Chapter 136
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: A Necessary Investment
Anyone could see that Gabriel and Amos were tense.
In an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people before them, it was an understandable reaction. Kanghyeok stepped forward and greeted the Master and Jeff.
“A pleasure to see you, Master. And you as well, Jeff Black.”
“It’s been a while, Kanghyeok.”
The Master, old enough that smiling alone creased his face with fine lines, yet still ramrod straight, shifted his gentle gaze to Gabriel and Amos.
“Would you care for something to drink?”
“Ah, no, thank you.”
It was likely due to the peculiar aura the Master exuded.
When Amos replied with uncharacteristic stiffness, Kanghyeok gave a wry smile and introduced the two to Jeff and the Master.
“These are the friends I mentioned. They're young, but they're good people, worthy of an introduction.”
Finishing his words, he placed a hand on Amos’s shoulder.
His large, warm hand seemed to say there was nothing to worry about, and seeing this, Jeff and the Master nodded in understanding.
“If you say so, then it must be true.”
The Master gestured politely toward Jeff.
The reason Kanghyeok had come here today was because of the fabric Jeff had created.
Having been deferred to in both interest and the order of greetings, Jeff gave a short nod in acknowledgment.
“Have you been well, Jeff Black?”
“I heard from Leila. That you were attacked. You must have gone through a lot.”
“Thanks to you, it was resolved well.”
Gabriel flinched and looked at Kanghyeok, but the atmosphere wasn't one she dared to interrupt, so she kept her mouth shut.
Even with her worried gaze upon him, Kanghyeok stepped closer to Jeff.
“Thank you for finishing the development in such a short time.”
Jeff’s wrinkled lips parted as he looked at Gabriel and Amos behind Kanghyeok.
“Are those two the clients?”
“Yes.”
“Then I suppose it’s alright to show you.”
Jeff reached into his coat, pulled out a black cloth, and handed it to Kanghyeok.
At a glance, it looked like an ordinary handkerchief, but its elasticity and the feel of it in his hand were alien.
Kanghyeok held the cloth between his thumb and forefinger, focusing on the texture as he felt it.
Inside the fabric, which was thicker than it looked, was a thin, jelly-like membrane.
‘Is this a bit different from what I remember?’
The suit Kanghyeok had used before the world ended was a different article from the company suit he had worn recently.
It was a model with excellent bulletproofing and shock absorption capabilities, but it hadn’t been made by Jeff Black.
Was that why?
The item Jeff Black had made was different from the fabric in his memory.
“It’s stiff.”
“I made it with you in mind.”
Kanghyeok lifted his eyes from the fabric and looked at Jeff.
“I focused more on shock absorption. I thought you’d prefer that.”
Kanghyeok smiled faintly and nodded as he touched the fabric.
“I like it. I’d like to test it. Is there a prototype?”
“There’s already a complete suit.”
“It’s complete?”
“I got the measurements of your old suit from Leila and commissioned it. The finished product is here. Would you like to try it on?”
All eyes turned to Kanghyeok.
Amos and Gabriel wore expressions of deep curiosity, while the Master smiled faintly, as if he already knew how Kanghyeok would react.
“Please.”
Jeff Black’s lips curled up in a silent smile as he retrieved a black case from inside.
The case, hard-shelled like one for a firearm, was placed before Kanghyeok.
*Click.*
He pushed the buckle open with his thumb, took a breath, and opened the case.
A jet-black suit, neatly folded.
At first glance, it didn’t look much different from the suit he had been using.
*Rustle.*
But lifting the suit, he could clearly feel that it was an entirely different item from his previous one.
‘It’s heavy.’
It was about 500 grams heavier, giving it a weight similar to carrying a handgun. As Kanghyeok fully removed the jacket from the case and went to take out the pants, he noticed other articles of clothing lying on top of them.
There was a vest and a necktie, as well as something like tight-fitting shorts.
‘Is this for shock absorption?’
The vital points of the torso were concentrated in the center.
The necktie to protect that area, and the vest to provide a double layer of shock absorption for the torso.
And the shorts, meant to be worn under the suit, seemed designed to protect the groin and femur.
‘The method is far more advanced than what I used before.’
It was incomparable to the suit he had been using.
It was even incomparable to the suit he had worn before he died.
And now, a suit like this was his to wear, and his alone.
“Try it on inside. I commissioned it from an Italian artisan, so the fit should be excellent.”
Kanghyeok bowed his head to Jeff and headed inside.
Even as he went, the envious gazes of Gabriel and Amos followed him.
*Click.*
Kanghyeok entered a storage room deep inside and was taking off his coat when Jeff spoke.
“Since it’s just the two of us, I’ll ask, Kanghyeok.”
“Yes.”
“Do you really want me to make suits for them as well? It will be a significant expense.”
Kanghyeok glanced down at the suit draped over his arm.
The value of this suit was immeasurable.
But since it was made for people to use, a price had to be put on it.
It was nothing like a luxury brand suit.
Since it wasn’t a mass-produced item, the production cost alone, excluding processing and development fees, was bound to be substantial.
And he planned to provide at least several dozen of these suits.
“It's not an amount an individual can afford. And it doesn't seem like you've asked William for help. It goes without saying, but since this isn't related to the company, you can't receive any support.”
Jeff’s life had been saved by Kanghyeok.
His gratitude was immense.
But Jeff couldn’t cover all the production costs with his personal funds, and without support from William or the company, he couldn’t fulfill Kanghyeok’s wish.
Lamenting this, Jeff’s voice, coming from beyond the door, was subdued.
*Rustle.*
After a moment of silence, Kanghyeok spoke while taking off his turtleneck, his back to the door.
“You know how the company treats its employees.”
Somehow, despite the door between them, he felt Jeff’s gaze on him.
“They pay well. For field agents, if you last about three years, you achieve what people call financial freedom.”
“I know.”
Kanghyeok slipped his arms into a dress shirt and continued speaking as he buttoned it up.
“If you live frugally, you never have to work again. If you succeed in investing, you can afford steak instead of pork. But many people still choose to stay with the company.”
Jeff had seen many such people.
People who remained with the company even when their peers decided to retire.
It was usually one of two things.
They either loved the life of an agent so much they couldn’t imagine another, or they came to desire even more money.
In the latter case, there was a decisive reason.
“Usually, their spending habits grow. Being in the company, you get used to it. You get addicted to the high salary, the hazard pay, and the high-quality goods and benefits the company provides. So retirement becomes an impossible dream.”
As someone who had worked for the same company as Kanghyeok, a salaried employee, Jeff could relate to the story.
Jeff let out a breath and smiled wryly.
“Most working people are like that.”
*Swish.*
The sound of a necktie being tightened was followed by Kanghyeok’s voice.
“I’m not.”
Right after that.
*Creak.*
The door opened, revealing Kanghyeok, fully dressed in the new suit.
Even Jeff, who had seen countless agents over the years and had been involved in the creation of suits, was momentarily speechless at the impeccable sight.
A sturdy physique and eyes deepened by experience on numerous battlefields.
Clad in the suit, he gave the impression of a piece of obsidian, meticulously carved by a master craftsman.
“Tell me the amount you need. I'll give you double.”
Jeff was at a loss for words.
He had conveyed that a massive sum would be necessary.
‘And he’s offering double that amount?’
The atmosphere wasn't one for joking, so Jeff could only open and close his mouth, unable to speak easily.
Still, his eyes posed a question to Kanghyeok.
*Do you have that kind of money?*
It wasn’t an amount an employee like Kanghyeok could afford, unless he was a high-ranking executive. *Do you really have that kind of money?*
“You don’t have to worry. I have enough.”
Kanghyeok had accumulated enough wealth that he never had to work again.
The company salary?
Hazard pay?
The special allowance paid to safe house managers?
His wealth wasn’t built on that kind of money.
Memories brought from the future.
Kanghyeok, resurrected from death, had bought into virtual currency, and his massive, aggressive investments led to enormous returns.
An 82-fold return on his initial investment.
By pouring in all his savings and retirement funds, Kanghyeok had amassed a fortune that was by no means less than that of the company executives.
“…Are you sure? It’s a lot of money.”
“It’s not a meaningless expenditure. For me, it’s a necessary investment.”
He was sincere.
This wasn’t about him having a lot of money and deciding to invest some of it.
This was wealth he had built with the intention of living comfortably until the world ended.
And now, he intended to use that wealth to change the future of a world destined for ruin.
“I understand.”
“The amount you need is?”
Feeling it was somehow improper to state the figure directly, Jeff held up four fingers.
Kanghyeok nodded, then retrieved a checkbook and a fountain pen from his discarded clothes.
On the spot, he wrote out a check and handed it to Jeff.
“I wrote a bit more than the double I promised. Please use the rest for research and development.”
The many zeros on the check, and the number 9 at the very front.
It was a generous budget, enough for mass production and maintenance, as well as additional research.
Jeff felt a strange mix of emotions welling up inside him.
If he had to define it, the feeling was close to a fond pride.
“…Astonishing.”
It was a sense of pride that someone younger than him had amassed such wealth, but Kanghyeok didn't seem to think much of the massive expenditure.
“It’s nothing.”
The virtual currency had not yet reached its peak.
The amount he had just given Jeff was a significant bleed.
But in time, not only would it be restored to its original state, but his funds would grow to be much larger than they were now.
So, giving the check to Jeff was akin to taking a few bills from a piggy bank that magically refilled itself.
*Swoosh.*
Kanghyeok ran a hand over his suit and let his lips curl into a faint smile.
“My compliments are a bit late. The fit is to my liking. I also appreciate that the design isn’t much different from my old one.”
Jeff started to say something, then stopped.
There was no need to explain that he had commissioned it from an Italian artisan.
Kanghyeok would have known the moment he put it on.
“Aren’t you going to test the bulletproofing?”
“I’ll take it on faith.”
He could tell just by wearing it.
That of all the suits he had ever worn, this one possessed the most outstanding performance.
Just thinking about the synergy between his own physical recovery abilities and this suit was enough to set his mind at ease.
“Well, this is more pressure than I’ve ever felt.”
“Stay healthy. And make sure to eat well.”
Jeff smiled brightly and walked shoulder to shoulder with Kanghyeok.
When he had first completed this fabric, Jeff had felt like he was just doing the same job he had always done at the company.
Not that it was a bad feeling.
There was a sense of accomplishment, but it was tinged with the feeling of routine work.
But now, his feelings were a little different.
“I hope this suit will protect you.”
To Jeff, who spoke with sincerity, Kanghyeok nodded with a smile.