When I sent Cheon Su-man to Australia, I had asked my grandfather about the Cheongpung Society.
"Tell me about the Cheongpung Society. Why can't you take revenge on them even with your power?"
My grandfather just looked at me silently without saying a word.
Feeling frustrated, I pressed him again.
"What kind of relationship do you have with them that you remain silent? I need to know. Please tell me, Grandfather."
My grandfather, who had been sitting quietly, opened the safe behind him.
It was his personal safe, which even Secretary Ha couldn't open.
In the past, it was only opened after he passed away. At that time, it was empty.
My grandfather took out a ledger from inside and placed it on the desk.
"Do you know what this is?"
"I don't know. It looks like a ledger, but..."
My grandfather's smile turned cold.
"This is my power. How could I, a mere loan shark, have safely navigated through two military regimes with their sharp edges? It was the power of money."
The ledger, which had nothing written in it, was the history of my grandfather's life.
"I won't pass this down to you. It's something that should go with me to the grave. Even if I used this to wage an all-out war against the Cheongpung Society, the chances of winning would be less than fifty percent. Even if I won, I would lose everything—my family, my money, even my life..."
I stared at the ledger in my grandfather's hand.
My grandfather looked down at the ledger as if trying to avoid my gaze.
"Inside this ledger are the names of politicians, both ruling and opposition, whom I've fed money to over the years. Not only that, but also high-ranking officials, military personnel, and almost all the powerful people in this country. Do you understand why they listen to me?"
I had a vague idea.
The reason I, who was designated as the successor after my grandfather passed away, couldn't exert proper influence was because I hadn't inherited this ledger.
'What's the reason he doesn't want to pass this ledger down?'
My grandfather continued speaking.
"Even the upright opposition figures have taken my money. If they didn't, I would have given them even more. Yes, I even gave money to the Cheongpung Society. I met him in the late 1950s."
My grandfather spoke slowly, as if searching through old memories.
He said 'him' rather than 'they.'
"I've told you how I made my money, right? It started with enemy properties."
"Yes, I remember."
"After the war, when I returned to Seoul, it was an opportunity. I bought enemy properties that the government was selling, and while playing with money, I met a man. That was the beginning."
He wasn't reminiscing.
His voice was filled with regret.
"That man had considerable influence in the government. We did a lot of things together. I, who had been quietly playing with money, started dealing with companies with his help. And I gave him money."
A deep sigh, as deep as the wrinkles on his face, echoed in the study.
"He founded the Cheongpung Society. From then on, our goals diverged. He wanted to control Korea from behind the scenes, while I just enjoyed making money. Still, I kept giving him money. I needed power to protect my wealth."
The story about the Cheongpung Society was just beginning.
"When the military regime came to power, he conspired with the military to consolidate his power. It was truly immense... From then on, our relationship started to deteriorate. Japanese money began to flow to him. I later found out that he was the descendant of a pro-Japanese collaborator."
I knew that pro-Japanese collaborators were involved, but I had never heard that the leader of the Cheongpung Society was one of their descendants.
"Over time, our relationship became strained, and after the freeze on loan sharks, I started giving money to the regime's key figures instead of him. We drifted apart. But when the president was suddenly assassinated and the Fifth Republic was established, they started working to hand over the Myeongdong loan shark market to Japan."
The memory seemed vivid, and anger rose in my grandfather's face as if it were yesterday.
"Whether he's a pro-Japanese collaborator or not, I couldn't tolerate him encroaching on my territory. So for the first time, I used both money and the whip. This ledger, I mean. That's when our relationship completely soured."
I could feel the anger in my grandfather as he tapped the ledger with his palm.
'After all, the struggle for the loan shark market to be taken over by Japanese funds, which began after the IMF crisis, had already started back then.'
As I listened to my grandfather, the doubts that even my knowledge of the future couldn't resolve began to disappear.
I couldn't understand why the loan shark market had fallen so easily, but it was indeed a long-standing battle.
Finally, my grandfather, who had calmed down, took a sip of water and continued.
"The Cheongpung Society of today is an even greater monster than it was back then. The key figures from the Third to the Fifth Republic are all involved, and the descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators are the main source of funding. There are not only politicians, journalists, and conglomerates, but also several respected opposition figures. Only the Chairman knows all the members."
I understood why my grandfather couldn't take revenge.
"Who is this Chairman?"
I could feel the murderous intent in my grandfather's eyes.
"Yong-hyun Lee. An unknown descendant of Wan-yong Lee. He is the pinnacle of the Cheongpung Society and the core of the shadowy forces controlling South Korea."
Finally, I learned the true identity of the Cheongpung Society's Chairman.
The person who led to the death of my parents.
The person who killed me.
The person who manipulated the Cheon brothers like puppets.
"Is the current regime working with them?"
My grandfather nodded heavily.
"Even if the president isn't, most of the officials and politicians working under him are under their influence. I don't know exactly how many from the ruling and opposition parties are involved. If the president had been their puppet, he wouldn't have dissolved the One Society. They are the core of the Cheongpung Society."
The more I listened to my grandfather, the more I felt their power.
"Why is this ledger protecting you?"
"Hehehe. Don't try to find out. It's a poisoned chalice. Mu-hyeok, the moment this ledger falls into your hands, you might gain power, but you won't be able to step into the light. That's why I won't pass it down. It's a karmic burden I must carry to my grave."
I could feel a small part of my grandfather's heart.
"I understand."
My grandfather smiled bitterly.
"For now, the Cheongpung Society will be cautious around me. They know that a parent who has lost a child can see things clearly. But... they are still a thorn in my side. You and Jee-won, Jee-soo, and Jee-young are too. Understand that."
My grandfather's eyes looked sad as he looked at me.
I met his gaze without averting my eyes.
"I understand. I'll wait until I have the power to deal with them. But please pass down the ledger. I have to risk everything to face them. Even if it leads to my destruction."
"But... "
"I beg you."
After staring at me for a long time, my grandfather sighed deeply and nodded.
"Alright. If there ever comes a day when you need this ledger, I'll pass it down. But not now."
"I know."
The conversation went on.
It was a time when I could understand my grandfather a little more.
Time flowed like a river, uncontrollably. As I busily spent each day, it was already the end of 1994.
The kids all passed the final bar exam and received their acceptance notifications.
It was impractical to continue attending university if they were to enter the Judicial Research and Training Institute next year.
"Are you going to take a leave of absence?"
We were having dinner to celebrate Myeong-su's final acceptance.
Myeong-su stopped eating and looked at me.
"Yes. I can't drop out. It's a career issue, right? Cohort is important, but the Seoul University title can't be ignored either."
The prosecution is very particular about cohorts.
It's a tradition that if someone from a lower cohort becomes the prosecutor general, all those from higher cohorts resign.
"What about the others?"
"They all plan to take a leave of absence. After graduating from the Judicial Research and Training Institute, they have to go to the military, and... "
"Will you go as a military judge?"
"Still, the military is the military. You, who are exempt, wouldn't understand the feeling of going to the military."
He laughed and continued eating, but Myeong-su suddenly remembered something and asked.
"Ah! Hyun-seong also called. He congratulated you. You guys still not in touch?"
"Let it be. He'll contact me eventually."
Hyun-seong's name left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Since our conversation in Busan, I hadn't contacted Hyun-seong.
Hyun-seong hadn't contacted me either.
"Damn, what a fuss. It's not like you're in love or anything."
Not wanting to talk more about Hyun-seong, I quickly changed the subject.
"How are the parents?"
"I called them. I told them I'm going to Seoul. It's also winter break soon, and it's been a long time since I've been home. Do you want to come with me?"
"No, I need to stay in Seoul for a while. Go in my place and visit Grandma. She must be lonely. We talk every day, but... "
Myeong-su raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What do you mean? Hyun-seong said he visits every day, talks to her, and even has dinner with her. Didn't Grandma tell you?"
"Huh?"
It was the first I had heard of it.
"Damn, what a fuss."
Myeong-su looked at me with pity and clicked his tongue.
"Just wait a bit. Hyun-seong's heart is also hurting. That kid has grown so much, but he can't even do sports anymore. He must feel both grateful and scared for you taking revenge for him."
Yes, ties aren't severed just because you want to. I tried to let go, but I kept worrying.
I called Grandma when I got home.
I asked Grandma, who always inquired about my well-being.
"Grandma, Hyun-seong visits you every day, right?"
"Huh? How did you know? He asked me not to tell."
"Myeong-su told me. When did he start coming?"
"He started visiting about a month after you went to Seoul. He cried uncontrollably without saying a word. Since then, he's been visiting every day, talking to me, and having dinner with me."
"You should have told me. Grandma, you really should have."
"Hyun-seong asked me not to. He said you're busy, Mu-hyeok. Did you fight?"
"No, nothing like that."
"Hyun-seong is my child, and Myeong-su is my child too. Thanks to them, I'm spending my time well, so don't worry about me."
"Okay. I'll come down soon."
"Alright."
After ending the call with Grandma, I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
'Let's wait and see. He'll contact me eventually.'
I felt it would backfire if I contacted him first.
That day, I was able to sleep a little more peacefully.
December arrived.
The streets were covered with Christmas trees and carols, and the Salvation Army's charity kettle began ringing.
As December 20th approached, I became more tense.
The peso had been gradually declining since June, but what if the future had changed because of my bet?
― Mu-hyeok, is it really the 20th? I haven't been able to do anything for days.
"Brother, let's trust and wait."
Just like in the original history, Mexico was in extreme turmoil.
Even though I was anxious, it was already too late to change anything. I could only trust my memory.
And finally, on December 21st, Korean time.
The day of the final battle arrived.
It was early morning, but I couldn't sleep.
It was difficult to get real-time updates on the situation in Mexico since the internet wasn't as advanced.
I stayed up all night, wide awake.
At 5 AM, as soon as my phone rang, I answered it immediately.
"This is Kim Mu-hyeok."
― Mu-hyeok! The Mexican government... has expanded the fluctuation range of the dollar exchange rate to 13%. Just like you said, they devalued the currency!