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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: A Peculiar Transaction
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Once the two had concluded their business, they left the meeting room. A goblin waiting in the lobby handed them two briefcases.
“We have prepared the 1.5 billion won you requested. It is all in cash, divided equally into 750 million won per case.”
Without even glancing at the contents of the briefcases, Kang-jun replied, “Thank you,” then immediately pushed through the building’s revolving door and left.
The two men exited the building and casually made their way to a famous fast-food restaurant not far away.
“Bong-gu, it’s my treat today, so eat as much as you want.”
Kang-jun said this while lightly tapping his fingers on the screen of the self-service kiosk.
“Sir, you’re quite frugal, aren’t you?”
At that, Kang-jun pointed to the order summary displayed on the kiosk screen and answered dryly.
“Huh? What are you talking about? I’m splurging like crazy right now.”
Kang-jun was currently adding the maximum amount of every possible topping to the burger he was ordering.
Various sauces, cheese, bacon, and patties, not to mention all sorts of vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes…
“Of course, this could be considered a luxury, but compared to your wealth, sir, I question whether it can truly be called ‘splurging’…”
Kang-jun scowled and replied.
“Don’t talk back and ruin my appetite. Go find a seat and sit down. When the burgers are ready, bring them over.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And make sure you ask them to give us plenty of ketchup. Who are they feeding with the two or three packets they always give out…?”
Not long after, Bong-gu, having collected the two hamburger sets, carefully made his way to the table where Kang-jun was sitting.
Rustle, rustle…
Kang-jun carefully unwrapped the burger, took a large bite, and spoke while chewing.
“Hey, Bong-gu.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t worry.”
After speaking, Kang-jun licked the hamburger sauce off his fingers with a “slurp, slurp,” then added in a reassuring tone.
“I’ll take care of winning the bid for the Elixir, so for the time being, even if it’s tough, get your head straight and just focus on your training.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you so much…”
“Actually, if you think about it, even if your mother recovers, it’s not like everything will be completely resolved, right?”
At those words, Bong-gu let out a soft “Ah…” as if he’d realized something. Kang-jun continued in a rather calm tone.
“It’s true you’ll have overcome the biggest crisis of your life, but there will surely be ‘what comes next,’ won’t there?”
“Yes…”
“At the very least, it won’t end vaguely like a fairy tale with ‘and they all lived happily ever after.’ Reality is different from fairy tales.”
Bong-gu nodded at his words and replied.
“Yes, sir. I’ll take that to heart.”
He then fell into deep thought for a moment.
*‘He’s right. He’s absolutely right…’*
Even if his mother were to wake up from her long coma, his duties as the head of the household wouldn’t simply end.
What came after?
He would, of course, have to support his mother well, and he would also have to provide solid support so his younger sibling could focus solely on their studies.
*‘I can’t let myself get complacent…’*
The happiness he had longed for was shimmering before him like a heat haze. But to maintain that coming happiness, he definitely had to become stronger.
This was a dangerous world where news anchors recited lists of innocent casualties along with news of new Gate occurrences almost daily.
To protect his family from such a dangerous world, and to support them well so they could live without envy.
*‘Yes, I have to get stronger…’*
Bong-gu’s gaze shifted, and he found himself watching Kang-jun, who was heartily devouring his hamburger.
*‘Come to think of it, he said he’s lived far longer than most giant tortoises. I guess you can definitely feel the wisdom of his years at times like these…’*
Just then, Kang-jun took a few sips of his cola, then glanced down at the briefcase sitting by his feet and spoke again.
“By the way, I have a problem.”
“Sir?”
“I’ve withdrawn the money, but…”
“Yes.”
“What should I tell my sister when I give it to her?”
If the amount had been reasonable, it would be a different story, but the sum was so large that he couldn’t even begin to think of a plausible excuse.
“Sir, what if you secretly place it by her bedside while she’s sound asleep?”
“I guarantee you, the moment she wakes up, she’ll report it to the police, saying she needs to find the owner.”
Kang-jun finished speaking, shrugged his shoulders, and added.
“She’s the type of person who’d take a single 500-won coin she found on the street to the police station.”
Just then, Bong-gu tilted his head with a curious “Huh?” and, as if he’d thought of a good solution, continued in an excited tone.
“Sir, what if you say you won the lotto?”
“The lotto?”
“Yes, I heard the first-prize winnings these days are right around the one-billion-won mark.”
At that, Kang-jun’s eyes widened as well.
“Oh?”
A conversation he’d had in passing with Lee Su-bin not long after his return to Earth suddenly came to mind.
*‘I just wish I’d win the lotto I bought this week. Then I could live comfortably without any worries…’*
*‘The lotto?’*
*‘Yeah, I’ve actually been investing five thousand won every week for a few years. I think the prize money these days is about a billion won.’*
Kang-jun suddenly exclaimed, “Wow, damn…” and, unable to hide his surprise, muttered to himself.
“They say you should just live a long life and see what happens. I never thought the day would come when I’d actually get help from Bong-gu…”
“Th-that’s a compliment, right?”
“Anyway, if I’m going to pretend I won the lotto, I should probably start preparing for it, step by step, starting today.”
Bong-gu tilted his head slightly at those words and asked.
“What kind of preparations?”
“There’s something.”
After speaking, Kang-jun lifted his cola cup. Bong-gu stared at him for a moment with a look that seemed to ask, ‘What do you want me to do?’
“Ah, really, sir…”
Bong-gu then gently cupped his own cola with both hands, lightly tapped it against Kang-jun’s, and replied softly.
“Cheers, to a brilliant future!”
“What are you doing now?”
“Weren’t you asking for a toast?”
Kang-jun’s brow furrowed deeply as he added with a growl.
“Go get me a cola refill.”
The man with the gentle demeanor, Choi Yu-hun, was a perfectly ordinary office worker in his thirties, the kind you could find anywhere in the Republic of Korea.
He was always struggling financially due to his meager salary, continuing his corporate life with an unsent letter of resignation tucked away in his drawer…
However.
Just a few days ago, a stroke of immense luck had come his way, one that could be said to have changed his life entirely.
“Well, I’ll be…”
In his one-room apartment with a five-million-won deposit and three-hundred-thousand-won monthly rent—a home where mold grew on the wallpaper in the summer and the pipes froze in the winter.
He lay on the creaky mattress, grinning from ear to ear as he gazed at the lottery ticket tucked safely in his wallet.
“So my day in the sun has finally come…”
He had won the lottery, something he bought out of habit every week.
First prize, no less.
The prize money alone amounted to a staggering 1.5 billion won.
“Let’s see, after paying the taxes and fees, the amount that ends up in my hands will be about one billion won…”
Typically, for lottery winnings, 33% of the prize money had to be paid in taxes under the name of ‘taxes and public dues.’
It was a bit disappointing to have to pay a whopping 500 million won in taxes, but what could he do?
“One billion won…”
Although it was far from enough to move into a high-end apartment in an area classified as a Gate-safe zone…
It was clear that his quality of life would change dramatically once he received the prize money.
Just as he was staring intently at the lottery ticket, lost in a world of imagination…
Click-!
The power suddenly went out, plunging the room into thick darkness. Then, a series of eerie footsteps began to sound.
Thud, thud…
Sensing danger, Choi Yu-hun hastily shoved the winning ticket into his back pocket and asked in a trembling voice.
“Wh-who’s there…?”
He was convinced that the uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared was a thug who had come for his winning ticket.
*‘No, I haven’t even cashed in the prize money yet. How on earth did they find out…?’*
Then, a voice came from the darkness.
“Yes, I have dearly missed missions like this…”
Swallowing hard, Choi Yu-hun asked again.
“Wh-wh-why are you doing this to me?”
At that, the intruder suddenly shouted, “Silence!” before continuing in a calm, measured tone.
“I have simply come to propose a deal under orders. I have no desire to use force, so I would appreciate your quiet cooperation.”
“Wh-who are you?”
“I will now propose a deal to you. If you hand over the first-prize lottery ticket, I will pay a price befitting its value.”
The intruder’s voice was that of an old man, likely over sixty, but he didn’t dare even think of resisting.
Within that low, gentle voice, he could feel a menacing killing intent, along with an indescribable pressure.
“And of course, there will be no reason to sadden your beloved family.”
“What…?”
“How sad would your family be if you were to pass from this world?”
Just from the way the intruder spoke, it was clear this was not his first time making threats.
Choi Yu-hun quickly did the math in his head.
*‘I could really die…’*
As precious as the prize money was, was it more precious than his life?
“I-I-I-I’ll hand it over. So please, just spare my life. I’m begging you. Pl-please, just my life…”
He immediately pulled out the winning ticket and handed it to the intruder with tears in his eyes.
Swoosh!
The intruder swiftly snatched the ticket and replied in a voice tinged with malice.
“Hehehe, a wise choice.”
Not even a few seconds had passed.
Click.
All the lights in the room, which had gone out, came back on…
Ah…
The intruder had vanished without a trace, along with the lottery ticket.
“Damn it…”
Just as the reality of the situation sank in and tears welled up in his eyes…
“Huh?”
Two briefcases, sitting forlornly on the yellowish linoleum floor, caught his eye.
“What’s this…?”
He immediately opened the briefcases and began to check their contents…
“B-b-b-bundles of cash?”
He immediately began to meticulously count the amount inside the cases.
A staggering 1.5 billion.
The full prize amount, before any taxes had been deducted, was there.
“Wh-what is this…?”
The intruder had not only given him the one billion won he would have received after cashing in the ticket…
But had also thrown in the extra 500 million won he would have had to pay in taxes.
Simply put, the man had purchased a one-billion-won lottery ticket for 1.5 billion won.
“What in the world…?”
A bewildered expression spread across Choi Yu-hun’s face.
♦ * * *
The next morning.
“Good morning.”
Bong-gu, who had come to Kang-jun’s house to train for the promotion exam as usual, tilted his head in confusion.
“Elder, why are you in that position?”
For some reason, Crabslie was in a headstand punishment pose.
He was, in a manner of speaking, planting his head on the floor.
Just then.
Seol-i came running out and bowed deeply from the waist.
“Hi, Uncle!”
“Seol-i, you’re up early.”
“Yup, yup, I gots up early.”
She then looked at Crabslie and asked casually.
“Gwampa, are you still exewcising?”
“Yes, Your Highness the Princess…”
“Gwampa, you been exewcising since last night?”
“I am quite alright…”
At that, Bong-gu narrowed his eyes and thought to himself.
*‘What, does that mean he’s been like that all night?’*
Just then, Crabslie, his face flushed red with bulging veins on his forehead, began to speak with great effort.
“Young man Bong-gu. My apologies, but could you come a little closer?”
“Elder, have you really been like this since last night?”
“I am being punished by my Lord for a minor mistake I made last night.”
“I thought so. By the way, what kind of mistake did you make that…?”
“For the sake of this old man’s dignity, I implore you not to ask any further.”
He then asked again in a cautious tone.
“Now, you there. Do you happen to know about ‘taxes and public dues’?”
“No, not really…”
“It-it is the tax one pays upon winning a lottery or a prize.”
Bong-gu replied with a quiet, “I see…” and scratched the back of his head.
*‘What could it be?’*
What on earth did the Elder do to get punished again?
No…
What in the world was happening in this house every day?
