Thanks to chartering a military helicopter, we arrived in Seoul in no time.
After landing at Seoul Airport, we got into the car Jeong Ilsu had prepared and headed for the bank’s headquarters.
The yellow dust was much the same in Seoul.
Yellow sand and dust blanketed the city, and cars, coated in grime, crawled along like turtles.
Between the sounds of the windshield wipers, the radio could be heard.
-This is all because the Chinese government has thrown up its hands! Fine, America giving up on the climate is one thing, but what on earth is China doing? They’re the ones who’ll be buried under it all, and yet they’re giving up on climate response!
It seemed to be the current affairs debate hour, and the angry voice of a pundit rang out.
-Meteorologists say it would have been difficult for China to stop this yellow dust on its own. On top of that, a typhoon has struck southern China, so dealing with that can’t be easy either.
The announcer countered, but the pundit’s anger did not subside.
-That’s exactly why it’s even more absurd. They’re getting battered like this and still throwing up their hands? Haven’t they just given up on everything? And what about us, buried under this yellow dust thanks to them! America and China have all gone mad! No, don’t cut me off! I have to say what needs to be said! That……
The pundit’s voice cut off, as if his microphone had been muted.
Then came the announcer’s apology.
- We apologize. There was a brief disruption in the broadcast. Once again, we would like to clarify that this is not the official opinion of the broadcasting station.
Jeong Ilsu shook his head and turned off the radio.
“Yellow dust out of nowhere. Even though the war is over, the chaos isn’t letting up.”
The world was falling apart. If anything, the chaos would only increase; there was no way it would lessen.
In the now-quiet car, I called my older brother.
Whether the time difference mattered or not, he picked up right away.
-You’re back now?
“I got back a few hours ago.”
-I’ve been busy adapting here too.
“Anything difficult?”
-Well, work is the same as always. Housing and prices are expensive, but the pay is good, so it’s livable.
“That’s good. If you’re not busy, help me with something.”
-I think I’m about to get busy soon…… What is it?
I explained the situation at once. After hearing me out, my brother exploded in anger.
-What the hell are you talking about? Transferring hundreds of billions into my account? And what do you mean, asset manager!
“Exactly what I said. I came into a lot of money, but I don’t have time to use it, so I want you to manage it. I also need to move the money to America.”
There was no reason to leave hundreds of billions in Korea.
Even if I did something later, it would be better to keep the money in America.
-I can force myself to understand the words, but the scale of the money makes no sense!
It was just like my brother, who had figured out where I had been.
But even he did not know exactly what kind of work I was doing.
“Things got bigger.”
-Don’t tell me this isn’t the end?
“Yeah. It’s going to get even bigger.”
I was taking as much as possible in other forms, but the initial transportation fees and various profits from the first contract kept coming in.
Even if I did nothing but continue spatial movement, the money would increase endlessly.
At my words, my brother let out a sigh.
-Damn it…… So how do you want me to manage it? Are you telling me to buy buildings or something?
That would be troublesome. Earth’s assets would soon turn into garbage.
“No. The management itself doesn’t matter, but make everything short-term. It should be positioned toward the economy getting worse.”
-Did you study economics over there too?
I could hear the disbelief in my brother’s voice.
It was only natural.
I was the type to use my body rather than my head.
“No, I just picked things up while going around.”
-Where did you hear that kind of tabloid nonsense…… Fine. If the money man says so, I have to listen.
If it came from the deputy director of the American intelligence agency, it was fairly decent as far as tabloid nonsense went.
He said that, but my brother would do as I asked.
“I’ll call once the bank business is finished.”
-Haa. Fine. Do as you like.
My brother hung up in a voice that sounded as if he had given up.
When I ended the call, Jeong Ilsu spoke beside me.
“You and your brother seem close. You must trust him a great deal.”
I had no choice but to trust him.
Before I became an adult, he was the one who dragged me up to Seoul.
How hard the two of us had worked to survive in Seoul.
If I did not trust a brother like that, there was no one on this Earth I could trust.
‘Besides, the money itself isn’t what’s important.’
Now, money was only a means.
And one whose importance had dropped quite low among many other means.
Right now, the black stone was far more important.
The same went for the “Wizard’s Flower” I would bring next.
When we entered the bank headquarters, a middle-aged man came running out and guided us to a splendid room.
It was the sort of room where VIPs were entertained in movies.
When we sat on the sofa, employees placed refreshments in front of us, and the middle-aged man wiped his sweat as he spoke to me.
“I’m Jeong Taewon, head of the FB Division. I heard you’re moving funds.”
I answered the division chief’s greeting exactly as I had first intended.
“Yes. I’ll move everything except ten billion won.”
With around ten billion won, I would have no inconvenience the next time I came to Earth.
At my words, the division chief wiped his sweat again and replied.
“I apologize. It hasn’t been long since we heard about this, so we need more time.”
At that, Jeong Ilsu tilted his head.
“I believe the arrangements were already made.”
The division chief quickly nodded.
“It’s simply such a large amount, so please wait just a little. We’ll process it as quickly as possible.”
I understood.
Being told to move hundreds of billions to America within a few hours.
Even with American intelligence backing us, it was a rather excessive demand for a country that had just ended a war.
In any case, I had to wait for contact from Catherine and Margretta, so I decided to wait a little longer.
Time passed.
At first, I showed my identification and signed a few documents, but after that, all I could do was keep waiting.
The cold coffee was replaced several times.
Outside, the sun was setting.
It was taking longer than I had expected.
“This is too late. Does it usually take this long?”
They surely wouldn’t postpone it to the next day, but since it was getting so late, I started to worry.
“Please wait just a moment. There are many documents we need to verify, so if you could wait just a little longer……”
At the same words I had heard several hours earlier, I looked at Jeong Ilsu.
At my gaze, he took out his phone.
“It is indeed taking too long. I’ll check.”
He was about to make a call.
Step, step.
I sensed someone approaching the room.
It was not one of the people who had been going in and out until now.
The approaching footsteps were different from the footsteps of the bank employees worn down by fatigue.
Knock, knock.
When the sound of knocking came, the division chief who had been attending to us sprang to his feet.
He quickly walked over and flung the door wide open.
Through the open door, a man in his early forties entered.
Unlike the division chief who opened the door for him, he was a man brimming with confidence.
Wearing an expensive suit and looking around the room, he resembled the third-generation chaebol I had seen at the Baekdu Mountain unit.
When he entered, the division chief bowed his head.
“You’ve arrived, sir.”
“Good work.”
After exchanging perfunctory greetings with the division chief, he extended a hand to me.
“I heard you waited quite a long time. Pleased to meet you. I’m National Assemblyman Lee Junho.”
[It’s a face I saw on the internet. It said he’s a National Assemblyman who married into a chaebol family. I believe it was HS Group.]
At Soph’s words, I smiled bitterly.
I had told them to send someone proper, and it seemed this time they had sent a National Assemblyman.
When I did not take his hand, he withdrew it as if it were no matter.
“I was on my way to meet you, Myeonghan, when I heard things had gotten tangled at the bank, so I intervened. It should all be finished by now.”
Ding.
The instant his words ended, a text came in.
It was a message saying the money had been transferred.
When I opened the bank app, only ten billion won remained in the account.
The transfer had finally gone through.
“Domestically, it will be difficult to handle matters with American assistance alone. If I’d known in advance, it would have been taken care of long ago, but I found out too late and was delayed in helping.”
At the man’s words, a bitter smile came to my lips.
I couldn’t tell whether he was telling me to be grateful that he had helped, or whether it was a subtle threat.
Either way, it did not feel good.
Whatever the case, the reason it had taken this long was to buy time for that National Assemblyman to arrive.
At any rate, since the transfer had gone through, I called my brother.
“Check it. The transfer is complete.”
-Yeah, it came in. But how can this amount of money come into this account? This is an ordinary bank account.
“They must have handled it somehow. Anyway, I’m counting on you. Next time I come, I might be able to go see you.”
-Yeah. Take care of yourself. See you next time.
After ending the call with my brother, I rose from my seat.
My business was finished, so there was no reason to stay.
As I tried to leave, the man stopped me.
“Please wait. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
I looked the man up and down as he blocked my way.
There were no traces of energy anywhere on him.
[There’s no mental magic on him. He’s someone who knows nothing.]
Soph told me the same result.
I said to the man,
“I have no reason to talk with someone who doesn’t know the circumstances.”
At my words, the man smiled bitterly.
“This is the first time I’ve been treated like this since becoming a National Assemblyman.”
“It’s simply my answer to being inconvenienced.”
At my reply, the corner of the man’s eye twitched.
He drew a breath, then said to me,
“……I am not the person you are to meet.”
“Were you sent by HS Group?”
He looked at me with puzzled eyes.
His expression said he could not understand why I was acting like this if I knew who he was.
“So you know me. No. The person I serve said he wishes to see you.”
“The person you serve?”
“The current leader of the ruling party. He wishes to meet you.”
If it was the leader of the ruling party, even I knew who he was.
[Oh, is it that man? The kingmaker they say controls the president from behind the scenes?]
A National Assemblyman who had served as Speaker of the National Assembly, run as a presidential candidate, and was called an old monster of politics.
The current president also had considerable ties with him.
He was someone I had not expected.
And he was sufficiently high-ranking.
“Does he want to meet now?”
“He said he would like to talk while having dinner together.”
Was it something like a secret backroom meeting at a high-class restaurant, the kind seen in movies?
[That sounds interesting.]
As Soph said, I was interested too.
But now was not the time to go.
“Not today.”
“Pardon?”
At my words, his eyes widened.
It seemed he could not understand what I had said.
Ring-ring-ring.
Just then, a phone rang.
It was a call for the National Assemblyman.
Frowning as he checked the number, he began the call with startled eyes.
“……What do you mean? Taken in the middle? The soldiers were escorting them!”
He shouted into the phone, then apologized to me.
“I’m sorry. Something urgent has come up. I’ll contact you again tomorrow.”
Leaving those words behind, he hurriedly exited the room.
The division chief followed after him, leaving only Jeong Ilsu and me in the room.
“What could have happened?”
At Jeong Ilsu’s question, I said,
“Can you check with the branch? It seems the black stone being transported to Seoul and the follow-up member were taken midway.”
“What?”
“My hearing is good, so I could hear the call.”
The abducted follow-up member was the female university student who had come with me.
The exact same thing as last time had happened.
I had gotten out on my own, but this time, she would not have been able to.
The problem was the black stone that had supposedly been taken.
That black stone was in Seoul.
I could sense dark energy.
If dark energy was being sensed in Seoul, where there should have been none at all, then it could only be the black stone.
Tonight, finding that black stone was more important than meeting the leader of the ruling party.
Rescue (1)