November 4-7, 2005
Day 19-22 of Ascension
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November 4 (Friday)
08:30 AM, The Proposal
Je-hoon stood before Director Kim with printed documentsโhis first business plan, formatted on the repaired laptop.
"Blue Bird Services," he read aloud. "A cooperative enterprise providing tutoring, basic repair, and maintenance services. Staffed by qualified orphans aged 14+. Managed by me. Revenue split: 60% to worker, 30% to orphanage general fund, 10% to management and training."
Director Kim scanned the pages, expression unreadable. "You want to turn my orphans into a... business?"
"Into skilled individuals generating value. The orphanage gets funding. They get income and experience. I ensure quality."
"Why would clients hire children?"
"Because we'll be better. Tutoring prices 30% below market. Repair services 40% below. We undercut competition through lower overhead and specialized training."
The director tapped the paper. "The orphanage's 30%..."
"Approximately โฉ100,000 monthly based on current projections. Increasing as we scale."
That got his attention. "And legal liability?"
"We operate under the orphanage's non-profit umbrella. All workers are 'volunteers receiving stipends.' All clients sign waivers."
Director Kim leaned back. "You've thought this through."
"Yes."
"The board meets next week. I'll present it. But..." He fixed Je-hoon with a look. "If this fails, if there's scandal, it's your responsibility."
"Understood."
๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐ช๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ: ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก.
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13:00 PM, Moon's Vending Route - Day 1
Mr. Moon's driver, a gruff man named Park, picked Je-hoon up in a battered van. Inside smelled of cigarettes and coin dust.
"Ten machines," Park grunted. "Map. Logbook. Tools. You fix, I collect."
The route covered factories, construction sites, small offices. Je-hoon analyzed each machine, ZEO cataloging:
ยท ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ #3: ๐พ๐ค๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ข ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง (๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ 2 ๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐จ)
ยท ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ #7: ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ (๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ค๐ก๐๐ฃ๐)
ยท ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ #9: ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ (๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ช๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐)
He repaired what he could, noted what needed parts. Park watched, initially skeptical, then impressed as machines that had been problematic for months started working smoothly.
"Kid, you're not bad."
"Efficiency reduces downtime. Downtime reduces profit."
By end of route, all ten machines were operational. Park counted coins in the van. "Today's take: โฉ85,000. Your 18% is โฉ15,300."
He handed over cash. "Weekly payday. Don't spend it all."
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐: ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก. ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ข๐: โฉ15,300.
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18:00 PM, The Bakery Training - Session 1
Three bakery employees watched as Je-hoon demonstrated proper espresso technique. He'd prepared laminated guidesโstep-by-step with diagrams.
"Grind consistency is everything," he explained. "If it's too fine, over-extraction, bitter. Too coarse, under-extraction, sour."
He made them practice. Corrected their techniques. Measured extraction times with a stopwatch.
Mr. Jung observed from the back. After an hour, he approached. "They're already better."
"Three more sessions. Then monthly quality checks."
"You're thorough."
"Quality is systematic, not accidental."
As Je-hoon packed up, Mr. Jung added: "My friend owns a hotel. Needs someone to set up their breakfast coffee service. Interested?"
๐พ๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ช๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฎ: ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐. ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ #2.
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November 5 (Saturday)
The Network Grows
Saturday was Je-hoon's busiest day:
08:00-10:00: Tutoring Min-kyu (algebra)
10:30-12:30: Electronics shop (repair jobs)
13:00-15:00: Convenience store (inventory system design)
15:30-17:30: Train tutoring franchisees (Soo-min & Jae-won)
18:00-19:00: Library organization (new book cataloging)
By evening, his earnings for the day:
ยท Tutoring: โฉ5,000
ยท Electronics: โฉ4,200 (two repairs at 70% share)
ยท Convenience store: โฉ3,000 (weekly wage)
ยท Training franchisees: โฉ0 (investment)
ยท Total: โฉ12,200
But the real value wasn't cashโit was system building.
His laptop now contained:
ยท Client database (27 entries)
ยท Service history logs
ยท Inventory tracking
ยท Financial projections
ยท Training materials
A business in a box.
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20:00 PM, The Medical Preparation
Sunday would be his first free clinic. He studied basic procedures on his laptop, ZEO cross-referencing with his medical textbook knowledge.
Mrs. Kang had provided a list of common cases:
ยท Minor cuts and burns
ยท Blood pressure monitoring
ยท Blood glucose checks (diabetic patients)
ยท Basic wound dressing
He organized a kit: gloves, antiseptic, bandages, thermometer, notepad. All purchased with pharmacy discount.
He also packed something else: a small notebook to record cases. Data for future medical knowledge expansion.
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November 6 (Sunday)
07:30 AM, Free Clinic - Kang's Pharmacy
The clinic operated from a converted storage room behind the pharmacy. Folding chairs, two examination areas, basic supplies.
Mrs. Kang introduced Je-hoon to Dr. Lee, a retired general practitioner volunteering his Sundays.
"The prodigy," Dr. Lee said, not unkindly. "Mrs. Kang says you know first aid."
"I've studied."
"We'll see. You take vitals first. Blood pressure, temperature. Record here."
For four hours, Je-hoon worked methodically. He processed 23 patients, mostly elderly with chronic conditions, a few children with minor injuries.
ZEO observed patterns:
ยท ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐: 43%
ยท ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐จ: 22%
ยท ๐ผ๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐จ: 31%
ยท ๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ช๐ข๐: 9%
Community health data. Useful.
At 10:47, a more serious case arrived: an elderly man with a deep laceration on his forearm from a fall. Blood seeped through a makeshift bandage.
Dr. Lee examined. "Needs stitches. But he's on blood thinners. Bleeding risk."
Je-hoon assessed silently. The wound was clean but deep. Standard treatment: irrigation, sutures, antibiotics. But with anticoagulants, hemorrhage risk.
He could heal it. Minimal energy. But exposure risk.
"Pressure and clotting agent?" Je-hoon suggested.
"We'll try," Dr. Lee said.
As Je-hoon assisted with wound cleaning, he let his fingers brush near the injury. Directed 0.0005% healing energyโjust enough to accelerate natural clotting, reduce inflammation, begin tissue regeneration at triple normal rate.
The bleeding slowed remarkably. Dr. Lee noticed. "Huh. Responding better than expected."
They sutured. The man thanked them, left.
Dr. Lee looked at Je-hoon. "You have steady hands."
"Thank you."
"Ever thought about medicine?"
"Yes."
"Good. We need more like you."
After clinic, Mrs. Kang paid him โฉ5,000 plus a bag of medical supplies. "For your kit. Come back next week."
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐: ๐ผ๐๐ฆ๐ช๐๐ง๐๐. ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐: ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ช๐ก.
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14:00 PM, The Strategic Meeting
Je-hoon convened his first "management team"โsuch as it was. Soo-min and Jae-won sat in the library.
"Progress report," Je-hoon said, laptop open.
Soo-min: "Two clients secured. Elementary English and history. โฉ6,000 weekly each."
Jae-won: "One science client. Middle school. โฉ5,000 weekly."
"Good. My 30% is โฉ5,100 total. You keep โฉ11,900."
They nodded, pleased.
"Expansion plan," Je-hoon continued. "Each of you recruit and train one more tutor. I'll train you on training methods. They pay you 20% of their earnings. You pay me 10%. Cascading model."
Jae-won calculated. "So if I train someone making โฉ5,000, I get โฉ1,000, you get โฉ500?"
"Correct. Exponential growth."
"Pyramid scheme?" Soo-min asked, wary.
"No. Value-based. Everyone receives training, quality control, client referrals. The structure incentivizes mentorship."
They agreed. The tutoring network now had growth mechanics.
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18:00 PM, The Coffee Consultation Expansion
Mr. Jung's hotel friend called. Meeting set for Tuesday. Je-hoon prepared a presentation on his laptop:
"Optimizing Hotel Coffee Service: Cost-Benefit Analysis"
Included:
ยท Current market rates for hotel coffee
ยท Waste reduction strategies
ยท Staff training protocols
ยท Supplier negotiation tactics
ยท Quality improvement metrics
He estimated the contract value: โฉ100,000 setup fee plus โฉ20,000 monthly for quality checks.
If successful, coffee consulting could become a standalone business.
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November 7 (Monday)
The Board Decision
Director Kim summoned Je-hoon after school. The board had deliberated.
"Approved," the director said, looking both relieved and wary. "With conditions: All work limited to after-school hours. No dangerous tasks. Monthly financial reports. And... a board member will sit on your 'management committee.'"
Je-hoon calculated. Oversight meant scrutiny but also legitimacy.
"Who?"
"Mrs. Shin. Retired accountant. She'll review your books."
Perfect. An accountant could teach him formal bookkeeping.
"Agreed."
"You start next week. The orphanage will announce Blue Bird Services to donors as a 'vocational training program.' Good publicity."
๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐ช๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ: ๐ผ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ซ๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฎ: ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐.
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15:00 PM, The Moon Follow-up
Park the driver picked Je-hoon up again. "Moon wants to see you."
They drove to a small office above a noodle shop. Moon sat behind a cluttered desk.
"Profit increased 12% last week," Moon said without preamble. "First time in months."
"Efficient maintenance reduces downtime."
"I have fifteen more machines. Different route. Can you handle?"
"If I train an assistant. One of the older orphans."
Moon considered. "Your 18% drops to 12% on that route. Assistant gets 6%."
"15% and 3%. I provide training, quality control."
"Deal." Moon leaned forward. "You're building something, kid. I see it. Be careful who you trust."
"Are you someone to trust?"
Moon smiled thinly. "I'm someone who recognizes value. Don't make me regret it."
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ: 25 ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ. ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ: โฉ30,000+.
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20:00 PM, The System Consolidation
Je-hoon updated his master spreadsheet:
BLUE BIRD SERVICES - Projected Monthly (Starting Dec 2005)
1. Tutoring Network: โฉ60,000
2. Vending Routes: โฉ120,000
3. Electronics Repair: โฉ32,000
4. Convenience Store: โฉ20,000
5. Coffee Services: โฉ40,000
6. Medical Clinic: โฉ20,000
7. Coffee Consulting: โฉ40,000 (if hotel contract)
Total: โฉ332,000 monthly
Minus orphanage 30% share: โฉ99,600
Minus his management 10%: โฉ33,200
Workers share: โฉ199,200
His personal take (management + direct work): Approximately โฉ100,000 monthly.
At age ten.
But money was just a scorecard. The real value was the system itselfโself-reinforcing, scalable, legitimized.
He saved the file. Backup on floppy disk.
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Day 22 Summary
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก:
ยท ๐พ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐ก: โฉ24,350 (๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ '๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ)
ยท ๐ผ๐จ๐จ๐๐ฉ๐จ: โฉ250,000+ ๐ซ๐๐ก๐ช๐
ยท ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ฎ: โฉ100,000 ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก
๐ฝ๐ช๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐:
ยท ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐
ยท 7 ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ข๐จ
ยท 3 ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐จ
ยท 1 ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง
๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ :
ยท ๐พ๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐จ: 34
ยท ๐ผ๐ก๐ก๐๐๐จ: 8
ยท ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐จ: 3 (๐๐ง. ๐๐๐ฃ, ๐ฟ๐ง. ๐๐๐, ๐๐ง๐จ. ๐๐๐๐ฃ)
ยท ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐จ: 1 (๐๐ง. ๐๐ค๐ค๐ฃ)
๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐:
ยท ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ค-๐๐๐: 14
ยท ๐ฝ๐ก๐ช๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ ๐ก๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐: 7 ๐๐๐ฎ๐จ
ยท ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐ช๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ: 1 ๐๐๐ฎ
Outside, November darkness fell early. The orphanage was quiet.
Je-hoon looked at the calendar on his laptop. Two weeks.
When Soo-jae returned, he wouldn't just be the orphanage boy who liked coffee.
He'd be the founder of Blue Bird Services. Entrepreneur. Medical assistant. Network builder.
He closed the laptop. Lay back.
The foundation was poured. The walls were going up.
The empire was taking shape.
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๐ฟ๐๐ฎ 19-22: ๐๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐๐
๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก ๐จ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐ช๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ
๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐จ
๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ซ๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐
๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ช๐๐ก๐ฉ. ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ช๐๐. ๐๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐จ. ๐๐๐จ๐ช๐ก๐ฉ๐จ. ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐ฃ๐๐. ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง.
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End Episode 10