Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Securing My House (3)

The Namsan Leech said discontentedly.

“What, there’s someone who came to see the house before us? Has this house already been sold?”

“T, that can’t be! I confirmed with the owner earlier that it hadn’t been sold and came out?”

“Really? Then it’s fine. The one who finishes the contract first is the owner.”

The bastard raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.

One eye was a four-white eye, the other was a three-white eye.

Even when he was fifteen, the bastard had eerie eyes.

The Namsan Leech stuck one hand into his pants pocket and tilted his head crookedly.

“Too bad, snot-nosed kid. This house, I’m going to buy it.”

“What should we do, delinquent hyung? This house, we’re going to live in it.”

I grinned.

“You said it earlier, hyung. The person who finishes the contract first is the owner.”

I turned my back.

“We’ll be going back now.”

Is this what a bad connection is?

How strange.

Somehow, I don’t even want to yield a single snack to this bastard?

This bastard and I were famous as enemies in the underground finance world.

‘Hey, guardian deity.’

Snap.

As soon as I snapped my fingers, the underworld messenger rose up with a swoosh.

[Why again?]

‘Scrape up the ghosts around here.’

[Do I have to?]

The underworld messenger tilted his head.

‘I’m trying to cut off that bastard’s funding line first.’

Cut off the enemy’s supplies, secure the ally’s resources.

That’s the basics of war.

But the underworld messenger still doesn’t seem to understand.

[What connection is there between the funding line and ghosts?]

‘You know what you’re good at, dreams. Let’s properly inform them that this house is a nest of ghosts.’

[Ah, I understand. The owner?]

‘No, that bastard’s mother.’

I grinned.

[Quite a mean smile.]

Ah, that’s unavoidable.

I imagined how much that bastard’s mother would faint seeing the hundreds of spirits floating in this mansion.

Anyway, it’s a dream, so would she die of a heart attack?

She’ll just beat that son’s back thoroughly and pour out nagging for trying to buy this ghost nest, and that will be the end.

If she comes and sees the house in person, the effect will be even better.

‘Can’t do it?’

[No way.]

The underworld messenger was also smiling with the same expression as me.

[That household has accumulated so much karma. Spirits, gather!]

At the underworld messenger’s call, the ghosts gathered at a terrifying speed.

Because if they get caught, they’ll be dragged straight to the underworld and judged.

To the ghosts, the underworld messenger was the absolute superior.

The underworld messenger even pulled out the earth-bound spirits stuck in the ground in one go with a crack.

[I’ll go and come back.]

‘This is reassuring!’

I smiled satisfactorily.

On the other hand, the Namsan Leech who was about to open the front door and enter the mansion trembled.

“Shit, what is it? It suddenly got so creepy? I have goosebumps on my arm right now!”

Anyway, that bastard has good intuition.

But my intuition was ringing in a different direction.

'It doesn’t seem like it’s shining with golden light this much just because the house price is dirt cheap. Is there a gold lump buried somewhere in the garden here? How many rich and powerful people have passed through this house.'

Or not.

That’s also something to think about after I become the owner of this house.

'Then, shall we solve the money problem now?'

As quickly as possible!

Before that bastard snatches it first!

So within today!

* * *

We returned to the Myeongdong real estate agency.

The real estate agency uncle put down the phone.

“The owner says he’ll sell the house to the person who pays the remaining balance in full. First come, first served.”

Because there were two people who wanted to buy the house.

Originally, when competition arises, the seller becomes advantageous.

This is all because of that Namsan Leech bastard.

‘Now it’s become a fight of who prepares the money first.’

I turned to Mother.

“Mom, can I really buy this house?”

“Hmm.”

Mother had a slightly troubled expression.

That was understandable because she had heard it was a nest of ghosts, and she had personally seen the mansion left in a mess.

But Mother nodded and smiled gently.

“It’s a house we obtained thanks to our son, so we should buy the place you like. Mom is fine with an apartment, fine with a detached house, all fine.”

To think she would allow it so readily.

I jumped into Mom’s arms and smiled brightly.

“Mom, thank you so much. As expected, our Mom is the best!”

“But with the money we have now, it’s a bit insufficient······.”

Mother turned to Secretary Kim.

“Secretary Kim, may I ask just one thing?”

“Yes, please speak.”

“If we take out a loan with that house as collateral, how much would be possible?”

“From banks to private loans. Shall I look into it?”

Before Mother could answer, I answered first.

“It’s fine. I have no intention of taking out a loan with that house as collateral.”

“No, why?”

“The interest is too expensive.”

If it’s this area, I know it thoroughly even if nothing else.

This is not the zero-interest era of the 21st century.

Because institutional finance represented by banks has not properly taken root, even getting a real estate collateral loan is extremely difficult.

Not to mention that the interest is expensive.

So people often used high-interest private loans approaching annual rates of 40 or 50% while crying and eating mustard.

“Make Mom suffer that much just to buy one house? I’d rather give up the house than see that.”

So this method is a pass.

“Then what are you going to do?”

“Mom, is it okay if I sell Father’s watch?”

“This?”

“Don’t want to sell it? Then shall we pawn it for a while and get it back later?”

“Are you saying you’re going to a pawnshop?”

I nodded.

“Yes, there’s a very famous place in this neighborhood.”

“Okay. Let’s go together. I don’t know how much we can get by leaving this, though.”

I shook my head.

“No, Mom, please stay here.”

“Huh?”

“If the owner comes to contract and goes back saying there’s no one to contract with, it would be troublesome.”

In fact, that was an excuse.

'If it’s something involving money, Master doesn’t even spare children. He’s the type who mercilessly beats down whenever there’s a chance. So I have to enter the negotiation with some resolve to some extent.'

I didn’t want to show Mother my unfamiliar side.

I didn’t want to startle her.

I wanted to remain a kind and pretty son.

So I deliberately smiled more brightly.

“It’ll take about 30 minutes. Mom, please carefully read and check the contract. While drinking a warm cup of tea. How about it?”

I have to finish it quickly.

To properly screw over the Namsan Leech, I have to hurry.

“Then are you saying you’ll go to the pawnshop alone?”

“Aish, why would I go alone? There’s someone here who seems to know haggling thoroughly.”

I turned to Secretary Kim uncle.

Secretary Kim is a man with a very heavy mouth who highly values capable people.

Moreover, the closest aide to Chairman Cha.

The more outstanding I am, the more he will show favor and actively push me.

“I will escort the young master and go.”

That’s why I like him.

I put both hands at my navel and bowed at the waist.

It was a navel bow.

“Then I’ll be going.”

Of course, I had already casually taken Father’s watch earlier.

* * *

“Young Master, what are you planning to do?”

Secretary Kim uncle checked his wristwatch.

Only 2 hours left until the appointment time with Chairman Cha.

“Rather, why don’t you try telling the chairman once.”

“Ask for money out of the blue on the first meeting? No thanks.”

A man has his pride.

I’m not a beggar bastard either.

“It will be difficult. That watch was expensive when bought, but the moment you take it to a pawnshop, they’ll beat it down to dirt cheap. It means you’ll only get a pittance.”

Secretary Kim spoke as if he knew all about our household situation.

“The housing lottery winnings won’t be enough. Other than reselling the watch, there’s no other way to raise cash, is there?”

Have you already finished investigating my background?

“If not the chairman, are you planning to reach out to the maternal family?”

Maternal family?

‘Come to think of it, King Yama did say to go to the maternal family once.’

Did Mother have a natal family that could immediately mobilize that much cash?

Then why did she live in a monthly rented room in the Guro-dong shanty with me?

Suddenly, something I could guess came to mind.

‘Probably because of me. An unpermitted child.’

It was bitter.

What was Mother thinking when she raised me alone?

But one thing is clear.

‘Mother didn’t give up on me. That should be enough. Mother did her best.’

So I won’t look at anything else.

I’ll only think of Mother and me, and only look at the future of us mother and son.

“Is there a need to contact both families to borrow money? I’ll solve it on my end.”

“Directly by the young master without the help of both families?”

Secretary Kim’s eyes shone as if interested.

“I can’t guess that method at all. Is it possible?”

“I have to make it possible.”

“18 million won. I believe the budget is short by about that much.”

You’ve dug up even our bankbook situation completely!

“I didn’t know the Taeseong Group information team’s skills were this good.”

“Of course. You can be proud.”

Secretary Kim smiled.

He seemed to absolutely believe that there was no way for me to prepare 18 million won.

Well. What expectations would one have for a mere seven-year-old child.

So I grinned.

“Uncle, do you want to make a bet with me?”

“A bet, you say?”

“Whether I can buy this house today or not. Whether I can prepare the remaining 18 million won or not. How about it?”

“Hoho.”

“The loser grants one request of the winner.”

“Good. This is something to look forward to.”

Great!

“If I win, I would also like to receive one promise from the young master.”

“Call.”

We extended our hands and shook.

The deal is established.

‘This has become another reason to win the bet?’

Anyway, there is one thing I definitely want to ask Secretary Kim.

Requesting without sincerity is not proper.

So it had been quite uncomfortable.

After winning the bet, I can demand it confidently.

* * *

I looked up at the sign in front of the entrance of an old three-story building.

Songgolmae Pawnshop

This was the pawnshop operated by Master.

‘It’s been a while since I came here too.’

Master’s eye for detail was unmatched.

The skill of picking only prime items with eagle eyes and sweeping them up!

The insight to amazingly recognize the value of items!

The bargaining skill to reliably beat down the price depending on the opponent!

In that way, Master became a big shot in South Korea’s underground finance.

“Hoo.”

I couldn’t readily open the door and enter.

I carefully gauged once more whether it would be okay to reveal my ability.

'Both Master and Secretary Kim are people who become mercilessly cold toward the incompetent. On the other hand, they can’t help but favor capable people. Moreover, both are the type who keep their mouths very heavy wanting to monopolize information as important as life. They can be said to be the best helpers I need to obtain in both the light and the shadows.'

As expected, it’s better to show a bit of ability to both of them.

Because what is gained is overwhelmingly more than what is lost.

'To draw those two people to my side, there’s no choice. Let’s try it once!'

Ding.

“Welcome.”

Receiving Master’s greeting, I grinned.

'Today my goal is to extract only the lacking 18 million won without leaving any items at the pawnshop!'