***
“Phew~”
On the top floor of the 69 Motel, which appeared to be a fairly modern building.
In the premium room, the most expensive among the motel rooms, a man and a woman were lying on the bed smoking cigarettes.
The man had a rugged build with distinct knife scars all over his body; his impression was so foul that one’s brow would furrow just by looking at him.
He was none other than Yang Kyung-min, the boss of the Yangkkaengi Gang.
On the other hand, the woman was a glamorous figure with a slender body, and she did not seem to find Yang Kyung-min frightening at all.
“Hey. Future Prosecutor.”
“Yeah, what.”
At his call, the woman exhaled a long trail of cigarette smoke and replied nonchalantly.
“Can I really just trust you?”
“Of course. Just wait one or two years. I’ll lead you to a higher place. In exchange, I need a backer too.”
“I’m standing right behind you, aren't I?”
He pressed his rugged body close to her from behind. She shook her lower body seductively and showed a fishy smile. Then, he asked in a puzzled tone.
“But your lover died; aren't you sad?”
At that, she let out a snort.
“Lover? Hmph, don't make me laugh. I just played with him for a while to relieve stress. I was already contemplating how to shake him off, so it’s a good thing he went and kicked the bucket on his own. Come to think of it, he really did fall from a motel. Ho ho ho.”
“Kuhaha! As expected, I like you because you’re hot-blooded.”
Slap!
After striking the woman’s thigh with his palm, he stopped groping her body and asked as if something had come to mind.
“By the way, do I not need to worry about that husband bastard?”
“Hmph, don't worry about that stupid hogu bastard. I’ve trained him well. He’s just a dog. A dog. He barks when I tell him to bark and eats when I tell him to eat.”
She spoke as if annoyed, wearing an expression of loathing.
“Keke! Then why do you stay married to a guy like that?”
“Well, until now, he brought in money faithfully by doing manual labor. So I focused on my studies. And I passed, didn't I?”
“Then isn't he useless now?”
When he asked while narrowing his eyes, the woman fell into thought for a moment. Then, she began to laugh deviously with a wicked smile.
When he asked while narrowing his eyes, the woman fell into thought for a moment. Then she began to laugh deviously, a wicked smile spreading across her face.
“Ehehe… it would be a bit of a waste to throw him away like this. He’s a dog who only listens to his owner anyway. Should I take out a massive life insurance policy, let it sit for seven or eight years, and then ask you for a favor? Isn’t this almost like winning the lottery?”
At her excited tone, Yang Kyung-min shook his head as if he were appalled.
“What? You crazy bitch. Keke. You want me to kill your husband? You are truly a woman with no limits. This is the first time in my life I’ve met a bitch like you. Just how did you live while suppressing that madness? Huh? Ah, fuck, you’re making me horny again. Come here.”
The man roughly pulled her waist toward him.
“It’s a promise. Don't forget my request.”
“Don't worry. You crazy bitch. Let’s just focus on the present for now!”
In that way, the two began to roll around all night long, losing track of time.
<><><>
The next morning.
I sat blankly at the dining table with hollow eyes and fell into thought for a while.
All night long, I watched YouTube broadcasts related to coins indiscriminately. At first, I thought, ‘So there is a new world like this,’ but the more I watched, the more familiar it began to feel.
Now, I had memorized coin-related terminology and understood the system to some extent. Then, I deposited 1 million won into Jo Sang-nim’s account and asked her to put it into a coin account.
For now, rather than creating and using my own account, I intended to grow the money using Sang-nim’s account. That way, I wouldn't be discovered by my wife or get swept up in property disputes later on.
As expected, there had been no contact from my wife since then.
I watched the morning news and checked internet news related to coins on my phone. At the same time, I made and drank coffee.
Multi-tasking three things at once. It was something that should have been impossible for me.
I hadn't slept much, but strangely, my head was working well. It was a truly marvelous thing.
After finishing my meal and doing the dishes, I did the laundry and cleaned the house. Had I ever kept things neat and organized before? I wondered if I might be developing mysophobia at this rate.
Still, feeling like something was lacking, I did push-ups and sit-ups, which I didn't usually do. Even though I did five sets of twenty repetitions alternating between them, I wasn't tired at all.
Rather, was it the feeling of my mind becoming clear as I even broke a sweat on an empty stomach?
It was a feeling I had never experienced even once in my entire life.
After finishing my shower, I left the house a little early.
After eating glass noodle rice at Mother’s Snack Shop, I came out with one order of glass noodle rice packed. I was about to catch a taxi immediately but then changed my mind and began to walk.
My feet felt light. My pace gradually quickened, and eventually, I began to run lightly.
Steady breathing, flexible arms and legs, firm muscles. There was no burden even as I increased my speed little by little.
However, as long as I was not a robot, my physical strength was bound to run out.
After running for over thirty minutes, my breath began to quicken. When I took a labored breath and raised my head, I realized I had already arrived at the hillside slum village.
Rather than taking a taxi through the crowded city center, it seemed that just running like this wasn't bad.
I went to the supermarket, bought some water, and headed straight for the apartment.
“You really came?”
“I told you. I’m coming.”
Sang-nim, who opened the door, showed an expression of surprise.
As I stepped inside, the house was considerably cluttered despite only one day having passed. Seeing how much she had smoked, the cigarette butts formed a mountain in a plastic bottle cut in half.
“You changed the money, right?”
I asked while instinctively cleaning the room. What was this, these familiar hand movements.
“Yeah. I did change it. But are you really going to do it?”
“Just do as I say exactly once. It’s only for one minute.”
“I really don't know why you’re being like this. Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?”
“They mean the same thing. And I’m perfectly fine. Just eat.”
After clearing the computer shelf, I took out the glass noodle rice for her. However, she narrowed her eyes and pushed it away.
“Ugh, the smell.”
“You used to like glass noodle rice.”
“Do I still look like the me from five years ago to you? I hate it now. And am I some kind of pet dog? Why do you keep trying to feed me…?”
[The Mental Control ability is manifested.]
“But considering the sincerity of you buying it, I’ll eat a little.”
She picked up the spoon without hesitation.
Today, as expected, the Mental Control ability was manifested.
I was looking forward to seeing how much she would eat before putting the spoon down. I would have no further wishes if she ate a lot.
Checking the clock, it was 1:45 PM.
There were about 15 minutes left until the merger announcement.
A short while later.
“Ah, I’m full, I can't eat anymore.”
The time she put down her spoon was 1:55 PM. Still, she had eaten for ten minutes. She only managed to eat half, but it was a great improvement.
Sang-nim roughly set aside the glass noodle rice and concentrated her mind on the exchange screen.
“It’s finally five minutes away. Really, 1 million won at 100x leverage. Right?”
“Yeah. Just tell me the timing when it would have been good to enter.”
“I really don't understand. Why are you curious about a timing that has already passed?”
“Just do as I say. For now.”
“Fine. I’ll trust your gut and put in 100 of my own too. Now, let’s see this through with 200 today!”
And then, the long-awaited 2:00 PM arrived.
The moment the merger result report was posted on the exchange bulletin board.
The coin market began to fluctuate, and the graph that had been moving up and down suddenly began to soar upward. It was a position that had already risen too much to touch. Sang-nim spoke while clapping her hands as if it were a shame.
“Ah! If I had gone long one minute ago, it would have been a jackpot.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah!”
At that moment, I concentrated my mind and used the Taste of Regression ability.
Ting—
Feeling a sudden dizziness, my vision went dark for a moment before returning to normal. Looking at the screen, it was just before the surge.
‘I really returned to one minute ago!’
I immediately shouted.
“Sang-nim, go long!”
“Huh? I haven't said anything yet…”
“Hurry!”
“Alright!”
Sang-nim quickly bet 2,500 dollars, about 2 million won, on a long position with 100x leverage.
And at that moment.
“Oh, oh, oh! Oh, oh, oh! It’s skyrocketing!”
At the suddenly soaring graph, she covered her mouth with her hands. It rose 4% in about one minute, and after that, the graph suddenly began to fluctuate again.
“Hey, hey! When do I pull out? When?”
Perhaps because she was anxious, Sang-nim kept pulling at me.
The graph repeated its downward and upward trends again. Still, it was in a state where it had risen 2%.
“Just pull out now!”
“Alright!”
Sang-nim quickly liquidated the long position. Then, the 2,500 dollars became 7,500 dollars and returned to us. The profit was about 5,000 dollars.
“Kyaaa! I made 6 million won in just one minute!!”
Sang-nim, who had jumped up from her chair and was hopping around, suddenly pounced on me.
“Whoa!”
Because I was filled with the deep emotion that this had actually become a reality, I couldn't handle her sudden raid and lost my balance, falling onto the bed.
Her chest pressed down on my body, and I felt something touching my lower body as well.
However, Sang-nim hugged me without concern.
“We did it! We did it!”