WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Incarnation of the Malevolent Star ◈
Chapter 117: Part 1 - Whispers of the Dark Brother (117)
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#117.
Recently, Legal Hunter went through something that left him burning with furious rage at the country.
“Aaaargh! Is this even a country?! They insist on taxing a kid who isn't even fifteen yet!”
He really did go, “Aaaargh!” A fully grown man who would soon be fifty-eight years old. He came home huffing and puffing after the ordeal, saying he simply could not calm down.
(There had been one other occasion like this. It was when the head of Sera's agency had tried to secretly steal away his precious young business partner.)
His wife, whom he had known since childhood, watched him and slowly shook her head.
“Good grief. Ever since he started streaming, he's become more childish by the day. Onik is practically more mature than he is now...”
Her assessment had also been influenced by some nonsense her husband had spouted recently.
Late one night, while interacting with viewers on stream, he saw a viewer message and grinned as he needled his wife.
“Honey! The viewers say childhood friends are a symbol of defeat! Apparently, they're a heroine type who can never become the main wife?”
“Ha...”
“It's really fortunate that you became my wife even though you're my childhood friend! Right? Ah, do you not know what a heroine is? Shall I explain that first?”
For saying such things and prancing about, the husband received a smack on the back from his wife...
Anyway, returning to the point, what enraged Legal Hunter was the matter of his young business partner's taxes.
In principle, anyone with income had to pay taxes, no matter their age.
But there were exceptions to that principle from time to time.
Legal Hunter learned about one such exception at an event held by the province's Young Entrepreneurs’ Association.
Of course, Legal Hunter was not a young entrepreneur.
In an aging village, he might still be treated like a young man despite not yet being sixty, but wanting to be treated as young even in an official setting would make him shameless, would it not?
(At this point, it is worth remembering former Village Youth Association President Jo In-cheol, who had been so utterly shameless that he got stabbed by a child and became dog food. A moment of silence.)
Legal Hunter had attended the event not as a member, but as a local notable and guest speaker.
Since Legal Hunter had a fairly strong desire for recognition, he was actually more pleased with that qualification.
Whenever he greeted someone after arriving at the venue, he had to work hard not to puff out his chest.
‘Heh. To think Jo Cheol-sang would be invited to a place like this as a speaker and called Teacher. You've made it, Jo Cheol-sang. You're amazing, Jo Cheol-sang!’
After finishing his lecture, the hunter received countless requests for handshakes from the province's leading young entrepreneurs.
These days, while he was not as remarkable as his lively young business partner, he too was considered something of a notable figure in the province.
His name was especially well known in the local-specialty distribution industry.
Using the influence he had built as an internet broadcaster, he had opened an online mall and made a visible success of turning local stone pig pork and native black pork into premium brands.
The Songnyeong Jo head family's local-specialty branding project was also progressing smoothly.
Thanks to this fame, after his lecture he met with various young entrepreneurs, discussed many matters, and exchanged contact information.
At one point during those conversations, taxes became the topic...
「Taxes?」
The successful young founders, each among the province's best in their respective industries, either tilted or shook their heads at Legal Hunter's question of how much tax they paid after earning that much in their fields.
「Ah, President Jo, you don't know because you're older. We don't pay taxes.」
「That's right. There is a system that temporarily exempts young entrepreneurs who start businesses outside the capital region or in areas at risk of population decline. For five years, counted from the time the business begins.」
「I heard that if you have no income, they extend it for however long that lasts. If you make a profit for the first time in your third year, then you get five years of tax exemption starting from then.」
To Legal Hunter, this was astonishing information that made an “Eh?” slip out on its own.
「Really? You don't pay taxes at all? All of you?」
「Ah, not absolutely none. You know how comprehensive income tax has national and local portions? Only the national tax is fully exempt. Corporate tax is exempt too.
「The local tax is not exempt, but it is still reduced considerably.」
The benefits the young entrepreneurs listed were remarkable.
A 75 percent reduction in acquisition tax. A 100 percent exemption from property tax for three years. A 50 percent exemption in the fourth and fifth years. Exemption from registration and license tax, and more.
Even local taxes received benefits that were close to complete exemption in many areas.
When the wide-eyed hunter asked what conditions were required for those benefits, the young entrepreneurs all mentioned four things.
「First, you have to start the business in a non-capital area or an area at risk of population decline, and you have to be under thirty-four when you start it. People who completed military service can be considered up to thirty-six.」
「You also have to register the business in a non-capital area, but that is obvious, right? Haha!」
「And there are restrictions on eligible business types, so it would be more accurate for you to look those up yourself...」
「Ah, right. There is something you absolutely have to remember. This system only applies to your first business startup in your life.
「It does not matter whether you received benefits before or not. They do not accept applications from your second startup onward.」
「And remember that it is not applied automatically. They absolutely do not do it for you. You have to apply for it.」
The hunter carefully took all of this in.
The bad adult's brain worked with an efficiency that rivaled any young person's when money was involved.
His heart began to race.
‘This is an opportunity. An opportunity to earn huge points with our Onik once again!’
There was the affectionate desire of a village elder to do something good for the village's only child and the admirable eldest descendant of the head family.
And there was the calculating desire of a bad adult and profit-seeking businessman to hold tightly onto the young business partner who was a walking lucky charm.
With the two feelings reinforcing each other despite their different directions, Legal Hunter Jo Cheol-sang burned with anticipation.
‘I am too old to receive the benefits, but Onik is different! I did not know about this, so I could not take care of it in the first year, but...
‘Starting this year, how much money can go straight into that child's pocket for free?’
Because of old Jo Jeong-ho's stubborn devotion to rules and principles, the hunter and Onik had been unable to use the “legal tax-saving methods” everyone else used.
(By a bad adult's standards, breaking the law was legal as long as you did not get caught.
Needless to say, getting around the law was legal too. If even a bad law was law, then was getting around the law not legal as well?)
Therefore, Onik's comprehensive income tax due in May alone was expected to be at least one hundred million won this year. And that was only the minimum estimate.
If he could make it so that Onik would not have to pay this enormous tax entirely legally, how would his young business partner, who relied on him completely in such matters, react?
「Wow! Boss, you're incredible! I really, really respect you!」
Wouldn't Onik look at him with shining eyes and say that? (He would not.)
Carrying his racing heart, he went to consult a tax accountant, only to face a cruel reality that coldly betrayed his expectations...
「It is not possible.」
「Pardon?」
「I said it is not possible.」
「Why?」
「Your business partner does not meet the age requirement.」
「No, sir. I heard anyone thirty-four or under qualifies. Our Onik will only be fourteen after his birthday this year!」
「That is exactly why.」
「Under the Restriction of Special Taxation Act, the tax reduction system for small and medium-sized businesses started in non-capital areas only applies from the age of fifteen.」
「Eh?! No one told me that!」
「Most likely because they do not know. People usually only pay attention to the upper age limit and speak in terms of how old you can be...
「Honestly, is it not abnormal for someone under fifteen to be both the founder and major shareholder of a corporation?」
「Abnormal? Our Onik is abnormal?」
「...If you do not like the sound of that, let me correct it to outside the norm.
「Your young business partner is clearly not an ordinary case by anyone's standards. Am I wrong?」
「Umm...」
The bad adult could not bring himself to deny it.
‘If a child under fifteen has formed a corporation in this country, usually it is a means for their parents to evade taxes or make illegal gifts...’
At present, Onik's official position in the corporation he and the hunter had formed was that of founder and major shareholder.
When introducing him to others, they called him a co-CEO, but he was not actually registered as an executive.
To register as a director or auditor, one had to be at least sixteen.
Furthermore, he could not exercise his authority as a major shareholder by himself.
His guardian, his grandfather, had to consent as his legal representative before he could exercise that authority.
The same had been true when they first wrote the corporation's articles of incorporation.
In other words, in legal terms, Onik was a person with limited legal capacity who could not become a fully independent manager.
And giving youth-startup benefits to someone who could not become a fully independent manager was contradictory by definition.
‘I understand. I do, but...’
The hunter thought it was still unfair.
The thought of such a kind child as Onik having to pay taxes that everyone else did not pay made the bad adult so resentful and sad that his hands and feet trembled and he felt tears might spill out.
Swallowing his sigh, the bad adult thought again.
‘It can't be helped. Let us at least take what we can get.’
With that thought, he asked the tax accountant for confirmation.
「Then, once he turns fifteen, he can receive the benefits, right?
「If it is calculated from the time the corporation was established, we can say we lost roughly three years, but he can at least receive the tax exemption for the remaining two years, right?」
The tax accountant shook his head again.
「No. He cannot.」
「What do you mean, he cannot? Why not this time?」
「The relevant provision applies only when the corporation is established after the person turns fifteen.」
「Th-then... if our Onik establishes a new corporation once he is that age...!」
「Of course not. That would not be his first business startup.」
「...!!!...!!!!!」
As the hunter let out a scream that could not become sound with his entire body, the tax accountant gave him a truly pitying look.
「I understand your disappointment, but what can we do when that is the law? Just give up, President Jo.」
That was how he came home to the aging village and cried, “Aaaargh!”
The bad adult could not bear how terribly sad it was that he could not save his precious business partner money on taxes...
#
Meanwhile, the bad adult Legal Hunter was greatly worried about his young business partner's spending.
“Uncle. Aren't you spending far too much money lately? You have to pay a huge amount in taxes in May, and if you keep spending like that, there will be nothing left.
“You earn plenty, and it is your money to spend as you please, but... shouldn't you cut back a little?”
At his old business partner's worried words, Onik smiled brightly.
“I definitely do spend a lot of money. But it isn't like I'm being extravagant or wasting it on pointless things, right?”
“Umm...”
The hunter had to close his mouth with an awkward expression.
Among his young business partner's many expenses, hardly any were for Onik himself.
The biggest portions of Onik's spending were all for something to protect the village, something for the villagers, or something to help other people.
A representative example was the installation of firefighting water tanks.
Because the aging village was so precious to him, Onik was using his own money to arrange for firefighting water tanks to be installed.
Top-grade stainless-steel tanks with a fire-suppression water storage capacity of a full one hundred tons.
And he was planning to install not one, but two.
Naturally, the person who had searched for companies at Onik's request was Legal Hunter.
Work like this was always his responsibility, even if the other “young people” in the village youth association helped in their own ways because it was village business.
When the hunter received an estimate from the company, the amount left him stunned.
‘One hundred and twenty million?!’
His young business partner, on the other hand, was not surprised at all when he saw the figure.
He merely nodded as if he understood.
“Hmm, so this is about how much it costs. It's similar to what I saw when I searched it up.”
Then, with the same expression, he stated his intention to proceed right there. Without the slightest hesitation.
Alarmed, the hunter tried to stop him.
“Onik! Wait a moment! Wait a minute!”
“...?”
“While this uncle was looking for a company and getting estimates, I looked into something else too.”
“You looked into something else? What was it?”
“You want to install firefighting water tanks because you're worried that a huge wildfire might break out in the province, like it did two years ago, and harm our village too.
“Am I right, Onik?”
“You are! I'm very worried! They say big wildfires will happen more often in the future because of global warming, so how could I not worry?”
“Mm, yes, yes. You would worry. But, Onik.”
“Yes!”
“If it is for fire response, there is a way to get government funding for it.
“They said the support is at least half the cost, and could cover the full amount.”
“Ah, that? I know about that too!”
“Eh? You do?”
“Yes. It isn't as if I didn't look into anything!”
His young business partner's innocent reply flustered the hunter.
“Then why are you trying to do it with your own money?”
“Because it takes too long.”
“...Huh?”
“Even if I apply and it gets accepted immediately, they say it takes a year. And there are so, so many places in the province that need installations, but the budget is too small, so applying does not mean it will happen.”
“...Is that so?”
“Especially places with a high risk of disappearing, like our village, are pushed much lower in priority. We are not even designated as eligible, so they say we would have to wait at least five or six years before it could finally happen.”
The reality surrounding money was always harsh.
That was even more true when it came to budget allocations for areas at high risk of population decline.
There were more than a thousand villages in the province near forest areas and vulnerable to fire risk, but the available budget could not even provide the most basic fire-response facilities to all of them.
Therefore, villages with a high risk of disappearing were pushed toward the bottom of the support list.
So if Onik wanted the old clan village, which only grew older day by day, to have as much disaster-prevention equipment as he wanted, it was fastest simply to use Onik's own money.
Legal Hunter, who had tried to explain how to tap government money to his young business partner only to receive an explanation in return, made a tsk sound and scratched the back of his head.
“Even so, would it not be better to use government money, even if it means waiting five or six years?
“One hundred and twenty million is absolutely not a small amount of money, you know?”
“I don't think it is a small amount either. It's a very large amount! With that money, I could buy sixteen thousand four hundred and thirty-eight Lotteria Classic Cheeseburger sets. And I would still have change left over!”
“...Did you just calculate that? In your head?”
“Yes!”
“Huh... Just how much do you like those cheeseburgers?”
“Hmm... I like them about 0.0001 Grandpas' worth.”
“That is impressive. To think they can be compared to Granduncle.”
“Anyway, it is that much money, but it isn't more precious than this village! Who can guarantee that nothing bad will happen while we wait five or six years? And...”
“And?”
“I want to see the results before I leave this village!”
“...Huh?”
Before his older business partner, who gave him such a foolish response, the lonely rural boy lightly tapped the ground with his toe.
Trying not to become dejected.
“You know too, Boss. Grandpa is determined to send me to Seoul.
“I might somehow be able to attend middle school in town, but that will probably be as far as I can manage.”
“Mm...”
The hunter's groan held two emotions.
One was empathy for his young business partner's feelings, and the other was concern over the business difficulties that would begin to bloom once his young business partner went to Seoul.
If he were to run a business with his young partner in Seoul, the bad adult's life would inevitably become difficult in many ways.
It was a difficulty he would have to endure in order to make a great deal of money...
While the hunter groaned with empathy and concern, Onik thought about his beloved grandfather's health and aging.
‘Grandpa has grown much weaker...’
The “Beat Onik!” content they had filmed during this winter vacation included a jump-rope contest.
Old Jo Jeong-ho had made a special appearance in it.
He had joined his grandson's side.
It was a contest in which the grandfather and grandson from the old head family formed one team, while the hunter and people from the city formed another. There were two people on one side and eight on the other.
The contest, which had continued live for nearly two hours, ended in an overwhelming victory for the grandfather and grandson team.
Even so, the stream gave Onik an unexpected sadness.
He had come to truly feel how greatly his beloved grandfather's stamina had declined.
After finishing his portion of the jump rope, old Jo Jeong-ho wiped away his sweat with the towel his grandson handed him and said this.
「Oh dear. Even this simple thing is now difficult to do four thousand times in one go...」
Seeing his grandfather exhausted and breathing hard, Onik was deeply shocked.
‘How can this be... When he first taught me jump rope, he could easily do ten thousand without stopping...’
Onik had first learned jump rope from his beloved grandfather when he was in the first grade of elementary school.
At that time, old Jo Jeong-ho could turn the rope quickly and keep a steady breath for nearly an hour.
The exact number of jumps he made was ten thousand.
It was admittedly a somewhat inferior record compared with Elder Park Bong-tae, the Jump Rope King of Gasan-dong, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, a legend of the Korean Jump Rope Association.
Still, considering old Jo Jeong-ho's tightly muscled body, it was more than impressive enough.
And yet that record had fallen from ten thousand to four thousand in only eight years.
How could that not be shocking?
「Grandpa...」
When Onik's eyes welled up, the old man stroked his grandson's head with a wrinkled hand.
「Do not make that face. Everyone grows old. When one grows old, one naturally grows weaker. This grandfather is no different.」
The people from the city and the viewers had difficulty understanding the mood between the grandfather and grandson.
They were too stunned by the extraordinary record of the white-haired rural old man.
「What is this? What kind of mood is this?」
「Isn't it freaking amazing for someone over eighty to jump rope four thousand times without stopping? Seriously? ㄷㄷㄷ」
「He wasn't even jumping slowly and lazily. He was doing three or four jumps a second.」
「Ah, this is kind of... Onik. If you get teary over that, what does that make me when I can barely do a hundred...」
「What else? By Onik's standards, you are a patient on the verge of death. Get some regular exercise. What is a hundred? Stop dragging down the city people's average.」
「So it turns out we really were weak city folks lol. We thought Jo Onik was scamming us this whole time lol.」
「Calm down. We have Hapless Chief Uncle. That uncle is a hunter whose job is wandering mountains all day, and he could only do a thousand.」
「Do you think a thousand is easy when you're in your late fifties?」
But like those weak city people, one could not be dazzled by the number four thousand alone.
What mattered to Onik was the trend.
If it had fallen from ten thousand to four thousand over eight years, how much more would it fall after another eight years?
Why did human aging progress so quickly...?
(Aging in old age did not progress at a constant rate proportional to one's age.
There was a point of rapid aging around the age of sixty, and another major point around the age of seventy-eight.
Old Jo Jeong-ho had already passed the second point.
He was remarkably healthy for his age, but unlike his grandson, who carried powers beyond ordinary human reason, he was not someone who had completely exceeded human limits.)
Onik could not simply turn away from the wishes of his grandfather, who was aging moment by moment.
‘If I start crying and throw a tantrum until the end...
‘Maybe he would let me attend school in this village even through high school, but...’
That would be nothing more than throwing a tantrum in the literal sense.
It would be “bad child behavior” that added to his beloved grandfather's worries.
‘Even if I am a bad child, I cannot become that bad of a child.’
Shaking off his melancholy memories, Onik continued.
“So before I go to Seoul, I want to see as many results as I can.
“I want to do everything I can to make this village safer, and to help Grandpa and the village elders, before I leave.
“Then, even after I go to Seoul, won't I be able to live with less worry?”
“Oh, Onik...”
“Living while feeling anxious that something bad might happen in the village would be really difficult.
“Even if I do things before I go, I do not think it will be easy to stop worrying completely.”
Just as the bad adult was always sincere when it came to money, the lonely rural boy was always sincere when it came to protecting his grandfather, his precious people, and his village.
“So you have no intention of changing your mind?”
“No!”
“You are certainly firm...”
Unable to think of anything else to say to persuade him, the hunter finally raised his hands.
“When you are that firm, you are exactly like Granduncle. No one could deny you are his grandson.”
At those words, Onik brightened.
“Really? I take after Grandpa?”
“Oh dear...”
The best Legal Hunter could do after letting out another “Oh dear” was to rely on his usual talent and at least negotiate a discount...
Thanks to that, he did receive words of gratitude from his young business partner.
“Wow! You got seventeen million won knocked off! Boss really is amazing!”
But even after hearing that, the hunter's heart was not at ease.
His young business partner smiled and immediately began listing new spending plans one after another.
“With the money left over, I should buy continuous glucose monitors for the elders with diabetes! And I should put an automated external defibrillator in both the ancestral house and Master Bowyer's home...”
At that point, the hunter tried once more to stop Onik.
But no persuasion worked on his young business partner, who was firmer than a kabocha squash, so the best the hunter could do was help him make a more efficient spending plan.
“Onik. Then at least let us use company money for it. Hmm?”
“Company money?”
“Yes! We use company money first, and then you can simply take that much less money for yourself.”
“What is good about doing that?”
“There are many good things!”
The hunter began to list them one by one.
Footnotes:
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