Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Follow the Expert's Advice
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I should follow the expert's words.
I immediately called my maternal uncle.
It had been a few days since the trial.
My uncle answered the phone in a voice thick with exhaustion.
"Hey, Ji-hoon. What's up?"
I cut straight to the chase.
"Uncle, do you know any immigration specialists or firms?"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.
"...What? Immigration? Out of the blue?"
His voice was laced with disbelief.
"Why would you emigrate?"
I replied casually.
"Oh, just... thinking of leaving this country. I'm completely fed up. Planning to go to the US. So, could you introduce me to someone really good?"
My uncle suddenly sounded serious.
"Hold on, Ji-hoon. You're not... because of that asset division, are you?"
As expected from a lawyer.
He picked up on it instantly.
I didn't hide it.
"Yeah, that's right."
My uncle let out an incredulous chuckle.
"Man... I knew you were no ordinary guy, but this... You're saying you're fleeing the country just to avoid giving her that money? Just appeal! I'll handle it somehow..."
I interrupted him.
"You said yourself appeals rarely overturn first-instance rulings. I don't want to give that woman a single penny. I'm just gonna bolt."
My firm tone left my uncle speechless for a moment.
He let out a deep sigh before asking one last time.
"You're not joking, right? You're seriously emigrating over this? And why are you saying you're skipping out on the money so boldly?!"
Why was I so upfront?
Simple reason.
"Anyway, Uncle. Hook me up with someone who knows immigration inside out. I'm planning a midnight run here."
At my playful tone, his weary voice came through.
Seemed like I'd drained him completely.
"Sigh... Does your mom—my sister—know about this?"
"Of course. Getting her permission and doing this properly."
My uncle fell silent for a bit.
"I've known you were an odd one since you were a kid... but you're something else."
I took it as a compliment.
"Hee hee."
A deep sigh echoed from the receiver.
"I'll send you a number. Contact them tomorrow. I'll give them a heads-up."
"Thanks, Uncle!"
"...You're not planning to never come back, right?"
Worry tinged his voice.
I grinned mischievously.
"Nah, of course not. Gotta come back for ancestral rites. It's just a long trip—what's the problem?"
"...Sigh. Fine, got it."
"Let's meet up before I go. Grab a meal."
"Sure thing, Uncle~"
The moment I hung up, a text came from him.
A name and contact.
And just like that, I'd secured the expert to handle my midnight escape.
The next day, I visited the immigration lawyer my uncle recommended.
The office was in a sleek building right in the heart of Gangnam.
'Law Firm K'
Looked like a top-tier place.
After a short wait in the consultation room, a middle-aged man who appeared seasoned entered.
"Mr. Kim Ji-hoon, right? I'm Attorney Park. Your uncle, Attorney Kim, filled me in."
"Yes. Nice to meet you."
He sat across from me, reviewed some documents, and spoke.
"You're looking into US investment immigration."
"Yes. I want the fastest, most reliable method."
He nodded and gave a concise explanation.
"The standard route is the EB-5 investment visa. You invest a certain amount in a commercial enterprise in a designated US area and create at least 10 jobs for US citizens or permanent residents. That gets you a conditional green card, followed by a full one after two years."
It was familiar—stuff I'd already researched online.
I interrupted and got to the point.
"So, how much money, and how long does it take?"
My direct question made him pause briefly.
Then he checked the documents again.
"Minimum investment is $800,000 for a Targeted Employment Area (TEA). $1.05 million for standard areas. Processing time... it's backed up lately, so 3 to 5 years."
3 to 5 years?
That long?
I needed to wrap everything up and bounce within a year.
Seeing my disappointment, he added,
"Of course, there are faster options. But with higher risks."
I swallowed hard.
Risks?
My whole life was a risk right now—what more was there to fear?
I asked without hesitation.
"What's that? Tell me more."
He slid a document my way.
"There's the E-2 treaty investor visa. Unlike EB-5, it doesn't lead straight to a green card, but processing is just a few months. You invest a substantial amount in your own business and operate it."
I skimmed the document.
No fixed investment like EB-5.
Just "substantial" relative to the business scale.
"So... what's the risk?"
He looked me straight in the eye over his glasses.
"The risk is this: the visa is tied to the business. If it fails, the visa vanishes. You'd have to leave the US immediately, losing your entire investment."
Business fails, game over.
Back to Korea with nothing.
But way better than waiting 3-5 years.
I had to see results within a year.
And... I trusted my business idea.
Dad's special soy sauce.
Mom's restaurant recipes.
My cooking skills and fluent English.
This combo couldn't fail.
I replied without hesitation.
"We'll go with that."
At my decisive answer, he met my eyes briefly, then nodded.
"Understood. We'll start the E-2 process right away. I'll send the required documents list."
Since I was there, I decided to get more advice.
I shared the detailed plan I'd already mapped out.
Might as well get the pro's input to make it solid.
"Actually, once in the US, I plan to buy a house first. Then work part-time for a few months while scouting store locations."
He nodded.
"Solid approach. But..."
He trailed off before asking,
"How will you source the investment funds? Proving the funds' origin is crucial for E-2 approval."
I answered as if I'd been waiting.
"Oh, that. All my assets are tied up in Bitcoin right now. Planning to cash out in the US."
His face hardened the instant I finished.
He rubbed his forehead.
"No, sir. Absolutely not."
I blinked in confusion.
"Huh? Why? Tax issues...?"
"Taxes are secondary. As I said, E-2 hinges on 'proof of funds origin.' You must document perfectly where the money came from and how it reached the US. Transferring via crypto screams money laundering. Rejection rate: 99%."
I was speechless.
He proposed a new plan.
"Sell the crypto in Korea for KRW first. Combine it with funds gifted from your father and deposit into your account. Then wire officially to a US corporate account."
"Labeled as 'business investment funds.' House purchase comes after. Business first."
My head spun.
My tax evasion scheme was busted from the start.
But what could I do?
Expert says no, it's no.
"Sigh... Got it. I'll follow your advice."
I nodded, feeling like I'd learned something.
Better to heed the pro than my amateur ideas.
His clear explanation built my trust.
So, while I was at it, I asked the big one.
The key to my escape plan's success.
I hesitated a bit before speaking.
"Um... Attorney. Honest talk. I'm divorced, and I have to pay asset division to my ex-wife. Judgment's out, but payment's not due for a year."
I gauged his reaction.
No change in expression.
I swallowed and continued.
"Truth is... I'm emigrating to avoid paying her. Any legal issues leaving like this?"
He pondered briefly at my confession.
Then explained clearly.
"Short answer: no issues currently."
I nearly sighed in relief.
He counted on his fingers.
"Korea bars exit for: criminal defendants, unpaid large fines/taxes, etc. Yours is civil debt. Judgment doesn't automatically block exit."
He paused, then added the clincher.
"She'd need to sue for 'debtor registry,' court approval, then exit ban request. That takes months minimum, up to a year-plus. Leave before then—no legal problem."
Music to my ears.
'Just bolt within months.'
I stood with a bright smile.
"Crystal clear advice. Thank you, Attorney."
No more hesitation.
My steps were lighter leaving the office than ever.
Finally, the outline of my exit from this hellhole country was in sight.
On the way home, I revised my plans in my head.
"Ah, but... gotta dump the Bitcoin I just bought. Tsk..."
A bit sad my tax dodge went poof.
In my officetel desk drawer slept a USB with 50 Bitcoins Dad bought for me.
Core funds for my escape.
'Should've taken cash instead.'
Sure, inheritance or gift taxes, but...
Plus, Dad bought them in his name, so selling meant using his too.
A hassle.
'Not urgent anyway.'
Disposing crypto could wait.
First, gather the docs he requested.
"Let's see..."
I sat at my desk and opened the email list.
Basic certificates, family registry, business plan, proof of funds...
More than expected.
I got right to preparing them.