The Underworld Chairman's Weakness
There's only one Chairman Park that I knew.
Park Yongguk.
The overlord of Korea's underworld, the king of the back alleys.
Entertainment, gambling, loan sharking.
He had his hands in anything that made money.
I'd expected him to reach out.
But faster than I'd thought.
Of course, it was only natural.
After all, I'd been openly sweeping through the country, hoovering up every relic in sight.
I'd dried up the supply on the antique street entirely, so it would've been weirder if word hadn't reached the big players in that world.
The man stared at me with an intimidating expression, waiting for my answer.
His vibe screamed that if I refused, he'd drag me off by force.
I chuckled.
"Sure, why not."
I didn't ask questions or make a fuss.
"……?"
The man's eyebrows twitched.
He looked blatantly thrown off.
Normally, people would demand to know who he was, why he wanted me, or flat-out refuse to go.
Or they'd get scared and try to bolt.
Someone reacting so readily, like they'd been waiting for this—it must've been a first for him.
Park Yongguk, the chairman, was an obsessive collector of antiques.
He was instinctively drawn to old things.
Especially after the Great Cataclysm, he realized he was different from everyone else.
Awakening.
The System had opened, granting him the ability to sense mana.
Through those eyes, the world looked entirely different.
A strange glow emanated from dusty pottery shoved in a warehouse.
A special energy pulsed from a rusted sword.
Relics.
He sensed it instinctively.
These weren't mere antiques.
They were the power of a new era—and the key to immense wealth.
Park immediately unleashed his underlings.
He ordered them to scour every antique dealer and auction house across the country.
Money was no object; just buy everything up.
But the results were disastrous.
"Nothing here."
"No stock left."
"Someone already cleaned everything out."
Everywhere they went, empty-handed.
They were one step too late.
Some mystery figure was cherry-picking the best relics and sweeping them clean.
As Park's mood soured, a report came in.
They'd found the culprit.
A young guy driving around in an old one-ton truck.
"Chairman, we've brought him."
The intercom buzzed.
Park sank deep into his leather sofa.
The door opened.
A young man strode in casually.
Hoodie, jeans.
Dusty sneakers.
He looked like any ordinary college kid you might pass on the street.
This guy's the one?
Park narrowed his eyes.
He was young—early twenties at most.
For a greenhorn like that to monopolize relics nationwide?
And he'd come walking right in when summoned?
Confidence, or just plain stupid?
Not your average punk.
But the goods were real enough.
A subordinate had just checked the truck—one with the sharp-eyed Observation skill.
-Chairman, it's legit. Everything in the truck bed is giving off a faint glow. Some of it's so intense it hurts to look at.
A treasure trove had rolled right up to his door.
Park schooled his expression.
A kindly smile curved his lips.
The sort of friendly neighborhood uncle grin.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Chairman Park."
He extended his hand first.
The young man didn't flinch.
No glancing around nervously, no hesitation.
He just stepped up calmly and shook it.
"Kim Jeong-seok."
The grip was firm.
Park's eyebrows rose slightly.
Kim Jeong-seok, huh.
He rolled the name around in his mind.
Never heard it before.
Park sized him up again.
Not scrawny, but no giant either.
No intimidating aura, no killing intent.
Just a tired-looking young man with dark circles under his eyes.
Doesn't look like much.
Park lost interest.
What mattered wasn't the kid's identity, but the stuff he'd brought.
Probably just some fresh Awakener with a single skill.
No sense of the real world.
A little sweet-talk, sell him on a lowball price, and done.
Flash some cash stacks at a kid like that, and he'd fold easy.
"I hear you've got some fascinating items. I'm quite the antique enthusiast myself. I'll pay top dollar, so……"
"100 billion upfront."
The words cut him off.
Park's brow furrowed.
"……What?"
Kim Jeong-seok said it flatly.
Dry as picking lunch off a menu.
"For the goods."
"……."
"Oh, cash only, of course."
Kim Jeong-seok flopped onto the sofa and added,
"Clean money, untraceable. Please."
"……Hah."
A disbelieving laugh escaped Park.
The gall.
100 billion in cash, right off the bat.
And calling it an advance, no less.
Without even inspecting the items properly.
Just because some junk in a truck bed glowed a bit.
"You in your right mind, kid?"
Park's voice dropped low.
Killing intent leaked out.
The savage menace that had ruled the back alleys, burying countless fools.
Most would've tucked tail.
But Kim Jeong-seok didn't blink.
He crossed his legs and continued.
"Balance is 200 billion."
"……200 billion?"
"Total 300 billion. Check the goods, confirm they work, pay then if you want."
It was getting ridiculous.
100 billion was insane enough; now another 200 on top.
Kim Jeong-seok shrugged, savoring Park's reaction.
"If not, no hard feelings. Not pushing."
He made a show of standing.
"Guess I'll try Chairman Shim, then."
Instantly.
Park's eyes sharpened.
"……Chairman Shim?"
Shim Myung-hwan.
Chairman of Myeongseong Construction, Park's lifelong rival.
He was a fanatic collector too.
And rumors swirled that the old bastard had Awakened as well.
He knows.
Park reassessed Kim Jeong-seok.
This guy knew the game.
How the world was turning now.
The value those old relics would hold.
And who wanted them most.
He had it all figured out.
If Shim Myung-hwan gets these……
The thought alone was nightmare fuel.
Post-Cataclysm, the balance of power was crumbling.
Money and influence weren't enough anymore.
This was the age of raw power.
If those truckload of items were real?
If Shim armed up with them?
Park's organization would be obsolete overnight.
"Wait."
Park called him back.
His mind raced.
He wanted the goods.
But 300 billion was too steep.
Even for him, with money rotting away, scraping up 300 billion cash on the spot was a burden.
And besides.
Cocky little shit.
This kid was toying with him, dancing on an elder's head.
Just rip it off by force?
Make him disappear quietly, take the truck, done?
But he hesitated.
Too calm.
Confidence bordering on arrogance.
Like walking into a tiger's den and demanding meat.
You don't pull that without backup.
Who's behind him?
Mentioning Shim meant his intel network was no joke.
And those eyes.
Definitely had a high-grade Appraisal skill to value relics that precisely.
Mess with him wrong, and blowback could hit.
But paying 300 billion meekly? Pride wouldn't allow it.
Gouging had limits.
This was straight-up extortion.
"Young friend. Business isn't done like that."
Park lit a cigarette.
"There's such a thing as a fair price. I'll pay generously, but 300 billion……"
"Your son."
Kim Jeong-seok cut in abruptly.
Park's hand froze.
The lighter flame flickered in the air.
"……What'd you say?"
"Park Ji-hoon. Right?"
Kim Jeong-seok stared at Park with a blank expression.
"Vegetative state? Going on three years now."
Crunch.
The lighter crumpled in Park's grip.
His face hardened.
His reverse scale.
The one spot you don't touch.
His only son.
The precious child left comatose in a mysterious car accident three years ago.
Park's deepest pain—and weakness.
A secret kept airtight, no less.
And this nobody kid knew?
"You little……."
Black mana rose from Park's body.
This time, he meant to kill.
"You background-checked me? Got a death wish?"
This guy's dangerous.
Knows too much about me.
And he's using it to blackmail.
Can't let him live.
"I can save him."
"……What?"
"Your son. I can save him."
Kim Jeong-seok didn't flinch.
He even smirked, mocking the killing intent.
"Modern medicine can't, sure. Brain damage."
He pointed toward the truck.
"But the items I brought? Different story. They're infused with power beyond this world's laws. Use them right, and he'll live."
"Bullshit."
Park growled.
"Don't try scamming me. Top doctors gave up—now you say some antiques fix him?"
"Don't believe me? Fine by me."
Kim Jeong-seok stood.
"Then off to Chairman Shim. Heard his wife's got a chronic illness too."
No hesitation in his steps.
Hand on the doorknob.
Park's pupils shook.
Unbelievable.
Classic con artist ploy.
But.
What if it's real?
The world had changed.
Aging him could bend steel like a superhuman.
Why not miraculous healing?
That self-assured attitude.
Not the eyes of a liar.
Clutching at straws.
A father's desperation numbed his reason.
If it's fake, I'll feed him to the fish.
He'd decided.
"Wait!"
Park shouted urgently.
Kim Jeong-seok paused.
Without turning.
"Terms stay the same."
Kim Jeong-seok said.
"100 billion upfront. Now."
Park bit his lip.
No choice.
Could be a trap.
Grab the cash and run.
But even 0.1% chance to save his son?
100 billion advance was nothing.
"……Fine."
Park answered in a trembling voice.
"But one condition. Save my son first."
"No."
Kim Jeong-seok turned.
Cold eyes pierced Park.
"Money first. Treatment after."
"You bastard, to the end……!"
"Can't trust? Walk away."
Kim Jeong-seok opened the door.
Cold air rushed in.
Gutsy play.
Park was the desperate one.
Kim Jeong-seok knew.
What his son meant to him.
How badly he wanted this.
Timing didn't matter, really.
He could've collected anytime.
Confidence guaranteed it.
But for their future relationship, seizing the initiative was key.
"Fine! I'll pay! Just take it!"
Park finally waved the white flag.
He grabbed the intercom.
"Get Manager Kim in here. And…… open the safe."
Only then did Kim Jeong-seok close the door and turn back.
As if he'd known all along.
A smile played on his lips.
"Smart choice."
Kim Jeong-seok sank deep into the sofa.
"Excellent investment, Chairman."
Park stared at him in disbelief.
What the hell is this guy?
First time he'd met anyone like him.