Kim Ji-hyuk grew up a penniless orphan and lived a "third-rate life" before deciding to turn himself around and work himself to the bone, with humble dreams of owning his own restaurant. He gets entangled in a plan to save the life of Kang Dong-seok, a chaebol heir who needs a heart transplant, and is told that he is Dong-seok's older brother and begins a lavish new life in that world... and then later learns that it was all a lie. Disgusted with the corruption of his chaebol "family" and spurred on by hatred of the world's unfair realities, Ji-hyuk embarks on a reckless revenge mission in order to protect himself and those he loves.
He is born a penniless orphan and grows up to be an uneducated, poor, "trash-like" man. His life changes when he is tricked into believing that he is the long-lost eldest son of a rich, chaebol family, but everything he's told turns out to be lies. Actually Ji-hyuk is not related to them at all, and the family only wanted to circumvent the transplant program and make him the heart donor for his supposed brother Kang Dong-seok, the real heir.[2][3][4]
Outwardly friendly and congenial, Dong-seok is a two-faced and cunning businessman who doesn't hesitate to do whatever it takes to survive in business. As the only son and heir to the Hyunsung Group, he readily accepts his future as leader of Korea's most powerful business conglomerate. However, his ascent to power is complicated by a business rival, Kim Ji-hyuk.[5][6]
The daughter of the chauffeur of Hyunsung Group, and manager of the in-house staff. She gets involved in an effort to save Dong-seok's life, who loves her despite the difference in their social class. But Mi-ra eventually falls for Ji-hyuk, and winds up secretly aiding him on his mission.[7][8]
Dong-seok's younger sister. A badly behaved, self-centered heiress, Jin-ah is used to getting her own way, until she falls in unrequited love with Ji-hyuk.[9][10]
