After finishing negotiations with the Daehunpa, Mao Qin returned to her lodgings.
Quietly closing the door,
worried someone might be there, she looked around once more.
After confirming no one was there, she finally let out the breath she had been holding.
She shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Waaah~~~~~~”
“I got the contract!!!”
“I signed the contract!!! I did it.”
She hopped and bounced around the room.
She couldn’t contain her joy.
Mao Qin couldn’t believe this achievement.
That she had signed a distribution contract for Disand.
And with the Daehunpa, the top organization in South Korea.
She couldn’t believe she had signed a distribution contract with the Daehunpa, evaluated as comprising more than half of South Korea’s organized crime.
The hardships she had endured until now flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
When she had gone around carrying Disand, all she received was cold rejection.
Even bearing the name of the Sanhehui, she had been shown the door here.
The name Sanhehui had been no help at all.
So the word “give up” had circled in her head.
But this time was different.
She had changed strategies.
Disguising themselves not as the Sanhehui but as Zhonglian Tongda Trading Co., Ltd. seemed to have worked.
Lying that it wasn’t a self-produced item, but Aesand, which was enjoying sensational popularity in China, seemed to have hit the mark.
It fit perfectly.
She was so happy.
She wanted to praise herself for winning the contract.
She had wanted to shout like this the entire way back to her lodgings.
It had been too hard to hide her happy heart.
It was the first achievement since entering Korea.
That made it even better, and she wanted to enjoy it even more.
Of course, there were slightly lacking parts.
It wasn’t even an official contract yet.
They had to provide a sample of one million units.
They had agreed to an official contract depending on the reaction to that.
So it was still a bit hard to say they had become partners.
Still, it was the Daehunpa.
There was no way the Daehunpa couldn’t properly distribute Disand.
Starting a collaboration with the Daehunpa was the same thing as saying success was guaranteed.
They would distribute Disand to every place the Daehunpa’s power reached.
Disand would spread everywhere.
The one million units scattered as samples would be consumed in an instant, and orders would come in.
That would be the real beginning.
Rather, she was worried.
Would the factory be insufficient?
She indulged in the sweet imagination of whether they would have to expand the factory.
What if Disand in Korea became like Aesand in China?
What if Korea couldn’t live without Disand?
If that happened, she could dominate Korea.
What price should she charge then?
There was no limit to Mao Qin’s imagination.
It was stretching out endlessly.
“Ah! Uncle.”
Only then did the thought occur to her that she had to tell her uncle.
She had forgotten her uncle in her overwhelming joy.
Mao Qin picked up her phone and contacted her uncle.
.
.
.
“Yes, well done. Take care of yourself, and let’s talk again.”
Zhang Tian’s expression after hanging up was dark, unlike Mao Qin’s.
There was nothing to be dark about,
nothing that should be a problem, but something felt off.
A corner of his heart was uncomfortable.
Hiding the fact that it was the Sanhehui and disguising themselves as an ordinary trading company was good.
Deceiving them by calling it Aesand, popular in China, was good too.
The Daehunpa’s reaction had been extremely normal.
Asking for samples beforehand to test before the main contract.
Saying they would sign the contract after seeing the test results was sufficiently understandable.
He thought one million samples was a bit excessive,
but if they pushed a little, it could be considered within acceptable limits.
Rather, if they had suggested signing immediately without such a process,
or requested a large quantity, he would have been suspicious.
No matter how much he thought, there was no problem, yet something was nagging at him.
Logically there was no problem, but something kept thumping against his chest.
Saying he shouldn’t do this.
Was it the feeling that things fit too perfectly, as if someone had arranged the board?
It wasn’t artificial, yet it felt artificial.
When doing business, things never go according to plan.
They never proceed in order.
If one thing works out, another doesn’t.
If you fix one thing, a problem erupts elsewhere.
But for it to be resolved this smoothly?
Just because they changed the company name?
Just because they called Disand by the name Aesand?
And in Korea, where things had been going so poorly?
An uneasy feeling came over him, but Zhang Tian forcibly shook off the anxiety.
He soothed himself, saying it was nothing.
That it was fine, that it was needless doubt.
He continued to gaslight himself.
Now was not the time to doubt, but to lend strength.
It was an achievement Mao Qin had made while suffering in Korea.
He had to push her forward.
If she failed here, Mao Qin wouldn’t be able to survive in the Sanhehui.
Even now, old foxes who only wished for Mao Qin’s failure were targeting her from behind.
Zhang Tian closed his eyes for a moment.
Slowly, he picked up the phone.
“Send the samples.”
*******
“Here?”
I had come to see a house with Allen.
I was looking for a decent house because the current one was difficult to guard.
This place had been selected as the final candidate after being chosen and picked from numerous candidates.
They said my permission was needed before deciding, so I had come to check.
Honestly, I didn’t really care where I stayed.
I didn’t really care if I slept on the street, so I left it to Allen, but Allen insisted he absolutely needed my permission.
So the place we came to was Hannam-dong.
It was a small townhouse located on the southern side of Maebongsan.
“Yes. We checked many places with the help of the Daehunpa, and considering the location, movement lines, ability to restrict access, and convenience of living, this seems most suitable.”
“Hmm…”
I looked over the townhouse complex as a whole.
There were a few buildings in the center, surrounded by other buildings.
Seen from above, the structure was a round ellipse like an egg.
The townhouse was nestled in the forest as if embraced by it,
and to the south, the Han River was visible.
Though in Seoul, it felt like being in the woods.
It felt so quiet and peaceful that one could momentarily forget it was in the middle of Seoul.
It had optimal conditions for security.
The location was good too.
It was good for going anywhere in Seoul, and if you went out a bit, convenience stores and restaurants and other living facilities were lined up.
“Nice. Good location, good for security. Let’s sign. But how many buildings? Do we need four? Five for all of us to move in?”
“Well… we’re planning to contract the entire townhouse complex. That way it’s easier to control who enters and exits.”
“Is that possible?”
I asked in surprise.
I hadn’t thought of buying the whole thing.
Allen had more scale than I thought.
“Yes. It’s still before the official sale, so it was easily possible. The developer said they would do a post-completion sale. That’s why it was possible.”
Come to think of it, construction vehicles were still visible here and there, as if still under construction.
The fact that it wasn’t completed yet felt like an advantage instead.
It meant they could still change things to suit their taste.
“Moreover, the underground parking lot is connected throughout the entire complex. You can move without external exposure. It’s a considerable advantage. It can be used as a community center or even as an air-raid shelter.”
He chose well.
How did he manage to pick such a place in Seoul?
“You should see the inside too. This way.”
I followed Allen into the building in the very center of the town.
Opening the door, a large entryway and hallway were visible.
Walking a bit down the hallway, a spacious living room and large windows overlooking the Han River appeared.
I had lived looking at the Philippine sea, but the scenery of the Han River was different.
More serene, making you look longer.
Though the interior was still in progress, the materials and structure alone felt luxurious.
It wasn’t excessive, a design that made people comfortable.
Going upstairs, there were bedrooms and a simple kitchen, and a terrace continued.
Above that was an attic.
“The CEO will use this place, and we’re thinking of giving the building next door to Brother Daehun.”
“Good idea.”
He had even thought of Daehun in the midst of it all.
Wouldn’t it be nice to buy Daehun a house too.
“And we plan to use the building behind as a comprehensive situation room. The buildings on the outer edge will be used as quarters for bodyguards and for when guests visit.”
“What about this?”
“It’s the stairs going down underground. It’s directly connected to the parking lot. We’re thinking of converting part of the underground parking lot into a safe room.”
I hadn’t thought of that, but it was a really good idea.
The more I listened to Allen’s explanation, the more a picture was drawn.
It felt like how this place would change was becoming clear.
It was perfect.
The location was good,
the house was good,
and it was good for security too.
It couldn’t be better.
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. Very much.”
If it was here, I had to buy it unconditionally even if it was a bit expensive.
He had chosen so well.
“The price?”
“They said it’s expensive because it’s a post-completion sale and they used good materials.”
“How much?”
“They asked 18 billion won per unit, but we negotiated it down to 15 billion. On the condition of buying all 20 units.”
18 billion?
15 billion after discount?
15 billion was not a cheap price even after discount.
But a townhouse of this size in Hannam-dong with a view of the Han River.
If only we used it, it wasn’t that bad a price.
I had planned to buy it even if it was more expensive because I liked the location.
And I have a lot of money.
A lot of it.
15 billion for 20 units.
300 billion.
It wasn’t a small amount, but it wasn’t a burdensome price either.
No, I wasn’t moved at all.
Before I knew it, I had become numb to money itself.
Money kept coming in, but I had no use for it.
I mostly stayed in Mindanao.
Even if I wanted to spend money, there was nowhere to spend it.
There was nothing there.
At best, a kimchi stew restaurant.
If not Mindanao, it was the Emerald Resort in Bohol.
The Emerald Resort was an all-inclusive resort itself.
It provided everything from food and beverages to alcohol for free.
Not just me, but to all guests.
So there was no need to spend money.
On the other hand, money was earned too easily.
We, who started with Candy Tour, used to be happy earning ten million won a month.
After acquiring the resort and opening a casino, profits increased exponentially.
Going by sales alone, the resort’s revenue was the largest, but GoGo Casino had the best profit.
Good Chinese people who loved gambling boosted our revenue.
But all of that was in the past.
After Aesand appeared, everything below Aesand became trash.
Lone Emperor, One-Top, Strongest, Undisputed Number One, Top Tier, Apex, Final Boss, One of One.
All of them were words referring to Aesand.
Aesand earned about 300 to 400 trillion won per year.
We used to be happy earning tens of billions of won at the casino, but now we earn over one trillion a day.
A few hundred billion really isn’t money anymore.
300 billion?
I could spend it every day without issue.
Since I came to Korea, might as well do some shopping.
Anna had been urging me so much to spend some money.
The hardest thing about earning a lot of money was Anna.
Because she had to manage the money.
The method Anna chose was to eliminate the money.
When receiving payments from China, all that money went to the Cayman Islands.
They invested in hundreds, thousands of companies.
And those companies invested in several more companies, and invested again.
After several stages, the money scattered.
It went around and around.
And the investments from the investing companies all failed.
The invested companies closed down.
That amount all became losses.
The companies went under from losses.
They closed.
The money that disappeared in that process piled up intact in my account.
This was the system Anna had created.
Only, the amount had grown so large now that Anna was flustered too.
She said she was looking for another method.
So she had made some into real companies.
To use at times like this.
Get new business cards made.
Then purchase under that company name.
“Let’s go with this place. It’s nice here.”
“Understood. We’ll proceed immediately.”
“Talk to the Daehunpa and buy a few buildings if there are any good ones.”
“Yes, understood.”
Just when I thought things were over, the phone rang.
It was Mao Qin.
What was it?
“This is Mao Qin from Zhonglian Tongda Trading.”
“Yes. Hello. What can I do for you?”
Mao Qin of the Sanhehui had called.
Her voice was bright.
Must be good news?
“We sent the samples from the factory. I’m calling to let you know.”
“That’s good. I was wondering when they would arrive. How many days will it take for us to receive the goods?”
“About ten days? You should expect around that long.”
“It takes quite a while even coming directly from China?”
I asked back as if I knew nothing, but actually I knew.
That it couldn’t enter through normal procedures via regular routes.
They probably made Disand somewhere in Southeast Asia, stopped here and there, forged documents, and then brought it in.
That’s why it takes about ten days.
“Ah… it’s far and the procedures are a bit complicated.”
Mao Qin began to make excuses, sounding flustered.
I should understand to that extent.
“I see. We’re ready here. I hope it arrives quickly.”
“Yes. We’ll send it as soon as possible.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
After hanging up, I looked at Scott behind me.
“Scott. Can we check where these guys’ product is coming from?”
“The Disand made by the Sanhehui?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe we can find out if we ask Jason, the smuggler.”
“Then go ask him discreetly.”
“Why? Should I tell Sin Junggi? Tell him to prepare a suicide boat?”
“No, no, it’s not that. It’s just no fun if they just come in.”
“Then?”
“Let’s intercept them in the middle.”
“Intercept?”
My plan was this.
Intercept the goods in the middle.
Then whine to Mao Qin that we didn’t receive the samples.
The Sanhehui would have no choice but to send the samples again.
We would use that as leverage to gain the upper hand in the contract.
We would push a little forcefully.
I was planning to show them what a K-contract was.
Scott made a strange smile upon hearing the answer.
“Ehehe. That sounds fun.”