“Don’t you want to make a big score this time by using Seoul City land as collateral?”
This sort of thing is more important than my age.
A golden opportunity to make a solid profit!
“Hmm.”
As expected. Maybe he smelled money, because Master swept his lips with his tongue.
But this old man, even now, doesn’t just bite down—he likes to test the waters.
“These days, is there any land in Seoul City that isn’t going up in value? Kid, you don’t have to worry. I’m already sweeping up most of the decent plots myself.”
“I’m sure you are. But what if Taeseong Construction and Ukwang Construction jump in and start stirring up the game?”
Now that would change things.
Gulp!
Master’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“The Gangnam apartment sales boom? So what if it jumps a few more times? On the other hand, this is on a whole different level from real estate speculation with such pocket change. Seoul City land itself has been put up as the stakes.”
Master’s eyes sparkled.
The same went for Kim Secretary.
“Subway Line 2 construction!”
“Are we talking about the Subway Line 2 bid?”
I nodded.
“With the development of Gangnam, a rail line connecting Gangnam and Gangbuk became necessary. To build a grand circular line through the heart of Seoul City, where Line 1 doesn’t pass through. The total route is 48.8km, and the estimated contract price is about 180 billion won—a massive project is being planned.”
“……”
“Subways are free from the noise and dust that railways create, preserve the ground-level functions and beauty of the city, and can even serve as air-raid shelters against North Korean shelling or bombings—they are vital national facilities!”
“……”
“Moreover, subways can disperse the concentrated road traffic in central Seoul, reduce travel times, and offer many advantages like speed, precision, safety, mass transit, comfort, low pollution, and affordability. That’s why the government is pouring its heart into this national project.”
“……”
“On top of that, there are plans for underground malls with facilities like drinking water and restrooms, as well as food and emergency clothing supplies. In other words, the surrounding commercial areas will thrive, and the floating population will explode.”
“……”
Master pointed at me with that look again and glanced at Kim Secretary.
Kim Secretary sighed and answered.
“I told you, he’s really seven years old.”
These people, seriously, since a while ago!
Does my age even matter right now?
“For these reasons, the price of land near stations where the subway opens in the city center is expected to skyrocket like never before.”
I grinned.
“Of course, if you had inside information about the construction company in charge of the subway right now? If you knew ahead of others where the stations would be, you could snap up land at cheap prices, right?”
If Master, who already builds wealth by securing prime locations in advance, got his hands on this information, he’d go crazy for it.
This was why high-ranking government officials and politicians were losing their minds over it.
‘Back during the Gangnam development, Cheongwadae Security Office and other top officials used this method to profit from the price gap and fund their political campaigns, filling their personal vaults.’
I knew it, Master knew it, Ukwang knew it, and Taeseong knew it.
But Master just pretended not to know, feigning ignorance.
“To be honest, I am interested in land near subway stations. But if you want to take 8 million won from me for that, it should be someone from Ukwang who asks—not you! Don’t you agree?”
Meaning.
If Ukwang got the subway construction job, they would use the inside information to snatch up land near the stations.
Kim Secretary snorted.
“So, you think Ukwang is in a better position than our Taeseong?”
“Of course. Isn’t that a fact?”
“No way. This time, Taeseong will win the contract for Subway Line 2.”
“Isn’t it going to be tough? Ukwang’s one step ahead this time. I’ve already heard they’ve buttered up all the right high-ranking officials.”
Who gives out the subway construction contracts?
The high-ranking officials who directly plan and push city development.
‘Ukwang is the prime example of a company that grew during the military regime through collusion between politics and business. Instead of construction achievements or the lowest bid price, they tried to win contracts by bribing senior government officials.’
The bid price and process were all kept secret anyway.
This was an era when transparency in information disclosure was thrown out the window, and collusion was rampant.
“If we want to stop Ukwang from winning the contract with bribes, we need a weapon of equal power. This is it.”
I shook the file folder from side to side.
It was a ledger, meticulously recording the amounts of bribes Ukwang had distributed and the names of the senior officials who had received improper solicitations.
“The government is making a big show of rooting out corruption among senior officials, right?”
The public doesn’t look kindly on the government.
After all, it seized power in a coup.
For fear of being hated by the people, they act squeaky clean on the surface.
A government that works well and is honest. A government that revives the economy and cares for the people.
The anti-corruption drive was part of their image-building.
“What if the President finds out about this? Will the government turn a blind eye to senior officials and Ukwang blatantly making bribery deals?”
Execution without exception.
They’d make a public example by purging them in front of the people.
And once again, they’d proclaim it.
A government that works well and is honest. A government that revives the economy and cares for the people does not tolerate corruption and does its utmost to eradicate wrongdoing.
“In the end, it was Ukwang who spread the bribes, but the person who has this ledger holds the real power over those who must respond to such solicitations.”
In other words, it’s both a weapon to threaten senior officials and a leash to pull them in.
No bigger sharks on the board could resist a sharper blade than this.
A sword to behead troublesome officials if needed.
“The kill list of high-ranking officials. Depending on how this is used, the outcome of the contract bid will be very different. What do you think?”
With the bait dangled in front of him, Master’s eyes followed the file folder back and forth.
“You even went so far as to bring Kim Secretary a business card for a request earlier. So why are you hesitating?”
“Ahem!”
“Just eight million won—not even the price of a single Gangnam apartment!”
“Hmph, not a chance! The biggest problem is still left!”
Master said firmly.
“How do I know that ledger is real? Without certainty, how can I trust you with my money?”
“Then check it for yourself.”
I leisurely gestured toward the inside of the pawnshop.
“One phone call should be enough.”
“Hmm!”
“The person who made this ledger is Park Cheolgu, a Central Intelligence agent. Don’t know if you’ve heard of him?”
“Alright. Excuse me for a moment.”
Master slammed the pawnshop’s iron bars shut.
He then disappeared down the corridor into the back of the pawnshop.
Kim Secretary stroked his chin and chuckled.
“Young Master, how about this?”
“……?”
“Sell that ledger to Taeseong. We’ll give you a generous ten million won.”
Kim Secretary’s eyes never left the file folder.
I wondered why he coveted an item whose authenticity hadn’t even been verified.
I realized the difference from Master.
‘He must have dug up Park Cheolgu during his background check on me.’
It seems Kim Secretary even had information I didn’t know about.
That’s why he was openly lusting after the ledger like this.
“Even if you sell it to the pawnshop, it’ll end up with us anyway. No matter what it takes, I intend to get it.”
He was probably already plotting how to shake up those tied to Ukwang with the bribe ledger in his head.
I grinned.
“That’s up to you, isn’t it?”
When there are more competitors, the seller always has the upper hand!
All I had to do was wait patiently for the winner of this competition.
My goal from the start was to secure the missing 18 million won needed for the house contract.
‘Hey, Suhosin.’
Click.
[What? Again? What is it now?]
‘What you did earlier—letting me eavesdrop on those madams’ conversation. Can you do that again?’
[Ah, you mean this?]
The voices from inside the pawnshop came through loud and clear.
A secret room prepared in the back of the pawnshop.
There, a man was organizing secret documents.
Master scowled and gave an order.
“Call Central Intelligence. If there’s an agent named Park Cheolgu, put him on the line.”
“Yes, sir.”
A moment later, the man hung up the phone.
“Sir, the Central Intelligence agent Park Cheolgu has been dragged to the Seobinggo basement.”
“He got dragged to the water torture chamber? For what?”
“He got caught digging into Ukwang Construction.”
“Hmm!”
“They nabbed him based on definite evidence, but when they searched, the confidential documents were missing. Looks like he hid them perfectly.”
The man handed a few papers he had been sorting to Master.
“Here’s the latest. Ukwang is moving with eyes blazing. The secretary office staff were just mobilized to meet with newspaper and broadcast reporters.”
“Trying to stop it from leaking to the press in advance?”
“And Central Intelligence higher-ups are moving as well. A large number of agents have been dispatched to round up Park Cheolgu’s acquaintances.”
Master listened as he flipped through the papers the man handed him.
“They hired muscle to turn Park Cheolgu’s house upside down and started forced demolition. They even set fire to the shantytown.”
“They’re trying to burn away every trace that gets in their way.”
“That’s likely. Whether he hid it in his house or next door, it’s easier to erase it than to find it. Even though the fire caused many casualties, the media is silent.”
“Hmm. They really know how to grease the wheels everywhere.”
That was Ukwang’s specialty.
Along with a broad spread of bribes, they had sticky connections everywhere.
They had no qualms about using Korea’s chronic diseases of school ties, regional ties, and blood ties.
“By the way, about the documents Ukwang is looking for. Apparently, there’s a torn section in the middle.”
“A torn section?”
“When they searched the desk, that’s all they found. Supposedly, it’s part of Park Cheolgu’s cash record given to Chairman Choi Iltae of Ukwang.”
“We’ll know when we check. Whether that’s the original written by the Central Intelligence agent or not.”
Master set the papers from the man down hard on the desk.
“Open the safe.”
“Yes, how much should I take out?”
“1.8 million won in cash.”
Experience and judgment said it all.
This must be the original ledger that had Ukwang and Central Intelligence tearing the place apart to find it.
Master emerged from the pawnshop’s back corridor.
He reopened the iron bars he’d closed before.
His hand slipped through the slot where goods were passed.
“This is an eight million won deal. Let me check the item first.”
“If you’d like.”
I handed over the ledger without resistance.
Master quickly flipped through the pages, stopping at one spot.
The paper was badly torn.
At the very top of that page, the words ‘Chairman Choi Iltae’ caught his eye.
Thud.
Master closed the ledger.
What a remarkable kid. Fine, I’ll buy this for eight million won. With the watch, the business card, and this ledger, the total is eighteen million won.”
He slid a thick-looking envelope over to me.
But I, too, pushed the envelope right back toward Master.
“Don’t be hasty. The negotiation isn’t over yet.”