Chapter 36

The reason why there were only a few mind healers was because their abilities were rare and they had a low survival rate. The Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues and other guilds competed fiercely to recruit them, and the problem arose from there.

New mental healers were suffering from traumas from the Trial Tests but had to take care of the new Awakened and those already existing. While the mind healers were scarce in number, there were so many Awakened who needed their help.

An excessive psychological link was considered an extremely dangerous phenomenon in psychology and psychiatry. It occurred when the mental healer focused on the patient so much that the healer themselves became overpowered by the patient's emotions and was unable to detach their own selves from them.

Furthermore, mind healers could interact with patients' feelings and memories with their abilities without verbal communication, and those they had to care for were the Awakened, who were traumatized from killing. The existing ones were skillful psychopaths, and the new ones were just inept psychopaths. They were mentally exhausted due to the Trial Tests, and most Awakened were thrown into the world, freshly traumatized by the horrors of the Trial Tests.

It was perhaps inevitable that the minds of the Awakened were filled with survival instincts. Mental healers had to share such minds, which was unendurable. Therefore, they tended to die out after awakening as they couldn't heal each other. Their mental damage was so severe that it worsened when they shared their sufferings with each other.

My homeroom teacher, Woo Yeon-Hee, was a pre-Awakened with these exact powers. Even if she survived until the Day of Advent, she would have to face the horrible torture that mind healers experienced. Since I had never heard her name in my past life, her life may have ended badly.

The next morning, I met Woo Yeon-Hee during homeroom. She usually had a shadow in her smile, but today was different. This change happened after our conversation, and even the other students could notice the changes in her during ethics class. Apparently, she must have felt that yesterday's conversation was effective. I didn't know how the mental healer's abilities develop, but she had no other reason to be happy other than talking to me. She didn't have a boyfriend, friends, a good relationship with her family, and her pay was slipping away.

It was the end of the school day.

"Okay, could you please be quiet?"

My classmates didn't listen to Woo Yeon-Hee as they thought of her as a pushover. However, she still maintained a quiet tone with her usual smile on her face.

"I'm not going to tell you about your next year's class assignment if you guys keep talking."

Woo Yeon-Hee shook the paper in her hand, and my classmates had mingled feelings of joy and sorrow when the class assignments, which ranged between ten classrooms, were revealed. Then, it became silent when my name was called. Those who got into the same class with me were not happy. I didn't know anyone's name, but I could tell who was going to be in my next year's class by their stiff faces.

No one fought in this class because of me, and bullies spent more time in other classes during breaks to avoid me. And now all of those bullies got put into the same class with me. Students were usually assigned to classes based on their grades to balance out the class average, but this one had many different intentions behind it.

The school decided to put the troublemakers into one class, then put me in since they didn't talk back or fight against me. I was like an S-class boss monster to them. The class atmosphere brightened because other students were happy that they didn't have to worry about being in the same class with the troublemakers. Even in a small society of adolescents, children learned survival instincts. They pretended otherwise, but they were scared of stronger ones and allied for mutual protection.

It was the same in any society that existed amongst the Awakened during Trial Tests, and between the civilians and the Awakened after that.

"Sigh…"

The guys in the same class as me were busy avoiding my gaze. Spending time with these babies would make me tired of this world.

I thought middle school was my limit and thought about ways to avoid going to high school without disappointing my parents.

"I'm glad everyone likes their classes," Woo Yeon-Hee said with a big smile.

At that time, my eyes met hers again.

"Stay safe during the summer, and I'll see you after," she said after turning towards me.

"But you are in charge of the first grade," one of the students said.

"I'll be in your grade, too. I'll see you again!" She replied.

The boys loved it since they liked anyone in a skirt. Also, in their eyes, Woo Yeon-Hee had outstanding beauty. She was cute like a small puppy, not pretty, but the boys didn't care.

Woo Yeon-Hee took me to the office again afterward. This was why there were strange rumors about us, and these rumors made her the subject of the boys' sexual fantasies. I was about to mention that while following her.

"If you take me to your office every time in front of all my classmates…"

Then, Woo Yeon-Hee interrupted me.

"Sorry, but would I ever call you if your school life was not worrisome?"

Then, she changed the topic.

"By the way, are you interested in playing basketball?" She asked.

"No," I answered.

"Well…I felt like I still had to tell you. Seongil Middle School wants you to come to school during the vacation. Do you know that we have a basketball team?" She questioned.

"Haven't I already told you that I'm not interested in sports?" I must have seemed annoyed.

"You're not?" She asked again.

"No," I replied.

She responded, "Don't lie. I've seen you using pull-up bars during every lunch break."

I repeated myself, "I'm saying that I'm not interested in sports like basketball."

"All of them?" She asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"As you know, your physical abilities are incredible, and you are getting taller, too. I'm planning to talk to your parents. Would that be okay?" She questioned.

I replied, "My father is busy, and my mother works, too."

For a moment, I could tell that she felt relief. If she was that transparent with her feelings, anyone could read her. She was actually curious about my family affairs, not about my interests in sports.

Since layoffs were common during the IMF crisis, she must have been checking that my father hadn't lost his job. Woo Yeon-Hee brightened after that, and she stopped as I did. Then, she looked at the CD I took out of my bag.

"Do you also play computer games?" She asked as if she didn't expect that.

I questioned her back, "Do you not?"

"I haven't in my life," she answered.

I wasn't sure what worried her, but she had followed me to this school because she was concerned about me.

"Try it when you're bored. I heard that teachers also take break during the vacation," I said while forcing the game CD into Woo Yeon-Hee's hand.

"Anyway, I'll phone your parents," she said.

"Okay," I responded.

She would install the game just to become closer to me, and she might learn how to call the status window by playing. That was all I could do to intervene since she had to take care of her own life.

Everyone was curious why the status window and ability development of the Awakened were similar to games, especially those with random boxes. According to the Eighth Virtue, it was the most acceptable, intuitive and effective method during that time, and the absolute being was taking care of us through this method.

My phone rang in my bag as I went into my office. After rummaging through my bag, I found it in the school uniform that I had changed out of while I was in the washroom of the subway station.

Jonathan: It's done.

It was Jonathan.

Seon-Hu: Did we get Blue Rock?

Jonathan: Ah, I bent my pride. When they asked for shares while bragging…Ha! There were so many moments that I wanted to raise my middle finger and quit everything. Oh, have I told you that I'm from Texas? You know how Texas guys are real men, right?

Seon-Hu: Thanks for your efforts. I know it was hard even though you don't tell me everything.

Jonathan: How?

Seon-Hu: Because it took a while.

Jonathan: Anyway, the problems start from the next step. I have to give them work so they don't notice our secrets. Do you have anything in mind?

Seon-Hu: Wait a second. Have you solved all the other issues? What about the time leftover in their contracts?

Jonathan: There will be a lawsuit, but I've got a plan.

Seon-Hu: Who will you give it to?

Jonathan: RGI.

Seon-Hu: But they are specialized in crimes.

Jonathan: Hey, let me finish. That dream team has an economic partner team specializing in business law. Let's talk about the details later. I thought of something when I heard these guys complain…

Seon-Hu: Yes.

Jonathan: We want to expand our company by buying Bluestone Group, right?

Seon-Hu: That's right.

Jonathan: Why don't we do it in the opposite way? We should grab the client funds that the Bluestone Group sold to Blue Rock and purchase additional funds from other operators.

Seon-Hu: For example?

Jonathan: There is something in Pittsburgh that meets our standards.

As soon as he mentioned 'Pittsburgh', one word popped up in my mind: ANC Financial! My eyes widened because Jonathan's thoughts reached that far.

Jonathan: Sun, let's bring ANC's client funds, too!

Jonathan's voice was brighter than Woo Yeon-Hee's. He must have been seeing what would happen next after Blue Rock and ANC brought in the client's fund deposits! That was why Jonathan was as excited as we were when we bet in Thailand and Hong Kong. There was no reason to stop him from jumping into a bigger battlefield. He had to regain his former self as soon as possible.

Seon-Hu: Could you come to the pub we went to the other day? Right now.

Jonathan: I'm already on my way since you just finished your classes.

Chapter 37

Jonathan spoke enthusiastically. He had prepared to explain his thoughts while negotiating with Bluestone's management for Blue Rock. The documents full of facts and numbers slid down from the desk like falling leaves. Jonathan kept rummaging through files even though he was the one who prepared them.

"Here it is. This is the point that we can negotiate with ANC. They are neglecting twenty billion dollars of client deposits. If we add up the Blue Rock's thirty billion, then it's fifty billion dollars in total."

The tens of billions of dollars Jonathan was talking about were not ANC or Blue Rock's money. Those were client funds deposits that their customers had invested, hoping for a profitable return. One notable thing was that some of the funds that ANC successfully raised were from the U.S. government's pension fund. I looked at the evidence for a while. Of course, even though it was tens of billions of dollars, we both knew that the amount was tiny compared to the entire U.S. pension fund. Despite that, the fact that their pension fund was included meant something, and I felt like I received an unexpected box. This could have been a bronze box but could unexpectedly turn into a challenger box.

Jonathan glanced at the files in my hand and grinned.

"I knew you would recognize it," Jonathan said.

I asked, "Anything else?"

Jonathan took the folded paper out of his pocket as soon as I asked. I just needed to confirm the specifics out of the hundreds of different types of pension funds that were managed by the U.S. government.

"What is this?" I unconsciously tensed my voice.

Jonathan's eyes widened in surprise as if this had been a test for me, and he seemed to be amazed by how much I knew about it.

"Why is ANC so careless with the funds? Do they not know what it is?" I asked.

"...They would have treated them differently if they knew," Jonathan answered.

I shook my head. "The client funds management team should be fired."

The pension fund in question was for retired teachers in Connecticut, and it was at least a diamond box! Connecticut's Education Association was one of the most influential organizations in U.S. politics as presidents usually reformed education policies right after their inauguration and citizens paid close attention to their schools. They had exerted a significant impact on politics as an icon of educational reform.

"We must bring it in since the fund will trumpet our name."

I could tell that my voice was filled with greed.

"If we manage it well, Jonathan," I said while Jonathan smiled slightly. "The U.S. government's pension fund will be poured into our New York firm," I continued.

"That's it! Killing two birds with one stone."

Jonathan stated the proverb that accurately matched the situation. As he said, this was an opportunity to increase the size of our company to attack the Bluestone Group and be hopefully noticed by the U.S. government. Our stone would be money, the profitable returns for our clients.

I asked, "What's the estimated acquisition cost?"

"Between 1.2 billion to 1.8 billion dollars," Jonathan replied.

That meant that we could buy fifty billion dollars worth of client fund deposits with 1.8 billion dollars. Blue Rock and ANC would sell if the price was right since they would be confident that they'd be able to raise that much investment again. The problem was getting approval from the Financial Supervisory Commission…

I worked on the details of the plan, then Jonathan suddenly asked a question.

"You've never lived in the U.S., right?"

"No," I answered.

Jonathan mumbled half to himself, "But how do you know everything? I'm not saying because of your age. You are just…"

"Just like an expert?" I said.

"Y...yes. More professional than those in Bluestone," he responded.

I replied nonchalantly, "My father works in the financial industry."

"In New York? Washington D.C.? I would know his name if he managed to raise a son like you," his eyes glowed as if he had become one step closer to solving the peculiar mystery of this thirteen year old genius.

"No, he's in Seoul. He's not as famous as you think, but he's a great father to me. Well, I'll leave the rest of the procedures to you, Jonathan," I said, changing the topic deftly.

He raised an eyebrow. "All by myself?"

"I'm in Seoul, and you keep forgetting that I'm underaged," I said, shrugging.

"Who would think that you are a minor?" He was talking to himself.

"Anyway, let's wrap this up and move on to the next," I said.

"Next?" He asked.

I gave him a look. "Why are you surprised? Are you not going to move the offshore funds stuck in the account?"

I showed my parents the Bible School poster that was taped on the telephone pole. Since the church event would span my entire spring break, I had enough time to go to America. Of course, my parents were surprised but gave me permission right away. They must have considered it as an opportunity for me to make friends.

The next day, I got on a flight to New York instead of a church bus. My passport was already ready, and I had booked the first class seat with cash from Jeon-il's funds.

There were only three passengers in first-class seats: an Indian man and a pair of caucasians with an indeterminate nationality. Apparently, they were familiar with each other since they exchanged greetings and information on each other's performance. According to their conversation, they couldn't achieve much from the Buy Korea project since Jeon-il blocked their way. I took out my laptop as their talk became boring.

The manuscript I had been writing for two weeks was almost finished, and the senior stewardess tried not to disturb me.

One time, the plane shook severely which even made the bulky Indian man scream. I realized it was due to turbulence when the pilot made an overhead announcement to explain. Then, I noticed that I wasn't thinking of flying monsters.

I had spent half a year in infancy and the other half in my teenage years, which was only one year in total. It surprised me how quickly I had gotten used to this world, and my senses were becoming dull. I wasn't referring to the Sense stat listed on the status window, but the survival instincts that were engraved in my soul…

The market was operated anonymously. Our identities should have remained secret in Bangkok and Hong Kong, but it was exposed because we lacked manpower for the amount of money we had. There was no firm in the world that could manage billions of dollars by themselves.

No matter how careful we were, we had habits when placing an order, and some firms were specialized in investigating these habits in the back alleys of the financial world. Therefore, Jonathan Investments had been discovered as the company that took most of the profits from the Asian financial crisis.

Jonathan and I couldn't carry on by ourselves as our financial empire needed Knights. In fact, Jonathan's ability as a trader was C class. He was a good substitute and manager of Jonathan Investments but was below my standards as a trader. Another reason was that the amount we had was massive.

Some managers could make amazing profits with millions of dollars, but only a few of them were able to maintain a profit rate of higher than ten percent with hundreds of millions of dollars to manage.

Then, who could manage these without losing billions of dollars? Gillian and Kim Cheong-Soo had S class skills in that respect, and if they followed my investment proposal, the results would be amazing.

However, I didn't know what Kim Cheong-Soo was doing at the moment, so I decided to look for Gillian first. In my past life, I had met him as a student when he gave lectures in a master's degree economics course at the University of London. He had accepted the position of a professor even though he already had a worldwide reputation by running a huge hedge fund. I was not sure why he chose that route, but it might have been that he wanted to look for a genius like him among the younger generation.

Whatever the real reason was, those months were my golden years and helped me to change my career path from London to Wall Street. I was certain that he would have made a big mark in financial history if he hadn't died that early.

I arrived at Wall Street and headed to 245 Park Avenue, where the Morgan Group's property management team was located. There was no time to reminisce about my past life. Well, to clarify, I was in a hurry to find Gillian in the lobby of the building.

"Have you made an appointment?" The receptionist asked politely.

Of course, I hadn't. This was not a place where a young Asian boy could enter confidently, and Gillian didn't even belong to a team that dealt with clients. He would be managing the Freeman Group corporate account.

I smiled and asked, "Could you please tell him that I'm from England?"

Even though the receptionist expressed signs of displeasure, she did as I asked her. However, the answer immediately came back as negative. I asked her to deliver a memo to Gillian and began to wait for him at the cafe across the street.

The sight outside the window reminded me of the old days. My old memories of returning to Korea like a refugee and becoming a reserve force on the Day of Advent became clearer. As I was reminiscing about the past, I realized that it was about supper time as the sky darkened.

Gillian came into the cafe. Although he was very young with a different hairstyle, I recognized him at first sight. However, his face was as gloomy as a rain cloud. I waved, and his face darkened even more.

He looked around and reaffirmed that I was the only one looking for him, then he sat down in front of me and asked in a voice full of doubt, which was natural.

"I heard that you're from England."

"There must have been a miscommunication. I'm not from England, but I'm here to take you to England. My name is Ethan," I said the words that I had prepared.

Gillian looked at me blankly and shook my hands, and I could feel that he wanted to return to his home country, England, very badly.

Chapter 38

I'm your biggest fan, professor.

"My clients are getting ready to establish an investment company in England," I said while pushing my thoughts away.

"Then you came to the wrong place," Gillian's smile was bitter.

I had not seen that expression on his face before. Of course, I had only spent one or two hours in his class for one semester in my past life, but he wasn't such a person who would be discouraged to that extent.

In 1991, he graduated with honors from the University of London, then entered the Morgan Group in the same year. After earning huge profits with bond products, he was promoted with the derivative product he developed in 1994. He contributed greatly to the development of the Morgan Group's trading system in 1995, and it became the breadwinner of the company for a while. In 1996, he was assigned to the New York headquarters and led in managing the group's head office.

Gillian had consistently provided record-breaking profits to Morgan Group, but his expression was dark. But why? He had hit home run after home run.

"This is unexpected. Your…"

It took Gillian a while to recall the name I had used to introduce myself.

"There's no one here that your clients are looking for. I don't understand why you came to see me. Thanks for your offer but I'll be fired from Morgan soon. Thought you would find that out," he sounded depressed.

"Oh, is that so?" I responded.

He said, "It's not a secret that the Morgan Group lost lots of money in two areas from the Asian financial crisis. As you know, I was in charge of one of them. I'm not making this up to reject your offer. If you read the Wall Street Journal published last week, you'll know it all."

I had been focusing on the manuscript last week, so I didn't check the news then. Gillian smiled bitterly again as I remained silent, then he stood up. He was already far away before I could even stop him.

"Don't you want to go back home?" I asked to the back of his drooping shoulders after chasing after him.

He replied in a dull tone, "I'll be a laughingstock, so I can't go back like this."

"I was confident that I got used to the fear in the market last year. That's why I thought the size of the position was more important than the time of entry. But I was completely wrong. All of my contribution and time became nothing with a very bad entry time," Gillian stopped there.

"You mean last year, right? The Asian financial crisis," I responded.

When I seemed to understand his profession, he looked at me differently.

"You must not be the only one. Last year, everyone lost money during the crisis. My clients were furious, too," I continued.

Gillian shook his head.

"One person earned a massive profit. Your clients should look for a manager like that."

Gillian was talking about Jonathan, but his words were not all positive. The frown on his face explained how Jonathan was evaluated in Wall Street, and thus, indirectly about me.

If an infinite number of monkeys sat in front of an infinite number of typewriters banging away, one of them might be able to type out the story 'Hamlet' by pure chance. My interventions in the financial world were treated like that. It was an implausible event where one was amazingly blessed like the monkey writing Shakespeare. People in Wall Street rationalized their failure by focusing Jonathan's reputation on his fortune rather than his skill.

"Well, you are right, too. Every investor dreams of hitting a jackpot, but clients prioritize consistent profit and a strong mentality like you, Gillian," I said.

"You're saying that because you don't know me. I lost a billion dollars," Gillian responded as if he was confessing.

I said, "You have earned much more for the Morgan Group last year and the year before. And as I said before, the Asian financial crisis…was something very unusual."

"Thank you. I never thought that I would be consoled like this," his tone was a little sharp, contrary to what he meant.

"If you make a decision, I'll convince the clients," I responded.

"You're going to establish it in England, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm planning to build on the Isle of Man," I replied.

Gillian nodded at the famous tax haven as it was the right place. Then, he asked a question he should have in the beginning.

"How much funds are there for operation?"

"Fifteen billion dollars," I answered.

Yet again, Gillian was not surprised.

I continued, "There is a directing team in the companies my clients own, and I promise you that they are amazing. My clients want you to follow the specific directions under the initial plan. We will hire you as the top executive trader."

For a moment, I saw disappointment on Gillian's face. He likely hoped for full authority over directing, but I offered him the same job he was currently doing in the Morgan Group. Their property management team worked like a machine and didn't give freedom to a star player. Also, each team had their specialized fields, and much of the work was operated through computer programs.

"You must follow the investment plan, but we won't interfere with the detailed directions and trading methods. We'll let you manage all the funds as you wish under the plan as aggressively as possible and without repercussions," I said.

I didn't give him a chance to refuse.

"Some of my clients are willing to invest in you separately. Of course not now, but if you show results, then…"

I emphasized on the magic numbers to recruit Gillian into my team.

"They will gladly invest ten billion dollars." I said.

As expected, Gillian's expression revealed all of his inner thoughts, and his eyes were lost for a moment. The only reason why Gillian had stayed in the Morgan Group despite knowing his own genius talent was because of their ten billion dollars. Many investors had wanted to poach him to proceed with their investment plans, but he rejected them all only for that money.

"From the beginning, I promised myself I wouldn't return until I get to manage ten billion dollars."

As he mentioned in his lecture, Gillian succeeded in returning to England with the investment and established a global asset management firm in the past. Well, I messed up his plans, but it worked as the piece I could bring him in. I didn't expect the butterflies of change to fly like that.

Gillian looked like he had made up his mind when heard about the fund amount, and I thought we had an agreement.

"You are not asking about my clients. That's good," I said.

He replied sardonically, "I'm not in a spot to do so. I don't mind as long as it's not drug money."

As I expected, Gillian had stopped thinking things over. I wanted to look in the mirror since I felt like my feelings were expressed on my face.

"You don't have to worry about that. My clients can support you with more funds once the investment firm is built on the Isle of Man. That's what they do all the time," I said.

Gillian nodded calmly. He had seen many billionaires like that before as the Morgan Group had many clients like them and the group itself was one of them. Also, he had met many people like 'Ethan', who had come from the tax havens. They were the trust companies' lawyers from the Cayman Islands, and they were the world's four largest accounting firms called the BIG 4.

Jonathan wouldn't have had opportunities to encounter them in the past since he had been a small fry, but Gillian would have met them everyday. Therefore, I was not so special to him, and he had no reason to be nervous in front of me.

"What are the terms and conditions of the contract?" Gillian questioned.

I went over the deal, "Your commission will be three percent, and your annual salary will be a hundred fifty percent of your current income. The detailed information is…"

"No, I'm just curious about what happens for losses," he interrupted.

"As I said, nothing if you follow the investment plan that the clients request. This point will be stated in the contract," I responded.

"This is such an attractive offer. If I don't follow the plan…I'll be responsible for all the losses, correct?" he asked.

"Don't test it. I don't want a man like you going to jail," I replied.

We both smiled.

"Of course not. I just wanted to check. So, if my profits are good, will I receive additional funds?" He questioned.

I shrugged. "I suppose so. I'll prepare the contract by tomorrow, and let's meet here three days from now."

"Wait, what about the desk team? Do you guys have a separate trading team like the directing team?" he asked.

"There are three fixed appointments, and you can hire anyone you want for the rest of the team. You would need a lot," I answered.

"That's nice," he responded.

"Then," I said.

We shook hands and separated. The meeting was brief but impactful, and I could smile happily now.

Ironically, Jonathan was in Seoul while I was in New York.

Jonathan: You didn't have to go to New York. I had been expecting much since you said you'll actually go there, but it was only for one property manager? Even if he belonged to the Morgan Group.

It was natural that Jonathan was complaining. Gillian had become famous after receiving an unprecedented investment from the Morgan, and, until then, he had been only noticed inside the Morgan.

Seon-Hu: I already made up my mind. I'll let Gillian handle some of the offshore funds.

Jonathan: You have the best person, though.

Seon-Hu: Are you talking about me?

Jonathan: Who else?

Seon-Hu: I'm alone, and you're busy running the New York company. The two of us can't manage all the funds on our own.

I pointed out the word 'managing', but Jonathan didn't notice it.

Jonathan: Gillian? What happens if he notices our paper companies?

Seon-Hu: He's not interested, and no one knows where the funds are coming from. It would take several years even for the U.S. government to investigate.

The probability was less than one percent as the offshore funds were difficult to chase by ninety-nine percent. The paper companies we had entrusted with the job had survived since World War Two, and we even used eight of them round-robin style.

Seon-Hu: We will establish an investment firm on the British Isle of Man and use it as a base for Europe. You will soon find out that GIllian was the best option for the leader.

Jonathan: When are you going to stop talking so formally?

Seon-Hu: Huh?

Jonathan: Age is not a big deal. You don't seem that young anyway. So, let's be…

Things became silent for a bit.

Jonathan: Friends. We could be friends, Sun.

Jonathan said in a trembling voice.

Chapter 39

Each of the guilds owned by the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues had their own territory in East Asia, North America, and Europe. Tax havens were like that too. Wall Street's elite funds, such as hedge funds, were in the Caymans, the offshore insurance and reinsurance funds were in Bermuda, and terrorism and Columbia drug traffickers' money were in Panama and Nevada. Latin American gang and crime funds were in Florida, European securities firm funds were in Ireland and Luxembourg, and Asian funds were in Hong Kong. Last but not least, most of the European funds were in Switzerland and the British royal islands such as Jersey, Gunji and Man.

The larger the amount of funds, the more tax havens were used. However, it didn't deviate significantly from the above structure since tax havens were usually chosen according to the purpose of use. Therefore, Carl, an old agent who introduced himself as a 'villain' recommended Switzerland with a smile. However, his office didn't jive with the image of a villain. It had a hundred eighty-degree panoramic view, and he was sitting behind a window with a beautiful view of Central Park.

"The view from my office is my second favorite thing I'm proud of. Isn't it peaceful? New York is such a competitive city, but we can find peace in Central Park. That's why I recommend Switzerland, as the country is Europe's Central Park," Carl said as he stared at the window with me.

"They have deep tradition and history, and Switzerland is one of the countries that is not influenced by global politics and will remain neutral even if World War Three happens. Safety is the best," he continued explaining.

In the meantime, he had requested seven million dollars to establish the company by proxy and five million dollars for annual maintenance.

"It would only take one day," Carl said.

Money was not a problem.

I responded firmly, "My clients are determined to build the firm on the Isle of Man."

When my stance didn't change, Carl quickly changed directions.

"Do as you please. All I'm doing is to build long-term trust," he replied.

That was true. There were a number of tax havens worldwide, but Switzerland was famous for being the most secretive. However, that was until 1997. It was currently 1998, and this was the year when the Holocaust problem arose unexpectedly. Not only was there a hullabaloo about the dormant funds of the Jewish victims, but there was also the controversy of the laundering of Nazi funds. Basically, it was a scenario that sounded like it had come out of a bad novel. As a result, the Swiss banks were under attack and they surrendered to the passive public outcry.

That was the real reason why I came to Carl's office. In my past life, around this time, the documents that caused Swiss banks to succumb came from this office.

Jonathan had been worried that billions of dollars of offshore funds would be discovered, and we would be imprisoned for the rest of our lives. However, there was only a one percent chance it would happen. To be safe, I had come to Carl's office to nullify even that tiny percentage. The last broker who handled our offshore funds was Carl.

When I put my briefcase on the table, Carl looked deeply interested in it. Then, I got up and quietly locked the office door, which alarmed Carl. It didn't take long for him to get on his phone and immediately yell out the name of someone, likely his secretary's. However, he was the only one in the office, and I had deliberately made an appointment during lunchtime for that reason.

"Why are you so frightened?"

I asked shamelessly and approached Carl. I slowly yet forcefully took away his phone. It was no use for him to try resisting because the phone slid from his fingers when our eyes met. His eyes were filled with fear. Most people had those eyes when they faced monsters in the Trial Tests, and Carl had seen a monster in me for a bit.

I smoothly said, "I just want to have a conversation without anyone's interference. More confidential."

Carl didn't open his mouth. He must have calculated how to safely escape the room as he was avoiding my eyes and glancing through the office. His eyes lingered on his fountain pen on the desk and the computer keyboard. Stabbing a person's neck with a pen took courage rather than skills. Then, his eyes stopped at the briefcase containing one million dollars in bearer bonds that I brought with me.

His mouth opened then.

"Do you belong to a gang?"

The answer was obviously no. Even terrorists, gangs and drug traffickers acted like a Wall Street financial manager in an agent's office. It was difficult to recognize them for who they actually were when they were in a place like this. Carl would have only met clients with neat suits who talked about big money and maintained a polite manner, like those who worked in the banks across the street.

Carl seemed confused when I smiled and acted like nothing had happened after I stopped him from calling his secretary. I had actually returned to my seat and sat calmly.

"Do you also deal with gang money?" I asked.

Carl's trembling eyes came back to normal at my words.

"Tell me what you want, and stop scaring me for nothing," he admitted that he was weaker than me.

While he was as tall and big as me, he had probably given up on physically fighting against me due to his age.

I showed him the million in bearer bonds.

"That's the price of using your computer," I said while looking at the bonds.

Carl had no idea what I was talking about, but then widened his eyes.

He sputtered, "This is a problem. I know what you're looking for, but we don't have it. We prioritize the confidentiality of our clients…"

I stood up again, and the room suddenly became tense.

"L…Like Swiss banks!" Carl shouted hurriedly.

He didn't move as if he was protecting the computer. I was looking down on him, and he was looking up at me.

"Move," my cold voice echoed through the room.

It was no laughing matter that politicians who used to be soldiers had power in the Korean National Assembly because violence in unexpected places could be as effective as it was surprising. Carl had never been exposed to such aggression, but the situation was occurring in his office. While he had to protect his computer at all costs, he ended up moving.

Then, his next resistance was an obvious bluff.

"Only the secretary knows the passwords. This is too much. I swear on my family that what you're looking for doesn't exist in this world."

Stupid Carl. He would have told me the passwords if I put a knife on his throat. But I didn't need to do that. Instead, I put in the CD that I brought with me and solved the password in front of him. The password cracker program acted like the Awakened attacking a boss monster.

Carl's face turned pale. It was not only because I cracked the password but also because the screen revealed the folders for each year and files with clients' names.

"I…I really didn't know about this," his voice trembled.

I gestured at him to stay quiet and pointed to the corner of the room.

"Do you want it all gone? Shut up," I warned Carl when he still resisted.

He must have noticed that I still maintained a polite manner. Carl stood in front of a distant bookshelf. He could have unlocked the door and called the police, but he couldn't because the federal agents would come rushing in if he did so. Then, prosecutors would find evidence of his clients violating the RICO laws[1]. Carl spoke in a trembling voice as if he had imagined the office filled with federal police officers.

"Tell me what you want, and I'll help you. Just tell me."

That was funny because he wouldn't have known even if I told him. Those with money, including myself, were careful when using agents as a proxy. The files Carl categorized by client names were business firms that already existed in tax havens with a hundred percent chance. They were companies where no one knew who the real CEO was. Carl didn't know whose funds he was managing. I also didn't know the names of every paper company. Even if the Holocaust incident broke out, it would be impossible for the government to discover everything about my paper companies. However, it was still against my nature not to tidy things if I knew there were any traces left.

"I told you I wanted to have Thai food."

"But it was delicious."

It was getting noisy outside the door as Carl's employees were returning from lunch. Carl knew what he had to do to survive. When I nodded, he went out and came back. There was no connection between the phones outside and inside the office, so we didn't have to worry about being disturbed by phone calls. Carl also notified his staff that he was having a meeting with a valuable client.

I deleted the relevant documents and the computer log files recording the erasure. It was getting dark outside the window when I finished the work, and Carl had stopped pacing and was seated, waiting for me.

"I wasted a day because of you. Secrets? That's ridiculous."

I stood up with those words, and Carl quickly rose to his feet with an exhausted look.

"...Take this," he said.

He was talking about the bearer bonds in the briefcase. I had not fixed the price randomly since a million dollars would be his average earning per project.

"Keep it. Today is not the end," I said.

"What…" he mumbled.

"If it's too much of a burden, keep it as a down payment. Finish establishing an investment firm on the Isle of Man," I said.

These brokers always left behind evidence, and I couldn't make a fuss every time. It would be better to just buy this place.

Chapter 40

I would have destroyed the entire building if this was my previous life. However, the world I lived in now was completely different and there was a more effective method.

When I went back to my seat, Carl swallowed a tablet of aspirin without water while glancing at me. He touched his forehead as if he still had a headache, and said, "There are employees outside."

Carl meant I shouldn't be violent, but his voice was weak.

"I want you to call Jane," I said while pointing to the nameplate of the company hanging on the wall.

「Carl Jane Legal Accounting Firm」

Carl was a lawyer, and Jane was an accountant. The office was located in the back alley where the majority of the businesses were law and accounting companies. The bookshelf was filled with legal and accounting books. However, their true identity was an agent for tax havens, and their history went back to the era of western pioneering when Carl's grandparents had founded the firm.

"I did what you wanted. What do you want?" Carl's face contorted.

"I'll have to buy this company," I responded.

Carl's expression turned strange as he became more energetic, proving to me that he was born to be a businessman.

Was it astonishing that this tiny office with only six employees generated a hundred million dollars annually in profit? In fact, they didn't even pay taxes to the U.S. government since their firm was located in the Caymans on paper while their office was physically located in New York. Therefore, this firm was not tracked on any law enforcement databases.

Carl told me to treat his wife, Jane, better than I did him. He even threatened me that if I didn't promise, he would never call her as she was also his partner. However, it was a useless concern because my aggression disappeared immediately before his wife arrived. I was shameless, but it was possible only because of my desire to own this agency.

Carl was also as brazen as I was. We remained awkwardly polite but pretended to be business acquaintances in front of Jane. She was a middle-aged caucasian lady who would love to be baking cookies instead of working on a pile of documents.

Jane said she would regain her youthful figure in the Caymans when the deal was concluded. I could see that their future involved suntanning in a big manor surrounded by palm trees. The couple was in their late fifties, which meant they were old enough to retire and live like a royal family.

"I don't want other accounting firms to be involved in this transaction. That's our stance. You know why, right?" Jane said.

A multi-million deal to purchase this type of firm often caused a war between the involved parties and their accounting firms, but Jane concluded in advance that there would be no such negotiations. I welcomed it since we were dealing with preserving secrets and retaining the current personnel infrastructure. There was no need to hire useless firms to reveal all our internal secrets.

While I had bought a tax agent firm to keep our secrets, that wasn't the only reason why I lied to my parents to come to New York. Another thing I planned on doing was to recruit my five knights for my financial empire as I now had enough money. It wasn't something that should be delayed any longer. I had to grab these people while they were vulnerable, not aware of their abilities, and before they had a chance to establish their own hedge funds.

After hiring Gillian, I found my second knight on the New York Stock Exchange. Her name was quite common, Jessica, but her capabilities were rare. Her education and family background were not special, but she had broken Wall Street's classic law that only men could enter the financial world.

It was easy to find Jessica, who was currently working as a mere phone secretary in the Stock Exchange. She was in a crowd snooping around a food truck at lunchtime. Other than Gillian, the rest of my five knights had not spread their wings yet, and they had to be trained under him except for Kim Cheong-Soo.

I continued with my schedule every day. About a week after coming to New York, I scouted four of the five, including Gillian.

For another factor in my trip, I went back to the back alleys of Wall Street. Although it was referred to as a 'back alley', there were no drunk people roaming around, gang members walking with guns, or prostitutes peeking here and there. In fact, it was also a decent place where high buildings covered the sun and successful elites walked by.

However, the firms there were the reason we called them 'back alleys', as there were two types of companies there: tax agent firms like the one I just acquired and private investigation firms.

They were commonly known as private detectives, but they didn't investigate murder criminal cases. Instead, they specialized in investigating investors and insurance companies.

The one I used in my past life had not been established yet. Therefore, I searched for the cleanest sign as it meant that it had opened recently. Their investigators had usually worked as police officers, federal agents or soldiers up until now. Based on my experience, the efficiency of U.S. private investigators was not much different from their Korean counterparts.

The company's interior was clean as the sign, and I had chosen the right place.

"Come this way, please."

The consultant looked me in the face and quickly skimmed through my attire. I was wearing a high-quality jacket, pants and shoes. Although I was a young Asian boy, my clothes didn't differ from the elites on Wall Street.

"Have you ever worked with us?" he asked.

"No," I answered.

The consultant guided me to the meeting room as a regular customer, then he handed me a promotional brochure for their ZOPI group. There were so many pages that I couldn't read it all at once. It was filled with their eighty investigators' outstanding expertise and how the group was organized.

The consultant turned to the page that he deemed would suit me, and it was about their successful investment evaluations. One of them held the details of a case when they discovered a sex scandal between the founder of a group famous food companies and an underage boy. The main content was that their investigation minimized the financial damage of founding partners.

"I'm not here to request an investigation."

I said while handing him my fake business card. Well, other than my name, the card was no longer fake since the company listed on it was one of the two new ones established yesterday in the Caymans. One had been used to buy the tax agent firm and the other to change my identity.

"You're the trust manager, aren't you? Are you looking for an investigator?" The consultant questioned.

I replied, "It doesn't matter as long as the person's at the partner level and is available now."

"Please follow me," he said.

The investigator's hand was covered with scars, and there were traces of his military tattoo on his upper arm. He had short hair, sharp eyes and sturdy features. He must have been in the army not long ago.

"Hello, my name is John Clark."

He said while staring at me as if he had a hunch.

"Hi, I'm Ethan," I responded.

He said, "We work with lots of trust companies, usually finding the beneficiaries."

"Then I've come to the right place. I'm here for the same reason," I replied.

Although they were a private firm, they pursued legal principles. Familial relationships must be proved to entrust the investigation of missing persons, and clients had to prove that they were involved in the criminal case when requested for the tracking of wanted persons.

However, finding trust beneficiaries was not that complicated because there was no way to prove the relationship. All matters related to trust funds were confidential between the manager, beneficiary and depositor, just like the Swiss banks. Since he had managed similar cases before, I didn't need to explain myself.

"The beneficiary's name is Bobby," I said.

John was waiting for me to give his surname, social security number and recorded address, but I had no such thing.

"He is currently between the ages of twelve and fifteen. I'm sure he lives in New York," I added.

John smiled awkwardly as my words stopped there.

"He has some distinctive features in appearance, but other information…I'll be honest with you. It's a shame, but they have been lost," I said.

He asked, "Mmm…Wouldn't it be better to go through a public notice?"

"That'll be a problem," I answered.

John nodded as if he understood.

"What's your relationship with Bobby?" He questioned.

I replied, "Sorry, but there's no other information we can offer."

"Ethan, how many Bobbys do you think live in New York that are around the ages of twelve to fifteen? You're not a hundred percent sure that he's here, right? How did you assume that he is living in New York?" John poured out his questions.

"He was born in Brooklyn. That's right. We should also consider the possibility that he's not in New York right now," I said.

He gave me a look. "Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. New York neighbors five states."

"We already know this request is beyond rational thought. But the fee is the issue, right?" I questioned.

John looked at my business card again.

"No, What Gold Run Trusts is requesting is basically asking us to search the entire North America," he replied.

"Actually?" I asked.

"Yes?" He asked back.

I became firm. "The fee is not the problem. John, this is Wall Street. Should I consult with a different investigator firm?"

John's face hardened slightly, but soon, he answered hastily.

"I meant that the cost of the investigation would exceed the benefits."

In other words, he was questioning if my firm was willing to go that far.

"You can say that because you don't know how much the benefits are. Please don't worry about it and proceed with as many people as necessary. Also, cooperate with partner companies since it's searching the entire continent," I answered in a frustrated tone.

"Are you serious?" His eyes widened.

I nodded. "Of course I am. We guarantee to pay you an incentive bonus for saved time and a success pay at the market's highest rate. Just prepare the contract, please."

John became silent after hearing my request and the fee I was willing to pay.

"We need to find Bobby at all costs. Could you please help us?" I asked.

I had to find him even if I had to purchase all the private investigators in North America. That kid…No, that bastard would become the First Evil, the leader of the Eight Evils.