Chapter 12
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Claiming the Prize Money
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Back home, Ryu Won nervously bit his nails.
It was a habit that surfaced whenever he was anxious or restless.
"Stop that. I told you not to bite your nails."
"But, brother. I can't help it. I'm anxious."
"I told you not to worry."
"How can I not worry? We're about to lose a whole 100,000 won."
Watching his brother fill out the lottery slips with the same single set of numbers, Ryu Won thought to himself.
It was obvious they were doomed.
They'd just thrown away 100,000 won.
"Shouldn't you have picked different numbers to increase our chances? Why would you…?"
"I already told you. These are the winning numbers."
"How would you know that?"
"I saw them in a dream."
"..."
At that, Ryu Won's face filled with disbelief.
It was the kind of statement that left him utterly speechless.
But whether his brother believed him or not, Ryu Min didn't care.
'It doesn't matter if he believes me. The results will speak for themselves.'
He might be anxious now, but Ryu Min knew.
After the drawing tonight, his brother's attitude would do a complete 180.
This, too, was something he had experienced dozens of times through his regressions.
'For making money quickly, there's no better way than the lottery.'
For Ryu Min, a regressor, picking the winning lottery numbers was easier than catching a goblin.
'It's best to secure funds through the lottery before the Players ruin the world.'
Later on, the social system would be paralyzed because of the Players.
Even now, with 900 million deaths, the economy was already shaking.
'Before things get worse, I need to secure funds with the lottery and grow the money as much as possible through crypto and stocks.'
The more money, the better.
Not only could they escape their impoverished lives, but he could also use it to recruit Players.
Later, Players would even trade items for real-world currency.
'Though, of course, a Player's gold is worth more than real money.'
While Ryu Min, who knew the future, had no worries, Ryu Won, a mere civilian, was a different story.
In his mind, losing the lottery was already a foregone conclusion.
"We could've just used that 100,000 won to buy something delicious to eat..."
Ryu Won muttered regretfully.
It was understandable; for the two brothers, 100,000 won was a lot of money.
Ryu Min worked a part-time job at a barbecue restaurant on weekends, but that only brought in 400,000 won a month.
They also received basic living security benefits, but after covering various expenses, there was almost nothing left to save.
Thankfully, their tuition and school lunch fees were covered, which was a small relief.
"Sigh."
Seeing his brother sigh once more, Ryu Min said nothing.
He knew his attitude would change completely by evening anyway.
And just as he expected.
-"Welcome. We will now begin today's lottery drawing. The order in which the balls are drawn does not matter; as long as the numbers match, you are a winner. Now, shall we see the first number?"
When it was time for the lottery drawing, the brothers picked up their phones.
Without a TV, they had to watch it on their phones.
*Rattle, rattle, rattle...*
As the balls tumbled and the drawing began, Ryu Won clasped his hands together.
'Please, at least fifth place...'
Their living expenses were on the line, so he couldn't help but be desperate.
In contrast, Ryu Min, who already knew the outcome, wore a blank expression.
-"The first lucky number is 3!"
Ryu Won peered at the lottery slips spread out on the table.
"Three? We have it!"
Thankfully, they had one match.
-"What will the second number be? It's 18!"
"Eighteen? We have it!"
They had the second one, too.
Just one more match and they would win fifth prize.
A flicker of hope appeared in Ryu Won's eyes.
'How much is fifth prize, anyway?'
They had played a total of 100 games at 1,000 won each, all with the same numbers.
The prize for one game was 5,000 won, so if they won fifth place, they'd get 500,000 won.
Not only would they get their money back, but they'd also make a profit of 400,000 won.
"Please, please, please..."
Was it the sight of his brother desperately waiting for the third number that was so amusing?
Ryu Min let out an involuntary chuckle.
"You don't have to be so tense."
"Huh?"
At that moment, the third number was announced.
"Gasp! Brother! This is amazing! We won—we won fifth place!"
Ryu Won was so overjoyed he didn't know what to do.
It seemed he had been incredibly worried about losing their initial investment.
"Amazing! We multiplied our money by five! Your dream must have been a really lucky one!"
"It seems so."
But it was too early to celebrate.
-"The fourth number is 38! And the fifth number is 21!"
With each number called, Ryu Won's eyes grew wider.
His hands and feet trembled, and his eyes darted back and forth, tirelessly comparing the numbers to the lottery slips.
It was because, so far, not a single number had been wrong.
-"And that concludes the drawing. Let's recap today's winning numbers. They are 3, 18, 9, 38, 21, and 1. The second-place bonus number is 5. We'll see you again next week. Thank you!"
With the final number, the broadcast ended.
But Ryu Won couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the phone.
"Bro-brother..."
"Yeah."
"Can you pinch my cheek?"
"Pinch it yourself."
"Th-this isn't a dream, is it?"
"Would you rather it be a dream?"
Ryu Won shook his head violently.
"No, never!"
"Don't worry. It's not a dream."
Ryu Min smiled reassuringly, but Ryu Won couldn't shake his dazed feeling for a while.
After all, it wasn't just anything; there were heaps of first-prize winning lottery tickets right in front of him.
"First prize... We won first prize..."
He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but there was no mistake. It was first prize.
"Brother! Brother! It's really not a dream, right?"
"I told you it's not."
"Hahahahaha!"
Overjoyed, Ryu Won jumped around their already cramped home.
"You're that happy?"
"Of course! Aren't you happy?"
"I am."
The first time Ryu Min had won the lottery, he too had shouted with excitement.
But after repeating it dozens of times, it had become a routine process, like an annual event.
"All 100 games won first prize... Hahaha!"
"Keep your voice down. The neighbors will hear."
"Oops! R-right."
Ryu Won clamped his mouth shut and stared at the winning lottery slips, still in disbelief.
"First prize... We really won first prize..."
Muttering in a voice barely above a whisper, Ryu Won looked at his brother.
"Brother, you really played the same numbers for all of them, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then how much is this in total?"
"Well. It's split among the winners, so it depends on how many there are, right?"
But Ryu Min already knew the outcome.
How many winners there were.
And how much the prize money was.
'The world's probably going to be turned upside down by this record-breaking prize money.'
Though, the world was already starting to turn upside down.
* * *
"Have a good trip, brother!"
"Okay. You stay put at home while I'm gone."
"Where would I even go? And I'm not a kid."
'You are a kid. Much younger than me.'
On the surface, there was only a four-year age gap, but if you included the years he'd lived through his regressions, Ryu Min was over 110 years old.
In Ryu Min's eyes, his brother couldn't be seen as anything but a child.
"I'm just worried because of what that bastard Bang Tae-gyu did to you. If anyone comes to the door, don't open it."
"If you're that worried, then take me with you."
"No way. It's an unwritten rule to claim the prize money alone."
"But I want to go, too..."
"I'm leaving."
Ryu Min waved and started walking.
He took a bus to his destination: the Nonghyup Bank headquarters.
He was there to claim his lottery winnings.
'It was tough waiting until Monday.'
After finding out they'd won on Saturday, the brothers had a small celebration.
They ate out for the first time in their lives, grilling pork belly at a restaurant.
'We didn't have enough money to even think about getting Hanwoo beef.'
Even though it was just once, the cost of eating out was a huge blow.
Their living money dwindled to the point where they barely had enough left for bus fare.
'Still, we managed to survive on ramen until Monday.'
The prize money could only be claimed on weekdays when the bank was open.
Therefore, as long as he had bus fare, their finances were fine.
Once he got to the bank, hundreds of millions would be deposited into his account.
-"Next stop, Seodaemun Station Intersection, Nonghyup Bank Main Office."
Ryu Min got off the bus and walked down the street.
After a short walk, a tall building came into view.
It was the Nonghyup Bank headquarters, the place that paid out first-prize winnings.
Normally, one would be nervous before entering, but...
'Maybe because I've claimed first-prize money dozens of times, I don't feel nervous at all.'
Without any such feelings, Ryu Min calmly walked into the bank.
Perhaps because it was a Monday, the bank was bustling with people.
Of course, they were regular customers, not lottery winners.
Ryu Min did as he always had and approached an employee at the lobby desk in the new wing.
"I'm here to claim my first-prize lottery winnings."
"Ah, is that so? Congratulations, our lucky customer."
The bank employee didn't seem particularly surprised.
First-prize winners were a common occurrence, happening every week.
However, the employee did give Ryu Min a quick glance.
'He looks quite young to have won first prize.'
There were winners in their twenties, but the young man before him looked young enough to be a high school student.
It could be a lie or a mistake, so the employee had to verify.
"If you don't mind my asking, could you tell me where you purchased the ticket?"
"GS24, the Yeonhui branch."
"Excuse me? Ah...!"
The employee let out an involuntary sound.
A conversation he'd had with his superior before starting his shift came to mind.
-"This week's drawing had a whopping 107 first-prize winners."
-"What? 107? That many?"
-"Yeah, it's a record high compared to the usual ten or so. But you know what's crazy? One hundred of those wins came from a single location."
-"Huh? One location? Don't tell me one person bought them all..."
-"That's right. Someone played the same numbers for 100 games, and they all hit the jackpot."
-"Wow... That's insane. I'd be jealous of just one win, but 100..."
-"I checked, and the prize money is enormous. Anyway, they might come to claim it this week, so be prepared. If anyone says they bought their ticket at the GS24 in Yeonhui, call the bank president immediately. They're a super VVIP customer."
Recalling his superior's words, the employee snapped to attention.
"Um, excuse me, but could you please wait here for a moment?"
"Of course."
After excusing himself, the employee stood up and returned a moment later with someone else.
"Oh my, thank you for waiting. I am Kwon Joon-ho, the president of Nonghyup Bank."
"Hello, my name is Ryu Min."
With a composed expression, Ryu Min lightly shook the hand the bank president offered.
"I hear you've won first prize. My sincerest congratulations, our lucky customer."
"Thank you."
"We shouldn't be standing here. Please, come with me. I will escort you personally."
Ryu Min took the elevator to the third floor with the bank president.
During the ride, the bank president glanced at Ryu Min.
'Well, look at this. The young man shows no sign of nervousness.'
Not only had he won first prize, but he, the bank president, had come down to greet him personally.
It would be natural to be nervous, yet the young man's expression remained unchanged.
In fact, he looked so relaxed he was almost bored, which the bank president found fascinating.
"This way, please."
The bank president led Ryu Min to a place called the Lottery Business Team.
On the way, they passed other people waiting to claim their winnings, but they walked right by them.
He couldn't possibly make Ryu Min, the winner of 100 games, wait with the others.
"Ah, Mr. President, you're here?"
An employee bowed, sneaking a peek at Ryu Min from the corner of his eye.
'Who is he? The president's son?'
As he wondered, the bank president made the introduction.
"This is our VVIP lucky customer, here to claim his winnings. Please assist him and make sure he is as comfortable as possible."
'VVIP?'
Only then did the employee realize who the bank president had brought with him.
'The 100-game winner from the GS24 in Yeonhui?'
While he was still in shock, the bank president exchanged pleasantries with Ryu Min.
"This employee will assist you with claiming your prize. Please, make yourself comfortable."
"Yes, thank you."
As the bank president stepped back with an affable smile, the employee stepped forward.
"Welcome, our lucky customer. Please have a seat over here."
As Ryu Min sat on the plush sofa, the employee asked with a smile.
"You must be thirsty. Can I get you something to drink? We have coffee, juice, green tea..."
"That's all right. I'd just like to claim the prize money and go home, if possible."
"Ah, of course. I understand. In that case, may I see the winning lottery slips first?"
Ryu Min pulled 20 lottery slips from his pocket and handed them over.
The employee couldn't hide his astonishment as he checked the slips.
All 100 games had the same numbers, and they were, without a doubt, first-prize winners.
'To play all of them with the same numbers... Does he know the future or something?'
The employee tried his best to hide his envy, explaining with a smile.
"Verification complete. All 100 games are indeed first-prize winners. Congratulations."
"Thank you. How much is the prize money?"
"This week's first-prize jackpot is about 24 billion won. There are 107 winning games, and in your case, you won 100 of them, so..."
The employee, who had been calculating, swallowed hard before speaking.
"Your prize money comes to approximately 22.4 billion won."
After taxes, that meant 15 billion won would be deposited into his account.