The Regressed Vault Keeper Took It All

Chapter 21: I Always Keep My Word

After meeting the Elder, I headed toward the annex where Min-soo was staying.

Just then, I ran into the doctor who had finished his house call and was about to leave.

“How is his condition?”

The doctor, who had been looking down at Min-soo’s pale, sleeping face, folded his stethoscope and put it into his bag before answering.

“There’s definitely some improvement, but tuberculosis requires long-term treatment. He must continue taking his medicine consistently, and we’ll have to monitor the progress.”

“……If he were to receive treatment in America, could he recover more quickly?”

The doctor paused at my sudden question.

A flicker of puzzlement crossed his eyes.

“America?”

“I was just wondering if the prognosis would be better if he were to get treatment there.”

“Hmm…….

If the drugs don’t work, surgery might be necessary.

If it comes to that, then naturally, going to a more medically advanced country like America or Japan would be far better.

Our country’s medical science still has a long way to go.”

“When would we know whether surgery is necessary?”

“At least six months of drug treatment must pass before we can judge.

Of course, regular X-rays would be needed to monitor the lungs, but you said that isn’t possible in your situation, didn’t you?”

Min-soo and I were still ghost-like existences that didn’t officially exist on paper.

Therefore, we couldn’t afford to visit a hospital for proper examinations.

I silently nodded.

“Based on the auscultation, his lungs sound much clearer than before. Still, if possible, I’d strongly recommend proper tests.”

“Would long-distance travel be safe? I’m worried it might strain his body.”

“Long-distance travel, you say? You really intend to send him to America, don’t you.”

“Yes. If the opportunity arises.”

“As long as he takes his medicine properly and doesn’t overexert himself, he should be fine. If it were his condition at the first diagnosis, it would’ve been impossible, but now it’s different. Thanks to good food and plenty of rest, his strength has noticeably improved.”

“Thank you so much. It’s all thanks to you, doctor.”

“Not at all. If anything, I’m fortunate I could at least repay some of the great favor I’ve received from the master.”

The doctor finished packing his tools, picked up his medical bag, and stood up.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

I rose from my seat and bowed deeply to express my gratitude.

“Truly, thank you every time.”

“Haha, stay healthy. I’ll see you next time.”

After the doctor left, I sat again by Min-soo’s side.

Just as he had said, his previously raspy breathing did seem far more at ease.

As I gently stroked my sleeping younger brother’s hair, I sank into thought.

‘Sending him to America…… is that truly the best option?’

The path I would soon tread was no different from a battlefield drenched in blood and storms.

To have Min-soo by my side there was far too dangerous.

But then again, was it truly right to send my young brother alone to a foreign land?

The hesitation, however, didn’t last long.

“Baek Min-woo, the master is calling you.”

From outside the door came Zhang Wei’s blunt voice.

I sighed shortly, knowing the moment had come, and rose from my seat.

When I opened the door, Zhang Wei, standing like a shadow in the corridor, gave me a quick up-and-down glance.

“Do you happen to know why he’s calling me?”

“You’ll find out once you go. But…… it will be about the Elder.”

As expected, it was about that.

From Zhang Wei’s curt reply, I was certain the situation I had wanted had finally unfolded.

‘So he already knows I met the Elder. The board is set.’

Following behind him, I walked toward Yang Sobo’s office, my steps carrying a faint tension.

At the office door, Zhang Wei gave a low report.

“Master, Baek Min-woo has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

At Yang Sobo’s heavy permission, Zhang Wei silently opened the door for me.

As I entered, Yang Sobo’s gaze, deeper and heavier than before, swept over me as if to pierce through me.

“You called for me, sir?”

Yang Sobo, silent for a long while, gestured with his chin toward the opposite seat.

“Sit.”

We sat facing each other with a small tea table between us.

The room was filled with heavy silence.

After a moment, Yang Sobo spoke.

“Baek.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I heard you went to the Myeong-dong black market today.”

“Yes. I went to exchange the profits I gained recently, thanks to President Park Jeong-ho’s advice.”

“Were you acquainted with the Elder, Han Sang-hoon?”

I nearly burst out laughing.

It was just like Yang Sobo to speak without any beating around the bush.

But to his blunt question, I calmly answered.

“I’d long heard of him by reputation. That he’s a giant who controls the Myeong-dong underworld. But meeting him in person was today for the first time.”

“Then how did you recognize him and approach him? Few people even know what that old man looks like.”

“In the chaotic black market, where countless trades were happening, only around that old man did time seem to stop—it was strangely quiet. No one dared to greet him casually or even approach him. From that alone, it was clear enough that his presence commanded immense authority.”

At my answer, Yang Sobo’s gaze grew sharper still.

His persistent eyes seemed intent on seeing straight through me.

“Why did you need dollars?”

Now came the real move.

After steadying my breath for a moment, I spoke calmly.

“……Once Min-soo recovers enough to endure long-distance travel, I plan to send him to America for treatment.”

Yang Sobo stared silently into my eyes.

Countless thoughts seemed to flicker behind his deep gaze.

I held my ground firmly and met his eyes.

“To send him to America, I desperately need your help, sir. Shameless as it may be, I want to use this as the last support I receive from you.”

The Chinese merchants’ network spread like a web across the world.

Especially in America, their influence was beyond imagination.

To send Min-soo safely to America and have him settle there, Yang Sobo’s help was absolutely essential.

Without his aid, my plan couldn’t even take its first step.

“……You mean to use your last support for the sake of just one younger brother?”

“He is my precious brother, worth more to me than anything else in the world.”

“So that’s why you need that massive sum of dollars.”

“Yes. All the profits I’ll gain from the Daegung stock operation, I plan to convert entirely into dollars to fund Min-soo’s treatment in America. That’s why I met the Elder.”

At that moment, Yang Sobo’s gaze turned icy cold.

The very air in the room felt as though the temperature had dropped several degrees.

“……You dare make such a decision without my permission?”

The low voice carried unmistakable anger.

“That profit isn’t entirely yours.”

“Of course. As promised, I’ll make up for the loss you suffered because of Kim Jin-ho. No, I’ll repay you more than that.”

“And yet you dare presume to dispose of even my money as you please?”

“You’ll gain even greater profit from it. As far as I know, the amount you entrusted to Kim Jin-ho didn’t even reach 200 million hwan.”

At my brazen reply, Yang Sobo’s eyebrow twitched.

His expression was not so much anger as it was one of surprise.

“Even if Kim Jin-ho were to lose all the money entrusted to him, I can promise you profits far beyond that.”

“To claim you’ll make over 200 million hwan from less than 50 million hwan… it only sounds like nonsense.”

“Perhaps. But the stakes that Park Jeong-ho and the stock-manipulating factions are aiming for won’t be just threefold or fourfold. I plan to exploit their greed against them.”

“Do you truly believe that’s possible?”

“I began this expecting at least tenfold. I always keep my word. After compensating you for your losses, any remaining profits should still be considered within the scope of the promised support. After all, I received sponsorship, not investment.”

I met Yang Sobo’s gaze with unwavering eyes.

Right now, I wasn’t simply asking him for money.

This was a wager to prove my worth and secure a stepping stone for even greater endeavors.

“And…… honestly, sir, you’re not the kind of man to just sit back and suffer, are you? I didn’t believe you would merely take my words at face value and wait idly.”

At my provocative remark, Yang Sobo’s brow twitched.

“What was that?”

His voice carried a chilling warning to mind my tongue, and his gaze gleamed as if it could devour me whole at any moment.

“I told you to leave it be, didn’t I?”

“Of course. But if you had truly done nothing, relying only on my words……. well, I think I would’ve been greatly disappointed in you instead.”

The Yang Sobo I knew was not one to shrink back.

Even if it meant accepting immediate losses, he was a man who would make anyone who coveted what was his pay the price.

A man who moved for something far greater than 200 million hwan right before his eyes.

He possessed both the cold-bloodedness of a merchant and the ruthlessness of an underworld giant.

That was why so many Chinese merchants followed and relied on him.

“……Just how much do you know?”

Though his voice was low, it carried an icy frost within.

“I don’t know the details. But I did know that whatever I said, in the end you would act according to your own way.”

A short silence hung in the taut tension.

Then.

Yang Sobo suddenly burst into loud laughter.

For the first time since I’d met him, it sounded genuinely hearty.

“Hahaha! This is maddening. You speak as though you know me better than I know myself. But why didn’t you ask anything? My actions could have interfered with what you were doing.”

In his laughter, there was less suspicion and more intrigue, perhaps even a kind of acknowledgment of an unpredictable presence.

I answered with a relaxed smile.

“Because you wouldn’t interfere with what I was doing, sir. That was the unspoken promise between us, wasn’t it?”

At my reply, Yang Sobo’s laughter ceased.

Once again, he looked at me with deep eyes.

But now, his gaze carried not mere suspicion or a test, but more complex thoughts.

“Yes. It was the promise between you and me.”

Murmuring quietly, Yang Sobo nodded.

The hearty laughter from earlier vanished, replaced once more by a chilling gleam in his eyes.

“This time, let me ask. What nonsense did Han Sang-hoon spout?”

This too was a question I had expected.

I steadied myself and answered calmly, concealing my true thoughts.

“He suggested that I abandon you, a Chinese merchant, and instead come under him as we share the same blood.

He thought it might tempt me.”

“And what was your answer?”

Yang Sobo’s eyes narrowed.

He was weighing my true intentions and worth with every word I spoke.

If I showed weakness or made even a small mistake here, his goodwill could turn into a dagger at any moment.

“I refused.”

I answered without a trace of hesitation.

“One man is enough for me to follow.

And if I may be so bold, Han Sang-hoon falls far short of your stature, sir.”

“Oh…… And why do you think so?”

His voice carried a hint of surprise, along with deeper curiosity.

“How could a tiger crawl beneath a dog?”

At my resolute tone and gaze, Yang Sobo raised one eyebrow slightly.

“I’d rather roll in the dirt of Cheonggyecheon again than do such a thing.”

A faint smile appeared on Yang Sobo’s lips.

He slowly nodded, seemingly satisfied.

“Good. I like that answer very much.”

He then picked up his teacup and savored the aroma.

His unhurried demeanor and relaxed voice now carried a distinctly different atmosphere.

I could sense it clearly—he had acknowledged me.

“Your abilities, your courage, and the answer you just gave have settled my mind about our promise. If the work you’re doing now succeeds as planned……”

Yang Sobo set down his teacup and looked straight at me.

“Then, as per your final request for support, I will use all my resources to send your younger brother to America. There, I’ll ensure he receives the best treatment and the chance to start a new life. This, I promise you.”

His voice held not the slightest hesitation.

Given the extent of his power and the Chinese network spread across the globe, it wasn’t an impossible promise.

“But remember. This promise is also collateral for the value you must prove in this endeavor. You must succeed.”

Though his final words were soft, they carried a stern warning that failure would not be tolerated.

“If failure were even a possibility, I wouldn’t have started this in the first place. The word ‘failure’ will never intrude upon my life again.”

In this life, I would never repeat the failures of my past.

With that resolve, I gave him my confident reply.

Yang Sobo nodded slowly, then asked, his voice tinged with a hint of testing.

“Are you not curious what I’m planning right now?”

“If it were something I needed to know, I trust you would’ve told me, sir.”

I saw through his intent and responded calmly.

It was a stance of focusing on my role rather than indulging in unnecessary curiosity.

Likely, this was what he appreciated about me.

As expected, I sensed Yang Sobo’s gaze soften noticeably.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll take my leave now.”

I bowed politely and rose to my feet.

“Zhang Wei! Come in.”

As I turned toward the door, Yang Sobo’s quiet voice followed me.

At the doorway, Zhang Wei and I exchanged a brief glance as we passed each other.

Time flew like an arrow.

The storm at the Korea Securities Exchange was uncontrollable.

Especially Daegung stock—after breaking through 9 hwan, and with the Securities and Exchange Act taking effect on April 1st lifting all restrictions, its price soared as if it had sprouted wings.

It was a speed incomparable to before.