You Will Regret It
"Mr. Lee, what kind of insolence is this!"
The one who shouted at my proposal was Mr. Kang Young-so of the Heungsadan (Young Korean Academy).
"Both Mr. Kim Kyung and I are people who bleed and sweat for the independence of our motherland. We are not people who look after the backs of thugs!"
As expected, Mr. Kang's reaction was intense.
He jumped up from his seat and glared at me, his demeanor suggesting he might punch me in the face at any moment. Still, seeing that no guns or knives were drawn, this was a milder reaction than I had anticipated.
"Sir, please keep your voice down... my wife is in the final stages of pregnancy, so she's sensitive."
"How can you even say such things with that mouth......."
"Mr. Kang, calm down for a moment and sit."
In contrast, Mr. Kim Kyung's reaction was much softer. Of course, his face had stiffened beneath his look of bewilderment, but compared to Mr. Kang, he was a gentleman.
"Mr. Kim!"
"We haven't even heard what the matter is yet. You can vent your anger all you want after hearing him out."
"...Hoo."
Thud.
At Mr. Kim's follow-up, Mr. Kang let out a long sigh and slumped back into his seat.
Mr. Kim Kyung continued.
"Now, tell us what this business is. Naturally, I must state in advance that I cannot accept anything that harms others."
"Oh, how could I ever ask such a thing of you, sir? It’s not a difficult or arduous task at all."
I shook my head and began to lay out my true intentions.
"So... to put it simply, I would like your help in changing the name tags on some money."
"Name tags? You don't mean......."
As expected of a businessman, he was sharp.
"As you know, our boss is still working hard to quench the dry throats of the people. Everyone knows that this Prohibition is, in fact, an absurd law, don't they? I've heard that a little bit of it even finds its way into your restaurants."
"Ahem, why bring that up here?"
"What does it matter? Selling a little alcohol in a restaurant isn't exactly a grave sin."
I continued speaking to Mr. Kim, who cleared his throat as if feeling guilty.
"Anyway... we made a profit selling this, but because of this ridiculous law, it has become money earned illegally. Thanks to that, one of our organization's men almost got into trouble recently."
I wonder if Nitti is on his way to New York with the kid by now? Well, he’ll handle himself fine without me worrying about it.
"So... I am asking for your help in removing the tags attached to this money."
"Tell me the specific method."
"We will donate all of that money to the Korean National Association."
"Th-that, is that true?"
No sooner had I answered than Mr. Kim Kyung stood up in surprise, then hesitated.
He runs a fairly large business in Chicago, so he would have a rough idea of the profits our organization rakes in. Besides, a few years ago, my father-in-law was even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'person who earned the most money in America.' If he could imagine even a fraction of that amount, he wouldn't dare fathom the scale of the donation the Association would receive.
"Of course, in reality, it would be donated by anonymous donors or our Capone Foundation."
I had created the foundation for the sake of free meal programs to use for money laundering, but I never expected to use it for this.
"Th-then what are we supposed to do with that money?"
"You just have to spend it."
"...Is that really it?"
"Of course, if you were to send all that money to Shanghai, we would be in trouble, and the Association would be in trouble too."
"Then......."
"I would like you to engage in charitable activities."
"Charitable activities?"
"Sending money to Shanghai is important, but shouldn't the lives of the Koreans living in the United States become prosperous so that the money available for remittances can increase? It could even be called the principle of Ja-gang (Self-Strengthening) that Mr. Dosan spoke of."
I’ll borrow your name for a moment, sir. You understand... right?
"How dare you attach Mr. Dosan's name to such a thing......."
"Mr. Kang."
"Mr. Kim, I don't think I can listen to this any longer. I'll be taking my leave."
"Mr. Kang!"
Despite Mr. Kim's call, Mr. Kang stood up in an instant and walked out of the house.
"Hoo... don't take it too much to heart. I feel quite uncomfortable myself, but Mr. Kang, who was taught directly by Mr. Dosan, must feel it even more."
Considering that both Mr. Dosan and Mr. Kang were people who emphasized morality, it didn't seem strange at all. No, it would actually be stranger if Mr. Kim had left with him.
"So, do I just need to do charitable work?"
"Instead... you must use the costs required for these charitable activities at places we designate. Do you understand?"
Naturally, the designated places would be companies owned by the organization, and the costs would be significantly inflated compared to reality. Once the money is cycled that way, the cash becomes money the organization can use legally.
"You... you truly have a brilliant mind. I see why you became the son-in-law of a man like Mr. Capone."
"I just happened to think of the method by chance."
At Mr. Kim's words, as he looked at the sky and calculated, I shook my head and continued.
"Anyway, after you use the money that way, the remaining funds will be yours to use freely. If we set a rate... I suppose about 20 percent would be appropriate."
"...A kind of kickback, then."
"I think 'commission' sounds better."
"20 percent......."
If you put in 1 million dollars, it's a deal where 200,000 dollars remain. Considering that the 1,000 dollars I donated was enough for the Provisional Government to create a position for me, even if it was just a piece of paper, it is undoubtedly an amount beyond imagination.
If I laundered it through the companies I established, the costs would be much lower, but since there are production limits for milk or chemical products, I can't inflate sales and costs indefinitely. On the other hand, charitable foundations in this era have no accounting audits, nor even laws related to them, so if you just pay your taxes well, you can consider the probability of it being a problem to be almost zero.
Furthermore, if it’s a foundation for the independence of a minority group that seems to have nothing to do with Al Capone, it won't raise any suspicion.
"I don't know how long this bootlegging business will last, but as long as it does, you won't have to worry about money. The money going to the Provisional Government will increase, too."
"...This is not a matter I can decide alone; I will have to talk to the entire National Association. I think I should hear what the Provisional Government has to say as well."
"You can take your time with the decision. The money isn't going to run away in the meantime."
It was an idea that just popped into my head, but I suppose this issue can be wrapped up like this for now. Dr. Rhee in Washington is a problem, but there's no law saying we have to fight, is there? Whether we fight or join hands, as long as we somehow achieve independence, that's enough, isn't it?
"Oh, and."
Now, it was time to bring up the original topic.
"Sir, would you happen to be able to introduce me to some students who have come to study abroad?"
"Students?"
"Ah, I'm not trying to make them do anything bad. It's actually a good thing."
To Mr. Kim, who was looking at me with eyes full of wariness at the word 'student,' I waved my hands and continued.
"The Italians who have come to the United States don't speak English well. In severe cases, they can't even do basic arithmetic."
"So?"
"There are those among them who want to learn, but they need someone to teach them."
I didn't say it was our organization members, but well, that should be fine. It's not a lie, is it?
***
After sending Mr. Kim Kyung off, I went to find Goo-jik, who was working in a nearby underground office. It wasn't because I was bored... but because there was one thing I had asked of him.
And.
"...Mr. Lee."
The expression on Goo-jik's face as he faced me was not very good.
"My, did you catch a cold in this summer heat?"
They say not even a dog catches a summer cold. Should I boil him some samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup)?
"That's not it."
He shook his head at my question and pointed to his table with a trembling expression. Specifically, to the various market price tables and economic indicators spread out on it.
"...Since receiving Mr. Lee's request the other day, I have reviewed all the information from Chicago and New York for several days."
My request was none other than to short-sell stocks with the organization's and my own funds. Buying stocks was one thing, but to short-sell, I needed a broker connected to Wall Street, so I had borrowed his connections.
"Steel production, automobile sales, railway transport volume... all indicators, all data clearly point to growth. Renowned economists are all saying that a new era has dawned."
Having finished, Goo-jik looked at me with eyes full of disbelief.
"And yet... Mr. Lee seems to be thinking of betting on the exact opposite side of this market. And that, including a significant portion of the organization's funds."
"Yes."
"...In my opinion, it would be best to cancel this even now. This is... if it goes wrong, it's not a problem that can be solved just by your life or mine, Mr. Lee."
In Goo-jik's eyes, I must look like a madman. As he said, all the data available now would point upward, and the analysis synthesizing that data would be far from the conclusion that America would collapse.
Rationally speaking, he was perfectly correct.
However.
"Mr. Goo-jik."
What I know is not a process made of reason and logic, but a result created by emotion and illogic.
"I agree that your words are logically correct. You've been in charge of the organization's finances, so this wouldn't be an easy choice."
As I spoke, I pushed the documents he had presented to one side and looked out the window at the skyscrapers of Chicago.
By this time next year, I wonder how many of them will still be standing.
"I am simply looking at what lies behind those numbers."
"What on earth......."
"Bootleg liquor sales are slowly falling. It's hard to find people in restaurants, and grocery stores are full of goods, but they are rotting because there is no money to buy them."
I can't tell him I know the future, so I have to make up some excuses.
"Unlike the numbers or graphs, the foundation of this country is already shaking. If someone just gives it a little nudge, it will collapse like a sandcastle."
"But, you don't know when that will happen, do you?"
"It will happen within a month, two months at the latest."
And then, a catastrophe called the Great Depression will cover the entire world for several years. To use that time as an opportunity, I needed to increase my cash reserves now.
"If you don't trust me, you don't have to touch the organization's money. However, I recommend that you dispose of all assets that aren't making money right now and turn them into cash. A day may come when that building over there isn't even worth the price of a house."
It was a kind of declaration. If you don't want to believe it, don't, but don't regret it later.
"That word... are you certain? There is no coming back if you regret it later."
"The only regret I will have is that I should have bought a little more today."
With those words, I picked up a note mixed in among the documents I had pushed aside.
[US Steel]
[General Motors]
[RCA]
[......]
What was written on the note were the giants currently leading America's industry and economy—stocks of companies that would fall into the hell beneath the earth without end once the Great Depression began. I pushed that note toward Goo-jik.
"I leave it to you."
"...Hoo. If it weren't for you, Mr. Lee, I wouldn't even have listened."
At that answer, which signified his consent, I smiled and continued.
"If you are interested, Mr. Goo-jik, you should put some in as well......."
"I have no such intention."
You’ll be beating your chest in regret later.