"Mr. President, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has an urgent matter to report.It concerns Luktic's new drug—the one you instructed us to receive regular updates on."
"Oh? I don't have any external schedules this morning.Tell them to come to the residence."
"Yes, sir."
A short while later, the Commissioner of the MFDS entered the presidential residence.
Under normal circumstances, it was extremely rare for the MFDS Commissioner to report directly to the President.However, in Luktic's case, the President had personally ordered that any major developments be reported immediately—making this meeting possible.
"Mr. President, Phase 1 clinical trials are currently underway for the new drug developed by Luktic, tentatively named Elixir.There is an urgent matter I must report."
"Ah. I heard that even starting Phase 1 usually takes a long time, yet the MFDS handled it swiftly this time.So—what is it that you need to report?"
"Well… Mr. President, Phase 1 trials are, by definition—"
The commissioner briefly explained the purpose of Phase 1 trials:testing healthy volunteers to verify whether a new drug causes adverse effects in the human body.
Then he delivered the real report.
Every chronic condition possessed by the Phase 1 volunteershad been completely cured after administration of the Elixir.
"…Commissioner," the President said slowly."Is that even possible? I'm no expert in medicine or pharmaceuticals, so I'm asking you as a professional."
The commissioner shook his head.
"By all conventional medical standards, it's impossible.Rhinitis, allergies, atopic dermatitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease—they affect different parts of the body and have entirely different causes.For all of them to be cured by a single drug…"
He paused, his lips trembling slightly before continuing.
"And yet—it undeniably happened.We've verified and cross-checked the data multiple times.In our judgment, Luktic's new drug represents an innovation capable of triggering a paradigm shift in global medicine.If announced publicly, it would draw worldwide attention.It may even… one day be worthy of a Nobel Prize."
The President fell silent.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"If we streamline and simplify every procedure as much as I instructed—how long would it take to complete Phase 3 and obtain approval?"
"…Approximately five years, sir.Under normal circumstances, it would take around ten."
The President rubbed his forehead deeply.
President Kim Sang-hyun.
He had won the last election by placing science, technology, and social innovation at the center of his agenda—promising to lead the nation into a new era.
But shortly after his inauguration, a catastrophic incident occurred:every government and financial institution in the country was breached by an unknown hacking force.
He endured relentless attacks from the opposition.
Online communities hostile to his political stance spread mocking edited videos of his speeches,deepfake parodies, and ridicule, turning him into a laughingstock.
Despite his grand slogans, nearly half a year into his term,criticism mounted that he had achieved nothing of substance.Public support among moderates began to waver.
His personal approval rating—and that of the ruling party—steadily declined.
In the most recent local elections, the ruling party had suffered a painful defeat.
And in two years, the general election would be held.
If this trend continued…
The President lowered his hand, having reached a decision.
"Commissioner," he said quietly,"is there any way to complete approval and release the drug before the general election…?"
At Luktic's Factory Site
Stepping out of the black Grandeur that entered our factory groundswas not Secretary Park Jae-seok—
but Choi Eun-hyuk, Chairman Choi Chang-sik's eldest son.
Although he had apologized before,to be honest, the way he'd treated us back then hadn't been particularly pleasant.
Dong-sik clearly hadn't forgotten.
"So… he's really joining as a rookie employee, huh?" Dong-sik muttered."Si-woo, didn't Chairman Choi say we could treat him like a real rookie?"
"Well… he did say to treat him like a normal rookie employee,but he didn't say we could outright bully him—"
"Heh. Treating someone like a normal rookie is bullying."
This guy had a dangerous way of thinking.
What exactly had he gone through at his first job after graduation?
Looking closer, I noticed Choi Eun-hyuk had exited the back seat.Another man stepped out from the driver's seat.
Secretary Park Jae-seok.
He hurried over and spoke.
"As the chairman mentioned previously, I've brought the eldest young master with me.If your willingness to accept him hasn't changed,would it be possible for him to tour the company facilities?"
Right.
I'd almost forgotten that Choi Eun-hyuk was supposed to join Luktic eventually.
With his education and years of successor training,his abilities were likely solid.
The real concern was… his compatibility with Dong-sik.
As Eun-hyuk looked around, he spoke casually.
"Oh? This is better than I expected.I heard you only had a shabby warehouse,but you've built something fairly respectable."
…Not exactly what a rookie employee should say.
Crunch—
A sound came from behind us.
Dong-sik.
…Was that the sound of teeth grinding?
For some reason, I started worrying about the future.
Choi Eun-hyuk stepped forward and bowed to me.
"Hello, CEO Hyun Si-woo.We met briefly before, but allow me to properly introduce myself.Thank you sincerely for curing my younger brother.And… I apologize for my rudeness last time.Since we'll be working together for a while, I look forward to learning from you."
Oh?
More polite than I expected.
"By the way," he added,"what position does the gentleman beside you hold?"
Ah… right.Dong-sik's title was a bit ambiguous.
Crunch—
There it was again.
Dong-sik, you're going to crack your teeth at this rate.
After touring our facilities, Choi Eun-hyuk looked genuinely surprised.
Since we were a company less than a year old,he'd expected everything to be running in a disorganized, makeshift manner.
Instead, a surprisingly systematic structure was already in place.
He relayed that Chairman Choi wished to meet us again—this time regarding the investment he'd mentioned earlier.
After Eun-hyuk left, Dong-sik and I discussed how to respond to the offer.
"He'll definitely ask for equity, since it's early-stage investment.What do you think? We need to be aligned on this."
"Well… we can't give away too much,but I think up to 15% might be acceptable—assuming the investment amount is large enough."
"Agreed. I'm thinking the same.Luktic will grow explosively even without outside help.Chairman Choi's investment would just act as a booster.Loans are also an option.Let's decide after we see the exact terms."
"Sounds good. I'm on board, Mr. CEO."
Meeting with Chairman Choi Chang-sik
The meeting took place at Chairman Choi's residence.
As always, it was extravagantly luxurious.
"CEO Hyun, you must be in desperate need of capital right now.Demand is skyrocketing, but production capacity can't keep up.It must be giving you a headache."
He deliberately addressed me as CEO Hyun—a sign of respect as a formal business partner.
"Part of you is probably thinking that,rather than giving up equity,taking out a bank loan might be the better option."
He was exactly right.
Decades of building a global conglomerate hadn't dulled his instincts.
"That's why I prepared an offer that's extremely favorable to Luktic.Here—take a look."
He handed me a document.
Summary of the proposal:
Investment: 200 billion won– Equity: 2%
Investment: 500 billion won– Equity: 5%
The sheer scale made my heart jump—though I carefully kept it off my face.
Moving hundreds of billions in cash at oncewas no easy feat, even for Korea's top chaebol.Most wealth was tied up in stocks, real estate, and other assets.
Chairman Choi was making a massive bet.
Objectively, the terms were excellent.For a startup, the requested equity was remarkably low relative to the investment.
But Luktic wasn't a normal startup.
From a cold perspective,this was a high-probability, high-return bet for Chairman Choi.
For this investment to pay off,Luktic's post-IPO valuation would need to exceed roughly 10 trillion won—and given our technology, that was entirely plausible.
The key question was how urgently we needed that cash right now.
Our current facilities generated about 20 billion won per month in profit.To build massive factories costing trillions,we'd need years of accumulation—or risky loans.
Chairman Choi added calmly,
"The only return I want is equity at IPO.Even if Luktic faces a cash crisis, I won't attempt to reclaim the investment.All of this will be clearly stated in the contract.This is an investment made purely on trust in you, CEO Hyun."
We were at a stage that demanded aggressive expansion.
The offer was sweet.
The equity requested was within the limits Dong-sik and I had discussed,and the strategic ties with Chairman Choi and Daesung Group would deepen.
Soon, new knowledge would unlock from the Akashic Records—likely leading to yet another product.
In short, we desperately needed capital now.
After a brief deliberation, I accepted.
"Chairman, thank you for the generous offer.I accept—specifically option two:500 billion won for 5% equity."
Chairman Choi's face brightened.
"Excellent. I wanted to become an early investor ever since I saw your technology.Our bond has grown stronger today.We'll review and sign the contract soon."
Then he added quietly,
"And, CEO Hyun—be wary of Shinjeon Pharmaceutical."
"Shinjeon… Pharmaceutical?"
"Yes. I've tried Luktic Drink myself.Its effectiveness is remarkable."
"I'm glad you liked it."
"But that also means it threatens existing pharmaceutical companies.While it may not fully replace prescription drugs,it can easily replace common OTC medications—painkillers, cold medicine, and the like.Am I wrong?"
"…No. Based on customer feedback,it can suppress mild chronic symptoms for about a weekand performs well as a painkiller or cold remedy."
"As I thought. Be careful.Companies whose rice bowls are taken away won't sit still.Especially Shinjeon Pharmaceutical—the former industry leader.They'll react the most aggressively."
"I'll be careful. Thank you for the warning, Chairman."
Back at our small warehouse office,Dong-sik was stunned after hearing everything.
"Wait—500 billion won?!That's insane. A private individual investing that much in a startup in Korea?!Our CEO strikes again!"
"I didn't do anything special.I just accepted his offer."
"No—creating technology worth that investment was your doing.With that capital, we can expand aggressively.And with government backing, permits will fly through."
"There is one thing that worries me…"
"Shinjeon Pharmaceutical, right?That's part of Shinjeon Group.Your father worked at one of their factories, didn't he?"
"Yeah. That cursed place.It's still operating here in Yangseo County."
"They're vicious. We definitely need to be careful."
He was right.
Chairman Choi's warning wasn't idle talk.
Shinjeon Group Strikes Back
Not long after, Shinjeon Group launched its attack.
First, they filed a formal complaint claiming that Luktic Drink,despite having clear medicinal effects,was being sold illegally as an energy drink without pharmaceutical approval.
Even before the complaint,suspicious posts began flooding online.
They accused Luktic of selling a dangerous substance made from unknown materials,spreading conspiracy theories nationwide.
Fake reviews soon followed—claiming severe side effects after drinking Luktic Drink.
Dong-sik brought screenshots, his voice shaking with anger.
"They're going all-out.Hiring armies of commenters to manipulate public opinion."
The power of a conglomerate was overwhelming.
A fragile startup would normally be crushed instantly.
But Luktic wasn't ordinary.
We possessed world-class technology,had government attention,and deep ties with Daesung Group.
This was a fight worth taking.
Memories resurfaced—standing in court with my father,fighting Shinjeon Chemical over his industrial accident.
Back then, we were powerless.Their money and elite lawyers dragged the case outuntil we were forced to give up.
But now—
We were different.
We had a weapon.
They started this war.
If we didn't strike back, we'd be the ones destroyed.
A dark resolve surged within me.
For my father—and for countless other victims of industrial accidents and their families—
For Shinjeon Group,who tried to crush Luktic with such despicable tactics—
I swore silently:
I will drag them straight into hell.