I arrived at the location Mr. Ha had shown me, driving straight there.
A shabby motel in Bulgwang-dong.
As soon as I opened the door and entered, a distinctive smell of the motel hit me.
Making a noise, an old man poked his head out from a small side door near the entrance.
“Looking for a room?”
“No. I’m looking for someone. Is there a Mr. Han Kyungyeol staying here?”
The motel owner, who had been inspecting me from head to toe, grumbled and said,
“Well... Are you a cop?”
“Huh?”
“Is there anyone who properly fills out the guest register in such a shabby motel? How did you even know his name?”
“I’m not a cop. I’m looking for a man in his late twenties. Has anyone been staying here long-term?”
“Hmm... Maybe it’s because I’m old, but my memory is a bit fuzzy.”
I took a ten-thousand won bill from my wallet and placed it on the counter.
“Does that help your memory?”
“Oh, right. There’s a young man staying long-term. Let’s see... Room...”
The indifferent motel owner suddenly changed his attitude, flipping through the guest register.
“Room 302. Go on up.”
He quickly took the ten-thousand won bill I had placed on the counter, and the small side door 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 and started running upstairs.
“Hey, Mr. Han Kyungyeol!”
I called out urgently, but there was no response.
I chased after him as he ran up to the rooftop without stopping.
When I opened the door and went in, Han Kyungyeol was looking down and glancing around. I couldn’t help but laugh.
It was hard to believe that this was the same Han Kyungyeol who was known as the black-haired foreigner and had made the Korean stock market tremble.
“Mr. Han Kyungyeol, I’m not here to collect money. Let’s talk.”
Only then did Han Kyungyeol turn his stiff head to look at me.
“Really not a debt collector?”
“No, not a debt collector.”
“Damn! You made me run for nothing. Just tell me what you want. Ha!”
Han Kyungyeol, now relaxed, sat on the floor and looked up at me.
“Let’s sit and talk. I’m tired. By the way, who are you?”
“My name is Kim Muhyuk. You are Mr. Han Kyungyeol, right? The stock trader?”
“Ah! Yes, that’s me, but...”
“I’m glad I found you. Let’s work together.”
What kind of guy is this?
His expression was one of bewilderment.
After all, it’s understandable to be surprised when a young stranger suddenly shows up at your hiding place and asks you to work together.
“I’m not a scammer.”
“Then what... a market manipulator? I don’t do that. No matter how desperate I am for money, I won’t do something that’s not human.”
I suppressed a laugh.
What about all the people who jumped into the Han River because of the mess you caused?
I don’t need a good person.
I need someone who can read the stock market, someone who can let go of greed.
Most importantly, I need someone who will follow my instructions no matter what.
That’s why I came to find Han Kyungyeol.
“I don’t do that. Anyway, get up. Haven’t you eaten? Let’s have a meal first. What do you like? Korean beef? Sashimi? Just say the word.”
Han Kyungyeol’s face brightened at the mention of food.
He got up from his seat as if he had never sat down, urging me along.
“I haven’t had Korean beef in a long time. What are you waiting for? Let’s go, quickly!”
Han Kyungyeol and I left the motel together.
“Get in. I’ll treat you to some Korean beef at a good place.”
“Oh, a Grandeur! Are you from a wealthy family?”
Han Kyungyeol, who had been looking around the car, got into the passenger seat. I started the car slowly.
“Where are we going? If you know a good place in Yeouido, let’s go there.”
“Hahaha. I know a good place in Myeongdong. I’ll treat you there.”
Han Kyungyeol’s face turned pale at the mention of Myeongdong.
“M-Myeongdong?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“Well... Didn’t you say you’re not here to collect a debt?”
“I’m not here to collect a debt. I’m involved in loan sharking, but don’t worry. No one will touch you as long as you’re with me in Myeongdong.”
But the unease on his face didn’t fade.
I laughed as if it were nothing.
“Don’t worry. If I wanted to catch you, I wouldn’t have come alone.”
“Phew... I see. Let’s go then.”
Though he said that, Han Kyungyeol sighed and his face turned pale, as if he had given up.
* * *
We arrived at a Korean beef restaurant in Myeongdong.
I led Han Kyungyeol, who was looking around for a while, into the restaurant.
We were guided to a quiet room, placed our order, and started the conversation.
“How much do you owe?”
“Why do you ask?”
Perhaps because I brought him to Myeongdong, his tone had become a bit brusque.
I smiled and continued.
“Mr. Han Kyungyeol. I want to have a good relationship with you. I don’t intend to harm you. You should know that I found you in a place where even loan sharks couldn’t, right?”
“...”
“How much do you owe?”
“...3 million won.”
3 million won...
It was absurd that this person was hiding because of just 3 million won.
“3 million won?”
“Yes. I borrowed 3 million won, but with the interest...”
The meat we ordered arrived.
The conversation was interrupted by the server who was grilling the meat.
“Let’s eat first. We can talk after.”
Han Kyungyeol’s gaze was fixed on the meat, entranced by the smell.
We spent about 30 minutes eating.
After finishing the meal and the soybean paste stew, we sat down to start the conversation.
“So, you only owe 3 million, right?”
“Yes.”
“And the interest?”
“...8 million.”
“8 million. Compound interest, right?”
“I thought I could pay it back quickly. But... I really didn’t expect the stocks to become worthless. Ha, ha...”
After eating, he seemed a bit more composed, giving an awkward laugh.
“I’ll take care of that loan. Work with me. The Grandeur outside? I can get you something even more expensive. What do you think?”
Han Kyungyeol’s face stiffened.
He looked as if he had seen something he shouldn’t, and a trembling voice came from his lips.
“Are you... an angel? With wings and all? Or a scammer?”
I was momentarily stunned by his odd question, then burst out laughing.
“Hahaha. Wow, you’re quite the character, aren’t you?”
He kept looking at me, half skeptical and half hopeful.
“Isn’t it obvious? A complete stranger comes to you, buys you a meal, and offers to pay off your debt in exchange for working together. If you’re not an angel, you must be a scammer, right?”
“Let’s go. Where did you borrow the money? The office in Myeongdong, right?”
As I got up, Han Kyungyeol became even more flustered.
“What? Where are we going?”
“The office where you borrowed the money. We need to resolve it. You can’t work if you keep hiding.”
“...”
Seeing his hesitation, I added,
“Trust me and get up. We’re going to pay the debt, so just be confident.”
“R-Really pay it off?”
“Yes. In exchange for working with me.”
“...What if I run away?”
I chuckled at his question.
“You can run if you want. But... I might be scarier than the people you borrowed from. I’ll find you anywhere in Korea.”
Han Kyungyeol swallowed hard.
“What do I have to do?”
“Don’t you have something you’re good at? Stocks.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go. We can talk more after we pay the debt.”
Although he still didn’t believe me, Han Kyungyeol got up, looking bewildered, and followed me.
He slowly followed behind me.
When we stepped out of the restaurant, the sun was about to set.
“Where are we going? Lead the way.”
As I turned to look at him, Han Kyungyeol reluctantly started walking in front.
But... his steps were too slow.
“Are you going to your funeral? Let’s go faster. The sun is setting. At this rate, we’ll arrive tomorrow morning.”
After about 10 minutes of walking,
Han Kyungyeol stopped in front of an old building.
A loan office with no sign, just the words "loan consultation" written on the third-floor window.
“Is this it?”
“...Yes.”
“Let’s go up.”
I started up the stairs confidently, leaving him hesitating behind.
Han Kyungyeol, who followed me, looked like a cow being led to slaughter.
“R-Really okay?”
I ignored the voice from behind.
The third floor had no signs, and you wouldn’t know it was a loan office unless you knew.
I opened the door and walked in without hesitation.
Two men with tattoos on their arms and a man with a cunning face, who seemed to be the boss, were visible.
When they saw Han Kyungyeol, who had followed me in, the two men got up from their seats.
“What’s this? This kid came here to die?”
Han Kyungyeol flinched at the words.
“Stop! There’s someone else here. What are you doing?”
The men sat back down at the boss’s command.
Well, good acting.
“Who’s with him?”
“The person who came to pay the debt.”
At that, the boss got up from his seat and walked to the sofa.
Sitting down, he looked at the men and said,
“Hey, get up. You’re taking up the seats with a guest here.”
The men, who had been standing, moved to stand behind the boss at his command.
I sat down on the sofa with Han Kyungyeol.
“So, our customer. Did you bring the money to pay?”
“How much?”
“Hmm... Bring the ledger.”
One of the men standing brought the ledger from the desk and handed it to the boss.
The boss, flipping through the ledger, spoke.
“It’s here.”
He opened a page of the ledger, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards me.
I didn’t even look at the ledger, smiling at the boss.
“No, don’t show me the ledger. Just tell me the amount. Why are you acting like an amateur?”
Despite my continued informal speech, the boss’s expression didn’t change.
Instead, the expressions of the men behind him became more menacing.
“Our young customer seems to lack manners. The principal is 3 million, and the interest is 12 million, so it’s 15 million in total. And 30,000 won is on the house~”
The magic of compound interest turning 3 million into 15 million!
This was the essence of loan sharking.
“W-What interest...”
Han Kyungyeol, who had been listening, tried to argue with a trembling voice.
“Don’t know what compound interest is, do you? This kid should have stayed quiet after running away. We’ll pickle him for sure.”
Han Kyungyeol, frightened by the boss’s words, closed his mouth.
“15 million, then?”
“The kid seems to have a lot of money. Yes, 15 million, and we need cash.”
“Can I use the phone?”
The boss pushed the phone on the table towards me.
“Anytime.”
I called Mr. Ha in Pyeongchang-dong.
— Yes, this is Ha Myeonghoon.
“Mr. Ha, it’s me. Can you bring 15 million won here?”
— Yes, where are you?
“Where are we? Just a moment.”
I looked at the man behind me and said,
“Hey.”
The men exchanged strange glances.
“You. The one on the left.”
The man who was pointed at looked at me in disbelief.
“Me?”
“Yes, you. Describe the location. I can’t explain it.”
I waved the phone at him, and his face contorted.
“Take it. Describe the location.”
But at the boss’s words, he had no choice but to take the phone and describe the location to Mr. Ha.
After hanging up, I smiled at him, who was glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me.
The boss, who had been watching, let out a hollow laugh.
“The kid’s got no fear.”
At that, my smile turned into a sneer.
“Myeongdong is all about cash, isn’t it?”
“Right. But the cash hasn’t arrived yet, has it? It’s not certain until it’s here.”
“Hahaha!”
A loud laugh burst from my mouth.
A loan shark I had no memory of.
He was probably one of those who quietly disappeared after the financial real-name system.
It was hilarious that he was trying to intimidate me.
Even though I had been targeted by my uncles and the Cheongpung Society, I had rolled around in this world as the successor to Chairman Cheon. How could I be ignored by a young punk like this?
“I’m not here to collect a debt. I’m involved in loan sharking, but don’t worry. No one will touch you as long as you’re with me in Myeongdong.”
But the unease on his face didn’t fade.
I laughed as if it were nothing and made a bold statement.
“Don’t worry. If I wanted to catch you, I wouldn’t have come alone.”
“Phew... I see. Let’s go then.”
Though he said that, Han Kyungyeol sighed and his face turned pale, as if he had given up.
* * *
We arrived at a Korean beef restaurant in Myeongdong.
I led Han Kyungyeol, who was looking around for a while, into the restaurant.
We were guided to a quiet room, placed our order, and started the conversation.
“How much do you owe?”
“Why do you ask?”
Perhaps because I brought him to Myeongdong, his tone had become a bit brusque.
I smiled and continued.
“Mr. Han Kyungyeol. I want to have a good relationship with you. I don’t intend to harm you. You should know that I found you in a place where even loan sharks couldn’t, right?”
“...”
“How much do you owe?”
“...3 million won.”
3 million won...
It was absurd that this person was hiding because of just 3 million won.
“3 million won?”
“Yes. I borrowed 3 million won, but with the interest...”
The meat we ordered arrived.
The conversation was interrupted by the server who was grilling the meat.
“Let’s eat first. We can talk after.”
Han Kyungyeol’s gaze was fixed on the meat, entranced by the smell.
We spent about 30 minutes eating.
After finishing the meal and the soybean paste stew, we sat down to start the conversation.
“So, you only owe 3 million, right?”
“Yes.”
“And the interest?”
“...8 million.”
“8 million. Compound interest, right?”
“I thought I could pay it back quickly. But... I really didn’t expect the stocks to become worthless. Ha, ha...”
After eating, he seemed a bit more composed, giving an awkward laugh.
“I’ll take care of that loan. Work with me. The Grandeur outside? I can get you something even more expensive. What do you think?”
Han Kyungyeol’s face stiffened.
He looked as if he had seen something he shouldn’t, and a trembling voice came from his lips.
“Are you... an angel? With wings and all? Or a scammer?”
I was momentarily stunned by his odd question, then burst out laughing.
“Hahaha. Wow, you’re quite the character, aren’t you?”
He kept looking at me, half skeptical and half hopeful.
“Isn’t it obvious? A complete stranger comes to you, buys you a meal, and offers to pay off your debt in exchange for working together. If you’re not an angel, you must be a scammer, right?”
“Let’s go. Where did you borrow the money? The office in Myeongdong, right?”
As I got up, Han Kyungyeol became even more flustered.
“What? Where are we going?”
“The office where you borrowed the money. We need to resolve it. You can’t work if you keep hiding.”
“...”
Seeing his hesitation, I added,
“Trust me and get up. We’re going to pay the debt, so just be confident.”
“R-Really pay it off?”
“Yes. In exchange for working with me.”
“...What if I run away?”
I chuckled at his question.
“You can run if you want. But... I might be scarier than the people you borrowed from. I’ll find you anywhere in Korea.”
Han Kyungyeol swallowed hard.
“What do I have to do?”
“You’re good at something, right? Stocks.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go. We can talk more after we pay the debt.”
Although he still didn’t believe me, Han Kyungyeol got up, looking bewildered, and followed me.
He slowly followed behind me.
When we stepped out of the restaurant, the sun was about to set.
“Where are we going? Lead the way.”
As I turned to look at him, Han Kyungyeol reluctantly started walking in front.
But... his steps were too slow.
“Are you going to your funeral? Let’s go faster. The sun is setting. At this rate, we’ll arrive tomorrow morning.”