Chapter 16
I’m translating the chapter directly into the required HTML format, keeping the narration natural and turning the system-like and read-text passages into styled blocks.CHAPTER_TITLE: The House My Family Chose
When I said we should move, my whole family just stared at me blankly.
As if time had stopped.
─ ······.
─ ······.
─ ······.
The only movement came from my mother’s hand.
She must have been trying to save water by instinct, because she reached out and shut off the faucet at the sink.
Click.
As she turned it off, she asked, "You looked up apartments online last night? Not at a real estate office?"
"I checked through a real estate listing site. These days, a lot of agents post their properties online."
"Oh... I see?"
"Yes. House prices have dropped a lot lately, so I found a decent forty-pyeong place for around 900 million won. It was redeveloped recently, and it’s only been about half a year since people moved in. It’s basically a new apartment."
"······900 million?"
My mother sounded dazed.
Even my father seemed a little rattled by the number. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem, ahem······."
At forty pyeong in Jamsil, 900 million won was the kind of price you’d never see again.
Of course, there was no reason for my parents to know that.
"With the money I already gave you before, we can easily afford it."
"W-well, yes, but, Dohyun. Still, bringing up a 900-million-won apartment out of nowhere is... your mother’s a little startled, you know? And these days the news keeps saying prices are going to fall even more... we just finished paying off the bank loan too. I was thinking more like a jeonse place for 200 or 300 million."
So they really were worried about money.
Drip.
I pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "I made a lot of money with stocks, didn’t I? I’ve also studied the global economy a lot."
"You did, yes?"
"Mm."
"So let’s just trust me on this and buy the place. In Korea, especially Seoul, housing prices are going to keep rising. The global economy will recover too, starting in the first half of next year. And..."
I thought for a moment, then brought up something other than money.
"No matter how much it costs, I think it’s far more valuable for our family to live in our own home. Of course it should be a good one."
"······."
"······."
"······."
"Fighting over hot water every morning may be a kind of memory too, but if we move to a good house, we can make better memories. We’ve lived in a semi-basement long enough to know it... and a semi-basement is no place for people to live comfortably."
At my words, my mother and father fell silent, lost in thought.
For some reason, Seohui tucked her lips inward a little and looked at me with bright, round eyes.
"I checked it out, and Jamsil is close to Dad’s company, and there are two high schools nearby too. They’re both good schools, so it’d be nice for Seohui to go there."
"······You thought of that too?"
My father set down the newspaper he had been holding and looked at me.
Across the front page, in huge letters, it read: [Seoul Housing Prices Fall for the Eighth Straight Week... Experts Say "It Will Take at Least 10 Years for Real Estate to Recover."]
"Yes, Father. It’s really a good place, so please trust me."
"Hmm······."
My father let out a long breath. He seemed to be torn.
I understood that. The papers said house prices would keep crashing, and my grandfather had ended up drowning in debt because of real estate, so my parents had every reason to be cautious about buying a home.
I had brought it up first thing in the morning because I wanted us to move as soon as possible, but maybe I had made their heads spin before the day even started.
Being a good son was surprisingly difficult in a lot of ways.
Just as I was studying my father’s expression...
"Let’s move."
"!"
"Dohyun’s right. What matters is that our family lives together in a good house, even if it’s only for one day sooner."
My father looked me straight in the eye as he said it.
"Still, go with your mother and see it in person once. Things can look different online and in real life."
"Ah... yes, Father. Thank you."
"I should be thanking you."
A pleased smile crept onto my father’s face.
I had never once seen him smile like that in my previous life. In this one, I had already seen it several times.
"I should head to work soon. Dohyun, take Seohui to school and be careful. And you, make sure you go to the orthopedic clinic today. Stop saying everything aches every night."
"Okay, honey. Have a good day."
"Do your best today too, Dad!"
My father nodded and headed for the door.
As he passed by me, he spoke quietly.
"...Thank you."
"······."
That one word moved my heart more than the fact that my stock account had 180 billion won in it.
Just as I was caught up in that thought...
"Oh, this hot water is running fine now!"
My mother went back to washing the dishes. Tiny beads of moisture had gathered in her eyes.
She really had wanted to move.
The reason she hadn’t said it aloud was probably because our family had once been brought so low that she was afraid of spending that much money.
Did I reassure her?
Of course, Master. Right now, you are the most proud and dependable son in the world, at least in your mother’s eyes.
...Right.
That made me feel strange again.
Then Seohui trotted over to me.
"Oppa, oppa."
"Yeah?"
"The apartment you said you saw—does it have my own room too? It does, right? Is it big? How big? Bigger than your room? Or bigger than our living room and kitchen put together? If the house is forty pyeong, how big is that?"
Heh.
Her voice, full of anticipation, made me laugh. So she really did want to move that badly.
"Of course it has your own room, and it’ll be much bigger than the one you have now."
"Oho, oho······!"
Seohui’s eyes sparkled. She looked so cute that I absentmindedly patted her head and said to my mother, "Mother, then I’ll go see the place with you after school today. Are you free?"
"Yes, I’m free. You’ll be home around one after school, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Let’s go together then."
My mother’s voice was calm, but beneath it there was no hiding the hope and happiness.
After school ended, I rode in a taxi with my mother to look at the Jamsil apartment.
She kept peering out the window, nervous and excited at the same time about seeing a brand-new apartment.
We’d only ever gone between home and the restaurant where she worked every day, so this was probably the first time she’d been out anywhere in a long while.
I’d have to help her get out more often now. Take her on trips too.
That was when it happened.
> Master, I apologize for interrupting your time with your mother. Vincent Lightman has just checked the message I left. Would you like to contact him directly?
Vincent was the lawyer who would act as my representative in both the United States and Korea.
So it might be better if I spoke to him directly.
Still, I couldn’t let him interrupt this time I was spending with my mother.
I want to focus on looking at the house with Mom right now.
> Understood. I will handle it appropriately.
Yeah, thanks.
Zero would take care of it.
With that thought, I looked back at my mother’s face.
The soft smile on her lips was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at.
On the second floor of a laundromat somewhere in Harlem, New York.
Thunk.
"Hoo······."
Vincent Lightman let out a sigh and walked into the tiny room on the laundromat’s second floor.
That was his office.
He had been a lawyer for four years, but he was barely making ends meet by handling only court-appointed cases.
······.
He sat alone in the shabby office, staring into space.
Then, all of a sudden, he slammed his fist down on the desk. He was that angry.
Bang!
Why... why does nobody give me work?
He hadn’t studied very hard when he was younger, so he hadn’t been able to attend a proper university, but Vincent was confident in his ability.
Far more so than the young hotshots at the big law firms.
If only someone would give me a chance...
To get more opportunities, Vincent had passed the bar in two states.
He had taken the exams in Delaware, where corporations were thick on the ground, and in New York, where money from all over the world gathered.
That wasn’t something just anyone could do without real passion and effort.
And yet no proper cases came his way.
He himself couldn’t even say why that was happening.
"Fuck······."
He muttered a curse and checked his mail. Student loans, car payments, office phone bills for a line that never rang, his cell phone bill, and even his older sister’s hospital expenses.
Every single one of them was just another demand for money.
He had thought that once he passed the bar exam, everything would get easier. It hadn’t. If anything, things had only gotten worse.
The woman who had once inspired him to dream of becoming a lawyer had already become the "office wife" of some old man at a big law firm three years ago.
...What am I supposed to do? Should I advertise my name in the newspaper? But where would I even get the money for that? I can’t borrow any more either.
"If someone paid me enough, I could shake hands with anyone. Even a cartel."
As Vincent wandered into dangerous thoughts, he glanced at the office phone.
I haven’t checked the missed calls.
Checking missed calls was one of Vincent’s routines.
It probably won’t be anything today either... but you never know.
With no expectations at all, Vincent pressed the button to check missed messages on the office phone.
Click.
> Missed message retrieval complete. You have...
It’ll say there are zero messages, like always.
> There is 1 message. Would you like to check it?
"······?!"
Whoosh!
Vincent sprang to his feet before he realized it.
And then—
Ring-ring-ring~!
"!"
The cellphone on his desk suddenly rang.
So startled, Vincent answered the call before he even remembered the missed message.
"Th-this is the law office of Vincent Lightman, the lawyer who’s stronger than anyone else and exactly what you need. The only lawyer in America who will come running to you right away, wherever you are, and if you pay enough, even beat down the president. Vincent Lightman Legal Office~."
After rattling off the words like an automatic message from some flashy law firm, Vincent cleared his throat and continued.
Ahem.
"Yes, this is Vincent Lightman, attorney at law. What can I help you with?"
He spoke as calmly and solemnly as he could, but sweat was already running down his hand.
Please let this be a legal case, please······!
Then a woman’s voice came through the phone.
["Vincent Lightman."]
He had never heard it before. Still, just from the voice alone, Vincent could tell.
The woman on the other end was incredibly beautiful.
Her voice was so cold it seemed almost emotionless, and that only made her sound like a secretary, which sent Vincent’s heart racing like a man’s should.
"Yes, yes! I am Vincent Lightman."
["I would like to hire you at an annual salary of one million dollars."]
"······What?"
Vincent wondered if he had heard wrong.
A million dollars was the kind of salary only a senior partner at a major U.S. law firm could even dream of.
It was not the kind of number anyone would offer him.
...This is insane.
"Are you kidding me right now?! Who are you to mock a lawyer like this? I’m a busy man!"
Vincent was genuinely angry.
He had answered a desperate phone call, only to get a prank.
But the voice on the other end remained dry and steady.
["Vincent Lightman. Born in 1972. Graduated from Delis Communications College. Completed Widener Law School’s evening program. Passed the Delaware bar exam, then passed the New York bar exam one year later."]
...She knows me?
["But in reality, you’re stuck doing court-appointed defense work. Your student loan balance is $84,000. Your office rent is three months overdue."]
"······Wh-who are you?"
["Reina Stan, who used to be your fiancée, went to a partner at a major law firm who mocked your academic background, and your sister’s hospital bills are snowballing into debt. If the bills aren’t paid within three weeks, your sister will be thrown out of the hospital."]
"Shit, I’m asking who you are! How do you know all that?"
Vincent shouted.
By now he understood this was no ordinary prank.
["Calm down."]
"······."
["Who I am is not important. What matters to you is that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has just come your way. I’ll ask again, Vincent. Will you accept an annual salary of one million dollars? My Master has high expectations of you."]
"······Master? Who’s that?"
["You do not need to know. Will you accept, or will you not?"]
That was when it happened.
Whirr... ch-chak! Ch-chak!
Something started printing from the dusty fax machine in the corner of the office.
It was a transfer receipt.
[International Sender / Overseas Transfer Confirmation]
[Recipient: Vincent Legal Office]
[Transfer Amount: $100,000.00]
["A moment ago, I transferred ten percent of the contract deposit."]
"······?"
Still holding the phone to his ear, Vincent hurriedly turned on his computer.
He had to check whether the amount printed on the fax was real.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
He immediately opened his online banking and checked the account balance.
America TC Bank
Vincent Lightman
Balance: $100,154.23
...It’s real?
"W-who on earth are you? Who is this so-called 'Master,' and how can someone make such a huge deposit right away...? How did you get my number? How did you know the fax number, and the account, and my sister's condition—!"
Vincent rambled on in confusion, then caught himself.
He changed tactics.
"...What exactly do you want from me? Are you telling me to use this hundred thousand to bribe a judge or something?"
["I will take your acceptance of the offer as confirmation and send the instructions by fax. I will call again when there are further instructions."]
"Hey, wait a minute—!"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The call had already ended.
Even the caller ID was blocked, so there was no way to trace it.
This isn’t the style of a gang or a cartel. Besides, those kinds of people wouldn’t use fax machines in the first place.
By then, Vincent was truly scared.
There was some entity called "Master" who knew everything about him and could casually throw around a hundred thousand dollars.
"What kind of mess have I gotten myself into...?"
As Vincent muttered to himself, the sound of the fax machine starting up came again.
Whirr... ch-chak! Ch-chak! Ch-chak!
Is that the 'instructions' she said were coming by fax?
He was nervous, but also tense with curiosity about what kind of dangerous job this would be.
Ten thousand dollars as an advance was no normal matter.
And yet, at the same time, Vincent felt his heart pounding.
Maybe this was the kind of secret, hidden, mysterious work he had always wanted to do.
He reached out and checked the sheet that had come out of the fax machine.
First Work Order
1. Establish a corporation in Delaware.
Shareholder list must remain confidential.
Articles of incorporation and documents proving the source of capital will be sent separately.
Create a paper company in a tax haven as the parent company.
Make yourself the representative so the source of funds cannot be traced.
(Detailed methods to follow later)
2. Open bank and securities accounts under the U.S. corporate name.
At least three major financial institutions, including TC Bank and Goldman.
Set the maximum limits for overseas stock deposits and stock-backed loans.
Prepare to transfer stocks from Korean securities accounts to the U.S.
Prepare for responses to the Korea Financial Supervisory Service and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
(Further details to follow later)
3. Register an Apple Store developer account.
Register under the corporate name.
Handle all procedures and administration as the highest priority.
"······Why is all of this legal? And why Korea of all places?"
For a lawyer, Vincent found himself asking, "Why is it legal?"
Whirr~ ch-chak! Ch-chak! Ch-chak!
The fax kept coming.
As soon as he saw the next page, Vincent’s eyes widened.
"...W-what now?"
It was a perfectly prepared set of legal documents. Articles of incorporation, shareholder agreements, powers of attorney, confidentiality pledges, and even complex international securities transfer forms for moving stocks from a Korean brokerage to the United States.
They were written with flawless legal terminology, the sort of document set a big law firm’s lawyers would have to stay up for days to draft.
They were detailed enough that all he had to do was sign and submit them.
"Crazy······."
Vincent’s hands trembled.
This isn’t just some rich client. This is someone who has complete control over legal knowledge, financial systems, and administrative procedures.
"...So that’s why that woman called him 'Master'?"
After getting out of the taxi, my mother looked over the apartment complex’s exterior in surprise and asked, "Is this the apartment you mentioned?"
"Yes. What do you think?"
"I... really like it. I really do."
It felt good to hear her say that.
The apartment Zero had recommended was near Jamsil Sports Complex. Its name was Jamsil Elts.
It had been chosen during the height of Jamsil’s redevelopment, so it wasn’t one of those so-called top-premium luxury apartments, but it was definitely built well.
I’ve got a history with this place too.
In my previous life, when I had done hard labor, I had also worked for an interior design company for quite a while.
Back then, I’d gone into this apartment’s interior a lot.
And I learned a ton about interior work there. I never managed to get a certificate because I was too busy working, though.
While I was thinking, a middle-aged woman waved at us from afar and walked over.
She had the curled-perm hair and deep red lipstick of a classic realtor auntie.
"Hellooo~ You’re here to look at the place, right?"
She seemed to be the real estate agent. Then she looked at me, tilted her head, and muttered to herself, "Wait, aren’t you that student from the news...? No, probably not."
······.
I didn’t say anything. There was no need to brag that I’d gotten a perfect score on the college entrance exam.
She looks like the type who’d never stop talking.
If I admitted here that I was the perfect-score examinee, she’d probably latch onto me and talk for the rest of the day. That was a headache I didn’t need.
"I guess not, haha~!"
Since I stayed silent, she didn’t bring up the news again.
The realtor turned her attention from me to my mother and began talking.
"Looks like you came with your son~ This is a secret, but the house you called about was actually bought by someone really important as a real estate investment. His daughter also took the college entrance exam this year, and apparently... well, that’s not really something I should be saying~."
She was one of those people who said "this is a secret" and then told you everything anyway.
Yep. Definitely a talkative auntie.
I already knew what she meant, though.
Before coming here, Zero had told me the place’s backstory.
The apartment belonged to a six-term National Assembly member, and because prices had dropped recently, he had decided to dump it at a relatively cheap price before they fell any further.
And his daughter had also taken the college entrance exam this year, and supposedly done terribly.
That was all I cared about.
"The complex is just so pretty. Wow······!"
"Right? You really called at the perfect time this time. You will never see a place this size and in this location at that price! This is a secret, but······!"
While I was lost in thought, my mother and the realtor had apparently become quite friendly and were chatting away.
"Come this way. Building 101, 13th floor... here. Building 101 is close to the entrance, but it’s tucked a little inward too, so it’s quiet and really nice. And this is just for you, madam, but...!"
My mother and I followed the realtor upstairs to the thirteenth floor.
She opened the apartment door and stepped inside.
And the instant we walked in—
"...Ah!"
My mother let out a small sound. From her expression, it was obvious the apartment had already won her over.
Still, just in case, I asked, "Do you like it?"
"...How did you find a house like this?"
Zero did.
"I worked hard to fi—"
"Oh my, your son found this place?! He’s such a good son! You don’t see sons like that these days! Goodness, that’s amazing!"
...The realtor interrupting a bit was irritating, but since it was praise for me, I let it slide.
"Madam, if you’re going to sign for this place, you should do it quickly. You really won’t find this size, this location, and this price again. I’m not just saying that, I’m serious!"
That was the sort of line realtors always used, but this time it was true.
According to Zero, this was a price and location you’d never see again.
"Mother, if we’re moving anyway, maybe it’d be better to move fast. Should we sign if you like it?"
"······."
At my words, my mother thought for a moment.
She really liked the place, and compared with the semi-basement where we were living now, there was no contest. She nodded.
"Yes. Let’s do that."
"Okay."
The realtor, who had overheard our conversation, hurried over to us and asked, "Then the deposit—"
I cut her off.
A little revenge.
"Not the deposit. I’ll pay the full amount at once, so please arrange move-in as quickly as possible."
"······All at once?"
"Yes."
At my calm reply, the realtor glanced at my mother’s face.
"Yes, that’s what he says. Our son."
My mother even shrugged a little. She didn’t say outright that I was the one paying, but there was definitely a hint of pride in it, like she was saying, My son is this kind of person.
"Oh my······!"
The realtor’s eyes widened even more.
Yes, I was a son who had gotten this far.
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