Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Securing My House (1)

We came out of the Myeongdong Jangsu Bank.

We had exchanged the housing lottery for cash.

Seeing the amount stamped in the bankbook, Mother’s hands trembled.

“Wow, it’s really 10 million won.”

The deposit returned by the landlord’s grandmother plus the savings Mother had carefully accumulated all this time.

Adding all of that together came to about 10 million won.

It was money enough to buy an apartment.

‘Look at this, Mother. Father’s watch is much more expensive, you know? That one isn’t even close with just 10 million won.’

I stroked my bulging pocket.

The father’s watch I had secretly brought was in here.

‘I heard apartment prices are skyrocketing these days. Can we really buy an apartment with just 10 million won?’

Honestly, I had brought it with the intention of selling it if necessary.

Leaving it at the inn would make it an easy target for thieves.

I glanced around at the pawnshops lined up along the Myeongdong streets.

‘Master’s pawnshop should be in a corner deep inside the alleys here. Should I go look for it once?’

One of the biggest big shots in the underground finance world.

Known as the Myeongdong Falcon.

That person was my master.

‘By now, that gentleman must have swept up every well-located apartment in Gangnam.’

Why was the master called the Myeongdong Falcon?

Because he had the eyes of a hawk.

Picking out only the prime items and sweeping them up was the master’s specialty.

It took me a full 10 years to learn that eye for detail.

* * *

The real estate agency street was packed with lottery wives.

A lottery wife refers to a wealthy housewife who seeks large profits through real estate speculation.

With Gangnam heating up, the representative new terms that emerged were lottery wife and premium.

Lottery wives were usually the wives of high-ranking officials, sweeping the Gangnam real estate market based on high-level information their husbands secretly shared.

In that way, Gangnam these days could be called the hottest real estate speculation ground in the entire country.

“Hohoho, I heard the Hyunmu Apartment in Apgujeong-dong has risen so much lately? They say the premium has already attached 8 million. The commercial district is being expanded and designated.”

“Even so, I’m going to buy the Cheonma Apartment in Daechi-dong. Thanks to Korea University moving from Yeongeon, they say private tutors are gathering in Daechi-dong.”

“Banpo-dong is better. My husband said they’re planning to open one more road there next year.”

Every time the lottery wives opened their mouths, high-level information difficult for ordinary people to access poured out like a flood.

‘No, how far is the distance from there to here. Why can I hear the aunties whispering so clearly?’

The underworld messenger who rose up from the ground like smoke gave a thumbs-up and then disappeared again with a swoosh.

I tugged on Mother’s sleeve.

“Mom, let’s go to that real estate agency.”

“Huh? There are too many lottery wives crowded there.”

“That also means they have a lot of appetizing properties.”

It was an era when people frequently peeked into real estate agencies after rumors that real estate was becoming money.

You had to monopolize good properties for the income to be lucrative.

Not wanting to lose customers, the real estate agencies around here didn’t share properties.

Since it was a real estate agency where lottery wives especially gathered, it was worth checking out.

“We’ll have to wait quite a while until our turn comes. Will that be okay?”

“I don’t mind.”

If I can choose a good property, waiting is nothing.

Anyway, time is something we have in abundance.

“I want to watch what kind of properties the lottery wives look for. I’m really curious.”

“Then shall we?”

I held Mother’s hand and entered the real estate agency where particularly many people were gathered.

A large map of Seoul was hanging on one wall of the real estate agency.

The real estate agency uncle shouted in a loud voice.

“Yeongdong is really good these days! You know Maljukgeori, right? Land prices shoot up as soon as you wake up!”

The real estate agency uncle drew a circle on the map with a red pen.

He even drew three stars.

“If you just buy it, it will jump at least double in a year, no, three or four times!”

The lottery wives flipped through the items laid out in front of the table.

It was to choose and buy a property they liked.

‘Wow, this place is a gold mine.’

From ones with only a thin gold border to ones shimmering entirely with golden light.

Documents for all kinds of real estate properties were sparkling with golden light.

‘Definitely, this place seems to have many decent properties.’

One lottery wife lifted a real estate property document with a gold border.

“How much is this apartment?”

“14 million won.”

“Oh my, it was only 9 million won until two months ago?”

“Is there an apartment without a premium these days? We can’t sell them because there aren’t any. That one is a smaller size, so it rose relatively less.”

Premiums were attaching sharply day by day.

“The price is okay. I’ll buy it. It keeps rising these days, so I think I’ll regret it if I miss it now.”

“I’ll take this one. Royal floor for 23 million. Right?”

Mom turned to me with a bewildered expression.

The funds we had prepared were only 10 million won.

Hyunmu Apartment in Apgujeong, Cheonma Apartment in Daechi-dong, Geumjo Apartment in Banpo-dong.

The atmosphere was such that we would need at least 20 million won to buy the apartments we were aiming for.

“Jeong-hyeok, what should we do?”

Mother leaned her body and whispered in my ear.

“With 10 million won, it seems hopeless? We might not be able to buy an apartment.”

Gangnam apartment prices were staggering.

‘Even with the 10 million won first prize from the housing lottery, we can’t buy one apartment? ······Hmm?’

Among the filler properties that weren’t recommended listings, there was one document shining particularly brilliantly with golden light.

‘Only that one is shining like an incandescent light bulb here.’

I became curious about what kind of property it was.

* * *

“You’ve waited a long time. What are you looking for? Jeonse, monthly rent, purchase?”

Finally, our turn came.

“We want to buy a house.”

The real estate agency uncle scanned us from head to toe with sharp eyes.

“How about this?”

What the real estate agency uncle recommended was a shanty house in Guro-dong.

That’s a place scheduled for forced demolition, is this guy joking right now?

“We’re looking for a small apartment. About 24 pyeong.”

“Apartments are quite expensive these days, you know. From what I see, it doesn’t look like you have that much spare funds.”

The real estate agency uncle laid out documents on the table one after another.

This one is a shanty, that one is a shanty, all of them are shanties.

Without even asking how much Mother’s budget was, he only put out shanties.

“Depending on the area, the road, the size, house prices are all different. Not all shanties are the same shanty.”

Well, well, this guy for real!

Thud!

I placed Father’s watch on the table.

“The recommended properties here are really shabby. Is this all the items you’re putting out?”

Seeing Father’s watch, the real estate agency uncle opened his eyes wide.

Because it was a highest-grade luxury watch that looked extremely expensive at a glance.

The real estate agency uncle looked back and forth between the father’s watch placed on the table and us.

“Never mind. Just show me that one. The one you just put under the table.”

“This?”

Among the documents the real estate agency uncle picked up in a bundle, the property I wanted was included.

“Yes, that one.”

Let’s take a look at what kind of filler property is shining like an incandescent light bulb.

I held out my hand.

But the real estate agency uncle raised his hand upward.

It meant he had no intention of showing the item.

“How much is your total budget? This is a property that we only show to upper-class madams even among the lottery wives.”

That must be it.

Even if it’s a filler property for appearance’s sake, if you push something too shabby, the lottery wives will be displeased.

“Would you understand if I say everything here is only high-end houses in Hannam-dong, Seongbuk-dong, and Pyeongchang-dong?”

This is exactly the timing to threaten.

This is regrettable.

Ding.

At that moment, the real estate agency door opened and a tall middle-aged uncle entered.

Neatly combed all-back hair and a suit with not a single wrinkle in the collar.

A man who suited the silver-framed glasses that hid a sharp gaze very well.

He discovered us and walked this way with big strides.

“It’s been a while.”

He bowed politely toward Mother.

Mother couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.

“There’s still quite a bit of time left until the appointment? And the appointment location isn’t here either······.”

“It’s the chairman’s instruction. I have no intention of interfering, so please finish your business first. I’ll speak with you separately later.”

A cold but very polite tone.

A posture as straight as if measured with a ruler and a momentum as sharp as a blade.

‘Who was it?’

My eyes narrowed without me realizing.

“Who are you, Uncle?”

“I am Kim Young-geol, the chief of the secretariat serving the Taeseong Group chairman.”

The real estate agency uncle inhaled sharply.

“Ta, Taeseong Group!”

Regardless.

Only after hearing the name Kim Young-geol did I realize who the man in front of me was.

‘He was one of the closest aides who secretly assisted Chairman Cha. The one who even handled the dirty work.’

Secretary Kim silently picked up the watch placed on the table.

After examining it carefully, he politely returned it to Mother.

“It is definitely Young Master Seong-jun’s. Was it Cha Jeong-hyeok?”

“How did you know our Jeong-hyeok’s name?”

Secretary Kim didn’t answer Mother’s question.

Instead, he carefully examined me from head to toe.

The gaze was quite sharp.

But I didn’t avoid that gaze.

There was no reason to avoid it, and I had no intention of avoiding it.

‘The one who avoids first is the coward. I’m the type who doesn’t avoid a fight that comes to me.’

A brief flash of interest passed in the eyes that met.

Secretary Kim knelt on one knee to match my eye level.

“You look exactly like Young Master Seong-jun when he was young. You resemble your father very much.”

Secretary Kim took out a business card from his breast and held it out to me.

“Young Master Jeong-hyeok, please contact this side from now on.”

It was the phone number of the Taeseong Group chairman’s secretariat that connected directly to Secretary Kim.

But Mother blocked it with her palm.

“It’s fine. What use would a seven-year-old child have for a business card.”

“The future is hard to guarantee. Isn’t it better to have it and not use it than to regret not having it?”

“We probably won’t see each other again in the future.”

“Well. Sometimes when you live, there are times when a joker is needed. For example, dealing with trash that acts annoyingly without knowing its place.”

Secretary Kim looked coldly at the real estate agency uncle.

“Should we dirty the precious hands of the young master with filth?”

The real estate agency uncle’s complexion changed drastically.

He immediately put his hands together politely and smiled servilely.

“Will that item from earlier do? If there’s a property you want, just tell me the conditions! I’ll search the entire country and bring it to you!”

I don’t care about anything else.

What I’m curious about is only this.

I picked out and pulled the document shining like an incandescent light bulb from among the real estate properties the real estate agency uncle was holding.

There was a reason only that document was flashing like a light bulb.

“A highest-grade detached house in Hannam-dong with a 700-pyeong site, 114-pyeong building, and even a swimming pool!”

How did such a high-end house come out at a bargain price?

This was a windfall that was hard to come across.