The 5 Billion Mirage
“500 million!”
“Ooooh!”
“Ah! If only I had 500 million too!”
“Level of luck that breaks games!”
Everyone envied, everyone was jealous, everyone desperately howled one single word.
My sugar.
My salt.
My soy sauce.
My light.
500 million.
“So what about my 500 million?”
“W-well… please wait a moment, guest?”
Strange. At the start of the game it had been “player,” yet suddenly it was “guest” again. Huh? That felt off.
Whether my mood had dropped or not, the dealer like a parasite scurried off without properly clearing the game board.
In a casino of this scale, there was no way they couldn’t pay 500 million to a guest, so fleeing wasn’t the issue.
But from the dealer’s perspective, they needed to confirm whether they truly had to pay 500 million and whether they would shoulder all the blame themselves.
‘Well, even if I don’t take that dirty money, I’m curious how they’d handle the aftermath anyway.’
They had cheated first, I had cheated too (?), so in the end it was all even. Even if they made excuses and only returned the principal, I planned to let it slide coolly.
Rather, what I had been aiming for was something else entirely.
No, soon after, hearing the commotion from the VIP area, security and the intermediate managers overseeing this place appeared, bringing the problematic dealer with them.
“Guest, if it doesn’t inconvenience you, may I perform a body search? Ah, misunderstanding—I don’t mean to suspect the guest at all. It’s simply that this matter is also related to the honor of our casino, so we need to settle the matter properly before and after.”
“As you wish.”
Already body-searched lightly at the entrance, the security that now came rushing in began methodically digging into my center.
They mobilized every unheard-of piece of equipment to search for any hidden Smart Link or illegal implant on my body, and even checked for biological traces in case I had physically touched the roulette wheel.
“W-well, manager. Even after using all our equipment, nothing special is detected on this guest.
“Rotating the fingerprint scanner across the game board also reveals no traces except the touch pad touched for betting.”
As expected, the result was a total waste.
The Mad Watch on my wrist was strangely undetectable by anyone except me—no equipment or AI could sense it, making this a complete crime.
Finally, despite mobilizing every last bit of manpower and equipment, it had only proven my innocence. The manager’s expression turned grim in an instant.
The target of resentment should have been the subordinate dealer who had falsely accused me and caused this mess, but given the situation, even I who should simply pay the 500 million felt like backing out.
“Guest. First, I apologize for the somewhat inadequate and unpleasant response of our dealer. However, regarding this game, I’m afraid…”
“Ah, I don’t particularly mind that. To put it bluntly, what’s the big deal about a machine suddenly ‘malfunctioning’ in this dusty, moldy casino on the lowest floor of the prison?”
The manager’s eyebrows twitched at my bone-headed reply.
Mentioning “malfunction” in such a public place was bound to rub someone the wrong way.
‘What are you going to do? Claim that malfunction like things can’t happen?’
Then I have to give 500 million? Moreover, in front of the dealer who made the false accusation, they have to punish them?
Before the other could think, some other VIP guests had already begun whispering.
Perhaps they thought their own games might have had “malfunctions” in the middle, gradually inflating suspicions.
Since I had stirred up the aggro this far, the casino side definitely wouldn’t come out nicely, but I wasn’t gullible.
Just as the situation was about to explode.
From inside, the sound of clacking high heels echoed faintly.
“Stop there, manager.”
“……!”
The gem-like voice from behind made the manager flinch and immediately step back like a well-trained dog.
The security also split left and right as if they had a separate manual for such situations.
Shock batons or submachine guns that had been ready to swing at me when the manager gave the command were lowered, and all combat will was self-castrated.
As if no one here could casually draw blood.
“Our staff have committed a great rudeness to the guest. In their place, I apologize once again.”
Passing by the bulky manager, the person who appeared was a figure whose appearance perfectly matched the description of a mysterious woman.
Originally it had been dark gray hair, but now a somewhat faded light gray bob, bangs covering about a quarter of the small, slender face, and in contrast, blood-red eyes shining like rubies.
The slim, long legs and figure were a perfect model shape that could shake men’s hearts, and the dress with a deep slit on one leg, reminiscent of a Chinese qipao, stood out particularly.
“Ah, I don’t know if you understand even if I say I’m suddenly appearing and apologizing in their place. Once again, I’ll introduce myself by taking the liberty. I am Jin Ja-gyeong, currently operating this casino.”
She held a cyberpunk long pipe made with an incredibly advanced method in one hand—too much for an old-fashioned pipe—and lightly bowed.
As can be seen from the name, she seemed more like a Chinese person or a Chinese who had immigrated to Korea (legal or illegal), rather than a Korean.
But her actual origin was a bit different from our expectation.
‘Many users had curiosity about Jin Ja-gyeong’s origin, with her somewhat faded impression, East Asian name, yet boasting Western-style figure and appearance.’
Eventually, as the story progressed, her origin was gradually revealed to be quite shocking.
It was the Goryeo-saram (Koryo-saram), a minority ethnic group treated similarly even in this world. Specifically, mixed Eastern European descent.
I initially thought she was a child from a Western family with diluted East Asian blood, or conversely, a person from a Western mafia family settled in East Asia.
‘So when it was revealed that Jin Ja-gyeong’s background was actually Koryo-saram, it showed that the EFD developers were sincere about Korean history.’
The EFD developers, they couldn’t do anything from game development to protecting Korean history to stabilizing in-game prices—they were the embodiment of normalization.
One time they turned public opinion, and even soft cows like me couldn’t wake up.
Anyway, since the casino boss came out and apologized directly, I should receive it.
“Usually, prisoners here often state their prisoner number rather than their real name. I think that’s better too, so please understand that I can’t reveal my real name.”
I casually showed the prisoner number badge hanging on my chest and lightly extended my hand.
I knew it was rude not to apologize with their real name, but rather than my name and surname which weren’t famous, revealing the prisoner number seemed better.
“Ah, so it’s you, the famous Super Rookie. I’ve heard a lot about the rumors.”
Look, in a casino where all info gathered, just revealing the prisoner number was enough for them to know who I was.
Perhaps they had been monitoring me since the moment I stepped into the casino.
Without hesitation, she received my handshake, then summoned her subordinate presumed to be her secretary, and brought a heavy 007 bag and a small box slightly smaller than a palm.
“For the guest who has endured much inconvenience, our casino has prepared two rewards and one choice. One is 10 billion credit, up to 20 times the original bet amount.”
With a clinking sound, the heavy 007 bag opened and dazzling credit chips appeared. The highest amount credit chips, each worth 10 million won.
These chips were like credit cards—items self-produced by the prison AI for easy physical transactions inside the prison.
Of course, since the prison AI distinguished them thoroughly, forgery was impossible, and if the owner couldn’t store them due to insufficient power, they could immediately exchange and deposit into Prison Banking.
Remote payment via fingerprint and iris recognition for Prison Banking, or direct payment using credit card or credit chip. Either way, it was insufficient to activate the market economy inside the prison. It was also easier to control than outside currency.
But what was really amazing was that in this illegal facility where PrisonNet couldn’t be introduced, they could prepare an enormous amount of credit chips.
‘It’s shrewd that they prepared credit chips separately instead of 10 billion transfer through Prison Banking.’
It felt like they were trying to seize the initiative.
If their wealth and power were at this level, and they were surprised and collapsed at just this much, then just eat it and fall. It was really that kind of reward filled with exactly that much generosity.
An ordinary prisoner would have drooled and quickly chosen the 10 billion at this point.
But I wasn’t.
‘Who to send as a fool.’
After all, most who came to the casino were gambling maniacs. If they got big money, they’d spend it all here immediately, and if they fell for the dealer’s vicious schemes, they’d be stripped in an instant.
Even if they held back and took the money and went back, it was a guaranteed bad ending. How many prisoners were there to target that money, and there was no guarantee that the casino side wouldn’t use tricks to get the money back.
“What else is there?”
“You don’t want the 10 billion credit chips? I thought I was showing some sincerity.”
“The original bet amount times 20, if it doesn’t appeal, then it’s a lie. But since the boss gave the ‘choice’ at least, isn’t it only right to check the remaining one?”
There were plenty of guys shooting killing glares at me, the gambling prisoner, asking when I started caring about propriety.
But I didn’t care and shrugged my shoulders.
Then Jin Ja-gyeong showed a bewitching smile as if amused and tapped the end of her pipe with a small box.
In the small box opened by the secretary was a black card. It was a card quite unfamiliar to me.
“This is an access card for a small office operated as a test by our casino side. It can be said to be a kind of identity proof guaranteed by our side. However, the main business of that office hasn’t been decided yet, so it’s just being left idle.”
“Compared to 20 billion, it seems quite lacking. Hard to expect a clear explanation.”
“As expected?”
“But it looks interesting, so I’ll choose that side.”
I took the card from the small box without hesitation and put it in my pocket.
She showed a slightly surprised look but said nothing and lightly bit the end of her pipe with her cherry-like lips.
The blood-red eyes shining uniquely from the pale skin like a corpse and the faded impression felt like they were scanning me thoroughly.
Surely interest would be piqued. How could one choose an unknown-purpose card instead of 20 billion, and how could one not be scared even in this situation.
In the muddy swamp of all the rumors and turbid information I had heard through others, they must have been desperate to find a pearl called truth.
‘But I can’t show all my cards here.’
The reconnaissance phase was enough.
I prepared to clean up my seat and leave without hesitation.
“Ah, almost forgot.”
I turned around again and took exactly 5 credit chips from the 007 bag held by her secretary.
The surrounding security immediately clutched their weapons, but thanks to her raising her pipe to stop them, no bloodshed occurred.
Or not, I had just taken my fair share.
“I won’t receive any additional money, but I should get back at least the amount I bet. Everyone has no objections, right?”
It was rather interesting to ask everyone present, not the owner of this place.
She laughed “kuk kuk” and was the first to raise her hand to my opinion.
“Of course, we almost committed another rudeness. Personally, since you showed a splendid ambition and spirit as a man, you can take everything with you.”
“I was educated from childhood not to eat strange things. I’ll take my leave.”
“…Please take care. And please visit again.”
The proud hygiene concept and correct common sense of Koreans in the 2020s still won against Koreans in the 2020s in the 2040s.
It was summer.