me a warning or something!"
Grumbling, Jaesung scowled at the new window.
[Current trust level from Chairman Park Kyung-su toward the youngest son: (20/100)]
"100's the max, and it's only 20? At this point, you'd wonder if we're even father and son."
The pop-up displayed the chairman's trust level in him.
"This is driving me nuts!"
By the time evening rolled around, Jaesung returned to the mansion and got out of the car.
The butler hurried over as if he'd been waiting.
"How could you come back this late? And why didn't you answer your phone?"
Jaesung pulled his phone from his pocket, its screen completely dark.
"Battery must've died. Is something up?"
"It's the day when the family gathers for dinner once a month, isn't it?"
The butler's reproachful tone jogged Jaesung's memory.
Due to Chairman Park Kyung-su's insistence that eating together makes a family, the direct family members gathered for dinner once a month.
And today happened to be that day.
Even his two older brothers, who had moved out, and his older sister cleared their schedules to come to the main house.
But Jaesung, who still lived at home, had skipped the dinner without a word, so the chairman's reaction was predictable.
"I'm in for a scolding."
Scratching the back of his head with a rueful expression, Jaesung was urged by the butler.
"They finished dinner and went to the study. You should hurry over, young master."
"With him in a bad mood, maybe I should just stay put… No, that won't do, will it?"
"If you do, you'll get an even bigger scolding later."
"Sigh. Fine."
Reluctantly, Jaesung dragged his heavy feet toward the study.
Knocking and entering, he found his two brothers and sister already seated.
"You punk! Causing trouble and then wandering around again?"
The chairman slammed the armrest of the sofa, making Jaesung flinch involuntarily.
His eldest brother, Park Jae-hyun, stepped in to calm him.
"Father, your blood pressure's bad. Please calm down."
His calm, low voice had a way of drawing attention.
"He's right. Your doctor always says to be careful," added his second brother, Park Jae-min, who seemed indifferent to whether Jaesung got chewed out.
Jae-min sat slouched, casting a disdainful glance.
"…"
Meanwhile, Jae-kyung, the only woman among the siblings, kept her lips sealed, her neatly groomed eyebrows furrowed.
With her stunning, celebrity-like looks, she had the most prickly personality.
Not one of them is easy to deal with.
Already familiar with his family, Jaesung sighed inwardly.
Even without words, he could feel it immediately.
The family gathered here didn't trust him.
No, forget trust—there wasn't even a shred of affection.
In the cold atmosphere, devoid of any familial warmth, Jaesung felt himself shrinking.
How do you live in this environment?
He envied his siblings, who had moved out and only returned when summoned by their father.
"I heard you caused a big mess again yesterday."
"Huh?"
"You can run around like a delinquent all you want, but don't bring shame to the family."
"…"
"Useless at everything."
For a moment, the second brother's blatant sarcasm reminded Jaesung of his old boss, Yoon Kyung-wook, and anger welled up inside.
"What I do is none of your business, hyung."
"What did you just say?!"
Jae-min, provoked by Jaesung's retort, stood up with a scowl.
"Both of you, quiet."
The eldest brother's low voice cut through.
"What kind of behavior is this in front of Father?"
Jae-min, though displeased, shut his mouth obediently.
It was a clear display of who held the most power in the household after the chairman.
In the uncomfortable silence, Chairman Park, looking displeased, clicked his tongue and shifted his gaze.
"How's the China deal going?"
Jae-hyun straightened up and answered.
"Considering the significantly lower labor costs and tax benefits compared to domestic operations, relocating the factory would be highly profitable."
"They said they'd provide the factory site for free, right?"
"Not full ownership, but a 20-year lease at no cost."
"Still a good deal."
"And given China's massive domestic market of over a billion people, I believe investment is essential."
"Good point."
Nodding slightly, Chairman Park continued.
"You take charge and draw up a detailed plan."
"Yes, sir."
Entrusted with a major responsibility, Jae-hyun subtly curled the corner of his mouth under his bowed head.
Seeing this, Jae-min jumped in, unwilling to be outdone.
"I'm also expecting good results soon from the Iraq project I'm working on."
"That's good to hear. With post-war reconstruction, that place is a goldmine. Don't mess it up."
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, Jae-kyung. How's the plan to bring that overseas luxury brand into the department store?"
Jae-kyung flicked her hair to one side and answered in a prim tone.
"I'll likely head to Europe next month to finalize the contract."
"Hmm. I trust you'll handle it well."
Even as the only daughter, she more than pulled her weight.
If Jae-kyung had been born a man, her keen sense for trends and fashion would have rivaled even the eldest.
"And…"
Naturally, Chairman Park's gaze landed on Jaesung, sitting at the edge of the sofa.
The siblings' eyes followed, focusing on him.
Caught off guard, Jaesung tensed and looked at the chairman.
"When are you going to get your act together?!"
Unlike with the others, Chairman Park immediately roared.
"Do you know how much the PR team scrambled today to clean up your mess?!"
"I'm… I'm sorry."
Still displeased, he continued scolding.
"You've been to the company less than you've skipped in the past month!"
Jaesung's lips sealed shut, unable to respond.
The harsh voice felt like sharp needles piercing him.
Glancing sideways, he caught Jae-min's eye, who was pretending to sip tea while sneaking a look.
A smirk.
The curved corner of his eye dripped with mockery.
The other two siblings didn't even bother looking his way.
Sitting among them, Jaesung felt utterly isolated.
I didn't even do it.
Unjustly accused, frustration boiled inside him.
But his years of office life taught him that in moments like this, it was better to bow and admit fault cleanly than to make excuses.
Straightening up, Jaesung faced Chairman Park, who was still waiting for a response.
The overwhelming presence of a conglomerate leader commanding thousands of employees made his mouth dry for a moment.
Summoning courage, Jaesung bowed humbly but not grovelingly.
"I was wrong. It won't happen again."
"…!"
Expecting the usual excuses to dodge the situation, Chairman Park was surprised by this unexpected response, his eyebrows twitching.
"Are you really reflecting?"
"Yes. I'll make sure this never happens again."
"Hmm."
Chairman Park, arms crossed, stared at his youngest son for a moment before nodding slightly.
"Fine. I'll let it slide this once, as if I'm being fooled."
A ripple of surprise spread among the siblings.
"…Did he eat something weird?"
"Right?"
Whispers from the second brother and sister reached his ears.
"But if I hear about another incident like this or you slacking off at work, there'll be hell to pay."
"Understood."
"You think I'll believe you just because you say it? If you want to test me, go ahead."
"…"
"Even if you're my son, I won't tolerate parasites who can't pull their weight. Got it?"
"…Yes."
Turning to the other siblings, he said in a dry tone.
"That goes for all of you. Keep it in mind."
"Yes."
Hearing their tense replies, Chairman Park leaned back and waved a hand.
"You can all go now."
With his permission, the siblings stood and left without so much as a goodbye to each other.
Amid this, Chairman Park's gaze lingered on Jaesung's back as he exited the study.
"Hmm. Is he really reflecting and repenting this time…?"
But he quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought.
"No. It's too early to belieVE