The Regressed Vault Keeper Took It All

Chapter 7: We Were in the Same Boat

At my brazen demand, Yang Sobo’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

But as if he had grasped my intent, he spoke in a low, secretive voice after a brief silence.

“Currently, I have connections with the military regime’s upper echelons and also within the KCIA. I activated that line to verify the suspicion you raised.”

It seemed his ties reached deeper than I expected.

His influence extended even to the military leaders who had seized power through a coup and to the infamous intelligence agency.

I could imagine the real scale of the power he possessed.

I nodded inwardly in satisfaction.

With his money and intelligence, the entire game could be shaken.

As expected, seeking him out had been the right choice.

“You were right about everything.”

Yang Sobo’s voice was cold as ice.

The displeasure of being stabbed in the back by someone he had trusted like a loyal dog.

And his evaluation of my ability to detect it.

All of that was mixed in his gaze, filled with complex emotions, as he looked at me.

“Jin-ho has joined hands with Park Jeong-ho. Deeper than you had thought.”

He must have confirmed even more sordid dealings I was unaware of.

“He tried to fatten his belly with my money. He even had the audacity to demand an additional fifty million hwan.”

I nodded calmly.

The stage was now properly set.

Kim Jin-ho had become a card for Yang Sobo to discard.

“I anticipated that. But the important thing is that their greed will eventually lead to their downfall.”

I spoke firmly, meeting his gaze without wavering.

Yang Sobo met my eyes directly.

“I don’t believe you’re the kind of man to just sit back and be trampled on, sir. Am I right?”

Once again, I pricked his pride.

Sure enough, the corner of Yang Sobo’s mouth twisted upward, and a chilling murderous gleam flashed in his eyes.

“Of course. If I get hit once, I’ll strike back twice.”

“But still, going to full-scale war against the military regime and the KCIA would be quite burdensome.”

At my blunt remark, Yang Sobo nodded.

A flicker of humiliation, unbecoming of the so-called king of the underground economy, flashed across his face.

“That’s true. Soldiers are reckless.”

He muttered in a low voice.

No matter how much money or intelligence one had, the moment one showed weakness to men with guns and blades, everything could be lost.

He knew this all too well.

“If full-scale war is difficult, then we have to climb onto the board they’ve set and play along.”

I was sick of living as nothing more than someone else’s pawn.

“We must dance in the storm they’ve stirred up, without misstepping. When the flames burn brightest and then fade, I plan to retrieve the gold from the ashes.”

At my words—that I intended to foresee the crash and turn its flow to my advantage—Yang Sobo’s eyes gleamed sharply, as if scrutinizing me.

“What do you need specifically?”

“First, I need three people who are absolutely loyal to you. Men completely outside of Kim Jin-ho’s influence, trustworthy, who can act like my shadow and carry out orders swiftly and precisely. In this game, speed and secrecy are everything.”

I needed Yang Sobo’s true limbs, those who could flawlessly execute my intent.

“And please provide ten million hwan in funds.”

Ten million hwan.

Considering a house back then cost only a few hundred thousand hwan, it was a suffocatingly large sum.

The corner of Yang Sobo’s mouth twisted again, this time tinged with both curiosity and intrigue.

“Ten million hwan, you say?”

I met his gaze without avoidance and spoke firmly.

If I faltered in this battle of wills, the interest I had barely sparked would surely fizzle out.

“Yes, you need that much stake to enter the board and truly gain something.”

“With a mere stake like that, what do you think you can accomplish in such a massive current? Was your courage only this little?”

His voice carried blatant disappointment.

“You’re playing with my money, so shouldn’t you bring in a larger stake and shake the game properly?”

To him, ten million hwan was trivial.

I realized once more just how vast his wealth and audacity were.

I steadied my breath, meeting his gaze head-on, as if he were testing me.

“The larger the stake, the greater the disturbance it can cause.”

I spoke calmly.

I had no intention of revealing my entire plan yet.

But I needed to show enough of its framework to earn his trust.

“The reason I asked for ten million hwan is so that they won’t pay attention to our moves.”

“So they won’t pay attention?”

“Yes. This stock market upheaval isn’t just simple market manipulation. It’s likely a scheme by the military government to prepare political funds for the transition back to civilian rule. If we try to shake things too hard with too much money in that enormous flow, we could become their target and vanish without a trace.”

After catching my breath, I continued.

“Ten million hwan is an enormous sum, but compared to their pockets, it’s ‘mere.’ With that amount, we can avoid their suspicion, move freely, and seize opportunities.”

At my explanation, Yang Sobo’s gaze changed.

He saw that it wasn’t just bravado, but meticulous calculation and sound judgment of the situation.

Amid the suffocating tension, only the slow tapping of his fingers against the table echoed.

“No matter how I think about it, I just don’t understand. Where on earth did you come from……”

He muttered like a man talking to himself.

I waited for his decision.

“Zhang Wei!”

At last, Yang Sobo shouted, as if making up his mind.

The door opened, and Zhang Wei entered silently.

“Retrieve all the money I gave to Kim Jin-ho immediately……”

Yang Sobo’s voice carried an icy rage.

“That must not happen.”

My firm cry resounded through the room.

Both pairs of eyes snapped toward me at once.

Yang Sobo stared at me with naked displeasure and suspicion.

Soon, his voice lashed out, sharp as frost.

“Not happen? Are you daring to challenge my decision?”

“Yes, it must not happen. If you cut off Kim Jin-ho now, everything will collapse.”

I met his murderous gaze without flinching and spoke resolutely.

“Kim Jin-ho must remain with them. He must continue playing the role of funding Park Jeong-ho and the military faction.”

“You want me to keep entrusting my money to the man who betrayed me?”

The betrayal from someone he had trusted for years clung to him, transformed into rage.

Rage only clouded vision.

Since it would not help my plan, I spoke even more calmly to persuade him.

“If you suddenly sever Kim Jin-ho and recover your funds, Park Jeong-ho and the forces behind him will immediately become suspicious. They’ll wonder—did information leak from somewhere? Did Yang Sobo notice something?”

Thankfully, Yang Sobo did not interrupt me.

I kept my voice level, feeding only reason so his overheated emotions could cool.

“The moment we trigger their vigilance, the entire board could be overturned, or we could be eliminated before we even begin.”

As my words flowed calmly, his eyes also sank coldly, as though the fire in them had cooled.

“Kim Jin-ho…… when their greedy scheme collapses, he can become the perfect scapegoat to shoulder all the blame. The military regime and the KCIA will also need a pretext to clean up the troublesome situation.”

“A pretext, you say……”

“Indeed, a pretext. Kim Jin-ho, the scapegoat, will be invaluable to them and to us. He must faithfully play his role until the game ends. Of course, under our surveillance.”

At my explanation, Yang Sobo let out a quiet hum and closed his eyes.

Cold calculation, surpassing his anger, must have been filling his head.

A scapegoat.

A tool for the board.

Considering both the cruelty of my proposal and its usefulness, there was only one decision he could make.

At last, he exhaled deeply, opened his eyes, and gave Zhang Wei another command.

Yang Sobo’s voice was much lower and calmer than before.

“Zhang Wei. Put the previous order on hold. Instead, keep Kim Jin-ho under thorough surveillance. Report directly to me.”

Then he looked back at me.

“Choose three trustworthy men and assign them to this fellow. Men with no ties to Kim Jin-ho, discreet and quick-handed. By tonight.”

He paused briefly and added,

“Prepare ten million hwan in cash from my private vault and hand it to him directly. Leave no record. Verify it yourself.”

“Yes, sir.”

Zhang Wei quietly disappeared after receiving the command.

“Prove it through results. Prove that my trust was not misplaced. And show me what that gold in the ashes you spoke of really is.”

In Yang Sobo’s eyes, the ruthlessness of a businessman mixed with expectation toward me, an unpredictable variable.

“This is the first sponsorship I’ve promised you. If this goes wrong, there will be no next time.”

I rose to my feet and bowed respectfully.

“I will never disappoint you.”

With my whole body boiling hot, I left his office.

It was my chance to step directly onto the thin ice, where a single misstep would send me plunging into the abyss.

The next morning, I arrived at a secret operations room near Myeong-dong, prepared by Zhang Wei.

The best location would have been the Merit Hotel, where one could overlook the Korea Securities Exchange at a glance.

But Park Jeong-ho and his clique had surely already set up camp there.

So instead, what had been prepared was this place—an old building floor.

It contained only the bare minimum: furniture, a telephone, and a heavy safe.

Yet, with the Korea Securities Exchange visible outside the window, it was more than enough to hold my ambitions.

This would be my first command post.

Soon, Zhang Wei entered, followed silently by three men who stood before me.

“Baek Min-woo, these are the men sent by the master.”

Zhang Wei began his introductions in his characteristic dry, half-informal tone.

The first to catch my eye was a man in his late twenties, with sharp eyes.

“Kang Cheol-min. He’ll be the one in the field. Quick with his hands and feet, and a broker specializing in stock trading.”

Kang Cheol-min gave a short nod.

Next was a man in his mid-thirties with a thin build and glasses.

His eyes gleamed sharply from behind the lenses.

“Yoon Ji-seong. He has excellent skills in collecting and analyzing information.”

Yoon Ji-seong gave a light bow.

The last was the largest of the three, a man in his early forties.

He had a taciturn and reliable air, with the weight of a massive boulder.

“Ma Dong-jin. He’ll manage the money and watch your back. His lips are sealed, so trust him.”

Ma Dong-jin didn’t move an inch.

Finishing his introductions, Zhang Wei added,

“From today, these men will follow your orders. They owe the master a great debt, so they will never betray him.”

I muttered inwardly.

They wouldn’t betray Yang Sobo.

Not me.

‘These men are double-edged swords. My powerful weapons, but also ones that could be turned against me.’

But it didn’t matter.

I was confident I could use them completely.

As if his role were done, Zhang Wei stepped back and stood by the door.

“Nice to meet you.”

I spoke first.

“From now on, we are all in the same boat. Until this boat reaches its destination, no one can get off midway. If anyone wishes to step off now, speak.”

My words stirred subtle ripples across their faces.

The corner of Kang Cheol-min’s mouth twisted faintly, Yoon Ji-seong adjusted his glasses, and Ma Dong-jin remained solid, though his eyes grew slightly deeper.

I moved to the window and opened it.

The cold winter morning wind rushed into the room, heightening the tension.

Outside, the Korea Securities Exchange was still quiet.

“Our stage is there. And our goal is……”

My eyes gleamed coldly as I gazed at the exchange.

“To devour as much of the stake as possible amid that madness.”

A while later, Zhang Wei left the office, and I shook hands with each of the three men.

Kang Cheol-min’s rough hand brimmed with strength.

Yoon Ji-seong’s hand, marked by calluses from holding a pen, was cold.

Ma Dong-jin’s was coarse but solid as rock.

“When I call for you, I’ll use a unified form of address.”

I first established the rule of titles, making clear my position as commander.

“How shall we address you?”

Kang Cheol-min asked, fixing me with sharp eyes.

“I am Mr. Yang’s representative. Choose whatever title you find fitting for that role.”

I pretended to grant them choice, while once more reminding them of the source of my authority.

With important tasks ahead, I could not allow them to underestimate me.

Leaving the matter of titles aside, I went straight to the point.

Standing before the table, facing the three, I said,

“From now on, my orders are the master’s orders. During operations, I will not accept objections or unnecessary questions. There will only be execution.”

I first asked Kang Cheol-min, since his field sense as a broker was crucial.

“What’s Daegung stock trading at now?”

“It passed one hwan yesterday and is now pausing for breath.”

As expected.

The calm before the storm.

The suffocating moment right before Park Jeong-ho blew up the board in earnest.

“What about the movement of other securities?”

“Right now, the most attention is on Korea Electric Power Corporation shares. Other than that, it’s quiet. Everyone’s just watching Daegung stock.”

“Why did KEPCO stock rise the most?”

The one who answered was Yoon Ji-seong.

“As I’ve determined, Park Jeong-ho and his associates acquired a massive block of KEPCO stock held by the agricultural cooperative at a dirt-cheap price. There was no official announcement, but our information network picked it up.”

To have caught wind of such high-level intel already—Yoon Ji-seong’s ability was beyond expectations.

It seemed Yang Sobo had indeed provided the right men.

My heart began to race.

“Before that block hits the market, and while it’s hidden beneath the frenzy of Daegung stock…… I judge that the potential for a surge is considerable. Especially since the operation forces are likely to manage KEPCO’s price above a certain level to secure funds. However, volatility is also expected to be significant.”

Listening to Yoon Ji-seong’s analysis, I grew even more convinced.

Things were unfolding just as Park Jeong-ho would one day brag to me like some heroic tale.

“Good. We’ll start with KEPCO stock.”

I made my decision and immediately gave the necessary instruction.

“Mr. Kang Cheol-min. Mobilize trustworthy people right away and accumulate as much KEPCO stock as possible. Aim between 18,000 and 20,000 hwan, and secure the maximum amount over the next few days.”

“What scale of funds do you intend?”

“All ten million hwan.”

The three men’s eyes widened in shock, as if tearing apart.

The air in the room froze instantly.

Especially Ma Dong-jin, who would manage the funds—his brow furrowed deeply.

“All at once…… the entire amount?”

Kang Cheol-min asked again, his voice faintly trembling in disbelief.

“Yes. And make full use of deferred settlement. We must sweep up the maximum stock ten million hwan can buy. Time is short.”

Deferred settlement.

Paying only fees and postponing payment—a precarious tightrope unique to this era’s securities market.

For speculators, it was a chance for ruin or windfall.

For me, it was the perfect chance to rewrite history.

Looking at the three men, I declared,

“Our first goal is to turn ten million hwan into fifty million. All within just fifteen days.”

At my bombshell declaration, the air in the office tightened again.

The dice had now been cast.

It was time to leap onto the board they had set and dance with blades.