"You bastards! I said shut up! Shut up!"
The two men, seemingly flustered by the boss's reaction, turned their heads to look at him. The boss ignored the men, stood up from his seat, and bowed to Manager Ha.
"Hello, Manager Ha."
"You know me?"
"How many people in Myeon District wouldn't know Manager Ha? I even greeted you once before. But, why are you here..."
The boss, who was looking at Manager Ha and me, made a face as if he couldn't believe it. Manager Ha ignored him, approached me, and handed over a heavy briefcase.
"Young Master, I brought it."
Young Master.
At the words coming from Manager Ha's mouth, the color drained from the boss's face. He couldn't even make an excuse and was busy rolling his eyes, trying to gauge my reaction.
"By the way, the atmosphere was strange when I came in, did something happen?"
Manager Ha asked casually with an expressionless face. It was to the point where I felt bad for the boss.
"Well, it's nothing much. I came to pay off a debt, and they were talking about manners and respect."
"Hmm..."
The boss, who had just been watching our reactions, quietly asked Manager Ha.
"Um... Could it be that this person is Chairman Cheon's grandson..."
He had an expression as if begging for it not to be true, but Manager Ha silently nodded. The boss soundlessly tore at his own hair. However, Manager Ha did not care in the slightest.
"Who is your backer? I didn't even know a place like this existed."
"...Um, I work under Chairman Seok."
"Chairman Seok?"
When Manager Ha tilted his head, the boss quickly added.
"Chairman Seok Kang-ho."
"Seok Kang-ho, Seok Kang-ho... Ah, Seok Kang-ho."
"Yes!"
"Since when was Boss Seok a chairman?"
"..."
The boss's expression, which was dying in real time, was quite amusing.
"Is it someone you know?"
At my question, Manager Ha explained as if it was nothing special.
"Yes. He is someone who started with daily loans and set up a proper private loan office."
"Ah."
"He is not someone the Young Master needs to care about. But, what is the 15 million won for?"
"Ah, I have some work to do with Han Gyeong-yeong over there. I heard he owes these people, so I am going to pay it off and take over the debt myself."
When his name was called, Han Gyeong-yeong, who was sticking closely to one wall and watching the situation, flinched in surprise. It seemed he was scared of Manager Ha as well. I chuckled and sat down again.
"The money's here, right? Bring the documents, hurry up."
The boss only looked at Manager Ha. But when Manager Ha just stood silently behind me, the boss quietly went to the cabinet and brought Han Gyeong-yeong's loan documents. Without even needing to look at the loan documents placed on the table, I just tore them up right there.
"Now Han Gyeong-yeong's debt is settled, right?"
The boss, who had his eyes fixed on the documents being torn to shreds, hurriedly answered my words.
"Yes? Ah! Yes, yes. Of course."
Manager Ha opened the briefcase he brought. Inside it, bundles of cash tied in 1 million won increments were neatly stacked. I took out three bundles from the bag and placed them on the table.
"This is the principal."
I took out the remaining twelve bundles and placed them next to it.
"This is the interest."
"Yes, 15 million won is correct. Thank you."
I stopped the boss from reaching out towards the money on the table. The boss looked at me with bewildered eyes.
"Wait a minute, there's still something left to settle, isn't there?"
"Yes?"
I smiled brightly at him and picked up the cash bundles.
"First, let's start by deducting 3 million won for every curse you threw at me. Crazy bastard, fucking bastard, this bastard. That's 9 million won, right?"
I put nine bundles back into the bag. I ignored the boss's gaze, which followed the cash with trembling eyes, and continued speaking.
"Manager Ha's travel expense is 5 million won."
I put five bundles back into the bag.
"That leaves 1 million won?"
Flustered, he alternately looked at me, Manager Ha, and the cash bundles.
"This is the cost incurred to find the hidden Han Gyeong-yeong. It's a perfect fit."
I put the last bundle into the bag.
"The calculation is done, right?"
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
It seemed he was trying to argue, even with a stuttering voice. He really couldn't grasp the situation. I scoffed at him and closed the briefcase.
"Don't you know Korean?"
"Wh-where in the world is there a law like this?"
"Are you doing business legally?"
"That's not it... If you tore the documents, you should give the money. No matter if you are Chairman Cheon's grandson, you shouldn't do this."
"Ha, I gave you the money. 15 million won."
"No..."
"Then was my calculation wrong? Tell me."
"That's..."
He glanced at Manager Ha and then closed his mouth again. Why even complain when you can't even argue properly.
"Hey boss whose name I don't even know. Money isn't the issue, you should be thinking about keeping your life. Aren't you worried that things turned out this way?"
When I asked as if I was genuinely curious, the boss shut his mouth. He acted out of bravado because the cash vanished right before his eyes, but it seemed he was realizing reality from my words.
"If I see you in Myeon District from tomorrow, it won't just end with words like this. I said it earlier, right? In Myeon District, money is the big brother. I warned you."
I handed the briefcase to Manager Ha behind me. He had a small smile on his lips, as if he liked my actions. I stretched once and stood up from my seat.
"You know what happens if I see you again, right? Take care of yourself."
Just as I was about to turn around, the boss kneeled on the floor.
"P-please forgive me just this once."
"Forgiveness? For what? What wrong did you do?"
"I was wrong about everything. Please forgive me."
I guess he doesn't want to retire.
"Forget it. It's not like we're close enough to ask for forgiveness. Let's go, Manager Ha. Han Gyeong-yeong, don't just stand there, let's go."
Han Gyeong-yeong slowly peeled himself off the wall and walked over to me. He looked back and forth between the kneeling loan shark and my face, then hurried outside.
"Ah, right."
I stopped just as I was about to leave, and the boss, who was still groveling on the floor, looked at me with a questioning face. I took 30,000 won out of my wallet and threw it on the floor. In the boss's blank eyes, the 10,000 won bills fluttered down.
"Calculations must be exact. Should a loan shark just deduct interest as a service?"
When I came out, Manager Ha was waiting in front of the building.
"Manager Ha, I'm sorry to bother you with this kind of thing."
He shook his head with a slight smile, as if finding something very amusing.
"Haha, not at all. Thanks to you, I saw something interesting."
"I'll talk with Han Gyeong-yeong for a bit and head home. You go on ahead."
"Yes, I will see you later."
Looking at Han Gyeong-yeong, he was staring in this direction with a bewildered face.
"Let's have a quick drink first."
"Yes? Yes."
Somehow, it feels like he's scared of me too. I glanced at Han Gyeong-yeong, who was cautiously following right behind me, and let out a sigh.
Manager Ha, after parting with Mu-hyeok, went back up to the private loan office. When Manager Ha entered, the boss, who was smoking, hurriedly put out his cigarette and stood up. Surprisingly, the first one to speak was the boss.
"Manager Ha. How can there be a situation like this?"
"Hey."
Manager Ha's cold voice. The boss, who had asked with quite some spirit, flinched back and closed his mouth.
"Pack up immediately and leave Myeon District. Otherwise, whether he's a chairman or a boss, that man Seok Kang-ho will disappear from Myeon District first. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"..."
"Answer."
"...Yes, understood."
"If I send someone here tomorrow morning and you guys are still seen? Then things will get a bit interesting."
With those final words, Manager Ha went back outside. The office, from which Manager Ha had left, was quiet for a while. The boss, who had been staring blankly at the torn loan documents rolling on the floor for a while, grabbed the phone and started calling somewhere.
Manager Ha headed straight to Chairman Cheon's house.
"Hahaha. Did Mu-hyeok really do that?"
"Yes, Chairman."
After hearing about Kim Mu-hyeok's actions, the smile never left Chairman Cheon's face.
"That boy, really. He takes right after me. Don't you think so, Myeong-hun?"
"Yes, he resembles you a lot, Chairman."
"Tsk. My useless sons... Mi-sook gave me a great gift, a great gift."
Clicking his tongue at the brothers Cheon Su-man and Cheon Su-han was a given.
"Right, so how did you handle those bastards?"
"I told them to leave Myeon District by today. And I said if they don't, I would make Boss Seok Kang-ho disappear from Myeon District first."
"That brat Seok Kang-ho is being called a boss?"
"Yes."
"Huh~ A lot of time has passed."
"I heard they call him chairman among themselves."
"What? Hahaha."
Chairman Cheon, who had been laughing as if it was absurd, suddenly had a cold expression.
"Tell that guy Seok Kang-ho to leave Myeon District too. Whether he knew or not isn't important. I have to show that anyone who defies me or makes a mistake in Myeon District can't survive here. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Yes, I understand."
Manager Ha bowed and went outside. Left alone, Chairman Cheon's wrinkled face was full of smiles.
Han Gyeong-yeong and I entered a nearby food tent, sat down, and ordered some simple snacks and a bottle of soju.
"...Just what exactly do you do?"
It was Han Gyeong-yeong who spoke first for the first time.
"Well... for now, I'm helping with my grandfather's work. But my main job is a student at Korea University."
"...Let's not joke around."
"Why would I joke around with you, Han Gyeong-yeong? I'm really a college student."
I showed my student ID to him, who didn't believe me. After examining the student ID front and back for a long time, Han Gyeong-yeong let out a deep sigh as if the ground were sinking.
"Ha~ It's real. What the..."
The auntie brought the snacks and a bottle of soju. I opened the soju bottle, poured a glass for him, and spoke.
"I don't lie. I really have something I want to do with you, which is why I cleared your debt like this. Have a drink first."
As if his insides were burning, he drank the soju right away and slammed the glass down.
"What is this work you want to do?"
"You just need to trade stocks."
"Ha... You caught a guy who was on the run after taking out loans to invest in stocks, and you want to trade stocks with him? Are you telling me to believe that?"
"Hmm... Aren't you perhaps having these thoughts?"
"What?"
"If only I had a lot of money, if only I had the capital, I could crush the stock manipulation scheme and everything else..."
Feeling stung, he flinched.
"I will lend you the capital, and you just need to show me your skills. That's my condition. However, when I say where to put it in or where to pull it out, you must follow my opinion over yours unconditionally. That's the only thing."
"..."
I poured another glass of soju for Han Gyeong-yeong, who had a complicated expression. After pouring soju into my own glass as well, I raised it.
"If we drink this, are we working together?"
"Damn it, I don't know."
He closed his eyes tightly and clinked glasses with me. Staring at the emptied glass, he suddenly asked.
"Let me ask you one thing. What exactly do you believe in me to provide the capital? You barely even know me."
I didn't answer and just smiled. You said something like that in your autobiography. If Korea had given me a chance...
I wouldn't have become a hunting dog for foreign capital and returned to Korea... I will give you that chance. But I am not a good person.
You have to become my hunting dog. That day, I had many conversations with Han Gyeong-yeong. In the end, we decided to speak comfortably with each other.
The next day. I handed him a brokerage account with 100 million won and said.
"First, use that to do whatever you wanted to your heart's content. It's okay if you lose it all. For now, trust yourself and give it a try."
"..."
"I'm not joking. Go wild in the stock exchange as much as you want."
I showed him my trust. Now it was Han Gyeong-yeong's turn.
Time passed quickly.
May 1993.
Loud voices rang out in Chairman Cheon's study.
"What? What about Su-han?"
"...He was arrested by the prosecution."
"No, what do you mean without saying a word to me..."
"It seems he was caught while working on Assemblyman Kim's matters."
"You mean that. That slot machine or whatever thing involved with gangsters?"
"Yes."
Chairman Cheon, touching his forehead with a frowned brow, opened his mouth.
"Where is this from? The Blue House? Is it the President's idea?"
"I don't think so. The Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, the Prosecutor General, and even politicians put pressure on them, but they counter-attacked by leaking it to the press and shaping public opinion."
"Huh... Is it the Public Prosecutor's Office?"
"It's a prosecutor from the Violent Crimes Department at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. It seems things got bigger while tracking down the slot machine gangsters, and I hear he's ignoring all orders from his superiors."
The Cheon Su-han slot machine incident, involving powerful figures of the Sixth Republic, national assemblymen, organized crime gangs, and loan sharks, had blown up. This was exactly what Kim Mu-hyeok had been waiting for.