"Is this the place?"
I drove straight to the location Manager Ha had told me about. It was a shabby inn in Bulgwang District. As I opened the door and entered, the distinct smell of an old inn hit me.
Sensing my presence, an old man in a room near the entrance opened a small sliding window and poked his head out.
"Looking for a room?"
"No. I'm looking for someone. Is there a man named Han Gyeong-yeong staying here?"
The innkeeper looked me up and down and grumbled.
"What are you... a detective?"
"Pardon?"
"Who d'you think fills out the guest book properly in a shabby inn like this? How would I know their name?"
"I'm not a detective. He's a man who looks to be in his late twenties. Are there any long-term guests?"
"Well... maybe 'cause I'm old, my memory's a bit fuzzy."
I took a ten-thousand-won bill from my wallet and placed it on the counter.
"Does that jog your memory?"
"Ah, there is one. I don't know his name, but there's a young man staying here long-term. Let's see... his room is..."
The indifferent innkeeper changed his tune and began flipping through the guest book.
"Room 302. Go on up."
Then, he swiftly snatched the ten-thousand-won bill from the counter. The small window slammed shut.
'Room 302...'
As I was climbing the stairs, I saw a young man coming down. The moment our eyes met. The man suddenly stopped in his tracks and started running back up.
"Excuse me, Mr. Han Gyeong-yeong!"
I called out urgently, but no answer came back. I chased him as he ran nonstop all the way to the rooftop. When I opened the rooftop door and went in, Han Gyeong-yeong was looking down, glancing around.
A smile crept onto my face without my realizing it. It was hard to believe that this was the same Han Gyeong-yeong who was called the black-haired foreigner and made the Korean stock market tremble in fear.
"I didn't come to collect money. Let's just talk, Mr. Han Gyeong-yeong."
Only then did Han Gyeong-yeong stiffly turn his head to look at me.
"You're really not a debt collector?"
"No, I'm not."
"Aish! I ran so hard for nothing. You should have told me sooner. Ha!"
Han Gyeong-yeong, his tension seemingly gone, slumped to the floor and looked up at me.
"Let's sit and talk. I'm exhausted, so exhausted. But who are you?"
"My name is Kim Mu-hyeok. You're Han Gyeong-yeong, right? The stock trader?"
"Ah! Yes. I am, but..."
"Then I've come to the right place. Let's work together."
What kind of guy is this? That was the look on his face. Then again, it was understandable for him to be flustered when some young kid suddenly shows up at his hideout and asks him to work together.
"I'm not a con man."
"Then what... a stock manipulation scheme? I don't do that kind of thing. No matter how desperate I am for money, that's not something a person should do."
I held back a laugh. Then what about all those people who took a stroll into the Han River because of the game you orchestrated? I don't need a good person.
I need someone who can read the flow of the stock market, someone who can cast aside greed. Above all, I needed someone who would do as I say, no matter what orders I gave. That was why I came looking for Han Gyeong-yeong.
"I don't do things like that. Anyway, get up. You haven't eaten, have you? Let's talk over a meal. What do you like? Korean beef? Raw fish? Just say the word."
Han Gyeong-yeong's face brightened at the mention of food. He even got up from the floor, as if he had never sat down, and hurried me.
"It's been a while since I had Korean beef. What are you doing, not leaving? Let's go, quickly!"
I left the inn with Han Gyeong-yeong.
"Get in. I'll treat you at a place that does Korean beef well."
"Oh, a Grandeur! Are you the son of a rich family?"
Han Gyeong-yeong, who had been looking over the parked car, got into the passenger seat. I slowly started the car.
"Where are we going? If it's a good Korean beef place, I know a good one in Yeouido. Let's go there."
"Hahaha. I know a good place in Myeon District. I'll treat you there."
At the mention of Myeon District, the color drained from his face.
"M-Myeon District?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"You... didn't you say you didn't come to collect a debt?"
"I didn't come to collect a debt. But I am involved in the private loan business. Don't worry. In Myeon District, as long as you're with me, no one can touch you."
But the anxiety did not leave his face. I laughed as if it were nothing and boasted.
"I told you not to worry. If I was planning to catch you, I wouldn't have come alone."
"Hoo... I understand. Let's go."
Although he said that, Han Gyeong-yeong sighed with a pale, resigned face.
We arrived at a Korean beef specialty restaurant in Myeon District. I led Han Gyeong-yeong, who got out of the car and looked around for a long time, into the restaurant. We were guided to a quiet room, and after ordering, we began to talk.
"How much is the debt?"
"Why?"
Perhaps because I brought him to Myeon District, his tone was a little blunt. I smiled and continued.
"Mr. Han Gyeong-yeong. I want to have a good relationship with you. I have no intention of harming you. Can't you tell by the fact that I found you in a single try, when you were hiding in a place even the loan sharks couldn't find?"
"..."
"How much is the debt?"
"...Three million won."
Three million won... It was ridiculous that this man was living in hiding for a mere three million won.
"Three million won?"
"Yes. I borrowed three million, but the interest has piled up a lot..."
The meat we ordered arrived. The conversation was cut off by the employee grilling the meat for us.
"Let's eat first. We can talk after we eat."
Han Gyeong-yeong's gaze was fixed on the meat, mesmerized by the smell of it cooking. We took about 30 minutes to eat. After finishing everything, including rice and soybean paste stew, we sat down and began to talk again.
"Are you sure you have no other debts besides that three million?"
"Yes."
"And the interest?"
"...Eight million."
"Eight million, huh. Compound interest, right?"
"I borrowed it thinking I could pay it back quickly. But... I really didn't know the stocks would become worthless scraps of paper. Ha, haha..."
Now that his stomach was full, he seemed to have calmed down a bit, and he let out an awkward laugh.
"That private loan, I'll take care of it for you. Let's work together. The Grandeur outside? I'll make it so you can drive a car much more expensive than that. What do you say?"
At that, Han Gyeong-yeong's face hardened. He looked as if he had seen something he shouldn't have, and as I was wondering, a trembling voice came from his lips.
"Are you... by any chance... an angel? Do you have wings on your back? Or are you a con man?"
For a moment, I was stunned by the absurd question, and then I burst out laughing.
"Hahaha. Wow, you're a funny guy, aren't you?"
He kept staring at me with a face that was half suspicious, half wanting to believe.
"It makes sense, right? A guy I've never seen before shows up, buys me a meal, and says he'll pay off my debt if I work with him. He's either an angel or a con man. Isn't that right?"
"Let's go. Where did you borrow the money from? An office in Myeon District, right?"
As I got up from my seat, Han Gyeong-yeong became even more flustered and fidgety.
"What? Where? Where are we going?"
"To the office where you borrowed the money. We need to resolve this. You can't work while hiding."
"..."
Seeing him hesitate, I added.
"Trust me and get up. We're going to pay back the money, so you can go with your head held high."
"A-are you really going to pay it back?"
"Yes. On the condition that you work with me."
"...What if I just run away after you do?"
A smirk came to my lips at his words.
"You're welcome to run. But... I'll probably be scarier than those people you borrowed from. As long as you're in Korea, I will find you, Han Gyeong-yeong."
Han Gyeong-yeong swallowed hard.
"What is it that I have to do?"
"The thing you're good at, right? Stocks."
"Pardon?"
"For now, let's go. We can talk slowly after we pay off the debt, it's not too late."
Although his expression was still one of disbelief, Han Gyeong-yeong dazedly got up from his seat and followed me. He trailed slowly behind me. When we came out of the restaurant, it looked like the sun would set soon.
"Where is it? Lead the way."
As I turned back and spoke, Han Gyeong-yeong reluctantly started walking ahead. But... his pace was too slow.
"What, are you walking to your death? Let's go faster. The sun is setting. At this rate, we'll arrive tomorrow morning."
After about ten minutes of walking. Han Gyeong-yeong stopped in front of an old building. It was a private loan office with no sign, just the words "Loan Consultation" written on the third-floor glass window.
"Is this it?"
"...Yes."
"Let's go up."
Leaving him to dither, I strode up the stairs. Han Gyeong-yeong, following behind me, had the look of an ox being led to the slaughterhouse.
"A-are you sure this is okay?"
I ignored the voice coming from behind me. On the third floor, there was no sign at all, to the point that if you didn't know, you would never guess it was a loan shark's office. I opened the door and walked in without a hint of hesitation.
I saw two men with tattoos on their forearms and a man with a shrewd face who looked like the boss. As they saw Han Gyeong-yeong entering behind me, the two men stood up from their seats.
"What's this? This bastard walked in here to die on his own two feet?"
Han Gyeong-yeong flinched at those words.
"Enough! There's someone else here, what are you doing?"
At the boss's words, the men sat back down. Well, well, they're putting on quite a show.
"Who's the person with you?"
"Someone who came to pay back the money."
At those words, the boss got up from his seat and walked to the sofa. As he sat on the sofa, he looked at the thugs and spoke.
"You idiots. Get up. A guest has arrived, and you're taking up the seats?"
At the boss's scolding, the men got up and stood behind him. I sat on the sofa with Han Gyeong-yeong.
"Well then. Our dear customer. Did you bring the money you owe?"
"How much is it?"
"Hmm... bring me the ledger."
One of the standing men retrieved a ledger from the desk and handed it to the boss. The boss, flipping through the ledger, opened his mouth.
"Here it is."
The boss opened the ledger to a page, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward me. I didn't even glance at the ledger and smiled at the boss.
"No, don't shove a ledger at me. Just tell me the exact amount. Why are you being so amateurish?"
Despite my continuous informal speech, the boss's expression didn't change. Instead, the expressions of the screens behind him grew a bit grim.
"Our young customer has no manners. Principal is 3 million and interest is 12 million, so the total is 15 million. The 30,000 won at the end is on the house~ I won't take it."
The compound interest magic that turns 3 million into 15 million! This was the nature of private loans.
"N-no. What kind of interest is..."
Han Gyeong-yeong, who was listening beside me, tried to argue in a trembling voice.
"Compound interest, don't you know what that is? Ha, this bastard should've just kept quiet after running away. I ought to pickle you."
Frightened by the boss's words, Han Gyeong-yeong closed his mouth again.
"So 15 million will do?"
"You seem to have a lot of money for a young person. Yes, exactly 15 million and I can tear up the documents. Bring cash."
"Can I use the phone?"
The boss pushed the phone on the table toward me.
"Be my guest."
I made a call to Pyeongchang District. —Yes, this is Ha Myeong-hun.
"Manager, it's me. Could you bring 15 million won over here?" —Yes, where are you?
"Where is this place again. Just a moment."
I looked at the screen behind him and spoke.
"Hey."
The goons looked at each other with strange expressions.
"You. The one on the left."
The man I pointed at looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Explain the location here. I'm not good at explaining."
As I shook the receiver as if telling him to take it, the man's face contorted.
"Take it. Tell him."
But at the boss's words, he had no choice but to take the receiver and explain the location to Manager Ha. After hanging up, he glared at me as if to kill me, and I gave him a smile. The boss, who had been chuckling beside me, spoke up.
"The young friend is fearless."
At his words, the smile on my face turned into a sneer.
"In Myeon District, isn't cash the boss?"
"That's right. But the cash hasn't arrived yet, has it? Until it does, nothing is certain."
"Hahaha!"
A loud laugh erupted from my mouth. A loan shark who didn't exist in my memory at all. He was probably one of those who quietly disappeared after the real-name financial system was implemented.
The sight of someone like him trying to threaten me was quite funny. Even though I was killed because of my maternal uncles and the Blue Wind Association, I had been through so much in this world as Chairman Cheon's successor. Just because I'm a bit young, I'm getting looked down on by a punk like this.
"You're laughing? Ha~ You're a really crazy bastard, aren't you?"
"Let's live with a smile. You screens in the back, lighten up. They say smiling brings good fortune. You guys already look grim, and with those expressions, it's scary."
Unable to hold back any longer, the thugs flinched noticeably. The one on the left who had answered the phone earlier shouted.
"You fucking bastard, are you insane! You want to die?"
"Don't do something you can't handle. We can just quietly give what's owed and take what's due and be done with it."
"This bastard!"
"Enough!"
At the boss's voice, the thug who was walking toward me stopped in his tracks.
"Boss!"
The thug looked back at the boss as if wronged. The boss was also looking at me with menacing eyes.
"Young friend. Loan sharks are more vicious than gangsters. You're not provoking me because you don't know that, are you? We're the kind of people who will do anything to get our money. Don't compare us to some half-assed loan sharks."
I nodded my head.
"That's right, the ones in private loans are more vicious. If they're the real deal, that is. Not guys like you who try to act tough with two pigs like that. Just take the money and get lost."
The boss's expression, which had been unchanging, finally shifted.
"Hoo~ This bastard is really hopeless. Boys!"
"Yes, Boss."
"First, teach him some manners."
The two men's expressions brightened at the boss's command. Han Gyeong-yeong, frightened, ran away from my side. I, too, let out a smirk and got up from the sofa at that moment.
The door burst open from behind. I knew who it was without looking. It was Manager Ha.
And Manager Ha, who understood the situation at a glance without me having to say a word, let out a disbelieving chuckle. At that, the thugs who were about to charge at me yelled fiercely.
"Who the hell is this now?"
"Hey! What's so damn funny!"
The color drained from the boss's face.
"Hey, you crazy bastards! Shut up!"
The desperation in his voice echoed throughout the office.