The Regressed Vault Keeper Took It All

Chapter 20: The Elder Wouldn’t Be at a Loss Either

The old man, who had been watching me with an indifferent gaze, slowly opened his mouth.

“Mr. Yang wouldn’t have sent you to exchange money…… This is your own, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s from selling Daegung stock.”

“Oh?”

A fleeting spark of interest passed through the old man’s eyes. He laid the worn-out newspaper down on his lap and straightened his posture.

It was as if he had just started recognizing my existence properly for the first time.

“You’re selling Daegung stock now? Hah, what a strange fellow. Everyone else is going mad buying it up.”

“It could go higher, I suppose. But I don’t wish to linger long in that madness.”

At my calm answer, the old man raised one eyebrow.

“So, you won’t exchange it for me?”

At my dry attitude, the old man let out a hollow laugh.

“My, what a temperament. Of course, I’ll exchange it. It’s a large sum. You know the going rate, don’t you?”

“Roughly around 1,400 hwan per dollar, isn’t it?”

His gaze shifted in an instant.

The eyes that had seemed indifferent to the world now gleamed sharp and calculating, like those of a merchant.

The old man shook his head.

“Young man, you still don’t know much. These days, hwan are more precious than dollars. Everyone’s pulling out the dollars they’ve stashed away at home to buy up stocks or whatnot, so the value of the dollar is bound to drop.”

He wasn’t wrong.

At present, foreign currencies including dollars were under strict government control.

The official exchange rate was 1,250 hwan per dollar, but the black market always followed a different logic.

Especially during times like this, when money was flooding into the stock market.

“Then what’s the rate now, sir?”

“It’s trading at 1,300 hwan per dollar.”

I nodded as if I agreed with him.

“The dollar’s value has fallen quite a bit.”

“What can you do? Dollars are overflowing in the market. These days, hwan are more precious than dollars.”

It sounded like he was criticizing the current state of affairs, but his eyes gleamed with sly cunning instead.

“Even the money changers on this street are selling off their dollars and rushing to the exchange. Of course the dollar’s value is dirt cheap.”

I stayed silent for a moment.

I already knew that the dollar’s value had dropped.

But unlike other money changers who only moved according to market rates, the old man before me was different.

“What’s the commission, then?”

“For Mr. Yang’s sake, I’ll take only 10%.”

I immediately did the math in my head.

10% of 1,300 hwan was 130 hwan.

That made it 1,430 hwan per dollar. Outrageous.

“1,430 hwan per dollar…… That’s too much, sir.”

When I quickly calculated and spoke the number aloud, the old man looked surprised.

“Take 50 hwan per dollar instead. That makes it 1,350 hwan. Considering the amount, sir, you wouldn’t be at a loss either.”

At my audacious counteroffer, the old man erased his expression and twitched his eyebrow.

Then he spoke in a cold voice.

“Hah! Look at this brat. You dare haggle with me? Didn’t you come here knowing who I am?”

“Yes. I know. You’re the Elder of Myeong-dong.”

So-called “the Elder.”

A giant of the black dollar market who dealt with smugglers, the wealthy, and even high-ranking figures in the military and politics.

Ordinary people couldn’t even dream of speaking to him.

Even the money changers here would borrow from him at high interest when they ran out of dollars.

That was the sheer financial power of the man before me.

“And yet you dare try to cut my commission? This is already generous, thanks to Mr. Yang. If not for him, would a brat like you even have a chance to talk to me?”

The Elder’s commission was notoriously high, even in the black market.

Normally, commissions were around 10%, but he charged at least 15%.

So he wasn’t lying about lowering it to 10% for Yang Sobo’s sake. But I hadn’t come here just to exchange a mere 400,000 hwan.

“I’ll soon have another large sum to exchange. Think of this as securing a customer.”

At that, the Elder’s eyes gleamed with fresh interest.

“A large sum? Mr. Yang needs dollars? For what? No, if he needed them, he’d come to me himself. He wouldn’t send a boy like you.”

“That’s right. This is money I earned myself. Around 500 million hwan.”

“500 million?!”

The Elder’s eyes widened.

He stared at me in silence for a while, as if lost for words.

Then, in a tone of disbelief, he spoke.

“Are you playing with an old man? 500 million hwan isn’t some dog’s name, boy……”

“Would anyone be crazy enough to try scamming you, Elder?”

I cut him off and asked calmly.

“Do you want this deal? Or should I look elsewhere?”

There was no one besides the Elder who could handle an exchange of this size. But I deliberately threatened to take my business elsewhere.

The daily volume of dollars traded in Myeong-dong’s black market was around 500,000.

500 million hwan amounted to roughly 370,000 dollars.

That was a massive sum, nearly a whole day’s worth of transactions in one go. No wonder the Elder was shocked.

He muttered while staring at me with a gaze mixed with greed and calculation.

“500 million hwan…… At 1,350 hwan, that comes to about 370,000 dollars.”

“More precisely, 370,370 dollars.”

I gave him the exact number.

The Elder nodded and pulled a small notebook and an American fountain pen from his breast pocket, scribbling rapidly.

“When do you expect to exchange it?”

“Within next month.”

“Good.”

After jotting down a bit more, the Elder came to a decision.

“I’ll do this deal at 1,350 hwan, as you say. And the 500 million hwan too. No matter what the rate is then, I’ll honor this price.”

In the end, he accepted my proposal.

It was an investment in securing a bigger deal for the future.

But he didn’t forget to issue a warning.

“If you were joking with me…… you’ll pay dearly for it.”

His voice was quiet, but the threat it carried was chilling.

The Elder gave a signal with his eyes to the men beside him.

They stepped forward and took the bag of money from me, opening it to check the bundles inside.

A moment later, one of the men leaned in and whispered into the Elder’s ear.

“402,000 hwan, he says. Is that right?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“Wait here.”

One of the men quietly left the room.

The Elder looked back at me with a curious gaze.

“Mr. Yang said he’d picked up an interesting kid. Meeting you myself, I see he was right.”

“He didn’t pick me up. I went to him myself.”

“Hah, either way, you’re under his wing in the end.”

“I’m not merely relying on him. I’m helping Mr. Yang.”

Perhaps my words sparked his interest, because the Elder’s eyes swept over me once more.

“Interesting. Very interesting. Would you care to work under me instead? I’d be a better choice than that Chinese fellow, wouldn’t I?”

“Mr. Yang would be disappointed to hear such words.”

“Haha! Do I look like the sort of man who worries about Mr. Yang’s feelings?”

“I said disappointed, not that you worry about his feelings.”

“Hoho, sharp tongue you’ve got there. You don’t let a word slide.”

The Elder raised the corners of his lips and laughed heartily.

“Come find me anytime you change your mind. I like capable men.”

Just then, the man who had stepped out earlier returned carrying a small bag.

The Elder took the bag, checked inside, then asked me,

“Shall I give it in tens? Or mix in some hundreds?”

“Two hundreds, and the rest in tens and ones, please.”

The Elder nodded, then pulled out two $100 bills, nine $10 bills, and seven $1 bills, handing them over to me.

“$297. I’ve taken out the small change.”

I nodded, accepted the money, and tucked it deep inside my breast pocket.

“Be careful. Until you leave this alley, that money might not wholly be yours.”

“Do you think there’s a madman in all of Myeong-dong who would dare touch your client’s money, Elder?”

At my retort, the Elder narrowed his eyes.

“What did you just say?”

“If anything happens to my money, I’ll take it as your doing.”

When I smiled as I said it, the Elder looked at me as if momentarily at a loss for words.

His face showed both embarrassment and a flicker of interest.

Just as I intended, I had left a strong impression on him. Though, it still felt like I should’ve pushed further.

“It was a good deal. Next time, I’ll visit you at your office directly.”

“You…… You know my office?”

As expected, there was unhidden surprise in his voice. I shrugged lightly, as if it was no big deal.

“Yes. I do.”

“……How? Even Mr. Yang doesn’t know that.”

“There are plenty of rumors on the street. I happened to come across it. Well then, I’ll be going.”

I gave a slight bow and turned without hesitation.

All the way out of the dark alley, I ignored the persistent weight of the Elder’s gaze on my back.

Now, everything was ready.

---

Baek Min-woo’s back vanished completely into the darkness, and Han Sang-hoon kept his eyes fixed on the direction he had gone.

The deep eyes of the old man flickered with unreadable, complicated thoughts.

The encounter just now had been strange.

A twenty-year-old brat, said to have come from a den of beggars, carried an audacity and boldness hard to believe.

‘Money from selling Daegung stock, he said…… He knew to pull out at the peak of the madness? Or was it just luck?’

And 500 million hwan, no less.

If it was true, it would be among the largest deals in the whole of Myeong-dong’s black market.

Not something a brat like that could handle. Surely Yang Sobo was backing him……

‘No. He even knew my office. Not even Mr. Yang knows that place.’

The unease wouldn’t go away.

That boy wasn’t simply Yang Sobo’s errand runner.

There was something more.

His instincts told him so.

Han Sang-hoon had survived decades in this business with a honed sense, one that detected danger and opportunity alike.

That boy could be a double-edged sword. One who might bring immense profit—or destroy everything.

Turning to the two burly men at his side, Han Sang-hoon spoke in a low voice.

His tone was quiet, but carried undeniable weight.

“Find out everything about that boy.”

The men’s eyes fixed on the Elder.

“From the roots upward. What he’s done until now, what exactly his relationship with Mr. Yang is—don’t miss a single detail.”

His eyes gleamed cold.

“Yes, Elder.”

The men bowed their heads without question. Han Sang-hoon turned back to the alley, now swallowed again in darkness.

The stone Baek Min-woo had cast was leaving ripples in his seasoned heart—small, yet deep.

That boy—was he a blessing, or a ticking time bomb?

---

Yang Sobo’s office carried its usual chill.

As he leisurely lifted his teacup to savor the aroma, his hand froze mid-motion. Zhang Wei’s report had unsettled him.

“What? He went to Han Sang-hoon?”

His voice carried not just surprise, but a faint wariness.

“Yes. Baek Min-woo went directly to the Elder for an exchange.”

“Heh…… Of all the money changers, he went to that old fox? And how did he even know of Han Sang-hoon?”

The sound of his teacup being set down rang louder than usual. He murmured to himself, as if lost in thought.

“That brat…… Truly unpredictable. Every time, he easily surpasses my expectations.”

“What shall we do, master? Nothing good can come of getting involved with the Elder. He may even covet Baek Min-woo.”

At Zhang Wei’s cautious question, a faint sneer crossed Yang Sobo’s lips.

His relationship with Han Sang-hoon was that of a necessary evil—an uneasy balance maintained so long as they didn’t cross each other’s territory.

“Covet Baek Min-woo?”

His gaze turned icy.

In the world he had built over decades, nothing that came into his hands—be it people or money—was ever lost or taken.

“Who dares covet what’s mine?”

Yang Sobo issued his order firmly to Zhang Wei.

“Bring Baek Min-woo to me at once. I’ll ask him myself.”

“Yes, sir.”

Zhang Wei bowed and slipped silently out of the office.

Left alone, Yang Sobo stared into the darkness outside the window.

“Just where did such a thing roll in from? You said Daegung stock already passed 9 hwan?”

He tapped the air with his finger, quickly calculating.

Ten million hwan.

The money he’d tossed to the boy had swelled to over a hundred million in just a few months.

To be precise, Baek Min-woo himself had made it so.

That boy wasn’t just lucky.

He had something special.

“I can never let anyone else have him.”

Yang Sobo’s eyes gleamed in the darkness.

“If I can’t have him…… I’d sooner break him, even if it comes to that.”

The chilling thought flickered across his mind, but was erased by Zhang Wei’s voice.

“Master, Baek Min-woo has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

The door opened, and Baek Min-woo entered with the same polite demeanor as before.

“You called for me, sir.”

His face brimmed with confidence still.

From the very first meeting, it had been the same.

Even fresh from the beggars’ pit, he hadn’t flinched a bit before him.

Yang Sobo had found that audacity quite impressive.

At first, he thought of him as nothing more than a lucky boy who happened to return his granddaughter. But now, it was different.

Yang Sobo found himself observing Baek Min-woo with interest.

Where was such boldness hidden in that thin frame? What ambition stirred behind those fiery eyes?

He wondered just how far this boy would grow.

A feeling whispered that Baek Min-woo could become far greater than he expected.

Whether that growth would serve him, or ruin him, remained to be seen.

Suppressing his tangled thoughts, Yang Sobo met Baek Min-woo with his characteristically cold gaze.