Chapter 31

At that time, Daehyun was unbeatable, and the rivalry between Ilsung and Daehoo for second place in the business world ended in 1998 with the victory of Daehoo. Daehoo had at least applied the IMF's serious crisis as an opportunity by taking over Ssang-Ho Motors to expand their automobile business and expand overseas. Thus, the number of their corporations abroad reached nearly four hundred before the entire group was torn into pieces.

Unlike my paper companies that only existed in documents, their branches actually existed as companies. During this time, I was just a middle school student who was more interested in girls I met at cram school than Daehoo's dissolution. I started recognizing Daehoo's stature during university as my professor had worked for Daehoo as many others. He was a legal counsel and earned lots of money just with the research project Daehoo offered.

Obviously, the professor was biased toward Daehoo, and claimed that their dissolution was solely because of the government, not due to the IMF or inefficient corporate governance. He ardently believed that Daehoo's breakup had led to Korea's twenty-year delayed economic growth.

Well, he was not the only one. The conservative professors at my university who insisted the government should not intervene with conglomerates used Daehoo's dissolution to attack the progressives. The funny thing was that it worked pretty well in reality.

"As I've told you, the first thing I did as a CEO was hiring two Korean directors," Jamie said.

Yes, I remembered that they were executive directors of Samwoo Accountings and Kim Park Law Firm.

"Cho Dae-Hwan and Park Chung-Sik," I answered.

Jamie's eyes widened as soon as I said their names. She was wondering how I could remember the names she mentioned once and would think that I was keeping eyes on Jeon-il.

She continued, "The reason why I hired them was their capability but also the uniqueness of this country."

It was a good decision to hire Jamie since her brain functioned as smoothly as her seamless beauty. She found the answer to what Jeon-il needed the most. Instead of seeking a real estate investment counsel first, she prioritized thinking about how to safely manage the unidentifiable hot money that poured in Jeon-il.

As my decision on employing Jamie had led to a great result, the two men were the same for her.

"You know why I offered them the position of directors. It was not because of work."

I remained silent to let her continue.

"But do you know what they are doing right now? They are engaging in politics. I gave them authority to at least pretend to work, but they're dabbling in politics even though they're not politicians," Jamie said.

She said they had been meeting senior politicians.

She spoke before I was about to say something, "But I realized that this was how things are done here. I'm learning a lot from them, and thanks to them, I was able to put Daehoo on the list."

"Jamie, let's keep one thing in mind," I interjected.

"Huh?" Jamie looked at me.

"Corruption exists in any country. North America legalized lobbying and made it public, but the basic rules are the same. I wonder if you can adapt to this country with that kind of bias," I said.

Her excitement cooled down instantly, and her face became rigid.

"However, Korea is indeed unique since the word 'conglomerates' exists here. I apologize. Please continue on. My clients will also consider Daehoo on the list in a positive way, but the problem would be the undertaking funds," I finished up.

Jamie seemed to be overwhelmed by my words and scratched her forehead to compose herself. Then, she opened her lips. The summary of her speech was that we should make Daehoo a victim of the IMF crisis. The current President and his cabinet needed something to avoid public criticism before the end of their term, and Daehoo was the perfect option.

As Jamie said, Cho Dae-Hwan and Park Chung-Sik were creating scenarios and writing the script by gathering politicians. Even if the government needed a scapegoat, would they be able to give up on Daehoo? Korean conglomerates had special power structures with a number of connections in both business and political fields. Sacrificing Daehoo would massively impact Korea.

There were so many politicians under Daehyun, Daehoo, and Ilsung around this time…Then, I remembered that the arrest warrant for Daehoo's President had been issued, and the procedure must have been tough.

There must have been secrets that Cho Dae-Hwan and Park Chung-Sik couldn't report to Jamie, and I held my thumbs up to them in my mind. I knew those two middle-aged men were something. How did they even think of attacking Daehoo at this time?

As I had mentioned before, the survival rate of the so-called upper financial and political elites was quite high in the Trial Tests. Their heads were filled with thoughts even in peace. They preyed on the weak for their profits, ensnared and disabled the stronger ones, gathered any equipment to survive no matter what, and used fear to defeat the others.

This cycle of survival and combat was repeated continuously. Park Chung-Sik and Cho Dae-Hwan used Jeon-il to gain secret favors and destroy Daehoo.

"The evidence the current government had on Daehoo was accepted by the court," Jamie said.

I responded, "There will be a bloody massacre at the end of his term."

The current government must have known this would be a rougher month than the one where they passed the real-name financial transaction system, but they did so anyway because they would gain larger benefits.

"What do they ask for?" I asked.

"Two things," she replied.

"Additional investments and a block sale," I said.

She continued, "Yes, they want at least five billion dollars of additional investment and the entire Daehoo Group, including their debts."

Additional investments were not a problem. The funding routes would be unstable as it would come in a hurry, but the current government would deal with it and hide the transfers.

However, Jamie was observing my mood because taking the entire Daehoo Group was not very profitable. Although there were helpful subsidiaries, there were many insolvent affiliates. It was better to wait until Daehoo was completely split and gobble up the core elite affiliates for short-term money. Jamie seemed to be aware of this.

"Daehoo will be cleaned up even if we stop intervening. But it's such a shame to let go of it like this," Jamie said.

There was something she didn't know. If we got out after things had gone this far, Jeon-il would become an enemy of the government. She seemed to think that there would be no threat because the term ended next month, but the next regime would be the Democrats. Also, when the financial crisis was resolved to a certain extent, a strong tax investigation would come to our company.

I started laughing. I wanted to make Cho Dae-Hwan and Park Chung-Sik kneel down in front of me while I applauded. It would take Jamie some time to grasp the flow of the Korean political and business worlds, but the two men didn't need this. Both were experts but still chose Daehoo as prey.

The difference between the two men and Jamie was that Jamie had no knowledge about Korean conglomerates. The two directors were not looking at the assets or profits Daehoo's subsidiaries were making. Instead, they tried to secure Daehoo's position as one of the three major conglomerates in Korea's business world. They were looking at the entire infrastructure and recognition Daehoo had built. Who would have even thought that Daehoo would be ruined around this time?

"Jamie, can you handle Daehoo? After we succeed in the acquisition, you are not thinking of bringing in professional managers from abroad, right?" I questioned.

Jamie didn't answer as if I hit her mark.

"Find a new president from the current executives. Not from the CEO's family, but from his closest board members," I added.

"..."

"You should have Cho Dae-Hwan and Park Chung-Sik stay close to you and learn a lot from them. They would know why I made this decision. Oh well, they would even demand this to happen in the first place," I said.

It seemed like the three had already talked about this as Jamie's pretty face hardened once more.

"Then, are you approving the acquisition of Daehoo?" Jamie asked.

"Just don't be a doormat. We should be in an advantageous position. Hand over as many insolvent affiliates and Daehoo's debt as possible to the government," I said.

"The conditions that the government strongly demands are…" Jamie mumbled.

I led Jamie to come over the window, and she followed as I moved.

"Do you know what the government always talks about these days?" I asked.

Jamie's gaze followed my fingers and to the street. People were lining up in front of the banks with gold rings in their hands. The Gold Collection Campaign banner was flapping in the cold wind.

"Share the pain. The necklace on you is gold, right?" I asked.

Jamie fumbled over her necklace.

"You will be noticed by the media in Gwanghwamun. Dress up luxuriously but not too much. Make up a story with your mother's keepsake. Oh, bring your two directors with you," I said.

Jamie was smart, so she knew what I was talking about.

"I know that I need justification," she responded.

"And Jamie," I said.

"Yes," she replied.

"Don't worry about additional investments or management direction, and proceed aggressively. Don't let others take a single thing from us and grab everything you can find," then I added, "Jeon-il Investments should monopolize Korea's crisis. I gave you enough money for that. Don't ever lose anything including lands, buildings, and companies."

Chapter 32

Korea's economy was so messy and complicated by so many factors, but the elementary and middle school textbooks recorded the cause of the IMF crisis solely as the citizens' excessive expenditure. In fact, the biggest reason was that the domestic companies recklessly borrowed dollars. In detail, it was due to the current account deficit, the influence of the Japanese Yen, and the attack of international investors. However, they would hide those reasons.

I turned off the screen after watching the news about Daehoo President's first trial.

It was as difficult to reach Jonathan as Jamie. I left an email with my availability to talk on the phone and asked him to call me as soon as possible.

He contacted me the next day, and I asked him to come over to Korea.

The God of Investments, Jonathan's first visit to Korea.

「Jonathan, "Korea still acquires investment values in the long term, and I visited to confirm this."」

Jonathan finally flew over to Korea yesterday, on the twenty-third. Wall Street called him the "God of Investments," but it was awkward for us. He had become a world-class investor who quickly reached stardom after revealing his genius in investing in the Asian financial crisis from last year. It didn't even take half a year for Jonathan to turn a four hundred thousand dollars investment into twenty-two billion.

Jonathan, an investor who looks like a Hollywood actor, will be treated with state-level courtesy.

Those who greeted Jonathan, including the Senior Secretary of Economics Kim Cheol-Min and the Deputy Prime Minister of Economic Affairs Yuk Il, were worried about the weather because it would be impossible for Jonathan's private plane to land if it snowed.

However, Jonathan exited the plane at the scheduled time and waved his hands in a nice black suit. There were approximately a hundred reporters gathered at Gimpo Airport to see him, and the large banners that announced his first visit to Korea in the middle of the airport made me realize the extent of Jonathan's fame.

After a brief meeting, he left for the Blue House under the escort of the police.

Jonathan's Theory of Investment - "Invest in fear."

During the meeting, a reporter asked, "How should I invest to hit the jackpot like you? Please tell me one tip," and smiled. Then, Jonathan replied by mentioning his theory of investing in fear.

As the God of Investment who had broken world records and gained astronomical profit rates, his investment theory reassured domestic and overseas investors and Korean citizens, who had remained frozen in the overwhelming dread the IMF crisis had brought. This was because Jonathan clarified his vision of Korea and his purpose of the visit by stating, "Korea has enough potential to overcome the economic crisis and is the best investment an individual or organization could make in the long run."

I headed to the pub that I rented for private use. The key was hidden in the flower vase as agreed with the owner. When I entered the pub, the warmth was filling up the space as I requested. There was a 'closed' sign at the entrance, but since it was broad daylight, the pub remained quiet for a long time. Then, the silence ended after a careful knock, and I saw a tall shadow wandering over the window.

Of course, Jonathan was alone. He checked to make sure he wasn't followed before greeting me. He locked the door even though I didn't ask him to.

"Is there no one here?" Jonathan asked, and I nodded.

"It feels like I'm an industrial spy," he said while putting down his briefcase beside the table.

I shrugged, "Fame is not necessarily good all the time."

"I know. I barely got out of it," he replied.

He had prepared to come to Korea, but the situation in this country was more hectic than he expected. He had never imagined being treated as a state guest on arrival. Even though he was ranked as one of the top twenty richest men in the world by Forbes, in the end, he was just a CEO of a small-sized investment company in New York. In stark contrast, the other entries on the rank belonged to global financial institutions with hundreds of years of history or companies that possessed strategic branches worldwide.

Jonathan was only in his mid-twenties and happy with a small office. However, Korea treated this foreign young man like a world leader. Well, it was because he had astounding piles of cash despite his tiny office.

"Korea is that desperate now," I said.

He replied, "But there is hope. The IMF decided to provide support funds, and you're feeding in dollars."

From a foreigner's perspective, it was an appropriate assessment. However, Korean financiers would find this evaluation absolutely humiliating. It was comparable to the Japanese colonial period since Korea had to obey the IMF's commands and stand helplessly as the country's property was seized overseas.

Oh well, I didn't call Jonathan to discuss this.

"Korea will overcome the IMF crisis quickly," I said.

More quickly than Korea did in the past.

"I hope so, since Korea feels like my home, too. By the way, Sun, wasn't that due to your effort?" He asked.

"Are you talking about Daehoo?" I questioned him back.

"Yes. I couldn't believe what I heard. Korea decided to abandon Daehoo, right?" He asked again.

Although Jonathan had not lived in Korea for more than a few months, he was a Wall Street financier, and Daehoo was linked to many firms abroad. The connections were appearing as a fluctuation in the stock prices of those companies.

I responded, "No, Daehoo wasn't in my plan. I also didn't expect that Korea would abandon Daehoo either."

"You, too? Then who did this?" He questioned.

I replied, "It was not my plan, but it's proceeding under our control.".

"Oh, Jeon-il Investments?" His eyes widened.

"They've been dealing with stuff by themselves and doing well. I'm proud," I said.

Jonathan smiled, but for some reason, he seemed exhausted.

"Do you have enough money to buy them?" He asked.

"There are so many firms in Korea that can be purchased with one dollar," I answered.

As long as one had the ability to handle debt.

"When that time comes, everyone will come rushing in. Have you talked to your government?" He questioned as he took a set.

I explained, "Negotiations are underway, but it will happen eventually. Only Jeon-il can accommodate their demands since those firms won't accept a block buyout for the entire Daehoo infrastructure," I explained.

He asked, "Are you going to take over the whole group?"

"Mmm…Yes, but I'll restructure and reorganize some affiliates immediately afterwards," I answered.

"Isn't that supposed to happen before the purchase? I don't think I'm understanding you," he said.

"You are on the right track. We won't split up the group and sell it, and the management won't change since we will keep those who are close to the current president," I responded.

"...Why would you go that far?" He hesitated.

"Dollars won't be the definitive power forever. As soon as Korea graduates from the IMF, the economy will quickly go back to its original state. We should prepare for the next step," I said.

A light smile bloomed on Jonathan's face.

"Sun, I think you really love your country. You say no, but patriotism isn't a shame. I don't know what you're seeing in Daehoo, but I'm certain that it's not money. Using that money elsewhere will bring in more profit, as your country's economy is falling drastically right now," he said.

"You'll find out later about the money," I responded.

"I think there's something else besides patriotism. Is it like a riddle that I need to solve? You won't tell me, right? Don't…" he continued asking.

"Ten billion dollars," I said.

"Huh?" He looked at me.

"We will bring in an additional ten billion dollars to the fifteen already planned. So, a total of twenty-five billion dollars comes into Korea when we buy out Daehoo," I said.

Jonathan's eyes opened wide not because I made such a huge decision without him. From the beginning, he stated that he wasn't interested in offshore funds.

His eyes began to shake while he remained calm when I told him I would purchase the entire Daehoo. Jonathan grabbed for the ice water in the middle of winter. He emptied the glass in one sip and lowered his volume.

"Think carefully. We can end up being in prison for ten thousand years. You shouldn't put too much faith in what we've done. You know that the tax bureau can do anything even if the procedures are tricky and difficult. It's just a matter of time. If such a large sum moves…" he mumbled at the end of this sentence.

I smiled, "The Korean government is much more desperate than us."

"What did you just say?" Jonathan now realized something.

"It's an opportunity for us to make twenty-five billion dollars into something completely legitimate," I explained.

"You're leaving it to the government? How?" He questioned.

I responded, "It's up to them. We just have to show the number."

"Sun, how… how can you consider making a country do your money laundering?" He said in an exhausted tone.

When the Hong Kong shock struck the world during the second half of last year, we earned money. As a result, we had twenty-two billion dollars in Jonathan Investments and forty-three billion in tax havens worldwide.

It was natural that the whole world was paying attention to Jonathan and Jonathan Investments since we hit the grand jackpot and were considered as the God of Investments. Also, how many firms could actually have twenty-two billion as their reserves? The New York company's net revenue was that much, and this amount could be only achieved by the world's top companies in their prime even in the future.

However, Jonathan and unidentified John Doe had made a profit with a mere four hundred thousand dollars. Since the identity of John Doe was kept secret, it was natural for Jonathan to gain all the reputation and attention.

The forty-three billion dollars were jumped in and out of tax havens in the process of splitting, merging and splitting again countless times. It was like hackers attempting to twist their IP a number of times to hide their identity. The total amount would have exceeded a trillion dollars that way.

It was reasonable that rumors about us began to spread in the global financial market. The rumor that said it was money from the Soviet Union during the Civil War was nonsense, but the rumor saying that it was the slush funds from the countries that were affected by the Asian financial crisis was more believable. Such rumors would be spreading even now.

Meanwhile, Jonathan didn't know in detail except for the funds in the New York company. He responded calmly after hearing my explanation like he was satisfied with his current situation.

"Your explanation is too surreal," he said.

I replied, "If I don't see the ledgers, I don't know where the money went."

"What if you lose them?" He questioned.

"Do you even need explanations? The money will be forever gone with the ledgers," I answered.

"That's scary," Jonathan wrapped his whole body with his arms.

"That's why we have to clean the money whenever we have a chance," I said.

"You called me for that? I told you. I'm not interested in the funds other than the ones in the New York firm. I'm already overwhelmed with money. Come to think of that…" he was about to continue with that line of thought.

"I called you to solve your problems. Don't you have my portfolio in there?" I pointed my chin at the briefcase Jonathan brought.

I said, "Please start the briefing."

Jonathan had been waiting for me to tell him to start. As soon as I finished speaking, he placed his briefcase on the table.

Chapter 33

In 2017, Google's interview questions were similar to the following game, also known as One Million Won.

「1. You are alone in the room with a stranger.

2. You guys receive one million won and are ordered to divide it with the stranger.

3. You can freely determine the amount, but the stranger is aware that it's one million won.

4. You cannot talk directly to the stranger.

If the other party agrees with the proposed amount, negotiations will be established. Both can return with the money.

If the other party disagrees with the proposed amount, negotiations will not be established. The entire amount will be confiscated.

How much will you propose in this situation?」

Each interviewer provided various proposals including seventy to thirty, fifty to fifty, thirty to seventy and one to ninety-nine, but in fact, there was no fixed answer. Google just wanted to see the interviewer's thinking process, not an exact answer. The question itself actually dealt with behavioral economics, and it was about human greed.

However, what if the unit was ten billion won, not a million? What if the currency was in dollars, not won? Even with a one percent distribution rate, it meant one hundred million dollars.

The phrase that human greed was endless seemed to be incorrect in the face of billions of dollars. Jonathan must have played that imaginary game with the sixty-five billion dollars we earned. He didn't care about our agreed shares, and he had decided his share was ten billion dollars.

He was passionately explaining his ten billion dollar portfolio to me. Since the amount was massive, he emphasized that we should prioritize stability over aggressive investment. So, he suggested the idea of directly investing in companies currently incorporated in the Global DOW. In other words, his plan was to invest in the thirty popular conglomerates in the U.S. that everyone knew just by their names.

His proposition was not bad since the DOW was an undefeated myth. It had recorded an average of five percent profit, and the current eight thousand points of profitability would surpass twenty thousand points until the Day of Advent. Even if we just let the investment sit, the profit would exceed the interest rates.

The problem was that it was not particularly good. The companies in the manufacturing and energy sectors led the twentieth century, but IT companies dominated the twenty-first century. However, Jonathan had aimed at only five IT firms out of the thirty companies he listed.

I waited for him to finish, then said, "Isn't it too early to divide our shares? I'll give you enough time to do that later, but not now."

"Sun, it's sixty-five billion dollars. Sixty-five billion dollars! Even though we stop here, the money will continue to increase no matter how," he said.

"Say that to the Roc…" I realized I made a mistake as soon as I started mentioning a family name that would only exist in history. Although I hurriedly stopped myself from finishing the sentence, Jonathan seemed to have heard enough in that short moment. I looked at him with concern, and he was mumbling with his eyes wide open.

"What did you just say?" He asked.

For financiers, that family's name was a divine word. Jonathan stared at me as if he was very interested in my words. Although the name still existed in this period as the name of large global banks, it was like a fantasy to be dealt with in legends. They were estimated at five trillion dollars, and their power in their prime was evident. They basically built a country and changed the direction of a World War.

"Oh…" Jonathan looked at me blankly as if he had lost what he wanted to say.

However, he started nodding. On the other hand, I kept my mouth shut with a rigid face. Why did I choose to return to the day I was born instead of the day I entered the Trial Tests! Because of the trait 'The Man Who Overcomes Adversity?' Because of the stats, I could develop? If I only considered the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues, I would have chosen the day of the trial Tests because there were opportunities to rebuild myself at the test site.

I decided to live in this time again because of what happened before the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues appeared.

Humanity certainly had time to rebuild, and there had been several opportunities to deal with the monsters while preserving our civilization. If we had taken those chances, human civilization would not have collapsed. We would have been able to survive under the System. In other words, the internet and electronic devices would not have become the Awakened's privileges.

However, the entire humankind was terrified in front of supernatural beings and events. They missed those chances and aggravated the situation, which destroyed humanity in the end. After that, the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues popped out, and the world turned into hell.

I explained, "What I mean is that I'm still hungry."

"...Hungry. That's a good expression," Jonathan smiled faintly.

Come to think of it, there were four years left until the best moment in my life. The 2002 World Cup was not just a sports tournament but a joy itself. There was a jubilant passion that couldn't have been bought with all of my money in the Gwanghwamun streets. However, I wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much as then because I already knew the result.

"Then don't bring up retirement again. Do you understand?" I told Jonathan clearly after coming back to reality.

Jonathan's face was filled with mortification because he had never directly mentioned retirement. However, his investment direction basically suggested his thoughts, as portfolios acted as mirrors to the financier's mind.

Jonathan became silent as he looked down at the portfolio he brought. He then began to nod quietly.

I suggested, "Keep it well and use it for clients."

"Clients?" He questioned.

"How is merging small investment companies going?" I asked.

Jonathan laughed helplessly. Of course, he put it on hold. I couldn't blame him for that since he had been too busy lately. Like the way Korean politicians and financiers bothered Jamie, everyone was tormenting Jonathan who had quickly risen to stardom. I had seen his face more than ten times in different media.

I said, "Reject all the interviews and events. Since you are not focusing on work, your thoughts are getting overloaded and scattered all over the place."

"You're telling me to work harder and expand the company's scale, right? I can, but…" he hesitated.

"Everyone's looking at you, Jonathan. As soon as you open, clients will come in flocks," I said.

"What about the constituency? It's not easy to run a property management company," Jonathan responded.

I replied, "Right, so we have to choose carefully the investment firm we will buy."

"Focusing on the capabilities of the manager rather than their funds? The company will be full of investors better than me. That was quite stressful and not pleasant at all," Jonathan said.

"You mean Jeffrey K, right?" I asked.

He was a professional corporate hunter we hired for the New York company the other day.

He smiled in self-mockery, "Yes, I'm avoiding as much as I can and I never open my mouth when I bump into him. I'm afraid everything will be revealed to him."

"...You would have achieved a huge success even if you hadn't met me, Jonathan," I said.

"As much as now?" Jonathan firmly shook his head as I was about to say something.

He didn't want me to console him as he believed that he didn't contribute much to our achievements, and that was true. The trading that Jonathan helped me with was a basic procedure that any Wall Street financiers graduated from "junior" could perform.

However, I decided not to care about Jonathan's feelings anymore because he would realize the hungry beast inside him when expanding the investment firm. That kind of primal instinct didn't come with only the loss of loved ones. When a person reached their limits, a new side of themselves appeared.

Expansion of investment companies would create such an opportunity for Jonathan. I would request an aggressive expansion. He was going into a war with money instead of guns or swords.

I continued speaking about the merger of investment companies.

"I've been interested in the Bluestone Group."

It was the world's largest private equity company, so anyone on Wall Street would have known the name. However, there was something more in Jonathan's expression, and he confessed that he had been constantly approached by the Bluestone Group before coming to Korea.

"However, they gave up after realizing that a significant portion of the company's stake belonged to me," Jonathan said.

Jonathan was richer than the founder of Bluestone Group at the moment. He looked more relaxed after remembering the encounter, and he asked me back.

"You're not going to take over Bluestone, are you?"

"Is it possible?" I questioned.

"It would have been if Bluestone had jumped at the Asian financial crisis since they would have been beaten by you. But it's not. Their original funds are going well, and they have succeeded in raising an additional four billion dollars this year," Jonathan replied in a lethargic voice.

I stated, "Bluestone Capital Partners Fund III."

Jonathan's face grew a bit rigid.

"Wow…You do know everything. That's right. Bluestone is paying enormous attention to their third product. Why are you trying to hide in the shadows with that talent? Because of the potential interest from your country? Because you're young? Come to America. It's right for you to step up to the public rather than using me as a front," Jonathan poured out the words he was holding back. Then, he became dissatisfied with something and started scratching his nose.

"Sorry, man. I'm under so much stress. You know why," he said.

I responded, "So you should work out. Your stomach is more protruded than before. Also, I've already explained why I can't come out in public."

"Because of the tax audit, right?" He questioned.

"Yes. And on the side, I meant what I said earlier," I said.

"What?" He asked.

"That you would have achieved a massive success if you hadn't met me," I replied.

"Oh, that," he didn't take it seriously, but it was true.

"If you're stressed, show your abilities this time. It's not about the investment, though," I said.

"What is it?" he questioned.

I answered, "The management of the Bluestone is in Korea now."

Korea was a battlefield for corporate hunters these days. Bluestone also had a hunting team even though their business cards identified them as 'special repayment fund management team'. Their task was to buy companies and real estate, then split and sell them to increase their client's returns.

"Beat the corporate hunter team and add them to the New York firm," I said.

"Are you serious?" He looked at me as if he couldn't believe what I said.

I suggested, "Of course. Shake things from the ground first. Bluestone's new fund product would be useless without them. Let's start from there."

I wanted Blue Rock the most among the property management firms. While Bluestone Group itself had built a great reputation as a global investment company generations ago, Blue Rock was a dragon lying in wait and would start to rise from 1995 after becoming an independent firm.

After two decades, they would become the greatest global investment firm along with Kim Cheong-Soo, Gillian and Jessica. At that time, they managed four trillion dollars, and it was about five thousand trillion won. When counting the funds that followed the investments, the amount they influenced actually would jump to quintillions.

However, the Blue Rock I wanted was in the future, not right now. They were pressured by the Bluestone Group and had barely entered the list of top twenty in the field. Their heyday would only be in my memories anyway.

「The presidents of shadow banks dominate the global economy behind the curtain」

The title would belong to someone else with an even better designation.

Chapter 34

"What happened to item three?" Kaufman asked.

"They took it," his team member answered.

Kaufman didn't even ask who the guys were. Instead, he scowled and crossed out item three on the list. It was a Korean construction company that made a good profit, but their real estates were the real treasures. They had already purchased a large land for redevelopment, and the site would be a priority for Korea as soon as they overcame the IMF crisis.

"I've told you so many times to work on item three in secret," Kaufman frowned.

The team member responded, "It's not my fault. I think our chairman should meet the powerhouses of Korea in person."

Kaufman was so desperate that he wanted to get drunk, "That's not the problem. We're losing all the assets handled by the private sectors that we tried to get in secret. We'll end up with nothing!"

He had heard of Jeon-il Investments for the first time when he arrived in Korea. Before then, he didn't know their existence, and he found through research that Jeon-il had successfully lobbied to open the real estate market quicker than the original plan.

If Jeon-il stopped there, Kaufman would've applauded them. When everyone's attention was focused on Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong, Jeon-il showed its expertise as an investment firm by entering Korea faster than anyone else and building transactions with the government.

However, Jeon-il was greedier than Kaufman had expected as they bought any items on their radar at a price that was at least twice the original. Kaufman couldn't compete financially with them. As Jeon-il opened the real estate market to foreign investors, they definitely had a deep connection with the Korean government.

Thus, Kaufman was suspicious that Jeon-il had received the hidden slush funds of the dictator Park who had dominated the country in the 1960s and 70s. But there were more questions that couldn't be answered.

"The chairman should come. Don't you think we need to straighten things up?" The team member questioned.

"I'll think about it," Kaufman replied.

The team member said, "No, he has to come to tell the government whatever they want to hear, complain and request them to limit Jeon-il's power over Korea's economy. Jeon-il is trying to monopolize the country's market with a bigger wallet, and we have to attack this point."

Kaufman was lost in thought since the team member's demand was reasonable. Most of the items in the market were originally for the private sector, but Jeon-il changed the rules. What was the name of the Korean director of Jeon-il Investments? His family name was Park like the dictator. The government had changed the pre-declaration system for high price real estate to allow Jeon-il to easily intervene in all property for sale. It was a perfect back-scratching alliance between the government and business.

Kaufman was annoyed only because he regretted not entering the market first. Jeon-il's position should've been Bluestone Group's and his.

"Jonathan came to Korea, so why can't the chairman?" the team member asked.

Kaufman was jealous of Jonathan. His eyes were still on the purchase list, but he couldn't focus on the letters in the documents anymore.

The team member continued, "We'll eventually lose Daehoo if we continue this way. Have you checked my report?"

"Let's calm down and think. What would be the priorities in this situation?"

Kaufman asked his entire team, and the answers were the same. One was that the group's chairman should visit Korea soon and speak up to the government along with other investment firms. The other was that they had to hire power brokers who had connections to political figures. The meeting became increasingly heated, and, in the end, some claimed that they should announce the relationship between the current government and Jeon-il and publicize the origin of the dollar held by Jeon-il.

They were going too far. It was taboo in the industry to touch the hot money that belonged to the rich in Korea. When the issue was publicized, Jeon-il wasn't the only one who would be detrimentally impacted. The reason why the elites in Wall Street had been pushed to the edge was that they couldn't even reach out to grab the prey they saw everywhere.

Kaufman slowly nodded at his impatient teammates.

"There are many of you who want to be journalists. Let's do it at our own pace," Kaufman said.

"Umm…This is not our team's business, but…" the team member hesitated.

"Go ahead," Kaufman said.

"There is something we could do with the approval above," the team member continued.

"What is it?" Kaufman asked.

The team member suggested, "It's an alliance between us, the Bluestone Group, and Jonathan Investment. They have the best cash flow, and that's what this country wants the most."

"Jonathan came to Seoul yesterday, but do you think he will meet us? I'm skeptical about that," Kaufman responded.

"Jonathan must understand the situation. He would know that there's a possibility he would go back empty-handed at this pace. He must be panicking, too," the team member explained.

Kaufman pondered this for a moment, "Hmmm…We don't have to bring the chairman as Jonathan could be our frontman to the government."

"That's right," the team member replied.

"Then, let's do that," Kaufman said.

Kaufman and his team members were fired up with the enthusiasm to work harder. They were determined not to go back empty-handed from the land where they could take the opportunities and earn the best profit of their lives.

It was then they received a call from the hotel lobby.

Someone by the name of Jonathan is here to see you.

I received a call from Mr. Choi of Ilju Construction that operations were going smoothly. Although it was the middle of winter, it didn't snow much.

Daehoo Group staged a walkout after a sharp tax investigation on them finished. With the government's intervention on financial authorities and the creditors, the walkout started one year earlier than the previous history.

There was no grand resignation ceremony of the Daehoo's CEO as before. Those outside of the CEO's family were able to preserve their positions, and there were no plans to abandon them in the future.

Just as I was about to pick up the phone, the cell phone rang.

Jonathan: Did you hear the news?

Seon-Hu: When will you take over?

Jonathan: There are competitors, of course. But that's not a problem since they are just bridesmaids, not the bride.

Seon-Hu: Oh, do you know the Korean metaphor for that? It's such a difficult word.

Jonathan: Of course, 'folding screen', right? I've seen it in the Blue House Office. And the distribution of debts will be…

The bell that signaled break time rang. These days I used a cell phone that was small enough to fit in my pocket perfectly. Cell phone size had continued to decrease, and with the PCS era, which started last October, it became easier to carry than before.

When I came out of the washroom stall, there were students staring at me. I didn't know them, but they knew me.

"S…Seon-Hu. Did you just speak…English?" One of them asked.

"..."

"And you…have a cell phone?" He continued questioning.

"..."

"We're in the same class. Class number four."

The boy rushed in speaking in my silence. Ah, there'll be another weird rumor spreading.

Between the winter and spring vacation, school was still a cumbersome place. One more stressful thing was my homeroom teacher. When I was about to go home, she held me up and talked about useless things with a big smile. I wasn't interested in listening to her new workout routine.

"I just want to know you better, Seon-Hu," she said.

She was weird. In the past, my homeroom teacher during my first year in middle school was a bald middle-aged man, not this cute young lady. He always seemed unnatural due to his wig, and now, he was the homeroom teacher of the next class. It was a tiny change, but still a change. I couldn't figure out where the butterfly effect occurred.

"...You want to know me better?" I asked.

She said earnestly, "Yes, of course. I'll be honest with you since you're mature enough. I'm very worried about you."

"Please take a good look at me. No one will create trouble with me," I replied.

"That's why you stand out," she talked to herself again and laughed.

She was in her mid-twenties and was a passionate teacher without much experience. There was an incident earlier this week when she realized that she was the subject of sexual fantasies among students.

However, she had pretended nothing happened. I couldn't understand why she acted like a puppy asking me to pat her head. When I looked back, she had always been interested in me. There had been several times when she stared at me from the corridor and quickly looked away when we made eye contact and rushed back to the office.

I was definitely someone who grabbed people's attention as my physique had developed like an adult and I did not hang out with any classmates. However, even considering those factors, her interest in me was still too much…

My homeroom teacher apparently had something to tell me. It was clear that she kept talking about trivial stories to build up to that subject.

"Is there anything you want to say?" I questioned.

She asked, "Do you have to go to a cram school? Where do you attend?"

"..."

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm holding you too long," she said.

"I don't know what's up with you, but if it's not important, may I go now?" I asked her.

"Wait, Seon-Hu," she hesitated before continuing, "So… the thing is…that… a school is a good place."

"Yes?" I looked at her.

"I know it's hard for you to adapt to the environment, but do you know that your classmates are just afraid of you? It's not that they hate you."

What the heck is she talking about?

"So if you open up and approach them, you'll be able to make friends and realize that school's a good place. Let's do that next semester. Could you promise me?"

She brazenly said words that would only appear in dramas. It was a talent to be able to say something that corny with a smile. Maybe she was just a new teacher, and I had misunderstood her enthusiasm.

"It's a promise!" She shouted again behind my back as I went out. She still had a bright smile on her face.

Chapter 35

「The President-elect strongly insisted on conglomerate reforms and stated, "Large companies should streamline down to at most five or six core firms by cleaning up the rest."」

The Democrat President-elect didn't have to be concerned since it would happen no matter what during this period. Not only Daehoo but also Daehyun and Ilsung had almost filed for bankruptcy during the IMF crisis. The conglomerates in lower rankings were already busy cutting out unnecessary businesses in their infrastructure.

I read all the domestic and original global newspapers including Forbes and private newsletters as soon as I entered the office. As I mentioned before, my interventions had led to changes in history.

Speculative forces around the world lost a lot of money during the Asian financial crisis, and most of them came into my hands.

Korea's financial and real estate market opened to foreign countries half a year early.

Jonathan had emerged in the financial world.

The most worrisome part of the history I changed was the incident that happened at the end of last year. I shook the global stock market by pouring oil into the Hong Kong crisis and aggravated the disorder that had been called the second Black Monday.

Until now, my interventions had not impacted history that much. However, I never knew when and where an unexpected event would occur. I could lose money if I didn't check the world's trends regularly, and that was how the world of investment worked.

But, why? Did my homeroom teacher change into that woman? Why? I could not erase her face from my mind.

Even though my stats were low, I could follow or investigate someone without a problem.

My homeroom teacher's name was Woo Yeon-Hee, and she was twenty-four years old. She was born in Seoul and was the oldest sister out of two brothers and two sisters. She lived in a studio on the third floor of a building near the school and didn't have a housemate or boyfriend. Her family was middle-class financially, but she had fallen behind economically. Her favorite food was cake and she had no interest in decorating herself despite her beauty. She didn't socialize much.

I learned this much information by going through her empty room which was more like a man's domicile than a woman's. There was no mirror or dressing table. The few cosmetics she had were neatly placed on her computer desk beside a photo she had taken with her father this year. Her room was clean without overdue bills, and there were no condom packages or pregnancy test kits in the trash can. She did not list any phone numbers of her friends in the notebook next to her phone and didn't care much about her underwear as she bought a bundle pack of five that came from the supermarket.

I wanted to see her photo album the most, and I found them on the top corner of her dresser. The pictures were not placed in the album but piled up like garbage in a box. They were definitely not her memories as the pictures were of others.

The interesting thing was the setting of the pictures. Every picture seemed to be taken in secret, as the subject was blocked by obstacles or off focus.

According to the date on the picture, she had been taking pictures of her peers for years. There were a number of pictures, and it looked like she recorded some people steadily every year. She didn't seem to be a pervert because the subjects were people's faces, not a private part of their bodies. What she wanted to take seemed to be the expressions of people.

However, that was weird enough. What she did was disturbing. Was that why she was interested in me lately? Had I become the subject of her obsession?

I left the photo box in its original place and began to look for my photos that would be stored somewhere. My pictures were gathered in an envelope of photos from a photo service in her camera bag.

The photos were taken during the period when the system had defined it as my tutorial. She had taken pictures at my elementary school graduation ceremony which I had previously only seen through my parents' photos. Even though my senses had become dull, I would have noticed a stranger's gaze. In early 1997, my stats and growth were similar to a professional athlete's.

I was staring straight at her in the picture but didn't remember what happened afterward. I must have considered her to be insignificant since there were many people at the ceremony and would have thought her camera was pointing in my direction by coincidence.

However, her camera was taking a picture of me, and that was when she discovered me. There were no photos after graduation. She seemed to have noticed that I was sensitive and changed tactics by writing down my information in her notes on the envelope, including my name, my home address, and my current middle school name.

You couldn't tell people just by their appearance, and there were more things about Woo Yeon-Hee other than her most innocuous look. Who would have thought that she was such a person? She didn't even use her beauty as a weapon. It was more effective for her to pretend to have a coincidental meeting than sneaking a picture with a camera.

Suddenly, I felt sorry for my homeroom teacher because the ending of people like her didn't go well. Her beauty had disguised her true self and made her look like an ordinary person, but when her beauty diminished and her mental health deteriorated with age, her identity would be discovered by the public.

I turned my attention to her one and only family photo. There were no other family members except her father standing awkwardly next to her. Her face was expressionless, unlike her smiles in school. Nevertheless, her action of placing this picture on the computer desk where she could see it spoke of her lonely future.

I decided to end my investigation there because I had reached the conclusion. I thought it was best for me to remain quiet until her target moved to someone else.

Then, I found an old prescription bag.

「Pyeonghwa Mental Health Clinic」

SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs could be prescribed in various ways, especially for depression and anxiety. However, they were also used for schizophrenia and megalomania.

"No way…"

In the past, I had successfully infiltrated the Eight Virtues' base and accessed their databases. Therefore, I could search my homeroom teacher's studio and the local psychiatric clinic with only a flashlight and a metal skewer. It was like an F-class job.

Moreover, I didn't have to hack the computer security system. At this point, the prescribing and dispensing of drugs had not been computerized, and medical records were kept in paper documents. Even if I had to infiltrate a large hospital, things would have been the same.

The flashlight lit on the patient record of Woo Yeon-Hee, born in 1975. My guess turned out to be true. She didn't visit the clinic because of paranoia, and her treatment began during her middle school year.

「Diagnosis: Integration disorder」

「Chief concern: The patient is experiencing difficulties in relationships with her friends and family due to hallucinations and delusions.」

「Assessment:

No family history. No auditory hallucinations.

Her hallucinations appear unexpectedly in the form of Korean letters. (Patient states that hallucinations usually occur when she socializes, but not always.)

Her hallucinations have much to do with concepts shown in video games.

She states she doesn't play video games, but there are many ways to approach it since electronic entertainment is emerging as popular culture.

She states that her biggest hallucination is that she can feel the emotions of others.」

「Treatment:

First, placebos for integration disorder. No effects.

Second, medications for integration disorder. No effects.

Third, medication administration and individual counseling. No effects.

Fourth, medication administration and family counseling. No effects.

Fifth, SSRI intramuscular injection. Little effect.

Sixth, SSRI intramuscular injection. Some effects.

Seventh, SSRI intramuscular injection. Great effects.

Eighth, placebos for integration disorder. Great effects.」

During this period, integration disorder was another name for schizophrenia, and placebos were fake drugs used in such treatments. Her prescription record hadn't changed since the eighth treatment. She had constantly received fake drugs but stopped a few years ago.

You silly girl. Why did you go to the hospital? Why did you tell your family?

I could see what she had gone through and the pain she had felt. According to her prescription record, she had been given useless shots and had lied to her family when she had been nearly hospitalized.

The injection wouldn't have worked at all until the last minute because her hallucinations and delusions were real. Prescription drugs couldn't help with that.

"This is how I meet a pre-Awakened person…"

Woo Yeon-Hee had the traits of a mental healer, which was one of the rarest types of Awakened. However, not all of the pre-Awakened were powerful as the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues since many died from the burden before they could even develop their abilities.

That was perhaps why I had not heard of her name. In my past life, Woo Yeon-Hee would have either committed suicide or got killed in a dungeon.