We were back on the road after Woo Yeon-Hee overcame the side effects of increasing the classes of her stats. In the meantime, all my stats and some of my traits and skills had been upgraded to D-class. Although I didn’t receive a reward for upgrading my stats despite hoping for one, Woo Yeon-Hee had gotten a master box for being the second E-class Awakened. I was wearing the item she had gotten as a necklace. In addition, the Chinese Awakened would be frenetic about this item, probably because of its name.

[Youxia’s[1] Scimitar (Item)

Effect: The user can wear the item like a ring or a medal.

Physical Attack Power: 712

Magic Damage Absorption: 9400/9400

Class: A]

When Woo Yeon-Hee upgraded her Night Eyes to D-class and became able to see the point grades like I did, she asked me a question, “I don’t understand. How can you digitize life?”

Apparently, she was confused about how the system was able to translate our complex reality into mere numbers, such as hit points (HP) and attack power of the Awakened and monsters.

“You’re right. Even the System cannot digitize life as there are innumerable variables,” I responded.

She questioned further, “But?”

“You don’t understand because you’ve only gone through the lowest-class dungeons,” I replied.

In order to target higher-class dungeons, she had to be aware of the concept of protective barriers.

“There will be more monsters with protective barriers in higher-class dungeons.”

Then, she stretched her fingers.

“Yes, barriers are in there, too,” I added as her ring could absorb up to a thousand points of physical damage.

“The numbers in the items that describe attack power and damage power ultimately are referring to protective barriers. We’re not really computer game characters who can still fight at full strength if we have ‘one HP’ left and then die at zero. It’s far more complex than that,” I said.

“But, Seon-Hu. If the barriers become the norm…” She hesitated.

I nodded.

“Then, things will become similar to computer games,” I answered.

That was all Woo Yeon-Hee needed to know for now. I didn’t expand my explanation to fights between Awakened. A confrontation between high-class Awakened only began after all the barriers were nullified, but that was for the future.

***

I had to treat all the dungeons over the world fairly, but I returned to Seoul because of the qualification exam. I arrived two days before the test and brought a bundle of presents for my parents.

<Seon-Hu: I just arrived. I’m at the airport now.>

<Mi-Hee[2]: You should’ve told me the arrival time earlier. Oh no, there’s nothing in the fridge. Are you coming straight home, son? Have you eaten yet?>

<Seon-Hu: I had food on the flight, and it was pretty good.>

<Mi-Hee: Hey, my food is much better. Have you called your father?>

<Seon-Hu: I’ll call him now. I’ll see you at home.>

I saw Woo Yeon-Hee at the office after I took the qualification exam. She was wearing a skirt and spoke proudly while lifting her skirt hem.

“Look, I customized a new one.”

The dagger sheath and thigh strap were made of leather.

“Hey, I can see your underwear. What a shame,” I said.

“Oh!”

She hurriedly placed her skirt down and scrambled.

“Come here.”

I handed her a document I had prepared.

「Foreign Currency Deposit Certificate (Blank)

Payment of Maturity: USD 20,000,000

Period: 1 year, Maturity Date: April 7th, 2001

The above amount will be paid to the holder by the maturity date following the terms.

April 7th, 2000

Daemin Bank Co., Ltd.」

She asked, “What is this?”

“You must have heard of bearer bonds[3],” I answered.

“Oh, so this is one?”

She looked at the certificate as if she was looking at a high-end item.

I continued, “Five hundred million for entering dungeons, and another five hundred for successful returns. It’s one billion for each dungeon. We conquered twenty-five in total but I excluded the two I did by myself. Hey, take it.”

“Seon….Seon-Hu…?”

“Take this to your accounting firm, and they’ll explain it to you. Sell this in the market instead of waiting one year to pay taxes. Pay them right away to avoid trouble. This was why I asked you to come over today. You can leave now,” I said.

Woo Yeon-Hee acted the same as she did at the casino. Her hand trembled as it was approaching the document, but she suddenly dropped it as if she had touched fire.

“This feels like…committing a crime…I’m not going to get caught, right?” she questioned.

I replied, “Why are you so scared? You even killed monsters with your hands.”

She stuttered, “This is scarier. It’s…twenty million dollars… Twenty… million…”

“Don’t worry. The money’s clean. We’ll head to Japan in a week,” I reassured her while placing the certificate in her hands. Then, my phone rang.

***

Jonathan was aggressively banging on his keyboard as I had never answered his emails even though I checked them. Jonathan had even sent Almighty to my office in Seoul. He ruffled his hair, then shouted to someone outside his office.

“Send Brian up!”

The problem was that things were going too well according to my draft. The Texas Governor became a Republican presidential candidate, the oil market was steady, and the dotcom crash made the FED lower the standard interest.

My long-term proposal was so detail-oriented, and my short-term one had listed the firms Jonathan would need to purchase shares in. That wasn’t difficult, but Jonathan was having a headache from what Kim Cheong-Soo continually suggested to maximize the long-term profit.

Kim Cheong-Soo came in.

“I agree that we would need it,” Jonathan said.

“You must be talking about the banking industry,” Kim Cheong-Soo answered.

Jonathan asked, “Can’t we just solve the problem without expanding our business into banking?”

“If we lower estimates, banking wouldn’t be necessary,” Kim Cheong-Soo replied.

My draft was perfect, so it was Jonathan’s responsibility to make the best of it.

“As I’ve told you, we should enter the banking industry if we’re interested in the real estate markets. Our group cannot make mortgage loan products. You already know this, Jonathan.”

Kim Cheong-Soo’s expression was dogged as they had been going over the same thing for what felt like forever.

He continued, “To be honest, I don’t understand why you are reluctant about this. We have almost nothing to lose when thinking of the profits we may earn by going into banking.”

Kim Cheong-Soo looked at Jonathan’s face and realized that Jonathan was also desperate for it. He decided to push Jonathan harder.

“Jonathan, our group should go into banking no matter what.”

Kim Cheong-Soo opened the report about the planned mortgage products that he showed Jonathan during the last meeting. One product branched out to tens of others, and they gathered together to make another product which branched out…

It was the magic of financial engineering. Of course, Kim Cheong-Soo wasn’t the only one drafting the report, but he had a great love for this project as he led the team.

“We must proceed right now since it will be too late when banks, insurers and lenders jump into the market. We should lead, Jonathan,” Kim Cheong-Soo emphasized.

Jonathan answered, “The problem is…. Sigh… Okay, I’ll look over it again.”

After Kim Cheong-Soo left, Jonathan pulled the report over. While he had read it multiple times, he still found it interesting every single time he looked over it. The numbers were still alluring, and there would be almost no risk if they stepped back before the real estate bubble burst.

“Sigh.”

Jonathan got goosebumps at realizing that he was thinking of the real estate boom and its collapse even before it happened. Jonathan turned himself toward the phone.

“Ah, please pick up, Sun.”

<Seon-Hu: Hello?>

Jonathan reflexively kicked himself out of his seat and stuttered for a moment.

<Jonathan: Oh, umm… reply….r….. reply….>

He took a sip of water, then continued speaking.

<Jonathan: When are you going to reply to me?>

<Seon-Hu: About banking?>

<Jonathan: Yes!>

<Seon-Hu: No reply means to wait. It hasn’t been that long since we quarreled with the government.>

The White House had consistently warned us, and Jonathan must have felt like a warning had been pasted on his chest. It was a paper that would say something like ‘Jonathan Investment should not get into banking!’ That was why Jonathan couldn’t proceed with Kim Cheong-Soo’s suggestion.

<Jonathan: I know, but I can’t let the financial pigs take this opportunity.>

<Seon-Hu: You must be anxious, but wait.>

<Jonathan: Until when?>

<Seon-Hu: Until no one cares about us.>

<Jonathan: There’s more, right?>

<Seon-Hu: This isn’t something to talk about during this phone call or through email. You’ll find out later, so just trust me and wait. What about the short-term items?>

<Jonathan: We’re purchasing from those that have fallen the sharpest.>

<Seon-Hu: Good. Buy as much as you can. Don’t forget that I wrote the long-term proposal as a list of things that should be prepared in advance. Focus on the short-term first.>

The names of IT, media, and telecommunications companies quickly crossed Jonathan’s mind.

<Seon-Hu: Also, Jonathan. If you do well there, our group will be called an empire. Try your best.>

Jonathan felt giddy probably because I mentioned the term ‘empire’ too calmly. He noticed that he had forgotten about how far the group could grow after the dotcom collapse. After he hung up, he sat back in his chair and thought things over. He was aware that I wouldn’t be satisfied with grabbing a few markets in North America as I had always been like that. He considered me a legendary figure who was planning to dominate the world.

“What empire… You’re trying to gain more power than the Rothschilds[4] You are…such a dreadful guy, Seon-Hu.”

1. An ancient Chinese warrior folk hero often appeared in classical poetry and fictional literature. ☜

2. Seon Hu’s mother. ☜

3. A bond security issued by a business entity. ☜

4. The most famous European banking dynasty that had considerable economic influence in the world during the 19th and 20th centuries. They originated from Germany. ☜