Chapter 26
A week had passed since the destruction of Hong Kong's stock market. Yesterday, the Korean government officially requested a relief loan from the IMF. Everything was happening two weeks ahead of the original history because Korea was much more affected by the situation than other countries.
There was another piece of news. I was certain Jonathan would be the cover model for next month's Forbes magazine, and he did go back to New York for an interview with them. However, there were more things for him. Jonathan contacted me afterwards.
Seon-Hu: A list of billionaires in the world?
Jonathan: Yeah, I won't be able to avoid it because they can do whatever they want. They must have researched a lot. They even knew about you, Sun.
Seon-Hu: What?
Jonathan: They knew about our corporate governance structure.
Seon-Hu: How come? Do they think they have the right to act like the IRS?
Forbes ranked the world's richest people in the following manner. They collected opinions from external professionals when a candidate owned a private company, and they calculated the stock price at the time of the research when the candidate was a CEO of a publicized company. In the case of people who had not established firms like athletes, they estimated the current total assets based on past publicly disclosed earnings. Starting next year, those who illegally accumulated wealth and royal families would be excluded from the list. Our New York company of Jonathan Investments belonged to the first category.
Seon-Hu: Do you think they know who I am?
Jonathan: It would've been already chaotic by now if they knew that. They only know that fifty one percent of New York shares belong to an unidentified John Doe.
Seon-Hu: That's a problem. If Forbes knows that, everyone on Wall Street would have that information.
Jonathan: Yeah, it is a huge concern. I'll try my best to prevent any occasions that would reveal your identity. I'm already hiring specialists in that field, so don't worry.
Seon-Hu: So what did you say to Forbes?
Jonathan: I just said whatever information they have is true. Since they already knew it, I couldn't hide it from them.
Seon-Hu: We will be in a tough spot if they keep digging.
Jonathan: I know.
It was true because the paper companies we had separated into tax havens were not complete yet. There were jobs to do in order to make them look like real companies. What if a special tax investigation happened at this moment….
Jonathan: You will still be hidden all the time. In other words, you will be only recorded as an unidentified John Doe.
Seon-Hu: How much do they know about us?
Jonathan: That we monopolized Bangkok, and that we won a bet against the major banks all over the world.
They still didn't know that we provoked Hong Kong and caused the destruction of their stock market. Well, it was done by paper companies and accomplished by our proxies. It was also an investment that led us to this opportunity. If anyone discovered this fact, the National Tax Service would conduct a special tax audit on our firm, and the world would get too noisy with the greatest financial scandal at the end of 1997.
I was suddenly proud of Jonathan. He was still a baby but he followed me well even while carrying a huge burden on his shoulders.
Jonathan: Forbes calculated the value of the New York company as twenty-two billion dollars. As I said, it was really close. So, John Doe is valued at about 11.2 billion, and I'm valued at 10.7 billion dollars. They will rank us at eighteenth and twentieth on the world's richest people list.
Jonatha became quiet. Although Forbes listed us in the top twenty, we would be the top two in the world if we included the paper companies' work on dividing and inflating our money. Jonathan's silence meant he understood that.
My classmates were having such a great time as adolescents. They pretended to be old, but they were still immature and young. Countries were in danger even though there were no gates or monsters killing people. If I had a child, would my perspectives towards them have changed?
Anyway, my homeroom teacher was the only one who mentioned the IMF and the foreign exchange crisis in the classroom. She talked about it for a long time in front of the immature kids who only cared about girls and petty fights. No one cared about it.
I found the global edition of the Forbes magazine on the stand in front of my office after school. Jonathan looked like a successful investor as he smiled at the readers while resting his chin in his hands at Wall Street's office desk.
Forbes even called him 'The God of Investments' as they had not hesitated to use the word "God". Prominent technical journals, like Forbes, placed meanings on each vocabulary and went through editing multiple times. Nevertheless, they mentioned the word "God" more than twenty times in Jonathan's interview. It was indeed unprecedented, but no one on Wall Street would oppose Jonathan's nickname since his New York company had succeeded in an investment that only an omniscient God or a prophet could make. The New York company's future was brighter than ever. Even at this moment, billionaires around the world were entering the firm to become our clients.
When I almost finished reading Jonathan's interview, I heard a man's voice beside me.
"Hello," a familiar voice said.
I realized the reason why after seeing the ID card around his neck. He was a member of the foreign exchange management team at Daemin Bank. We had met a few times in the elevator.
"He looks like your colleague," he said while pointing at the magazine.
He was talking about Jonathan since he had met him a few times in the past months. However, things ended there. It was hard to see the similarities between the Forbes' handsome cover model with the often dead-tired untidy foreign man.
I just nodded and walked away. I didn't care if he thought of me as a rude kid. There was no valid reason to build a personal relationship with anyone in this building, and someone was waiting for me in the lobby.
I recognized her at first sight. She had the perfect appearance I requested. She was gorgeous as if she just popped out of a romance movie, and even a thick winter coat couldn't cover her curvy figure. The sight of her sitting on the lobby bench and reading a magazine looked like a photo shoot scene. Everyone in the building, including the young security guards and people entering the lobby, was busy peeping at her.
She raised her head as I stood in front of her, and I shook her hand first.
"Ms. Jamie?" I asked.
Even though she looked Asian, she couldn't speak Korean because she had been born and raised in the U.S. We communicated in English.
"I have been waiting for you," I said.
I had requested three conditions for the person who would become the CEO of Jeon-il Investments. First, she had to be recognized for her ability in a large real estate investment or counseling firm. Second, she had to be a beautiful Asian female. Last but most importantly, she had to be flexible enough to tolerate illegal transactions for her own success. I had been looking for someone who met these conditions since August and finally found her.
Looking for people who were qualified for the first two terms was easy, but I had to dig past people's lies in their resumes and use black money to obtain their trial records to see if they met the third condition. Quote unquote, she was an ex-convict who had been released from prison recently. The crime was a breach of trust. She was sentenced to short-term imprisonment for professional negligence of her former employer's embezzlement, who had been the CEO of the company. People didn't change easily even after prison.
I took her to the nearby coffee shop. Since it was her first time in Korea, she stood next to me as if she was on a tour. She seemed to understand why she was called here, and she enjoyed herself as she looked around the tall buildings and shopping malls. In her eyes, all the real estate on the street looked like a one-time special price sale.
"Is it you?" She asked when we arrived at the coffee shop.
She realized there was no one else waiting for us and sat across from me with a big smile.
"You must be the interviewer," she looked surprised that I was so young.
"I want to ask you something first. Is there an internal decision to hire me, or do I have competitors?" She asked with a daring attitude.
I responded, "We wouldn't have sent you a business ticket if it was a simple interview. We've already decided to hire you."
"Hmmm…" She was in deep thought.
"Your criminal record was not a consideration," I said, and Jamie opened her eyes wide as if I read her mind.
"We focused on your appearance and career experience at Wilshire Land. We needed a gorgeous Asian woman who specialized in real estate as our CEO. Fortunately, we found you who met our standards at a headhunting company, Jamie. I'm certain that you understand why we set beauty as a requirement," I said.
Jamie smiled attractively instead of nodding.
When she worked at Wilshire Land, she had proceeded with a large-scale investment in Asia. The reason she managed it was because of her Asian beauty. In other words, she would be a strategist but also a shield. Her appearance would change the negative views on Jeon-il Investment into positive ones.
"Of course, your abilities are top priority, and we've confirmed that already," I said.
Jamie's eyes were shining since she could finally estimate the size of the firm she would join as CEO. The scale was so big that the company had to be aware of the public's opinions on them all the time. However, I was certain that the dollars we would bring to Korea would be several times higher than Jamie's estimations.
"I still haven't heard the company's name," Jamie said.
"It's called Jeon-il Investments," I replied.
"Real estate investment is their main focus, right?" She questioned.
"You must have never heard of its name because it's a new firm entering Korea. We have finished an MOU with our contracts," I answered.
She asked, "How many employees are there?"
"As I've mentioned, it has not been established yet. You can organize the team as you want. You can bring in the team you used to work with, or you can purchase a Korean consulting firm. We will ensure free management within the funds," I replied.
Jamie's shoulders shook as I expected. Her slightly clenched fist on the table also trembled. It was a great opportunity for her. I thought she would shout in joy as her lips slightly opened, but she quickly regained her composure and asked, "Are there any documents so I can confirm?"
"Of course," I responded.
I took out a document folder between unnecessary middle school textbooks in my bag.
"Jeon-il Investment is divided into Gold Wish, Seiram, Turors, Ichi, and Truth…" I began listing the names of major paper companies.
Jamie's hand suddenly stopped flipping pages as she confirmed the total funds that would go into Jeon-il Investments. Her eyes became as wide as saucers.
No way. There is no way a chance like this would come to me. I'm going to be this company's CEO? This must be a trick! Jamie thought, and I could read her mind.
"I…I've never heard of these firms in my life," her voice shook as she pointed at the paper companies that held the large shares of Jeon-il Investments.
"They are officially investment firms that were just built recently," I said.
"Yes," she responded.
"They are located in unknown backcountry in the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Netherlands. That's all I can tell you as I have a duty to protect my clients' secrets," I explained.
I handed Jamie a fake business name card of a paper company. She would understand it as hot money and that the dollars of the world's rich were flowing into Korea via tax havens. Well, she was not wrong.
"Also, I won't be involved in Jeon-il Investments since I trust that you will satisfy my clients solely with your performance," I added.
Lastly, I took another document from the bag and gave it to Jamie.
"However, there will be special instructions like this case. You must put them at top priority and purchase them. Buy it as soon as the Korean real estate market opens," I said.
Money was good, but these listings were more important. They were the Korean dungeons.
Chapter 27
I met Jamie again a few days later. She did not question why she had to issue me a Jeon-il corporate credit card since she had already noticed that Jeon-il was not a transparent company. For the price of fame and wealth, Jamie would connive in illegal activities. The plastic corporate credit card was the first step. My concerns about money completely disappeared after receiving that card with Jeon-il's name on it.
I instructed her, "Always have cash ready in the linked account. Also, you won't receive any reports on the usage of money."
Jeon-il's money was all mine but not mine at the same time. These were the company's funds that should be used for company matters alone. The moment these funds were used for any personal reasons, it became embezzlement.
Jamie didn't even blink as if she had already anticipated the situation.
She smiled, "This country is good for business. I knew it already, but the more I find out, the more I like it."
I was wondering what she meant when Jamie followed up by mentioning the best accounting and law firms in Korea: Samwoo Accountings and Kim Park Law Firm.
"It looks like these two firms solve most of the issues in Korea, and I confirmed their capabilities. I hired them as the first step for Jeon-il," Jamie handed over two profile files.
She had employed Cho Dae-Hwan as the accounting director and Park Choong-Sik as the legal director. They were the top in their fields and were executive partners. In a few years, they were expected to be promoted to vice-CEO or CEO. However, they gave up those positions and joined Jeon-il in just a few days. They couldn't make illegal things legal, but they were able to make them look legitimate.
Jamie looked straight at me, "But they set conditions. They won't move until the headquarters of Jeon-il receives funds. They are insuring themselves because they are not entirely sure that fifteen billion dollars of foreign exchange is coming into this country."
"You don't need to worry about that. The money will come in step by step," I reassured her while holding the corporate card.
Jamie must have grasped the situation in Korea in the past few days.
"Are you excited?" I asked frankly, then Jamie nodded.
"Do you think I can handle it?" She questioned.
I replied, "I believe that position makes the person."
"Thank you for giving me an opportunity like this. I won't let you down. I'll see you tomorrow, then," she said.
She was in meetings all day today, and the first one was with the Secretary of Civil Affairs at the Blue House. The current President, whose term ended yesterday, and the new President-elect were waiting for her.
"You must mention that the real estate market should open as soon as possible," I said as she stood up.
"For the first time in history, the regime of the ruling party changed, and the President-elect won this election in his fourth attempt. However, he has encountered the burden of boosting our economy instead of celebrating his victory. Today's first news was about the press conference the President-elect held at the Blue House."
The footage was shown after the anchor's briefing, and Jamie appeared from the beginning of the video. She was holding hands with the President-elect after shaking hands with the current President. Based on the short clip, the main star was Jamie, not the President-elect.
Jeon-il Investments was mentioned at the end of the press conference on the news. The overall tone was that the new government succeeded in attracting large-scale investments that were worth fifteen billion dollars and would continue doing this to overcome the foreign exchange crisis.
The following day was Saturday. For the first time, Jamie came to my office, and she flinched a bit since the first things she saw were my exercise equipment. Her reaction didn't differ much from Jonathan's.
"Congratulations, Jamie. You've become the most sought person in the political and business fields in Korea," I told Jamie while she was busy looking around the office.
She responded, "Oh gosh, I can't even go back to my hotel once I head out because of the crowd in the lobby."
All of Korea's leading figures wanted to meet her, and that was why she had appeared here with her face hidden with a hood.
"The two directors I mentioned yesterday confirmed that they will work for us," she said.
Cho Dae-Hwan from Samwoo Accountings and Park Choong-Sik from Kim Park Law Firm had quickly made their decisions. They sniffed out power and money faster than anyone else.
"And my colleagues will enter Korea this evening. I have also concluded negotiations with real estate advisory companies here. I just need to find a place for my office…"
Jamie's eyes widened as she looked at the exercise equipment. She carefully glanced through the walls and windows and continued talking as she stood by the window that had a view of the street.
"Do you know that this lovely building is for sale now? But its market price will keep falling."
"You should be careful with the timing. It shouldn't be too fast or too slow," I responded.
"At least the hotel business is booming in Korea. All my old competitors are here," she said.
As she said, the five-star hotels in Gangnam were busy. This situation was called Firesale. It referred to selling furniture at a bargain price after a house burnt down. However, Korea's situation was worse. The flames were spreading, becoming stronger like wildfire. The animals ran away from the fire, and charred corpses were left where the flames had swept.
It was heaven for eagles since they just had to choose which prey was juicier and better baked. There was so much food that the eagles had no reason to fight. Even while they were thinking, the flames spread even further and newly cooked food was scattered all over the place.
"My specialty is real estate, but I find it lacking to only invest in it. This opportunity won't come again," Jamie said.
She was looking up at the upper floor of the building across the street. There were employees working hard in their offices. How many would be able to survive in this field?
"Ethan," she called me.
Ethan was the name I presented to her in the fake business card.
She asked, "Are your clients only interested in real estate in Korea?"
It was an inevitable question.
"All they care about is the number, the profit. You don't have to limit yourself to real estate, but as you know, the investments come with responsibility," I said.
She responded, "There will be a high return in this country. Even kids can become chairman if they have enough dollars. Then, I will take your words as permission to expand my investments to other companies."
I nodded. In the original history, big shares of the major Korean firms fell into the mouths of foreign eagles anyway.
Jamie had eyes burning with ambition, and she seemed ready to fly as the largest eagle in the sky.
"I reviewed your special orders whenever I had time, and I couldn't think of anything to say about these. Most of them were far from what you mentioned, and with Seoul's real estate…"
Jamie was about to continue her long and obvious explanation.
"I understand that you want to show me your dedication, but please stop there," I said.
Naturally, Jamie stared at me to understand what I was doing and the unusual situations surrounding her. However, she couldn't keep contact with my eyes for too long. Right now, I needed to make her feel pressured. Such an atmosphere didn't come from the words I said; instead, it came from the deadly aura in my eyes. My bloodthirsty gaze had formed based on the amount of blood I covered up and the number of corpses I stepped on in the battle. I could have the eyes of a killer whenever I wanted.
There was no need to even speak to threaten her since Jamie gulped and showed me with an awkward smile.
"I…must have been too excited, right?" Jamie carefully asked.
"I understand. If you want to expand your investments to firms…" I said.
"Yes," she seemed to fully comprehend the rules between us.
"I recommend you look at the corporate loan teams of the three major banks as your recruits for headhunting. Please bring me the preliminary list," I continued.
On the last day of the year, my father came home drunk. He had not told us, but it was when he was sentenced to a forced honorary resignation at a young age due to the IMF crisis. I still remember the day when my father came in with the help of my mother. However, my father came in alone with a big smile today.
Puff.
The smell of alcohol came out of my father's deep breath. He sat on the porch without taking off his shoes. Then, he called for mother out loud. He laid down on the floor as mother took off his shoes, and she looked at him with a worried look on her face that said that the inevitable bad news had come.
Mother suddenly became aware of my presence, and hurriedly blocked my father's lips that were about to open.
"Get a hold of yourself. Seon-Hu is right next to us," she said.
My mother had sensed that a dark shadow had fallen on our family, and she didn't want me to know that Father had gotten fired.
"Can I move to another company? Hiccup. Can I?" What my father shouted was very different from my mother's expectation.
"That's up to you. Seon-Hu's right there. How much did you drink?" She was concerned.
"Your husband will move to a better company! Those bastards are the problem! Hahaha… Haha!"
I couldn't tell if my father was crying or laughing.
Chapter 28
There were no words to describe how much my father influenced my decision to major in finance. By the time I entered university, he still couldn't return to work in the financial field. However, my family's life had not been that hard because my mother had rented a small store in the apartment with father's severance pay. Thanks to my parents' efforts, my middle school memories were comfortable despite the era. I had good memories of bringing my friends to my parents' supermarket and offering them an armful of snacks.
When I came back from school, I organized the store with my father. He not only taught me financial common sense but also took me to the bank. He even opened up a stock account for me, which was amazing. He was such a great teacher and helped me to find my dream when I didn't know what to do. So I had always respected him and my mother, who had become tough from managing the supermarket business.
Thanks to both of them, I was accepted by a prestigious university with the major I wanted. I was also able to survive the Trial Tests thanks to them.
It had been like that.
Park Chung-Sik's eldest son, also known as Prosecutor Park, opened his mouth after looking for a chance to talk.
"I heard a strange noise yesterday," the prosecutor said.
Park Chung-Sik asked, "What?"
"Do you know about Jeon-il Investments?" The prosecutor questioned.
"Yes, of course. You should also pay attention to them, Prosecutor Park," Park Chung-Sik replied.
The prosecutor asked again, "Are you going to be the director of that firm?"
"Who told you that?" Park Chung-Sik was surprised.
"Who would it be? I heard it from the District Director Cho," the prosecutor responded.
"Ugh, he should shut his mouth and mind his own business. Why did he have to tell my son, not anyone else?" Park Chung-Sik frowned.
"Is that true?" The prosecutor asked.
Park Chung-Sik answered dismissively, "That's my decision. Don't worry if it's because of your future. I have already paved your path wherever you want to pursue."
"Father!" The prosecutor yelled at his dad.
"What!" Park Chung-Sik yelled back.
"How…How could you make decisions without telling me? You were mentioned as the next cabinet member, and this is such an important time for you," The prosecutor said.
Snap!
Park Chung-Sik slammed his spoon down, and everyone in his family besides his eldest son quietly left the table.
"Prosecutor Park," Park Chung-Sik called his son.
"Yes," the prosecutor answered.
Park Chung-Sik stared fiercely at his son and sighed deeply, "Can't you see what's going on?"
"I'm just worried. You don't even know the owner of Jeon-il Investments. It'll be a blemish on you. I've done my research, father," his son said.
"Sigh. You think you're the only one with brains, right? You won't be able to succeed in life. Hey," Park Chung-Sik called his son.
"Yes," the prosecutor replied.
"As you said, Jeon-il Investments is a shady foreign firm. Who knows if it's drug or oil money? It's none of our business. But do you know what money without a clear origin is called? Blind money," Park Chung-Sik said.
His son responded in disbelief, "Money? You did all this for money? You already have enough."
"You're putting on a one-man show, so what more do I need to tell you?" Park Chung-Sik taunted.
The prosecutor raised his voice, "You're risking your honor. What should I do for you? Should I just pretend I didn't notice anything and let you go? And congratulate you on earning money by pleasing the Yankees?"
"Be insolent one more time. You know my temper," Park Chung-Sik glowered at his son.
"...I'm sorry, but you are not alone, father. You taught us that your actions reflect on the family and vice versa. I'm teaching my kids about that, too," the prosecutor said.
Park Chung-Sik wanted to lose his temper but stopped himself because there was nothing wrong with what his son said. A man's reputation and power will go to his children, and theirs will return to him. The family had to support each other because the family's success also meant his own. That was how he had been teaching his kids.
"Prosecutor Park, open your eyes and look at the world. The power has changed," Park Chung-Sik's words became softer than before.
The prosecutor replied, "Yes, he has finally been elected as the President."
"No, he's such a poor guy. He won't be able to touch power," Park Chung-Sik clicked his tongue.
"Then, who else is there?" The prosecutor asked.
"Someone else," Park Chung-Sik replied.
"Who is it?" The prosecutor frowned.
"The dollar," Park Chung-Sik answered as he picked up his spoon.
"..."
"Don't you get it? Your father will become the eyes of the blind dollars," Park Chung-Sik continued.
By becoming an Executive Director of Jeon-il Investments.
Bastards with authority always existed in society at any time, anywhere. They pretended to care about the peace of human beings and sharing responsibility during a crisis and justified themselves as model citizens. However, they were busy enriching themselves. In that respect, the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues were innocent since they had their own beliefs and didn't trick others.
The first floor of Daemin Bank was filled with people who brought the gold jewelry they had kept in the closet and even their gold teeth.
「Let's overcome the financial crisis! Gold Collection Campaign」
The banner hanging at the entrance was blowing in the cold winter wind. The bank employees, who were welcoming their customers with big smiles, didn't know that Daemin Bank's major shareholders and CEO were using people's patriotism for their own gain. Even now, they would be drooling to think about how to make money from the gold they bought at such a bargain price.
I headed towards the lobby after setting a stony expression on my face. They recently reduced the number of lobby guards from three to one, and I hadn't seen Daemin Bank's Foreign Exchange Management Team lately. Only the first floor was crowded with people who tried to join the campaign. The building had been emptying out starting from a few days ago. Many businesses left because they either went bankrupt or couldn't afford the rents. Therefore, the lobby had to be quiet, but strangely, there were so many people.
I saw the building manager's deputy among guys with suits. He had such a domineering manner and looks. However, he had an awkward smile today.
"He is there," the deputy told the men in suits, and everyone focused their attention on me.
"Excuse me, but could you please help me?" The deputy was trying to be as gentle as he could.
I asked, "What is it?"
"Our owner put this building up for sale. They are interested in it and would like to ask a few questions to the current tenant," then the deputy quickly added more, "I'm sorry to bother you in your busy time. I tried asking other companies, but they're working now."
"Okay. The owner has accommodated me before, so I can help him this time," I said as I turned my head towards the men in suits.
I couldn't stop smiling because of the badges they had on their jackets. The name of their firm was written in the logo, and the two letters "JI" twinkled under the lobby light.
"You guys are from Jeon-il Investments, right?" I asked.
"You know them?" The deputy questioned back in surprise.
If my father was one of them, I would have made the same expression as the deputy.
"Come to my office since it's so cold here," I said.
According to history, the real estate market was supposed to be open in June 1998, but it had opened just recently due to my intervention. Foreigners were now allowed to acquire real estate in Korea. Jeon-il was underway, and I had been waiting for Jamie to contact me.
Then, I faced them, my employee's employee's employee. But regardless of the position, each of them was of the same age as my father. Some of these people could have been acquainted with Father. I liked their confidence and passionate faces as my father had the same expression these days.
I served hot coffee to five of them, and they asked me ordinary questions such as whether I had any inconveniences as a resident, would I continue renting the office here, and if so, did I want lower rent. It felt strange that I treated them with respect, the way I would treat my father.
I was definitely getting used to this time, and I was becoming less sharp. It was not time for me to just draw monsters, and that was why I had been waiting for Jamie's report on Hwaseon's hill and the sealed dungeon there.
"Thanks for the coffee. The situation is difficult, but I hope this crisis becomes an opportunity for you. I wish you all the best."
Employees from Jeon-il left, and their business cards were in my hands.
I couldn't call Jamie because she was never alone. She was constantly in meetings with political and business figures.
Instead of phone calls, she sent me one email last night and another one this morning. Yesterday's email contained information that the inspection team of the headquarters would visit the building I resided in, and the subject of today's email made my heart beat faster even before I read the content.
Thump! Thump!
「Subject: First item purchased.」
The first purchase was the hill in Hwaseong, and I had waited for this for a long time.
Chapter 29
The hill was so rugged that there was nothing there, even graves. The weeds growing everywhere came up to my waist, and unnamed thorns and oak trees blocked the way. Blood flew out from the shallow scratches they made. The ground was quite slippery as the snow had melted and frozen again, and a pile of snow covered the ice. It was hard to spot the hidden dangers with my eyes.
Unlike my past, soldiers hadn't yet dragged the Awakened to the entrance of the dungeon under the government's order. This place was drastically different from decades ago.
The government was powerful when I first came to this hill in my past life as the martial law, which seemed to no longer exist, had been further reinforced, and I was the only reserve force who was summoned. The Ministry of National Defense managed me under a stricter regimen than ordinary soldiers since I had survived and returned from the Trial Tests.
It was the year the Ministry of National Defense treated the Awakened like strategic resources. There was insufficient research on us, and even us Awakened had no idea how much we could do. No one knew how much potential we had. If they had known earlier, they would have treated us in a completely different manner. They would have soothed us with money and conciliatory words instead of putting a gun on our heads.
Anyway, these hills and dungeons were under the government's control. When they first transferred us here, we thought we had come to a government research facility. We believed that we would become their lab rats and were on the lookout for an opportunity to escape.
I still remember when we decided whom to kill to get away, and I had marked my targets with my eyes, letting the other Awakened be aware. I was planning to kill three young soldiers, one of them had just become a non-commissioned officer recently, and the other two were corporals. All of their guns were directed at me, and I could clearly see that they were scared at every movement I made. Perhaps, something had happened with the Awakened before. I waited for a chance. I would be shot and killed in the end, but I thought it was better than being dragged to the laboratory and suffering like a lab rat for life.
It was natural that we misunderstood this place as the government's secret research lab because it was neatly arranged and equipped with military facilities. However, right now, it was currently a wild hill where thorns were stretched out in all directions. Even the entrance was disguised as a temporary building with outer walls. Anyone would be suspicious of these facilities since the Korean government was the owner.
However, there was no chance to attack them until we moved into the temporary building that hid the entrance of the dungeon. Our plans were delayed. When we all stood in front of the entrance, we realized we had come not as rats but as soldiers.
"Where is the eagle's beak…"
No matter how hard I tried to remember, it was useless when the hill was covered with weeds and thorns. There was no path, and I couldn't cut down every tree on this entire hill by myself. That was why I called Ilju Constructions to the entrance of the rural village under the hill.
"It was so hard to travel here. Hello, my name is Choi Chul-Min."
Navigation systems were yet introduced in this time period, so he had arrived at sunset after getting directions. He saw my reddened face from the winter wind, then waved me over into the cab of his truck. I warmed myself with the heater and guided him to the hill. We drove through the narrow path after passing the village. It was a pretty dangerous ride until we reached the middle of the hill.
Mr. Choi pulled over his truck on the steep incline as he said, "We can't drive from here on."
We drove as far as we could since the tough road made us slip multiple times. He had a stiff face, but his voice was still bright since I told him all the areas we passed so far were under my management.
"Let's start the construction here and carve a new entry path," I pointed at the construction area, and the size of it seemed to be larger than what Mr. Choi anticipated. This was work that came during the IMF crisis, which was a time when work couldn't be found at all.
He gulped so hard that I could see his adam's apple wobble.
"Do you think you can handle it? You have to start right away because, as you can see, the scale is huge, and it's winter," I said.
I called Ilju Constructions after skimming through the regional information. I should have collected bids and spent time selecting the best one, but I wanted to deal with it quietly and quickly without any noise. Based on his reaction, he had never led a construction of this size before.
His surprise was inevitable because Ilju was just a tiny company, so this was bound to be a jackpot for him.
"Of course, of course!" He answered hurriedly with a dialect.
The size of the construction company didn't matter to me. Small firms usually suffered due to a lack of clients and work. However, they were able to expand their size if they received jobs by calling on a team they had gone drinking with, a team they had worked with before, and another team that someone was acquainted with.
We went back into the truck, and I handed over the fake Jeon-il Investments business card. I was not wearing a suit, and my face was young even though I had a large physique. He didn't trust me, and his attitude became even more cautious after seeing the business card.
There was no need to show documents to prove my ownership, but since I had to show it anyway, I took them out of my bag. Logging and cultivation needed permits from the regional government and an approved program.
Mr. Choi checked the file and looked at me carefully with desperate eyes. I didn't have to explain that I even had all the authority over the construction site.
I said, "I'm looking for a company that will also apply for the permit, and that's why I asked you whether you can handle this scale and give me an estimate."
"Yes, of course!" His fingers were trembling, and although his voice was loud, it also shook.
"I can't give you much time since we are in a hurry with this. That's why we are proceeding with regional firms without collecting bids, but it doesn't mean that we will choose any company. Do you get it?" I asked.
"Oh yes," he responded immediately.
"Can you give me the estimate by tomorrow?" I questioned.
He smiled, "Yes, I'll call you on this number!"
"We would like to maintain the original structure without landscaping. Please get an estimate that way, and also do you do buildings?" I asked.
"Y...yes! We do everything!" He replied.
"Oh, then you can also pave roads," I said.
Mr. Choi became silent for a minute and flared his nostrils while blinking his eyes. His breathing was so loud that it broke through the rattling engine noise. Taking the hill, paving the road, and now constructing a building? It was definitely Mr. Choi's chance of a lifetime, and there was a golden rope right in front of him.
I continued, "Please speed up the completion time as much as possible. I'll get estimates from other firms but won't notify them like this. I want you to take this job, and we prioritize time over money."
Mr. Choi looked thrilled. A picture of him and his daughter at her elementary school graduation ceremony in his driver's seat grabbed my attention. It might have been taken by his wife who had passed away.
"It's such a hard time for fathers, so please send me a good estimate," I said.
Tears welled up in his eyes even though nothing had been decided yet.
Mr. Choi was very motivated. He had shaved his beard, cut his hair, and smelled faintly of fabric softener. He explained about his plan with the construction for a long time, and since Ilju Constructions had limited options, he started talking by revealing everything such as where to rent equipment and which companies to bring in as partners.
"Okay, let's sign the contract."
When I confirmed and gave him the answer, he opened and closed his eyes. Everything went by quickly after that as the equipment came the next day. It was Mr. Choi's responsibility to reassure villagers to avoid any conflicts when accessing the hill through their small village. One good thing was that the snow had stopped falling yesterday.
In order to expedite the completion time, snow removal began at the same time. I had requested for speed, so there were so many workers it looked as if we were going to push away the hill.
Meanwhile, the villagers at the site didn't look happy. Mr. Choi handed the village foreman some money as compensation, but the villagers would have thought differently. At the entrance of the hill, there was land that villagers used as a field without permission. Also, the hill was used to forage mushrooms and kudzu, and was used for beekeeping by the villagers. Even though it was private land, things would become complicated if civil complaints were filed by them.
I called Mr. Choi, who was busy at the site.
"There is no village hall here, and I want you to build one to comfort the villagers," I said.
"A village hall? You don't have to go that far because I've spoken with the village foreman," he replied.
I said, "Oh, I guess I haven't told you. We'll block the lower part of the hill with a wire fence."
The hideous wire mesh would disturb the village. There would be intimidating warning signs and surveillance cameras would swing around and flash rend lenses. What kind of village would want to see that? Aside from the complaints, we couldn't risk someone seeing the dungeon.
"The entire area?" Mr. Choi asked.
"Yes, I'm going to completely block the entrance so no one can get in here," I responded.
It was unprecedented that an ordinary hill would be controlled like that. Mr. Choi looked surprised enough to now know how to reply.
"We are abrupt sometimes because the company is a foreign firm. Things will be so bad that it's likely we would end up at the court, so we should construct a village hall. Since you are older and look more reliable, please explain it well to the village elders. I will also entrust the village hall to you," I said.
Mr. Choi's eyes welled up with tears again because the economy was terrible. He was probably concerned about how to make a living until he met me.
"Well…" Mr. Choi quickly wiped his eyes like he was embarrassed, and his hands rustled in his pockets to look for cigarettes.
"Let's go downtown together and talk about this with a warm cup of tea…"
After Mr. Choi completed the basic facilities, I was planning on hiring a large construction firm to make this spot secure to a military level. I would build concrete barriers, emplace barbed wire fences surrounding the wall, and install surveillance cameras, so nothing could come in or out.
Chapter 30
The news reported a number of companies filing for bankruptcy and major domestic firms restructuring plans due to the aftermath of high-interest rates. They also broadcasted how major companies were urgently liquidating their foreign branch properties to save their head offices. Not a single day passed by quietly at the end of January 1998. Japan took Korea's financial crisis as an opportunity and broke the fishing agreement unilaterally.
The exchange currency plunged to approximately 1,500 won, but it was just a temporary illusion created during the IMF negotiations.
My day began with reading the newspapers in the building's mailboxes to confirm how history was changing with my intervention. The major flow had not changed from the previous history, but minor details such as things for personal gain were different now.
For instance, foreign firms were purchasing domestic real estate quicker than in history. It was because Jeon-il had advanced the opening date of real estate by half a year in exchange for large-scale investment, but I saw names I hadn't seen in the domestic market in the past.
「Foreign firms including Jeon-il Investments, DP Krump, Deutsche Bundesbank, GOA and Bluestone Group are purchasing domestic real estate.」
In the previous history, GOA, ANG Bearing, Silverman Sox, Standard Bank, and the Bluestone Group had reigned like eagles that flew to look at the burning country. However, DP Krump and Deutsche Bundesbank were different. They had focused on corporate hunting rather than real estate purchases, and they were more active in Korea from the second quarter of this year. It was the period when the Korean government was buying time while manipulating the commercial tax rates to make smaller companies fail and allow bigger corporations to survive. The domestic companies were suffering and dying out.
DP Krump and Deutsche Bundesbank began entering the domestic real estate market aggressively from the first quarter. The reason was obvious, they wanted to recoup their losses. They both had great losses on my Hong Kong bet and would have also lost in Thailand's and Hong Kong's future foreign exchange market.
There were two facts I could affirm even without special data or investigation about the ongoing Asian financial crisis. Those large financial firms would have attacked Asian countries and also suffered much greater losses than gains. A large portion of the dollars they used so aggressively was now in my hands, so they were desperate to get as much as possible from Korea, which they had cultivated for a while.
In the past, Korea was just the land of gold and honey to them, but now, they just wanted to make up for their losses. Well, it was an opportunity if they had enough dollars because the entire country was for sale.
Cho Dae-Hwan had a close relationship with Park Chung-Sik. They graduated from the same high school and university, and Cho Dae-Hwan's eldest son got married to Park Chung-Sik's youngest daughter, so they were each other's in-laws.
They began to call each other by different names after joining the mainstream of the powerful classes, which was a deformed power structure created by the era. No one knew when the dollar would stop being the center of power, but the Korean financial crisis was not light enough to be sorted out in a day or two.
In fact, the reason why Cho Dae-Hwan started addressing Park Chung-Sik as Director Park was because of Jamie's management policy in Jeon-il Investments, and that carried over naturally into their private lives.
"The Senior Secretary of Civil Affairs in Pyeongdong Construction is nagging me endlessly. Isn't Secretary Kim Cheol-Min your university alumnus, Director Park?" Cho Dae-Hwan asked.
"Yes," Park Chung-Sik answered.
They were drinking at their favorite restaurant.
Cho Dae-Hwan shook his head, "He called me three times today. I don't know why he works so hard when his term ends next month."
"Haha. Please let him be. He has no choice but to be diligent because he's going for the general election in Gangnam next season," Park Chung-Sik responded.
Cho Dae-Hwan added, "He should take some time off since the public opinion about him is so negative."
"I know, right? So, what about Pyeongdong Construction? Did the estimates work?" Park Chung-Sik questioned.
Cho Dae-Hwan held his glass. Even before Jamie had expanded Jeon-il to include corporate acquisitions, major firms like Pyeongdong Construction had been his close clients. As the executive director of the nation's number one Samwoo Accountings, he even participated in counsel when Pyeongdong bought International Construction in the late eighties. Therefore, he knew the situation very well.
"I don't owe anything to my friend, Cheol-Min. Don't mind me and just go by the rules. There are so many firms like Pyeongdong these days," Park Chung-Sik smiled with wrinkles in his eyes after getting a sense of Cho Dae-Hwan's complicated emotions.
"He knows how to make connections in the cabinet even if it's difficult for him to win the next election," Cho Dae-Hwan said.
Park Chung-Sik laughed, "Haha. Did you know that his nickname is the Eel?"
Kim Cheol-Min was called the Eel because he slithered his way up no matter how hard it was, and Cho Dae-Hwan realized that Park Chung-Sik's voice had brightened. He told him to follow the principles, but those were his actual thoughts.
"But why did he call me directly instead of talking to you first?" Cho Dae-Hwan questioned.
"Because he doesn't want to owe me a favor. Haha." Park Chung-Sik replied.
"Hmm…He would know that we are on the same boat," Cho Dae-Hwan said.
"Now, we are together in an actual boat. Cheers to our Jeon-il Investments!"
They toasted, then Cho Dae-Hwan said, "I'll try to save Pyeongdong. Kim Cheol-Min is too good to throw away."
"Hmm…. It's going to be hard. Can you make it happen?" Park Chung-Sik looked up at Cho Dae-Hwan.
"I'll deal with our young CEO if you can take care of those blond hairs that she brought…" Cho Dae-Hwan said.
"Oh, no. That's bad. We've already experienced it many times. White people have such rigid mindsets that won't work the way we've been. Also, Cheol-Min is not a card that's worth that much. He's high-risk and low-return," Park Chung-Sik responded.
"Oh, really?" Cho Dae-Hwan's eyes became wider.
"Let's wait for a bit longer until something comes up that gives Cheol-Min a chance to show his voters his achievements, and is enough to fulfill the White people's greed," Park Chung-Sik said.
Cho Dae-Hwan nodded. If they wanted to give Kim Min-Cheol real achievements, he had to accept something so minor that the foreigners would allow it. The problem was that those wouldn't pass Jamie's approval, who handled massive funds only with her career experience at Wilshire Land.
Cho Dae-Hwan glanced at Park Chung-Sik's face, and the other man was deep in thought. It was just then that inspiration came in a flash. The television in the room was showing Daehoo Motors commercial on mute. Their logo grabbed Cho Dae-Hwan's attention, and at that moment, his brain worked furiously.
"Any good ideas?"
Park Chung-Sik asked, but Cho Dae-Hwan didn't even hear it since he was deep in thought. Park Chung-Sik remained silent and didn't bother him. It was nice to see Cho Dae-Hwan concentrating so much that he couldn't hear anything like a young guy. It was a talent that helped Cho Dae-Hwan to succeed as a mainstream without money or background and got him to the point of becoming the father-in-law of his daughter.
Cho Dae-Hwan finally opened his mouth, "Director Park, let us secure an additional two years after our two-year contract expires."
"Oh?" Park Chung-Sik's eyes widened.
"The current VIP will go down in shame, so let's throw him a bone, give the secretary an opportunity for his achievement, and shove the money in the White people's mouths. This will give us respect and a guaranteed position in the next term. We can also take the young lady CEO down a peg or two," Cho Dae-Hwan said.
"Is there a firm that would do that?" Park Chung-Sik questioned.
"Daehoo. They're rotten inside," Cho Dae-Hwan replied.
If Cho Dae-Hwan had still been working at an accounting firm, he couldn't have even dreamed of this plan. However, things were different now because the whole political and business field was looking up to Jeon-il Investments, and everyone would want to use the power if it was given to them.
Cho Dae-Hwan and Park Chung-Sik were the same. However, they were experts in Korean Politics and Business, not amateurs. They were professionals.
I got in touch with Jamie in the morning, but she hung up on me, saying that she was busy. Since she had become the busiest person in Korea, I didn't mind that.
Surprisingly, she called my office first in the evening when I was at the logging site in Hwaseong. She said she was on her way there and apologized for hanging up on me in the morning.
"You didn't have to come all the way here to apologize. Are you alone?" I asked.
"Yup, I do have some sense," Jamie mumbled, "You must have been working out."
I nodded and wiped my sweat with a towel. Before entering the dungeon, going through gyms and sparring with pro athletes was the best way to improve my stats. However, I had to stop doing that since rumors had begun to spread.
Jamie removed her hood and blew warm air onto her hands. She had become prettier. Although her schedule was tiring, she knew how to enjoy work and public attention.
"Didn't you drive here?" I questioned.
"I had a meeting nearby, so I just walked," she answered.
She said she met the Senior Secretary of Economy all morning in a Japanese restaurant instead of the Blue House. That was why she hung up on me this morning.
She sat down and asked me, "Do you know the Daehoo Group?"
I couldn't understand why she was mentioning that name during this period. In the previous timeline, they were severely impacted by the IMF crisis in late 1999. Before then, Daehoo was at the center of Korea's economy as the second largest group in this country. They were even more famous than the largest group, Daehyun, overseas. They had gained significant recognition worldwide with their motto, "The world is big, and there's a lot to do."
"Why would I not know Daehoo? Did you put them on the list? The only corporations this government has to protect are Daehoo, Daehyun and Ilseong," I said.
Jamie smiled meaningfully at my words.
"The president of Daehoo will be arrested tonight," she said.
I was more confused than surprised. Why all of a sudden? Daehoo dissipated not only because of the IMF crisis but also because all kinds of projects that had been expanded to the world were failing. It would be next year when everything clicked and burst. But that was going to happen tonight?
"I have so many things to talk to you about," Jamie was filled with confidence.
So, Daehoo was going to be sold in the first half of this year. I was the one who flipped the butterfly's wings, but I didn't know what made the hurricane hit Daehoo.
"A warrant for arrest out of nowhere? What happened? I want to hear about this in detail," I said.
