The Regressed Vault Keeper Took It All

Chapter 14: My Value Cannot Be Measured in Money

The thick mahogany table was shrouded in a tension so taut, it was as if invisible wires stretched across it.

Though they were directors who held the fate of the Korea Stock Exchange in their hands, it was obvious they were watching one another closely.

The face of Chairman Cha Sang-woo, seated at the head of the table, was stiffened into stone.

An elite educated abroad and a former official of the Economic Planning Board, he held his place with his usual upright and firm demeanor. Yet, his eyes betrayed deep concern.

Chairman Cha Sang-woo cleared his throat lightly to gather the attention of the room and then spoke.

“Let us begin the regular board meeting. Today’s agenda is to discuss countermeasures for the recent overheating of the market, particularly surrounding blue-chip stocks.”

His voice was low and resolute.

He flipped through the prepared documents with a heavy thud, continuing his words.

“The current market is swept up in an abnormal frenzy of speculation. This undermines the foundation of fostering a sound market, which is the very basis of our exchange, and it can pose a grave threat to the national economy as a whole!”

His sharp gaze swept over the directors as he declared:

“Therefore, I propose special measures to stabilize the market! First, mandatory 100% margin deposits! Second, a daily price fluctuation limit of 3%! These must be implemented immediately!”

It was a bombshell.

The atmosphere in the conference room seemed to freeze, then someone shot up to refute him.

It was Kim Hyeong-seop, president of Goryeo Securities and a man aligned with Park Jeong-ho.

“Chairman! That is nothing short of tyranny! The market has only just begun to revive, and such regulations would choke the very breath out of the capital market! It’s obvious that investor sentiment will freeze!”

In response to Kim Hyeong-seop’s agitated voice, Vice Chairman Lee Han-sik, a former member of a Japanese life insurance company, smoothly joined in like a snake.

Already tied to Park Jeong-ho, he was quick to seize the opportunity, his eyes gleaming slyly.

“Just as President Kim said, Chairman. Practically speaking, a 100% margin is too heavy a burden on brokers, and a 3% limit will paralyze the pricing mechanism. Trading itself could come to a halt.”

Director Park Seong-gi also carefully, but clearly, expressed his opposition.

A former employee of the Bank of Joseon, he worried about the flow of funds in commercial banks being cut off.

“This could cause problems for banking liquidity as well. You are being far too radical. We must be cautious.”

Permanent Director Moon Tae-seong, a former bureaucrat, looked around the room and wore an ambiguous smile.

“Well……. Since there are opinions that this is premature, wouldn’t it be better to first gather opinions and consider this matter in the long term?”

He had clearly leaned toward the side with power.

Alone and isolated.

Chairman Cha Sang-woo’s expression hardened further.

As if trying to regain control of the atmosphere, he struck the table forcefully.

“Gentlemen! Are you so blinded by immediate profits that you would summon forth an even greater calamity? The end of this madness is ruin! Do not forget the responsibility of a watchman!”

But his cry was nothing more than a hollow shout.

For behind the opposing faction led by Kim Hyeong-seop and Lee Han-sik, the invisible hand of Han River Securities’ Park Jeong-ho was strongly at play.

In the end, Chairman Cha’s regulatory proposal was wrapped up in the pretty packaging of “further discussion” and pushed aside.

But everyone knew.

It was practically as good as rejected.

Closing his eyes in deep defeat, Chairman Cha Sang-woo could do nothing, while Kim Hyeong-seop and Lee Han-sik exchanged glances and could not hide their satisfied smiles.

Only the scratching of Secretary Yoo Myeong-sik’s pen continued, recording this precarious moment of decision without pause.

---

The nightmare hours in the underground interrogation room of the Central Intelligence Agency flowed into a long sleep.

I only came to my senses after sleeping the whole day away as though dead.

I felt the gentle morning sunlight pressing softly on my eyelids and the presence of someone nearby.

At the sound of a cautious voice calling me, I slowly opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw through my blurry vision was Min-soo’s face, full of worry.

It seemed he had stayed by my side all night.

“Hyung! Are you okay?!”

His voice carried both relief and a lingering unease he could not shake off.

As I stretched to ease the stiffness in my body while sitting up, Min-soo carefully grabbed my arm.

“You were sleeping all day, so I thought you were really sick. Where did you go yesterday? Did someone…… hurt you?”

His eyes wavered anxiously, and my heart sank.

I was reminded of the time in the Cheongnyangni shacks, when I had opened my eyes after days, my body battered and torn.

Back then, Min-soo had looked at me with the same eyes.

The fear shining in those clear eyes stabbed painfully at my heart.

I deliberately ruffled his hair and teased him.

I had to change the mood.

“Why? Were you scared I might have died? This hyung doesn’t die so easily.”

“……That’s not it.”

Min-soo quickly shook his head.

At his pure and honest response, I smiled inwardly.

I didn’t want to show this child the filthy and ugly underside of the world, the shadows of violence and betrayal I had endured.

At least, not yet.

Until he grew stronger, I had to hide it from him.

I ruffled his hair once more and shifted the topic.

“So, how’s studying? Not too difficult?”

At my question, Min-soo’s face brightened immediately.

It was a pure and radiant joy, like sunlight sweeping away the darkness.

“Yeah! It’s so much fun, hyung! I never knew letters were this amazing. I can’t believe there’s so much I didn’t know in the world!”

“Really? Then you can even read now? Things like newspapers?”

“Yeah! And I can write names too! Want to see?”

Excited, Min-soo pulled a small notebook and a pen from his pocket.

The sight of his small hand gripping the pen was serious and earnest.

He began writing something carefully, one letter at a time.

After a while, Min-soo proudly held out the notebook toward me.

In clumsy but firm handwriting, pressed hard into the paper, were three names.

[Baek Min-woo, Baek Min-soo, Yang Yeong.]

“Right? Your name, my name, and Yang Yeong’s name.”

He asked as if seeking confirmation, his eyes sparkling.

I nodded and patted his head, my chest tightening with emotion.

It felt strange, seeing something I had never seen in my past life.

“Impressive. Learning so fast. You really are my little brother. Much better than me.”

Even as I praised Min-soo, I couldn’t help my inner astonishment.

It had been only a few days since he started learning Korean, yet he could already write his own name, my name, and even Yang Yeong’s name.

Come to think of it, I myself had been unusually quick in learning words and writing.

Perhaps it was something we shared as brothers.

“How about Yang Yeong? Is she learning as quickly as you?”

“Yang Yeong is still……. a bit slower than me. But this is a secret between you and me, okay?”

Min-soo pressed a finger to his lips and whispered.

Seeing his thoughtful consideration of Yang Yeong’s pride, I couldn’t help but let out a warm laugh.

Yes, if I could protect this child’s purity and warmth, I would do anything.

That was one of the reasons I had thrown myself back into this hellish game.

“Alright, our secret.”

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Zhang Wei’s blunt voice.

“The Master calls.”

It was the signal that the short moment of rest had ended.

It was time to give a report on yesterday’s events and discuss the plan ahead. I got up from my seat.

“Go back to your room and study now. It’s time for me to work.”

I took off my comfortable clothes and changed back into my neatly pressed suit.

The marks from yesterday’s torture still throbbed all over my body, but I could not show it.

When I stepped out of the room, Zhang Wei was waiting for me in the hallway.

He gave me a once-over, then asked bluntly:

“Looks like you rested well.”

“Yes. I’m fine now.”

Zhang Wei gave a silent nod, then turned and walked ahead. His broad back felt familiar, yet strangely distant.

“It’ll be best if you answer the Master’s questions honestly today.”

As we walked down the corridor, Zhang Wei suddenly slowed his steps and spoke. His voice was still blunt, but if one listened carefully, it was advice.

“I don’t know what your secret is. No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find anything special in your past.”

Something different seemed to linger in his otherwise flat tone.

“Today, the Master will ask you about yourself in detail. If you hide something or lie…… no one can say what’ll happen next. So answer honestly.”

While I mulled over Zhang Wei’s advice, we had already arrived at Yang Sobo’s office.

“Master, I’ve brought him.”

Zhang Wei reported from outside the door.

“Send him in.”

Zhang Wei opened the door and gave me a signal.

I stepped inside, where Yang Sobo was waiting for me, seated on the sofa at the center of the office.

His eyes were still sharp.

They probed me as though to strip me bare, their depth harder to gauge than ever.

“What are you standing around for? Sit.”

I heard the door close behind me. Carefully, I sat on the sofa across from him.

Without a word, Yang Sobo lifted the teapot and poured warm tea into my cup.

It was the first time he had done so.

Unable to fully hide my surprise, I accepted the teacup with both hands respectfully, all the while trying to discern his intention.

“It’s tea that helps calm the mind. Drink.”

At his words, I lifted the cup and took a careful sip.

The subtle fragrance seemed to ease some of the tension in my chest.

All the while, Yang Sobo’s gaze clung to me relentlessly, as though determined not to miss a single move.

When I set the teacup down, he finally spoke.

“I heard you were tortured.”

His voice was calm, but something sharp hid within.

“Yes. Fortunately, Deputy Chief No Gi-tae arrived in time and gave me assistance.”

When I calmly stated the fact, Yang Sobo nodded.

I did not miss the faint ripple in his gaze. Perhaps the mention of No Gi-tae had struck a nerve.

“But I hadn’t expected you could move No Gi-tae.”

I deliberately repeated his name to test Yang Sobo’s reaction.

His eyes gleamed instantly.

“You knew No Gi-tae already?”

As I thought.

Bringing him up was the right move.

From here on, it was critical. I had to break through his suspicion head-on.

“I’ve heard people on the streets and in the shadows talk a lot about him. Especially rumors about his connection with you, sir.”

“Strange…… that a brat like you knew such a thing?”

His eyes turned openly suspicious.

I didn’t avoid his gaze.

I met it directly.

“I didn’t know exactly what position Deputy Chief No Gi-tae held. Only when I heard his name in the interrogation room did I connect it to what I had picked up and drew a conclusion.”

Yang Sobo slowly lifted his teacup and drank.

The silence dragged on. He didn’t seem to completely believe me, but he couldn’t refute it either.

At last, he spoke.

“Conclusion. A conclusion, is it…… Fine. But at your first meeting, you went straight to mentioning Park Geon-sik? And you pinpointed exactly what No Gi-tae most wanted?”

So he did know about Park Geon-sik.

“Even if I allow that anyone could gather scraps of information from the streets, being able to use it at the right place, the right time—especially when life itself hangs in the balance—is not something anyone can do. I find it hard to believe it’s possible without meticulous preparation in advance……”

He pressed persistently.

“You’re right. Gathering information and using it effectively isn’t easy.”

Yang Sobo’s gaze was as cold as frost.

I didn’t flinch.

His suspicion was reasonable.

But if I tried to brush it off out of fear, his doubt would only deepen—and that would ruin my plans.

With this judge before me, I had to argue my case without a tremor.

“But if you think I have a special talent for that, then every doubt will be resolved. The only reason you can’t accept it, sir, is because in your mind I’m still just a ‘brat from the slums.’ If you put aside that prejudice and look at me once more, wouldn’t it make a little more sense?”

Yang Sobo remained silent.

His gaze grew heavier.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect you would send Deputy Chief No Gi-tae. I had no idea who would come to save me.”

Which meant the fact that I had presented him with exactly what he needed at that moment was proof of my ability.

As if sensing what I was implying, Yang Sobo let out a low murmur.

I pressed him for a decision.

“What must I do for you to set aside your doubts, sir?”

After a long silence, his lips finally moved. A self-mocking laugh slipped out.

“You’re right. My prejudice about you being from the slums clouded my judgment.”

For the first time, he admitted his own mistake.

“I used every information network I could mobilize to look into you. I myself rose from the bottom, and yet I held you to a different standard……. Shameful, truly shameful.”

He shook his head in self-reproach.

“Fine. I will no longer ask about your sources of information.”

Outwardly I nodded calmly, but inside I felt relief.

“So, what will you do now?”

Yang Sobo returned to his cold businessman’s composure as he asked. But a faint anger tinged his voice.

“I’ve been told that Jin-ho bastard is siphoning off my money and handing it to Park Jeong-ho. It burns me up inside. How long must I endure this?”

“Leave it be.”

“You want me to be a fool who can’t even protect his own money?”

His words grew rough.

In truth, losing the money itself wasn’t what troubled him. It was the humiliation of being looked down upon.

“But this time, you must let it go.”

I spoke firmly.

“If you reap a huge profit amidst this madness…… the military regime will seize upon you as prey. And the fact that you’re Chinese will be the perfect excuse.”

There were far too many reasons he couldn’t afford to stand out now.

Yang Sobo’s face hardened, but I went on calmly.

“The loss from Kim Jin-ho can be more than compensated by the operation I’m conducting.”

“You’re saying you can guarantee even greater gains.”

“Yes. More than enough.”

Yang Sobo’s eyes flashed coldly.

“And if you fail?”

“Then I’ll give you my life.”

Our gazes clashed in the air, sharp and unyielding.

“Hmph……. You claim your life is worth more than my money?”

“Yes. My value cannot be measured in money.”

At my confident reply, Yang Sobo burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha! Remarkable. Truly remarkable. A needle in a pocket will pierce through no matter how you try to hide it. Good. I’ll believe in you—your mysterious talent and your audacity.”

At last, he accepted my proposal.

Now that he said he would no longer doubt me, he would accept whatever I said.

“Thank you. Now, there is something I need you to do, sir.”

“Speak.”

“Give Kim Jin-ho a warning.”

“A warning?”

I explained that a bombshell was about to hit the stock exchange—the rumor that Chairman Cha Sang-woo was reviewing the delisting of blue-chip stocks.

“The exchange will be turned upside down. Everyone will be scrambling to sell. That’s when you should summon Kim Jin-ho. Question him sharply about whether the investments are sound, and warn him firmly that if he loses your money, he won’t get away unscathed.”

At that moment, a knock came at the office door.

“Master, it’s Zhang Wei.”

“Come in.”

Zhang Wei entered, tension faintly written on his face.

“An urgent message just came from Myeong-dong. Chairman Cha Sang-woo…… held a press conference saying he is reviewing the delisting of blue-chip stocks. The market has immediately plunged into chaos.”

Just as I had foreseen.

Yang Sobo’s eyes turned to me, filled with a mix of astonishment and awe.

I met that gaze head-on and lifted the corner of my lips.

“Wasn’t I right?”